Vinegar & Acids Help Lower Blood Sugar

The "Really?" column in today's Science Times (NY Times) reports on studies showing that including vinegar in a meal will help lower blood sugar. One Italian studies showed including vinegar as salad dressing with a meal that includes bread and other carbs will reduce blood sugar by 30%. The results were verified in another study by the American Diabetes Association. You can check the results yourself by eating 2 identical carb meals. With one, add 2 teaspoons vinegar with the other do not use vinegar. Check your blood sugar after each meal, and see if there's a drop in the meal eaten with vinegar.The author's of the ADA study concluded that: The data indicates that vinegar can significantly improve postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects. Acetic acid…

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Food for Thought: Better to Eat a Cow than a Fish

I am vegan; however I often talk to folks who are sometimes vegetarians, or those who abstain from red meat. I think for them, the idea of eating a mammal is abhorrent, but occasional fish or chicken seems a tolerable or even desirable protein source. Even for those on an unabashed meat-based diet, the following discussion about which meats to eat may be insightful:I was fortunate to attend a reading of a discourse read by Ven. Zhaxi Zhuoma Rinoche a couple of Sundays ago. Periodically, she paused to add in editorial comments and take questions that further illuminated and clarified the text. At one point she made a comment which spoke to me. That is that if one is going to eat meat, it is preferable to…

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Reducing Breast Cancer Risk: Excercise, Veg Diet & Limited Alcohol. New York Times Article

Here's a short piece from the NY Time's Science section about a study showing that living a healthy life style decreases breast cancer risk. This study emphasizes maintaining a normal body weight.Obesity dramatically increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 50-100%, the risk increasing "the older the woman gets and the longer she remains obese." (1) The reason being is that the abdominal fat cells convert steroid (fat soluble) hormones to estrogen. In the breasts, the additional estrogen created binds to the breast cells, promoting "cell division and potentially tumor growth." (2) Cancer cells are abnormal cell growth: the additional cell division cause the tumor growth. Adipose tissue (fat) contains an enzyme, aromatase, that converts steroid hormones into estrogen. After menopause, the ovaries and pituitary…

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Should Junk Food Be Sin-Taxed?

Let me take this opportunity to discuss the proposed surtax on soft drinks to help pay the costs of universal health care. First off, I'm for it, and here's why:If we go to a universal health care plan, that would mean that we are all in the same insurance pool: we all put money in, and the sick and infirm take money out as needed to provide for their health care. That means that those of us who do preventative care, live a healthy lifestyle and cultivate our health are subsidizing the health care expenses of those who do not take care of their health. Obesity is at epidemic proportions in this country, and has been for some years. The costs of obesity in terms of disease…

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3 Tempeh Recipes

Occasionally patients mention that they would like to try tempeh, but aren't sure how to cook it. Tempeh is a soy product, made with fermented soybeans and formed into cakes. Often times other ingredients are added, such as grains or seaweed (sea veg). Tempeh has a strong flavor and needs to be marinated or cooked in sauces to moderate the taste. Here are 3 of my favorite tempeh recipes, taken form Peter Berley's cookbook "The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen". Berley is a vegetarian chef who cooked for many years at Angelica's Kitchen, one of New York's original and favorite veg restaurants. I love his cookbook and all of the recipes in it.In his book Peter recommends using unpasteurized tempeh, which he claims is available in the freezer section.…

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Mahatma Gandhi Kitcharee: Rice & Grain Dish Works Well for Poor Appetite

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) we often prescribe a rice porridge called congee for those with poor appetite or difficult digestion, esp. for chronic illness, cancer or chemotherapy. Congees are traditionally made with rice, although any grain can be uses. They are cooked with lots of water (8:1 water: rice) and cooked for a long time (4-8hr: a crock pot is often used). Herbs, meats, dried fruits, sweeteners and nuts are added for flavor and medicinal effect. A respected teacher of mine gave accounts of bedridden patients with cancer brought back from the precipice through the use of congee.In India, they make a traditional dish called kitcharee, which is similar to the medicinal effect of congee, but less water and cooking time is involved. Kitcharee works well…

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Natural Gatorade (Electrolyte Replacement Drink)

I found this recipe a while back on the WHO website & have recently run across it again in my files. The recipe is for an electrolyte replacement beverage that could be used instead of Gatorade. This one is not neon & obviously is safer.Electrolyte replacement is necessary after extreme fluid loss, such as after a bout of diarrhea or vomiting. Athletes drink Gatorade due to the electrolyte loss through perspiration.3/4 t sea salt1/2 t backing soda4 t cream of tarter (or eat 2 bananas for potassium)1T sugar1 liter of wateroptional: 1T orange juice or 2t lemon juice

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Chickpea-Garlic Soup Mmm, Mmm Good

Here's my newest, favorite soup recipe. Is it ever delicious. I garnished it with a dollop of raw/cultured red cabbage that I found in a package in the refrigerator section at Earthfare. The red color popped beautifully popped in the bowl of the golden yellow soup, as did it's tartness pop the flavor of this creamy potage. The recipe is from the cookbook of my favorite vegetarian restaurant in NYC: Angelica's Kitchen. Peter Berley, the author of my 2nd favorite vegetarian cookbook: The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, was a prior chef at Angelica's Kitchen in earlier days, and is credited for recipe development. I see similarities and influences in the recipes and cooking styles of the 2 books.I keep an herb garden with staples like rosemary, sage, oregano,…

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Homemade Applesauce: Healthy and Guilt-free Dessert

Apples have been on sale recently at Earthfare and Greenlife, so I bought a few pounds and made a easy applesauce, mmm, mmm. My grandmother used to make this and I still remember how much I loved eating it. We used to eat it with cinnamon graham crackers. It's also tasty over ice cream. Though, as an acupuncturist, I avoid frozen, sugary concoctions, such as ice cream.I've been enjoying the applesauce over millet and walnuts in the morning for breakfast, or as an after-meal snack.I used my version of my grandmother's recipe. She used to can it in jars. I haven't yet learned canning.7lbs apples - I used a blend of macs and granny smith: they were both on sale. The granny smith added a tang, so…

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