Mediterranean Orzo
Garlic, lemon, and capers along with fresh herbs add an abundance of flavor to pasta and vegetables in this recipe for Mediterranean Orzo. Adapted from a recipe of the same name by the Purple Carrot, Mediterranean Orzo is a colorful dish that you would expect to be served at a cafe in the Mediterranean…but, without all the oil. Dairy-free, low in fat, high in protein, and with no added sugar, this plant-based dish is easy to cook and ready in less than 20 minutes. Read more 
10 Better Halloween Treats
Halloween is that one day of the year when it’s all about the candy from the moment the kids wake up to that serene moment when you tuck their sugar laden bodies into bed. Although most people have to go with the flow and tolerate their kids bringing bags of sugary candy (is there any other kind?) home, there are ways to work around the system and provide trick or treaters (and your kids) with a delicious treat that isn’t loaded with garbage. Read more
FIKA Almond Butter
Consumers are paying more attention to what’s in their food by reading labels and forgoing products that have unrecognizable ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors – leaving food manufacturers to figure out how to make food products simpler, tastier, and economical by including as few ingredients as possible. Even the Wall Street Journal – a newspaper known more for business coverage than trend spotting – recently (August 9, 2016) reported that food companies are touting simplicity in response to consumers preference to recognize what they eat (see Packaged Foods’ New Selling Point: Fewer Ingredients). Read more
Who To Trust For Nutrition Advice?
Lifestyle choices are one of three aspects (the others being genetics and the environment) that greatly affect our health. We can’t pick our parents and environmental factors are not wholly within our control but we can focus on lifestyle choices that affect our health so who do we turn to for advice?
Everyone has an opinion about diet and nutrition which makes the amount of information to sift through a monumental and often overwhelming task that typically leads to confusion – which is just what the industries who are threatened by the power of nutrition want. Read more
Nature Addicts Fruit Sticks
Fruit Rollups have a special place in our hearts because back in the 1980’s when these sweet, chewy “fruit” treats hit supermarket shelves, there was nothing else like them. The only problem was that most of these “fruity snacks” contained very little fruit and a lot of undesirable ingredients including corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, and additives with long names like acetylated monoglycerides (an emulsifier).
Flash forward a few decades and we now have healthier choices made with non-GMO fruit, fruit, and more fruit by Nature Addicts, a company that began in Belgium and whose products are now offered throughout Europe and North America. Read more
Asparagus Carrot Masala with Quinoa
The Purple Carrot meal kit service continues to inspire me with the weekly delivery of ingredients and recipe cards to make delicious plant-based meals with three noteworthy changes: I use less oil than the recipes call for, omit the jalapeño or hot peppers, and add more vegetables which generally turns a meal meant for two persons into four servings, or as a side dish for 6-8. The meals rely heavily on spices which add flavor to the dishes (which is why I leave out the jalapeño or hot peppers) and is a great way to introduce plant-based dishes to carnivores and vegetarians as a side dish. Read more
10 Things to Know about Potatoes
What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a really decent sort of fellow. ~A. A. Milne
The author of Winnie the Pooh certainly knew how to write a classic story but he also had an appreciation of the potato. A century ago, it was not uncommon for people in England to sit down to a meal of potatoes but in recent times, potatoes have gotten a bad rap for all the wrong reasons. If you think potatoes are one of those starchy foods to avoid, then think again because this stem vegetable – of which there are many varieties – is totally underrated in terms of nutritional benefits. Read more
Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars
Seeing red? Feeling blue? There’s an Antidote for that.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of incredible chocolate bars on the market but Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars are in a league of their own. Created by Red Thalhammer who was born, raised, and educated in Austria before moving to New York City, Antidote Dark Chocolate Bars differ from other bean-to-bar chocolate makers in that she uses half raw and half roasted cacao to make bars that are comparatively low in sugar (0-8 grams per 1.1 ounce serving) but off the charts in flavor. Read more
THE NIH and Nutrition
When people hear the letters “NIH” they often think of the National Institutes of Health which is not one center but 28 separate institutes and centers responsible for biomedical and health-related research. The Office of the Director oversees the 27 institutes/centers, sets policies, and coordinates activities. Nestled within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (the cabinet level department at the federal level whose motto is “Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America”), NIH is the primary agency for health related issues in this country: Read more
When Breath Becomes Air
When there’s no place for the scalpel, words are the surgeon’s only tool.
Paul Kalanithi graduated from Stanford with a BA and an MA in English Literature and a BA in Biology. He also earned a MPhil in history and philosophy of science and medicine from Cambridge before attending and graduating from the Yale School of Medicine. He returned to Stanford to do an 8-year residency in neurosurgery and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience. In his seventh year of residency in May, 2013, 36-year old Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer – an illness that rarely strikes young men (he notes that only 0.0012 percent of 36-year olds get lung cancer). Read more
Paddock Post 