Vitamins

I believe it is a good policy to take a basic one-a-day vitamin because my guess is most of us don't get our daily requirement of nutrients daily. Of course we don't have to get crazy about it. Our bodies are a miracle and do a good job taking care of itself as long as we take care of it. No need to overdose on any one vitamin and these days there are a wonderful variety of organic, natural vitamins to choose from. Always check with your doctor if you have questions.

(Health Central)
 In these times of cost savings, maybe you find yourself asking whether or not vitamins or worth it. Do vitamins really help prevent disease? Do vitamins really help you live longer? Are vitamins really worth it? These questions may be on your mind because if a vitamin is not effective, then paying for a vitamin would make no sense at all.

Before you decide, take a look at the history of vitamins. A vitamin is defined as "any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism". These essential organic substances were discovered when the diseases of vitamin deficiency became evident. One such disease is scurvy. Scurvy is causes from a lack of vitamin C and was typically found in sailors/soldiers who went months without fresh fruits and vegetables. Once discovered, all ships were supplied with limes and lemons. Another vitamin was discovered with the epidemics of pellagra and beriberi. These diseases are caused by a vitamin B deficiency. Widespread vitamin B deficiency started with the advent of white flour production which strips the natural nutrients from the grain. The vitamin B discovery was really the first of many discoveries linking the industrialization of food production with vitamin deficiencies.

In fact, since the 1950's the USDA studies have shown a decline in nutrient content in 43 crops. According to Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food, "you have to eat 3 apples to get the same amount of iron as you would have gotten from a single 1940 apple". The industrialization of food production has caused a substantial drop in nutrient content in the basic building blocks of your diet. Some research has shown that plants grown with industrial fertilizers are nutritionally inferior compared to the same crop grown in organic soils. Maybe it is the root systems which tend to be shallower in quickly, cheaply grown crops. Or maybe it is the lack of soil nutrients. Either way, the modern, industrial supply of fruits and vegetables are deficient in many organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism-vitamins.

So back to the question at hand; are vitamins worth the extra expense? If you have fire insurance for your house, then the expense is probably worth it. If you have automobile insurance, then the expense is probably worth it. The point here is that vitamins are like an insurance policy against diet gaps. Sure, ideally you should be getting all the nutrients you need in the food that you eat. In reality, you are probably not. Now, the skeptics will point out that vitamins are not perfect replacements for the natural nutrient. Take for example vitamin E which is a complex of eight different molecules. Only one vitamin E molecule is found in most vitamins. So, the vitamin world is not perfect. But if you wait for more research and medical certainty, you will be dead. Better to buy some insurance now, to avoid problems in the future. Vitamins are worth it and not a big scam.

Excercise to Video Games

 I thought this was a cool idea. Whatever gets you moving!

 (Berkeley Wellness)

“Exergaming” (or “exertainment”) is the latest video game craze, which allows you to play sports “virtually” using interactive computer technology. It sounds invigorating, but is it real exercise?
You can box, bowl, play tennis, shoot hoops, snowboard, hula-hoop, do yoga, even walk a tightrope, all from the comfort of your living room. Several companies make them, but the most popular is Nintendo Wii. Using a hand-held controller with digital motion sensors, you simulate the movements needed to perform the activity, as an onscreen character depicts your movement in real time. The Wii Fit program includes a pressure-sensitive balance board that you work out on.
Swing hard, but not too hard
Wii and similar virtual sports video games promote physical activity—at least more so than traditional video games and other sedentary pastimes. In a Mayo Clinic study, both children and adults playing Wii boxing burned more calories than when they rested, watched television, or played regular video games. Children burned 190 more calories an hour, on average, compared to resting; adults burned an extra 150 calories.
But people playing Wii rarely achieve the same intensity level or burn as many calories as during the actual sports—even if they’re coached to use more than minimal effort. For example, researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that only Wii boxing was intense enough to maintain or improve endurance in players, compared to Wii tennis, golf, bowling, and baseball. Other studies question whether any of these video games can be considered even “moderate-intensity” exercise. To get the most from a virtual workout you have to mimic the actual body movements of the sport as closely as possible and make a conscious effort to move your whole body—something that may be hard to do in a confined indoor setting. And some games are not too demanding to begin with.
On the other hand, there are reports of people playing Wii so hard that they actually injure themselves. As with real sports that involve repetitive movements, you can overdo it with virtual games. You can get tendinitis of the elbow or shoulder (“wii-itis”) or sprain an ankle or knee. You should take breaks when playing them, as you would in real sports.
Step up to the plate
Exergaming is not a substitute for regular exercise. But it’s better than doing nothing, and it can be an enjoyable way for sedentary people to ease into activity. You may, as you build skill and confidence, want someday to take the sport on the road, so to speak. Or, if you’re already active, you may want to take your favorite outdoor sport inside on a rainy day. Virtual sports games may also be good for people who have physical limitations due to a sports injury, a stroke, or other illness (such as Parkinson’s disease); some physical therapists use them in their practices. It’s not a cheap pursuit, though: a complete set-up (console and game programs) can run several hundred dollars. And if you’re not tech-savvy, you might need some help setting up the system.

Carrot-Apple Cake

Carrot-Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 1  cups all-purpose flour &1 cp WW flour
• 1 tsp  baking soda & 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1-2  tsp  ground cinnamon & ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3  large eggs
• 1  cup brown sugar
• 1/4  cup  vegetable oil &1/4 cp butter
• 3/4  cup  buttermilk
• 2  tsp  vanilla extract
• 1 cup  grated carrot & 1 cup grated apple
• 1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained (optional)
• 1  (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut (optional)
• 1  cup  chopped pecans or walnuts
• Buttermilk Glaze
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Muffins bake 20 min.

Mini muffins bake 15 min.

Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

 

Ginger

I love candied ginger and have a piece after dinner every day.

(Dr. Weil)
If you're concerned about joint health, or suffer from motion sickness, nausea, or chest congestion, consider a naturally helpful anti-inflammatory agent: ginger. From the underground stem of the ginger plant (Zingiber officinale), ginger can be bought as whole fresh or crystallized root; in honey-based syrups; as capsules containing powdered ginger extracts; and as alcohol extracts. Dried ginger preparations are actually more powerful than fresh due to of a chemical conversion and concentration of its constituents. When purchasing, select products with only 100 percent pure ginger standardized for their content of active components. High doses may cause a burning sensation in the stomach; to minimize, take ginger with food. I suggest the following dosages:

• To support healthy joints, take one or two grams of powdered ginger a day.
• For nausea and prevention of motion sickness, take one gram as a preventive and 500 mg every four hours as needed, or eat two pieces of crystallized ginger or take ginger syrup or tea.
• For congestion, brew tea with one-inch piece of peeled and grated ginger root per two cups of water; bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes; add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and simmer one minute more. Remove from heat. Add two tablespoons fresh lemon juice, one or two cloves of mashed garlic and honey to taste. Let cool slightly and strain.

My Favorite Bakery

My Favorite Bakery in Tahoe City is "Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet". It is a family run business that has evolved over many years from restaurant to a European style gourmet take out business. We stop by for breakfast usually, all I can say that everything there is great!  One of my favorites is the cinnamon roll. It is not too sweet with a very light texture. They also have gourmet house made sauces and jams and spice rubs. Great for gifts. We have been stopping by there for many years and look forward to their great coffee, tea and baked goods!

Banana Bread

This is a yummy version of banana bread!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Peanut butter is whipped into the basic recipe for a moist banana bread with a hint of nutty flavor. A small amount of chopped roasted peanuts offers delightfully surprising crunch.


Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)


Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I used half almond butter)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (I left it out)
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts (or almonds)
Cooking spray
Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.


CALORIES 198 ; FAT 7.4g (sat 2.3g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.8g); CHOLESTEROL 28mg; CALCIUM 27mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.7g; SODIUM 200mg; PROTEIN 4.7g; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 1.1mg

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2010

Frozen Brownie Heaven

Here is an over-the-top dessert from 'Giada' on the foodTV network. AWESOME!

Frozen Brownie Sundaes
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Serves:10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Brownie layer:

* Vegetable oil cooking spray
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 large egg, at room temperature
* 1 3/4 cups brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)
* 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 2 (1.4-ounce) milk chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor)

Ice cream layer:

* 1 pint dulche de leche or caramel ice cream (recommended: Haagen-Dazs), softened

Chocolate layer:

* 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips

I did not even make the strawberry sauce, I just sprinkled more of the chopped Heath Bar over the top.

Sauce:

* 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, thawed
* 1/3 cup powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Brownie layer: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8-inch glass baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to overhang the sides. Set aside. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together the water, oil and egg. Add the brownie mix and stir until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and candy bar pieces. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the brownie layer completely in the pan, about 1 1/2 hours.

Ice cream layer: Using a spatula, spread the softened ice cream on top of the brownie layer and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.

Chocolate layer: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the ice cream layer. Freeze for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Sauce: Put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth.

To serve: Remove the layers from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. Cut the layers into squares and drizzle with the strawberry sauce.
Notes

For a smoother sauce, strain the sauce through a sieve and discard the seeds.