Belonging & the "Smart"

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The pull of belonging to something "smart" is strong. Some turn to plant foods because of kindness to animals. But whether we do it because we love nature and want to protect the environment or not, the simple point is our bodies digest plant foods well. 

It is common knowledge that animal flesh, milk and eggs do not necessarily digest fully. They leaving undigested foods to rot in and block the passages in our bodies. (We feel sick when the body struggles to get rid of the toxins.) 

We have eaten mainly plant foods for ages. It was not the alternative. An exotic sounding term such as "vegan" was coined only about a century ago. Those who introduced the word said their reasons for eating plant foods was mainly moral - You know, nonviolence, kindness. 

It looked like a thing, not just for "smart" people, but, those whose bodies didn't require a lot of physical energy in their daily routines. Then, people started to find out that there are prizefighters and high-performance athletes who identify as "vegan." People read that there were gladiators living on plant-based (vegan) diets battling in Roman coliseums. 

It must feel special to identify as vegan when bad food eating is being widely condemned. Some may belittle those who seem to be hooked on nicely flavored, colorfully packaged and marketed unhealthy food. Some may even feel more "conscious" than those hooked on or struggling to get over junk food. But the difference between those who eat mainly plant foods and those do not is only a split-second decision.

True, knowledge of self means understanding what's happening in and around us. It means understanding the effects of what we're putting into your body. Still, the thing is to have serious fun planning and eating particular foods because they give or help the body release specific nutrients, and not because we think we're better than somebody else. 


It's ok to answer "yes" with pride, when asked "Are you vegan?" But we are simply eating mainly plant foods because that's what's in harmony with our body. That's all. Wearing names doesn't mean very much. We are either eating healthy or we are not.

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Herb Fry Bread

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Great with a stew or soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Wheat flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Soy milk 
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Flax seed
• 1 Garlic clove (chopped)
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
• *1 cup Olive oil or a slower burning oil (eg. coconut oil)
• Sea salt (optional)
• 1/2 cup Water

*You can also use 3 cups 100% vegetable oil to deep-fry the bread.

Directions

Mix flour, baking powder, basil, thyme, oregano, flax seed, garlic, cayenne pepper, and sea salt. Add water and soy milk mix till the dough comes together (do not over-mix). Cut a piece of dough to the size you would like, flour your hands, stretch and pat. Heat oil. Then add dough. Gently lay dough in hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes on each side or till its golden brown.   

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Blueberry Smoothie

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Blueberries with strawberries, pineapple, pecans, walnuts and dairy-free almond yogurt, soy milk and orange juice... Decent range of nutrients, with a creamy, lovely taste to it! 

Some Health Benefits

Blueberries support brain, blood and heart health. The fibers aid in digestive health. They are known to be useful against constipation and diarrhea. They also help repair damaged cells and fight infections (urinary tract infection, for example).

Strawberries help the organs resist infections, inflammation and other damaged cells. They nourish the brain and heart system and boost the immune system. Strawberries enrich the blood, help dissolve blood clots, support cell growth and helps heal cuts and wounds. Strawberries also support bone and tooth health. They are useful in countering high blood pressure, gout and arthritis.

The Pineapple strengthens the immune system and helps clean our bodies as a natural detox. The fruit is eaten to counter swelling, vitamin C deficiencies, arthritis and indigestion (constipation). It helps break down proteins, sugars and starch. It is therefore useful in weight loss. Pineapples also support eye, skin, bones, the heart and blood vessel health. 

Hemp seeds offer proteins, magnesium, dietary fiber, Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are used as a detox. Hemp seeds favor blood, skin, organ and immune system health. 

Soy milk helps cell, heart, brain and blood sugar health. The Orange Juice nourishes the skin and tissues, and helps the body resist cancerous cells. The nuts also boost heart, bone, blood sugar, brain, nervous system, digestive system and immune system health.

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Time & Silver Bullets

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We read that a fruit or vegetable or berry or herb helps heal the body. We try the remedy, and see no instant results. We're disappointed, that is if we're looking for a silver bullet - if we expect a quick fix. 

A quick fix sounds good, especially when you're in pain. A pill might reduce pain, give some relief. Meds can help you fall asleep or give you a burst of energy. But relief isn't healing. 

Then you think about those feel-good pictures in the med TV commercial saying one thing. Raising our hopes that the problem will be fixed immediately. But then you listen, and the audio is running off some deadly side effects you might want to pay attention to. You know, those disclaimers read so fast you can't even focus on them, and written in print so tiny you can't even read it. We've all heard of the post-promotion major safety alerts and market recalls. That's the price we pay for instant relief. 

It takes time to nourish and nurture our cells to good health, (It took time to get the body and taste buds in their present state). We create our own silver bullets by what we constantly put in our bodies - how we build our reserves and help our body heal her self. 

As we find out about different foods we are able to understand what particular food combinations can do for our bodies. And instead of comparing ourselves to others and thinking we've been so left behind, why not understand that that health itself is a process; that everyone is in repair and restore mode.

This is an exciting time for all. Scientists are being surprised at every turn with new findings about nutrients and the self-healing.

Natural foods are a key remedy in this self-healing process. Yes, our body knows healthy natural food is the "medicine," a key remedy and health sustainer in tune with time. 

Vegetable Pot Pie w/ Strawberry Lemonade

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Always enjoyed pot pies. Here's a healthier version. Tastes good too!

Ingredients (Single serving size)

Vegetable Mix

• 1 red Potato (diced)
• 1 medium Onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup Carrots (chopped)
• 1 green Pepper (chopped)
• 1 medium Tomato (chopped)
• 1 cup Broccoli (chopped)
• 2 cups Vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 Tbs Olive oil
• 3 Tbs flour Thickener (3 Tbs all-purpose wheat flour and 3 Tbs water consistency of glue)
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 Curry powder
• Sea salt (option)
• Add any vegetables of your choice

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour (1 1/2 cup wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)
• 2/3 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 cup cold water

Strawberry Lemonade

• 2 lemons (squeezed)
• 1 cup strawberries (pureed)
• 2 cups water
• Agave (according to your taste)

  

Directions

Vegetable Mix

Heat pan with olive oil. Add potato, tomato, carrots, green peppers, broccoli, onions and other spices, and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add Vegetable broth. Cook for 5 minutes. Add thickener. Cook for 5 minutes more.

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and flour-mix in a bowl. Mix and crumble with hands until it looks like crumbs. Add water. Mix into dough. Split in half. Roll with a rolling pin to fit pan (8 inch square pan or pie pan). Roll one half of dough and put it at the bottom of pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Add vegetable mix. Roll other half of dough and fit it to the top of the pan. Put back in oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.

Strawberry Lemonade

Pour 2 cups of water, squeezed lemons, pureed strawberries and agave into a container. Stir, and strain.

Some Health Benefits

Red potatoes helps the body fight infections, are good for heart and blood health. They help in digestion and elimination (against constipation). Red potatoes support eye, teeth, bone, and skin health.

Tomatoes, carrots and red potatoes share similar properties. The tomato also helps heal and nourish the kidneys. Carrots are known to help flush and heal the liver.

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A Bit of Relief from Pressure

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You may be able to relieve some pressure from your head when you gently massage (see photos) your forehead from center to temples. 

Calmly breath deeply as you repeat till you feel a soothing effect.

You may also gently press and massage the arc below the eye brow, while calmly breathing in and out.

Another way is to gently press your temples. Remember to breath calmly and deeply till you feel relaxed.

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Tomato Barley Soup

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Delicious, nutritious soup, and quite filling! 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Barley (or 1/2 cup according to taste)
• 3 large Tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 cup Mushrooms (of your choice)
• 2 large bunches of Baby spinach
• 1 large Onion (chopped)
• 2 Garlic cloves (diced)
• 1 red Pepper (chopped)
• 1 Carrot (chopped)
• 3 cups no-sodium Vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tbs Olive oil
• Sea salt (optional)

Directions

Heat pot with olive oil add chopped onions, red peppers, carrot, garlic, mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, barley, tomatoes, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, basil, thyme and salt.  Let cook until soup thickens and barley is soft. Add spinach and serve.

Some Health Benefits

Barley helps nourish cells against damaged (cancer) growtheyes. Its fibers help the body digest, absorb and eliminate the food we eat. Good for the digestive system and bodies that should lose some weight! Barley's mineral content also supports blood (against diabetes for example), bone and muscle health.

Mushrooms help the maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It assists the body to process and produce energy from the food we eat. Mushrooms are also a boost to healthy organs fighting cancerous cells especially in the prostate - making it useful against prostate cancer.

Tomatoes, like Barley and mushroom, fights cancer and enriches the blood, helping balance blood sugar (against diabetes) boost eye and skin health from inside. It nourishes the heart and helps the body prevent strokes and balances blood pressure (against hypertension). It also assists in restoring bone mass (countering osteoporosis). it nourishes and flushes the kidneys  helping to prevent gallstones and kidney stones.

Carrots also enrich the blood, support eye health and help in digestion.

Spinach boosts the immune system, the nervous system and brain health. It also shares the other ingredients properties that insure blood, eye, skin and digestive system health. Like the others, spinach is a balm for cell health against cancer and inflammation.  

Garlic and onions aid in restoring health to swollen cells (against inflammation) and cancerous organs. They help break down foods, fight toxins and unhealthy bacteria and help heal wounds and clears scars. Onions are known to help repair black people's (brown) skin where there are hypertrophic scars.    

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Catching On: Nutrition First

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The food we eat, exposure to the sun and physical activity help create healthy or diseased bodies. 

High blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity - complicated by stress - have hit black people hard since we began spending much of our time indoors, being inactive and putting taste before nutrition. 

Yes, how we respond to stress is an issue. And often, it comes down to what's sustaining our bodies. In spite of the terrible physical, emotional and psychic stress of slavery, blacks back then were generally in better shape than many of us are today. 

Much of what is called food today looks good to the eyes and tastes "good" on the tongue, but is bad for the body. Fortunately, the awareness of the effects on families and the economy are forcing people to put natural eating and good nutrition first once again.

The pace and scope of this change might make it all feel like a passing fad. TV commercials and programs, doctors and politicians are increasingly promoting healthy foods. There's votes to win and money to make when you put "Nutrition first." 

You know health foods are in high demand when Walmart promotes it. You know it's what's on when Tops, Wegmans and Price Rite are selling it - and when some food industry giants are labeling their "tasty" unhealthy food as "healthy" and/or "natural" to get in on it. 

Don't be surprised if a health food store pops up in your area. Watch out, Lori's and Abundance! Those prices better come down, now. Shoo', we need neighborhood-run health food stores in the 'hood! People want to eat healthy. 

It is no longer cool to reject healthy food because it looks like some hippie, "alternative," white people thing. And healthy eating is not supposed to be boring, Google "health food recipes." You'll be flooded with more tasty recipes than you can handle. It's an excellent time to be get creative.

Blacks as a people have been known for living in harmony with nature. (And the world ate healthier before the "free market" profit overdrive.) Remember, our closeness to nature was an Enlightenment era justification for slavery. The "civilized" world is now catching on to it.

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

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A boost of nutrition in one drink

I made this smoothie this morning. It offers up a good dose of your daily nutritional needs! Start your day or vitalize your body anytime later with this drink. Black bodies have an affinity to the tropical pineapple as well as the nuts and seed content. 

Ingredients

• Strawberries
• Pineapple
• Almonds
• Pecans
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Hemp Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Orange Juice
• Almond Milk

Directions

Place ingredients in a blender or other smoothie maker and whip to your preferred consistency. More nuts and seeds with smaller quantities of orange juice and almond milk make it creamier and thicker. 

Some Health Benefits

Strawberries in our diet help build resistance against infections, inflammation and cancerous cells. They strengthen the immune system in general, and supports brain and heart health. Strawberries also enrich the blood and helps control blood clots. They help in cell growth and in healing cuts and wounds Strawberries' nutrients support bone and tooth health. The fruit is useful in countering high blood pressure, gout and arthritis.

The Pineapple strengthens the immune system and helps clean our bodies as a natural detox. The fruit is eaten to counter swelling, vitamin C deficiencies, arthritis and indigestion (constipation). It helps break down proteins, sugars and starch. It is therefore useful in weight loss. Pineapples also support eye, skin, bones, the heart and blood vessel health. 

Pumpkin Seeds, which are also helpful in resolving weight issues, help restore balance to blood sugar levels, making it useful against diabetes. They also supports prostate health. The seeds contain serotonin which is known to help in inducing sleep. So, it is useful against insomnia. Pumpkin seeds also offer dietary fiber necessary for digestion and absorption; and magnesium which is necessary for energy production.

Hemp seeds are a vital source of dietary fiber, Omega-3 and Omega-6, and magnesium. They are also rich in proteins. They support blood, skin, organ and immune system health. Also, hemp seeds are useful as a detox.

The Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie's Orange Juice content supports skin and tissue health, and helps the body resist cancerous cells. The smoothie's mixed Nuts content add to insuring heart, bone, blood sugar, brain, nervous system, digestive system and immune system health.

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Red Beans & Curry Brown Rice

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Easy-to-make and nutrient rich

I enjoyed putting this homemade dish together. It was surprisingly easy to make!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Red beans
• 2 large Tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 large Onions (chopped)
• 2 Garlic cloves (diced)
• 1 Green pepper (chopped)
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 cups Brown rice
• 1 tsp Curry powder
• Sea salt (optional)

Preparation

Cook brown rice with curry powder. Set aside when done.

Slow cook beans a day before in a slow cooker (do not drain water once beans are done).  Heat olive oil in pot. Add onions and peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. Add cooked beans with water, tomatoes, garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder, bay leaf and basil. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Serve over curry brown rice.

You are going to love this healthy dish ... and it's even better the next day!

Some Known Nutritional Benefits*

"Rice & Beans" is, historically, a common healthy, easy-to-prepare dish among Black people worldwide. What's in it for us? First, the ingredients of the red beans gravy (the beans, tomatoes, spices and herbs):

Red beans is a well known rich source of protein and iron for muscle and blood health.

Tomatoes also increase bone health. Tomatoes also help prevent and fight against cancer, DNA damage, inflammation and degenerative diseases. 

Cayenne pepper helps blood circulation.

Garlic and onions are useful antibiotics. Both help fight infections. Garlic, obviously, is more potent.

Bay leaf is known to help fight infections, some ulcers, bleeding, arthritis, bronchitis, flu symptoms, some ulcers and urine retention. It does more: It stimulates appetite, digestion, absorption, elimination of the foods we eat. It helps improve blood iron content, blood pressure, heart health, brain cell and nervous system health.

Basil boosts the skin and hair health, digestive tract health, and immune system health, bones' connective tissue and harmful bacteria.

Brown rice is rich in fiber. Fiber counters constipation and helps absorb and eliminate what we eat. Brown rice's high magnesium content supports bone health and helps produce the energy our bodies derive from our meals. Brown rice's zinc helps prevent and fights cancerous cells, heal wounds and shore up the immune system. This whole grain's Vitamin B-6 secures nerve and blood cell health.

Curry combines well with brown rice not just for color and flavor, nutritionally, it also boosts the immune system. Another similarity is it counters cancer cells and inflammation. Curry also nourishes heart and brain cells.

Serve this recipe with a salad or dark green vegetables.

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Honey Nut Muffin

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Protein-rich with vital minerals

I baked these muffins with almonds, pecans, walnuts, dried cranberries, honey, almond milk, grated coconut, Earth Balance vegan butter, egg-substitute (ground flaxseed*). I did it for the proteins and the minerals. 

*Ground Flaxseed as Egg Substitute

Ground flax seed

2-3 tablespoons of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed gives you the equivalent of 1 egg.

Directions:
Mix ground flaxseed with water. Heat and stir until it resembles beaten eggs.

Let the mix cool, then use in your recipe.

Honey Nut Muffin

Some Nutritional Benefits

Those of us who experience allergic reactions with nuts may replace nuts with favorite cereal or add other preferred dried berries. However, nuts and seeds have generally been a staple in black people's diet. 

The mineral content of nuts sometimes overlap, while each is unique in what it offers. Almonds, pecans and walnuts have significant levels of iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium, and selenium.

We will return to the nuts, but let's first look at flaxseed. Flaxseed, with its healthy fats, is known to help boost heart health. It balances blood pressure and blood sugar levels. This makes it useful against diabetes. Flaxseed also helps fight cancer. Its healthy fats make it useful in countering stroke.
  
Almonds support heart and blood sugar health. It enriches the blood, the bone and teeth. The nuts also boost brain health, the nervous system and the body's immune system. Almonds are a rich source of healthy cholesterol.

Pecans are good for fighting cancerous cells and infections. They also boost skin health.

Walnuts support brain, blood and immune system health. Walnuts are high in Omega-3 content. Combining it with almonds (and other nuts) rounds out its nutritional value.

Cranberries offer dietary fiber vital in heart health, digestion, absorption and elimination. It helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels and urinary tract health.

Honey in its pure form is not merely a natural sugar. It is a protein source and contains useful levels of iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium and copper.

If you do not have blood sugar imbalances (such as diabetes), you may add small portions of sweet fruit for extra sweetness. Love it!

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