Wheat-more information

Here's a podcast by Dr. William Davis, who wrote the book, Wheat Belly.

He describes the research, and it hit home when I heard him discuss the symptoms

...  they are exactly my symptoms.

           http://itsrainmakingtime.com/2011/williamdavis/

if you crave this... you really need this

ok, I found this a really interesting page.  (lots of blank space at the top... scroll down)
<http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php>

Cooking with Tofu

"I really don't do anything special. I have found that no matter what I do to the tofu before I bake it, the flavor of the inside of the tofu itself really doesn't change.

So I usually bake my tofu ‘as is’. I drain the tofu as best as I can. I like using Whole Foods brand reduced fat tofu in the tubs.

To drain, I cut three sides of the top wrapper around the edges, drain the water, and then squeeze as much moisture out of it as I can by pressing my hand on the top wrapper that's still attached to the tub and draining over the sink.

Once drained, I cut the tofu into one-inch squares and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet (or sheet sprayed with Pam) in the oven.

Baked tofu takes quite a while. I usually bake mine at about 350 for at least an hour. You can also "bake" tofu in the microwave - usually takes about 6-7 minutes on high. Cooking times vary on how "chewy" you want your tofu to be, so you may want to watch it if this is your first attempt.

 After the tofu is cooked, then I add whatever: 8easonings/sauces to flavor it. Some of my favorites are Bragg's liquid aminos (found next to the soy sauce at Whole Foods), also I like to add baked tofu to spaghetti sauce and have this over whole wheat pasta. Really any sauce you can think of for meat (that's abstinent of course) could be used with baked tofu - it's pretty versatile. I believe Whole Foods also has a selection of books about working with tofu. My tastes sometimes are pretty simple, so this may give you more ideas."

“I find tofu is excellent as a protein source in soups.  It takes on the flavor of the soup you make.  I like to use small cubes (less than 1 inch) of tofu.”

“I grill my tofu on a small indoor grill.  I spray the surfaces with Pam and slice the tofu into rectangles about 2”x3” no more than ½” thick.  I season the top and bottom according to my taste preference at the time. 

If I’m in a sweet mood I use a sprinkling artificial sweetener and cinnamon or artificial sweetener and Chinese Five Spices (available in Health Food Stores and many groceries).  I even use this for my protein at breakfast.  Don’t forget to weigh tofu before you cook it!

 If I don’t want the sweetness I’ll use a spice mix like Mrs Dash with a light handed drizzle of light soy sauce (has less salt).  There are wonderful abstinent spice mixtures like the ‘Spice Trader’ line to fight boring flavors.”

“My husband makes a morning tofu shake.  He takes 8 oz of tofu out of the tub, plops it in the blender and adds two packets of artificial sweetener, 1 c of applesauce or 1 c of berries or a banana, blends it up and presto, there’s breakfast!”

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Eating with the Seasons - Spring Foods

Food choices that follow the cycles of nature will add freshness and vibrancy to your meals and body. By eating locally grown and in-season foods, we work with the rhythm of the seasons and tune in to our immediate environment. In most of North America, there are 3 growing and harvest seasons, followed by a dormant or resting season (winter.) When we lived directly off the land, as farmers (or hunter-gatherers), we ate this way. Via generations and generations of humans before us, our bodies and genetic patterns have adapted to this cyclical pattern of food availability. Think of what was available to our ancestors and what is available to us now. Fresh foods from all over the world are readily available at our grocery stores according to when they are in season on the other side of the planet or pulled from cold storage having been picked before true ripeness. Eating “unnatural-out of season” foods places us at slight odds with our surroundings. We can have all the fresh foods we want, need and desire—the idea is just to wait for the right season.

If it wasn’t straight out of the ground, off a live plant or tree or didn’t come from the root cellar during a certain time of year, may not be in sync with what our bodies need in this season.

Spring

The first harvest comes in Spring and consists mainly of roots, sprouts, and bitter greens that burst from the ground aided by the spring rains and melting winter snow. These tend to be low-fat and low-calorie. Its Nature saying: release the fat of winter, cleanse the stored toxins and get ready for the work and play of summer. Eat more salads, veggies, leafy greens, beans, sprouts and berries.

Best Spring Foods

FRUITS: dried fruits

VEGETABLES: alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, bean sprouts, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chicory, chilies(dried), collard greens, corn, dandelions, endive, garlic, green beans, hot peppers, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peas, spinach, Swiss chard, radishes, turnips, watercress FRUITS: dried

GRAINS: none are “best”

LEGUMES: bean sprouts, goyas, kidneys, lentils, limas, mungs

NUTS/SEEDS: none are “best”

DAIRY: none are “best”

MEAT/FISH: none are “best”

OILS: corn

CONDIMENTS: none are “best”

BEFERAGES: none are “best”, other than good ole water

HERB TEAS: cardamom, chicory, cinnamon, cloves, dandelion, ginger, hibiscus, orange peel, strawberry leaf

SPICES: black pepper, cayenne, clove

Good(second best) Spring Foods

FRUITS: apples, blueberries, grapefruit, lemons, limes, papayas, pears, pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries

VEGETABLES: artichokes, beets, bitter melon, broccoli, cilantro, fennel, ginger, jicama, leeks, snow peas, seaweed

GRAINS: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats (dry), quinoa, brown rice (long grain), rye

LEGUMES: adzuikis, black grams, garbanzos, favas, split peas

NUTS/SEEDS: filberts, pinions, pumpkin, sunflower

DAIRY: ghee (in moderation), low-fat yogurt (in moderation), rice/soy milk

MEAT/FISH: chicken, duck in moderation), eggs (in moderation), freshwater fish, lamb (in moderation), ocean fish (in moderation), turkey

OILS: canola, flax, mustard, safflower, soy, sunflower

CONDIMENTS: carob, chocolate (reduce), pickles

BEFERAGES: black tea, coffee, sparkling water

HERB TEAS: alfalfa

SPICES: anise, asafetida, basil, bay leaf, chamomile, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, nutmeg, oregano, peppermint, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, spearmint, thyme, turmeric

Resource and reference: The 3-Season Diet: Eat the way nature intended by John Douillard