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Dr. Susan E. Brown

Vegetables make you happy . . . yes, really!

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You’ve heard the old saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

But would it surprise you to know that an apple — or a carrot — also discourages the blues and makes you more engaged in life? That’s what research has found — repeatedly! — in recent years.


Research shows fruits and vegetables boost emotional well being

  • A 2016 study that focused on the food diaries of more than 12,000 Australian adults found significant increases in emotional well-being of individuals who increased their intake of plant foods. This occurred within a relatively short (2-year) time span and could not be explained by other life changes.
  • A 2014 study that looked at emotional health in 100 volunteers, half of whom snacked on fruit and the other half on chocolate or chips in mid-afternoon, found that those who ate fruit scored lower on measures of anxiety, depression, and emotional distress than those who ate junk food.
  • And a 2015 study in 405 British young adults found not only improved emotional well-being, but increased creativity and curiosity as well, were reported by the subjects — not only in general, but in particular, on the specific days the study subjects reported eating more fruits and vegetables.

Changes can happen almost immediately

We’re all well aware of the long-term physical health benefits of a diet loaded with plant foods. Now these studies indicate that benefits to our emotional well-being occur in the short term once we start incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our daily food intake. The British study suggests that such changes may happen almost immediately!

Keep this in mind, the next time you reach for a snack like this delicious Green Agua Fresca.

 

Green Agua Fresca

Combine a fruit and vegetable in this snack!

3 cups fresh watermelon

2 cups fresh spinach or other mild green

Mix in blender until smooth. Your drink will be bright green and taste entirely of sweet watermelon.

 

References:

Conner, TS, et al. 2015. On carrots and curiosity: Eating fruit and vegetables is associated with greater flourishing in daily life. Br J Health Psychol 20(2):413-427. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12113.

Mujcic, R, and AJ Oswald. 2016. Evolution of well-being and happiness after increases in consumption of fruit and vegetables. Am J Public Health 106(8):1504–1510.

Smith, AP, and R Rogers. 2014. Positive effects of a healthy snack (fruit) versus an unhealthy snack (chocolate/crisps) on subjective reports of mental and physical health: A preliminary intervention study. Front Nutr 1:10. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2014.00010.

 

 

Dr. Susan E. Brown

Recipes to help you get the benefits of blackstrap molasses

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Dr. Bown with molasses cookiesI fondly recall my grandmother’s homemade blackstrap molasses cookies and her molasses sweetened, old fashioned, baked beans. If you feel like indulging your sweet tooth, you can skip the refined sugar, sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup and fructose.

A better way to add a little sweetness — along with the big nutrient benefits — is to use blackstrap molasses. See some of my favorite ideas below.

What is blackstrap molasses?

Blackstrap molasses is the thick dark syrup — full of alkalizing, bone-building trace minerals — left after the third boiling in the sugar refining process.

Nutrition in blackstrap molasses

Blackstrap molasses is rich in many key bone nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and even the hard to get trace mineral manganese. Some reports suggest you only need two teaspoons of blackstrap molasses to get 18% of the recommended daily value for manganese.

Manganese plays a special role in bone cartilage and bone collagen formation and is required for bone mineralization. In one study, women with osteoporosis were found to have ¼ the manganese levels of the women who didn’t have osteoporosis.

Compare the nutrients in blackstrap molasses to table sugar

Nutrient Content per 1 Tablespoon
NutrientBlackstrap Molasses (organic unsulfured)Table Sugar
Calcium200 mg0
Magnesium100 mg0
Potassium450 mg0
Iron2.70-0.73 mg0
Sodium30 mg0
Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, ChromiumTrace amountsnone

Table Reference: U.S. Dept of Agriculture, USDA Branded Food Products Database, Jan. 2017

Molasses spice cookie recipe

From The Amazing Acid Alkaline Cookbook by Bonnie Ross

(Makes 24 cookies)

Ingredients

3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

2 C light spelt flour (or gluten-free baking mix)

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp sea salt

2/3 C Sucanat sugar

½ C clarified butter

¼ C blackstrap molasses (originally regular molasses in the recipe)

Sucanat sugar for coating

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-x-13-inch baking sheets with clarified butter, or line them with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the water and flaxseed. Stir well and let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaxseed mixture, sugar, butter, and the blackstrap molasses. Mix well with a spoon until blended.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a spoon until blended.
  6. Lightly coat a plate or pan with sugar. Using your hands, shape the dough into 1½-inch balls and roll each ball over the sugared surface. Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the balls to allow for spreading.
  7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle of the cookie is still soft. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.

More ways to use blackstrap molasses

Molasses apple cider tea

This warming drink involves two of my alkalizing favorites.  I simply put 1 Tbsp of blackstrap molasses and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water and enjoy.

Wholesome alternative sweetener

As a simple sweetener, I like the flavor of blackstrap in yogurt, oatmeal, homemade granola, and even tea.  It also works to replace some of the honey or maple syrup in your recipes with blackstrap.

Barbecue sauce or veggie glaze

If you prepare homemade barbecue sauce try mixing a bit of blackstrap to secret BBQ sauce. Or, if you like to spice up things by glazing your root crops, try mixing a bit of blackstrap with butter for a flavorful glaze.

Source for nutrition information: Whole Foods

Find out if Black Strap Molasses is Acidic or Alkaline Forming

Dr. Susan E. Brown

Root vegetables are winter’s gift to bones

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How many of you recognize the root cellar depicted below? That cold-weather storage area actually looks just like the well-used root cellar in my parents’ house.

As our ancestors knew in the days before refrigeration, hardy, storable root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and so forth make for delicious, warming, winter foods — and as an added bonus, they have tremendous value for bone health. They are highly alkalizing and packed with important bone-building nutrients, and as an extra benefit, root veggies can satisfy our sweet tooth if cooked at length.

Root vegetables: plentiful and versatile

At a time of year when field-fresh, organic vegetables may be harder to find in cold northern latitudes, you can almost always count on roots being readily available.

In our Better Bones Better Body Program, we suggest everyone consume at least one root vegetable daily in summer and perhaps two in winter. Root vegetables can easily substitute for bread, pasta, and grains in supplying carbohydrates for energy, yet their high potassium content means they help alkalize the body, unlike acid-forming grains.

I enjoy most root crops, but my favorite is the potato — maybe because of my Irish grandmother, who ate her own “home fried” potatoes every morning, or perhaps because one large baked potato eaten with skin offers a whopping 1626 grams of potassium!

Winter root crops pack a lot of bone-building nutrients

Potassium isn’t all roots have to offer. The table below details the amount of various key bone-building nutrients found in popular root crops. We have standardized these to 100 g of each of vegetable (just so you know, a large baked potato weighs about 229 g).

An easy root vegetable recipe to savor

While I love baked potatoes all year around, one of my favorite winter recipes is roasted root vegetables. I use a number of different roots together with onion, some olive oil, and seasoning. Maybe you want to try out the recipe below; I’d love to hear of your personal warming winter root vegetable recipes.

Roasted Root Vegetables

This dish is so versatile that I have actually eaten it for breakfast alongside cooked quinoa and a poached egg. It is a great addition to almost any meal.

Ingredients:

6 large cloves of garlic, whole

5 medium-sized parsnips, diced into 1-inch cubes

4 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

2 large onions, sliced lengthwise

1 medium-size butternut squash, diced into 1-inch cubes

¼ cup light olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Optional herbs: parsley, oregano, or rosemary

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat two 9 × 13 inch baking dishes with vegetable oil and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine garlic, parsnips, potatoes, onions, squash, and olive oil. Toss well.
  3. Add sea salt (and any herbs you desire) to the vegetables and toss again.
  4. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dishes, spreading them out in a single layer.
  5. Roast the vegetables for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and fork tender, and serve.

Yields 8 servings.

Timesaver tip: The first time you make this dish, cut up more than you need of everything except the onions and freeze the extra in a gallon-size freezer bag. Then the next time you want it, all you have to do is thaw it, cut the onions, season, and bake!

 

Ginger superfood for bones
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Fall superfood for bones: Ginger

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I’m naming ginger one of my fall superfoods. While I highly recommend hot ginger tea as my choice for a cold weather drink, there are so many other ways ginger can be used to add zing to your recipes while enhancing your overall health – and bone health – on many fronts.

One of the main benefits of ginger is its exceptional antioxidant properties – surpassed only by pomegranate and some berries. Unmet antioxidant needs are a major cause of osteoporosis.

Increase ginger’s antioxidant power

As we move into the fall and winter months, you can significantly boost the antioxidant capacity of ginger by choosing certain warming and comforting cooking methods. Simmering, stewing and making soup all increase ginger’s antioxidant power, while grilling and stir frying decrease it.

Here’s one of my favorite seasonal recipes with a healthy amount of ginger. 

Gluten-free ginger snap cookies

Ingredients:

2½ cups blanched almond flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
4 to 5 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom (or to taste)
1 egg
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons honey

Directions:

  • Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl
  • Beat together honey and butter, add egg and mix until combined
  • Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until dough comes together (if the dough is not coming together add some cold water – a tablespoon at a time)
  • Refrigerate dough for at least an hour (at this point you can roll the dough into a log, about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter, then instead of rolling the chilled dough into balls in the next step you can simply slice off as many cookies as you need.
  • Roll dough into 1 to 2 tablespoon sized balls and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes

5 extra reasons to add ginger root to your recipes

In addition to its antioxidant properties, extensive scientific research shows the bioactive components of ginger root, particularly gingerol and shogaols, have the following benefits:

  1. Highly anti-inflammatory and can reduce pain, swelling and tissue damage. Unwanted inflammatory cytokines weaken bone and contributes to arthritis.
  2. Enhances digestion, warms the body, “expels cold” and cures nausea. Strong digestion and assimilation is key to optimum bone health.
  3. Aids in detoxification. Toxic build-up of any amount interferes with the functioning of all our cells.  Ginger helps us detoxify through its alkalizing actions and by its contribution to the production of glutathione, our most important inner-cellular antioxidant.
  4. Enhance immunity. Our immune system is our “circulating intelligence” intimately linked to skeletal functioning. Boosting immunity serves bone.
  5. Cardio-protective. This is important news given the now established link between osteoporosis and heart disease.

It’s no wonder ginger has been used for over 5,000 years to improve health!  What’s your favorite way to use ginger?

 

References:

The Amazing And Mighty Ginger, Chapter 7, in Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors.Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011.

Curcumin: Getting Back to the Roots Shishodia, Shishir et al., Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences Nov., 2005:206-217.

Chohan, M. et al., Plant Foods Hum Nutr (2008) 63: 47. doi:10.1007/s11130-007-0068-2

Better digestion tips
Dr. Susan E. Brown

6 fall tips for better digestion

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As the days get shorter and colder, I load my wood stove to keep myself warm. And I stoke my “other stove” as well — my digestion. It’s the “burner” of our physical body that miraculously transforms food into energy to keep us strong during the long winter.

Try my 6 tips for strengthening digestion:

  1. Fall is when we transition from light, raw summer salads to more substantial, hot, cooked foods like soups, stews baked and roasted dishes that warm both the house and our digestion. Cooked fall fruits make a great dessert. Try the Apple oat and nut muffin recipe below.
  2. Sip warming teas like fresh ginger root tea and my favorite toxin-busting cardamom, fennel, ginger tea. You can always just drink hot water after your meals too. If that doesn’t seem appealing, I challenge you to try it for just one week. I suspect you’ll make it a regular habit because it feels so good.  Let me know!
  3. Warming spices and herbs not only provide antioxidants, but also warm and enhance digestion. Turmeric and ginger root are my favorites, but cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, mustard seed, red and black pepper are close behind. Try using more of these spices in your everyday cooking.
  4. Eating a larger lunch and an earlier, lighter dinner allows digestion to be complete before going to bed and making for a more successful and restful sleep-repair stage.
  5. Even if your meal is simple, enjoy the food in peaceful surroundings. Take time to chew well and savor different tastes. Just last night, I prepared a quick one-pan meal and enjoyed it while watching the sunset.
  6. One day a week, give your digestion a rest and eat only easy-to-digest liquid foods like soups, smoothies, and juices (made with warm water), protein shakes, pureed foods and plenty of hot water.

Apple oat and nut muffins recipe

From The Amazing Acid Alkaline Cookbook

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups light spelt flour (option: gluten-free flour)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup Sucanat sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup finely chopped peeled apples
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup finely chopped and shelled raw pumpkin seeds, unsalted cashews or macadamia nuts
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup melted clarified butter
¼ cup rice syrup

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable oil or clarified butter, or use a silicone muffin pan or paper liners, and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
  3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the apples, milk, pumpkin seeds, applesauce, butter and rice syrup. Mix well with a spoon until blended.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
  5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  6. Let the muffins cool in the pan for no more than 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

 

Protect bones with onion
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Onions — a fall favorite and bone superfood

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When I was a kid, my family had a root cellar that was loaded up each fall with apples, squashes, potatoes and onions to draw upon all winter long. While I loved having fresh apples in February, my mother always wanted onions on hand for a welcome flavor boost.  Little did she know her recipes were helping us protect our bones too.

How onions protect bone

Onions are rich in highly anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant flavonoids, such as quercetin, that protect us from free-radical damage to bone. They also inhibit the development and differentiation of bone breakdown cells (osteoclasts), which prevents some of the osteoclasts from maturing and starting to break down bone. As a result, bone mass is preserved and even built.

And if this isn’t enough, onions are also high in bio-available sulfur compounds that the body needs to produce glutathione, our major intracellular antioxidant, and prevent excessive homocysteine accumulation, which damages collagen in the bone and arteries.

New study shows benefits

A recent Chinese study asked postmenopausal women to consume 3.4 ounces of onion juice a day for 8 weeks. The control group was onion juice-free. Women drinking the onion juice showed a significant decline in free radical levels and actually gained a bit of bone mass in only 8 weeks.

I know not everyone is ready to chug down half a cup of onion juice. (I’ve tried it straight-up, and it’s tough on the taste buds and stomach!) But most of us can add more onions to our diet, and not just as a seasoning. For example, I love roasted onions and indulge in French onion soup once in a while. The truly brave could try adding ½ cup raw onion juice to their finished soup or other dish.

Try this roasted root vegetable recipe with onions

From the Amazing Acid-Alkaline Cookbook by Bonnie Ross

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
6 large cloves garlic, whole
5 medium-sized parsnips, diced into 1-inch cubes
4 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 large onions, sliced lengthwise
1 medium-sized butternut squash, diced into 1-inch cubes
½ cup light olive coil
1 tsp sea salt

Directions
1.    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Light coat two 9-x13-inch baking dishes with vegetables oil and set aside.
2.    In a large bowl, combine the garlic, parsnips, potatoes, onions, squash and oil. Toss well.
3.    Add the sea salt to the vegetables and toss again.
4.    Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dishes, spreading them out in a single layer.
5.    Roast the vegetables for 35 minutes or until lightly-browned and fork tender, and serve.

Reference:
Law YY et al., Consumption of onion juice modulates oxidative stress and attenuates the risk of bone disorders in middle-aged and post-menopausal healthy subjects. Food Funct. 2016 Feb;7(2):902-12. doi: 10.1039/c5fo01251a.

Pumpkin can help build bone
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds: fall bone superstars

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You know autumn is here when everyone start offering “pumpkin spice” products. Pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin spice doughnuts, pumpkin spice beer. (Someone, sooner or later, is going to start selling pumpkin spice pumpkins!)

I wonder if the cultural craving for pumpkin and the associated spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice) is really a desire for hardy, warming foods to stave off the cold. If so, I strongly recommend people ignore the pumpkin-flavored beverages and go for the real thing.

Pumpkins, squashes and their seeds are among the fall bone-building superstars! Here’s why I value the simple pumpkin — along with some of my favorite recipes.

3 ways pumpkin and pumpkin seeds help build bone

  1. Pumpkins are mineral rich and alkalizing. As you know if you’ve been reading my blog, alkalizing our body chemistry helps to build and maintain bone — and pumpkin and its seeds are great alkalizers. What’s more, the flesh of pumpkin itself is very nutrient-dense, containing substantial amounts of important minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and copper.
  2. Pumpkins are abundant in antioxidants. A major cause of force behind osteoporosis is oxidative damage, but both the seeds and the flesh of a pumpkin offer significant antioxidants. The orange color of pumpkin comes from carotenoids (it has beta-carotene in abundance), while the antioxidants zinc, selenium, and vitamin E are also tucked away into the pumpkin.
  3. Pumpkins supply needed healthy fats that reduce inflammation and help maintain bone strength. Pumpkin seed is high in plant-based omega-3 fat (alpha linolenic acid), which the body converts into the more essential omega-3 fats known as EPA and DHA.  These omega-3 fats are highly anti-inflammatory and women with higher blood levels of these precious fats have been shown to have lower rates of hip fracture.

I could go on for a while, but wouldn’t it be better for you to just sit down and enjoy some pumpkin instead?

Pumpkin soup recipe

Ingredients
•    1 cooking pumpkin or large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
•    16–32 oz chicken, turkey or vegetable broth
•    1–2 Tbsp fresh ginger (to taste) minced (or 1 Tbsp ground dried ginger)
•    1 medium to large yellow onion, diced
•    1-2 Tbsp olive oil
•    2-4 cloves garlic
•    1/2 tsp turmeric
•    1/2 tsp cumin
•    chopped scallion for garnish
•    salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Boil pumpkin chunks in water or 16 oz of broth until soft (use water if you prefer a milder, more pumpkin-y and less broth-y flavor).

Mash the pumpkin and add 8 oz of broth (reserve the remaining 8 oz). Place over low heat and add the ginger, stirring occasionally.

In a separate skillet, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil. When onions are soft, add turmeric, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute and add to pumpkin and ginger mix.

Slowly add the remaining broth, stirring constantly, until the soup is your preferred consistency (if you add all the broth and it’s still thicker than you like, add water).

Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with scallion if desired.

Easy options for more flavors
• For a spicier soup, include 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
• For a sweeter soup, add 1 cup grated carrot to the pumpkin when boiling it initially, and/or add diced red or orange bell pepper in the sauté until soft before including in the soup.
• Add a bit of Caribbean to it by substituting coconut milk and a tablespoon of fresh lime juice in place of some of the broth, and use cilantro in place of scallion for garnish

Pumpkin seed granola recipe

Ingredients
•    2 to 3 cups of gluten free rolled oats
•    ½ cup pumpkin seeds (roasted)
•    1 cup almonds (shredded or chopped preferred)
•    ¼ cup of maple syrup
•    2 tablespoons of raw, brown sugar (for a sweeter granola)
•    ¼ cup of olive or coconut oil
•    1/3 cup of pumpkin puree
•    ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
•    ½ teaspoon ground ginger
•    ¼ teaspoon allspice
•    ½ teaspoon cinnamon
•    dash of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix dry ingredients together (oats, nuts, seeds, spices, salt, and sugar).

In a small sauce pan over low to medium heat, combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and oil. Whisk ingredients until warm.

Pour contents of saucepan over dry ingredients. Mix vigorously with wooden spoon.

Spread mixture on baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Stir the contents of the baking sheet half way through to ensure even cooking.

Granola should be a golden brown when done. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Transfer to storage container once cooled.

PS: in case you’re wondering, other members of the squash family have similar properties. Butternut squash, acorn squash — they’re all good for your bones!

Recipes for better bones
Dr. Susan E. Brown

3 summer picnic recipes for Better Bones

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Summer is a great time for picnics and I’m 100% in favor of that — fresh air, sunlight (a good dose of vitamin D!) and relaxation are all good for both mind and body.

When you’re packing your picnic basket, why not load up on foods that support your body’s natural capacity to build bone?

So many healthy fruits, vegetables, and especially leafy greens are in season or will be soon, and farmers’ markets are everywhere this time of year. Berry season is upon us, and depending where you’re located, locally grown melons, watermelons, peaches, apricots, cherries and plums should be available. And let’s not forget the summer tomatoes!

Here are a few terrific recipes you can use if you’re planning to “eat out” in the summer sun.

1.    Picnic avocado wrap

Ingredients: You can make this picnic favorite as an avocado sandwich with bread or a lettuce wrap. As you read through this recipe, you’ll see how many options you have with the ingredients!

Instructions:

  1. Start with 2 slices of whole grain bread. Toasting them is optional. If you want to go bread-free, try using two large leaves of green lettuce, preferably a thicker type like Romaine.
  2. Add your favorite condiments. My personal favorite is mayonnaise. I put 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on both pieces of bread. Some other good options are mustard, hummus, yogurt and extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Place a few slices of fresh avocado on the bread or lettuce.
  4. Add a layer of sharp cheddar cheese. If dairy doesn’t work for you, maybe try some serrano peppers or arugula leaves to give the sandwich a little more kick.
  5. Add your other favorite toppings. Sometimes I like sprouts, sweet pickles, cucumbers and tomatoes.

2.    Grilled watermelon, feta and mint salad

Serves: approximately 6

Ingredients:
1 small seedless watermelon (about 4 pounds)
Olive oil
Lime or lemon juice
Orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

  1. Quarter the watermelon lengthwise. Cut each quarter into 2 inch thick slices.
  2. Generously brush all pieces with olive oil.
  3. Pre-heat grill. I like a high heat to ensure char marks on the melon.  Make sure grill is clean and well oiled.
  4. Grill fruit until light char marks appear. If your grill is smaller and doesn’t get hot enough to char the fruit, heat it until you can see indentations on the fruit where the grill is (this indicates that the fruit there has softened).
  5. Once grilled, allow the fruit to cool enough to handle it. Remove and discard the rinds, then cut the watermelon into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes.
  6. Dress salad with a mixture of the citrus juices to taste (a good ratio is 2 limes/lemons to 1 orange). Top with the feta and mint and toss to coat.

3.    Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Serves: approximately 6

Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes

Olive oil

Herb/s: your choice (about 1 Tbsp. of each you choose)
•    Dried basil, dill, thyme, oregano
•    Cumin or paprika

Greens: again your choice (about 3-6 cups makes for a good salad)
•    Kale
•    Arugula
•    Spring mix

Seeds/Nuts: Sunflower, pepitas, pecan pieces (around 1/2 cup)

Fruit component: Cranberries, grilled plum slices, small mango pieces, raisins. Use between 1/2 cup and 1 cup (you just want this as an accent to the sweet potato, so don’t overpower it by using too much!)

Salt and pepper

Optional fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, scallion (around 1/2 cup chopped)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
  3. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil to coat, then toss with the herbs that you have decided to use and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Place potatoes on a roasting tray or cookie sheet and roast in oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
  5. Take the potatoes, the greens, and any other ingredients that you have chosen and toss gently.
  6. If you choose to dress this salad, I suggest olive oil and a small amount of balsamic vinegar, or a simple citrus juice dressing (even just serve it with lemon or lime wedges).

The best part about this recipe is its versatility. There is no end to what you can use and combine to make this salad.

Enjoy!

 

Fruits and vegetables to alkalize
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Summer’s alkaline fruits and vegetables are great for bone health

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[Updated June 16, 2019]

An alkaline fruit-and vegetable-based diet is the cornerstone of my approach to bone and total health. It’s such an easy and efficient (and delicious) way to provide your body with many key nutrients it needs for bone health and it reduces the acid load that burdens your bones and your kidneys — the two body systems most involved in neutralizing and excreting metabolic acids that contribute to bone calcium loss.

Comprehensive research has documented that regaining a healthy, slightly alkaline pH balance reduces both urinary calcium losses and unwanted bone breakdown, as well as making it easier for your kidneys to function efficiently.

What’s more, excessive calcium loss has been shown by a meta-analysis of 14 scientific studies to be related to a high acid load. Noted researcher Dr. Lynda Frassetto and colleagues reported a few years back that metabolic acids can be neutralized with either potassium citrate or potassium bicarbonate to conserve calcium and reduced unwanted bone breakdown. And clinical studies in patients with chronic kidney disease show that high fruit and vegetable intake can reduce metabolic acidosis (which harms both bones and kidneys).

Alkalize with delicious summer fruits and vegetables

Now that we know why we should choose wholesome in-season fruits and veggies for bone health, what’s out there, and how good is it for alkalizing your body? Here are my top alkaline diet choices:

Fruits

Blackberries
Nectarines
Strawberries
Persimmon
Raspberries
Tangerines
Limes and lemons
Papaya
Pineapple
Watermelon
Cantaloupe/Honeydew

Veggies

Broccoli
Asparagus
Onions
Greens: kale, collards, mustard, endive, arugula, lettuce
Summer squash
Cauliflower
Eggplant

These lists are far from comprehensive— in another blog post I came up with 99 ways you could get 9 daily servings of alkalizing fruits and vegetables!. However, it’s my experience that most of us can’t achieve the ideal pH with diet alone. So many acid-producing activities in our modern lifestyles mean that most of us need to complement our diets with high-quality alkalizing mineral compounds. Luckily, alkalizing is not as difficult as you might think. You can start rebalancing your pH with my Alkaline for Life pH Test Kit.

References

Lambert, H, Frassetto, L et al.  the effect of supplementation with alkaline potassium salts on bone metabolism—a meta-analysis. Osteoporosis International, published online 9 January 2015. DOI 10.1007/s00198-014-3006-9

Giannini, S, et al. Hypercalciuria is a common an important finding in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.  European Journal of Endocrinology, September 2003;149:209-213.

Goraya, N, Simoni, J, et al. Treatment of metabolic acidosis in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease with fruits and vegetables or oral bicarbonate reduces urine angiotensinogen and preserves glomerular filtration rate. Kidney Int 2014;1031-1038.