Fresh Mint

Grow this refreshing herb at home and use it to infuse recipes with flavor.
If there’s one herb your kitchen garden needs this spring, it’s mint. Excellent in teas, fruit salads and, of course, mojitos, mint also has a long history as a medicinal herb. Since Hippocrates’ time, it’s been used to ease digestive problems. Preliminary medical research suggests that mint, indeed, may help soothe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a condition characterized by abdominal pain and bloating.

For ultimate variety, plant a mélange of different types of mint, such as peppermint, spearmint, apple mint and its cultivar pineapple mint. Infuse refreshing flavor into your iced tea by brewing black tea with a few peppermint leaves.

Contain your mint in a pretty pot, as the herb is notorious for overtaking gardens. It will flourish on your patio or deck—or any sunny sill. Mint is low-maintenance; just keep the soil moist with regular watering.

100 Mile Diet

Getting Started Guide
The 100-Mile Diet is simple. It’s a living experiment in local eating that will reconnect you with your food, your local farmers, the seasons, and the landscape you live in. The idea has caught on in a way that no one could have predicted. Since we started writing about our year of local eating, we’ve heard from individuals, families, and organized groups working to bring eating home in places as wide-ranging as Australia, northern Canada, and mid-winter Minnesota. It’s the next frontier of food.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Start small.
We walked smack into a year of strict 100-Mile eating. That was a big, blind leap into the unknown. You can start with a single meal, a 100-Mile day, a one-week commitment. Most people partner up, or do the 100-Mile Diet as a family or group.

2. There are no rules.
Make your 100-Mile Diet experiment a challenge. If you’re trying it for a day, consider getting tough: every ingredient in every product has to come from within 100 miles (that was our rule for a year). Over a longer period, escape clauses are nice. Maybe the occasional restaurant meal or dinner at friends’ houses? And what will you do if you travel? Ask some deeper questions, too. If you eat meat, where does the feed for the animals come from? If you’re vegetarian, would you be prepared to eat animal products if no beans or tofu are raised where you live? If you just can’t live without coffee, don’t let it stop you. Wave your magic wand and declare it ‘local.’

3. Surf the internet.
There are likely resources specific to your area, from lists of nearby organic farms to community kitchens where people get together to can foods. A great resource for Americans is Local Harvest, where you can find markets, local-food-friendly restaurants, farms, and food delivery programs for every region. Folks in the UK can visit BigBarn.

4. Find your farmers’ market.
The easiest and most fun step toward eating locally. Make the market a weekly priority for your food shopping. To find yours, search the web, look for listings in local newspapers, or call your area’s tourism office. Check out our 13 Lucky Farmers Market Tips for more info.

5. Find your farmers.
Most larger cities and many smaller towns have organic food delivery companies, often with direct connections to local farms. Consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, in which you support a specific farm by paying a lump sum at the beginning of each growing season and then sharing in that farm’s food products year-round. Most delivery and CSA programs have websites, or try contacting your regional organic certifying body or farmers’ association.

6. Start a garden — even a tiny one.
Self-sufficiency feels good, and greens up our cities and towns. We live in an urban apartment but grow vine beans, tomatoes and herbs in pots on our balcony. We also have used a 3′x12′ plot in a community garden, which is run by a cooperative community group. Is there one in your neighborhood? If not, remember this: many began as ‘guerrilla gardens’ planted on longtime vacant lots.

7. Plan a winter garden.
Winter is a tough time to find local produce, but you might be surprised at what still can grow. Ask your gardening friends or at garden shops, or read through regional seed catalogues. We keep garlic, kale, mustard greens, turnips and cabbage going throughout the winter. Spinach and Swiss chard are other good winter greens. Friends as far north as Whitehorse, Yukon, have extended the growing season with a backyard greenhouse.

8. Buy in bulk and preserve.
Buying bulk saves money, and since it is often hard to find local preserves, you may have to do it yourself. Well, throw a party. With a few bottles of local wine and cider, even a small group can make quick work of canning jams, pickles, fruit and tomatoes. We also froze corn, spinach, carrots, basil pesto, beans, brussels sprouts and more. A cornucopia for the winter. Don’t know how to do any of this? Neither did we. Call up your elders before the knowledge is lost, try the local library, or go online with National Center for Home Food Preservation.

9. Join the movement.
If you haven’t already, sign up with the 100-Mile Diet Society to receive updates, calls to action, and seasonal toolkits to help you bring your eating closer to home. In the coming months, this website will begin to host local-eating resources for towns and cities across the continent and beyond.

Now, go find your 100 Miles

Understanding Omega-3s

Omega-3s are indeed a hot topic, although it appears that all we North Americans really know is that omega-3 eggs, fish, fish oils and flax products are all good sources. Consuming these products, as we've been told, reduces the risk of heart disease.

Of course the responsible thing to do is to remain skeptical and question any new diet craze that hits our culinarily confused culture. As for omega-3s, it appears some critical information has evaded the radar of North American media, and hence the eating public.

In a fascinating book by author Susan Allport, the history, science and hype surrounding omega-3s is laid out for all to see. Titled The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed From the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them, Allport's book reveals that our collective understanding of these vital fatty acids is way off.

According to Allport, lacking in exposure has been omega-6s, another family of essential fatty acids that compete with omega-3s. And so if both are in competition, why is it we never hear about the 6s?

In October 2007, CBC's The National aired a segment on the increasing confusion surrounding omega-3s and questioned how much fish new and expecting mothers should be consuming. After a read through The Queen of Fats, it appears that the CBC has not only deepened this collective confusion, but also encouraged the further pillaging of our already vulnerable oceans.

Unlike most media coverage on diet and nutrition, this episode of Deconstructing Dinner will not so much suggest what you should or should not be eating, as look to capture how our lifestyles and the industrialization of our food has had devastating impacts on our health.

Power Plants

14 new ways to eat your vegetables
Photographs by: Jonathan Kantor, By: Phillip Rhodes

Meat is easy. Slap a slab of beef, poultry, or pork down on A hot surface and dinner's ready in 10 minutes.

Vegetables take a bit more thought. You know you have to eat them--everyone from your mother to the federal government says so. Maybe you're even among the 18 percent of men who manage to meet the recommended five or more servings a day. But once you're on your third round of basic steamed broccoli in a given week, you start to see why "vegetable" is just another word for dull, mindless, or brain-dead.

These 14 alternatives make vegetables interesting--without a lot of gourmet goings-on. We've grouped them under five new principles. Now set the steamer basket aside and step up to the plate.

Flavor Them--with Meat
With these recipes, you'll get the juice and flavor of meat, but the vegetables will have top billing.

Spinach With Smoked Turkey
How to make it: Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tsp olive oil and heat to medium-high. Add

1 crushed clove of garlic, 3 chopped slices of deli smoked turkey, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir until the garlic softens and the turkey begins to brown (about 2 to 3 minutes), then dump in an entire 10-ounce bag of baby spinach. (It'll cook down to 2 servings.) Turn frequently with tongs until the spinach is completely wilted (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Tuna-Stuffed Avocado
How to make it: Cut open and pit an avocado (see below). In the crater where the pit was, stuff drained, rinsed canned tuna. (Diced, precooked chicken breast or shrimp also works great.) Drizzle with lemon juice and serve. The fat from the avocado will help moisten each bite of tuna--just as mayonnaise does in tuna salad. Only this is better--the kind of fat in an avocado is good for your heart.

Easy avocado pitting: Holding the avocado on a cutting board, pierce it with a knife, and push down until you feel the blade hit the pit, then turn the avocado until the knife has made a complete circuit. Twist and pull apart the halves. To remove the pit, simply thwack your knife blade firmly into the pit, twist, and pull it free.

Chock-Full-Of-Veg Chicken Salad
How to make it: Boil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half a pot of water for 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, dice 3 stalks of celery and half of a small red onion, and crush 1 garlic clove. Mix the vegetables in a big bowl with 2 Tbsp spicy mustard and 2 Tbsp plain, low-fat yogurt. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts if you have them. Chop up the cooked chicken, let it cool, and stir into the celery mixture. Slice 10 to 15 grapes in half and fold them into the mix.
Soup 'Em Up
Your blender can be used for something other than making protein shakes.

Italian White-Bean Soup
How to make it: Coat the bottom of a medium-size saucepan with 2 tsp olive oil and heat to medium. Mix in 1 diced small white onion, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp dried rosemary. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent (5 to 6 minutes). Add 2 cans of rinsed and drained cannellini beans, 1 1/2 c low-sodium chicken stock, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir it and cook for 5 minutes more. Then pour the bean mixture into a blender and mix until smooth. When serving, drizzle each bowl with extra-virgin olive oil.

Cold Cucumber Soup
How to make it: Peel and chop an English cucumber--the long, skinny, seedless ones that usually come wrapped in plastic--then dump it in a blender along with 1 chopped shallot; 1/2 c plain, low-fat yogurt; 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 tsp dried dill; and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth, adding more yogurt 1 Tbsp at a time if needed to reach the desired consistency.

Grill Them
The high temperature of a grill caramelizes the sugars in vegetables. Those blackened grill marks aren't just decoration; they're the sweet spot--literally.

Mixed-Vegetable Skewers
How to make it: Cut the following into 1" chunks: 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow summer squash, and 1 sweet onion. Arrange them in piles, along with a carton of white or Baby Bella mushrooms. Thread the vegetables onto metal skewers in whatever pattern you choose. Lightly brush each skewer with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Place the skewer on a medium-hot grill pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Mexican Corn
How to make it: Pull 3/4 of the husk off and discard, leaving a thin layer. Pull back the remaining husk to remove the silk, but leave the husk attached. Pour about 1 tsp olive oil in the palm of your hand and rub it into each ear of corn. Then rub in 1/2 tsp cumin, a smoky Mexican spice, mixed with a pinch of salt. Fold the remaining husks back into place and grill the corn for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, turning occasionally. The corn is done when it's golden and glossy looking, with light brown grill marks.

Grilled Squash
How to make it: Cut yellow summer squash (about 1 per person) on an angle into 1/2" slices. (This will expose as much of the squash as possible to the smoky grill char.) Brush each piece on both sides with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then place the squash on your grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and, while the squash is still hot, sprinkle each serving with 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, which will melt perfectly.

Mix Them
If one vegetable is good for you, then two vegetables are twice as good. Mixing flavors and textures makes them doubly appealing.


Spicy Succotash
How to make it: Dump 1 c frozen lima beans and 1/4 c water per serving into a saucepan and heat over medium-high until the beans are thawed and most of the water has evaporated. Add 1/2 c frozen corn, 1/4 c low-fat milk, and a pinch of garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot, and stir. Cook for 5 minutes.

White-Bean And Roasted Red-Pepper Salad
How to make it: Rinse and drain 1 can of white beans and let them dry. Dice 1 roasted red pepper and dump it into a large bowl. Add 5 leaves of roughly chopped fresh basil, 1 crushed clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the beans and toss to mix. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and toss again to coat.

Hot Garlicky Green Beans And Tomatoes
How to make it: Trim the ends off 1 pound of green beans, then cut them in half and place them in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander, run cold water over them, and set them aside. Pour 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes into a nonstick skillet and heat to medium. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the beans and 1 well-drained can of diced tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing frequently to coat the beans with the garlic and pepper.
Make Them Crispy
Instead of dropping a vegetable into a vat of boiling oil, you'll lightly coat the vegetable in oil and drop it into a hot oven. Voilà--extra crispy.

Roasted Fennel
How to make it: If you liked licorice as a kid, you'll like fennel--it has a mellow anise flavor. Look for fennel bulbs near the cabbages and weird leafy greens. (It may be called anise in your market.) One bulb will yield 2 servings. Chop off the green tops and peel away the outer pieces of the bulb--just like an onion. Cut the bulb vertically into 1/4"- to 1/2"-thick slices and toss with 2 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice.

Crispy Cauliflower
How to make it: Divide and chop a head of cauliflower (1/4 per person) into big, bite-size pieces, and toss with olive oil in a bowl to coat them well (2 tsp oil per quarter). Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss again to coat. Spread the cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet and roast in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice. Don't pile it up--the more it comes in contact with the pan's hot surface, the crisper it will get.

Spicy Sweet-Potato Sticks
How to make it: Peel a sweet potato, then cut it into 3 or 4 pieces lengthwise. Cut each piece into finger-size slices and put them in a bowl. Add 1 tsp olive oil per potato and toss to coat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and 1 tsp chili-powder blend, paprika, or chipotle steak seasoning per potato. (Any peppery spice will do.) Toss again to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes, turning them once halfway through.

Basic Training

Bored with your daily routine, you’ve been taking it easy on yourself at the gym for a while now and you haven’t lost an inch or dropped a pound in weeks. Snap out of your workout funk: report to Boot Camp.

Intense and unrelenting, Boot Camp Workouts are inspired by the punishing routines Navy SEAL’s endure during basic training. The workout is adapted to suit a range of fitness levels—we aren’t all SEAL recruits after all—and personal trainers act as “drill sergeants” during hour-long sessions that typically take place outdoors and early in the morning.

“A boot camp workout is very back-to-basics training. They are old-school workouts similar to something you may have done in high school gym class,” explains personal trainer Cat Smiley (www.catsmiley.com). Owner and director of Kick Ass Workouts, Smiley runs eight-week-long boot camps for the public along a stretch of private beach in Whistler, B.C throughout the year.

For those who skipped P.E. class, that means a workout that’s heavy on jumping jacks, lunges, squats, timed sprints, running laps, sports drills, sit-ups and push-ups—about 300 to 400 a session.

“The average person comes to boot camp unable to do one full push-up and by the end of 21 days they can do up to 10 or 12,” says Smiley, who is also the author of The Original Boot Camp.

Running with tires and making it through an obstacle course are other ways in which boot camps boost intensity, challenging cardiovascular capacity and strength.

“[A boot camp] is fitness with an adrenaline approach…it’s really about getting out there, cutting to the chase and getting results,” offers Smiley.

Results don’t come without effort, however. Most boot camps require a genuine commitment on the part of participants—Smiley’s eight-week course runs three days a week and absenteeism or tardiness is a punishable offence.

“If you’re late, you get extra laps or a dunk in the lake,” she laughs.

Personal trainer Roger Nahas is a co-founder of the Toronto-based Best Body Boot Camp (www.bestbodybootcamp.com), which runs several sessions throughout spring and summer in and around parks around the city. At $225 for a full month, the sessions run 60 minutes long and take place three times a week.

For Nahas, who has been a personal trainer for eight years, the boot camp workout offers an economical opportunity for all fitness levels to workout with a personal trainer.

“We are pushing people harder than they ever would push themselves on their own,” he says, adding "as a trainer in the gym I noticed that many people weren’t training themselves hard enough. Many people stay with the same routine for years without challenging themselves.”

You don’t have to be in fighting shape to take part in a boot camp. Both Smiley and Nahas say that most sessions are populated with mixed fitness levels, sexes and ages and fitness fanatics and beginners are accommodated in the workouts. No one is expected to become an Iron Man competitor overnight and variations are offered on most exercises. “If you can’t do a full push-up you can do a half-pushup or do a push-up against a picnic table,” says Smiley

While the physical challenge is considerable in any boot camp—that’s the point—both Smiley and Nahas point out that the pay-off is significant.

Nahas has had people lose up to 16 pounds after a month of training. “People get hooked and come back for more. Dread is common at the beginning of a boot camp, but after they see the results, people often sign up again or use it to kick-start their own fitness routine.”

While body fat may be reduced, Smiley also sees her clients gain a great sense of accomplishment after going through the process.

“It really triggers people to seek greater challenges in their entire lives. They think, if I can get up that early and do that than I can do anything. It tweaks the way you think about yourself. The physical benefits are secondary to the emotional and psychological effects.”

Nutrients You Need Vitamin K

Vitamin K? What, you might well ask, ever happened to vitamins F, G, H, I and J?

In fact, when Danish researcher Henrik Dam discovered a substance essential to blood clotting in 1929, he jumped right over the intervening letters of the alphabet and named his new find vitamin K, for koagulation. For years afterwards, coagulation seemed to be the vitamin's only function. But now researchers are turning up evidence that vitamin K plays other crucial roles in the body, prompting some scientists to think the optimal intake may be higher than current guidelines recommend.

What it does:

Vitamin K is used by the body to produce an array of different proteins. Some of them are used to create factors that allow blood to coagulate—critical in stemming bleeding and allowing cuts and wounds to heal. Other vitamin K-dependent proteins are used for maintaining healthy bones and keeping arteries unclogged. "Vitamin K allows a protein called osteocalcin to bind to calcium in bone, for example, which helps maintain bone density," explains Sarah L. Booth, Ph.D., a scientist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University and one of only a small group of vitamin K nutrition experts in the world. There's also preliminary evidence that vitamin K-dependent proteins may have a role in preventing hardening of the arteries, which can constrict blood flow and trigger heart attacks.

How much you need:

The current recommended daily intake of vitamin K is 90 micrograms for women and 120 for men, based on the levels that are needed to maintain normal coagulation, and currently there is no set upper level intake. Booth and other experts suspect that the most effective level may be higher, based on what is being discovered about K's other roles. "At the moment, though, we don't have the data to say exactly what optimal intake should be," she admits.

Luckily, vitamin K deficiency is extremely uncommon. And since the main dietary sources of vitamin K are dark green vegetables, which are healthy for many reasons, the best advice is to help yourself to as much as you can. In a 10-year study of 72,000 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study, researchers found that those who consumed the most foods containing vitamin K had a 30 percent lower risk of hip fractures than those whose diets contained the least vitamin K. Whether the vitamin itself or other nutrients in the foods were responsible for the benefit isn't known. But in a small 2002 study at Osaka Medical College in Japan, researchers found that vitamin D and K supplements increased bone density in postmenopausal women.

Leafy green vegetables of all kinds, from spinach and kale to arugula and green leaf lettuce, are especially rich in the vitamin. "In plants, vitamin K is involved in photosynthesis, so an easy rule of thumb is the greener the leaf, the more vitamin K it contains," says Booth. Spinach has a lot, for example; pale iceberg lettuce much less. Vitamin K is also abundant in many vegetable oils, including soybean, canola, and olive oil.

A word of caution:

If you are taking an anticoagulant medication such as warfarin, your doctor may advise you to avoid overdoing foods rich in vitamin K, since the vitamin can interfere with the drug's action. If you have any questions, talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet.

Food Sources of Vitamin K:

Kale, cooked (1/2 cup) = 531 mcg

Spinach, raw (1 cup) = 145 mcg

Broccoli, cooked (two 5" spears) = 104 mcg

Asparagus, cooked (1/2 cup) = 68 mcg

Arugula, raw (1 cup) = 62 mcg

Green leaf lettuce (1 cup) = 57 mcg

Soybean oil (1 Tbsp.) = 27 mcg

Canola oil (1 Tbsp.) = 17 mcg

Olive oil (1 Tbsp.) = 8 mcg

Tomato, fresh (1 med.) = 7 mcg

Quick Tips for Healthy Eating

5 easy ways to stick to your diet
With just a little forethought and a couple extra minutes, you can be sure to have healthy food always on hand.

Healthy Eating Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Plan your menus ahead of time to avoid last-minute pizza runs and take-out meals that can derail your progress.

Healthy Eating Tip #2: Shop Healthy

What you bring home is what you're going to eat, so make it healthy. Create a shopping list and stick to it when you go to the store. A go-to list helps prevent unplanned forays into the candy and chip aisles.

Healthy Eating Tip #3: Prep Snacks Ahead

When you get home from the store, take a few minutes to prepare a few healthy snacks for later. Wash and trim vegetable sticks; portion out pretzels, trail mix, etc. into snack-size baggies; and put fruit out in a bowl. Next time hunger strikes, you'll be ready with a healthy snack.

Healthy Eating Tip #4: Make Recipe Substitutions You Won't Even Notice

Whenever you can, opt for lower fat ingredients in recipes: skim milk instead of 2% or whole, low-fat cheese and mayonnaise instead of regular, light or fat-free salad dressing instead of full-fat dressing, ground turkey instead of ground beef, fat-free cream instead of regular. You can also reduce the sugar and fat a recipe calls for by one-quarter without affecting the taste or texture of your creation.

Healthy Eating Tip #5: Get Cooking!

Limiting restaurant meals is a good way to limit fat, sodium, and calories in your overall diet, and it makes it easier to stick to a healthy eating plan. Rediscover how fun it is to cook at home by searching the Prevention.com Recipe Finder, then get the whole family involved in cooking healthful meals at home.

Eggs raise your cholesterol

In the 1960s and 1970s, scientists linked blood cholesterol with heart disease—and eggs (high in cholesterol) were banished to the chicken house.

The Truth: Newer studies have found that saturated and trans fats in a person’s diet, not dietary cholesterol, are more likely to raise heart disease risk. (An egg has only 1.6 grams of saturated fat, compared with about 3 grams in a cup of 2 percent milk.) And, at 213 milligrams of cholesterol, one egg slips under the American Heart Association’s recommendation of no more than 300 milligrams a day. “Eggs offer lean protein and vitamins A and D, and they’re inexpensive and convenient,” Beeson says. “If you do have an egg for breakfast, just keep an eye out for the amount of cholesterol in the other foods you eat that day.”

Herbs Advice and Information

Fresh or Dried?
There are no hard and fast rules about the choice of using fresh or dried herbs but use fresh herbs when available.  In general, dried herbs are most suited to dishes which require more than 20 minutes' cooking in order for them to impart their full flavour and soften up a little so when cooking "quick" dishes such as egg or cheese recipes, use fresh herbs.
 
Which herb to use?
Often this is a matter of personal taste however,  there are some well known combinations which may help you to choose which herb to use with a particular dish. Also, don't forget the established herb mixtures which have been used by cooks for hundreds of years namely:
 
 "Fines Herbs"  - a mixture of equal parts  tarragon, parsley, chives and chervil which goes particularly well with egg dishes such as omelettes.
 
"Bouquet Garni" - which is  a mixture of herbs which is tied together for easy removal from a dish. The classic bouquet garni consists of 5 sprigs of parsley, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 bay leaf however, depending on the recipe, other herbs can be added according to taste.
 
Specific Uses

Beef - Thyme,  marjoram,  summer savory,  coriander, chervil,  parsley, bay leaves


Pork -  Sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, bay leaves, parsley, coriander


Lamb - Rosemary, marjoram, thyme, parsley, dill, oregano, parsley, mint, coriander


Veal - Thyme, marjoram, summer savory, bay leaves, chervil, basil, parsley 


Poultry - Sage, basil, thyme, borage, marjoram, coriander, bay leaves, parsley, rosemary, summer savory, tarragon, mint


Fish and Seafood— basil,  tarragon, basil, parsley,  thyme, bay leaves, coriander


Eggs and Cheese  - Basil,  marjoram,  rosemary, thyme, tarragon, chervil, chive, parsley, bay leaves
Pasta and Pizza - Basil, borage, oregano, parsley, marjoram, thyme
Vegetables - Chives, coriander, dill, borage, sage, basil, oregano, marjoram, mint
 
Don't forget the myriad of herb butters and sauces which can add interest to many plainly cooked ingredients.

Growing your own herbs
Many herbs are relatively easy to grow. Even if you don't have a garden, most can be grown in pots or containers both indoors on a window ledge or outdoors on the terrace, balcony or patio. 
 
For specific details on growing a variety of herbs, visit the Growing Herbs page.  Not only does it contain sowing and growing details, we also list the height and spread of the plants so you can incorporate them into your flower garden.
 
Of course, you can always go out and buy mature plants from the garden centre although this is a more expensive way of growing your own. Also, beware of buying herb plants from supermarkets except for the short term - they are generally grown for indoor use and often don't last very long,  if at all, when placed in the garden.
 
Drying herbs
Pick herbs for drying just before the plants flower preferably in the early morning but after any dew has evaporated. Avoid bruising the leaves.
 
Air Drying This is a traditional method of drying herbs and is suitable for the more sturdy herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaves and oregano.  Cut long stems from the plant and tie together. Place upside-down in a large paper bag with the stems poking out of the opening, making sure there is plenty of room inside the bags so the herbs don't actually touch the sides. Gather the bag around the stems and tie securely, leaving a long amount of string. Poke several holes in the bag for ventilation.  Hang the bag up (by the stems) in a warm, airy room and leave for two weeks or a little longer.

Oven Drying This method is best used for herbs which have a higher moister content and which are therefore more susceptible to molding such as basil, tarragon and mint. Remove the best leaves from the plants then wash and dry them well. Lay the leaves in a single layer on a baking tray lined with paper towels, making sure the leaves aren't touching.  Cover with another paper towel. You can have up to five layers of herbs, each separated with paper towels. Dry in a very cool oven. The herbs are ready when they are crispy which can take between 4 and 8 hours.
 
 
General storage
Always store dried herbs in air tight containers in a cool dark place.
 
Once cut, fresh herbs will only last a few days in the refrigerator so only pick as much as you need for one day.

Top 10 Foods for Detoxing

Pollution kills up to 25,000 Canadians every year. A 2007 UBC study shows that pollution is linked to 24,000 cancer cases and costs our health care system nearly $2 billion annually.

These alarming findings demonstrate the detrimental impact of environmental pollutants such as pesticides, dioxins, and heavy metals. Our bodies are forced to work overtime in efforts to eliminate these foreign chemicals. Fortunately, both ancient healing traditions and modern science suggest that some foods possess powerful cleansing properties.

By including these foods in the diet often, we can help counteract the toxic effects of environmental pollution.

Dandelion Greens are an excellent liver tonic. They are high in vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and several minerals. Chlorophyll, a major constituent of dandelion greens and all green leafy foods, is a powerful blood purifier.
Ginger increases circulation, thereby promoting the excretion of toxins via the skin, bowels, and kidneys. It possesses antibacterial and antiparasitic properties and helps to combat inflammation.
Apples purify the bloodstream and increase lymphatic action. Pectin, a soft, gelling fibre contained in apples, supports the colon’s peristaltic movement, promoting the excretion of toxic waste. The apple’s high vitamin C content further aids detoxification.
Lemons aid digestion by increasing saliva flow and stimulating liver function. They dissolve and bind uric acid and other toxins in the body and promote their excretion. They purify and alkalize the blood and have laxative and diuretic properties.
Grapes stimulate the liver and promote bowel and kidney function. They have a cleansing effect on all tissues and glands and speed up metabolic function. Purple grapes are high in resveratrol, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant.
Artichokes stimulate the liver–the body’s major organ of detoxification. By increasing bile production, they help to metabolize fats. Artichoke extract, available in natural food stores, offers a convenient way of enjoying the artichoke’s cleansing benefits.
Beets purify the blood, cleanse the liver, and stimulate lymphatic activity. They aid digestion and help to flush out uric acid from the body. Fresh or lactic-acid fermented beet juice is an effective detoxifying agent and elixir.
Parsley has a powerful cleansing effect on the blood-stream. It stimulates the bowels and supports the lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Parsley is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and detoxifying chlorophyll.
Grapefruit has a cooling and purifying effect on the body. It cleanses the liver and gallbladder and dissolves catarrhal accumulations in body tissues. A Scripps Clinic study released in January 2004 determined that the frequent consumption of grapefruit before meals promotes weight loss.
Yogourt promotes detoxification of the intestinal tract by promoting the recolonization of beneficial lactic-acid bacteria in the gut, thus ensuring proper assimilation of foods and nutrient synthesis.

by author Simone Gabbay, RNCP

Is Honey Good for You?

It's been eulogized in Holy Scripture, but is honey actually good for you?

Honey has been eulogized in the scriptures of every major religion since the dawn of time, but is the "food of the gods" really that good for you? Yes - in moderation. Natural honey is valued for its sweetness, and is chock full of unexpected goodness. Because it's predigested by insects many people who can't stomach cane sugar can more easily metabolize honey and enjoy its natural energy - so it's almost the perfect food.

Honey is composed of two main sugars, levulose and dextrose. These sugars do not need to be broken down by the digestive process, so honey is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, giving a quick energy boost to the body. It also contains protein, vitamins and minerals, but no cholesterol.


Honey has certain potassium salts that make it a phenomenal moisture absorber and a great killer of germs and bacteria. In fact, honey kills bacteria more effectively than some antibiotics.

This also helps it draw excess fluid from the blood stream, lowering blood pressure. Honey, if taken on an empty stomach with water and lemon, reduces obesity and weight. Beauticians recommend using it liberally for a glowing complexion and silky hair. If taken at night with hot milk, it cures constipation.

Honey has been used in many medical applications over the years, but recent studies are now able to prove its benefits as a topical antibacterial treatment for burns and ulcers.

Known antioxidant compounds in honey are chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin. Unlike most other sweeteners, honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants, which include a wide array of vitamins, such as vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid.

In addition, honey contains essential minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc as well as several different amino acids have been identified in honey. Dark honey has more nutrients than lighter varieties. Vitamin and mineral content depend on the floral source of the honey. Honey has less than 2% sodium.

Because of its antibacterial properties, pure honey can be preserved indefinitely.

Are there different flavors of honey?

Single varietal honeys are creating quite a buzz in the gourmet food scene these days, but this trend is nothing new to beekeepers. Honey is a natural product that has always been highly dependent on the local environment in which the bees gather their nectar. Much like wine regions and coffee regions, different honey regions also exist.

For the first time in the history of apiculture, beekeepers are now being encouraged by food connoisseurs to situate their hives in areas that will allow honey bees to frequent one particular plant. The hope is that these insects will then produce a unique flavor that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.

Perhaps the first and most popular flavor to be recognized in Canada is Buckwheat Honey, which is a really dark honey with a VERY distinctive taste and aroma. Harvested in mid-August, the buckwheat plant blossoms for about ten days before going to seed in the fall. Unfortunately not many Canadian farmers grow buckwheat anymore, and so this highly coveted product is becoming very rare indeed. When my dad, brother and uncle spy a field of buckwheat that's about to bloom they quickly move a dozen hives as close as possible. Unlike wild flowers that grow randomly in meadows and fence rows, farmer's fields are the best places to harvest single varietal honey crops. Here's a huge concentrated source, and to ensure purity my family will harvest it as soon as possible.

The most interesting single varietal crop harvested in Ontario, Canada has got to be something called Purple Loosestrife. Botanists may be familiar with this plant, which is quite controversial. It originated in Asia and first appeared in Canada about twenty years ago. Since that time it has invaded and subsequently dominated of most of the province's wetland. Natural lovers and bird watchers fear it's destroying the marshes and have organized armies of high school students to pull these plants right out of the ground and thereby SAVE THE SWAMPS. Beekeepers however love this plant - with its roots firmly embedded in the quagmire it always flowers, even in the driest seasons, and it yields a marvelous tasting honey with a very interesting tang - it's a single varietal honey with a complicated taste. When preserved in glass, Purple Loosestrife Honey has a slight green / blue tint.

American beekeepers are proud of their Pumpkin Blossom Honey which is a dark amber-colored liquid with a robust aroma and flavor. And California's Black Button Sage Honey is absolutely excellent when served with vanilla ice cream. And of course the Savannah region's Tupelo Honey is probably the most famous varietal honey of them all.

Harvested over two or three weeks in the early spring, tupelo nectar is one of the rarest and most valuable liquid resources in the world.

Yes the golden age of honey has finally arrived, and North American consumers owe it to their own taste buds to ignore Billy Bee's plastic tubs in the supermarket - cheap Argentinean Chinese honey blends that are practically inedible - and sample a single varietal honey from a local beekeeper in their area.

Mmmmm, Viagra Ice Cream!

This ice cream is made from the natural aphrodisiac “Maka powder” which is a plant that lives in the high altitudes of the Andes and , apparently, is said to have a very similar effect to viagra in that it heightens libido and improves the quality of the semen. (it also removes scurf, cures alopecia and makes your hair grow so its quite a handy power to have around!

12 Quick Tips for Eating the Mediterranean Way

Food is far more than sustenance. The dishes we eat are often imbued with family traditions, cultural history and even personal memories—and that’s as it should be. But as studies around the world have shown, eating patterns as different from ours as those in Sweden and India can be tweaked to take advantage of the health benefits associated with traditional Mediterranean diets. Here’s how:

1. Replace butter with olive or canola oil whenever possible.

2. Snack on nuts, seeds or fruit instead of processed foods.

3. Include a generous leafy green salad with most dinners.

4. Help yourself to whole-grain bread, pasta, rice and other grains.

5. Fix at least a couple of vegetarian meals every week.

6. Add a dish or two that contains legumes (beans and lentils) to your weekly menu.

7. Have fish (not fried) at least twice a week.

8. If you eat meat, favor chicken and other poultry.

9. Eat red meat only occasionally, and in small servings.

10. If you drink, have no more than a glass or two with a meal.

11. Enjoy fruit for dessert.

12. Set aside enough time to savor every bite.

Will eating spinach make me strong?

Health Benefits
We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

Sexual enhancement, Muscle growth, Heart healthy, Bone builder, Enhances eyesight


It may be green and leafy, but spinach is also the ultimate man food. This noted biceps builder is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Bonus: Folate also increases blood flow to the penis. And spinach is packed with lutein, a compound that fights age-related macular degeneration. Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day.

Iron for Energy

Cooked spinach is an excellent source of iron, a mineral that it particularly important for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency. Boosting iron stores with spinach is a good idea, especially because, in comparison to red meat, a well-known source of iron, spinach provides iron for a lot less calories and is totally fat-free. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. And, if you're pregnant or lactating, your needs for iron increase. Growing children and adolescents also have increased needs for iron. In one cup of boiled spinach, you'll be provided with 35.7% of the daily value for iron.


How to Select and Store

Choose spinach that has vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that have a slimy coating as this is an indication of decay.

Store fresh spinach loosely packed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep fresh for about five days. Do not wash it before storing as the moisture will cause it to spoil. Avoid storing cooked spinach as it will not keep very well.

To get the maximum health benefits of spinach it should be consumed as soon as it is purchased. The more it is refrigerated, the less are its nutrient contents. Fresh spinach, when kept in the fridge for more than a week, tends to lose almost half of its nutrients. So it is best to consume it in the least possible time.

Video about Energy

Here's an inspiring video A neuro-scientist named Jill Taylor gave a short talk at TED that was probably the most profound depiction of the "deep right brain experience" that I'd ever heard. After her talk, the vibe of the entire conference changed - people were more open, deeper, clearer. Truly remarkable. This video just went on-line today. There is an essential message here for all humanity on acknowledging just how closely connected and related we all are. http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229

Extraordinary! Pass it on!

What is flax seed oil and what are the benefits?

Fabulous Flax... the Superfood!

Flax is an ancient seed that has been used in the diets of humans for thousand of years. In 400 BC the father of medicine Hippocrates used flax to treat his patients. “Let them eat flax!” was his simple prescription!

In the 8th century, flax was believed to be so important for health that the medieval King Charlemagne passed laws requiring his subjects to consume flax regularly.

Today, nutritionists, consumers and scientists are rediscovering perhaps one of the original ‘health foods’ and the tremendous health benefits of flax. “Flax is a nutritional powerhouse and a super-healing food.”*

Health Benefits of Flax Seed

Flax promotes cardiovascular health.
The ultra-high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in flax lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. They also help keep arteries flexible and pliable, reduce inflammation and help prevent the buildup of harmful deposits in arteries.

Flax promotes colon health and prevents cancer.
Flax is high in fiber and, with the essential fatty acids fats in flax, acts as a natural lubricant that promotes regular bowel movements and lowers the risk of constipation. Flax is also one of the richest plant sources of lignans, compounds that appear to have anti-cancer properties to help protect against certain kinds of cancer, in particular colon and breast, by blocking tumor formation.

Flax aids in weight management.
Fats high in essential fatty acids, such as those in flax, increase the body’s metabolic rate and support thermogenesis, helping to burn excess unhealthy fats in the body. The high content of fiber in flax means there are fewer calories relative to the total weight of the food consumed. Ground flax helps satisfy hunger and cravings: soluble fiber is absorbed more slowly which means we feel fuller for a longer period of time; cravings are reduced because flax assists with stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Flax may lessen severity of diabetes.
The high content of fibre and Omega-3 essential fatty acids in flax have been found to assist in lowering and stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Flax boosts immunity and fights inflammation.
Research has found that flax favourably affects the body’s ability to defend itself. The Omega-3 essential fatty acid and lignans affect immune cells and the immune reaction. In fact, Omega –3 and lignans have been found to help prevent inflammation and may be useful in the treatment of such immune disorders as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and lupus.

Flax helps lessen depression.
Studies show that many of the symptoms of depression can be directly linked to nutrient and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Omega – 3 essential fatty acids and the minerals and vitamins in flax are mood-boosting ingredients that are essential for the proper function of brain cells.

Flax promotes healthy skin and cells.
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are essential in cell membrane development and healthy cell growth. This is especially important when a child’s brain is developing - in-utero and during infancy.

Flax may lessen symptoms of menopause.
Flax is the richest known plant source of phytoestrogens which are estrogen-like substances that can help to stabilize hormone levels and help lessen the symptoms of menopause.

The Rich Nutrients in Flaxseed

Many have heard about Omega 3 in flax but flaxseeds contain other nutrients which make eating the ground whole seed superior to consuming just the extracted oil:
Essential fatty acids like Omega 3 - About 42% of flaxseed is oil. More than 70% of the oil is polyunsaturated fat, a healthy fat. The essential fatty acid Omega 3 (ALA) comprises about 57% of the total fatty acids in flax.
Fibre - soluble and insoluble - Soluble fiber can lower blood cholesterol levels, while insoluble fiber moves the stool through the colon more quickly.
Protein - one of the most nutritious of the plant proteins providing many of the essential aminoacids, the body’s building blocks.
Lignans - Phytoestrogens - Flax is one of the richest plant sources of lignans.
Other Phytochemicals - such as flavanoids and phenolic acid that appear to have antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties.
Vitamins and Minerals – Flax contains many of the B vitamins, Vitamin E, and many minerals such as potassium, selenium, zinc, iron, calcium and more.

How much do I take a day?

The recommended daily dose for most people is at least 1,000 mg taken one to three times daily. Even better is adding flax seeds into your diet in breads, muffins or on salads. Scientific studies have used up to 30 grams of flax seeds a day safely and without side effects.

What do I look for when buying Flax Seed Oil?

It's important to buy high-quality flax seed oil as it is prone to rancidity. Light and oxygen will slowly breakdown the essential fatty acids. Look for flax seed oil capsules (dark coated soft gels) or oil that is bottled in amber-brown bottles, as these are more resistant to the light and oxygen. Make sure you refrigerate your flax seed oil to help extend its shelf life. One that I Love and use is Flora Products.

Flax seed oil takes a bit of time to be absorbed into the body before the full beneficial effects begin, ranging anywhere from a few days to as many as six weeks, depending on your overall well-being.

Add Flax Seed to your diet and watch what it will do for you! If you're unsure about trying Flax Seed, contact your physician and ask for more information.