The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (51 page)

Keep molasses away from light, heat, and moisture. It can be stored in the refrigerator. An unopened, factory-sealed bottle of molasses should keep for about a year. Once opened, it will keep for about six months.

Livit Recipe

1½ packages (4 teaspoons) active dry yeast

½ cup warm water (about 110°F)

1 teaspoon raw sugar

¼ teaspoon dried ginger

3½ cups water

3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

¼ cup safflower oil plus enough to oil the bowl and pans

½ cup blackstrap molasses

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup 100% bran cereal

2 cups whole wheat flour

4 to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• In a small bowl, gently mix the yeast with the ½ cup of warm water. (The water should feel pleasantly warm, not too hot, or it will kill the yeast.) Add the sugar and ginger, and let the mixture sit in a warm place (80°F is ideal) to let the yeast begins its work.

• In a teakettle, bring the 3½ cups of water to a boil.

• Put the rolled oats into a very large bowl, and pour the boiling water over them. Add the oil, molasses, and salt, stirring until all is well combined. Mix in the bran cereal and whole wheat flour. Add the yeast mixture. Stir, combining everything thoroughly.

• Begin adding the all-purpose flour, ½ cup at a time, working it in until the dough is no longer sticky and becomes easy to handle.

• On a floured board or countertop, knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. It will still be soft.

• Lightly oil the inside of another large bowl, using a paper towel to spread the oil and absorb any excess. Put the dough into the oiled bowl, and roll it around to oil the entire outside of the dough ball. Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel and set it in a warm place for about 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.

• Lightly oil three 9” × 5” loaf pans.

• On a floured board or counter, punch down the dough. Divide it into three pieces, shape them into loaves, and put each loaf into an oiled pan. Cover the pans with a clean dishtowel, and set them in a warm place to rise until they are doubled, about 90 minutes.

• Near the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 350°F.

• When the loaves have doubled, put them in the oven to bake for about 40 minutes, or until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn them out of the pans immediately onto wire racks to cool.

•
NOTE
After the bread has fully cooled, you may wish to freeze some of it. Wrap it tightly in plastic or put it in a plastic zipper bag to prevent it from drying out in the freezer.

YIELD
36 servings (1 slice each), or 3 loaves of 12 slices each

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
144 calories, 27.5 g carbohydrates, 4.2 g protein, 2.3 g fat, 2.8 g dietary fiber

Chocolate chips can satisfy your chocolate cravings without going overboard—you can eat just a few instead of giving in to a whole chocolate bar. It's a bonus that dark chocolate has been shown to provide some heart benefits—specifically, lowering blood pressure—thanks to its antioxidants and flavonoids. No wonder Valentine's chocolates come in heart-shaped boxes!

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
Twenty semi-sweet chocolate chips provide 50 calories, 5.5 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 3 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 20 mg calcium, and 1.08 mg iron.

Buy semi-sweet chocolate chips made with natural ingredients—organic is even better—and avoid vanillin, an artificial flavoring. Keep them in the freezer in a plastic zipper bag for a refreshing sweet-tooth satisfier.

Livit Recipe

1 cup non-hydrogenated margarine

1 cup sugar
OR
evaporated cane juice

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons pasteurized 100% liquid egg white

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1
cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
Canola oil

• Preheat oven to 375°F.

• In the small bowl of a stand mixer or the container of a food processor, cream the margarine with the sugars, egg, egg white, and vanilla until fluffy.

• In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt, and baking soda. Stir the creamed butter and sugar into the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips, stirring to distribute them evenly.

• Grease cookie sheets lightly with canola oil, using a paper towel to spread the oil and absorb any excess. Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

YIELD
60 cookies

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
190 calories, 25 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 10 g fat, 0.3 g dietary fiber

9
Dietary “Free” Foods: Herbs and Medicinals

These foods are used in such small quantities, or are so low in calories, that they don't “count” when used as part of a healthy diet—yet they add flavor and nutritive value! What's not to love?

Vinegar is produced when alcohols converted from sugars undergo a process of fermentation. Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh apples. It contains vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin, and several minerals, including potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Vinegar appears to help lower blood glucose levels. It contains chromium, which can help regulate insulin levels and is important in glucose metabolism. Vinegar delays gastric emptying and helps lower blood glucose and insulin levels in people who are healthy.

Vinegar may contribute to lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. Vinegar is also being investigated for its cancer-killing potential.

As an ingredient in many types of traditional medicine for millennia, vinegar has been credited with the power to treat almost everything: constipation, arthritis, headaches, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Vinegar is a great fat-free component in recipes and salad dressings—though be sure to include some fat in your salad dressings to help your body digest and absorb all the good nutrients in the green vegetables.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar provides 2 calories, 0.9 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 15 mg potassium, 1 mg calcium, 1 mg phosphorus, and 0.1 mg iron.

ACIDITY ALERT!

Like all vinegars, apple cider vinegar is highly acidic—its primary component is acetic acid. Although commercially prepared vinegars are diluted to provide a consistent and safe level of acid, one should not drink vinegar straight. Pure vinegar can damage tooth enamel and the tissues in your throat and mouth. It has been known to cause contact burns.

If you drink a lot of vinegar, it can eventually deplete potassium levels and possibly lower bone density. It can interact with medicines including diuretics, laxatives, and some diabetes medicines. People with insulin-dependent diabetes should consult with their physicians before adding a lot of vinegar to their diets.

Choose organic apple cider vinegar whenever possible.

A tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar mixed into four ounces of purified water can be a natural remedy for heartburn when taken after a meal.

Try mixing apple cider vinegar with honey to drink at night before going to bed—it's great for calming nerves, promoting relaxation, and relief of bone-related ailments. Adjust the amounts of vinegar and honey for comfort and taste, but the general proportions are eight ounces of warm water, one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, and one to two teaspoons of honey.

Livit Recipe

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon agave nectar

½ lemon, juice only

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, agave nectar, lemon juice, and lemon pepper.

• The dressing can be used immediately or stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for future use.

•
VARIATIONS
For a creamier dressing, add 1 tablespoon of low-fat plain yogurt or plain soy yogurt. For honey-mustard dressing, add 1 teaspoon of organic Dijon mustard.

YIELD
4 servings (1 tablespoon each), or about ¼ cup

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
52 calories, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 4 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber

Brewer's yeast appears to help stabilize both serum triglycerides and glucose levels, due to its high levels of chromium. If you are interested in its sugar-regulating effects, seek out the type that has not been “debittered,” because chromium is removed in the debittering process. Brewer's yeast also provides B vitamins, and it is one of the very few non-animal sources of vitamin B
₁₂
.

Sprinkle brewer's yeast on food to add extra B vitamins, protein, and minerals. Many folk remedies for poor skin include brewer's yeast, and some studies have suggested that consuming brewer's yeast can accelerate the healing time for cuts and similar injuries.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One ounce of brewer's yeast provides 80 calories, 10.9 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 0.3 g fat, 1.1 g dietary fiber, 4.4 mg thiamine, 10.7 mg niacin, 1.2 mg riboflavin, 537 mg potassium, 34 mg sodium, 497 mg phosphorus, 60 mg calcium, and 4.9 mg iron.

When buying nutritional yeast, purchase an inactive form, because active yeast can grow in your intestines and crowd out the beneficial micro-organisms that belong there.

Livit Recipe

4 tablespoons brewer's yeast

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 quarts air-popped popcorn

• Mix the brewer's yeast, salt, and garlic powder together. Sprinkle on top of warm popped corn. Serve.

•
NOTE
Brewer's yeast significantly raises the nutritional value of your popcorn snack.

•
VARIATION
Substitute other seasonings for the garlic powder. If using chili powder or curry powder that already contains salt, leave out the ½ teaspoon of salt in the basic recipe.

YIELD
4 servings

NUTRITION ANALYSIS PER SERVING
77.9 calories, 14.4 g carbohydrate, 4.6 g protein, 0 g fat, 3.8 g dietary fiber

Cardamom is an exotic-tasting, sweet spice derived from the seeds of a ginger-like plant. Cardamom gives chai its spiciness and is a cuisine feature from India and the Middle East to Scandinavia. The Greeks and Romans used cardamom as a perfume.

Cardamom may help with cleansing the kidneys and the bladder, stimulating the digestive system, and reducing gas. It has been shown to be antispasmodic and can counteract excess acidity in the stomach, stimulate appetite, remedy infection, and cure halitosis (bad breath). It is also credited with improving circulation to the lungs, which benefits those with asthma and bronchitis.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
One teaspoon of ground cardamom provides 6 calories, 1.4 g carbohydrate, 0.2 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 0.6 g dietary fiber, 22 mg potassium, 4 mg phosphorus, 8 mg calcium, 0.28 mg iron, 5 mg magnesium, 0.01 mg copper, 0.15 mg zinc, and 0.56 mg manganese.