women's health

Pregnant? Delayed ovulation? Anovulatory cycle? You'd think that we'd know everything about something that has happened nearly every month of our lives since early adolescence...so familiar that it could be called your "Monthly Friend."  Yet when I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler, MPH, I learned so much about the female hormonal cycle that I was astounded by how little we truly understand about it! For example, we are told that typical menstrual cycles last 28 days, which is not actually the case for many women. I was amazed to think of how many women think that they have to take medications or resort to surgical procedures to either prevent or encourage pregnancy, when so much can be done just from understanding the logistics of a woman's body.

Explaining the "Fertility Awareness Method," this book helps a woman understand the "normal" signs of each stage in the fertility cycle as well as specific indications of potential problems. By charting some of these signs, a woman can take the information to a physician, allowing them to more easily get to the root of the problem. This could mean the avoidance of unnecessary tests and procedures. Thank you, Toni, for taking much of the stress out of guessing when your period will start, if you're pregnant, or if you have a condition that needs to be discussed with a physician! Hooray for one more way to be in control of your own health!

(note: for those of you that have heard of "The Rhythm Method" for natural contraception, this is different- it's better!)

spaghetti squash...or squash in your spaghetti

In the winter time, you see more of the winter squashes, one of which is Spaghetti Squash. Its name comes from the stringy appearance...and makes for a great replacement of the wheat pasta version of spaghetti. I found that it is so easy to "overdo" on pasta, that I prefer this vegetable with sauce instead. Now that the summer time is coming, we are seeing the summer squashes, which include zucchini (green) and yellow squash. These you can cut up (as full circles or further cut into quarters) and put into your tomato sauce...and pour on top of your spaghetti! Once again, it makes the meal lighter- you get full faster and do not feel the need to eat more pasta. The squash will make the entree more nutrient dense, which is better for our health...and it's almost hidden!


*If you have a garden (or know someone that does), you are probably aware that squash seems to grow abundantly, and this will be a good way to put it to use (without getting tired of it!).

book review: "overdo$ed america"

I recently finished reading "Overdo$ed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine," by John Abramson, MD. It was originally published in 2004 (softcover version in 2008), but now is a great time to read it because it sheds so much light on why our country is in the middle of a healthcare crisis. I have been aware for some time now that many people are taking medications...but did not realize the extent of underground financial links created by drug companies that affect those who aren't even taking medications. Additionally, it has led to distorted "scientific" information, even in the most well-respected journals. I finished this book in less than a week...it was hard to put it down!

making your salad exciting!

According to Dr.Joel Fuhrman, MD, a "nutritarian" doctor*, a good way to stay focused on eating lots and lots of vegetables is to consider your salad to be the "main course" of the meal. We are accustomed to putting just a handful of chopped lettuce on the side, next to our calorically-dense spaghetti with tomato sauce. Why not combine the two for a vegetable advantage? Here's what I mean:

1) Put a large serving of chopped-up lettuce on your plate.
2) Place a smaller amount of your calorically-dense "entree" on top.

So really, you will be eating both your salad and "entree" at the same time! This means that you no longer have to worry about a salad dressing (which are often full of oil, sugar, or artificial additives). The small amount of entree will spread farther- you will feel like you need less of it to be satisfied. Don't worry, it won't "ruin" your entree...you will come to love the crisp, water-dense contribution of the lettuce!

*(see http://www.doctorfuhrman.com/, or click on the link on the right-hand side of this page)

"grocery store wars"

Here's a spoof of Star Wars called Grocery Store Wars (it's hilarious!):
http://www.freerangestudios.com/index.php?option=com_portfolio&view=project&id=36&Itemid=58&ls=0

hummus "sans" oil or salt

Hummus (hamos, houmous, hommos, hommous, or humus) is one of my favorite dishes- it makes a great dip or spread. For those of you that have never heard of it, it is a Middle Eastern dish composed largely of garbanzo beans ("chickpeas"), lemon, garlic, tahini (sesame seed paste), and oil. It is usually served with pita bread as an appetizer. My mother made it frequently at home, but her recipe does not have oil in it, which makes for a thicker consistency. She often skipped the pita bread, turning it into an opportunity to get us to eat lots of fresh, raw vegetables- carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, and celery.

Needless to say, it became a must-have for me once I started living on my own, and have adopted a "salt-free" version of her already yummy oil-free recipe. My most recent use of hummus was inside a pita bread with avocado, romaine lettuce, and my husband's very own "beet burger." In case you're wondering, it is quite good!!

2 cups garbanzo beans (I think the secret is to cook your own in a pressure cooker- almost sweet!)
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS tahini
handful of fresh parsley
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Putting it all together:  In a food processor, chop up the garlic and parsley together. Add remaining ingredients and blend together. As mentioned previously, this makes for a thick hummus- if the contents are not mixing well enough on their own, add a little bit of liquid (water, soymilk, or more lemon juice)- it won't take much!

Variations: add roasted red bell pepper, cayenne, cumin, or extra lemon juice for a different twist.

fruit sorbet

When I think of "sorbet," I think of a frozen treat with a fruit and sugar base, similar to ice cream or sherbet but without dairy. We happened to have a bag of frozen watermelon chunks, left over from the end of the summer. It ended up making a great sorbet, but without all of the sugar:

3 cups frozen watermelon
juice of 1 lime
6-8 fresh strawberries (without stems)

Ingredients were blended together in a Vita-Mix blender, paying attention to the ice:liquid ratios to aim for the desired semi-solid consistency.