Durian: also known as ‘The King of Fruits” in Asia. It supposedly has an extremely strong odor, and is in fact banned in some public areas, such as hotels, malls and subways. However, its taste is considerably more pleasant. Some have described the texture and flavor as ‘a rich custard highly flavored with almonds’. It is also rich in energy, fibre, minerals and vitamins. It is considered a strong blood cleanser, and Asian legend say that durian is a powerful aphrodisiac. Awesome, can’t wait to try it!

Mangosteen: Hugh and I had the pleasure of trying some here in Toronto, purchased in China Town. These round little fruit have a taste very similar to peaches, so sweet and wonderful. They are however extremely pricey to purchase here. I’m glad they are much more readily available in Southeast Asia. The health claims for mangosteens have been popping up everywhere. It has been proven to relieve if not correct some skin conditions, allergies, nervous system, cardiovascular system, urinary, and digestive problems!

Custard Apple: supposedly they ‘taste something like banana and pineapple combined’, and has a rich custard like texture. Mmmm sounds good to me! It too is a powerhouse of nutrition – filled with vitamins and minerals, good for energy, and can combat a bunch of ailments!

Jackfruit: it is said to be the largest tree-fruit in the world. Supposedly the flesh has a crisp texture, with a strong, sweet flavor. It is full of health benefits, and can lower blood pressure, fight against stomach ulcers and can slow down the degeneration of cells that make the skin look young and vital. Sweet!

Salak aka Snakeskin fruit: I read somewhere that ‘it looks like garlic cloves, it has the texture of garlic cloves, but tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a pear’. It has a bunch of health benefits as well, such as easing heartburn and digestive disturbances.

Longan: described as extremely sweet and juicy. It is used as a remedy for stomachache, insomnia, and amnesia. The fruit is said to invigorate the heart and spleen, nourish the blood and have a calming effect on the nervous system.

I can’t wait to try all these, but I mostly can’t wait to eat tons of the super healthy tropical fruits such as papaya, pineapple, and coconut. I heard vegetarianism is still not very common over there, so when I have nothing else to eat I know I’ll get plenty of nourishment from these fruits. And there’s always white rice!

My dear followers, I must apologize for the long hiatus. Some big changes are about to take place in the next few months, including a big move to half way across the world. So needless to say, all the planning has been keeping me nice and busy.

The idea for this post came about when I was researching which fruits and veggies were popular in Australia. And to my delight, I found out that Chayote’s have been known to grow extensively there!

About a year or so ago, Hugh and I noticed this interesting looking item at the grocery store, and we just had to try it. We both instantly liked this refreshing crunchy vegetable (well, technically it’s considered a fruit). We love slicing ‘em up and dipping ‘em in my homemade hummus.

Chayote is a tropical member of the cucumber and squash family. It is fat free, sodium free, a good source of vitamin C and fibre! It also contains significant amounts of the B-vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate. The fruit is also a rich source of potassium, and contains decent amount of magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. Chayote’s have diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties. In Native American medicine, the fruit is a common folk cure for all kinds of urinary disorders – including urinary infections and renal stones. Awesome!

It can be stored for up to one month uncovered in a cool, dark place, or in a plastic bag refrigerated for up to a week. Choose unblemished chayote with dark furrows. Color ranges from cream to dark green, but most are an apple-green. The smaller ones are more tender.

I find their flavor to be rather bland, very reminiscent of a cucumber in fact. That’s why they are so good dipped in hummus. They don’t even need to be peeled. Not only can they be enjoyed raw, they can also be boiled, baked, stuffed, mashed, fried or pickled! A ton of recipes can be found on the net. But again, I love dipping ‘em in hummus. So here is my hummus recipe.

Enjoy!

You’ll need:

2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch cumin

Directions:

Blend all ingredients using hand-held blender or in blender or food processor, adding water as needed until smooth.

One of my greatest pleasures is going to my local Farmers’ Market every Saturday morning. I love the vibe there, the fresh local produce, all the neat products, and of course sampling all the delicious foods. I’m lucky I live a 10 minute walk from The Stop’s Green Barn Farmers’ Market (located in between Christie & Wychood, off St Clair).

There are farmers markets located throughout the city, most open all year round. Here is a list of all the Toronto Markets: http://tfmn.ca/?page_id=2

Of course Spring and Summer are the best times to visit, since they are brimming with so much fresh local fruits and veggies. I love trying interesting vegetables that aren’t even available at the supermarket. Most of the produce is organic, or at the very least they follow sustainable growing practices, and are low-spray or pesticide free. So it’s not only good for your health, but for the environment as well! You can taste the difference. Supermarket produce can take up to two weeks to travel from farm to store, even in the summer. And most supermarket fruits are picked pre-maturely, not being allowed to ripen naturally. Thereby the nutritional content and flavour really suffer. There are also so many other awesome products besides fruits and veggies. Hugh and I love buying local raw honey (way better than the pasteurized crap sold at supermarkets), raw local hemp seeds, raw cacao (super healthy and delicious), and homemade fresh pickles.

Some other reasons to love and support Framers’ Markets:

• More money is spent in the local economy

• They cut out the middleman, putting more money in the farmers’ pockets

• They help reduce food miles, vehicle pollution, and fossil fuel use.

• They help to reduce packaging.

• You get fresh, healthy produce usually at competitive prices.

• You get to meet the farmer who grew your food

What can be better? And for meat eaters, the Farmers’ Market is the best place to purchase meat. The prices tend to be similar to regular meat purchased at supermarkets. However, the animals are treated humanely, are not injected with hormones and antibiotics, and are a whole lot more nutritious than their supermarket counterparts.

Gotta love Farmers’ Markets!

So the other day, after I kept hearing all about the delicious coffee being offered for free at McDonald’s, I decided perhaps I’d try one. I’m not at all a coffee drinker but since it was free and all, I thought what the heck, I’d give it a try. However, being the anal label reader that I am, I decided I just had to find the list of ingredients for their coffee. And boy am I ever glad I did!

I kept hearing rumors of certain coffee shops and fast food joints that actually put MSG in their coffee (yuck!). But after seeing the list of ingredients, I realized this was far worse.

I wish I had posted this sooner when the free coffee promotion at McDonald’s had just begun. But hopefully it will scare some people off of purchasing coffee from Micky D’s any time soon.

Here is a list of the chemicals being added to McDonald’s coffee: sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, Di-Acetyl Tartrate Ester of Monoglyceride, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and sodium citrate. Yikes!!

What exactly does all that mean? Here’s a breakdown on some of the chemicals:

Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate – a solid powder irritating to eyes and skin, and hazardous in case of inhalation.

Tetra Sodium Pyrophosphate – when ingested it can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Sodium Hexametaphosphate – the Material Safety Data Sheet warns “do not ingest”.

Sodium Citrate - includes diarrhea as an adverse reaction. It should also be “used with caution in patients with cardiac failure, hypertension, impaired renal function, peripheral and pulmonary edema, and toxemia of pregnancy.”

That’s pretty disturbing if you ask me. No wonder we have so many health issues here and in the States – we are constantly bombarded with chemicals. It is far safer making your own coffee at home (actually, green tea or herbal teas would be the ideal).

Next time you grab a cuppa Joe, ask yourself: would you like some coffee with your chemicals?

This dish goes really nicely with the Red Lentil Curry or as a side to any Indian meal. This is similar to the Indian dish Palak or Saag, however, I use coconut milk in place of yogurt or cream, making this a vegan dish.

Spinach is packed full of nutrition – it is loaded with antioxidants, bioflavonoids, B-Vitamins, Vitamins A, C, E, and K, and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. It is also high in fibre! Here is what WHFoods had to say about Spinach: “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”. Awesome!

Enjoy!

You’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 pound spinach, rinsed well and chopped – OR 1 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup coconut milk

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and spices and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, coconut milk and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, allow to cool a bit. Then use a blender or food processor or hand-held blender to puree until smooth.

Return the puree to the pot and simmer another 5 minutes.

I eat lentils about 3 times a week, so it’s only fitting that I post another lentil recipe. When I was in Ireland, I lived on a farm for about a month. The farmer wasn’t the greatest cook, and I ended up doing most of the cooking. He did however have a handful of fantastic recipes he showed me, this being one of them.

Red lentils cook a lot faster than the green or brown varieties, and they are equally as nutritious. Their high fiber content helps to manage blood-sugar levels, and helps to keep you regular! They are packed full of nutrients, protein, and are free of fat. Indeed, one of the most perfect foods (after fruits, veggies and seaweed that is!). The best part is that dried lentils are dirt cheap. This dish goes really nicely with brown basmati rice and a side of Indian Spinach.

Enjoy!

You’ll need:

• 2 cups dried red lentils
• 1 diced onion
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp curry paste (such as Pataks mild curry paste)
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

Directions

Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear. Put the lentils in a pot with water and simmer until lentils are tender (about 20 minutes)

While the lentils are cooking, in a large skillet or saucepan, caramelize the onions in coconut oil.

While the onions are cooking, combine the curry paste, curry powder, cumin, salt, agave, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well. When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.

When the lentils are tender drain them reserving a tiny bit of water. Mix the curry base into the lentils, adding the reserved water as needed if too dry, and serve!

As a holistic nutritionist, I always like to turn to food first for healing. However, sometimes there is a need to turn to supplements. For one thing, our soil is seriously depleted in nutrients, and sometimes it requires a lot of planning to ensure we’re receiving all the required vitamins and minerals. And sometimes for therapeutic purposes, large doses of specific vitamins are needed. In the end, nothing beats whole foods, eating them the way nature intended. But for those times we do turn to supplements, it is critical to ensure they are of good quality.

There are so many problems with cheap supplements. It is never a good idea to skimp out on supplements. In fact, it is even better to not take them at all than to take cheap, synthetic vitamins and minerals. It is extremely hard for our bodies to even recognize synthetic vitamins and minerals, let alone know what to do with them. For example, Calcium Carbonate – the most widely used supplemental form of Calcium, has an absorption rate of no more than 10%. But what happens with the other 90%? It can get stuck to our arteries or contribute to kidney stones. Vitamin C – one of the most popular supplements – is another one that most people should be wary of. In nature, fruit and vegetables that contain vitamin C also contain bioflavonoids, which aid in its absorption. That is why it is important to look for a Vitamin C supplement with Bioflavonoids.

Another problem with cheap supplements is that they are filled with cheap fillers. So many supplements are now filled with corn, soy and gluten – the top most allergenic foods. But they are cheap. So those seemingly innocent supplements you only paid $8 for at the drug store are not that innocent at all. Irritating your digestive tract is just the start.

So please, read labels very carefully. Make sure your supplement specifies that it is free of the top most allergenic foods.

A good example of this is supplemental fibre. There is a popular fibre on the market now – you may know the one, maybe you’ve seen a commercial for it – it dissolves clear in water, has no odor, no taste, but provides you with all the fibre you need, and is fairly cheap. It can be found at most drug stores and grocery stores. There is also another fibre supplement that is mainly found at health food stores – this one made by Renew Life and has the exact same claims and benefits as the cheaper brand – but costs significantly more. So why not save some bucks and go for the cheaper brand? Because the cheaper brand is made of wheat dextrin – that’s right, wheat! Wheat is so cheap, so this brand can sell their supplemental fibre at a fraction of the cost. Renew Life uses 100% organic Acacia Fibre (made from the Acacia Tree). And the label on it specifies that it “Does Not Contain: GMO, yeast, wheat, corn, rye, soy, gluten, salt, sugar, dairy, animal products, binders, fillers, preservatives, or artificial ingredients”. It is definitely worth paying more for it. I still strongly believe ground flax seeds are the best source of fibre, but that’s a whole other article! Bottom line, don’t cheap out on supplements, and always read the labels!

Since starting this blog, I’ve been getting asked a lot of questions as to why I choose to eat gluten-free and why all my recipes are gluten-free, so I felt it was time to address this issue. A heads up – this post will be a long one.

So what’s the deal with gluten? The health claims are popping up everywhere: lose weight, feel more energized, eliminate arthritis, etc. Grocery stores and restaurant chains are hopping on the bandwagon, too. But, what is the real story behind gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein found particularly in wheat, rye and barley, as well as in lesser amounts in kamut and spelt. Gluten is highly elastic and strong, making it the core of bread dough because it is the gluten in dough that allows it to be kneaded and risen. It also keeps baked goods from crumbling.

So why is it so bad? To start off, much research substantiates wheat as a highly inflammatory food. Even in non-Celiacs, wheat is very irritating to the digestive tract, and interferes with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Gluten consumption has been linked to menstrual and fertility issues, autoimmune diseases, nervous and endocrine system disturbances, mood disorders, and chronic pain. Gluten literally clogs our lymphatic system, hindering its ability to function as the bodies drainage system. Gluten has also been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and a recent study has uncovered that a gluten-free diet can reduce IBD. It has been stated by many health-care professionals that the gluten protein molecules found in wheat are simply not digested well by humans

An argument which many people have with me is that humans have been consuming wheat and gluten for hundreds of years without any adverse reactions. I always point out that there is a lot of evidence which shows that gluten content has risen in the past century. Even the bread our grandparents ate contained much less gluten. From a manufacturers point of view, it makes sense to want to breed and use wheat with a higher gluten content. Higher gluten content in wheat yields higher quality breads, rolls and baked goods. Gluten’s elastic nature also helps increase loaf volume and enables breads to retain their shape better while baking.

Higher amounts of gluten is just one aspect. Another problem is that in our culture today, most people eat some form of gluten on a daily basis, and usually many times a day. Think about it, I don’t know many people who don’t consume bread, buns, bagels, pastas or baked goods on a daily basis. And even those who don’t, gluten is now contained in so many processed products, people consume it without even realizing it.

One of my strong personal beliefs, and research is propping up everywhere now to back me up, is that gluten and wheat sensitivities have also risen due to wheat’s long history of hybridization and modifying.

According to Dr, Kalish, a renowned digestive and hormonal expert, gluten intolerance is a health problem at epidemic proportions in certain populations in the United States and remains largely unrecognized by conventional medicine. Doug Cook, a Toronto-based registered dietitian said “I think we’re finding now, especially [among those with an] eastern European background, that gluten sensitivity is probably a lot more common than we thought it was.” A research study published in the British Medical Journal in November of 1998 found that gluten intolerance is found most frequently in those with Irish, English, Scottish, Scandinavian, and other Northern European and Eastern European heritages.

Sadly it is hard to diagnose gluten sensitivity. Dr. Lieberman, author of The Gluten Connection, has been investigating gluten sensitivity for more than 20 years. In her experience, eliminating gluten can alleviate many troubling symptoms for which doctors often can’t find a cause, as well as chronic conditions for which mainstream medicine offers little hope of relief – including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, lupus, and irritable bowel syndrome.

A lot of people are not even aware of the devastating effects gluten has on their bodies. Gluten causes an inflammatory reaction, however this goes largely unnoticed simply because it is not severe enough to cause immediate symptoms. If a gluten intolerant person eats gluten-containing foods for extended periods of time, over and over again, this low-grade inflammation can lead to a variety of problems. With long-term exposure, the results of this low-grade response to the gluten molecule can be devastating to a variety of body systems. Its effect on the digestive system is the most immediate. Dr. Kalish states that he has treated hundreds of gluten intolerant patients whose indigestion problems were misdiagnosed as heartburn or IBS, and who suffer from chronic bloating and gas.

I personally have had a high success rate with my own clients whom I advised to go gluten-free. I personally find that when I eat anything with gluten, I get really bloated. So I tend to avoid it as much as possible (which is a challenge in itself).

Another surprising finding is that along with gluten intolerance comes food cravings, and it has frequently been observed that people crave that which they are allergic to. Please take note, if you crave gluten, there is a high probability that you are gluten sensitive.

Obvious foods to avoid:

• Wheat bread, rye bread, bagels, rolls, baguettes, buns, croissants
• Muffins, cupcakes, cakes, cookies and most other baked goods
• Pizza
• Pretzels
• Crackers
• Pastas
• Couscous
• Barley
• Bulgur
• Most breakfast cereals

The trickiest part is detecting the hidden gluten in processed foods. Gluten is often times used as a cheap filler or binding agent. Here is a list of not-so obvious foods that contain gluten:

• Most beers and some wines
• Soy sauce – only Tamari is OK
• Malt vinegar
• Prepared gravies or gravy or packages
• Many types of soup
• Baked beans or chili
• Some salad dressings (Commercial salad dressing and mayonnaise containing gluten stabilizers)
• Certain brands of sausages
• Luncheon meat – may contain fillers
• Stock cubes or bouillon
• Seitan (doesn’t contain gluten, it IS gluten!)
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
• Most imitation meat products
• Imitation crab meat
• Malt, anything ‘malted’
• Caramel color
• Some cheaper supplements
• Some toothpastes
• Some lipsticks
• Some pharmaceutical products

Again, it is very important to read the labels!

So it may seem kind of depressing trying to avoid gluten, but it really doesn’t have to be. There are so many wonderful and delicious substitutions and alternatives. A great replacement for pasta is rice pasta – I find you really can’t tell the difference and it’s available in almost every shape and size. As for cereals, there are many great cereals that are made of puffed rice, quinoa or millet. Some of the best gluten-free grains are quinoa, buckwheat, rice, millet, and amaranth; tapioca, sorghum, arrowroot and potato flours can all be used to replace wheat flour and make great thickening agents.

I will continually post gluten-free recipes! With a little effort and imagination, the transition away from gluten doesn’t have to be a difficult one. And luckily now there is such a wide variety of gluten-free products on the market!