Our goddess this month is Clotho, the spinner, and she spun the thread of life alongside her sisters of destiny. How will you spin your fate as it relates to your health? Perhaps William Shakespeare said it best, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” What will we choose today that will hedge our bets and reduce our health risks? One seemingly increasing fate in our country is the occurrence of autoimmune disorders.
Do you know someone who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, or fibromyalgia? These are just a few of the estimated 40 to 80 autoimmune diseases which are becoming epidemic and tend to affect women more than men. The immune system is designed to protect our bodies. People develop autoimmune diseases when immune cells begin attacking the very tissues they were designed to protect, as if they were a foreign invader.
Autoimmune diseases tend to run in families so there may be a genetic cause. However, there may also be environmental components, which aren’t well known and can include certain drugs, diet, and other factors. There appears to be a correlation between a Westernized diet and incidence of autoimmune disease. If a poor diet can contribute to the development of autoimmune disease, an optimal one may control or thwart its progression. Here are some helpful changes you may want to begin to implement which are thought to be helpful for autoimmune and other diseases, and actually for prevention in general.
Begin to replace animal protein as much as possible with plant protein. Start eliminating dairy products and substitute with plant sources like almond and oat milk. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eliminate all partially hydrogenated oils and transfats. Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts and flaxseeds.
One common thread of autoimmune diseases is inflammation. Once merely considered the body's healing response, it is now the subject of close scrutiny as a key component of many diseases including autoimmune. Inflammation can be a good thing. When you get a cut, burn or bruise, the inflammatory response is protective. Problems occur, however, when the inflammatory response does not shut off and becomes chronic and harmful. Continuous inflammation can cause changes in cells, contributing to premature cell death and disease. A good healthy gut helps too (another topic for later).
Ginger and turmeric are known to be particularly anti-inflammatory, as well as cabbage and pineapple. Most fruits and veggies have anti-inflammation properties. As our spinner Clotho represents the color white let’s see what healing foods fall into that family. We have the often discarded potato which is actually very high in fiber and nutrients, and onions and garlic, those wonderful aromatic disease fighters. Who could forget the cabbage and cauliflower that keeps our intestinal tract working in addition to giving us cancer protection! Yes, we all know that deep, dark colored fruits and veggies are high in antioxidants and good for us yet how much more variety we are afforded with those whites. What about those magical mushrooms which are powerful immune boosters that protect the body from cell damage. Couscous, which is a staple in many areas of the world can provide a nice diversion from rice or pasta and is actually quite nutritious.
Our recipe this month contains many of these white foods (see my recommendation below for a white wine you may want to use in this recipe). I’m confident you will enjoy these mushrooms so much you won’t believe it’s actually good for you.
Stuffed Mushroom Caps with Couscous
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Serves 6
Nutrients Per Serving:
Calories 106.9
Fat 5.7g
Saturated Fat 0.9g
(53.4% of calories from fat)
Protein 2.6g
Carbohydrate 9.6g
Cholesterol 1mg
Fiber 1g
This recipe is from THE HEALTHY KITCHEN - Recipes for a Better Body, Life, and Spirit by Andrew Weil, M.D and Rosie Daley (Knopf)
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Description
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Couscous is a pasta shaped like tiny spheres that comes from North Africa. It makes a great stuffing, especially for a small cavity like a mushroom, because it's so moist. When the stuffed mushrooms are baked, the full flavor of the couscous and the mushrooms really come through. These will go fast!
Food as Medicine
Walnuts are an excellent source of both omega-3 fatty acids and l-arginine, an essential amino acid that may help in moderating high blood pressure.
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Ingredients
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1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons natural soy sauce (such as tamari)
1 cup white wine
12 medium small-capped mushrooms, washed and stems removed
1/2 cup vegetable stock or purified water
1/4 cup couscous
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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Instructions
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1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast them for 5 minutes, just until they turn slightly more brown. Pour them into a small bowl.
3. Set a large sauce pan with the olive oil over low heat for less than 1 minute. Drop in the garlic and the shallots. Add the soy sauce, wine, and mushrooms and simmer covered until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Use a slotted spoon to shake the mushrooms so that the cooking liquid falls back into the pan, then transfer the drained mushrooms to a baking dish, arranging them hollow side up. Reserve the liquid in the pan.
5. Cook the couscous by bringing the vegetable stock or water to a boil in a separate pot.
5. Pour in the couscous, lower the heat, and simmer covered for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. All the liquid should be absorbed. Now, dump the couscous into the saucepan with the reserved liquid, cover, and cook over low heat until all the liquid is absorbed.
6. Lightly salt and pepper the mushroom caps. Finish the stuffing by mixing the nuts, herbs and Parmesan cheese into the cooked couscous. Using a tablespoon, pile a small mound of filling inside the cap of each mushroom. Bake for 10 minutes or until the stuffing is lightly browned on top.
Makes 12 mushroom caps - 2 per person |
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Wine of the month:
Clos du Bois Chardonnay North Coast 2009 ~ as fragrant as a stroll through a summertime farmers’ market, our bright and juicy Chardonnay beckons with aromas of apple blossom, ripe pear, peach and sweet lemon drop. This smooth and silky, juicy wine costs only $15 bottle.
A concentrated whole food supplement like Juice Plus+® may help if you are not able to eat enough protective foods. Of the 23 Independent, peer reviewed studies published on Juice Plus+®, two show Juice Plus+® significantly reduces markers of inflammation and four show Juice Plus+® helps support a healthy immune
system.
Clotho influences the present. Please be mindful of what you choose to consume and when you eat do your best to sit down, and really taste and savor your food. Enjoy the experience.
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here to read more about Karen Quirk.
