The key to succeeding at eating healthfully is to make healthy eating a taste-tempting journey of savory foods to be enjoyed and not a sentence to be imposed. It is simple, straightforward and distinctively delicious if you know which foods to choose and which to avoid.
My big complaint about veggie burgers is that most you buy in the stores contain soy ingredients, canola oil and/or some form or MSG. It's really hard to find a healthy veggie burger in the grocery store or your natural foods market.
When I came across this article on veggie burgers, I was very suspicious that they would contain some of these harmful ingredients. I was pleasantly surprised.
Calls for orange zest. Make sure you make it from organic oranges only. Non organic oranges can be artificially colored with Citrus Red. No. 2, which is a possible carcinogen.
Calls for toasted whole grain bread crumbs. Make sure they're free of harmful chemical additives. Better yet, make your own from organic, sprouted grain, flourless bread.
Calls for olive oil to cook the burgers. A better cooking oil is coconut oil. Organic coconut oil has had the coconut flavor removed and still has the healthy, therapeutic properties of coconut oil.
Calls for olive or canola oil to cook the burgers. Skip the canola oil. It is an unhealthy oil. And as I mentioned above, coconut oil is a better choice for cooking than olive oil.
Calls for stale or toasted sandwich bread to make breadcrumbs. Best to use organic, sprouted grain, flourless bread.
Calls for hamburger buns or hard rolls. Flourless, sprouted grain is your best choice. However if, like me, you don't like using buns or rolls, try wraping your burger in a couple big leaves of lettuce. It's a great way to have sandwiches without the bread.
Calls for whole spelt flour or other flour. If you use other flour, make sure it is whole grain.
Calls for tamari. Traditionally made tamari, as made in Japan, is fermented over long periods of time and is one of the few soy products that have the least harmful effects. However, made in America, the processing is modern, high speed and very unlike traditional processing. Modern soy sauces may contain dangerous levels of toxic chemicals. "The safety of commercial soy sauces cannot be assured." Reference, The Whole Soy Story, by Kaayla Daniel.
If you can get traditionally prepared tamari imported from Asia, then that would be a better choice than American made. I personally substitute Celtic Sea Salt in recipes that call for tamari or soy sauce.
If you enjoy veggie burgers, give these a try. They're definitely more healthy than the pre-made ones you buy in the stores.
A month or two ago, I received a call from a customer placing a book order for my books, who told me about Plan-D, and how close this book is to the philosophy that I teach in my books. So, I decided to check it out.
Dee McCaffrey is an organic chemist and Certified Diet Counselor who lost 100 pounds and has kept it off for 18 years. Her story is very compelling and will inspire anyone who has ever struggled with a weight problem. Plan-D is not about diets or cutting calories. It's about eating real food that your body wants and needs and feeling satisfied.
The whole theme in Plan-D is about eating processed free; avoiding processed flours, sugars and chemicals and eating fresh whole foods. The book is thorough and well organized. It explains in easy-to-understand language, the reasons for eating or avoiding certain foods. The book has a recipe section at the end to help you implement Plan-D eating into your life. It even includes some healthy dessert recipes.
This is not just another diet book by someone who never needed to lose weight. Plan-D is a program that Dee McCaffrey herself used to lose 100 pounds in a year and keep it off. She's "been there and done that" and Plan-D tells you how she did it!
While Plan-D is probably 99% of what I teach, there are a couple items I do need to mention:
Plan-D does not advocate soy products, but does indicate that fermented soy products are okay occasionally. Tofu is included as a fermented soy product. However according to Kaayla Daniel in her book, The Whole Soy Story, tofu is not fermented, but precipitated. Tofu has been effectively used by monks in Asian countries for centuries to kill their sex drive. Tofu is not a product that I recommend.
In addition, Plan-D's limited use of sweeteners includes agave nectar/syrup. Earlier this year, there was an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola, and supported by the Weston A. Price Foundation, regarding agave's high fructose content and the processing methods which agave undergoes to become the agave syrup sold in health food stores today. According to these articles, the agave syrup on the market is very unlike the true, healthy, unprocessed, agave nectar used by the indigenous peoples in the past. Therefore, due to the current controversy, agave is not a sweetener I recommend.
Those two points aside, I can say that it isn't often that I come across a book on healthy eating that I can wholeheartedly recommend. This book is one of those few.
2 large onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped (organic only)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup frozen corn (organic)
1 cup green beans cut in 3/4 inch pieces (organic only)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 pound ground meat (grass fed beef, lamb or free range turkey)
2 cans or 2 heaping cups home cooked dried organic beans (black, kidney or pinto)
1 28 ounce can of organic tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons turmeric
6 cloves of garlic sliced, chopped or minced
1-2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
4 teaspoons Celtic Sea salt
Cook ground meat and set aside.
Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic in a little water.
Add frozen corn and green beans.
Add olive or coconut oil and lime juice.
Add Celtic Sea salt, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Stir until spices are evenly distributed.
Add meat, beans and canned tomatoes. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until thoroughly warmed.
Add chopped cilantro. Mix. Cover pan. Turn off heat. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve over brown rice or quinoa with a large tossed salad.
There are enough vegetables in the curry, but I like to also serve steamed or sauteed greens along with this.
This is one of my family's favorites.
This recipe freezes well. Store in glass freezer-safe dishes. Cool uncovered before freezing.
Dr. Christine H. Farlow is "The Ingredients Investigator." She is a Doctor of Chiropractic who has helped thousands improve their health through nutrition and the elimination of harmful ingredients from food, cosmetics and personal care products.
She's a veteran at helping people solve their health challenges naturally, without the use of drugs.
The study of nutrition has been a passion for Dr. Farlow since 1975. Before becoming a doctor, people were coming to her unsolicited, asking for nutritional advice. She’s been counseling patients professionally since 1984 and researching ingredients in foods, cosmetics and personal care products since 1991.
Dr. Farlow is the author of three health and nutrition books:
FOOD ADDITIVES: A Shopper's Guide...
HEALTHY EATING: For Extremely Busy People...
DYING TO LOOK GOOD
Her books evolved out of her experience counseling patients back to health and wellness.
