On the Healthy by Nature Show this week: Dr. Allen Sprinkle exposes some of dentistry’s dirty little secrets and opens our minds to how much benefit we can get from a different kind of dentist. By Sunday it should be in the archives.

I’m sorry to be late and that the e-Note isn’t very sciency this week. It wasn’t so much the holiday as that my mother-in-law, Margie, is in the hospital. Therefore, my research time this week has been devoted to her issues. I hope to tell that story soon and please pray with me that it has a happy ending. This is a very sweet lady.

PROTEIN DRINKS

Protein drinks aren’t just for breakfast, dieters or after your workout. Done right, they can be dinner on a hot night. Just don’t confuse them with fruit smoothies. The worst of those I’ve seen is the 40 oz. Smoothie King Grape Expectations II. According to the company’s own website it delivers a shocking 125 grams or about 2/3 cup of sugar! Even if the source of the sugar was once a fruit, it is still a potent shock to your blood sugar. Follow this link to my idea of a delicious, nourishing and modest carbohydrate protein drink. Note: the article mentions MemoryWorks, but sadly that is no longer available as a powder.

SALAD IN A HURRY

Salads are always good on hot days and healthful any time, but when you are tired after work they can sound too hard. Bill and I use shortcuts and we can whip up a salad in fewer than 5 minutes. TV chefs make everything look easy because someone has done the vegetable prep ahead of time. That’s our secret too. Washing the lettuce is the hard part so we splurge and buy pre-washed greens. We bought it once in the large size plastic box and saved the box to use for our refrigerator “salad kit”. (Cut off the corners off the lip of the container so the lid comes off easily.)

In the box we have:
• Shredded carrots wrapped in a paper towel (I ran them through a Salad Shooter because I hate the so-called “baby” cocktail carrots. They smell a little musty to me and are really ground down big carrots.)
• Some big hunks of washed celery stalk (don’t dice it ahead because it browns)
• Cucumber (On the part we are using that day I remove the green peel with a potato peeler. That part is usually waxy and cucumber is easier to digest without the peel. Our dog Suezi goes nuts when I’m doing the cucumber because she wants some.)
• A red bell pepper (slice a little off both cut sides each time and it won’t get slimy. And Suezi wants some of that too.)
• A bag of chopped washed Hearts of Romaine to add crunch.

We usually have separate containers of mixed spring greens and cherry tomatoes (not refrigerated). By having everything we like all together and prewashed and shredded or otherwise as prepped as possible, making a salad is no longer intimidating. (Having Bill work on it too is a big help.) We usually add some walnuts and a simple dressing made with MacNut Oil (maybe with pear-infused white balsamic vinegar?)

Wash the container weekly. When it wears out be sure to recycle it. Organic produce is always best, but check here for the foods that matter most.

To make a whole stick-to-the-ribs meal of the salad: add avocado, strips of chicken, turkey or steak, hardboiled eggs, cheese and extra nuts.

My first book : Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments.

My latest book : Aloe Vera-Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy

Copyright 2010 Martie Whittekin, CCN

¹ J Alzheimers Dis. 2010 Apr 22. [Epub ahead of print], High Plasma Levels of Vitamin E Forms and Reduced Alzheimer’s Disease Risk in Advanced Age. Mangialasche F, Kivipelto M, Mecocci P, Rizzuto D, Palmer K, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L.

² Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):502-9. Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease. Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, Krauss RM.

Don’t suddenly stop medications. Consult your health practitioner. This newsletter is educational and not a substitute for professional advice.

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