Tag: Health and Fitness News

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Flavorful and Sustainable Fish

Grilled or Pan-Cooked Albacore With Soy/Mirin Marinade

I didn’t break the bank buying fresh fish. I looked in the freezer department, where there is often a better selection (depending on where you shop), and was able to find moderately priced varieties. Among them were albacore steaks, one of the few types of tuna that we can still enjoy with a clear conscience, and a great fish to eat if you’re trying to get more omega-3s into your diet, and farmed Arctic char, another fatty fish full of omega-3s. It’s pink like salmon, but meatier, and the taste is not as strong.

Grilled or Pan-Cooked Albacore With Soy/Mirin Marinade

If you are concerned about the quantity of soy sauce, know that most of it stays behind in the bowl when you cook the fish. If you are using frozen albacore steaks, wait until they are partly thawed before marinating.

Pacific Cod Ceviche

The cod that gets the Environmental Defense Fund’s highest rating is Pacific cod.

Halibut, Chard and Potato Casserole

Make sure to cover this tightly so the fish doesn’t dry out. An hour seems like a long time to cook fish, but the fish is well insulated and won’t dry out.

Steamed Cod or Sea Bass Salad With Red Peppers, Cilantro and Mint

This refreshing combination has Middle Eastern overtones, though in the Middle East the fish would probably be fried or poached. Serve it as a first course or as a light main dish.

Albacore Steaks With Simmered Fennel

Sea bass is the fish I always associate with fennel, as the combination is a classic in Provence. But cross the border into Italy and you’ll find tuna cooked with this anise-flavored vegetable.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

HIV virus used to turn white blood cells into cancer serial killers

The HIV virus may be about to become a new weapon in the fight against cancer as initial tests have shown it can drastically minimize and even help cure the most common form of leukemia.

A research team, led by Dr. Carl June working out of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, has been experimenting with using a harmless version of the HIV virus combined with genetically modified white blood cells as a new way to fight cancer. The cells are taken from patients and modified with new genes that make them target cancer cells, but just as importantly, they can also multiply once injected allowing them to scale up as a small army inside the body.

The results have surprised everyone. These modified cells have acted like serial killers, multiplying and killing all of the cancer cells in two patients, while reducing them by 70% in a third. The equivalent of five pounds of cancer cells has disappeared from each patient. More good news stems from the fact that the modified cells remain in the body and have been seen to reactivate and kill new cancer cells as long as 12 months after they were first injected.

h/t digby and she notes:

Amazing. And it’s even more of a miracle that this research was done at all:

   It’s important to note that this small trial involving just three patients was lucky to go ahead at all. The study was rejected by pharamceutical companies and the National Cancer Institute. It was only through a grant awarded by the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy that these patients received the treatment. We suspect the next trial will have more than enough interest, and therefore money, to go ahead.

If there’s enough money in it.

From the depths of the deepest hell comes some hope.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Cornmeal for Thanksgiving and Year-Round

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Cornmeal can be at the center of your plate in the form of spoonbread or polenta, or it can be one ingredient in a mixed-grain bread or pastry. [..]

The grain is an excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin B6.

Jalapeño Spoonbread

Spoonbread, a traditional Southern dish, is sort of a cross between a soufflé and polenta – a light, fluffy mixture of cornmeal, water, milk and eggs. You could serve it as a vegetarian main dish or as a side.

Greek Greens Pie With Cornmeal Crust

This is a beautiful, rustic and comforting dish adapted from recipes from Epirus, a mountainous region of northwestern Greece. The cornmeal crust is like a thin layer of polenta both above and below the greens, which are fragrant with dill, mint and parsley.

Cornmeal Cranberry Drop Scones

If you’ve got a crowd coming for Thanksgiving, make some of these for breakfast or for afternoon tea. You can whip them up quickly. If you’ve got a crowd coming for Thanksgiving, make some of these for breakfast or for afternoon tea. You can whip them up quickly.

Greek Polenta With Onions and Raisins

During World War II, when many Greeks died of starvation, cornmeal was one of the few foods people had to eat. Older Greeks eschewed it after the war because it reminded them of those difficult years.

Yeasted Country Bread With Cornmeal

Cornmeal is used in many breads in the Mediterranean and southern Europe, especially in Turkey and Portugal. It contributes wonderful texture.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Part 2: Gluten-Free Stuffings

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Wild Rice and Brown Rice Stuffing With Apples, Pecans and Cranberries

Like many Thanksgiving dishes, this pilaf combines sweet and savory foods. Apples and cranberries are high in phenolic acids, which are believed to have antioxidant properties.

Black and White Quinoa Dressing With Butternut Squash and Pecans

The light-colored version of quinoa is a fluffier grain than the black version, so it’s almost as if there are two completely different grains in this colorful mixture.

Red and Black Rice Stuffing With Red Lentils, Almonds and Cranberries

This is particularly colorful because of the beautiful salmon-colored red lentils. They are soaked, not cooked, and contribute a fresh flavor and crunchy texture to the mix.

Red Rice and Quinoa Stuffing With Mushrooms and Kale

Mushrooms lend a meaty element to this savory mixture of red rice and quinoa, and kale adds color in addition to its many nutrients.

Black and Brown Rice Stuffing With Walnuts and Pears

Pears and walnuts complement dark black and pale brown rice in this sweet and savory mixture. Make sure you don’t overcook the pears; they need only a quick sear in the pan. The optional red lentils or cranberries add some color to the mix.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Part 1: Winter Squash

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Many families fall into one of two camps when it comes to Thanksgiving menus. There are those who never veer from their annual menu; recipes are pulled out once a year, then put away until the next. Then there are those who like to try new recipes. [..]

Winter squash offers a big nutritional bang at a small caloric price – lots of vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin B6, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Puréed Roasted Squash and Yams With Citrus

This aromatic dish is inspired by a recipe in Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s wonderful book “The Splendid Table.” The dish was traditional at Yom Kippur among the Italian Jews of Emilia-Romagna.

Fried Winter Squash With Mint

If you make it for Thanksgiving and don’t want to be in the kitchen frying squash at the last minute, opt for the room-temperature version. Or fry the squash ahead of time and warm in a low oven. The recipe works equally well with butternut and starchier squash like kabocha.

Simple Provençal Winter Squash Gratin

There’s little more than squash here, seasoned with lots of garlic and fresh herbs. Dicing all the squash takes time, but then the work is just about done.

Winter Squash With Anchovies, Capers, Olives and Ricotta Salata

The seasoning is provided by the anchovies, capers and cheese, a salty contrast to the sweet squash (the recipe is not for you if you cannot eat salt).

Winter Squash and Sage Blini

Pancakes are a great vehicle for many vegetables. These are simple buttermilk/buckwheat blini with puréed butternut squash and sage whisked into the batter.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Dinner for One: Poached Eggs and Vegetables

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Dinner for one can be a conundrum. If you never know when you’re going to be home it’s difficult to plan. If you’ve been cooking for a family for years and now your children are out of the house, you may be flummoxed by the idea of preparing a meal for just one person. Or say you’re divorced, and some nights your children are with their other parent. How do you plan a dinner for yourself?

Quinoa, Spinach and Poached Egg

As in most of the other comforting and simple dinners for one in this week’s Recipes for Health, all of the elements here can be prepared in advance of assembling this dish.

Eggs Poached in Marinara Sauce

This meal, which Italians call “eggs in purgatory,” comes together in little more time than it takes to toast some bread and warm the sauce.

Endive and Quinoa Salad With Poached Egg

Long-lasting endive makes this a forgiving dish for busy cooks with unpredictable schedules.

Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce

This is like a South Asian version of huevos rancheros. The sauce yields more than what you’ll need for one serving. Refrigerate or freeze what you don’t use.

Beet Greens Bruschetta With Poached Egg and Fontina

Toasted whole-grain bread forms a foundation for garlicky greens and silky poached eggs.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

A Surfeit of Pesto

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Summer is long gone, but my basil doesn’t know that. When tomatoes are around I have no trouble staying on top of my crop, as rare is the tomato salad on my table that isn’t showered with slivered basil leaves. Now I’m making big batches of puréed basil with olive oil to freeze and use later for pesto and pistou (the Provençal version of pesto, minus the pine nuts).

Pesto is a nutritionally dense condiment; basil is a great source of flavonoids that are believed to have antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It’s also an excellent source of vitamin K, and a very good source of iron, calcium and vitamin A.

Pesto and Pistou

You can freeze pesto or pistou for several months, and it will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. If you are making this for the freezer, you’ll get the best results if you purée the basil with the olive oil and salt only. When ready to use, mash the garlic and pine nuts, blend in the thawed basil purée, and add the cheese.

Potato and Pesto Gratin

You can assemble this several hours before baking.

Broccoli Pesto

You can use this bright mixture as a dip, a spread or a sauce with pasta.

Pesto Portobellos

Although these are best when served right away, I didn’t get complaints when I reheated these several hours after making them.

Quinoa With Roasted Winter Vegetables and Pesto

This combination of sweet vegetables with pungent pesto is great for a simple grain and vegetable bowl.

Winter Vegetable Soupe au Pistou

This is a big, simple soup made with winter vegetables – all diced small and thrown into a big pot with water and simmered for an hour. It’s garnished with the Provençal version of pesto, which does not contain any pine nuts. It makes a hearty meal.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Hearty Do-Ahead Dishes

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This week’s hearty one-dish vegetarian meals are meant to appeal to families that include a mix of meat-eaters and vegetarians.

French Lentils with Chard

A great pot of beans or lentils, even when you add to it a bunch of chard from the farmers’ market, costs no more than $4 to make, and it feeds four to six people.

Bulgur and Kale Casserole with Yogurt Topping

This comforting kale and bulgur casserole is modeled on the casserole with eggplant and bulgur.

Mushroom Lasagna

This lasagna tastes very rich, even though it really isn’t. It combines an olive oil béchamel with a simple mushroom ragout and Parmesan cheese.

Red Bean Stew

Hungarian gulyas (goulash) is the inspiration here, but this one is a vegetable dish. It has a deep, rich flavor redolent of paprika, garlic, lots of sweet peppers and onions.

Mixed Bean and Winter Squash Stew with Fresh Basil

The fresh or frozen limas add a pale green, fresh bean to the mix.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Feeding Teenagers With Cookies and Bars

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Crisp Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Inspired by two recipes in Maida Heatter’s “Book of Great Cookies,” these crisp treats may be the best peanut butter cookies you’ve ever tasted.

Coconut Granola Bars

These are crunchy and a little bit sticky. If you are vegan you can substitute agave syrup for the honey.

Chocolate Pecan Bars

This is like a toned-down pecan pie in bar form.

Sesame Coconut Bars

These heavenly bars are inspired by Sesame Dream Bars, from “Diet for a Small Planet” by Frances Moore Lappé.

Seeded Whole-Wheat Scones

These scones are not overly sweet and have a light, wonderful texture.

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

Yogurt: Much More Than a ‘Health Food’

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In countries where yogurt is part of the culinary landscape, it’s used in many savory dishes.

To thicken yogurt, simply put it into a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl and refrigerate for several hours. Or buy already thick Greek yogurt or lebna in Middle Eastern markets. But whatever you do, buy organic yogurt that has only two ingredients on the label: milk and live active cultures

Plain low-fat (not nonfat) yogurt was usd in this week’s recipes; full-fat yogurt will work too, but nonfat is too watery and often quite sour.

Grilled Albacore With Yogurt-Dill Sauce on a Bed of Arugula

Based on a recipe for red mullet from “Classic Turkish Cooking” by Ghillie Basan.

Turkish Hummus With Yogurt

This dish is much like the familiar Middle Eastern chickpea purée, but instead of tahini, the chickpeas are blended with yogurt.

Mache Salad With Yogurt Dressing

The mild, subtle mâche, also known as lamb’s lettuce, contrasts nicely with the sharp, pungent garlic-spiked yogurt.

Summer Squash, Tahini and Yogurt Dip

From Paula Wolfert’s book “The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean,” a simple combination of cooked squash, drained yogurt, garlic and tahini that proves you can make yogurt dips with just about any vegetable.

Eggplant, Bulgur and Tomato Casserole with Yogurt Topping

A vegetarian moussaka, with bulgur standing in for meat.

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