Brown Rice Soup With Asparagus

This soup is chunky and thick with vegetables and rice so it can stand on its own with no real need for a side dish. And it's healthy. I serve soups with a warm baguette.

Food as Medicine: Asparagus is among the richest food sources of folate, which helps to keep blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid, in check. High homocysteine levels have been linked to atherosclerosis.

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown rice  
1/4 cup wild rice
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped fine (about 2⁄3 cup) 
1/2 onion, chopped fine (about 1⁄3 cup)
1 small carrot, chopped fine (about 1⁄3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons minced scallions or green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon natural soy sauce (such as tamari)
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

GARNISH
Parsley sprigs

  Instructions

1. Put the rice with the salt in 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
2. Trim the tough ends off the asparagus stalks and discard. Steam the asparagus until tender yet crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain it in a colander, then rinse under cold water. Let the asparagus cool for a few minutes. When completely cooled, cut into 1-inch pieces, reserving 1⁄4 cup of tips for garnish.
3. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
4. Add the vegetable stock and cooked rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit.
5. Carefully transfer small batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Return all the blended mixture to a pot. Stir in the asparagus, scallions, parsley, soy sauce, pepper sauce, and ground pepper.
6. Return to a simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved asparagus tips and parsley sprigs.

Our Children: Do Sweets Promote Adult Violence?

Too many sweets for children may promote adult violence. Sound far-fetched? The British researchers who found the link between giving kids daily sweets - candy and chocolate - and violent behavior when the youngsters grow up suggest that the "instant gratification" of treats on demand may teach kids that impulsiveness pays off, and perhaps foster aggression later in life. This was a large study with more than 17,000 participants; data on their health, education, social and economic circumstances and consumption of sweets was collected when the kids were five and 10 years old and later when they were 26, 30, 34 and 42. The study showed that of the participants who had eaten sweets daily as children 69 percent had violent tendencies by the age of 34, while these behaviors were seen in only 42 percent of those who didn't get daily sweets. While the researchers said that their findings need further attention, they suggested that improving youngsters’ diet may enhance their health and make them less prone to aggression. The study was published in the October 2009 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.

100 Cigarettes and Breast Cancer

Who's counting? Researchers from the Mayo Clinic looked at smoking history and other risk factors for breast cancer in 1,225 women who developed the disease and more than 6,800 who did not. They noted that earlier studies didn’t clearly define whether participating women were current or former smokers or had never smoked at all. For this study, the researchers defined "smokers" - current or former - as anyone who had cumulatively smoked more than 100 cigarettes at any time. They found that just over 10 percent of the women in their study were current smokers; almost 9 percent had quit smoking and 81 percent never smoked. Those who had smoked more than 100 cigarettes proved at substantially increased risk for breast cancer; but the study also demonstrated that quitting reduces this risk. The researchers also found that women who had used birth control pills for 11 years or longer had a 200 percent increased risk of breast cancer, that those who took post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy had an increased risk of 81 percent and that women who had had hysterectomies had a reduced risk of 35 percent. The study was published in the September/October, 2009 issue of The Breast Journal.

Interview with Kevin Rose of Digg

I sat down with Kevin Rose of Digg.com this afternoon at True Food Kitchen in Phoenix. We talked about health for the tech generation. The whole video will be available in a few weeks, but in the meantime here we are setting up:

What's the Most You Should Weigh?

Figuring out whether your weight is in the healthy range involves multiplication, division and calculating your height in inches, squared. If you do all that right, you'll get your Body Mass Index (BMI), which ideally should be in the range of 19 to 24.

A Nevada professor of applied statistics has come up with an easier formula you probably can do in your head. Here's how: for women, the baseline height is 5 feet and the maximum weight limit (MWL) is 125, meaning that if you're 5 feet tall and weigh more than 125 you’re over your MWL. If you're taller, add 4.5 pounds for every extra inch so if you’re 5'5", your MWL would be 147.5 (125 + 22.5). If you’re less than 5 feet tall, subtract 4.5 pounds for every inch below that baseline. For men, the baseline height is 5'9" and MWL is 175. For every additional inch, add five pounds (or subtract five for every inch under 5'9"). Results closely correspond to your BMI. Professor George Fernandez presented his new method at the Sept. 22, 2009 Nevada Public Health Association Conference.

A Zinc Deficiency

We all need zinc to help protect against oxidative stress and complete DNA repair, but deficiencies in this trace mineral may be common and increase risks of cancer, DNA damage, infectious diseases and suboptimal immune function. The older you get, the greater the risk of running low on zinc. An estimated 12 percent of the U.S. population is probably at risk of zinc deficiency, and up to 40 percent of seniors may be deficient because absorption of zinc slows with age and because dietary intake may not meet your nutritional needs, according to experts at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. One recent study found that even a minor zinc deficiency can result in increased DNA damage. Zinc deficiencies have been linked to prostate cancer and to esophageal, breast and head and neck cancers and may contribute to infections and to autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, tests for zinc status aren't very good. The best dietary sources are beef and poultry; zinc is poorly absorbed from plants. The recommended daily allowance is 8 mg for women and 11 mg for men, but I generally recommend taking 15 mg of zinc daily - or up to 30 mg daily if you don't eat many foods of animal origin.

The best plant sources of zinc are legumes (dried beans, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, lentils, peas, and whole soy products), pumpkin seeds, whole grains and nuts.

Two Supplements for Thinning Hair

It is not unusual for women to experience hair loss as they age, especially when menopausal changes come into play. Thinning hair (also known as female pattern baldness) can be due to the effects of hair-care treatments, dyes, and styling; the habit of twisting or pulling your hair; or even thyroid disease. Diet may also play a role. To maintain healthy hair and help prevent further loss, try these two simple changes:

Make sure you're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. Eat wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring or mackerel two or three times a week, or sprinkle two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseeds per day on cereal or salads. You can also supplement with a high-quality fish oil.

Supplement your diet with GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) in the form of black currant oil or evening primrose oil. Take 500 mg of either twice a day for six to eight weeks to see if it helps.

Eggs Florentine, Orange-Dill Sauce

This recipe is from The Healthy Kitchen. The orange-dill sauce drizzled over the poached eggs has a faint fruit flavor due to the orange juice, a spiciness from the balsamic vinegar, and a hint of the exotic, penetrating flavor of turmeric - a spice relative of ginger. This dish makes a vibrant breakfast - colorful, easy, and healthy.

Ingredients:

1 pound washed spinach, stems removed

ORANGE AND DILL SAUCE
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon white vinegar
6 eggs
3 English muffins, split in half
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced

GARNISH
Fresh cracked black pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Drop in the washed spinach and cook for 3 minutes, stirring several times. Drain the spinach in a colander. Put a bowl or plate directly on top of the spinach, inside the colander, and press down to squeeze all excess water from the leaves. Cover and set aside.

2. Fill the bottom of a double boiler halfway with water and place over medium heat. Set the top pot over the water and drop in the egg yolk. Add the orange juice and stir until blended. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and the lemon juice, then the turmeric, salt, and butter. Add 1 teaspoon of the dill and whisk until all the in gradients are thoroughly blended and the sauce has a thick creamy consistency (approximately 2 minutes).

3. Remove the top part of the double boiler and set aside. Pour the white vinegar into the water in the bottom pot and heat it just to the boiling point. Gently crack the eggs one by one into the simmering water, and poach for 3 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let the water drip from the spoon so they aren’t watery. Transfer the eggs to a warm platter and cover.

4. Toast the English muffins on the middle rack under the broiler. Remove them from the oven and pot them on plates. Place 1 tomato slice on each muffin half and spoon 1⁄4 cup of the cooked spinach on top. Arrange 1 poached egg on top of that and drizzle a spoonful or so of the orange-dill sauce over everything. Sprinkle some of the remaining 1 teaspoon of chopped dill and black pepper (optional) over the sauce as garnish. Serve immediately.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen
This recipe uses a double boiler. If you do not have one, you can improvise by setting a medium stainless-steel bowl inside a large saucepan, so that the top of the bowl fits snugly onto the top of the pot. If you use this setup, be careful not to burn yourself - the steam from the bottom pot gets very hot!

Andy Suggests
I would happily substitute olive oil for the butter in the Orange and Dill Sauce.