Chiropractic Elk Grove

Posted By elana On December 10, 2010 @ 4:00 am In desserts | 190 Comments

I am digging this yummy Christmas Chocolate Bark. Studded with rich pistachios, tart dried cranberries, and speckled with coarse chunks of salt, it’s a winner.

I believe the ideas for this flavor combo came from the fabulous Alison. I think this bark would make a wonderful gift for the holidays. Just don’t eat too much of it, as it’s very addictive.

Christmas Chocolate Bark
2 cups dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
⅓ cup pistachios (mine were unsalted)
⅓ cup dried cranberries
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used almost 1 teaspoon, as I like salt a lot)

1.In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate
2.Pour chocolate into a parchment paper lined 8×8 pyrex baking dish
3.Sprinkle pistachios and cranberries over chocolate
4.Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture evenly back and forth to around ½ inch thickness
5.Sprinkle salt over bark
6.Allow to sit out until set, 1-2 hours
7.Cut into 16 squares and serve

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the journal Archives of Toxicology explains how many degenerative diseases are caused by poorly-bound iron in the body that reacts with various bodily components to generate toxins. This iron is consumed through various foods but is not stable enough to stay put and provide health benefits. But iron chelators, which are especially present in purple foods and green tea, provide iron with the binding nutrients it needs to function properly as well as prevent various degenerative diseases.

According to the study, brightly-colored fruits and vegetables are rich in iron chelators, and by consuming lots of them, the body is able to bind iron and help it to perform the vital role of transporting oxygen to bodily tissues, as well as absorb other nutrients. But without these necessary chelators, not only can iron become a type of harmful toxin, but other important nutrients like vitamin C will not be able to be readily absorbed and used by the body.

In fact, Professor Douglas Kell, author of the study and professor of Bioanalytical Science at the University of Manchester, says that nutrients like vitamin C that are normally beneficial can also become harmful if properly-bound iron is not present. And the result of this badly-bound iron, also known as hydroxyl radicals, is the onset of debilitating and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

“Much of modern biology has been concerned with the role of different genes in human disease,” explained Kell. “The importance of iron may have been missed because there is no gene for iron as such. What I have highlighted in this work is therefore a crucial area for further investigation, as many simple predictions follow from my analysis.”

“If true, they might change greatly the means by which we seek to prevent and even cure such diseases.”

Some excellent purple fruits and vegetables to consume for iron-binding purposes — and for overall health benefits — include purple grapes, blueberries, eggplant, pomegranates, plums, blackberries, cherries, and black currants.

Sources for this story include:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea…

The holiday season is notorious for high stress, and lots of high sugar, high fat comfort foods. The inevitable result of this late season binge is a huge energy drop, and lots of illness, trouble and more stress to start the new year.

There are so many natural foods, herbs, & spices that are exploding with the tastes and textures we love, why do we buy into the “traditional holiday season” and submit to the man-made death trap of processed foods. Make your holiday season healthier and more harmonious with the best superfood nutrition. Try utilizing these 3 nutritional powerhouses in your recipes:

Cinnamon: This incredible guy is the 2nd highest

ranked anti-oxidant rich spice with an incredible ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity) score of 267,536. Cinnamon’s powerful essential oils are known for their “anti-microbial” factors. Studies have shown this spice to be highly effective at halting the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida.

Cinnamon also helps to balance blood sugar by stimulating insulin receptors, giving them a stronger affinity for the blood-sugar lowering hormone. In response, the body needs to produce less insulin in order to create the desired effect. This creates less pancreatic stress, improved metabolic rate, and decreased inflammation.

If this isn’t enough, the mere scent of cinnamon has been shown to powerfully stimulate regions of the brain allowing for greater attention span & memory. Sprinkle tons of this amazing spice on sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, fruit, pastries, ice cream, egg nog, etc.

Cacao: This nutritional powerhouse is the 5th

highest anti-oxidant rich food boasting an ORAC score of 80,933. Chocolate is made from the seeds Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried, roasted, & processed to form cocoa, the major component of chocolate. Cacao beans taste like dark chocolate, because they are dark chocolate!

Cacao contains a group of powerful anti-oxidant polyphenols called flavenoids that include catechins, epicatechins (the widely regarded anti-oxidant in green tea), and procyandins (famed component of grape seed extract) which are known for their incredible ability to reduce free radical attack, destroy bacteria/viruses/yeast development, and inhibit cancer formation

Cacao is also rich in major minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese. These minerals are essential in maintaining normal cardiovascular tone (stabilizing blood pressure), immune, neurological, and reproductive health. Incredible cacao based recipes such as rich and creamy fudge , truffles, and chocolate balls the whole family will love can be found at www.cacaoweb.net
Coconut: This nutritional powerhouse is a high-energy, weight loss, immune boosting superstar. The 90% saturated fat content of coconut oil has been given it a bad rap for ages, but the new science has shown these medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) to actually improve cardiovascular function by reducing inflammation, and providing a preferred fuel for the heart in stearic acid. In addition, the saturated component gives coconut oil remarkable strength to maintain its normal structure under high heat. Due to this relatively uncombustable nature, it is the supreme oil to cook with and to utilize as a facial & body moisturizer.

These fatty acids do not require bile or large amounts of pancreatic enzymes to be metabolized (like most fats do) so they are easy for the liver, pancreas, and the rest of the digestive system. In addition, coconut has been shown to stimulate the thyroid and speed metabolism, increasing the body’s natural fat burning abilities. Finally, the MCT’s enhance immunity by providing strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral, & anti-fungal functions.

Be sure to utilize the many coconut products such as coconut oil, milk, cream, flour, flakes, etc. in your different recipes.

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Pomegranates have been found to be one of the most antioxidant-rich fruits in the world, and a new Israeli study has demonstrated the fruit’s amazing ability to fight and prevent infection. Researchers discovered that patients with kidney disease who are undergoing dialysis can considerably reduce their likelihood of infection by drinking just a few cups of pomegranate juice a week.

Dr. Batya Kristal from Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, and her colleagues randomly assigned 101 kidney disease patients to drink half a cup of either pomegranate juice or a placebo three times a week for a year. At the end of the year, those drinking pomegranate juice showed far lower blood levels of inflammatory molecules and they required fewer trips to the hospital than did those in the placebo group.

“We found significant reductions in hospitalization due to infections, with more than 40 percent reduction in the first hospitalization and 80 percent in the second,” explained Kristal. “Pomegranate juice was shown in the past three years to contain the highest levels of polyphenols among a variety of products. Much higher than red wine, for instance.”

This positive benefit makes sense because kidney patients on dialysis are bombarded with free radicals caused by the dialysis machines through which their blood flows. So without added antioxidant protection, kidney disease patients are highly susceptible to infection and disease. But by adding pomegranate juice to their diets, they can naturally provide their bodies with a regular mega-dose of free radical scavengers that protect the body from oxidative damage and the diseases it causes.

Previous research has found that pomegranates help to prevent and treat heart disease (http://www.naturalnews.com/030049_p…), protect the prostate (http://www.naturalnews.com/027435_c…), reduce disease-causing inflammation (http://www.naturalnews.com/027411_p…), and guard against breast cancer (http://www.naturalnews.com/028830_b…).

To learn more about these and many of the other health benefits of eating pomegranates and drinking pomegranate juice, visit:
http://www.naturalnews.com/pomegran…

Sources for this story include:

by S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) As NaturalNews has covered previously and extensively, one of the unhealthiest things you can eat is processed meats. In fact, a World Cancer Research Fund report entitled Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective concluded that all people should immediately stop eating processed meats because the chemicals those products contain are strongly associated with causing cancer and other health problems (http://www.naturalnews.com/022288.html).

However, these chemicals have long been considered absolutely necessary in the processed meat industry because they kill the growth of disease-causing organisms in these food products. But now it turns out those chemicals may not even be needed, after all. The reason? Researchers at the Food Safety Consortium at the University of Arkansas (UA) Division of Agriculture have discovered that extracts from green tea and grape seeds can be used instead of chemicals as a means of protecting against pathogen contamination in processed foods. So far, they’ve tried the natural extracts in chicken and turkey hot dogs and found they work fine.

“Food preservation systems often use chemicals and heat treatments to reduce the risk of bacterial food poisoning outbreaks and food spoilage,” Navam Hettiarachchy, a UA food science professor who led the research project, explained in a media statement. “But consumers prefer minimal processing and natural tasting foods without additives. Natural extracts can accomplish the same goal without compromising taste or food safety.”

Hettiarachchy said that evidence has accumulated showing that a variety of culinary ingredients, including many spices, have antimicrobial properties and can protect against food borne sickness. In their studies, the Food Safety Consortium research team showed that the natural plant compounds inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes on hot dogs when combined with reduced levels of chemical preservatives.

However, they explained that it may be possible to completely replace chemical preservatives eventually with natural plant extracts — especially if the natural compounds are combined with other technologies such as heat treatments. They are also researching whether encapsulating the natural extracts in nanoparticles could make them even better pathogen-fighters in processed meats.

While using natural substances to control pathogens in processed foods is clearly a healthier choice than chemicals, the smartest way to protect health could be avoiding meat — especially the processed, non-organic variety — totally. A case in point: a study published in the journal Circulation earlier this year found consuming these products greatly raises the risk of heart disease and diabetes (http://www.naturalnews.com/028824_p…). What’s more, processed meats like hotdogs and luncheon meats recently have been linked to leukemia in children, too (http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000…).

For more information:
http://www.uark.edu/depts/fsc/