Black Pepper

A question from a reader;

So, I've encountered an interesting trend here: people put pepper (common table variety) on their pizza- like, a solid layer. We're all getting the message that too much salt is BAD, and it's all right for a little seasoning, but don't clump it on to every dish. What about salt's less popular table top condiment?

Black Pepper may seem to be less popular then its best known companion salt but if you noticed in so many recipes they are called for as a team. Together they bring out the best in a dish. The fact is that black pepper has many healthy benefits and a rich history. First of all Black Pepper contains some trace mineral and fiber, always a plus. But the number one health benefit is to digestion; it stimulates the taste buds and the production of digestive acids and enzymes to promptly digest your food. When food foods take a long time to digest you may experience indigestion, gas, constipation or other more complex digestive track difficulties. Next black pepper is also a diuretic, promoting urination and sweating to cleanse waste and toxins from our body. It is also believed that black pepper helps make the nutrients from other foods that you eat more available for absorption and aids in the break down fat cells. There is even research being done on the effects of black pepper on brain chemical called endorphins and its roll as an anti-depressant. As always there is the possibility of too much of a good thing. The over use of black pepper can cause the over production of digestive acids that can lead to damage of the digestive track lining and the loss of potassium.

As for its history black pepper, native to India, was once used as currency and as sacred offerings. Black pepper was used to help prevent foods from spoiling while adding flavor to bland meals in a time when adequate foods storage was not yet available. In the middle ages the wealth of a man could be measured by his accumulation of pepper. Explorations of new lands were implemented as well as cities built to accommodate its trade.

So use your black pepper “to taste” not to completely cover.

I love hearing your questions, keep them coming!

Vegetarianism

The word vegetarian has many meanings to many different people. For many a Vegetarian follows a diet that excludes all animal meat and its byproducts. The truth is that there are many variations to this diet.

The ovo-vegetarian includes eggs in their diet

The lacto-vegetarian includes dairy in their diet

The lacto-ovo-vegetarian includes dairy and eggs

The vegan eats only foods from plant sources

Then there are semi-vegetarians, who sometime include poultry and fish in their diet.

Just because someone chooses to exclude animal products does not mean that they have a healthy diet. I have encountered many junk-food vegetarians who just replaced the meat with processed, sugary, fried foods.

Today I find that many people are trying to distance themselves from that word altogether. As the trend grows to eat less meat for better health and for the health of the planet many are also choosing whole foods over the junk for the same reason. May we all make choices that lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Get out and Garden

The past few days I have loved being out digging in my vegetable garden! The compost that I put on the garden in the fall helps to make the soil soft and easy to dig. To my surprise some lettuce and parsley survived this harsh winter, so did the kale but that was no surprise. The peas are in and today in goes the lettuce, kale, and spinach with the broccoli soon to follow. Now if you are thinking that it is too early to be planting outside you are mistaken. My Great-Grand Father taught me that peas get planted on or as close to St. Patrick's day as possible. I combine that with gardening by the moon phases, which says that you plant everything that grows its "fruit" above ground on a waxing moon such as peas and and broccoli. You then plant everything that grows its "fruit" underground on a waning moon such as carrots and parsnips. A waxing moon in when the moon is growing, going from a dark moon to a full moon and the waning moon from full to dark. I remember when I was young and I thought planting by the moon meant going out at night and planting in the moon light.

The peas that I plant are snow peas and sugar peas. Both have edible pods, the snow peas have a flat pod while the sugar peas have a fuller rounder pod. Both are great for steaming, adding to stir-fry's, adding to salads, and of course snacking on. When my son was little and spent many hour playing in the back yard I never have enough peas for dinner because he would snack on them all day long and I could not have been happier.

I like planting leaf lettuce now so that it will be coming up just as it is really getting warm and we are craving fresh food from the garden. I chose leaf lettuce so each evening I go out to the garden and pick just the amount of lettuce that I need for that meal instead of an entire head. This lettuce will not survive the summer heat but will go to seed, replant itself and in the fall start growing again for a fall crop.

In two week I will be planting carrots,, parsnips, radishes, and beets. The compost here again is a big help because the ground in my area is all clay and very hard for root vegetables to to grow in. With the addition of compost every fall I have been able to to create a soft soil for the root vegetables to grow quite large.

I will be waiting until it stays warm, around the end of May or April before I plant my tomatoes and beans. I don't start the tomatoes from seed because growing anything indoors for me usually does not work. I travel up to the Lancaster Pennsylvania area to buy beautiful healthy plants to finish off my planting.

If you do not have the space for a garden planting in containers is a great alternative. However you garden eating your own-grown vegetables is well worth any effort.

Daikon

What is a daikon? A Daikon is a root vegetable that is usually very long (up to 14 inches), white in color, and shaped like a carrot. It has a peppery taste and is best used in salads, side dishes and casseroles. The daikon is helpful with the digestion and the assimilation of fats as well as aiding in cleansing organ tissues. Theses roots are also a good source of vitamin C.

I like daikons best in my salad with dinner each evening. With a vegetable peeler I slice rounds into the salad. It gives the salad a mild spice. For a casserole I use fresh or dried daikon added in with whatever other vegetables are already called for. While fresh daikon is great for helping us digest and release fats from our digestive system dried daikon helps our organs release extra fats that they may be holding on to.

You can find daikons fresh in the produce sections of most food stores or in a dried form at a natural food stores.

Try a daikon tonight it will be a nice addition to your meal and your health.

Questions?

I would love to answer your health questions. Just leave your questions under comments.