HARVEST
TIME
Superfoods from Farm-to-Table
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Pre-Orders for Dec. 2018 Release
32 Color Photos!
#7 Healing Powers Series |
Did you
know the keys to a long life and vibrant good health can be found on the
shelves of your local supermarket?
If
you haven’t heard by now, listen up. Your health—mind, body, and spirit—may
depend on it. Chances are, you like me, already have superfoods in your kitchen
fridge, cupboards, and on the countertops. I’m talking about whole foods—good,
clean, edible fare—most processed junk with ingredients you can’t pronounce or
define.
The
verdict is in, and it has been evident since the ancient caveman and
hunter-gatherer days. Eating a whole foods, natural, plant-based diet is the
path to good health and well-being. The best superfoods can and do vary, but
despite controversy between the food of the week in the media and scientific
nutritional studies backing them, superfoods are functional foods—not a gimmick
to sell products or a brand despite what some medical doctors believe. Yes, superfoods
are real food with super nutrients that provide super healing powers.
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| Graze with Mediterranean Cheese Plates |
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Infuse Water to Detox and Energize
Lose Unwanted Weight |
The
top U.S. ranked heart-healthy Mediterranean diet includes all of my top favorite picks! In an A-Z order, common foods of the
groups include: cheese and yogurt, fruits, grains, nuts, vegetables, and water—an
overlooked superfood for survival. Here, take a look at Mother Nature’s
favorite functional foods.
1
CHEESE: Cheese can be upgraded into
superfood status by using the right kind and right amount and pairing it with
whole-grain bread, nuts, and berries. Grilled cheese sandwiches were common kid
food in the twentieth century, and they were budget friendly during the Great
Depression. But some nutritionists do not believe cheese—any kind—deserves to
be included on the healthiest-foods list, let along tagged a superfood, because
of its high fat and high sodium content.
“Cheese
is a ‘good’ food!” I find myself saying. Cheese is a super source of calcium,
which is good for calming your nervous system and for your teeth and bones.
Past medical research shows that people who get an adequate amount of calcium
by eating a moderate amount of dairy, which includes cheese, may be likely to
keep their blood pressure numbers in check—lowering their risk of heart disease
and stroke.
2
GREEK YOGURT: The popularity of yogurt grew in the 1950s and 1960s, but it made
it mark at health food stores. In twenty-first-century supermarkets, there are
an array of brands and types of yogurt, including low-fat and fat-free
varieties. But it’s Greek yogurt that is gaining popularity—and for good
reason.
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Homemade Granola with Greek Yogurt
Nutrient-Rich |
Like
cheese, Greek yogurt and regular yogurt are superfoods—and taste great drizzled
with raw honey or mixed with fresh fruit. In moderation, this dairy staple is
touted for its heart-healthy powers, bone-boosting merits, and immune-enhancing
perks thanks to its probiotics. Plain Greek yogurt is also rich in the mineral
potassium. Both calcium and potassium may help you keep your blood pressure and
cholesterol numbers in check.
3
MAPLE SYRUP: By the 1900s, maple syrup was used throughout the United States,
mostly as a topping for pancakes and waffles. These days, maple syrup is pair
with other superfoods, such as homemade granola, all-natural ice cream, whole
grain oatmeal, smoothies, and sweet potatoes.
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Antioxidant-rich Maple Syrup,
egg-y whole-grain bread, berries |
While
honey is touted as one of nature’s top superfood sweeteners, premium
antioxidant-rich maple syrup is getting more recognition for its nutritional
benefits. One-fourth cup of premium maple syrup contains fewer calories than
high-fructose syrup, corn syrup, or brown sugar. It boasts more calcium,
manganese, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and zine than most sweeteners. And
maple syrup has more disease-fighting antioxidants than raw cabbage—also a
superfood.
4
PIZZA (with Toppings): Food historians will share with you that in Naples
during the 1700s and 1800s, pizza was a food popular with money-challenged
folks. The food was called “flat breads,” and it had toppings such as cheese
and tomatoes—two superfoods on the top 20 list.
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Greek Pizza--Thin Whole-Grain Crust,
Tomatoes, Spinach
Feta Cheese--Moderation! Scientists give a
thumbs up to sauce |
Yes,
a slice of pizza. But it is whole-grain
crust and superfood toppings that make it a healthful food. The crust gives you
lost of energy and a dose of good-for-you nutrients. Choose superfood cheeses,
such as goat cheese, feta, that provide you extra protein benefits. Not to
forget a tomato-based (or basil-rich pesto) sauce.
5
POTATOES (RUSSET/SWEET): As the story
goes, the first potato reached Spain in the sixteenth century. Back in 1578, Sir
Francis Drake introduced potatoes in his around-the-word adventures. Later, in
1662, it is believed that the British Royal Society sponsored growing potatoes,
and by the early 1700s, potatoes were embraced by people in the United States.
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| Sweet Potatoes are a Superfood! |
In
the southern United States, folks love their sweet potatoes (whether it’s sweet
potato fries or sweet potato pie), and it’s not just the super taste they’re
getting. This potato has a whopping amount of vitamin A, which can enhance your
immune system to stave off colds, flu, and even cancer. Medical researchers
believe the carotene in them can guard again some types of cancers, perhaps
because it can boost white blood cell activity in the body.
So now you’re in the know about
which superfoods are super for you—whether you live on the West Coast, East
Coast, Midwest, or in the Deep South. Despite changes to Earth due to man’s
tampering and nature’s wrath, we still can enjoy nature’s healthiest foods. But
sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get the real deal.
Garden
of Apples
During
one harvest season time in California, I envisioned going to an out-of-town far
in Placerville to pick apples (another superfood) off trees. I had images of
meeting a friendly farmer who’d take us on a tractor followed by a couple of
herding dogs. The autumn sunshine would warm us up while we carried baskets to
fill with big, fresh apples. We’d climb on stools and pick nature’s finest
fruit. Excited about the rural experience awaiting us, we drove down the
winding road, off the hill, there was a glitch.
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| Organic Apples Are Best |
I
didn’t see apples on trees. Not one. A big sign read: “No apple picking.” I
left and drove up the road, but the farms and small stores all had signs
reading “Closed.” Locals told me, “Tourists can’t pick apples.” I ended up at a
busy tourist attraction. Pumpkins and Christmas trees were visible and for
sale, and pricey fruit—including apples.
Disappointed
I drove back up to the hill. I ended up at our local grocery store and picked
up a bag of organic apples at a good price. Later, I discovered I wasn’t the
only one who had endured such a wild ride at the apple haven. I was told by the
apple organization that it had been a busy harvest time and we had come late in
the season. There were farms, though, that did offer apple picking, but I had
missed the apple boat. So my fantasy remains in my imagination until next year.
Nowadays, it’s places like Apple hill, farmers’ markets, and supermarkets that
all do sell organic produce and superfoods for you to enjoy.
Adapted
from The Healing Powers of Superfoods: A
Complete Guide To Nature’s Favorite
Functional Foods by Cal Orey (Kensington
Books, Citadel, 2019). All rights reserved.
up your copy and have it signed by the author. Also, in celebration of National Hot Tea Month pick up her previously released book The Healing Powers of Tea. 
With over 50 recipes for both cooked and raw dishes, including smoothies and soups, a detox juice fast and a jump-start pounds-off diet, this down-to-earth guide will show you how to get healthy and stay healthy with body-friendly superfoods.
*Keep your home spotless for kids and pets using eco-friendly superfood-rich formulas.
Now you can indulge in a Pesto Pizza or Berry Basil Smoothie, a Chicken Bone Broth or dark chocolate gelato, while chilling with an ancient-oats facial or relaxing in a warm, herb-scented bath. Infused with heartwarming stories and inspiring legends, The Healing Powers of Superfoods will take you to a world of wellness that starts at home with our favorite foods from Mother Nature—enjoyed in a new way with an exciting twist!
For weeks, actually since July I had been planning an adventure to Anchorage, Alaska. I got a book signing booked at Barnes and Noble, a nature tour on Turnagain Arm to seek wildlife, a hotel room with a view on the 17th floor overlooking Cook Inlet, and I was excited. But, but, but...
Actually, for the last week something hasn't felt right. Usually I'm packed, all my ducks are in a row, and I'm ready for action. This time around, I felt stressed out, overwhelmed and something wasn't right. My dog and cat were sleeping together and both were clingy. (No, I didn't tell the dog I was going but I hadn't filled out the kennel paper either.) It just felt off. So after being on the fence I went to the NOAA site and saw a storm brewing at Salt Lake City, Utah (snow?) right during my flight. 
Oddly, after I did it and told all--the airline, hotel, nature tour people, Barnes and Noble, editor...I logged onto flight events. The same aircraft size I would be taking to SLC? Yesterday a bird hit it while ascending (a minor "Sully" type of event) and the plane had to land immediately. Then, I felt compelled to look at the Turbulence Flights Map (I never do that!). Severe Turbulence was shown with little pyramids at Tahoe-Reno Airport! 
* At 17, at the dinner table complete with a traditional stuffed turkey I rebelled and announced "I'm a vegetarian." My mother cried. My father yelled. My brother made funny faces.
* At 28, I was struck by a nasty flu bug. I couldn't eat anything--not even turkey soup.
Olive oil, which is 74 percent heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, contains plenty of healthful nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, along with phytoestrogens and sterols. Olive oil (extra virgin is recommended) is good for the digestive system, helps regularity, lowers cholesterol levels and guards against cancer. Light or regular EVOO can help fill you up not out as I discuss in The Healing Powers of Olive Oil. And don't forget the powers of other earthy eats...
