Chris Pedersen's Blog, page 17

Carrot, Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup

This soup is so delicious. I suggest serving this any time of the year. It will warm your tummy in the winter. Or be a wonderful first course to a great summer gathering. Everyone will love it! The sweetness of the apple and the tang of the ginger is a bonus combination.

It's a blender soup. Since the Vita Mix can heat whatever you blend until it's piping hot, you could skip the stove top steps and put it all in the blender. I've made this soup twice and followed the instruction here. However, just saying, if you are really in a hurry, you might try the all-blender route.

from Vita Mix yield 8-10 servings
category Soupcuisine Vegan
ingredients1 Tbsp olive oil4 carrots, chopped1 small onion, chopped1 minced garlic clove3 Tbsp of peeled and diced fresh ginger1 C peeled and cubed butternut squash1 cored and diced apple4 C (1 32 oz box) vegetable broth1/2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp tumeric1 (14oz) can of light coconut milk1 peeled and diced pear for garnish2 tsp finely chopped chives for garnish directions1. Heat olive oil in 2-quart stock pot on medium heat. Add carrots and onions then saute (stirrig often) until they begin to soften.2. Add next four ingredients (through apple) and saute until the ingredients become fragrant.3. Add broth, salt and tumeric. Heat to a gentle boil then reduce to low, cover and cook until the ingredients soften—about 30 minutes.4. Use 2-C glass measuring cup to ladle ingredients into Vita Mix and blend until smooth. [If you use a blender other than a Vita Mix, you will need to blend in two batches due to the amount.]5. Add coconut milk and blend to mix.6. Garnish with sliced pears and chives.7. Serve with warm multi-grain bread.

Did you notice the pear for garnish? I used a Red Anjou pear. It's a wonderful accompaniment to the savory flavor of the soup. I like the pear with skin on. However, you may have family members (like I do) who prefer their pears peeled.

Dice the pear up and drop into the soup with the chives before serving. Or slice thin into 1.5 inch pieces and fan them out on the soup bowl rim for a nice display.

I also love that this soup includes
This soup is one to fall in love with.

If you are looking for a more traditional butternut squash soup, try this on, which is also vegan.

What is your favorite soup?

Sleep—Needed for Optimum Wellness

Photo credit: wallpaperfreehd.comProblem
We live in a fast-paced world, filled with technology that consumes us and projects that drive us. Our desire to get the most out of every day pushes us to compromise on a very important aspect of health—sleep.

Thinking you can get by on a few hours of sleep, you push ahead and grab the coffee or energy drink to prop yourself up. It becomes such an ingrained pattern, you fool yourself into thinking you can do this. Who needs sleep?
Contributes to widespread pain.Sleep deprivation increases stress hormones, which result in fewer new brain cells.Contributes to hunger, which can result in over eating and gaining weight.Leads to premature aging due to interference of growth hormone production released by the pituitary gland during deep sleep.Increases your risk of dying from any cause. Solution
Stop!!! Adequate sleep is part of a healthy lifestyle. If you don't get enough, you set yourself up for an unhealthy future.

"Animal studies suggest that sleep is as vital as food for survival. Rats, for example, normally live 2–3 years, but they live only 5 weeks if they are deprived of REM sleep and only 2–3 weeks if they are deprived of all sleep stages..."Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, National Institutes of Health 

Slow down the rat race and get the right amount of sleep. Adults need from 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, 8.5 being the average. Those times can vary throughout your life. Pay attention to your body and you will learn what your sleep need is.

Also keep in mind that you need consistently uninterrupted sleep. I wear a good ear plug every night to avoid getting awakened by my husband's occasional snoring. I recommend Mack's earplugs. They create a barrier and do not pop out in the middle of the night if you change position. I also sometimes take a Kavanace—an all natural sleep aid, which helps to quiet the busy brain, which starts to work if you find yourself awake at night.

I need closer to 9 hours of sleep a night. I clearly suffer when I don't get it. My brain is not as sharp and my physical body starts dragging in the afternoon.

Importance of Melatonin
The key to good sleep is melatonin. When it gets dark your body produces melatonin. Hmmmm... might all those lights we stare at (like the light from this laptop screen) affect our melatonin and thus our sleep? After all melatonin is
A powerful anitoxidant and cancer fighter Key to the production of all the other hormonesMaintaining your body's 24-hour clock If you're skimping on sleep... think again.

A word about cheating. If you think you can pop a melatonin pill and all will be well. Studies are inconclusive. Get into a healthy sleep habit by minimizing your exposure to light at night and plan for 8.5 hours of sleep. You will be amazed at how you feel once you get enough sleep.

Here is a guideline for sleep requirements:
Age                                   Average hours/day
Newborn                            up to 18 hours
1–12 months                         14–18 hours
1–3 years                              12–15 hours
3–5 years                              11–13 hours
5–12 years                              9–11 hours
Adolescents                            9–10 hours
Adults, including elderly             7–8 hours
Pregnant women                       8(+) hours   Source: Wikipedia

Women (and men) with hormone issues (prostate, menopause, infertility), what are your sleep patterns like? What about pain? Trouble shaking off pain? Been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia?

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
How to make your own almond milk. This video shows how easy it is:

Butternut Squash, Shiitake Mushrooms & Kale Soup

You are gonna love the taste of this immune-boosting soup. It's better than chicken soup, especially when you're feeling a bit under the weather. It's full of antioxidants and nutrients to help you fight disease—even cancer. While the flu season is still going, make up a batch to fortify your family.
I always have This soup calls for julienned kale, which means having it cut into small thin strips. Here's the quick way I do it: Separate the leaf from the spine by cutting or a quick method is to rip the leaf from the spine—hold the spine and tear toward you. Don't worry about the small spine near the leaf top. I simply rip the top from the larger part of the leaf.

Make a nice stack of the leaves, orienting them in the same direction. While holding the stack with one hand, slice off narrow strips.
And there you have it. Julienned strips of kale ready for adding to soups or salads.

Butternut Squash with Shiitake Mushrooms & Kale Soup
from Whole Foodsyield 4-6 servings
category Soupcuisine Asian
ingredients1 small yellow onion, chopped4 cloves garlic, sliced1 Tbsp olice oil1 tsp turmeric8-10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced4 C (32 oz) low sodium vegetable broth1 1/2 C julienned fresh kale1 C cubed butternut squash2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger1/8 tsp (or less) cayenne pepper (optional)
6 slices astragalus root (optional)1 fresh lemon, juiced1 tsp miso
directions1. In a medium-size pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic and oil for 3 minutes. Add tumeric and mushrooms and saute 2 minutes.2. Add broth, kale, squash and ginger (plus cayenne and astragalus if using). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.3. Remove from heat to cool slightly, then add lemon juice and miso (adding miso when too hot will diminish the probiotic benefits).4. Cover and let sit another 5 minutes before serving.

What is your favorite way to use kale?

Conquering Illness: A Personal Story

Jeff Dyrek in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen Island, NorwayRecently Jeff Dyrek wrote to me to tell his story of how Vitae Elixxir helped him recover from a health condition that doctors were unable to help. During service to his country, a serious accident that should have killed him caused damage to numerous areas of his body and exacted a toll which lasted thirty years. Read Dyrek's story of the accident and what followed. The illusive health condition was killing him with pain—and, for a time, he thought he would die. His personal story of what herbs can do to help the body heal is quite striking. Here is his story

"I now live in Illinois and I'm 59 years old. In 1977 I had a real bad accident while in the Navy. Doctors treated me with all kinds of medicine after only a five-minute exam. 

Nothing worked. In fact, I became very ill from all of the drugs they gave me over many years.
Dyrek with world's most intact woolly mammoth at the North Pole

I had swollen glands—extremely swollen for thirty years. The doctors would all say the same thing, "Well, a lot of people have swollen glands." And then they would make up a disease for me and give me more drugs. 

I was an electronics engineer and I lost my job, my house and everything that I owned because of this illness and gave the doctors countless dollars.
Siamak Hatami, first Iranian to the North Pole (L), Dr. Sanaie, Iran Ambassador to Russia (center) and Dyrek (R) in 2002I started the elixir and I could feel a little improvement in several days. Then Robert called me on the phone to see what was happening and I told him I was just taking the elixir. He screamed at me and said to use the Foot Soak. 

So that's what I did. This is going to be hard to believe, but it is the absolute truth. I used the Foot Soak, and only one hour after the first use, the [swollen] glands were totally gone and my constant freezing feeling went away. That was three years ago. 

Also, my friends wife had breast cancer and I told him about this [Vitae Elixxir]. He didn't believe me because the doctors were so smart and went through so many schools and they had all of the answers.
Dyrek at the North Pole (2003)

They removed both of her breast. She still had the cancer so they gave her chemo therapy. That didn't work so she had radiation treatment—and that didn't work. The doctors said that her condition was terminal and there was nothing they could do. Out of desperation he gave her the herbal medicine and now her cancer is totally gone. 

I keep watching that commercial with the lady who looks absolutely terrible from smoking since she was a teen. She died. I keep thinking that if she took these herbal medicines, she would still be beautiful like she was in high school. 

There is a documentary called Shaman's Apprentice that everyone should watch. It's about a shaman in the Amazon who uses herbal medicine to cure even diabetes. 

What I wrote is absolutely true. Due to my friend's help from California, my life is so much better. 

Thank you Robert, Bud and Georgia, you really helped me a whole lot."

C. Jeff Dyrek, Disabled Vet, Webmaster. 

Thank you, Jeff, for your inspiring story.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month

Colon Cancer Awareness Campaign
It seems every type of cancer has its own month. For colon cancer, the month of March is devoted to bringing attention to the reality of this killer. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. And it's the most preventable—in many ways. Is everyone listening now?

Throughout the month there are numerous fun runs/races that support awareness of the disease and raise funds for organizations that do research. March 7th provides a visual element with Dress in Blue Day. Perhaps if you wear a blue shirt, your fellow worker may ask you, "Hey, Fred, why are you wearing blue today?" Then you'll have the opportunity to launch into your pitch about scheduling a screening with your doctor—a primary point of prevention for colon cancer. Okay… maybe if a whole lot of people wear blue on March 7th, you'll get a question like that, but otherwise… not so sure anybody will be noticing.

Colon Cancer Prevention
Okay… enough of that. Cancer is serious, so let's talk seriously. I found this video on the Colon Cancer Alliance website wondering what it would say about prevention. Have a look...

I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the diet stuff, but disappointed that it seemed so low key.

Here are the points Dr. Byers made, but with added instruction and emphasis by me:
Get screened by having a colonoscopy to look for and remove polyps that, over time, will develop into cancer. Insist on a colonoscopy—not a sigmoidoscopy or a fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Improve nutritional habits: eat more vegetables and don't eat so much red meat. I say, get rid of all meat—red, white and in-between (except fish). Trust me! If you read the research... Focus on vegetables and spices to create meals that will delight your taste buds and have you asking, "Where has this wonderful tasting food been?"Pay attention to relatives that have colon cancer, you may be predisposed (I'm raising my hand here). Keep in mind, I'm predisposed because of a gene defect, yet none of my relatives had colon cancer. So when I had my first colonoscopy (finding a cancerous polyp with 25 other pre-cancerous polyps) they were surprised I had no family history of the disease. Don't think you're safe because there is no colon cancer in your family.Colon Cancer (actually all cancer) Is BIG Business
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of being bombarded with the plea to fight this cancer and that cancer by contributing money to "find the cure." Really? Now we have football players adorned in pink shoes, armbands, towels and the like to make us all think we are doing something to find the cure for cancer.
Back in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer. 40 plus years later, we are no closer to victory over cancer than in 1971. Yet we've spent over $200 billion on this so-called war. In fact more people have cancer and are dying from it than ever.
Much of the money spent to find a cure has been towards creating drugs. Almost nothing is spent to seek the cause of cancer. It's easy to see the problem. If we found the cause then we wouldn't need a cure and all those organizations asking for money would lose their appeal… or would they?

The Cause Is the Cure
I declare the cause is the cure. But the cause requires personal responsibility to give your body the nutrient fuel it needs to be well and fight off disease. How does eating artificial ingredients, fake sugar, too much sugar, processed grains and breads, never eating vegetables (because french fries don't count), etc. feed a body's cells to remain healthy. The body is amazingly resilient, but after a while—if you live long enough—unhealthy lifestyle habits will catch up to you and disease sets in... and cancer is one of the worst.

I'll tell my story and the victory I've had over genetic cancer to anyone being treated by traditional medicine's poison, cut and burn approaches (i.e., chemo, surgery and radiation). But sadly many aren't willing to make the effort to address the cause of their disease. Those that do report amazing results. Those that don't usually die early.
Go ahead wear blue and make some noise about Colon Cancer Awareness Month. I applaud the efforts to open eyes about a terrible disease. But remember that colon cancer is absolutely preventable, not simply by having regular colonoscopies, but by changing to a healthier lifestyle and diet. You heard it. Even traditional medical doctors like Dr. Byers say colon cancer can be prevented with diet.

So get a colonoscopy and for heaven's sake eat more vegetables.

Have you made changes to help your body be a cancer fighter? Let us know.

Exercise: Begin Now & Keep Moving

Exercise is one of the four roots of optimum wellness, but too few of us treat exercise as important for health. How many tell themselves they are too old to start exercise—that's for young people. Well… tell that to Olga Kotelko, who, at 94, began exercising at the age of 77 and hasn't stopped. She is so into exercise that she competes in senior track and field events and has amassed a collection of 200 medals.

Exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Along with diet, sleep and attitude it's a root to good health. Exercise contributes to being and staying healthy. So what motivates you to get out and exercise? For me, its knowing I feel so much better when I exercise.

My main source of exercise is running. I really don't like running, but I know its a quick way to get exercise with the most benefit. I currently run at a small lake about a mile from my house. The residents keep it interesting—copious Canada geese, a few mallard ducks and groups of coots are visited regularly by several swans, a couple of cranes and sometimes a bald eagle.
Benefits of Exercise
Reduces your risk of disease such as cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes, even colds and flus. It prevents or manages high blood pressure and boosts good cholesterol (HDL) while reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides.Improves your mood by stimulating brain chemicals such as endorphins that leave you more relaxed and happy. Endorphins are powerful natural stress and pain reducers. Had a bad day at work and your muscles ache? Nothing that a brisk bike ride wouldn't fix.Manages weight by burning calories. More importantly you build lean muscle mass that burns calories even at rest. Covert Bailey called it "being a better butter burner."Boosts you energy level. Exercise helps your entire cardiovascular system, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. Your heart and lungs work more efficiently so you become less winded when you climb a flight of stairs.Promotes better sleep. If you struggle with not sleeping well, tossing and turning in the night, get some exercise and you'll sleep better. You'll get to sleep faster and sleep deeper when you exercise regularly. Caution: exercising too close to bedtime might cause disruption in going to sleep.Puts the spark back in your sex life.
If you're feeling too out of shape for intimate activity or don't have the energy, regular exercise can change that. Feeling energized and looking better from regular exercise can have a positive effect on your sex life. It can also help elevate a women's libido and decrease the possibility of erectile dysfunction in men.It's fun! There are all sorts of fun physical activities. Like ballroom dancing, rock and wall climbing, belly dancing or basketball. Next time you take your kids or grandkids to the park, chase them around the jungle gym and push them on the swing. Keep it moving, no matter what you find to do. And make sure you exercise at least 30 minutes, three times per week.There! Now that wasn't too bad, was it?

Check out tips on starting out when you don't like to exercise at the Summer Tomato.
What do you like to do for exercise? And how do you stay motivated to do it?

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
For Valentine's Day, don't fall for chocolates that are loaded with sugar, which contributes to the risk of dying from heart disease. Love your sweetheart by making them healthy, yummy chocolates for Valentine's Day:
Red Velvet Chocolate Squares Recipe

Tabouli Salad

Fellow clean eater, Jennie Zraick, often comes up with some simple and delicious recipes. She recently responded to a request to post her Tabouli salad recipe. Like me, Jennie needed to measure out the ingredients since she normally eye-balls the ingredients in true KISS fashion. The Tabouli salad can be modified to your taste, so feel free to experiment.

A key tool she swears by is the multi-blade scissors. It makes quick work of chopping up herbs making it her favorite kitchen tool. Here's a link if you want to purchase one: multi-blade herb scissors.
This recipe uses a whole bunch of
Tabouli
from Jennie Zraickyield 6-8 servings
category Saladcuisine Vegan
ingredients3 C finely chopped parsley1 C diced tomato1 C cooked couscous or quinoa (~ 1/2 C dry)2 diced green onions2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice2 Tbsp olive oil1/2 tsp sea salt
directions1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl then refrigerate a couple hours.2. Adjust seasonings and serve.
Do you eat parsley?

The Road to Health Comes Down to Diet

© 2011 JAGster PhotoBad Food = Sick Bodies
It amazes me how people can get a diagnosis of cancer and NOT look at the diet they have been eating as a problem. The more I learn about the human body, the more I am in awe of my Creator.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14a

It’s clear to me that our bodies were created to withstand a lot of abuse. There is no man-made thing that would survive the analogous ill-treatment some dish-out to their bodies. Artificial ingredients, hydrogenated oils, chemical sugars… the list of unpronounceable items is endless.

How long would you expect your car to work if you put junk in your gas tank?
MigrainesHigh blood pressureHigh cholesterolInfertilitySexual dysfunctionNo energyThen ten to twenty years down the road, they get a diagnosis of…
Severe allergiesAuto-immune diseaseHeart diseaseCancer or… Sudden death—no coming back from that one!Diet Basics
Folks, it all starts with diet. Let's go over the basics.
Stop eating all things artificial (artificial colors, artificial sugar, artificial additives, artificial flavors), sodas of any kind, hydrogenated fats (aka trans fats—read the ingredients label, don’t believe the words “0 Trans Fats”), flour and sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup). Read all food labels. (See Grocery Shopping Made Healthy)
Drink lots of filtered water (I have a RO—reverse osmosis—filter under my kitchen sink).Cut down or eliminate coffee. Drink green tea.Eat a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit (70% vegetables, 30% fruit) across the color spectrum (red peppers, dark leafy greens, carrots, parsnips).Eat organic and raw as much as possible.Use extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil.Eat avocados, nuts and nut butters (best to replace peanut butter with almond butter).Eat only wild-caught fish and organic-fed, grass-fed, hormone-free meats and dairy (My diet includes ONLY fish and organic eggs).Eat only organic soy (organic label assures no GMO—genetically modified organism).Eat beans everyday.Eat true whole grains like brown rice, millet, quinoa and steel-cut oatmeal.I mentioned a few differences from my diet. Since I'm on a mission to fight cancer, I'm motivated and strict about what I eat. Should you be too? I believe the two most important aspects of my diet are lots of raw, fresh vegetables and no sugar.

If you feel this list is too overwhelming, I encourage you to start with one thing. Eliminate all sodas and start drinking water, for example. Do that for one or two weeks then give yourself a pat on the back and tackle another item.

Diet is the most important of the four roots of optimum wellness.

What are your diet concerns? What will you change in your diet? Leave a comment below.