The Benefits of Brown Rice

One way to choose to live a healthy life is to add whole grains to your diet, and avoid the processed grains.  Brown rice is an excellent example of one way to make a healthy change to your diet.

Brown rice has a wonderful nutty flavor and a chewy texture.  It takes a bit longer to cook, but once you've tried it, white rice seems bland and mushy.  I'm including an easy recipe to make brown rice after the following article.

This article from QualityHealth.com explains some of the benefits of brown rice:

Brown Rice for Diabetes

Here, a primer on brown rice to help you beat diabetes.

Next time you whip up some stir-fry, you may want to reach for the brown rice rather than the white variety. Doing so could reduce your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health that was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine

Eating five servings of white rice each week was linked to a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, while eating two or more servings of brown rice was linked to a lower risk of the condition. The researchers who conducted the study said that replacing 50 grams of white rice (that's one third of a typical daily serving) with an identical amount of brown rice could lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16 percent.

A new study, published online in the June 14, 2010 journal of Archives of Internal Medicine, is thought to be the first to look at white and brown rice consumption as it relates to diabetes risk in Americans.

Noting that U.S. rice consumption is on the increase, Qi Sun MD, who did the research while at the Harvard School of Public health, said, "We believe replacing white rice and other refined grains with whole grains, including brown rice, would help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes."

The Benefits of Going Brown

Brown rice, like other whole grains, is more slowly absorbed into the body than white rice, explains Brian Tulloch, MD, of Park Plaza Hospital in Houston, Texas and a past president of the American Diabetes Association. "And anything that reduces the rate of absorption of sugar will reduce the big swings in blood sugar," he says. "Rapid blood sugar swings have contributed not just to our increases in weight but in our diabetes rate."

Brown rice isn't the only whole grain linked to a lower diabetes risk, of course. The study also found that replacing white carbohydrates with whole grains like barley and whole wheat was linked to a full 36 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Brown rice not only takes longer to raise the blood sugar, but it's just generally better for you, says Kent Holtorf, MD, medical director for the Holtorf  Medical Group in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"Brown rice has so many beneficial properties," he says. "White rice is stripped of all its good properties. Anytime you eat brown instead of white, you're doing yourself a favor."

One cup of brown rice, considered a 100 percent whole grain, contains two of the three recommended daily servings of whole grains and is made of complex carbs, according to the USA Rice Federation.  Like white rice, it's sodium and cholesterol-free, it's gluten-free, and it's the least allergenic of all the grains. Among its wonderful vitamins and minerals are folate, iron and zinc. So lose the white rice, and say hello to healthful, nutty-flavored, nutrient-loaded brown rice.

Here is a recipe for baked brown rice from Alton Brown:

Baked Brown Rice
1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rice into an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bring the water, butter, and salt just to a boil in a kettle or covered saucepan. Once the water boils, pour it over the rice, stir to combine, and cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve immediately.

The reviews of this recipe are great, and Jackie from Columbus, Ohio, made the following modifications to the recipe:

This is an amazing recipe! or as one might say, "fool proof"! I made a double batch .I added cooked chicken cubes (used the broth instead of water) added green peas,cooked chopped carrots and a little dried dill to the dry rice . mixed the chicken broth with a 3 chopped olives,2 cloves of garlic,1/4 C crushed tomatoes,touch of tomato paste,saffron ,salt,black pepper,garlic powder,1 tbs butter and 1 tbs EVOO . There is no limit to what you can do with this recipe.My add ins might sound like a lot but I was following my middleeastern senses and this is where I was taken! the rice was perfectly cooked ,the grains where seperate from one another ,no mushiness or stickiness in sight! Unlike that one time when I made brown rice pudding without intending to or the other time when I made the brown rice mush into soup ,had some and hid it from my husband!you know how it is! or maybe not! haha .anywho if you're still following me! don't hesitate to try this recipe,use your instincts and creativity and you shall not be sorry! happy cooking!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you :)

A Salad for Tomorrow

I received an email newsletter from LiveStrong.com with a recipe for Lentil and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Tart Cherry Vinaigrette.  The recipe looked intriguing, and I plan to make it with some changes, which I'll note in parenthesis:

Ingredients
3/4 cup green lentils (I bought steamed lentils from Trader Joe's)
7 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (I'll be using unfiltered apple cider vinegar)
8 bacon slices, about 6 ounces (This will be replaced with diced pancetta)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot (Trader Joe's has diced shallots, garlic and onion which I'll be using)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried unsweetened tart cherries, about 3 ounces (dried cranberries are cheaper, so I'll use those instead)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups baby or regular spinach leaves (I have a bag of spring salad mix to use instead of this)
1/3 cup blue cheese, about 2 ounces (I hate blue cheese, so I'll be using feta instead)

Directions
In a heavy saucepan cover lentils with water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils well in a sieve. Rinse lentils under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well. In a bowl toss lentils with 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Lentils may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lentils to room temperature before proceeding.)

In a skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and with tongs transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon.

In cleaned saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook shallot, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in water, cherries, sugar, and remaining 5 tablespoons vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss well. In another bowl toss spinach with half of lentil mixture, half of bacon, half of cheese, remaining vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide remaining lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle salads with remaining bacon and cheese.

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

I made this for a BLOOM women's ministry meeting last week, and it was a hit :)

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

Kosher salt
1 cup Israeli couscous
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (2 cups)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (red, yellow and green)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh apple mint leaves; additional sprigs for garnish (can also use spearmint or pineapple mint)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more as needed
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup small-diced feta cheese

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts vegetable broth to a boil. (Vegetable broth adds more flavor to the couscous, can also use chicken stock)

Meanwhile, in a medium killet over medium heat, toast the couscous, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 7 minutes.

Cook the couscous in the boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. As the couscous is boiling, toast the pine nuts in the skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Be sure not to burn the pine nuts. Remove from heat immediately.

Drain and rinse couscous under cold running water until cool. Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cucumber and mint.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in the feta. Add the feta mixture to the couscous, season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight and serve. Garnish with the mint sprigs before serving

Salads! Yummy, Delicious Salads!

I love salads! Red and green leaf lettuce, Romaine, asparagus that's been lightly blanched, carrots, red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers, jicama, red onion, kidney and garbanzo beans, black olives, fresh peas and corn, lemon cucumber, basil and tomato feta cheese, pecans, avocado, all topped with a delicious vinaigrette...summer doesn't get much better than that :)

Salads are also a great option on those hot summer days. You don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen even hotter. Instead, just pull the ingredients out of the refrigerator and the cupboard, assemble everything, add a whole-grain roll on the side, serve this with your favorite drink, and voila! A refreshing dish that's good for you.

You can also bake or grill chicken ahead of time and have it ready to add to your salads. Just marinate the raw skinless and boneless chicken breasts with a low-fat Italian dressing or vinaigrette for a few hours, cook thoroughly, chop then place into a container and refrigerate. When you're preparing your salad, just pull this out and add it to the salad for a filling meal.

Be adventurous. If you're used to iceburg lettuce, try some of the other lettuces instead. Red and green leaf lettuces are particular favorites of mine. The ruffled edges of both and the dark red color of the red leaf lettuce add wonderful color and texture to a salad. Fresh spinach doesn't only add iron, it adds another layer of flavor. The bagged lettuces are another great option. It's usually easy to find a bag of spring greens. Adding those to your salad makes for a gorgeous visual treat. The different shades of green, the frilly edges, the unusual shapes...mmmmmmm....it's a feast for the eyes!

I also like to experiment with fresh herbs. Watercress is delicious on a salad, and if you like cilantro (I don't) try that. If you're making an Italian flavored salad, add some fresh basil. Let your imagination run wild!

Fresh and dried fruits can be a tasty addition. Fresh strawberries, grapes, peaches, oranges, or dried cranberries, raisins, dates...again, the possibilities are endless.

Experiment with some of the unusual store-bought salad dressings. Look in the health-food department of your favorite grocery store or be bold and daring and venture into a health-food store. You can also do a search on your favorite recipe website and make your own dressings. This is particularly handy if you need to have sugar-free dressings.

Here are a couple of delicious looking sugar free salad dressing recipes to get you started:

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
½ cup sliced strawberries
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic is even better, but carb counts vary, so be careful)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweetener to taste (depends on sweetness of strawberries; you might not need it)

Preparation:
Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Blend, then add olive oil. Blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Makes 8 servings of about 2 tablespoons each.

Sweet and Sour Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1 T lime juice (from a bottle is fine)
1 t water
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings to taste
Sweetener to taste

Preparation:
1. Put lime juice and water in bowl. Add sweetener to the tanginess level you want. (I like using liquid sucralose.)
2. Add salt and pepper. Or use a blend, like homemade seasoning salt. Whisk together to dissolve the salt.
3. Whisk in the olive oil.

Get even more daring and try edible flowers. You can find these at farmers' markets and at specialty gourmet grocery stores, or do some research online and grow your own.

We've always known that a healthy salad is good for you, but the latest research shows that salads are an essential part of a healthy life:

4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today
Making one simple change to your diet – adding a salad almost every day – can pay off with plenty of health benefits.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt -- and one of the simplest, experts say.

Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit. Green salads are on the menu of almost every restaurant. You can even buy a side salad (with Romaine lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing) for a buck at many fast food chains these days. And you can make a green salad at home in 5 minutes, armed with a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other veggies, and a bottle of light salad dressing.

Not only that, but salads are cool, crunchy, and fun to eat (lots of textures, colors, and flavors). Most people enjoy eating salads--even kids! You can customize them to include the fruits and vegetables that appeal to you the most, and whichever ones you have on hand.

Here are four health reasons to reach for a salad today:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber
It's hard to believe that something we can't even digest can be so good for us! Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.

Not only that, says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight.

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Many experts agree that Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially dark green and orange vegetables) and legumes -- all popular salad ingredients. David Jacobs, PhD, professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, says in an email interview that there is plenty of evidence that nutrient-rich plant foods contribute to overall health.

If you frequently eat green salads, you'll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For years, researchers have noted a link between eating lots of fruits and vegetables and lower risks of many diseases, particularly cancer. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute suggests that people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing cancers of the head and neck -- even those who smoke and drink heavily. Foods found to be particularly protective include beans and peas, string beans, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, and strawberries.

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.

Rolls, lead researcher of the study, suggests that "bigger is better" as long as the salad is bigger in volume, not in calories - which means more veggies and less dressing and other fatty add-ons.

"We saw reductions in consumed calories when people ate salads that were 1 1/2 cups and 3 cups in volume but around 100 total calories," she says. The 3-cup, 100-calorie salad reduced the total calories consumed at the meal by about 55.

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Eating a little good fat (like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts) with your vegetables appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.

A recent study from Ohio State University measured how well phytochemicals were absorbed by the body after people ate a salad of lettuce, carrot, and spinach, with or without 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado. The avocado-eaters absorbed eight times more alpha-carotene and more than 13 times more beta-carotene (both of which are thought to help protect against cancer and heart disease) than the group eating salads without avocado.

If you dress your salad with a little olive oil, there may even be some additional years in it for you. Italian research on people aged 60 and older has suggested that a diet that includes plenty of olive oil and raw vegetables is linked to reduced mortality.

Cooking in the Good Old Summertime

I live in Sacramento, California in a house with no air conditioning and no insulation, so cooking during the summer isn't my favorite thing to do, especially on 95°+ degree days, and we have lots of those. The house is like an oven, oppressive and stifling. Thankfully we have a backyard where we can retreat on those evenings and enjoy the open air. We also have a small air conditioner in our bedroom and computer room, so those rooms are liveable.

Trying to come up with quick and easy meals without using the oven can be challenging, but this article from WebMD.com has some great ideas:

Some Assembly Required: No-Sweat Summer Meals
Tips and recipes to help you keep your cooking cool
By Elaine Magee, MPH
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column

The last thing you want to do at the end of a hot summer day is stand in front of the stove, stirring something, or fire up your big oven. It's summer, for Heaven's sake! There are other things we'd rather be doing. There are movies to see and swimming pools to dive into. And the higher the mercury climbs, the less energy we seem to have for preparing dinner.

Sounds like a job for (drum roll, please) ... convenience foods! But many convenience products add a heap of calories, fat grams, and sodium to your daily nutritional totals. Besides, to many of us, these products just don't taste as good as freshly prepared meals.

What's the answer? I like to call it "some assembly required" -- not so much cooking as putting together a meal, using some of the better-for-you convenience products. We're still whipping up a "made-fresh" meal, but without spending too much time in the kitchen.

None of the following tips or recipes calls for using the big oven, though some involve the toaster oven or microwave. Both appliances are great for summer because they let us cook without heating up the whole kitchen.

10 Tips for No-Sweat Summer Meals

1. Frozen pesto is one of my all-time favorite convenience products (I like Armanino Pesto, from the freezer section. It's made with canola oil, which is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat, and has a bit less fat than other brands). Use it as a dressing for hot or cold pasta, a spread for gourmet sandwiches, or a sauce for fish (see recipe below). Just keep your serving to about a tablespoon, because each tablespoon has 47 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

2. Using the outdoor barbecue keeps the kitchen cool, and all you need is a piece of meat or fish (or some vegetables) and a good sauce or marinade. Any bottled, reduced-fat vinaigrette can serve as a quick marinade. Keep in mind that meats and poultry should marinate for at least two hours while fish and veggies only need one hour.

3. The sandwich, the epitome of easy-assembly food, makes a great summer dinner entrée. Think beyond peanut butter and jelly and try some new sandwich ideas! Choose whole-grain breads and reduced-fat fillers and spreads whenever possible. Double up on the lettuce and tomato to boost the nutritional value and fiber.

4. Prewashed salads in a bag are great, especially when they go on sale. Just cut (the bag), dump (it in the bowl), and drizzle (the dressing). I like to spruce them up by tossing in canned beans (kidney, black, edamame, or garbanzo, rinsed and drained); more veggies; cubed or shredded reduced-fat cheese; and cooked, shredded lean beef or pork, skinless chicken breast filets, or shellfish; fruit; toasted nuts; and/or fresh herbs.

5. Preboil or grill a few ingredients in the morning or the night before, and they'll be chilled and ready to assemble into a cool dinner dish when you get home from work. For example, boil pasta in the morning, let it chill all day in the fridge, and a pasta salad can be yours in just a few more minutes. Toss in some light bottled salad dressing or a couple tablespoons of olive oil and whatever other ingredients you desire (chopped tomato, lightly cooked vegetables, cubed reduced-fat cheese, sliced lite salami, drained olives, etc.) Use whole-grain pasta or a whole-wheat pasta blend, and you'll get more fiber and phytochemicals, too.

6. Dash to the supermarket deli for a whole rotisserie chicken or some sliced roasted turkey. Suddenly, you have your featured ingredient for salads and sandwiches (either meat) or quesadillas and enchiladas (the chicken). The turkey is ready to go, and it only takes five minutes to remove the chicken's skin and shred or cube the breast and thigh meat.

7. It's a wrap! Start with a soft tortilla (choose higher-fiber, no-trans fat tortillas when possible) and lightly coat the top with light cream cheese, Dijon mustard, sun-dried tomato pesto or green pesto, or light mayonnaise. Layer on lean sandwich meats, vegetables, and sliced or shredded reduced-fat cheese, roll, and you've got dinner wrapped up.

8. Make quesadillas for dinner, and you'll only need your stove for a few minutes. Experiment with filling ingredients and garnishes. Try some of these options:

~ Roasted chicken
~ Cooked shrimp
~ Mango or roasted garlic salsa
~ Reduced-fat cheese
~ Roasted vegetables
~ Beans (try fat-free refried beans)
~ Avocado strips
~ Jalapeno jelly

9. Microwave nachos make a fun and light dinner, if you use reduced-fat or low-fat tortilla chips and top them with beans, extra-lean meats, reduced-fat cheese, and chopped tomatoes and other assorted vegetables. Prepare your plate of nachos, then microwave on high for a couple of minutes. Dab a dollop of salsa or fat-free sour cream on top.

10. Toast up a mini pizza. Spread bottled pizza or marinara sauce on pita bread, flatbread, tortilla, or a bagel cut in half (the more fiber your "crust" contains, the better). Top with shredded, reduced-fat cheese and any vegetable or lower-fat meat. Pop into the toaster oven, and cook at 400 degrees until the cheese melts.

'Some Assembly Required' Recipes

Insalata Caprese (Pasta Salad)
If you boil the pasta in the morning, drain, and let chill in the refrigerator, all you have to do is toss the ingredients together and dinner is served!

4 cups cooked whole-grain pasta blend, cooled
2 cups ripe cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut or torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
16 slices reduced-fat salami, quartered (optional)

~ Place all the ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss to blend well.
~ Cover and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 360 calories, 19 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrate, 14 grams fat (5.5 grams saturated fat, 7.1 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.2 grams polyunsaturated fat), 24 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams fiber, 195 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 35%.

Toaster-Oven Pesto Salmon
1 1/4 pound salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces
1 lemon, halved
2 tablespoons white wine (or substitute non-alcoholic beer)
2 tablespoons pesto (I like Armanino Farms frozen pesto), thawed
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

~ Cover the toaster oven pan with foil, and then coat the foil with canola cooking spray. Place salmon filets, skin-side down, on the foil-lined pan.
~ Squeeze one of the lemon halves over the salmon, then drizzle the white wine over it. Let it marinate for 15 minutes while you preheat the toaster oven's broiler.
~ Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the pesto over each serving of salmon. Broil until fish flakes and flesh is opaque and light pink (about eight-10 minutes per inch of thickness, depending on your toaster oven; cooking time was about 15 minutes total with my toaster oven). The pesto will form a nicely browned crust.
~ Cut the remaining lemon in thin slices. Garnish each salmon piece with toasted pine nuts (if desired) and a couple of lemon slices.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 230 calories, 29 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat (1.8 grams saturated fat, 3 grams monounsaturated fat, 3.6 grams polyunsaturated fat), 79 milligrams cholesterol, 0.2 grams fiber, 111 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 46%.

California Roll Wrap
If the popular California Roll type of sushi were a sandwich, this is what it would be. I used fresh crab meat because it was on sale, but use imitation crab if you prefer.

3 tablespoons light cream cheese
3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
4 green onions (the white and part of the green), chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat (free of bones)
Pepper to taste
6 whole-wheat 8-inch tortillas (or the tortilla of your choice)
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon wasabi powder, combined with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 large avocado, quartered, pitted and sliced

~ Add cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, and crab to food processor and pulse until well blended (about five seconds). Add pepper to taste.
~ Soften the tortillas by wrapping in a slightly damp cloth and microwaving on HIGH for about a minute.
~ Spread one-sixth of the crab mixture on each tortilla. Then top each with about 12 thin slices of cucumber. Spread a small line of the wasabi mixture down the center of each tortilla (use more or less depending on your taste). Top the wasabi with the avocado slices.
~ Fold one end of each tortilla up toward the center, then continue to roll until you have a wrap (with the avocado in the center of each wrap).

Yield: 6 wraps
Per wrap: 200 calories, 13 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, 7.5 grams fat (1.8 grams saturated fat, 3.4 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.2 grams polyunsaturated fat), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber. Calories from fat: 30%.