Categories
Food Health Recipes

Instant Pot Natto

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb of organic natto-specific soybeans (from Laura Soybeans)
  • Takahashi Nattomoto spores (from Amazon)
  • Water

DIRECTIONS

  1. Wash soybeans until water is clear
  2. Drain, and add water 3:1 ratio
  3. Soak soybeans overnight (16-24 hours)
  4. Remove any skin or bad beans
  5. Transfer beans to Instant pot, and cover with 1″ water above
  6. Pressure cook on “bean mode” for 30 minutes, Natural release 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes (temp drops from 175° to 130°)
  7. Sterilize glass bowl, rice bowl, chopsticks, and spoon in boiling water
  8. Drain soybeans, saving some broth
  9. Place soybeans in glass bowl, stir in 1 tiny spoon of Nattomo, mix well, add 2 Tbsp of broth, stir more
  10. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and punch holes with sharp knife, or toothpick
  11. Add 1 cup hot water to bottom of Instant Pot
  12. Place bowl on trivet in Instant Pot
  13. Remove seal from Instant Pot lid (to save seal from odor)
  14. Halo starts forming after about 8 hrs.
  15. Set on yogurt mode for 24 hours
  16. Leave at room temp a couple of hours to cool.
  17. Continue fermenting in fridge for 3-5 days to mellow for best flavor.
  18. Freeze what cannot be consumed with a few days
  19. Season with soy sauce or soup base to eat.

Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Instant Pot Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

Okinawan sweet potatoes (also known as Hawaiian sweet potatoes) are said to contribute to longevity, in addition to being delicious. It has a buff colored skin, and purple flesh; with a delicate, sweet taste.

@ Shun Fat Market

INGREDIENTS:

(3) Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

Cooked sweet potatoes

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Wash sweet potatoes with a brush
  2. Put one cup water into Instant Pot
  3. Place the sweet potatoes on a tivet
  4. Press Steam button for 19 minutes
  5. Let natural release for 15 minutes
  6. Remove from Instant Pot and serve
Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Chicken Herbal Broth

Chicken herbal soup

Various dried herbs are added to a chicken broth to promote general health and wellness. Besides that, it is low calorie, satisfying, and tastes good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb chicken (e.g. 3 skinless chicken thighs)
  • Astragulus (replenish the Qi)
  • Dried Wild Yam slices (Strengthens lungs, tonifies the Qi, spleen, and kidneys)
  • Dried Lotus Seeds (nutritious, expels heat)
  • Codonopsis (Qi tonic, boosts energy, but in a mild way)
  • Dried Longan (“dragon eye”, helps with sleep, anxiety)
  • Dried Goji Berries (aka “wolfberry”, reduce blood glucose, improves eyesight)
  • Dried Wood ear fungus (source of minerals, improves circulation)
  • Dried Lily bulb (relieves coughs, moisten lungs, calms the spirit)

DIRECTIONS

  • Put the skinless chicken into Instant Pot
  • Add a small handful of each ingredient
  • Add water to top fill line
  • Cook on “steam” mode for 10 minutes
  • Natural release for about 2 hours

See photos at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dAFgBNqESEXAuFa29

See common Soup Ingredients at:
http://www.chinesesouppot.com/category/2-common-ingredients

Categories
Food Health Recipes

Recipe: Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is a “low carb” recipe. Nutrition Facts: Amount Per Serving (1 cookie):
Calories 168 Calories (from Fat 156) Total Fat 17.3g 27% Total Carbohydrates 2.3g 1% Protein 4g 8%* Nutritional Information Is Per Serving (1/12th Total Recipe)

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C (355 F). Microwave the butter for 30 seconds to melt, but it shouldn’t be hot.
  2. Place the butter into a mixing bowl and beat with the erythritol. Add the vanilla and egg, mix on low for another 15 seconds exactly.
  3. Add the almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
  4. Press the dough together and remove from the bowl. Combine the chocolate chips into the dough with your hands.
  5. Roll the dough (or use a small ice cream scoop) to make 12 balls and place on a baking tray. Bake for 15 mins.
  6. Let them cool, and serve. Keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Categories
Health

Nutrition: Paleo vs. Keto Diets

What is the Keto diet?

The Ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves drastically reducing carbs and replacing them with fat. This puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis–basically when your body burns fat because it doesn’t have enough glucose to use for energy. Over time, your body gets more efficient at burning fat for energy and turning fat into ketones (a byproduct of fat breakdown) in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. This can lead to significant weight loss. However, ketosis can be dangerous if ketone levels become too high. For people with uncontrolled diabetes, ketosis is a sign of too much glucose and not enough insulin in the blood. (The body can’t use glucose without proper amounts of insulin; insulin is necessary  to get glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells where it can be used for energy.)

What is the Paleo diet?

Sometimes referred to as the “ancestral diet,” the Paleo diet is believed to align with the foods eaten by early humans, with an emphasis on whole foods, including organic vegetables and fruits, grass-fed and naturally-raised meats, wild-caught fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. In addition to avoiding all processed foods and sugar, it also omits all grains, dairy products, beans and legumes (including peanuts). Proponents of the Paleo diet believe that because these foods were introduced to the human diet much later in our history, the human digestive system is not well-equipped to break down these foods, contributing to digestion issues, food allergies and sensitivities and inflammation. 

How do they compare?
  • Both diets focus on high-quality, nutrient-rich foods and eliminate grains, legumes and dairy.
  • Typically, a Keto diet is higher in fat than Paleo.
  • Paleo is usually higher in carbs than the Keto.
  • While the Paleo diet incorporates fruit and starchy vegetables, the Keto diet doesn’t because they’re too high in carbs. (A true keto diet is 50 grams or less of carbs a day.)
  • Paleo is superior for overall digestive health and athletic performance. It is also a more sustainable diet plan than Keto.
  • The Keto is better short-term diet for aesthetics and weight loss, as well as diabetes prevention and controlling other diseases, including epilepsy.
  • The Keto is best monitored by a trusted practitioner. To do it in a healthy way, you need to count all calories and macros, and many people include non-whole foods to reach these strict macronutrient goals. A standard keto diet is 60-75% of calories from fat, 15-30% from protein and 5-10% from carbs.
  • Paleo doesn’t advocate a strict macronutrient breakdown (exact number of carbs, protein and fat you should eat).
  • A less strict low-carb diet model could be 150 or 100 grams or less, which allows for more fruits and some starchy veggies. (Paleo usually stays within this range.)
What are some benefits to trying one or both diets?

Keto:

  • This diet can be an effective way to lose weight.
  • Because it’s so low-carb, it can lead to significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels.
  • Some research suggests that the Keto diet might help lower the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
  • Because it omits sugar in all forms (even fruit, in most cases), as well as almost completely eliminates carbs, it can help curb sugar cravings.
  • Due to the high fat content, it may be easier to follow than other diets. (e.g. Fat is very satiating.)
  • It doesn’t involve counting calories or limiting portion sizes, so it can be easier to follow than calorie-restricted “deprivation-style” diets (which are rarely effective anyway, since extreme calorie restriction can slow metabolism and encourage the body to hold on to fat stores; they’re also not sustainable long-term, often causing the dieter to gain back any weight they initially lost). 

Paleo:

  • Switching to whole foods means the body will get more of the nutrients it needs to thrive. This usually translates to improvements in weight, blood sugar, mood, energy level, sleep, digestion and cognitive abilities (e.g. memory, focus, concentration, etc.) as well as reduced risk of many chronic illnesses.
  •  Because this diet excludes gluten and dairy, people who try it may discover they are allergic or sensitive to these foods (or may find that they feel better without them in their diet) and that eliminating them has a positive impact on their overall health, aside from weight loss alone.
  • It can be potentially costly, as it involves buying all organic produce, 100% grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish, which may not be readily available to everyone.
Categories
Food Health

Health: Dr. Gundry’s “Yes” foods

YES Foods List

Flours: coconut, almond, hazelnut, sesame, chestnut, cassava (tapioca), green, banana, sweet potato, tiger nut, grape seed, arrowroot

“Foodles” (Gundry name for acceptable noodles), Cappelo’s fettuccine and other pastas, Slim Pasta, shirataki noodles, kelp noodles, Miracle noodles and kanten pasta, Korean sweet potato noodles

Dairy Products: (1 oz. cheese or 4 oz. yogurt / day), Real parmesan (parmigiano-reggiano), French/Italian butter, buffalo butter (at Trader Joe’s), Ghee, goat yogurt (plain), goat milk as creamer, goat cheese, butter, goat and sheep kefir, sheep cheese and yogurt (plain), coconut yogurt, French/Italian cheese, Switzerland cheese, buffalo mozzarella (Italy), whey protein powder, Casein A-2 milk (as creamer only),
organic heavy cream, organic sour cream, organic cream cheese.

Ice Cream: coconut milk dairy-free frozen dessert (the So Delicious blue label which only contains 1 gram of sugar per oz.).

Wine: (6 oz. per day) red
Spirits (1 oz per day)

Fish: (any wild caught – 4oz. per day): whitefish, freshwater bass, Alaskan halibut, canned tuna, Alaskan salmon, Hawaiian fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, calamari/squid, clams, oysters, mussels, sardines,
anchovies

Fruits: (limit all but avocado) avocados, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, crispy pears (anjou, bosc, comicel),
pomegranates, kiwis, apples, citrus (no juices), nectarines, peaches, plums, apricots, figs, dates

Vegetables: Calciferous Vegetables, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Arugula, Watercress, Collards, Kohlrabi, Kale, Green and red cabbage, Radicchio, Raw Sauerkraut, Kimchi

Other Vegetables: Nopales Cactus, Celery, Onions, Leeks, chives, scallions, chicory, carrots (raw), carrot greens, artichokes, beets (raw), radishes, Daikon radish, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes, hearts of palm, cilantro, okra, asparagus, garlic, mushrooms

Nuts and Seeds (1/2 cup per day): Macadamia nuts, Walnuts, Pistachios, Pecans, Coconut (not coconut water), Coconut milk (unsweetened dairy substitute), Coconut milk/cream (unsweetened, full-fat), Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, Brazil nuts (in limited amounts), Pine nuts (in limited amounts), Flaxseeds, hemp seeds, Hemp protein powder, Psyllium

Olives: All

Dark Chocolate: 72% or greater ( 1 oz per day )

Vinegars: All (without added sugars)

Herbs and Seasonings: All except chili pepper flakes

Miso

Energy Bars: Quest Bars, B-Up Bars, Human Food bar, Adapt Bar

Sweeteners: Stevia (sweetleaf is favorite), Just Like Sugar (made from chicory root – inulin), Inulin, Yacon, Monk Fruit, Luo Han Guo (the Nutresse brand is good), erythritol (Swerve is great as it contains oligosaccharides), Xylitol

Resistant Starches: Tortillas (Siete brand- only those made with cassava and coconut flour or almond flour), Bread and Bagels made by Barely Bread, Julian Bakery Paleo Wraps (made with coconut flour) and Paleo coconut flakes cereal (in moderation), Green plantains, Green bananas, Baobab fruit, Cassava (tapioca), Green Bananas, Sweet Potatoes or Yams, Rutabaga, Parsnips, Yuca, celery root (celeriac), Glucomannan (konjac root), Persimmon, Jicama, Taro root, Turnips, Tiger nuts, Green Mango, Millet, Sorghum, Green papaya

Leafy Greens: Romaine, Red and Green leaf lettuce, Mesclun (baby greens), Spinach, endive, Dandelion Greens, Butter Lettuce, Fennel, Escarole, Mustard Greens, Mizuna, parsley, Basil, Mint, Purslane, parilla, Algae, Seaweed, Sea Vegetables

Pastured Poultry (Not free-range – 4 oz. per day): Chicken, Turkey, Ostrich, pastured or omega-3 eggs (up to 4 daily), Duck, Goose, pheasant, Grouse, dove, Quail

Meat: (grass fed and grass finished – 4oz per day): bison, wild game, venison, Boar, elk, Beef, Pork (humanely raised), Lamb, Prosciuto

Plant-based “Meats”: Quorn, Hemp tofu, Hilary’s Root Veggie burger (hilaryseatwell.com), Tempeh (grain-free only)

Categories
Food Health

Health: Dr. Gundry – “No” foods

Gundry’s “NO” FOODS

Refined, Starchy Foods: Pasta, Rice, Potatoes, Potato Chips, Milk, Bread, Tortillas, Pastry, Flour, Crackers, Cookies, Cereal, Sugar, Agave

Sweeteners: Sweet One or Sunett (Acesulfame K), Splenda (Sucralose), Nutrasweet (Aspartame), Diet Drinks, Maltodextrin

Vegetables: Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans, Chickpeas (including as hummus), Soy, Tofu, Edamame, Soy Protein, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Pea Protein

All beans, including sprouts, Legumes, all Lentils*
* Vegans and Vegetarians can have these legumes in Phase 2, but only if prepared in a pressure cooker

Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin, Sunflower, Chia, Peanuts, Cashews – mycotoxins.

Fruits: Cucumbers, Zucchini, Pumpkins, Squashes (any kind), Melons (any kind)

Nightshades: Potatoes, Eggplant, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Chili Peppers
Goji Berries

Non-Southern European Cow’s Milk Products:
(These contain casein A-1) Yogurt including Greek yogurt, Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Cheese, Ricotta, Cottage Cheese

Grains, KefirGrains, Sprouted Grains, Pseudo-Grains, and Grasses:
Wheat (pressure cooking does not help with wheat), Einkorn wheat, Kamut, Oats & Oatmeal (cannot pressure cook), Quinoa, Rye (cannot pressure cook), Bulgur, White Rice, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Barley (cannot pressure cook), Buckwheat, Kashi, Spelt, Corn, Corn products, Cornstarch, Corn syrup, popcorn, Wheatgrass, Barley grass

Oils: Soy, Grape Seed, Corn, Peanut, Cottonseed, Safflower, Sunflower,
“Partially Hydrogenated” Vegetable, Canola

Categories
Health

Health: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with Xiser

Besides sprinting, running, rope jumping, biking, there is the Xiser   mini-stepper.

JJ Virgin on Xiser Stepper

 

Categories
Food Health

Health: Novak Djokovic diet

What does it take to become the number one tennis player in the world?

A lot of practice. Nerves of steel. And, if you’re Novak Djokovic, a strict gluten-free, dairy-free diet that he says has played a major role in helping him attain the number one ranking.

Grand Slam Secret #1

Start Drinking in the Morning

Most of us have morning rituals, but mine is probably stricter than most.

The first thing I do out of bed is to drink a tall glass of room-temperature water. I’ve just gone eight hours without drinking anything, and my body needs hydration to start functioning at its peak. Water is a critical part of the body’s repair process. But I avoid ice water, for a reason. When you drink ice water, the body needs to send additional blood to the digestive system in order to heat the water to 98.6 degrees. There’s some benefit to this process—heating the cold water burns a few additional calories. But it also slows digestion and diverts blood away from where I want it—in my muscles.

Grand Slam Secret #2

Eat Some Honey

The second thing I do might really surprise you: I eat two spoonfuls of honey. Every day. I try to get manuka honey, which comes from New Zealand. It is a dark honey made by bees that feed on the manuka tree (or tea tree), and has been shown to have even greater antibacterial properties than regular honey.

I know what you’re thinking: Honey is sugar. Well, yes, it is. But your body needs sugar. In particular, it needs fructose, the sugar found in fruits, some vegetables, and especially honey. What it doesn’t need is processed sucrose, the stuff in chocolate, soda, or most energy drinks that gives you an instant sugar shot in the body, where you feel like “Wow!”

I don’t like “wow.” “Wow” is no good. If you have “wow” now, that means in thirty minutes you’re going to have “woe.”

Grand Slam Secret #3

Eat a “Power Bowl” for Breakfast

After a little stretching or some light calisthenics, I’m ready for breakfast. Most days I have what I call the Power Bowl, a normal-sized bowl I fill with a mixture of:

Gluten-free muesli or oatmeal

A handful of mixed nuts—almonds, walnuts, peanuts

Some sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Fruits on the side, or sliced up in the bowl, like banana and all kinds of berries

A small scoop of coconut oil (I like it for the electrolytes and minerals)

Rice milk, almond milk or coconut water

Grand Slam Secret #4

Have Breakfast #2 on Standby

One bowl of these ingredients is generally enough for me. If I think that I will need something more—I rarely do—then I wait about twenty minutes and have a little gluten-free toasted bread, tuna fish, and some avocado. I love avocado; it’s one of my favorites.

Grand Slam Secret #5

Pack Your Lunch with Carbs

For me, a typical lunch is gluten-free pasta with vegetables. The pasta is made from quinoa or buckwheat. As for the vegetables, the selection is vast. Arugula, roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, sometimes cucumber, a lot of broccoli, a lot of cauliflower, green beans, carrots. I combine the vegetables with the pasta and some olive oil and a bit of salt. (I should say that on match days when I know I’ll have to practice around noon and play a match around three, I have a heavy protein with my lunch, as a foundation for the match. But in general, pasta is all I need.)

Eat This, Not That! tip: Like Djokovic, pair your carbs with high-protein foods.

Grand Slam Secret #6

Drink It In When You’re Working Out

During practice, I go through two bottles of an energy drink containing fructose extract. It’s not too heavy in the stomach, but allows me to replenish. The ingredients I look for in a drink are electrolytes, magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin C. The magnesium and calcium help with heart and muscle function and prevent cramps. If it’s a humid day, I also have a hydration drink with electrolytes because I lose a lot of liquids.

After practice, I have an organic protein shake made from water mixed with rice or pea protein concentrate and some evaporated cane juice. I don’t drink whey or soy shakes. I find that, for me, this is the fastest way to replenish.

Grand Slam Secret #7

Snack Between Sets

Before a match, when I really want to fire up, I usually eat a power gel with twenty-five milligrams of caffeine. During the match, I eat dried fruits like dates. I have one or two teaspoons of honey. I always stick with sugars derived from fructose. Besides these examples, the vast majority of the sugar I consume comes from the training drinks I mentioned.

Grand Slam Secret #8

Have a Meaty Dinner

Later, when it’s time for dinner, I eat protein in the form of meat or fish. That usually means steak, chicken, or salmon, as long as it’s organic, grass-fed, free-range, wild, etc. I order meats roasted or grilled, and fish steamed or poached if possible. The closer a food is to nature, the more nutritious it is. I pair it with a steamed vegetable like zucchini or carrots. I may also have some chickpeas or lentils, or occasionally soup.

Categories
Health

Health: The Perfect Human Diet – documentary

See the Documentary on Diet Doctor

Director (CJ Hunt)’s website