Fermented foods are getting lots of attention these days.  Research has suggested that there are benefits to consuming the happy bacteria in fermented foods, including probiotics. The bacteria appear to improve digestion, boost immunity, and possibly even help with weight management. Exactly how remains unclear and how much be eaten in order to reap these potential benefits.  Regardless, it may be worth incorporating a few fermented foods into your diet, such as tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, and kimchi. Pickled fruits and vegetables provide probiotic benefits as well but only in foods pickled in brine, not vinegar, and in unpasteurized pickled products.

Brine Pickled Carrot Sticks

Makes 1 qt

2 pounds carrots, peeled and into sticks that are no more than about 1 inch wide

4 cups water

¼ cup kosher salt

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 dried hot chile

1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

Boil the salt, water, bay leaves, black peppercorn, and chile for a minute or so. Then, turn off the heat and let this cool to room temperature. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, pack the carrots and the thyme sprig into a clean Mason jar and pour the brine over them, making sure the jars all get some of the spices.

Pour leftover brine into a plastic bag and tie off.  Push the bag into the jar of carrots to ensure that the carrots are completely submerged in the brine. If the carrots come in contact with air, the carrots will spoil with mold.

Put the jar into a cool, dark place for at least 3-4 days but typically not longer than 2 weeks. The temperature should be about 55-70^oF.  The longer carrots ferment, the saltier and tangier they will taste.

Remove the bag of leftover brine from the jar.  Screw a lid onto the jar and place in refrigerator where they will keep for about 6 months.

  Try something new from the produce section this week and get crazy with jicama! Jicama (pronounced HEE-kah-mah) is a root vegetable of Mexican origin that can now be found in most grocery stores.  To eat, first remove the thin brown outer skin.  The white inside has a crisp, crunchy texture and mild sweet starchy taste, like an unripe pear or sweet potato. Most often served raw, here are three recipes to get you started.  Jicama is also excellent cooked, such as in stir fries. 

Ham and Jicama Wraps – divided evenly, wrap 6 jicama or celery sticks with 3 slices of ham. Serve with 1 tsp whole grain mustard for dipping.

Creamy Herb Dip with Vegetables – serve raw vegetables, such as jicama sticks, snap peas, carrot sticks, or thinly sliced beets with a creamy dip. To make dip, blend together 5 oz goat cheese, ½ cup plain low fat yogurt, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, 1 tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt.

Strawberry Mango Jicama salad – make a fruit salad of sliced strawberries, chopped mango, chopped jicama, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime juice. 

Orange juice concentrate has been a staple in the freezer section of grocery stores for decades. The product, which is made by removing some of the water from orange juice, has uses far beyond just reconstituting it back into juice. The orange flavor is three times stronger in frozen concentrate, making it a great way to add a lot of flavor without a lot of liquid. This potent flavor booster can be used as a glaze for meat and fish, as a fast marinade or dressing, and more.  For best flavor and nutritional value, choose a brand with a “100% juice” label. This will ensure that you are buying only orange juice without any additives or extra sugar.

• Mix with tahini and toasted sesame oil to create a salad dressing
• Stir into sliced carrots sautéed with grated ginger
• Whisk with soy sauce to make a marinade for pork or other meat
• Blend with strawberries and yogurt for a smoothie
• Stir into whipped cream and serve over pound cake

Americans have a sweet tooth and its getting them in big trouble, health-wise.  Unfortunately, food manufacturers continue to manipulate this sweet tooth by adding more and more sweeteners to increase their sales.  According to a recent survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the added sugar in our diets (about 30%) comes from sweetened beverages such as soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks.  This comes as no surprise.  The percentage of calories that come from sweetened beverages has nearly doubled since the 1970’s and these drinks have long been the target of public health campaigns, including most recently the soda tax.

Yes, decreasing the intake of sweetened beverages would be beneficial at reducing the contribution of added sugars to the diet. But are we missing the bigger picture?  If 30% of calories come from the added sugars in drinks, this means that a whopping 70% of added sugars comes from foods, such as candy, breakfast cereals, and desserts. Sweeteners are also creeping into other foods as well, such as such as crackers, tomato sauce, and salad dressings.

Ingredients on a food label are listed in descending order by weight.  Avoid choosing foods that have a sweetener within the first few ingredients in the list or have multiple sweeteners in the ingredient list.  This handout can help identify the various sweeteners used by food manufacturers.

  The average trick-or-treater will return home on Halloween night with a haul that adds up to 7000 calories. To put that number into perspective, consider these other calorie comparisons:

• 1 pound of body fat = 3500 calories
• An apple contains about 60 calories
• The average daily calorie needs for an 8     year old child is 1300-1400 calories
• The calories in a “fun-size”      candy bar (those smaller versions that tend to be given at Halloween) is     about 100 calories
• Each one of these activities will burn     100 calories:

• Pushing a stroller, 35 minutes
• Walking your dog, 26 minutes
• Physically playing with your kids, 23      minutes
• Raking leaves, 23 minutes
• Elliptical Trainer (moderate      intensity), 20 minutes
• Weight Lifting (moderate intensity), 15      minutes
• Running, 9 minutes

 Step aside chia seeds.  Your time saving the world from their nutritional woes is over because there is a new nutrition superhero in town.  Moringa oleifera (marketed by some brands as Moringa Zinga) is quickly rising in popularity after being featured by Dr. Oz on his talk show.  Moringa, also known as the horseradish tree, drumstick tree, sujuna, ben tree, or ben oil tree, is an edible tree native to Africa and Asia.  Almost every party of the tree can be used for food, offering a large amount of versatility when incorporating into the diet.  Beyond this versatility, why the hum to add moringa to your diet?  According to the National Research Council, moringa contains, gram for gram, 4 times vitamin A of carrots, 7 times the vitamin C of oranges, 4 times the calcium of milk, 3 times the potassium of bananas, and 2 times the protein of yogurt.  This high nutrient density has earned the plant the nickname of the “miracle tree” or “mother’s best friend.”

Bottom line: The miracle tree may offer a promising nutritional content but without any quality clinical trials, the validity of health claims are hard to measure.  If you are considering adding moringa to your diet, view it more as a multivitamin, and consult a health care professional for further information.