From “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon

“Good broth will resurrect the dead,” says a South American proverb. A cure-all in traditional households and the magic ingredient in classic gourmet cuisine, stock or broth made from bones of chicken, fish and beef builds strong bones, assuages sore throats, nurtures the sick, puts vigor in the step and sparkle in your love life–so say grandmothers, midwives and healers. For chefs, stock is the magic elixir for making soul-warming soups and matchless sauces.

Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily-not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons–stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Want to try to make your own broth? Here’s a link to a sumptuous Roasted Vegetable Stock.

Aah, it’s that time again. When the air is brisk, the sky is gray, the land is frozen….and SO ARE WE!!

Help!!

Rest easy, I’ve got your cure for the winter blues. Sometimes known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the blues usually begin when the days get shorter and the sky clouds over into perpetual gray. If we were bears, we could follow our natural instincts and go into hibernation until the temperature warms up again. But, alas, we humans have to keep functioning, even in winter. So without further ado, here are my Top Ten Tips to help make your winter - yes, it’s possible - wonderful.

1. Go outside and walk briskly with your face pointing toward the sun-even if it’s gray outside-for 20 minutes every day. Both the light and the exercise will kick up your feel-good serotonin. If the wind chill outside will deep-freeze your face, find a health club with windows, locate a treadmill or a stationary bike in the brightest light, and hop on.

2. Exercise More besides your 20 minute daily walk make sure to get in at least 3 or 4 days of more intense activity.  Always a good idea to lift your moods, increase your energy and boost your health, no matter what time of year.

3. Hit the hay! Be like the bears and give in to the dark nights. Don’t push yourself to stay up late.

4. Eat warming foods like whole grains, free-range organic meats, root veggies and soups.

5. Add warming spices like cayenne, garlic and ginger to your foods.

6. Take a quality fish oil supplement to raise your spirits.

7. Avoid foods that stress your body in the cold like ice-cream, too many raw foods, cold smoothies and too much sugar.

8. Drink warm herbal teas to meet your water quota.  Try immune-stimulating Echinacea Special Formula from Yogi Tea.

9. Try a hot water bottle. Sounds a little 1800s, but it works like a charm. You can get a hot water bottle at any drugstore. Toss it into your bed to warm up your sheets, or use it on an achy, crampy belly.

10. Health-up your comfort foods. We all crave comfort foods in the winter - our serotonin levels are lower due to lack of sun. So the body compensates by craving carbohydrates and sugary foods to naturally boost serotonin levels. Remake your favorite comfort foods with the highest-quality ingredients, and savor them slowly after playing in the snow.

From www.glutenfreegoddess.com

Serves four

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
3-4 split chicken breasts [free-range organic], rinsed, patted dry
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage [bagged cole slaw mix is fast and easy]
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up
1 yellow summer squash, cut up
2 zucchini squash, cut up
6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles - mild or hot, to taste
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley
Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste
1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 or more cups organic chicken broth, as needed
A dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, to taste, [optional]

Directions:

1. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chiles; and toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt, ground pepper, herbs and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.
3. Pour the veggies into the crock in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth.
4. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

The secret weapon for winter wellness may be vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced when the sun’s rays hit our skin, making deficiencies more common in winter. It has also been found that Seasonal Affective Disorder tends to be prevalent when vitamin D stores are low. Many people report improvement in mood with only 1000mg per day. Check with your doctor to see what dosage might be right for you.

The holidays are coming. Do you feel joyful? Stressed? How about both? For many people, the holidays are the toughest time of the year, with extra activities, mile-long to-do lists, and constant entertaining high on the roster of stressors. So how do we stay sane and healthy during this crazy, zany time of year?

The first thing we need to do is check out how many chemicals we’re taking in. When I say “chemicals”, I mean any substance (like refined white sugar, caffeine or alcohol) that gives you a short burst of energy, and then a subsequent energy crash. And it’s important to note that we don’t just experience a physical roller coaster ride on these chemicals. Large fluctuations in our blood sugar levels drastically affect our moods as well. Have you ever felt yourself getting irritable as your coffee high wears off? Do you feel significantly juiced up after eating a bag of peanut M&Ms? If so, you’re riding the chemical roller coaster.

Now, add incredible amounts of holiday stress together with incredible amounts of chemicals, and you’ve got the proverbial perfect storm. No wonder we all end up with the flu in January!

This holiday season, focus on adding naturally sweet foods to your diet regularly, like pumpkin, our featured food below. If you are making baked goods, use the highest-quality, organic ingredients available and substitute natural sweeteners for refined white sugar. For your favorite holiday baked goods, try substituting with agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses brown rice syrup, barley malt, date sugar or raw honey.

A staple around the holidays, let’s explore this nutritional powerhouse that is pumpkin. A member of the Cucurbita family, including squash and cucumbers, pumpkin gets its name from the Greek word “pepon” for large melon. Seeds (pepitas) from related plants have been found in Mexico, dating back over 7000 years to 5500 B.C.

Pumpkins are chock full of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Research shows that people who eat a diet rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers. Pumpkins are also loaded with potassium, and zinc and are high in fiber.

Pumpkin seeds are nutritional powerhouses as well, and can be beneficial for people with kidney, prostate and gallbladder problems. They also help remove parasites from the intestines, and are a natural anti-inflammatory. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and essential fatty acids.

From “Get The Sugar Out” by Ann Louise Gittleman
Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 ½ c pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (dairy, soy, rice or almond)
3 eggs, beaten
¼ c honey
1 ½ tbsp molasses
1 tsp natural vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Add seasonings to the pumpkin puree.
2. In a large bowl, mix milk and eggs, then stir in pumpkin mixture, honey, molasses and vanilla.
3. Pour filling into store-bought whole wheat or spelt crust.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 50 minutes longer.
5. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Holidays are a great time to practice lowering our expectations, especially for “Type A” personalities. What if you didn’t have to have perfect hostess gifts? What if you didn’t have to send holiday cards? What if you didn’t have to make sure Uncle Ned had the perfect seat at the dinner table? Ask yourself if the things you are breaking your back to do at the holidays are making the season joyful for you or not. Use this season to observe what’s truly important to you during the holidays, and commit to letting the rest go.

We’ve all heard how wonderful omega-3 fats are for our health. They have many benefits including:

• Preventing fatal erratic heart rhythms
• Reducing inflammation
• Making up cell membranes throughout the body, especially the eye, brain and sperm cells
• Preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke
• Easing depression

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of “Ultrametabolism”, research suggests that the omega-3s in certain fish may cure or treat most chronic illnesses, including depression, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, dementia, autism, ADHD, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. In fact, about 60 percent of your brain is - or should be - made of fish oil.

But with all the concern about mercury levels in fish and unsustainable fishing practices, what kind of fish can we safely eat? Dr. Andrew Weil, recommends eating Wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, black cod, and bluefish. He suggests avoiding tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish and sea bass.

To help you make quality seafood choices when you’re shopping or out to eat, download the Seafood Pocket Guide. It lists fish that are both high in omega-3 fats and low in environmental contaminants.

Although sometimes called a black cod, the sablefish is actually not a cod species. The wide-ranging, long-lived sablefish is popular in Japan, where most of the catch is marketed. Black cod is perhaps the richest, most succulent fish in the sea, with an omega-3 content as high as King salmon. This fish produces oil rich in vitamins A and D. Thanks to its richness, Alaska sablefish is exceptionally flavorful and very filling, so you only need about 4 ounces per portion.

Black Cod is ideal for grilling, roasting, broiling and pan searing but can also be slow cooked without losing its texture. The result, however you prepare it, is a flaky, pure white, rich tasting fish. Smoked sablefish has a nutty flavor and a unique texture and taste. As a result of its high oil content, it is excellent for making dips, mousses and fillings.