Radical Recipes from the New Anarchist's Cookbook- Stick-it-To-The-man Stir Fry

This week has been weird. I've been craving deep fried wontons with cream cheese inside- and I'm not gonna lie. I got some. But then I craved them the next night, and I realized how sneaky my brain is. Its wired, via my taste buds, to want deep fried food food, filled with some gooey cheese- I mean,  what is cream cheese, anyway? I will look it up later, but I do love it, and I'm not backing down from it yet- although I get it from trader Joe's, no more Philly Cream Cheese filled with GMOs for me.

I had to have a bit of a stand down with myself. I was in a bit of a state. All I could think about all day long were those damn wontons. Sometimes, in these recipes I post, I offer the recipe itself up as an alternative to a craving. This isn't that, not really. There is no relation to the following recipe and fried cream cheese wontons in taste or texture- but its the best thing I've made all week, and it totally hit the spot, and I won't be surprised if I crave it all day tomorrow- that's the goal. To keep eating the right foods until I de-program myself from the processed, deep fried, palm oil and high fructose corn syrup laden, GMO packed crap that is packaged so cleverly, branded so well its seared into our flesh, and hits all the high notes with our taste buds. I want to crave healthy stuff, because I want to make sure my dollars are not supporting the aforementioned atrocity that is the typical American diet. I want my dollars to go to the local and small and organic farmers, who are not trying to compromise my health for the sake of Big Pharma.

Eat Radical recipes and avoid Big Pharma- stick it to the man by eating like you give a damn!

Enough of me ranting. I posted a recipe a couple of weeks back, and this is actually a variation on a theme.

STICK-IT-TO-THE-MAN STIR FRY

There's no going back now

What you will need-


6 Organic carrots. NOT those already peeled bright orange weird carrots, those are actually reconstituted carrots. But like REAL carrots, with green at the top, that you have to peel
Frozen organic green beans
organic non GMO sprouted tofu, firm
mushrooms
oyster sauce
sesame oil
garlic
Quinoa- optional side dish, I highly recommend.

So the biggest prep time in this recipe is for the carrots. I peel them, place them in tent of aluminum foil with EVOO and garlic, and bake them in the oven at 450 for 20 minutes, or until they are 'al dente'. And yes, there is a perfect texture for carrots. If they aren't al dente, I won't eat them- they don't even taste like carrots when they are cooked right. Which is good since I kind of hate carrots otherwise.

Here is an amazing song to cut tofu and mushrooms by, FLUME featuring Chet Faker...

(Put quinoa on to cook now, if you are going to have that as a side dish)

While carrots are cooking, cut the tofu into squares and set aside. Cut the mushrooms into slices. Mince the garlic, unless you have a Trader Joe's and can get the frozen garlic cubes- they ROCK! Put sesame oil, oyster sauce, and plenty of garlic in a wok or frying pan. (I never measure, but if I had to guess, I'd say start with 1/3 cup of each and 3 cloves garlic- if a clove means one of those little chunks that you have to peel inside a big thing of garlic)

STICK IT TO THE MAN! Right from your own kitchen!!!

Don't turn the stove on high, I always do and burn everything. Keep it on a low-medium setting while the oil, sauce, and garlic get a chance to mingle and infuse.  After about 3-5 minutes, put the tofu in first. Mix it gently so it doesn't break apart but gets saturated with the sauce. After a few minutes, put the mushrooms in and do the same thing. A few minutes later, put the green beans in (I put them in frozen) and let it all simmer for a while.

Now check on those carrots. If they seem good to you, take them out carefully and cut them into bite sizes. Throw those in with the rest of the stir fry and simmer some more.

You will be able to tell when its ready- mostly because the frozen beans will be hot which means everything else is well cooked too. Try to make sure someone is with you- you will want to have someone taste your amazing cooking immediately. You will be grinning from ear to ear, and you know how it is, you have to share the joy asap. At least, that was my experience.

If you try it and you like it, let me know!!

And don't forget, just 5 weeks away and coming to a city or town near you-

Occupy yourself! March Against Monsanto. Find the location near you on facebook.

Love and rockets,

Ashley Dane
Shake The Hive

Microwaves are bad....and here is why

Microwaves.

Its hard to think of life without them, isn't it? About two years ago, I had a friend who didn't have one, and I can totally remember thinking they were so....odd! I couldn't imagine how they did it.

I've changed a lot since that time. I am currently sorting through nearly everything in my life, looking for the truth about what I put in my mouth, my body, and most especially my mind, which controls the rest of it anyway. Its not easy- it challenges so much of who I think I am, and what I find comfort in. Food, especially, is such a personal thing. We like what we like. Or do we? I have found that I am not to be trusted. If I know that I am eating something super processed,  filled with palm oil, genetically modified organisms, high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and a host of other things that are proven to be BAD, for me and for the planet- if I know this, and I still eat it, what is calling the shots in my head?  Some sort of programming that tells me the satisfaction I seek is in that bad food, which over rides all the other facts. I want my satisfaction. My taste buds want that thing, and they are not to be deterred. Usually, that's the case. But I don't trust my taste buds any more. The bad foods appeal to our taste buds, but we need to eat twice as much of that food to feel physically satisfied. That's how America became the home of the Super Size meal. And that is why our kids now suffer maladies once entirely the realm of older people, after a life time of eating poorly- things like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart disease. These diseases are on the rise in youth because so many kids' diets consist of the worst possible nutrition. 

MICROWAVES ARE BAD

So the issue of the microwave. Its another thing I have taken another look at. For the past few months, in my house, I have been on a campaign to reduce its use, but my kids won't let me get rid of it quite yet.  On the front of it, in Sharpie marker, I have written- DONT USE THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE TO! ITS BAD! and drew a picture of a skull and crossbones. Its helped a lot, it rarely gets used. One of these days, it will be thrown out, and by that time my kids won't miss it. Any day now. I don't buy food that is microwave friendly any more- that's a huge component to the success of living without a microwave. Eat fresh! We are eating lots of green stuff, and you can find lots of RADICAL RECIPES right here on Shake The Hive. (And watch the documentary Forks Over Knives if you really want to take it to the next level. Let me know what you think, if you do!)

My microwave, with warning written on the front in marker

Why would I not want a microwave? Here are some reasons, below. But what I personally understand is that the microwaves sort of blow up the molecules in food, making them unrecognizable to the body as the food you think you are eating.  That's my rendition, in a nutshell. So if you are nuking some processed crap, there isn't a lot of good stuff to destroy- but some of the findings below say that it doesn't just destroy good stuff, it turns cells in carcinogens, in some cases.

The first set of findings are a very DIY sort of control exeriment, done with house plants. The results are shocking. The second set of findings, under the plant experiment, are from a blog written by Dr Mercola, which can be found in its entirety by clicking here.  Its some amazing stuff, and if this doesn't stop you in your tracks, I don't know what will.

Below is a Science fair project presented by a girl in a secondary school in Sussex. In it she took filtered water and divided it into two parts. You can find the original article by clicking here.

The first part she heated to boiling in a pan on the stove, and the second part she heated to boiling in a microwave. Then after cooling she used the water to water two identical plants to see if there would be any difference in the growth between the normal boiled water and the water boiled in a microwave.

She was thinking that the structure or energy of the water may be compromised by microwave.
As it turned out, even she was amazed at the difference, after the experiment which was repeated by her class mates a number of times and had the same result.

It has been known for some years that the problem with microwaved anything is not the radiation people used to worry about, it’s how it corrupts the DNA in the food so the body can not recognize it.
Microwaves don’t work different ways on different substances. Whatever you put into the microwave suffers the same destructive process. Microwaves agitate the molecules to move faster and faster. This movement causes friction which denatures the original make-up of the substance. It results in destroyed vitamins, minerals, proteins and generates the new stuff called radiolytic compounds, things that are not found in nature.

So the body wraps it in fat cells to protect itself from the dead food or it eliminates it fast. Think of all the Mothers heating up milk in these ‘Safe’ appliances. What about the nurse in Canada that warmed up blood for a transfusion patient and accidentally killed him when the blood went in dead. But the makers say it’s safe. But proof is in the pictures of living plants dying!!!






FORENSIC RESEARCH DOCUMENT
Prepared By: William P. Kopp
A. R. E. C. Research Operations
TO61-7R10/10-77F05
RELEASE PRIORITY: CLASS I ROO1a
Ten Reasons to dispose off your Microwave Oven
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, one can conclude this article with the following:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term – permanent – brain damage by ‘shorting out’ electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumours]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in UK and America .
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.


Twenty Years of Russian Research Supports Microwave Concerns
The Nazis are credited with inventing the first microwave-cooking device to provide mobile food support to their troops during their invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II [14] . These first microwave ovens were experimental. After the war, the US War Department was assigned the task of researching the safety of microwave ovens.
But it was the Russians who really took the bull by the horns.
After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. Alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976, but they later lifted the ban during Perestroika in the late 1980's.
Still, 20 years of Russian research (and German studies as far back as 1942 Berlin) make a strong argument against the safety of microwave cooking.
Their findings led the Russian government to issue an international warning about possible biological and environmental damage associated with the use of microwave ovens and other similar frequency electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones).
I was not able to personally evaluate any of these older bodies of research, since those documents are now difficult to track down, so I can't attest to their methodology or conclusions. All you can do is weigh their findings appropriately, as best you can.
The Powerwatch article cited above summarizes the Russian research quite well, which I will duplicate below.

•Russian investigators found that carcinogens were formed from the microwaving of nearly all foods tested.

•The microwaving of milk and grains converted some of the amino acids into carcinogenic substances.

•Microwaving prepared meats caused the formation of the cancer-causing agents d-Nitrosodienthanolamines.

•Thawing frozen fruits by microwave converted their glucoside and galactoside fractions into carcinogenic substances.

•Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.

•Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants--especially root vegetables.

•Structural degradation leading to decreased food value was found to be 60 to 90 percent overall for all foods tested, with significant decreases in bioavailability of B complex vitamins, vitamins C and E, essential minerals, and lipotropics (substances that prevent abnormal accumulation of fat).

I might add that this finding is supported by the 1998 Japanese study by Watanabe7 about vitamin B12 in milk, cited above.

The Swiss Clinical Study: Hans Hertel
Some fairly compelling evidence supporting the destructive effects of microwaves comes from a highly cited study by a Swiss food scientist named Hans Hertel. Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to study the effects of microwaved foods on the blood and physiology of human beings.

His small study, coauthored by Dr. Bernard Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute for Biochemistry, revealed the degenerative forces produced by microwave ovens on the foods they cooked.

Dr. Hertel concluded that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food, and that changes took place in the blood that could cause negative health effects.

Hertel's conclusions were that microwaving food resulted in:

•Increased cholesterol levels

•Decreased numbers of leukocytes (white blood cells), which can suggest poisoning

•Decreased numbers of red blood cells

•Production of radiolytic compounds

•Decreased hemoglobin levels, which could indicate anemia

Not surprisingly, Dr. Hertel's study was met with great resistance from those with much to lose.
A gag order against Dr. Hertel was issued by a Swiss trade organization in 1992, which was later removed in 1998. But an American journalist, Tom Valentine, published the results of Hertel's study in Search for Health in the spring of 1992 [15] .

Occupy yourself!!!

xoxo,

Ashley Dane
Shake The Hive

Radical Recipes- Locally grown Asparagus with Asian sauce

In today's busy world, convenience is king. Convenience is the reason we have McDonalds and microwaves. Why TV dinners were invented. Why non perishable food items are such a staple in the American household. And convenience is also what is wrong with the modern culture- so much is lost, so much is sacrificed in order to make it as easy and mobile friendly as possible.

Having said all that, I have to say I completely understand. I have fallen prey to the convenience mindset- in fact it dictated a great bulk of my life. There was a short golden time when my kids were little and I didn't work that I was able to make real meals, not warm them up. It was lovely, but I had nothing but time. That's not most people's reality, and its not my reality now.

Being a single mom,  and also just trying to be a socially conscious consumer, I need recipes that are yummy, fast, inexpensive, and easy to prepare. That is why I call these recipes radical- I never thought I could feed my family organic, locally grown, fully prepared meals on my limited budget, after working a full day. I am learning how to do it, and sharing what I learn.

(And when I said yummy- I really do need my food to be very super yummy. I can't just eat some bland crap just because its good for me. No way. One of my greatest joys is learning that eating healthy doesn't mean you have to sacrifice yumminess!!!)

The beauty of today's recipe is that its super quick and easy. And oh my God, its so freaking good. I am eating it right now. I love to go to restaurants and try to make what I ate at home, and this is one of those dishes. For months I have been trying to duplicate the green beans at one of my favorite sushi places-  the sauce, mainly. I have tried to create some rather elaborate sauces, but as it turns out, this one is really simple. I finally asked them, and I was surprised when they told me exactly what to do. Today I tried it on some super fresh, super skinny asparagus I got at the farmer's market this morning.

Radical recipe #128, Asian Asparagus

So here is the recipe. it takes 5 minutes.

Asparagus locally grown organic
oyster sauce
garlic (one clove, cut up into tiny pieces)
sesame oil

I threw the all the above into a wok and added the asparagus and sautéed until it was cooked through but still al dente, not mushy or soft.

I can't tell you how much of each thing- its up to your palate, and I never consider cooking an exact formula. You can't go wrong no matter how much or little you put, and you will learn what you like.

What is so radical about this? For me, radical recipes are all about finding something that will satisfy a person, which can be a stand in for when our taste buds start luring us in the wrong direction. I frequently go into the kitchen and want something yummy and fast. Usually that isn't something that is in keeping with my lifestyle- and the temptations abound in a household with two teenage girls. I am really committed to training my taste buds, so I am no longer a slave to them. I want to crave fresh, healthy, locally grown food. But I wasn't raised to like that stuff, and so its an ongoing process of learning how to replace my usual go-to processed foods with better choices.



I love Michael Pollan

I have to tell you, today when I was hungry, the last thing I wanted to do was NOT eat something that was a go-to food. I really didn't want to eat something green or vegetably or fruity. I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich- white bread, Jif peanut butter and some grape jelly.  For me to choose to make this asparagus dish instead is kind of a big deal- it goes against all my programming.  That's the point, though. Occupying yourself means to switch gears, question everything, and re-program yourself in the way that is true to your core being. I dare say all our core selves are aligned with well being, and the sustainability of the planet, when you get right down to it.  Who, when stripped of all their bullshit, doesn't truly want to be healthy, and live peacefully on a planet that is thriving?

Google the MAM to find out where its being held in your area!!!!

OCCUPY YOURSELF!

xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Shake The Hive- the Non Profit Organization!!!

I'm baaa-aaack!

Its amazing how a short trip to Key West with my kids could throw me off my game so much. It was a much needed trip, in the wake of a big round of layoffs at my now former job- including lots of very public drama about the rehab where I worked in the Hollywood Reporter.

Basically, I am in the middle of one of those life transitions. For about 30 seconds, I thought I might panic- "Holy shit, I have been laid off, and I am the sole supporter and of two teenage daughters, our insurance was through work, what the hell am I going to do?!?!" That passed very quickly, because I know what I want to do. And I don't want to do anything else. I don't want to go work for someone, or run someone else's company, or even start my own, as such. I want to do my non profit, and that is what I mean to do, no matter what. This blog has been instrumental in coming to this realization.

Me and my teenage muses on the plane to Key West

So here is what its gonna look like-

The first year, I will take 6-8 teenage girls, who I will find by talking to local high school counselors. I will focus on girls for now, and girls from homes where the dads are absent. Why this demographic? Because I understand it. And I understand how disconnected these girls are, from themselves and therefore anyone else, and their desperation to forge connections, without having the tools to know how, create a lot of havoc in their lives. And the moms (and I know this all too well) are spread thin trying to raise these kids, and often, in spite of all their best efforts, the girls spin out of control and the mothers don't know what to do, lacking resources such as time, money, and support. These girls fall through the cracks- there are no real programs for them. They often aren't the lowest rung of the economy, although its a struggle for the mom, the kids look fine, dress fine, have an iphone- no one would know they are suffering from looking at them.

Each girl, I will spend some time with individually at first. I will sit with them and start seedlings with them, planting the seeds in the little cups and just talking. I have found that simple interactions like this, conversations shared over an activity, are very connective. I will also be showing them what they will be doing with the next generation of girls, as they will mentor the next group.

A familiar sight to most parents- this is our youth, and our future. (this is not one of my kids)

This will hopefully take place on a piece of small land, perhaps the backyard of a small house. This will depend on funding, but some land is necessary. The set up will include some land for planting on, which will be supplemented by garden towers as well, hopefully an area for beehives (if the laws change by then- if not, we will keep our beehives where it is allowed, maybe at the bee sanctuary that Honeylove has in Moorpark), an area for an outdoor fire pit, and then the house. The house will be where the office is, where classes will take place, and act as a sort of clubhouse and refuge for the girls. If there is a pool- even better. I want this place to be a refuge for the girls, a place they naturally gravitate to, that is safe and loving and always welcomes them with open arms.

So the gist of it is this- The girls will grow their own food, and in so doing, learn a lot about personal development through the metaphor of growing things, through the pride of accomplishment and the self esteem that comes from this kind of work. We will work with the bees, and they will learn about the community that a beehive is, the sisterhood that a colony is, and the simple devotion to a cause greater than oneself. All thw work done with gardening and bees will be to help stimulate awareness, compassion, and connection in the girls, and help build a value system that our youth so desperately needs in order to be good stewards of this planet. And last but not least, they will learn about the importance of these activities as a part of the solution to the world's problems. they will learn to make food with the vegetables and greens and fruit they grow, with a nutritionist on hand to help uncover the magic of food. they will learn that they have been branded to their whole lives, told what they should like, and that it is vital, and revolutionary, to question everything that they have been sold, and to investigate everything for its inherent value, not just food products, but we will start with that discussion and let the rest unfold. They will learn that the bees need our help, and that they can maintain their own beehives, grow their own food- ongoingly- and that it is not only feasible to do (even in urban environments) but mandatory for the future of their world. If the harvests are substantial, if the bees produce honey,  if we have enough land, we may get a booth at a local farmer's market. That part remains to be seen, but I picture it as sort of an organic Homeboy Industries for teenage girls.

Some of the classes that will be taught is the art of social media marketing. Kids are already all over this stuff, but for all the wrong reasons. They will be taught SEO, and blog writing, so they can maintain blogs about their experiences, twitter about it, instagram, pinterest, get their friends interested, and thus learn to create a buzz about something empowering, instead of who hooked up with who over the weekend. They will blog weekly on the website, which will, with SEO, create more visibility for the non profit itself. They will add their blogs to their own facebook page, the non profit facebook page, and create their own social consciousness facebook page. They will be tasked with coming up with their own logos, and learning to design logos, create memes with a social message suitable to their peer group. They will CONNECT, which is what they so desperately needed to do in the first place. They will build self esteem, which connects one to oneself. They will be empowered to have a voice in their community of peers.



We can't get kids off facebook- but they can use it for social awareness!

Every weekend, there will be a gathering, and either a class, or a documentary screening, or a trip to various places- Animal Acres, the Wolf Sanctuary, or there will be workshops on sustainability or beekeeping- there are plenty of great things to expose these kids to. They will care for their gardens, harvest their crops, make salads, learn about buying local with trips to the farmer's market- so they can help their busy moms in the kitchen, and perhaps even teach them about eating with a social consciousness rather than for the sake of convenience. The moms, it must be said, will benefit from this too, and they are meant to. They need a hand. I aim to give them one.  We will keep an eye on the grades of the girls, and if they need help, like a tutor, we will find it. If they are having any other troubles, we will be supportive in all ways.

One weekend a month there will be a sleepover, and they can each invite one friend. We will make dinner from the gardens, and sit around the outdoor fire, talking. No phones, no facebook. Just old fashioned talking.

There are a couple of other components to the program- the trip to Bali at the end of the program, for one. The girls will acquire passports during the program, and they will, after months of tending to their gardens and bees and social media platforms and their audience, plan a kickstarter campaign to raise money for their trip to Bali. They will learn about fundraising this way. If they are short, the non profit will make up the difference, but they will participate in their own adventure.

People in Bali smile from deep within- they radiate good will

Why Bali? Several reasons. I have never been to a place where the people are so incredibly happy, and they have nothing. One of their blog assignments will be to go to Beverly Hills and observe the people there, and write about the level of happiness or joy they see around them in the city of mass consumption. they will do this same exercise in Bali. I want them to grasp, in an experiential and meaningful way, what truly makes one happy is not the acquiring of things, or being skinny or sought after by boys or having the latest handbag. There is a lot to learn from the people on Bali. Also, Bali has a lot of exotic culture and amazing things to experience, and this will connect the girls to their global community, open their eyes to the world at large. Its also very inexpensive once you get there, and since this is a non-profit, that makes a difference, too.

Balinese pre-teen dancers in traditional Legong attire

When they come back from Bali, they will mentor the next generation of girls, and their Moms will become a support sister to the new Moms. In the second phase, the Center will hold support groups for the Moms as well.  The First Generation girls will help the second generation with their gardening, blogging- all of it. The First generation girls will have either a small garden or a garden tower at home, to continue with what they have learned on their own- and maybe even a small bee hive, if the laws change. this is why them Moms are going to need support- the girls are going to take what they have learned and create a lifestyle around it, and they will need support.

The second to last phase for the girls will be placement as an intern at a local non profit of their choosing. They will be guided to understand what they are passionate about, and learn that they can make a difference, they can change the world, that they are important in this process.  As such, at the end of the internship, should they want to create their own non-profit, they will be placed in the non profit incubator, where they will get the help and support they need to get started on their own path.

Finally- and this is very important in communicating with kids- there will be the inclusion of a certain dialogue about it all that instigates interest in kids, as it does for me. A certain irreverence is called for, like Thug Kitchen- Eat Like You Give A Fuck, or punk rock homesteading, or the very real idea  of approaching this lifestyle as being Revolutionary and Radical. Case in point- two weeks ago, I went out guerilla gardening, right after it got dark. I asked my 16 year old and her friend if they wanted to go, and they said, "Ummm, no." Then I said, "You have to sneak around and plant them, like graffiti, but with plants." They leapt at that. There is a way to speak of these important things that kids will listen to, and the ones who are going to help me figure that out are the kids themselves.

So...that is what I am gonna be up to. This is the first time I have revealed my intentions in public, but the readers of my blog have been SOOOO incredibly supportive, and this blog grew so much faster than I ever could have imagined, that I trusted you guys with this first. This is gonna be off the hook!!! I am really excited. I truly believe that "if you build it, they will come." I don't know how to do a non-profit. I have never done anything like this in my life. But that's not about to stop me. And by stating my intentions publically, I am bound to it in a way I wouldn't be if I didn't.

The long and the short of it- I want to inspire kids to care about themselves, their community, and the planet. I want them to use the platforms of social media for shifting social consciousness. I want to open their eyes to the bigger picture, to the world at large, and their place in it. I want to create pathways between their compassionate urges and their ability to act on them. I want to lay the foundation for a value system that will continue to grow and to give. this will ripple out in ways I can't foresee, but I know it will be good, and I know the world needs people like this.

Occupy yourself!!

Ashley Dane

Palm Oil, Super Sizing, and Kanye West, Oh My!!

Okay, this won't look like much to anyone else, but remember that I am learning to use Aeroponic Garden Towers for urban gardening. When I ordered the seedlings, I didn't pay any attention to how they were marked, so to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was growing. I was waiting until it burst open with vegetables, and then I'd know. Yesterday a new friend, who is a nutritionist, came over and pointed out that two of the mystery plants were kale. Kale!!! And ready to harvest! I also had an impressive bunch of chives, too, but they aren't pictured.

So....yay! One small step in the right direction! My baby seedlings are about a week away from planting into the second garden tower- I am hoping to get the swing of it in the next few months so I can help teach others how to do it. I think it will be amazing to help people who live in apartment buildings learn to grow their own vegetables, in spite of the lack of soil. So cool!

Could Kanye West grow Kale like this?

Here is the second picture my sweet friend Becca took- she told me to look as excited as I was- personally I think I look a little psychotic, but make no mistake, that is sheer enthusiasm. And then...I made a big fat kale/strawberry/almond/banana/coconut milk smoothie with it.

Yay organic home grown kale!

My nutritionist friend dropped some science on me about, errrrrr, well nutrition of course, and she always leaves me feeling like the world of food is a great and amazing mystery- not unlike my recently harvested kale. She is like a food Yoda. She says things like- "smokers need to eat more vitamin C than non smokers, so when given a choice between strawberries or bananas, they should always pick bananas." Or, 'adding lemon juice to dark leafy green liberates the nutrients', or "an actual serving of a bagel is 1/4 of a bagel. Not the whole bagel. 1/4. Same with red meat. A serving is 3 oz. Americans eat 12 or more ounce steaks. And we wonder why obesity is what it is." When she explained to me how insulin in the blood works, and how it responds to stuff like pasta, that its this whole tricky thing that goes on inside creating spikes in insulin, more than the body can use, so the insulin is just hanging out in the blood, telling you that you are hungry, even if you are completely full, you will often still feel hungry." Such cool information! I plan on picking her brain and sharing what I find in there with YOU.

Yoda is cute, but my Food Yoda is waaaaay cuter

I really liked this bit of info. It points to the different sides of the fence we all make in regards to food. Its such a personal matter, which is why changing your way of eating is, in my opinion, such a revolutionary act. Some do it for weight, some do it for health, some do it not to hurt animals, some do it to stop supporting the food corporations, hence a socio/political stance. Some unexamined eaters will eat for comfort, out of boredom, for the high, because of a disordered relationship to food, they supersize it because they can, they eat it because its there.  For those who eat healthy out of concerns for weight, I just want to say- the last two times I was at the Farmer's Market, I did not see one single obese person there. Not one. Everyone was, dare I say it, easy on the eyes. They looked fit and healthy and content in their skin.

Here is an angle we don't hear about much, in the face of Monsanto and GMOs. Palm oil production. Have you heard of this?  I hadn't. Apparently palm oil is now in pretty much everything. And this palm oil is harvested in places like Indonesia, where the climate is perfect for it. In order to grow it, they are destroying rain forests at an alarming rate, threatening many species of animals- not the least of which is the orangutan of Sumatra's rain forests.

Read more about palm oil, deforestation and the plight of orangutans HERE

Learn more about what food to avoid that contains palm oil HERE.

Suffice it to say, its many of the same foods you might already be avoiding if you are trying not to eat GMOs. If you aren't there yet, here is another good reason to start being very conscious about your eating habits- these little babies below are one of the species that is being endangered so the food corporations can give the world snacks. SNACKS.

This whole radical shift in the way I am living my life when it comes to my eating habits continues to surprise me. Its so much more than it seems, on the surface. "Its just food, what's the big deal," I used to think, and many still do. But our food is everything. Its the one thing we ALL have to do, eat. Its the one thing that will determine the state of our health. Those who control it have us by the short and curlies and we as a culture are not even aware. Did you know that it benefits insurance companies to keep Americans fat? They can charge you higher rates if your BMI is over a certain percent. Do you think they might be very happy, in fact very encouraging, of the whole Super Sizing food portions?  This isn't conspiracy theorizing. This is an actual conspiracy, and the joke is on us all.

This very reason is why this is a radical thing to do. This is why its revolutionary. If we don't buy or eat their food, then we are, individually, free from their toxic influence. If enough people do it, we start to shift the mantle of power. They need our money to succeed in a capitalist society. Its our money- lets not use it to support those who want to make us fat and dumb, to feed us poison and destroy the earth and its critters. Every cent you spend on processed foods, non locally grown produce, fast food, etc- is money you are giving the McDeath Corporations to poison your children and kill your world. Have you ever seen the movie Wall-E? I'm just sayin'.

Okay, so perhaps I am waxing a little dramatic, but its not far from the truth. Give it some thought. I am here to tell you that if I can do this, you can too. I am here to tell you it IS affordable, it IS fun, there are so many amazing new things to try that you don't even know of yet (check out my Radical Recipes on this blog! New recipes every week.) Its sexy. It changes the way you look at everything. It feels liberating. You feel...awake.  It feels good! In ways you can't possibly understand until you cross over.  And if you aren't ready yet- I ain't mad at ya. You can do your part in other ways. Like share the crap out of this blog!!!!

I will leave my ranting and raving for the day with my favorite song of the week... Kanye West, Black Skinhead. He has redeemed himself, if you ask me.

Xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Radical Recipe #127- Brussel Sprouts again...I am determined to love them!!!

I have gone my entire life hating brussel sprouts, categorically. Emphatically. Ridiculously, as it turns out- I never ate a single one until a couple of months ago. Now I am feeling repentant and a little hang dog that I could be such an inveterate brat as to turn up my nose at something simply because it, well...looked like a tiny cabbage, and cabbages are old people food. And, let me be perfectly honest, it didn't fit into my food groups, which went something like this-

That is my explanation of two brussel sprout recipes in a row. I am happy to discover I am wrong, and am reveling in my new found delight that there is food outside the realm of sugar-y processed goodness. If you think I am joking, I will have you know I ate nothing but Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese and ten spoons of cookie dough nuked in the microwave and smothered in milk for an ENTIRE WINTER last year. I've come a long way, baby.

This brussel sprout dish I recently ate at the uber fabulous SLS hotel in Los Angeles. I don't usually go to such swanky places, but on this occasion I did, and of all the amazing things I ate, the sprouts were my favorite. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the recipe, and here it is- scaled down and sans the 'lemon air'. When you order this dish, it comes with what looks like foamy soap bubbles on top. Its lemon air. if you want to know more, check it out here. There is a video to walk you through it as well.


Makes one serving- You will have to do the math for each person you plan to serve

3 oz. Brussels Sprout Leaves (organic, or from your local farmer's market)
 you have to pull the leaves off the stalk-y bit...I had to cut a little off the stalk to get the leaf to come loose, and as you go in further you may find you need to cut it again- they should look like this-

Its upside down, I don't know how to reverse it, but that is some amazing Himalayan sea salt next to the brussel leaves

1 T. sliced Green Grapes (or whole champagne grapes)
(I got the champagne grapes- if you can get those- Trader Joe's has them- they are your best bet)

1 T. Lemon Pith
(What the hell is pith??? I'll tell you. Its the bitter white stuff on the inside of a citrus peel. You don't have to use this but yo ucan. I scraped it off with a knife.)

1 T. Granny Smith Apple (medium dice)

2 T. Sherry Vinaigrette (sherry vinegar + olive oil)
(red wine vinegar will do just as well, you won't taste the difference unless you are some kind of vinegar aficionado)


1 tsp. Dried Apricot (medium dice)
(Yes, these are plain old dried apricots- you can usually get them at your local farmer's market)

1 tsp. Chives

Lemon Zest

The Radical Recipe Laboratory in Full swing, Yo!

1.    Trim the Brussels sprouts.

2.     Put water on to boil

3. dice into small squares the apple and the dried apricot (make the apricot bigger squares, its hard to cut precisely) chop chives, and put all in a small bowl with the grapes.

4. Mix vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl

5. Put a teaspoon of salt in the water (I prefer Himalayan sea salt- its the best)

6.  Blanch Brussels sprouts leaves for 60seconds in boiling salted water.
(I would take them out with a big spoon and put in a big colander- bite one- if it doesn't sort of melt in your mouth and is still rubbery, blanch them a little while longer)

7.    Place in mixing bowl with apricots, apples, grapes, chives, and sherry vinaigrette. Mix well. Add a little sea salt.

5.    Place lemon pith puree on bottom of bowl and pour brussels sprouts mix

                 NOW EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A GREEN GODDAMN! BECAUSE YOU DO!

I couldn't wait, so here is a picture of my half eaten brussel sprout dish. So freaking good I could slap my grandma!

So the skinny on brussel sprouts is... they are extremely nutrient dense. The more you eat, the less likely it is you will succumb to a variety of ills. And since we are all endeavoring to avoid GMOs- you can safely make this dish from locally grown produce and a couple of condiments from TJ's. Hell to the yeah! Its very sexy to know how to whip together a tasty dish of pure goodness. It will wow your friends and impress your neighbors. And you will be giving a little FU to the bad guys at Monsanto!

 

 

BENEFITS OF BRUSSEL SPROUTS

 Cholesterol
The high fiber content (over 15% of our RDA) of Brussels sprouts lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to do so, ultimately lowering the cholesterol amount within our bodies.
DNA
Recent studies have shown that certain compounds in Brussels sprouts block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that can be detrimental to the health and stability of DNA within white blood cells.

Antioxidants
A host of antioxidant ingredients are found in Brussels sprouts, including Vitamins C, E, and A, as well as the mineral manganese. Furthermore, flavonoid antioxidants like isorhamnetin, quercitin, and kaempferol also serve well to protect against oxidative stress on the body's cells.
Inflammation
Glucobrassicin, a glucosinolate particularly abundant in Brussels sprouts, has been shown to fight inflammation on a genetic level once converted into the molecule indole-3-carbinol, or ITC. Furthermore, one and a half cups of Brussels sprouts contain about 430 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids (about ⅓ of the daily recommended amount) that are an essential part of our body's anti-inflammatory messaging molecules. Finally, the wealth of vitamin K found in Brussels sprouts has been shown to effectively regulate our body's inflammatory responses.

Cancer Prevention
Glucosinolates in Brussels sprouts and their detox-activating isothiocyanates are shown to fight against and even prevent various cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer.

Cardiovascular Support
Brussels sprouts contain the isothiocyanate sulforaphane made from glucosinolates. This powerful compounds not only triggers anti-inflammatory activity in our cardiovascular system but may also prevent and even possibly help reverse blood vessel damage. By regulating inflammation within the body, Brussels sprouts can fight against the onset of heart attacks, ischemic heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, the lowered cholesterol mentioned earlier may also lessen the possibility of arterial blockage.

Digestion and Diet
One cup of Brussels sprouts contains four grams (16% of the RDA) of dietary fiber, which can aid in digestion, prevent constipation, maintain low blood sugar and check overeating. The sulforaphane found in Brussels spouts also protects our stomach lining by obstructing the overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that can lead to gastric cancer.

Vitamin K
Brussels sprouts are especially high in vitamin K (one cup contains 273.5% of the RDA), which promotes healthy bones, prevents calcification of the body’s tissues, serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, and is essential for proper brain and nerve function.

Vitamin C
The nutritional benefits of vitamin C (one cup contains over 161% of the RDA) found in Brussels sprouts ensure a healthy immune system, ward against hyper tension, lower blood pressure, fight lead toxicity, combat cataracts, and serve as a powerful antioxidant that prevents “cellular rust,” which can lead to atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Vitamin A Brussels sprouts also contains over 20% of the RDA of vitamin A that boosts immunity, protects eyes against cataracts and macular degeneration, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs. Folate A biochemical event called the methylation cycle relies on folate to properly transcribe DNA, transform norepinephrine into adrenalin, as well as transform serotonin into melatonin. Furthermore, folate suppresses the amino acid homocysteine that has been shown to contribute to heart disease. One cup of Brussels sprouts contains a healthy dose of folate (almost 25% of the RDA) and the health benefits associated with it.

Radical Recipes/ Crispy Brussel Leaves with Truffle (and a song to cook by)

I am really tickled that this blog has been getting so many hits! Whoever you are, reading this right now, I think about you all the time. I don't have to know you- but the fact that you are here, now, reading this- it means a lot to me to be able to write this- for you. I don't write this blog for me.

So last weekend, I went to one of my favorite little eating spots, La Poubelle. I love that the name means 'trash can' in French; I love anything irreverent and cheeky. Inside, you can barely see what's going on- its primarily lit by candles and dim Edison bulbs. The music they play is really good, and instead of the usual sports on the TV behind the bar, there is usually an old black and white movie. Its all about the atmosphere, and that suits me just fine.

La Poubelle Bistro in Los Angeles

There is a dish there that I really like, which surprised the hell out of me. Crispy brussel leaves. Sounds weird, right? But it is sooo good. And in my new lifestyle of eating in ways that will not support evil food corporations, it seemed to me that learning to make this dish would be a yummy alternative to some of the other things I am trying to eliminate, like Kraft mac and Cheese, for example. Or any brand with GMOs, or an affiliation with Monsanto. Or steak. (I don't know that I am going vegetarian, but I can see how limiting my meat intake, which used to be DAILY, has its merit in taking this stand.)

I made them today, and they were AMAZING! And easy. I won't ever share a radical recipe on here that is time consuming and tedious- I just don't have the kind of life where I can commit to hours in the kitchen.  But I want a lot from my short time in the kitchen- and I bet you feel the same way.

Here is what you need-

1 lb brussel sprouts- fresh ones, not frozen, preferably organic!!
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (click the link for a study by UC Davis on fraudulent extra virgin olive oil, as well as non GMO brands)
salt, or truffle salt, if you like truffle

there are two tricks to make this work- very hot oil, and peeling the leaves off the brussel sprouts. I found that if you cut the stalk-y end of the brussel sprout, you can peel the first few layers off easily, then you have to cut a little more off again to loosen the leaves from the center of the stalk. This is the most time consuming part of this culinary adventure. I suggest putting on some good music so your mind won't spin out and make you start thinking about other things you need to do- it happens a lot, and that takes one out of the experience. Just be with the task, don't rush. Here is a good song for peeling leaves by-

When you are half way through, put oil in a pan- you can use a frying pan- a wok is better- but what I learned today is that when you put those things in super hot oil, it spatters like a mofo.  Once you sense that the oil is good and hot, get a lid or a cooking screen ready to throw over it after you toss the leaves in the oil. I had a glass lid, so I could see what was going on underneath. I sort of held the lid over the skillet and tossed the leaves around in the oil, moving them so they didn't burn. You want them to get crispy and a little brown around the edges, though.  Maybe 3 minutes, depending on your stove top.

Once they are done, spoon them out with a draining spoon, allowing the oil to drip off for a few seconds, and onto a plate. Sprinkle them liberally with salt or truffle salt. I promise you, even if you think you can't stand brussel sprouts (I did) this is surprisingly delicious.

I am no cook, so I can't tell you how many people a pound will feed. If you are like me, then I would say make it once for yourself to see if you like it and gauge your own measurements for future reference.

I hope you like it! You certainly don't get the ambience of La Poubelle, but its way cheaper than $15 for a small dish of it. I will be eating a lot of this as I continue to replace my processed, super convenient food preferences with healthy alternatives. I get excited about this stuff, as this is the little tiny revolution that is a game changer for me and for my family- we are taking a stand not to support the major food corporations that seek to dominate the world food supply, while killing our bees, making us fat and threatening our overall health with GMOs. Screw that. There is yummy food in the world that isn't in a box or a bag or shrink wrapped or in a can. Believe it! OCCUPY YOURSELF!!!

Me and my sprouts, and me with a mouthful of sprouts, because I am a cheeky brat.



A World Without Bees

 

This is a supermarket in a world without bees- the rest of that produce would undoubtedly be riddled with GMOs

 

 

 

                                                   Read more about the Beepocalypse

Revolutionary Eating- its not for sissies

Since I am writing this not so much for those who have mastered the art of revolutionary eating, but for those who are just bellying up to the bar like myself, I think its important to talk about the challenges inherent in this endeavor.

One of the challenges I have been writing a lot about is that of being blinded by branding- just see yesterday's post. Recently on facebook I posted- well hell, I will post it here, too- that awful behind the scenes look at the making of McDonald's chicken mcnuggets. Here, this is what I posted-

Its terrible, awful, nasty and BAD. There is nothing right about this. And its a staple for moms in a hurry to give to their kids. I've done it a thousand times, when my kids were younger. So I posted this on facebook, and someone said, "Yeah, but they sure are yummy!" Its exactly that sort of cavalier attitude, unconscious slavery to our tastebuds and unwillingness to question deeply that will destroy humankind. That's why its so important that there is an antidote, and that is why I call it 'revolutionary eating'.

So that is not only a brand issue- its McDonalds! What could possibly scream America more than McDonalds? But a taste bud issue. And that is a whole diabolical affair, the issue of our tastebuds. We don't train them, we haven't mastered them- they have mastered us. When it comes to eating, the tastebuds are like...like when we say a man thinks with his you know what. Our tastebuds dominate our good senses and we reach for the thing we simply want to taste at that moment.

I was at work yesterday, and we hadn't gotten in our food delivery, so the only thing that was appealing to me in the cupboards was my stash of Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese. This has been a lunchtime staple for me for so long, its a running joke in my workplace. Everyone laughs about my predilection for mac and cheese, and everyone knows not to touch those boxes when they see them on the shelf. I kid you not, its really like that. So, I was hungry. And there was a part of me that would have felt so satisfied by my mac and cheese, you have no idea. Its so easy! So fast! So yummy! But some other part of me said "No effing way. I'm not gonna eat that crap."

I am not used to listening to that part of myself. I would even go so far as to say that this part of myself didn't exist prior to a couple of months ago. Its like my body simply refused to partake, and it was louder and more insistent than my tastebuds.

So I ended up eating a peanut butter sandwich instead. Maybe not much better- it was JIF peanut butter, and I know that is on the no-no list, but its also on my short list of things I can't give up yet. Yet. Still, it was progress.

Today I went to work with a Tupperware of organic zucchini from the local farmer's market that I had marinated in garlic, cilantro, olive oil and lime juice. And I threw them in the skillet and cooked them up for lunch. The housekeeper, my dear friend Glendis, looked almost frightened. "Ashley, what is this? Dios Mio! What are you doing? This is not your food!" She said, eyes wide in shock. She knows. Its not a small thing. Its not only how I have identified myself but how others identify me- people would shake their heads at the way I would eat- and I thought it was cute!!! I really did.

The zucchini didn't satisfy me in the same way a big bowl of gooey fake cheese and macaroni product would have- its weird to not eat a processed, chemically enhanced flavor which is telling me its delicious- but my body was happy with it, and that's a new sensation and hasn't been categorized in my brain as satisfaction yet. Weird, right?  It is causing a new relationship with everything- because I am the type to find deeper hidden meanings in everything. For example- this scenario causes me to wonder in what other areas have I accepted, ne'- embraced with absolute vigor, a substitution? In what other areas have I allowed myself to be told what to like, what to think, what my preferences should be, and I followed along without questioning- and yet still felt like it was my very own idea? How many times have I smugly said- "I like what I like," as if that was answer enough? How do I really know what I like, when it comes right down to it, if I don't stop and ask myself why, who, what, how?

It just goes back to a concept I write a lot about in my other blog about recovery and spirituality-howlinghive.blogspot.com- I want to de-program myself, unlearn what I have learned, re-train myself in ways that are more in keeping with my core truth and values. That means I have to get to my core self, and that is a whole other story. I couldn't adopt revolutionary eating if I had not been examining my life already- I would have been too defensive, too stuck, too proud, too attached- it would have threatened too much and required too much to change so why even start? In short, I don't want to be a robot, programmed by every commercial jingle from my childhood, lulled into comfort by brands from my childhood.

I am ready for something completely different, in all areas of my life. For those of you that are new to this, you know how radical this can be. I feel you. This is NO BULLSHIT. But at the end of the day- you win. You win and the corporate foodfucks with their GMOs and toxic chemicals and hormones and false promises don't win. Sure, they may win in the grand scope of things, maybe- but they won't win YOU. That's why its revolutionary. You refuse to be a slave, a robot, a zombie. So do it, even if it is just baby steps. If you do, it will change your future, and if enough of us do it, it will change the future of the planet. Revolutionary eating is radical, and its the antidote to rampant apathetic zombification that is so obviously pandemic these days. Its not for sissies!!

Drink Me!

Drink Me!

One of the things I have been doing, since turning over this new leaf, is making smoothies. Until I have taught my taste buds how to experience new things and connect to them emotionally (see my last blog- un-training and unchaining my emotional self to the brands and comfort foods of my childhood) I have to sort of cheat, and get in as many nutrients as possible in the form of a drink.

Bear in mind, I am speaking not to the converted- you guys know how to do this. For those people who, like me, have to almost get into the psychology behind the relationships to food in order to break them, and who have to go a little easy into it (radical moves can sometimes be 'too much' and yield unsuccessful results) I am giving you some pointers on how to make this shift so that it takes hold, and becomes a way of life.

So- the smoothie. Its easy, all you need is a regular blender. Here is what I put in mine-

1/2 cup almond milk and 1 cup kale- I blend all this up first
Then I put 20 raw almonds and blend that up
6 big strawberries or 10 small ones
1 banana
1 apple (you can keep the skin on, its good for you)

And, for flavor, (my kids like it this way and so do I) two spoonfuls of Trader Joe's mango sorbet

And finally, 2 tablespoons chia seeds

See below for nutrition information for kale, chia seeds, and almonds.

I love to see all the fruit and greens sitting out before I blend it all- its an entire meal, and there is no way I am ready to eat all of that yet. I am drinking the smoothies when I am at home and I feel myself having a hankering for something- that is usually the time I go in and make a bowl of Honeycombs cereal, or Oreos and milk. So I am teaching myself to replace that comfort seeking snack mechanism with something healthy for me and friendly to the earth, and which, above all, doesn't contribute to the GMO corporatocracy. Each smoothie is like giving my middle finger to The Man. Up yours, Monsanto!

And if you want to try some other smoothie recipes, check out my favorite place for recipes and ideas, Thug Kitchen, whose motto is- Eat Like You Give A Fuck-http://thugkitchen.com/page/7

 

 

Tomorrow I go to my first beekeeping mentoring class. We hope to get the laws changed so people in LA can keep bees in their back yards. Check out this week's LA Weekly article on Bee Fever- http://www.laweekly.com/2013-06-13/news/backwards-beekeepers-honeybees/full/. I will be updating with pictures on my bee adventures!

Why Chia Seeds?

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• Chia seeds are one of the richest vegetable sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and they offer these nutrients without cholesterol content. A 15 gram serving of chia seeds provides approximately 3 grams of Omega-3 and 1 gram of Omega-6. These essential fatty acids are necessary for good health, shown to aid in the prevention of many of the risk factors associated with heart disease, cancer, and other chronic health conditions. Omega fatty acids are not produced by the body, so it is necessary to obtain them from dietary sources or supplements.

Mineral , Protein, and Antioxidant Content

• Chia seeds are also a rich source of a wide variety of antioxidants, such as myrecetin, quercetin, kaemferol, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vitamin C. Essential minerals are present in chia seeds in very high quantities, with a 15 gram serving providing 105 milligrams of potassium, 160 milligrams of phosphorous, 2.4 milligrams of iron, 59 milligrams of magnesium, 0.5 milligrams of zinc, and 107 milligrams of calcium. Chia seeds are 20 percent protein, and, unlike most vegetable proteins, the protein is a complete one. B vitamins are found in chia seeds, and they contain approximately 20 percent of the dietary fiber we need daily per serving.

Read more: Nutritional Value of Chia Seeds | eHow http://www.ehow.com/about_5531503_nutritional-value-chia-seeds.html#ixzz2WLduatze

What's the 411 on almonds?

Packed with Energy

Almonds have riboflavin, or vitamin B2, which is used by the body to complete red blood cell production and metabolize carbohydrates to provide you with energy. One serving of almonds contains almost 18 percent of your daily value of riboflavin. Also, a quarter-cup of almonds provides 45 percent of your daily value of manganese and 20 percent of copper. These two minerals are used by your body to produce enzymes that inhibit the release of free radicals, which are associated with the aging process.

Source of Protein

One serving of almonds contains 7.62 g of protein. For comparison, a typical egg contains only 5.54 g of protein. The recommended daily value of protein for a 2,000-calorie diet is 50 g per day, so a quarter-cup serving of almonds has approximately 15 percent of the recommended daily value for protein.

Additional Nutritional Facts

Twenty-three whole kernels of almonds supplies 5.6 g of carbohydrates, including 3.3 g of fiber, which is 13 percent of the daily recommended value of fiber. Almonds have no cholesterol and only a negligible amount of sodium. Almonds also contain around 206 mg of potassium compared with a banana, which contains 290 mg of potassium.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/260879-nutritional-value-of-raw-almonds/#ixzz2WLeBXS00

What is so great about Kale?

One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Super-Rich in Vitamin K

Eating a diet rich in the powerful antioxidant vitamin K can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vitamin K is abundant in kale but also found in parsley, spinach, collard greens, and animal products such as cheese.
Vitamin K is necessary for a wide variety of bodily functions, including normal blood clotting, antioxidant activity, and bone health.
But too much vitamin K can pose problems for some people. Anyone taking anticoagulants such as warfarin should avoid kale because the high level of vitamin K may interfere with the drugs. Consult your doctor before adding kale to your diet.
Kale might be a powerhouse of nutrients but is also contains oxalates, naturally occurring substances that can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Avoid eating calcium-rich foods like dairy at the same time as kale to prevent any problems.