In the United States alone, 250 million pounds of garlic are consumed every year. Many of us know the health benefits of garlic…cancer fighter, can help prevent cardiovascular disease by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, reduces the incidence of the common cold and other viruses, may improve bone health, and can promote longevity (to name just a few)! What many do not know is the additional value of black garlic…it is truly an antioxidant powerhouse.
Black garlic is simply regular garlic that has been fermented. The chemical reaction, “Maillard reaction”, is quite complex. The garlic bulbs are placed in a humidity-controlled room and heated to about 170 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 30 days. This process causes the sugars in the garlic to caramelize…creating the deep black color. It also changes the texture and the taste quite significantly. Black garlic becomes chewy and has a sweet balsamic flavor. For some of us, it is a delicious addition to our meals.
This process creates transformation in that in its black form, garlic not only has healing properties, but it has also healing superpowers. The allicin, the powerful antioxidant in raw garlic, is almost completely destroyed during the heating and aging process to create black garlic. Seems counter-intuitive as we know the allicin is one of the most potent health-boosting agents in garlic. The fermentation process, however, is the catalyst for transforming allicin into S-ally-cysteine (SAC)…an even more powerful antioxidant.
Inflammation is the root of many diseases including autoimmune disorders, diabetes, obesity, cancers and more. SAC in black garlic is one of the best things we can do to reduce inflammation in our bodies. Reducing inflammation can help improve or resolve many health problems and black garlic may be an easy way to accomplish this. Using black garlic on a regular basis can prevent inflammation that leads to disease.
Other benefits of the antioxidant powerhouse, black garlic include decreasing cancer risk, boosting immunity, improving our cardiovascular health and protecting our bodies from the toxins we are regularly exposed to. Studies show that black garlic may destroy certain types of cancer cells including colon, lung, breast, stomach, and liver tumors. It is protective for the livers of chronic alcohol users…just think what it can do for a healthy liver! All garlic demonstrates its ability to reduce the risk for common colds and viruses. Black garlic protects against viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections.
Cardiovascular disease remains the #1 killer of Americans. Black garlic has been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), clotting, high blood pressure, and stroke. Other studies demonstrate black garlic’s ability to lower cholesterol, as well as being cardioprotective, protecting the heart from damage. Black garlic is a truly powerful food. Food is medicine and black garlic is at the top of the list when it comes to preventing and improving disease.
Since the early 1990s, Dr. Neal Barnard has written over 30 books. As a physician, he learned the key to better health early in his career. He is a strong advocate for eating a whole food, plant-based, no oil diet. He lives this life and at age 70 looks and feels amazing. His latest book, The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan That Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss will undoubtedly join his many other New York Times bestseller list. This book was so good, I devoured in within a few days. Allow me to share just a bit of his research into the best foods for weight loss.
The list may not surprise you. It is an excellent place to start if you are wanting better health for yourself and your loved ones. You may not be able to consume all the foods every day. What might happen to your body if you were able to incorporate some of them some of the time? Again, you may be surprised. These foods not only will lead to sustainable weight loss but they will boost your energy, reduce inflammation in your body and improve your skin…and more.
These six categories were identified by Harvard research teams as strong weight loss contributors.
Berries – Blueberries, strawberries, and their cousins…raspberries and blackberries.
Cruciferous vegetables – Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and their relatives.
Green leafy vegetables – Spinach, chard, lettuce, kale, romaine and other leafy greens.
Melon – Cantaloupe and watermelon.
Citrus fruits – Oranges and grapefruits, fresh or as juice.
Legumes – Beans, peas, lentils, and products such as tofu and soy milk made from them.
Over time, other food items have been added. Spices do more than make food taste better. Cinnamon (Ceylon, specifically) has shown weight loss benefits. A 2017 study showed that adding a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon daily resulted in a half pound per week weight loss on average. Hot Peppers have a natural compound called capsaicin which can elicit satiety leading to weight loss. Ginger proved to be useful in weight loss, as well as for overall health promotion. Ginger specifically promotes belly fat loss…something many of us are interested in, especially as we age. Other fruits are beneficial for weight loss, too. Apples and pears are rich in fiber and have almost no calories. Eating these foods before a meal leads to eating less calories overall.
Dr. Barnard’s book provides detail into all these foods and more. He adds the science behind why these foods lead to weight loss and tips of how to buy and store them along with many recipes to get these foods into your body. I highly recommend reading this book…for those interested in long-term weight reduction and for those wanting to boost their healthspan. These foods are key to a long, healthy life. Which ones can you add this week?
Check out the recipe below from the book. Dr. Barnard partnered with Lindsey Nixon (aka The Healthy Herbivore) and Dustin Harder to create recipes with ingredients that promote weight loss.
When you read the title, what came up for you? What does self-care mean to you? So often, we think that taking care of ourselves is selfish or self-centered. Let me offer a different perspective. What if taking care of yourself was essential? What if not taking care of yourself leads to you not being able to participate in family activities or not being able to take care of those you love? When we think of it that way, it feels more important…maybe less selfish and more self-full. Allow me to give you permission right now to take care of yourself and make it a self-care summer!
Self-care means something different to all of us. For some, it may be taking a bubble bath in a candlelit room with soft music (that does sound kind of nice) and for others it may be taking a short break during a busy workday. You may not even know what self-care means to you. Below is a list of self-care “acts” that people enjoy. What stands out for you? What feels like an indulgence you don’t typically afford yourself?
Hiring a babysitter for a night out with your spouse or friends
Taking a long walk in a nature environment like the woods or lakeside
Hiring a high schooler on summer break to do some food prep for you
Sitting in a quiet room reading a good book
Taking a ‘mental health’ day off work even when you are not sick
Eating healthy fruits and vegetables to nourish your body
Going to bed by 10pm (or earlier!)
Declining an invite for an event you don’t really care to attend (but may feel obligated)
Going on a long bike ride with the sun on your face and breeze in your hair
Visiting a neighbor or friend that you just haven’t had time to see
Signing up for that yoga or dance class that you’ve been hearing so much about
Taking an afternoon nap…just because
This is not an inclusive list…if none of these stand out to you, think of your own. Maybe it’s a vacation to the mountains for a hiking expedition. Think big! And think small. Self-care is something we can do every day with practice. Taking the time to care for ourselves not only benefits you but your family will notice a happier person to live with. This summer, think about self-care. It’s the perfect time to start practicing caring for yourself. Self-care is self-love and we all need more of that! Love is the answer! If you, or someone you know needs some support on how to incorporate more self-care activities into your life, reach out to me to arrange a Health Up strategy session. You are worth the time…just ask someone who loves you.
Easy Quinoa & Broccoli Tabbouleh Serves 8
Ingredients
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
1 ½ cups broccoli, chopped into tiny pieces
1 cup peeled and diced cucumber
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Add the quinoa, broccoli, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, mint and scallions to a bowl. Mix to combine all ingredients. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix one more time to combine and coat everything with the wet ingredients. Enjoy!
Recipe from The Power Foods Diet - Dustin Harder
Food for Thought
I am adding a new feature that I think will be interesting for you all. Dr. Michael Greger released his “How Not to Age” book recently and it is jam-packed (like all of his books!) with facts that can help us to slow the aging process and feel great until our last breath. For the next several weeks, I will share little tidbits that I am reading. I strongly encourage all my readers to look for Dr. Greger's books. They are based on scientific evidence and worth their weight in gold (in my humble opinion). :)
In “Preserving Your Sex Life”, Dr. Greger added a text box entitled, “Smell to High Heaven”. This caught my attention as I was skimming the book to add something interesting to my newsletter this week. I'm loving essential oils these days so I thought I'd share. Here's an excerpt.
What else can older women to to improve their sexual drive if they so choose? There are two aromatherapy regimens that may help. Women randomized to smell the aroma of lavender for twenty minutes twice a day for twelve weeks experienced a significant improvement in menopausal symptoms, including sexual desire, compared to sniffing the control, which was diluted milk. Neroli oil, also known as bitter orange, appeared to work even faster. Just five minutes twice a day for five days led to a significant increase in sexual desire at even just a 0.1 percent concentration of the essential oil, compared to instead sniffing the carrier (almond) oil alone. It's hard to rule out placebo effect, since the control were not matched in for intensity. A better research design might have incorporated synthetic fragrances, but they still may be worth a try.
My thought is that even if it's placebo effect…if it works, it's a win. Just my 2 cents. :)
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