Healthy Vegan Caramel Slice

I've never seen myself as a particularly outgoing or even social creature really. It's not that I'm overly shy or anything, it's more of an active choice I've made to keep a smaller circle of close friends rather than being surrounded by a whole bunch of people whom I barely know at all. (Of course some people manage to have six hundred besties at once but needless to say, I'm not one of them. How do they even?) But thanks to Instagram I've had the opportunity to connect with and befriend so many amazing, inspiring and crazy talented girls from all over the world! How this little story relates to the raw caramel slice? Well this recipe would have never seen the light of day had it not been for one of these Instagram girls and her #twistmytreat competition.

 Who she is? Well the one and only EatLikeEloise of course! This slice was 100% inspired by hers and guess what? If you want in on this fabulous competition where you can win Loving Earth chocolates, all you have to do is reinvent or put a twist on Eloise's caramel slice! I'd do anything for chocolate hehe. Also, this is positively the best competition I've ever participated in. Look at that oozy caramel. Just look at it and tell me you don't agree.

One more thing before we get to the recipe: it looks longer and more complicated than it actually is! Mostly because I've included two different ways to make the chocolate layer. I was way too eager to get to taste this to bother making my own chocolate but if you want to keep this recipe raw, I highly recommend you spend those extra five minutes on this!

Base:

- 7 dates (around 80 g)

- 1/4 cup oat flour (30 g)

- 1 tbsp tahini (20 g)

Caramel layer:

- 10 fresh/soft dates (110 g)

- 2 heaped tbsp all natural peanut butter

- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

- 1 tbsp lucuma powder

Chocolate layer raw version:

- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or cacao butter

- 1 tbsp cacao powder

- 1 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice

Chocolate layer non-raw version:

- 2 oz. (56 g) vegan dark chocolate (preferably refined sugar-free)

How to:

1. Blend all the ingredients for the base in a food processor until you're left with a ball of raw 'cookie' dough. Add more oat flour if the dough is too sticky and more dates or tahini if it's too dry. (This depends a lot on how moist the dates are!)
2. Press it out into a small rectangle to about 1/4-inch or 5 mm thickness on a non-stick baking sheet. Set aside.
3. Peel and pit the dates for the caramel layer. This is easier if they have been soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes or if you're using really soft ones. 
4. Place all the ingredients for the caramel layer in a small bowl and blend with a hand blender until smooth. (This step could be done using a food processor but I prefer the hand blender.)
5. Spoon the caramel on top of the base and level it with a spatula. Place in the freezer to set for at least one hour.
Raw version: 
6. When the caramel and base have set, make your own raw chocolate by mixing equal quantities coconut oil, cacao powder and sweetener in a bowl until combined. Wait until it's not super runny, then spread an even chocolate layer on top of the caramel. This will hopefully set immediately as the caramel is frozen so go ahead and cut as many slices as you want before placing them in an airtight container to store in the freezer or fridge if you prefer a gooey caramel.
Non-raw version:
6. If you're a lazy ass like me, then melt your (store-bought) chocolate over a hot water bath and spread it out on top of the frozen caramel base. It can be a bit trickier to cut neat squares this way (as is shown by the cracks on mine) but they're just as delicious, I promise. Store in the fridge for gooey caramel and the freezer if you want it solid.

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... the KFC Double Down Dog!!

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Creamy Chocolate Oats

Finally got this recipe up on the blog! A lot of you have asked how I make my everyday chocolate oats (literally every single day) and now the wait is over. It's not a revolutionising recipe or anything, just a simple but dangerously delicious and addictive one. Once you're stuck with one breakfast, it's hard to make a change. And let me tell you, I have been stuck with these oats for quite some time now. Hopefully you guys have more will power and determination than I have... 

Topped with banana slices, a peanut butter sauce and raw cacao nibs

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup oats 

- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 1/4 cup water

- 3 fresh dates (30-35 g)

- 1 heaped tbsp cacao or cocoa powder (or a tiny bit less if you find the taste too strong or bitter)

- salt to taste

How to:

1. In a small pot over low heat, bring the oats, almond milk, water and salt to the boil and let simmer. Stir often so the oats don't stick to the bottom.
2. As the oats are cooking, prepare your date paste. Peel and pit the dates, this is easier if you have really fresh, gooey dates or have soaked the dates in hot water for about 10 minutes beforehand.
3. Place the peeled dates in an itty bitty bowl or glass and mash them with a splash of water until smooth. (I like to use a shot glass for this!)
4. Transfer the date paste into the pot and stir until it's been well incorporated into the oats. 
5. Add the cocoa powder and stir again.
6. Let simmer until you have reached desired consistency, then spoon up in a bowl, add toppings of your choice and serve immediately!

Statins unequivocally associated with lower levels of testosterone

This study was published in Endokrynologia Polska 2014;65(6):464-8

 

Study title and authors:

Treatment with statins and testosterone levels in men.

Mędraś M, Kubicka E, Jóźkow P, Słowińska-Lisowska M, Trzmiel-Bira A, Filus A.

Department of Biological Principles of Sport, University School of Physical Education in Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland. eliza.kubicka@gmail.com.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25554614

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the use of statins is associated with the concentration of sex hormones. The study included 237 men, average age 58 years.

the study found:
(a) The total testosterone levels of men taking statins was 9% lower than men not taking statins.
(b) The free testosterone levels of men taking statins was 18% lower than men not taking statins.
(c) The calculated free testosterone levels of men taking statins was 11% lower than men not taking statins.
(d) The bioavailable testosterone levels of men taking statins was 19% lower than men not taking statins.

Medras concluded: "Our study unequivocally confirms that the use of statins is associated with lower levels of: total testosterone, free testosterone, calculated free testosterone and bioavailable testosterone".

Is Meat Unhealthy? Part VII

Looking at individual diseases is informative, but it can cause us to become myopic, making broad health-related decisions based on narrow information.  It can cause us to miss the forest for the trees.  In this case, the "trees" are individual diseases and the "forest" is total mortality: the overall risk of dying from any cause.  Does eating meat increase total mortality, shortening our lifespans?

Non-industrial cultures

Traditionally-living cultures such as hunter-gatherers and non-industrial agriculturalists are not the best way to answer this question, because their mean lifespans tend to be short regardless of diet.  This is due to ~30 percent infant mortality, which drags down the average, as well as a high risk of death in adulthood from infectious disease, accidents, and homicide/warfare.  It can also be difficult to accurately measure the age of such people, although there are reasonably good methods available.

However, there are semi-industrialized cultures that can help us answer this question, because they feature a somewhat traditional diet and lifestyle, combined with modern medicine and the rule of law.  The so-called Blue Zones, areas of exceptional health and longevity, fall into this category.  These include Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; and Icaria, Greece.

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Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... barbecue ribs!!

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Pinwheel Cookies

Pinwheel Cookies

- 1/2 cup whole wheat spelt flour (65g)

- 1/3 cup almond flour (50g)

- 2/3 cup oat flour (87 g)

- 1 chia egg (1 tbsp ground chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water)

- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil (42 g)

For the chocolate dough:

- 1 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder

- 2 tbsp date syrup or any other dark syrup of your choice (40 g)

For the vanilla dough:

- 1 generous pinch pure vanilla powder (could sub for 1 tsp vanilla extract)

- 2 tbsp brown rice syrup or any other light syrup of your choice* (40 g)

How to:
1. Make the flour blend by mixing all the flours together with a fork. If you have to make flour of your oats and/or almonds, place the oats, almonds and spelt flour in a food processor and process until you get a well-ground flour.
2. Divide the flour mix into two different bowls. Transfer about 1/2 tbsp of flour from one bowl to the other. To this bowl, add the vanilla powder and to the other bowl (the one with less flour in it), add the cacao or cocoa powder and mix well.
3. Make your chia egg by mixing/whisking the ground chia seeds with 3 tbsp of water. This will swell pretty quickly if you're using ground chia seeds but if not, let the seeds swell for a couple of minutes before proceeding.
4. Melt the coconut oil and pour half of it into the chocolate bowl and the other half into the vanilla bowl. This is much easier if you have access to a kitchen scale so that you can tell when half of it has gone in. Also add chia egg into two and add one half into each bowl.
5. To the chocolate bowl, add the date syrup and stir until you have a thick dough. Repeat with the vanilla bowl but add brown rice syrup instead. *Note: Since brown rice syrup isn't as sweet as other syrups, you may want to add 1/2 tbsp of coconut sugar as well but that is completely up to you.
6. Wrap the doughs in cling film and chill for about 20 minutes in the fridge or until they're fairly firm.
7. Make one rectangle out of each dough by rolling it out with a rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness. Put one on top of the other and roll lengthwise to create the swirl. Once again wrap the dough in cling film (reuse the old ones!) and place is in the freezer for about ten minutes.
8. Remove the dough from the freezer and slice into separate cookies (1/4-inch thick). At this stage I like to press down on the cookies using the bottom of a glass to flatten them out a little.
9. Bake in the oven (175C) for 18-20 minutes and let cool completely. Store in a cookie jar!

High LDL cholesterol helps you live longer

This study was published in Atherosclerosis 2015 Jan 14;239(1):137-142

 

Study title and authors:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was inversely associated with 3-year all-cause mortality among Chinese oldest old: Data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.

Lv YB, Yin ZX, Chei CL, Qian HZ, Kraus VB, Zhang J, Brasher MS, Shi XM, Matchar DB, Zeng Y.

Division of Non-Communicable Disease Control and Community Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25602855

This study examined the relationship between LDL-Cholesterol and all-cause mortality among the elderly. The study included 935 participants, aged 80 and older, who were followed for three years.

The study found:
(a) Each 1 mmol/L (38 mg/dL) increase of LDL-Cholesterol concentration corresponded to a 19% decreased risk of death. 
(b) Those with a LDL-Cholesterol concentration of more than 3.37 mmol/L (130 mg/dL) had a 40% decreased risk of death. 

The researchers concluded: "Higher LDL-Cholesterol level was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality. Our findings suggested the necessity of re-evaluating the optimal level of LDL-Cholesterol among the oldest old".

A great weekend for Squash Hunger!

Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, Healthy World Cafe partnered with The Greenhouse and York County Food Alliance for the third annual Squash Hunger! Volunteers came together to recover, preserve and share food in the community.

We processed more than ONE TON (!!) of butternut squash, onions, garlic and sweet potatoes to cook a squash soup that will be distributed to a host of groups working to end hunger in the area. Yeah, our volunteers rock.

Check out a photo album from the weekend on our Facebook page, plus media coverage from The York Daily Record/Sunday News, York Dispatch, PennLive.com and CBS21.

From PennLive.com
-- Squash Hunger turns more than 1,800 pounds of produce into soup

From the York Daily Record:
-- MLK Day of Service opportunities happening around York County
-- Secret ingredient to Squash Hunger? Applesauce

From the York Dispatch:
-- Cooking up a solution for York-area hunger
-- Squash Hunger photo gallery

From CBS21:
-- York County Food Alliance "squashes" hunger

Thank you to all our sponsors and partners for the weekend: York County Food Alliance, Fillmore Container, The David Hogg Family Foundation, The Greenhouse and St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. And a million thank-yous to all of our volunteers! You made the work easy.

Does high protein explain the low-carb "metabolic advantage"?

In 2012, David Ludwig's group published a paper that caused quite a stir in the diet-nutrition world (1).  They reported that under strict metabolic ward conditions, weight-reduced people have a higher calorie expenditure when eating a very low carbohydrate diet (10% CHO) than when eating a high-carbohydrate diet (60% CHO)*.

In other words, the group eating the low-carb diet burned more calories just sitting around, and the effect was substantial-- about 250 Calories per day.  This is basically the equivalent of an hour of moderate-intensity exercise per day, as Dr. Ludwig noted in interviews (2).  The observation is consistent with the claims of certain low-carbohydrate diet advocates that this dietary pattern confers a "metabolic advantage", allowing people to lose weight without cutting calorie intake-- although the study didn't actually show differences in body fatness.

In Dr. Ludwig's study, calorie intake was the same for all groups.  However, the study had an important catch that many people missed: the low-carbohydrate group ate 50 percent more protein than the other two groups (30% of calories vs. 20% of calories).  We know that protein can influence calorie expenditure, but can it account for such a large difference between groups?

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Simple Tips for healthy eyes

Do you pay serious attention to your eyes? 

Get simple, and brilliant tips, so you have beautiful and healthy eyes.

Aishwarya Rai and her beautiful eyes. Image: itimes.com

Eyes are very important parts of the body, because only with healthy eyes we can see this beautiful world. But what would happen if our eyes are sore? No one wants to experience bad thing happen to their eyes.

   Therefore it is important for us  to maintain the health of the eye so as not to have impaired vision or pain. Then how do I maintain the health of our eyes?

Here are some tips and solutions for the health of your eyes: 

1. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain lots of vitamin A such as tomatoes and carrots. In addition, the content of beta carotene in carrots is the best substance to maintain eye health.

2. Avoid wearing contact lenses / contact lens more than 19 hours as this can result in vision impairment in the extreme and make the eyes uncomfortable.

3. Use eye drops that can overcome the allergy such as red eyes or itchy during allergy season. But remember to use it sparingly because the usage of each day will only make the condition worse eye. Please read  on the labels carefully from the manufacturer's instructions. Please Should not shed a lot during the use of contact lenses. In addition, you must be careful to choose eye drops to avoid potential chemical hazards. Consult with your doctor first.

4. Refrigerate 2 slices of cucumber, put in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then place over your eyes and press gently for 10 minutes before bedtime to prevent swelling when you wake up.

5. Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from the sun. Select the glasses lens with polarized technology, not just the dark. Dark lenses will only make your pupils dilate without protecting it from sunlight. Exposed to sunlight for long periods of time would be very dangerous for your eyesight. Protection conducted now will be very useful in the future.

6. Do not be too long staring at a computer screen because it will make your eyes minus. Eyes off the computer screen for 2 to 3 minutes so that the eyes are not strained. Do yoga eye every hour when you should be staring at a computer screen for hours. The trick is to wink 50 times very quickly to train and relax the eye muscles.

7. Use of other eye protection when you have to deal with hazardous chemicals or in a place that may contain harmful gases.

8. Rest your eyes. Look to places that dominated the field and green colors to give freshness. Occasionally go out of town to see a sight in the mountains is highly recommended so that your eyes are always fresh and healthy.

9. Visit an ophthalmologist at least once a year to get a proper diagnosis of eye diseases, especially if the disease may be treated with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery. The doctor will also check for dry eye, retinal problems, and even the whole body health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Some asymptomatic disease such as glaucoma (which can lead to total blindness) can also be detected early if you want to consult with a physician.

10. Put two tea bags in the refrigerator, and after you come home from work, put the two bags above your eyes and press gently. This method can cure tired eyes.

11. You can also take a vitamin or food supplement made specifically for the eye.

A healthy eye will make your eyes look beautiful, so you will be more interesting and passion to do an activity every day.

Statin use increases the risk of multiple colorectal adenomas by 25%

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2005 Apr;14(4):1026-7

Study title and authors:
Reported use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors was not associated with reduced recurrence of colorectal adenomas.

Wei JT, Mott LA, Baron JA, Sandler RS; Polyp Prevention Study Group.
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Campus Box 7080, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. jwei@med.unc.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15824186

This study investigated the association of statins with the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas. (An adenoma is a benign tumour. Colorectal adenomas are removed because of their tendency to become malignant and to lead to colon cancer). The study analysed data from three randomised trials regarding the recurrence of colorectal adenomas in patients with a history of adenomas. The trials included 2,638 patients.

The analysis revealed:

(a) Statin users had a 3% increased risk of any adenoma compared to statin never-users.

(b) Statin users had a 13% increased risk of any advanced adenoma compared to statin never-users.

(c) Statin users had a 25% increased risk of multiple adenoma compared to statin never-users.

 

 

Links to other studies:

Statin users of ten years have a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer

Statin users have a 45% increased risk of acute large bowel ischemia

Statins increase the risk of colon adenomas by 54%

Frank Body Scrub - A Review

For the last two months or so, I've been using this unique body scrub called Frank. He's a pretty cool guy if I may say so myself. Not only because of his good looks but his inside as well. Frank is all natural, paraben-free and smells absolutely scrumptious. So forget about those nasty chemicals that you can't pronounce anyway. Pardon my French but this is the real shit that we're dealing with here.

The ingredient list is actually so simple that I can write it all in this post without boring you to death. Which is exactly what I intend to do. Frank contains: coffee, almond oil, water, salt, brown sugar, orange oil, vitamin E and natural fragrances. That's it. Are you impressed yet? As if that's not enough, this scrub leaves you with a scent as if a ginormous coffee bean with arms and legs were to give you a long, cuddly hug, and leave its dark, musky aroma for you to keep. Oh, it even brings out the hugely embarrassing poet residing deep within me.

How does it feel on your skin then? Well, amazing. There's no irritation at all plus the scrub leaves you soft as a baby's bottom even if you forget to apply body lotion afterwards. We have the almond and orange oils to thank for that I guess. I could also add that I have very sensitive, dry skin that won't stay silent if treated badly. I swell up like a balloon, get glowing red marks everywhere and physically hurt if I use the wrong products. Though I can't speak for everyone, I can certainly assure you that Frank has been very kind to my skin, unlike many of his counterparts.

I know what you're thinking now, "She is totally getting paid to write this!" Let me be 100% honest and say that I will not receive any compensation whatsoever for this post. Frank Body did send me a free sample of their scrub to try and review but that was it. Mark my words, I will never ever recommend anything that I don't believe in. Ever. I do turn down product proposals on a daily basis, just because I don't believe in what some companies have to offer. Anyways, I hope this post wasn't all too boring to read and that some of you might even find it helpful.

Have a great day!

Is Meat Unhealthy? Part VI

In this post, I'll examine the possible relationship between meat consumption and cancer risk.

Is cancer risk even modifiable?

Cancer is caused by the uncontrolled division of a population of rogue cells in the body.  These cells essentially evolve by natural selection to escape the body's multiple anti-cancer mechanisms.  

To a large extent, cancer appears to be a numbers game.  The human body contains about 37 trillion cells.  To get cancer, all you need is one cell that develops key mutations that allow it to shed its built-in restrictions on cell division.  The older you are, the more time you have to accumulate mutations, explaining why cancer risk rises sharply with age.

Unlike other common non-communicable diseases, we don't know to what extent cancer is caused by modifiable diet and lifestyle factors vs. bad luck that's completely outside our control.  Some cancers, such as lung cancer, are typically linked to lifestyle factors like cigarette smoking-- yet the majority of cancers aren't so easily understood.

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Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... croissants!!

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