Insecticides and pesticides have long been considered to be necessary evils, these toxins are sprayed on our crops in order to increase production and lower costs. As the industrial revolution required the migration of workers to the city, small farmers sold their land to large corporations and we saw the development of the “mega-farm” or agribusiness.  These mega-farms focused on single crops, which caused disharmony to the ecosystem.  Agrochemical companies developed toxic sprays to manage the disproportionate number of pests and insects, something that had been unnecessary on the smaller multi-crop farm. Unfortunately for us, these toxic sprays were not enough for the chemical companies, beginning in 1994, a whole new realm of poison was introduced into our foods with the development of the genetically modified organism (GMO).  Foods that had once only been sprayed with poisons were now being genetically engineered and their DNA restructured to contain the poison within the plant itself!   Essentially, poisons which were external and could be removed with a good rinse were now permanent and the consumer was left with no choice.  Corn, soy, and canola, three of the most common crops, found in basically every processed food,  are some of the most common of the genetically altered foods that you will find.  These products exist not only in their own, easily recognizable form,  but are also being used in almost every processed product that you purchase.  This might be as a recognizable ingredient, ie. corn syrup, or in a less recognizable derivative, such as lecithin.  Additionally, cattle, both for the meat and dairy industry, as well as chickens are all being fed GMO crops.   While the FDA does not require the labeling of GMO based products, I challenge each and every one of you to find a solitary non-organic food item in your home that does not contain derivatives of soy, corn, or canola, and hence some form of GMO.

Based on the premise “you are what you eat”, then it is easy to understand the static which shows that raising toxicity levels in humans, both physically and mentally.  Chronic diseases which can be understood as a manifestation of toxins in the body are on the rise.   According to the WHO  (World Health Organization), there is a 17% increase in chronic disease over the past decade alone.  The rise is psychological illness is also astronomical.  One in five Americans is now categorized as suffering from some form of mental illness, and the WHO  estimates that by the year 2020, mental illness will be the second leading cause of death and disability.

One might correctly ask, “What does the FDA have to say about all this?”  Well, the FDA is quite silent on the matter, and one wonders if this might in any way be based on the fact that the top positions in the FDA are held by former executives of Monsanto (the largest of the GMO companies).  The FDA has even remained silent after the September release of data which gives alarming evidence of GMO-induced lethal health complications in rats.  The FDA not only chooses to ignore these studies, it has also chosen to ignore a campaign titled “Just Label It” with over 1,000,000 signatures which asks for GMO products to be labeled.  As of now, the only way to be sure that your food items are GMO-free is by buying produce that is labeled organic.  By law, organic products must retain the DNA provided by G-d and no other.

The rise mental illness and the violence in modern society is horrible. The slaughter of the innocent children at Sandy Hook elementary school was shocking and one in a too long series of school killings, starting with the Pearl, Mississippi slaughter in 1997.  While there are many voices out there screaming for better gun control laws, I see this the guns reflecting a symptom of the problem rather than the cause. To say that the killings happened because of genetically modified foods would be simplistic and offensive.  To say however, that what we eat influences our state of mind and our mental health would be true.

The correlation between the rise of disease, both physical and mental, since the introduction of GMO’s has been extensively documented.  While of course there are many causes behind any disease, I tend to analyze things from the perspective that I know best.  Food.  The rise in recent years of diseases, such as cancers, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, ADD, ADHD, aspergers, and autism, just to name a few, needs to be addressed from a wider perspective. The de-naturing of foods needs to be recognized as what it is, a poisoning of the body and mind

It is our basic right to know what is in the foods that we eat.  It is time that the government recognizes our rights to know the origin of our foods.  While my signature might not influence the decisions of the FDA, consumer consumption can certainly make a difference.  Organic items, by law can not be GMO.  Make a decision to trust in  G-d, nature, and your own good health by purchasing clearly labeled organic products.

Here’s an easy breakfast idea to begin your day GMO free.

Ingredients:

• 4 organic rice cakes
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 lemon
• Atlantic grey sea salt

Puree the avocado, mix in the juice from the lemon and flavor with salt.  Spread on the organic rice cakes.

Enjoy!

Those of you who prefer ingredients that they know, simply replace the agar and kudzu with  five tablespoons of cornstarch.  In my opinion, if your weight, health, and appearance matter to you, it’s worth making a trip to the health food store to pick up these “exotic” ingredients.   Agar, like all seaweeds is used to help digestion and to help with weight loss, it also helps to remove toxic wastes from your body (ie. rancid oils used in deep-frying your latkes and sufganiot).   Other benefits to using agar- it is a great source of calcium and iron, and besides that it is anti-aging, it will give you great skin and hair as well.

While you are in the health food buying your agar-agar, pick up some kudzu (arrowroot) as well.  Kudzu is an excellent addition to any meal involving fried foods.  When consumed, some of kudzu’s complex starch molecules enter the intestines and relieve the discomfort caused by over-acidity and bacterial infection. Medical research has shown kudzu to be helpful in connection to, indigestion and heart burn, as well as numerous health conditions such as, high blood pressure, blood sugar regulation, chronic migraine headaches, shoulder and neck pain, high cholesterol, blood clots, sinus troubles, acid reflux, indigestion, heartburn, stomach ulcers, colitis, hangovers, allergies, alcohol addiction, bronchial asthma, skin rashes, heart disease and neurological disorders.

Women however have a special place in their heart for kudzu as it has been shown to have a strong effect on the body’s hormonal system and can help regulate estrogen levels – of primary importance to post menopausal women to help in preventing bone loss,  estrogen related disorders, and cancer.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter (4 cups) almond milk (I used the organic Adama brand, which like most brands,  has some sugar in it)
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp rose water OR orange blossom water
• 3 1/2 tbsp kudzu
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 4 tbsp agar-agar
• 1/4 cup shelled and coarsely chopped unsalted pistachio nuts (for garnish)
• pomegranate concentrate

Dissolve the kudzu in cold water and allow to sit for five minutes.

Heat the almond milk in a saucepan over a low flame.  When the liquid reaches a slow boil, add the honey and the orange blossom/rose water.  Slowly sprinkle in the agar and stir continuously until the agar flakes have completely dissolved (approximately five minutes).  Stir in the kudzu and continue mixing for one minute more.

Pour half a cup of the mixture  into eight wine glasses or ice cream cups.  Allow to cool slightly, and then refrigerate for one hour.

To serve, garnish with the pistachio nuts and drizzle with the pomegranate concentrate.

Serves 8

Enjoy!

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a Nutritional Healer and a Wellness Counselor.  For individual or group classes contact her at Sima@JustAddFlax.com

Hungarian Cherry Soup is very appropriate for Israel at this time of year as we are now at the peak of our very short lived cherry season.  Should you have your own cherry tree, have willing child labor, or just enjoy pitting the cherries yourself, then definitely make a cherry soup from scratch.  If the above conditions do not apply to you, then follow the easy and delicious short-cut recipe below.

I like to serve this dish for lunch, it makes an easy transition for groggy people (who stayed awake all night studying) to start their day.  Likewise, this dish can be used as an easy, gluten-free dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2  jars pitted sour cherries, with their juice. (1.5 kilo)  OR 1.5 kilo fresh red cherries, stemmed and pitted.
• 1 tsp cinnamon or allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 container of cream, 15% (or 1 cup soy milk)
• 1/4 cup Emerald Riesling (optional)

Add the wine and the jars of cherries, with their juice, to a soup tureen.   In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and 1⁄4 cup of cherry liquid and the spices.  Chill the soup.  Serve cold.

If you are using fresh cherries, stem and pit the cherries, cook them in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, a pinch of salt,  and 1/4 cup of sugar, for thirty minutes or until soft.  Add the cream, wine,  and spices, and refrigerate for four hours.

SERVES 4 – 6

Tip:  Refrigerate the jars of cherries and then combine the ingredients before serving.

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a Nutritional Healer and she teaches Healthy Cooking Classes.

Kongnamulguk

This dish is very simple, it takes about five minutes of preparation time and another thirty minutes of cooking time.  The soup is served  accompanied by brown rice and kimchee (spicy Korean pickles).  If  you are not a food perfectionist, you can replace the kimchee with sauerkraut or any pickled vegetables.  Just spice up whatever pickles you already have in the house by adding some chilli peppers and ginger and call it kimchee.

Ingredients:

• sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 chilli pepper, finely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1 package mung bean sprouts
• 1 large piece of kombu (seaweed)
• 3 scallions, sliced on an angle into small pieces
• soy sauce
• hot chilli flakes
• 11/2 cups cooked brown rice

Saute the garlic, onion, and chilli pepper in the sesame oil.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for five minutes.  Add the sprouts and simmer for fifteen minutes more.  Add the scallions and remove from the flame.

Place the rice, soy sauce, kimchee (pickles) and chilli pepper on the table.  Ladle the soup into bowls and add the remaining ingredients at the table.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1″ ginger root, grated
• 1 butternut squash, chopped
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 sweet potato,  chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 liters water
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• salt and pepper
• chopped coriander for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onion until it turns translucent, add the garlic, ginger, and spices and saute for two minutes more.   Add the water, bring to a boil, and then add the remaining ingredients.  Simmer on a low flame for one hour.  Puree, garnish with the chopped coriander, and serve hot.

Serves 8-10.

Hydrogenated fat, margarine, or trans fat, is one of the worst things that a person can put in their body.  In addition to being linked to coronary heart disease, it also tastes terrible.  I personally can’t stand that scum that sticks to the tongue and the roof of the mouth after having (accidentally) eaten something with margarine.  Not only that, I know that the scum that is on my tongue is the same scum that is sticking to my intestinal wall as well as clogging up my arteries.  So, what are the options?  Many of us believe that canola oil provides a healthier alternative.  This is not necessarily the case, as the oil on supermarket shelves is refined.  The refining process depletes the oil of vital nutrients and, while it removes the taste of rancidity, the harmful effects of rancid oil remain behind.

The recipe below recommends using coconut oil.  While again, I think everyone is better off without cookies, I know that some of us, at least some of the time, might on occasion eat a cookie or two.  In which case, I try to make the baked goods as delicious, and as healthy as possible.  Coconut oil was not traditionally used in baking but rather as a skin moisturizer and a hair conditioner.   As a practitioner who bases her beliefs on proven ancient traditions, I still think that it is better not to bake with coconut oil, but rather to stay completely away from baked desserts.  Since I know that the vast majority of people won’t do that, I will have to say, that after butter, the best choice of fat to use in baking would be coconut oil.

The myth that coconut oil is bad for you is unfounded:

• Coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure and it does not lead to increase in LDL levels.
• Coconut oil strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.
• Coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.
• Coconut oil is now shown to be helpful in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
• Coconut oil stops tooth decay.  (I would still recommend brushing your teeth after a eating a cookie).

My daughter used the recipe below to make cookies for her brother’s bar-mitzvah.  They were so good that unfortunately there are none left.  I am hoping that we will get lucky and she will make us another batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 tbsp hot water
• 8 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup whole spelt flour (or wheat)
• 1 cup white spelt flour (or wheat)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 c (350 f).

Pour the hot water over the ground flax seed and allow to sit for five minutes.

Cream the sugar and the coconut oil.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/2 cm thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes.

Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet and decorate with the chocolate chips.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a nutritional healer and teaches healthy cooking classes.

Crockpot cooking also happens to provide an excellent solution for “working mom’s” who are sometimes the last ones to walk through the door.  Either prepare the food in the morning before leaving, or if your morning are just too busy, prepare all of the ingredients the night before and then just plug-in the crockpot the following morning.  It’s like magic!  Your family has a  healthy nourishing meal without your even being home!

The recipe below is for minestrone.  Minestrone is a hearty Italian vegetable soup which is essentially a whole meal.  The soup has red kidney beans which are a wonderful winter food as they nourish the kidneys, the organ that should be strengthened in the winter.  Please note how the recipe includes, white, orange, and  green vegetables.  When all  three colors of  vegetables are in a dish, you can be sure that the dishl will be balanced, both with regard to nutrition, as well as with regard to flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/4 cup kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1/4 cup lentils
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 parsnips, diced
• 1 celeriac (celery root), diced
• 1 broccoli stalk, peeled and diced
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 4 liters water
• 1/8 cup brown rice
• turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• salt
• pepper

Pesto:

• 1 bunch basil
• 2 tbsp roasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon

To prepare the soup, place all of the soup ingredients, other than the salt, in a crockpot.  Set the crockpot to  low and allow to cook for 8-12 hours.

Prepare the pesto by pureeing all of the ingredients together in a food processor until you have a smooth paste .  Set aside.

Add the salt and the pesto to the soup a few minutes before serving.

Serve hot.  Serves 6-8.

Note:  When beans are cooked with salt the skin doesn’t soften and they remain hard.  It is preferable to add the salt only after they are at least slightly cooked.

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a Nutritional Healer and teaches Healthy Cooking Classes.

Israel is not alone.  Globally,  the number of diabetics, the majority suffering from Type II diabetes,  has risen from 153 million in 1980 to 347 million in 2008; the figure is expected to rise to 472 million in 2030.  Complications from diabetes affect the kidneys, eyes, nervous system, blood vessels, heart and lower limbs.

While eating refined grains is directly linked to diabetes as it causes blood sugar levels to soar which in turn stresses the pancreas and causes it to fail to produce enough insulin, a more holistic approach is to view all aspects of the diet.  Chinese medicine sees the over consumption of animal products as leading to a protein carbohydrate imbalance which then leads to a desire for refined grains and sugars.  While it is easy to scoff at this notion which is contrary to popular Western beliefs, sometimes seeing (or rather feeling) is believing.  Try eating one meal of brown rice and vegetables and a second meal of steak and salad.  After the steak and salad most people will crave a sweet either immediately after the meal or certainly within an hour or two of eating when a feeling of fatigue hits.  On the contrary, the lighter meal of brown rice and vegetables can sustain for hours, keeping our blood sugar level, without a dip in energy, loss of focus, signs of fatigue, or sugar cravings.

With all that said and done, sweet foods are wonderful.  Healthy sweet foods energize and relax the body, the nerves, and the brain.  A celebration is not a celebration without something sweet.  The question is, what is a healthy sweet.  The healthiest sweeteners to use in desserts are stevia (which actually balances blood sugar), rice syrup, and barley malt.  Both the rice syrup and the barley malt, (products found in your local health food store) are naturally processed sweeteners which are 50% maltose as opposed to the high sucrose sweeteners which disrupt our blood sugar levels.

The recipe below, in honor of the celebration of tu be’shvat.  The celebration of the renewal of life in nature should remind us that our bodies are not meant to be taken for granted.  Each and every day is a renewal of life.  Our gratitude for the miracle of life should extend to what we allow to enter our bodies and our souls on all levels.

Ingredients:

• 4 golden apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp rice syrup/barley malt
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 180 C

Core the apples and coat the hollow with the lemon juice to prevent the flesh from turning brown.  Place in a baking dish

Mix together the cinnamon, almonds,  and the rice syrup/barley malt.  Generously fill the apples with the mixture and then place in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the apples are completely soft.

Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a Nutritional Healer and teaches healthy cooking classes.

The eggplant belong to a very special group of vegetables called the nightshades.  Nightshades vegetables belong to  a group of plants that flower at night.  Nightshade plants are primarily toxic, the exceptions being the potato, tomato, eggplant, and pepper (other than the black pepper).  The nightshades as a group, especially the potato and the tomato,  are craved by Western society.  Perhaps the reason why the fast paced Westerner enjoys these foods so much is that they induce a feeling or relaxation and expansion (think of the term, “couch potato”, eating potatoes, perhaps even one coated in tomatoes,  makes you want to sit on the couch and relax).  Additionally, nightshade vegetables are also useful in providing a balance for a meat based diet as they help to clear the stagnancy of eating excess animal products.   While it is quite enjoyable to feel relaxed and expansive, this action can exacerbate certain health conditions.   It is recommended to avoid nightshade vegetables in instances of swelling or pain in the joints, muscles, tendons, or nerves.  Such conditions as arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, bursitis, neuritis, and sciatica are negatively affected by nightshades.  People who suffer from skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis would also benefit from abstaining from nightshades.

To reflect upon their good nature, the nightshades as a group, and the eggplant specifically, possess many healing powers as well.  The eggplant is beneficial in clearing stagnant blood and it has a homostatic action which helps to reduce bleeding.  A pack of raw eggplant is useful in case of a scorpion bite, and grilled eggplant (see the recipe below) has the miraculous ability to heal bleeding hemorrhoids.  A word of caution however, pregnant women are advised not to over indulge in eggplant as they can cause miscarriage.

Ingredients:

• 1 firm eggplant
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt

Use a high flame to grill the eggplant. The grilling can be done on an outdoor grill, a stove top, or in an oven.  If it is done on an open flame, the smoke will enhance the flavor of the eggplant.  As the skin of the eggplant blackens and cracks open, turn the eggplant so as to grill it on all sides.  To know when the eggplant is ready push down to feel if it is fully soft inside.

Remove from the flame, cut down the center and scoop out the insides.  Place the grilled eggplant meat into a bowl and immediately pour on the lemon juice.   Add the pressed garlic and salt.

Alternatives:  For a delicious creamy spread, add three tablespoons of tehina.

Serve as a first course, accompanied by bread.  Kept refrigerated this salad can be kept for up to a week.

Note:  To retain the white color of the eggplant, the lemon juice needs to be applied while the eggplant is still hot, freshly removed from the flame.

My only problem with the Jerusalem Artichoke is deciding which way to cook them.  They are so wonderfully delicious in so very many ways.  They make a delicious stew, complimenting lamb and fava beans perfectly.  Try tossing them in olive oil and salt and roasting them as  a healthier alternative to potato chips, or follow the recipe below for a wonderfully warming winter soup.

Health-wise,   the Jerusalem Artichoke, sweet in flavor and white in color is beneficial to both the lungs and the spleen. They nourish the lungs, relieve asthma, and they contain inulin which helps reduce insulin needs (excellent for diabetics).

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 6 shallots, chopped
• 1 kilo Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 parsnip, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 liters water
• 2 cups soy/oat milk
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 chives, finely chopped, for garnishing

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and saute the shallots until they become translucent. Add   the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Lower the flame and allow to simmer for 3-4 hours. Use a hand immerser to puree the soup,  garnish with the chives and serve hot.

Sima Herzfeld Navon is a Nutritional Healer and teaches Healthy Cooking Classes.