Day 9: JICAMA

It's not Jamaica, or formica, or gycima, or your grandma...it's hi-ku-ma! We have a dish at the Restaurant containing this ingredient, and despite the saturation of Latino culture and language in this Southern California area, soo many people have no idea how to pronounce it! I won't hold it against any of you, just wanted to clarify ;)

I must admit that growing up I always thought my mom was crazy including sticks of jicama in the veggie platter...but now I absolutely love it! It's like a crisp apple without the sugar crash! Jicama can also be called "yam bean", which is a rough translation of its Latin American name from where it originates. Jicama is actually the tuber of the root of a bean plant. It is so rich in dietary fiber and low in sugar! Such a healthy source of carbohydrate!

I julienned my jicama without skin, mixed with shredded red cabbage, segments of fresh grapefruit, and candied pecans. Sprinkled with rice wine vinegar and a squeeze of the grapefruit's juice...such a yummy refreshing salad!

HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU:

+ 1 cup, skinless, has 46 calories, only 8 of which are from sugar
+ 25% of your dietary fiber need
+ no fat or cholesterol, 1g protein
+ 40% of your Vitamin C! good source of iron, vitamins E and B6, folate, potassium, magnesium, and manganese

FUN FACTS:

+ jicama can be boiled/baked and mashed like potatoes!
+ to be really authentic to its origins, sprinkle raw sticks with chili powder, salt, and lime juice
+ I like that it stars with a J...

Day 8: HOTHOUSE CUCUMBER

The cucumber is a member of the gourd family: it is related to squash and melon as it grows on a creeping vine! The cucumber is technically a fruit, but so are a lot of other "vegetables" that are deemed so because they are not so sweet. Biologically speaking, a fruit is the product of the plant's sexual organ, the flower, and so is the means of spreading the seeds of a plant for its reproduction. This part of the plant is edible by animals (and tastey too!) which leads to a symbiotic relationship between forms of life: the animal gains nourishment, while the plant is able to spread its seed far beyond what would be possible in its immobile state. And most seeds are undigested by the animal's digestive system, which means it exits in an even better position than before it entered: surrounded by fertilizer!

I do not mean to be gross, but I have always been confused by the distinction between fruit and vegetable. In fact all of these "vegetables" are actually the fruits of their parent plants: pumpkins, squashes, tomatoes, peas, beans, corn, eggplant, chilies, various other spices, and cereal grains! Yep, a wheat kernel and a rice kernel are both edible seeds of the whole plant (the "fruit" part that surrounds the seeds -such as peach flesh around the pit- is very thin and inseperable from the seed). So back to cucumbers: whether or not you consider them a vegetable, I'm allowed to include them in my vegetable challenge (especially cause I can't think of any other vegetable starting with "H").

HOW GOOD THEY ARE FOR YOU:

+ 1/2 cup has only 8 calories, which means lots of water content to hydrate your cells
+ has only 1g sugar, no cholesterol, though no dietary fiber or protein. Insoluble fiber still plays a good role in cleaning out our colons though ;)
+ 11% of your daily Vitamin K need, and a little bit of practically every other nutrient your body needs
+ skin contains phytosterols: plant "fats" that reduce blood cholesterol levels in humans
+ contains ascorbic acid (Vitamin C precursor) which prevents water retention, lending to its use for reducing puffy eyes

FUN FACTS:

+ the Hothouse Cucumber is also known as an English Cucumber: it has a thinner skin, fewer seeds, and is longer and thinner than the standard variety
+ cucumbers originated in India, where you can find the most variety of types
+ the phrase "cool as a cucumber" is fitting because the inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than its surroundings!

I love sliced cucumbers with any sort of dip or vinegar dressing. A new way I tried them here is mixed with some Greek yogurt and dill herb. Deliciously refreshing!

Flavor-Blind

Tonight at the Restaurant I was reminded of an odd reality that is now part of my life and will be forever. All of the serving staff were tasting a few dishes from the menu to review their ingredients and flavor profiles, so that we can better recommend them to our guests. But none of these dishes were gluten-free, so I was unable to taste them. Instead, I smelled the dishes intently, compared their appearance to other foods that I have eaten in an attempt to identify their taste, and asked my coworkers "what does is taste like? Is it spicy? Is it sweet? Is it salty? Savory?". I relied on them to be my eyes and ears...or really my tongue...to experience the food, similarly to how a blind person relies on the descriptions of others to experience their visual surroundings.

One realization I've had is that it can be very difficult to accurately describe a flavor with words; it's often more effective to compare the tastes of two foods that are similar, since each person has a different experience of how foods taste, as well as what words mean. The other realization is that EATING is a way of relating to people that I am now often excluded from. For example, it has been over 2 years since I have had a beer, and I can't say that I was much of a connaisseur before being GF. I can't very well imagine how different types of beers taste since they are flavors I have never experienced. Yet I am constantly asked to describe different beers to Restaurant patrons and really have no idea what the words coming out of my mouth are.

Food plays such a central role in shared culture: to experience another culture is to taste its cuisine; to feel at home is to eat the dishes your mother cooked for you growing up, or your grandmother made for the entire family every holiday. An ex-boyfriend from the South used to talk about all of his favorite foods (mostly fried ;)) that I just "had to try someday". He wanted to share some of his culture with me, but those were things I could never experience with him (and now it's a moot point). I also sometimes think about how if I return to Paris (I lived there for a summer during college) I won't be able to enjoy the foods that I found to be so essential to the French experience: brioche, crepes, baguettes, etc.

Thankfully (I think) I DO know what so many of these foods taste like since I was not gluten-free until 2 years ago. I HAVE had a crepe from Paris, I HAVE eaten a hamburger with a REAL bun. These sensory experiences are still stored in my memory, and I can recall them whenever I need to relate to something that is now off-limits. This is the double-edged sword of those "would you rather" questions: is it better to have been born blind and never know what sights you're missing, or is it better to have been able to see the world and lose sight later in life? Some think that's torture, others would feel gratitude. I know I feel both!

Of course it is also becoming increasingly possible to replicate gluten-containing foods with gluten-free flours and grains (although it is very difficult to get it right), so it's not the most drastic loss in the world. But what an odd revelation that is shown to me day after day and I have yet to completely accept: that my disease comes with many types of exclusions that were not part of my life before CD.

Day 7: GARLIC

Believe it or not, the stinking rose is classified as a vegetable! It is in the "Alliaceae" family of plants which includes the onion, leek, shallot, and chive. Large amounts of garlic can actually increase risk of bleeding (such as during menstruation or around childbirth). But in smaller doses garlic is a miracle-worker: it is shown to reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries, thereby reducing risk of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, reduces blood cholesterol levels, and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Garlic has adverse reactions with bacteria, fungus, and parasites, and has been used to treat infections from these microbes over the course of history. Garlic is also a vasodilator: it stimulates the dilation of blood vessels, resulting in lowered blood pressure and increased bloodflow. It stimulates the immune system and is being used in treatment of persons with AIDS.

This is essential to know: crushing garlic activates the enzymes which do all of its good work, but cooking garlic at high eat (even 1 minute in the microwave!) disables these enzymes! My recommendation is adding garlic at the last second to your pan of vegetables.

HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU:

+ 1 oz. has 2g protein, 1g fiber, 42 calories
+ contains significant amounts of Vitamins C and B6, thiamin, calcium, iron, phosphorous, copper, manganese, selenium, and potassium
+ full of important phytochemicals with antioxidant and cancer-preventing effects, especially the sulfur-containing compounds which cause that lovely "garlic breath"


FUN FACTS:

+ garlic's odor - which can emmanate from the pores of the skin in addition to one's breath - comes from the gas "allyl methyl sulfide" which is a byproduct of metabolizing garlic that is absorbed into the bloodstream. But remember - these chemicals are the ones that do such good work in the body
+ people who are allergic to garlic may also have adverse reactions to onions, ginger, and bananas!
+ in the Qu'ran Muhammed forbids going to mosque after eating garlic because the odor will "irritate" fellow worshippers
+ "alliumphobia" is the fear of plants with highly pungent odor and taste

Day 6: FRENCH GREEN BEANS

Life got busy, hence the blog-writing hiatus, but that did not stop me from eating my vegetables! Nothing can keep us apart...we're in love!! Let me fill you in...

Les haricots verts, en francais....the French green bean is much thinner than the American variety, lending itself to be much more delicious, and just as nutritious! I like them simply sauteed in olive oil and topped with some sliced almonds, or even just a bit of garlic. Once you try these delicate legumes you too will find l'amour.

HOW GOOD THEY ARE FOR YOU:
+ 1 cup has only 40 calories, 4g dietary fiber, 2g protein, 4g sugars
+ 120% daily Vitamin K need! essential for bone health and proper blood clotting
+ about 20% of daily Vitamins A and C which neutralize free radicals
+ good source of potassium, folate, magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, & phosphorous

FUN FACTS:
+ they are the same variety as "string beans" to us Americans
+ originated from South America, cultivated in Asia by European travelers
+ part of the legume family - those with edible pods - which in French actually means ALL vegetables
+ bacteria living among the roots of legumes converts nitrogen in the air to a nutrient for the plant, which results in the higher protein content of these beans

Day 5: EGGPLANT

Wow, it's only day 5 and already I am finding this vegetable challenge...challenging! What's most difficult is the planning-ahead and preparation time that are necessary to pull off cooking a new dish every day...Typically my meals go like this: when I feel hungry I go look in my kitchen for something that sounds appetizing, combine it with some other ingredients to make a more complete meal, and prepare it based on how much time I have. Sooo, there's basically NO planning that goes into that way of eating. Plus, given that I attend school during lunch hour and work from dinner-time to midnight, I REALLY have to plan WAY ahead (2 meals ahead) to figure out how to eat complete meals 3 times a day. It's also a completely new concept to me to plan for ALL of the ingredients I will need in the week and shop for them ahead of time. I guess this challenge could also be called...welcome to adult life!!! There's no one to stock my kitchen with everything I need except me :)

So eggplant is a veggie that I do like if it is prepared in a way so that it's not mushy nor tough. What I did was cube it (including the skin!) and sautee in olive oil, along with some green peas, sundried tomatoes, and shrimp. Tossed in brown rice pasta it was fantastic! I seriously think it's my new favorite addition to pasta!


HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU:

+ eggplant has no fat or cholesterol, 1g protein, and is low-cal (35 for 1 cup)
+ has a small amount of all minerals we need, though nothing to boast about
+ all of the benefits are in eggplant's rich purple skin: 10% daily dietary fiber
and 13 different phytochemicals that are anti-oxidants
+ thought to help fight bacterial infections and to reduce blood cholesterol, though more research needs to be done


FUN FACTS:

+ eggplant was wildly unpopular until the 1700s, rumored to cause leprosy and drive people insane
+ belongs to the "nightshade" family of plants which include: tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, and tobacco!
+ it is almost 95% water

Day 4: DAIKON

I've been explaining daikon as "it's like a radish..." for almost two years now at the Restaurant when guests ask about it on the menu. In fact it absolutely is a radish, known as white icicle radish, oriental radish, or daikon meaning "large root" in Japanese. It is often pickled for use as a condiment, and is rumored to help digest starches and fats, which is why they are commonly served with tempura dishes. The flavor is more mild and sweeter than the small radishes we're familiar with, so I chose to use it julienned with carrots in a salad of romaine lettuce and sprinkled crushed peanuts. Topped with a traditional "vinaigrette", this root added a wonderfully crisp and juicy crunch to my greens!

Amazu Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup water, and 1.5 tbs sugar. Warm to dissolve sugar, then cool in fridge

HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU:

+ 1/2 cup, raw, has only 18 calories...it's basically half water and half fiber
+ provides 25% of your daily vitamin C needs!
+ 0g sugar, 0.5g protein, 1g dietary fiber
+ a bit of vitamin B, folate, iron, potassium, and copper
+ provides active enzymes (when raw only!) that aid in digestion

not quite as nutrient-packed as chard, but for almost no calories adds a fantastic amount of vitamin C to your salad or stir-fry!

FUN FACTS:

+ another variety of daikon radish, Sakurajima-daikon, can grow up to 2 feet wide and weight up to 100 pounds!
+ juice of daikon is sold both as a digestive aid and as an anti-carcinogen
+ the top part of the root (near the leaves) is sweetest, so best for eating raw; the bottom half tastes better when stir-fried to reduce the bitter flavor

Day 3: CHARD

Let's just call it chard, whether Swiss, Ruby, Rhubarb, or Rainbow (pictured). It is a relative of the beet, and also a vegetable I never ate growing up. But after learning about this wonder-food I am making it a goal to eat chard every week!

On the recommendation of a dear friend, I prepared my chard by saute-ing chopped leaves and stalks in olive oil and sprinkling with balsamic vinegar before taking out of the pan. Check out these AMAZING stats.

HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU:

1 cup chard, cooked, has:
+ 4g dietary fiber and 3g protein
+ 214% daily vitamin A!!
+ 716% daily vitamin K!!! crazy!
+ about 1/3 of your daily need for iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese
+ small amount of omega-6 fatty acids, and decent amount of vits C and E

A and K are both fat-soluble vitamins (along with D and E)...this means that the body will store any excess amounts in fatty tissue of the liver. Vitamins B and C are excreted in urine when we don't need them, so there's not much danger in over-consumption of those. But there are definitely toxic side-effects from over-consumption of A,D,E, and K, which is why I would not recommend eating chard every day even with its superpower-status.

Interestingly, my celiac disease's damage to the small intestine occurs in one of the areas where fat-absorption takes place. Due to this, active celiac disease can prevent absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins, which is why when I was first diagnosed my doctors all recommended me taking extra supplements of these vitamins as well as calcium and iron. Vitamins are necessary for most mineral absorption, which explains why when I took gobs of iron supplements prior to my diagnosis I saw absolutely NO change in my anemia..it just wasn't gettin' through!

FUN FACTS:

+ chard has amazing anti-oxidant power which neutralizes free-radicals
+ it is shown to reduce arterial plaque and promote colon health
+ those with white stalks are the most tender (and edible)
+ "Swiss chard" was named by the French in order to distinguish it from spinach

Day 2: BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I'll keep this "alphabetical" thing going while I can...plus this happens to be the only other vegetable left in my fridge! Looks like I'll be going to the grocery store tomorrow...

Brussel sprouts have a notoriously bad reputation...I remember refusing to eat them at a friend's house when I was young, and still hadn't touched them until about a year ago when a coworker prepared them for a dinner party and I was obligated to fork a few onto my plate. To the skeptic, they may smell sulfurous or taste bitter. But stripped of the yellow outer leaves and cooked properly, they lose their funk and the densely packed centers' "meaty" quality makes them very satisfying (you'll learn that I'm all about satiety).



HOW I PREPARED THEM:

+ rinsed under water and cut in half down the center
+ spread halves on foil-covered baking sheet
+ drizzled olive oil, cracked black pepper, and sea salt over the top
+ baked in the oven at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes

This method leaves them with a bit more of their crunch, rather than steaming which I have also tried and enjoyed.


HOW GOOD THEY ARE FOR YOU:

1 cup of brussel sprouts steamed or baked (not boiled) have:
+ 37 calories
+ less than 1g fat: includes omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (great unsaturated fats)
+ 3g dietary fiber, 3g protein, and only 2g sugar
+ very low glycemic load (so if you eat them with a more sugar-rich food, this will help to slow down the metabolism of the whole meal!)
+ NO cholesterol, AND some good plant phytosterols
+ a decent amount of potassium, manganese, iron, vitamins A & B, and folate
++ 200% daily value of Vitamin K!! AWESOME!
++ 125% daily value of Vitamin C! - almost as much as 1 orange! and SO much less sugar! (1 orange has 17g sugars)

FUN FACTS:

+ the British consume 6 times more brussel sprouts than Americans (that childhood friend's parents were from England...if I had only known this then, I would have been forewarned from eating dinner at their house...)
+ recent research suggests that one of their nutrients - sinigrin - may prevent colon cancer. This is the same compound responsible for their gaseous smell ;) how ironic
+ cutting an X with your knife at the base of the sprout helps even cooking all the way through to the center


Wow, who knew? Brussel sprouts are awesome, anti-inflammatory foods. I will warn you ahead of time though...they will probably make you gassy, being the cruciferous vegetable that they are! Steaming adequately and chewing well help to reduce gas by helping your body to digest them and allow your GI tract to absorb more of the nutrients :)

Day 1: ARTICHOKE

Let's start at the very beginning...A is for Artichoke!

Now, I'm actually being very easy on myself because this is a vegetable that I already love, but rarely eat because they're expensive. Right now, though, it is artichoke season so they are on sale! $1 for an artichoke doesn't seem so bad, and having just eaten a whole one by myself I am feeling pretty dang satisfied!

Here's what I think about 'em:

1. EASY to prepare: rinse under water, wrap in plastic wrap, microwave for 4 minutes, let stand for 1 minute, and voila! Perfectly delectible artichoke! Steaming this way rather than boiling in water ensures that the nutrients don't leave the artichoke and end up in your pan. Baking or grilling are also tastey ways of preparing artichoke while preserving nutrients, but I'm all about speed and ease.

2. They're one of those foods that are an EXPERIENCE to eat, like pistachios or pomegranates: you have to work for every bite of food! While some may find this annoying, I like how it limits the pace of your meal (you can't just inhale an artichoke in 30 seconds) and think the process adds to its satiety.

3. DIP in some sort of fat: traditionally one would strip off a leaf of artichoke, dip the non-pokey edge in mayo, melted butter, olive oil, margarine, etc, and scrape the "meat" off with your teeth. Overall you consume no more than 1 tbs of fat, but it adds perfect balance to the meal! A little bit of fat = a lot of satiety!

HOW GOOD THEY ARE FOR YOU:

+ an average medium artichoke has only 25 calories
+ 6g of dietary fiber (25% daily recommendation)
+ only 1g sugar
+ 4g protein
+ no fat, no cholesterol (but any dip will likely add fat)
+ recently ranked #1 in antioxidant content by USDA: contains many phytochemicals that help the liver generate new cells, not to mention a significant amount of potassium, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium
+ known to lower blood cholesterol levels

FUN FACTS:
+ people claim they can cure a hangover
+ California grows almost 100% of artichokes eaten in the US
+ "Cynar" liqueor is made from the artichoke (and tastes like artichoke!)

don't be afraid of this pokey-chokey...try one today!

21-Day Vegetable Challenge!!!!

I am not a big fan of vegetables....fruit, I LOVE, but vegetables I have a hard time craving or even swallowing. While I know I get many great nutrients from fruits, I also find that they raise my blood sugar level too high and leave me feeling some sort of "sugar crash", even if I eat them with almond butter, whole nuts, cheese, or soy yogurt (adding proteins and fats lowers the overall glycemic index of the meal, meaning a slower and more steady release of glucose into the blood and longer-lasting energy). Vegetables, on the other hand, provide many nutrients not found in fruits, have much lower sugar levels, and provide essential fiber, all of which help lead to a more satisfying and filling meal. SOOOO... like your mother always told you, you should eat your vegetables!

This leads me to my challenge: I am going to eat a different vegetable each day for 21 days, trying them in preparations that will hopefully be tastey! In doing so I will hold myself accountable for trying new foods even if I don't think they "sound good", and will hopefully discover some great vegetables with amazing nutrients ,that I actually like to eat too!

In vinegar we trust?

Tonight I was researching vinegar for my organic chemistry class (since vinegar contains acetic acid derived from alcohol, in case you didn't know or, eh hem, cared) and this simple topic led me to celiac disease, just as so many things in my world seem to do. About 2 months ago I had a celiac guest at the Restaurant to whom I recommended a dish that contained mayonnaise. When it arrived at the table she informed me that she couldn't eat mayonnaise because it contains vinegar, which is commonly made from fermented wheat or barley. Turns out Chef makes his own mayonnaise from rice wine vinegar, which completely delighted her and resulted in a happy ending. But I myself was left a bit lost by the encounter, since all of the books I have read insist that regular vinegar is free of gluten.

So in researching vinegar tonight I learned more about why it is technically deemed gluten-free: white vinegar (most commonly used) is made from distilled alcohols, which have been evaporated from their original source (such as beer) and recondensed as a more pure form of alcohol that will not contain any protein or "prolamines" (which gluten is). This is why celiacs are now told that they can drink vodkas, gins, whiskeys, and bourbons if they are 100% distilled liquors, even though they are orginally made from a wheat, barley, or rye source.

BUT..."old-school" celiacs insist that they get sick even from distilled products, which would include vinegar. This would mean that ketchup, salad dressings, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and many many other condiments would be off-limits. It would be tempting to dismiss these people by claiming they are "psyching themselves out", as though they get sick because they know it's from a gluten-source. Or perhaps all of these people simply drink too much alcohol and feel sick just like every other drunk! I do not think it is reasonable, however, to dismiss so many reactions. This makes me wonder if "science" does not yet fully understand the issue: perhaps some component of gluten remains in the distilled product which also triggers the celiac response? Or maybe contamination is at fault, even if the intended product is free of gluten.

Since I still can rarely identify my symptoms of celiac disease, it is very difficult to know how MY body is reacting, if I am having an immune response to all of these vinegars and alcohols without knowing it. Some celiacs get sick, others don't...so who do I trust? Especially when the former stance would mean MANY MANY more restrictions.

What happens to you if you eat it???

This is by far the most common question I get asked when someone finds out I am allergic to gluten. I actually find it VERY difficult to answer. This is because I know that if I ate gluten right then and there, my symptoms would not show up immediately, and very likely they would never be apparent to anyone watching. My common responses of "I get sick", or "my immune system damages my small intestine" are usually too intangible to satisfy the inquisitor.

In the Restaurant we tend to be cynical (not openly, of course) toward difficult patrons with specific needs who insist they are allergic to onion, can't eat garlic, or are allergic to nuts and dairy and wheat, and are vegetarian by choice, etc... The most commonly ludicrous seems to be "I'm vegetarian...but I eat chicken and fish". Often when we try to accomodate this person's dietary restrictions, and warn them "this sauce has [forbidden ingredient] in it", they will eat it anyway. I can't tell you how many times someone has insisted that they need a special dish made for them because of their special needs, and halfway through the meal I see them eating off of all of the other plates which I have clearly told them are NOT safe for them to eat.

We bitch because the diner asks us to jump through hoops for them, often with a big attitude, only to demonstrate that our effort wasn't very necessary or appreciated. But when I think about my own dietary restrictions I become aware that, while so many of us who "know" we must follow dietary restrictions for the good of our health, we struggle even more with restricting ourselves from our appetites. Though I wish these guests were more gracious with us and more honest with themselves, I admit that I too have eaten something that I either didn't want to know I was allergic to or did know but ate it anyway. I know how this can appear hypocritical....but really it is a demonstration of the power-struggle at work once we label a food as forbidden. The ability to "cheat" and eat the forbidden foods is likely correlated to the severity of the symptoms, though I know even "deathly allergic" people will sometimes consciously test their limits (and wind up in the ER).

Celiac disease is a more complex allergy (in fact, it is an auto-immune disorder) with a very wide range of symptoms and consequences, many of which are not life-and-death but which absolutely effect quality of life. Sometimes I wish I had a very simple answer for people, or that they wouldn't need me to turn red and puff up like a fish after eating gluten in order to see my diet as IMPORTANT. Although I do feel challenged by the questions, I realize that most of it is curiosity, and that what is most important at the end of the day is that I don't feel tired, achey, depressed, bloated, anemic, and grumpy.