Life Over Cancer Blog

Fried Tempeh with Apricot Mustard

From Christinacooks.com
Ingredients:
Toasted sesame oil, to coat pan
8 ounce block of tempeh, cut into thin squares

Apricot Mustard:

4 tablespoons stoneground mustard
4 tablespoons unsweetened apricot preserves
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
Fresh greens (I like arugala, spinach, or mustard greens)

How Sweet It Is! Part 3: Brown Rice Syrup

By Keith Block MD

 

Brown rice syrup is made by treating cooked brown rice with enzymes that break down starches.  The resulting syrup is composed of soluble carbohydrates and lesser amounts of the simple sugars maltose and glucose.  Brown rice syrup is a good sweetener for many people because it has a low glycemic index (The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a sweetener is absorbed into the bloodstream.  Sweeteners that are absorbed quickly can raise blood sugar and are considered unhealthful).  Glucose is generally used as the standard for a quickly-absorbed sugar, and is given a glycemic index (GI) of 100.  Foods with GIs of 70 or higher are considered to have a high GI; a medium GI is 56 to 69, and a low GI is 55 and under.  Examples of high GI foods include white potatoes, white rice and white bread.  Brown rice syrup reportedly has a GI of about 25.  It appears that the carbohydrates may slow the absorption of the glucose and maltose, giving it its low GI.

 

Is brown rice syrup safe?

Concerns have been raised about arsenic in rice syrup, since rice naturally absorbs arsenic from the soil.  However, as we have noted elsewhere, there have never been reported concerns with health effects of rice on populations that eat large amounts of it - the main concern with arsenic poisoning from food and drink is in areas such as Bangladesh, that have naturally high levels of arsenic in the water.  In the US, different regions of the country contain varying levels of soil arsenic and are known to be lower in California than in the Southeastern US. 

 

As with all of these sweeteners, I recommend using rice syrup sensibly – less than 5 servings per day – and alternating the use of brown rice syrup with stevia, agave, and other recommended natural sweeteners.

 

Brown rice syrup has been used in natural foods cooking for many years because of its slow absorption.  It is easily tolerated by most people sensitive to sugars and does not give a “sugar buzz” or cause the highs and lows that table sugar (sucrose) does for many people.  We have worked with many diabetics over the years who have safely included brown rice syrup in their diets.  But everyone is different, and because brown rice syrup does contain some simple sugars, diabetics should test its effects on their blood sugar before using it. 

 

How can I use brown rice syrup?

Brown rice syrup has a thick consistency, a little thinner than honey or molasses.  Some brands have a distinctive caramel-like flavor that appeals to some people.  It is about half as sweet as table sugar and can be used in cooking.  It would be a good idea to start with recipes that have been developed specifically to use brown rice syrup.  If you want to convert a recipe that calls for the use of sugar, use 1 ¼ cups brown rice syrup for every cup of sugar, and decrease the other liquids in the recipe by one half.  Brown rice syrup is available in retail stores such as Whole Foods.   

 

In our next blog post we’ll take a look at sugar alcohols, including xylitol and sorbitol.

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, visit BlockMD.com.

Lemon Cream with Berries

www.wholeliving.com, Serves 4

 Ingredients:

1 tablespoon lemon zest
¼ cup   fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup Agave Nectar
12 ounces firm or extra-firm silken tofu, drained
1 cup fresh berries

Directions:

Combine 2 ½ teaspoons of the lemon zest, lemon juice, Agave, and tofu in a food processor.

Puree ingredients until smooth, scraping down sides of the food processor as necessary.

Divide lemon cream evenly among 4 bowls or serving glasses.  Garnish each portion with blackberries and reserved lemon zest.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

 

Apricot Tomato Stir fry

This recipe is a delicious one-pot meal filled with a variety of wonderful antioxidants!

 

 Ingredients

 

1 Tbsp Canola Oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced ginger

1 Tbsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup organic, low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup dried apricots, chopped into halves or quarters

1 can (14 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed (or any other preferred bean)

1 cup diced tomatoes

2-3 cups of a prepared grain

½ cup cashews, chopped

 Directions

 

1.      Place oil in a large pot and set heat to medium. Allow a couple minutes for oil to heat. 

2.      Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Saute for about 3 minutes.

3.      Add turmeric, nutmeg andcinnamon, stirring constantly, added small amounts of vegetable broth as needed to prevent the spices from sticking to the pot.

4.      Add vegetable broth to the saucepan.  Simmer mixture for 3 minutes, stirring every minute or so.

5.      Add apricots, beans, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer again, cover, and switch to low heat.  Allow to gently cook for about 10 minutes, for flavor to develop.

6.      Serve over a whole grain, such as quinoa, brown rice, or lentils.

7.      Top with cashews.  Serve immediately.

 

How Sweet It Is! Part 2

By Keith Block, MD

 

Today we continue our review of alternatives to sugar and artificial sweeteners and will take a look at lo han guo.

 

Lo Han Guo

Lo han guo comes from a vine that grows in China.  Like stevia, this plant contains intensely sweet phytochemicals.  These phytochemicals are called mogrosides.  They are 200-400 times sweeter than sugar, and are recognized as safe by the US Food and Drug Administration. 

How Sweet It Is!

Alternatives to Using Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

By Keith I. Block, MD

 

As patients make the decision to stop using table sugar and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, they often have many questions about which sweeteners are OK to use, how they are best used, and how often they can use them.  We have compiled information on some of the most commonly used sweeteners, and will provide you with information on several of them.  Please note for all of these sweeteners:  Everyone can react different to sweeteners, so we suggest that anyone with diabetes or hypoglycemia test the effect of each sweetener on their blood sugar levels before they begin to use that sweetener regularly. 

 

Dulse, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches

www.theseaweedman.com, Serves 2

 

Ingredients:

 ½ cup dulse

Sesame oil

4 lettuce leaves

4 slices of tomatoes

4 slices of bread

Veganaise

  

 Directions:

 

Pan fry dulse in sesame oil until it crisps, turns yellow/green, and smells like bacon.

Spread veganaise on toasted bread, add lettuce, dulse, and tomato. A DLT!

 For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, visit BlockMD.com.

Preventing Colon Cancer: What You Need to Know

By Keith Block, MD

According to the Colon Cancer Alliance, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.  The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2012, 143,460 people will be diagnosed and that 51,690 will die from colon cancer in the United States. Appropriate screening is extremely important, as the survival rate for people with colorectal cancers found early is more than 90 percent.