The Secret Life of Michelle: Soy

12/3/10

Me Want Miso!

It’s December in Salt Lake City and I’m cold. Sitting at my desk with my space heater cranked on high, looking out at the snow, I’m cold. I want to bundle up under a big fluffy blanket with a bowl of warm soup. What I’ve been craving lately is miso soup: that steaming bowl of deliciousness served at Japanese restaurants.
Thankfully, our budget doesn’t really allow for fine dining right now. Mr. Wilde and I were “forced” to use the dual miracles of Google search and Youtube to learn to make our very own miso soup. And I must say, we were quite successful! Even Little E agrees, as evidenced by his signing “more,” “more,” “more,” after every spoonful.

Besides learning how to make own easy soup, we learned how incredibly and amazingly good for you miso is. This stuff is perfect for keeping healthy during the holiday season! Here's a quick run down of some of the benefits of miso:

Packed with antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin B12!
Boots immunity
Helps regulate the hormone oestrogen in women (a hormone that can cause tumors)
1 bowl of miso a day reduces the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer
Beneficial bacteria help regulate the digestive system
Linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid, keeps skin healthy

**As a bonus, the wakame seaweed used in miso soup helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol**

for more information on the health benefits of miso soup, visit one of these web sites:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/31554/the_health_benefits_of_miso_soup_japanese.html

http://www.bodyecology.com/07/02/15/miso_health_and_anti-aging.php

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=114

So, what is miso, you may ask, and what makes it so great?
Miso is made from ground soybeans, fermented with koji, a yeast mold.

from bodyecology.com:

"Fermented foods and drinks ... help build your inner ecosystem. When your inner ecosystem is healthy, it is full of friendly microflora (beneficial bacteria in your intestines), that help you digest and assimilate nutrients and boost your immunity.
While it was once thought that soy was the reason for the low rates of heart disease, breast and prostate cancer in Asia, more evidence is now showing us that it is the consumption of traditional fermented soy products (usually eaten every day) that are providing the real benefits."

Miso soup is simple, healthy and versitile. It will probably require a visit to a local asian market, but the ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find. Visit one of these websites (by clicking on the picture) for some great variations on the classic tofu/green onion combination:

1/6/10

Healthy Fat

Today's post is on my favorite healthy eating topic: Healthy Fats. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these foods because they are so good for you and so satisfying. One of my biggest pet peeves is the notion that you have to eat 'diet foods' or gross healthy sounding foods to loose weight. No wonder people go for the bag of cheetos.

We are bombarded with messages in advertising about Low-Fat foods. Practically all labels of prepackeged foods claim to be low-fat or reduced fat. That must mean they are good for us, right? The truth is that these foods may actually casue more problems than they solve. Lets look at the facts.

FAT FACTS

In the 1960s, Americans ate 45% of their calories from fat – and only 13% of us were obese. Now, while most of us get only about 33% of our calories from fat, 34% of us qualify as obese!

The human body uses healthy fats to do everything from building cell membranes to performing key functions in the brain, eyes, and lungs.

People following traditional Mediterranean diets, which are very high in foods containing monounsaturated fats like olive oil, tend to have lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

When manufactruers take out fat they have to add something to make you think their product still tastes good. Want to guess what they add? Sugar.

Not all fats are created equal.

When we cut out essential fats from our diets, we naturally turn to high calorie foods, which leads to packing on the pounds.

So, what are healthy fats?

As a general rule, look for Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats. Omega3 fatty acids are a type of Polyunsaturated fat you have probably heard a lot about. Your body can't make this beneficial type of fat, so you have to get it from food.

Stay away from Saturated and Trans fats; these increase your bad cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Your body can make enough saturated fat so you don't need to include it in your diet. Many processed foods are very high in Trans fat. This is a great reason to cook at home and buy foods in as unprocessed a form as possible.

Now my favorite part ... EATING HEALTHY FATS!

My favorite sources of healthy fats include: