Natural and Simple Egg Dying

I know the easiest thing to do is go out and get the PAAS packets of dyes, the little wire egg holder and stickers that come in a nice package with a bunny on it for a few bucks.

The problem with that is that those color dyes are the common FD&C colors that you see on labels all the time: Yellow No. 5, Red No. 3, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 2, Red No. 40, Blue No. 1.

These FD&C (Food Drug & Cosmetic) colors are a hot debate in the nutrition world.  Previously banned in several countries in Europe, studies are showing that these color dyes are causing major behavioral issues in children.  Kids with ADD or ADHD are always advised to stay away from color dyes due to its hyper effect on their mood.  There are studies showing these colors can cause symptoms like headaches, GI distress, asthma, etc.

So lets go out of our way and do something simple and natural this year!  Here are a few better ideas.

1) Buy local and use India Tree natural color dyes.  They have an entire egg coloring guide on their website and produce beautiful pastel eggs!

2) Use FOOD!  Beets for hot pink, Grape Juice for lavender, Carrots and Turmeric for yellow, and Blueberries for blue!

3) Use Washi Tape (Japanese Colorful Masking Tape) to cut up and stick on your eggs!  You can find it at any scrapbooking store, Michaels or Target.

HAVE FUN & HAPPY EASTER!!

Ashley

Shamrock "Not-So-Lucky" Shakes

The bright green minty sugar rush known as the Shamrock Shake has been a staple on McDonalds March Menus since the 70’s.  I know it tastes great, but in this case ignorance is NOT bliss my friends.

Yeah, "Lucky You" you get to eat all these chemicals!

The 2013 Shamrock Shake now has added whipped cream and a cherry on top, making a 22 oz Shake worth the following in nutritional cash…

820 calories

135 grams carbohydrates

18 grams protein

23 grams fat (15 saturated, 1 trans)

and 260 mg of sodium

Along with the 800+ calorie hit, we are getting quite a few chemicals!  See red for the most problematic.

Body of the Shake:

1. Milk
2. Sugar
3. Cream
4. Nonfat Milk Solids
5. Corn Syrup Solids – Dried corn syrup
6. Mono & Diglycerides – Emulsifying agents made from fats (may be animal or vegetable derived) by releasing a fatty acid from a diacylglycerol.  The fat from this ingredient is not calculated towards the total you see on the label.
7. Guar Gum – The ground up endosperm of guar beans. This is another form of sugar. It helps to thicken and prevents ice crystal growth.
8. Dextrose 
9. Sodium Citrate – This is what makes “American cheese” kindof creamy and rubbery at the same time. A chemical for emulsification.
10. Artificial Vanilla Flavor – Most artifical vanilla flavor is synthesized from lignin, a chemical compound found in wood.
11. Sodium Phosphate – Salts derived from sodium hydroxide and phosphoric acid. 
12. Carrageenan – Emulsifier and stabilizer extracted from seaweed.  Causes major GI upset in animal studies and has been recommended to be avoided by many MD’s.
13. Disodium Phosphate – anti-caking additive.
14. Cellulose Gum – Thickener that may cause reaction in those with wheat intolerance.
15. Vitamin A Palmitate – Synthetic Vitamin A added back to Milk when fat is removed.

Shamrock Syrup:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Created through an enzymatic process to convert glucose into the sweeter, fructose.  Making it sweeter and more addictive. Also, many health claims including the intake of HFCS in autistic kids causing loss of Zinc and increase in Copper levels in our bodies, making it harder for them to excrete heavy metals. 
2. Corn Syrup – made by treating corn starch with enzymes and/or acids. Mostly dextrose, which is another form of sugar. 
3. Water
4. Sugar
5. Natural Flavor
6. Xanthan Gum
7. Citric Acid – Emulsifying agent
8. Sodium Benzote - preservative
9. Yellow 5 – Most allergenic of all color dyes.  Phasing out of its use is being forced by the European union due to its hyperactivity effects in children.
10. Blue 1 – color dye previously banned in the European Union. May cause allergic reaction in those with pre-existing asthma conditions.

Whipped Cream:

1. Cream
2. Nonfat Milk
3. Water
4. Corn Syrup – made by treating corn starch with enzymes and/or acids. Mostly dextrose, which is another form of sugar. 
5. Sugar
6. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Created through an enzymatic process to convert glucose into the sweeter, fructose.  Making it sweeter and more addictive. Also, many health claims including the intake of HFCS in autistic kids causing loss of Zinc and increase in Copper levels in our bodies, making it harder for them to excrete heavy metals. 
7. Mono & Diglycerides – Emulsifying agents made from fats (may be animal or vegetable derived) by releasing a fatty acid from a diacylglycerol.  The fat from this ingredient is not calculated towards the total you see on the label.
8. Carrageenan – Emulsifier and stabilizer extracted from seaweed.  Has caused GI upset in several animal studies.
9. Polysorbate 80 – Emulsifier. May be harmful in people with Chrons Disease.  
10. Beta Carotene
11. Natural & Artificial Flavors – This is where a lot of things “hide”
12. Mixed Tocopherols 
13. Nitrous Oxide

Marachino Cherry:

1. Cherries
2. Water
3. Corn Syrup – made by treating corn starch with enzymes and/or acids. Mostly dextrose, which is another form of sugar. 
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup – Created through an enzymatic process to convert glucose into the sweeter, fructose.  Making it sweeter and more addictive. Also, many health claims including the intake of HFCS in autistic kids causing loss of Zinc and increase in Copper levels in our bodies, making it harder for them to excrete heavy metals. 
5. Sugar
6. Malic Acid – A sour tasting acid originally extract from green apples.
7. Citric Acid – Emulsifying agent
8. Natural & Artificial Flavorsatural & Artificial Flavors – This is where a lot of things “hide”
9. Sodium Benzote - preservative
10. Potassium Sorbate - potassium salt of sorbic acid, a naturally occurring antimicrobial compound; used as a preservative
11. Red 40 – Originally manufactured from coal tar, but now mostly petroleum. Previously banned in the European Union due to health effects in children.
12. Sulfur Dioxide

Seriously, a cherry on top should not be that complicated.  I propose a healthier St. Patties Day in 2013 – Lets make our own dang shake!

Lucky Shamrock Shake

2 cups Vanilla Ice Cream (homemade in bag or Organic)

1 cup Organic* Milk

¼ cup Organic Half & Half

½ tsp Mint (Spearmint) Extract

4 drops India Tree** Yellow Food Dye

4 drops India Tree Blue Food Dye

*I say organic because we should all be food snobs when it comes to our dairy.  There are a lot of companies that don’t treat their cows nicely, feed them genetically modified corn and shoot them with antibiotics.  So lets give the nice farmers who feed their cows grass and don’t give them unnecessary shots our money ok?

**Also, there are lots of theories that color dyes cause behavioral issues in humans and contribute to worsening symtoms with ADD/ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders, so lets stay away from the checmical food dyes and go with India Tree. They are here in Seattle (down in Ballard) and make their colors from plants.  Nice and natural.

Enjoy!
Ashley

Mediterranean Diet is More than Olives & Nuts

The “Mediterranean diet” has been popular since the 90’s when Harvard did a health presentation based on the diet of Greece and Southern Italy.  This olive oil, tomato and wine diet is what we now refer to as “The Mediterranean Diet” which many authors have cashed in on with books and kitschy programs.

It popped up again this week after another cohort study came out in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The study done in Spain followed 7000+ people (about half men, half women, aged 55-80) and monitored over the course of around 5 years, how many of those people had a “cardiovascular event”.  Some ate a “Mediterranean diet” supplemented with olive oil.  Some ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts.  The others were just advised to lower their fat intake.

In the end, there were a total of 288 cardio events (heart attack, etc) that occurred out of the 7000+ people that were followed.  

The group eating the Mediterranean diet plus nuts had 83 events.

The group eating the Mediterranean diet plus extra virgin olive oil had 96 events.

The group told to lower their dietary fat had 109 events.

They confirmed what other studies had shown and what experts have thought for a while now.  Eating a Mediterranean diet lowers your risk of cardio trouble.

Interestingly enough, when a reporter from NPR asked some Spaniards about the study, they agreed – their food is excellent.  But, they also said that even more than the types of food they eat, it’s the climate.

They put more emphasis on following the climate; eating foods that grow in season where they are.  They stated that growing or importing food out of season loses nutrient content and that people were originally designed to eat according to their own climates.  They stressed slowing down to enjoy your food, eating locally and getting out in the sunshine and salt water.

For us Seattleites, we may not have the sun and salt water as much as the Spaniards, but we could do a better job of embracing our climate and eating according to it.

Its March here in Seattle.  The weather is cold and the sun is just starting to peek out more often.  The ground is starting to warm a bit, tulips are blooming and rain is becoming less frequent.  Ideally for us, we need to be eating cauliflower, finishing up apple season, enjoying leeks and onions for a couple more months and start looking forward to asparagus, kale, rhubarb and baby spinach that’s about to be ready for April.

PCC has a great interactive Seasonal Produce Calendar so you can check out what else is fresh:  http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/products/produce/inseason/

So eat your tomatoes, dress with your olive oil, pop a few nuts and drink your wine, but don’t forget to stand in the sunshine and remember that foods, like flowers, have a season.

Ashley