Autumn is for Apples; Baked Apples - A Healthy Treat -

Autumn is for Apples 

I love walking down to our orchard and picking all the apples from our trees. For those who don't know we have what we like to call an orchard. It's not really. It's seven apple trees, a pear tree, an a couple of plum trees. But it's tucked away next to one of our younger fields of blueberries, on the lower side of our farm. We also used this space as a make shift nursery when we had extra plants from last year and the year before when we were replanting our fields. 

One of my favorite things is to have baked apples in the fall, and this is one of my favorite recipes. 

Baked Apples 

Prep Time: 20 Minutes           Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes         Servings: 4
Ingredients:
4 medium sized, crisp apples (such as Gala or Honey Crisp)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Hallow out the centers of the apples, I use a paring knife but a melon baller also works. You'll want to remove the stem and core leaving a good sized hole, around 3/4" wide. Around the top of the apple you'll also want to remove all that skin of the apple. You can do this with a veggie peeler or paring knife. 
3. Next combine the sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, nutmeg, and graham cracker crumbs in a medium sized bowl. I like using a rubber spatula, but a fork works just as well. 
4. With mixed filling, pack into apple holes until  level with the opening. Place the apples into an 8X8" dish.
5. Combine lemon juice, apple juice, and honey into a microwaveable cup. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir to blend and pour around the apples in dish. 
6. Cover apples with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. 
7. After 45 minutes, uncover the pan and baste the apples with the juice from the pan. Continue baking apples for 10-20 minutes more, or until apples are very tender. Serve warm or cold with pan juices. 

Nutritional Info (per serving): 300 calories, 1 g protein, 65 g carb, 5 g fiber, 6.5 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 41 mg sodium. 

Women's Health Awareness

So we have looked at Men's health and health awareness in general now its the Ladies turn. While like Men there are many different health issues we all need to be aware of but the biggest for Women in the US is Heart Disease. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing nearly 422,000 each year. Although hearth disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," around the same number of women and men die each year of heart disease in the united states. Following a heart attack, approximately 1 in 4 women will die within the first year, compared to 1 in 5 men. Some conditions and lifestyle choices increase a person's chance for heart disease, including diabetes, overweight and obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use. Among women, black women are at highest risk of dying early from heart disease and stroke followed by American Indian/Alaska Native, White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women. High blood pressure, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. Lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol and not smoking will reduce your chances for heart disease. 

What you can do for your Heart:

• Eat a healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Be active. Exercise regularly.
• Be smokefree. 
• Limit alcohol use. 
• Talk to your health care provider and ask questions to better understand your health.
• Know your family history. There may be factors that could increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
• Manage any medical condition you might have. Learn the ABCS of health. Keep them in mind every day and especially when you talk to your health provider:
• Appropriate aspirin therapy for those who need it
• Blood pressure control
• Cholesterol management
• Smoking cessation

When it comes to a healthy diet we have some ideas that might make things easier and tastier! So this month we are going to focus on delicious dishes that are hearth healthy! 

Check out our delicious recipes that go with this months theme! 
Zucchini Frittata with Tomato-Onion Sauce

Health Awareness Coconut Bliss

Coconuts seem to be one of the many hip things to eat these days, and with good reason Coconut & Coconut Oil are packed full with useful things our bodies can use, such as:

1. Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties: coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

2. Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among The Healthiest People on The Planet:Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world.These people are in excellent health, with no evidence of heart disease.Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in excellent health is the Kitavans.

3. Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat: Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe that the sources of those calories are critical too.It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats.One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totaling about 120 calories per day.

4. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Are Turned into Ketones, Which Can Reduce Seizures:A so-called ketogenic (very low carb, very high fat) diet is currently being studied to treat various disorders.The best known therapeutic application of this diet is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children.This diet involves eating very little carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, leading to greatly increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood.For some reason, this diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children, even those who haven’t had success with multiple different types of drugs.Because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet.

5. Coconut Oil Can Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels and May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease:Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought.Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype. In one study in 40 women, coconut oil reduced Total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil. There are also rat studies showing that coconut oil reduces triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL and improves blood coagulation factors and antioxidant status.This improvement in cardiovascular risk factors should theoretically lead to a reduced risk of heart disease over the long term.

This month we are all about health awareness, but that doesn't mean you can't have your cake and eat it too. And to do that we have a delicious Coconut & Lemon Ball Bliss recipe for you all!

Don't these look delicious? With just five ingredients these are a perfect way to add a delicious snack for a healthy living choice! 

Makes approx. 15 balls. Calories per ball: 151.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded coconut + extra 

• ½ cup almonds 

• 2-3 tbsp honey or rice malt syrup (to taste) 

• 2 tbsp coconut oil 

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions: 

• Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend for 1 minute.

• Roll into small balls around the size of a 10c piece.

• Roll in extra coconut.

• Place on a lined tray and chill in the fridge until firm.

Stress Release Recipe, Juicing Joy

"When Eat Naked author Margaret Floyd needs to wind down after a long day, she turns to spinach. "Spinach is high in the amino acid tryptophan, which helps elevate your mood and promotes better sleep," Floyd says. "It's also high in magnesium, which helps to relax nerves and muscles."- shape.com

Ingredients:
2 big handfuls spinach
3 to 4 stalks broccoli
3 to 4 stalks celery
1 large or 2 small carrots

GMO's, Monsanto, & Your Role

The issue of GMO's are becoming a hotter and hotter topic, and there is a serious demand for labeling of foods that contain GMO's or don't. The good news is that if your buying your food from Certified Organic farmers or sources then that food does not contain any GMO's. This is because of the use of GMO's is prohibited in Certified Organic practices by the USDA, "The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), is prohibited in organic products. This means an organic farmer can’t plant GMO seeds, an organic cow can’t eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an organic soup producer can’t use any GMO ingredients. To meet the USDA organic regulations, farmers and processors must show they aren’t using GMOs and that they are protecting their products from contact with prohibited substances, such as GMOs, from farm to table." Organic 101: Can GMOs Be Used in Organic Products?

In the aspect of getting legislation passed that would require companies to say whether or not their product contains GMO's there is a large push for it not to pass. Most of the pressure is coming from a company called Monsanto, they are the same company that produces round-up. 

For more information about what exactly a GMO is click here, it's a great article that explains the difference between non-GMO and GMO. 

The best thing that anyone can do while the politicians sort things out is to support you local Certified Organic Famers. Your supporting your local community, and your putting your money into what you believe is right for your health. 

Hope this helps everyone out a bit, we will be continuing to follow this topic through its process.