Well, this is embarassing.....

I'll just come right out and say it. I'm going to share a recipe. Its a first for me, and I doubt it will become a habit as this is not a cooking blog. But I thought this one was just SO good that I'd share it.

There are a lot of benefits to cutting back on our consumption of meat. Red meat in particular, but all meat. Benefits to our health and benefits to the environment. But the problem is, its hard to find meatless meals that actually taste good, fill you up and are as enjoyable as they are good for you.

So here is one to get you started. Its sort of like small, individual lasagnas.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN STACKS

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant per 2 servings
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1 jar of your preferred spaghetti sauce
Shredded mozarella and parmesan cheeses
Garlic, basil and black pepper
Olive oil

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375deg.
Lightly coat a large sheet pan with olive oil
Place the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 shallow bowls.
Cut the ends off the eggplant and remove the skin; cut into 12 slices.
Dredge each slice of eggplant in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Turn over the eggplant slices and bake for another 10 minutes.
In a medium casserole dish, coat the bottom with spaghetti sauce and place 4 slices of the baked eggplant in the dish.
Cover each slice with grated mozarella cheese and sauce.
Place another eggplant slice on top of each and cover with mozzarella cheese and sauce as before.
Place the last 4 eggplant slices on top, cover with sauce till it runs down the sides of the stack, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Season to taste with garlic, basil and black pepper.
Bake for about 8 minutes and serve hot.


Eliminating the frying and using whole wheat flour and bread crumbs turns what is usually a fat and calorie bomb into a nutritious meal. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti and steamed asparagus or broccoli.

You won't miss the meat, I promise.

Osteoarthritis and Fiber

You are probably tired of hearing about the health benefits of dietary fiber and the many problems begat by American's chronic lack of it. But here is one more that I had not heard of before. Eating more fiber rich foods such as nuts, fruit, whole grains and vegetables may reduce chronic inflammation enough to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee and lessen the pain of those who already have the condition.

Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine, followed over 5,000 osteoarthritis patients annually for 4 years with a follow-up after 9 years and concluded that "greater fiber intake was associated with a reduced risk for symptomatic osteoarthritis". The study results "support the current recommended daily fiber intake for older Americans,” according to Zhaoli Dai, the study's lead author.

How much fiber and what was the benefit?

Those who consumed an average of 26 grams of fiber daily had a 61% lower risk of knee osteoarthritis than those who consumed only 14 grams.

"Increasing dietary fiber is one of the most economical ways to reduce the pain of knee osteoarthritis," Dr. Dao told the New York Times. "And there are a lot of other benefits as well: reduced weight and cardiovascular risk, and reduced diabetes risk as well."

So maybe you are tired of hearing it. But average fiber consumption by Americans is about 16 grams. And by 2020, 6.5 million Americans between the ages of 35 and 65 are predicted to suffer from this painful knee condition. So maybe you ought to pay attention.

KFC Sets the Right Example

Yes, KFC. Kentucky Fried Chicken.

No, the largest fast food chicken restaurant chain in the world has not suddenly started selling food that is good for you. But, by the end of 2018 at least, they will be selling food that is better for you. And better for everyone.

The chain announced that it would stop serving meat from chickens that are raised using antibiotics that are "important in human medicine" by the end of next year. This means that they will serve only chickens that have never been given antibiotics that are used to treat infections in humans - such as amoxicillin, erthyromycin and tetracycline.

Antibiotics are often given to chickens - and other livestock - to compensate for the miserable, unhealthy, overcrowded conditions in which they are raised on so-called corporate farms. Such overuse contributes to the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria that the UN World Health Organization has called "potentially the most serious health problem facing humanity". In the US alone, about 23,000 deaths are attributable to antibiotic resistant bacteria each year.

Along with poultry giant Tyson Foods, which has pledged to eliminate all use of medically important antibiotics in 2017, KFC's announcement is an important step forward and hopefully will be an example to other companies. I'll never be a big fan of fast food, but let's give credit where credit is due. Good move, KFC!

Lies Are One Thing, Murder for Profit Is Another

Anyone who has been reading my posts is aware that I am, to make a huge understatement, not a fan of the pharmaceutical industry. This is even more true since they started blanketing television with deceptive ads aimed at consumers. But that was nothing compared to the murderous impact of their highly addictive opioid pain killers and the slick, dishonest marketing they use to push them, addicting hundreds of thousands of people and killing - murdering - tens of thousands of them.... annually.

In 2016 alone 60,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses. That is a 16% increase over 2015, twice the number who died as a result of gun violence and more Americans than were killed in the entire 15 tears of the Vietnam War. In Ohio, where deaths have soared 50% over last year, county morgues are renting refrigerator trucks to store the bodies that are piling up. Every year, we lose the equivalent of twenty 9/11s to opioid overdoses.

In the 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration rubber stamped the claims of drug makers that opioids were safe and rarely addictive. Purdue Pharma's marketers told doctors that the risk of addiction to OxyContin was "less than 1%". Today, 20 years later, 2 million Americans are addicted to prescription opioids and at least 1 million more have turned to heroin and fentanyl as cheaper alternatives.

Two decades into this legally created epidemic, lawsuits and - belatedly - the FDA are finally beginning to rein in the sale of prescription painkillers. But for the tens of thousands killed, their families and communities, it is already too late.

We, as individuals, need to resist the "drug culture" created by powerful business interests and get past the comforting but false belief in what Stephen Covey years ago called "the medical rescue fantasy". We can eat crap, not exercise, burn the candle at both ends for years if we like. But the expectation that it can all be undone with a pill is not only false, its dangerous - life threatening even. Because there are large, well-connected, powerful companies out there who are happy to sell you the pills. Even if it kills you.

Buy Organic or $ave the Money?

Organic foods are more widely available than ever. Even major grocery chains are sprouting organic produce sections. This is a good thing. But organic foods are usually more expensive than conventionally grown produce. Is it really worth the difference in cost?

The answer is.... it depends.

You may be able to afford the higher cost and be happy to do so to support the organic food industry, and that is a great reason. But what if you clip coupons and really need to stretch your grocery dollars? Is there enough of a difference in the health impact of organic food to be worth the extra cost?

First of all, lets remember that "organic" food is food produced by methods that comply with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming in general features practices that strive to recycle resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Organizations regulating organic products may restrict the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers in farming. In general, organic foods are also usually not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or synthetic food additives.

From a purely good health perspective, one of the main reasons for consuming organic foods is to avoid fertilizer and pesticide residue. According to guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture, certain produce arrives in your kitchen heavily laced with such residue, while other types contain little or none. While this is not the only factor to consider, it is a good place to begin when making the organic vs conventional choice for yourself and your family.

According to the USDA analysis, conventionally grown strawberries have more pesticide residue than any other fruit or vegetable. Spinach is a close second followed by nectarines, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, grapes, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. Buying organic makes good sense for these products.

Among the produce least likely to contain potentially harmful residues are sweet corn, avocados, pineapples, onions, sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, honeydew melons and kiwis. You are probably fine purchasing cheaper conventionally grown produce in these cases.

Another useful rule of thumb (although not a foolproof one) is to buy organic if you plan to eat the skin or rind, and conventional if you don't.

Regardless of what you decide, always rinse your produce with water or, better yet, a natural wash such as FIT.

A Good Network Marketer is Always Learning

Those of you who follow my posts here for the health and nutrition information, please excuse me a moment while I speak to the rest of you who are starting or building a network marketing business.

I am a pilot and we have a well worn saying that goes "A good pilot is always learning". I've found this to be totally true, but it is just as true in your network marketing business. Certainly take full advantage of your company's training programs. But if you limit yourself to them you are definitely limiting your growth.

Eric Worre (networkmarketingpro.com) and Ray Higdon (rayhigdon.com) are two outstanding trainers and advocates that you should be a fan of.

Take a look at this short, free and outstanding video about value, contribution and attitude from Ray Higdon.

http://tinyurl.com/y7ukb7um

Then go to their websites and get on their distribution lists.

(NB: I am not a marketing affiliate or financially connected to either of these outstanding people, just a really big fan.)