Olive Oil and Balsamic Appreciation

NOTE: (Gross) Vegan Recipe submitted by Cal State Bakersfield Nutritionist student Alexandria Woodbridge :

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are two products that vegans eat every day or every week, and yet most of us know too little about the range of possible flavors in both products. Since I can’t recommend a vegan cheese tasting party because in my mind, vegan cheese isn’t quite good enough at this point to warrant one, this soiree will allow vegans to appreciate olive oil and balsamic in a similar way.


To get more information on the range of flavors for olive oil, please visit The Olive Oil Source website and look at their tasting sheets for olive oil. You can print out a few of them as a reference for your guests at this party. As far as tasting balsamic vinegar, it is very similar to wine tasting as it is also made from grapes. Learn a bit more about balsamic vinegar by visiting its Wikipedia page.

Now to get down to the nitty gritty of this soiree.  Purchase three bottles of fine olive oil and three bottles of fine balsamic vinegar from an Italian food store. As these products keep for quite some time and are always a necessity in the kitchen, don’t feel guilty about the splurge.

Now arrange small bowls or dipping plates around your home with the oils and vinegars in them. Some can be in the kitchen, some on the windowsill, some on the balcony, etc…  The reason I like the oils and vinegars scattered is that it allows people to move around your home instead of being stuck in one place.

Place each bottle besides the bowl or plate containing the product, so that guests can note the ones they really enjoy. Now scatter lots of bread baskets around the house as well, containing a nice range of baguettes (some soft, some toasted), foccacia bread, and other types of light colored breads that will allow the full flavor of the oils and vinegars to come through.

This soiree is very simple and can be the vegan equivalent of a wine and cheese. Make sure to provide some good background music, wine, and the menu below which uses balsamic vinegar and olive oil as ingredients in the dishes.

Menu

Drinks

Red and White Wine

Appetizers

A myriad of baguettes and other lovely breads to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Baked Portobello Mushroom and Tomato Salad

Preheat the oven to 350.
Scrape the gills from portobello mushroooms caps using a spoon.  One per person.
Fill mushroom cap with 1 Tbs of pesto (recipe to follow) and top with breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mushroom is very fragrant.  You can broil the breadcrumbs if you’d like them a bit more golden.
Now serve on a plate with a few slices of tomato drizzled with olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper.

To make the Pesto: In a blender, food processor, or bullet, blend 1 bunch of fresh basil with a few handfuls of either pine nuts or walnuts, a few Tbs of vegan parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. There are many possible variations to pesto, including the use of sundried tomatoes, spicy eggplant, or fresh black olives. You can use this recipe for many things, including the traditional use, served over pasta.

Main Course

Fiddlehead Risotto

Fiddleheads are baby ferns that haven’t yet unfurled.  They have a very distinctive taste and work well in this risotto.


In a medium or large cooking pot, fry 3 cups of cleaned and trimmed whole fiddleheads, 1 bunch of  chopped green onions, and 8 tofurkey slices cut into thin strips in 2 Tbs of olive oil.

• When everything is golden, add 2 cups of risotto rice (arborio rice) and continue to fry for a few minutes to give the rice a bit of color.
• Prepare 6 cups of cold vegetarian stock (I like to use vegetarian chicken stock from the Trader Joe's) making it only mildly salty in a large mixing bowl.
• Now using a soup ladle, ladle 1 spoonful of the stock into the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Now repeat, adding the stock 1 ladle-full at a time and giving the rice a few minutes to absorb the stock each time while stirring constantly.  Continue to add stock until the rice is cooked thoroughly, stirring constantly.  This process will take about 20-25 minutes.
• Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1/3  cup of plain flavored soy coffee creamer, 3 Tbs of pesto (recipe above with the Baked Mushroom Salad recipe), 1/4 cup of vegan parmesan cheese, and pepper to taste.  You probably won’t need to add salt.

Serve topped with a bit of finely chopped green onion.

Dessert

Olive Oil Chocolate Cake with Candied Mint

For this recipe, prepare the candied mint at least a day before you plan to serve the cake.

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a 10-inch round springform cake pan or any other 10-inch round baking dish, mix together with a whisk;
• 1 1/4 cups of white or pastry flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of salt
• Whisk dry ingredients until they are well mixed.  Now to the dry ingredients, add;
• 1 cup of soymilk
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 Tbs of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• Whisk until batter is smooth, wipe edges of cake pan with a paper towel, and bake for 40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean.)

To make the candied mint:

Melt 2 Tbs of honey or other liquid sweetener in the microwave for 15 seconds in a small bowl.
Working quickly, brush 8 nice mint leaves and 1 mint sprig (the tip of the plant) with the honey and dip them in fine sugar. Allow them to dry for a day or two. Arrange the 8 pieces of mint in a circle around the chocolate cake and put the sprig in the middle. Serve the cake with vanilla soy ice cream.

How To Become A Nutritionist | Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus is a disease classified as diabetes but not related to the common types of diabetes. It is the result of the body not producing, storing or releasing a key hormone ADH (antidiuretic hormone also called AVP arginine vasopressint. This is the hormone that affects the kidneys). The kidneys are unable to respond to this hormone causing a deficiency resulting in the condition known as diabetes insipidus. The kidneys are most effected therefore diabetes insipidus is primarily a kidney disease. The characteristics of diabetes insipidus are excessive severe thirst (usually the person cannot get enough water and they mostly crave very cold water, ice water or just ice) and excretion of large amounts of urine that is severely diluted. Persons with diabetes insipidus can excrete if the condition is mild, up to 2.6 quarts of urine per day or if severe up to 16 quarts and this will go on day and night frequently having to go to the bathroom. Even if the person has a reduced fluid intake this will not have an effect on the amount of urine excreted.

Diabetes insipidus includes two different types with the most common being central diabetes insipidus or CDI as it is called, caused by a deficiency of arginine vasopressin or AVP, the hormone that affects the kidneys also known as antidiuretic hormone or ADH. Nutritionist students study ADH in great detail. The second type is called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This is a disease of the kidney caused by an improper response of the kidney to the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) leading to a decreased ability of the kidney to concentrate urine. Diabetes insipidus is classified into four different classifications. They are: neurogenic diabetes insipidus also known as central diabetes insipidus. This condition caused by a lack of vasopressin production in the brain is the most common type. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is the inability of the kidneys to respond to the antidiuretic hormone ADH. Dispogenic diabetes insipidus is due to a defect or damage in the hypothalamus of the brain that regulates thirst, and gestational diabetes insipidus only occurs in pregnancy when the pregnant woman produces too much vasopressin in the placenta thereby breaking down the antidiuretic hormone ADH resulting in an extreme form of gestational diabetes insipidus. The good news is that this type of diabetes generally leaves the woman within 4 to 6 weeks of giving birth. However in some instances medical treatment is necessary.

Diagnosis of diabetes insipidus includes a battery of medical tests to determine if the patient has the condition and if so at what stage of severity has diabetes insipidus progressed to. The common tests conducted are: the blood glucose test to determine the level of blood glucose in the blood, the bicarbonate (chemical acid) test to check for acidic levels in the blood, and the calcium test to detemine calcium levels. Blood electrolytes are also measured and a urinalysis taken to determine diabetes insipidus present in urine. Unlike diabetes mellitus where there is a sweet smell of urine due to excessive amount of glucose or polysuria with diabetes insipidus there is no smell of sweetness in the urine. Persons with any of the common symptoms of diabetes should immediately be checked out for the possibility of diabetes insipidus or any other form of diabetes.

Treatment for diabetes insipidus is based on a drug regimen predicated on what classificaiton of diabetes insipidus the patient has. With central and gestational diabetes insipidus the treatment is with the drug desmopressin which is a synthetic replacement for vasopressin. For nephrogenic diabetes insipidus treatment is with the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide a drug that acts to inhibit the kidney’s ability to retain water. Dispogenic diabetes insipidus the drug carbamazepine is used because it is a anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug.

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Diabetics

There is a saying that goes, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” However, this saying is not really applicable for diabetics, given the nature of their disease. Much thought should be given to a diabetic’s breakfast eating plan, since there are studies showing that a balanced breakfast can help control a diabetic’s blood sugar levels later in the day. Remember that diabetes is a chronic illness; therefore compliance with regard to dietary modifications and lifestyle changes in general is of utmost importance.

The key to a diabetes diet plan is to eat a balanced nutritious meal at moderate amounts and at fixed and regular times throughout the day. Skipping breakfast, therefore, is definitely not an option if you want to manage your blood sugar levels effectively. There should be a balanced amount of carbohydrates in a diabetic’s breakfast every morning, around 45 to 60 grams to jump-start the day. In order to help determine your caloric intake, you can consult your nutritionist regarding your diet. However, there are simple preparations that you can do for breakfast that have been proven to be diabetes-friendly.

Cereals and oatmeal are recommended as foods for diabetics because they contain just the right amount of carbohydrates for diabetic people. You can consume these cereals either as hot or cold, depending on your preference. You can couple these cereals with a cup of milk and a piece of fruit for a totally healthy and yummy breakfast. One consideration that you need to take note of is that you should choose unsweetened cereals with lots of fiber. This is extremely beneficial to diabetics since this will help keep blood sugar levels in check.

A diabetic diet plan for breakfast can also include sandwiches, specifically the egg sandwich, since eggs are rich sources of protein. Egg sandwiches are often enough to satisfy the appetite of diabetics. Moreover, the wheat bread that you use for a sandwich can be a good source of carbohydrates for diabetics. Another creative way to eat eggs is through cooking it into an omelet so as to provide variety to your daily breakfast. You can also put the omelet in an English muffin together with lean ham and mustard for a tasty breakfast treat. Again, you can pair your sandwich with a fruit and a cup of milk. Diabetics also often suffer from high cholesterol levels, so it is advisable to get rid of egg yolks and just eat the white part of the egg instead. However, occasional intake of egg yolks is not bad, probably just one to two times per week to keep your cholesterol levels within acceptable limits.
As for your drinks, you can create a smoothie made from your favorite fresh fruits. You can mix a cup of skim milk with two servings of the fruits of your choice. Another alternative to skim milk is nonfat yogurt. Make sure that you do not add extra sweeteners to your smoothie. Hydration is also important for diabetics, so you should also consume lots of water for breakfast.

AFPA Nutrition Consultant Certification

One on One or Group Consultations

Each consultation involves dietary assessment, feedback and specific dietary advice to help you achieve your goals and attain special needs in health and/or in sport.

Clinical Services

Dietetic Consultants are available to provide services to hospitals, assisted living facilities and other care facilities on an ongoing or as required basis. Services include implementation of nutrition interventions, development of policies & procedures and other pre-requisites for accreditation.

Menu Development and/or Review

Accredited Nutritional Consultants can assist you in developing and assessing menus for your restaurant, café, hospital or other institution. Recipe analysis, special dietary needs and identification of potential allergens are examples of some of the services provided.

Education Sessions

Individually tailored education sessions for your workplace, interest group, sporting team or institution. Sessions can range from 20 minutes to several day workshops.

Label Reading Workshops and Supermarket Tours

These practical sessions will empower you to make informed decisions when purchasing food and beverages.

Cooking demonstrations/Workshops

Observe and assist nutritional consultants as well as those researching how to become a nutritionist in the preparation of quick and nutritious meals. Note - participation in food preparation is optional.

Healthy Canteens

Nutrition experts can help to ensure that your school or workplace canteen offers a great range of healthy food and beverages to assist with optimal nutrition, concentration and performance.

Bakersfield Spa Institute - Ayurveda

As with many alternative health systems, Ayurveda followers believe in maintaining a balance of energy. Very nature-oriented, Ayurvedic philosophy stresses that people, their health, and the universe are all related. It is believed that health problems can result when these relationships are out of balance. Ayurveda sees the body as consisting of three humors: wind, choler and phlegm, which come from the combination of five primordial elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. How the humors balance determines the kind of disease a person is predisposed to, and disease or illness occurs when there is an imbalance among one or more of the humors.

Ayurveda treatments rely on both nutrition and lifestyle changes to combat illness. Your sensual surroundings (including sights, sounds, smells, etc.) and diet play a large role in your health. When one of the humors is blocked, herbal supplements, massage, yoga and changes to lifestyle and diet will help the body cure itself. There are no "universal" remedies for people, as each person is different and must be treated as such.

History: Ayurveda is more than 5,000 years old. The term Ayurveda is Sanskrit, meaning "knowledge of life." It originated in India, and was, as Hindus believe, the divine revelation of Brahma when he awoke to recreate the universe. It was verbally passed down through the gods, until Indra passed the knowledge to Bharadvaja, who was the first human to be told about Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health that has created a foundation for many others. Though it is an everyday medical practice Sri Lanka, Nepal and India, it is becoming widely popular around the world.

Typical Treatment:

Ayurvedic practitioners take thorough stock of their clients' physical and emotional health. They ask questions that seek to understand a patient's behavior, lifestyle and diet, in addition to inquiring about recent illnesses. Physically, they observe the condition of the tongue, teeth, eyes, nails, skin, and whether a person is overweight, in addition to listening to bodily sounds such as digestion. Each humor is thought to produce a different kind of pulse, so that is checked as well. Some Ayurvedic practitioners will request lab work in the way of a urine or stool sample.

After completing a thorough physical and asking many questions, practitioners may give patients herbal treatments or suggest how changes in their lifestyle and diets would better their health. They may also perform one or more manual treatments, such as those described below:

Panchakarma: This intense treatment is a five-therapy process that cleans and detoxifies the entire body. It is a medicated oil treatment applied to the body inside and out.

Abhyanga: Combined with exfoliation, steam treatment or relaxation therapy, the treatment is said to remove impurities and stimulate circulation, in addition to activating energy points in the body. Special oils are mixed with individualized herbal concoctions to protect and nourish the skin. This kind of massage is said to balance the three Doshas of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Udvartina: An herbal paste is applied vigorously across the body of the patient, serving to rid the body of stagnant toxins in the lymphatic system.

Vishesh: Herbalized oils are rhythmically applied to the body, ridding the body of its imbalances and impurities while stimulating the lymphatic system.

Shirodhara: Organic oil is warmed and applied in a stream over the third-eye region, in order to calm the mind and alleviate tensions in the head and neck.

Pizhichil: A full-body oil massage that involves the application of warm, medicated oils all over the body by way of an oil-soaked cloth. It is said to nourish muscles and nerves and increase circulation.

Swedhana: Customized herbal oils are used in combination with steam treatment to purify skin and eliminate toxins.

Netra Vasti: A special treatment for the eyes that starts with a facial massage (in relation to Marma points). Organic dough is placed in rings around the eyes, and medicated butter oil is poured over them. This treatment helps eyesight and reduces stress.

Nasya: Cleansing of the nasal passages. Begun with a facial massage, two or three drops of medicated oil are introduced into the nose. This oil clears any debris not captured by the tiny hairs in the nose.

Conditions Treated:

• Anemia
• Affective Mood Disorder
• Allergies
• Arrhythmia
• Arthritis
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Bronchial Asthma
• Candidiasis
• Constipation
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Heart and Circulatory disorders
• High Cholesterol
• Hypertension
• Migraine Headaches
• Obesity
• Peptic Ulcer
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Stress
• Skin Problems
• Sinus infections
• Sleep Disturbances
• Tinnitus

Benefits:

• Pain relief for chronic conditions
• Reduced swelling from arthritis
• Better sleep patterns
• Improved circulation

Side-Effects/Contra-Indications:

• Pregnant women may want to forego treatment with certain herbal tonics.
• Some herbs should not be used with traditional medications, so patients who take prescribed medicines should ask about interactions first.
• Through the process of cleansing, patients may experience digestive side effects.

Educations/Schools:
Instruction includes classes in aromatherapy, nutrition, herbology, meditation, Mantra therapy, spiritual counseling and yoga. In some areas of the U.S., students must complete a four year undergraduate degree before entering into an Ayurvedic course of study. After completing training, many will intern for up to a year before taking on their own patients. Once through with their studies, Ayurvedic practitioners can work at a wellness center, teach classes, supervise a Panchakarma center, or conduct retreats and workshops. In Kern County, several massage therapy businesses such as the Bakersfield Spa Institute have expert Ayurvedic practitioners.

Degrees/License Offered: Certificate of Completion, Master's Degree in India

Length of Study: 9 months to 2 years

Cost/Financial Aid: The cost to study ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 per semester or $2500 per quarter in the United States. Most programs last up to six quarters. Private loans or assistance might be possible.

Research:There have been a number of research attempts in recent years to determine the effectiveness of Ayurveda including:

1. How guggul lipid works on high cholesterol. Through various studies, researchers found that "bad" cholesterol levels dropped and good cholesterol levels rose.
2. How herbal therapies can be used for cardiovascular conditions.
3. How ginger, turmeric and boswellia treat inflammatory disorders, and in particular arthritis and asthma.
4. Whether cowhage, has the potential to lessen or prevent the side effects of traditional drugs on those suffering from Parkinson disease.

Resource Links:
AHC: Ayurveda Holistic Community: http://www.ayurvedahc.com/articlelive/
Maharishi Ayurveda: http://www.alltm.org/ayurveda.html
General Website: http://www.ayurveda.com/
Ayurvedic Foundations: http://www.ayur.com/about.html
International Society for Ayurveda and Health: http://www.ayurvedahealth.org/
General help page: http://www.ayurhelp.com/

Practitioner Training & Licensure:
Practitioners of Ayurveda are not currently licensed or regulated in the United States. Each individual state sets standards for Ayurveda students to follow to avoid being charged with practicing medicine without a license. In California, Ayurveda practitioners may practice their craft under the title of Clinical Ayurvedic Therapists. There is no national or international accreditation for Ayurvedic healers.

Average Salary/Hourly Rate:
A first visit can cost about $100, and reach up to hundreds per day for spa treatment. Many PanchaKarma programs can cost anywhere from $300-$600/day for up to five days. Ayurvedic Therapists also make money from selling herbal products and remedies.