Your brain on food: Obesity, fasting and addiction We all know that what you eat can change your physical appearance. It also alters how your body functions, making it more or less difficult to pump blood, grow healthy bones or process insulin. New research presented this week at the Neuroscience 2012 conference suggests that what you eat can even alter your brain – and vice versa. Timothy Verstynen and his colleagues used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe the brain activity in 29 adults. The study participants were shown words on a screen in various colors and asked to identify the color, not the word. Sometimes it was easy – the word red printed in red; other times it was harder, like seeing the word red printed in blue. The overweight and obese participants’ brains showed more activity during difficult questions, suggesting they were working harder to get the same answers. Verstynen said the results imply that obese people are less efficient at making complex decisions, which could be important for controlling impulse behavior. His team theorizes that unhealthy eating choices can lead to disrupted brain connections that lead to weakened brain performance, which can lead to making more unhealthy choices. In other words, it's a vicious cycle. A second study, presented by Dr. Tony Goldstone, showed the brain’s orbitfrontal cortex may play a big role in how people make food choices. This area encodes the “value” of a food, Goldstone said – i.e. how rewarding or pleasurable it will be to eat. Study participants were asked to fast overnight. In the morning they were given a breakfast of about 700 calories and shown photos of food while hooked up to an MRI machine. They were asked to fast again before another visit; the following morning they were not given breakfast and then shown the same photos. The starving participants’ orbitfrontal cortex’s were activated when they were shown photos of high-calorie food. Their reaction was less strong after they had eaten breakfast. The research suggests fasting or dieting increases the brain’s desire for high-calorie food. “That’s one of the reasons it’s so difficult to keep weight off,” Goldstone said. The good news is that research is ongoing to find ways to block our brains’ love of unhealthy food. Two studies presented at the conference analyzed the effect of medications designed to treat alcohol/drug addiction on rats’ eating behaviors. In one, researchers injected the addiction drug naltrexone into the prefrontal cortex – the decision-making area of the brain – to decrease junk food consumption in binge-eating rodents. The drug worked in the study, but more research is needed to see if and how this could apply to humans. Post by: Jacque Wilson -- CNN.com Health writer/producer Filed under: Brain • Diet and Fitness • Healthy Eating • Mental Health • Obesity

Strawberry Cream Cheesecake

Strawberry Cream Cheesecake 

Crust

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup pitted Medjool or other semi -soft dates

Filling

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• 3/4 cup filtered water
• 3 tablespoons liquid coconut oil
• seeds from 2 vanilla beans o 2 tablespoons alcohol free vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup lecithin powder

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups strawberries
• 1/3 cup agave syrup

To make the crust, combine the almond meal and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle a pie pan lightly with some of this almond meal. Add the dates to remaining almond meal and mix into dough into the bottom of the pie pan as thinly as possible. The crust should reach at least halfway up the side of pan.

cashew & brazil cheese

cashew & brazil cheese

• 1 cup cashews, soaked for 20 minutes
• 1 cup brazil nuts, soaked 20 minutes
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon probiotics

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Place the mixture in a strainer that has been lined with cheesecloth and place a weight on top.The weight should

not be so heavy that it pushes the cheese through the cloth, but heavy enough to gently start to press the liquid out. Leave to culture for 24 hours. Once culturing is complete stir in the following ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

Transfer the cheese to a ring mould. Place in the refrigerator, still in the ring mould.

Allow 24 to 48 hours to firm up in the refrigerator and then remove the ring mould.

New Chapter All Flora Probiotic (Vegetarian)

Live Probiotics for Optimal Digestive and Immune System Function*

Probiotic All-Flora contains nine strains of live probiotics cultured together on a non- dairy whole-food medium and then combined with growth-stimulating prebiotic Organic Apples, and Organic Inulin sourced from Organic Jerusalem Artichokes.

The live probiotics in Probiotic All-Flora, including revered probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus helveticus, help support optimal digestive and immune system function.*

When the culturing of Probiotic All-Flora is complete, the synbiotic-rich whole-food medium and live probiotics are freeze-dried together, a process that preserves their potency until consumed. Once consumed, the cultured whole-food medium and prebiotic whole foods activate the probiotics and enhance their effects. Both are part of the synergistic whole that benefits the entire digestive tract and immune system.*

Whole-Food Probiotics for Digestive Health and Immune Support*

The Medium is the Message!  Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that occur naturally in the human intestinal tract. Foods “cultured” with beneficial strains of probiotics such as yogurt and kefir have been used throughout history to improve overall health and vitality, and today, there are many studies reinforcing their ability to balance and promote digestive health.* Probiotics also play an important role in modulating the immune system, 70% of which is located in the gut.*

To make a probiotic supplement, selected strains of beneficial bacteria must first be cultured on a food medium, such as milk or soy. Since each strain of probiotics has an affinity for a different part of the digestive tract, and a unique mechanism of action, a product that delivers multiple strains is preferable to single strain products. As the probiotics replicate, they biotransform the food medium, breaking down nutrients and making them more bioavailable while secreting beneficial compounds into the medium called “synbiotics.” Research suggests that synbiotics are largely responsible for the benefits of probiotics. In other words, “the medium is the message.”

Most probiotic supplement manufacturers separate the probiotics from their food medium once the desired number of cultures is achieved, and therefore fail to deliver the full range of health benefits associated with eating probiotic foods. New Chapter ’s Probiotics with a Purpose line, however, uniquely offers multi- species blends of live probiotics with the synbiotic-rich organic growth medium intact.

Collard Green Wraps with Coconut Sauce

Collard Green Wraps with Coconut Sauce

 Sauce

• 1 young thai coconut, flesh  (approximately 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup fresh coconut water (from young thai coconut)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger
• 1/2 lime, juice from
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar or other liquid sweetener
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander 
• pinch Himalayan salt

 Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.

Wraps

• 4 collard green leaves
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• Sprouts 
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into thin strips

Place filling ingredients on collard leaf. Top with dressing. Roll and cut in half. 

I add an Avocado stuffed with sauerkraut and hemp seeds on a bed of greens. Very easy to prepare and is delicious.

Avocado and Strawberry “Cream Pie"

It's time for avocados and strawberries, this is a delicious dessert that I think you will be surprised on how good it taste.

Avocado and Strawberry “Cream Pie"

Serves 8-10

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups Almonds ( presoaked,)
• 3 dates, soaked until soft

 Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until finely ground and well blended.  Pat into 9″ pie plate. Set aside.

Filling:

• 3 avocados
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• flesh from one thai coconut (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar 

Place all ingredients in food processor, process until smooth. Smooth into crust. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked at least 6 hours, drained and rinsed.
• 1 cup coconut water 
• 2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons raw agave 
• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Combine all ingredients except strawberries in high speed blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate until set (this can take hours). Stir in sliced strawberries. Spoon over pie. 

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup carob 

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Dip spoon in ganache and add to top of pie.

Raw Vegan Truffles Recipe

Raw Vegan Truffles Recipe

ingredients

• 1 cup almonds 
• 1 cups brazil nuts ( If you do not have almonds or brazil nuts you can substitute for any kind)
• 13 dates 
• 1 cup finely shredded coconut 
• 2 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder or carob Powder
• 1 tsp vanilla 

In a food processor with an S blade, process all ingredients, except the cocoa powder, until finely chopped and it all starts to clump together. This takes a minute or two.

Using a plastic rounded tablespoon or melon scooper, scoop out and press to make a half sphere. Use half the mixture to make regular coconut macaroons. Add the cocoa or cacao powder to the remaining mixture and process until well incorporated and then shape with the tablespoon or scooper

Cinnamon, Coconut

add to basic recipe instead of carob or cocoa

• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Strawberry

add to basic recipe instead of carob or cocoa

• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries ( I did this in the food processor)

Raw Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust 

1 cup Almond meal 

¼ cup  raw cocoa powder or  Carob

3 Tablespoons Agave syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch sea salt

Filling 

2 cups raw cashews, soaked (2Hrs) and rinsed 

¼ cup hazelnut butter (peanut butter works too) 

½ cup coconut oil, melted 

½ cup Agave syrup 

½ cup cocoa powder or carob 

½ cup water 

2 teaspoons salt 

Chocolate Sauce 

⅓ cup coconut oil, melted 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

¼  cup agave syrup 

¼ cup cocoa powder or carob

1- Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until it starts to come together. Press the crust into the bottom of desired pan, about ¼ inch thick. Set aside while you making the filling. 

2 -In a food processor or mixer blend together cashews, maple syrup, water and salt. Mix until totally smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary. Add cocoa powder, hazelnut butter and coconut oil to the cashew mixture and blend them all together, scraping down again, until mixture is uniformly combined. 

3-Spoon or pipe the filling on top of the crusts. Stick the cheesecake in the freezer until solid all the way through (at least 2 hours for individual cheesecakes, 4 for a large cheesecake). 

4- Once frozen, remove the cheesecake from the pan. If using a silicone mold they will easily pop out. If you have a muffin tin, run a sharp, hot knife around the edges of each cheesecake, flip the tin upside down and give it a few good whacks against the counter. They should start to slowly side out at this point. Be patient, gravity is on your side. If a few minutes have passed and the cheesecakes are still refusing to drop, use a lighter to heat the bottom of the tin briefly; the heat will help release the cake. 

5-Place the cheesecakes in the refrigerator and make the chocolate sauce.