FOREVER YOUNG Part 1 (Maureen Lermer)

Maureen Lermer

I am very excited to bring you a brand new series called 'Forever Young'. I'll be featuring a Forever Young man or woman while focusing on the very important factors that affect aging. Our very first Forever Young Personality is Maureen Lermer, 40, mother of 3. She captures and embodies all that is forever young, in spirit and in health. I am proud to call her my sister and friend, she is an inspiration to me and I hope will become one to you as well. 

TOPIC FOR TODAY: INFLAMMATION

Inflammation is the body's biological attempt to self-protect against harmful pathogens, damaged cells and irritants. Inflammation comes from the latin word 'inflammo' which means 'to ignite'. Inflammation however doesn't mean infection, rather it is an immune response to stop what caused it. The five signs of inflammation are redness, heat, pain, swelling and immobility.

"The researchers concluded that: "Poor sleep quality, and short sleep durations are associated with higher levels of inflammation."

Exercise is essential for great health

HOW DOES INFLAMMATION RELATE TO AGING?

The Standard American Diet (S.A.D) is very highly inflammatory. Did you know that there are certain foods that we eat which trigger the production of white blood cells? If you recall from your biology class, white blood cells are produced by the immune system to respond to infection and defend the body against harmful materials. Most of the foods we consume today are 'harmful materials'.

The key to preventing accelerated aging and age-related diseases is controlling inflammation according to Dr. Nicholas Perricone. It is my opinion that what you eat either eats or protects you. 

For Recipe Click -> Maureen's signature coconut/corn soup

Proud Mama of 3

Let's take a look at some foods that are inflammatory

• Meats, especially highly processed meats which contain nitrites and sulphites e.g hot dogs, sausages and lunch meats
• Dairy products and all foods made with dairy
• High-glycemic carbohydrates (sugars & starches)
• Chemical additives in certain foods
• Trans fats and hydrogenated oils e.g margarine, shortening, lard and foods that are made by using these.
• Fried foods
• White sugar & All synthetic sugars (splenda, nutrasweet, aspartine, saccharin etc)
• Wheat products, especially as most of the wheat produced today has been genetically modified.
• Gluten-containing foods and grains, millet, quinoa and buckwheat are best choices to eat instead
• Alcohol

"Get out of the house for some fresh air and vitamin D, go admire nature"

A recent study showed that fat men had more white blood cells (inflammation markers) and are at a higher risk of developing various illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

List of some anti-inflammatory foods: 

1. Ginger
2. Turmeric
3. Cannabis (weed, marijuana). I did a research paper in college focusing on the legalization of medicinal marijuana and learned so much from my research. Needless to say I support the legalization of medicinal marijuana.
4. Green tea
5. Tart cherries
6. Fish oil
7. wild salmon
8. Onions
9. endive
10. Kale
11. Spinach
12. Cabbage
13. Flax seed oil
14. Wild sea bass
15. Pollock
16. Trout
17. Olive oil
18. Flax seeds
19. Pineapple, mango, papaya
20. Avocado
21. Seaweed e.g kelp and kumbu
22. Shitake mushrooms
23. Berries, especially blueberries
24. Fermented foods e.g kimchi, kefir, raw apple cider vinegar
25. Cinnamon, cayenne, basil

 I made some wild salmon and some veggies the other night for dinner to show you an example of an anti-inflammatory diet dish.

Baked Salmon:

1 piece of salmon fillet

dash of black pepper

dash of lemon pepper

sprinkle of Celtic sea salt (if your lemon pepper doesn't have salt)

1/2 tsp of olive oil

Method:

First rub coat the fish with olive oil, then rub all the other ingredients over the fish. Set the oven at 350 degrees and place the salmon on some foil paper or baking pan and let bake for 8-10 minutes or until flaky. Set aside.

Veggies:

1 pack frozen stir fry snap veggies

Sprinkle of black pepper

1 Onion chopped

Salt to taste

Dash of turmeric (optional)

1 tsp olive oil

Method:

First saute onions in olive oil until almost translucent. Next, add all the other ingredients and let cook for about 3-5 minutes or until green veggies are bright green. Serve with salmon and enjoy!

'Mother & Child' by Maureen Lermer

'Woman' by Maureen Lermer

I can say from experience that eating an anti-inflammatory diet has always given me the best looking skin and health. My body 'knows' how to 'talk' to me because I have reprogrammed it over the years. There are certain foods that give me an immediate negative response once I eat them, I can tell my body is grumbling and even though I consciously made the choice to eat that particular food, I know it is not the right thing for my body and health in the long run. Try to introduce one anti-inflammatory food into your current diet each week as you lessen the frequency of one inflammatory food. I look forward to your questions and suggestions, we can all learn from each other, so let's talk :-)

ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY

REMEMBER TO EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

Vegan Veggie Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

My friend Maureen Lermer and her three children have been on a gluten-free diet for years and I love to feast my eyes on her beautiful food photography. I have been toying with the idea of eating gluten-free myself. When I'm doing all raw of course I am totally gluten-free but when I am making some vegan foods I still incorporate some gluten in my diet. Today I decided to make a vegan veggie pizza with a chickpea crust and the result was DELIGHTFUL!

WHO WANTS PIZZA?

SO FILLING AND NUTRITIOUS I WAS FULL AFTER TWO SLICES

THIN, FLUFFY, GLUTEN-FREE CHICKPEA CRUST

 PIZZA TOPPING

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1 zucchini, chopped
1 small Indian egg plant , chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and and let marinade for about 15-20 minutes.

CHICKPEA CRUST:

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour
Dash of salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil

First, add yeast to cup of warm water and mix. Pour mixture into bowl with chickpea flour and salt, mix until smooth and then cover and let stand on kitchen counter for 30 minutes. Uncover and  add olive oil and mix well. Pour into baking pan and place in 450 degree oven. Let bake for 10 minutes. Take out and set aside.

I  decided to use left over mango pesto I had in the fridge for my 'cheese'. Here's the recipe from an old blog entry:

CHEESE: MANGO PESTO

Ingredients

1/2 cup pine nuts
3 cups basil leaves (I used 1 bunch)
2cm ginger root
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup + 2Tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt or salt to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp almond butter (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups ripe mango chunks
3 cups of mung beans, rinsed and patted dry

Put all ingredients except the mung beans in a food processor with an 'S' blade and blend until smooth.


ASSEMBLY:


Generously spread mango pesto over crust. Add pizza topping over the pesto and place pizza into the oven for another 5-10 minutes to warm. Serve and enjoy!

Eating healthy is a labor of love just like every worthy thing we have or strive for in our lives. Taking time to prepare your foods makes it very much easy to be grateful and appreciate life and ourselves. If you do try this out I would like to know how you liked it. Next, I will be working on making some vegan condensed milk, yup, you heard right, yummy stuff isn't it? Till then, be safe and ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE HAPPY.

MY SISTER TOOK THIS PHOTO, I think she did a good job, thanks Gege

Remember TO EAT AND DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!