Heart-heal​thy Recipe

One of our patients, a dear friend, passed away this week at the good old age of 99.  When her family was making memorial arrangements with a large and well-known mortuary in the L.A. area, they were told something that shocked us all:

In the past two months, the funerals at this facility were divided evenly between the elderly and those aged 40-50 years.  You read right - 50% of the funerals were for people in the 40-50 age bracket!!!  

Many of those deaths in the younger age group were caused by heart attacks.  Can you think of any possible reason for this?

Of course there are several contributing factors, and it would take a small book to discuss them all.  But if you guessed "terrible nutrition," you probably hit one of the big ones!  

Heart attacks are associated with a lack of the B vitamin complex, as well as chronic calcium deficiency.  These nutrients are woefully depleted in the SAD (Standard American Diet) which unfortunately is composed largely of processed convenience foods.

The answer for these deficiencies does NOT lie in a bottle of store-bought "vitamin" supplements!  Regardless of the claims, these are artificially produced isolates that are not recognized by the body as nutrients, and may do more harm than good. 

But there ARE two ways to work on this problem:

1) Eat plenty of whole, natural foods that contain these nutrients in balance 

2) As your nutritional evaluation manifests the need, use concentrated whole-food supplements to assist your body with genuine health-promoting tools.

Good sources of the B complex and calcium are red meat, organ meats, whole raw dairy, brown rice (NEVER white rice - the B vitamins have been "polished" off), whole grains, and leafy deep green vegetables.

Here's a recipe that's easy and delicious, and provides several good sources of the vital nutrients your heart needs:

SOUTHWESTERN SKILLET

1 pound of organic ground beef or turkey (organic beef is at Costco, great price)

1 small organic onion, chopped

1/2 of an organic bell pepper, chopped (I prefer red or yellow to green)

1 15-ounce can of Trader Joe's organic tomato sauce (no sugar in it)

1 cup of cooked organic brown rice

1 tsp. of your favorite chili powder

3/4 cup of shredded raw milk cheddar or pepper jack cheese

In a large skillet, cook meat, onion, and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Stir in tomato sauce, rice, and chili powder.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with the cheese, and cover for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.  3-4 servings

Serve this meal with a bowl of steamed or sautéed organic greens, such as Swiss chard, beet greens, or spinach.  You will feel good about helping your heart! 

Look for other ways to incorporate these vital nutrients into your daily food intake by means of organic, whole foods.  And be sure to keep up on your nutritional evaluations here.  None of us can afford to overlook our heart health!

We're here to help!  Call us any time at (562) 861-3896.