Dirty Dozens, and the Perfect Cup of Coffee

The new "dirty dozen" list of produce

A new report published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) might make you re-think that "apple a day" -- if it's conventionally grown using pesticides.

According to the group's annual "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residues, apples ranked number one as the most-contaminated item, up from number four last year.

Other changes from the 2010 findings: this year, cherries dropped off the list, and lettuce, previously absent, now appears at number 11. The EWG uses data compiled by the USDA to produce these findings.

Dirty Dozen 2011

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

The "clean fifteen" are also included in the report - these are fruits and veggies with the lowest levels of pesticides so there's no need to waste your money on organic versions. Some popular items include watermelon and avocado.

The EWG points out that if consumers simply chose their daily recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables from the least contaminated list over five from the dirty dozen, they would reduce the amount of pesticides ingested by 92% - without having to shell out extra money for organics.

Clean Fifteen 2011

1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplants
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Pesticides on produce

Conventional farmers use an arsenal of pesticides to protect their crops from insects, bacteria, rodents, molds, and fungi. These substances can end up in the food supply. Washing and peeling fruit and vegetables can lower pesticide residues, but not necessarily. When the USDA tests for pesticides, they wash and peel fruit the same way a typical consumer would.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Services acknowledges that scientists do not have a full understanding of the health risks associated with exposure to agricultural pesticide residues through food, soil, water, or air. They also report that farmers who use pesticides experience an increase in neurological symptoms and that the harmful effects on children are greater than on adults.

Recent studies indicate that pregnant women should also be careful of their exposure to pesticides. Three studies published in 2011 in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives suggest pesticide exposure can harm the developing fetal brain.

Organic vs. conventional produce

Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. However, organics can be harder to find and prohibitively expensive. If you are concerned about consuming pesticides, the EWG's dirty dozen and clean fifteen lists can help you make the safest and most affordable choices.

Are sports drinks better than water?

By Sarah B. Weir

Are sports drinks better than water? The beverage industry would like you to think so. According to Beverage Digest, PepsiCo (the maker of Gatorade), the Coca-Cola Company (the maker of Powerade), and others made about 7 billion dollars in 2010 promoting the idea that to prevent dehydration and optimize performance, you need to guzzle their products.

However, unless you are a high-intensity athlete, water is still the best option, without the cost or calories.

Although sports drinks are marketed to the general population, they do not offer added health benefits to sedentary adults or even moderate exercisers but do provide unnecessary amounts of sugar, sodium, and artificial flavorings and preservatives.

A 20-ounce bottle of Powerade is about 150 calories and contains 38 grams of sugar. Responding to America's obesity epidemic, the Center for Disease Control recommends against using drinks with added sugar for purposes of hydration. 

With children, use sports drinks with caution

A clinical report published on May 30, 2011, by the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against children drinking sports drinks unless they are participating in prolonged athletic competitions and suggests that even then, the consumption of sports drinks should be carefully managed.

According to the report, the popularity of sports drinks is chipping away at healthier patterns of beverage consumption (such as drinking water or low fat milk) and contributing to childhood overweight and obesity. The citric acid contained in these beverages also causes dental erosion.

Another issue the researchers point out is that most children and teens do not recognize the difference between sports drinks and energy drinks and use them interchangeably. Energy drinks are unregulated by the FDA and contain high amounts of caffeine as well as amino acids and herbs with uncertain health risks and should never be consumed by kids. 

For endurance athletes, sports drinks may help

Most sports drinks contain a combination of water, carbohydrates in the form of sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, athletes who are performing high-intensity, endurance sports for more than 60-90 minutes, especially in hot weather, may experience an improvement in performance after drinking a sports drink.

Carbohydrates can help prevent fatigue by boosting blood sugar levels and replacing glycogen stores in muscles.

Electrolytes carry electrical impulses through the tissues of the body and are important for maintaining proper fluid levels and muscle function. The average person consumes all the electrolytes they need through their daily diet, however some can be lost during excessive sweating.

Try healthy sports drink alternatives

While water is the best choice when you are thirsty or after light-moderate exercise, when you want something with a little extra flavor, there are some natural alternatives that are healthy and taste delicious.

Herbal iced tea: Steeped herbal iced tea makes a pleasing alternative to plain water. Just avoid caffeine and herbs that are diuretic. Mint and verbena are safe, tasty choices that don't require a lot of sweetener.

Low fat milk: 1% or skimmed milk contains the right balance of protein and carbs to help muscles rebuild after vigorous exercise.

Coconut water: The juice from inside young coconuts is high in potassium, antioxidants, and other minerals and is a refreshing non-fat drink. It contains about half the calories of the average commercial sports drink.

Fruit: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends eating fruit to refuel muscles after exercising. A quarter cup of dried fruit or 2-3 pieces of fruit such as apples or oranges will help replace glycogen stores.

Watermelon, honeydew melon, and stone fruits such as peaches and plums contain lots of water for hydration as well as healthy, natural fruit sugars for energy.

Bananas are high in potassium, a key electrolyte, and a good source of carbohydrates.

We’ll be right back after a break so please if you want stay tuned because we’ve got more after this.

Welcome back! For those of you just tuning in this is food for thought on 88.9 fm KUCI we just went over a list of the dirtiest and cleanest produce in terms of pesticide residue, and talked about sports drinks, next up…

How to brew the perfect cup of coffee

By Trystan L. Bass Bottom of Form

You've probably heard of the "latte factor" – by spending $2.50 on coffee at a cafe every day, you're wasting money that could have added up to millions. If you subscribe to this theory, you try making coffee at home. But an ordinary cup of joe doesn't always satisfy.

Do you have to spend thousands on a fancy espresso machine or buy the most expensive coffee beans? That would defeat idea of saving money by brewing coffee at home.

We looked for expert advice on how to make great coffee and discovered that freshness is more important than fancy equipment or ingredients.

Consumer Reports finds that most brands of automatic-drip coffeemakers will brew a decent cup of coffee. The main differences are extra features such as timers, thermal carafes, and such. Choose the coffeemaker that fits your price range and kitchen style.

Many coffee aficionados prefer manual-pour coffeemakers because they draw out more complex flavors from the coffee grinds. On Epicurious.com, champion barista Mike Phillips explains how to use the French press, CafeSolo, Chemex, and siphon (or vacuum) coffeemakers.

But no matter what kind of mechanism you use, the keys to brewing a great cup of coffee are actually quite simple. According to Ken Davids, editor of Coffee Review, it boils down to these steps:

1.     Buy top quality coffee.

2.     Use clean, odor-free, but not distilled water.

3.     Keep coffee hot after brewing in a thermal carafe.

If you have good coffee beans, clean water, and keep the coffee hot, you'll be on your way to beating the daily grind of paying $2.50 per cup.

To get quality coffee, start by avoiding any of the canned grounds. Says Davids: "American canned supermarket coffees consist mainly of the lowest quality robusta beans that have been steamed to neutralize the foul flavors created by drying the coffee fruit in decaying, putrid piles. So they come across as neutral, empty tasting brown water." A better bet is whole beans from a company like Green Mountain Coffee, Peet's Coffee and Tea, or even Starbucks (16 ounces of beans costs $10.95 at a Startbucks store and lasts a lot longer than that one $2.50 latte!).

If you don't like the taste of your tap water, get a filter for your house, faucet, or pitcher. The Environmental Protection Agency regularly tests U.S. tap water for safety, so there's no real need to use bottled water. But if local plumbing or minerals affect the flavor, a filter is the best bet for general drinking and especially for coffee brewing.

Food Network’s Alton Brown has a handy video showing how to get the most out of an automatic-drip coffeemaker. You’ll want to add 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds and 6 ounces of water for each cup of coffee desired, regardless of what the machine might instruct. After all, it’s only a machine.

Finally, make sure to take the coffee pot off the heating element when it's finished brewing, if you're using an automatic-drip coffeemaker. When the pot sits on the heat, the coffee will get burnt. To keep it warm, transfer the coffee into a thermal carafe. This simple step makes sure that the last cup out of the pot tastes as good as the first one. Some models of coffeemakers brew directly into a thermal carafe – if you’re upgrading, this is something to consider.

And if you want a touch of that latte experience without an espresso machine, just heat up some milk and whip it with a battery-powered milk frother. You'll only have to use it for a few weeks to recoup the investment versus those individual lattes.

6 Healthy Alternative Milks

Try replacing sugary flavored milks with one of these health-conscious recipes

A dear old friend of mine named soda has recently been receiving some harsh criticism in the press. Labeled "soda in drag," chocolate milk — actually, the entire category of sugar-laden flavored milks — has been singled out as the latest target in the war against childhood obesity. 
Those leading the campaign (including Food Revolution's Jamie Oliver, who equates the milks to candy) are advocating that they be removed from school cafeterias entirely. The folks on the other side of the argument, however, feel that flavored milks are being unfairly pegged. Plus, according to reports, some parents say their children simply aren't interested in drinking plain milk.
 So how about some healthy, flavorful alternatives? Milks made from almonds or cashews, for example, are cholesterol free and wonderful sources of calcium and magnesium. And in terms of taste, they have a nutty, sweet flavor that can even be improved by adding spices or natural sweeteners.  
If you need a little inspiration, check out the following healthy (and tasty) alternative milk recipes. 
Almond Milk
This popular, low-calorie cow's milk alternative is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E. Although commercial varieties are widely available on the market today (stick to the unsweetened original flavor if you're buying pre-made), it's surprisingly easy to make at home — and better for you too. Plus you can choose to embellish the milk's nutty, slightly sweet flavor with ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon, and honey.
Homemade almond milk is so easy to make and so fresh tasting compared to packaged almond milk. It is great in smoothies, on Granola Your Way or whole-grain porridges, heated up for hot chocolate, or simply enjoyed as a beverage, sweetened with a little agave syrup or honey and a dash of vanilla extract. The more powerful your blender, the better the results. I make almond milk with an old thrift-store blender just fine, but I have to strain it well. No need to discard the spent almond pulp. Spread it out thinly on a cookie sheet and dry it in a 200-degree oven for 6 to 8 hours. Sprinkle it over yogurt or porridge or add to muffins or cookies. You can freeze the dried pulp and use it over time.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole raw almonds (about 8 ounces)

Directions

Soak the almonds in 8 cups water overnight or for up to 15 hours in a bowl in the refrigerator. Puree the almonds, using all of the water, in batches in a blender and strain through a medium-mesh strainer. Pour into a jar or bottle, seal, and refrigerate. The milk will keep, refrigerated, for 5 days.
Chill and shake before serving. Sweeten and embellish to taste with vanilla, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, sugar, or agave syrup.
Soy Milk Berry Smoothie
Arguably the most well-known of the alternative milks, soy milk has earned fans for its healthful properties, including being low in saturated fat and high in protein (though some recent studies have linked it to certain diseases). In this recipe — which only has about 168 calories per serving — the milk is combined with frozen unsweetened berries and pineapple juice to create a tasty, health-conscious smoothie. And of course, you can always try making a homemade version instead of going with store-bought soy milk. (Though if you do go with a commercial brand, stick to the organic variety.) 
Prep Time: 5 min Minutes
Cook Time: min
Number of ingredients: 6

Ingredients

• milk
• milk
• strawberries
• pineapple
• raspberries
• pineapple juice

Directions

1.      In a blender, combine the raspberries, strawberries, and pineapple juice. Add the milk and blend until smooth.

Cashew Milk
This increasing popular nut milk has a lot to brag about in the health department: It's cholesterol free, low in overall fat content, and a great source of copper, magnesium, and B vitamins. Although great on its own, you can add a touch of maple syrup to sweeten and complement the milk's naturally nutty flavor. 

Cashew Milk and Cashew Flour

from Epicurious

Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Number of ingredients: 3

Ingredients

• 3 cups raw cashews, soaked for 10 to 12 hours in filtered water, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups filtered water

·         To make the milk: In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews and water and blend until creamy. Line a large sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour the cashew mixture into the sieve and let drain, then grab the corners of the cheesecloth, hold together securely, and squeeze the cheesecloth to extract all of the milk. Reserve the pulp in the sieve for making the flour. Transfer the milk to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

·         To make the flour: Using an offset spatula, spread the pulp on a nonstick drying sheet on a dehydrator shelf. Dehydrate at 105°F for 24 hours, or until completely dry. Transfer the dehydrated pulp to a food processor and grind to a silky flour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cashew Oat Milk with Cinnamon and Agave
This recipe combines the aforementioned good-for-you benefits of cashew milk with oats. Milk made from this grain is high in fiber, cholesterol free, and rich in phytochemicals. 

Cashew Oat Milk with cinnamon and agave

Milk from nuts! Milk from oats!  Milk with cinnamon.  Milk with sugar.
Raw cashews are soaked, rinsed and blended with ground oats, fresh ground cinnamon, agave, and filtered water.  The result is a surprisingly creamy, slightly sweet, dairy-free drink.
Cashews are full of all sorts of healthy fats.  They’ve got copper.  They help eliminate free radicals.  They’re full of magnesium.  They’re dang good for you.
Oatmeal is great for the heart.  It’s full of fiber and helps to thicken the milk and makes the belly feel full.
I used a spice grinder (it’s actually my old coffee grinder cleaned out) to pulverize two cinnamon sticks and the old fashioned oats.  If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can surely use ground cinnamon and a blender to pulverize the oats.
If you don’t have a blender… I think you should totally get one.
After blending the nuts, oats, cinnamon agave and water, I strained it through this fine mesh strainer.  I pressed hard to release all the milk, and got a fair amount of nut, oat, and cinnamon bits in my milk.  I loved it.  But!  If you want a smoother milk… line the fine mesh strainer with cheese cloth for straining, and strain the milk several times.  Smooth milk.
Cashew Oat Milk with cinnamon and agave

Makes just under one quart of milk

1 1/2 cups raw cashews

3 cups of water for soaking

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, ground to a powder

2 cinnamon sticks ground to a powder or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups filtered water

2 tablespoons agave

Place raw cashews in a clean bowl and top with 3 cups of water.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours.  Once soaked, place the cashews in a fine mesh strainer and run the softened cashews under cool water until clean and the water runs clear.  Set aside.

In a spice blender (mine is a clean coffee grinder), grind cinnamon sticks, one at a time, to a fine powder.  Place in a small bowl and set aside.  If you don’t have a spice grinder, measure 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon into a small bowl and set aside.

Grind oats in two batches in the spice grinder until oats turn into a fine powder.  Pour into the same bowl as the ground cinnamon.  If you don’t have a spice grinder, you can also grind oats in the blender.

Combine oats, cinnamon, cashews, filtered water, and agave in the bowl of a blender.  Cover tightly and blend on low speed, increasing to high speed, until smooth.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl.  Pour half of the cashew mixture into the fine mesh strainer.  With a spatula, work the liquid through the strainer.  The harder you press the cashew and oat mixture, the more liquid you’ll release, and the more cashew and oat bits you’ll get in your milk.  I happen to like this milk to be thick and slightly chunky.  Continue to strain the milk until all of the liquid has passed through the strainer.  Place cashew and oat meat mixture in a bowl and set aside.

If you’d like a smoother milk, feel free to pass it through the strainer once more.

Store in an airtight container (I used an old one-quart milk jar) and place in the fridge.  Shake well before enjoying.

Milk lasts, in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Oh!  I used the cashew and oat meat as a face scrub for a few days.

Chocolate Hemp Milk
Don't let the name give you any wrong ideas — milk made from hemp seed is a good way to take in omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, as well as phosphorous and calcium. Keeping things natural, this recipe calls on raw cacao and honey or agave as sweeteners. 

Chocolate Hemp Milk Recipe

Posted by Rawist

How to make chocolate hemp milk! Hemp milk is a great source of protein, omega-3's, omega-6's, and healthy Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA).

·         Prep Time :
2 min

·         Ready Time :
2 min

Servings

5 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled hemp seeds
• 4 cups water
• 1.5 tablespoons raw cacao
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or agave nectar

Directions

Blend the ingredients until smooth. Unlike with almond milk, where straining through a nut milk bag is required, with hemp milk straining is optional and you can drink it as is. So with chocolate hemp milk, you’re better off either skipping the straining all together or straining before blending in the cacao and raw honey or agave nectar. So you keep as much of the good stuff in it. Store sealed in the refrigerator.

Date Milk
Although this recipe doesn't use an alternative milk, it does feature dates, which are known for being a great source of dietary fiber, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. What's more, they're packed with carbohydrates, which help boost energy.

Ingredients

·         8 oz milk

·         6 dates, pitted

How to make Date Milk
This is a sweet yet healthy beverage that energizes the body and is good for all ages.
Slice the dates in half and simmer in milk at a very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Press through a strainer and serve.
If you have a hard time simply throwing away the dates, they supposedly still taste delicious, so I say eat the dates, too maybe make them into something else.

Well that’s the show thanks for listening.