Horchata

Do you know what is Horchata?

It is a milk and rice drink popular in Mexico.

In Spanish,it is BebidaDe Leche y Arroz.

You can make a nice smoothie using this drink by using ,

8 oz of Horchata,1/2 banana,1/2 cup of pineapple,ice cubes.

You can add 1/2 cup of washed Swiss chard to make it green.

Delicious!

Enjoy Horchata smoothie.

Advice for patients after bariatric surgery

Eat 3 meals daily without skipping meals.

Portions should be 1/4 to 1/2 cup per meal

Stop eating when full.

Eat nutrient dense food .

Avoid foods high in sugar and fat.

Use less than 3 to 4 gm of sugar per meal.

Have protein with each meal.

Protein powders or nonfat dried milk can be added to meal.

Eat slowly.

Chew foods so they are consistency of applesauce.

No fluid with meals.

Avoid drinking liquids15 minutes before meals and 30 minutes to 60 minutes after meals.

Drink at least 64 ounces of decaffeinated fluids daily.

Avoid alcohol.

Limit fat to 3 GMs of fat for every 100 calories consumed.

This was obtained from the Obesity society and association of clinical endocrinologists.

Capers

Capers are unopened flowering buds of caper plant.

It is a popular Mediterranean spice.

Capers are harvested early in the  morning allowed to wilt in hot sun before storing them in a jar with vinegar, olive oil.

Capers are very special.

They are very rich source of Quercetin.

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid. It helps maintain integrity of blood vessels.

Quercetin is an antioxidant with scavenger like activity for free radicals.

Healthy crunchy salad

The ingredients I would use would be shredded ,

Red cabbage

Green cabbage

Carrots

Beets

Peanuts

Edamame

Avocado small chunks

Savoy cabbage

Thinly sliced red and yellow bell pepper

Spread all this on a bed of rice noodles.

Dressing makes big part of salad.

Ingredients for dressing include

1 tsf miso

1 tablespoonful orange juice

I tbsp tamari

1 tsf shredded ginger

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsf rice vinegar

1 tsf maple syrup

1/2 tsf grated lemon rind

1 tsf lemon or lime juice

Blend or whisk the above

Sea salt can be added for taste

Beet Blood Pressure

Do Beets really lower Blood pressure?

The answer is YES.

Raw beet juice was most effective.

Cooked beets were good too but not as much as raw.

Raw beet juice lowers inflammation,lowers cholesterol too.

They are a dietary source of nitrates which are used o make nitric oxide which is used for dilating arteries.

Beets are high in folate,fiber,manganese,potassium.