Are You Nuts?!!!

I apologize for ranting so much about Salmonella and food recalls (foodborne illness is a sick interest of mine which has nothing to do with yoga or Ayurveda). So to make it up to loyal readers who have been patiently waiting for some Ayurvedic insights, I devote this entire post to discussing the place of nuts in an Ayurvedic diet.

Ancient physicians had a great respect for the concentration of nutrients lurking inside the shells of nuts and seeds. Nuts, nut milks and nut butters play an important role in rejuvenative diets for their fat, vitamins, trace minerals and medicinal properties. Some people believe that eating 10 almonds in the morning* provides all the nutrition the body needs for the entire day.

*Almond skins can irritate the lining of the gut, they should be soaked in lukewarm water overnight and peeled (after an overnight bath, the skins slip right off with ease).

In general, nuts are sweet, oily and heating (coconut being the one exception) so are best for pacifying Vata dosha. Being such a concentrated food, they are great for skinny Vata-types who need to gain weight; but should be consumed in moderation for those with delicate digestion. Individuals with a fiery Pitta constitution can enjoy coconuts (as well as coconut milk and coconut water) which are cooling and should avoid most other varieties. Peanuts (actually a legume) tax the liver and gallbladder so can be particularly problematic for Pitta. I give thanks to the wisdom of Ayurveda for sparing me from exposure to Salmonella in tainted nuts. Since peanuts promote gas in Vata more than true nuts, I swore them off this past winter (Vata season) before the Salmonella outbreak came to light.

For the same reason that nuts and seeds are good for Vata, they are not so good for Kapha. People who are predominantly Kapha in nature should abstain from eating nuts and seeds if they are battling weight issues or another doshic imbalance. There are a couple exceptions: walnuts and flaxseeds which are higher in omega-3 fatty acids that help boost metabolism and fight inflammation. Flaxseeds also help lubricate the intestines and stimulate elimination (when taken with plenty of water!) so can be quite helpful for both Vata and Kapha suffering from sluggish digestion. Kapha may also consume sunflower and pumpkin seeds in moderation which are a little lighter in quality and also good sources of fiber.

Sesame is the most potent of the seeds: they increase physical & mental strength and virility (yup, Yogi Bhajan claims that they increase secretions of the sex glands). Vata-types with brittle bones can benefit from the minerals (calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc) found in sesame seeds but need to use them with care. Overuse of sesame seeds can ruin the tone of the digestive tract (not to mention irritate the gut of someone with diverticulosis). They are easier to digest when roasted or blended with water into sesame butter or tahini. While sesame oil is tasty and makes a great massage oil, it lacks the fiber and nutrients present in the whole seeds. Try adding sesame seeds to rice or baked goods as in the cookie recipe below.

Tahini Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup tahini (preferably organic)
1/4 cup unrefined sesame oil (preferably organic)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tb sesame seeds, optional

1. Grind oats in a blender till coarsely ground. Do not wash out blender.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder.
3. Place tahini, oil, vanilla, starch and maple syrup in blend and process until smooth. Stir this wet mixture into dry ingredients.
4. Drop tablespoon of batter on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are golden brown and puffed.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.


Banana Flaxseed Bread

¼ cup flaxseeds
¾ cups filtered water
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup graham flour or wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup safflower oil
½ cup organic sucanat (or turbinado sugar)
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)

1. Preheat oven to 350º and oil a 5 x 9” loaf pan.
2. Combine flaxseeds and water in blender and process on high speed several minutes until slurry forms. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to aerate and combine well.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil and sucanat. Stir in mashed bananas. Add flaxseed slurry and mix well to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan & cool completely.

Eat at your Own Risk

The CDC released a report indicating that the incidence of foodborne illness has not changed significantly over the past three years. The results of the study seem off-base given the recent Salmonella outbreak associated with tainted peanut products which has sickened nearly 700 people and killed 9. Many consumers may still be haunted by the illnesses derived from Mexican-grown jalapeno & serrano peppers (Florida tomato farmers sure are since it was their crop which was initially blamed) this past summer. And who can forget the outbreak of E.coli (caused by the potentially fatal O157:H7 serotype) from bagged fresh spinach in 2006.

Pistachio product recalls continue to trickle down in response to the current Salmonella threat traced back to Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. While it seems as if we have nipped a full-blown outbreak in the bud (no illnesses have been definitively linked to pistachio consumption even though strains found at Setton Pistachio match some detected in samples from patients in the CDC database), the damage to the consumer psyche has been done. The word “Salmonella” has appeared on the front page of newspapers across the country, the FDA has instructed people not to eat pistachios without first checking with the manufacturer to ascertain that they are safe; and President Obama has announced the creation of a new “Food Safety Working Group.”

So what is a health-conscious person to do when “natural” and fundamentally wholesome foods are making people sick? I am sorry to say that buying organic is not the answer. Large-scale organic agricultural operations (who are generally motivated by corporate greed as much as their conventional counterparts) are susceptible to the same biological (birds dropping “salmonella bombs” on fields) and environmental (water contaminated by animal fecal matter) threats as conventional ones. And the USDA Organic stamp of approval does not guarantee ingredients immunity from mishandling on the farm, in a truck or at a manufacturing facility. The recall of thousands of organic snack foods (like Luna bars, Clif bars and Nature’s Path granola bars) made with peanuts from a certified organic processing plant owned by PCA (Peanut Corporation of America) that was closed in February for health & safety violations has shocked many consumers and left the Organic Trade Association with the difficult task of damage control.

Since corporations can not be depended on to voluntarily safeguard the food supply, someone needs to step up to the plate. In the case of almonds, which were responsible for Salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004, the USDA mandated (effective September 1, 2007) the sterilization of raw nuts. California almond growers, whether they use conventional or organic practices, must subject their crop to either heat or fumigation with propylene oxide (a toxic chemical with a pretty bad track record for causing skin irritation, depressing immune function and irritating lung tissue). A small but vocal group of raw foodists and pure food activists have expressed their outrage that almonds labeled “raw” will no longer be truly raw and untreated. Sprouters now need to seek out "really raw" almonds imported from other countries where no such law exists because the mandatory processing kills the nut’s vitality.

Non-profit groups like the Cornucopia Institute, concerned with protecting the integrity of sustainable & organic agriculture and educating the public about ecological principles, also warn that the sterilization of the food supply could be more hazardous to human health. They insist that eliminating all bacteria on the surface of foods creates an environment conducive to the survival of even worse pathogens.

The more recent salmonella scares associated with peanuts and pistachios clearly demonstrate the deficiency of the USDA’s "Band-Aid" approach to food safety. Since in both scenarios, the nuts that ended up on store shelves were both infected after being roasting. The roasting process is considered the "kill" step which should have destroyed all potentially harmful bacteria. Thus, the indiscriminate sterilization of nuts is obviously not the answer.

Until food companies can be trusted to handle their ingredients responsibly and are willing to adopt transparent health & sanitation practices, the government is likely to advise consumers to treat nuts as if they were potentially hazardous. Food safety authorities have set a pretty strong precendent with raw chicken. What cook would dare undercook chicken? Will the CDC now launch a similar public health campaign surrounding nut products?

It is such a shame when perfectly healthy foods like fresh produce and nuts are the source of illness. Many people turn to nuts and seeds when they crave a nutritious and satisfying snack (due to their fat and fiber content). Now that it is so easy to find nuts and trail mix at convenience stores and in vending machines, you don't have to go out of your way to eat healthfully. Unfortunately, commercially packaged nuts - even those which have no added oil or sugar - are not as beneficial as one would hope. Because nuts contain enzyme inhibitors which make them hard to digest, they should be soaked overnight (see my previous post about sprouting). After soaking raw nuts or seeds, you can then dry them out in a warm oven (or dehydrator if you have one) to make them crispy again and kill any harmful bacteria which could possibly be present. The Aztec practice of soaking pepitas in salt water (before drying them in the sun) is probably even more effective at ridding the seeds of pathogens since bacteria can't survive in a high salt environment (they shrivel up and die).

Here is a simple recipe for soaked & dried pumpkin seeds, which can be adapted for other nuts and seeds, courtesy Sally Fallon from her book Nourishing Traditions.

Crispy Pepitas

4 cups raw, hulled pumpkin seeds

2 Tb sea salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

filtered water

Dissolve salt in water and add pumpkin seeds and optional cayenne. Leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander and spread seeds out on a stainless steel baking pan. Place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for about 12 hours or overnight, turning occasionally, until thoroughly dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Busy Cookin...

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen during Passover because I refuse to eat matzah at every meal. And to keep life interesting, I try a couple new recipes each year.

The last couple of posts have been focused on what I DON'T eat during Passover - bread, rice, legumes, corn, etc - so you are probably wondering what I DO eat. The simple answer is: lots of vegetables! I gravitate toward starchy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots to make up for the lack of grains in my diet. Last night I roasted Yukon Gold potatoes with cherry tomatoes, onions and mushrooms with a pinch of oregano. Yummy! My next project: homemade "Terra Chips" - thinly sliced beets and parsnips coated in olive oil and baked till crisp.

The one grain, actually a pseudo-grain, that I eat is quinoa. Quinoa is a member of different botanical family entirely - it's actually related to spinach. Quinoa was deemed Kosher for Passover several years ago by a rabbi in Israel because it is unrelated to any of the five forbidden grains (wheat, oats, barley, spelt and rye) which can be made into dough with leavening potential (aka. chometz). It is distinct enough from any of the other foods that fall into the category of kiniyot (foods that are close enough in culinary properties so easily substituted for the forbidden grains). And since quinoa primarily grows in the Andes mountains of South America away from other cereal grains, there is no possibility of comingling.

Just prior to the holiday, I had gotten into the habit of starting the day with a homemade muffin (gluten-free corn). So I decided to make some sort of Passover-style muffin. I bought some "Kosher for Passover" baking powder at the Kosher grocery store. How can such an overt leavening agent be "Kosher for Passover? Well, baking powder is basically a combination of an acid (sodium pyrophosphate) and an alkaline (sodium bicarbonate, which is baking soda) substance mixed with a small amount of starch (typically corn starch). When the powder is mixed with liquid, the acid and alkaline react to give off CO2, the gas that makes quick breads rise. For Passover, the corn starch is replaced with potato starch. While some folks would reject baking powder altogether during the holiday because it makes things rise, I prefer to take the product's label at face value. This year (every year, I make a determination of how strict I will observe the holiday) I have decided to use baking powder and baking soda in my holiday recipes. I'd rather prepare my own baked goods using healthy, natural ingredients than buy products from a Kosher for Passover bakery (which relies on GMO and/or hydrogenated cottonseed oil). I further rationalize my decision to use baking powder by defining "leavened" in a Biblical way - risen by fermentation (a natural, biological process). Baking powder did not exist in the time of Moses so the prohibition against its use is a modern rabbinical one. Very observant folks make desserts with beaten egg whites to give them a light, airy texture. This strategy is also technially a means of leavening - the addition of air to the batter using physical means. So rather than engaging elbow grease, I dabble in a little kitchen chemistry.

Passover Banana Quinoa Muffins
Makes 12 small muffins

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (preferably organic, cage-free)
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cups matzah cake meal
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk together oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in mashed bananas and yogurt. In a separate bowl, combine matzah cake meal, quinoa flakes, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add dry to wet ingredients. Stir to combine and spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 22-24 minutes.
Allow muffins to cool before trying to remove from paper muffins cups (if you don't, they muffins will stick to the paper).

Note that this recipe calls for baking soda (an alkaline substnace) because I include yogurt which is acidic.


Cauliflower Kugel
Serves 6 - 8

1 medium head of cauliflower
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 spring onions, white parts sliced
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tb potato starch
4 Tb almond meal (finely ground almonds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 9" square baking dish.
Cut cauliflower into florets and steam until fork tender. Drain.
While cauliflower is steaming, saute onions in olive oil.
In a food processor, puree 2/3 of the steamed cauliflower with sauteed onions, eggs, salt, pepper, potato starch and 2 Tablespoons of almond meal. Combine puree with reserved cauliflower florets. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining almond meal and bake kugel for 50 minutes to an hour, till firm and golden brown on top.