Dr. Jonny Bowden

Category: Recipes

  • More Reasons to Eat More Fish

    A new study in the journal Neurology found that eating foods packed with omega-3 fatty acids could lower blood levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive dysfunction.

    The study focused on 1,219 people over 65 with no signs of Alzheimer’s. Researchers looked at their diets about a year before they tested blood levels of beta-amyloid in these participants.

    Now, here’s the thing. You can measure beta-amyloid levels in your blood, but not your brain. However, the amount in your blood to a certain level correlates with your brain levels. So researchers felt confident using blood levels to measure beta-amyloid.

    They also measured 10 nutrients, including vitamins C, D, and E, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 levels.

    Researchers learned the more omega-3 fatty acids these people got, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels. In fact, people who got one gram of omega 3s a day had 20 – 30% lower beta-amyloid levels.

    These results stayed the same even after researchers adjusted for age and other demographics as well as the amount of the APOE gene (a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease) that person had.

    “Determining through further research whether omega-3 fatty acids or other nutrients relate to spinal fluid or brain beta-amyloid levels or levels of other Alzheimer’s disease related proteins can strengthen our confidence on beneficial effects of parts of our diet in preventing dementia,” said study author Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas.

    I discuss omega 3s so much because amazing new studies like this one always appear that confirm their numerous benefits. I can’t think of anyone, in fact, who couldn’t benefit from omega 3s.

    Your best food source to get them is from wild-caught fish like salmon and tuna. A four-ounce piece of salmon, in fact, packs nearly 2/3 of your daily value for omega 3s.

    But what about mercury levels? You can’t mention sushi or fresh fish these days, after all, without someone asking this question.

    Here’s the deal. Fish offers way too many nutrients to completely eliminate it from your diet because of mercury levels.

    That small piece of salmon I mentioned earlier, for instance, contains a whopping 1,000 IUs of vitamin D. You would probably have to supplement to get those therapeutic amounts otherwise. (Which isn’t a bad idea, by the way.)

    Salmon also provides over 100% of your daily value (DV) for vitamin B12 and amino acid tryptophan. Plus you get almost 31 grams of high-quality protein.

    Now, here’s why I don’t stress out so much about mercury in fish. Selenium, a mineral prevalent in fish, chelates (or binds) mercury. That piece of salmon provides over 61% of your DV for selenium, and other fish have similar amounts.

    Selenium could explain why some people eat fish many times every week and show no signs of mercury toxicity.

    I have several other suggestions for people concerned about mercury. For one, skip bigger fish like swordfish and shark that are higher in this toxic metal.

    On the other hand, lower-mercury seafood choices include salmon, sardines, shrimp, and tilapia. Opt for these more often.

    Mercury levels in tuna depend on what kind you get. Aalbacore tuna, for instance, has more mercury than canned light tuna. And tuna steaks, though higher in omega 3s than other tuna, also contain more mercury.

    Yes, keeping up with mercury levels can get confusing. I recommend you visit EWG.org to learn more about the most up-to-date safe fish sources.

    Of course, mercury doesn’t just exist in fish. Dental amalgams, for instance, contain about 50% mercury. Talk to your dentist about non-mercury fillings.

    Here’s a source of mercury you might not consider: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

    In addition to all the other metabolic havoc this sweetener creates, a study in the journal Environmental Health found that half the HFCS-added foods researchers tested contain mercury. That’s because factories that produce HFCS often use outdated mercury-cell technology. As if you needed another reason to avoid HFCS!

    If you love sushi or otherwise cutting out fish isn’t an option – and I think you should eat it at least several times a week – I recommend eating it with plenty of vegetables.

    Besides their numerous other benefits, vegetables (especially sulfurous ones like broccoli and cabbage) provide your liver the nutrients to effectively detoxify so you have less risk of mercury toxicity.

    If you’re still concerned about mercury levels in fish, you can always take a good fish oil instead.

    My favorite is Barleans Fresh Catch Fish Oil, a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil harvested from deep-sea, cold water, small-bodied Peruvian anchovy that’s guaranteed free of mercury and other dangerous metals.

  • The Most Delicious Anti-Inflammatory Drink on Earth

    I’m a big believer in supplementation, but I’m also a big believer in using food as medicine. I also believe inflammation is a significant factor in just about every degenerative disease known to man. So I’m always looking for dietary and supplement strategies to lower inflammation. Foods like wild salmon, grass-fed beef, apples, onions, berries, papaya, and supplements like Omega-3’s, quercetin, resveratrol and curcumin.

    And pineapple!

    Pineapple contains a very potent anti-inflammatory enzyme called bromelain, which is also great for digestion. Everyone talks about the bromelain in pineapple, but what they forget to tell you is that most of it’s in the skin. (How much is in the actual fruit is anyone’s guess. We assume the fruit contains some bromelain but the mother lode is definitely in the skin everyone throws away.)

    The other day Michelle came home with a bag full of pineapples, which were on sale in our neighborhood at the ridiculously low price of 2 for $3.

    So we sliced them up and then put them through the juicer, skin and all.

    This is the juicer I use.  It’s the Breville Juice Fountain and it’s terrific.  It’s just the juicer I’ve been using for years and I think it’s great. I’m not the only one… check out all the great feedback on Amazon.

    To make this drink even more potent and even better tasting (if that’s possible), we added a drizzle of Barlean’s Omega Swirl Pina Colada. This adds 360 mg of EPA and 360 mg of DHA, the two omega-3’s found in fish oil, and significantly boosts the anti-inflammatory power of the drink, since omega-3’s are among the most anti-inflammatory molecules on earth.

    And because fish oil is fat, adding it to the pineapple juice brings down the glycemic impact of the pure juice. The pina colada taste punches up the naturally citric sweet and sour taste of the pineapple. It’s really terrific.

    The pineapple slices (with skin) juice easily, and here’s what the drink looks like:

    So for less than the price of a Starbucks (a lot less), we had two glasses of the most delicious, refreshing, anti-inflammatory drink you can imagine.

    Try it and let me know what you think!

  • Featured Recipe: Savory Slow Cooker Tender Turkey Drumsticks

    Featured Recipe: Savory Slow Cooker Tender Turkey Drumsticks

    The following recipe is from “The Healthiest Slow-Cooker Recipes on Earth”, by myself and Jeannette Bessinger, available on Amazon.com – order here.

    Savory Slow Cooker Tender Turkey Drumsticks

    Turkey is a great, healthy source of protein (over 20 grams per serving) and turkey drumsticks are always a favorite. And you don’t have to wait till the holidays to enjoy them. This recipe is super easy, super fast, and when you use the slow cooker it cooks to a delicious tenderness in its own juices –no added fat calories. Yum. Seriously.

    Perfectly healthy fat replaces the conventional gravy or commercial cream of mushroom soup that generally smothers a dish like this. (Note: a can of commercial cream of mushroom soup has an astonishing 1995 mg of sodium. Need I say more?)

    Onions are a rich source of sulfur, so good for the skin, not to mention that they are one of the richest sources of a flavonoid called quercetin which is one of the most anti-inflammatory plant compounds on the planet. (Quercetin has also been shown to have significant anti-cancer properties.) Something to remember: Turkeys are frequently raised under horrific factory farmed conditions, so if possible, get the free-range variety. They’re almost always better for you anyway.

    Ingredients

    •  1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 turkey drumsticks
    • Sprinkles salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
    • 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
    • 3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
    • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or use 1 teaspoon dried)
    • 1 lemon, halved

    Directions

    1. Oil the bottom of the slow cooker and the drumsticks with olive oil.
    2. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, to taste.
    3. Place onions and carrots in the bottom of the cooker and top with prepared drumsticks.
    4. In a small bowl, mix garlic, sage, parsley and thyme together and sprinkle evenly over the drumsticks.
    5. Gently squeeze the lemon halves to release their juices into the vegetables and nestle them in at the bottom of the pot.
    6. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours or until meat is cooked through and meat and veggies are very tender.

    Yield: 4 servings

     

  • Featured Recipe: High-Fiber Curried Spinach and Lentils

    Featured Recipe: High-Fiber Curried Spinach and Lentils

    The following recipe is from the forthcoming book, “The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth“, by myself and Chef Jeannette Bessinger.

    Featured Recipe: High-Fiber Curried Spinach and Lentils

    Those who read my book “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth” may remember my rhapsodic waxing about a superspice called turmeric.

    In case you missed it- or need a reminder- here’s a short list of the wonderful things it does.

    One, it’s among the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet, (which matters because inflammation is a major part of every degenerative disease we know of).

    Two, it’s extremely good for the liver, that poor overworked organ that has to rid your body of all the toxins it’s exposed to on a daily basis.

    And three, it’s got significant anti-cancer activity.

    The thing of it is, turmeric goes beautifully with all sorts of dishes (besides, of course, the Indian food it’s best known for). This dish is a perfect example. Rich in fiber from the lentils, and with a ton of nutrients like iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium from the spinach, the dish goes together beautifully. A rich, fragrant vegetarian curry with a warming bite. You’ll love it.

    Ingredients

    • 2 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
    • 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 medium onions, sweet yellow, diced
    • 5 medium carrots, thinly sliced
    • 5 medium parsnips, thinly sliced
    • 5 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • 2 tablespoons ginger, finely diced
    • 2 ½ teaspoons turmeric
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • ½ teaspoon cracked black or mixed peppercorns
    • 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
    • Sprinkles salt, to taste
    • 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 1 ¼ cup brown lentils, rinsed thoroughly
    • 1 red chili, minced
    • 1 pound fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
    • 1 cup reduced fat coconut milk
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

    Directions

    1. In a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until they just begin to brown.
    2. Grind toasted seeds to a powder in a spice grinder or designated coffee grinder and set aside.
    3. In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots and parsnips.
    4. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes.
    5. Add garlic, ginger root, turmeric, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and ground cumin and coriander seeds.
    6. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
    7. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
    8. Add salt to taste and transfer pan contents to slow cooker.
    9. Add sweet potatoes and lentils and stir well.
    10. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 4-5 hours.
    11. Add chili pepper and stir well to incorporate.
    12. Add fresh spinach in handfuls, stirring each handful into the curry.
    13. Add coconut milk and stir until incorporated.
    14. Cook on high for 20 more minutes.
    15. Remove cinnamon stick and discard before serving.
    16. Garnish with cilantro, if using.

    Yield: 6-8 servings

    From Chef Jeannette

    The concept for this recipe comes from my friend, Mary Weaver, owner of the gourmet cooking school Newport Cooks in Newport, Rhode Island. She is an ethical vegetarian and always on the lookout for hearty meatless meals that taste great and provide a great balance of macronutrients.

    Serving Suggestion: This curry is delicious served over brown basmati rice or Thai-style rice noodles. To cool the heat a bit and add additional protein, spoon a dollop of plain, low fat Greek yogurt into each bowl.

  • Recipe: Onion and Green Pepper Scramble

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • ¼ cup finely diced green peppers
    • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
    • 1 small clove garlic, minced
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ teaspoon thyme
    • ½ teaspoon each salt and fresh ground pepper

    Instructions

    1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook for about 5 minutes until they have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    2. While the veggies are cooking, combine the eggs, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until lightly beaten.
    3. When veggies reach desired tenderness, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.
    4. Using a spatula to turn the eggs and veggies occasionally, cook for a few minutes to desired doneness.
  • Featured Summer Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

    Featured Summer Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

    This fabulous summer recipe comes to us courtesy of my good friends at the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. It’s just too good not to pass on!

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 (5-pound) watermelon
    • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
    • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
    • 6 whole mint sprigs

    DIRECTIONS:

    1. Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.
    2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.
    3. In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.
    4. To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.
  • Featured Recipe: Apple Bean Breakfast Bake!

    Featured Recipe: Apple Bean Breakfast Bake!

    The following recipe is just for readers of this newsletter—it’s from “The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Meals on Earth” by myself and my co-author, chef extraordinaire Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy

    Apple Bean Breakfast Bake

    My friends make fun of me when I suggest having beans for breakfast, but when they try this dish they see what I’m talking about! To me, the secret of managing weight (and eating less food in general) is to keep your blood sugar from going on a roller coaster ride. (When blood sugar shoots up- as it does when you eat high carb foods, it also crashes back down, leaving you ravenously hungry.) The best way to keep your blood sugar even (and keep cravings at bay) is to eat high fiber foods. They  enter the bloodstream slowly and keep you full and satisfied longer. And no food accomplishes this better than beans! Mix with some cheese, seeds and apples and you have an amazing breakfast.

    PS This also makes a quick but hearty snack with great staying power!

    Ingredients:

    • 2/3 cup water
    • 4 crisp apples (Gala or Pink Lady work well), cored and diced, unpeeled
    • 1 cup cooked chick peas (drained and rinsed, if canned)
    • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup toasted, tamari sunflower seeds

    Directions:

    1. Bring water to a simmer over medium heat.
    2. Add apples and cook, uncovered, until water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
    3. Add chick peas and toss gently to warm them.
    4. Sprinkle cheese over all and cook for 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
    5. Top with sunnies and serve immediately.

    Yield: 4 servings

     

  • Featured Recipe: Blackstrap Balsamic Steak Salad

    Featured Recipe: Blackstrap Balsamic Steak Salad

    This quick and easy recipe is from my latest cookbook, “The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth“, co-authored with Chef Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy!

    Once you taste what blackstrap molasses does to food, you’ll want to find more ways to use this healthy sweetener. Molasses is actually the byproduct of sugar refining. It contains all of the nutrients found in the raw sugar-cane plant (those same nutrients that are completely lost in processed white sugar). Blackstrap molasses actually has a low amount of sugar—and a high amount of nutrients. (You might even call it the “anti-sugar.”) A good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and copper, it makes a sweet glaze, which Chef Jeannette used to liven up this simple steak. Note: Pan frying is a simple way to get some good lean protein on your plate and save some grill-heating time. Don’t forget to choose high quality grass-fed beef!

    —Dr Jonny

    Ingredients:

    • Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
    • 1 12–14-ounce sirloin steak (1–11/2 inches thick), trimmed
    • 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • Pinch dried thyme
    • Pinch nutmeg

    Directions:

    1. Season sirloin with salt and pepper to taste.
    2. Spray a large skillet (or grill pan) with olive oil to lightly coat.* Heat the pan to medium-high (the pan is ready when you touch a fatty edge of the steak to the center and it sizzles quickly). Lay the sirloin in the pan and cook for 4–6 minutes per side for medium rare, slicing steak open to check for desired doneness.
    3. When the steak is finished, remove from pan, and reduce heat to low.
    4. Add the molasses, vinegar, thyme and nutmeg to the cooled pan and stir quickly for a minute or so until hot. Drizzle it lightly over the steak to serve.

    Yield: 4 servings

    From Chef Jeannette

    To Complete the Meal: slice the steak into thick strips and serve it over a chunky salad. Combine 4 cups of baby spinach (or chopped red lettuce), 4 quartered plum tomatoes, half a red onion sliced into rings, and chunky slices of peeled cucumber to make a bed for the steak.

    If you have 10 more minutes: Slice a whole yellow onion into rings and sauté until soft in 1 tablespoon olive oil with pinches of salt and pepper over medium heat (cooked onion will replace the raw red onion in suggested side).

     

     

     

     

  • Raw Chocolate Fondue Recipe

    Raw Chocolate Fondue Recipe

    This raw chocolate fondue recipe is from the book, “The Healthiest Meals on Earth” by myself and my co-author, chef extraordinaire Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy!

    Prep Time: 10 minutes

    Cook Time: None

    Ingredients:

    • 1 very ripe, soft banana, peeled
    • ¼ cup almond butter
    • ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    • 2 teaspoons agave nectar (or other sweetener like Xylitol)
    • 3 tablespoons raw cacao or high quality cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
    • ½ teaspoon orange extract, optional
    • ½ teaspoon gourmet salt, optional
    • ½ vanilla bean (open pod and scrape the seeds into the mix), optional
    • 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier, optional
    • 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and halved
    • 2 ripe kiwifruits, peeled and cut into chunks or thick half-rounds
    • 1 mango, peeled and cubed
    • 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted

    Directions:

    In a blender, place the banana, almond butter, almond milk, agave nectar (or sweetener of your choice) and cocoa and blend well until the mixture forms a smooth cream. You can serve it as is or add any one of the following optional ingredients and lightly blend or stir in well: Cinnamon, orange extract, salt, vanilla, or Grand Marnier. Scrape the fondue into an attractive serving dish. Arrange the strawberries, kiwi, mango and cherries or any other cubed fruit you like, in bowls with accompanying toothpicks or fondue forks for dipping, and serve.

    Your Valentine will love this raw chocolate fondue recipe.

    Yield: About 6 servings (makes 1 cup of fondue)

  • Featured Recipe: Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    Featured Recipe: Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    The following recipe is just for readers of this newsletter, “In Step With Jonny”—it’s an advance preview of our forthcoming book, “The Live Longer Cookbook” by myself and my co-author, chef extraordinaire Jeannette Bessinger. Enjoy!

    Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    From Dr. Jonny: So I have to tell you my personal story about beans: I frequently have them for breakfast. Call me crazy, I know. But the thing is, nothing really keeps your blood sugar even like beans, and they satisfy for hours. (Sometimes I have them as a side dish with my eggs.)

    But enough about me and beans. According to nutrition experts at Michigan State University, who reviewed 25 years of research involving beans and various health issues, beans are a powerful food to improve overall health and specifically to prevent heart disease. “Scientific evidence proves that increasing bean consumption will lower your risk”, said lead researcher Maurice Bennink, PhD. And just for good measure, recent research showed that women in the famous Nurses’ Health Study who ate four or more servings of legumes a week were 33% less likely to develop colorectal ademonas, a non-cancerous tumor that can progress into colon cancer.

    The thing I love about this particular recipe is the apple flavor- which you’d never expect in a bean dish but makes it sweet and spicy at the same time. In addition to breakfast, this is really satisfying on a cold night!—Dr. Jonny

    Crunchy Apple Baked Beans

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cup dried pinto beans, picked over and soaked overnight, drained
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1 small yellow onion, diced
    • ½ cup dried apple, pulsed in food processor to the size of large raisins
    • 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • ½-3/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
    • ½ teaspoon epazote, optional yo hlp with bean digestibility
    • 2 cups apple cider (also good with hard cider!)
    • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste

    Directions:

    1. In large heavy-bottom pot, heat oil over medium burner and sauté onion for 4 minutes.
    2. Add beans, apple, molasses, mustard, cayenne, liquid smoke, epazote, cider and broth, stirring to combine.
    3. Increase heat and bring to a simmer.
    4. Lower heat to maintain a low simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
    5. After first 45 minutes, stir and check liquid level every 30 minutes or so, adding additional broth if necessary.
    6. Add salt to taste at end of cooking time.

    Yield: about 8 cups