Botanica West

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• Homemade Cornbread

  One of the most popular American quick breads, cornbread is traditionally made with milk or buttermilk and eggs. This vegan alternative can be spiced up with chopped jalapenos or green chile for a delicious Southwestern twist.

  Ingredients:

  1 ¼ cups yellow cornmeal (organic and stone ground, if possible)
  1 ¼ cups unbleached white flour
  ½ teaspoon salt
  1 tablespoon baking powder
  2 tablespoons brown sugar
  1 ½ cups boiling water mixed with 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil, plus a little extra for oiling the skillet

  Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 425° F. Lightly oil a cast-iron skillet with a little canola oil. Heat it in the oven while you mix the cornbread batter.

  2. In a large bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt.

  3. Add the boiling water mixed with 2 tablespoons canola oil and stir to mix, but do not overbeat. Add additional hot water if necessary to make a light batter. 

  4. Spoon batter into the hot cast-iron skillet. Batter should sizzle when it contacts the skillet. Bake 30 minutes or until the cornbread is light brown on top and springs back to the touch.

  5. Cut into wedges and serve.

  Food as Medicine: Coarse, stoneground cornmeal is a significant source of dietary fiber, which is important to healthy bowel function. Diets high in fiber have also been shown to help in weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

  Try this cornbread alongside my Vegetarian Chili for a full meal.

• Tossing and Turning Boosts Inflammation

  Inflammation is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A study from researchers at Emory University School of Medicine revealed a possible link between poor quality of sleep or not enough sleep and inflammation. The researchers evaluated sleep quality in a survey of 525 middle-aged men and women. They found that participants who reported sleeping six hours or less had higher levels of three inflammatory markers: fibrinogen, IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). Notably, CRP levels were 25 percent higher in individuals who reported sleeping fewer than six hours a night compared to those who reported sleeping six to nine hours. The difference remained significant even after controlling for other risk factors including smoking, blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Even with the increase in inflammatory activity, the researchers noted that CRP levels among this group were still in the range of what is considered low to medium risk. Earlier research has shown that sleeping between seven and eight hours a night is associated with longer lives. The researchers aren’t sure exactly how short hours of sleep may contribute to heart disease deaths. The data were presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago this month.

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Originally posted 2011-01-15 17:39:31. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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