Cool as a Cucumber

Seasonal Food of the Week: Cucumbers

The Basics
Cucumbers are at the peek of their season this week. They can be eaten fresh or pickled for enjoyment throughout the year. You may not know they belong to the squash family which also includes the watermelon, zucchini, and pumpkin. Their high water content makes them uniquely refreshing and cooling and a wonderful addition to a healthy diet during these hot summer months.



Nutritional Value
You may be surprised that cucumbers have so much nutritional value. Raw cucumbers are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, manganese, folate, tryptophan, and of course dietary fiber.

You can find a complete nutrition breakdown on cucumbers at nutritiondata.com.

Seasonal Health Benefits
Like most vegetables peaking in during the months of July and August, cucumbers are high in water content for obvious providential reasons. It's hot and you need to replenish the water you're losing through perspiration. The vitamin and mineral profile also lends itself to helping your skin maintain a healthy state in the summer sun. Remember, most of these vitamins and minerals are in the skin of the cucumber. So, if you want those nutrients in your body, avoid peeling, and look for organic cukes, as their skins contain no pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals. Foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and fiber such as cucumbers are also good choices to keep blood pressure normal, and they're a great choice for healthy weight control - one cup contains only 14 calories!



Recipe
5-Minute Cold Cucumber Salad


· 1 large cucumber
· 1 medium tomato
· 1 small red sweet onion



Mediterranean Dressing
· 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
· 2 tsp lemon juice
· 2 tsp wine vinegar
· 1 medium clove garlic (minced)
· Sea salt and pepper to taste
· Optional 2 TBS fresh or 1 tsp dried dill



Mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Dice vegetables, add to dressing, and mix. Eat and enjoy or chill for later. A great summertime treat created with fresh ingredients from the garden or your local farmers market.

Nikki's Chicken Pot Pie

Here's an amazing recipe from my wife Nikki. This recipe is originally from a restraunt in Madison, WI and it is a hit at our house! Make this recipe as natural and organic as you can and you will reep even more benefits. If you can get raw grass fed dairy and organic pie crust (preferrably spelt), you've truly created a wholefood dish that will not disappoint!

CHICKEN POT PIE

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds chicken breast
1 medium carrot diced
4 celery stalks diced
1 large onion diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp chicken soup base
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 flour
2 cups half and half
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups water
1 large potato diced
1 cup corn
4 pie crusts


Instructions

Heat oil in stockpot. Add chicken and saute. Remove chicken and cool. Once cooled shred chicken and set aside. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to stockpot. Saute until tender. Add soup base and seasonings. Cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add flour and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add half and half, cream, water, potato, and corn. Cook until potato is fork tender. Return chicken to the mixture and cook 5 more minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour mixture into crust. Cover with 2nd crust. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Note: This recipe makes 2 pies. You can always make one pie and freeze the rest. You can also double the amount of veggies in the pie, if you like a lot of veggies. Another thing I do when running short on time, is to use a rotisserie chicken instead of sauteing my own.

No One Said Life Was Fair

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

Not Fair?

Picture this. Your daughter's high school basketball team is down by one, and she makes a basket as time expires to seemingly win the game, but the referee calls it off claiming the clock had expired. The fans are angry. Your daughter is heartbroken, sobbing. She feels shame, guilt, and anger about the call; about not scoring a second sooner. She comes to you and through her tears, she cries, "It's not fair, daddy!" Or maybe it's you son's football game, and as the clock runs out to him scoring the winning touchdown, the referee throws a flag for holding. Game over. They lose.

Does it seem fair? NO. But, is is any less true? NO. At the end of the game, it's the referee's call. He holds all the power here. You? You are a helpless bystander. You can scream, argue, plead with him, but the final call is the referee's, and his call is the law.

The same is true of Christ's claim that He is the only way to God. Does it seem fair? NO. Is it true? How you answer this question may change the way you live the rest of your life.

Let me ask you this. Do you believe there is a God? A creator of the universe and all of life? Do you believe something happens to us after we die? Is there a heaven? How do we get there? Does everyone go? Just the good people? The people who follow "the rules"? What are the rules anyway? And can we truly, I mean truly follow every single one? If we can't or haven't followed every rule our entire lives, then what? Can someone save us from our shortcomings in spite of what we've done? What if God's laws were simply there to show us we need help to live our lives right? What if that help came in the form of a man whose only purpose on earth was to mend the relationships that we messed up, and through his actions gave us another chance to for evermore be at peace with those who love us most? What if this man's name was Jesus? What if I told you that He loves you more completely than anyone on this planet ever could? And what does He want from you? He just wants you to believe that what He did for you was enough. He wants you to love Him back. He wants you to live your life in the way you really want to, but somehow, for some reason don't or can't. He wants you to see all the great talents and gifts He's given you , and He wants you to use them for good. He wants you to love your neighbor, your family, even your enemy. He wants you to smile and find joy in all you see and do and experience. He wants you to find happiness and peace and rest in Him. Is that fair? Is is true? Can you believe it? I hope you do.

(inspired by Andy Stanley's book How Good is Good Enough?)

Broccoli: The Ultimate Superfood

Broccoli, a member of the cabbage family, is often called the "crown jewel of nutrition" and truly is a superfood that can stand alone on it's own merits. Originating in Mediterranean Europe and grown year round in warmer climates today, broccoli is one of the easiest vegetable to grown in your garden. Because the mature plants are cold and light frost hardy, the plant will produce for you from July through November in the Upper Midwest. After you harvest the large central head you'll find smaller shoots available for the rest of the season. As with all vegetables and non-peel fruits, broccoli is one best eaten organic for multiple reasons. Not only are you avoiding potentially harmful herbicides and pesticides, and loosing out on the phytochemicals lost during conventional growing, you will find that organic broccoli tastes sweeter than its conventionally raised brother, which often has a bitter taste.

Broccoli has one of the most complete nutritional profiles of all vegetables. Not only does it contain significant amounts of the vitamins and minerals you would expect to find in seasonal produce (vitamins A,B,C,E) but it also contains copious amounts of hard to find vitamin K (a factor needed for normal blood clotting), folate and choline (brain food), and a fair amount of protein for a vegetable. You'll even find Omega 3 fatty acids in broccoli, something all of us need more of in our diet.

From a seasonal providence prospective, broccoli is one of the first nutrient dense foods you will harvest in your garden. While most midsummer fruit and veggies are full of water soluble vitamins, and minerals that offer us support and protection for the present, broccoli (and the foods that follow) begin preparing us for autumn/ winter with more proteins, fats, and fat soluble vitamins. Certainly, our ancestors would appreciate the stores of vitamin K, fats, and proteins in their system from broccoli when they began hunting game in the fall and faced injuries from the hunt or even being hunted themselves by predators. For us today, broccoli is a five star food that is nutrient dense, offers a great "fullness factor", and has a very low glycemic index. In other words, we can eat a lot of it and gain in everything but weight. Truly, our omnipotent Lord is amazing in his timing.


If you would like to see a complete nutritional profile on broccoli check out the website Nutritiondata.com

Seasonal Foods - Summer Squash

Zucchini and summer squash are native to the Americas, and are part of indigenous diets here. Therefore, they must possess qualities that our creator knew we would need to live and thrive in our local environment. Summer Squash peak in late July and August in the upper Midwest, but can be grown and harvested June-September.

Zucchini and other summer squash offer great benefit when eaten in season. They are primarily composed of water, a vital nutrient to replenish in the summer months as we lose it fastest then. Not only does the summer squashes contain copious amounts of water, but they also contain many trace minerals lost during perspiration. Squash also contain a fair amount of vitamin C, an antioxidant needed for healing and balancing the damage from abrasions, cuts, and the sun's rays. This, indeed makes zucchini and other summer squash ideal summer foods and is why God gave them to us at such an appropriate time of year.
You will find most if the vitamin and mineral content in the outer "skin" or rind of the squash and it's water content in the fruit. Squash can be eaten raw alone or in salads, grilled, fried, or shredded (e.g. for zucchini bread).

To find a complete nutrtion profile of zucchini and other favorite foods go to Nutritiondata.com

Welcome

Welcome to Wholly Your! The goal of this blog is serve those who wish to learn about natural and holistic practices of health and wellness for themselves and their families so that they may maximize their God given potential in life. I pray that you find this blog to be a helpful tool in your desire to be healthier, and that the inforamtion here points you to a deeper understanding and relationship with your creator.

In Christ,

Dr. Zach