Cooking to Control Pain

Some of you may have missed my recent class called “Cooking to Control Pain”. Here are the main teaching points covered and a sample recipe. Please stay tuned by signing up for my monthly newsletter or blog feed for the next event or class.
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Cooking to Control Pain

You would not put bad fuel in a car. If you did, the performance of your vehicle would falter. The human body is also designed for a certain type of fuel—Good Nutrition. Without the right types of foods, the human body experiences problems with cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, and pain. For that reason, good food is good medicine for you.

Sugar and Carbohydrates

Highly processed carbohydrates place a high sugar load on the body—the Glycemic Load (Glycemic index (%) x Carbs (grams)).
Low Glycemic Load nutrition reduces inflammation by reducing blood sugar spikes
Smart substitutions can easily reduce Glycemic Load without compromising flavor

The Omega Fats
Foods high in Omega 3 fat include walnuts, cold water fish, and flax
Foods high in Omega 6 fat include corn oil, red meat and snack food
A high Omega 3 diet reduces heart disease risk by 25%
A balanced ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 reduces painful inflammation

Full Flavored and Balanced Dishes

Balance the sweet, the sour, the bitter, and the salt
Bring out flavor by roasting, toasting, searing, and bruising
Too control proportions use high quality ingredients that have more flavors. With more flavor, you will use less.

…. Molly Katzen

From the Kitchen of Christina Lasich, MD….

Saffron Vegetable Quinoa

1 red bell pepper, diced;
1 yellow squash, diced;
1 zucchini, diced;
½ pound green beans in 1in pieces;
½ pound shitake mushrooms, diced;
3 TBSP Olive Oil
2 cups chicken stock
pinch of saffron threads
1 cup Quinoa
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 2 quart sauce pan on the stove, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the saffron. Add quinoa and cook over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, and let stand for 15 minutes. While quinoa is cooking, toss vegetables with olive oil and place in a medium baking dish. Place vegetables in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through. Cover to keep warm. Toss vegetables and quinoa together in a serving dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. Yields 4 servings.

Whole grain quinoa (pronounced: Keen-Wa) is high in protein and low in carbohydrates (low glycemic load and gluten-free). Quinoa is a perfect substitute for pasta, potato, or rice dishes; nutritious and delicious.

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Health and Fitness by drlasich