Summer Salad

Mango salad

I made this a couple times this week and it was delicous and summery.

I chopped up a bunch of whatever I had in the fridge...

I didnt measure or anything, just what looked good.

I thought I would share with you my salad "recipe" and some health benefits of all the ingredients!

Mango

(one cup contains 25% of your daily intake of vitamin A -thats good for your eyes)

Avocado

(eating avocados for only one week can lower cholesterol on average 17%)

Cucumber

(contains silica which is good for connective tissue, and can improve your complexion)

Red Bell Pepper

(linked to reduced risk of a number of cancers, and contains more vitamin C than oranges)

Red Onion

(contains a surprising amount of polyphenols.. phytonutrients which help protect agains disease)

Cilantro

(a powerful cleansing agent, chemical compounds in cilantro bind to heavy metals in the body and help eliminate them)

Lime Juice

(Anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-biotic and detoxifying properties, and can help get rid of ulcers)

So mix your self up this healthy summer salad and start enjoying the benefits today!! It would also make a great salsa if everything was chopped smaller and you added more juice.

Impress everyone by bringing it to your first BBQ of the summer...

(click on the ingredient to see more health benefits)



Concerned about beef?

Alberta is known for its beef - but how much do we actually know about beef?

I recently watched the CBC documentary Frankensteer at school.
It explores the mass production of beef at feedlots in Canada.  It definitely raises some good questions (along with a little fear mongering). 
Today, the cows that raised and sold on our market as beef at pumped full of antibiotics even if they are not sick, or at risk of becoming sick. In fact - 50% of all tonnage of antibiotics used in canada end up in our beef.
They are also given growth hormones to make them get bigger, and ready for slaughter faster - in Canada the hormone Estradiol is used - even though it is banned in the UK and has been linked to higher rates of cancer.

We often treat beef like it is toxic when we bring it into our homes - we know we much always wash our hands and all surfaces that raw beef comes in contact with - this is because of the bacteria that is found within the beef we bring home from the supermarket.
E.Coli comes from the intestinal tracts of animals and often gets mixed into meat during processing - especially ground beef. - fortunately heat can kill this bacteria
That's why cooking your beef to the proper temperature is so important
Steaks, roast and fish should be cooked to 62.8C or 145F
Pork and ground beef 71.1C or 160F
Chicken breasts  76.7C or 170.1F

In the case of ground beef - don't be fooled by the meat turning brown, always keep a thermometer close by!
And when travelling to the USA don't forget to order your hamburger well done - because despite what is approved for sale in restaurants in the states - rare ground beef is not safe.

If you want to watch the documentary follow this link

{i also want to caution people to do their research before jumping on the organic bandwagon - know the regulations in your area and consider getting to know your local providers via the farmers market.}