PASS THE WATERMELON PLEASE

The health benefits of juicing watermelon with the rind

Don’t throw away the green rind – here’s why:

There’s nothing more powerful than drinking watermelon juice with its rind for optimal health!  Besides the rind containing amazing nutrients, unavailable in most fruits, the rind when mixed with the watermelon, combined with ice on a hot summer day tastes delicious!
The rind of a watermelon is spectacularly rich in mineral waters that can’t be found anywhere else. Just remember, the watermelon must be ripe. In fact, the deeper the red, the deeper the pigments – which contain the best amounts of lycopene and beta-carotene for eye health.

Here's What You'll Find:

Watermelon rinds offer a high dose of L-citruline – an amino acid – which helps dilate blood vessels and improve blood circulation. The easiest way to take advantage of watermelon rind health benefits is to blend a whole piece of watermelon with lime. If you like, add some fresh mint and a bit of lime juice to your juicy new watermelon rind juice and you’ll love it!
The outer periphery of watermelon rind contains an impressive concentration of nutrients. So, I say, juice up those rinds and start enjoying those, once hidden nutrients.
Important to note: The rind of the watermelon mitigates the rush of natural sugars that you ingest when you’re either blending or juicing your organic watermelons – so this is another good reason to juice up those wonderfully, nutrient dense watermelon rinds.
Also, before you go out and buy yourself a ripe watermelon, never juice the rind unless it’s organic. God only knows what kinds of pesticides or herbicides are used on the outside of the watermelons.

How do I pick a really good watermelon?

*Pick a watermelon that is heavier than others.
• Make sure the watermelon has a yellowish underbelly. This means it’s ripe.
• Look for one that is smooth but dull in color.
• Obviously, try to find ONLY organic ones that have seeds. (They’re the most nutritious)

What are the benefits of juicing watermelon?

• Great form of hydration – especially after exercise or a sauna session.
• During menstrual time, when you feel bloated, it’s an amazing diuretic.
• Great for those with acne or breakouts on the skin.
• Valuable form of liquid – especially if you live in a dry climate like, Arizona.
• Helps to lower blood pressure.
• Useful to regulate kidney function.
• Hydrates our bodies better than water because of its’ natural minerals.
• Improves eye health.

Here’s my favorite summertime (healthy) watermelon juice recipe

This recipe – blended or juiced – will serve 2 – 4 people.
1/2 medium-sized watermelon with rind (cut into long pieces)
1 cup fresh mint
2 limes with skin (organic only)
Follow these directions for a delicious drink.
Juice mint first, then the limes and finish off with the watermelon. You can add a sprig of mint on the rim of the glass for a pretty garnish.
Add some ice and you’ve got an amazing tonic.
Even if you blend these ingredients together – they are highly beneficial, and sometimes even more so, because watermelon is almost 100% water. The only challenge is that when you blend the rinds of the watermelon (with the watermelon flesh included) it can taste a bit bitter, and when you juice the rinds with the watermelon, it tastes better.

For Variations I've added Celery, Kale, Dandelion Greens, Cucumber, and Chard. All Yummy and All so good for you!!! ENJOY!

MISO NOODLE SOUP W/ PORK RIBS

There are a lot of reasons to LOVE MISO! 

Natural health advocates love miso for its dense concentration of nutrients and its remarkable disease-fighting properties. I love Miso because it taste so good and is a comforting meal after a long day! 

Although there are endless possible varieties of miso, the most common types are made from a fermented paste of soybeans, often with other ingredients. Fermentation, which takes place due to a yeast mold known as koji, may be allowed to proceed anywhere from several days to several years. Overall, miso has a salty taste and a texture similar to nut butter, though the specifics vary depending upon the ingredients and length of fermentation. Color also varies with fermentation length, with white or light-colored miso associated with shorter fermentation and a milder flavor, and brown miso associated with a longer fermentation and a more robust flavor.

The most popular varieties of miso include hatcho (made with soy only), genmai (made with soy and brown rice), kome (made soy and white rice), mugi (made with soy and barley), natto (made with soy and ginger) and soba (made with soy and buckwheat).

A fermented superfood

Miso is unusually rich in nutrients, due in part due to the fermentation process required to produce it. This process breaks down the complex and sometimes hard to digest oils, proteins and carbohydrates found in soybeans into forms more easy for the human body to digest. In addition, the final product (assuming it is unpasteurized) contains live lactobacilli, which also enhance your body's ability to extract nutrients from food.

The nutrients found in miso include vitamin B2, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, choline and lecithin. Miso is also high in dietary fiber and provides a large amount of complete protein. It is especially high in polyunsaturated fats, which the FDA has endorsed for their ability to lower the body's levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. One of these facts, linoleic acid, actually helps keep skin soft and young-looking.

But miso's health-boosting effects are not limited to its high nutrient content. Like other fermented foods, miso increases the concentrations of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. These probiotic organisms don't just aid in digestion, but also play an important role in maintaining and strengthening the immune system.

Miso is also particularly high in antioxidants, which remove dangerous free radicals from the body. Free radicals are cell-destroying chemicals that have been linked to degenerative diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even the effects of aging. Genisten, one of the antioxidants found in soy products such as miso, has actually been shown in the laboratory to inhibit the growth and spread of cancerous cells.

Thus it's no surprise to find that regular consumption of miso - as is common in Japan, with many residents eating one bowl of miso soup per day - has been found to reduce the risk of breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer, among other health conditions. Miso consumption even appears to offer some protection against the effects of radiation.

It's easy to increase the amount of miso in your diet with minimal change to your cooking habits. Miso soup takes only minutes to make, or you can simply add miso to many of your favorite recipes - preferably after cooking, to preserve its probiotic effects.


MISO NOODLE SOUP W/ PORK RIBS
INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
• 8 cups chicken broth or stock
• 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 pounds pork ribs (bone-in baby back or a leaner cut of spare ribs, if using boneless use 1.5 pounds)
• 1 (12 ounce) package of kelp or mung bean noodles
• 6 cups spinach or kale
• 2 tablespoons miso (white or red)
• 1-2 tablespoons tamari (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Ideas for garnishments: scallions, sliced jalapenos, seaweed flakes and/or toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Over low-medium heat saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the coconut oil or ghee, careful not to let the garlic burn.
2. Once softened, add in the chicken broth, ribs and mushrooms. 
3. Simmer for 2 hours if you can (this will make the meat even more tender and the flavors come together better). If not, 1.5 hours is fine!
4. Take out the pork ribs and cut the meat into bite-size pieces, removing the fat.
5. If you are using spinach and mung bean or kelp noodles, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients including the meat. It's ready to serve.
6. If you are using the kale and/or rice noodles that need some additional cooking time, you will need to add them in while the soup is simmering until they soften. Then take the soup off the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
7. Serve the garnishments on the side.

NOTES

To make this soup in the slow cooker, just add sauteed onions, garlic and ginger plus the broth, mushrooms and ribs. Cook on high 5-7 hours. Cut pork into bite-sized pieces. Stir in kale, spinach and noodles and let them cook til tender. (If you're using mung bean or kelp noodles they will be ready very quickly so add them right at the end.) Add back in the pork and season with the remaining ingredients. Serve.