Pine Needles Are An Excellent Source of Vitamin C

Foragers like to make tea from White pine. It is reported that a cup of pine needle tea has the same amount of vitamin C as half a dozen lemons.  It also contains a healthy dose of Vitamin A.

Several other varieties of pine work just as well. Each does have its own flavor. I use honey or sugar as a sweetener.

A couple of warnings:

Some people may be allergic to this tea..

Pregnant women should avoid this tea. It can cause abortions to take place within a day.

Some evergreens like yews are poisonous. Make sure you have the right tree's needles. The people working at health stores are trained to sell the products they have on their shelves. Or if you hook up with a forager, they'll know about this pine needle tea. They'll know plenty of places nearby to pick more than you could drink in a life time.

Too much vitamin C causes some people to have loose bowels.

Source(s):  Forager. Master Gardener. Metzger, Gibbons or the Foxfire books should contain some additional information..

How to Make Tea From Pine Needles

Grab some fresh pine needles. You do not need very many needles for one cup, just one small bundle will do. Make sure that you grab needles that are fresh and green; the brown needles will not have many nutrients left in them.  (Depending how many needles you used in your water the tea will range any where from a yellow to reddish tinge. The darker the more vitamin C.)

Boil water and place the pine needles in the tea pot. Allow it to steep for 30 minutes. The more that the pine needles steep, the more nutrients will leech out into the tea.

Pour your pine needle tea and enjoy. You now have a cup of herbal tea that is high in vitamin C and other beneficial nutrients, tasty, and free.

Source:  How to Make Tea From Pine Needles | eHow.com

Chocolate May Boost Brain Power and Fight Fatigue

The next time your energy slumps, but you need to be sharp, a cup of hot chocolate might be just the boost you need.

That’s because flavanols, which are chemicals plentiful in dark chocolate, fight fatigue and hone mental sharpness, according to scientists at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Center at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK.

Researchers gave 30 people a series of math tests before and after having either a flavanol-loaded chocolate drink or a placebo beverage. On a test that required repeatedly subtracting numbers, volunteers who got the flavanol-rich drink performed better than those drinking the dummy drink. In addition, the flavanols seemed to offset the fatigue from the intense mental concentration.

“We asked them about their mental fatigue, and that increased, but the cocoa offset that increase,” said researcher Crystal Haskell.

The brain-boosting effect is tied to flavanols’ ability to dilate blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach important areas of the brain.

The study also found that a 500 mg dose of flavanols worked best. That’s the equivalent of five bars of chocolate, so researchers are trying to discover whether lower levels work as well.

“The amounts we were giving them were more than you would get from eating small amounts in diet,” said co-researcher David Kennedy, “But there is quite a bit of evidence showing that general consumption over time is protective against neurodegenerative disease and decline in cognitive function.”

Flavanols are also found in red wine, olive oil, broccoli, blueberries, tea, and onions. They’ve been linked to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and brain function.

Editor's Note:

Help stop brain shrinkage by exercising your brain; stretch your brain with new challenges, word and number games & puzzles, and by using your memory store: like writing a book, organizing old photos with information or lecturing and teaching about history and past events within your lifetime stored in your memory bank.

Foods That Fight Belly Fat

Did you know that besides doing wonders for your health, a certain nutrient group might also help keep your pants size down? 

It's true. Flavonoids -- those antioxidant-like compounds found in fruits, veggies, chocolate, tea, and wine -- seemed to help ward off belly fat in a 14-year study. 

Multitasking Flavonoids 

• Specifically, catechins, flavonols, and flavones -- types of flavonoids -- may help curb belly bulge by improving the body's metabolic profile, the researchers noted. So where can you get your fair share? The study participants got most of theirs from pears, apples, tea, chocolate, broad beans, onions, leeks, and sweet peppers. Pretty tasty choices. 
• Got some chicken in the freezer? Got an apple rolling around the crisper drawer? Great! Then grab some leeks on the way home and make this: Saute of Chicken with Apples & Leeks
• Need a yummy side dish that's full of flavonoids but isn't salad? Try Pear & Red Onion Gratin.
  
• Got nothing for dessert? Make: Green Tea-Poached Pears with Matcha Cream.

Low-Cal Delights
Interestingly, only the women in the study experienced a waistline benefit from flavonoids. But because flavonoid-rich foods like fruits and veggies are often low in calories, they're still a smart choice for anyone who is weight conscious.

Saute of Chicken with Apples & Leeks

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1-1 1/4 pounds), trimmed 
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large leeks, white parts only, washed and cut into julienne strips (2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 firm tart apples, such as York or Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin or a small heavy pot to pound them to a thickness of 1/2 inch. 
2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and leeks. Cook, stirring, until the leeks are soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sugar and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Increase the heat to medium-high, stir in vinegar and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add apples and broth and cook, stirring once or twice, until the apples are tender, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Simmer gently until the chicken is heated through. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 235 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 64 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrate; 25 g protein; 2 g fiber; 245 mg sodium; 346 mg potassium. 
Nutrition bonus: Selenium (30% daily value), Vitamin A (16% dv). 
1 Carbohydrate Serving 
Exchanges: 1 fruit, 4 very lean meat, 1 fat

Pear & Red Onion Gratin

1 large red onion 
3 ripe Bosc pears 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (see Note)
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into 16 wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes. 
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Halve and core each pear; cut each half into 6 slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place them in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish along with the pear slices, 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Cover with foil.
4. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
5. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; stir to combine. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the gratin, return to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 188 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 3 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 225 mg sodium; 215 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value). 

2 Carbohydrate Servings 

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

TIP: Note: We like to use the Ian's brand of coarse dry breadcrumbs, labeled "Panko breadcrumbs." Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets. 

To make your own breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and bake in a 250°F oven until dry and crispy, about 15 minutes.

Green Tea-Poached Pears with Matcha Cream

1/4 cup Matcha Cream (recipe follows)
4 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons green tea leaves, preferably sencha
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored
1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

1. Prepare Matcha Cream.
2. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a shallow pan or deep skillet. Stir in tea, turn off heat and let steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove leaves; return tea to the pan. 
3. Add sugar, ginger and almond extract and bring just to a boil. Add pears, cut-side up, and poach over low heat until quite tender when pierced with a wooden skewer. Transfer to a bowl and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid. 
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Use a slotted spoon to place two pear halves in each dessert dish. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the poaching liquid over the pears. Serve with a generous dollop of Matcha Cream and garnish with almonds.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 369 calories; 4 g total fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 86 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 5 g fiber; 23 mg sodium; 408 mg potassium.

4 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: To toast almonds:
Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

 Matcha Cream

1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons matcha dissolved in 1 tablespoon very hot water (optional)

1. Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and set over a bowl, leaving at least 1/2 inch clearance from the bottom. (Alternatively, use a coffee filter lined with filter paper.) Spoon in yogurt, cover and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Discard whey. 
2. Whip cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Fold in drained yogurt, along with matcha mixture, if using.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per tablespoon: 37 calories; 2 g total fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 0 g fiber; 15 mg sodium; 581 mg potassium.


Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (45% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Selenium (18 dv), Potassium (17% dv).

0 Carbohydrate Servings

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Source:  RealAge

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