Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Featured Guest Blogger: The Kitchen Shrink


Hello beauties! Please read my first guest blog post!
xo,
Christy

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Beauty and the Beets – Turn Back Time with these Fountain of Youth Foods

The Kitchen Shrink
Catharine L.  Kaufman



Let’s face it, darlings, with all the stresses in life, we’re all getting older by the day.  That doesn’t mean we have to look older. Remember the portrait of Dorian Gray – oops, am I aging myself? Here’s my A-(nti-aging) List for foods that will erase some years from your real physical age.  It’s my birthday present to you.

Nature’s Collagen

The tropical guava is a Vitamin C powerhouse, having four times the amount as oranges. Like a collagen factory guava helps build and plump up cells for a glowing, more youthful complexion. Try a guava smoothie, guava salsa with jicama, fresh lemon juice and cilantro served with grilled fish or topping for a seafood cocktail, or eat it straight up for your daily dose of anti-aging.


Brazilian Bombshell

Two a day will keep the plastic surgeon away. This hard-shelled nut loaded with the trace mineral selenium is responsible for replenishing damaged cells ravaged by free radicals. Munch them whole, or crush them and blend in your oatmeal or sprinkle on your breakfast cereal or yogurt. But they’re high in fat content, so make the cut-off two.


Almond Joy

This versatile nut has a triple boon – for healthy hair, skin and nails thanks to the load of vitamin E it packs warding off free radical damage by the everyday bad guys, such as UV rays and environmental toxins. A handful will provide half the daily-recommended dose.  Spread some almond butter on a slice of cracked whole-wheat toast with jelly or toss them in an Asian chicken, shrimp or veggie stir-fry or salad.


A Germ of an Idea

 Wholesome wheat germ loaded with zinc has a reputation for healing wounds, repairing cells, and helping other skin disorders like eczema and acne. Blend in your smoothies, muffins and other baked goods or sprinkle on a mixed green salad.



As Cool as a Cucumber

Whether you place those refreshing slices on your tired and puffy eyelids or eat this cooling food, your skin will be treated to an anti-aging boost thanks to the high water and silica content for a glabrous, glowing complexion.  Try cucumber in Greek, Persian or sweet and sour salads, as a sandwich topping or a salsa dialing-up the flavor of grilled fish or chicken.


A Raisin in the Sun

It’s ironic that these dried out, wrinkled little grapes will help make your skin blossom with a youthful radiance, add a sparkle to your eyes and prevent squinting. Packed with vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, raisins have been found to maintain balance or homeostasis, and act as an anti-viral and bacterial agent to cleanse and clear the kooties from your system.


Lead a Horse to Water

To keep your skin hydrated and flush impurities from your body drink plenty of H2O, about six to eight glasses a day. For a more palatable swig, add a splash of pomegranate juice, a squeeze of lemon or lime, or float some citrus slices, pomegranate seeds or berries on top.  Also, eat water-packed foods like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melons to plump up those shriveled cells.





Hail Caesar!

Romaine lettuce, the Vitamin A king of leafy greens will rev up skin cell turn over to rejuvenate your skin and give you a glowing complexion. Also rich in Vitamin K, these luscious leaves will reduce bone loss to help keep your jaw and chin line youthful. Romaine can replace any lettuce for salads, but is most divine in a classic Caesar.

        A Caesar salad is a multi-tasking dish that can nicely complement an assortment of entrees to please the most discriminating carnivore or pescavore, or can be converted into a meal by adding chunks of organic chicken or grilled wild-caught shrimp or salmon.  The best part is, you’ll look younger after each serving.



The Classic “Benjamin Button” Caesar Salad (where possible, use organics, especially the egg)

3 romaine hearts, torn in bite-size pieces
 Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 can of anchovies, drained
1 tablespoon of fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, coddled (boiled in the shell, gently for a minute or 2)
½ cup of croutons (good quality store-bought, or bread lightly toasted, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, cut in bite-size squares)

Take a large wooden salad bowl; rub the bottom with the garlic clove and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Add lemon, mustard and cayenne and stir until salt is dissolved. Blend in oil, then add lettuce and anchovies, sprinkle with cheese, break the egg, and gently toss. Sprinkle in croutons. Enjoy immediately.


About the Author:

Catharine is a nationally syndicated food columnist, blogger, author, magazine writer and TV chef. She credits her growing expertise in good nutrition for her survival and recovery from breast cancer and shares that expertise to help keep her family, friends and fans in good health.
Writing her columns under the moniker “The Kitchen Shrink,” Catharine dispenses advice on topics that include smart grocery shopping, food facts and folklore,  unforgettable dinners on a shoestring, solving cooking disasters and putting the skids on colds, flu and other ailments with healing ‘food chemistry.’
As a founder and partner of www.FreeRangeClub.com, the healthy gourmet cooking and food safety blog, Catharine has been garnering kudos from foodies around the world for her featured columns on that long-established site.

For additional anti-aging recipes (oldies but goodies, pardon the pun) email kitchenshrink@san.rr.com,