Maui-ish Quinoa Salad

This dish is going to be a great source of protein from the bariatric friendly, Quinoa, but the produce part of this dish is about 50%, which gives an appropriate amount of carbohydrates for energy along side the protein for muscle sparing.

1 cup dry, quinoa - which ever color you prefer
1 cup fresh snow peapods, sliced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1-8oz can diced pineapples in juice (not syrup!), strained
1 cup mango cubes (frozen are fine, but let them thaw before using)
1/2 cup fat free, plain yogurt (could also use 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup rice vinegar instead)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, washed and chopped
salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa to package directions (likely 2 cups water to 1 cup dry quinoa), once water is boiling will take about 10 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl. When quinoa is finished, stir it into the mixture. Serve immediately or chill and serve later.

ENJOY!

Caprese Salad Twist

I do love me a caprese salad with fresh tomatoes still warm from the sunshine, basil right off the plant and some soft, creamy mozzarella cheese, but I like to give it a little more muscle too. Add some mashed avocado that has been mixed with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and some fresh sugar snap pea pods (which you could use to dip into the avocado if you don't want to plaster it over your tomatoes and cheese). Drizzle the whole thing with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic and you have got yourself a slightly more exciting version of a summer staple!

Vitamin D Deficiency

Every day we see patients in the clinic who are vitamin D deficient. It is a multifaceted issue but aside from a medical condition (usually liver or kidney problems) that would cause the vitamin D deficiency, there are plenty of environmental issues that could be culprits. People with dark skin complexions (Africans, Islanders) are more protected from the sun then someone with a light skin complexion and thus the darker skin individuals do not reap the same benefits of short stints in the sun (as far as vitamin D absorption and synthesis is concerned) as their Irish counterparts might. If you are diligent with your sunscreen, you also will not get any vitamin D from the sun, as the sunscreen repels the UV light that is necessary for synthesis. If you live in the northern latitudes, and we're not talking about Siberia here people - we are talking about pretty much any place above the Florida-Georgia line (break into song if you like), the angle of the sun is only strong enough to help us between Memorial Day and Labor Day. If you are lucky enough to have an indoor job though - here comes the trifecta - you don't see the sun anyway! Soooooo how do we work on improving a vitamin D deficiency? Supplements are always helpful as there is very limited vitamin D in foods (see below).

3.5oz cooked salmon = 360 IU Vitamin D
3.5oz tuna in oil = 235 IU
8oz milk = 100 IU
1 whole egg = 40 IU
3.5oz cooked beef liver = 15 IU
3.5oz raw portabello mushrooms = 10 IU
3.5oz raw portabello mushrooms exposed to UV light = 446 IU

It is recommended that adults get approx 2000 IU of vitamin D each day, and with very few foods containing vitamin D, it is definitely beneficial to take at least 1000 IU/day as a supplement, with 2000 IU supplemented being better, then you could eat some foods with vitamin D in them, but that would be more like the icing on the cake! And while you're at it, and there are still 4 weeks left of prime rays, get outside and check out the sun (all you need is 10 minutes of exposure without sunscreen on to reap the benefits - then lather up!)

GMO special

Tonight on Chronicle at 7:30 (Boston and surrounding areas including metro west will be able to see it on channel 5) is doing a special on the food supply and the presence of GMO food plants. Be sure to check it out!!