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In Books: The International Diabetes Federation is predicting that at least one in 10 of us will have diabetes by 2030. Sobering Statistics.
In his book Wheat Belly, cardiologist William Davis makes the argument that grains are a leading contributor to the obesity epidemic.
‘Wheat Belly’ refers to the accumulation of fat that results from years of consuming foods that trigger insulin, our body’s highly efficient fat storage hormone. This fat gets stored in our tummies and is unique in that it provokes a cascade of inflammatory processes in the body.
Whether or not you agree with Dr. Davis in whole or in part (or otherwise), he does make a strong case for rethinking our overwhelming attachment to carbohydrates. Wheat Belly is a cogent and well researched contribution to the scientific dialogue on obesity and one that we will no doubt be hearing more about in the coming years.
In Cookware: Offering the convenience of non-stick without the usual toxins and carcinogens, GreenPan™ has developed an eco-friendly PFOA/PTFE-free line of frying pans using Thermolon – A natural, non-stick mineral-based coating. Visit the company’s website to view their full line of products and learn more about their technology and commitment to “constainability” (convenience and sustainability).
In Giving Back: Last year my son and a few of his buddies launched Kids can Kare – an initiative aimed at raising money for families in developing countries. The idea behind the initiative was to show other boys and girls their age that they are never too young to start changing the world. With a little ingenuity and lots of enthusiasm, Kids can Kare raised enough money to buy: 2 calves; 6 ‘rapidly reproducing’ rabbits (my favourite); 3 baby chicks; one sheep; one goat and two mango trees. Pretty wonderful what 10-year-olds are up to these days…
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Now on to the Recipe!
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1 head curly lettuce, washed and cut into smaller pieces
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1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
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1 green apple, skin on chopped
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1 cup frozen shelled edamame (soybeans), run under hot water for a couple minutes and drain thoroughly
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A snippet of chives
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A generous 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries
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1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
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1 Tbsp rice vinegar
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2 Tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp agave nectar
- Sea salt
Beautiful, festive recipe! I never use pomegranate enough, and I love it! And fabulous giveaway….I hope I win!! ;-)
I will do anything I can to avoid going to the mall or any department store. Yuck. thanks for these awesome suggestions!
I love this salad…totally craving pomegranates lately. Obviously I need to try this!
never too pretty ;) Yes, that was the vision: Christmas.
Thanks so much Chris.
Thank you Linda -:)
thanks so much Lisa! I am always amazed by all the incredible things my friends find at Costco… quite a range. The Wheat Belly doc is all good with dairy ;0
Thanks Ann! I sure hope you had a great holiday and are full of renewed energy for the next big holiday!
hmm, now I’m curious about the mall incident… homemade gifst are ideal – I always seem to run out of time to make as many as I’d like though…
Thanks Sandi!
hee-hee, I’m glad I’m not alone :) Thanks Jeanette!
Thanks so much Alyssa! Yes, he gives us lots to think about ;0
Oh, that’s so cool that you invested in GreenPans – good for you girl! Thank you for your kind words ;0
Happy to hear it. I think they are both excellent choices – offering learning in two different areas with a common goal of health and wellness.
Thanks so much Parsley Sage – always nice to see newcomers – welcome!
Thank you Gina! I’m getting very excited for Friday – I will have both sons on hand to help with the draw ;0
Thanks Stephanie – it really is a worthwhile read – yay, for pomegranate seeds! See you soon ;0
Thank you for your thoughtful note Charles. Your bit on shopping is too funny – as always you make us all smile – the pomegranate seeds blew me away – i’m telling you, it was the greatest foodie gift i’ve received in years! you’ve never seen such an excited woman ;0
indeed.
thanks so much Caroline – what a fun year it has been!
thanks Kelly!
Thanks so much Eva! I know, I had never seen packaged seeds before – *so* exciting and just don’t know how I’m ever going to go back to the messy job of seeding them myself ;0 (to buy them myself would require me to actually frequent a place like Costco which I avoid like the plague – not a good shopper… :0)
I don’t agree with everything in the book either (health is rarely as simplistic as removing one class of food for instance) however, I do think the author makes many valid points and it’s certainly worth reading and expanding our understanding –
Perfect! See you Friday :)
You know me Linda, I’m always working the protein angle ;0
Thanks so much for dropping by Paul – we’ll see you again on Friday for results day!
I didn’t know it was possible to have pomegranate in an unfavourable way – lol. Hope this one works out better for you – see you on Friday for the big draw results!
Thank you Lynn… I learn so much from Andrew Weil – a true leader in his field. Thrilled you’re entering your name! thanks for all your support this year – xo
Perfect! Wishing it for you too ;0
Aren’t they gorgeous in warm morning cereal? Thanks for your support Nanci – so nice to see you here! xo
Thanks France ;0
yay! see you back here on Friday, Sylvie!
ha-ha, selfish? not a chance ;0 – I am rather addicted to pomegranate — so much taste from such a small seed! My husband and I really enjoy them in champagne on special occasions…
Thanks Laura – looking forward to Friday!
My gift is receiving support from wonderful people like you! Thank you Kim – xo
Thank you
Thank you for your kind words Kay! Much appreciated :)
Thanks Suzi – the pomegranate raspberry vinaigrette combo is pretty wonderful.
Thank you Sissi – I love edamame for snack too – I just run them under hot water to ‘defrost’ and then sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and sea salt… yum!
YAY, Leila!! So happy your adding your name to the list – wonderful to see you here! xo
Thanks Jen, see you on Friday!!
How nice, thank you Greg!
thanks so much Kristy… I listened to the Thread album on my way up to the mountains today to visit my mom… thoroughly enjoyed it (along with a bit of Christmas music too ;0)
Ha-Ha – step away from the malls… ;0
I’ll cross mine too – Friday will be fun!
YAY, So happy to see you here Jennifer!! I love that you are throwing your name in the hat… looking forward to Friday ;0)
Happy to hear it! Your name is in the hat :) Thanks Angie.
thanks Mandy! Isn’t it a great title? The holly picture makes me smile everytime I look at it :)
understood. we all love carbs but you know, the more we eat them, the more the cycles of hunger and cravings continue… when you start to break out of that cycle, and supply your body with adequate nutrients from other food classes, things get easier :0)
just don’t go pom free on me girl, I fear I would have nothing left to feed you! ;0
Incredibly gorgeous salad, almost too pretty to eat but then again…….. too delicious looking not to eat! So fun for Christmas dinner……….
Great giveaways and i can’t wait to try your salad!
Now, I’ll follow you on twitter! Though I’m on twitter too! I feel ADD with all the different social media avenues! LOL
Ohh, forgot to mention that I follow you on Facebook!
Congrats on one year! You shed new light on how to feed a family clean wholesome foods! I too do not like holiday shopping. I keep things simple for my boys, they only get 3 gifts each for Christmas.
Anyhow, I shop at Costco all the time. You’d be surprise at some of the organic produce they carry. I alway buy my almond milk, organic eggs (when I can’t get farm fresh eggs), Fage Greek yogurt and a few other items. I too noticed they carried fresh pomegranates for a great price!
I’d love to read wheat belly. Over the summer, I stayed away from grains and got my starchy carbs from starcy vegetables. I felt great. Now, I’ve been eating a bit more grains and can tell my GI tract is a bit off. I’d love to go paleo but love my dairy products too much to give them up! :)
Ooh, the recipe looks delicious! I’m with you – I’m not much of a shopper. I don’t mind it too much during the year, but between Thanksgiving and Christmas I avoid the malls as much as possible!
I’m a terrible shopper too. After last year’s mall incident I’m giving home made gifts to people this year. Busy stores are not for me…
This salad looks fantastic. I love love love pomegranates!
Nice post, I know you are so proud of your son!
I’m not a shopper either…I avoid the store as much as possible during the holiday season and buy mostly everything online. Love this light salad and pom seeds always make salads pop with color and their tart juiciness.
Wonderful salad! I love pomegranates. Your son’s charity sounds so thoughtful. You must be a proud mamma!
I definitely want to read that book, put it on my wishlist to buy.
And how much do I love those GreenPans? Last year I replaced all of my pans (other than my beloved cast iron) with them.
Good for your son! It’s so heartwarming to see the younger generation really getting involved
I get really excited about pomegranate. And I’m excited about both books too :-)
Brilliant salad and a great giveaway too, thanks for hosting! I love fruit in salads, its a new thing for me and I totally dig it :) Buzzed!
i also follow on facebook since some time ago! thx! :)
congratulations Kelly! we thank you for all your excellent ideas on daily food and i ‘m happily looking forward on reading Spontaneous Happiness book! may have a festive time!
Great giveaway, Kelly! I would really be interested in reading Wheat Belly. This salad looks so light and refreshing and it so happens that I have a ton of pom seeds in my fridge!
Hi Kelly – it’s really impressive what your son did – you’ve obviously got a great little lad there. Sounds like he’s well on his way to do big things in life. I love the bit about “rapidly reproducing rabbits”… that’s just hilarious, and so true I’m sure!
I HATE shopping too – people milling all around, feeling hot, like a wave of dirt rolling over you as soon as you enter the mall, babies squalling, trashy parents smacking their crying children around the head, bulk selling nasty plastic toys which is going to end up in a land-fill in a few months (great use of our world’s resources… thanks Toys’R’Us!). I try to do as *much* shopping as I can online – the joys of the internet I guess.
You’re so lucky to get containers of ready-extracted pomegranate seeds… peeling/pithing those things is the bain of my life. I think I’d use them a heck of a lot more if I had them all ready to roll like that and your salad looks wonderful! +1 for the edamame too, I love those things :D
Pomegranate seeds ROCK!!
http://nutritionfor.us/2011/12/five-things-friday-birthday-weekend/
What a healthy and delicious salad, Kelly! This sounds great. I’m a huge fan of edamame, and love it in salads. What a fantastic giveaway, and congrats on the one year of blogging!!
Great giveaway and this salad looks delicious!! I’m also having a giveaway, feel free to stop by my blog and check out the $50 Williams-Sonoma gift card giveaway going on right now! xoxo
Oh my Kelly that salad looks delightful. The colours are gorgeous and I agree it totally reminds me of holly too! Pomegranate seeds in a jar? What a great idea. And I love your holiday ideas! When we were ten, we were cooking ants with magnifying glasses or spinning kids on a tire swing; your boys sound amazing and it makes me think they will even makes this a better world than what we left them.
I “like” you on facebook.
I don’t know if I would agree with “Wheat Belly” but I sure would like to read his point of view.
Your recipe is just so beautiful.
My friend LOVES Dr. Weil. Great giveaway!
I’m following you on Twitter!
What a beautiful healthy holiday salad! I just picked up to pomegranates so I know what I’ll be making this weekend! The addition of the edamane is interesting – I never think to add them to my salads. Great roundup of gift ideas and I’m so fascinated on the book. I do believe in his theory; I know when I’m careful with my carbs and wheat it definitely shows!
Salad looks delicious and will be gorgeous at during the holidays! I would love a copy of either book – both look fabulous.
…and I followed you on Twitter :)
I liked inspired edibles on FB :)
I have only had pomegranate once! I need to try it again in a different way – because the way I had it was not good. This salad sounds really yummy. I would really like to have “Wheat Belly!” I hope I win :)
I like the festive look of the salad and all the healthy ingredients. Great holiday suggestions & give-away too! Going to enter my name… Love Dr. Weil!
Lynn
I would love to check out Spontaneous Happiness.
I love the list of products/books Kelly, as I’m always on the hunt for what’s new and healthy – thank you!
Pom seeds are part of my daily diet as they partner with my morning quinoa/oats and I’ve only had them in a salad once.
This recipe will definitely be on the table this Xmas…and for many other dinners following! Cheers!!
Your raspberry vinaigrette sounds divine and paired with those beautiful gems of pomegranate seeds, I’m sure it’s a winner.
Following you on Facebook!
Oh my goodness, what perfect timing, Wheat Belly was already on my Christmas wish list! I’ve been dying to get a chance to read it.
Kelly…love all of your suggestions for gifts this year! (Was it selfish that I was thinking of myself about that!?!) I have some pomegranate seeds left….and no better use of them but to put them in this beautiful salad! Don’t you just love the sweet and tart little crunch of them. Great books for a giveaway! I don’t twitter, but I already love you on facebook. Definitely going to start doing this on my blog….it’s such a great way to show appreciation and give back! Great idea!
Looks like an interesting read – I’m really into food theories after watching Forks Over Knives!
Great idea to use the pom with edamame. And the dressing! It sounds wonderful.
—The salad is beautifully colourful & lovely looking, Kelly.
–You have a gift. Xxx
My Inner Chick http://myinnerchick.com
I LIKED your Facebook page.
This salad looks so delicious. Great mix of flavors. I haven’t heard of this book but it sounds like a great read and what a fantastic giveaway.
I just love your favs list.. I definitely have to check out that band. And this pomegranate salad looks amazing. I also want to tell you congrats on blogging for a year :)! Your blog is such an amazing place to visit and I enjoy it so much. I can’t wait to view what you have in store for the new year :)
Your salad looks beautiful, love the colors and the raspberry viniagrette. Happy one year. Very cool!
Kelly, thank you for organising this giveaway! It’s so kind of you! The gift ideas are excellent and your salad looks beautiful! I love edamame beans, I eat them as snacks while watching tv on weekends (a bit healthier than chips or salted peanuts ;-) ). Since Charles made a salad with pomegranate seeds, they have been on my to-do list just after the passionfruit. Now after seeing them on your blog too I wont be able to resist!
Terrific! Something to do with the 4 pomegranates on my counter!
I love the daily food commentary. Thank you Kelly! Congrats on reaching the first year milestone!
Leila myers
Those are the perfect colors for this time of year! And congratulations on your first year of blogging!
Very cool looking salad! Congrats on a year too. I enjoy coming here, you have such a fresh take on things.
And I’m now following you on Twitter. :)
I follow you on Facebook. :)
Pomegranate? Check. Edamame? Check. Apples? Check. Raspberry vinaigrette ingredients? Check. Looks like all I need is some curly lettuce. :) I know the next salad I’m going to make!!! It’s just gorgeous! And I love all of your gift ideas too. I’m going to have to have to check out the music for sure. I still have the Adele song you posted a while back in my Ipod rotation. :)
I am not a good shopper either, and avoid shopping centers as the plague. on Black Fridays or Cyber Mondays, or other colorfully labeled weekdays I make sure to be as far away from a store as possible
so, here is my comment for you, fingers crossed to get Wheat Belly ;-)
I love a good contest! Woo hoo! Thanks for all your posts, I love getting a new recipe and your wonderful stories. I’d love to read that book, great idea!
The salad looks very really pretty and festive with the dotted pom seeds. Spontaneous Happiness sounds like the book I would love to read!
Spontaneous Happiness – LOVE IT!
Fabulous salad to help curb the weight gain of the holiday season and it reminds me of holly too.
:-) Mandy
What a beautiful looking and not to mention healthy salad!! I do actually get more and more convinced that carb-concentrated diet indeed makes you fat. It’s so unfortunate that I LOVE my carb and it’s an ongoing struggle to reduce carb from my diet :(.
i love pom seeds! i’ve never put them in my salad before, but i’m sure i would love it! and i’ve heard so much about this book, “wheat belly” – i’m already wheat free, but would love to read what it has to say!