The Tevis Center for Wellness has a number of programs planned in honor of Heart Health Month! Call 410-871-7000 for more information.
Month: January 2023
Sesame Tofu Vegetable Dumplings
The Lunar New year is coming soon, and what better way to celebrate than the age-old tradition of making dumplings! Dumplings filled with pork and cabbage have long been eaten as a tradition for the Lunar New Year in many East Asian cultures. These tasty little pouches are served as a representation of financial wealth. Some say this is because they look like an ancient Chinese coin, others say dumplings look like little bags of money. Really it depends on how you fold your dumplings. The more dumplings you eat, the more wealth for the upcoming year. This recipe is a vegetable version, made with a classic plant-based filling of tofu, carrots, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms rather than pork. If you want to spice things up and get some probiotics in your meal, swap out the cabbage for kimchi. These would pair well with a salad topped with ginger dressing and a tuna steak.
The Basics of COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a disease of the lungs that makes breathing difficult. Most cases are caused by smoking. Exposure to the toxins in cigarettes cause permanent damage to the lining of the lungs. Types of COPD include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Sauerkraut Soup
This recipe has a secret ingredient you likely have never used before: juniper berry. Junipers are a common spice used throughout Scandinavia all the way down to Hungary. Junipers are currently being studied for their wide array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Some research has even suggested that juniper may help raise HDL, the good cholesterol, and may assist in better regulating blood sugar. A word of warning though: not every juniper is safe for consumption, so please buy your junipers rather than collecting ones you may have in your yard.
Pork Tenderloin Roasted with Fennel
Fennel is an underutilized vegetable. It adds such a wonderful savory-sweet complexity to dishes. Fennel bulbs are high in fiber, contributing to heart health, and they are a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. Fennel has also been used medicinally all over the world for various ailments, everything from upset stomach and nausea to improved breastmilk production. It also has a pleasant and refreshing flavor, and the seeds are often eaten after meals similar to a mint.
The other star of this recipe is the pork loin. Fun fact: pork is a “red meat.” It appears pale when compared to something like beef because of myoglobin, a protein that delivers oxygen to your cells and accounts for the redness of meats. Pork has less myoglobin than beef, making it appear “white.” Remember though, the American Heart Association advises to limit your red meat intake, not because it’s red, but because of the high amounts of saturated fats that are found in red meats. When you do eat red meats, aim for leaner cuts, such as the loin in this recipe.