IRON

Functions: vital for a healthy immune system • part of the hemoglobin molecule that binds oxygen in the red blood cells. Deficiency signs and symptoms: weakness and fatigue. Iron’s enemies: lack of stomach acid • extreme diets in which only or mostly green vegetables are eaten • intestinal diseases which speed transit of food through intestines • poor absorption of dietary fat (leading to excess fat in intestine interfering with iron absorption).

MAGNESIUM

Functions: vital for a healthy immune system • involved with energy formation and transfer, carbohydrate metabolism, manufacture of protein, proper nutrition of the heart and neuromuscular transmission.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: personality changes • fatigue

• muscle weakness • heart irregularities • muscle spasms. Magnesium’s enemies: prolonged fasting • persistent vomiting

• chronic diarrhea • surgery • severe burns • alcohol • high-protein diets.

MANGANESE

Functions: vital for a healthy immune system • important for formation of the main thyroid hormone • necessary for proper utilization of vitamins C, Bj and biotin, and for production of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: a deficiency in animals results in sterility in both sexes, skeletal abnormalities. Manganese’s enemies: refining of foods.

PHOSPHORUS

Functions: necessary for good bone and teeth structure and a healthy nervous system • helps stimulate muscle contractions

• plays a role in extracting energy from food. Deficiency signs-and symptoms: loss of appetite • nausea • fatigue • weakness • vague and persistent bone pains. Phosphorus’s enemies: excessive injestion of antacids.

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When your mind receives a piece of information, it responds by sending a chemical message to the appropriate part of your body. For example, when your eyes see that the traffic light is turning red, the brain interprets that fact and sends a “hit the brake” message to your right foot.

The red light was only a fact. It didn’t “make” you step on the brake. It was your interpretation of the red light, combined with the knowledge that you were driving a car, and the light was so far away, and you were going so fast, etc., that persuaded you to brake. The red light was only one fact among many.

Remember that time, late at night, when you walked down a dark street in a not-so-nice part of town? As you looked into the shadows, and turned your head to see if anyone was behind you, your heart began to pound. You could feel your breath coming in short gasps as your muscles tensed and you began to sweat. Chemical fireworks were exploding inside of you, dilating your pupils for better vision, shutting down temporarily unnecessary actions like digestion, and rushing blood to your muscles, for example, to help you fight or run.

It took only a split second to turn you from a calm stroller into a frightened, highly charged person, ready to fight or run for his or her life. And what triggered this “fight or flight” response? Nothing but your thoughts. Nobody pulled a gun on you; nobody mugged you, nobody shouted at you or ran after you or made a threatening gesture. As a matter of fact, you never saw or heard anybody at all, because the street was deserted. You turned on the chemical fireworks with your thoughts.

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TOMATO—YOGURT SALAD DRESSING

1 cup tomato puree 1 cup yogurt, plain, nonfat 1 tbl.

cider or wine vinegar 1 tbl. dry mustard 1 tsp. dill-weed 2 tsps. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor. Makes 3 cups.

FAIRFAX HOOP DRESSING

1/2 cup hoop cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 scallion, chopped juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp. dill weed

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp. thyme

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor. Makes 2 cups.

BLENDER BROCCOLI DRESSING

1 cup broccoli florets, steamed until tender 1/4 cup cider or wine vinegar 1/2tbl. tomato paste pinch of basil dash of dill weed dash of cumin dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor. Makes 2 cups.

NO OIL DRESSING

8 ozs. tomato sauce

2 tbls. tarragon vinegar

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Angostura Bitters

1/2 tsp. dill weed, dried

1/2 tsp. basil, dried crushed

1 tbl. onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1-inch long chili pepper, ground

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor until smooth.

Makes 2 cups.

TOMATO HERB DRESSING

8 ozs. tomato juice 1 1/2 tbls. lemon juice 1/2 tbl. vinegar 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. onion juice 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 drops Tabasco sauce 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. herb mix (choose some or all: rosemary,

thyme, basil, coriander, cassia, mustard seed, oregano, fennel)

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor until smooth.

Makes 2 cups.

RUSSIAN DRESSING

1 cup cottage cheese, low-fat 1 tbl. vinegar or lemon juice

1/4 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Put cottage cheese, vinegar or lemon juice, and tomato juice in blender. Blend until smooth, adding more tomato juice if necessary. Stir in celery just before using.

Makes 2 cups.

YOGURT-GARLIC DRESSING

1 cup yogurt, plain, nonfat 11/2 tsps. cumin seeds, crushed 1/2 tsp. curry powder 1/2 clove garlic, pressed

Combine all ingredients and puree in blender or food processor. Makes 2 cups.

HEALTHY PUREE

1 cauliflower 1/2 cup yogurt, plain, nonfat 1/2 bunch fresh dill or cilantro, chopped

Steam cauliflower until tender; coursely chop. Puree with yogurt in blender. Mix in fresh dill or cilantro. Serve on baked tomatoes, cooked grains or fish.

Makes 2 to 3 cups.

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Here are three foods you may not have thought were Super Foods: cantaloupes, papayas and peaches. These orange fruits contain large amounts of beta carotene; cantaloupes and papayas also contain quite a bit of vitamin C.

Nutrient
Cantaloupe
Papaya
Peaches
(per 1\2 oz)
(raw)
(raw)
(raw)
Beta Carotene
3,400.0 IU
1,750.0 IU
1,330.0 IU
Vitamin C
33.0 mg
56.0 mg
7.0 mg
Calcium
14.0 mg
20.0 mg
9.0 mg
Phosphorus
16.0 mg
16.0 mg
19.0 mg
Iron
.4 mg
.3 mg
.5 mg
Sodium
12.0 mg
3.0 mg
1.0 mg
Potassium
251.0 mg
234.0 mg
202.0 mg
Vitamin B2
.04 mg
.04 mg
.02 mg
Vitamin B2
.03 mg
.04 mg
.05 mg
Vitamin B3
.6 mg
.3 mg
1.0 mg
Papayas should be eaten when they’re soft but still firm. And cantaloupes should be eaten plain, without sugar. “But it won’t taste sweet without the sugar, Dr. Fox,” some of my patients have complained. We’ve gotten so used to dumping sugar on everything that we don’t realize how sweet some foods naturally are. So leave the sugar off. Your taste buds will tell you what a sweet-tasting melon it is all by itself.

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