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Health

IV Health

What we learned about Health

We learned you can get your Wellness needs met at Milk+Honey in downtown Austin.  See http://www.milkandhoneyspa.com/

To maintain good oral hygiene, use Fuzzy Brush 800-660-3479        http://www.fuzzybrush.com/

From Michele Harris we learned that health is dynamic and changes over time.  That’s why it is important to be evaluated regularly.

From Larry Turner we learned that there is a great exercise facility operated by St. David’s hospital.  It is called the Wheelchair Fitness Center and it’s free.  It is located at the Hancock Center at 1000 East 41st Street, Suite 925, on the east side of Sears Department Store.  Their phone numbers is (512) 451-3637.   See http://stdavids.com/sdrh.aspx?id=888 People with severe disabilities can use the wheelchair accessible exercise equipment.

We learned to help heal pressure sores, Sharon Gardner recommends using Miracle Mist.  Find it at   http://www.badassspray.com/ 800-217-6677  It is sold by Healthy Life and Times. The 6 oz spray and the 2 oz. hydrogel are $29.95 each, and the 2 oz. travel size spray is $14.95.  It is even backed by a 30 Day Guarantee!

From Chef Mikail, we learned healthy eating and cooking involves:

  • Buy organic
  • Eat plenty of raw foods
  • If you use flour, use whole wheat flour, if allergic to wheat, use rice flour
  • Shop at farmer’s market
  • Drink plenty of water, moderate alcohol consumption
  • Eat plenty of roughage such as lettuce or cabbage – rice is particularly good.  Brown rice is high in carbohydrates but complex hydrates. Beans and rice have enough protein and they don’t provide as much weight gain as you would get from potatoes or bread – heavy in starches.
  • Rice in moderation
  • Always mix things up, vary diet during the day and on day to day basis
  • Extra-virgin olive oil is good for dressing but don’t cook with it.  If you cook with it, on high heat, it breaks down into carcinogenic by-products.  If you must cook with olive oil on high heat for braising, use refined olive oil or ordinary olive oil or use grape seed oil because it is rich in oxidants.
  • Biggest problem with home cooking is sanitation, extremely important to use plastic board for chicken, beef or any foul or fish; if you use a wooden board, even if it’s well seasoned, germs from food can leach into board.  Red meat perhaps no more than twice a week, otherwise fish or foul or turkey, chicken or sometimes lamb.   Keep kidneys flushed with water.  Limit alcohol intake.  Wine is good once in a while.  Everything in moderation.


Chef Mikail’s recipes

Sunomono

 

* 1 cup shredded wakame seaweed

* 1 seedless cucumber

* 4 tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar

* ½ cup diced green onion tops

* 2 tbsp sugar

* 1/2 tbsp salt

 

Preparation:

Soften wakame in water for about 5 minutes and drain well.

Slice cucumber into thin rounds.

Put salt over cucumber slices and set aside for 20 minutes.

Cut wakame seaweed into about 2inch-long pieces.

Mix vinegar and sugar in a bowl.

Squeeze cucumber slices to remove the liquid.

Add wakame seaweed and cucumber slices in the sugar/vinegar/onion mixture and toss well.

Serve at room temperature.

 

You may add other ingredients prior to serving such as marinated octopus or squid.


 

TEXAS TEMAKI

 

Temaki is a type of sushi presented as a cone roll, much like an ice cream cone. Raw  or smoked fish is usually the primary filling, but see below for a Texas twist on an old sushi favorite.

 

Makes 3 Texas Temakis:

 

1 each Filet Mignon, without bacon wrapping

3 sheets of Nori (seaweed)

2 cups Sushi Rice, prepared

Alfalfa sprouts

2 Tbsp virgin olive oil

1 tspn red wine vinegar

1 large fresh tomato, chopped

1 medium red onion, chopped

½ Serrano pepper. minced

4 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Salt & Pepper

2 Tbsp REFINED olive oil (for high heat cooking. Do not use EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil for high heat cooking.)

 

Combine the first 2 Tbsp of virgin olive oil with vinegar, tomato, onion, Serrano, and cilantro in a bowl and mix thoroughly to create Pico de Gallo. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Set thePico de Gallo aside in refrigerator for about one hour, stirring occasionally.

 

Make sushi rice (see Making Sushi Rice recipe). Set aside, covered.

 

Slice filet mignon into three rounds. Put remaining 2 Tbsp of refined olive oil in a skillet, and heat until the oil begins to appear wavy. Do not let it smoke.

 

Place filet mignon rounds in the skillet and cook for about 20 seconds on each side, just enough to sear the outside. Remove from heat and place in a covered dish, to allow the meat to rest, for about two minutes.

 

Remove a slice into thin strips, no more than ¼-inch wide. Set aside.

 

Place nori at a diagonal and beginning at about ¼ inch from the top corner, spread a thin layer of rice, about two inches wide, long the diagonal, leaving about 2 inches of nori uncovered at the bottom corner.

 

Place 1/3 of the meat strips along the rice along the diagonal. Spoon 1/3 of the Pico de Gallo mixture on top of the meat. Place a desired amount of alfalfa sprouts from the top corner to the end of the rice along the diagonal.

 

Fold the bottom of nori onto the rice-meat-sprouts, creating a bottom for the cone.

 

Lightly dampen the left corner of the nori and roll a cone towards the right. Dampen the right edge of the nori to seal the cone.

 

You can use raw fish, barbequed sea eel (unagi), or just about anything as a filling, along with any number of vegetables.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

ALL ABOUT SUSHI

5 Major Sushi Types:

Maki-zushi: Roll of rice, ingredients, and nori (seaweed) cut into pieces

Nigiri-zushi: Rice ball with topping, wrapped with a nori strip

Chirazi-zushi: Bowl of loose rice with toppings

Oshi-zushi: Mound of rice and toppings pressed into a mold

Temaki-zushi: Cone-shaped hand roll

Making Sushi Rice

Makes about 6 cups

 

Ingredients:

* 3 cups Japanese rice

* 3 1/4 cups water

* 1/3 cup rice vinegar

* 3 Tbsp sugar

* 1 tsp salt

 

  1. Wash rice under running water until water is clear.
  2. Drain rice well.
  3. Soak rice in measured water for 30 minutes.
  4. Bring rice water to boil, reduce to low, and cook for 20 minutes.
  5. Let rice sit and steam for 15 more minutes.
  6. Mix vinegar, sugar, and salt.
  7. GENTLY fold in vinegar, sugar, and salt mixture.
  8. Prepare sushi.

Rolling and Cutting Maki Sushi

  1. Put a sheet of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat.
  2. Place Nori down on the bamboo mat. Typically, the shinier side is put face down.
  3. With damp hands, grab the cooked rice and spread it onto the Nori. The layer of rice should be thin enough so that you can just see the nori underneath.
  4. Leave about half an inch of space at the edge of the nori furthest from you, and rub a bit of warm water on it. This will help the two sides of nori stick together.
  5. Line up your ingredients in the middle of the nori.
  6. Holding the closest edge of the bamboo mat, roll the sushi away from you.
  7. Tighten the roll as you go, the same way you would a rug to minimize excess space. Be careful not to make it too tight, however, or fillings may start to fall out.
  8. Once tightened, you should be able to unwrap the bamboo without the roll coming apart.
  9. Cover your roll with the bamboo mat and press your hands over it to further pack the roll.
  10. Move your full roll to a cutting board. Slice it first down the middle. From there you can cut it into sixths or eighths, whichever you prefer.

 

How to Eat Sushi

If you make your own sushi, you may want to immerse yourself in the traditional Japanese culture surrounding sushi eating. This will also be beneficial when eating sushi at a Japanese restaurant or sushi bar. Though you may not be thrown out of a restaurant for eating sushi incorrectly, these steps will save you any confusion and potential embarrassment.

  1. In general, chopsticks are only used for picking up sashimi (individual raw fish pieces). Sushi is eaten with one’s fingers.
  2. When not eating, chopsticks should either be placed in front of you on the table or across your plate. It is considered impolite to lean your chopsticks from the table onto your plate.
  3. Pour some soy sauce onto a small place. Don’t go overboard. Using too much soy sauce can make you look gluttonous.
  4. Pick up the sushi with your fingers and dip only the fish side or end (depending upon the type of sushi) into the soy sauce. Typically, one avoids getting soy sauce on the rice.
  5. Try to eat the entire piece in a single bite. If this is not possible, two bites are acceptable, as long as one does not put down the sushi between bites.
  6. Once you swallow, cleanse your palate with a small piece of gari (pickled ginger).

Note about our Chef Mikail

He handcycled across Texas in 2007 and was filmed by Vermilion Pictures for their documentary, “The Final Inch” (http://www.thefinalinch.org), sponsored by Google.org. The film was broadcast this past Spring on HBO. It was nominated for an Academy Award in Documentary Shorts in January.

Health resources on the Web

http://www.ncpad.org/ The mission of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) is to promote substantial health benefits that can be gained from participating in regular physical activity. The slogan of NCPAD is Exercise is for EVERY body, and every person can gain some health benefit from being more physically active. This site provides information and resources that can enable people with disabilities to become as physically active as they choose to be.    Health Promotion: Health Promotion for People With Disabilities: The Emerging Paradigm Shift From Disability Prevention to Prevention of Secondary Conditions

Health & Wellness http://www.disability.gov/health/health_&_wellness

Disability and Health http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dh/default.htm