Author: Lenny Variano

Strongself > Articles by: Lenny Variano

Spicy Peanut and Pumpkin soup…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons olive oil                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

-1 medium onion diced                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            -4 garlic cloves

 -1-inch piece of ginger finely chopped

-1/2 habanero chili

-1 (14-ounce can) pumpkin puree

-3 cups vegetable stock

-1 (13 ounce can) coconut milk

-1 tablespoon honey

-1/4 cup unsalted, natural peanut butter

-2 tablespoons chopped chives

-1/4 cup plain yogurt

 

Directions:

-Heat olive oil- Add onion, garlic, ginger until soft and slightly brown, stirring frequently, (about 4 minutes)

-Stir in pumpkin puree, chili, and vegetable stock

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes

-You can remove chili to reduce spice

-Add coconut milk, honey, and peanut butter to the pot

-Using a blender – puree soup

-Keep warm over a very low heat

-Divide soup into bowls, sprinkle with chives and a dollop of yogurt

 

(Courtesy of the New York times)

Neighborhood Walkability and Health…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

According to a Canadian study in 14 municipalities within Ontario, people who can buy their necessities in shops that are within walking distance have a 50% less chance of developing diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and High Blood pressure. The goal of the study was to see if there is a higher risk of comorbidities of people living in less walkable neighborhoods. Participants varied in age from 20 to 95 and who were not comorbid at the time of the interview. Younger participants were able to be tracked for 16 years. The results were not so dramatic in older adults above the age of 65. Most of the participants logged in 150 minutes of walking in just performing their weekly shopping. This is the recommended number of minutes of exercise by health experts. The results did suggest that living in a neighborhood that was walkable was strongly associated with a lower risk factor for disease.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8061868/

Anchovies and Sardines…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Both small fish are usually packed in tins, are affordable and are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids which are deficient in the American diet. Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory which can counterbalance the overload of Omega 6’s in our diet (inflammatory fatty acids). Zingerman’s a mail order company out of Michigan stocks over 70 types of tinned fish. Some are even aged. Sardines have a wide appeal to a wide range of people. They were a traditional meal of the coastal American Indians before the arrival of the Europeans. Anchovies are great added to sauces to bring out an unusual additional zing. Few know that they are usually present in Worcestershire sauce, steak sauces and in Caesar salad dressing. To top things off, sardines and anchovies are the lowest on the food chain which means they contain little, or no mercury as do larger fish such as tuna, swordfish, halibut etc. My favorite way of eating sardines is by first sautéing onions, adding dried cranberries and after a few minutes adding a can of sardines. Another favorite is sautéing garlic and a few anchovies and pouring the sauce over steamed broccoli.

Smart Bandages that can Detect Infection…

Posted on by Lenny Variano

Research at the University of Rhode Island, which was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, has developed a bandage that can detect whether a covered wound is becoming infected. What they did was embed nano sensors into the fibers of the bandage. When a wound is covered with a bandage there is always the possibility of it becoming infected. The carbon nanotubes will identify an infection by detecting concentrations of hydrogen peroxide produced in the wound when bacteria are present. This “Smart Bandage” will be monitored by a small, wearable device that will transmit a signal to a smartphone which the patient or caregiver will receive. Hope is that by early detection of an infection there will be less need for antibiotics and even more drastic occurrences such as limb removal. This could be life saving especially for patients with diabetes who have difficulty with wound healing and for those living in remote rural areas. Verification of the product still needs to be done with live culture cells found in wounds via a petri dish.

 

https://beta.nsf.gov/news/smart-bandage-detects-may-prevent-infections#:~:text=By%20embedding%20nanosensors%20in%20the,an%20infection%20in%20a%20wound.