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Greetings!
Happy Holidays!
As we draw nearer to the winter solstice, the days are growing darker and darker. And if you live above the 35th parallel, your vitamin D stores from this summer are growing smaller and smaller. Read on to learn some fascinating information on vitamin D and your health.
The second edition of our cookbook is now widely available. If you are in Bellingham you can find it at Village Books, The Community Food Co-op, Terra Organica, as well as in many health care offices. It can also be ordered from our website.
Read on to find some delicious new holiday recipes.
Best wishes from our family to yours. -Ali and Tom |
| Nutrition News |
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 Vitamin D and Your Health
With the strength of the sun's rays diminishing this time of year, many of us are dreaming of far off tropical lands. Our advice is GO! And time your trip around late January or early February so you can refill your vitamin D stores. Recent data shows us that you can improve mood, possibly decrease risk for the flu, prevent autoimmune diseases, increase strength in the elderly, significantly reduce cancer risk, and decrease chronic pain by maintaining adequate blood levels of this essential nutrient. With such broad effects on health, scientists are saying that vitamin D might be the most important hormone in the human body.
Vitamin D can be made in human skin utilizing cholesterol and rays from the sun that are of a particular wavelength and strength. In the Winter months, the strength of these rays diminish as you get farther from the equator. Therefore, anyone living north of Bakersfield, CA, Oklahoma City, OK, and Raleigh, NC, will not be able to rely on the sun for vitamin D during this time no matter how "sunny" it is.
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| Upcoming Events |
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 Book Signing
Come on in to the Bellingham Community Food Co-op this Saturday, December 8th from 10am-12pm. Meet the authors and get a book personally signed for yourself or for a Christmas gift.
Support Group and Potluck
This Saturday, December 8th from 5-7pm in the Bellingham Community Food Co-op's Healthy Connections building. This is a FREE event and anyone is welcome. Each support group is a potluck. Please bring a gluten-free dish to share and be sure to bring your appetite as there is always plenty of good food to eat!
Vitamin D Class at the Co-op
With Co-op Nutritionist Tom Malterre, MS, CN
Wednesday, January 23, 7-9 pm
Free event-registration requested
Have you seen the news lately? Vitamin D is one of the hottest topics in the field of nutrition. Some researchers are saying that vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but the most important hormone in the human body! But...what form do you take? How much? Is it toxic? Join Nutritionist Tom Malterre as he shares his in depth knowledge on this topic. |
| Holiday Recipes |
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 Tom's Holiday Nog
Here is a delicious new recipe that Tom created. It is full of healthy fats, and a very natural sweetener: dates! Gently heated, it closely resembles egg nog.
- 7 pitted medjool dates, soaked
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch sea salt
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups water
- grated nutmeg, to taste
- grated cinnamon, to taste
Soak the dates in purified water for a few hours. Then place into a blender or Vita-Mix along with the raw pecans, vanilla, sea salt, and water. Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until very smooth. Add more water to desired consistency. You may gently heat this over low heat if desired. We like to grate a little whole nutmeg and cinnamon into each serving, though you can add a pinch of already ground nutmeg and cinnamon instead!
Spiced Cranberry Almond Bread
This warming holiday (gluten/dairy-free) recipe can be made into mini-loaves or muffins, you decide. Try replacing the dried cranberries with dried cherries or chopped dried apricots.
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
- 1 heaping cup almond meal flour or finely ground raw almonds
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
- few pinches ground nutmeg
- 1 cup organic fruit-sweetened dried cranberries
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup hemp milk or almond milk
- 1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil
- 3 organic eggs
- 1/2 cup whole cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, except the cranberries - set those aside for now.
In a smaller separate bowl, whisk together or beat with an electric mixer the wet ingredients. Then mix the wet into the dry, stirring with a wooden spoon. Fold in the dried cranberries.
Place the batter into an oiled muffin pan or 3 to 4 oiled mini-loaf pans.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 5 to 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a wire rack.
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