The Kardea Gourmet-January 2011 Publication
RESERVE A COPY and receive $5.00 Coupon on first edition.
Kardea Nutrition Bars – Heart Healthy Supporting Weight, Cholesterol & Diabetes Management
The Kardea Gourmet Wellness bars were formulated to make heart healthy eating easier and more delicious. What makes these bars special? They also support weight and diabetes management.
NATURALLY DELICIOUS Cranberry Almond – recalls the taste of an almond croissant; Banana Nut – warmth of the home baked banana bread; Chai Spice – as flavorful as the tea, suggestions of pumpkin pie; Lemon ginger – with the zing of a lemon square.
NUTRITIONALLY EXCEPTIONAL 7g Fiber, 7g Protein, Good Source of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids; No Trans Fats, No Cholesterol, Very Low Saturated Fat, Low Sodium, Source of Potassium
SUPPORTING WEIGHT MANAGEMENT 140 Calories, 8-10g total sugar, 2.0 Weight Watcher Points; 5g Soluble Fiber Provides Lasting Sense of Fullness
SUPPORTING DIABETES MANAGEMENT 1 Diabetic Starch Exchange; Sustained Energy Release, Lower Glycemic
HEART HEALTHY & CHOLESTEROL LOWER Enjoy FDA-Approved Ingredients for Cholesterol Management: 1g Plant Sterols, Oats, Psyllium, Vegan Protein
KOSHER CERTIFIED & VEGAN
Save 10% on all order with coupon code SAVE10%. Free shipping on all orders over $75.00
Salt Under Coming Under Sharper Public Health Focus
More than half of Americans have either high blood pressure or pre-hypertension, says cardiologist Clyde Yancy, president of the American Heart Association and medical director at the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute in Dallas.
“That puts a lot of us in the bucket of people who need to be on a lower sodium diet. Sodium contributes to most people’s high blood pressure, and for some it may be the primary driver.”
Cutting back on sodium could save thousands of people from early deaths caused by heart attacks and strokes each year, and it could save billions of dollars in health care costs, he says.
Others second that. “Salt is the single most harmful element in our food supply, silently killing about 100,000 people each year,” says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest. “That’s like a crowded jetliner crashing every single day. But the food industry has fended off government action for more than three decades.”
Now salt has our attention.
But reducing it in the American diet is easier said than done. “We have, in essence, ignored the advice because we are driven by convenience, and sodium makes a fast-food lifestyle very easy,” Yancy says. “To change, we would need to live and eat differently.”
Very differently.
Americans now consume an average of about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, or about 1½ teaspoons, government data show. Men consume more than women.
But most adults — including those with high blood pressure, African Americans, the middle-aged and the elderly — should consume no more than 1,500 milligrams a day, according to the dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Others should consume less than 2,300 milligrams, or less than a teaspoon, the guidelines say.
And yet it’s virtually impossible to limit yourself to such amounts if you often eat processed foods, prepared foods or restaurant fare, including fast food. Most Americans’ sodium intake comes from those sources, not the salt shaker on the table.
Some restaurant entrees have 2,000 milligrams or more in one dish. Fast-food burgers can have more than 1,000 milligrams. Many soups are chock-full of sodium. So are many spaghetti sauces, broths, lunch meats, salad dressings, cheeses, crackers and frozen foods.
Can’t see it, can’t taste it
Salt serves many functions in products. Besides adding to a food’s taste, it is a preservative.
“You can’t see it,” Yancy says. “You can’t even taste it because you are so accustomed to it. If you want the freedom to make healthy choices, you are limited by today’s foods. That’s a problem.”
To change that, food companies and restaurants will have to come up with new ways to formulate products and recipes to help consumers gradually lower their salt levels, which would wean them off the taste.
That’s a huge challenge, but nutritionists and public health specialists say it can be done and will be worth it. “There is no health benefit to a high-sodium diet, and there is considerable risk,” says Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Even those whose blood pressure is in the normal range should watch their intake, Yancy says. “Here’s a wake-up call: Every American who is age 50 or older has a 90% chance of developing hypertension. That increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is a preventable process, and it’s preventable with sodium reduction, weight control and physical activity.”
Why it can be harmful
There are several theories for why sodium increases blood pressure, Yancy says, “but the most obvious one is that it makes us retain fluids, and that retention elevates blood pressure,” which injures blood vessels and leads to heart disease and stroke. “It’s a connect-the-dots phenomenon.”
Some people, especially some African Americans, are more salt-sensitive than others, Yancy says.
“When they are exposed to sodium, they retain more fluid, and because of the way their kidneys handle sodium, they may have a greater proportional rise in blood pressure,” he says.
The cost of this damage? An analysis by the Rand Corp. found that if the average sodium intake of Americans was reduced to 2,300 milligrams a day, it might decrease the cases of high blood pressure by 11 million, improve quality of life for millions of people and save about $18 billion in annual health care costs.
The estimated value of improved quality of life and living healthier longer: $32 billion a year. Greater reductions in sodium consumption in the population would save more lives and money, says Roland Sturm, a senior economist with Rand.
Yancy says the country doesn’t just need health care reform, “we need health reform. If we don’t adjust the demand part of the equation, no system will work. Remarkably, people might be overall healthier by simply reducing sodium.”
But Yancy says people need to keep in mind that sodium is just one of the factors that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Others include obesity, consuming too much sugar and too few fruits and vegetables, lack of physical activity and smoking.
Antioxidants are Hiding in Your Spice Cabinet
If you are looking for good sources of antioxidants, you don’t have to look any farther than your spice cabinet. Surprisingly, 1/2 teaspoon of spices such as cinnamon, clove, tumeric and oregano, as well as cocoa may deliver as much antioxidant capacity as 1/2 cup of berries or a cup of green tea!
But note, these numbers measure potential antioxidant capacity. How the compounds found in foods and specific nutrients actually work within our bodies is still being studied. The benefits you derive will vary depending on many factors, including your body’s ability to absorb and use these antioxidant compounds. Variety may be the spice of life, and a variety of spice seems to be a benefit to life!
The Sap is Running, Spring is Near, Maple Sugaring Time
The Kardea Gourmet kitchen is housed in a pre-revolutionary war house here in Connecticut. 14 maples on the property. We tapped a few last weekend and have been boiling down the sap ever since. Home-made maple syrup. Delicious on oatmeal with walnuts — a great natural combination for heart health…. Kardea Fiber Plus Pancakes (recipe coming soon).
Sugaring really is pretty simple. Make sure that your maple trees are at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at about 4 1/2 feet above the ground. Trees with a diameter of 20-25″ can accomodate 2 taps. Even larger trees can endure a third tap, but no tree should have any more.
Next, make sure that you have a spile — the spigot like item you will insert into the tree.
At a convenient height, drill on a slight upward angle a 1.5″-2″ hole. For most commercially-available spiles, use a 3/8 bit. Drive the spile into the hole, hang a bucket with cover (leaving only a small hole beneath that allows the sap to drip into the bucket). 
As buckets fill, transfer into a large pot. Note— a maple in an open area that receives direct sunlight will produce more than the same sized maple in a forest.
We have found it best to filter the sap. For our very modest operation, the gold-meshed filter we use to make coffee each morning does just fine. Then boil the sap down, way down. A 40:1 ratio between sap and syrup. When is the syrup done? Finished maple syrup will be 7 degrees F. above the temperature of boiling water at your elevation. Use a candy thermometer to measure.
The advantage to a sugar maple is the higher concentration of sugar in the sap, but the sap of any maple will produce a flavorful syrup.
How many trees should you tap? Figure that out for yourselves. Start with two, maybe three, and see if you can keep up.
Typically, the hot syrup is filtered at the point. This will assure a clear syrup. We skip this step. Yes, our syrup is not clear, but we also are hopeful that we preserve more of the natural nutrients by not filtering at this step (we are investigating this). If you do filter the syrup at this point, make sure that you reheat the syrup to 180 degrees before you put into a storage container. Pour the hot syrup into the clean, sterile canning jars and seal. Fill them full so that very little air will be in the jar. If you are following canning instruction carefully and have achieve a tight seal, store in a cool place. We store the syrup in the freezer, keeping one jar in the refrigerator of ready use.
When the season is over, remove the spile from the tree and then drive a dowel made from the tree into the hole.
Curry-Spiced Salmon Cakes with Lemon Caper Dressing
Five Servings
Curry is a blend of number of wonderful, antioxidant-rich spices. In Indian food, it is a dominant flavor, but curry also can be used to deliver a more subtle punch—and even those people who believe they do not like the taste of curry find the “lite” use of this spice blend delicious. 
A serving of these salmon cakes delivers about1.5g of Omega-3s and 3 grams of fiber. The lemon caper dressing offers a great tang. We reduce the amount of oil needed in these salmon cakes by using a quick fry in a hot, lightly oiled pan and then finishing the cooking in the oven.
You certainly can use a fresh salmon to make these cakes. Here at Kardea, we typically use a canned salmon. Why? We really do try to get at least 2-3 servings per week of a high Omega-3 fish. With our busy lives, it can be difficult to get to the market to pick-up fresh fish 2-3 times per week. We use the canned salmon as one of the bridges between our purchases of fresh fish.
Salmon Cakes
14.5oz Canned No-Salt Added Salmon without bones or skin.
1 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (you can make this from 4 slice whole wheat bread-see below)
1 Large Egg
½ Medium Red Pepper, Chopped Fine
½ Medium Onion, Chopped Fine
¼ Cup Parsley, Chopped
½ Teaspoon Mild Curry
2.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
On a medium heat, sautee the chopped red peppers and onion in ½ tablespoon of olive oil for approximately 5 minutes.
Drain the salmon. In a large bowl, add salmon, whole wheat bread crumbs, the egg, the spices and the sautéed vegetables. With a fork or a potato masher, blend together. Place in refrigerator for at least ½ hour. Remove from refrigerator and shape about 10 cakes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat a pan large enough to fry about 5 cakes at a time. When hot, add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and immediately add the cakes. Cook on both sides for about three minutes. Place on baking tray. Repeat with the other five cakes. Place all ten cakes in preheated oven for 10 minutes (if starting with a fresh salmon, leave in oven for 15 minutes).
Plate two cakes per person. Spoon on about ½ tablespoon of dressing (see below) onto each salmon cake.
Lemon Caper Dressing
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Capers
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Parsley or Dill
Place lemon juice, olive oil and capers into a medium sized bowl. Wisk together vigorously. Shortly before serving, stir in the your choice of fresh parsley or dill.
Nutrition Content per Serving:
340 Calories
Fatty Acid Profile:Calories from Fat:160; Total Fat: 18g; Saturated Fats: 3g; Monounsaturated: 11g; Polyunsaturated: 4g; Omega-3: 1.5g; Omega-6:Omega-3 Ratio: 1:1.5; Cholesterol: 90mg
Protein: 21g
Carbohydrates: 23g
Fiber: 3g; Soluble Fiber: .35g
Sodium: 370mg; Potassium: 475mg
Antioxidant Profile: Good Source of Vitamin A & C plus other naturally occurring compounds found in the herbs, spices and lemon.
Making Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
Place 4 slices of whole wheat bread in an oven on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. When you remove, the bread should be crunchy but not toasted. Let cool in the open air. When cool, simply dice into small pieces. Then break these pieces down further into crumb size – a few larger pieces are ok too.
Gourmet Thrift for Heart Health: Roasted Red Peppers from the “Cart”
Have you ever seen the “cart” with the less than perfect fruits and vegetables at the back of your grocery’s produce department? Today, I found packages of red peppers — at $.89/lb. This week’s normal price: $3.99/lb.
10lbs of red peppers went into my cart. I returned home, clicked on the broiler. Put the peppers on a cookie sheet; charred the peppers on all side. Pulled the peppers from the broiler and covered them so that the moisture released from the hot pepper would help the skins release from the flesh. I let them sit for about 1/2 hour. Then removed the skins and the seeds. Delicious and now beautiful — no matter that they started otherwise.
Friends coming over for dinner. A roast pepper tapenade to be served with some roast pepper strips—and I may use in tommorow night’s ratatouille. Perhaps a roasted red pepper soup. Recipes coming. Note though: red peppers are a good source of fiber and a great natural source of the antioxidants Vitamin A, Vitamin C and other naturally occurring compounds.
Kardea Nutrition Pledges 10% of Online Sales to Women’s Heart Health Campaign
Leading up to the heartiest of holidays (Valentine’s 2010), Kardea Nutrition is pledging 10% of sales made through its online store to The American Heart Association Go Red & Give campaign.
Go Red for Women celebrates the energy, passion and power women have by banding together to wipe out heart disease and stroke. Go Red is working hard to change the perception that heart disease is a “man’s disease.” And it’s working! By teaching more and more women how to talk to their doctors about heart disease, Go Red can save thousands of lives every year. The good news is that heart disease is often preventable!
To order your Kardea bars click here, and don’t forget to wear red!
Go-Red-For-Women: American Heart Association Call-to-Action
Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day. Thousands of Americans will be wearing red to draw attention to this startling fact: Over 430,000 women are silenced each year by cardiovascular disease – and most of these deaths are preventable.
Kardea encourages you to wear something red tomorrow to honor those women – and that you’ll help fund the research and programs that can save them. Today, the American Heart Associataion is launching a Go Red & Give campaign. One week, one goal: $100,000 to keep our sisters, mothers, daughters and wives safe.
Your donation could help keep someone you love safe from the #1 killer disease in the U.S.
Plant Sterols: Selected Food & Dietary Supplement Sources
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends 2g of plant sterols to lower cholesterol. Up to a 15% reduction in LDL levels have been shown to occur at these dosage levels, although actual results will depend on each individual’s unique chemistry and the ability to consume sterols at the targeted levels each and every day. In a number of foods, sterols can be naturally found. Through the course of a standard American diet, individuals will consume about 400mg (about 1/5 of the NCEP targets) each day. A vegetarian may consume twice as much. An increasing number foods are being fortifed with plant sterols, better enabling individuals consume the recommended 2g per day. Some of these foods are fortified with a similar compounds known as stanols. These function similarly to sterols with respect to lowering cholesterol.
Below you will find a chart listing various sources of plant sterols. This certainly is not a complete list, and we will be updating this list periodically. If you can recommend others products, please email us at customerservice@kardeanutrition.com. For more information on plant sterol, enter “sterols” in the search button above.
