Health Benefits of "HOT" Peppers.

"Hotter is better

Although the chemical compound capsaicin itself is colorless and odorless, it is generally associated with hot peppers. Hot peppers like the ghost pepper and the newly crowned Smokin' Ed's Carolina Reaper contain some of the highest amounts of capsaicin found naturally. The amount of capsaicin in a pepper is measured using the Scoville index, where pure capsaicin is rated at 16,000,000. The hottest peppers in the world only measure up to 1.5-1.6 million Scovilles. Jalapenos and cayenne pepper come in at around 8,000 and 50,000, respectively. For beginners to spicy food, start small and add more heat as tolerance increases, you can always add more, and you don't want to ruin a meal with too much."
(Source: Natural News by Dr. Daniel Zagst)

When I think about Chili Peppers I usually correlate them to ethnic cuisines. There are some really great benefits to including "spicy" peppers into your diet. I have been going through 1 pound bags of Jalapenos and Serranos' each week for a while now, and not to mention Kui and Jesse love their food spicy so they go quick. Since they have become such a constant in my food world as of late I decided to do a little research so I could share my findings. There are the really obvious things about hot peppers that we all know like they clear the sinuses and are classified as a fruit, so they have to be full of beneficial nutrients. Peppers like Jalapenos, Serranos, Habaneros, and Chili (Cayenne Peppers) have Capsaicin, which is the reason why they are so hot and should not to be confused with the Capsicum or Bell Peppers which has none.

Peppers, in general, are full of Vitamins A, C, and K. Vitamins A and C prevent cell damage, improve immune function and aging related diseases. They are also great for the reduction of inflammation found in arthritis and asthma. The Vitamin K supports healthy blood clotting, healthy bones and protection of cells.

Capsaicin has been shown to speed up a persons metabolism and we all know that a slow metabolism is a deterring factor in losing weight. Eating spicy peppers (raw mainly) with meals has also shown to help you eat less, but to consume more water which will help you feel full faster.

"Ironically, the same intense heat from capsaicin that makes hot peppers intolerable to some people also makes it an effective pain reliever. Topical capsaicin cream or ointment can be used on the skin to help relieve pain from surgery, neuralgia, shingles, cluster headaches, arthritis, psoriasis and mouth sores caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Capsaicin relieves pain by stimulating and then immediately decreasing intensity of pain signals sent to the brain. It also blocks Substance P, a neuropeptide responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain and causing swelling of nerve fibers." (source Amazing Health Benefits of Capsaicin by Jennifer LaMaire)

To further the above fact that spicy peppers clear the sinuses, the nasal passage is cleared by thinning the mucus and relieving congestion. Antibacterial properties of the peppers capsaicin fight off chronic infections and allergy symptoms. It has also been found to ease the pains associated with COPD and emphysema which are common lung complications.

Lastly for health benefits, something we all love to hear, "CANCER KILLER." The capsaicin kills cancer cells by prompting the mitochondria in the cells to go through "apoptosis," in layman's terms means cell-suicide.

"When exposed to capsaicin cancer cells are destroyed but there is no damaged to the surrounding tissue. Prostate cancer tumors shrank by 80 percent when exposed to capsaicin." (source: cont. by Dr. Zagst)

It has been really easy to integrate peppers into my diet, I slice them up raw and throw them into practically everything, soups, stews, pasta, beans, cottage cheese, they are pretty versatile. While the heat of each individual pepper can vary, if you can get used to the heat you will gain a whole lot more than a "spicy" mouth:)



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You say Chickpea, I say Garbanzo bean.

Same thing. I have always called them Garbanzo beans, that is the term I heard being used when I was a little kid. But to be clear they are the same.

The name Chickpea comes from the Latin word "Cicer." Which evolved into "Chiche" and then to the English "Chich. From "Chich" it became "Chich peas" to it's modern form "Chickpea." The common names for them are Ceci bean, India pea, Bengal gram, or Egyptian pea. They are one of world's earliest crops.

“Garbanzo,” on the other hand, is Spanish in origin. The term is derived form the Old Spanish “Garroba” or “Algarroba” and of Old Spanish “Arvanço.” So there is the difference.

Garbanzo beans are a frequent star guest in Monday Menu Madness. I use them in everything from sautees, to soups, to salads to fillings for stuffed mushrooms or peppers. The Hunebee will eat them every which way. KATvonVAPURE didn't know how much she liked them until she had my 2 Bean salad. Kuizzy would prefer his beans sweet like red bean desserts, but also enjoys the Adventures in Garbanzo. Oddly Angelo, who has OAS(oral allergy syndrome) and can't eat raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts, and even if he could prefers not to, also loves the bean salads and sautees. That is as long as they don't have tomatoes, or olives, or fruit.

Below is two ways that are similar yet different like their name.

1. Spicy Garbanzo and Greek yogurt

Ingredients:
1 15oz. can of organic garbanzo beans
2 Tbs. greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 pickled jalapeno slices, minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill or serve.

2. Garbanzo, Tomato, Artichoke saute

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans
1 whole roma tomato, large dice
1/8 cup of green olives with pimentos, chopped
1 tps. of minced garlic
1/8 cup of chopped artichoke hearts
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute garbanzos' in olive oil, add all other ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes.
*Chop olives after you measure and measure artichokes' after you chop them.

ENJOY!

Meals Under $5 Healthy, Gluten Free, Fresh!

Here are some of the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks I've been making over the last 6 months. They all come in at the $5 dollar mark per Jar. Because the "bunch" works so much and have no time for cooking, let alone shopping, I've put this together to show everyone how easy and cheap it can be to stay healthy on a budget. These meals are great for on the go people who eat at work, in their car, or on their way to a busy day!

This is what I used to send KATvonVAPURE before she started her diet. From the left we have plain oat meal with a little added cinnamon. On top is a medley of home made trail mix consisting of walnuts, dried pineapple, cherries, cranberries and banana chips with a drizzle of honey. Next to that is low fat cottage cheese with canned pineapple, cranberries and basil. These two are around $4.00 a jar and enough for one serving of breakfast, AND are both GLUTEN FREE!

These are Low-Carb high protein breakfast jars for The Hunebee, KATvonVAPURE and Kuizzy. Inside is 1/4 cup of fresh avocado, 3 small maple sausage links and one medium boiled egg in half. These FABULOUS Breakfasts-for-the-ride come out to $2.00 a jar!!! YES just $2. They are also GLUTEN FREE and great for energy. I add a little pepper once everything is in place and thats it!

Here is a picture of what my fridge ends up looking like on Mondays. This is a small portion of what I could send for lunches. From the left is 2 jars of chicken salad with green onions, cilantro, cranberries, and Greek Yogurt instead of mayonnaise they cost around $1.75 a jar (smaller jars).  Next is a sandwich in a Jar with sesame Gluten Free crackers, persian cucumbers, and sliced carrots. I used Boar's Head Roast Beef and Roasted Turkey, both GLUTEN FREE, and cost about $3.75/jar. In the small jars is an egg salad, pretty basic with a little salt, fresh cracked pepper, paprika and again Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise which will run you about $.35/jar. Quite a change from the price and health of a "normal" lunch for someone on the go. Fast food, even sit down restaurants charge an arm and a leg for "bad for you" food. 

Here we have Tomatoes two ways. The Top is a Bruschetta that KATvonVAPURE is eating with sesame Gluten Free crackers. Inside is chopped vine tomatoes, onion, garlic, and fresh basil. Add a little sprinkle of sugar and red wine vinegar, let it marinate and eat! And at $3.00 a jar it's even better! The bottom is a salsa that The Hunebee eats on top of her cottage cheese. It's just sliced grape tomatoes, jalapenos, and LOTS of cilantro, a little salt and lime (or lemon). This will come to about $2.00/jar. 

So here, these are 8 meals or snacks that are healthy, cheap, GLUTEN FREE and tasty!!