Join Melissa at Whole Foods in Rockville!!

Come watch Melissa cook at Whole Foods to learn how to detox after the holidays!!!

Where: Whole Foods in Rockville, MD
Address: 1649 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
When: Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m.

Here is what we will be cooking tonight:

Roasted Arctic Char

2 lb. fresh arctic char
¼ c orange juice
2 t. thyme
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T brown sugar
1 T smoked paprika
1 t. grated orange peel
½ t. sea salt

Preparation:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix orange juice, EVOO and 1 t. thyme in small bowl. Place char in large glass dish. Add marinade, turning fish to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Mix sugar, paprika, orange peel, the remaining thyme, and sea salt in small bowl. Remove char from marinade. Place on greased foil lined in baking pan. Discard any remaining marinade. Rub top of char evenly with dry mixture. Roast char 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Makes 8 servings.


Fragrant Quinoa

2 c quinoa
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 c low-sodium chicken stock

Preparation:
Soak quinoa in warm water for at least 12 hours Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh siene and drain. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring until the grains are separate and golden. Stir in chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.


Hearty Winter Salad

2 cups greens: spinach, romaine, mixed greens
1 can 365 black beans
½ clove garlic
½ small onion
1 bell pepper, color of choice
1 fresh or canned tomato
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh dill
1 T fresh pepper
1 fresh or canned jalapeños


Preparation:
Rinse greens and allow to dry. Peel and chop fresh garlic and onion. In medium-size saucepan, heat 1 T of EVOO over medium heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and onions and sauté app. 2-3 minutes. Add drained black beans and sauté 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In large salad bowl, add lettuce. Toss EVOO, balsamic and fresh dill. Remove beans from heat and pour over greens. Add chopped peppers and tomatoes. Garnish with jalapenos to taste.


Almond Cream with Strawberries

2 c strawberries, rinsed
¼ c slivered almonds
1 c Skyr Icelandic yogurt
1 T honey
¼ t almond extract
Mint leaves for garnish

Preparation:
Toast almonds in a small dry skillet over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Hull strawberries, slice and divide among 4 serving dessert plates. Mix Skyr, honey and almond extract until smooth. Spoon over berries and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serves four.

Obese Children Risk Thyroid Damage

Last Wednesday, Italian researchers reported that excess weight in children may be causing thyroid damage. Before this research, obesity was often blamed on a slow metabolism and insufficient thyroid hormones, not the other way around. These results further prove that falling into the overweight category will make for a vicous cycle of weight gain and health problems.

The study evaluated 186 overweight children for a period of three years. Results showed 73 of these children had inflamed thyroids. Generally, thyroid inflammation is significant of Hashimoto's disease, an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the thyroid. But the antibodies necessary for this diagnosis were not present.

Obesity causes an increase in leptin, a hormone produced from fat cells that regulates appetite and metabolism. Leptin levels are proportional to adipose stores. Leptin plays a role in the inflammatory response of the immune system, so it makes sense that increased levels of leptin would cause an inflammed thyroid.

The thyroid controls the equilibrium of the body, from the metabolism to body heat control. Multiple hormones, including sex hormones, are also controlled by the thyroid. The thyroid gland also produces calcitonin, which helps regualte blood calcium levels. The good news with this breaking research is that thyroid health can be restored with weight loss. EB Nutrition already employs this principle. We work with patients to maximize metabolism, which inlcudes improving thyroid function, in order to lose weight. We focus on foods and exercise appropriate for thyroid health.

On a side not, this research is very close to home- the Endocrine Society (http://www.endo-society.org/), which publishes the Jounal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, is located in Chevy Chase, Maryland.