Water Conservation and LADWP

Over this summer, I watched my lawn go from its spring shade of yellow thirst to a scorched and brown shade of a parched desert, as Southern California is experiencing its third year of drought. Each time I step barefoot outside and feel the sharp needles that used to be grass under my feet, I am reminded of just how bad the drought is.

Water conservation is on my mind in times of drought and in times of abundant water supply. These are some steps that I use to save water, our most precious resource:

• Take shorter showers
• Turn off the water while brushing my teeth
• Fill my clothes washer completely
• Wash and rinse my dishes in batches by filling the sink with water

I am always looking for new ways to conserve water and preserve the environment. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has delighted me with their water conservation programs. Over the summer, the LADWP has come up with amazing incentives to taking water conservation to another level. These are some of the elements of the program:

• Rebates for purchasing high efficiency clothes washers and high efficiency toilets

• Residential drought resistant landscape incentive program: the LADWP pays 1$/square foot for you to rip out the grass and replace it with drought tolerant plants. This will allow you to save substantial amounts of water in years to come and get paid to do it.

• Tree planting programs: Online tutorials and guides with planting guidelines and tree species suitable to Southern California. It has everything you need to know – type of plant, shape, size, growth rate, climate, water use, tree care and other considerations.
• For more information email: Tree program@ladwp.com or call 800.473.3652

• Residential shade trees: The LADWP in partnership with million trees LA is also offering street trees to residents who complete an online workshop and fill out a online form.

• Mulch or compost for your yard
• 6000 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
• Monday – Sunday 7am-5pm
• For more information call 818.834.5128

• California friendly landscape workshops
• For dates and locations and to RSVP call 800.544.4498

I am off to study the LADWP Home Tree Guide and RSVP for the October 17^th CA friendly landscape workshop! I am eager to hear from my fellow Angelinos who have participated in these programs. What did you learn at the workshops? Did you tear out your lawn and replant it with drought tolerant plants?

Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

16 oz bag of dry green, brown or French lentils

2-3 medium tomatoes finely diced

½ of a red onion finely minced

2-3 persian or pickling cucumbers finely diced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper finely diced

½ bunch parsley or cilantro

juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons of pomegranate vinegar

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

¼ teaspoon of cumin

salt

pepper

Directions:

Wash the lentils and pick out any stones.

Cook the lentils in 64 oz of water until soft.

Rinse the lentils with cold water and drain well.

Combine the cooked lentils with all the other ingredients in a bowl

Mix well

Adjust oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Labor Day Cole Slaw Salad

I am calling this red slaw recipe “Labor Day Cole Slaw Salad” because I made this over the holiday weekend and got a lot of compliments and requests for the recipe. I prefer to use red cabbage because it has more antioxidants than its white/green sisters. You don’t have to use honey, agave or maple syrup but the sweet addition works really well with the tartness of the lemon juice.

Ingredients:

1 small head of very thinly shredded red cabbage

2 shredded carrots

2-3 Tablespoons of lemon juice or pomegranate vinegar

1-2 teaspoons of honey, agave or maple syrup

3-6 tablespoons of mayonnaise

½ bunch of fresh dill, parsley or cilantro

salt

pepper

Directions:

Add shredded cabbage to a stainless steel or glass bowl

Using a stainless steel ladle, meat hammer or a potato masher, “beat” the cabbage to soften it

Add all the other ingredients and mix well

Adjust the mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Faux Tuna Salad (Chickpea Salad)

Last time I ate at Pure Luck, the waiter talked me into ordering their chickpea salad. He described it as “a tuna salad without the tuna”. I really liked it, but never asked him for the exact recipe. So here’s Faux Tuna Salad - my take on Pure Luck chickpea salad. You can make your variation of this salad by substituting chickpeas for tuna in your favorite tuna fish salad recipe. You can make this salad vegan by substituting conventional mayonnaise with vegan mayo or olive oil.

Ingredients:

2- 15oz cans of garbanzo beans (or dried and cooked equivalent)

1 peeled and finely diced carrot

1 finely diced small red onion

2 stalks of finely diced celery

2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

salt

pepper

Directions:

Wash and drain the chickpeas

Using a fork, mash the chickpeas or pulse them in a food processor to a rough and chunky consistency (not a smooth hummus consistency)

Combine and mix all the ingredients in a bowl

Adjust the mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Vinegar

My next door neighbor has a pomegranate tree, which means that I have access to lots of pomegranates this time of the year.

I decided to incorporate this yummy fruit into more recipes. I began with a home made pomegranate vinegar. It is great to use in salads which call for lemon juice or any type of vinegar (balsamic, apple cider etc). Here’s my recipe – give it a try! It makes a lovely DIY present for your dinner hosts in lieu of wine.

Ingredients:

1 fresh pomegranate

10 oz of white vinegar

12-16 oz glass bottle

Directions:

Open the pomegranate and take out the seeds; discard the skin and pulp

Add pomegranate seeds to the glass bottle

Pour the vinegar over the seeds and close lid very tightly

Store in a dark cool place for 2 weeks to develop flavor

Use in recipes calling for vinegar or lemon juice

Optional/alternative:

Instead of pomegranate, use cherries with pits and stems

Review of research on exercise and fitness

Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. We've been told that by our teachers, parents, magazines, and the media. In this post, I would like to take a look at what science and research has to tell us. 

Research shows that exercise has been proven over and over again to improve alertness, attention and motivation. Aerobic exercise, like jogging, biking and swimming, has been shown to increase neurotransmitters, improve communication between brain cells and spur the developement of new brain cells. Does anyone know of any drug that can spur the developement of new brain cells? I sure don't. Anaerobic skill-based exercise like, tennis, basketball and dancing, improves synaptic connections in parts of the brain. Once improved, these connections can be recruited by other areas of the brain for thinking. This explains why children that play piano have an easier time learning math. 

What we are not hearing from our teachers, parents, magazines and the media is that exercise improves learning and brain function by growing new brain cells and improving communication between existing brain cells. Why not? There is no financial gains to be made from exercise, the way there would be from a drug.

In addition, exercise:

o

• Lowers heart disease risk
• Reduces blood pressure
• Increases strength of ligaments and tendons
• Reduces stress and helps relieve depression
• Improves sleep
• Reduces risk of cancer (colon, prostate and breast)
• Enhances physical appearance
• Improves self esteem
• Strengthens bones, reducing risk of osteoporosis
• Increases energy
  

I am off to Runyon Canyon to build new brain cells! What are you doing today to improve your brain function???

Naturopathic Doctors Call For Real Health Care Reform

Naturopathic Medicine Supporters Advocate For realth Care System Based On Wellness, Disease Prevention, And Natural Medicine

 

"More than 100 naturopathic doctors and supporters will descend on Capitol Hill Monday, May 4, to advocate for an overhaul of the nation’s health care system. Advocates from across the country will ask their Members of Congress to support H.Con.Res.58, a resolution that would transform the health care system from one that manages disease to one rooted in prevention, health promotion, and wellness.

 

“The health care system must address the underlying factors that lead to chronic disease,” says Karen Howard, Executive Director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. “Nearly forty percent of all U.S. deaths are from heart disease, and more than two thirds of Americans are overweight. Clearly, the current system doesn’t do enough to prevent these costly health conditions. We need to move past this broken model and create a system that focuses on overall health, wellness, and enabling the body’s natural healing process.”

 

Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors teach their patients to use lifestyle changes and cutting-edge natural therapies to enhance the body’s ability to ward off and combat disease. Naturopathic doctors craft comprehensive treatment plans that blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but also to restore health.

 

“Today, our definition of ‘wellness’ is limited to drug screening, vaccinations, and other preventative strategies such as drug therapy,” continues Howard. “But we drastically undervalue how changing behavior can prevent disease. If the nation is to move past the current health care crisis, we must adopt a patient-centered health care model that will restore and maintain optimal health.”

 

Currently, 15 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have licensing laws for naturopathic doctors. In these states, naturopathic doctors are required to graduate from a four-year, postgraduate naturopathic medical school and to pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license."

* * *

 

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians is a professional association strives to make naturopathic medicine available to every American, and to increase recognition of naturopathic physicians as the identified authorities on natural medicine. Our members include accredited schools of naturopathy, students, physicians, and individual and corporate supporters, participating independently or though 40 state-level affiliate organizations. Learn more at www.naturopathic.org

 

Jenna Huntsberger

Marketing and Communications Specialist

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

4435 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 403

Washington, D.C. 20016

Phone: (202) 237-8150

Toll-Free: (866) 538-2267

Fax: (202) 237-8152

jenna.huntsberger@naturopathic.org