I have a treat for you this weekend! Gluten free vegan easy and super creamy tomato basil soup! A classic comfort dish!
Yes, that is right – this recipe is creamy, rich deliciousness that is vegan and doesn’t take forever to make!
It has been exceptionally cold around the Mid West these days, and while this is the time of the year that my heart longs for a warm repose, there is nothing like a warm classic soup to soothe the soul!
Okay, I really didn’t mean to rhyme!
But anyway, I started making this and didn’t know where I was going. Seriously.
All you chefs out there know what I am talking about…
Vitamin A is a family of fat-soluble compounds that are essential for health, vision, protection of the body, reproduction, and normal growth of children before and after birth.
Q: What is the family of vitamin A?
A: The natural vitamin A family members are called retinoids. Retinoids are found only in animal food sources. They include retinol (alcohol form), retinal (aldehyde form), and retinoic acid (acid form).
In the plant kingdom, pigments called carotenoids can yield retinoids on metabolism in the body. Carotenoids that can converted to retinol include β-carotene, α-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin.1
There are hundreds of various carotenoids although only a few have been researched including beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Fruits and vegetables that are a rich source of carotenoids are thought to provide health benefits by decreasing the risk of various diseases, particularly eye diseases and certain cancers (esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, bladder and cervical). In this respect, research shows that the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables may prevent 20% of most types of cancers.2
In part, the beneficial effects of carotenoids are thought to be due to their role as antioxidants. Lutein and zeaxanthin may be protective in eye disease because they absorb damaging blue light that enters the eye.3
The antioxidant effects appear to be highest in fresh fruit as compared to preserved fruit. A study of fresh peach pulps and peel in animals demonstrated highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in fresh fruits preventing against induced damage in animal tissues.4
A study investigating the specific anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant micronutrients that reduce oxidative stress showed that adolescents with metabolic syndrome (MetS) had consistently lower carotenoid concentrations compared with their counterparts without MetS. MetS prevalence was estimated at 7% among boys and 3% among girls.5
What Is Vitamin A Deficiency In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
Maggio M, de Vita F, Lauretani F, et al. Relationship between Carotenoids, Retinol, and Estradiol Levels in Older Women. Nutrients. 2015 Aug 5;7(8):6506-19. doi: 10.3390/nu7085296. [↩]
Gasparotto J, Somensi N, Bortolin RC, Moresco KS, Girardi CS, Klafke K, Rabelo TK, Morrone Mda S, Vizzotto M, Raseira Mdo C, Moreira JC, Gelain DP. Effects of different products of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) from a variety developed in southern Brazil on oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters in vitro and ex vivo. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2014 Sep;55(2):110-9. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.13-97. Epub 2014 Sep 1. [↩]
Krinsky NI1, Johnson EJ. Carotenoid actions and their relation to health and disease. ((Mol Aspects Med. 2005 Dec;26(6):459-516. [↩]
Gasparotto J, Somensi N, Bortolin RC, Moresco KS, Girardi CS, Klafke K, Rabelo TK, Morrone Mda S, Vizzotto M, Raseira Mdo C, Moreira JC, Gelain DP. Effects of different products of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) from a variety developed in southern Brazil on oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters in vitro and ex vivo. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2014 Sep;55(2):110-9. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.13-97. [↩]
TGBeydoun MA, Canas JA, Beydoun HA, Chen X, Shroff MR, Zonderman AB. Serum antioxidant concentrations and metabolic syndrome are associated among U.S. adolescents in recent national surveys. J Nutr. 2012 Sep;142(9):1693-704. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.160416. [↩]
Hypoglycemia means the level of glucose within cells is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this essential sugar.
Q: What are the metabolic needs for glucose?
A: Glucose is the most important simple sugar in human metabolism mainly because it is the primary source of energy for most cells of the body.
Energy contained in the glucose molecule is obtained by the body from its reaction with oxygen (oxidation). This oxidation reaction occurs in power producing mitochondria structures that are located within cells.1
Hypoglycemia is characterized by alterations in neurologic, metabolic and muscular functions:
Neurologic function because brain tissue is particularly dependent on glucose for energy,
Metabolic function of glucose-dependent tissues which include red blood cells, white blood cells, bone marrow, eye, inner heart of the kidney, and peripheral nerves because these tissues cannot metabolize fatty acids as an alternate source of energy, and
Muscle function because muscle cells continually require glucose for energy production.
Glucose is made available to cells through the regulating action of insulin, a hormone produced by specialized cells located on the surface of the pancreas.
What Is Hypoglycemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Unexpected weight loss is unintentional loss of body mass composition or inability to gain weight marked by decreased serum proteins and increased stool fat.1
What Is Unexpected Weight Loss In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Chronic diarrhea is an intestinal motility disorder characterized by 1) alteration in stool formation causing loose to fluid movements and quantity of movements with or without abdominal pain and 2) interference with normal carbohydrate salvage by the intestinal microbe population.
The severity of diarrhea is determined by the frequency and quantity of fluid lost.
Q: What is carbohydrate salvage by microbes in the colon?
A: Carbohydrate salvage in the colon is the necessary process whereby billions of microbes normally present in the colon work to breakdown undigestible carbohydrate foodstuffs such as fiber that continually arrive from the small intestine.
The microbial action releases energy to the body that would otherwise be lost with defecation, generates short-chain fatty acids, and stimulates sodium and fluid absorption. In this important process, butyrate and proprionate are produced which nourish the colonocytes (cells that line the colon), and acetate is produced for the liver.
While diarrhea may be a common symptom of small bowel mucosal disease, the consequent malabsorption can lead to substantial malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies. The small intestine, unlike the colon, has been relatively inaccessible, and systematic evaluation is often necessary to identify and treat small intestinal mucosal diseases that lead to diarrhea. All patients with severe diarrhea or diarrhea associated with features suggestive of malabsorption may have a disease of the small intestinal mucosa that requires careful evaluation and targeted management.1
What Is Chronic Diarrhea In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
Murray JA1, Rubio-Tapia A. Diarrhoea due to small bowel diseases. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2012 Oct;26(5):581-600. doi: 10.1016/j.bpg.2012.11.013. [↩]
A real photomicrograph of carcinoma of the esophagus. Panorama of 6 photos of a slide at 40x through the microscope. Some areas may appear blurry due to shallow DOF.
What Is Cancer Of The Esophagus?
C ancer of the esophagus is a malignancy arising in the stratified squamous cell lining of any part of the esophagus and having a poor prognosis.
This tumor first invades the deeper layers of the esophagus which includes the layer beneath the mucosa (submucosa) and muscle before it may invade structures close to it including the aorta and trachea. Later, it may spread to organs further away such as the liver, lungs and bones.
Q: What is the stratified squamous cell lining of the esophagus?
A: Stratified squamous cells are flat epithelial cells that are composed of several layers, called the epithelium. This type of epithelium forms the surface mucosa that lines the inside of the esophagus.
The esophagus itself is a muscular tube that transports swallowed substances to the stomach. It begins at the cricoid cartilage (Adam’s apple) as a continuation of the pharynx in the throat and ends at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).
The LES is a circular muscle surrounding the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The LES opens to allow swallowed food and liquids to enter the stomach and closes to prevent their travelling back into the esophagus.
Who is Affected in the General Population?
Esophageal cancer is the fifth leading cause of death in men from cancer worldwide.1
What Is Cancer Of The Esophagus In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
Sources:
Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ. Sleisenger & Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. ed 9. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2010. pp. 745–767. [↩]
For the first time in Girl Scout history, gluten-free cookies will be available nationwide from most Girl Scout councils.
The two new gluten-free offerings include: Toffee-tastic, buttery cookies with toffee bits, and Trios, made with real peanut butter, chocolate chips, and whole grain oats.* The newcomers will join legendary classics like Thin Mints and Samoas/Caramel deLites. Not all varieties are available in every market, so contact your local council to inquire about the cookies they will carry this season.
National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, which has become a national holiday for Girl Scout Cookie fans, will take place February 27–March 1, 2015. Girls across the country will sell cookies at booths, door to door, and through Digital Cookie, the first national digital platform that enables girls to learn 21st-century skills while selling cookies through their own personalized cookie websites or face-to-face using a mobile transaction app. The 2015 Cookie Weekend will mark
This is one of our very favorite desserts. It meets all the criteria we look for in making a dessert. It is generally loved by young and old alike. It doesn’t require baking, there are no gluten free flour ratios to balance out, no added sugar, free of lengthy preparation and complicated steps, and most importantly so delicious. In our globally connected world, you can now find strawberries almost year round. We generally prefer to eat foods as they are available seasonally, and locally grown if at all possible. But that is just not always practical when you live in a high desert environment, where so much of our food gets trucked in. Nearly all our local stores carry quite an assortment of
Back in the day it was impossible to keep a tub of Cool Whip in the house because it was irresistible to me plain (on the end of my finger) or on top of pudding, cake, pie, and ice cream. It wasn’t until later in life that ingredient choices became an issue and my beloved Cool Whip was deemed unsuitable. Tears were shed as a chapter of my life came to a close and desserts were no longer topped until So Delicious Dairy Free introduced CocoWhip.
CocoWhip, available in Original and Light, is made from organic coconut milk, it is naturally sweetened, and contains no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It is certified gluten free, vegan, and kosher parve, and Non-GMO Verified. CocoWhip ingredients are:
N eutropenia is a blood disorder characterized by presence of an abnormally low number of neutrophils.
Neutrophils are white blood cells (leukocytes) that serves as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria in the blood.
Specfically, neutrophils are a type of granulocyte that contain granules filled with potentchemicals to break down the microbes they ingest. Some of these chemicals, such as histamine, also contribute to inflammation and allergy.
The process of eating and digesting microbes is called phagocytosis. Neutrophils are phagocytes.1
Q: How do neutrophils eat microbes?
A: Segmented neutrophils are the mature phagocytes that migrate through tissues to destroy microbes and respond to inflammatory stimuli. Segmented neutrophils comprise 40-75 % of the peripheral leukocytes. They are usually 9 to 16 µm in diameter. The nuclear lobes, normally numbering from 2 to 5, may be spread out so that the connecting filaments are clearly visible, or the lobes may overlap or twist. The chromatin pattern is coarse and clumped. The cytoplasm is abundant with a few nonspecific granules and a full complement of rose-violet specific granules.1
What Is Neutropenia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?
For the first time in Girl Scout history, gluten-free cookies will be available nationwide from most Girl Scout councils. 
