Gluten Free & Vegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto, Presto! Pasta

Presto!  Pumpkin seed pesto can turn any boring pasta into "magic," crowd-pleasing pasta that makes you feel as if you've just eaten out.  It also incorporates pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil.  Pumpkin seeds are very high in zinc, an immune-boosting, cancer preventative nutrient.  Pumpkin seed oil fights candida and provides valuable Omega 3 fatty acids. 

This pesto happens to be raw:  Please see my note at the bottom of the page if you wish to make a fully-raw and vegan pasta dish...

Pumpkin Seed Pesto: 

1/2 c. Pumpkin Seed Oil
1 1/2 c. Basil
1/3 c. Nutritional Yeast
1 c. Pumpkin Seeds
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic

Directions:  Pulse in a food processor until the mixture turns into a paste. 

Pasta:
Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta

Directions:  Prepare according to the instructions on the box.  Place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and toss to coat.   (This prevents the pasta from "sticking.")

Vegetables: 
Coconut Oil 
Zucchini, diced
Tomatoes, diced
White Onions, diced
Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

Directions:  Melt coconut oil in a large saute pan.  Saute the vegetables together, until soft.  

To Finish the Dish- 
1.  Incorporate the pesto into the cooked bowl of pasta.  Adjust the amount of pesto you add to your taste.
2.  Add the cooked vegetables to the pasta, lightly tossing.


* Raw Variation:  Substitute Kelp Noodles for quinoa noodles.  Make the pesto according to the above instructions (no change).  Simply toss the diced vegetables in without cooking them first, omitting the coconut oil.  Massage the noodles and diced vegetables with the pesto to incorporate the flavors well.  Leave in a warm dehydrator for a few hours to soften and warm the dish if you wish. 


 

Your Family History Does Not Determine Your Health Destiny

Baby Bella is already beginning to create her own health destiny by eating yams for lunch!

Did you know that diseases that "run in families" are in fact primarily caused by lifestyle habits that are passed on from generation to generation, rather than genetics?  From the study of epigenetics, we have been gifted the knowledge that only three percent of our DNA is genetic and 97% of our genes are epigenetic.  Epegenetic means affected by everything (diet, attitude, and habits of all types).  

By engaging in positive lifestyle habits and eating a healthy diet, you can literally turn on longevity genes and never manifest any of the diseases that "run" in your family.  

“There is a choice. You have to be willing to change your life. You have to love yourself enough to heal yourself”

~ Dr. Gabriel Cousens

For further study, read Spiritual Nutrition by Gabriel Cousens or check out one of Bruce Lipton's books or his Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/biologyofbelief).  

Sun Exposure May Prevent Skin Cancer

Doctors and the media have long been spreading the message that sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer.  However, the current research does not support this conclusion.  Several studies have shown that appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer.

Melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure and can be increased by sunscreens.  Research has revealed that melanoma is actually more common in indoor workers than in outdoor workers.  It is also more common on regions of the body that are not exposed to sunlight at all.

Even after a person has melanoma, sunlight can be beneficial.  One study on this subject revealed that melanoma patients with higher levels of sun exposure were actually less likely to die than other melanoma patients.  Patients who already had melanoma and got a lot of sun exposure were also prone to a less aggressive tumor type. 

Another Italian study, published in the European Journal of Cancer in June 2008, also confirms and supports earlier studies showing improved survival rates in melanoma patients who were exposed to sunlight more frequently in the time before their melanoma was diagnosed.  Further, UVB radiation has been found to delay the appearance of melanoma if you are genetically predisposed or prone to skin cancer.

The aformentioned research begs the question, "Why is the sun so beneficial, even in cases of melanoma?"   Because it is through sunlight exposure that your body is able to produce vitamin D, and healthy vitamin D levels are key to preventing numerous types of cancer-including melanoma.

To use the sun to maximize your vitamin D production and minimize your risk of malignant melanoma, sunbathe in the middle of the day (roughly between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.). During this time you need the shortest exposure time to produce vitamin D.  You only need enough exposure to turn your skin the lightest shade of pink.  Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D and could become damaged (burned).  If you have fair skin, this may be only 10-20 minutes.  The darker your skin pigmentation is, the longer your body needs to optimize your vitamin D levels. 

Source: 

"Sun CAN Actually Help Protect You Against Skin Cancer," www.mercola.com.