Astrologically, the planet Saturn has a bad rap. It’s often seen as the party pooper, the bringer of doom and gloom, the one that creates blockages in the pursuit of our desires. When a Saturn transit approaches, people oftentimes bemoan the restrictions and the sense of containment that they fear will follow.

Saturn, many people perceive, is the planet that says “No.” Yet, in reality (something that Saturn loves), the reasons for the “No” don’t emerge from some willy-nilly dictate to deny us of our mortal pleasures. Rather, Saturn’s “No” help us shape our ability to more consciously say “Yes” to those choices that actually better serve our growth, best interest, and higher purpose. Doors close in order that we can recognize that there are other doors to be opened that can lead to a more promising future.

In addition to the effects that Saturn has upon us personally—whether through our natal chart or by transit—it also affects the collective in regular cycles. As Saturn spends 2-1/2 years in each sign, it does a bit of housecleaning therein, making us aware of that which doesn’t work in different areas of our culture and society. Ideally, as we go through these Saturn transits, collectively we gain the tools to more productively express these areas of life.

Saturn in Virgo: The Craft of Growing and Preserving Food

In September 2007, Saturn entered Virgo, the sign that represents labor, crafts, and health. As Virgo is the sign of the harvest, it is also associated with agriculture and our food supply. Not surprisingly, for the last 2 years the topic of our food—its safety, its healthfulness, its availability, its cost—has assumed a much-deserved spotlight in the media and around the dinner table. Saturn shows us what doesn’t work, and with its recent attention to our food supply, great inefficiencies and insufficiencies have been revealed.

Yet, as Virgo is also connected with attention to detail and craftsmanship, some solutions to the problem inherent in our current food supply have organically emerged. People are taking back their power to provide for themselves and we are experiencing a renaissance of interest in vegetable gardening. In addition to the First Family, millions of Americans are gardening at home, with polls by the National Gardening Association suggesting we’ll see a 20% increase in home vegetable gardens this year compared to last.

Yet, the interest in nurturing ourselves through and taking responsibility for our food hasn’t ended there. There’s also been a concurrent upswing in food preservation, including canning, pickling, and curing. Saving the summer’s bounty for the wintertime has become a craftful hobby for many looking to provide food for themselves and their family in a more economic way. We’re seeing the emergence of “root cellars” and “larders”–popular with generations past–not only into the vernacular but into our homes as well. And there’s a rash of books on food preservation and home cooking projects released this year that are filling the shelves next to classics such as the Ball Blue Book.

The fact this homegrown food movement is so culturally shifting is a reflection that there is something more at play than just Saturn in Virgo; rather, from fall 2008 to spring 2010, we are experiencing Saturn in Virgo in opposition to Uranus in Pisces (in summer 2010, these two planets will also oppose each other from the signs of Libra and Aries). Uranus is the bringer of change, the evolutionary, the revolutionary—words that also describe the mid-1960s, the last time we saw these two planets in a similar alignment. It’s also the planet associated with technology.

Putting this all together, is it any wonder that we are experiencing a revolution in our foodways and one that is being ushered along, in part, by the Internet and social media sites. Never before have we been able to access information so readily nor can we so quickly come together as a group to inspire each other and promote our collective well-being.

A great example, one in which I am thrilled to be a part of, emerged this past week via Twitter. Inspired by the very aptly named “Yes We Can” community canning project in San Francisco, a group—spearheaded by food writer Kim O’Donnel—interested in canning and home preservation coalesced on Twitter. Within 24 hours, we initiated the idea for Cans Across America, a nationwide canning event the weekend of August 29/30. The idea for the event is to bring more attention to the hows and whys of canning and to inspire community get-togethers centered on food preservation. (If you’d like more on the event, go to the website Cans Across America. If you’re on Twitter, you can also get more information by following @Canvolution.)

Yes We Can

Hopefully, another outcome of this Uranus-Saturn opposition is that we change (Uranus) our astrological perspectives on Saturn. Transits of Saturn both individually and collectively need not be thought of as periods of restriction or want. Remember, Saturn points out the “No”s so that we can more readily discover the true “Yes”s, the ones that help shape our lives in more authentic ways. Saturn helps us realize that, in fact, we have the ability to fruitfully pursue life in a more productive and empowered way, in the spirit of “Yes We Can.”

Today as the French celebrate Bastille Day, it seems fitting to discuss a health-related topic de français. The French Paradox is the quippy term given to the finding that despite high intake of saturated fat those living in France have a lower rate of cardiovascular disease.

If you like to drink red wine, it was this scientific discovery that you have to thank for your doctor giving you the green light to have a glass or two a night as a means to promote your heart health. That’s because much of the initial French Paradox research spotlight focused on the potential benefits of this libation, cited as playing a large role in the country’s culture and foodways.

Since then researchers have discovered many unique phytonutrients in red wine, the most talked about being resveratrol. This flavonoid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; in test tube and animal research it has also been found to promote the health of both vascular and heart cells. Additionally, there is currently a lot of research attention being paid to its suggested anticancer and anti-aging benefits. Yet, resveratrol isn’t the only beneficial phytonutrient in red wine; others, such as oligomeric procyanidins, have also caught researchers attentions for their ability to promote cardiovascular health.

Yet, is red wine truly the fountain of youth, the reason that the French have that wellness je ne sais quoi? Read More…

© ALEX CARRILLO

I had a craving last night.

And with the Sun and Moon both in need-to-have-your-needs-fulfilled Cancer, thankfully that which I had a craving for was in clear sight.

Located bottom left, tucked nicely away in crisper drawer of our just-cleaned refrigerator, there it was. The cauliflower.

Now, I should be more clear. I wasn’t just yearning for cauliflower prepared any which way. In fact, raw cauliflower—a staple of crudite platters nationwide—is just not my personal cup of tea. Since that was the way I knew this vegetable when I was growing up, it took until I was in my 20s—the time I began to hone my stir-fry skills and saw how heat could transform the flavor of this vegetable—that I began to enjoy cauliflower.

But truly my love affair with it didn’t develop until I discovered the alchemical magic that occurred when its little white florets met its compadres of a casserole dish and a 400F oven. It is roasted cauliflower about which I swoon. That’s because roasting brings out qualities in cauliflower— a caramelized sweet flavor and amazing buttery texture—which, upon reflection of this vegetable in raw form, you wouldn’t think really existed.

But trust me, it does, and it was a desire for roasted cauliflower that in pure Plutonian fashion caught my attention and wouldn’t let go. Before I share with you how to prepare this delightful dish, I want to detour for a moment and extol another aspect of this vegetable—its nutrition and health benefits.

Cauliflower is a member of the much-lauded Brassica family of vegetables, making it a cousin of broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, and other crucifers. In addition to a common geneology, what these foods share is their being a repository of health-promoting sulfur-containing phytonutrients. These nutrients, known as glucosinolates, aid the liver in its ability to detoxify chemicals and compounds like estrogen. This is one reason why researchers, public health organizations, and healthcare practitioners suggest eating several weekly servings of Brassica vegetables as a part of a cancer-preventive diet.

In addition to these phytonutrients, it is also concentrated in vitamin C, with one cup cooked cauliflower providing about 90% of the Daily Value for this immune-supporting nutrient. It’s also a good contributor of folate, fiber, and vitamin B6. Plus, if you’re looking for a food that will satisfy hunger without costing you too many calories, cauliflower fits the bill, with one cup containing about 25 calories.

Roasting Cauliflower: A Recipe

There are many ways to prepare roasted cauliflower. You can roast the whole cauliflower, cut it into slices, or divide it into small floret pieces. It was the latter approach that I used last night. Read More…

Photo © Alex Carrillo

Don’t food shop for one week.

That was the premise behind Eating Down the Fridge, a seven-day culinary adventure spearheaded by Washington Post food blogger, Kim O’Donnel, from an idea inspired by eGullet co-founder, Steven Shaw.

Even though previous commitments during that early March week prevented me from following it to a tee, I still decided to embark on eating down my fridge–as well as my freezer and pantry–with a hearty commitment. It proved to be an odyssey of minimizing my household food waste while maximizing my understanding of my personal eating and cooking habits.

One of the questions I posed to myself when the week began was which foods would turn out to the tried and true, those that I relied upon the most. I also questioned whether one food would emerge from the pack as my most favorite. I wondered whether by week’s end I would discover the answer to that proverbial question, “If you could only bring one food with you to a deserted island, what would it be?”

I found that, again and again, I turned to my favorite condiments—lemon juice, cashew butter, coconut milk, sea salt, Syrian zahtar—to embellish dishes I was making from bits of this and bites of that. Yet, as the week progressed, I noticed that when I was looking for a foundation food from which I could create a dish—whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner—I would instinctively turn to my go-to grain, quinoa. By the end of the week, it was this food that I declared to be my culinary coxswain, as it was quinoa that steered me through a week of delicious and nutritious meals.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wha) is a grain that’s not a grain. It’s a grain in the sense that it is served like one, used in recipes similar to rice, wheat, or oats. Yet, from a botanical perspective, the quinoa plant is not related to these foods; rather it belongs to the goosefoot (Chenopodium) family and is cousins with spinach, beets, and Swiss chard. While the leaves of the plant can be enjoyed, it is the seed to which most people refer when they say “quinoa.” Read More…

The Moon has been in earthy and sensual Taurus all weekend. During the Taurus Moon, that which is practical and pragmatic comes to the forefront as we lay the groundwork for the foundation upon which growth can occur.

I’m in this stage of creation for upcoming article for Planetary Apothecary and thought I’d take a moment to give you a glimpse of what’s coming up in the 7-10 days.

I’m currently working on the next installment of my Let Food Be Your Medicine series, with an article on fenugreek. This spice, a mainstay of curries and other Indian dishes, not only adds a unique flavor to recipes but also many healing benefits, balancing blood-sugar levels. This past week, I sprouted fenugreek seeds, which was delightful to do concurrent with the beginning of springtime. While I’ve sprouted beans, nuts, and other seeds before, it was my first time with fenugreek; yet, it will definitely not be my last time since I am enamored of its aromatic flavor.

I am also working on a post about sonopuncture, the use of vibrational tuning forks for healing. This morning, I was lucky enough to have a sonopuncture treatment courtesy of my friend Jeannie Lehner who is an herbalist. As she was using the forks to stimulate pressure points on my face and head, I realized how perfect the timing was for me to be enjoying this therapy, with the Moon in Taurus (which governs the senses, and the rhythms of sound) and the Sun in Aries (which rules the head and face in medical astrology). I included sonopuncture in my book and am excited to write more about it here.

And, with Wednesday signaling the commencement of a new month, look for the April Wellness Horoscope to be posted this week. Speaking of astrological events, we’re more than halfway through this year’s Venus Retrograde, which began March 6 and concludes April 17 (click here for a refresher on what this period signifies and the amazing lessons that can be gleaned during it).

I want to close this post by leaving you with this thought, which seems very reflective of the Taurus Moon. Yesterday, I was fortunate to attend a talk at Seattle’s Green Festival given by Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse and a beacon in the sustainable food movement. From a space of humility, she said many things about food, culture, and agriculture that resonated strongly with me. Yet, the one that was most memorable and which I continue to reflect upon is that if you want to make change in this arena, the best way to do so is by “feeding people the message.” It’s not about talking or proselytizing. It’s about reaching out and helping people to actually eat a garden-grown vegetable, a dish prepared with local ingredients, or a piece of fruit right off the tree. When people taste and experience real food, something happens. They can taste the difference, which leads to knowing the difference (it’s a great example of the Taurean way of learning). This can lead to people really embracing the fact that, as Waters says (and I strongly believe), ” good food is a right and not a privilege.”

In a perfect world, 100% of the produce in our shopping cart would be organic, grown with methods that do not use health-compromising synthetic pesticides. But perfect world this is yet to be.

We may desire to purchase only organic and locally grown, chemical-free fruits and vegetables. Yet, due to their often-higher prices—let alone their more limited availability—this is not a realistic option for most people, myself included.

Luckily for us, the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) just yesterday released their updated Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. The Guide—which lists the 47 most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables ranked in the order of their pesticide-residue contamination—can help you navigate the produce aisle to make the most health-supporting choices for yourself and your family. Read More…

Many people ring in the New Year with a glass of champagne. This year, I rang it in with kitchari. No, not the latest kitschy cocktail creation. Rather, the rejuvenating “rice and beans” dish that is a staple of Indian cuisine and Ayurvedic healing practices.

I hadn’t made kitchari in years (five years, to be exact). It had fallen off my radar screen. But as I looked for a recipe that would symbolize a New Year’s toast to my well-being, thoughts of kitchari sprang back into my culinary consciousness.

So what is this celebratory dish I’m writing about?

Kitchari is a traditional dish composed of legumes, basmati rice, and spices. Simple ingredients, simply prepared.

Oh wait, I am forgetting what some may consider the piece de la resistance of the kitchari, the ghee. A type of clarified butter, ghee not only makes the kitchari creamy—and the kitchen smell amazing—but is also thought to add to its health-giving properties. And, unlike some other forms of cooking fat, ghee has a relatively high smoke point—400-500F/204-260C—and therefore can be used in cooking without much worry of oxidation.

Speaking of kitchari’s health-giving properties, there are many. Read More…

What’s in a name? When it comes to Jerusalem artichokes, less than you may think.

Unlike their moniker implies, these tuber vegetables aren’t from this eponymous holy city (they’re actually native to North America) and aren’t a type of artichoke (although they do have a similar taste). Yet, this shouldn’t stop you from remembering their name since they are a vegetable that is at once delicious and wonderfully good for health.

Speaking of names, you may see these vegetables going under a different one in the market or on a restaurant menu. They are also called sunchokes, referring to their being a cousin of the majestic sunflower to whose botanical family (Helianthus) they belong.

But when you look at Jerusalem artichokes, sunflower is probably the last image that may come to mind. Rather they look more like a gnarled ginger root or a knobby roughened version of those urban vinyl collectable toys.

Jerusalem artichokes are another example of that tried and true maxim: Don’t judge a book by its cover (or a vegetable by its exterior). Within these nodular tuberous treasures lies a food that is at once sweet and nutty, containing essences of both cocoa and their namesake artichoke. Raw, they have a refreshing crunch like jicama while cooked they bear a resemblance to slightly al dente potatoes. Read More…

If there were something in your food that scientists, healthcare researchers, and consumer advocates thought questionable, you’d probably want to know, right? Well, if you live in the U.S., this information may be more difficult to obtain than you’d think.

The reason: Our country doesn’t require labeling for foods that have been genetically modified (GM). While genetic modification of food is a complex process, the bottom line is this: the DNA of the seeds from which the food is grown have been altered, oftentimes by mixing it with the genetic code from other species.

Why don’t we have the liberty to know which of our foods are “real” and which are grown from manipulated GM seeds?

While the answer is complex and beyond the scope of this article, it is worth noting that the government committee responsible for setting GM food in motion was headed by a chemical industry executive and included no members of the USDA or FDA. (This committee was actually spearheaded by ex-VP Dan Quayle, which is kind of ironic when you think that the man infamous for not being able to spell “potato” played a great role in casting the dye for this arena of our government’s food policy.)

If GM seeds were just a novelty, this may not be much of an issue. But novelty they aren’t: in fact, the Grocery Manufacturers of America, more than five years ago, had estimated that about 70% of all packaged foods sold here contained a GM ingredient. So chances are you’re likely to come across these foods on any given grocery-shopping outing. And yet not know. Read More…