Dr. Diane

3-Minute “Healthy Sautéed” Scallops

For great flavor without the use of heated fats or oils, “Healthy Sauté: your Scallops.

½ lb Bay Scallops or Sea Scallops

1 TBS low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 medium cloves garlic

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes. Why? See (1) below.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth over medium heat in a stainless steel skillet.
3. When broth begins to steam, add Scallops and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes stirring frequently.  After 2 minutes, turn Scallops over and let cook on the side for 1 minute.  Scallops cook very quickly, so watch your cooking time.  Overcooked Scallops become tough (if you are using larger Sea Scallops, you will need to cook for 1-2 minutes longer.)
4. Dress with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

SERVES 2

Try this great serving suggestion with the recipe above:

For an Asian flavor, add ginger, rice vinegar and tamari (soy sauce).  Replace the black pepper with white pepper.

• (1) To get the most health benefits from Garlic, let it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes after cutting and before eating or cooking.  Waiting 5-10 minutes allows the powerful health-promoting allicin to form.  If you do not let it sit, allicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait.

The healthiest way of cooking scallops is by using methods that will keep them moist and tender. Scallops can be easily overcooked and become dry, so be sure to watch your cooking times.  Scallops are a delicate shellfish, and I have found that they can be best prepared by using the “Healthy Sauté” method.  To prevent overcooking Scallops, I highly recommend using a timer and since Scallops cook in only 3 to 5 minutes (depending on size), it is important to begin timing as soon as you place them into the skillet.  Scallops cook quickly and will become though and lose their flavor when overcooked.

5- Minute “Healthy Steamed” Carrots

Carrots don’t need to take a long time to cook.  By cutting them into ¼-inch slices and “Healthy Steaming” them, they will be ready in only 5 minutes.  The “Healthy Steaming” method is a gentle, moist way of preparing carrots that enhances their flavor.

1 lb medium Carrots 

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1.      Add 2 inches of water to the bottom of the steamer.

2.      While steam is building up in steamer, cut Carrots into 1/4–inch slices. Carrots cut thicker will take longer to cook.

3.      For al dent́e Carrots, steam covered for no more than 5-minutes.  A fork will pierce them easily when they are done.

4.      Transfer to a bowl.  For more flavor, toss Carrots with the remaining ingredients while they are still hot.

SERVES 2

Cooking Tips: 

• To prevent overcooking Carrots, I highly recommend using a timer.
• Testing Carrots with a fork is an effective way to determine whether they are done.

TRY THIS GREAT SERVING SUGGESTION WITH THE RECIPE ABOVE:

Greek Carrots:  For a delicious side dish, toss the 5-Minute “Healthy Steamed” Carrots recipe with dill weed and crumbled feta cheese.

RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that carotenoids found in foods are best absorbed when consumed with oils.  Therefore, to maximize the absorption of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and other carotenoids in your Carrots, you may want to consider eating them with some nuts or a little flaxseed oil or olive oil dressing.

To Caregivers of a Person with a Brain Injury, Stroke, Parkinson’s disease or MS:

If you planted hope today in any hopeless heart -

If someone’s burden was lighter because you did your part -

If you caused a laugh that chased a tear away -

If tonight your name is mentioned when someone kneels to pray, 

Then your day was well spent.

Hope for Recovery from Chronic Illness, Brain Injury or Stroke  ~

“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”   ~  Anais Nin ~

Biofeedback for Treatment of Headache

In the Spring 2003 newsletter of ‘Headache’ put out by the American Council for Headache Education, there is an excellent article about the use of biofeedback for headaches.  Yet, everyday people are taking more and more medications with little or no results.

A Healing Poem for the New Year and New Decade:

I received a wonderful poem from Tom and Terri Collura, and Bill Mrklas of BrainMaster Technology, which has supported my mission to help people with brain injuries.    Terri, whom I’ve known for over 15 years, is both a friend and colleague of mine, wrote this poem in December of 2008 and I wanted to share it with you.

It is now time to sweep away all that hasn’t served our highest good

Allow the Deep peace of forgiveness to flow to you

Invited the Deep peace of healing light to pour over you

Welcome the Deep peace of love to surround you,

Release separateness and bathe in the Deep peace of Oneness

Embrace the Deep peace of compassion sweeping through heart and mind.

Zesty Chicken Fiesta

2 cups cooked chicken breast chunks (10-12 oz.)

1 can (15oz) low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 Tbls chili powder

1 cup chopped avocado

¼ cup fat-free sour cream

In a nonstick skillet, combine the chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chili powder.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Divide evenly among 4 salad plates and top each with ¼ cup of the avocado and 1 tablespoon of the sour cream.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

SERVES 4

Each serving: 298 Calories, 30 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 8.5 g fat, 1.5 saturated fat, 61 cholesterol, 137 mg sodium, 10 g fiber.

Variation:  Serve with 1 cup sliced red bell pepper (40 calories) and 2 tablespoons hummus (50 calories)

Total Meal Calories: 388

Source:  “The Flat Belly Diet” by Liz Vaccariell, Editor–in-Chief and With Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

Rinsing Ready-to-Eat Black Beans

Rinse canned Black Beans under cold running water.  Most canned Black Beans have not been soaked before cooking, so they contain higher amounts of oligosaccharides and thus may be more likely to cause indigestion.  For information about how beans were prepared, you can call the manufacturer.  Rinsing will help eliminate some of canned beans’ oligosaccharides.  If you still experience flatulence, experiment with different brands until you find one that agrees with you.

Why black beans should be part of your healthiest way of eating:  While all beans are exceptionally healthy foods when it comes to their protein and fiber content, it’s the color coat on Black Beans that makes them particularly nutritionally interesting in contrast to other beans.  Researchers have found at least eight different flavonoids, including anthocyanins, in the Black Bean’s color coat, which bestow this little bean with the potent antioxidant power that provides cells protection from the damage caused by free radicals. 

Hope for Recovery from Chronic Illness, Brain Injury or Stroke –

Achievement:  “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”              ~ Theodore Roosevelt ~

We are born with the ability to read.  Yet, some people learn early without being taught, while others need instructions.   Still others have difficulties, called dyslexia.   Yet, with proper training even a person with dyslexia can eventually learn to read.

Hypnosis is your ability to associate and disassociate.  The concept of susceptibility really is similar to learning to read.  Some people are able to disassociate without any training, while the majority of people need some, to a lot, of training.  All hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  

In a waking state, your brain waves are in an alert state.  Your heart rate is in a waking state, as is your pulse and body temperature.  When you are asleep, your heart rate slows down, as does your pulse rate.  Your brain waves are also slower and your body temperature is lower.  

Hypnosis is a paradoxical state.  Your mind is very alert, while your body is in a sleep-like state.  I have been using hypnosis as part of my practice for the past 33 years and I am a Certified Consultant through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, which means that I can train other professionals to become certified in the use of clinical hypnosis.

Over the past 33 years, I have published articles and have four of my hypnosis scripts in the “Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors”.   In my practice I have used hypnosis to help people with terminal cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chronic pain, childbirth, vaginal warts, migraines, anxiety, movement disorders, fibromyalgia, tremors from Parkinson’s Disease, myoclonic disorders, stage fright, colitis, sexual abuse, PTSD and smoking. 

One of the most dramatic situations, which I wish that I had video recorded, was when a patient who had severe poison ivy, asked if I would help her.  I thought I would just help her produce some healing and some comfort.  Never in my mind did I think she would be back to normal in ONE hour.  Yet, similar to the old werewolf movies, when you see the person go from the werewolf back to normal, this type of drastic change happened in my office.  While making various suggestions, all the blisters and lesions dried up and dropped off and were replaced by healthy skin.  All the dead skin fell to the ground.   When my patient opened her eyes, she saw my expression of amazement.   I told her to look at her arms and face that had been covered with the poison ivy.   She saw her arms and then quickly went into the adjacent bathroom.  She, too, was in disbelief.  Yes, there were her arms and face, after 1 hour of a hypnosis session, totally back to normal.

Can hypnosis help everyone?  Yes.  However, not everyone is able to use it, such as a person with a brain injury, because to use it effectively, a person needs to be able to focus and concentrate.  Thus, that is why I have learned other methods, such as neurofeedback, energy psychology, Brain Spotting and Release Technique, that can achieve similar results for different symptoms.  Otherwise, for 33 years this is a try and true method for helping many people with health issues, chronic illness and chronic pain.   

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”        ~ Thornton Wilder (1879-1975) ~