Recipe: Misoyaki Grilled Fish

Many of us have enjoyed Miso soup (味噌汁) at Japanese restaurants. The soup is simple and light in contrast to clam chowder, yet its taste is so rich. While sipping the Miso soup, you wonder what makes the soup so special that all Japanese restaurants serve Miso soup to their dear customers. The short paragraph from Wikipedia about Miso provides us some insight into its primary secret ingredient - Miso:

Miso is soy bean paste, which is an essential condiment in Japanese cooking. Miso is made by fermenting soy beans with salt and koji. Koji are fermented grains such as rice, barley, and soy beans. It takes about 10 months to a year for miso to be ready for use.

In short, what brings Miso such a rich taste is the fermentation process - a process that help preserve the original smell and taste of soy beans. If you are not allergic to soy products, I recommend you start adding Miso to your regular cooking today. Besides its rich taste, you get all the greatness of soy beans, which have been proven to be beneficial to your heart. Don't know where to start? Try out this unique recipe that grills the Miso marinated fish in a Japanese style.

Materials

1. 2 full table spoons of Miso. Miso can be easily found at any Asian supermarket. There are also many kinds to choose from and at various prices. I normally purchase those imported from Japan, because they know just how to produce high-quality Miso.
2. 1 table spoon of rice wine. I use rice wine to add fragrant flavor to the fish, even though most of the Miso products are already mixed with alcohol. Again, you can find rice wine from any Asian supermarket.
3. 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I like to add a bit of sweetness to the fish by using sugar.
4. 1 piece of Orange Roughy fillet. I found that Orange Roughy is a perfect choice for this recipe, because the fish itself has a plain taste. You are welcome to try out any fish of your favorite, though.
   

Steps

1. Put Miso, sugar, and rice wine in a small bowl and use a spoon to mix the ingredients.
2. When Miso and sugar are well resolved and mixed with rice wine, pour the mixed Miso in a Ziploc bag.
3. Place the fish in the Ziploc bag. Zip the bag, after carefully squeezing out all the air. This assures the fish is thoroughly marinated.
4. Place the Ziploc bag flat in the refrigerator for at least half of a day to allow the flavor to simmer into the fish.
5. When ready to serve, take the fish out of the Ziploc bag. Wash the fish in a bowl with clean water and leave no Miso on the fish. NOTE: This is very important. Or, the fish will be burned by the grill.
6. Preheat the grill.
7. While waiting for the grill to be ready, wipe the fish with a clean towel to remove extra water.
   
8. After the grill is heated up, place the fish on the grill for about 6 to 8 minutes. The length of the grill time depends on the thickness of the fish fillet and the tenderness of the fish of your preference.
   
9. Remove the fish from the grill, when the time is up. It will taste the best, when the fish is served right off the grill.

I hope you all enjoy the Misoyaki grilled fish. You may want to readjust the amount of the ingredients to suit your taste. Ask me questions or leave me comments on how you like it.

Also, read this post at eHow.

Easy Ways to Get More Fiber in Your Diet

(NewsUSA) - "Eat fiber." You've probably heard this advice. But if you're like most Americans, your diet still falls short. Experts recommend eating 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day, but most Americans eat only around 10 grams.

Numerous studies say that diets high in fiber, or the indigestible part of plants, provide health benefits. Fiber promotes normal digestion and naturally prevents constipation. And for people who want to lose weight, a high-fiber diet is a great way to go -; high-fiber foods fill stomachs with fewer calories, allowing dieters to eat more and still lose weight.

There are two main types of fiber. Apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, oats, barley and beans all contain water-soluble fiber.

• Water-soluble fiber helps regulate blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.
• Water-insoluble fiber traps water and helps move food through the intestines. It can be found in vegetables, wheat bran, corn bran, rice bran and most other whole grains.

You need both types of fiber, so aim to eat many different fruits, vegetables,
legumes and whole grains throughout your day. Eat fruits and vegetables with their skins for extra fiber. Focus on whole grains like oatmeal, bran cereals, brown rice, millet and barley. You can also find 100 percent whole grain breads and pastas at many supermarkets. Even with these changes, you may still have trouble meeting your fiber intake goals, so taking a product that contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, such as Herbalife's Active Fiber Complex (www.herbalife.com), can help you get the maximum benefit that fibers provide.

Here are some tips to sneak fiber into your diet:

• Replace your morning OJ with a whole orange. Fruit juices often contain added sugars, and they almost never have fiber. Switching from fruit juice to fruit will help you meet your daily fiber needs.
• Snack on raw vegetables. Dip raw vegetables, like cauliflower florets, baby carrots and celery, into black bean salsa or hummus to boost your fiber intake.
• Buy whole-grain pastas and breads. Make your pasta salad with whole-grain pasta to enjoy fiber's health benefits. When baking breads, muffins and cookies, consider replacing some or all of the white flour with whole wheat white or whole-wheat pastry flour.

Suddenly upping your fiber intake can upset your stomach, so slowly incorporate high-fiber foods into your diet, and drink plenty of water.

The Truth About The Baby Carrots Washed In Chlorine

[Updated 12/11/08]

Some of you may have received an email that warns against use of chlorine during the process of baby carrots and wondered what to do about it. If you have not seen the email, I've included the one forwarded by a reader of Fishtarian below for your reference.

The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAWS, etc.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots . most people probably know this already.

What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to
have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?

We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen. Please let us make this information available to as many people as possible. If you care about your family and friends, pass it on.

The email is so well written that it would easily raise doubts in your mind wondering whether you should continue offering your kids healthy finger food. So, I set out to do some research. After all, baby carrots have been my long-time favorite and a common ingredient in my recipes. Below are my findings:

1. Are the baby carrots made out of the larger crooked carrots? The answer is "true - originally". The baby carrot was invented in 1986 by leading Newhall California carrot producer Mike Yurosek who sought to save at least some of the broken or misshapen carrots that he could not use in his fresh carrot packing line. That is no longer the case, though. A new breed of smaller carrots is now commonly used particularly for the baby carrots. The new breed is designed to contain extra sweetness and to have stronger appeal to children. Even if the baby carrots are made out of the larger crooked carrots, there wouldn't be any difference in terms of nutrition. So, I don't see this as a problem.
2. Are the baby carrots dipped in a chlorine water solution during the processing? The answer to that question is also "true." Don't panic, yet. Chlorine dioxide antimicrobial for fruits and vegetables is allowed by FDA. In fact, it's a very common practice in the food processing industry that handles food treatment from fruits, vegetables, chicken, to red meat. The truth is chlorine sensitization over food is considered safe, when following the FDA guidelines. If you truly wish to stay away from baby carrots due to this concern, consider buying the carrots that are not cut and peeled. You would probably have to resist all kinds of fresh cut vegetables, too.
   
3. How about the white covering, then? The white covering has nothing to do with chlorine dioxide antimicrobial at all. It naturally forms on the cutting surface of carrots, after they are dried out in the air. You can reproduce the same effect by peeling and letting dry a fresh normal-sized carrot you get from a grocery store. The entire baby carrot is a cutting surface.

It is not clear about the motivation behind the email. I'm sure this won't be the last one. But, we should handle this kind of matter with our due diligence. I hope this post rests your mind in peace, when you enjoy or offer your kids healthy finger food again.

How To Make Oreo Turkey Cookies For Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you ready for your Thanksgiving dinner? Better make sure you have the turkey in your final checklist. How about cookies? It's still not too late to bring more treats and add fun to the party. I'll show you how to make some last minute turkey cookies for your Thanksgiving dinner. Even if you don't have time to get it done before the party, do not worry -- delegate it to your kids. I can assure you that kids will love to do it for you. And, you'll be left alone to take care of the rest.

Materials:
If you're on your way to the supermarket, add the following materials to your shopping list.They are very easy to find and don't cost you much.

• 1 bag of Hershey's Kiss chocolates
• 1 pack of Oreo cookies (You may consider 2 packs, since everyone loves Oreo cookies.)
• 1 bag of Sour Patch candies

For every turkey cookie, you'll need:

• 1 Hershey's Kiss chocolate
• 4 "half" Oreo cookies with the sugar cream attached (You can enjoy the other half that does not have the cream.)
• 4 Sour Patch candies

Steps:

1. Unpack the Oreo cookies. Split the "whole" Oreo cookie in half and the those "half" cookies with the sugar cream.
   
2. Press four Sour Patch candies into the cream of one Oreo "half" cookie. Line up the candies next to each other on one end and let the other ends spread apart a little bit.
   
3. Put the other Oreo "half" cookie on top with the sugar cream facing down the candies. This becomes the "body" of the turkey with four feathers.
4. Stack up two Oreo "half" cookies; one on the top of the other with the sugar cream facing up. Take the "body" of the turkey made in the previous step and stick it in the sugar cream at the top with the four "feathers" straight up.
5. Unwrap the Hershey's Kiss chocolates. Scoop out two little dots of the sugar cream (from the Oreo) and stick them on both sides of the Hershey's kiss. This is the "head" of the turkey.
6. Put the turkey's head next to the "body" with the flat side of the "head" right against the "body". Press the "head" into the cream.
7. Congratulations. Your turkey cookie is now complete, which should look like the first picture.

Also, read this post on eHow, HubPages, and Squidoo.

How does Food Impact Your Cholesterol Levels?

[Updated 1/6/09]

People are now more conscious about what they eat these days for various reasons. Some are concerned of their weight and keep track of the calories of every meal. Others avoid sugar-rich food due to the concern of diabetes. But, how does the food affect your total cholesterol value and eventually your heart health? Or, does it at all?

The term "total cholesterol value" (TC) is calculated using the following formula:

TC = LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5)

where:

• LDL refers to Low density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol, because it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.
• HDL refers to High density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack.
• Triglycerides is a form of fat. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
  

At clinics, the doctor typically looks at the following chart regarding TC:

• Desirable: Under 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
• Borderline high: 200 to 239 mg/dL
• High risk: 240 mg/dL and higher

I used to struggle with my cholesterol level 10 years ago. My annual checkup consistently showed my cholesterol level beyond the borderline range and sometimes even rose up to 270. It was particularly frustrating, after I was prescribed to the statin drugs over a long period of time. In fact, my doctor had continuously raised the dosage of my statin medicine year after year; from 10 mg to 20 mg and then again to 40 mg. The high dosage of the statin medicine that helped many others somehow did not seem to be effective to my body.

The experiment with the "extreme diet"

Curious to resolve the myth, my doctor suggested that I experimented with my diet. He suggested that I limited my diet only to fish and vegetables for a month without the statin medicine. For a person who had enjoyed all kinds of foods, the suggested restriction on diet was no less than a harsh punishment. I agreed to give it a try at the end due to my frustration with the disappointing outcomes of my blood tests year after year.

For the following month, I limited my diet to one single dish - spaghetti. I carefully chose the spaghetti sauce that contained neither meats nor saturated fat. I added to various vegetables (mostly spinach) as well as a piece of Orange Roughy fillet or baked salmon. It probably sounds like a horrible meal to many of you. Yet, I was determined to find out what would happen and managed to stay disciplined through the entire month.

I took another blood test at the end of the month and showed up at my doctor's office a week later to learn the results. I could feel my heart beating like crazy and blood vessels exploding, while waiting for my doctor to make the disclosure. Guess what my total cholesterol value was? 160! That number coming out of my doctor's mouth simply blew me away with tears in my eyes. I never forgot that moment of excitement in my life. The outcome of my one-month experiment with my diet had since then changed my whole life.

Where would I go from here?

That night, I decided to continue this experiment and seek a balanced diet that would kept my heart healthy without any medication. After all, I didn't think I or anyone in the world would settle to eating only spaghetti for the rest of our lives. Over the course of the last 10 years, I have learned a lot about foods and diet. It has been a lifestyle change. That's what I want to share with you at the Fishtarian blog. Stay tuned.

Are You At Risk Of A Heart Attack?

I recently read an article from washingtonpost.com that discussed new findings from a study regarding a simple test to detect who are at risk for a heart attack and how to lower the risk. The study was presented by Paul M. Ridker of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who presented the findings yesterday at a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. For your convenience, I have included some excerpts from that article below.

A highly anticipated study has produced powerful evidence that a simple blood test can spot seemingly healthy people who are at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke and that giving them a widely used drug offers potent protection against the nation's leading killers.

In findings that could transform efforts to prevent cardiovascular disease, the study of nearly 18,000 volunteers flagged by the test in 26 countries found that a cholesterol-lowering statin slashed the risk by about half -- even if their cholesterol was normal.

The traditional model for how heart attacks and strokes occur is that high cholesterol causes fatty buildups to slowly accumulate inside arteries supplying blood to the heart and brain. But about half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people whose cholesterol is normal. That has raised questions about what other factors may be involved and how more deaths could be prevented.

Evidence has been building that inflammation, part of the body's defense against infection and injuries, may play a crucial role by causing the most vulnerable plaques inside arteries to rupture, triggering blood clots that finally block blood flow. The blood test, known as the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) test, detects inflammation by measuring a substance in the blood called C-reactive protein. But it has remained far from clear how important or useful that information was.

In 2003, Ridker and his colleagues started prescribing either 20 milligrams of the statin Crestor or an inert placebo daily to 17,802 middle-age and elderly men and women who had what are considered safe cholesterol levels but high CRP: 2 milligrams per liter of blood or above.

Compared with those getting the placebo, those taking Crestor were 54 percent less likely to have a heart attack, 48 percent less likely to have a stroke, 46 percent less likely to need angioplasty or bypass surgery to open a clogged artery, 44 percent less likely to suffer any of those events and 20 percent less likely to die from any cause, the researchers reported yesterday.

I think this is a great study that presents a new and simpler way to detect whether you are at risk of a heart attack rather than traditionally rely on your cholesterol level. The study also proves that the subscribed satin drug helps reduce the risk. While agreeing that these are useful findings, I would only consider medication as my last resort. Here are my reasons:

1. All drugs have their side effects. Common side effects of statin include rising blood pressure, liver damage, and potential risk in cancers. No studies have been done to follow up over a long period of time on the patients who are subscribed to the use of statin drugs. I am sure that studies of this sort would have hard time in attracting sponsors (normally pharmaceutical companies) or securing necessary funds. If you are at middle-age, think about how much statin would end up being consumed by your body over next few decades.
2. Alternatives are available. Although statin drugs are proven effective in reducing cholesterol and inflammation levels, risks of a heart attack can be reduced in more natural ways, such as, with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. After all, that is exactly what Fishtarian is about - eat healthy and live healthy. There are many live examples among your colleagues or friends including me who will be glad to share with you how we have done it.

I am not suggesting that you ignore the new findings or advice from your doctor. I am simply telling you there are other choices without medication.

Fish: The Best Source of Proteins

Many of us already know the importance of proteins to our body. Proteins play a crucial role in the membrane to ensure our body cells can live as efficiently and effectively as possible. Today in our modern world, we have abundant sources of proteins to choose from. They come from animal meats, such as, beef, pork, chicken, fishes, and etc. They are also available from vegetables, such as, beans and nuts. The question is: What is the best source of proteins?

It is a question less about animal or vegetable proteins, but more about what comes with them. While providing quality proteins, beans, nuts, and whole grains offer healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals. Salmon and Kona Kampachi, on the other hand, are rich of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is proven to be effective in lowering cholesterol in your blood vessels. With regular inclusion of salmons in my meals, I have kept my cholesterol in check and stayed away from heart diseases.

Although Salmon and Kampachi are fishes of excellent choice, each kind of fishes has its unique texture and flavor. Small fish such as Orange Roughy is sweet and tender, while large fish such as tuna tends to be a bit chewy. You should be aware that some long-live fishes and shellfishes contain higher level of mercury that may cause harms to children's nervous system, though. Although how much intake is considered safe is debatable, you should at least read the FDA/EPA report to understand the facts.

Another controversial subject with regards to fish is: wild v.s. farm-raised fish. In a 2006 Harvard School of Public Health study, printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (10/06), it was shown that the consumption of fish, all fish, including farmed-fish, may reduce the risk of coronary death by 36% and total mortality by 17%. A similar report was released by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Although higher level of PCB's, dioxins, and/or artificial coloring is found in farmed fish, it is not considered alarming. Thanks to the new farming technology, Kona Kampachi is currently raised in so-called "open-ocean" fish farms near Hawaii. The Kampachi fish farms are far away from the shore to avoid potential pollutions and are much less crowded. The farms are in 2,000 feet deep of the ocean to allow Kampachi to develop Omega 3 fatty acids.

There are a wide verity of cooking techniques that I would like to share with you in my future posts. I enjoy Sashimi - raw fishes as well as grilled ones. I hope all fishtarians enjoy fishes as much as they want.

A Lesson Learned From My Father

At age of 60, my dad had undergone two coronary bypass surgeries. Watching him suffering from his heart problems, I decided to find a way to live a healthy life.

The problems with my dad's heart disease had several folds. The biggest problem was his inability to manage his diet. Even after his second heart surgery, he continued having red meat despite warnings from his doctor. His diet tended to endure very strong taste as well as spices.

Secondly, he was a strong believer in medication. He believed that the drugs prescribed by his cardiologist would protect his heart and keep arteries clean, even though he did not follow doctor's advices to restrain his diet. He often took additional medicines either recommended by friends of his or found on TV commercials. All those drugs were not able to protect him from heart attacks, but simply added unnecessary load on his liver.

Lastly, my dad was extremely hard working. My parents had owned and run a successful business for over forty years. He did not plan for his retirement and intended to keep the business running, until he was unable to. He was constantly under stress, and had very little time for rest, needless to say, exercises. The only exercise he did often was to jog as fast as he could, when he had to make a short trip to somewhere. Unfortunately, that alone did not appear enough to keep his heart in good shape.

Today, heart attack remains the leading killer of men and women in the United States. I have seen many people behaving like my father ended their life at young age. The fact is that heart attacks can be prevented. It is never too late for one to start taking care of their heart and live a healthy life. The solution is simple - to become a fishtarian. In short, that means living a healthy lifestyle and enjoying a healthy diet. It is not as hard as you first thought. I have done it myself. So can you. I will show you how in my future posts and help you along the way.

What is "Fishtarian" about?

Fishtarians typically refer to people who primarily consume fishes and no red meats. Like vegetarians, fishtarians also likes vegetables. But, that is not all about fishtarian.

"Fishtarian" is also about a strong belief in being healthy as well as a proactive lifestyle to stay healthy.

I don't think anyone would disagree that health is the most valuable thing in our lives. Not money, not career. We all know that we can't achieve and do what we want without a healthy body to carry out our minds. Yet, it is not difficult to find people who disobey their belief and do just the opposite. Many people suffer from alcohol or drug abuses. Some of us do not exercise enough to stay fit. We still found smokers on the street or around the corner.

Clearly, following through your belief is the key to great accomplishment. That is why fishtarian is also about a healthy lifestyle. With a strong belief in being healthy, you take actions to make necessary adjustments to your daily schedule and to keep your health constantly in check. Your health is not merely about your body and your life. It is also related to your family, your friends, your society, and your country.