Joy Bauer's Food Cures Part 45

2.

teaspoons garlic powder

1.

teaspoon paprika

1.

teaspoon black pepper

1.

teaspoon c.u.min

1.

teaspoon dried oregano .

teaspoon ground red pepper (or more for hotter chili)

2.

teaspoons all-purpose flour

2.

cans (15 ounces each) black beans, well drained and rinsed

1.

can (15 ounces) corn, well drained and rinsed

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the turkey, stirring to break up the meat. Drain the fat. Add the tomatoes, water, onions, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, c.u.min, oregano, and red pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and corn and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

PER SERVING.

269 calories, 34 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 2.5 g fat (1 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, 8 g fiber; plus 120 mg folic acid (30% DV), 59 mg magnesium (15% DV), 0.38 mg manganese (15% DV) WHOLE WHEAT PENNE.

WITH CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI.

This low-cal, nutrient-rich pasta dish is a favorite dinner among all three of my kids (believe me, that's a feat). Even better, one serving provides 30% DV for vitamin B6, 43% DV for manganese, and 17% DV for magnesium. Plus, the cheese and broccoli supply a healthy hit of calcium. Enjoy it with a colorful tossed salad and you've got a nutritional powerhouse!

Makes 8 servings, 2 cups each

cup extra virgin olive oil .

large onion, chopped

4.

cloves garlic, minced

1.

pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 cubes

8.

cups broccoli florets

1.

package (18 ounces) whole wheat penne .

teaspoon Kosher salt

2.

tablespoons grated Romano cheese Black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent, being careful not to let the onion brown. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Once the water boils, add the broccoli and cook until firm yet tender. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the broccoli to the saucepan with the chicken. Cook until the broccoli is soft.

4. Return the large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta, water, and salt to the broccoli mixture, and toss to mix. Add the cheese and mix again. Serve immediately on individual dishes and top with fresh ground pepper to taste.

PER SERVING.

378 calories, 23 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 34 mg cholesterol, 231 mg sodium, 8 g fiber; plus 6 mg Vitamin B6 (30% DV), 1 mg manganese (43% DV), 65 mg magnesium (17% DV) (30% DV), 1 mg manganese (43% DV), 65 mg magnesium (17% DV)

CHAPTER 16.

INSOMNIA.

Catherine is 47 and for most of her life has been what she calls "a champion sleeper." Once, when Catherine was 12 years old, her younger sister got sick and pa.s.sed out in the middle of the night. An ambulance came to the house, accompanied by two police cars and a fire engine. As the ambulance whisked the girl away with sirens blaring, neighbors heard the ruckus and came out on their lawns to see what was happening. Catherine, as you may have already guessed, slept through the entire incident. Thirty-five years later, the family members still tell the story with genuine astonishment that anyone could sleep so soundly.

Catherine lost her super-sleeper status after complex shoulder surgery two years ago. For eight weeks after surgery, she had to spend her nights sitting bolt upright on the couch; and for another eight weeks after that, she could only lean back on a huge pile of pillows-no lying down. For those four months the pain was so bad that she barely slept-three solid hours of sleep was a good night. Months later, after she was done with physical therapy, she could lie down flat on the bed, but she still didn't sleep well. She said that it felt as though her body had forgotten how to sleep. No matter what time she turned in, no matter how many hours she had been awake, or how tired she was, she couldn't seem to sleep longer than four hours. Even the smallest sound would awaken her and then she was up for the rest of the night. She mourned the loss of her sleep as though she had lost a close friend.

Catherine's sister, Joanna, has a different problem. As a busy stay-at-home mom, Joanna had always managed to carve out time to relax in those precious hours between her daughters' bedtime and her own. Joanna stuck to her routine as the girls grew; the only problem was that their bedtime got later and later. Preserving those few hours of private time meant staying up until 2:00 a.m. In a way it's not a problem for her; she has no trouble staying awake, and no trouble falling asleep once she goes to bed. She gets up at 6:00 a.m. to get the girls off to school, and then settles in for a nap from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. In the past two months, Joanna has decided to resume her career, but she can't seem to break her night owl ways. She doesn't want to apply for jobs until she knows that she can maintain a "normal" schedule, but she has been unsuccessful so far. Now she's wondering if she might have to take s.h.i.+ft work.