HOME & LIVING
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
Why should you eat like the people who live in ‘Blue Zones’?
By NANCY CLANTON
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are fi ve “Blue Zones”
around the world, and the people
who live in these areas are 10
times likelier than Americans to
reach age 100. The name comes
from the blue circles researchers
drew on the map when identi-
fying them.
“According to research pub-
lished in Nutrients in May 2018,
people living in these regions
also enjoy lower rates of chronic
disease than those living else-
where, and their diet is believed
to be a major component of
why,” Everyday Health wrote.
Blue Zone diets are based
on local and regional off erings
while limiting processed foods,
added sugars, meat and dairy,
and focusing more on plant-
based meals. While residents of
the fi ve areas tend to live longer
and be healthier, Everyday
Health reports, each place is
diff erent.
• Okinawa, Japan: Older Oki-
nawans rely on gardens, which
not only provide fresh produce but
also exercise and stress relief.
• Sardinia, Italy: Sardinians
limit meat consumption to Sun-
days and special events. The rest
of the time they eat whole grains,
beans, vegetables and fruit. They
also indulge in a glass or two of
red wine each day.
• Nicoya, Costa Rica: Nicoya
residents tend to eat a light dinner
earlier than Americans do. In
addition, older residents eat a lot
of squash, corn and beans.
• Ikaria, Greece: Residents of
Ikaria subscribe to the Mediter-
ranean diet, which was deemed
the best diet of 2022. As Greek
Orthodox Christians, fasts are
a frequent part of their religious
practices.
• Loma Linda, California:
Loma Linda is home to a commu-
nity of Seventh-day Adventists.
Its longest living residents are
vegetarians or pescatarians who
eat a very little sugar, salt and
refi ned grains.
Blue Zone diets aren’t just
about what you’re eating, how-
ever. They’re also about how you
eat.
“One of the principles is to eat
until you’re satisfi ed rather than
completely full,” registered dieti-
tian Samantha Cassetty, co-author
of “Sugar Shock,” told Everyday
Health. “We have a tendency to
eat quickly and not be so in touch
with our bodies’ hunger and full-
ness cues. It takes practice and
getting used to, but you come to
see that (eating until you’re sat-
isfi ed) fuels your body with the
right amount of food, so you
maintain good digestion and
energy balance.”
According to a 2016 study pub-
lished in the American Journal
of Lifestyle Medicine, experts
believe nine traits are responsible
for the health and longevity of
Blue Zone residents, and three of
those pertain to diet.
• The 80% rule: In Blue Zones,
people tend to stop eating when
they’re 80% full. They also have
their bigger meals early, opting for
lighter fare later in the day.
• Plant slant: Blue Zone resi-
dents focus on fruits, vegetables,
legumes and whole grains. They
tend to avoid meat or eat it only
on special occasions.
• Wine at 5: Although the
research on the health benefi ts of
even moderate amounts of alcohol
is controversial, most people
living in Blue Zones enjoy one to
two glasses of wine daily.
Although Blue Zone diets are
more about healthy living than
losing weight, they are based on
whole foods, which “tend to have
fewer calories than processed
forms of carbohydrates, protein
or fats,” Dr. Selvi Rajagopal, an
internal medicine and obesity spe-
cialist with Johns Hopkins, told
Everyday Health. “So (this diet)
tends to help people maintain a
healthier weight because overall,
calorically, they’re not taking in
as much.”
Smoky, sweet and tangy: grilled steak tacos
By GRETCHEN McKAY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Tacos are a terrifi c midweek
meal because they cook up fast
and don’t require a lot of prepa-
ration, other than some chop-
ping and dicing of ingredients.
This super-easy steak taco recipe
hits all the right notes with its fl a-
vorful chili-lime marinade and
array of colorful toppings, many
of them in bountiful supply at
local farmers markets and road-
side farm stands.
I’m a big fan of fl ank steak
because it’s relatively lean and
cooks up tender (and isn’t super
expensive), but you also could use
skirt or fl at-iron steaks. Grilled
red pepper adds a smoky, sweet
touch and you’ll want to pile on
some salty queso fresco — a soft,
slightly tangy cheese that is easily
crumbled. Your favorite salsa,
chopped onion and sliced avo-
cado are other traditional toppings
and don’t forget a good squeeze of
fresh lime juice (The dash of acid
complements the richer fl avors
inside the tortilla).
I used fl our tortillas for a softer
bite, but tacos are nothing if not
customizable. For a chewier, glu-
ten-free dish, substitute tamari for
the soy sauce and construct the
tacos on corn tortillas.
GRILLED STEAK
TACOS
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 fresh lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 pounds fl ank steak
1 red bell pepper, seeded
123rf
Steak tacos make a good midweek meal because they don’t require a lot of preparation and cook up quickly.
and cut into thirds
12 fl our tortillas
1/2 small red onion, diced
Handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
Red or green salsa, for serving
3 limes, cut into wedges
In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce,
lime juice, 1 tablespoon canola oil, garlic,
chili powder, cumin and oregano.
In a large bowl or 1-gallon Ziploc bag,
combine soy sauce mixture and steak.
Marinate for at least 1 hour or as long as
overnight, turning the bag occasionally to
redistribute the marinade.
When ready to cook, preheat grill to
high heat. Using a pair of tongs, rub a
paper towel coated with some of the
remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the grill
rack.
Drain marinade, place meat directly on
the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes on each
side (it should register 120-125 degrees
on an instant-read thermometer for rare,
130-140 degrees for medium rare, and
145 degrees for medium). Remove from
grill and let the steak rest on a cutting
board, covered with foil, for 10 minutes.
While steak is resting, brush red pepper
with remaining oil and grill until soft and
charred, then cut into slices.
Lighten up with a salmon bowl dinner
By LINDA GASSENHEIMER
Tribune News Service
Looking for a light
summer dinner? Here’s
one using fresh salmon in
a simple Salmon Bowl. I
used sesame oil to cook
the salmon and topped it
with toasted sesame seeds.
When I saw packages
of cauliflower rice in the
market, I decided to use
it instead of rice for this
recipe. It only took a few
minutes to cook in the
microwave and added a
new texture and flavor to
the bowl.
Helpful Hints
• If caulifl ower rice is not
available, use microwave-
able brown rice instead.
• I like to buy wild
caught salmon, but you can
use farm-raised salmon.
• To help ripen an avo-
cado, remove the stem, and
place it in a paper bag in a
warm spot.
Countdown
• Microwave the cauli-
Linda Gassenheimer-TNS
Salmon bowl makes for a light summer dinner.
fl ower rice.
• Toast sesame seeds
and set aside.
• Saute the salmon.
• Complete the salad.
Shopping List
• To buy: 1 bag cauli-
fl ower rice, 1 container
sesame seeds, 3/4 pound
salmon fi llet, 1 cucumber,
1 bag washed, ready-to-eat
lettuce, 1 avocado, and one
bottle reduced-fat oil and
vinegar dressing.
• Staples: salt and black
peppercorns.
SALMON
BOWL
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 cups caulifl ower rice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 pound salmon fi llet
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 cups lettuce torn into
bite size pieces
1 cup cucumber slices
1 avocado, peeled, seed
removed and sliced
1/4 cup reduced-fat oil
and vinegar dressing
Place caulifl ower rice in
a microwave-safe bowl and
microwave on high 2 minutes.
Remove and divide between
2 dinner bowls or plates. Toast
sesame seeds in a toaster oven
or under a broiler for 1 to 2 min-
utes or until they turn golden.
Watch to make sure they do not
burn. Heat a nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat and add the
oil. Add the salmon skin side
up. Saute 2 minutes. Turn the
salmon over. Cook 3 o 4 minutes.
A meat thermometer should
read 125 degrees. If you like your
salmon more well done, cook
it to 145 degrees. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Divide the let-
tuce, cucumber slices and avoca-
do slices between the 2 bowls or
plates with the caulifl ower rice.
Divide the salmon in half and
place on top of the vegetables.
Spoon the dressing over the top
and sprinkle the toasted sesame
seeds on top of the salmon.
Warm tortillas on the grill (they will puff
up and get crispy) or in the microwave
and place in a basket for serving.
Cut the steak across the grain into
strips. Place steak strips in the tortillas
and top with red onion, avocado, cilantro,
queso fresco and salsa. Squeeze a little
lime juice on top, if desired. Serve warm.
Serves 4-6.
SQUADRON
Continued from Page B1
Typing “spruce
squadron” into your
internet browser will bring
up enough links to keep
even the most devoted his-
torical buff s busy for a
long, long time. There you
will fi nd internet links to
many sites that have ros-
ters of the Squadrons,
maps of Army built rail-
roads, dozens of photos
taken during this time,
and photos of the interiors
of the mills. It’s fasci-
nating history.
M ICHAEL
541-786-8463
M. Curtiss PN-7077A CCB# 183649
Serving Union and Baker Counties
A C ERTIFIED M ASTER A RBORIST
Yield 2 servings.
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