ShannonLynn Nutrition's Healthy Tidbits

Finally...my Sweet Potato, Quinoa Stew

2012-02-26T10:47:00.005-08:00

Looking for a warming, healthy, delicious vegan recipe that even meat lovers will like? Try this! It calls for quinoa (keenwah), which you can find at any health food store and most chain grocery stores carry it now as well. It is the only grain that contains all essential amino acids, making it a phenomenal source of protein!

Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups cooked black beans (2 cans, drained & rinsed)
• 1 cup hominy (1 can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
(I use Pacific Organic)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled, chopped in bite size pieces
• 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp (2 - 3 cloves) garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 can chopped green chilies (for spicier, use 1 chopped jalapeño)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• More Heat: Add more cayenne
• 1 tsp dried basil leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 2 bay leafs
• 2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Peel & mince the garlic, jalapeno (if using) and ginger
2. Wash and trim the celery, slice lengthwise, then crosswise to dice
3. Seed and dice the bell pepper
4. Peel and chop the sweet potato in bite sized pieces
5. Heat the olive oil on medium low in a large dutch oven
6. Sauté the garlic, ginger, celery, & chilies/jalapeno 5 minutes
7. Add the sweet potatoes and bell pepper, sauté 5 minutes
8. Add the herbs and spices, stir for a minute
9. Add the beans, quinoa, soup stock or water, salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 30 minutes
10. Add Braggs or soy sauce, pepper, cilantro or parsley just before serving

Charlie Brown Smoothie (serves 2)

2012-01-30T12:41:00.001-08:00

This recipe is PERFECT to recover from workouts. I also find it to be a very satisfying breakfast. Hey, it can even help you for those moments when you are craving Charlie Brown ice cream!

Ingredients:
- 1 chopped frozen banana
- 2 cups of Silk chocolate almond milk
- 2 Tablespoons of almond butter
- 1 scoop of LifeTime Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed

Directions:
Place the banana in the blender on the ice chopping setting for about 10 seconds. Add the chocolate almond milk and almond butter and then blend for 10 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and blend for about 15 seconds! Enjoy!

Butternut Squash for a SNACK?

2011-12-20T15:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right! If you've been reading my blog for a while or if you've been a client of mine, you know a lot about the convenience trap that forces us to make unhealthy food choices...and we sabotage our good intentions!

Butternut squash is a satisfying snack that can attack the allure of convenience foods. Some of you may be thinking you do not have time to peel, de-seed, and chop a butternut squash. Hey, I don't have time either. Do what I do: pay a little bit more and get pre-peeled and chopped butternut squash that is available in the produce section of most grocery stores! Here's a delicious recipe that takes only 10 minutes of your time (the oven does most of the work) and voila, you have a healthy snack available for the week.

Shannon's Cherry-licious Baked Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
- 1 pack of Wegmans family-sized butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup organic dried cherries
- 1 cup organic raw pecans
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Sea salt to taste

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450.
- If the squash pieces are larger than one inch, take a bit of time to chop them into one-inch pieces.
- Drizzle olive oil over the squash in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Arrange the squash in a casserole dish and sprinkle the cherries and pecans throughout.
- Add a tiny bit of sea salt.
- Drizzle maple syrup over the squash.
- Bake covered for 50 minutes.

Recipe for Happiness: Millet Sweet Potato Breakfast Cakes

2011-11-30T16:39:00.000-08:00

It’s no wonder that depression is such an epidemic in our country—look at the food we eat. Because of our obsession and need for convenience, we consume refined flour and sugar far more than the nourishing grains and vegetables that our ancestors ate. These refined products create harmful blood-sugar fluctuations, which no doubt affect our moods. Further, these foods lack nutritional value and it is scientifically proven that our cells will not thrive without nutrients, leading us to feel icky. Put simply, junk foods make us feel junky.

So, how do we rid our junk food addictions? Breakfast is the place to start! Eating a nourishing breakfast sets the stage for the rest of the day. Millet is one of my favorite comfort foods; it’s a complex carbohydrate with dozens of nutrients. I’ve recommended it for clients diagnosed with mild depression and it has worked wonders. Potato-family foods have been shown to have a positive effect on serotonin and dopamine, our feel-good neurotransmitters (read Potatoes Not Prozac to learn more about this).

Make a big batch of these cakes on a Sunday and have a couple each morning for breakfast. You’ll notice a positive effect right away. Serve them with a tablespoon or two of REAL maple syrup; the darker grade the better.

Millet Sweet Potato Cakes:

Ingredients

2 cups leftover millet* (millet can be found in the bulk section of health food stores)

1 large sweet potato mashed

¼ cup gluten free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

A couple tablespoons of rice milk

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Mix the millet, sweet potato, and rice milk. Add a bit of sea salt. Form cakes and douse them in the gluten-free-flour. Place oil on a medium-heated iron skillet. Pan-fry the cakes, about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden.

*Learn more about amazing millet!

Healthy Hot Cocoa Fix?

2011-02-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right! I have discovered a healthy alternative to hot cocoa. Would you believe me if I told you that it is even has fiber? If you are like me, hot cocoa is a must in order to survive winters, especially Syracuse winters. There's nothing quite like curling up on the couch with a steamy mug of hot chocolate and a good book. It makes the winter almost worth it.

I am not the biggest fan of dairy (or rather it's not so fond of me), so I try to limit my dairy consumption. This hot cocoa alternative is vegan! Silk's Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Milk hit the market this winter. Brent and I picked it up to try in our post workout smoothies. One evening I was fiending for hot cocoa. We didn't have any milk or cocoa. I heated up a couple cups of the almond milk. I was amazed at the result--a super-tasty hot cocoa alternative!

I have to say Silk's tag line for this almond milk is quite accurate: Choose Wisely. Drink Happily.

In a 12-ounce serving of this hot cocoa, you get 1.5 grams of fiber, 1.5 grams of protein, over 50% of your RDA for vitamin C, almost 70% of your RDA for calcium, 75% of your RDA for vitamin B12, and a good amount of zinc, riboflavin, magnesium, manganese, vitamin D, vitamin A, and iron. Yum!

Vegetarian Chicken Parmesan-I Kid you Not

2010-11-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for chicken parmesan. Most of you know that I was a vegetarian for 12 years. I’m surprised I made it 12 years being deprived of this delicious dish! If only I had this recipe back then! We all know that eggplant parm. is not the same. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of eggplant parmesan during that 12-year period and still make it during the summer months when eggplant is in season. This dish is different and best of all, it doesn’t use any soy or wheat-gluten fake meat. It uses chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans). I didn’t even make the connection to chicken parmesan until my husband said “Wow, this is like chicken parmesan!”

This recipe came to me as I scanned my pantry, desiring to concoct a recipe with what we had on hand. I was going to call them chickpea burgers, but I like vegetarian chicken parmesan better. So, here’s the deal!

Ingredients:

2 cans organic chickpeas

1 Tablespoon organic Italian seasoning

Up to 1/3 cup warm water

¼ cup raw walnuts

½ cup nitrate-free sundried tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic minced

1.5 Tablespoons olive oil

4 slices organic mozzarella cheese (soy or rice cheese for vegans)

Directions:

Blend the chickpeas in a food processor so it turns into “mashed chickpeas.” Pour into bowl and mix in Italian seasoning, sundried tomatoes, and garlic.

Slowly mix water in and use your hands to mix all ingredients until the consistency feels like dough.

Preheat oven at 350.

Pulse the walnuts in the food processor for 10-15 seconds until they turn into small pieces/crumbs (not flour).

Dry roast the walnuts for 3 minutes on a pan over a medium flame.

Pour olive oil in a large pan (I like cast iron) over a medium flame. Make four patties out of the chickpea mixture and press into the pan with a spatula.

Turn the patties every few minutes and sprinkle walnuts on the outside each time to get a crunchy outer texture.

Place cheese slices over the patties and place in oven for 10 minutes or until patties are thoroughly heated. Delicious!

I like using Eden canned beans because these cans are BPA-free unlike most canned foods. BPA is a toxic xenoestrogen, which just means it's like the female hormone estrogen, except for two things: 1) it's foreign to the body, which is what "xeno" means, and 2) it is way more harmful than our natural estrogen for everyone, male and female. It can lead to fertility problems and even certain types of cancer, like breast cancer.

Don't Let the Word "Natural" Fool You

2010-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Excuse the cliche, but when it comes to food, never, ever "judge the book by its cover!" A few weeks ago, I attended the Natural Products Expo East. One would expect to find only natural food there, right? Well, no, not exactly. There were several products there that were terrific, some that I even fell in love with. I'll blog about those at a later date. At the moment, I need to get a few things off of my chest.

There were many products with soy protein isolate! That is SO far from being natural. First of all, the soy is likely genetically modified. Secondly, soy protein isolate is made in large aluminium bins, which leaches aluminum (a TOXIC metal) into your food!

One product that irked me to the extreme was Chortles. I found the package to be super-cute and I loved the taste! Think Cocoa Puffs! I was mortified when I read the label! It had partially hydrogenated soybean oil. I haven't knowingly consumed that in years! It also had high fructose corn syrup, another ingredient that I avoid like the plague. Lesson learned: even at a natural products expo, you cannot trust that everything is truly natural. Remember this the next time you go to the grocery store, even when you are shopping in the "natural" section!

A Case Against Coupons

2010-09-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

“American food-and-beverage producers spend $36 billion annually to advertise and market their products, but practically none of this goes to promote fruit and vegetables—a few million dollars a year compared to the tens of hundreds of millions used to promote any single soft drink, candy bar, or breakfast cereal.” ~ Marion Nestle, What to Eat

I admit it; there is a frugal side to me. In graduate school, I not only read the SundayNew York Times, but also read the local paper just so I could clip coupons. And I used those coupons too for everything from toilet paper to canned soup (ick—I can’t believe I used to unknowingly consume MSG). Anyway, you would think that I would ditch frugality once I learned how to eat healthier, but I did not do so immediately. I did refrain from clipping Sunday paper coupons because I didn’t eat that stuff anymore nor did I use chemically-laden beauty products. Instead though, I would jump at a product in the natural food section of the grocery store that had coupons on the box (and I confess, I’d grab a couple off from other boxes as well). I’d also readily grab those little booklets of coupons that highlight organic foods (not just one or two booklets, but like five). I did this up until about six months ago.

I would look through my coupons every time I wrote my grocery list. I’d add two boxes of Kashi cereal to my list because I HAD A COUPON! I’d add two boxes of Cascadian Farms granola bars because I HAD A COUPON…and so on. Then one day, I reflected on this and decided to ban coupons from my life. You never see coupons for produce (okay, maybe once in a while you’ll see one for bananas, but first you have to buy a sugar-laden cereal that is made with genetically engineered corn. No, thank you.). And those organic food-focused coupons, those are no good either. Why? They get you hooked on processed food. Do you notice that you usually have to buy two or three of something to get a discount? I don’t know about you, but if I didn’t have a coupon, I certainly wouldn’t buy two or three boxes of granola bars!

Since I’ve weaned off my coupon addiction, I rarely crave processed food. I’d take homemade granola over boxed cereal any day! And fruit and veggies have become my favorite snacks. I kid you not. Am I still frugal? Yes, I am when I have to be; hey, I’m not rich! In my next couple blogs, I will share with you ways that you can eat outstandingly healthy and still SAVE!

LOCAVORE CHALLENGE DAYS 5-7

2010-09-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

NOFA knew what they were talking about by labeling this Locavore adventure I’ve been partaking in as a “challenge.” It was a heck of a lot more challenging than I would’ve ever imagined it would be. How do I grade myself? A solid B +. As you saw in my previous entry, I did cave in and had gluten-free pretzels. I also had to alternate my five cheats each day; without that switch up, I don’t think I could have completed the challenge. So to summarize the final three days of my locavore challenge…

Day 5:

Day 5 was a rough day at work. Super-busy insanity. For breakfast that morning, I had my non-local muesli; this time, I ate it like oatmeal so that I wouldn’t have to waste a cheat on rice milk. I brought a local egg and cheese wrap with a non-local brown rice tortilla to work with me; that was to be my brunch, but I didn’t even get to eat it until 3:00 PM and followed that with a succulent local, organic peach. Brent and I went to Empire Brewery and I had a delicious local free-range turkey sandwich with sautéed onions and peppers and chipotle mayonnaise; let’s call it a Philly Cheese Steak-Shannon style! And I had a most delicious local beer called Golden Dragon.

Day 6:

Day 6 was by far the most difficult day. I had local eggs with local cheese and a non-local piece of toast for breakfast. For lunch, I had local purple string beans dipped in babaganoush. At 4:30 PM, I had to rush to the airport for a flight from Syracuse to NYC. I had a local peach while I was waiting to board. After boarding the plane, we all learned that our flight would be delayed for an uncertain amount of time. That uncertain amount of time turned into turned into three hours. Needless to say, I was starving when I arrived at JFK. I didn’t find anything local at the airport, but I did find two healthy and organic options. An organic chicken sandwich, and an organic fig and pistachio bar. Both options made me happy.

Day 7:

I didn’t get much sleep the night before, so I opted for black coffee in the morning as one of my non-local cheats. I met my friend Judy at the Union Square Green Market and we shared a rosemary-garlic sourdough baguette with local honey chevre. That was absolutely delectable! We then shopped for all kinds of local veggies that we would later roast for dinner along with homemade pesto from basil picked out of her garden. I forgot how scrumptious and appetizing roasted veggies were. I’ll be roasting away all fall and will have recipes to share. Locavore Challenge completed!

If you ever in Syracuse, you must go to empire Brewery; they source a great deal of their food locally and have damn good beer!

Hot peppers growing in Judy's Bedstuy Brooklyn garden! So pretty!

It's amazing to me how heat alone can add so much flavor to vegetables. Judy and I roasted these veggies at 475 degrees for 20 minutes. What a super fast meal. Roasting makes onions so sweet and eating onions prepared this way doesn't make your breath smell!

Locavore Challenge Days 2 and 3

2010-09-14T19:45:00.001-07:00

Being a true Locavore is tough work especially when you thrive on variety! I have thoroughly enjoyed eating seasonally-available foods since spring but there are some things that are available year-round that I am not loving much anymore. I can not eat another egg! That feeling put me in a jam yesterday for breakfast. I HAD to have my Bob’s Red Mill muesli! Some may argue that I should have had Mu Mu Muesli because it is produced locally. However the ingredients are not local so I somewhat feel as though that doesn’t count, though I LOVE SUPPORTING LOCAL COMPANIES, PRODUCERS, ETC. And I will vouch that Mu Mu Muesli is delicious!

Being at work on my locavore diet has been challenging. I had to ignore my Cajun-spiced pumpkin seeds and my licorice. I am a grazer; I think it’s a product of being an athlete and bordering hypoglycemic. I generally eat 4-6 small meals a day. I found it SO odd yesterday that I didn’t need to graze. I was totally satiated by ¾ cup muesli with rice milk for breakfast and then 1 ½ cups of my quinoa with local veggies for lunch. Granted I did have a BIG cup of iced black tea and the caffeine could have been suppressing hunger. I didn’t even want my yummy gluten-free allowable chocolate chip cookies. When I arrived home from work yesterday, I had my local peach that I forgot to eat at work. And then I reheated the homemade chicken soup for dinner and made a beet, goatcheese spicy greens solely-locally produced salad. Gotta love the yellow and red/white striped beets from Wyllie Fox Farm! The goat cheese and spicy greens came from Monarch Farm. And Brent’s client tipped him with some local beer. I only had a few sips, but it was tasty! So, I’ve decided my five non-local ingredients can rotate by the day. Monday, my non-local five were: muesli, rice milk, quinoa, black tea, and the rice that was in the chicken soup.

Today, I had muesli again. And I had quinoa salad again for lunch. I had my peach at work in the mid-afternoon and two of my gluten-free cookies. Then I strength trained and was soooooooooooo hungry after the fact that I had to have some of my gluten-free pretzels with the baba ganoush. So, there goes my five non-local foods: muesli, tea, rice milk, quinoa, cookies, pretzels and baba ganoush! Oops-that’s seven! Good thing my dinner was entirely local: local chorizo sautéed with local red onion, over baked butternut squash with dried oregano from my herb garden and other spices (shhh…not local) like cumin and cayenne. I’m about ready to have a couple of slices of local cantaloupe and then to bed I go! I have leftover dinner for lunch tomorrow. But dinner might have to be a trip to Empire Brewery!

Local chicken soup with local beet medley, goat cheese, spicy baby greens salad!

Local chorizo with local green chard, local red onion, over local butternut squash!

Locavore Challenge Days 1 and 2

2010-09-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

I am attempting to be a locavore for an entire week. I’m on Day 2 and it is HARD! I am partaking in the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)’s Locavore Challenge. It’s happening for the entire month of September. You can choose to be a locavore for a day, a week, or a month. When I first learned of this challenge back in July, my intention was to do it for an entire month, but then I remembered that I had the Montreal Marathon in September. There’s no way I’d be able to melt into the magic of Montreal if I had to scout out only local food. Brent and I opted the challenge for a week.

If you would’ve asked me a week ago how much of my food is local, I would’ve confidently replied “About 90 %.” Wrong! I’m only now realizing this. So, for this challenge, we’re allowed to select five non-local foods to have in our food repertoire. That was easy for me: quinoa, brown rice (as athletic as Brent and I are, we need grains to sustain us), tea, my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix, and chocolate.

Day 1:
So yesterday, I started to prepare a homemade tomato soup. This was my first time peeling tomatoes! Oh my goodness, I was like a kid tying her shoes for the first time! Success! But then I started adding ingredients and looked at my spice cabinet, dismayed that so few of my spices are local. Fortunately in the locavore challenge, spices don’t count; they have a Marco Polo rule. After cooking though, I had to expand that rule to include ANYTHING that I use to season my food with (and sadly it’s a long list: vinegars, several spices (like asafetida powder), lemons, broths, yikes! At any rate, my homemade tomato soup was so delicious with a dozen fresh, local heirloom tomatoes (thanks to Wyllie Fox Farm). I wanted to have grilled cheese sandwiches with the soup. Ugh—Bread! And I can only eat sourdough; I get hives when I eat any other type of bread. Brent and I scoured the market looking for sourdough bread with flour that was made locally. The closet we could get was Vermont, but the vendor made us aware that there “could be some North Dakota flour mixed in there.” We’re trying. We used a local sharp cheddar cheese. Yum!

Day 2:
Breakfast was easy. We had local eggs, with local goat cheese, with chives from my herb garden and leftover local eggplant parm (oops the tomato sauce was not local, but I guess that can count as a seasoning?), and the semi-local sourdough bread toasted. Lunch was my yummy quinoa, corn, cucumber salad. And the corn and cukes were local! Dinner is cooking in the crockpot right now. Homemade chicken and rice soup with a local organic chicken, wild rice, local carrots, celery (shoot that’s not local either, but it is organic!), local garlic, and lots of chives and parsley from my herb garden!

Two days almost done! Five to go! Stay tuned! Definitely contact me if you’re up for this challenge!

Simplicity: A Lifestyle

2010-09-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it crazy how complicated we make our lives through technological advances? The things that are supposed to make our lives “easier,” can in fact make our lives less meaningful. Think of all of your acquaintances; they all have mobile phones, right? And many, if not all, have Blackberries or other email-functioning mobile devices. This is just one example of how technology dominates our lives.

Americans are seduced into thinking that we need these items in order to be satisfied. Think of how many young lives are sucked up by video games. Think of how many miles are put on our vehicles. Think of hours used in cyber world.

I challenge you all to try to simplify your lives some. Go back to basics. Spend time “in person” with your close friends as opposed to skyping with them! Encourage your kids to “go outside and play.” Play with them! Fly a kite!

This reflection was inspired by a new Canadian friend that Brent and I met in Montreal. Francois owns a Bed and Breakfast. He and his wife Isabelle opted to make this their career so they could spend more time with their two children. Francois mentioned several facets of their lives that I admire and each facet revolves around the notion of simplicity. Here are just a few.

1.) His children are given a choice to either go outside and play or play an educational game on the computer (no Wii in this family)! They choose outside almost every time!
2.) The family owns only one car and they use it sparingly.
3.) Many of their friends take holidays to far-away places like Cuba. They stay close-to-home generally.
4.) They bring LIFE to their home with COLOR as opposed to material objects. One immediately feels at peace merely by looking at the walls.
5.) The family takes strolls through parks together.

Don’t let technology interfere with your life. Yes, I am usually writing about food and encouraging you to feed yourself this nutrient or that nutrient and I’m also telling you to avoid this toxin or that toxin. Remember though, that relationships are of primary importance to your health. So too is nature. You can experience both by simplifying your life a bit. Turn your computer off now and go get a coffee with a chum!

A Clutter-Free room makes a Clutter-Free Mind!

I have Converted...to a Container Gardener

2010-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

If you told me last summer that I’d be growing a container garden of tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, mint, parsley, basil, cilantro, sage, lavender, thyme, tarragon, rosemary, and chives, I’d laugh hysterically. I do not have a green thumb at all. But, I’m attempting to develop one. This summer, I grew all of the above. Some of my growing was successful; some was not. For those items that were not successful, I’m learning what to do next year and I’m eager for the challenge. I’m open to ANY suggestions on how I can transform this thumb of mine into a bright-and-shining shade of green.

My Outdoor Garden:

Tragedy # 1: I was way too enthusiastic! I planted my bell peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs the second week in May. We had two frosts in May. During the first one, Brent and I carried the plants indoors. YIKES! What a workout. During the second frost, we were away, which resulted in the deaths of my pepper plants, parsley, and cilantro.

Tragedy # 2: Mr. Groundhog. He had quite the obsession with my zucchini flowers. I sprinkled my dog’s fur around our plants, put up ugly windmills to frighten him, sprayed vinegar, etc. I didn’t ever see him again, but my zucchini never did grow (I should probably mention they were free as part of the Finger Lakes Wine + Herb Tour…I’ll decline the plants next time).

Tragedy # 3:

Not enough drainage. I was intelligent and drilled holes in all my plant pots...and lined the bottom with pebbles for helpful drainage…except Brent did not properly drill holes in my plum tomato pot…I got three lone tomatoes from that plant!

Tragedy # 4:

Beatles! They’re back and they’re big and gross! They love my basil. Oddly, they would go through phases; one week they’d munch away, the next week they wouldn’t. I was still able to make tons of pesto, so this was the mildest of tragedies.

Okay, on a positive note, I did get over a dozen yummy tomatoes, plenty of parsley, a lot of basil, and a decent amount of mint.

My Indoor Garden:

My little herb box contained chives, thyme, tarragon, mint, and sage. I have a separate lavender plant and a separate rosemary plant. All get plenty of drainage and sunlight. I think I didn’t tug enough at the roots of my chives, tarragon, or thyme seedlings before planting them because they didn’t live very long.

What I love about indoor herb gardens is that I can attempt to grow all year long! I better re-pot my lavender soon too because it is outgrowing its pot!

All in all, a positive experience. And few things are as therapeutic as digging in dirt, especially after a long day at work!

Sadie's fur and this flower windmill did seem to scare the groundhog away!

My window herb box looked so lovely until the chives and tarragon kicked the bucket!

I suspect that this gigantic beetle ate my basil. Here, he/she's munching on our grape vine!

Isn't this tomato a beauty? I'm so psyched that I grew this!

You Ain't Gonna Find a Cucumber Like This at Whole Foods

2010-07-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first discovered Whole Foods; it was the summer of 1999, a few years before I began my adventure into holistic nutrition counseling. I was in complete awe of the fruit and vegetable arrangements; the beauty of the peppers in orange, red, yellow, and green stacked to perfection astounded me. I had a friend who lived near Whole Foods and was completely irritated to learn that she couldn’t get Crisco there; I thought the concept was kind of cool and that was before I even learned that Crisco was nothing more than trans fat grossness!

So at first, I thought Whole Foods was pretty darn awesome even though it didn’t quite welcome those with budgets like mine; I was a graduate student after all and absolutely agreed with the nickname “Whole Paycheck.” As I began to learn the differences between organic and conventional vegetables and fruits, I developed an aversion toward Whole Foods. I could not BELIEVE that they made people believe that because they shopped there, they were eating healthier foods, when in fact, the majority of their food was pesticide-laden conventional foods. Yes, they do offer plenty of organic, but it’s not all organic.

At any rate, I recently bought the most delicious, organic cucumber I have ever had. Where did I get it? I bought it from my CSA, Wyllie Fox Farm, for $1.00. It was so big that I was able to use it in two different salads. Try this recipe. So delicious. And to think, you can get such a gorgeous cucumber for less than a cup of coffee, isn’t that great?

Brent shows off our awesome cucumber!!!

Shannon’s Dilly-Wonder Salad:

Ingredients:

SALAD

- 1 cucumber sliced thinly (or in the case of a cucumber as big as mine, you only need half)

- 5 cups baby salad mix

- 1 cup shredded carrot

- ½ cup chopped dill

DRESSING

- ¼ cup lemon juice

- 4 Tablespoons olive oil

- ¼ teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt

- 2 Tablespoons agave nectar

- Ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the salad ingredients together. Toss in the dressing.

I Heart My CSA

2010-07-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Each spring, I get super-psyched about my “CSA season,” which typically runs from June through November here in the Northeast. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture; its structure connects conscientious consumers to a local farmer. As a CSA member, you purchase a share of the farm and in return receive an abundance of seasonal produce every week throughout the CSA season.

I have been a member of three different CSAs: one in New York City, one in Easton, PA, and my newest CSA in my newest city of residence, Syracuse. I feel amazingly gratified to be able to say that my CSA, Wyllie Fox Farm, just received its USDA organic certification! The USDA has many specifications for farmers who choose to become officially organic and the process of becoming legally organic is so arduous that many farmers choose not to apply for the certificate. In order to become USDA certified organic, a farm has to refrain from using synthetic pesticides or fertilizers; they can not use plastic mulches, they can not use non-organic transplants; they are not allowed to use any synthetic materials in their washing, handling, and storing of the produce; the list goes on and on. But Jamie and Maggie Edelstein work very hard to meet the USDA certified organic specifications.

Here is an example of a large share! So many greens! And rhubarb!

(wait until you find out what I did with THAT!)

Brent and I had the great pleasure of visiting the farm and celebrating their certification. They’re totally GREEN! For example, the plastic that they use for their high tunnels is recycled; it came from farmers who no longer need high tunnels. The farm equipment appears archaic, but hey, it does the job; they feel no need to get the “latest and greatest” farm equipment.

We are thrilled about our CSA! We’re splitting it with a friend so it’s only costing us $275 a season. $275 for 20 weeks! That comes out to $13.75 a week. What a deal for the freshest, local, organic produce!

Picking Local Organic Strawberries and Why!!!

2010-06-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

The beauty of local-organic produce!

Hello everyone. I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog. Expect updates probably more than once a week for the next 3-5 weeks because I have a plethora of blogs floating around in my head not-so-patiently waiting to be released to the virtual world.

This blog is about local, organic strawberries and my adventure picking them here in Central New York. On Tuesday, June 15, my brother Shawn and his adorable 4-year old son Blaze and a few of our friends headed out to Cobblestone Valley Farm to pick strawberries after work.

When we arrived at Cobblestone Valley Farm, there were several other pickers of all ages; a neat sight to see! We had our buckets weighed and were ready to go. The first two rows of about 10 rows in total were ready to be picked. I hadn’t been strawberry picking since I was a kid and I never remember it being so much work. I very well could have been more of a strawberry-pointer-outer like Blaze as opposed to a strawberry picker. We picked for an hour and a half straight leaving my hands all scratched up and my back achin’ from hunching over. Let me tell you, I admire those who do this for a job. I can not imagine doing this all day long; it saddens me that so many farm workers in the United States get paid such low wages for this intensive work and for those who work on non-organic farms, they have a major health risk with pesticide exposure. A great organization that promotes social justice for farm workers is located here.

At any rate, I did end up with four pounds of strawberries for only $10---what a deal and I was ecstatic about the fact that they were organic. I will only eat strawberries if they are organic; if they are not organic, chances are that they are extremely contaminated with pesticides. The Environmental Working Group ranks strawberries as one of the dirty dozen, which you should always buy organic. Print out the shoppers guide to pesticides in produce here.

I will be enjoying these strawberries for weeks in my smoothies!

The strawberries I picked were so delicious. Brent and I enjoyed some fresh and froze a bunch. Our smoothies have never been so delicious! Thank you Cobblestone Valley Farm! If you live in Central New York and want local, organic strawberries---give them a call (607-749-4032) and see if they still have strawberries available. Their website says they may have them available through July 4^th

No matter where you live, visit pickyourown.org to find berry picking farms near you! In the Northeast United States, the next available berries will be blueberries (July-August). Have fun! When you go local, you are supporting farmers right in your own community; it doesn't get much better than that.

June 5th Farmers Market Trip

2010-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

I can’t imagine changing my Saturday morning routine; honestly, it is the highlight of my week. I wake up at the break of dawn (who knew a night owl like me could acclimate to such a schedule?). I go to my triathlon practice. After that, on my way home, I stop at the Central New York Regional Farmer’s Market. Parking is a %$&^* at this hour, but it’s worth it. I bring a couple of my shopping tote bags and I load up. For the longest time, I only bought my produce at farmers markets; I thought I couldn’t afford paying an extra buck for each dozen of eggs and I didn’t even want to investigate meat prices. The truth of the matter is that my food budget has not increased and I feel healthier than ever.

And I’m supporting local farms---how can I NOT feel good about that? Here’s what I bought this past Saturday:

A pint of strawberries - $4 (SO DELICIOUS)

A HUGE bunch of spinach $5 (think 2-3 of those bags you buy at the grocery store)

A bunch of organic asparagus $3

A pint of snow peas $2

1.5 pounds of wild-caught Washington State salmon - $13.75

(I’ll elaborate below—the BEST!)

Pint of local vanilla yogurt from grass-fed cows $4.25

(not much more than Stonyfield Farms)

Two dozen of free-range eggs $5 (yummy omlettes)

A total of six basil plants for my garden $7 (hope I can make lots of pesto this year)

Garlic-lemon chevre $5 (my favorite EVER--a huge log of it)

3 small organic zucchinis $1 (what a deal—I should have bought more)

The total = exactly $50

I purchased all of that food for what it generally costs for Brent and I to have a meal out. And this food covers probably close to 80 % of our food for the week. Brent made a phenomenal grilled salmon pictured here. Strawberries with my homemade granola and yogurt is sensational. I made a yogurt-mustard sauce for the asparagus. We used the spinach in this spinach, black-eyed pea and wild rice vegetarian dish that we love so much. Eating this way is SO SO SO fun. Thank you CNY farmers!!!

Pictured below: Photo 1 = grilled salmon marinated in cilantro, mango juice, lime juice, olive oil, splash of rice vinegar, ginger, and cumin. Photo 2 = glorious strawberries in the nude!

Book Review: FOOD RULES: AN EATER'S MANUAL By Michael Pollan

2010-06-03T19:33:00.001-07:00

I am so happy that Michael Pollan wrote Food Rules. If you have read my review of The Omnivore's Dilemma, you know that I found it to be quite thought-provoking and brilliantly written. Sadly, I have many clients who just can not dedicate time toward reading something so "dense." Food Rules is an awesome solution for those people. It is a wee 140 pages comprised of 64 rules and some pages have no more than 15 words on them! I swear!

Pollan's introduction is the only portion of the book that requires sit-down time. It's about 11 pages. Here, he sets the premise for the rules based on two truths.

FACT 1: Because of packaged foods, lots of meat, lots of sugar, and lots of refined flours (the main components of the Western diet) along with very little vegetables and fruit, populations who eat a Western Diet invariably suffer from Western disease including by not limited to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

FACT 2: Populations eating an extraordinarily wide range of traditional diets don't suffer from these diseases.

All of the rules throughout this book are fairly-easy-to-implement things to remember as far as what you should and shouldn't eat in order to get back to basics and achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Some rules I particularly like are:

Rule 19: If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

Rule 27: Eat animals that have eaten well. Animals that have access to green plants (grass) are much healthier--as it turns out, so are their meat and eggs!

Rule 39: Eat all the junk food you want, as long as you cook it yourself! I've lived by this rule for years and as it turns out, I'm rarely in the mood to cook junk food b/c I've come to love healthy food so much!

Rule 51: Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it. Slow down my friends! Savor it!

All and all, this book is a quick, informative read for beginners on the journey to sustainable eating and it serves many great reminders for those who have been on the journey for many years!

Thank you Michael for getting this news out there!!!

Sprouting Success and Update!

2010-05-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody,

I know, it's been well over a month since I've written. I have been busy with food, nutrition, and all the wonderful bits I like to share with you all--as a result, I will have plenty to update you with weekly. First of all, I want to inform you that I have had a sprouting success. It happened way back in April. I decided to sprout mung beans! Folks, they're so easy, and so delicious!!!

You take 1/4 cup of mung beans and soak them in a 2-cup size mason jar (fill the jar almost to the top). Close the lid and instead of using the jarring top, line it with cheese cloth. Soak for 24 hours. Drain well (the cheese cloth is an awesome strainer). Then each morning and each night, rinse the sprouting mung beans well. Be sure to drain well. I rest the jar on its side on a small shelf and then place a bowl under it to catch any excess water. In less than a week, you will have delicious sprouts!

The nutrients of sprouts compared to their non-sprouted counterpart increase exponentially. Here is a breakdown of the increase in nutrients that mung bean sprouts have compared to mung beans (source: sproutnet.com)

Energy content - calories	Decrease 15 per cent.
Total carbohydrate content	Decrease 15 per cent
Protein availability	Increase 30 per cent
Calcium content	Increase 34 per cent
Potassium content	Increase 80 per cent
Sodium content	Increase 690 per cent
Iron content	Increase 40 per cent
Phosphorous content	Increase 56 per cent
Vitamin A content	Increase 285 per cent
Thiamine or Vitamin B1 content	Increase 208 per cent
Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 content	Increase 515 per cent
Niacin or Vitamin B3 content	Increase 256 per cent
Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content	An infinite increase

I hope you all try this out! In my next blog update, you will learn about my container gardens!!!

Sprout your Way to Optimal Health!

2010-04-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I am extremely dedicated to sustainable eating. I devote much of my time to learning new ways to eat sustainably and to live green! My latest adventure has been sprouting! I am starting with fenugreek seeds and red lentils. The lentils are getting there (but I think they may not be working because they were "split" lentils). The fenugreek seeds became moldy! ACCCK! But you know me, I refuse to give up on this adventure. This weekend I will try lima beans and mung beans. You better believe that if I get them to sprout, I will share my images here!

I urge you all to try sprouting. It's an excellent way to get nutrients. Sprouted legumes and seeds have 700X the nutrients of their non-sprouted counterparts. They are phenomenal for antioxidants, fiber, and protein. They will be a necessary component of my spring detox (don't worry you can buy them at the store; you won't be required to make your own). If you do DARE, here's an excellent resource on how to start your sprouts!

My Favorite Fats # 2: Avocados!

2010-03-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

I can not even begin to count the number of times that I have had clients say that they stay away from avocados because of the fat content. Oddly for me, the avocado is one “fattening” food I haven’t ever feared; I think it’s partly because I feel so good after eating avocado. These days, I especially love it sliced on sprouted bread, with a little olive oil drizzled over it and some hot pepper flakes sprinkled on top! When I first met my husband, he turned me onto avocados; adding avocado and mango to a salad gives it so much life! It’s undoubtedly delicious even to those who are salad skeptics.

Avocados are high in oleic acid (also known as Omega 9), a mono-unsaturated fat that research has shown to help prevent heart disease and even cancer! As if that isn’t enough good news, avocados can actually help increase the absorption of nutrients from other vegetables! This is a concept I call nutrient fusion. For instance, a salad with lettuce, carrots, some spinach, and salsa is rich in carotenoids (example: beta carotene), which are extremely health-promoting. Add an avocado in your salad, and you automatically increase your body’s ability to absorb those nutrients! Why? Because these catotenoids are lipophilic (which means they are soluble in fat, not water); if you eat them along with a healthy fat, like avocados, you enhance their bioavailability! A 2005 study published in the Journal of Nutrition proves this point. Adding avocado to salad increased absorption of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein 7.2, 15.3, and 5.1 times higher, respectively, than the average amount of these carotenoids absorbed when avocado-free salad was eaten. Amazing stuff, isn’t it!

Supermarket Blues

2010-03-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Usually, I write enthusiastically and I attempt to inspire and encourage you all to jump on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon. I apologize in advance that this blog entry is more of a blues-song-type entry. It’s going to be a free-write of complaints, but knowing myself, I may just be able to turn it around in the end.

I hate grocery shopping; I really do! If I had my druthers, I’d live on a farm and grow my own food and would barter with nearby farmers for various organic goodies. But, we can’t all live that way; it’s quite unrealistic. And the urbanite in me would miss the city!

Why do I hate grocery shopping though? Because I’m CONSTANTLY reminded of how our food is so chemical-based, so industrialized. I’m sorry, but the thought of eating food that’s packaged in an assembly line grosses me out. I want food that is as natural as can be; that’s given to us from Mother Earth. Food is supposed to nourish us, not poison us!

I cook almost all of my meals and I do get the majority of my food from the farmer’s market, but like you, I’m busy and I need some easy options. The other night my husband mentioned this cannellini bean, collard green, and rice recipe I used to make with Trader Joes Goddess Dressing. Well, we no longer live in driving distance to a Trader Joe’s. I can’t tell you exactly what’s in Trader Joe’s goddess dressing, but I’m a manic label reader so when I used to get it, it had to have been of decent quality.

My search for a healthy goddess dressing, or ANY dressing for that matter was so horribly disappointing! Soybean oil as the first ingredient---c’mon, if we want non-homemade dressing, we have to poison ourselves with genetically modified soy? And if it did not have soybean oil, it had canola oil, which is such a scam. Canola isn’t even a plant; this oil comes from the rape seed and the company who created it (Mazola) created it in Canada, so they called the oil a more appealing name, canola oil! What happened to good ol’ heart-healthy olive oil? To my dismay, I had to make this dish without goddess dressing, but it still tasted delicious with dulse and herbes de Provence sprinkled in it for flavor!

That was such a disappointing trip to the super market. And don’t even get me going about breads. High-fructose corn syrup? Enriched wheat flour? How much more processed can they get? I stick to the bakery for now, but I’m inspired to go back to my bread-making days! And all the pre-packaged hummus out there is made with canola oil! C’mon! I remember when they used to make it with olive oil! But canola (ummm…I mean rape seed) is genetically modified, government subsidized and cheaper, so they use that instead! So, needless to say, I have befriended my food processor and make my own hummus again!

It’s hard, isn’t it? When you prioritize your health, you have to devote a lot of time to it! BUT if we consumers keep demanding QUALITY, maybe we will see the tide turn! Maybe we can start a revolution!!! Please join me in these efforts! And if you know of a non-homemade quality goddess dressing or hummus, comment here and let us all know! And all you Californians and residents of super-eco-conscientious communities, I envy you! I even miss my NYC days and the abundance of natural health resources!

My Favorite Fats #1: Olive OIl

2010-03-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

As I promised back in December, I will be blogging about my favorite fats in 2010. I have tons of favorite fats, so hopefully that will translate into tons of interesting blogs for you all!

Let me first give you a brief background of my history with fat. I used to be terrified of fat! I have been a competitive runner since the age of 12 and all throughout my adolescent years, I abhorred the idea of eating fattening food: my diet was extremely unhealthy basically consisting of bagels and bananas. Through college, my repertoire expanded a bit, but still, I would steer clear of fat. I remember dining out with a professor and several students who were in my honors class and I ordered a salad without dressing. It was at that point I realized I had a problem. I wasn’t full-fledged anorexic, but my eating was certainly disordered!

With the encouragement of my boyfriend at the time, I invited more food into my life. He was a fantastic cook and introduced me to homemade hummus. I loved it so much. And the ingredient that made it so delicious? Olive oil, of course!

I soon became an olive oil snob of sorts. I would buy specialty bottles of olive oil and began making salad dressings with it. I started cooking with it. I would even dip bread in it for a snack! To this day, I use olive oil almost daily. My husband and I go through a large bottle every 4-6 weeks.

Let me tell you something. When I first began eating olive oil and incorporated more fat and protein in my diet in general, I felt far less fatigued. I felt focused and strong. A few years ago, my mom found out she had alarmingly high cholesterol levels. I convinced her to stop frying food in corn oil or butter and use olive oil. That was the only major health change she welcomed and guess what? Her cholesterol levels are now within a normal range! For that, how can I NOT love olive oil?

Himalayan Salt Lamps for Mood Balance

2010-03-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

I love the color orange. It's so soothing; my husband and I are currently looking for the perfect shade of orange for our living room! We've sampled three so far and will be sampling a fourth before we make our final choice. It will sure be an improvement from our pesto green colored wall that came in our home!

Himalayan salt lamps are a nice shade of orange and it is not only the color that produces positive effects on mood, but it is also the composition. Salt emits negative ions. In order to understand how negative ions can uplift your mood, think of nature's sources of negative ions: moving air in the mountains, the air after thunderstorms, crashing surf at the beach, waterfalls, and other moving bodies of water. All scenarios seem to create a feeling of peacefulness.

I recently wrote an article about Himalyan salt lamps for N.E.E.D.S. It's a great way to brighten up your dull office or cubicle. I suggest plants too! Bring some life into your office space and watch your mood elevate! It's a great thing to do this time of year for all of you in the North East when winter drags you down!

How NOT to Neglect Fruit and Veggies

2010-02-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Do you ever go an entire day without eating more than maybe one or two meager servings of fruit and veggies? I have! Once you’re used to nourishing your body, the effects of fruit and veggie neglect can feel awful rather quickly…slumping energy levels, major lack of motivation (do I really need to go the gym today?), and tendency to downward spiral into an unhealthy eating pattern every day. Don’t allow this to happen to you! Here are some easy ways to get in your fruits and veggies.

• Add berries to your morning cereal.

• Add sliced cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, parsley, or cilantro to your sandwiches.

• Keep a fruit bowl filled with seasonal fruit in your home and at your office.

• If you have limited time to whip up a healthy dinner, do the pasta thing, but add shredded carrots and shredded zucchini. This is one reason why I have fallen in love with my Cuisinart food processor.

• Keep some dried fruit on hand (make sure they are sulfate-free); have them combined with some raw nuts to keep your blood sugar balanced.

• Aim for originality when snacking. Lately, I’ve been buying the pre-washed and trimmed snap peas, which I keep at the office and eat with hummus.

• Try juicing or smoothie making! I do this whenever I need a major veggie or fruit boost. Awesome for detoxing after a weekend of unhealthy eating (or drinking).

Alice Waters on Nutrition

2010-02-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Alice Waters is such an inspiration and she GLOWS, so you know she walks her talk! Here's a recent quote from her: "We need to protect the planet because that is the source of our food. It is unimaginable to me that people could think about global warming without talking about food, because 40 percent of the emissions--the bad kind--come from the wrong sort of farming, ranching, and distribution of food around this planet. So if we were all to be asked to support the people who take care of the land, to buy our food carefully with intention, then I think we could make a dramatic difference." Read more about Alice Waters' edible school yard here.

Do you get the 3:00 Slump? Solution: Shannon's Grain Bliss

2010-02-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

Many of my clients complain about fatigue they experience every work day around 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. That's generally when they reach for their second or third cup of coffee or caffeine of choice. By reconfiguring their lunches, I have probably helped well over 100 people to overcome this incredibly unpleasant slump! If you experience this slump, look at your lunches. Are you getting enough complex carbs (such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, wheat berries)? What about lean proteins? You need BOTH for energy!! An easy answer could be a turkey sandwich on sprouted bread (rich in protein and fiber). A tastier option is Shannon's Grain Bliss. I make this occasionally on Sundays and blend it in with green salads throughout the week. It's tasty on it's own too. It's yummy served warm or cold!

SHANNON's GRAIN BLISS!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry red lentils soaked overnight
1 cup wheat berries soaked overnight
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 can "no salt added" organic chickpeas
1/3 cup Israeli couscous

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons Tamari
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 Tablespoon hot sauce

Boil the wheat berries for 2-3 hours until tender in huge pot of water. Drain.
Cook lentils in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Bring just over 1/2 cup of water to boil. Add couscous. simmer for 5-8 minutes until couscous is cooked and all water is soaked up.

Mix all ingredients. Combine all dressing ingredients. Stir well. Pour over grains and mix well!

Buffalo for Dinner: My Buffalo-Turkey Meatloaf

2010-02-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

Many of my friends are still in shock that I consume meat at all so announcing that I had buffalo freaked many out to an extent. My recipe creations are based on the combination of taste and health. The food has to qualify as delicious and has to be healthful. I get it right most of the time. Of course, I won’t be publishing a blog about the rice pilaf that I burned or even the grilled healthy turkey Ruben sandwiches I made whereby the bread stuck to the pan and the sandwich was no longer consumable as a sandwich (fork and knife were required)!

Anyway, back to buffalo! It’s so good for you! It’s a great alternative to beef. It’s leaner than beef. It contains very high levels of the fat-blocker and anti-carcinogen, conjugated linolaic acid (CLA). CLA can help prevent cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders. Buffalo is also high in iron and vitamin B12.

I decided to make a meatloaf using ground turkey and ground buffalo. It was delicious! This recipe is easy and uses a lot of ingredients that I tend to have on-hand in the pantry.

Ingredients:

8 ounces ground buffalo
8 ounces ground turkey
1 egg whipped well
1 1/4 cup Trader Joe's bread crumbs
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 cup Newman's Own medium salsa (separated into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)
5 mushrooms chopped in small pieces
1 small onion chopped and sauteed in olive oil
3 cloves of garlic minced

Directions:

Mix all ingredients well, reserving ¼ cup of salsa. Form into 9X4 bread pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 375. Pull out spread ¼ cup salsa on the top and bake for 20 more minutes! Voila1 I served this with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Bloomberg to Require Restaurants to Reduce Salt!

2010-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

New York City has been a model to follow when it comes to health initiatives. First it was no smoking in restaurants, and then no trans fats, and now watching the salt shaker. Mayor Bloomberg announced this week that he will take on the salt enemy with restaurants. This brings me much relief. Salt is a major risk factor when it comes to heart disease and for me, I find that often, "too much salt" is my only complaint at fine NYC restaurants. This move could lead to better health in a city where many people eat nearly all of their meals out.

Fight Depression with a Mediterranean Diet

2009-12-31T10:03:00.001-08:00

So often people ask me what type of diet I follow. My eating style certainly doesn't fit "neatly" into any category, but if I had to classify it, I would have to say that it is a combination of clean and Mediterranean. I consume an abundance of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, and olives are my friends!

It makes perfect sense that the Mediterranean Diet helps fight depression. It is an extremely balanced and healthy way to eat. Naturally, if your diet is balanced and healthy, you feel more balanced mentally. Trust me, I know. Run into me after a few days of not eating optimally; I am not the most pleasant person (you can ask my husband!!). Also, monounsaturated fats are high in the Mediterranean Diet and these fats are shown to be excellent for brain health. STAY TUNED FOR "MY FAVORITE FATS" series. In 2010, I will be contributing at least one blog a month on my favorite fats. Why? Because many of you are afraid of fats; I once was too. Not anymore; I couldn't imagine my life without them. You'll learn why next year!

Meanwhile, check out this summary about the study that explored the connection between the Mediterranean Diet and Depression:

Mediterranean Diet Helps Prevent Depression
The benefits of eating the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease risk are well known. Now it appears that adhering to this dietary pattern also may prevent incidence of depression. Researchers at University Las Palmas in Spain followed 10,094 individuals for four years who, at study entry, were not depressed. Those people who adhered the most to the Mediterranean diet through the study period had a 30-percent lower incidence of depression than individuals who did not. The Mediterranean diet consists of low meat intake, moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products, and high intake of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, and fish. The researchers found dose-response relationships for fruits and nuts, the monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratio, and legume intake.Archives of General Psychiatry 2009;66:1090-1098.

Powerful Parsley!

2009-12-17T16:44:00.001-08:00

Are you looking for a quick antioxidant kick and aren't the biggest veggie lover on the planet? Great news!! Consuming parsley is just as good for you as those leafy greens you often hear me preach about (kale, boy choy, collards, and arguula). Parsley is high in Vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and folate. Perhaps more important is the fact that parsley contains volatile oils and flavonoids, which protect our cells against oxidative damage. We could all use this protection. All of us are exposed to toxins on a daily basis (thanks to industrialization and processed foods) and these toxins damage our cells. We also create stress on our cells by doing healthy things, like exercising!

Try parsley in your diet today! It's great with fish and poultry. Awesome in soups! I have even used it as a "main green" in my salads!

A Homemade Thai Meal for a Hectic Life

2009-11-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

People sometimes have this misconception that I cook intricate, time-consuming, healthy meals every single night. Unfortunately, I do not; like many of you, my lifestyle is not conducive to that. I have a 9-5 job in addition to my holistic health counseling practice, my daily exercise regimen, and important relationships that I nouirsh. There are only so many hours in the day!

I'm very conscientious about not consuming a lot of packaged foods, but there are some options that are free of crazy additives. For this recipe, I use Trader Joe's light coconut milk and Thai Kitchen's red curry paste. Isn't that great that even the simplest meals can be healthy?! I like whipping up this Thai dish. So simple.

Shannon's Simplest Thai
(Serves two)

Get your rice cooker going with 1 cup brown rice and 2 cups of water!
Chop 2 heads of broccoli into small florets.
Steam the broccoli for 8 minutes
Meanwhile, rinse 18 pre-peeled and deveined shrimp
Chop 3 cloves of garlic into tiny pieces
Sautee garlic in 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil for 1 minute.
Add shrimp and cook until it turns pink.
Toss in broccoli.
Mix 1 Tablespoon of Thai red curry paste with 1/2 cup of lite coconut milk and pour over shrimp and broccoli.
Serve on top of rice. Voila!

WHY NOT TO CONSUME SOY

2009-11-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Many of you already know that I am not a huge fan of soy. In fact, it really irks me when companies promote and tout soy as an ever-so-amazing health food. It's not; not the way we have come to use it here. Most soy products on the market today are genetically engineered--government subsidies have enticed farmers to convert many of their crops from “real food” to soy. What does this mean for food manufacturers? Because soy is a subsidized crop, it is CHEAP, so all packaged food companies jump on it and USE it! It is hard to find a packaged food product that does not contain soy.

Soy has harmed me personally. I was a vegetarian for 12 years. As I launched my career in holistic health back in 2002, I was simultaneously suffering from severe abdominal cramps that would at times paralyze me. After eliminating foods, I found that when I didn't eat soy, I didn't get those abdominal cramps! I had a soy intolerance! It was then that I became skeptical of soy. I learned that it wasn't healthy after all; that it raises estrogen levels and that because it's genetically engineered (when it's not organic), it can create a whole host of problems.

Interestingly, when I consumed soy, I had a horrible problem with ovarian cysts...and guess what? High levels of estrogen cause cysts! These days, I have eliminated all foods that have high estrogen levels (no more morning cups of Joe).

Today, seven years after my departure with soy, research continues to reveal the dangers in excess soy consumption. The latest: consuming large amounts could have harmful effects on female fertility and reproductive development.

I advise you to keep your soy consumption in check. If you are going to have it, choose the fermented types such as miso or tempeh and make sure it's organic! If you want to read more about the latest soy research, check out this article from Environmental Health News.

Soup Therapy

2009-10-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I had one of those REALLY long days at work, where somehow, a million distractions came my way, and at the end of the day, my "To Do" list had maybe one or two things (out of 20 +) crossed off. I came home that night, and all I could think about was making a soup. Sometimes I am in no mood to make soup, as it does require a lot of effort (chopping and so forth). But there are times, when I think the meditative motions of chopping, slicing, peeling, etc. can be extremely therapeutic. I made this borscht recipe and served it warm with grilled cheese(organic local sharp cheddar on local multigrain). It's autumn and what better way to feed your body than with an antioxidant-rich soup? With the swine flu scares, we need to keep our immune systems strong!!! So this was a double-dose of therapy for me. Making the soup and consuming it!

Thanks to my friend Judy for sending me this recipe!

Russian Vegetarian Borscht

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used extra virgin olive)
1 tablespoon butter (I used ghee)
1 onion, chopped (didn't have an onion, so I didn't use it)
3 medium size carrots, peeled and sliced (I used 5--more vitamin A)
1 small parsnip, cut into thin 2-inch strips (I used 3)
3 medium size beets, cut into thin 2-inch strips
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced (I used 6 cloves---great anit-viral properties)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar (no sugar for me)
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used 8 cups Pacific Mushroom broth)
1 small cabbage, cut into 2-inch chunks
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 4)
1/4 cup tomato puree (I used 1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (no salt as there was some in the broth)
1/4 cup Balsamic or red wine vinegar
Sour cream for accompaniment (I used yogurt)
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat and saute onion, carrots, parsnip and beets until onion is translucent.Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Add broth, cabbage, potatoes and tomato puree, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. To serve: Ladle cold soup into bowls and place a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) on top.
Serves 6.

Befriending the Netti Pot and Epsom Salts

2009-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, the flu that is spreading like wildfire struck me! After several meetings with contagious co-workers, I contracted the flu despite my almost-obsessive efforts to prevent it (taking vitamin C, zinc lozenges, colloidal silver, vitamin A, eating tons of vegetables, and homemade chicken soup, washing my hands every half hour).

I had to live with Mr. Flu for about a week, but my symptoms were not nearly as severe as most people I know, probably due in part to avoiding sugar, drinking lots of kombucha, and continuing to eat a lot of vegetables.

The two things that comforted me the most were the Netti Pot and Epsom salts. Many grocery chains (like Whole Foods and Wegmans) as well as local health food stores sell Netti Pots. You fill it with warm water and add a teaspoon of sea salt (I’d add less at first because it can be harsh). You stand over a sink and tilt your head to one side, pouring the Netti into the nostril opposite the side you are tilting toward. The water will drain out the other nostril. And then repeat with the other nostril. This is such an effective method of decongesting your sinuses! Every night I took a hot bath, adding a cup of Epsom salts. Epsom salts have magnesium, which your skin will absorb, soothing aches and pains.

If you are struck with the flu, take good care of yourself. Nurse yourself back to better health; soon your blah feeling will be a distant memory!

Vitamin D for a Healthy Weight?

2009-08-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Most of us know that the amount of calories, fat, sugar, and fiber we consume combined with caloric expenditure (i.e., exercise) play a large role in weight loss. The latest news is that Vitamin D plays a role in weight loss too. Turns out women with low levels of Vitamin D in their blood tend to be, on average, 16.3 pounds heavier than those women who have a sufficient amount of Vitamin D.

It's very difficult for your body to access vitamin D through food. Some food choices that help your body to produce vitamin D include: salmon, egg yolk, and fortified foods. Your body is better able to manufacture vitamin D when it is exposed to the sun for 10-15 minutes a day without sunscreen. Who knew?

Five Healthy, Tasty Alternatives to Common Food Choices

2009-08-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

We all hear about healthy alternatives to unhealthy food choices, but sometimes the tradeoff is taste. Who would ever want to trade in a delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie for one of those 100-calorie snack packs? Here are five delicious healthy alternatives to not-so-healthy common food choices.

1. Swap Spaghetti Squash for Pasta

Spaghetti is made from refined durum flour; and though tasty, it is a carbohydrate that is lacking nutritious qualities. Whole wheat, brown rice, and even quinoa pastas are available as an alternative, but the taste is definitely an acquired one. Good news: spaghetti squash is a delicious alternative to pasta. It looks like spaghetti and even tastes like spaghetti. Here are just some of the amazing nutrition facts about spaghetti squash: it’s high in dietary fiber, high in vitamin C and even boasts a fair amount of niacin, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese.

2. Swap Quorn™-style Chicken for Chicken

Sometimes eating chicken just gets old. Quorn™ has a vegetarian chicken substitute, which has less cholesterol, fat, and calories and more fiber than poultry. It is made from mycoprotein, a natural protein found in mushrooms. Don’t get me wrong skinless chicken prepared properly is a nice lean protein, but the best news about quorn is that it lowers cholesterol. Their mock chicken products eerily resemble the real thing. I was a vegetarian for 12 years and developed a soy allergy; this product is excellent for vegetarians because it is soy and meat free!

3. Swap Fruit Juice and Seltzer for Soda

Did you know that 16 ounces of soda has more than 10 teaspoons of sugar? And diet soda isn’t the answer either; researchers have discovered that diet sodas though calorie-free can make you gain weight. I satisfy soda cravings by mixing a mere three ounces of fruit juice with 12 ounces of seltzer water. One juice I particularly enjoy using in my concoction is V8’s V-Fusion Acai Mixed Berry.

4. Swap Grilled Portobello Mushrooms for Hamburgers

Red meat is okay to consume on occasion, but consuming it regularly can lead to high cholesterol, weight gain, and in the long-term, heart disease. A recent study conducted by researchers at John Hopkins University found that replacing high-density foods like red meat with low density foods like mushrooms could fight obesity. Grilled Portobello mushrooms have a delicious meaty taste. If I can get my meat-loving husband to devour a Portobello burger, they must be scrumptious!

5. Swap Baked Sweet Potato French Fries for French Fries

French fries are one sure way to increase your waist line, especially when they’re deep fried. Why not try baking sweet potatoes, a much healthier option. A recovering French fry addict who I know finds these sweet potatoes fries to be just as satisfying. They’re easy to make too—preheat the oven to 450 and simply cut a sweet potato in ¼ inch strips (keep the skin on for fiber). Toss the strips in a teaspoon of olive oil. Scatter fries on a baking sheet, sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt over the fries and bake for 25 minutes or until crispy.

Shannon's Yummy Granola Bars

2009-07-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

I created this recipe a couple of years ago as an alternative to commercial nutrition bars. I could only stand the Lara Apple Pie bars for so much longer. Since creating these, I have shared them with athletes that I coach and also with kiddies that I teach...and both groups LOVE them. They are high in protein and fiber. I will say that they are slightly high glycemic, so not the best choice for those who have diabetes. However, endurance athletes need high glycemic carbs and a decent amount of protein immediately before, immediately after and during (especially you cyclists out there) exercise to keep the energy levels stable and to prevent glycogen depletition. This is also a great snack to take when hiking! Sticky, but fun!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 ¼ cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

- 1 ¼ cup brown rice kipsie cereal

- ½ cup oat bran

- 3 Tbs ground flax (optional)

- ¾ cups nuts of choice

(dry roasted slivered almonds work great as do chopped walnuts or pecans)

- ½ cup dried fruit of choice

(dried cranberries or cherries have been favorites among many..dried mango is great..and sometimes I'll add in 1/4 cup of dried coconut when I use the mango)

- 1 cup brown rice syrup

- 1/8 cup date sugar, beet sugar, succanat, or natural cane sugar

- 2 Tbs vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except for the last three. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, heat the brown rice syrup with the “somewhat-healthy” sugar of choice until it boils. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and mix well. Pour this over the dry mix and stir well. Pour the mixture into a non stick pan and flatten using a metal spatula with olive oil cooking spray sprayed on it. Let sit for 45 minutes and the cut into bars.

Pebbles and Blades of Grass in my Salad

2009-06-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

This post is more of a reflection than an informative or educational entry. This spring and summer, Brent and I have had the delight of having fresh, local greens every single day. We both agree that the local varieties of chard, arugula, mesclun, green leaf lettuce, spinach, and red leaf lettuce are the tastiest greens we have ever had. They're so fresh, crunchy, and juicy; and I swear you can taste their dense nutrient levels!

We get these greens from our local CSA and from our local Farmer's Market. We always wash these greens thoroughly as there will often be some residue of dirt, and occasionally some pebbles. I LOVE that! You can't get earthier than that; it makes me feel connected to this globe that we live on, nourished straight from the earth. So many people are disconnected from that.

Despite my thorough cleaning job, Brent and I will occasionally find blades of grass or pebbles in our salad. Thankfully, we still have all of our teeth. When I find a blade of grass or pebble in my salad, I smile thinking of this wonderful earth and hoping that organic farming will one day defeat industrial farming practices!

Cookbook Review: Growing Healthy Families: Cooking with Holistic Moms

2009-05-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Based on the title of this book, one might assume that the recipes are geared toward families and children. Yes, this book is a great resource for moms (and dads) who want to cook delicious but healthy meals for their families. However, by perusing through this book and trying out some of the recipes, I'd highly recommend this book as a cookbook staple for anyone interested in adapting a healthier lifestyle.

The book is a collection of recipes from moms who are part of the Holistic Moms Network , a national organization for moms who prioritize healthy living to be able to connect with one another. These are the recipe categories and some sample recipes from each category.

Appetizers & Beverages
- Roasted, Red Pepper, Asparagus, and Brie Quesadilla
- Homemade Chai
- Applesauce smoothie

Soups & Salads
- Chickpea Untuna Salad
- Angel Hair Beet Salad
- Carrot Ginger Soup

Vegetables & Side Dishes
- Easy garlic asparagus "fries"
- Chana Masala
- Baked Acorn squash with apple-walnut "stuffing"

Main Dishes
- Overnight Ham & Cheese Strata
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Salmon Noodle Casserole
- Black Bean Enchiladas
- Caramelized Chicken Breast

Breads & Rolls
- Butternut Squash Pecan Muffins
- Blueberry Gingerbread
- Banana Carrot Bread
- Cheddar Corn Bread

Desserts
- Almond Thumprint Cookies
- No-bake Cookies
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crunchy Sesme Candy

This & That
- Chicken and Brown Rice Puree Baby Food
- Play Dough
- Non-toxic Cleaners

As you can see, there is a wide-variety of recipes in this excellent 232-page resource. There are recipes for everyone: vegans, vegetarians, non-vegetarians, macrobiotics, raw food devotees, etc. For example, I am a semi-vegetarian (80 % of my diet is vegetarian; I occasionally eat meat and I rarely have dairy); while many recipes had too much dairy for my taste, I was still able to mark over 100 recipes that I wanted to try. And for those moms out there with picky eaters, there are dozens of recipes that deliciously disguise veggies.

I give this cookbook a two thumbs up! The book can be ordered here.

As Promised - My Betther than Rice-n--Beans Recipe

2009-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is a quick meal I prepared after becoming quite hooked on whole grains again during my quasi-10-day cleanse. Because I only had 1 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of millet in my pantry, I decided to mix the two and was extremely pleased with the result. This is better than rice any day! This meal was made with some healthy prepared foods (like canned beans and salsa), so it's excellent for those nights when you want to make something quick and easy. And don't let these whole grins intimidate you. They are widely available in most grocery stores, especially those with a decent organic section.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of millet rinsed
- 1 cup of quinoa rinsed
- 4 cups of water
- 2 cans Eden brand Aduki beans, drained
- 1 jar of organic salsa of choice (I like Newmans)
- 1 zucchini chopped in small cubes and steamed for 5 minutes

Directions: Bring quinoa, millet and water to a boil in water. Once boiling, turn to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes. Immediately transfer grains to a big mixing bowl and fluff with a fork. Add beans, salsa and zucchini, and voila! You can add a small amount of part-skim cheddar if you are a cheese fan…and put it in a tortilla if you are more in the mood for a burrito. Any way you have it; this is a tasty, easy way to get in good, hearty whole grains.

After the Cleanse

2009-05-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

So you’re almost done with your seasonal detox and you’re worried about getting back to your more familiar way of eating; perhaps you’ve been dreaming of chocolate chip cookies and you’re afraid that once you are “free” to eat as you please, you might indulge. Or maybe you’re afraid that once you start incorporating meat back into your diet, you might forget about the antioxidant and fiber rich veggies and whole grains.

The key to transitioning out of the detox/cleanse program is to use the cleanse as the foundation to your diet and slowly start supplementing other foods. Read your body—it’s the best barometer of your needs. How does it respond when you incorporate say, dairy, back into your diet? If it doesn’t respond pleasantly, then you know dairy is not for you and should be kept to a minimum in your diet. When you incorporate caffeine back into your diet, do you feel all jittery or to you feel easy going and cool?

I suggest keeping a food + body/mood response journal for the first few weeks after your cleanse; it will help tremendously and will still keep you in check…transitioning out of this structured diet should be slowed and controlled. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was eager to have a beer and chicken fingers once I completed my cleanse, and I did just that, but I waited for about five days and I felt fine. So if you are having a super strong craving, do wait a little bit and go easy with it. I had one beer and three chicken fingers…so tasty and fulfilling.

Here’s an example of my food + body response/mood journal the day after the cleanse:

Wednesday May 6: Post-Cleanse Day 1

8:00 AM: 1 cup millet with ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup chopped mangos + ¼ cup rice milk and 1-2 Tablespoons of agave nectar:

(SO YUMMY…feel energized for my workout)

9:15 AM- 11:00 AM…1 Hour spin class followed by 45 Minute tempo run on the treadmill with 3.0 grade…my first serious triathlon brick workout this season.

(Feeling tired-probably a little “much” after just coming off of my 10-day Detox)

11:15 AM: “Apple Pie” Lara Bar + 1 liter of water.

(I almost forgot what bars taste like…tasty and simple, the ingredients are merely dried fruit and nuts)

12:30 PM: 2 cups homemade lentil soup with carrot, onions, lentils, wild rice and cabbage. (hit the spot…I was craving smoothing warm…felt really nice…and my digestion is still working as well as it did through the cleanse)

3:30 PM: ½ banana chopped with 1 teaspoon sunflower seed butter on kamut cake

(tasty….needed a little energy increase…went for this instead of caffeine. but it’s not working. Ah, well)

6:30: Dinner: 6 ounces wild-caught haddock grilled (marinated with lemon juice, olive oil and ground pepper). 1 cup wild rice. Huge salad with mixed greens, grapefruit, fennel, cucumbers and shredded carrots with balsamic vinaigrette.

(Felt really full. had a hard time finishing salad...saved half of it)

8:30 PM: Starting to feel hungry---so rest of my salad

(Note to readers…my former go-to bed-time snack would be ½ cup kashi heart to heart cereal with rice milk)

I continue logging my nutrition and body/mood response and as a result, I’ve been able to set some “rules” for myself. I feel so in-touch with my body now. Rules don’t have to be followed strictly, but they help set the standard for your healthy lifestyle. Here are the rules I’ve come up with so far:

1.) No thank you to ice-cream. This past weekend while dining at a friend’s house, she offered ice-cream for dessert. It was a delicious rendition of Moose-tracks. I had a mere scoop and my intestines were quite peeved at me.

2.) As for caffeine…Try to start the day without it. Encourage myself to exercise first. If that wakes me up, great! If not, go for green tea…and if that doesn’t work…a teaspresso is okay. (Note: So far I have only had green tea once..and no teaspressos yet).

3.) Eat whole grains for at least two meals a day…It makes you feel good! (Wow, I can’t even say how grounded and satiated I feel with a cup of whole grains for breakfast and a cup of whole grains at lunch or dinner). I made the BEST “Better than Rice and Beans”---super quick and easy…using millet and quinoa…I’ll post the recipe on my blog very soon.

4.) Meat only three times a week…better if fish. (I’ve been loving eating vegetarian…and 3 seems like the perfect number for me. I have fish once or twice a week and then organic chicken once or twice a week. When I’m in a phase of my menstrual cycle where I need more iron, I’ll have grass-fed beef and fish).

5.) GET SLEEP! (The other night I was up working on an article and I went to bed at 2:00 AM and had to wake up at 7:30 AM the next morning…felt so off the next day…and craved packaged goodies)

6.) Raisins instead of gels on the bike. YUM and all natural!

7.) Keep doing sun salutations and meditation each morning. What a great way to start the day!

8.) Keep dry brushing after showering. My skin is super-thankful!

9.) No pasta or bread. Okay, well maybe good hearty breads for special occasions. (Note: I had whole wheat pasta the other night and felt really bloated after. I haven’t had bread yet and don’t really care to. No more sandwiches for lunch…salads (with grains) or soup instead and I feel great)

10.) As far as baked goods...they're permissible, but must be low-fat and homemade (I made strawberry muffins a couple days ago-YUM)

My Spring Cleanse of Sorts

2009-04-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I lead a spring cleansing and detoxification workshop at Easton Yoga. I presented three different types of cleanses that individuals could experiment with based on their current eating style, whether or not they cleansed before, and what would be possible for them to accommodate. I wanted everyone to acknowledge that a detox of any sort will reap a plethora of benefits. Detoxing is a gift you give to yourself.

As I am one who most certainly walks my talk, I started one of my detox programs myself. Even though my lifestyle and eating habits (lots of vegetables daily, little to no weekly alcohol consumption, no coffee consumption, little meat consumption, little dairy consumption, daily consumption of whole grains) qualifies me for my most stringent cleanse (mostly raw veggies and veggie juices), I chose to implement my most lenient cleanse (raw veggies and fruits, some whole grains, and steamed veggies with a savory sauce). And I chose to make the cleanse even MORE lenient by implementing more legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. This decision was practical for me. I am an athlete, so I need these complex carbohydrates and protein to fuel my running, biking and swimming. And I feel great!

How has my diet changed these past few days? No caffeine (I am quite astounded by the fact that I actually have MORE energy than ever). I am drinking even more water than usual. No processed foods and no animal products. I confess that I am missing my morning egg wraps. And my husband melted my heart when he ate a yummy Nature's Path pop tart in front of me yesterday. However, I feel vibrant and balanced.

Perhaps the most beneficial part of my cleanse has been the complementary practices. I have been doing sun salutations every morning. I have been dry brushing my skin after every shower. I have been reflecting more on all that I am grateful for (where I live, my family, my friends, my talents, my dog).

So when will I stop my cleanse? Probably soon. When my husband is finished with his semester at school, I think a toast with a nice frothy beer is due! And I may just have some chicken fingers as well!

Book Review: Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution

2009-04-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

This biography of Alice Waters, written by Thomas McNamee is absolutely phenomenal. Whenever I read a biography, I do so "with a grain of salt" because you can't assume that every bit and piece is true or in the appropriate context. So when reading biographies, I disregard anything that is remotely controversial or gossipy. With that said, there was very little gossip in this book. Sure there was some mentioning of people who didn't get along with Alice, but beyond that the book was a microscopic look at how a young Berkeley student revolutionized the GOOD food revolution in this country from the opening of her restaurant in 1971 to the creation of the Edible School Yard in recent years as well as creating the Yale University Sustainable Food Project.

How did one person's dream of prioritizing local fresh food become a reality? It all started in France (my most favorite country in the world). Alice studied abroad and was so awed by the deliciousness of the food. It was always fresh and always scrumptious. Alice wanted to replicate that quality of food here in the United States. With the help of several friends and family members, she opened Chez Panisse and for the past 38 years she has been serving local food in a classy gourmet French-inspired fashion. In fervor, she also applied the importance of local foods to children and young college students through the Edible School Yard and the Yale University Sustainable Food Project. She is such an inspiration. There were so many "opportunities" for her to give up but she kept marching on. I am certainly inspired by her. I give this book a "two thumbs up" for sure!!!

An Awesome Use for Bruised Bananas

2009-03-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have an affinity for bananas, but let me be more specific here: I have an affinity for barely ripe bananas . . . you know when they still have a hint of green? That’s how I love my bananas. When they start to freckle, I instantly become a banana hater. They’re way to sweet for my taste. I do love a mean banana bread, but this time of year banana bread doesn’t appeal to me. So I invented a new recipe . . . great for athletes . . . great for kids . . . great for people with diabetes. Why? Because the bananas replace the sugar in traditional cookie recipes. Try it out and let me know how you liked ‘em . . and I’m always interested in variations!

Ingredients:
- 3 freckled bananas blended into a liquid
- 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil (TRUST me, you won’t even taste the olive oil after they bake)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup tart dry cherries
- 3 cups Old Fashioned rolled oats

Directions.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Mix all dry ingredients except nuts and cherries. Add oil and toss to coat. Add banana liquid, nuts and cherries. Mix well. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the cookie mixture on a non-stick baking sheet (I wound up using two baking sheets, with six mounds on each). Spray olive oil spray on a metal spatula and flatten each mound a bit. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden.

Keep these refrigerated. They’ll last about 3 days this way, otherwise, they’ll go bad!

Book Review: The Paleo Diet for Athletes By Loren Cordain PhD and Joe Friel MS

2009-03-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have to begin this review by saying, as I often do, that no one diet works for everyone. Some people may need the discipline that diets provide; however, as humans we’re constantly evolving and what worked for us one year may not work for us today.

With that said, I have had several athlete clients ask me what I think of the Paleo Diet for Athletes. I read through it with my reviewer’s eye. There are parts of this nutritional formula that I think are critical to follow and then there are parts that I think could potentially hinder an endurance athlete’s performance, and more importantly provoke cardiovascular disease later in life.

The Paleo Diet for Athletes is structured in five stages: what one should eat right before exercise (Stage 1), what one should eat during exercise (Stage 2), what one should eat immediately after exercise (Stage 3), what one should eat within a couple hours of exercise (Stage 4) and what one should continue eating the rest of the day (Stage 5).

For Stage 1, pre-race, Cordain and Friel argue that the athlete simply needs 200-300 calories of a simple sugar and fluids. They recommend 2 gel packs. They claim that this will satisfy hunger, replenish glycogen from an overnight fast, reestablish normal body fluid levels, optimize performance and prepare the body to quickly recover after the workout. For pre-exercise their formula is essentially the same with added protein. They say that lower glycemic index carbs are okay if you have time to spare between eating and racing/exercising. They recommend an apple because it’s fructose and digits slowly. This is not necessarily true. Basically they “ban” complex carbs like oats, or whole grain toast. I think it is WAY too much of a risk to neglect complex carbs before a race especially. The speed at which muscular glycogen is used depends on the person…consuming whole grains and other sources of complex carbs is the primary way for an athlete to assure he has fuel in his tank. I have known too many athletes to bonk in the middle of the race because they had only simple carbs for breakfast.

For Stage 2, eating during exercise, the authors emphasize hydration and electrolyte consumption. They also emphasize the need for some protein (4:1 carb to protein ratio) in ultra-distance events. I agree with the authors for the most part here as the protein will prevent muscle wasting. However, the authors only emphasize getting nutrition from liquids. I disagree here. I think having a healthy bar, some fig Newmans, bananas, etc. in ADDITION to electrolyte drinks are important especially for cyclists whereby eating will not hinder their performance by cramping. The authors’ advice may work well though for runners.

For Stage 3, the authors emphasize again a 4:1 or 5:1 carb to protein food choice to replace lost carb stores and to re-synthesize protein damaged during exercise. They suggest going for a high glycemic carb to get the glucose to the muscles quickly. They also emphasize hydrating. I totally agree with this stage and even like the “homemade brew” that they suggest.

For stage 4, the authors recommend fruits, veggies and lean protein (sample meal = 6 oz. turkey breast, apple, grape juice, coffee). Stage 5 are similar suggestions with added healthy fats (from fish, nuts, etc.) every couple of hours. These stages I agree partly with. The goals are to maintain glycogen stores, balance maintain a healthy PH, optimize weight, and prevent or reduce inflammation. These stages fluctuate a bit during different stages of periodization but the goals and food suggestions are similar. I agree that healthy fats in Stage 5 are important and WILL reduce inflammation. I also think eating every couple of hours is important for proper recovery. Other than that, I have some gripes that deserve their own paragraph.

The authors are suggesting the athletes have grape juice? I’m sorry but continuing to have simple sugars like that will prevent the athletes from being able to absorb nutrients as sugar robs the body of nutrients. Being unable to absorb nutrients = being unable to recover!!! And the acid-alkaline thing, yes I agree that it’s important to avoid having too acidic of an environment, otherwise, your kidneys rely on calcium from your bones to break down acids and athletes can not afford to have this happen to their bones. However, the authors again shun legumes and whole grains claiming they are acidic….but not all of them are!!! Buckwheat, bulgar, quinoa, lentils, spelt and lima beans are quite alkaline and oats aren’t that acidic either. Also, because the authors are pushing veggies and fruits, they fail to mention that some of these are very acidic (pomegranates, raspberries, and mandarin oranges to name a few). The authors make no mention of sprouted breads and seeds and how this is one great way to assure an alkaline environment.

I do like that Cordain and Friel advise consuming organic fruit and veggies as much as possible because you will get more nutrients form them than you will from conventional fruits and veggies. And veggies and fruits are ESSENTIAL for athletes as they need many antioxidants to stay healthy. Whole grains and legumes have antioxidants too though!!! Maybe the authors shun grains because many athletes go for the refined grains…breads, pastas, etc. I mean most race I go to still continue to have pasta dinners the night before (and I bring my rice cooker and make my own meal = ) ). So all in all, the main element that makes me not want to recommend this book is the shunning of legumes and whole grains. All the recent research on whole grains and legumes has found that the fiber and complex carbohydrate combination keeps your cholesterol and weight in check, and prevents cardiovascular disease. And I can tell you that ALL of my athlete clients will attest that whole grains have given them so much more energy in and outside of their sport.

Q+A # 1: Produce Junction --Yeah or Nay?

2009-03-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have been receiving a plethora of emails lately with questions from prior clients and/or community members asking basic questions about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have decided to feature some of these Q+As on my blog in hopes of helping many people understand some simple steps they can take to achieve a helathy lifestyle.

Question: I have a huge dilemma. Produce Junction just opened near me. I can get bulk produce, fruits, and flowers for such low prices. For instance, 3 lbs of carrots = $2; carton strawberries = $1.50; 3 huge romaine lettuce = $2; 3 huge beets = $1; 3 bunches bananas = $1; 6 small avocados = $1.

Since the opening of the store, I've been going there religiously, often splitting the bulk produce with my friend. With prices like this, I eat tons of salads, brushed off the dust from my juicer to make green juice, and afford to throw all sorts of fruits into my smoothies. One problem... I don't see the magic word "organic" anywhere!

So this is my dilemma, I can now eat tons more fruits/veggies but they're not organic vs. eat minimal amounts of fruits/veggies but are organic. I know about the sermons on why we should eat organic and I have been since you educated me but... I have the opportunity to buy tons of produce for such little money. I've never been in the position to eat this much green before in my life, WITHOUT breaking the bank. These financial times are making the scale tip towards buying bulk fruits/veggies to get as much greens into the diet as I can. Ugh... help.

Answer:

Dear Hooked on Produce Junction:
You are not alone. I have heard dozens of people rave about the low cost of produce from Produce Junction. I know how difficult these financial times are for the majority of us and yes I do think the more veggies and fruits you can eat, the better your overall health will be for years to come.

With that said, I do have some concerns with those fruits and veggies you get from Produce Junction. I will address these concerns and will offer you a smarter way to shop at produce Junction if you choose to continue doing so and will offer a couple of alternatives to shopping at Produce Junction.

My first concern is that all the produce at Produce Junction comes pre-packaged. In this day and age, regardless of our financial hardships, we have to try to be as green as possible. Think of the millions of gallons of fossil fuel used to produce all of that packaging!

I have also heard stories of many people finding that half of the pre-packaged fruit from produce Junction to be rotted and they end up throwing it away. So is that really a value? I would say no.

If you can get past the thought of all of the pre-packaging, then continue shopping at Produce Junction but do so in a smarter, healthier fashion. The biggest step to take is to AVOID purchasing the conventional foods that have been ranked to have the most pesticides: Find out here: http://www.foodnews.org. There are fruits and veggies that are okay to purchase conventionally here too (those with the least amount of pesticides), including tropical fruits, avocados, and onions. And I have to admit the prices you found for avocados is unbeatable! If they are already getting soft, be sure to store them in the fridge to keep them fresher longer. Avocados are extremely healthy in this day and age to in order to get a good dosage of mon-unsaturated fats and a decent amount of Omega-3s.

I think the best alternative to your weekly shopping trips to Produce Junction is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). From May until November, you will be able to get fresh local produce for a VERY low cost. This also forces you to get creative with your food prep and cooking. It becomes exciting to get new fresh produce every week! Find out about CSAs near you by visiting http://www.localharvest.org.

Lastly, I want to express deep empathy for all of those who are suffering in this tough economy. It’s impacting all of us. However, our health should honest-to-God continue to be our # 1 Priority. By eating healthfully today, we can ward off diseases like cancer and heart disease. So, in the long run, we can save a lot of money and we can likely protect ourselves from extreme suffering. When you get a chance today, I encourage all of you to make a list of what you can do for your health today. Are you constantly bombarded with worries? I’d encourage trying yoga or meditation or going for a peaceful walk. Are you eating out a lot? I’d encourage you to try some simple recipes and cook at home. You will save tons of money this way too.

Hang in there everybody! We will get through this together!!!

Finding Europe in the U.S.A.

2009-03-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am equally obsessed about healthy eating and green living: always desperately in search for the freshest food and constantly tweaking my lifestyle in a way that will be kinder and gentler to our earth. My latest effort has been a grand attempt to avoid purchasing plastic. For those of you who take my classes, you know that I refuse to buy plasticware so you taste my food samples using real silverware.

My deep love for Europe stems from the fact that I have always found fresh organic produce in open-air markets whether in Paris, London, Florence, or small towns throughout Switzerland. And I actually loved the fact that a dear friend of mine was reprimanded for not having a shopping bag with her years ago when we were grocery shopping in Ireland. I love that my friend in Paris dries her clothing on a dry wrack and bicycles everywhere. It seems that everyone there has the same obsessions as me!

Yes, I have found communities throughout the United States that share my obsessions. I am incredibly happy that here in the Lehigh Valley, PA I have access to healthy organic local food with the abundance of farms in the area. Happily, my community also values recycling. Near my hometown in Central New York, Ithaca boasts an AMAZING farmer’s market and even has its own currency: Ithaca Dollars.

This past week I traveled to the Bay Area, California and it was dreamy. I praise that community for prioritizing healthy living and the planet. So many bike lanes and so many people commuting via bicycle…in the RAIN! Wineries, such as Frog’s Leap produce delicious organic, sulfite-free wines. The area in a sense “invented” local eating long before it became trendy. Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1971 and from the very beginning provided only the freshest, local foods, as she was inspired by her dining experiences in Paris.

Then there are the small conscientious matters that may go unnoticed in the Bay Area. For example, Brent and I brought our own bags when we went shopping, but didn’t have a bag when we had an impromptu shopping excursion at Buffalo Exchange (where I got CUTE Dansko shoes for a mere $30). We had them pack all of our clothing into one plastic bag, and get this: it was biodegradable. Yes, at a clothing store! I was impressed.

Everywhere we ate there wasn’t only a garbage and recycle container to throw away your plates, bottles, cans, etc, but also there were containers to put away items that were biodegradable, and also a place to put stuff that could go into compost. I don’t think we had to throw one single thing into a garbage bin. Everything was biodegradable-plates, forks, cups; it was fantastic.

And the cherry on top is this: My friends Lizette and Jon took us to a bar in Oakland called Café Van Kleef. Now I’m not much of a liquor drinker but I must confess that their signature drink, a freshly squeezed greyhound, was divine. The grapefruit was so tasty and fresh – it was amazing.

So the next time I daydream about Europe…I know that in actuality I can get the same experience without leaving this continent! And the scenery Brent and I saw on our drives through Napa and on Highway 1 were quite comparable to many drives I’ve experienced in Europe.

The Importance of Keeping a Pantry

2009-02-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

How often are your eating habits influenced by convenience? At the office you’re craving a snack and the vending machine is your only option. After a long day at work you opt for ordering in Chinese food or a pizza, or popping in a microwaveable meal, because it’s the easiest thing to do for dinner.

I’ll save “Eating Healthy at Work” strategies for another entry. For this entry, I’ll focus on keeping a pantry at home, so that no matter what, you can maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

I’ll use myself as an example. Below is a list of fresh, dry, and frozen goods that I always keep on hand. This strategy has benefited my husband and I tremendously. I can not tell you how many times we’ve been able to throw together a quick healthy meal, simply because we have a wonderful array of ingredients stowed away specifically for those “I’m too tired to shop or make anything elaborate” nights.

Dry Goods:
Red and green lentils (lentils cook super quickly and are loaded with protein and fiber)
Quinoa
Millet
Steel cut oats
Barley
Buckwheat
Almonds
Walnuts
Pistachios
Pecans
Filbert nuts
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Sun-dried tomatoes
Various seaweeds (a quick and easy way to boost nutrients in a soup or salad)
Organic popcorn kernels (Brent makes a mean popcorn – and what a nice healthy snack it makes)
potatoes
Gnocchi
Soba Noodles
“Healthy” pastas (whole wheat, Jerusalem artichoke, quinoa pasta)
Nature’s promise whole wheat tortilla
Sprouted bread
Trader Joe’s pre-made polenta
Kashi Heart to Heart cereal

Jarred and Canned Goods:
Annie’s Gingerly Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Canned beans (cannelloni, salad bean mix, refried beans, chickpeas, and red kidney beans)
Canned artichokes
Canned diced green chilies
Newman’s salsa
An organic spaghetti sauce
Organic tomato paste
Organic crushed tomatoes
Various Trader Joe’s Indian style Sauces
Low-fat coconut milk
Organic chicken broth
Organic vegetable broth

Fruit bowl:
Granny Smith apples
Bananas
A pineapple
Avocados

Condiments:
Agave nectar
Maple syrup
Rice vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Lots of spices
Onions
Garlic

Refrigerated Goods:
Almond Butter
Fruit-juiced sweetened jams
Thai red curry paste
Mustard
Organic low fat plain yogurt
Rice milk
Trader Joe’s organic hummus
Free range eggs
Lemons
Limes
Organic red peppers
Carrots
Baby carrots
Organic salad mix
Organic baby spinach and/or arugula
Organic celery
Goat feta cheese

Frozen goods:
Spinach
Organic frozen pie crusts
Frozen veggie stir fry mixes
Frozen shrimp
Frozen fruit
Our sin: Always an organic, fair-trade dark chocolate bar for emergencies!

By keeping these things on hand, I always have something to whip up. The salad greens and sometimes the bananas and avocados are the only items that may not last an entire week. With these items in my pantry, I can easily whip up a quiche, chili, a barley and veggie soup, dahl, and Thai shrimp with red curry sauce to name a few things. If I’m super tired, I can resort to pasta and sauce (I usually throw in shredded carrots for good measure) or a refried bean burrito. For snacks, I like crudités with hummus, fruit, an almond butter and banana sandwich, and sometimes a fruit smoothie.

Improvisation in the Kitchen . . . and the result a Mediterranean Frittata!

2009-01-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

My New Years Resolution this year is a simple one: really walk my talk. I am passionate about healthy eating and healthy living. I have committed so much time, attention and effort over the years to helping others prioritize their health and wellness. And I proudly assert that I usually prioritize my health and wellness too. But this year, I am going to do so with passion. 2009 is the year that I can say I transitioned my life into a most amazing balance. So what have I been doing so far: more yoga and meditation, retaining sermons from church, plenty of exercise, quality time with my family, friends, and dog, and lots more home cooking.

Home cooking all the time isn’t easy, trust me I know. It can be a challenge, but it’s one I take with joy! So, last night, after a long day of work, I was ready to make a quiche. In fact, for the past six months or so, I have made a weekly quiche. My pantry makes it easy; I always have healthy frozen pie crusts on hand, fresh farm eggs, low-fat organic plain yogurt, mustard, an organic cheese and vegetables. But last night, there was one dilemma: the yogurt I had was bad! Ack – what to do??!! It was already 8:00 PM; there was no way I was going to make a grocery store run! I improvised using what I had on hand…and this is what I came up with. It took a little more time and effort that a quiche, but it was in fact healthier, more wholesome, and oh so delicious!

Mediterranean Frittata
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
- 6 farm fresh eggs
- 4 organic cloves of garlic minced
- 4 organic red potatoes, cubed
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- 1 can artichokes, quartered
- 1 red pepper, diced
- Handful of Kalamata olives, chopped
- 3 packed cups of fresh organic spinach
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces of French sheep feta…YUM!

Directions:
First, chop the potatoes and then boil them for 10 minutes in a pot of water, until they are just about tender. Wile they are boiling, chop all other veggies. Drain the potatoes. Heail 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on an iron skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic. Stir for one minute. Add the potatoes and stir frequently for about 12 minutes or until they become almost crispy. Add the chopped red peppers and artichokes, stir for 5 minutes or until the peppers start to become soft. Add the mint, olives, and spinach. Stir well until spinach wilts. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Remove veggies from pan. Beat all six eggs (I did it in my Kitchenaid Mixer). Heat the second tablespoon of olive oil in the same iron skillet. Add eggs. Let cook over medium heat until eggs begin to solidify by top is still slightly liquefied. Pour vegetables over the eggs. Sprinkle with feta. Place skillet under your broiler for 5 minutes.

This was So so so tasty, and because it’s just Brent and me, we had it again for breakfast this morning!

Book Review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

2009-01-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, this book was popular about a year ago! As you well know about me by now though, my list of "To Read" books is extensive - and because I spend so much time working (with passion), my time to read is not a lot.

This is a MUST read book though. If any of you have read Barbara Kingsolver's novels, you will find her autobiographical writing just as delightful. And perhaps one of the greatest aspects of this book is the inclusion of scientific sidebars from her husband Steven Hopp and the inclusion of recipes and meal plans from her daughter Camille Kingsolver.

The plot: Kingsolver realizes one major downfall to living in Arizona for several years...food does not grow there. The more she ponders this, the more she is sickened by the commercial food she is inducing herself with. Fortunately she and her family have a "summer home" in Virginia. They decide to move there permanently and in doing so they make a commitment to live off local foods for one year! The book chapters represent a month. They began their local-food diet in late March.

Kingsolver eloquently describes the difficulties in keeping this local food pledge, but also shows how such a commitment adds excitement to life. OMG it's April- I get to eat FRESH asparagus! For us in PA, we get to delight in asparagus in late May. And did you know that you only have to plant asparagus seeds once and then it takes THREE years to harvest? The wait is worth it because you will be blessed with asparagus for 20-30 years. I should also let you know that even though this is an incredibly informative book, there is humor sprinkled in as well. Here's an example: "In my adult life I have dug asparagus beds into the property of every house I have owned, and some I rented--even tiny urban lots and student ghettos--always leaving behind a vegetable legacy waving in the wake of my Johnny-Asparagus-seed life...it's a ludicrous commitment to dig one into the yard of a student rental. It's hard work to dig the trench, fill it with compost, and tuck in a row of asparagus crowns ordered from a seed company. Then you wait THREE years for a harvest." Here's another example that humorously illustrates the difficulty of being on a local-food diet. In mid-June, the cherries finally ripened, and Kingsolver exclaims "Our fructose celibacy was over."

This book has inspired me so much that I am making a commitment for 2009 to try to eat more locally. Here are some stats/facts that Kingsolver shares that alone may inspire you:

- Every food calorie we eat has used hundreds of fossil fuel calories in its making: grain milling for example, which turns corn into the ingredients in packaged foods, costs 10 calorie for every one calorie produced, and that's BEFORE it gets shipped anywhere.

- Over the last decade, our country has lost an average of 300 farms a week.

- Buying your goods from local businesses rather than national chains generates about 3X as much money for your local economy.

- Ironically (or maybe not so ironically), industrial crops have been using millions more pounds of pesticides year after year, and the crop losses have been accelerating simultaneously.

- Modern U.S. consumers get to taste less than 1 percent of the vegetable varieties that were grown here a century ago. (My reflection about this: Kingsolver gives examples such as 400 potatoe varieties were once grown in Peru, now there are less than 10. This makes me grieve. It's comparable to endangered animals...this is endangered vegetation. Just think how much lovelier our meals would be with more variety. The saying that variety is the spice of life is so true.

Have I inspired you to change your life? If not, read the book, and I am sure you too will become inspired!!! After all, your body is your temple, you REALLY hsould treat it as such. You only get ONE in this lifetime!!!

Dumpling Heaven

2008-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

The first time I ever had a dumpling was in the fall of 1999. My dear friend Rhonda and I decided to take a road trip from Philadelphia to Amish country. After a long day of sightseeing, we stopped off at

an Amish restaurant for dinner. As this was during my vegetarian phase, I was quite

disappointed that the only options open to me at the buffet were pickled corn and apple dumplings. Thankfully, the dumplings were very pleasing.

Since then I’ve had the desire to make dumplings. So much about the wonder of food is the texture. Texture is the reason why I am enamored with chickpeas, cassava, and grits…and dumplings! Can you believe it has taken me over nine years to make dumplings of my own? I was inspired by this tasty root veggie soup recipe from Eating Well. Root vegetables are very grounding and warming in the winter time. Such an awesome recipe. Aren’t root veggies so pretty?

Let them eat "apple" cake

2008-11-22T10:43:00.000-08:00

So, how many of you tried to cleanse this autumn? It can be tricky, but I can not tell you how great it feels to slash processed foods our of your diet. You begin to feel more vibrant, truly. While I rarely eat processed foods, I certainly crave cake from time to time. Not super sweet cake - because I rarely eat sugar, I am annoyingly sensitive to it. It's not the sweetness that I crave, but it's the texture and I'm sorry, but whole grains can not mock cake very well. And there is nothing quite as divine as a piece of cake and tea. So, after some experimenting and blending various recipes together, I came up with a delicious apple cake - perfect for the season! Try it and let me know what you think. Be adventurous and change it up a bit to suit your taste buds!

Apple Cake:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups diced apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup chunky “sugar-free” apple sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9” or 10” round pan with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle diced apples with sugar. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a larger bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the applesauce, vanilla, and maple syrup. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until well-combined.If it's not completely moist, add a little more applesauce. Add the apples. Stir well. Pour into round pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

The Importance of Cleansing this Fall!

2008-11-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Cleansing is a wonderful way to adapt to healthier eating patterns. The winter is on the way! After a fun (and hopefully active) summer, how do you prep your body for winter? First of all, you want to adjust your taste buds to warming foods. Your brain will help you with this. When the cold fronts begin welcoming themselves, your brain will tell you that your body needs warm foods.

Do you notice how, with the coming of fall, you begin craving soups and cooked foods more frequently and aren’t as excited about the idea of a fruit salad or a milkshake? This transition indicates your body’s natural inclination to balance itself with your mind, spirit, and nature.

Seasonal eating is imperative in order to sustain optimal health. So, beginning to incorporate more soups and fall vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, squash, root vegetables) into your diet is an amazingly healthy action this time of year. If you want a more profound transformation, fall is an ideal time to implement a detoxification regimen or simply put, fall is a great time to cleanse! A fall cleanse will also help you lean toward healthier options throughout the winter (which will help you greatly during the holidays!)

Cleansing is a fantastic source of vitality; it removes toxins from your system and helps you to feel vibrant and youthful. Not only does it give your digestive system a rest from having to process chemicals, it also empowers your immune system by pumping an abundant of nutrients into your system from wholesome fruits and veggies.

Book Review: The Maker's Diet

2008-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

The wide array of diets that have sneaked themselves into books available to consumers everywhere amazes me at times. And one diet recommends the exact opposite of the next. It’s no wonder clients come to me confused all of the time.

Regardless of the merit of these diets, I try to keep myself abreast on the popular diets so that I know where my clients are coming from when they make the decision to work with me.

One diet book that I have had on my shelf for over a year is The Maker’s Diet. The author Jordan Rubin promotes this diet as one that is holistic and assures that this diet will help people to boost their immune system, attain and maintain an ideal weight, have abundant energy, improve their physical appearance, reduce stress and improve digestion. Upon reading these promises on the book jacket, I thought to myself “Interesting, these sound like results that my clients achieve through my approach to health and nutrition.”

As a Christian myself, the title of course captivated me. I was so curious as to how Rubin was able to delineate a way that God designed us to eat and to perhaps mimic the way Christ ate. I often times thought about the food that is mentioned in the bible; it is so wholesome: millet, fish, wine, apples, figs, olives, spelt, barley. I also marveled at the fasts that took place in the bible. It has always occurred to me that people prioritized health in biblical times.

I spent the past month reading The Maker’s Diet. I don’t feel as though I learned a whole lot from this book. However, I am impressed with the memoir-type element of this book. Years ago, Rubin had a SEVERE case of IBS and was able to heal himself by following what he now calls the Maker’s Diet. The guy was deathly ill, weighing in at 110 pounds at one point in time. Rubin’s transformative diet consisted of natural meats and grains (not manufactured in big factory farms), fermented dairy forms (not ultra-pasteurized and pumped with antibiotics and hormones), a lot of vegetables, and fruits and a soil supplement called HSOs. Rubin also mentions the way in which prayer, aromatherapy, and therapeutic music helped in the recovery process.

I do believe that Rubin’s approach to dieting s quite holistic and holds merit. He talks about the importance of “clean” food, which I agree with. I think we are certainly meant to eat foods as naturally as possible. How much healthier we would all be if we ate wholesome foods derived from the earth as opposed to foods that have been sitting on a shelf in the grocery store for longer than my book has been sitting on my bookshelf or foods that have come from animals but have been processed to the maximum degree.Rubin also talks about avoiding toxic health, beauty, and household products, which I also agree with.

I applause Rubin for dissecting several popular diets and declaring what factors are good about each diet and what factors make the diets ineffective. He shares helpful resources in the book and also has quite appealing recipes! I’ll let you know when I try some out.

Now, on to what I do not like about the book. The book did not delve deeply into the connection between God and the diet. I think the book could have just as well been called The Natural Diet. Also, Rubin’s suggestions on how to avoid getting sick are somewhat implausible suggestions: never flying on an airplane, don’t swim in chlorinated pools (Hello! I’m a triathlete…if I were to swim in lakes, etc., all of the time then I’d have bacteria to worry about!!! And without indoor pools I’d never be able to swim from October-May! And might I add, swimming is amazing for relaxation. ), don’t get tattoos or pierce the skin ( I haven’t seen much research that shows serious consequences of those – I say moderation!), don’t wear contacts, no aerobic exercise (instead something he calls functional fitness).

I’ll be fair and say that I already do follow some of his suggestions like not using fluoride in my toothpaste, and I do breathe with long, deep breaths. Basically, I take his advice with a grain of salt. My approach to nutrition and health is that it has to be NATURAL and also SCIENTIFALLY BASED. I have not seen any literature on contact lenses and the destruction of your immune system.

I do believe God wants us to eat naturally and healthfully…these foods give us the vitality to work for peace, and to follow our callings to make the world a better and more just place! He wants us to respect our bodies as our temples. I also believe though that God would never want us to become extremely compulsive and restrictive about how we live our lives.We have to enjoy life!

If your diet consists of many processed foods, then I think following Rubin’s 40 day diet may benefit you – it’s almost like a cleanse (I’ll be writing about cleansing in my next blog entry, so stay tuned). He also recommends supplemental exercises, cleansing drinks, and vitamins, and aromatherapy throughout the day. Though I think these are great ideas (especially the aromatherapy), I think it would be unrealistic for the average person to be able to follow his plan to a T.

If you have read this book, I’d love to see your comments in the comment section!

With cheer,

Shannon

Book Review: The Newman's Own Organics: Guide to a Good Life

2008-10-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Paul Newman may no longer be here with us, but he has left his activist mark on earth and I am ever so grateful for that. His presence is very apparent in my home. Brent and I use Fig Newmans, yes Newmans not Newtons for our cycling fuel! Sadie induldges in her Paul Newman peanut butter dog treats daily. I can thank Paul Newman for Sadie's latest skill - learning how to shake, with BOTH paws!

The recent passing of Paul Newman inspired me to grab a book off my shelf that I have skimmed through yet hadn't read fully. It's a book written by Paul Newman's daughter, Nell Newman. I ended up staying up that night to read the book in its entirety. The book is The Newman's Own Organics: Guide to a Good Life: Simple Measures that benefit you and the Place you Live. In the book, Nell shares with us how she convinced Paul of the importance of eating organically by surreptitiously preparing him an organic Thanksgiving meal. She brought an organic turkey and the "works" on a plane packed in ice from her California home to New England! Paul marveled the meal and Nell revealed to him that it was ORGANIC! And so began the Newman's product chain, an amazing company that donates all of its royalties to charities. And those Fig Newmans that I love so much were the first fig bars to ever use organic figs!

Okay on to the book review: This book is an essential guide, especially for the newbie environmentalist or the newbie holistic health enthusiast. Newman shares with you easy ways that you can lead a healthy lifestyle and simultaneously reduce your carbon and water footprints (buzzwords not of hers, but of the media these days). The chapters are organized by such topics as: food, transportation, shopping, pet care, and cleaning.

While I have wholeheartedly practiced many of her suggestions for years, I still found the book useful in reminding me of the importance of some practices that I have neglected to some degree. For instance, no longer am I a vegetarian and I am fine with that (my body and mind function way more optimally with some animal protein), but I was reminded of WHY a a primarily vegetarian based diet is better for the environment. Here's what Nell has to say "Producing meat and other animal products taxes our planet unduly. Seven calories of vegetarian food must be consumed to create a single calorie of animal protein. It takes the equivalent of seventy-eight calories of fuel to create a single calorie of feedlot beef. When you consciously choose to eat less meat and more grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes, you are helping to reduce the burden of food production on the earth." Plus, you FEEL better when you eat more vegetables!

I have committed to some more environmentally-friendly practices since reading this book. For instance, when I put leftovers in the fridge, I now REFUSE to use plastic wrap. Instead, I put them in a container with a lid. If I am out of containers, I put the leftovers in a bowl with a plate over it.

Oh, and I was ever so pleased to find out that zucchini is a great snack for dogs. I've been giving it to Sadie for a while - and she loves it. I also give her the carrot pulp leftover from carrot juice making. Nell says that carrot juice itself is an excellent supplement for our doggie pals.

So if you are new to the environmental movement or a total know-it-all, I guarantee you will enjoy this book! Pick it up today! Try to find it in a USED bookstore or check it out of your library!

Kitchen Appliance Blog # 1: The Food Processor

2008-10-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Many times my clients claim that they are unable to prepare meals quickly. We live in a high-tech society. The beauty of this is not to turn to microwave meals, but to instead use technology to prepare fresh food more quickly. So, I've decided to dedicate a blog or two a month to great kitchen appliances. My most favorite kitchen appliance is probably my Cuisinart Food Processor.

And these days I'm obsessed with it! I had to survive nearly a year without it! You see, in December when my husband and I moved into our new home, somewhere along the way, we lost the main blade to the food processor. I mean really, how many people can LOSE a blade to a FOOD PROCESSOR? After months of not finding it, I finally decided to order it from smallappliance.com. And have I ever been food processing away since then.

Food processors are great for making dips and spreads, an easy way to flavor and season any meal. My latest favorite is pesto. I made pesto - encrusted chicken. We then use leftover pesto for spreads on our sandwiches or a spread on a homemade pizza.

Getting Creative in the Kitchen

2008-09-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

If you and your significant other need more intimacy, there's no better place than in the kitchen! Oops, sorry - that's not really where this blog post is going. This blog post is a response to my post last week, where I informed you that I'm dedicating myself to more cooking these days!

I thought it would be nice for me to share with you all the sort of dinners I usually create for my husband and I. Here's a look at last week. He actually made the dinners on Thursday and Friday, so he gets credit too! This way you can see how two BALANCED health freaks eat!

MONDAY: VEGETARIAN MEAL # 1: Indian dahl with prepackaged naan and steamed kale with sauteed garlic, 3 juicy fresh tomatoes chopped and olive oil. Dahl is so easy to make, saute a chopped onion in a generous amount of olive oil. Add 1 part lentils and two and a half parts water. Bring to a boil. Simmer and mix many times. Then season. I add cumin, Herbamare salt, ground pepper, a bit of cayenne pepper, and a sah of balsalmic vinegar (gives it a nice little bite).

TUESDAY: Thank you Eating Wel l. CHICKEN THIGHS WITH SCALLIONS, COLLARD GREENS, AND PEARS OVER BROWN RICE. If you've already clicked on the link to the recipe, you can see that I changed it up a bit. I like to do that. I didn't have currant jam, so I used lemon and it made quite a wonderful combination. I added the collard greens because this recipe defintely needed some more green. I used two pears instead of one and I used kuzu instead of cornstarch as it's a healthier alternative. And I simply enjoy scallions more than leeks! Might I add that this was my first time ever cooking chicken thighs, it took me about 40 minutes just to cut the fat off. I wasn't too grossed out though and the flavor of this dish was amazing. I couldn't imagine it with chicken breast instead of thighs.

WEDNESDAY: VEGETARIAN MEAL # 2 Thank you again Eating Well for the idea anyway. In their latest issue, there was a recipe for Sweet Potatoe and Red Pepper Pasta. It sounded tasty minus the pasta, so I put a healthy Moroccan spin on it and served it with millet instead (kind of like couscous), and I also added raisins, which added a VERY nice sweetness. Also, I used WAY WAY more parsely than they suggested in order to get in some more greens!!!

THURSDAY: This was an "easy night" for Brent and I. Both of us had crazy schedules, so we just threw together a "healthy" taco kit. We used ground turkey and added shredded lettuce from the farmer's market, chopped cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market, and sliced avocado. And we only used half of the spice packet - it still tastes fantastic and then we don't have all the added salt. We had a nice hearty mixed green salad on the side too. YUM!

FRIDAY: VEGETARIAN MEAL # 3" Brent's absolutely delicious homemade pizza. I can't say enough about his talent in pizza making. This time he used sauteed spinach, lots of garlic, basil, sauce (obviously), ricotta cheese, pecans and peaches!!! It was so tasty!

So, as you can see, we aren't PERFECT eaters, but we try very hard to get in healthy nutrients daily. Lately, we've been trying to do vegetarian meals every other night and it's working out quite well.

European eating vs American eating

2008-09-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

As an epicurean, when finances allow so, I enjoy dining at fine European-style restaurants. The top-notch quality of the food is SO evident in the taste. Lately, tons of research has been published on the benefits of a Mediterranean diet. In fact, a recent study conducted by Harvard researchers found that a Mediterranean diet is MORE effective for weight loss and cholesterol and triyglyceride reduction than a standard low-fat diet. WOW!

I recently read a poem about a Mediterranean meal, written by the USA's 15th Poet Laureate, Charles Simic and I was moved. Years ago, I wrote a poem about the American diet. I dug it up today and reworked it a little bit. See for yourselves the difference between the two diets. Which would you rather feed your body, mind, and soul?

The Mediterranen Diet as told in
The Invitation
By Charles Simic

We are going to serve a late lunch
For a few close friends in the garden.
We'll start with a cold squid salad,
A pot of black and green olives,
And a loaf of homemade bread to wipe
The garlic and the oil off our plates.
Between the sips of the yellow wine.

And if some bird graciously assents
To sing for us after the grilled lamb,
The cheeses and the wild blueberries,
We'll raise our glasses and toast
The golden light between the leaves,
The shadows on the lawn lengthening.
And keep them raised till the song is over.

The American diet as told in
Gas Station Goodies
By Shannon Martin Morehouse

Snacks, Soda, Beer, Candy, Coffee!

Premium American Happiness!

Chew on a Slim Jim

Slurp-Up a 32-ounce Pepsi

Indulge in a Hostess Cherry Pie

Don’t forget those Skittles

or Smarties.

Yum-

Solidified Corn Syrup!

Grab some Dorritos

or Ruffles Cheddar Cheese

potato chips.

Don’t forget the

sour cream and chives

canned dip.

What good are chips

without dip?

And mmmm all these things

contain monosodium-glutamate

the headache-creating tasty additive.

Can’t live without that!

How ‘bout a Snapple,

the best stuff on earth!

Peach-flavored tea,

again, gotta love

that main ingredient,

High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Yum!

Make room for Cheetos,

3 Musketeers,

Hawaiian Fruit Punch

and remember a chili

dog for your lunch.

Oh!

Grab some Michelob

for only $3.99!

What a deal!

Can’t go wrong!

You’re getting tired

are you?

Oh, then you gotta get

the French Vanilla Cappuccino,

gas station style,

so sweet,

but hey, why not add

four sugars

and some flavored creamers

with the partially hydrogenated oils and all,

it’s free!

You’re good to go!

But don’t forget to pay for your

oh-so-cheap

gas

along with you

snackssodabeercandycoffee.

Now, don't get me wrong The Invitation meal would not be healthy if consumed daily, but it sure the heck beats the processed junk we thrive on here in the USA. What I admire about Simic is how he marries the concepts of nature and fine, natural homemade cooking together. We're meant to collaborate with nature in our lives, not destroy it or defeat it, or out-do it, which is exactly what processed food attempts to do. So, please, find time this week to make a homemade meal and nourish yourself!!!

As for me, it's my goal to do this DAILY!

All for now folks! And I'm sure you'll see more of Charles SImic in my blog. I will get to hear him speak at the Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, which I've been attending now for six years!

Misconception # 1 about Holistic Nutrition

2008-09-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight I began reflecting on my journey into holistic health and how it really has optimized my quality of life. I feel vibrant most of the time, positive most of the time, and well, balanced. I'm in control of serious illnesses that used to control me and put simply "I feel good."

As I was reflecting, I began praying that more people would give themselves this gift of a holistic lifestyle centered around a healthy diet. And then it occurred to me - I could probably positively influence people by telling people what holistic nutrition isn't as opposed to what it is!

So here is my dissection of Misconception # 1:

If I'm going to take on a holistic health lifestyle, I have to adapt a bland, boring, macrobiotic or vegetarian induced insane diet.

This is absolutely incorrect. Yes, I advice my clients to introduce some macrobiotic and vegetarian type foods into their diet like more fish, whole grains, and vegetables, but BELIEVE me, I'm realistic and an epicurean at that, so I know how crucial it is for food to be enjoyable. And serioulsy, I know so many junk food vegetarians - this goes to show that vegetarianism does not equal healthy!

Understand that your body is like a car and needs the best fuel in order to run properly. A holistic diet is about making small changes to improve your nutritional intake. And these changes can be flavorful and tasty! Incorporate more greens into your diet, and season them with spices, be adventurous and try spices you haven't used before. More and more studies are showing how spices have key nutrients that can keep us healthy and prevent serious illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Honor your body. Meat is okay, just make sure it's lean and top quality. I do promote organic meats as they are not treated with chemicals that can harm our body. And guess what? They taste better too!

When you start viewing your body as a temple and when you start feeling healthy from consuming healthy foods, your worldview will change. It really will. You'll see that a holistic diet is about balance. And part of this balance is between taste and healthfulness.

And you know what else is involved in this balance - knowing that chocolate mouse is FINE! A pint of Guinness is fantastic. And for me, a good ol' platter of fish-n-chips is A-OK. Once you've adopted a healthy diet, you can eat these "unhealthy" foods once and a while and savor them knowing that they can't harm you because you have the armor of a healthy diet and lifestyle protecting you!

BACK TO THE ASHRAM

2008-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Are you curious about my blog title? What I'm referring to is not an actual ashram, but my home environment. I was away visiting my family in central New York for the past few days and now I'm back home and back to the grind (I hate that phrase, but it's true in a sense, I have A LOT of clients to catch up with, calls to return from organizations who would like to book me to speak at various functions, and many writing/editing deadlines to complete).

But the most important factor is that I feel RELAXED and FOCUSED. Some may say that it was my time away that rejuvenated me, but no, that's not it. My home soothes me. I'm burning Nag Champa incense. Brent made me a tasty omlette with fresh farmer's market tomatoes, asparagus, potatoes, basil, and olives. I'm eating the omlette over greens that I picked up when I was visiting my family. Finger Lakes lettuces are incomparable--I swear they're tastier than lettuces I've had in France, Italy, and Switzerland!

I'm drinking a big glass of water with sliced lemon. I'm playing ultra cheesy lifestyle music (thanks to satellite radio, which I'll thank even more when I change the channel---ahhh, even nicer, Celtic harp music). My shutters are open and a nice breeze is soothing me yet not blowing my papers all over the place. The flourishing house plants make me smile, and I'll feel even happier when we welcome a new doggie into our home.

How is your home environment? My clients sometimes look at me funny when I ask them such questions. "Aren't you supposed to be my nutritionist?" they may think. But I address nutrition holistically, which goes way beyond the food you eat. Healthy food is critical and is a BIG PART of achieving balance. Trust me, I wouldn't feel so relaxed and simultaneously focused right now if I were slurping down a diet coke and chomping on a cheeseburger!!! But beyond food, you want to feed yourself things that uplift you! A healthy home environment is KEY! How do you feel in your home? People are a part of your home too - make sure you nurture those relationships. If you are in a shaky roommate situation - get out! If you are living with a "former" significant other b/c you can't afford rent on your own, trust me, you'll feel a million times better if you get out and prioritze your health and sanity. Make your home your ashram; it feels amazing!

Can I offer you a drink?

2008-07-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

When I have company over these days, I am delighted to offer them a drink because I get to share with them my latest experiment: Iced Pomegranate Green tea with sliced lime. It's so refreshing and so excellent for you. Green tea is filled with disease fighting antioxidants as are pomegranates. And the limes add such a refreshing tang (think of the way that limes make your Corona actually taste good).

Here's how to make it. Bring a large teapot almost to a boil (green tea tastes better when the water isn't too hot. With piping-hot water, you will actually "overcook" the green tea, making it taste bitter). Pour water in a 2-quart pitcher. Add 4 tea bags. Let brew for an hour. Slice two limes. Toss limes and a tray of ice cubes in pitcher. Refrigerate for an hour and voila, it's ready to enjoy!

My First TRI in YEARS!!!

2008-07-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the GREAT pleasure of competing in the Mini-Musselman Triathlon. This is a pretty big deal for me. I casually competed in tris years ago, and got the itch to do them again a couple of years ago. And obstacles kept creeping in the way of my ability to compete. An illness here, an injury there. You know how it goes. This year I was determined to recover from yet another injury (a herniated disc and torn hamstring) and I was GOING TO COMPETE in a triathlon.

I registered for the Mini Mussel in April; at that point I was still unable to run after my injury, which happened in December! In June, I began running again (on trails), and July 4, I ran a 4-mile race just to see if running was possible - and I didn't do all that bad - 32:40. My legs were killing for four days though b/c it was my first time running on pavement since the winter. I rolled them out on a foam roller and felt good to go when we left for Geneva, NY on July 10.

I had a wonderful fueling meal the night before the race (I BROUGHT MY RICE COOKER WITH ME). I had steamed asparagus on brown rice with rotisserie chicken (sans the skin). I also had a big salad with mixed baby greens, cucumbers, olives, and avocado.

In the morning, bright and early, I had some hearty granola with rice milk. And at 9:04 AM, I was OFF in Seneca Lake. I took the swim slow (500 yards in the water and about 100 yards into the transition area in just over 11 minutes). The bike was hard, but I passed quite a few people on the climbs, which made me feel strong. I did the 15.7 miles in 56 minutes. And the run was difficult - I haven't even done a brick workout this year so I totally forgot that jello-leg feeling. My 5K was 28:00. But I did it and placed pretty decently in my age group! Next year, I'm aiming for a total time of 1 hour 35 minutes, now that I know what to expect. There will be one or more tris this year. I'm just so psyched to be healthy and competing again!

I think everyone should TRY A TRI (even if it's just once). It's so much fun!

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love

2008-06-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

As you are probably learning about me, I read A LOT. Isn't this a requirement for writers? And I don't particularly favor one genre over another, or one print form over another. I read magazines, the New York Times, academic journals, biographies, novels, and yes some chick lit. A woman needs to read some fluffy stuff every now and then!

You probably also realize that I'm not one to run out and get the latest NYT bestseller. I have far too many books on my "To Read" list to afford that luxury!

My latest read is Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love. Gilbert documents her incredible journey from depression and despair to self love and communion with God. Now, some of you may automatically think "chick-lit" but I assure you that it is not. The fact that this is a true story alone gives the book so much merit.

Gilbert's prose is witty, intelligent, and honest. Her journey starts on a bathroom floor crying in despair over her crumbling marriage, and moves through a divorce, an intense love affair, and onto the discovery that she needs a year to herself. And this is where the book comes in. She travels to Italy to delve into the joy of food, to an ashram in India to learn how to pray, and to Indonesia to learn from a medicine man, only to find the love of her life.

It's Gilbert's honesty that makes the book such a worthwhile read. Regardless of your religious beliefs or lack thereof, Gilbert's desire to connect to her God, and to live the life her God wants her to live is so powerfully revealed in her writing. My two favorite quotes in this book are:

"When you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times, you must grab onto the ankles of that happiness and not let it go until it drags you face first out of the dirt--this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is your duty (and your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life no matter how slight."

"I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on water."

This summer, I encourage you to read Eat, Pray, Love. I especially recommend this book for anyone who has recently experienced a painful divorce, or any form of despair. In addition to several nutrition articles from peer-reviewed journals, as well as Eating Well articles and my weekly New York magazine, I'm now reading Michael Cunningham's The Hours. Even though this book is fiction and has nothing to do with healthy living or nutrition, I may just have to write a review because the writing is brilliant.

Asparagus is in season!!!

2008-05-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

The last time I was in New York City, I had to pick up some asparagus at the Union Square Green Market and I'm so glad that I did. All I did was simply steam it and it made the tastiest compliment to my grilled cajun catfish dinner.

I found some great asparagus recipes here. I intend to try them VERY soon. I encourage you to do the same!

Asparagus with Lemon olive oil and Parmesan

Asparagus Frittata with red bell peppers

Asparagus Bruschetta

Asparagus Casserole
(I'd lower the fat content in this by using 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup wheat germ instead of 1/2 cup Parmesan )

Okay, I'll stop spewing off recipes now. I'm starting to remind myself of Forrest Gump:

"There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp . . . "

Seriously, asparagus is a great great compliment to your spring and summer meals! I recently wrote an article about it. If you want to know more, keep reading:

Asparagus - Your Luxury Veggie

Asparagus is such a versatile vegetable—it’s tasty raw and steamed, it’s delicious in risottos and quiches, and it’s even a popular side at the most esteemed steakhouses in the world! In fact, asparagus has always been considered a luxury vegetable. It was highly prized in ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece. In Europe, its status thrived under the reign of Louis XIV, who encouraged its production. Here are just some of the reasons why you should welcome this luxury vegetable into your diet:

- Asparagus is rich in iron, boasting about 15 percent of the daily-recommended value.

- Do you know that vegetarian forms of iron are much more absorbable when combined with foods rich in vitamin C? With asparagus, you have no need to worry about finding a food rich in vitamin C in order to absorb the iron because one cup of asparagus has more then 30 percent of the daily-recommended value of vitamin C.

- A rich source of folate (almost 70 percent of your daily recommended value), asparagus is EXCELLENT for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding as folate is essential for the production of new cells.

- Asparagus contains more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is great for the blood and your bones!

- Asparagus has a natural diuretic effect. This means that it can be effective in treating problems involving inflammation like arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, and PMS-related water retention. Inflammation is also involved in heart disease and cancer – so asparagus can help in prevention!

- Containing health-promoting “friendly” bacteria, asparagus is great for your intestines!

Though asparagus is grown throughout the spring here in Pennsylvania (and throughout most of the USA), it’s peaking these next couple of weeks! Stop by the Easton Farmer’s Market and pick up a bunch. There’s no better time than now to invite asparagus into your home. Buying it local is the way to go—it will stay fresher longer. To make it last close to a week, store it in your fridge, wrapped in a damp paper towel. If you’re feeling especially brave, try white asparagus (milder flavor than green asparagus) or purple asparagus (which has a fruity taste).

(Note: The photo of asparagus was taken by Maria Quiroga)

I’ve found the ideal whey protein. . . now let’s just hope it tastes good!

2008-04-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, not only am I a holistic nutritionist, but also, I’m a holistic sports nutritionist. Now, let me tell you, this can be one challenging profession!

Why? Well, first of all, I primarily work with endurance athletes: runners, cyclists, triathletes. I’ve been a competitive runner for 20 years myself. Endurance athletes need a lot of calories! They also need a way to get protein and nutrients into their body quickly after working out (within 45 minutes ideally)! As a proponent of wholesome nourishing foods, it’s difficult for me to endorse many sports nutrition products as they are extremely processed, which in the long run, I hate to say, will result in setbacks for these athletes.

However, I’m also a realist. I understand that it isn’t always possible to prepare a healthy meal after an intense endurance workout. There are only so many hours in a day. I do not promote soy protein (that’s another blog in and off itself – a lot of research has been conducted on the harmful effects of soy. In smalll quantities and especially if it is fermented (miso, tempeh, etc.), it can be a healthy add-on to any diet, but not in bulk quantities). Whey protein is an easy way to get in some healthy protein after a workout and will help your muscles to recover. Because of the naturally occurring branched chain amino acids in whey, you will also find that it will prevent you from becoming burnt out from your workouts.

A lot of whey protein mixes can be incredibly processed. Some harmful ingredients include malodextrin, yeast, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or sweeteners like Acesulfame Potassium. You want to make sure that the whey is organic or at least from cows that have not been given the rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Also avoid “texturized” whey protein (as it likely has MSG in it).

I believe that athletes shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to pursue their passion and goals (We already know how expensive equipment can be). So, when I research the ideal products for clients, I also bear in mind the cost. Happily, the Wegman’s generic whey protein meets my high standards. However, the ultimate winner of the best whey protein for me is the California Academy of Health’s Whey protein. They have research to back up their all-natural ingredient list. And the way that they process their whey provides for an extensive amount of amino acids that will support a healthy immune system and ultimate muscle recovery. Additionally, their whey actually has fiber (unlike Wegmans). I presume this is because the CAOH’s whey protein has more L-Glutamine, which is probably the most needed ingredient for great intestinal health. To order this product, or to read more about it, click here.

BOOK REVIEW: THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA by MICHAEL POLLAN

2008-02-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

While everyone is running out to grab Michael Pollan’s latest book In Defense of Food, I have just finished reading his copyrighted 2006 New York Times bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. What an incredibly thought-provoking account of the United States’ sad disconnect from the food that we eat.

As a holistic health counselor for the past six years, one of my goals has been to encourage people to ingest the most nourishing food as possible. I understand the reality of their situations and Pollan certainly confirms this reality in his book: we live in a culture of convenience. It’s hard to even find fresh food. Other concerns that people have is that organic or local food is expensive. Yes, it is, but you get what you pay for!

If you thought the truths exposed in Fast Food Nation or Supersize Me repulsed you wait until you read this book. Before reading the The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I already took ages to shop for groceries (I’m a manic label reader), but after reading this book, I don’t think anyone will ever want to step foot in a grocery store with me. For instance, did you know that the cyrystalline fuctose, ascorbic acid, dextrose, lactic acid, lysine, HFCS, xanthan gum, and modified or unmodified starch, are all derived from corn? I’ve strayed away from products with corn for years because I know that corn in this country is genetically modified and inauthentic. I feel as though we’re not meant to eat things that are artificial—it messes up the food chain! And up until reading this book, the only corn-derived “chemical” I knew of was high-fructose corn syrup. So, yes, you will learn a lot when you read this book.

I liked the structure of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is broken into three parts: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both on the industrial level as well as the local level; and in the third section, Pollan experiments with hunting and gathering. Each section concludes with a meal representing the particular production of food-- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and wild pig, from a forest near his home in California.

Pollan does an incredible job of submerging himself into the particular environments of each section. He visits industrial farms and even tries to follow the life of a particular cow from its birth two weeks prior to being shipped to an industrial farm to its death—steer 534, the poor fella. Pollan works on a small sustainable organic farm in Virginia and even participates in slaughtering the chickens (I certainly winced quite a bit here). Honestly though, Pollan reveals so many interesting facts about how unhealthy meat and processed food is in this country. For instance, when you read a label on chicken or beef that says “vegetarian-fed,” don’t let the marketing fool you. The vegetarian grains that these animals eat are highly processed granules of corn and soy. So unnatural!!!

Pollan has a sense of humor too. This book is satisfying on so many levels. After reading it, you will feel like an educated consumer and you will have had a few good laughs as well. Take for example Pollan’s first attempt at hunting—absolutely hysterical! All in all, this book only reaffirms my desire to bring health and wellness back to basics!!!

A Tasty Seasonal Salad

2007-12-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite salads to make is an arugula salad with warm beets, goat cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Last night, I made a delicious mushroom soup and planned to make this tasty arugula salad to accompany the soup, only to find out that I didn’t have goat cheese. So I improvised and came up with a beautiful red and green salad, perfect for the Christmas season!

Here’s the recipe!

Shannon’s Christmas Salad
Serves:2

Ingredients:
1 large beet, peeled, chopped into small cubes
4 cups of arugula rinsed
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup chopped pistachios
¼ cup pear-infused balsamic vinegar (or use regular balsamic vinegar)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Dash of sea salt

Directions: Boil chopped beets for 8 minutes. Toss beets, arugula, cherries, and pistachios. With a fork, mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt. Pour dressing into salad and mix well. So tasty!

And I will live happily ever after!!!

2007-10-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody!
I have had several great health topics swimming in my brain that I am eager to blog about, but first things first, I want to introduce myself as Shannon Morehouse - that's right, I married the wonderful Brent Tyler Morehouse on September 29, 2007.

The day was gorgeous - absolutely beautiful!

With this great step, I am readier than ever to dedicate myself to health promotion and to help all out there who seek my advice and guidance!

These next few months are growing months...stay tuned!!!

Lost luggage can be a good thing

2007-09-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

I went out to Colorado last week and it was AMAZING!!! Brent and I ran a half marathon and were totally awed by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. We heard horror stories about Denver Airport's skill of losing people's luggage, but we retrieved ours without a problem. Funnily enough, Denver Airport displays maps of the United States with points of interest (like Graceland and various odd museums) and wouldn't you know they admit to their claim t fame. On the map, there is an arrow pointing to Denver and it says "You are here but your luggage is in Pittsburgh."

We returned to Philadelphia on Thursday, but guess what? Our luggage somehow missed the plane. Initially I was bummed: "Oh man, all of my running clothes are in there...and my favorite essential oil (green tea)." But then, I thought about it more and I didn't really care. Hey, how nice it is not to have to lug that stuff around.

I was reminded of my move earlier this summer, when I got rid of tons of materials that I did not use regularly. I used freecycle.org to get rid of several appliances, furniture items, and bookshelves. I gave books away to Housing Works and also posted some on paperbackswap.com. Perhaps the biggest relief was FINALLY getting rid of bins of journal articles from graduate school. Years ago, I had a professional organizer tell me to get rid of them. She told me that keeping stuff like that around would prevent me from succeeding in my nutritional counseling business.... the fact that I held onto them meant that I was fearing that I would need them again. Well, this summer I got rid of all of them...and I also got rid of my statistics books. You probably never knew that I am a stats wiz. I am so thankful that Bethlehem has an absolutely phenomenal recycling center.

Getting rid of stuff I rarely use brought me immense relief. I tell my clients that external clutter can no doubt make you feel anxious and cluttered internally. I recommend THE SIMPLE LIVING GUIDE by Janet Luhrs or Karen Kingston's CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WITH FENG SHUI.

So, as soon as I felt okay with my absent luggage, it arrived on my porch. I admit to feeling pretty excited about having my favorite bathing suit back, and my organic lavender sunscreen, and my running shorts, and sports bras. But the good thing is the reminder that life is so much more than the things you own.

I missed blueberry season; Did you?

2007-08-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

One of the aspects of the Lehigh Valley that lured me to move here was the fact that there are hundreds of organic farms, and tons of places to pick blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and later this fall, apples and pears.

This summer has been extremely eventful for me. I moved here at the beginning of June. Brent and I have been away almost every week traveling for business and occasionally for pleasure.

One of our trips was down to the Carolinas – was it beautiful! I was inspired by the community of Carrboro, North Carolina. This town borders Chapel Hill. There is a phenomenal food co-op there called the Weaver Street Market, and I swear that more people travel by bicycle here than by car. Several artists and writers resided there – convincing me that maybe I can continue to do this entrepreneurial thing and maybe I can publish a book someday soon.

So the idea of beginning a blog started creeping up on me this summer – I needed something to motivate me to write more frequently. So here we go!

In case you do not know me, I’ll tell you this: I am a holistic nutrition coach, living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I work with clients via phone, email, and in-person. Most of my in-person sessions are conducted in New York City every week. I also offer retreats a couple of times each year. I work with a wide array of individuals including: competitive athletes, people desiring to lose weight, recover from eating disorders, recover from various digestive disorders, balance their hormones, treat or prevent diabetes, or to simply learn how to adapt to a healthy lifestyle without going crazy! In addition to nutrition coaching, I’m also a competitive runner and I write for various organizations including New York Road Runners. So, you see, my careers(s) keep me very busy!

I don’t like being busy, believe me. Like many of you, I often have to remind myself to relax, to breathe, and to prioritize fun! This brings me to the point of my first entry. In my busyness, I missed blueberry season. It is very important to me to eat seasonally; I feel that it helps us to achieve balance and it also gives us the nutrients our bodies need for each season. So, while I have been buying local corn at the grocery store (DELICIOUS); I completely missed out on blueberry picking! This minor mishap reminds me to slow down (even more), and to spend time outdoors every day, maybe doing a walking meditation, so that I do not forget the “now.” And perhaps I will go apple picking this fall...after my wedding!