My August newsletter just went out and it has lots of info about exciting changes, my upcoming cooking class (sign up and join us!) and…. salads. Yum. Thought I’d share with you here. If you like what you see, join my mailing list and I’ll send you more helpful articles and delicious recipes. 
August 18, 2010
Why Diet Soda is the Devil
I get this question a lot: “How bad is diet soda, really?”
I realize that how I answer this question has the potential to make me wildly unpopular. And I’m OK with that. I’m sure that’s clear from this headline. The comparison to the devil may sound a tad extreme, but I say that because diet soda makes you do things that you didn’t intend to do in the first place. It tricks you. Confuses you. And sets you up to fail. I’ll explain…
Artificial sweeteners trick the body into thinking that sugar is on the way. Even just the thought of sweetness triggers a whole set of hormonal and metabolic reactions to get the body ready for incoming sugar. But what happens when the sugar isn’t delivered? And instead, what’s incoming is just this foreign substance that to your taste buds tastes like sugar, but that your body doesn’t know what to do with? Dr. Hyman talks about it in more detail in his blog post and compares what happens to Pavlov’s dog experiment. He trained dogs to connect the ringing of a bell with food. By the end the dogs were salivating just at the sound of the bell in anticipation of being fed. So here, the artificial sweetener (aspartame, saccharin…) is the bell. The body prepares itself for incoming calories … but there are none. The body goes, “Where’s the sugar?!?!?!” It’s gotten all ready for it. And just like Pavlov’s dog’s, now it wants it. And there in lies the connection between diet soda and weight gain. You see, because it makes you do bad things like eat an entire bag of cookies. Because you’re looking for that sugar.
Studies show that the chemical reactions these sweeteners create in the body actually stimulate appetite and can cause you to eat more food overall. Studies done on rats also show a drop in core body temperate meaning their metabolism slowed down (Eek!). So, yes, you might be saving a few calories in that one soda, but the important thing is – what is it making you do later?
My point here is not to ruin your day. I’m really sorry if I did. It’s just to echo what Dr. Hyman says at the end of his post: go ahead and have a little sugar. One packet of sugar is about 10 calories. If you need a little sweet, just use that instead of the yellow one. Stop tricking your body. It’s mean. That’s all.
August 11, 2010
Go Gourmet
I made this raspberry walnut quinoa-meal a few weeks ago for breakfast and since then it’s all I’ve wanted for breakfast. I’ve tried it several ways now reheating leftover quinoa with a little almond milk over the stove or in the microwave and then adding whatever is around that sounds good. I’ll add berries if I’ve got them. Or just stick with the more reliable stuff like walnuts, raisins, unsweetened coconut like in the picture here. Add a little cinnamon. Drizzle some honey over the top and OMG you’ve got something that looks way too fancy for the weekday. But you just made it in about two minutes in your kitchen. It doesn’t get any better than that right there. It’s Wednesday, go for the gourmet! Take the two minutes and splurge. It might be your only shot all day (yikes), so take it. Start it off better than everybody else. And enjoy it.
Now, here’s what you do for the fastest, most delicious, gourmet breakfast in a hurry…
Cook some quinoa early in the week and make enough so you’ll have leftovers.
Spoon some leftovers in a cereal bowl. Add enough almond milk (soy, coconut or cow’s milk works too) to moisten the grains and heat in the microwave for a minute, or until its warm. Add fruit, nuts, raisins, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg… go crazy. Whatever sounds good to you will be delicious. Drizzle honey or agave nectar on top or sprinkle on a little sugar. The one below was with red quinoa. It tastes the same, but the grains turn out a little bigger and less mushy than the white kind.
And there you go. Instant vacation-grade breakfast… but so much better than anything you’d find in a continental buffet.
July 28, 2010
Happy Birthday, Meggsalad!
One year ago today I posted this and Meggsalad was born. I’m teetering somewhere between “I can’t believe I’ve really kept this going one. whole. year.” and “wait, it’s only been a year?” These past twelve months have probably been my busiest yet in my 26 years. But at the same time they’ve been the most fun, exciting and rewarding. Life is good. And I’m so glad I have this blog now to look back. Thank you for your support and comments along the way. It certainly has kept me going on those slow moving days. I’d love to hear what you’ve enjoyed, found helpful, and what you’d like to see more of here. Comment away!
Now, let’s take a look back on year one, shall we? Here are a few of my favs…
You’ll Never Look at Dinner The Same Way
July 20, 2010
I Believe…
First, a few things that I don’t believe in: Guilt, Diets, Scales and 100 Calorie Packs. Now that I’ve got that out there, here’s what I do believe…
1. You are what you eat. Literally. The food we eat gets digested and absorbed and used to make new cells, tissues, stomach lining, blood, skin, hair fingernails… When old cells die they’re replaced with new ones. It’s a continuous process. And when we feed our bodies foods that support healthy cellular growth, you can see it on the outside with healthy looking skin, hair and nails. That simple. Every second of every day we’re shedding old cells and creating new ones. So when you think of it that way, every day is a new chance to change your diet and your body for the better.
2. Your body is telling you something. You just have to listen. Our bodies are constantly sending us signals but all too often we skip right over them or worse, shut them up with an Advil. Instead, listen to the messages your body is sending. It may be telling you to slow down, or that didn’t work so well, or that feels great! Tune in to the signals and use them to treat yourself better.
3. Counting calories is a waste of time. What is a calorie anyway? If you want to get specific, a calorie is the amount of energy required raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by one degree. Way too scientific if you ask me. Food is food, it shouldn’t be rocket science. So why do we insist on making it out to be? I’m not saying go out and eat a Value Meal. Calories don’t matter! No. The calorie is good for just what it is – a guide for the energy value of food. But we’ve taken it to the extreme and become calorie-obsessed. We spend twice as much money for a smaller quantity of food just because it comes in a 100 calorie pack. Pay no mind to the laundry list of ingredients we can’t pronounce. But it was only 100 calories! Which brings me to number 4…
4. Know what you’re eating. Be a food detective. If there’s anything in the ingredient list that you can’t pronounce or rhymes with blahgogenated, don’t eat it. It also matters how your food is grown and raised. Find out if it’s conventional or organic, local or farm raised, caged or pastured, grain or grass fed. It matters.
5. Food is powerful. We underestimate it. Maybe it’s because of all the drugs we have nowadays and all the messages and advertisements that come with them. But food can be even more powerful than a drug without the slew of possible side effects. Different foods create unique chemical reactions in the body that can facilitate healing. People have healed themselves from all sorts of ailments – from a case of the doldrums, to a little headache, to cancer, diabetes and so on.
6. Diets don’t work. And there’s no such thing as the perfect diet. If there was we’d all be eating it. Thing is, everybody is different. We all have different blood running through our veins, different metabolisms and different taste buds. And in this day and age with more and more food allergies and sensitivities, quite literally one persons panacea can be anothers poison. It’s up to each of us to find the diet (err, make that way of eating) that works for us right now. That means listening to your body (see #2), experimentation and enjoying the journey.
7. Food isn’t the only thing that feeds us. Sure it feeds us in the most literal sense, but what I’m talking about are those things that feed the soul. Our primary nourishment – relationships, careers, spirituality – feed us on a much deeper level than peas and carrots. You can eat all the broccoli in the world, but if you’re not feeding your soul what it needs too it doesn’t matter.
8. Exercise should feel good. The right exercise that is. And if it doesn’t feel good then why the heck are you doing it?! Or, maybe that’s why you’re not doing it? So stop. And find something that does make you feel good. Exercise is another one of those primary foods that feed us on a deeper level. It can make you happy, relieve stress and increase energy. And your exercise routine should change as you do to suit your age, preferences and lifestyle.
9. You, and only you, are in control of your health. Just because heart disease runs in the family or your father has high cholesterol does not mean you are doomed. The choices we make everyday have a greater impact. Nutrition (both primary and secondary) can turn genes on and off. This is cutting edge stuff right here. You see, food is powerful (#5) and you really are what you eat (#1) afterall.
10. Health is a means, not an end. It’s not just about being healthy. It’s about what being healthy allows you to do…
What do you want to do?
July 14, 2010
Raspberry Walnut Quinoa-meal
Any given day it’s a good bet that I have a bowl of cooked quinoa in the fridge. I make it a lot. Like here. And here. And there’s always leftovers. Usually I’ll eat it the next day with some cooked veggies, or I’ll add some to a salad. But now I’m gonna really get crazy here… How about quinoa for breakfast? Just reheat some leftover quinoa with milk (be it from a cow, coconut, almond or soy), add a little cinnamon, fruit, nuts and honey and you’ve got one fancy start to the day. It’s like grown-up oatmeal. Play around and try out your own combo, or follow this recipe…
Raspberry Walnut Quinoa-meal
What you need:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup milk (cow, coconut, almond or soy)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
cinnamon
1 tbsp chopped, toasted walnuts
honey (or agave nectar)
What you do:
Combine leftover quinoa and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow quinoa to absorb the milk. Once the liquid has been absorbed, add raspberries, walnuts and cinnamon. Transfer to bowl and drizzle with honey.
Starting from scratch? Here are the proportions:
1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
1 cup milk (cow, coconut, almond or soy)
1 cup water
2 cups raspberries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup copped, toasted walnuts
honey
July 9, 2010
Have You Ever Watched a Cut Heal?
Right now I can feel my heartbeat in my left thumb. It’s all red and inflamed because I sliced it, right on the pad, two days ago when I was opening a plastic container of olives. Ouch! Minor cuts and bruises are a pretty regular occurrence around here. I guess you could call me a bit of klutz. I just get in a hurry and have a problem with patience. That’s my excuse anyway for breaking wooden spoons in blenders and running into chairs. In the case of the latter, I usually brush it off, maybe notice a bruise a day or two later, and wonder ‘where did that come from?… This cut has my attention though – mostly because it’s throbbing – and I’m reminded just how incredible the body really is…
Without me doing a thing it knows exactly what to do to heal that cut. It’s going at it as we speak. I went back to look for this excerpt from Dr. Weil’s book Health and Healing about the body’s automatic response. Dr. Weil encourages people to learn about the process and gain confidence in the body’s innate capacity to heal. It’s all too easy these days to overlook it.
“If there is bleeding, see it as the body’s way of cleaning the area and ensuring an unobstructed flow of blood. Observe how bleeding stops with the formation of a clot. How soon can you detect the beginnings of an inflammatory response (redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness around the injured tissue)? These changes represent the influx of white blood cells and other cells whose job is the removal of debris and defense against infection.”
Kinda cool, huh? Next time you get a boo-boo, see for yourself. Make sure it’s nothing too serious. Get over the ouch. Then just observe as your body goes to work. And give it the credit it’s due.
July 7, 2010
The Future of Medicine
What do a detective, meteorologist and doctor have in common? No, its not a joke. I don’t have a clever punch line… But I’ve been thinking, maybe these three career paths should have a little more in common than they do today. I’ll explain…
Today a trip to the doctor’s office can be pretty routine. You have X, so you take Y to fix it. The doctor writes a prescription and we’re on our way. Whatever X was may have gone away, but in the end we’re none the wiser as to what went wrong in the first place. All we’ve done is played the name it, blame it, tame it game, as Dr. Mark Hyman, functional medicine physician, puts it. The way we look at healthcare today is in terms of treating disease. And as long as we’re taking that approach we’ll never get the upper hand. It’s time for a shift in perspective. And that shift is to a place where the practice of medicine is about creating health instead of fighting disease. So let’s go back to that doctor’s office and try again… but this time what if the doc asks, “what happened to make you need Y in the first place?”
Now the doctor is like the detective. He’s asking questions and doing tests to figure out what’s creating an imbalance. There are seven systems in the body working together to keep us going. Nothing is separate of the whole; everything is connected and constantly changing. Yet when we have a headache we’re referred to one specialist and when we have a tummy ache we’re referred to another. But what if the headache is caused by a problem in the gut? You’d never know. You have to look at the whole thing and understand how the systems work together, what causes imbalance and what creates balance.
With this approach to health the name of a disease is irrelevant. A disease is just a name we’ve made up to classify a specific set of symptoms. It doesn’t really tell us what is wrong with us. The symptoms are clues of something much larger (think Dr. House). To figure that out, doctors have got to start asking the big question: Why? To those who want to stop here and say doctors don’t have time to retrace your medical history, I say: Perhaps they should. And maybe if they did our medical system would be a very different kind of beast then it is today.
But what I’m talking about here goes beyond arguing about the best use of a doctor’s time. This is really about how we are missing the mark all together. The way we treat disease now is you either have it or you don’t. But disease doesn’t just come on overnight. Our bodies are ecosystems and the environment is constantly changing in the same way the environment on earth is constantly changing. Winds shift, storms brew, species evolve. Same goes for the workings of our bodies. So treating them should be about determining what in our bodies created the perfect storm. The doctor turns meteorologist. Medicine should be about trying to understanding the ecosystem and working with it to create balance. Because when we’re balanced it’s harder for the little things we come in contact with to knock us over. That is the future of medicine: detective, meteorologist and doctor all in one. And we’ll have much healthier and happier people as a result.
June 21, 2010
Greens + Onions + Mushrooms
Last weekend Dr. Joel Fuhrman gave us this as a cancer fighting super combo: greens + onions + mushrooms. For the green part of the equation, cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts and cabbage, are particularly beneficial. The phytochemicals in cruciferous vegetables keep toxins from doing the kind of damage to our DNA that leads to cancer. The cruciferous greens modify human hormones, detoxify compounds and stop toxins from sticking around. Onions are like the antibacterial scrub to clean the system. And mushrooms are aromatase inhibitors that block the synthesis of estrogen – making them especially protective against breast cancer. The recipe at the end of this post (and pictured above) is a tasty way to get all three.
According to Fuhrman, the most beneficial compounds we get from these foods though are the isothiocyanates (ITCs). ITCs boost the immune system, but the catch is that they don’t actually exist in the foods themselves. Tricky. ITCs take shape when the foods are chopped or chewed. Think of when you’ve chopped into an onion and your eyes welled up. The smell that’s released and your ensuing water works are a result of a chemical reaction taking place. Fuhrman’s point is to chop before heating and chew well to get the maximum benefit from your foods.
Speaking of chopping an onion… here’s a video that shows how its really done.
And here’s a more complete list of cruciferous cancer fighters:
- arugula
- bok choy
- broccoli
- broccoli rabe
- brocollina
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- cauliflower
- collards
- horseradish
- kale
- kohlrabi
- mustard greens
- radish
- red cabbage
- rutabaga
- turnips
- turnip greens
- watercress
Kale with Mushrooms and Onions
What you need:
- 1 bunch kale, torn into bite size pieces
- 1 yellow onion, cut into crescents
- shitake mushrooms
- olive oil
- 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
- 1 tbsp water
What you do:
Heat pan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onions. Cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent. Add mushrooms. Cook a few minutes. Add kale. Stir to coat with oil. Combine tamari, mirin and water in a bowl. When greens begin to shrink down, pour in liquid mixture. Stir and cook a few more minutes. Taste greens to know when they’re done. Greens will be wilted and slightly sweet, not bitter. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
June 16, 2010
This Is Nuts?!
It looks like a cheesecake. It tastes like a cheesecake. But is it a cheesecake? There’s not one shred of cheese in this thing. Nuts! No, really… nuts. The lactose intolerant, the vegans, the raw foodists rejoice. Enter the cashew. I got a taste at Pure Food and Wine in New York. There, cashews became stinky cheese for salads… ricotta-like cheese for ravioli … and best of all, ice cream. We’re talking ice cream you would not have believed wasn’t the real thing. I was impressed. I’d imagine for someone who has sworn off milk products for the rest of their life for whatever reason, discovering the cashew would be on par with winning the lottery.
So what’s the benefit of swapping cream cheese for cashews? Going raw, or following a raw foods diet means eating only living foods (ie. foods that have not been cooked, pasteurized, subjected to heat above 115 degrees). In its raw state, food has 100% of its nutrients and enzymes in tact. But when food is cooked, its nutrient count goes down and the heat kills enzymes. So to get the maximum nutritional benefits of the food, raw foodies say: Eat it raw. Enzymes are what help you digest your food. Without the enzymes in the food, our bodies’ own reserve of enzymes is called in to action to get to work digesting. And that requires energy. But when you only eat raw food, the body can save its enzymes and its energy. Take a carrot for example. Any given carrot has the enzymes in it required to digest itself. So for your body to digest that carrot, the amount of energy required from the body is zero. That means the energy saved can go toward more important things, like making new skin cells to give you that glow.
Before you go turning your oven into a storage cabinet…. I’m not telling you all this to say you should go all raw, all the time. You don’t have to carry a salad in a Ziploc everywhere you go to be healthy. OMG, can you imagine?! But a little raw here and there is a very good thing. Try incorporating more living foods into your meals. Maybe some fruit at breakfast, a salad or an apple with lunch and a pretty green salad before dinner. You’ll get more nutrients and save energy for yourself. Plus, it’s summer. It’s hot. And raw foods help cool you down too. See if you notice a difference with just a little more raw food. And if you’re feeling adventurous, go nuts and make this cake.
My point here is that following a specific diet doesn’t have to leave you feeling deprived. It just might take a little creativity and invention. It IS possible to satisfy a sweet tooth without refined sugar, white flour, eggs, milk or cream cheese. Here’s how….
Raw Cheesecake
What you need:
2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut, shredded
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
3/4 cup lemon or lime juice
3/4 cup raw honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pint strawberries, finely sliced
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
water
What you do:
Start with the crust. In a food processor, combine the macadamia nuts and dates. Sprinkle dried coconut on to the bottom of a round springform pan. You can also use a regular cake pan and line the bottom with plastic wrap so the cake will lift out when it’s done. Press the crust onto the coconut in the pan. Work in small pieces and flatten the crust evenly with your fingers. The coconut will help keep it from sticking to the bottom.
To make the filing, blend cashews, lemon, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth.
Pour the mixture evenly onto the crust.
Put it in the freezer until it gets firm. Take the cake out of the pan while it’s frozen and transfer to serving plate. Leave it in the refrigerator to defrost until serving.
For the topping, mix finely sliced strawberries with lemon juice, agave nectar and water. Leave topping in the fridge to chill until serving.
