Eating for Vitality: Nourishing Your Body and Mind
Eating for Vitality: Nourishing Your Body and Mind In our modern world filled with fast food and processed snacks, it’s easy to overlook the importance of nourishing our bodies with wholesome foods. However, making mindful choices about what we eat can have a profound impact on our overall health and well-being. By incorporating healthy eating tips for energy and embracing nutrient-rich diet recommendations, we can fuel our bodies for optimal vitality and vitality. The Power of Nutrient-Rich Foods When it comes to eating for vitality, the quality of our food matters just as much as the quantity. Instead of focusing solely on calorie counting, prioritize nutrient-rich foods that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support your overall health. This includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. For example, aim to fill your plate with a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables, which are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that promote health and well-being. Incorporating a variety of nutrient-dense foods into your diet ensures that you’re getting a wide range of essential nutrients to support your body’s functions and keep you feeling your best. Mindful Eating for Wellness In addition to choosing nutrient-rich foods, practicing mindful eating can further enhance your overall wellness. Mindful eating involves paying attention to the sensory experience of eating, including the taste, texture, and aroma of your food, as well as your body’s hunger and fullness cues. By slowing down and savoring each bite, you can cultivate a deeper connection with your food and promote greater satisfaction and enjoyment of meals. Try incorporating mindful eating practices into your daily routine, such as chewing your food slowly, eating without distractions, and tuning in to your body’s hunger and fullness signals. By being more present and mindful during meals, you can foster a healthier relationship with food and support your overall well-being. Nutrition for Mental Clarity It’s not just our bodies that benefit from a nutrient-rich diet—our minds do too. Certain foods have been shown to support brain health and cognitive function, helping to improve mental clarity, focus, and concentration. Incorporating these foods into your diet can help you feel more alert, productive, and mentally sharp throughout the day. For example, omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon and walnuts have been linked to improved brain function and reduced risk of cognitive decline. Additionally, foods rich in antioxidants, such as berries, dark chocolate, and green tea, can help protect against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, promoting better mental clarity and cognitive function. Harnessing the Power of Superfoods When it comes to eating for vitality, superfoods are nutritional powerhouses that can provide an extra boost of health and vitality. These nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health and well-being, making them an excellent addition to any diet. Some examples of superfoods include kale, spinach, berries, quinoa, chia seeds, and avocados. Incorporating these foods into your meals can help to increase your intake of essential nutrients and promote greater vitality and health. Whether you’re blending them into smoothies, tossing them into salads, or incorporating them into your favorite recipes, superfoods are a delicious and nutritious way to nourish your body and mind. In conclusion, eating for vitality is about nourishing your body and mind with nutrient-rich foods and practicing mindful eating habits. By prioritizing wholesome foods, embracing mindful eating practices, and incorporating superfoods into your diet, you can fuel your body for optimal health and well-being. Remember that small changes can add up to big results, and with the right support and guidance, you can achieve your wellness goals and live your best life.
2024 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen!
2024 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen! 100% organic eating can be tricky, sometimes it’s just way too expensive, especially for a family of four, or sometimes items are just impossible to find! I can’t tell you how many times it’s been difficult to find organic asparagus! Luckily, since 2004, EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce update their Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list every single year. What that means is a list of 12 Dirty items that are loaded with pesticides, for me that means look for organic or skip it. And 15 Clean items, these are crops that have the lowest levels of pesticide residue and considered “relatively safe” in their non organic form. The guide comes from test results of 45,000 samples of produce tested by the Department of Agriculture. The list is released in April every year and changes a tiny bit, luckily asparagus is usually on the clean side. This year’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen was just released days ago, so here it is!
Creamy Dairy Free Dill Slaw for Spring!
Creamy Dairy Free Dill Slaw for Spring! Spring is officially here! Colors are popping and trees are filling out in gorgeous, majestic greens. It’s such a lovely season for so many reasons, it’s like Mother Earth is in all her glory and giving us yet another chance to create whatever we want by showing us what’s possible. We can see possibility everywhere as we witness colors exploding out of the ground and buds seemingly showing up out of nowhere. Truly magical! This salad makes me think of Spring, it’s luscious, refreshing and stays good in the fridge for days! Paired with a nice piece salmon and perfect on a warm day! Oh it’s also pretty darn fast to make, which is always a great thing. Ingredients Slaw ½ small head green cabbage shredded 1 very small bunch Lacinato kale thinly sliced 3 scallions thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh dill finely chopped Dressing ½ cup raw cashews (soaked overnight) 6 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ cup parsley Directions: Place the cashews into a bowl of water, doesn’t matter how much water and soak overnight at room temperature, then rinse and drain them. Place the soaked cashews into a high powered blender, a Vitamix, a Ninja, just not a food processor , it won’t get them creamy enough. Add the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Place all of the slaw ingredients into a large bowl. For a shortcut you could use a bag of precut cole slaw, but I wouldn’t use a bag of precut kale since they always leave the stems in there, why do they do that? The stems are so bitter. Add the dressing and toss together. Let the slaw rest for about 10 minutes, then toss again. Taste and add more chopped dill or salt if needed. Serve and enjoy! If you made enough to keep in the fridge for a few days, you might want to make extra sauce, since it can dry out. But seriously the sauce is so good that I always double it and use it on just about anything else!
Ginger Chicken Congee
Congee is one of my favorite things, especially in the rainy season or the cold winter. It feels so nourishing and is so easy to make. It’s also very versatile, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you can certainly substitute chicken for butternut squash or I’ve seen it with mushrooms, so many different variations out there! Congee is also great base, if I’m doing a butternut squash congee then maybe I’m adding a lightly hard boiled egg with it and piling on some veggies like roasted asparagus or broccoli. Also don’t be a afraid to dress it up as I like to say- drizzle some sesame oil, oyster sauce, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, scallions, coconut aminos and you don’t have to keep it in the Asian family — you can branch out with olive oil, tahini, truffles, pine nuts, pesto, get creative! INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 or 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (or more) 4 scallions chopped 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (Bell and Evans are my favorite) 1 cup white jasmine rice rinsed well 6 cups chicken bone broth, chicken stock or water 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup chopped cilantro DIRECTIONS Press SAUTÉ on your Instant Pot, add the oil, once it’s hot, add ginger. Sauté for about a minute, until fragrant, don’t let it burn. Then add the scallions, carrots, and chicken breasts, rice, water, and salt. Press CANCEL. Move the valve to SEALING position. Then cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, take out the chicken and shred it with two forks on a cutting board. It should fall apart very easily. Return to the pot and stir in. Serve in bowls, garnished with cilantro, more scallions if you like, a drizzle some sesame oil, oyster sauce, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, scallions, coconut aminos and enjoy! Note: Because the consistency is thick when reheating leftovers, I like to add a little bit of water to a pot and reheat on the stove over medium-low heat.
The Art of Mindful Eating
The Art of Mindful Eating I want to start with this excerpt from Andrea Lieberstein. “Mindful eating enables us to experience greater pleasure and nourishment from our food. Through mindful awareness we become more attuned to our body’s signals of pleasure, hunger, and fullness. We notice the food thoughts and beliefs that don’t serve us and encourage those that do. We notice what is beneficial, nurturing these with our attention. We make choices that support our health and well-being and those of the planet. We practice kindness toward ourselves and our cravings and forgive ourselves for the difficult moments. When we slow down, chew mindfully, and savor our food, we reduce stress, experience flavors fully, and improve digestion. When we focus on enjoying our food, worries fall away because we are no longer thinking about them. We tune in to and listen to signals from our body when we have had enough, thus helping us eat to a comfortable level rather than overeating.” If you’re anything like me, sometimes my excitement gets the best of me and I can’t wait to dive into my meal, whether I’ve spent a long amount of time cooking or I’m out and eager to indulge. I love food and I love eating it! But that speed and excitement often leaves me unsatisfied. Have you ever eaten a meal that you don’t remember? Likely you were watching TV, driving, on the computer, working, etc. hence completely missing the experience and the pleasure of eating! My first experience with Mindful Eating was probably almost two decades ago during a residential retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, it was my first silent retreat and I adored every minute… well, after the first two days that is. It took a second, but once my mind was able to relax and take in a different rhythm, I was quite content. And then… it was lunch and I could sense my dopamine already getting stirred up! What was for lunch? Was it going to be good? Will they have bread? Or rice? Or will it only be soup? Regardless, once we entered and sat for our silent meal, I learned about mindful eating and it was orgasmic. Just me and my meal, pure enjoyment, no accompanied thoughts; planning, worrying, stressing, thinking. Just simplicity, just me and my meal. Ahhhh. Here are a 3 tips if you’d like to experiment with this powerful practice. Check in Place your plate in front of you, put your hands in your lap, close your eyes and take 2-3 deep breaths. Notice any feelings you might be having- rushed, starved, tired, maybe some anxiety? What is your hunger level, ask yourself, how hungry am I? We tend to enjoy our food the most when we are hungry. Too hungry and we eat too fast. Not hungry at all, for example, maybe you’re just eating because it’s ‘dinner time’? Then eating would not be a very kind thing to do for your body. Can you wait until your body is ready? Gaze and take a moment Notice the colors, smells, placement, look at the beauty of your meal. Take a moment to contemplate what it took to get this meal on your plate. This is a Buddhist concept called ‘dependent arising’ which is defined as specific conditions whose presence is indispensable for something to come into existence. So consider, the farms who grew your food, the farmers who picked it, the driver of the truck that transported it, the store that carried it so you could purchase it and so and so on. This is a practice not for just eating, in the bigger picture it serves as a way to bring us closer together and helps us relate to everyone instead creating a barrier of separatism. Taste mindfully Take your first bite, close your eyes and really sense with your taste buds. Put words to what you taste; salty, sweet, sour, nutty, garlicky. Give words to the texture, crunchy, creamy, prickly. Be conscious of the temperature; too hot, warm, cooling. And notice after you swallow, tracking it as it makes its journey; the warmth or cold you might feel in your tummy. Notice how your mouth knows exactly what to do, your jaw knows exactly how hard to bite, your tongue moves things around in such an all knowing way. And finally, pay attention to the moment the enjoyment fades, this is the most fascinating thing, there’s a moment where it’s still good, but not as good as those first few bites. The joy has diminshed. For me, this is where I go into, “Ok, time to finish this up and move on to the next thing.” If you find yourself there, then it’s suggested to tune in to whether you are full and perhaps you’ve had enough. Three points of practice. I’d recommend doing this at least once a day, consider practicing alone at first, you can do an entire meal or just the first few bites if you prefer. And if you’d like to listen to me walk you through it, go to your Insight Timer App and there under my tracks, you will find “Mindful Eating”. I want to leave you with one more thing to consider. Many people use food to nourish or soothe themselves when they are actually craving something else. Which leads me to another excerpt from Andrea Lieberstein… What if we were living a life where we felt well-nourished emotionally, intellectually, physically, psychologically, spiritually, socially, and creatively? What if we were mindfully present to receive, experience, plan for, and engage in nourishing activities, moments, and practices regularly that fed us on many levels. What if we were able to maintain an inner sense of balance and nourishment even when things are not perfectly in balance, and have the tools and practices to do so rather than turn to food at those times? Thank you, Andrea! Now that is something to ponder.
The 2022 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen List
The 2022 Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen List 100% organic eating can be tricky, sometimes it’s just way too expensive especially for a family of four or sometimes items are impossible to find! I can’t you how many times it’s been difficult to find organic asparagus! Luckily, since 2004, EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce update their Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list every single year. What that means is a list of 12 Dirty items that are loaded with pesticides, for me that means look for organic or skip it. And 15 Clean items, these are crops that have the lowest levels of pesticide residue and considered “relatively safe” in their non organic form. The guide comes from test results of 45,000 samples of produce tested by the Department of Agriculture. The list is released in April every year and changes a tiny bit, luckily asparagus is usually on the clean side. Here is 2022 list:
Is it GMO, Organic or Conventional?
Is it GMO, Organic or Conventional? Even though consumers are against having GMOs in their food, supermarkets still seem to carry them and some of those ways are quite sneaky. Here’s some things to know: Any food that says USDA Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified seal can still contain less than 0.9% GMOs. I’m not sure if that is good news or bad news. It means there’s still GMOs present, just not over 1%. You decide how far down the rabbit hole you’d like to go. Most people know that Corn and Soy are the major GMO crops in the US. Corn is heavily modified with the exception of popcorn, check your labels on everything, granola, cereals, baking goods, tortillas, tortilla chips, soy milks, infant formula, veggie burgers, etc. If a label says it contains just Corn or just Soy and not Organic Corn or Organic Soy, then it’s safe to assume its GMO. In the US, virtually all canola oil is from genetically modified crops. For dairy products always buy 100% organic to avoid GMOs. Avoid Beet Sugar, which is found in cereals, soups, yogurt, breads, it is 99% GMO, instead find products with evaporated cane sugar or organic sugar. Get used to reading your bar codes: If there are only four numbers in the PLU, this means that the produce was grown conventionally or “traditionally” with the use of pesticides. The last four letters of the PLU code are simply what kind of vegetable or fruit. An example is that all bananas are labeled with the code of 4011. If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “8″, this tells you that the item is a genetically modified fruit or vegetable. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables trump being organic. So, it is impossible to eat organic produce that is grown from genetically modified seeds. A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011 If there are five numbers in the PLU code, and the number starts with “9″, this tells you that the produce was grown organically and is not genetically modified. An organic banana would be: 94011 So in a nutshell: 4-digit number means: food was conventionally grown with pesticides it number that begins with a 8: produce is genetically modified 5-digit number that begins with a 9: produce is organic Hopefully these tips help you navigate around the supermarket a little better, if you’re interested in doing a total overhaul on your eating, consider doing our Eliminate and Detox Program.
Winter Solstice Mushroom Soup
Winter Solstice Mushroom Soup We are entering the solstice starting next week. The days have been getting shorter and the nights have been getting longer, and it is hard not to notice how cold it is outside! Winter is the season of yin, when we need to consolidate our energy. It is a time to slow down and sleep more, spend more time at home, preparing meals from home. This time of year, it is important to eat foods that are slow cooked, braised, fermented, and brewed. Our digestive systems are most capable of absorbing nutrients with foods that are long and slow cooked in the winter time. One of the best ways to encourage healthy digestion in the winter is to eat soup! Soup is easy to make and it is very delicious and satisfying on those chilly winter nights. I made this recipe over the weekend and it was absolutely delicious! Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin D, which we need more of in the winter. Dill encourages circulation, which helps our bodies to stay warm. You can use whatever kind of broth you like, I like bone broth b/c it has a lot of minerals and nutrients that are especially beneficial in the winter. This soup is a great way to warm the yang and escape the chill! Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 30 min Ingredients: 1 lb baby Bella mushrooms, sliced 1 lb Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 onion diced finely 3 tbsp olive oil 2 cups vegetable broth or beef bone broth 1/2 cup vodka or brandy 2 tsp dried dill 1 tsp caraway seeds 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tsp paprika 2 tbsp chickpea miso (or regular miso) 1 tbsp arrowroot or corn starch 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup fresh dill 1/4 cup dairy free sour cream (such as kite-hill) – optional In a heavy pot, sauteé onions and mushrooms in olive oil until translucent and tender, and allow mushrooms to release liquids, for about 15 minutes. Add vodka or brandy to deglaze. Add dill, caraway seed, thyme, paprika, and vegetable or beef broth and turn the heat to high to allow the soup to simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes. Whisk arrowroot or cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water until smooth. Add to the soup mixture until it begins to thicken. Remove lid and add dairy free sour cream and allow it to melt. Garnish with fresh dill and serve warm!
Cheesy Kale Chips (Dairy Free!)
Cheesy Kale Chips (Dairy Free!) Did you hear California is having a shortage of KALE? Do you know why? Because it’s just so GOOD! Kale is found in every restaurant up here in Northern California it was just a matter of time that it was made into a chip! I’m crazy over Alive and Radiant’s Quite Cheezy Kale Chips, but they are $5.99 for a SMALL bag that I finish in 9 minutes flat. So, I thought I’d find a recipe for the best Cheesy Kale Chips ever! Here you go… De-stem and tear one bunch of Dinosaur or Curly Green Kale into bite size pieces and place into a strainer, be sure to rinse them out well and pat down with a paper towel. When dry place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Meanwhile in a Vitamix or food processor blend the following: 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 2 large tablespoons of nutritional yeast ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup red pepper, chopped ½ cup of cashews Add a splash of water and mix together kale and paste in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Enjoy! In Health, Christina Martin
Feeling inflamed? Eat like this!
Feeling inflamed? Eat like this! Inflammation does not discriminate! We all fall victim to it at one point or another. Low back pain, neck pain, joint swelling, even stomach issues like anything that ends in an -itis is otherwise known as inflammation. Try this way of eating to reset your body and bring down the inflammation in your system. Steamed vegetables: Steamed vegetables are more easily digested and this can help increase the availability of nutrients in order to enable healing of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Minimize usage of raw vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables (except nightshades including tomatoes, potatoes (no sweet potatoes), bell peppers and eggplants), especially the lower carbohydrate type. Lower carbohydrate vegetables include asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, beet greens, cucumber, endive, lettuce, mustard greens, radish, spinach, watercress, arugula, string beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, chives, collards, kohlrabi, leeks, onion, parsley, pumpkin, rutabagas and turnips. The higher carbohydrate vegetables include artichoke, parsnip, green peas, squash, carrots. Grains: Eat 1-2 cups of cooked grains per day and avoid wheat-derived grains. Examples of allowed grains include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, basmati or brown rice, rye, teff (note, Teff bread at the local Ethiopian restaurants are usually made with wheat). Legumes: Eat a variety of any legumes that you are able to tolerate. It is best to use dried organic beans, soaked overnight, then cooked to taste. Examples include split peas, lentils, kidney beans, aduki beans, mung beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans. Fish and Eggs: Deep-sea ocean fish (vs. farmed in which fish are commonly fed corn and cement)) is preferred. Ask the person behind the counter at the supermarket! Avoid shellfish. The best types of fish include salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, mackerel. The fish should be poached, steamed, baked or broiled (poached or steamed is best). Organic, free range eggs are best and pouched retains the nutritional value. Milk products: Only organic, raw milk is acceptable. Organic Greek yogurt is also a good milk protein. Meat and Poultry: Eat only the meat and not the skin of free-range or organically grown chicken or turkey. Bake, broil or steam the poultry. Beef, buffalo and lamb in smaller portions are acceptable. Fruit: Eat 1-2 pieces of seasonal fruits with the exception of citrus. Like vegetables, try to eat the low carb fruits. Low carb fruits include: cantaloupe, rhubarb, strawberries, melons, apricot, blackberries, cranberries, papaya, peach, plum, raspberries, kiwi. Higher carb fruits include apple, blueberries, cherries, grapes, mango, pear, pineapple, pomegranate, banana, figs, prunes, dried fruit. Sweeteners: Use very small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup, honey or stevia. Do NOT use sugar, NutraSweet, Sweet and Low, Splenda or Equal, never. Seeds and Nuts: Grind organic whole flax, pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds and add to steamed vegetables, cooked grains, smoothies, etc. Consume at least 1 T whole flax or 2 T ground flax per day to modulate inflammation and promote detoxification of harmful substances in the body. Nut and seed butters are allowed but peanut is absolutely forbidden. Butter/Oils: When cooking, do not use extra virgin olive oil. You may use oils such as coconut oil (especially for higher heat), rice bran oil, butter or ghee (clarified butter). We recommend you avoid canola oil at any temperature. Extra virgin olive oil is fine for any other situation requiring oil. Refrigerate all cooking oils. To Drink: Please consume a MINIMUM of 6 to 8 glasses of spring or reverse-osmosis water every day. We recommend you use different sources regularly. Small amounts of rice, oat or almond milk are allowed. For the time being, avoid the following foods: All wheat products (including breads, white flour) Tomatoes Potatoes Corn products Peanuts/peanut butter Any processed food Coffee Alcohol Colas Fried foods No Calorie Sweeteners, (NutraSweet, Sweet and Low, Equal) Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food and water. Heat up your food using a glass or ceramic bowl covered with dish. When plastic is heated, it diffuses very rapidly into food. Use a simple detergent with less chemicals; Nature Clean is a good choice for both laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent. Simple Soap is a safe choice for shampoo and body soap. Use natural pest control not pesticides. Avoid Synthetic Chemicals – Healthy Living in a Toxic World by Cynthia Fincher PhD. is a good place to start. Buy hormone free meats to eat. Buy “Organic” produce, produce grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizer or hormones. Do not use microwaves. The very important changes to make are do NOT eat or drink out of HOT plastic. (ie: Water bottles left in the car, microwave your food in plastic)
