One of my favorite ways to start the day is with a big bowl of oatmeal. This is not only because it fills me up for a long period of time, but I love the versatility that oatmeal offers. I really can't think of another meal where you have the options of 'add ins' that you have with oatmeal.
raw, local honey.
ground flax seed
gogi berries
fresh fruit
hemp seeds
cinnamon
raisins
walnuts
seeds and nuts
milks
rolled oats are a great thing to have around the house for other baking options..
Monday, November 21, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
For the Veggie Lovers
The basic idea behind this recipe is to combine whichever vegetables you like, and enjoy them over a grain of your choice. This is one of my favorite dishes for a number of reasons...
1. There are no rules. You can put in or omit anything that you like or don't like.
2. It is quick and easy.
3. It is perfect for the days that you don't know exactly what to cook, but you do know that you have a fridge full of random vegetables starting you in the face.
4. You can get almost a full days serving of recommended veggies.
5. It is a beautifully energetic meal, leaving you feeling full but not sluggish.
6. It always changes.
Still interested?? So here's the story:
The only step that might add a little more time to this recipe is cooking the grain. I tend to cook a large amount of one grain at the beginning of the week, and then keep it in the fridge to use whenever it can be incorporated it into a dish. Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of grains in their bulk section, as well as a guide to explain prep and cooking time.
http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/departments/bulk/index.php
Once you have your grain prepared;
Put some garlic in a pan with some olive oil, and sautee for a few minutes until golden brown.
Add some sliced onion, only if you like onion of course.
After about a minute, add your more heartier vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes etc...) and a little water (or vegetable broth) and cover to steam them.
After a few minutes, add the rest of your medley (the leafy greens).
Stir everything together and let it cook for another minute or two.
After all of the vegetables look tender, add some salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste, and mix everything one last time.
Place it over your grain, and enjoy!!
1. There are no rules. You can put in or omit anything that you like or don't like.
2. It is quick and easy.
3. It is perfect for the days that you don't know exactly what to cook, but you do know that you have a fridge full of random vegetables starting you in the face.
4. You can get almost a full days serving of recommended veggies.
5. It is a beautifully energetic meal, leaving you feeling full but not sluggish.
6. It always changes.
Still interested?? So here's the story:
The only step that might add a little more time to this recipe is cooking the grain. I tend to cook a large amount of one grain at the beginning of the week, and then keep it in the fridge to use whenever it can be incorporated it into a dish. Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of grains in their bulk section, as well as a guide to explain prep and cooking time.
http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/departments/bulk/index.php
Once you have your grain prepared;
Put some garlic in a pan with some olive oil, and sautee for a few minutes until golden brown.
Add some sliced onion, only if you like onion of course.
After about a minute, add your more heartier vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes etc...) and a little water (or vegetable broth) and cover to steam them.
After a few minutes, add the rest of your medley (the leafy greens).
Stir everything together and let it cook for another minute or two.
After all of the vegetables look tender, add some salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste, and mix everything one last time.
Place it over your grain, and enjoy!!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
becoming a bargainista
One of the biggest complaints (and excuses) I hear from people about shopping for their wellness is the cost of healthy foods. We have been brought up in a culture that spends an extrememly small percent of our paycheck on food, and unfortunately, the accesibility of cheap food makes many believe that we should be getting simple nourishment for less money.
This would obviously be ideal, however, I don't see the cost of sweet summertime organic strawberries ever being able to compete with the cheap industrialized prices of the McDonalds hamburger. I can't argue that this doesn't have an effect on your wallet, but in this post, Kris Carr gives some great tips for cutting some costs when shopping for your bodys well being.
Check them out, and try to incorporate a few tricks into your shopping routine, as well as a few new veggies :)
http://www.drfranklipman.com/how-to-be-a-bargainista/#more-9627
This would obviously be ideal, however, I don't see the cost of sweet summertime organic strawberries ever being able to compete with the cheap industrialized prices of the McDonalds hamburger. I can't argue that this doesn't have an effect on your wallet, but in this post, Kris Carr gives some great tips for cutting some costs when shopping for your bodys well being.
Check them out, and try to incorporate a few tricks into your shopping routine, as well as a few new veggies :)
http://www.drfranklipman.com/how-to-be-a-bargainista/#more-9627
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
My Tuesday Morning Smoothie
I have decided to call this my Tuesday Morning Smoothie because it is, in fact, Tuesday morning, and I am sooo happy to be enjoying it's refreshing and energizing flavor after a weekend of daydreaming about it.
I spent the weekend in NYC at a conference hosted by The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Among the speakers was Dr. Andrew Weil, who has been a long time favorite of mine, and who has one of the most sustainable and realistic approaches to diet and lifestyle (at least in my opinion). As many of you know, it can be pretty tricky maintaining a healthy diet when on the road. This weekend was particularly challenging because of all of the traveling I was doing, all of the health talks I was listening to, and especially, because I knew that my new Vitamix blender (THANK YOU TIM!!) was sitting on my kitchen counter away from my use.
I have always been a fan of fruit smoothies, and after realizing the tremendous health benefits associated with green smoothies, I started to experiment with both fruits and veggies. There are some wonderful recipe's out there, but this one is one of my favorites because it is simple and easy, yet still offers you a tremendous amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and plain ol' wholesome goodness.
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk (or whatever you personal 'milk' preference is)
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 cup strawberries (preferably frozen)
1-2 bananas (preferably forzen)
Blend and Enjoy.
Some sidenotes:
I like to wash the strawberries and cut them in half before placing them in the freezer. I will also peel a few bananas, cut them into pieces and put them in the freezer as well. If you do this in bulk, it is a great way to cut fruit preparation time in half. It works best to store them in a ziplock freezer bag or a plastic tupperwear container. Or you can simply buy frozen berries at your local health food store.
Of course, if your fruit is not frozen, you can still enjoy this drink. Feel free to add some ice along with the ingredients or just enjoy the smoothie at room temperature.
I spent the weekend in NYC at a conference hosted by The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Among the speakers was Dr. Andrew Weil, who has been a long time favorite of mine, and who has one of the most sustainable and realistic approaches to diet and lifestyle (at least in my opinion). As many of you know, it can be pretty tricky maintaining a healthy diet when on the road. This weekend was particularly challenging because of all of the traveling I was doing, all of the health talks I was listening to, and especially, because I knew that my new Vitamix blender (THANK YOU TIM!!) was sitting on my kitchen counter away from my use.
I have always been a fan of fruit smoothies, and after realizing the tremendous health benefits associated with green smoothies, I started to experiment with both fruits and veggies. There are some wonderful recipe's out there, but this one is one of my favorites because it is simple and easy, yet still offers you a tremendous amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and plain ol' wholesome goodness.
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk (or whatever you personal 'milk' preference is)
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 cup strawberries (preferably frozen)
1-2 bananas (preferably forzen)
Blend and Enjoy.
Some sidenotes:
I like to wash the strawberries and cut them in half before placing them in the freezer. I will also peel a few bananas, cut them into pieces and put them in the freezer as well. If you do this in bulk, it is a great way to cut fruit preparation time in half. It works best to store them in a ziplock freezer bag or a plastic tupperwear container. Or you can simply buy frozen berries at your local health food store.
Of course, if your fruit is not frozen, you can still enjoy this drink. Feel free to add some ice along with the ingredients or just enjoy the smoothie at room temperature.
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