have any of you ever wondered why we put baking soda in the refrigerator to prevent odors? it seems so random, and yet, it is obviously working! baking soda is an example of a substance that neutralizes pH. when it comes into contact with an acid in the air (a.k.a. yesterday’s lo mein) its properties immediately balance out the smell and keep everything fresh.
would it surprise you to know that every food and substance that we put into our bodies leaves an ash residue after metabolism? this residue is either alkaline or acidic, depending on the mineral composition of the foods and the way we digest them (our levels of stress and stability influence the action of our digestive system in a major way). the human body needs an alkaline environment in order for the vital organs to function properly, because once the alkaline reserves are depleted, the body simply breaks down. the minerals i talked about last time are all created by alkaline forming foods.
negative emotions, poor food combinations, and acid-forming foods can all produce acidic residues in the body. at the same time, good food combos, chewing food properly, relaxing environments, meditation, love, and exercise generally alkalize the body.
excess acid waste is a cause of inflammation, which many believe is the root of disease. if your diet is high in meat, cheese, white flour, white sugar, processed food, alcohol, and cigarettes, then it is possible you are suffering from ailments such as acne, joint pain, pms, asthma, depression, flus and colds, migraines, food allergies, heartburn, low energy, low libido, insomnia…the list goes on and on. advanced symptoms of over-acidity include cancer, crohn’s disease, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis.
alkaline-forming foods are the only answer to combatting over-acidity. the most extremely alkaline-forming foods taste the most fresh, and include fruits and veggies of all kinds (especially lemons and watermelon and dark leafy greens…now do you realize why lemon is such great support for colds and flu? it might be confusing since they are acidic, but they leave an alkaline ash after they are metabolised), and herbs and spices such as ginger, parsley and cayenne. sprouted grains, olive oil, and soy products weigh in at moderately alkaline on the scale, while meat, cigarettes, drugs, and carbonated drinks are at the complete other end of the spectrum. this probably won’t come as a shock, but the most acid-forming substance out there is actually artificial sweetener. stay away from that stuff…i believe it will only do you harm. raw cow’s milk, cream, and butter are all neutral (but they have to be raw in order for that to be true). any food that is cooked, canned, or frozen is slightly more acidic than it would be otherwise. same goes for any chemically grown, processed food. organic is always the best choice, and biodynamic is even better.
the best way to put this information to use is to maintain a diet with approximately an 80%/20% ratio of alkaline-forming foods to acid-forming foods. obviously if you can’t maintain this one day, try to make up for it the next. there are plenty of alkaline alternatives to acidic foods (grains like quinoa and millet over rice and pasta). additionally, if you notice, the most alkaline foods happen to be the ones that contain the most water in them. make sure you are getting 6-8 glasses of clean (preferably ionized) water per day, but try to avoid drinking too much excess liquid at mealtime so it doesn’t get in the way of digestion.
none of this is rocket science. i bet when you hear it, it makes perfect sense. eat more fresh, plant-based foods and limit consumption of toxins. many of the most alkaline foods are the ones used to heal illnesses (ginger, lemon, honey), so it would make sense that using them as a preventative measure might prove to be quite effective. as it happens, the results you yield (including optimal immune system, glowing skin, better mood, and weight loss) can’t really be beat. but just as important as the foods we put in our mouth are the elements of primary food in our life and our behavior at meal times. be flexible and open, and get plenty of rest, laughter, fresh air, love, and physical activity. these are all alkalizers. deep breathing also releases toxins, so it is a great habit to get into. (see my meditation techniques in an earlier post). be peaceful during meals. your metabolism knows when you are fighting with your boyfriend while you eat, or watching something terrible on the news. you are digesting that information and you’ll feel it in your mood and when that heartburn hits! in the same way, your metabolism can also can tell when you are listening to good music and enjoying your conversation at the dinner table. your body wants to hear you laughing! lastly, don’t forget to give thanks for your food for nourishing your mind, body, and soul. i have always found that gratitude is the ultimate alkalizer.
if you’re half the product junkie that I am, then you know what it feels like to scour the aisles of every store from walgreen’s to neiman marcus to whole foods searching for the perfect skincare regimen (not to mention what you get from the dermatologist, often in the form of hideous sounding medications). i, for one, got sick of it all a few years ago, when i realized that i had been torturing myself with chemical after chemical and none of it seemed to make a difference. it’s not that my skin was terrible, but it didn’t seem to have that clear glow that i was promised by all of the packages. i had mild acne and those dreaded t-zone problem areas. i had even purchased all-natural, holistic products in the past, but those didn’t even work!
everything changed for me when i did my first juice cleanse for a week. for the first two days, my skin broke out in a hideous way. i wanted to hide, and i did. what was happening to me? within 5 days, however, i was blemish free and had that healthy glow i had been trying to attain for my entire life. it was a miracle! it turns out, those first two days, the toxins in my body that i was cleansing were finally coming to the surface, and once i had passed them through my pores, my inner health began to shine out. let me tell you, it’s certainly a confidence booster. for someone that’s always had trouble with her skin, nothing feels quite so good.
SO. you must be wondering, “why did a juice cleanse change her skin?” good question. what i realized after that week is NOT that i must survive on liquids for the rest of my life, but that i needed to make a fundamental change in my eating habits if i wanted this to last (not to mention if i wanted my health to improve, to be thin, to feel naturally happy, and to have more energy, but who cares about those, right?). basically, my body had been crying out for help because of the nasty ways i was feeding it toxins in my food and lifestyle choices, and no matter how many chemicals i slathered on top of it, i couldn’t even mask the real problem. additionally, many of those chemicals were very poor quality and probably did a lot more damage than i realized. after months of changing my diet post-cleanse, i saw a dramatic difference in my health and appearance. i only use all natural products now (i love arcona, dr, hauschka, and jurlique), but the real difference is in what i am putting inside my body and all the junk i am leaving out!
here are some of the healthy ways to take care of your skin that have worked for me, and which will definitely give you that healthy glow:
- first of all, DRINK MORE WATER! many of us are so dehydrated that our skin is crying out for help every day by flaking and drying out. drink at least 8 glasses a day, and you will already see a difference.
- vitamins: there are vitamins in all natural, nutrient rich foods, which means you are really on the right track if you are simply eating well. broccoli is great as it contains vitamin C and vitamin A, along with bioflavanoids which has a synergistic effect with the vitamin C, so you get the most bang for your buck.
- fiber: eating whole grains that are filled with fiber promotes healthy digestion, which detoxifies our bodies properly, paving the way for healthy skin. not to get too detailed, but if you lack regularity, you will definitely have a dull complexion.
- garlic: contains sulphur (see mineral section below) and is a natural antibiotic which cleanses the system. making you beautiful from the inside out.
- eat oily fish! sardines, mackerel, and wild salmon contain fatty acids (like omega-3’s) which actually moisturize and reduce inflammation in the skin.
- antioxidants: many of us have heard of these and don’t actually know what they do. most simply, antioxidants repair the damage caused by free radicals (molecules that damage our skin cells). you can find them in carrots and berries, like blueberries and acai.
- parsley! i noticed a huge change in my skin when i started eating more parsley, and i wanted to know why. turns out, parsley is rich in all skin boosting nutrients- beta carotene, chlorophyll, B12, folic acid, vitamin C, and iron.
- olive oil: definitely a major one! have you ever noticed how so many europeans glow? i have to believe a lot of it has to do with the EVOO. it is packed with good fats, antioxidants, vitamins A and E. (good fats are huge for good skin- which means, avocados and raw nuts are great too).
MINERALS: through my raw food journey, i have come to understand that 95% of our bodily functions rely on minerals. it is especially important that we pay attention to them as our environment is so toxic and depletes our immune system. minerals are largely responsible for the detoxification of our bodies and are equally as important as vitamins, resulting in clean, inner health and promoting beautiful skin. minerals also promote a healthy acid/alkaline balance (the importance of which i will get into in my next post). organic produce has many more minerals than regular commercial produce, so always try to buy organic. the best way to get minerals into your body is to eat them through whole foods. here is a breakdown of some of the important ones and where to find them:
- zinc- helps our anti-inflammatory enzymes function, helps the body maintain collagen, which prevents wrinkles. (pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, seaweed, cashews)
- magnesium- aids in digestion, soothes nerves, cramps, and pms, balances hormones, and is vital to our heart muscle (exceptionally high in raw cacao and rich green foods)
- silicon- allows for flexibility/elasticity in our muscle tissues (firm skin!!), and shockingly, our body also has the ability to turn silicon into calcium. pretty amazing. (cucumber, hemp, radishes, bell peppers, romaine, oats)
- sulfur- many believe that this is the foundation for healthy skin. it is responsible for the radiance of our skin and is hugely detoxifying, cleaning out our cells. (aloe vera, blue-green algae, garlic, brussel sprouts, hot chilis, kale, onions, arugula)
- iron- most of our iron is found in our blood, carrying oxygen through our bloodstream. it generates magnetism in our nerves which builds our tissues and makes us strong, energetic, and lively, which you can see in our skin when we are lit up! (spirulina, burdock, parsley, onions, dark leafy greens, cherries)
as you can see, there is a ton of information to learn about how to eat for beauty, but the number one thing to remember is simply that whole, nutrient-dense foods and plenty of water are the keys to good health. once you feel good on the inside, you can see it on the outside. these are not revolutionary ideas, as you well know. additionally, limiting your consumption of cigarettes, coffee, and alcohol (a glass or two of red wine is fine) will almost immediately yield great skin results because these heavily toxic substances will always pollute your body (again, not really a eureka! moment). you have all of the intuition and knowledge to make good choices, it’s just about making the effort and investing in your health. it pays off in so many ways!
my favorite avocado toast from cafe gitane in nolita
i just had to take the time today to discuss my love for and slight obsession with avocados. do any of you feel the same way? i just think they are literally the most perfect food. they are beautiful, versatile, complex and yet simple…they enhance the flavor of foods or can be eaten as the main focus of a meal in so many unique ways.
the health benefits of avocados are immense, as they are loaded with nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients:
- they are good for your heart, as they are filled with vitamin E and monounsaturated fat (the good fat).
- they have been shown to lower cholesterol, as they are high in beta-sirosterol.
- they are high in folate, which reduces stroke.
- they are especially known to be high in vitamins and minerals which prevent oral, prostate, and breast cancer.
- research has even shown that they help you absorb nutrients in other foods that you eat with them!
for me, the best part about avocados is the many ways that you can creatively use them in meals- from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner, to dessert (seriously!). many people enjoy an avocado with their eggs in the morning, with sushi, as an addition to salads or sandwiches, and of course in guacamole. i love to use them as an alternative to butter or mayo on basically any recipe that calls for it, and as a replacement for cheese. i eat it plain on ezekiel toast most days for lunch with lemon juice, himalayan salt, and red pepper. a sandwich like this has a perfect balance of good fats, protein, and whole grains- tons of nutrition and is surprisingly low in calories. it also fills you up and prevents lots of snacking.
a couple of tips for making sure your avocado is ripe: squeeze it gently with your whole hand. it should yield just a little bit under pressure. if it is rock hard, it is not yet ripe, but one way to speed up the ripening process is to put the avocado into a brown paper bag with an apple. the ethylene gas from the apple will do its magic on the avocado and it will be perfect in a day or so. keep avocados stored at room temperature before cutting them open, and once you use some of it, place the rest in a container with lemon juice sprinkled on top so it doesn’t go brown.
aside from the more conventional ways to enjoy avocados, i wanted to give you a couple of cooling summer avocado recipes that just require a blender and will definitely get you hooked on this fabulous fruit if you aren’t already.
simple chilled avocado soup
- 1/2 firm-ripe California avocado
- 1 3/4 English cucumbers (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 (8-ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh jalapeño chile with seeds
- 1 cup small ice cubes
peel and pit avocado. blend all the ingredients in blender until smooth. garnish with diced avocado and chopped chives (i add cayenne sometimes too).
avocado carob pudding
- 2 avocados
- ½ cup raw carob powder (or raw cocoa or raw chocolate powder)
- 1 cup dates (Medjools ideally)
- 1/4 cup water (or a little less…this is just to make sure it blends properly in the blender)
simply blend all ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy and no lumps. add more of any ingredient to taste (i love to add a bit more carob).
these treats are perfect as the weather gets warmer and you start craving cooling foods that fill you up and leave you refreshed. try them and tell me what you think!!
while i know i am probably way behind on this one, i had to share that i am reading the most incredible book. animal, vegetable, miracle is novelist barbara kingsolver’s account of the year she and her family moved to their appalachian farm from the tuscon desert and learned to live off of the land. the beauty of this book is that while we learn the details of what it takes to live in harmony with nature and the seasons, we discover that more than sacrifice and discipline, what it really takes is an understanding and appreciation- a LOVE, if you will- for the true value of real food and how that spills over into a love of family and friends and life itself.
i learned so many fascinating tidbits about everything from a five-color silverbeet (swiss chard with amazing rainbow colored stems and leaves), what it really takes to grow asparagus (three years to harvest, but a well-managed asparagus bed can keep producing for thirty years!), and even…turkey sex (let’s put it this way, because of what it takes lethargize them so they dont get rowdy in the coop and to fatten them up for our thanksgiving feasts, they are rendered incapable of reproducing and professionals have to step in- i’ll leave the rest to your imagination).
one of the best things about kingsolver’s book is that she enlisted her family – her brilliant husband, a professor of environmental studies, and her daugther, a college student who knows the value of eating greens on a deep level- to write essays among the meat of the story. these essays are essentially lectures on the true value of the story she is telling us. steven’s writing tackles larger sociologcial, political, ecological, and economic issues such as the price we pay for purchasing food grown in other countries. local food can be seen as snobby and elitist to so many people- i see this all the time. but in reality, beyond sacrificing quality by purchasing soy products from brazil while we are living in kentucky, we are not supporting the farmer in south america that we imagine out there in the fields. in fact, we supporting an international company that has cut down acres of rainforest to grow the soy, destroying indigenous populations.
camille, kingsolver’s daughter, eloquently shares with us anecdotes about growing up in a rather unconventional (although perhaps we have our definition skewed!) 21st century family. she shares recipes with us which exemplify how we can use so few ingredients and create incredible flavor, as long as those ingredients are organic, and humanely and properly raised.
the simplicity of the message of the book- you are what you eat- and how profound it feels to comprehend it (for so many people who i’ve spoken to that have read this), is proof to me that our society is in desperate need of getting back to our roots. of feeling that immense sense of connection to the deepest place inside our own nature. it is an inspiring, self-reflective place, yes. but more than that, it is a motivating place. in realizing our fundamental goodness- the potential we possess and that our natural environment possesses- a chord is struck within us, motivating us to actually use what we have and who we are as healthy, good people and do some actual GOOD in the world. letting go of ego, of our desire for the fastest, biggest, quickest “solution” to our problems, and just learning to think about our place on this earth within the model of a new paradigm (or perhaps ancient…they say everything comes back around again).
it’s time for real change. we are dying, literally. our bodies, our land, our culture…it is dying. every house on the block looks the same. we eat packaged foods that contain ingredients we can’t pronounce, made up by a person in a labcoat and which need extra chemicals just to produce a taste we could easily grow in our own backyards. we are dropping like flies because our bodies are so inflamed and covered in layers of fat, and yet we are still nutritionally starving. we believe in dogma but not in spirituality. we think we are decent people, but we don’t connect with and support one another. we take pills whose side effects result in having to take more pills, and yet we don’t even realize that perhaps the treatment actually lies in eating something green with our dinner, or maybe even in getting a hug from someone we love.
it’s time to start thinking about these things. we are compassionate and good and alive. our bodies deserve better, our earth deserves better, our culture deserves better, and our hearts deserve better. let’s stop starving and start living.
there is nothing better than a slice of warm, fluffy banana bread. at least that’s what i thought before i developed my aversion to all things eggs and dairy. and before i realized that this insensitivity was actually a blessing in disguise, i was just plain angry about it. why couldn’t i eat the comfort foods that i loved and which made me happy? why did i always have to be sick after eating things that tasted good? it didn’t seem fair.
after a bit of moping and complaining, i decided to look for ways to update the same flavors i love in ways that are healthy for my body and make me feel good. one of the first egg-free and dairy-free recipes i ever tried making is vegan banana-walnut bread. basically i just took a normal, simple recipe and swapped the ingredients for ones that fit my specific needs. the first time i made it, i was shocked that the results could taste so delicious (it’s even sugar free because i swapped the sugar for agave nectar, which not only has a low-glycemic index, but also makes the bread really moist). i wanted to share the recipe here, and plan on bringing you other ones i love in the future. i was right all along– there really is nothing better than a warm, fluffy slice of VEGAN banana bread.
EASY VEGAN BANANA-WALNUT BREAD
ingredients:
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/3 cup of vegan margarine
1/2 cup of agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1/2 cup of almond milk (you can substitute rice or soy milk if you like)
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
A few sprinkles of cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together vegan margarine and agave. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder and stir. Stir in additional ingredients.
Pour batter into a lightly greased (i spray a small amount of canola oil) 8″ baking pan. Top with a few sprinkles of cinnamon and additional spare walnuts and bake for approximately 50 minutes.
The result is a nutty, subtly sweet, fluffy bread that will satiate your sweet tooth without the heavy effects of a rich, sugary, dairy-laden dessert. I made it this afternoon with my mom and we ate almost the entire thing! Not only did it turn out perfectly, the whole house has that warm, yummy scent that you just can’t fake.
Enjoy!
isn’t it always exciting to learn about an idea which you never spent much time thinking about but which flicks that lightbulb switch in your head and shifts your paradigm a little bit?
that’s how i felt when i read this article in the washington post today, in honor of earth day. kate heyhoe, in her new book “cooking green,” has asked that as we all reassess our carbon footprint today, we also take a look at how our “cookprint” is measuring up. it is easy to get so caught up in eating local, green food, that we forget about the energy we are using to actually prepare our meals.
heyhoe introduces the term ecovore (which i love!), explaining that while locovores buy and eat only local food (within a 100 mile radius), this is not practical for most people, and surprisingly, is not always the most sustainable food. ecovores, on the other hand, eat foods that are in harmony with the environment, both locally and globally, taking into account their current degree of harmony, and how that might change in the future. she says, “our food choices are, at any given time or in any given place, in constant flux, because of changes in ecosystems, economics, and technology.” i love this point. we must recognize the stratifications that are a result of constantly changing sociological, ecological, and economic conditions all over the world and factor them into our decisions about what we eat and how we eat it. one food that is sustainable this season, may not be next season, and we’ll need to choose something else.
heyhoe also notes that being “vegetarian” or “vegan” is self-limiting in that it doesn’t account for the fluidity of global conditions and is not enough to sustain a small “cookprint.”
most of her tips regard cooking methods and appliances in the home, illustrating how we can make smarter choices (which is what being green is all about). a few practical and simple ones are:
-use your toaster oven! heyhoe explains that a standard oven wastes 9% of its fuel through excess heat that doesn’t go into cooking your food. toaster ovens these days have the capacity to cook anything from simple toast to pizzas to roast chicken! i use mine constantly.
-use an electric kettle, but instead of using it to make tea, you can pour it into a glass baking pan and make lasagna with your boiling water, first tenderizing the noodles and then using it to blanch the vegetables as well. you can save washing extra pots and pans, and pour the water out to water your plants.
-nix the garbage disposal. it wastes energy and is antithetical to the ecovore principles because it encourages us to waste!
-fill up empty gaps in the fridge and freezer and it actually will use less fuel! of course, instead of wasting food, try to fill them with containers of water. how easy is that?
-bake multiple dishes at one time when you are using the oven in order to reduce fuel output.
-when boiling water, multitask and pour some of the water out of the pot to use on other items you are adding to your meal. it takes a lot of energy to boil just one pot of water. and you know how none of us ever add our pasta to boiling water until it is bubbling so much it is practically spitting at us? well, it just isn’t necessary. a gentle boil is the same temperature as a raucous one, so turn down the heat until it’s just boiling enough.
-freeze your leftovers and reuse them for other meals, and eat more raw foods! heyhoe makes a great point when she talks about eating lower on the food chain. it is shocking to realize how many gallons of water go into creating a single serving of beef (2600!) and chicken (408!)…in comparison, a serving of almonds takes 12 gallons, which is still a lot.
this valuable information is definitely encouraging me to think before i buy food, prepare food, or even order in a restaurant. i hope it does the same for you!
