live well, change the world.

keeping in line with my detox mode, i attempted to go to nyc for father’s day last weekend and keep my healthy habits alive. needless to say, it wasn’t easy, but i did my best  thanks to a little bit of planning and the huge whole foods that is downstairs from my dad’s apartment. of course, i treated myself to an amazing italian dinner at l’artusi on sunday night…i mean, you’ve got to live a little!

i thought i’d share this amazing chopped kale salad recipe given to me by one of my best friends. it’s fresh and simple and a perfect cooling dish to serve as an appetizer with fish or on its own for lunch.

ingredients:

one bunch of kale, finely chopped

8 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp orange juice

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 chopped shallot cloves

5-6 oz chopped feta cheese

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup dried cranberries

celtic sea salt & ground pepper to taste

wash and chop kale. place in a large serving bowl. in a separate bowl, mix olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, chopped shallots. pour mixture over kale and toss. finally, add feta, cranberries, pinenuts, salt and pepper.

enjoy!

the past few months have been rather challenging in my life. people talk all the time about the cyclical nature of the universe and change as the only constant– i mean, i preach this stuff constantly, to myself and everyone around me. and, while i DO believe in all of it wholeheartedly, i also know that it is impossible not to fall prey to the pain and the weight of change, and everything it carries with it.

it’s like you wake up one day and all the cliches are truer than you ever thought possible. life has changed. someone is gone. the world as you know it is over. literally. the pain is very real, often beautifully so. you feel like you are living in a movie, a song. some days you can’t even get your legs to kick the covers off of the bed. other days it’s like nothing happened and you can throw back margaritas with your friends. but one thing is certain: you are a new person. and you can be an improved person too, if you are willing to let the gravity of your situation take you on the wild ride it is offering up to you. at least, this is what i have found in my small and very personal experience.

i don’t mean to drag on about my problems or my sorrows. we all have ‘em. and i remind myself constantly that i could always have it worse. but, i am hoping that in this time of deep loss and grief in my life, the people around me, who i love deeply, (and hopefully even some strangers) can bear witness to what i have been going through, and also see the freedom and joy that has accompanied all of this madness.

it is so easy to do the thing where we pretend nothing is wrong. it is so easy to push people away or dramatically beg for attention in some passive aggressive way. neither of which is healthy. and health, really, is what i believe to be the most vital key we have to living a fulfilling life and getting through its ups and downs. of course, when i say health, i mean it in the most holistic sense of the word: healthy mental states- having a positive outlook and finding a way to not just get through the day, but to enjoy it. laugh!! healthy bodies- treating ourselves with respect through nutritious food and getting our heart rates up. healthy relationships- giving the best of ourselves and also setting limits with our loved ones and most importantly, with ourselves.

no one’s lives are ever going to be perfect. things will happen that will throw us for a loop. we might even be in charge sometimes- maybe we find ourselves breaking up with someone we care about but know we’re not meant to be with, or taking on an exciting new job- yet still feeling like we are being led blindly and simply trusting our instincts to guide us to the next plateau. it is the state of our health (mental, physical, spiritual) that is going to make the difference in the kinds of decisions we make when we are at a crossroads in our life and have to decide whether to sink or swim.

the point of what i am saying is really just that, even in the darkest of hours in these painful past months, i have chosen to make as much peace with my life as possible through making decisions that are healthy for my mind, body, and soul. this can mean anything from staying in bed for days straight, going for an 8 mile hike, drinking a few cocktails, meditating, or even taking a spontaneous vacation with a friend. whatever it is, i am doing it. as long as i am listening to what my healthiest self needs. somehow, the formula hasn’t failed me. i still get depressed, i still cry and scream and feel deep loss in the core of my being. i want so badly to talk to my mom, have her to give me advice on all of the life changes i am making. i can’t even fathom how i have made it almost five months without talking to my lifelong best friend.

but i have something more important and valuable at the end of the day: i have myself. i am so grateful to be able to recognize this. in myself, i can hear my mother’s voice. i can hear the wisdom of of everyone and everything that has made up the tapestry of my life. the breadth of people and places with which i have connected as a result of this tragic time have been profound. it is like past, present, and future have fused into this amazing net of support that i constantly feel below me, but at the end of the day i am trusting myself to try to fly on my own.

i am so grateful for the life i have been blessed to have, and the amazing people and experiences that make it up. i have always tried to look at the world through a lens of optimism and hope, but it is as though i don’t have to try anymore. it is a waste of time. in living and being present every day, making healthy choices and relying on intuition, i find it hard to see the negative. tragic things happen every day- look at this disaster in haiti. in the grand scheme of things, i am one lucky girl. i am allowed to feel my feelings, but i find the best way to deal with them is to feel them, to laugh about them, and then to put them to use. no one is perfect, and it is a waste of energy to try to be. i find that once i gave up on that notion of perfection and decided to aim for doing the best i can with the cards i’ve been handed, that is when i felt like i was really starting to become myself.

so, in the spirit of embracing this newer, grown up version of myself, i am finally embarking on the trip i have wanted to take for so long- i am going to india this may. i will be learning traditional medicine in small villages in the himalayas and working in rural clinics with physicians who combine ayurvedic and allopathic medicine. living with families and in ashrams, doing yoga and learning a new language. this is not something i would have ever been brave enough to do had i not been forced to start this new phase. i know this experience will be yet another that will change my life for the better and hopefully allow me to help change other people’s lives as well.

i will leave you with a poem i have found myself coming back to time and time again. in zero circle, rumi invites us to look at the uncertainty of our lives with awe and wonder. while we would often like to structure our lives with a definitive yes or no, to protect ourselves from pain and will joy into our hearts, most of us know we can’t win that way. our best bet is to embrace what we know to be true all along: that nothing in life works out the way we plan it. once we really feel this to the core, we are able to stand in amazement at the unknown; to be inspired to be as kind and beautiful as we can, because, to put it simply, that is really all we have.

ZERO CIRCLE

Be helpless, dumbfounded,
Unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come from grace
to gather us up.

We are too dull-eyed to see that beauty.
If we say we can, we’re lying.
If we say No, we don’t see it,
That No will behead us
And shut tight our window onto spirit.

So let us rather not be sure of anything,
Beside ourselves, and only that, so
Miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero circle, mute,
We shall be saying finally,
With tremendous eloquence, Lead us.
When we have totally surrendered to that beauty,
We shall be a mighty kindness.

it’s been a while since i’ve posted, due to many reasons which i wont bore you with here, but in any case, i’m back and ready to start 2010 off on a healthy foot.

it seems like everywhere i look these days, people are talking about detoxes, elimination diets, and cleanses. one of the major trends taking over the grocery aisles seems to be the movement towards gluten-free…well, everything.

although everyone is using the term “gluten-free,” it seems as though most people don’t really know what it means, what the benefits are, and why people are removing gluten from their diets.

gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. many people get confused about which foods actually contain gluten and which do not. there are many new breads that have come out, including sprouted grain, which people mistake for being gluten-free. spelt and kamut, two grains that are alternatives to wheat, DO actually contain gluten. oats, however, have been a subject of some controversy. they themselves have not been found to contain gluten, but they are often processed in plants which allow for their contamination with gluten-based foods. this is a case where you’d want to check the label and make sure they are from a gluten-free plant.

gluten also comes in other forms, especially as an additive to thicken and/or sweeten many processed foods, where it is disguised as modified food starch, malt flavoring, or glucose syrup, to name a few. it is very important to be a food detective and always scour labels.

there are a few reasons why people avoid gluten, the most obvious being a diagnosis of celiac disease. celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder of the small intestine. there are a wide variety of symptoms that occur from this chronic syndrome, and none of them are fun. they can range from stomach issues, to fatigue, to skin problems, migraines…the list goes on. like many other diseases, celiac disease is chronic and often misdiagnosed because the symptoms are not always alarming but extremely disruptive. the disease is caused by a reaction to a protein in gluten called gliadin. the immune system has an inflammatory response to gliadin in the small intestine, which blunts the villi in the intestine. because the villi are responsible for the absorption of nutrients, you can guess what happens next…the body cannot properly absorb the nutrients it needs and this results in a myriad of symptoms which greatly affects a person’s quality of life.

celiac disease is no fun, and there is only one remedy for it: cut out gluten from one’s diet. as more people have realized that gluten is the cause of their discomfort, gluten-free products have begun to make it onto more and more mainstream shelves. what others are starting to notice, however, is that celiacs are not the only people who can benefit from a gluten-free diet. it makes sense, really, as eating gluten-free requires that one eats less processed food and more simple fruits, vegetables, and meat products. additionally, one can have a sensitivity to gluten and not have celiac disease. i would recommend to anyone that suffers from any ailment to eliminate gluten (i’d throw dairy in the mix too) for three weeks and see how they feel. you start to notice that the body naturally rejects gluten once you add it back into your diet, which is a red flag that it was not meant to digest it in the first place. after all, inflammation is the root of all disease and ailments (in my humble opinion, and a subject we can come back to) and gluten is known to irritate the intestine in a manner that causes inflammation.

here is a list of starchy foods that are acceptable for a gluten-free diet:

rice, corn, potatoes, amaranth, arrowroot, quinoa, millet, sweet potato…to name a few. buckwheat is actually gluten-free itself, but one must be careful to make sure they don’t purchase buckwheat flour mixed with wheat flour. flours made from almonds, soybeans, and other nuts are also acceptable as well. many of these grains are also used to create pastas, breads, and other foods that mimic the products we’ve all grown up on that include gluten. these days it’s easy to find these products in any grocery store, and many of these simple grains include protein, which is a great bonus.

if you are eating in a healthy restaurant that includes alternative meat products, one thing you should know is that seitan includes gluten. seitan is a processed wheat product that is made to taste like chicken. tofu and tempeh both derive from soy, and are gluten-free. however i prefer tempeh to tofu, as its nutritional value trumps tofu due to the fermentation process and the fact that the whole bean stays in tact after processing.

one of my favorite gluten-free cooking blogs is www.elanaspantry.com, which was recommended to me by a friend. i have found that it is so easy to cut gluten out of everything, including dessert!

although i do think it is ultimately a positive thing to remove gluten from the diet, i also want to remind you that replacing a wheat product with a majorly processed sweet treat that is gluten-free is not necessarily the point. the benefits of eating gluten-free really come from a move towards eating more pure foods and less processed foods. once in a while a babycakes cupcake is not a bad thing at all, and better than one filled with artificial coloring, corn syrup, and dairy. BUT, if the goal is to feel good and be healthy, i’d say stick to the obvious: more veggies, more simple, whole grains, fewer animal products, and less sugar. at then end of the day, a pure and simple diet yields the biggest and best results.

below is a gluten-free recipe i made during cold ny winter mornings. it is packed with protein and so easy to make. much better than a microwave instant quaker breakfast, and better for your energy and health!

hot quinoa breakfast cereal

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup apples, thinly sliced
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
almond or rice milk
agave syrup

directions:

in a medium-sized bowl, soak the quinoa in cold water for 5 minutes.
drain and rinse under cold running water.
in a medium saucepan, combine the soaked quinoa and water and bring to a boil.
reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
add apples, raisins and cinnamon.
simmer until water is absorbed.
serve with almond or rice milk and sweeten to taste with agave syrup.

so many people are aware of how imperative it is to eat healthy, but often they walk into the market and are inundated with different labels that make choosing the best foods a quite confusing experience. organic? natural? biodynamic? local? fair-trade? non-GMO?? let’s break down what these things really mean and what’s essential to keep in mind as you’re perusing the aisles with the intention of making the best choices for your health, the environment, and your personal value system.

• ORGANIC refers to the way that foods are grown and processed. in order for a food to receive a “Certified Organic” label, the food must be grown through a farming system that is able to maintain the soil without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically engineered ingredients. organic foods are minimally processed and water and air quality is protected, food tastes richer and more flavorful, and the impact of production on the environment is minimal. while it is always better to buy organic, be aware that the USDA has developed a system of labeling that differentiates between different levels of organic food. only some products are labeled “100% organic.” if the label only reads “Organic” or “USDA Organic,” then that only ensures that 95% of the product is organic. (USDA will only use their logo if the product is at least 95%). If a product has at least 70% organic ingredients, it can be labeled “Made with Organic Ingredients.” 

• foods labeled NATURAL does NOT mean that they are in line with USDA organic standards. essentially “natural” is a marketing term, limited to meat and poultry items, and there is no real regulation system associated with it.  it is limited for use on meat and poultry products. while these are all allowed to be printed on labels, don’t confuse them with “organic.” Foods labeled natural may not contain any artificial flavorings, color ingredients, chemical preservatives, and they must be only “minimally processed,” which the USDA defines as a process that does not fundamentally alter the raw product. Yet while the USDA can hold accountable a company making this claim, no verification system is in place.

• LOCAL food is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people are concerned with going green. Eating foods produced close to you is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and support your local economy. Additionally the flavor and energy in local foods is heightened, which makes it more nutrient-dense. Put simply, the food has less travel time and less of an opportunity to go through processes that change its composition and expose it to toxins. Of course, eating local means forgoing tropical fruits and veggies and ones that are not in season in your area. 

• common animal products in health food stores are often labeled “CAGE-FREE,” “NO HORMONES ADMINISTERED,” “RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS,” “FREE RANGE,” are all kind of obvious but it is important to understand that none of these, like the “natural” label, are regulated. “Cage-free” implies that hens are uncaged, but this does not mean that they can go outdoors. ” Meat products can be labeled “Raised Without Antibiotics,” but again, there is no formal certification for this, and there is no approved label that reads “Antibiotic Free.” Thus, I don’t think we can be sure there are no antibiotics in any meat product. Additionally, “No Hormones Administered” is permitted on labels, (the USDA bans hormone use on pigs and poultry), but it DOES  allow hormone injections in beef. And…once again, this is another claim that the farm can make without actually giving proof. “Free Range” and “Free Roaming” implies that birds and animals are able to roam outdoors, but this is unregulated as well. 

• CERTIFIED HUMANE RAISED AND HANDLED implies that animals raised for food products (including dairy) are treated in a humane way and not injected with hormones and antibiotics. Although this is not regulated by the USDA, it IS regulated by something called Humane Farm Animal Care. There are several environmental and slaugthering standards that must be upheld, and in order for a farm to be certified, they have to be inspected. 

• BIODYNAMIC is a method of organic farming that was developed by Rudolph Steiner (creator of Waldorf Schools). Its philosophy views the farm as a living entity. Animals and plants naturally sustain the farm themselves by feeding off the land and creating natural, organic compost. It is a gentle process and even the soil is regarded as a living organism (as it should be!). Biodynamic wine grapes are becoming more common, and they have been found to contain higher nutrient counts than conventionally grown or even organic grapes. The biodynamic method is not mainstream at all – partially due to the fact that it is not yet suited for mainstream mass production- and also because it is (sadly) a little “out there” for people who don’t look at the energy and love that our food products are made with as being important. 

• non-GMO is a label popping up more and more these days and GMOs are the topic of a heated debate surrounding food safety and public health. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. All plants and animals are made of cells, which scientists use to alter the genetic state of their products in order to maximize economic benefit. They do this through making it possible for foods to do things like produce their own pesticides- a big money saver since farmers don’t have to spray their crops. Of course, you can imagine how toxic this makes the product, and how many unnatural side effects occur in GM products that we don’t even know about yet. At this point, foods can be labeled as non-GMO, but this is unregulated (are you sensing the pattern??). However, almost more importantly, foods that contain GMOs are all around us, and there is currently no system in place that requires that fact to appear on labels. I suppose it could be assumed that most packaged “food” (if you want to call it that) contains GMOs unless stated otherwise, but this is not exactly effective in my opinion in informing the public of what they are actually purchasing. Many organizations are pushing for the USDA to ban GMOs completely, as they have already done in Europe. Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (89%), cotton (83%), canola (80%), corn (61%), and some others. Of course, we must take into account how many products we use that include soy and corn especially (just about every artificial ingredient in processed food) as well as the clothing and house products that are made with some of these ingredients. 

• FAIR TRADE is a label placed on thousands of products these days ranging from tea and coffee to sugar to fruit, as well as some cotton and plants, to name a few. It is essentially a social movement which aims to promote sustainability and help producers in developing countries by making sure that exporting their products is economically fair to them, while also being environmentally and socially fair. fair trade products result in proper payment by buyers who cover the cost of sustainable production and enable producers to have control in the trading process. of course, it seems like this should be the obvious and natural way things go, but alas, exploitation and other skewed values have gotten in the way of our ability to see things like this clearly.

There is a lot of information out there (way beyond what I’ve delved into) about each of these topics, but the above is an overview of what you are looking at when you see these labels. Ultimately, the best way to shop is to be aware of what manufacturers are trying to sell you, what kind of impact these products have on your mental and physical health, your home, and your environment, and to make the best choices with what is available. Always go for local if you can, and consider joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) group which are almost always organic and often biodynamic. It is a great way to purchase seasonal food from local farms at a smaller cost than you’d pay at a farmer’s market. It also allows you a chance to try fruits and veggies you would not normally try, which could result in some awesome cooking experiments, especially because the flavors are so rich. You can go visit Local Harvest to find out more about getting involved. 

usually, people think of chard as a winter vegetable. it is a leafy green that comes in different varieties- swiss, red, rhubarb, rainbow. it can be a bit bitter, so i like it sauteed or braised and paired with something sweet to counteract the bitterness. the leaves can be prepared like spinach, and the stalks apparently like asparagus, although i’ve never tried this. like other leafy veggies, chard needs to be properly cleaned before cooking with it. you should soak the leaves in water to clean them, instead of using a colander.

i have heard that chard was first found in the mediterranean region, and that aristotle actually wrote about red chard in the 4th century B.C. this does not come as a surprise, given the fact that the ancient greeks, and later the romans, portuguese and spaniards held chard in high esteem for its medicinal properties. the veggie is considered modern in this sense, as it spread from west to east in the years after the greeks started using it and ended up a staple in countries like japan and china for its tolerance to high temperatures.

like most leafy greens, chard is also one of the most nutrient dense vegetables out there. not only does it have a ton of phytonutrients (which is obvious because of the different pigments that make up its rich colors), but it also is a great source of vitamin K (great for bone and lung health) and vitamin A.  vitamin A is found in chard on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content. once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat chard, it’s like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. one cup of Swiss chard contains just 35 calories, but provides over 100% of the daily value for vitamin A. that’s certainly getting a bang for your buck. on top of these vitamins, chard is packed with vitamins B, C and E, iron, potassium, and magnesium, and it has a ton of fiber.

i was at the market the other day and came across this beautiful display of summery, rainbow chard and i couldn’t help myself. the red, gold, and white stems looked so gorgeous with the green leaves. i went home and found this incredible recipe on thekitchn.com that called for beets and goat cheese and it did not disappoint! 

i served it with steamed bass, simply cooked with fennel, lemon, parsley, fleur du sel, and olive oil. To be honest, the chard was enough to eat on its own, but nothing is wrong with having a few days of leftovers!

Sautéed Rainbow Chard with Raw Beets and Goat Cheese
serves 4 to 6

3 or 4 medium-sized beets (we had one big and 4 or 5 inch-wide ones)
4 large handfuls of rainbow chard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Peel the beets and either grate them on a box grater or in a food processor. You should have about two cups of shredded beets.

Separate and chop the thick stems of the chard. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot on medium heat and cook the stems for about 5 minutes, until they are softened. Add the leaves of the chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning with tongs, until the leaves have wilted and cooked down. Transfer the chard to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

Make the dressing. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper, then stream in the olive oil while whisking vigorously.

Combine the chard and the beets and toss with the vinaigrette (depending on how much chard you have and how saturated you want your greens, you may have some vinaigrette left over). Top with crumbled goat cheese.