Taste Testing Galore

This past weekend I was cooking up a storm.  Macamdamia nut cheese, great for vegans, people with dairy allergies, and my all my paleo friends.  I also make non-dairy cream of broccoli soup, black bean burgers and for dessert little frozen chocolate balls.  All were delicious and some need a small adjustment here and there.  All in the name of recipe inventing.  Enjoy the pictures.

Water and Tea

Have you been told to drink more water?  I love drinking water but sometimes I want a little flavor. I figured out a quick and simple solution.  Tea.  Herbal tea that is. Black and green teas are tasty, but also contain caffeine which would almost defeat the purpose of all that consumption. There are so many varieties of herbal teas these days.  You can get single flavors like chamomile or blends like raspberry passion.  You can get tea in bags or loose tea.  Loose tea is more economical and more environmentally friendly.  If you do choose loose then you will need a tea ball or a tea pot with a strainer.  I use both but prefer the loose.  The loose also tends to be fresher.  

In the morning I make a pot of tea and have a hot cup.  Then I put the teapot in the fridge and in the afternoon I have a lovely iced version.  Some of my favorites are blends that I have purchased in tea shops around the country.  In the Miami area there is shop called Teavana in the Falls.  I have not been there yet, but have heard that there is a great selection.  If you are in other areas of the country check out the local tea shops and spice up you daily water intake with some tea.

Would you like other ways to spice up you meals, then contact Healing Through Nutrition and spice up we shall.

Herbs make everything better

Hello.  I have been away for a few days due to some technical difficulties, but I am back.  I apologize for my absence. 

Now on to todays topic.  Herbs.  I know what some of you might be thinking.  I mean fresh herbs like dill, taragon, basil, cilantro, and even parsley.  For many reasons I do not use salt (except for in my kick butt guacamole).  Most people can not imagine not using salt, but for health reasons we all need to cut down on our consumption and a way to still have flavor with out the use of salt is fresh herbs.

I just had a delicious salad with red leaf lettuce, multi colored tomatoes, english cucumbers, yellow endive, button mushrooms, goat and sheep feta and fresh taragon leafs.  Let me tell you something, everytime I had a bite with a taragon leaf it was like a big burst of flavor in my mouth.

If you are wanting to or needing to cut down on your salt consumption try an addition of fresh herbs.  If you would like some guidance on this topic or other food related topics please contact Healing Through Nutrition.

Listening is so so important and a short note about it

I know that I wrote about listening to your body the other day, but I just feel the need to share again.  


Today at lunch I shared with a friend that I was not feeling great, and frustrated because I had so much to do. Starting with a to do list, so I would know just how much I have to do.


She said,"Loren, remember what we say in Yoga.  Always listen to your body."


This is one of the biggest gifts that I get from yoga on and off of the mat.


We can make food choices that are healthy for us.  We can practice yoga or do what ever exercise we do.  We can make to do lists.  If our body is not up for it, then we must rest.  Perhaps, it is our bodies way of reminding our minds to rest as well.  Ah ha, another lesson from yoga and from life for that matter.


Heal yourself by listening to your body.  Heal yourself with food.  Healing Through Nutrition.  

Chipmunks are onto something

One of the things that I pride myself on is planning.  Since I am passionate about food, there is never a lack of healthy good food around my house.  If I want to whip up a veggie stir fry or make gluten and dairy free pancakes, you can find the ingredients at my house. Today I was reminded of something.  Sometimes you might not have those ingredients and sometimes you might need a back-up plan.  It is always a good idea to have some back up things in the freezer.  This way you know that during those times when you do not have the time to shop, and possibly don't have time to prepare a meal you have food at the ready.  

I suggest Sunshine Burgers.  They are delicious, easy to prepare, good for you, and substantial.  You can get them at any Whole Foods Markets stores.  Truth is you can keep any kind of veggie burger in your freezeer, but I choose these because of the short list of ingredients.  They are made of ground raw sun-flower seeds, brown rice, carrots, herbs, and sea salt.  How awesome is that?  This is something that I would make on my own.

I also suggest keeping a few bags of frozen organic mixed vegetables on hand too.  My choice is almost always fresh, but sometimes if time is an issue, frozen can be just as good for you as fresh.  I  

Would you like more hints on eating healthy with time constraints, let Healing Through Nutrition know and you too can always have good for you food available.

Salad for Breakfast

This morning when I woke up, I did not feel well.  After I took the dog for a walk (not mine, I am dog sitting), I did what I told you to do yesterday.  I thought about the last thing I ate and then I thought about everything I ate yesterday.  I realized that although I did not make poor choices, that I did not eat a variety of veggies like I usually do.  I realized that my extent of eating something green was the lettuce in the wrap, I had for lunch.

I know that salad is not traditional breakfast food, but really who says what we should eat and when we should eat it.  We do.  I knew that my body needed some veggies and it needed those veggie sooner rather than later.  I made a delicious salad just like the other day, but this time no avocado.  I added cashews and some olive oil.

I  felt immediately better after I ate my salad.  So if you have a day that you don't eat the way that your body needs it too, just make sure that the next day you do.

Need guidance on what foods make you feel great, please contact Healing Through Nutrition.

Listen to your body

Tonight a friend asked me if gluten can cause joint pain.  I told him that all depends on the person.  If you have a sensitivity to gluten then yes, it can cause joint pain.  We discussed gluten and what grains contain gluten.  I am reserving the topic of gluten for the future.  Today I want to focus on your body and you listening to it.  Another friend mentioned that when her grandmother eats fried food she can not figure out why she feels awful. She truly does not see the correlation.

I am surprised by the many people that down right do not believe that the food we put into our mouths affect how we feel.  I assert that food not only affects how we feel physically, but emotionally too.  I know that if I am feeling a little down if I have a mocha latte, all seems right in the world again.  The sugar and caffeine in my delicious coffee beverage absolutely affects how I feel.

I encourage you to notice the next time you are feeling sluggish, spacey, jittery, or even sick.  Then think back to the last thing that you ate or drank.  Many people notice that when they eat something that is made with white flour, they almost immediately feel sluggish.  Some of the effects that food has on our bodies  is not noticeable in this way, but still has a negative effect.  Once you can figure out the foods that make you feel badly, you can then begin to eliminate them in order to prevent long term issues.

Keeping a food diary can be helpful in this process.

If you would like support in this process, Healing Through Nutrition can be just the support that you are looking for.

To Oil or Not

Tonight I choose to have a yummy salad for dinner.  It was a simple salad consisting of red leaf lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. I needed something quick that I knew would give me the nutrients that my body wanted and needed.  I did add one more thing.  Can you guess?  Some of you might guess that I added a dressing.  I did not.  I added an avocado.  I know that some of you can not imagine a salad with out some sort of dressing on it.  I do not object to a yummy dressing or some olive oil on my salad from time to time.  The reason for my lack of dressing is a simple lesson in nutrient density for you all.


Olive oil (and all oils for that matter), are very high in fat.  The high fat content is not the problem.  The problem is that those fat calories are just that: fat and calories.  The avocado that I added gave the salad fat, calories AND nutrients. Olive Oil does have some nutrients, but compared to the avocado, fat calorie for fat calorie, you are getting more nutrients in avocado compared to the fat calories in the oil.  


Avocado is low in Cholesterol and Sodium.  It is also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K and folate.  Olive oil is a good source of some of the omegas, so I am not saying do not consume it at all.  I am saying that if you are trying to lose weight, or trying to increase energy the calories that you consume would better serve you if more nutrient dense.  


I challenge you to eat your next salad, sans dressing/oil.  Add an avocado.  When you eat this salad really taste the lettuce, the tomato, the cucumber.   You might be surprised at how much you DO like the taste of your salad, I know I was.  


Like more ideas on new and exciting twists on salads?  Let Healing Through Nutrition know and salads will be your new favorite meal.

Cabbage is Yummy and good for you!

Tonight I had some lovely friends over for din din.  They volunteered to be taste testers for some new and old dishes I prepared.  I made a dish I call Cashew Cabbage.  But this time I made it with a Macadamia twist.  Truth us you can make it with any nut butter you choose.  Almond works well too. I have made all three versions and I prefer the cashew for sure.  Every version has been delicious and that was confirmed tonight by my friend that could not stop eating her cabbage dish.  The sauce is simple.  It consists of apple cider vinegar, tamari, scallion, agave, and what ever nut butter you choose.  The cabbage is steamed lightly and then all is tossed together.  If you love sesame noddles from any Chinese restaurant this is a great alternative that is easy to prepare and for sure better for you.

Want to learn how to make Cashew Cabbage, Healing Through Nutrition is available to do just that.

Happy Cooking

La Vie en Raw Cafe is YUMMY!

Now I love to cook and create delicious nutritious food, but sometimes even I like to go out and enjoy good food and conversation. Today I tried La Vie en Raw Cafe in Coral Gables.  Their menu is all raw and all vegan.  Some of you might be wondering, Why Raw? and Why Vegan?  

Fresh fruits and veggies have many nutrients that are key to optimal health.  Some vegetables are more bio available when not cooked.  Bio available means that there are more vitamins and minerals present.  You know when you cook, let's say broccoli, that the longer you cook it the less green it gets and the greener your water gets.  That green color is actually a representation of what is soooo good for you about the broccoli.  So, when you eat broccoli raw you are getting more essential vitamins and minerals that are naturally present in said broccoli. 

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't like raw broccoli as well as some other veggies, but today at La Vie en Raw Cafe, I ate raw veggies and I liked it.  I had their sampler, which consisted of veggie soup, salad, pad thai, and lasagna.  And yes it is was all raw and yes it was all delicious. My favorite was the lasagna.  The cheese was made from cashews ( a favorite in the raw community).

Then for dessert my friend and I shared a blueberry pie and a chocolate pie.  Both were amazing!

If you live in Miami or ever come to visit, you must go to La Vie en Raw and eat your heart out!

If you are interested in learning more about raw 'cooking', please contact me for information on classes.

I Love Leftovers

Yesterday I made that yummy veggie sauté with my added cashews and had enough for left overs.  I also made a gigantic salad that I did not finish.  Today I thought, I am going to combine them and have a sauté veggie salad combo.  It was yummy and delicious and I did not have to prepare a thing.  This is my reminder to make a lot of whatever you are making as a time saving technique for the rest of your week.  On Sunday (or whatever day you have off), you can make a big batch of lets say veggie chili and then you have lunch for the week.  I know that by Thursday you might be a bit sick of Chili (or whatever else you have made), so another option is just making enough for 3 days and then making a big super on Wednesday and then have those leftovers for lunch for the rest of the week.  Now if all this cooking and preparing is stressing you out, always remember that Healing Through Nutrition is here for you to cook and prepare all your lunches and all your dinners for your week. Enjoy your week and keep reading for helpful food and cooking hints.  

Same theme

In keeping with yesterdays theme, today when I made lunch I thought the same thing, Keep It Simple.  It is easier than we think to make a delicious and nutritious meal.  For some reason we think that it takes hours and hours in the kitchen to make yummy food.  This is not true.  For lunch today I made a simple veggie dish with a last minute addition of protein.  The dish consists of olive oil, onion, zucchini, summer squash, baby bok choy, and wait for it, wait for it.......CASHEWS!  I made the saute and then thought, hum there is something missing.  I grabbed a handful of these nutrient dense nuts and topped off of my lunch.  It took me under 15 minutes to make this dish and I have left overs for lunch tomorrow.  Food, nutrition, and cooking does not have to be complicated and intimidating.  I can coach you how to have an easy relationship with cooking and eating.  Healing Through Nutrition can give you the tools you have been searching for.  Any questions please drop me a line anytime.

Lessons are good

Sunday.  Sunday is a good day to bake.  Baking is my first passion and I still love it.  In baking school I learned that baking, in comparison to cooking is and always be a science.  Some of my food paths have led me to learn new baking ways because of food allergies and sensitivities.  Sound familiar to anyone else?

A number of years ago I began to eliminate dairy and eggs.  These key ingredients to make yummy pastry disappeared from my diet and so did baking.  Every so often I take a spin and make a vegan versions of old favorites.  Usually I am not so happy with the results.   Another key ingredient to baking is wheat.  So many people are staying away from wheat and gluten that I also bake wheat and gluten free.

Today I made GF Mango, Coconut, Pecan Muffins.  They taste yummy, but the texture is certainly not that of my muffins of days past.  I wanted to limit any added sugars, so I used a tablespoon of agave and let the mango provide the rest of the sweetness.  I used a recipe on the back of the package and adapted it with my special Miami ingredients.  Now that I have completed this recipe, I think that my adaptations could have something to do with the less preferred texture. Don't worry the texture will not stop me from enjoying and sharing my creation and it will not stop me from trying again.  This lesson reminds me to keep it simple and try and try again.

When we change our diet and experiment with new recipes, don't give up on first, second, or even third try.  People have been baking for thousands and thousands of years.  We have only been vegan baking for under 50 years and GF baking for under 25 if that.

If you need support around planning and cooking alternative meals Healing Through Nutrition is available to do just that.  Send a post to set up a consultation.

Happy Baking!

Space

As I remember the different paths I have been down and all the journeys that I have embarked on, I realized that sometimes I did not have enough space. I did not have enough space to be the human that I am.  I know that I am not alone in this category.  I believe this to be the biggest challenge of most if not all people.  Because I did not give myself enough space to be the human that I am I had to deal with more struggle than needed.

As you go down this path and as you start this journey with food and your health, always be present to your humanity.  We are not machines that can be turned on and off.  We are humans with emotions, feelings, wants, and needs.  You are the person who knows all of that the best.  Please honor your self and honor your humanity.

 

Balance is Key

This is a principle that I have worked towards and will continue to work towards till my days end.  Lucky for me I get to work on this for a long long time.  A primary relationship that I have balance with is my one with food.  I have learned that food is the key, the doorway to finding balance in all areas of my life.
When we eat, we might not know it, but there is such a charge, there are so many attachments to the food we eat, the food we dont eat, the food we want to eat, the food we dont want to eat and so on.
Do you want some freedom around food?  Do you want to feel better physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally?  Start by looking at your relationship with food and start by Healing Yourself Through Nutrition.