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Summer Food

School is out for summer break! Do you know what to feed your kids? Check out this recent New York Times article highlighting summertime food. Summer is supposed to be a fun and healthy time for kids to play and go to summer camp, but surprisingly statistics show that the poor eating habits kids have during the summer months is leading to childhood obesity. One study found that kids’ body mass index increased two to three times faster in summer as during the regular school year. Wow, that’s a huge increase. Kids are at camp eating burgers and drinking soft drinks or sitting at home playing video games and mindlessly snacking.

Parents, for healthier options try nutritious snacks that are easy to prepare and will keep throughout the day no matter what activities your kids are doing. Here is one snack that will last for a few days. Check out recipes for snacks.
 
Ball-O-Nuts
Soaking Time: a few hours
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: None!
Serves 10
 
Ingredients:
6 dates
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup poppy seeds
·         Soak dates with oats in water for a few hours, then drain excess water.
·         Add dates, oats, almonds, sesame seeds, juice and syrup to a blender. Blend until chunks become very small, but are still visible.
·         Form little balls with mixture.
·         Roll in poppy seeds.
 
TIP: Try squeezing lemon or ginger juice for added zing!
 
Do you have a favorite snack or lunch that you like to give your kid?
 

Tags: Food, Healthy Tips by joshua
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Find Your Spiritual Path

We live in a busy world trying to fulfill our goals by working hard, playing hard and trying to be in multiple places at one time. Are you running around because there is something missing in your life? Whenever you feel consumed by life, here is a simple exercise to incorporate into your day:

·         Sit in a comfortable position
·         Breathe through your nose and notice how the air is cooler going in and warmer going out.
·         Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly.
·         Feel your heart beating and thank it for being there for you, every day.
·         Feel your belly, noticing the rise on the inhale and the fall on the exhale.
·         Thank your belly for digesting all the food you eat.
·         Sit silently with your eyes closed, and allow yourself to be.
 
How do you feel? Are you more in tune with your surroundings?
 
It is through these exercises that we can start to discover if there is a void that we are trying to fill by keeping busy or eating junk foods. These exercises explore spirituality and our connection to the universe.
 
Spirituality, like food, comes in all forms. Some people follow the spiritual path their ancestors grew up with, while others explore new traditions. If meditation or prayer isn’t for you, maybe try going for a walk at night and feeling the vastness of the night sky, or walking by the ocean and enjoying the sense of endless space.
 
Explore different styles of spirituality. Through prayer, meditation or the belief in God, you will fill a void that may otherwise be filled with processed foods.
 

 

Tags: Primary Food, Spirituality by joshua
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Oprah’s 21-Day Vegan Cleanse

 

Oprah completed her 21-day Vegan cleanse! “Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying,” she wrote on her blog. When we blogged about Oprah first starting her cleanse, inspired by Kathy Freston, author of Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Wellness, she was more focused on what she could not eat than the delicious foods that she could eat.
Oprah found every meal to be a wonderful surprise. From strawberry rhubarb wheat-free crepes to a large baked potato with sautéed onions, Oprah realized it is satisfying and enjoyable to live on food other than the typical “American diet”.
Since doing this cleanse, Oprah has committed to being a more conscious eater. With an inspirational, public figure like Oprah, the idea of conscious eating will quickly spread throughout America.
Everyone has different needs. No matter what you like to eat, you can always eat consciously. Some people thrive on a vegan diet, others need to eat meat to feel healthy. The best way to find out what works for you is to experiment. You don’t need to go as extreme as Oprah on the 21-day cleanse. If you choose to eat meat, try eating small portions of organic meat and observe how that feels.
What type of diet works best for you?

Tags: Food, Politics by joshua
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Jenny McCarthy Reversing Autism

 Have you ever considered that diet could help autism? Actress, Jenny McCarthy, wrote Louder Than Words, a book about her journey to reversing her son’s autism by using a gluten-free diet.

When McCarthy first started noticing autistic symptoms in her two-year-old, she brought him to the doctor. When one of the best pediatricians in California told her that her son had autism, she decided to learn everything about it.  During her research, she found a website saying, “Autism is reversible.” She was willing to do anything and everything to help her son. She read about parents treating their autistic children with a gluten-free and casein-free diet.
 
McCarthy eliminated gluten and casein (a milk protein) from her son’s diet and added vitamins and supplements. Within six months she noticed a dramatic difference with his symptoms. McCarthy is at the forefront of raising public awareness about the healing powers of a good diet.
It’s amazing how good food can positively influence our health. No matter what type of disease or illness a person has they will most likely benefit from eating less meat, dairy, sugar and chemicalized, artificial junk foods.
 
 Do you have any stories about food helping your health?

Tags: Food, Politics, Primary Food by joshua
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Sexy Vegetarians

In the ‘70s, vegetarian and vegan ways of eating were considered a hippie phenomenon, something on the fringe. But times have changed and the stigma around vegetarianism has lifted. The vegetarian lifestyle has hit the mainstream news because more and more celebrities are eating this way.

It’s is even considered sexy. PETA just released a poll ranking the sexiest vegetarian celebrities. Check out the article in usmagazine.org, featuring the sexiest vegetarian rock stars, pop stars and actors. Who would have thought 30 years ago that we would be using sexy and vegetarian in the same sentence?
The poll voted musicians Leona Lewis and Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis as the sexiest vegetarian celebrities. Other female vegetarian celebrities that were on the poll include Alicia Silverstone, Carrie Underwood, Alyssa Milano and Shania Twain. The vegetarian male celebs included were Joaquin Phoenix, Milo Ventimiglia, Paul McCartney and Rupert Everett.
It’s exciting to see people in the public eye voice their opinions on health, environmental issues and holistic wellness. When celebrities start talking about vegetarianism and health issues openly, we know that the whole country and the world are starting to think about them too. It’s inevitable that their awareness creates a ripple effect.

Tags: Food by joshua
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Are Kids Naturally Picky Eaters?

 

If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be to get your kids to eat their broccoli. There are cook books on the market, like Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious, giving parents secret tips on how to trick their kids into eating vegetables. But why is this? Are kids naturally picky eaters? Or are we not exposing them to enough variety?
A recent New York Times article featured an American family living in Beijing. One of the parents brought home a bag of leftovers from dinner, it was filled with deep fried scorpions. In America, that goody bag would probably be met by eyes of disgust. But not in this family. The 11-year-old boy shrieked, “Awesome!” and started chomping down on them.
These kids were never exposed to microwave pizzas or spaghetti from a can. They were constantly exposed to real foods, and a wide variety of them. The result is that they will eat anything from spinach to goat testicles.
Their mother, Paola, also attributes her kids healthy taste buds to the fact that she breast- fed them. She also said that in poor countries, like China, people do not have the option of being picky eaters. They are thankful for all food and don’t develop fussiness when it comes to what they eat.
In America, we face different cultural situations and many of our kids are picky eaters. The best thing to do is to love your kids and their foods choices, while slowly incorporating more variety of real foods.
What tips do you have for other parents who are looking for ways to feed their kids healthier foods?

Tags: Food, Politics by joshua
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Is Your Diet too Strict?

 

Have you ever noticed when someone tells you not to do something, you want to do it even more? Our curiosity perks up when something is forbidden. Let’s take junk food for example. A lot parents are aware that junk food is not good for their children. But sometimes parents restrict their child’s food intake so much that anytime the parents aren’t around, they go straight for those forbidden foods. It’s the same for you.

Have you ever tried to follow a strict diet? You might succeed for a few days, but pretty soon you fall off the wagon and binge. If you allow your child a cookie after dinner they will be less likely to hide candy bars under their bed. Treat yourself like you would your own child. Allow yourself to have fun with your food.

It’s great to fuel your body with the nutrients it needs and strive to eat healthy most of the time, like 90 percent, but allow yourself to eat whatever you like the other 10 percent of the time. That’s right, be bad every now and again. It’s much better to indulge in the occasional ice cream treat socially with friends, then sneaking pints of ice cream from the freezer late at night. You will feel free to eat what you want instead of eating what you think you should eat. And you might actually crave the foods that keep you healthy, rather than always craving what your mind says you can’t have.

 

Tags: Food, Uncategorized by joshua
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Confused about Soy Protein?

Soy can be a confusing, almost controversial food in the nutrition world. Health food stores carry it, but that doesn’t always mean it’s good for you. Soybeans are a great source of protein, but they are also difficult to digest because most forms are highly processed. Many vegetarians rely too heavily on this food for protein and consume large quantities. Soy milk, soy dogs, tofu and others can be tasty, but eat them in moderation and experiment with other protein-rich foods.

 

Instead of tofu with your stir-fry every night, try edamame (the whole soybean), which is easier to assimilate than other soy products. A lot of the soy products available are hard to digest because they are made from highly processed soy isolates instead of using the whole food. Try experimenting with traditional and fermented forms of soy products like tempeh and miso. Most traditional soy products were actually fermented. This process helps digestion by starting to breakdown the food before it enters your mouth.

Tofu is a non fermented traditional way for eating soy, but it was always consumed as a small side dish, not as the main feature of a meal.

 

Most people do not realize that soy, second to wheat, is one of the most common allergens. Research shows that genistein (a chemical found in soy), may damage fertility, especially in men. Some suggest that soy isoflavones may increase estrogen activity for women and decrease negative menopausal symptoms, but others link estrogen activity to a higher chance of developing breast cancer. These varying results suggest that the jury is still out. So check in with your own body. How does it react to soy?

 

Tags: Food, Uncategorized by joshua
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Artificial Colors in our Food

 

Have you read this recent article, “Group petitions FDA to ban some food colorings?”The Center for Science in the Public Interest called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban eight artificial colorings in food because the additives may cause hyperactivity and behavioral issues in some children. An FDA spokeswoman said that the color additives are tested and reviewed for safety before they are sent to stores. The FDA claims that food coloring cannot be the cause of hyperactivity in kids.

On the other hand, Michael Jacobson,executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and guest speaker at Integrative Nutrition, says that the reason that food coloring chemicals are added is to cover up the absence of real food and to appeal children. Doesn’t this make perfect sense? Let’s think about some artificially colorful foods that kids love. Cupcakes, Kool-Aid, lollipops and soda. These foods are great eye candy because of the bright colors and fancy packaging. But they don’t have any nutritional value for our children. They are also high in sugar which is directly linked to hyperactivity in children. So maybe it’s not the food coloring that directly affects behavior, but rather the high-sugar in these foods that causes kids to bounce off the walls.

But why have anything artificial? Kids are attracted to bright colors, that’s part of why kids love junk food. Try decorating their plate with colorful organic fruits and veggies. These natural foods are filled with valuable nutrients for our growing kids. How do you decorate your child’s plate?

Tags: Food, Politics by joshua
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Bean Truths for Vegetarians and More

Beans have a bad rap. “Beans. Beans. The more you eat. The more you…” You get my drift. But for many vegetarians and vegans looking for protein, beans are it. They are an affordable source of protein and provide fiber, helping to stabalize blood sugar. At the same time, they can be very hard to digest. If you prepare and cook them the right way you can the maximum nutritional benefit and reduce gas and indigestion problems. Beans are a great food to have in your diet regardless of what diet you follow. If you know you are highly sensitive to beans, try smaller ones like aduki or lentils and try cooking them longer than you think is necessary. Try some of our very own bean dish recipes.  

 

Basic Bean Cooking Guide

           ·          Wash and clean beans.

           ·          Soak them either overnight or boil them for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let them soak for 2 to 4 hours.

           ·          Remove them from the soaking water before cooking them.

           ·          Place beans in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. See package for water amount.

           ·          Skim off the foam.

           ·          Cook beans with a 1- to 3-inch strip of kombu to help with digestion You can also add bay leaf, cumin, anise or fennel.

           ·          Cover, reduce heat and simmer for suggested time.

           ·          Add salt when they are done cooking (about 10 minutes before beans are done).

 

Tags: Food by joshua
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