juicing for smarties

before and after: home grown sprouts, ginger, turmeric, carrots, bok choy, beets, cabbage, kale.

juicing for smarties? yes! juicing is decidedly NOT for dummies, although it's the easiest thing in the world to do. even though i am a novice, and i am sure that there are many places online that can tell you a million things you ought to know about juicing, this is my blog, and this is how i roll:

1. go shopping just for veggies. don't pick up anything if it's not a fruit, veggie or some kind of root. just for today, be a purist!

2. buy a rainbow of colors. carrots, beets, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, bok choy. not only is it pretty, it's good for you.

3. don't be a sissy! go big or go home. buy a lot! see just how far 40 bucks can go when you are just buying greens. it's amazing!

4. have you ever heard of "shop & chop". this is how it's done: when you get home chop up all the leafy greens in a size that fits easily into your juicer and toss them in a dry plastic bag so they are ready to go when you are. (leave the carrots whole or cut the the long way so you can use them to help push things thru if needed)

5. gather together or buy various sized glass jars. i like mason jars... but also check out your local asian market place as they sometimes have cute glass jars with interesting lids at a good price! you're going to want to make more juice than just one serving at a time and the individual jars make it easy to store and to take with.

6. fire up the juicer and start feeding it the goods! it's best to rotate the leafy and meaty items with watery items to help flush the juice thru the machine and avoid clogging. make enough juice to last a day or two. go nuts.

7. pour the juice into the pretty jars all the way to the top, leaving as little air as possible. (you don't want the juice to oxidize). store in fridge.

8. clean the messy and then progress. that is, clean the juicer right away. it makes cleaning it so much faster and better.

9. top off a nice glass with the freshly made juice. take a big swig and enjoy the sensation of goodness, then take a pix to show-off to your juicing pals.

10. enjoy the rest of the day knowing that you have done something good for yourself. you have prepared several power meals the will nourish your body, mind and spirit! congratulate yourself!

eating salad is eating "raw"!

super simple salad, mixed at the table.

there is a raw food movement out there, which is good. raw food foodies are very strict about what they eat. i love to borrow from the raw food movement without getting married to it, if you know what i mean.

lots of my meals are raw, but not all. lots are vegan, but not all. this one starts with a dash of balsamic vinegar reduction, a stack of various chopped, and sliced veggies: carrot, cukes, lettuce hearts, celery, and red cabbage. then a half ripe avocado, a hand-full of fresh water cress and two freshly picked nasturtiums. a honey, vinegar and pepper oil dressing is served on the side. the salad is then dressed and tossed at will at the table.

the drink is a tart/sweet lemonade made with several whole (peeled) lemons, some wild honey and a few frozen berries blended in the blender, chilled and served cold.

nourish yourself: white bean & kale soup

http://nourishedkitchen.com/kale-and-white-bean-soup/#

learning to love yourself means learning to nourish yourself. making soup from scratch is a time honored tradition for "sharing the love". make time in your busy day to do something that's good for you, take a walk, breathe deep, really connect with someone, and make soup.

keep learning. embrace new experiences.

• Visit libraries and other community facilities – learn something new about cooking raw food, sprouting, walking, breathing or how to meditate.
• Try something you have always wanted to do but never actually done.
• Rediscover an old interest.
• Fix a bike, then ride it around the block a few times.
• learn an instrument, join a jam session, record song then post it online.
• Find and practice a new recipe for a food you know is good for you.
• Enhance your creativity - check out when art groups meet in your area.
• Join a book club or start one.
• Start learning another language then book a flight and speak it.
• Commit to learning to identify a new plant every day for a month.
• Learn to identify the various birds and bird calls in your garden.
• Join a zumba class or tai chi class – learn and be active at the same time!

food as medicine

once you get beyond the idea that processed and fast foods taste good and nourish you, there is a whole new world of food that awaits discovery. educating oneself about herbs, enzymes, probiotics, roots and sprouting has can be a steep learning curve, but a welcome one. when i first started researching juicing, i was amazed at the long list of healing properties associated with most fruits and veggies, and the lack of nutritional value, even detrimental effects of others foods. as difficult as it is to stay focused on healthy eating habits when not actually losing much weight, i have to remind myself that with every healthy eating choice i make i am actually healing my body from the inside out.

in dr. andrew weil's anti-inflammatory diet (for weight loss) he lists turmeric, ginger and boswellin as key nutrients to aid in healing.

re-focusing

after 30 days of my new diet/exercise regime, i decided it was time to check in on my weight. i prepared myself for the possibility of lack luster results. when i step on the scale, i was horrified to discover that all of my efforts were decidedly unimpressive. i hadn't gained weight, thank god! but the results were dismal at best. the last time i went on a diet, it was at this point that i threw in the towel and chalked up my efforts to hopeless! after a short-lived binge on roasted lamb, boiled potatoes (with gravy) wilted spinach, two bowls of egg-nog ice cream and two bowls of popcorn (with butter)... i came to my senses.
today i went to the whole foods store to begin the re-boot of my diet.  i purchased the itemes your see above: lemons, limes, apples, red cabbage, broccoli, cilantro, carrots and spinach. time for less cooking, more whole foods, less peanut butter on my apples when i snack, and fewer snacks!  when i came home i got my "shop and chop" on by making a big red cabbage salad, with green onion, cilantro, carrot, lemon & lime juice and a table spoon of organic honey. this is where the rubber meets the pavement. got to get some traction here. have to read more labels, and track what i eat more closely. the good news is, i feel ten times better than where i was a month ago! my walks are faster and farther. and i swear i am down one belt loop. guess i need to be grateful that i didn't GAIN weight over the holidays. the beat goes on.

eating right

eating right not only taste good. it feels good. i start my day out with a glass of water and a quick walk to get the blood flowing, followed by a green smoothie. later when i get a little hunger i make some hot tea or eat an apple with peanut butter. for a late lunch/ early dinner i usually have steamed fish with veggies.
i like to buy a multitude of frozen veggies and frozen fish too so that i always have this option on hand. but when i have time, i also buy fresh. either way, for me, this combination is endlessly good. no need for rice or pasta for me! (i sometimes drizzle my plate with a balsamic vinegar reduction to add drama and a flavorful punch). i found a recipe for this combo on the real simple website and am re-posting here. but really it's just a matter of tossing all the ingredients into the the steamer, fish on top, and letting'er rip!

Ingredients

• 1  head broccoli, cut into florets
• 3  yellow squash or zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4  8-ounce  skinless halibut fillets (about 1 inch thick)
• 4  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, flat-leaf parsley, or thyme (optional)
• 2  lemons, halved

Directions

1. Place a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach just below it. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the broccoli and squash and steam, covered, until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and cover.
3. If necessary, add more water to the pan. Return to a boil. Season the halibut with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
4. Place the halibut on the steamer, cover, and cook until it flakes easily and is the same color throughout, about 7 minutes.
5. Drizzle the halibut and vegetables with the oil. Sprinkle with the herbs (if using) and serve with the lemon halves.

start your day right: with a "greenie"!

i kicked the coffee habit and replaced it with green smoothies. it's better to get real nutrients in my system early in the morning than a cup of coffee, which seems to trigger my old desire for bagels, bacon and eggs and my endless (fruitless) quest for the perfect american-cornbeef hash. just because "the greenie" is popular with health nuts, runners, dancers and athletes doesn't mean i can't join in on the fun. all you need is a blender and some fresh and frozen foods. i like smoothies (with protien powder) better than pure juices as they don't tend to spike my sugar levels as much, which is something i need to be mindful of. there are a million smoothie and juicing recipes online but not all are low-cal and some are actually packed with fruit sugars, so choose wisely. here  is one of my own recipes that sounds kind of gross, but tastes great!

timo's greenie
add all into blender and blend until smooth

3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen kale
1/2 frozen banana
1 sliced (and cored) granny smith apple
1 scoop low-carb protein power
1 heaping spoon flax seed power
1 big dash of cinnamon 
 3/4 cold green tea
1 scoop clear fiber (orange flavor)

of course the best thing about greenies is that you throw what ever you have in the fridge that's fresh and it ends up tasting good...and when they don't taste good, you still know that what you're drinking is good for you! experiment!