Food Power

It’s that time of year again….

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It’s cleanse time again!  Those of you who know me know that the act of cleansing/detox diet is no unfamiliar venture for an off-white pursuant like me.  Seems like every 6 months I get the bug to do some kind of detox/cleanse, and yep…its about that time.

So when my mother in law approached me about a 21-day cleanse diet, my natural response was ‘…hello, friend’….  Not to mention the fact that she and I  could be partners in crime.  Yet another reason to detox.  Mother-in-law bonding.  Yes, I actually like doing things with Matt’s mom, including eating a vegan diet and complaining about how much we miss chocolate together.  Hey, the family that cleanses together, stays together.

I couldn’t help but ask myself, what is my attraction to the cleansing concept?  It’s much more than a physical desire.  I’m not really after weight loss, I eat a ton of veggies as it is, so what is it?  Truthfully, its kind of a spiritual adventure for me. There is something profound about being slightly uncomfortable (and trust me, not have the option to eat dairy or meat or even chocolate for 21 days will get a little edgy) that opens me up mentally and emotionally.

When I’m cleansing, I’m letting my body have a break from the ‘norm’ diet.  I’m also asking my mind and spirit to be willing to stand up to cravings, desires for food gratifications and emotional eating moments.  THese happen often to a girl like me, even still.  It’s like the Pema Chodron quote “how you do one thing is how you do anything”.  When I’m eating a certain healthy  but limited diet, I’m practicing the art of being uncomfortable and having to face my ego so I can do a little more of that in other areas of my life.

Do I have to cleanse to do this?  No, I suppose not.  But for me, food and its relationship in my life is very much a metaphor for how I see other things.  For instance, when I’m stress and want to taste the sweetness of life, I typically want mor sweet: Fruits, sweetened teas, honey on my oatmeal, etc.  Nothing bad about this, just a way that I try and make it all more comfortable, which ends up creating a dependence.  Cleansing is like letting go of the dependencies on food, and trusting that I’m going to be okay if I can’t have hot chocolate while grading lab reports.  That process helps me learn to be okay when I’m pushing the edges of my life and as a result, my mind to open up to new possibilities for myself.

Being as this is the year I want the off-white cookbook done, it seems like cleansing is appropriate.  I’ve got a few mental barriers on my ability there, and I’d like to let them go so as to create space for the possibility of finishing.

So, here I go!  Starting tomorrow my daily eating will consist of:

A vegan diet with fish as needed (white fish only, baked or pan sauteed, not deep fried, which I don’t even do anyway)

Abstaining from: corn chips/tortillas, wheat, flour in general (even GF), caffeine, chocolate, concentrated sweeteners, animal products (meat and dairy), garlic (b/c it makes me kind of crazy, to be honest!)

Enhancing my intake of: legumes, whole grains, bitter vegetables, and fresh juices, green teas.   I’m also going to spend tomorrow in a semi-fast, with 2 meals of rice protein + veggies shake and 1 regular, mid-day ‘meal’.

Nothing makes  cleansing more enticing than making yummy cleanse-friendly food.  Thank GOD I’ve had lots osf practice at making whole grain,veggie, healthy fats dishes, like the one listed below.

Care to join me anybody?  Even for 1 day?  yes you CAN!

Quinoa Salad
I believe I’ve posted this recipe in some form in the past, but if not, here it is:

  • 6 cups cooked: equal parts brown rice and quinoa ( I used a rice cooke and added a mix of oregano, rosemary, pepper, and salt while  cooking)
  • 2 chopped yellow peppers
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 1 chopped avocado
  • 1/2 chopped red onion
  • 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • juice of 1 lemon

Once the quinoa/rice is cooked, let it cook.  Meanwhile chop veggies and appreciate the color.  Next, add the veggies in and mix.  Add sunflower seeds and mix.  Add EVOO and lemon and maybe a bit more salt at the end.  Mix and either serve warm or serve chilled.  Can be a simple meal or a side dish.

Yes, you CAN eat a whole food diet for less

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tomorrow I must present a paper in my Obesity class that discusses the ‘economics of food’ as a cause of obesity, rather than any one food itself.  I’m in agreement with the author (Andrew Drewnowski), as there is evidence that calorie dense food simply costs less, if you examine things on a calorie/dollar basis.

However, it would then stand to reason that if you are choosing lots of calorie dense foods, such as refined grains/fast foods/soda, you would need to spend less TOTAL money to get the same calories a health meal.

So I put my little theory to the test and  created a day’s worth of food based on a whole food plan and a refined food plan, which included one trip to a fast food joint.  I even think I was underestimating the cost of the fast food, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that you can find a meal for $3.50 (based on about 2 minutes of web researching I did).

The caveat is that one must be willing to do two things:

1. change their palate for healthier food.  Truthfully some people eat refined foods because they are accustomed, like the flavor, and healthy food doesn’t taste good to them.

2. Be willing to spend about 15-20 min/day preparing food. I’m talking about opening a can of beans and mixing together a salad, not even turning on the oven to cook anything elaborate.  Doesn’t it take about 15 min to go to a drive thru from start to finish?  And that is just for 1 meal…….

I’ve included a JPEG of my PPT file so you can see the comparison, but basically I have the healthy day totalling $6/day for 3 meals and 2 snacks while the refined meal day costs $7.65 for 3 meals and 2 snacks.

wintertime cooking fun

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We got into the holiday spirit last week with some juicing and bread making.  I enjoy finding creative ways to use the juicing pulp, such as to make carrot ginger bread, which is my new fav:

Bread recipe:

3 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp each: cinnamon and nutmeg
1 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside

3 eggs
2 cups carrot pulp
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
2/3 cup freshly juiced carrot juice (if there is a little ginger, even better)
2/3 cup butter or coconut oil

Mix wet ingredients, creaming eggs and butter first.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until ‘just mixed’.  Pour into 2-3 bread pans or cake pans and cook for 45 minutes at 400.  Serve with some powdered sugar or homemade whipping cream with orange zest on top.  SOOO good!

the sweet truth

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a really cool article I found that lays it out about sugar:

Click HERE to read on.

I have to say, the more I’m learning about fructose metabolism, the more I’m really questioning my consumption of honey and agave as substitutions for table sugar.  The fructose is really the culprit, which is HIGH is honey and agave.  More research is needed, I think, as there are isomers of fructose (isomer = same basic structure with different specific configurations), and that may impact digestion.

Naturally as I know more, you’ll know more gang.

Good note: if you use unrefined sweeteners, such as honey and agave, you need LESS overall and LESS calories from sugar is a good thing in general!

10 ways to lower your sugar consumption

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FINALLY sugar is making the news in some really beneficial and specific ways:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204660604574370851517144132.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090824/hl_nm/us_heart_sugar_4

(I especially like the line in article #2 that indicates the position of the beverage industry is that their products don’t directly contribute to health problems…geee, what else would a representative from THAT industry say…)

FYI: IF you have a curiousity about the sugar content of the food you eat, check out this USDA sugar index:

http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/sugar-content.php

I think a lot about sugar and it’s role in our lifes (obviously, hence this blog!).  The information about sugar is good, but the next questions is:

Okay, so HOW are we going to change things ?  It’s the HOW questions about changing our diet, cultural food norms, and keeping our commitments to health that really intrigue me.

So, here are my top 10  tips on HOW to reduce your sugar intake:

  • Get help – whether help is a book, a friend, corralling the family for a family meeting about the weekly grocery shopping, or a wellness coach/dietician, chance are strong that the way you eat is a deeply ingrained pattern and you’ll need a toolbox of support to change it.
  • Begin where you are: start by counting the sugar grams you eat per day for a few days.  Do this without judgement.  This is INFORMATION GATHERING to help you become AWARE.  From this, you can see where you are and make a plan for where you want to be.  That is where the support and the other tips come in!
  • Start with the easy ‘wins’, such as reducing your sugary beverage intake by 1 per day,  alternating eggs and cereals for breakfast instead of always cereal, increasing your veggies by 1 serving/day, switching to high fiber breads, choosing the cake donut over the frosted donut, etc.  Seriously, these little changes can be HUGE for motivating success and confidence that you CAN change your relationship with sugar
  • Eat more bitter/pungent foods.  Many of us are super-sensitized to the flavor of sweet and want it all the time.  Condition your palate to seek other flavors, such as bitter/pungent.  Eat dark green veggies, use strong cheeses on a salad (you also need less), season with herbs like basil and rosemary which have a bitter principle, eat blackberries, cranberries and green apples – all have bitter principles, use aromatic spices such as turmeric and cumin (pungent)
  • Carry a sustainable water bottle and USE it! First, you’re flushing the junk out of your body with regular water intake, and you might find that it relaces some of the other non-beverage waters
  • Watch for the tricky sugars: Milk/milk proucts, organic and gluten-free products, trail mixes, boxed oatmeal, hamburger/hotdog buns, low fat cookies and treats, dried fruits (usually sweetened with some kind of sugar, including High Fructose Corn Syrup) – all contain sugars in ways you might be aware of because they are not necessarily classic desserts
  • Reduce the ‘pumps’ of syrup you use at the coffee bar.  Recently I heard a friend share that her fav 16 oz Vanilla latte included 6 PUMPS of syrup – that is 3 servings of syrup (aka a LOT ) of sugar – ask the barista how much they give and if it is more than a serving, you can tell them not to pump so much!
  • Eat protein regularly – lean meats, eggs, legumes, quinoa, protein supplemenets (with no added sugar – watch out!), organic dairy products (as appropriate) and (sparingly) soy products all contain protein.  Protein helps stabalize blood sugar and animal-based proteins + quinoa also contain B vitamins.  Over consumption of sugar depletes B vitamins, so you might need to regenerate your B vitamin levels if you are a sugar junkie
  • Moderate your use of natural sugars.  Many of you know I advocate for use of agave, honey, brown rice syrup, etc.  True, they are better, but they are still SUGAR!!!  Eat them in moderation too.
  • Try greek yogurt – it contains virtually NO sugar.  It also makes a nice dessert, when mixed with fruits and cinnamon, or on top of whole grain pancakes in place of syrup

Happy Low-sugar eating, bloggies!

Off-White Salmon Burgers, quick and EASY

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This week I’ve really been in the mood for summer eats….maybe its the hint of fall in the air that is making me want to savor what is left of summer… whatever it is, last night I just couldn’t face the notion of one more salmon fillet for dinner.

Inspired by a recent cookout in Vernonia with friends, I thought about making Salmon burgers – something I’ve never done because it never came to me that I could easily turn a fillet into a burger in minutes.

Thanks to the internet and some creativity on my part, the Off-White Salmon burger was born.  Here it is on U-tube (recipe to follow):

12 oz salmon (2 6-oz fillets, thawed) – chopped into 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup oats
2 tbsp each: minced scallions, yellow onion, red bell peppers
1 tbsp each: fresh sage,  fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp: cumin , sea salt

In a food processor, add 1/2 the salmon and mix until fine.  Add all other ingredients, pulsing and scraping off the sides a few times so the texture is mixed between coarse and fine.

You’ll have enough mix for four 4-oz patties, approximately.

Grill at med temp or cook on the stove ( this is what I did) on med heat w/a little butter in the pan for 3 minutes/side.

Goes well with quinoa salad and sweet potatoes!

Enjoy!

Off White living in the raw

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I absolutely love it when I get reinspired to explore other avenues of off-white eating and living.

Raw food is my new candy, as inspired by a class I co-taught with A. last night at Wellspring in Woodburn.  I thank all 12 guests deeply, for it was their committment to learning that invited me to reconnect with my raw food resources.  I forgot how much fun it is to get out of the box with raw foods.

Raw foods just make me feel alive.  In the spirit of raw foods, its all about eating close to the earth and not damaging nature’s nutritional wisodom by cooking food.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not becoming a raw foodist (75% raw food, no animal products), as can be demonstrated by my visit to the Little Roadhouse in Salem after class and a Key Lime martini to celebrate Matt’s return home.  Hardly a committed raw foodie….

However, this being the dawn of spring, its a great time to rediscover (or simply discover) the joys of raw food…..and I’m not just  talking about eating more salads.

I encourage you to consider including foods like raw nuts (soaked for 2 hrs to make them more digetable), sprouts in salads and on sandwiches, using raw veggies instead of chips for dipping, hummus and guacamoles, dehydrating foods and even making your own raw food crackers in the dehydrator, and adding green supplements to your diet like Amazing Grass or Nanogreens.

For those who want to go a little further, a great book is Raw food, Real World, which we used to inspire us in class.

To further entice your interests, our menu for class last night included:

Coco Loco blended beverage (coconut water/flesh, dates, limes, ice)
Broccomoli (a lower fat, ‘green’ guacamole)
Raw lasagna with cashew cheez and beet ‘pasta’
kale and seaweed salad with miso dressing
raw key lime pie with date and macadamia nut crust

And here are a few pics too!  And below that a recipe!  Enjoy

raw-food-cooking-class-006raw-food-cooking-class-007
raw key lime pie (can you guess the secret ingredient?)

To whet your whistle, try this delicious and easy to prepare “mocktail”:

Coco Loco mocktail
2.5 cups coconut water (look at a health food store or in the asian section)
3/4 cup coconut flesh or coconut milk if you can’t crack a ‘nut’
1 cup ice
2-3 medjool dates, pitted
juice (and pulp if desired) of 1/2 lime

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend!  Makes 3-4 mocktails.

Happy “off white” living,

Rebecca

Cleanse-fest and frugal frittata (recipe)

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Hi all,

Cleansing is going okay, especially with friends to snowshoe with today (thanks guys!), which helps take the mind off all the foods I can’t have.  I’ve noticed a little loneliness creeping in because its been 1 week since I’ve seen Matt.  Often when lonely I want to turn to food.  It’s hard when cleansing because food does not have the allure (which is good), so I have to look more and feel more of my feelings.  Tonight I cooked a warm cup of rice milk to give me a comfort while watching “Mystery Diagnosis” on TLC.  Total comfort evening, but better than what it has been in the past (Sugar binge).

I craved pizza like crazy after the snow, and there really is not anything like pizza that is cleanse friendly, so I sucked it up and had arugula salad w/tomatoes and vinaigrette  and some of the soup I made with A. on Friday.

Since I didn’t blog all weekend, here are 3 videos from cleanse-fest baking night on Friday with A.  We made the most rockin’ dessert falafels, so you have to watch that video at least!!!


(soups and cleanse friendly cooking) 


(falafel video ) 


(Juicing) 


(Juicing #2 – the end product) 

After juicing we had tons of pulp .  Me being a frugal gal, and always thinking of ways to save money and eat well, there was no way I was going to let all that great organic by-product go to waste!  So I made some frugal frittata – here is the recipe:

5 organic eggs
about 1.5 cups of veggie juice pulp (W/green apples in my case)
1/2 yellow onion
2 tsp cumin
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Sautee the onion with salt and cumin.  Add the 5 eggs and pulp to the skillet and cook on low/med for 4 minutes, until it is almost like an egg scramble.  Don’t over mix.  Next, put the skillet in the oven on ‘broil’ for 4 minutes to brown the eggs.  Top with chopped tomato and enjoy!! 

Okay, I have officially completed 1 week of cleansing.  Other than the grains in the pulp-flax muffins I made this weekend (about 1.5 cups of gluten free whole grain cereal adn ezekiel sprouted grain cereal instead of flour), I won’t have grains again until next Sunday.  I don’t miss them, especially if I can have sweet potatoes, rice milk (in limited quantities), and a few fruits.

See you soon!

Rebecca

New year, new start

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Hey gang, 

Happy new Year!  I’m here in Nor. Cal finishing up what has been a relaxing, family filled trip for New Year’s.  My holiday season was filled with quiet nights, snow, baking, cooking and of course, EATING!!!

All this eating has left me feeling a little sluggish, as has the dark and wet Oregon weather.  I must say, the California Sunshine in the Sierras today was mighty hard to leave.  

So, now its time to rejuvenate my body and get back to full force off white living.

Instead of just blabbing away about it in text, I’ve decided to create a video record of what its like to do a cleansing diet.  The first couple days are going to be about ‘pre cleansing’, which is just as important as the actual experience, because one must prepare mentally and physically to leave all the holiday goodies behind.  It definitely takes work to be stringent, but I know that it helps my body feel sooooo much better and gives me a chance to undistract myself from food thoughts.

Here is Video #1.

 

Enjoy,

Rebecca