Tag Archives: ADD

Just One (Good) Thing After Another!

My absolute favorite morning routine sets me up for greeting the food-talk-4-u-2new day with renewed and centered energies. Whenever possible, this is what sets me on a great path. I call this a “Series of Good Things.” We started talking about this in the fall series of Designed for Health classes, and with my deeper understanding of habits and habit formation, it is all coming together for me with positive results.
Let me share:

Rise and shine at the same time each day! In doing so, I am waking naturally a few minutes before my gentle phone alarm announces itself. With more consistent bedtimes, waking up is not so problematic. Sleeping in has robbed me of too many retirement mornings, and I regret it when I do. No. Getting up at a consistent time is my first good thing.

food-talk-4-u-3Drinking that first full cup of cold water right after swishing out the “cob webs” from my mouth is good thing number two. Start the day with the best “hydrater” of all: water.

If my husband is up, I will make the bed on my way to the closet to dress. Good thing number three. The bedroom is neat and I am already on a roll!

Moving into the kitchen, I pass the refrigerator first, so I grab my food-talk-4-u-4cold Bragg’s apple cider vinegar from the door, pour a tablespoon-full into a glass, add about 6 ounces of water, and chug. This is a personal experiment; many in my spring Designed for Health class are doing it for cholesterol benefits. My research has netted a zero on scientifically proven health benefits except for well-documented benefit of improved blood sugars. I am doing it to add acid to my stomach in hopes to improve some reflux issues. While we refer to acid reflux, often it can be a result of not enough acid in the stomach. We will see. No harm for sure, and – hey- that’s more water! Good thing number four.

Then, I have to start my day feeding my menagerie of birds and squirrels! Watching their antics off the back porch is our major amusement and delight. That’s number five.

food-talk-4-u-5Taking a few deep, mindful, meditative breaths while pausing to sit on the porch swing helps me calmly set myself up for a new day. “Thank you, God, for this new day; thank you, Lord, in every way for your blessings great and small; make me a blessing to others this day. Amen.” Six.

Then, while the coffee or tea is brewing, number seven is my favorite to check off because, not only do I enjoy doing this, but getting to it can be hard for me. Plank time! Starting with a child’s pose to stretch my lower back, I move forward to do my two minutes of planks: full body plank followed by a “restful” half-plank from the knees.

The rest of coffee brewing time is dedicated to slow motion squats, Plank_modified_opkitchen-counter slow motion push-ups, palms up arm circles, ballet-bar style toe points to the front, side, and back: very good for balance. That is number eight!

Bing, bing, bing! Coffee’s ready! That’s number nine!

So – exercise minimums are met, bed is made, water is drunk, nature is fed; well… it’s a series of good things!

food-talk-4-u-sugar-8To keep that good vibe, I make sure half of my breakfast plate is veggies! Leftovers work great as a side to my two eggs or they can be scrambled together as a frittata. If all else fails, after frying the bacon and before cooking the eggs, I will grab a giant handful of greens to sauté with a bit of good oil (coconut, avocado, or olive). That’s number ten!

I hope that you, too, have a “series of good things” you are doing for yourself each day. Please share them with me!

To summarize some good things we have covered here and in class about improving our over-all wellness:

1. Mindful breathingBeautiful girl breathing and smiling on the beach with the sea and blue sky in the background

2. Gratitude each day

3. Drink some extra water

4. Taper-off and eliminate added sugars

5. Eat real food. Eat food without labels!

6. Half of your plate each meal should be (mostly green) veggies

7. Use good fats- butter and ghee from pastured cows, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil

8. Supplements should include Vitamin-D, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and magnesium with your calcium

9. Toss the grains- they cause inflammation seen and unseen, and work against vitamin and mineral absorption

10. You may also want to toss the legumes: dried beans and peanuts- because they can have an adverse effect on digestion, can block absorption of vitamins and minerals, and can be inflammatory

11. Keep a regular bedtime and get enough sleep

12. Move and stretch your body every day. I have just started weekly Yin Yoga classes and am just loving it! More restful sleep; greater inner awareness and calm; and a more balanced feeling.

13. Set tiny, repeatable “tweaks” to move yourself toward better wellness.

14. Simplify, simplify, simplify!

15. Rather than getting more “stuff,” gather experiences in your life!

16. Smile!food-talk-4-u-7

As I concentrate on finalizing my book, preparing single day seminars, and simplifying my own possessions by cleaning and tossing out, I will be taking a bit of a blogging sabbatical. There may be the occasional summer recipe or thought, but I am going to practice what I preach by simplifying and daily application of things that make our ultimate goals come true!

Have a great summer!

In health and wellness-

Deidre

Note to Self – Just Don’t…

Congratulations, self! You decided to break away from sugar as the food-talk-4-u-sugar-1one good thing you were going to do. A little tough at first, perhaps. No Pop Tart for breakfast. No mid-afternoon cookie break. Cake for dessert? Nope. No added sugar this week!

And you did it! Funny how, after the first three days, the yearning for sweet stopped! It felt so good, too! Those knee joints didn’t hurt so much. There was enough energy all day long! That mandatory afternoon nap wasn’t even needed or missed! I could just sit down and relax while reading a book and not fall asleep mid-sentence.

Why, then, oh why, did I thifood-talk-4-u-sugar-7nk I could reward myself with a sweet dessert? Why? Why would I want to break the “spell” of being FREE from sugar? And not just as a habit! Why, oh why, did I think that one dessert would not have an effect on me?

Immediately, I felt physically weighted down.

The sofa beckoned me for a nap… food-talk-4-u-sugar-3

Where did my pep go?

Why was I hungry later on?

This is how it was for one of our Designed for Health class participants last week. Great progress in sugar habit modification, and an even greater personal example to her about the power of sugar.

Not only does sugar contribute to blood sugar and hormone imbalances, but it is addicting to the extreme, contributes to body-wide inflammation, disrupts thyroid balances, provides fuel for cancer tumors, and generally mucks things up.

Note to self…once off sugar, stay off!

Another case, this time with yours truly—who should know better – I know, I know… We obese-factor-75were eating lunch at our favorite destination, Carolina Bagel. Passing on the bagels is not even hard; I just do not do gluten, but I am not Celiac. I forgot to ask to have the croutons left off the salad. I had no trouble removing them from my plate, but…oh, there were a couple left and they are seasoned so well…
What’s a few measly (delicious) croutons? Was I going to be above any reaction at all? No.

Just 30 minutes later there was a knot in my gut for a while; and why did that nameless malaise suddenly appear?food-talk-4-u-sugar-4

Note to self…listen to your body and do not eat the gluten. Ever!
Those were the things I noticed right off; but what was happening on levels I could not immediately appreciate?

We all may think we can be above it all, be the exception, but “no.”
Don’t beat yourself up for temporarily not thinking…although, not thinking is a choice, too…. But okay, you may goof. Just pick yourself up, dust off, appreciate that your body ALWAYS tells you the truth, and recommit to listening better and thinking smart.

food-talk-4-u-sugar-5May is National Celiac Month. I will be sharing some new information about gluten, grains, and intestinal permeability a.k.a. “leaky gut” on this blog and in my Designed for Health classes at First Baptist Church.

If you are in the New Bern, NC area, please join us next Wednesday at 6 pm in Building A. We will be sharing information about healing our guts through supplementation and food choices.
Stay tuned-
Deidre

Good Morning, Glory, Power Muffins!

March on Morning Glory Power Muffins
Food-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-7-R
Sometimes you just really want a muffin! I know that often, muffins are just glorified little cakes full of unnecessary carbohydrates. Popping on the label saying they are gluten-free is NOT necessarily a pathway to improved health. There is so much around these days with the label “gluten-free,” and once again, the advertisers are wooing us with products still replete with chemicals, highly refined oils, starch, and sugar!

So, I was determined to make a nutritionally dense muffin that would satisfy and be truly delicious.

I did it!

These Morning Glory Power Muffins have received rave reviews, and it is my pleasure to share this recipe with you today!

Morning Glory Power Muffins

Yield- 20 muffins

Preheat oven to 350

Food-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-3-RIngredients:

½ cup golden raisins

4 Tbs. hemp seed hearts

3 Tbs. ground golden flax seed meal

¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup crushed pineapple no sugar added

1 cup chopped walnuts*

Food-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-1-R

2 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup gluten-free flour

½ tsp. xanthan gum

¼ cup coconut flour

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Method:

In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until creamy yellow; add the banana, vanilla, brown sugar,Food-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-2-R cinnamon, ginger, salt, and baking soda, beating until well-combined. Add the melted coconut oil and mix well. Add the flours and the xanthan gum, beating to combine.

Then, using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the raisins, hemp and flax seed, coconut, carrot, pineapple, and wFood-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-4-Ralnuts. Make sure to mix all ingredients well.

Fill muffin tin lined with baking cups about 3/4 full.

Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted.

 *Prior to using, soak walnuts at least 4-6 hours in enough water to cover and 1 tsp. sea salt. Rinse soaked nuts very well, blot dry on a towel, and dehydrate in oven or dehydrator. This process activates the nuts, makes them more Nuts-drying-in-ovendigestible, and increases their crisp tastiness. While I do own a dehydrator, this was the first time I used my oven for nut dehydration, and I was totally satisfied with the results. After using the oven for another purpose, I spread these walnuts out on a large rimmed metal pan and put them in the pre-warmed oven (350) which I then turned off. After a few hours, I stirred the nuts around, closed the door and warmed the oven up to about 200 degrees; theFood-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-5-Rn I turned it off, and let them dehydrate some more. This was done before going to bed. By morning, they were crisp. Once you have tasted activated nuts, you will never want to eat plain raw ones again!

I hope you agree that these are the “Best Ever Morning Glories”! Their power comes from the hemp, flax, and walnuts which give great forms of “good fat” as in Omega 3 fatty acids, and in protein! Certainly, the otherFood-Talk-4-U-Morning-Glory-8-R ingredients aren’t too shabby, either!

News Flash!

Deidre has been a little absent from this blog because there is so much good stuff going on!

Sorry for my absence here, but I have been preparing for the next cycle of the Designed for Health Classes, AND I have been working on my book in which I am putting all of this wellness thinking into one work! Plus, I have been doing so much research into habits are born, and how to develop our daily energies into something more powerful than we could ever imagine!

Designed for Health, Series 2 classes will be held at First Baptist Church, New Bern, North Carolina. They will be held in Building A for six weeks on Wednesday nights from 6-7 pm. If you are not a member of First Baptist Church, that’s fine, just email me at foodtalk4you@gmail.com to let me know you want to attend. I want to make sure we have a room big enough for everyone, so a head count is always good to have in advance. This series is free to all.
If you are interested in a class closer to where you live, or your organization would like me to speak with them, please contact me at the same email address to schedule a class or single presentation.

Fruit – With Benefits

What do I mean? Isn’t fruit full of goodness all by itself? You bet! I am not even going to try to enumerate all of the nutrient rich benefits there are in different berries, apples, and such, lest I leave something out!

Fruit 1But what if we could stir something up that expanded on the nutrient-richness of fruit? How about a truckload of omega 3 fatty acids? How about some collagen joint care? How about protein? Well, I’ve done it! All without added sugar of any kind if you don’t want; and if you do, a small dab of honey.

This warm fruit compote will delight your senses, build strong bones, provide satisfying protein, and increase your omega 3 fatty acid intake. Wow! Let’s get to it!

Warm Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

1-3 Tbs. coconut oil depending upon amount of fruit. I used 3 Tbs

Fruit sprinkled with cinnamon
Fruit sprinkled with cinnamon

. for this quantity pictured

1 gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into fairly small pieces

1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and chopped into fairly small pieces

Assortment of frozen berries- today I used probably over 2 cups plus

a few slices of frozen peach

Pinch of salt

Cinnamon to taste- a “sweet spice” that can enhance fruit without the need for sugar. Cinnamon also helps control blood sugar levels

Powdered grass-fed gelatin

Ground flax seed

Optional- only if your fruit is sour- a spoonful of honey stirred in at the end

Simmering fruit mixture
Simmering fruit mixture

Method:

Melt the coconut oil in an enamel non-stick sauté pan and add all of the prepared fruit over medium heat. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon, gelatin, and ground flax seed over the top of the fruit. Add a pinch of salt.

As the mixture warms and begins to get juicy, gently stir.

Both the gelatin and the flax will thicken this mixture as the fruit releases its bounteous moisture. If your fruit compote is too runny, just sprinkle on more gelatin and/or more flax. Lower heat a bit to continue cooking without bubbling.

This refrigerates well and can be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature. This is my go-to evening snack. So satisfying, Fruit 5filling, good for you and not sugary!

Hope you enjoy this fruit…with benefits!

Deidre

The Best Ever Salmon Patty Recipe!

Hungry as a bear for salmon?  Try this terrific recipe from Deidre's recipe book!
Hungry as a bear for salmon? Try this terrific recipe from Deidre’s recipe book!

There are just some things we always need to keep around and canned salmon is very high on my list! Ever had one of those days when you just wanted to pull something together really quick with little fuss?

Well, this could be the answer for you!

But what to call them? Maybe they are just humble patties. You know, like a hamburger patty; plop them on a grill or throw them into a pan….few minutes on each side…dinner is served. Last year, I may have briefly described my creation without benefit of a recipe as a “fritter.” Sounded more colorful; a little regional, perhaps. Countrified. Then, this month’s Southern Living magazine had a recipe for “Salmon Croquettes” which really looked like MY patties… or…fritters!

A Salmon fish!
A fishy Salmon!

Goggling the moniker dilemma just sort of muddied things up. Both croquettes and fritters, apparently, are deep fried. Nay! Nay! Even Southern Living did not deep fry its croquettes! They are both also dipped in egg and breaded before frying.

Please, so much messy work!

So, I am left with my humble patties. “Croquettes” just sounds like a restaurant raising their price on patties by calling them something elite. “Fritters” just sounds….I don’t know, maybe deep fried in a converted gas station come greasy spoon restaurant.

2 to 4 beaten eggs
2 to 4 beaten eggs

I did not have the Greek yogurt Southern Living mentioned to fix up as a dipping sauce which I have done in the past; fortunately, these patties remained quite moist and did not demand a sauce. I will give you some ideas for the sauce, though. Cool thing is, this recipe can be adapted to a variety of ingredients at hand and measuring is not a must at all.

Southern Living’s recipe called for 2 – 14.75 oz. cans of salmon; I used just one. They called for 4 eggs which I actually used between 2 to 4, but I compensated by adding ¼ cup of coconut flour!

Celery
Celery

Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of this actual process and all the evidence is eaten, but I did have a couple file photos of a similar recipe to share. So here it goes from my memory for the Best Ever Salmon Patties!

Best Ever Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

  • 1 (14.75 oz.) can salmon, drained
  • 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
  •  3-4 green onions, chopped with green stalks
  •  3 mini multi-colored bell peppers, finely chopped
  •  ½ small can water chestnuts, finely chopped
  •  2 – 4 eggs, beaten
  •  1 tsp. kosher salt
  •  1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  •  1 tsp. dill weed
  •  Approx. ¼ cup coconut flour, as needed. to make the patties “stick” together

Method

Coconut flour
Coconut flour

Beat eggs in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the coconut flour, and mix well to combine. I do this with my hands while wearing latex free gloves.

Add the coconut flour if the mixture is too moist and needs some ‘glue’ to stick together.

Using your gloved hands, form mixture into approximately 1/2 cup patties, pressing firmly to mold.

Pan fry the patties on medium heat using about 2 Tbs. good oil of choice: olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. When the edges start looking a little crispy, flip patties over. Cooking time should be 2-3 minutes on each side.

Ingredient ideas for dipping sauces:

Mix Greek yogurt, lemon, Dijon mustard
Mix Greek yogurt, lemon, Dijon mustard

Using a base of plain Greek yogurt add:

  • Dijon mustard, dill weed, lemon zest, lemon juice, pinch of ground red pepper

Or in a blender or food processor combine the following with the yogurt:

  • English cucumber, dill, salt, pepper for a Greek flair
The delicious end product - Best Ever Salmon Patties!
The delicious end product – Best Ever Salmon Patties!

Ingredients are easily substituted and swiped out. When there is fresh parsley around, I always add it for added spunk and flakes of greenness. No water chestnuts? Leave them out! I just happened to have a few green onions that needed to be used up; any kind of onion could be used.

Just keep a few cans of salmon around to “save the day.”

Enjoy-

Deidre

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Just A Little Something From Me to You!

 With a lot of help from Sheree Alderman and Michael McClendon, beets-2we are finally able to present to our readers our first e-booklet covering the recipes posted last year in a usable PDF format! Yay!

Magic Mousse, Broth, Dumplings, Smoothies, Gravy… it’s all there! To get your copy, all you have to do is: Click on the link FoodTalk4U 2014 Recipes and wella!! Just follow the prompts on top of the screen on the right hand side to download it!

I am followFood-talk-4-u-Keystone-Habit-(1)Ring ‘my bliss’ (see recent blog by same name) by delving into writing my first book! It is designed to go along with the ‘Designed for Health’ series that I teach here in New Bern, North Carolina, a couple times a year but will certainly be a helpful guide for any reader! It’s still unfolding before my eyes, and I look forward to seeing it in my hands… and YOUR hands!

Book writing and self-publishing sad-writerrepresents such an exciting learning curve! I am reading more than ever, above and beyond the daily food and wellness research; and then, of course, there’s the writing. Writing, writing, writing. I am trying to garner more resources for you and put together tools for you that will guarantee your personal success at a higher, more complete level of wellness than you ever imagined!

In the meantime, how does your plate look?

Here are two representations that summarize what I have been talking about:

1) The goal

FullSizeRender(1)

 

 

 

 
2) How breakfast might be composed.

FullSizeRender

 

What’s the ‘green stuff’ in breakfast? Well, usually, I will grab 2 or 3 handfuls of baby spinach or a baby spinach/baby kale combination and throw them into my enamel non-stick pan with ‘happy butter’ from grass fed cows, similarly sourced Ghee, coconut oil or olive oil, and wilt the leaves. It’s a cinch! Stir those babies around a minute and they’re done! Add some pink Himalayan salt or lemon pepper, and you’re all set!

Food-Talk-4-U-Eggs-2Or…you can reheat last night’s leftover greens. Really, once you start doing this, breakfast will look funny without some healthy greens. Asparagus? Go for it! Sprouts? Green beans? Do it!

I always try to keep some mushrooms around. If they are not leftover, start them first in the pan and when they are finishing browning on the second side, scoot the mushrooms to one side of the pan and cook the spinach. After plating the veggies, you are ready to cook your eggs. Or….you can whip up the eggs, start cooking them, then add the veggies for an easy omelet!

See, you do not have to be a Master Chef to take control of your Female chef in restaurant kitchennutritional destiny!

It is so easy!

Enjoy the FoodTalk4U 2014 Recipes

Deidre

It’s A Ten Carrot Day!

Not those kind of carats... unfortunately....
Not those kind of carats… unfortunately…

 

It is so economical of time and effort to engage in periodic cook-a-thons; they save on food prep and clean-up time. Such was yesterday afternoon when my kitchen was all about carrots—shredded carrots. No use dirtying up the food processor three separate times … just do it all in one day and create three nutritious recipes!

Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad

1 broccoli crown- stem removed and tiny florets created

2 celery stalks, sliced lengthwise and cut into small ¼ inch pieces

¼ red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise and cut into small thin slices

¼ cup red onion cut into thin semi-circular slices

1 cup shredded carrots

Handful of Craisins (cranberry raisins)

2 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

Just enough mayonnaise to “glue” things together. I use Duke’s because it has the fewest number of ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup.

1 Tbs. coconut milk

Salt

Pepper

Method

Start with maybe a 1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise, stir in the coconut milk to thin it, and season with salt and pepper.

Toss all ingredients into mayonnaise mixture, adjust seasonings, and enjoy!

Carrot Salad Carrot Salad

Shredded carrots—quantity is up to you

Handful of golden raisins

Minimum quantity of mayonnaise

1 Tbs. of coconut milk to thin the mayonnaise

Salt

Method

Thin the mayonnaise with coconut milk and season with salt. Add carrots and raisins. Combine well. Adjust seasoning.

Carrot PearMuffin Mix Up Nut Muffins

About 2 cups shredded carrots

1 pear, shredded

½ tsp. Anise seed

½ cup coconut flour

1 cup hazelnut flour

Hand-full of activated walnuts (remember: soaked and dehydrated)

Walnuts
Walnuts

2 eggs

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

tsp soda

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted

Method

Put carrots, pear, anise seeds, salt, both flours, nuts, and melted oil into a large bowl and combine well.

Whip eggs with a whisk, add brown sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine well. Pour wet ingredients into carrot mixture and mix well. If the batter is too wet, add a bit more coconut flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each spoonful.

Carrot Pear Nut Muffin
Carrot Pear Nut Muffin

Put batter into a greased muffin pan or use baking cup liners. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven or 325 degree convection oven for 25-30 minutes until toothpick can come out clean once inserted into the middle of a muffin. Yield: one dozen.

All a part of a well-rounded dinner: raw broccoli salad, raw carrot salad, one muffin, sliced left-over steak with sautéed mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Even Mr. Virgil liked the muffins…They were sweet enough for him even though they are super low sugar! Yay!

The Ten Carrot Plate
The Ten Carrot Plate

Best wishes for successful cooking! Remember to breathe, walk in the sunshine and fresh air, do a few slow-motion squats and counter top push-ups. It’s been a few days since the last time I did those moves and after just five or six “slo-mo” squats and push-ups, I feel decidedly more invigorated and tighter around the tummy! So little work and so much benefit!

Deidre

Follow Your Bliss!

food-talk-4-u-spirituality
Mentally, physically, spiritually – love yourself

Being “Designed for Health” means more than learning how to return to eating nutrient-dense foods; it means creating and maintaining that healthy balance in all areas of our life: mentally, spiritually, and physically.

food-talk-4-u-insomnia
Stress-related insomnia

“Fixing” the food part to meet physical needs is just one part of that healthy triad. Many of us are spinning so many stress-filled plates, the mental and spiritual part of ourselves is going lacking…which then circles back to an unhappy body. Stress hormones play into poor sleep which plays into moreStress filled merry-go-roundstress hormones which play into hormones designed to push us to more starch and sugar which plays into…… well, it’s a mess!

Did you ever say “Stop this stress-go-round, I want to get off!”?

Are you experiencing a dark existential ennui?

Pretty young woman enjoying sunshine and fresh air in a flowering field.
Just breathe….

If there is a sunbeam shining right now, make sure to head for it! Take a 20 minute walk in the sunshine every day that you possibly can. Breathe in that fresh air. Look for things you have not noticed before. Something seen. Something heard. Something felt. Something smelled. Even this most basic exercise helps on all aspects of the health triad.

Pet a puppy. Who doesn't love a puppy?
Pet a puppy. Who doesn’t love a puppy?

Breathing helps, too! Not the everyday kind. The stop for a minute and take slow breaths kind. See, our over-active minds are hard to shut off even during a walk – hence the idea of noticing new things – so five methodical breaths are a great way to cleanse the mind, stop the stress-go-round, and lower the anxiety level.

You know the drill:

1. Stop everything

2. Close eyes

3. Drop shoulders

4. Inhale slowly for a count of five

5. Let the air circulate inside of you for a count of five

6. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of five

7. Repeat four more times

Concentrate....
Concentrate….

Concentrate ONLY on this procedure; if another thought drifts in then gently release it. Concentrate on the feel of the air coming into your body. Imagine it swirling around inside you. Feel the release while you exhale. Mindful breathing can be a beautiful, life-saving thing. Try it right now. Whew…I just did, and the release is just amazing!

Another way to shift our mental and spiritual focus away from the negative can be through being a part of what I have named a Tapestry Group. I am facilitating a food-talk-4-u-tapestry-of-lifeTapestry Group at our church. It is an easily replicated concept you may want to try yourself. The name of this group reflects the thought that each one of us is a part of the larger Tapestry of Life; that each one of us provides a meaningful thread to this tapestry; that the color of our thread may change over time; and that the threads of others are woven along with our own to create the rich and beautiful food-talk-4-u-rules-of-happinesstapestry we call Life.

Our purpose is the sharing of experiences, reflecting on matters or topics of the day, expanding or clarifying our view points, learning from others, and supporting others and ourselves through the exchange of ideas and thoughts.

At our last monthly meeting, I shared four talking points taken from a book by Karl Moore entitled, “The 18 Rules of Happiness: How to be Happy.” His first four “rules” provided a great resource for reflection and sharing. To paraphrase his book:

1. Stop the pity party; self-pity eats up everything around, except for itself. Elsewhere, I recently read that we have 60-70,000 thoughts each day; while some are not that significant, others may color our whole day. So, stop the negative thoughts and go to rule #2:

Blessings

2. Be grateful. Well, sure, we’re thankful that semi-tractor trailer food-talk-4-u-grateful-heartmissed hitting us on the interstate, but on a daily level—moment-to-moment—we need to be grateful. I have heard of people keeping a gratitude journal whereby they make daily entries, morning or evening, for their items of gratitude. You’ve heard of that old hymn that goes, “count your blessings, name them one by one”? There’s a lot of truth in this process as counting our blessings— mindfully reviewing the positive in our lives—can create a mind-set shift, a general re-focusing on what is important, and a re-framing of how we view what’s on our personal plates.

keep-calm-and-just-say-yes3. Open yourself to selectively saying “Yes” more. I know, I know; aren’t we supposed to learn to say “No” more….I mean, we are being stretched too thin, right? Well, sure, but some of us have gotten too good at saying “no” and have shut too many doors, shut out light, shut out life. There are random twists in life and unexpected opportunities that come knocking that we need to seize. Sometimes it’s even easier to say “yes” because you participate in a positive flowing forward instead of saying “no” which goes against the flow of life. You be the judge; say “yes” to good things that may be unexpected and that can open up a positive flow in your life.

bliss24. Follow your bliss. This is an idea originally from Joseph Campbell. I remember an example of bliss in my students as they practiced what they learned in the classroom and became hands on caregivers to real patients. Their eyes lit up! They couldn’t start their clinical rotations soon enough! The joy poured out of their very beings and flowed around and caressed their patients! Time flew by! Bliss is something money can’t buy. What is your bliss? Probably everyone knows what needs to be done to be happy, but few are brave enough to take the steps to do it. Follow your bliss.

Get a room full of people to reflect and talk about the first four rules 4e6eb68f-63e2-45f6-a6f4-be2b8fc8a6ef-visionof happiness, and you will have a room full of refreshed folks who have a new perspective on life; who have shared and received inspiration; and who have said “Yes” to an opportunity to get outside of themselves, engage with others, and who shared their bliss!
Consider being a part of or forming a Tapestry Group. We were designed for health, and we were designed to be social beings.

There’s a reason for all of it!

Blissfully-

Deidre

2014 – The Whole Bloggin’ Year in Review

Since April of last year when this blog was officially “born,” many topics have been touched upon about moving to a more harmonious relationship with our bodies by eating foods that naturally promote health.

With the idea that we were designed for health and not disease, food-talk-4-u-child-cherriesthere must be a way to live, eat, move, and think that boosts health. The world-wide trend toward obesity, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases as western fast-food eating styles that are embraced can be reversed through eating what we were originally designed to eat.

These thumbprint summaries of last year’s material are hopefully a good way to see the bigger picture as we approach our health choices this year. Where we’ve been serves as a launch pad for where we are going, so to speak.

food-talk-4-u-brain-fog1. It starts in the mind. How we relate to our bodies, health, and the world around us all starts in our mind. The first class session of The Designed for Health series I teach in New Bern, North Carolina, always starts with a sort of “rededication” exercise whereby we reconnect with our body in appreciation for how we are so wonderfully made, and how we want to be in greater harmony with our body by actively listening to how it responds to what we feed it and how we treat it. We are accepting the responsibility for its care rather than just mentally going along for the ride.

2. Something “do-able”: a Keystone Habit. No matter how we want to improve our lives, whether we want to write the great American novel or we want to eat healthier, we have to concentrate on the steps, the repeatable steps, we must take each day to get there. Surely, we are not going to write that novel in one day, but writing for a short, set amount of time each and every day will eventually get food-talk-4-u-review-2us the first chapter. Similarly, we are not going to turn our health status around in one day, but making a single, seemingly ridiculously small and easy-to-repeat tweak to what we eat or drink each and every day will eventually lead to a collection of changes easily incorporated into a new eating and living style that will definitely impact our health. Hence our motto: gradual and consistent.

Food-talk-4-u-beach3. 80/20. Unless there are health dangers such as severe food allergies, becoming totally obsessed about “healthy eating” could ruin the day for you and those around you. Trying to squeeze out that last 20% of perfection each day can actually take some of the fun out of things. So while we gain an understanding what is good or bad for us, striving for perfection can, literally, spoil the party. Aim for the “good stuff” to keep up your promise to yourself, but once in a while a dab of this or that, in the absence of food allergies, can keep the fun in holidays, vacations, and life in general. Once you have converted to better choices, the standard temptations actually will hold less appeal and may not feel “right” when consumed, but- lighten up! 80/20 is good. Having said that, making exceptions back-to-back can be the start of a slippery downward slope!

4. Create an environment for success. Clean up what’s available to eat in the kitchen based on how you want to eat. No more chips and ice cream in the kitchen means you won’t be looking at chips and ice cream praying for the strength to turn away. Enlist the help and support of family and friends. Share what you are learning so you can be a part of a team. Reward your milestone successes frequently with appropriately healthy treats; maybe a walk around the waterfront instead of in the neighborhood.

5. Understand “macro-nutrients.” Understanding how our bodies naturally respond to Vegetablesproteins, fats, and carbohydrates really puts us in the driver’s seat for health! Want to stabilize blood sugar? Dedicate carbohydrate intake to veggies instead of grains and eat good protein and healthy fats which have higher satiety levels than starchy carbs and will not upset blood sugar levels.

Paleo Spices6. Enhance your flavor palate. Looking for a sense of sweetness without the added sugar? Try spices and flavorings that remind you of sweetness by using cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and extracts such as vanilla or almond. These “sweet spices” are a great way to enhance the flavor of smoothies without added sugar. Explore various herbs and oils to add endless variety to veggies and salads. Simple asparagus is different each time when lightly sautéed in a choice of olive oil, ghee, grass-fed butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, or toasted sesame oil. Whenever I get a little tired of any cooked veggie, I usually turn to a finishing drizzle of toasted sesame oil to liven things up. Pesto can easily combine with shrimp, gluten free pasta, quinoa, veggies, or scrambled eggs to make a brand new eating experience.food-talk-4-u-review-127. Keep this plate in mind. Strive for a plate balanced with these proportions.   Imagine your plate is half non-starchy veggies. The other half is two-thirds protein and one third good fats and/or fruit. That’s pretty much it!

8. Inflammation is a key and common evil. Food choices can actually ramp up the inflammatory process which is bad because inflammation is at the root of every disease process. Sugar anFood-talk-4-u-wheat-fieldd grains are the biggest culprits; read: wheat, barley, rye for the inflammatory gluten and corn for the phytates.

9. Strive for nutrient dense foods. Nutrient density relates to higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and the essential fatty acids and essential amino acids which we have to get from our diet because our bodies can’t make them. Currently on a fat- free diet? Forget it! You’d be missing out on vital fatty acids that your body demands for proper functioning and certain vitamins must have fat in the diet for their absorption. Proper fat ingestion is vital. The good fats contain a better fat profile than we get from the Standard American Diet. Good fats have more omega-3 fatty acids and can be found in avocados, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds. Protein ingestion is vital. Strive for clean protein sources that are minimally processed, grass fed if possible, and fresh seafood. There are NO essential carbohydrates; none. So carbohydrate consumption will best serve your body if coming from non-starchy veggies that are packed with nutrients and will not disturb your blood sugar levels.

Planking
Planking

10. Less exercise can be more! One of my Keystone Habits is doing a bit of exercise during coffee brewing time, and I have learned from many sources that slow-motion exercises can yield a better effect than those done at regular speed, and that fewer repetitions are needed. Works for me! Counter top push-ups and squats are infinitely more effective when done in an 8-8-8 fashion. For a squat: 8 counts down to the squat, 8 counts holding the squat, 8 counts up. You’ll know when to stop, believe me. A few will do! If that becomes easy, just add a small weight which will increase the workload of the muscles; that’s the key: workload, not repetitions.

11. Other possible Keystone Habits. Consider slipping in a daily Food-talk-4-u-waterboost to hydration by drinking a glass or two of water before leaving the bathroom first thing each morning. Try converting other hydration fluids from juices, colas, or coffees to green tea. Green tea contains poly-phenols that help prevent a host of diseases and conditions and also work with the body to burn fat! Try a more concentrated green tea brew to ramp-up consumption of those helpful components. Some experts aim for 10 bags of green tea a day which would necessitate concentration, indeed!

12. Non-starchy green vegetables. I have dedicated a lot of “blog time” Food-talk-4-u-dinnernon-starchy green vegetables and colorful vegetables. Eating non-processed foods necessitates cooking, but I have tried to show that becoming a master chef is not required. Basically doing a light sauté or stir fry in a healthy fat is all that is needed for most vegetables, possibly followed by a light steaming on lower heat with minimal or no added water. Cooking veggies without added water is vital because a good portion of the nutrients leech out into the water, never to be consumed. I still read recipes from those who should know better that call for boiling asparagus, for example. No! No! Just roll those babies around on low to medium heat in some good oil until desired doneness… not mush, but still a little crisp…sort of Al dente! Certainly, sneaking baby spinach or kale into a smoothie is a super easy way to add nutrient-dense goodness in a snap!

Food-talk-4-u-confusion-2
2014 is over??

Well, that’s foodtalk4you from 2014 in a condensed form. Next, my editor, Sheree, and I will be working on a free e-booklet of last year’s recipes for easy access. Such a feat will require some diligent work on both our parts…just part of my New Year’s goal to be more useful to you, my dear readers!

Please share this site with a friend or two, so we can reach more people with the message that improved health is within reach without reaching for another pill!

We were Designed for Health!

Claim it and act upon it!

Thanks,
Deidre

New Year’s Resolutions and Reboots!

Remember “gradual and consistent,” the concept that success comes from consistent small efforts over time will yield greater results versus giant goal-setting?resolutions

With the New Year upon us and with conversations whirling around us about resolutions, it would seem an excellent time to reconsider how we can apply this gradual and consistent concept to our daily health and life issues.

food-talk-4-u-creativeJust because the calendar page now says “2015” does not mean we have to reinvent ourselves. But in looking at the array of life issues we are handling, does it not make sense to make sure our minds and bodies are at their best so we can optimally approach our personal challenges? We cannot be creative, resourceful, cooperative, considerate or anything else we may strive to be if we feel awful physically or mentally.

Want to lose 50 pounds by June? Forget it! Just concentrate on how Food-Talk-4-u-scaleyour next meal looks. Then concentrate on how the next meal after that looks. Want to tone up to wear a smaller size by a particular date? Don’t spend a week shopping for the right exercise clothes; what kind of push-ups or planks are you doing right now?

food-talk-4-u-blood-sugarI think one of the biggest successes at health transformation is balanced blood sugar. This may be of particular importance now as we are coming off of holiday indulgences. Even gluten-free starches can add to the waistline. To paraphrase Dr. Mark Hyman’s article from December 26, 2014, here are three thing that we all can do to help end that need to roam around the kitchen looking for holiday delights.

Broccoli and eggs for breakfast!
Broccoli and eggs for breakfast!

1. Commit to booting unnecessary starch. Carbohydrates are an important macro-nutrient vital to body function, but we need to embrace plant carbohydrates and use nuts and seeds as healthy protein snacks. My immediate goal is to incorporate plant carbohydrates at every meal; half my plate is usually vegetables. Even at breakfast.

Food-Talk-4-u-nut-snackPrior to the holidays, I activated many bags of nuts to prepare for gift-giving and snacking. My recent reading about nuts have again reminded me that daily eating of walnuts is extremely beneficial as an omega-3 and anti-oxidant resource.

See article on activating nuts here.

Food-Talk-4-u-green-tea
Green tea permits many health benefits

2. Emphasize water and green tea consumption instead of calorie-laden drinks. Forget thinking artificial sweeteners are a caveat to this rule. There is a host of badness happening with those devils that I will share about in a coming post. At the very least, artificial sweeteners tell your body that glucose is on the way, and it’s not; many studies point to over-eating as a natural response to this conflicting communication with the body.

Food-Talk-4-u-Virgil-plate3. Make sure that every meal has high quality protein; especially the first meal of the day. Protein is a vital macro-nutrient that fills, satisfies, and energizes the body for the rest of the day. Do not start your day on an empty tank! From last night’s leftover meat to eggs, nut, seeds, nut butters, or a protein shake/smoothie, high quality protein will keep you going for hours and eliminate the need to roam to a snack machine. Also, use quality fat to cook that protein such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or ghee. A quarter of an Food-Talk-4-u-Deidre-plateavocado will also augment your power resources as well.

So, how to gradually and consistently apply these guidelines?

Start now! Don’t wait until everything in your kitchen is perfectly aligned or the last slice of (gluten-free) bread has been consumed. Whatever you are going to eat or drink next is what counts. Reflect on the adage from Alcoholics Anonymous, “One day at a time.” How about one meal at a time? One snack at a time? Such next-moment goal setting is a proven winner!

In a restaurant? Wave off the bread food-talk-4-u-One-Day-at-a-Timerolls, peel off the hamburger roll as you eat the insides, double-up on the veggies instead of having a baked potato, choose broiled seafood or fish instead of breaded and fried. You get the picture.

Are you eating Frankenfood?
Are you eating Frankenfood?

In the market? Stick to the perimeter of the store as you choose protein and veggies. Skip the isles which generally carry starchy packages of highly- processed “Frankenfood.” Better yet, stop by the farmer’s market for locally grown veggies picked that morning!

Plan for ease of success. I have really become partial to marathon cooking events. Many families gather in the kitchen during the weekend to share in advanced prep-work and actual cooking for the week’s menu. For instance, someone can peel the meat off Beautiful family cooking togetherof a rotisserie chicken in preparation for lunch boxes. Chicken is easily thrown on a salad for a handy meal at home or at work or school.

Freeze the bones for creating a rich broth (See THE BONES HAVE IT).

Today, I prepared a crock pot full of Italian Meatballs—recipe follows. A family could incorporate these in any number of meals or snacks. I will simply freeze half of them for future use. Gluten-free spaghetti is off the menu for a while, so pairing these meatballs with at least half of a plate of veggies and some good fat will more than fill our tummies.

Tonight, our plates will sport leftover collards, raw broccoli salad, and avocado. Mmmmm. When’s dinner?

Italian Meatballs

Food-Talk-4-u-meatballs
Yummy! Italian Meatballs!

For the meatballs:

1(ish) pound of ground turkey

1 pound of sweet Italian ground sausage (I used Johnsonville brand because it’s gluten-free and has the fewest ingredients)

¼ of a red onion minced and divided into 2 portions- one portion for meatballs, one portion for sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced and divided into 2 portions- one portion for meatballs, one portion for sauce

2 eggs

2 tsp. Italian Seasoning (or to taste)

One handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

Few shakes of sea salt to taste

1/3 cup gluten-free Panko, Italian Style (I used Ian’s brand)

For the sauce:

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

One portion of the minced onion

One portion of the minced garlic

1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)

2 tomato paste cans of water

1 tsp. gluten-free fish oil (for that “je ne sais pas” or umami effect)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Italian seasoning to taste

1 cup chopped Crimini mushrooms a.k.a Baby Bella mushrooms

Method

Scooping the meat into a ball
Scooping the meat into a ball

Food-Talk-4-u-Meatball-2
Ready for the oven!

Put all meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix well using gloved hands. Using a 1 ½ inch scoop, push a scoopful of meatball mixture into the side of the bowl to help pack it into shape. Eject the meatball into your other hand to gently finish and place the meatball on an ungreased baking sheet.

The 1.3 lbs. of turkey and 1 lb. of sausage yielded me just shy of 50 meatballs on two cooking sheets. Place cooking sheets into a preheated 350 degree oven or 325 degree convection oven. Roast meatball for 15 minutes, remove pans from oven, turn meatballs over, and return pans to oven for another 15 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, prepare sauce as follows:

Food-Talk-4-u-spice-stirring
Stirring spices into tomato sauce

Gently sauté minced onion in a sauce pan on medium heat for a couple minutes, add minced garlic, and continue cooking for 30 more seconds.

Add tomato paste, 2 cans of water, fish oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning.

Adding in mushrooms
Adding in mushrooms

Stir to combine.

Add chopped mushrooms and let mixture simmer.

When meatballs are done roasting, put meatballs and sauce in crock pot, making sure all meatballs have been coated in sauce. Set crock pot on low for longer cooking or on medium or high heat if dinner is to be sooner.