There has been a lot of emphasis on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. It can help to boost your metabolism, give you energy, and help to prevent snacking and unhealthy choices later in the day.
But which breakfast is best for you? Try the Breakfast Experiment. Try eating each breakfast 2-3 times and note how you feel.
30 minutes later, how do you feel?
Two hours later how do you feel?
Are you still hungry? Do you have more energy? Are you bloated? Have your food cravings decreased? Finding the breakfast that best suits you for the first meal of the day is a great way to set yourself up for success for the rest of your day.
greens (kale, spinach) sautéed in olive oil with veggies (your choice): peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus
Breakfast 3: Comforting
1 cup cooked oatmeal
¼ cup blueberries
1/8 cup chopped nuts
dash of cinnamon, vanilla
Breakfast 4: Cooling
1 cup, plain Greek yogurt
½ cup berries
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon raw honey (optional)
Breakfast 5: Warming
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup pomegranates
1/8 cup chopped nuts
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom
Knowing the ratio of protein, fat, and carbs you need for your body type will give you greater energy to support you for what’s ahead the rest of your day. This will also help you to identify any potential food intolerances you may have that might make you feel less-than-prepared to take on the day!
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It’s getting to be that time of year! Sign up for a local CSA/ Farm share to make healthy eating easy and convenient while supporting a local farmer.
What’s that?
CSA- community-supported agriculture- is an opportunity to receive a weekly or bi-weekly box of fresh local produce from a small farmer. You pay a single fee around this time of year to receive seasonal produce for a particular growing season, around six months.
What do I get?
The contents of the box include whatever is in season during that week’s harvest. It’s a great opportunity to integrate a variety of vegetables into your diet, and to learn how to cook with new foods. There are often opportunities to add fruits, dairy, meats, and grains to your farm share so you may never need to go to the supermarket! The picture above shows my haul from my first vegetable and fruit share last year. A great way to eat the rainbow! Contents will of course vary based on your location and climate.
Why should I do it?
Why is it important for your health to eat local, seasonal food? Read more here.
Great idea! Where do I find one?!
Find the nearest CSA/ farm share in your community here: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
This is my local farm share- I love it because this farm share also helps to subsidize fresh shares for lower-income members of our community. Get healthy while and increase demand for fresh, local foods!
Dinner is tough. At the end of the day, you’re tired, and take-out or a frozen dinner might seem like the best option. Then you eat take-out or a frozen or pre-packaged dinner and feel pretty uncomfortable, bloated, or irritable. You might even sleep poorly because of the extra salt and saturated fat that your body is having difficulty digesting- not to mention, the food hangover and sluggishness you might experience in the morning. With a little planning, fresh, clean, healthy dinners are possible without demanding too much time, money, or creativity. Clean up your kitchen and eliminate the processed, packaged foods and create some simple meals this week!
What I love about this week’s dinner menu:
These meals can be assembled in less than 20 minutes
You only need 1-2 pots/ pans
You can mix and match many of the grains, proteins, and veggies
They are simple- they don’t require fancy ingredients or cooking methods
They are very healthy and super delicious!
All of the meals follow the Healthy Eating Plate with an emphasis on lots of veggies. I added an extra “greens” part of the menu because it’s fun to experiment with different greens- and these are the best for brighter skin, increased immunity, and greater energy.
How to:
Choose a meal type, and use the ingredients from that column.
Cook grains or beans (if dry) and set aside. Rinse and drain beans (if canned) and heat.
Sautee/ pan fry protein and veggies until cooked, add herbs/ spices, and greens for a few minutes. Toss with healthy fat.
Top grains with vegetables and protein- enjoy!
The Menu:
Tips:
Make grains at the beginning of the week and grab from the fridge to add to your meal
Chop veggies all at once and keep in small containers to quickly toss into your pan
Experiment with different combinations of proteins, veggies, and grains.
If you find yourself often dealing with digestive distress after a meal, I encourage you to explore food combining to support easier digestion. The principles are relatively simple and they allow you to practice more mindful eating. Sometimes we may feel that a particular food causes indigestion and discomfort, when it may actually be the combination of foods eaten together that leads to these conditions.
Key Principles:
1) Eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach. While we love the thought of eating fruit as a healthy dessert after a meal, fruit digests fairly quickly while the foods in a typical meal do not. Adding fruit on top of a full stomach means the fruit’s sugars will be processed more quickly than the rest of the meal allowing the fruit to ferment in the stomach leading to gas and bloating. Lemons, limes, and sour fruits can be combined with other foods because of their limited sugar content.
2) Eat lean proteins with non-starchy vegetables. Eating starchy vegetables or grains with proteins can inhibit the digestive process because each food type requires different enzymes for digestion. Eating both of these types of foods at the same time can neutralize the conditions in the body inhibiting smooth digestion from occurring.
3) Eat grains and starchy vegetables with non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables can be digested in most environments and they go with everything. Grains examples include: brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, amaranth, wheat. Starchy vegetables include: potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, beans, peas, artichokes.
4) Eat small amounts of healthy oils with anything– this includes olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, and grape seed oil. These oils can be used for cooking foods or drizzled on top- they help to move foods through the digestive tract.
5) Eat avocado, nuts, seeds, with non-starchy vegetables. Nuts and seeds contain (like beans) are coated with physic acid which makes digestion difficult. Soaking raw nuts overnight can help support better digestion by breaking down the physic acid.
6) Eat beans, peas, legumes with non-starchy vegetables. Beans and legumes are very starchy and difficult to digest which is why they are a great source of fiber! However, they should only be combined with easy-to-digest foods like non-starchy vegetables.
The big takeaway here is that non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, are easy for the body to digest, can be eaten with anything, and should be eaten often.
Try following these principals for one week and see if you notice a difference in how you feel after a meal or snack.
This is one of my favorite Indian dishes to make because you can use everything in your spice rack. Beans pair well with non-starchy vegetables to ease digestion. And the combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fat in this dish leaves you satisfied without feeling uncomfortable.
chana masala
1/2 cup dried chickpeas
2 cups greens (spinach, kale, chard)
1 small head of cauliflower
3 T olive oil
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
3 T chopped, fresh cilantro
1 t cumin
1/2 cup water
garam masala
1 T curry powder
1 t turmeric
2 t cinnamon
1 t coriander
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t cardamom
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
Add oil, onion, garlic, and spices to a large skillet. Sautee 3-4 minutes. Add chickpeas, water, lemon juice, and cauliflower. Simmer 10 minutes. Add greens and cilantro and simmer additional 10-20 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
That’s what the holidays are all about, right? If not, it’s definitely a key contender. During the holidays, many of us get excited about what will be on the table, on our plates, and we have great memories of the traditional holiday dishes that we can look forward to every year.
But after the holidays, many of us are filled with guilt because of over-indulgence and this leads to the need for new year’s resolutions. Skip the diet resolution for 2014, and instead make some healthy ingredient swaps in your recipes so that what you are eating this year is a little bit healthier than last year. Indulge- and feel good about it.
1) Sweeten with Pleasure
What would the holidays be without cookies and pies? Or fudge? Or candied this or that?
Consider alternatives to the usual white sugar, brown, and powdered sugars in your favorite recipes and try some substitutions that rank lower on the glycemic index. These options do not spike your blood sugar as dramatically as traditional sugar meaning they are more slowly absorbed and processed into your system.
Raw honey– contains a number of benefits in addition to its light, sweet flavor
Maple syrup– great for vegan dishes and has a warm flavor
Raw agave and coconut sugar– lower on the glycemic index
Fruit– applesauce and bananas are great options for sweetening breads, muffins, and cookies
2) Embrace the Fat
I love fat. Fat makes me feel satisfied and adds a lot of flavor to foods. Fat is also essential to protein processing. Reconsider butter, vegetable oils, and animal fats and consider healthier alternatives. Butter is a key ingredient in so many desserts, but you might investigate Earth Balance as a vegan alternative to traditional butter. Fresh, local, and organic butter is the best option when you are choosing butter in your recipe.
Avocado and coconut oil– these are great substitutes for oil in baked goods and contain important healthy fats
Olive oil– this is a great alternative to adding butter to vegetable dishes, breads, rolls, and light sautéing. This is also a key ingredient for healthy dressings and sauces. Include a small bottle or jar on the table, instead of a butter dish, for guests to top food with.
3) Season Generously
Salt (with its partner pepper) is always on the table in many households. Instead of adding extra salt during cooking, or requiring your guests to add salt to their food, mind your seasonings during meal prep.
Low-sodium broth– this is a great alternative to regular, high-sodium, broth and it adds lots of flavor to grains (quinoa, millet, rice) during cooking. Look for broth from a carton rather than a can which may contain toxic BPAs.
Fresh and dried herbs– these have a ton of flavor and can replace the need for a lot of salt. I love fresh basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley. Dried rosemary, cumin, cayenne, thyme and fresh garlic should always be available.
To find more healthy holiday cooking tips and recipes, check out my EAT page and some of the blogs I follow.
I find that one of the healthiest things people can do for themselves is to cook at home. I find that cooking brings me peace, balance, and allows me to activate my creative side- in addition to being the healthiest way to eat.
Nutty Pumpkin Bread- recipe below.
Why Home Cooking is Awesome
1) You know exactly what you are eating. You choose the ingredients, you measure the portions- so you know the quality and quantity of what’s going on your plate. You will not likely add the amount of sugar, salt, and fat to your food that would be added at a restaurant or in a frozen, prepackaged meal.
2) You know where your food comes from. Cooking at home allows you to choose local, sustainable options that are fresh. It’s hard to know how many stages of processing food has gone through in a package or at a restaurant before its ready for you to eat. Some restaurants don’t freshly prepare all of their foods. Some just reheat frozen, bulk purchased foods. I was shocked one morning when I saw a popular bagel shop unloading tubs of flavored cream cheese into their store. I had assumed these were created and made fresh on premises, but they were bought somewhere else, possibly far, far away…
3) You save time. This one might surprise people because people often don’t cook because they don’t believe they have the time. It takes me 90 minutes to prep and clean up 5 days of breakfasts and lunches. Over time, you become more efficient. You also don’t need to follow an elaborate recipe- eating simple is best. By the time I would go to a restaurant for lunch, stood in line, ordered my food, and waited for my food, this would amount to far longer than 90 minutes of my time over the course of a week.
4) You save money. Stocking up on staples and buying fresh fruits and vegetables often allows you to make a variety of dishes at any time. Rather than spending $7-10 on just lunch each day, I am spending $30-$35 on fresh produce, fresh fish and eggs, and about once a month buying additional staples like grains, beans, and spices.
To get you started on a healthier path, I want to share some of the items I keep stocked around the house so that when I am inspired by a new recipe or new fruit or vegetable at the farmer’s market, I am able to prepare a delicious meal with it.
curry powder, turmeric, coriander, bay leaves, dill
sea salt, black pepper grinder, all seasons salt
raw cacao powderraw cacao nibsbaking soda
baking powder
unsweetened shredded coconut
extracts: vanilla, almond, lemon, peppermint
coconut milk
pumpkin puree
*I steer clear of most of the common condiments like ketchup, bbq sauce, mayonnaise and sauces which are full of salt, sugar, and fat.
This recipe, after buying some fresh eggs at the farmer’s market, was created with items from my pantry.
This bread is hearty, not a dessert. Sugar and gluten-free with healthy fats and superfood ingredients like chia seeds, flax, and coconut oil- high in essential omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fiber and protein makes this a great option for breakfast or a snack.
nutty pumpkin bread
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats or 1 cup oat flour*
2 eggs*
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1 T chia seeds
2 T ground flax seed
2 T pepitas
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1 t baking powder
1/2 t sea salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 powdered ginger
1/4 t cloves
Preheat oven to 350. If using old fashioned oats, pulse in food processor or blender. Combine all dry ingredients in medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until a dough forms. Add batter to greased bread pan. Top with additional nuts, seeds, and oats if desired. Bake 40 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.
*To make this vegan, substitute flax eggs (1 flax egg- 1 egg: combine 1 T ground flax with 3 T water- chill ten minutes)
Many people fear that eating fat will cause them to get fat, so they opt for “fat free” processed food options or “fat free” dairy. While all fats should be enjoyed in moderation, “fat free” foods often include extra salt or sugar to compensate for the flavor or texture lost when fat is removed. Fat-free does not mean the food is healthy.
This article describes some of the beneficial effects of healthy fats for fat loss.
How to incorporate healthy fats into your diet:
Opt for healthy, plant-based fats for optimal digestion and functioning.
My favorite sources of healthy fats include: avocado, nuts, nut butters (especially almond and walnut butter), seeds, flaxseed, olive oil, and coconut oil.
Sample meal plan:
Breakfast:
Add a tablespoon of coconut oil, ground flaxseed, or nut butter to your daily smoothie
Include nuts and seeds with your oatmeal or porridge
Lunch:
Include nuts, seeds, olive oil, or avocado in your salad
Avocado is also great with soup and fish. Fish is also a great source of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids
Dinner:
Sautee your veggies in olive oil or coconut oil or add to sauces, grains, and soups
Drizzle olive oil on bread or toast
Or try this super simple and decadent dessert full of healthy fat and deliciousness!
Mash all ingredients together with fork or in food processor until well blended and creamy. Serve immediately. (You could try this with cocoa powder, but cacao powder has a much richer and more chocolatey flavor. And because it’s less processed, cacao retains more of the nutrients and antioxidants chocolate is good for 🙂 ).
Every Tuesday and Thursday, there is a farmer’s market (often called green market in NYC) near my office that I visit frequently. It is a very convenient stop during my breaks to stock up on fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies. One of my favorite treats to pick up is for breakfast from Body & Soul bakery: farinata. I would get a piece of farinata at least once a week, but at $5 a slice, I have been wanting to try to make my own. There is something about the ritual of going to the farmer’s market to pick up this savory breakfast option that is missed with making it on my own, but I always love to experiment with new recipes!
This is a great savory breakfast option because the chickpea flour gives you carbs and protein- a great combination in the morning without having to include pancakes and bacon. This is also a great way to sneak veggies into breakfast- which can be hard to do. You can experiment with different veggies in the farinata. I used what I had available, and I hope to try this again with different combinations!
The farmer’s market version is a little drier, so you can play with your flour/ water ratio to get the consistency you prefer. This is a great make ahead breakfast that I will be taking with me to work this week!
Zucchini Farinata
1.5 cups chickpea/ garbanzo bean flour
2 cups water
1 T olive oil
1/2 med. green zucchini
1/2 med. yellow zucchini
1/4 med. red onion, sliced
sea salt and black pepper
2 T chopped, fresh parsley
Mix chickpea flour and water thoroughly in bowl. Allow to rest for three hours. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a round cake pan generously with olive oil. Spoon foam/ bubbles off top of flour/ water mixture. Add sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil and whisk until combined. Slice zucchini and onion. Layer half zucchini on bottom of pan. Pour flour mixture on top. Add remaining zucchini, onion, and parsley. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely- preferably on a wire rack. Eggplant might also be used in this recipe.
Today, I was finally able to walk! I might have overdone it by walking for five miles today, but I just could not get enough! I was feeling pretty stifled and trapped over the past couple of months. NYC is not a good place for disabled people, so I spent a lot of time at home. I am grateful that my disability was temporary and that recovery was inevitable. My heart goes out to those with permanent disabilities trying to survive in this city.
Today, I walked all over town, and it was so wonderful to be in the sun. I am feeling a bit sore, but hoping I feel okay tomorrow. I decided to buy a new pair of shoes to celebrate 🙂 You can see them on Instagram: @eatingforliving.
Tomorrow, I begin my Integrative Nutrition classes which I am very excited about. I have been waiting almost two months since I registered. I have been reading and doing a lot of research in the meantime, but now I am ready to jump in. Tomorrow, I get to meet some of my classmates in Manhattan, which I am looking forward to. It will be great to begin growing a network of like-minded people to stay connected with in the city.
This dish I eat at least twice a week. Zucchini and eggplant are always in my shopping basket, and the turmeric is great for inflammation (which I have plenty of in my legs). This is a great post long walk dish to support my recovery after my first walk.
simple curry roasted vegetables:
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow summer squash
1 large or two small eggplant
2 T olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T turmeric
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
Preheat oven to 425. Dice all vegetables. Toss vegetables with olive oil, then seasonings. Add vegetables to parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 16 minutes, tossing vegetables once during cooking time.
I have been experimenting with eliminating wheat from my diet as often as possible, though the previous cookie craving sometimes made this difficult. A gluten-free diet is required in almost any cleanse. Wheat, a gluten, or glue, can make digestion very difficult- even though it is found in so many tasty foods! After a few days without gluten, when I do eat wheat, I can definitely feel the demands it makes on my digestive system.
I frequent a natural foods store near my work that carries a number of gluten free foods. However, gluten free pastas, for example, are still processed foods, and do not provide the whole grain food I am seeking. Thus, I have been experimenting with various alternatives to wheat based dishes. Millet, a seed, is great as a hot breakfast cereal, or can be served with savory dishes like stir fries and stews. With the Conscious Cleanse, you should not combine proteins with grains, so millet is a great choice for giving you what you need for a hearty, healthy meal. One serving of millet (1/4 cup dry) contains 9 grams of fiber- more than twice the fiber of oatmeal and 7 grams of protein- 2 grams more than a serving of rolled oats. While I love my oatmeal, gluten free oatmeal can be expensive, so millet is a great alternative. It is a complete breakfast at 200 calories per 1/4 cup, which is roughly the same number of calories of a serving of pasta. This porridge will probably be part of dinner and the next day’s breakfast.
vanilla bean & spice millet porridge:
1/2 cup whole grain millet
1 cup almond milk
1- 1 1/4 cup water
1 inch vanilla bean
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger powder
Rinse and drain millet. In small saucepan, add milk and water, bring to light boil. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into liquid, add remaining spices and stir to dissolve. Add millet and simmer covered for about 45 minutes until soft- adding additional water as needed and stirring frequently. Serve with additional almond milk and top with fruit (fruit only when not cleansing). Serves 2.
Mindful Nutrition and Wellness 