I ate like crap yesterday.
First of all I had maybe a serving of fruit. I made a salad to go along with my dinner but wasn't the least bit interested in eating it. After lunch I splurged on a bag of chocolate covered pretzels and later in the afternoon had some delicious strawberry cake and my first helping of ice cream since August. On top of that I felt tired, stressed and cranky yesterday. I had no patience for my son's million-per-day questions and was ready to return our adorable pup that we adopted one month ago due to her incessant barking.
Have you had days like this?
Now this was by far not really a stressful day when you view it with a little perspective but it was just one of those days where I didn't feel healthy, calm, and relaxed. In fact I felt tense and pissy! And I wasn't thrilled with how I felt after eating all that sugar. In the past, however, I would internally beat myself up for giving into cravings. Not any more! Because you know what? Today is a new day.
In fact, each day is a new day to start over and bring your A game. So yesterday was stressful and pretty much stunk to high heaven? Guess what. Today is a clean slate, a fresh start. Last night I got a good night sleep, ate well today, made some green juice, kicked the crap out of a punching bag at Title Boxing and moved on.
Oh and one more thing... I thought about all the good stuff that happened yesterday in between the tension. I got to see Christopher's contagious smile when I picked him up from school. I spent the afternoon celebrating one of his friend's birthdays with some of the nannies in our hood who I really enjoy talking to. I did a face time chat with a dear friend from college for two hours. I volunteered at Operation Breakthrough with wonderful little kids in the morning.
Hmm, I guess yesterday wasn't so bad after all. And I pledge to make today and tomorrow that much better. How about you?
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
You Are Enough
I notice two major things going on around me as I move through my day: 1) Nonstop judgement and 2) The feeling that we are not good enough just as we are. I want to talk about these two things here and now.
First of all, I'll start by saying that I am guilty of both of these things. The difference between me now and me, say, this time last year is that I am much more aware of them when they happen to me and also I have retuned the voice in my head to respond to both appropriately.
One thing I see so much of as a stay-at-home-mom is judgement. I think as human beings it is normal for us to judge what we see around us as a way of assessing our world. What I tend to see, however, is the judgement of people around us and ourselves. I saw a mother in the store the other day pushing a cart with 2 kids, one of which was throwing a major, knock down, drag out tantrum. Two young women (my guess is they were in their 20s) walked by her and after passing by, gave each other this look that involved a whole lot of eye rolling. Now I have to say, that could easily have been me in my 20s and I can guarantee you that when I was their age, I had no idea what it was like to be a mother with a screaming child in a department store. But their judgement was there. I just thought in my head as I passed by the woman with the child, "Oh, I've been their sister and it is just no fun when your child decides that Target is the best place to make their displeasure known." But I've also been guilty of the judgement too. One of the areas I struggle with is judging the moms who plop their kids down in front of iPads for extensive periods of time or while they are getting their grocery shopping in. Now, I'm not saying kids should be sitting in front of iPads for hours on end. But maybe that mom worked really hard all day at a thankless job and she had to get the food shopping done after work and the only way to do that was with her kids who are tired and cranky at the end of their day and said mom just needed a half hour of peace and quiet.
I'm also not saying we should ignore someone's parenting choices if they are abusive or neglectful. Or someone's life choices if they are hurting others.
We just have to remind ourselves that there is always more to the story than what we see. We have to remember that most of the time, everyone is doing the best they can with what they have. And that goes for us too! Stop beating yourself up all the time because you had a piece of cake or didn't eat a single healthy thing today. Tomorrow is a new day! Just bring your awareness to the situation and do the best you can tomorrow.
The other thing I see is people feeling like they are not enough in this world. And is there any wonder why? We are constantly bombarded with messages saying we need certain material things in order to "be our best." That's what advertising is all about. "Buy this and you will be ______." We also see things on social media that can make us think we are not enough. You know that friend who always posts on Facebook all the fun things they are doing (all the time, I might add) or the exotic locations they are visiting or the super genius things their kids are doing? The more you read that kind of stuff, the more you can begin to wonder about your "not-as-exciting-as-that-friend's" life.
Well guess what. All that stuff is crap. You are enough. Your life is enough. You don't have to buy anything to be enough. All we can do is work at being a good person, being kind to others, listening to others and being a good friend. And wherever you are at right now, just by showing up, you are enough.
First of all, I'll start by saying that I am guilty of both of these things. The difference between me now and me, say, this time last year is that I am much more aware of them when they happen to me and also I have retuned the voice in my head to respond to both appropriately.
One thing I see so much of as a stay-at-home-mom is judgement. I think as human beings it is normal for us to judge what we see around us as a way of assessing our world. What I tend to see, however, is the judgement of people around us and ourselves. I saw a mother in the store the other day pushing a cart with 2 kids, one of which was throwing a major, knock down, drag out tantrum. Two young women (my guess is they were in their 20s) walked by her and after passing by, gave each other this look that involved a whole lot of eye rolling. Now I have to say, that could easily have been me in my 20s and I can guarantee you that when I was their age, I had no idea what it was like to be a mother with a screaming child in a department store. But their judgement was there. I just thought in my head as I passed by the woman with the child, "Oh, I've been their sister and it is just no fun when your child decides that Target is the best place to make their displeasure known." But I've also been guilty of the judgement too. One of the areas I struggle with is judging the moms who plop their kids down in front of iPads for extensive periods of time or while they are getting their grocery shopping in. Now, I'm not saying kids should be sitting in front of iPads for hours on end. But maybe that mom worked really hard all day at a thankless job and she had to get the food shopping done after work and the only way to do that was with her kids who are tired and cranky at the end of their day and said mom just needed a half hour of peace and quiet.
I'm also not saying we should ignore someone's parenting choices if they are abusive or neglectful. Or someone's life choices if they are hurting others.
We just have to remind ourselves that there is always more to the story than what we see. We have to remember that most of the time, everyone is doing the best they can with what they have. And that goes for us too! Stop beating yourself up all the time because you had a piece of cake or didn't eat a single healthy thing today. Tomorrow is a new day! Just bring your awareness to the situation and do the best you can tomorrow.
The other thing I see is people feeling like they are not enough in this world. And is there any wonder why? We are constantly bombarded with messages saying we need certain material things in order to "be our best." That's what advertising is all about. "Buy this and you will be ______." We also see things on social media that can make us think we are not enough. You know that friend who always posts on Facebook all the fun things they are doing (all the time, I might add) or the exotic locations they are visiting or the super genius things their kids are doing? The more you read that kind of stuff, the more you can begin to wonder about your "not-as-exciting-as-that-friend's" life.
Well guess what. All that stuff is crap. You are enough. Your life is enough. You don't have to buy anything to be enough. All we can do is work at being a good person, being kind to others, listening to others and being a good friend. And wherever you are at right now, just by showing up, you are enough.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Candle Cafe
Anyway, I like the simplicity of this cookbooks and the pure yumminess of its recipes. Among my favorites are the butternut squash soup, velvety carrot and ginger soup, and the potato leek soup--do you notice a theme happening here? Also, the vegetable lasagna with herbed tofu ricotta is amazing, albeit a little more complex than some of the other recipes. I am a big fan of this cookbook and highly recommend it if you are interested in trying some simple yet delicious recipes. Here is my favorite soup to make from Candle Cafe...
Potato-Leek Soup
4 potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, rinsed and finely chopped
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large pot, put 7 cups of water, the potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots, and celery.
2. Bring to a boil and add the parsley, sea salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This may have to be done in batches. Return soup to the pot and gently reheat. Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve at once.
Note: I highly recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes in this recipe because they have a nice flavor and make the soup creamier. Also, I usually don't let it cool before blending because I don't have time to wait. Just be careful when transferring it to the blending when it's hot. I love that this soup just uses veggies and water. So simple yet so delish!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
It's Crazy AND Sexy
Well, she has now come out with Crazy Sexy Kitchen and it is filled with nutritious recipes that also taste fantastic! While it does use more exotic (and sometimes expensive) ingredients than The China Study Cookbook, the combinations are frequently different than any I've seen in other cookbooks recently. In addition, the book includes recipes for juices and smoothies as well as a basic summary of what was talked about in Crazy Sexy Diet to start you off on the right foot.
Some of my favorite recipes from this gem include the Morning Glorious green drink, Mango and Coconut Millet (breakfast), Tofu Country Scramble (also breakfast), Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad, and her Tomatoes and Herbs recipe. I will give you the Warm Kale recipe because it is so good and ridiculously healthy!
Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
2 cups chopped kale
3 tablespoons pine nuts (or slivered almonds)
3 tablespoons raisins or dried cranberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1. In a small pot on medium heat, add quinoa and water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
2. Add the shredded kale on top of the quinoa and cover for a few minutes to allow the kale to steam.
3. Add pine nuts, cranberries, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and serve warm or cold.
Monday, September 30, 2013
The China Study Cookbook
Although I started eating a vegetarian diet months before reading The China Study, I have to say that that was the very book that got me most inspired and fed me with the science behind why a plant based diet can reap benefits for your long-term health. It motivated my husband to also join me in crossing over to the dark side of green leafy vegetables and juicy fruits, among other things, and convinced me that my son can still grow healthy and strong without whole milk and chicken every day.
This cookbook takes the principles and conclusions reached in The China Study and transforms them into delicious, edible combinations that you can feel great about eating. And better yet, the recipes are fairly simple and don't require a lot of exotic ingredients (which can sometimes be an intimidating problem in some vegan cookbooks). Perhaps my favorite dishes in this cookbook come in the salad section and I tried a lot of them during the summer when produce was at its best. For example, there is a Lemon Tahini Quinoa Salad that I made quite a few times and even served to our non-vegetarian friends and even they enjoyed it! The entrees are fabulous as well and some of my favorite here include African Vegetables, Eggplant Bake, and Fettuccine with Broccoli and Cashew Sauce.
In our house, however, nothing is more popular (especially with the five year-old set) than the Panana Cakes! Yes you read that right--Panana! CJ absolutely loves these and I love making them for him. They have a nice flavor and they freeze well, which definitely comes in handy on our busier mornings. I'll make these pancakes on the weekend, freeze the leftovers and pull them out to heat in the microwave when we are getting ready for school. I'll include this recipe below if you'd like to try it, but I have to say, of all the cookbooks I've worked from recently, this one is definitely worth picking up!
Panana Cakes
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 banana, mashed
1 cup water
1 cup nondairy milk (I usually use soy but almond milk is good too!)
2 egg replacers (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix mashed banana, water, milk, egg replacers, and maple syrup.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just enough to remove any lumps. The batter should be pourable.
4. Preheat nonstick skillet or griddle.
5. Pour batter onto heated surface to the size desired and cook until each side is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
The Whole Story
Sometimes when I go into a bookstore or a place like Whole Foods, I see an overabundance of books relating to diets. Which diet is best for you? Is it best to follow the Paleo diet or maybe just cut carbs out of your life? Should you follow Atkins-style eating plans (many people still do!) or go completely vegan? What are we to do to lose weight and be our healthiest?
Well, I am here to tell you that I am certainly no nutritionist or expert on the matter by any means. But here's what I do know...
Whole foods make a difference.
What do I mean by whole foods? I'm talking about foods that are in or closest to their most natural state. Foods the way nature intended them to be. Fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, grains.
I think we need to get away from just following one particular regimen. If we focus on filling the majority of our diet with these whole foods, our bodies will certainly thank us for it. Our bodies are meant to eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies, and when we make up to 80 or 90 percent of our meals from these wonderful foods we will feel and look healthy, happy and vibrant! Like I said, I haven't done any specific research on this topic. However, I do know that when I am personally eating like this (and taking care of myself in other ways) I feel fabulous. My immune system is functioning great and I have abundant amounts of energy. For the past two months, I've really been focusing on eating this way and it has become a treat to have some pineapple for "dessert" after a good meal. It's amazing how, when you consistently eat whole foods, your taste buds change. In the past if I've consumed more than enough sugary foods, I crave more sugary foods. When we sit down in the evening to watch TV or work on the computer, I used to make repeated trips to the kitchen to snack on either salty or sugary stuff. But as my taste buds and my body have changed I don't feel that way any more. My "sugary snack" might be a bowl of grapes or an apple. And I feel great that I haven't given in to the temptation of a snack that's just going to make me crash afterward. I'm not saying I never eat desserts or sugary things anymore. I enjoyed the most fabulous pumpkin pie mini indulgence from Seasons 52 the other night! I'm just saying I don't crave it as much anymore.
Including more whole foods in your diet is not the only important step to take toward great health. Getting rid of all the processed foods that surround us is just as important. I was looking at some ingredient lists at the grocery store today and the amount of crap that is in some of the foods we consume is unbelievable! Perhaps you've heard this before, but when you shop, focus on the outside aisles of the grocery store. Focus on fruits and vegetables and if you are lucky enough to have a store with a bulk section, stock up. This is a great place to get a stash of nuts and seeds, dried beans, oats and other healthy grains.
The most important thing to do is think. I'm not saying we have to eat perfectly. Perfect is boring! Just focus on having more whole foods than processed foods in your diet and see the difference it makes.
(In my next several posts, I will talk about some recipe books I love that can help you integrate these whole foods into nourishing and delicious meals for your whole family! Of course, my cookbooks will focus on vegetarian and vegan dishes but a lot of times you can add some lean meat or fish to the recipes if you choose.)
Well, I am here to tell you that I am certainly no nutritionist or expert on the matter by any means. But here's what I do know...
Whole foods make a difference.
What do I mean by whole foods? I'm talking about foods that are in or closest to their most natural state. Foods the way nature intended them to be. Fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts, grains.
I think we need to get away from just following one particular regimen. If we focus on filling the majority of our diet with these whole foods, our bodies will certainly thank us for it. Our bodies are meant to eat a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies, and when we make up to 80 or 90 percent of our meals from these wonderful foods we will feel and look healthy, happy and vibrant! Like I said, I haven't done any specific research on this topic. However, I do know that when I am personally eating like this (and taking care of myself in other ways) I feel fabulous. My immune system is functioning great and I have abundant amounts of energy. For the past two months, I've really been focusing on eating this way and it has become a treat to have some pineapple for "dessert" after a good meal. It's amazing how, when you consistently eat whole foods, your taste buds change. In the past if I've consumed more than enough sugary foods, I crave more sugary foods. When we sit down in the evening to watch TV or work on the computer, I used to make repeated trips to the kitchen to snack on either salty or sugary stuff. But as my taste buds and my body have changed I don't feel that way any more. My "sugary snack" might be a bowl of grapes or an apple. And I feel great that I haven't given in to the temptation of a snack that's just going to make me crash afterward. I'm not saying I never eat desserts or sugary things anymore. I enjoyed the most fabulous pumpkin pie mini indulgence from Seasons 52 the other night! I'm just saying I don't crave it as much anymore.
Including more whole foods in your diet is not the only important step to take toward great health. Getting rid of all the processed foods that surround us is just as important. I was looking at some ingredient lists at the grocery store today and the amount of crap that is in some of the foods we consume is unbelievable! Perhaps you've heard this before, but when you shop, focus on the outside aisles of the grocery store. Focus on fruits and vegetables and if you are lucky enough to have a store with a bulk section, stock up. This is a great place to get a stash of nuts and seeds, dried beans, oats and other healthy grains.
The most important thing to do is think. I'm not saying we have to eat perfectly. Perfect is boring! Just focus on having more whole foods than processed foods in your diet and see the difference it makes.
(In my next several posts, I will talk about some recipe books I love that can help you integrate these whole foods into nourishing and delicious meals for your whole family! Of course, my cookbooks will focus on vegetarian and vegan dishes but a lot of times you can add some lean meat or fish to the recipes if you choose.)
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