Category Archives: Food and mood

November 5, 2010 · 3:39 pm

5 Steps to Ending Emotional Eating

Ladies, what is with this week?

I must have heard half a dozen women within the past few days tell me that they are struggling with emotional eating.

Is it possible that the stars are aligned in a way that is making all females on earth crave bread and chocolate?  Are we all PMSing at the same time? (Sorry, guys, but this does tend to be an issue primarily for my female friends).

Even I found myself in a snack slump yesterday, mindlessly munching on terrible things.

So, which came first, the bad food or the bad mood?  Either way, here is how to end this cycle before the holidays hit and we’re all really in trouble:

1.  Forget about every moment up until now.  What you ate last night or this morning is irrelevant.  What matters is what you do now.  Stop punishing yourself for whatever you’ve been punishing yourself for and move on.  Let it go.  Now is a new moment.

2.  If you’ve ever read Geneen Roth‘s books or heard her speak, you know that she always says that “how we eat tells all,” and that “our bodies are getting something emotionally” from the snacking or eating, or we wouldn’t be doing it.  I couldn’t agree with her more.  Our bodies are very smart, and they tell us when we need things.  So what are you getting from your eating? Comfort? Stress relief? Happiness?  Once we understand what you’re getting from this, then we can fulfill that need in another way.

3.  Help your body understand that life is not an emergency.  If you’re angry, stressed, tired, sad, or all of the above (all common emotional eating triggers), your body has likely been in a constant fight or flight mode, and therefor is clinging on to every calorie you give it, storing up for when the emergency gets worse.  (Click here to read more about John Douillard’s Ayurvedic remedies to calm our bodies down).  Breath is one way to do this.  According to Dr. Andrew Weil, breath is the most powerful way we have to communicate with our body and send a message that it is time to calm down.  Click here for a deep breathing technique from Dr. Weil.  Practice some self care.  Take a moment and do something that lets your body know that it is time to relax.

4.  Find a way to get what you were getting from the snacking in another activity.  If your primary foods are out of whack (your career, relationships, spirituality, exercise), then your eating will be too.  Is happiness what’s missing?  Call a friend that makes you happy.  Are you bored?  Pursue a hobby you miss doing.  Are you stressed?  Get a manicure or take a bubble bath.

5.  Do a cleanse.  By “cleanse,” I don’t mean one of those expensive kits you can find everywhere now that promises your body will be detoxified if you drink weird tea and don’t eat for five days.  By “cleanse,” I mean that you should try to incorporate both a spiritual and culinary practice that helps your body move on.  To cleanse yourself emotionally, do some writing exercises and then tear them up or burn them.  Pray.  Go for a run and stomp out negative energy.  To cleanse yourself physically, drink as much water with lemon (both hot and cold) as possible and go on a whole foods cleanse.  What is a whole foods cleanse?  Eat only things that walked, swam or grew that were prepared by kind people that you know.  It’s that simple. Make sure it is all extraordinarily delicious and the highest-quality food you can find.  You are a very special person, and you deserve it. Given half a chance, your body will heal itself.

If you’re reading this and need some more support, email me and I’d be happy to give you a complimentary “back on track” session ($85 value).

Sending you lots of hugs!

Sheri

PS – I had an opportunity to learn directly from Geneen Roth, Dr. Weil and John Douillard – they were all teachers at my school (I know, AMAZING!!)  Ask me about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition if you’re interested in learning more.

"The best thing you've ever done for me is to help me take my life less seriously...it's only life after all..." Go relax, have some fun, stop beating yourself up and take a deep breath. You can handle it - whatever "it" is. Now is a new moment. :) .

 

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October 16, 2010 · 6:11 pm

Carrots, friends and other roots

This fall has me thinking a lot about roots.

Last weekend I made my favorite autumn roasted vegetables (recipe below).  These are a staple in my house during the fall, and are a great way to enjoy the beautiful root vegetables that are available this time of year.

According to the theory of food energetics, the energetic qualities of food affect both our spiritual and physical health.  Beyond the calories and nutrients that are in our food is the energy that went into growing, picking, cooking and preparing it.  Root vegetables are very grounding.

What else in your life is grounding?  This fall has found me connecting with my roots.  A meeting brought my back to the University of Maryland’s campus, which I haven’t visited since I drove away the day after my graduation six years ago.  A wedding brought me back to Atlanta, where I spent one wonderful year following my time in undergraduate school.  And as a wonderful birthday gift, my father hosted me and my two best girlfriends (or should I say three…Gianna, who is almost 1 and pictured above, is a new addition to our trio), in August.  There is nothing like my best girlfriends to remind me where I came from and where I am going.

Where are your roots?  What roots do you miss that have you not connected with recently?  Take some time this season to get back in touch, and ground yourself with what really matters.

Autumn Roasted Vegetables

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop up 4-6 cups of any of the vegetables below:

Carrots – cut into large chunks, or baby carrots

Parsnips – cut into large chunks

Broccoli – cut into large pieces

Cauliflower – cut into large pieces

Red onion – cut into thick slices

Eggplant – cut into two-inch cubes

Potatoes – cut into large chunks

Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, a few minced garlic cloves, and a dash of balsamic vinegar.  Place in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.  Can be served hot, room temperature or cold.

 

Take advantage of your farmer's market before it closes for the season!

 

 

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October 3, 2010 · 5:09 pm

Roasted acorn squash with cinnamon, nutmeg and rosemary

Tonight autumn officially arrived in my house.  It came in the form of chilly, crisp air, coming in from the open window; the smell of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg oozing from my oven; and  the familiar sound of football coming from the den.  Yup, it’s definitely time to replace those white summer dresses in my closet with warm, cozy sweaters.

Welcome, autumn!  So glad you’re here.  It’s time for a new season.

This acorn squash recipe that I made tonight is so simple, delicious and beautiful.  Don’t forget to save the seeds, toss with salt, pepper and rosemary, and put them in the toaster oven for a few minutes for a great salad (or soup, or yogurt…) topping.

Acorn squash is high in fiber and contains a ton of vitamin A, which plays an important role in vision, bone growth and reproduction.  It also helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent and fight off infections.  It was such an important part of the diet of Native Americans that they buried it along with the dead to provide them with nourishment on their final journey.  Seems like the perfect thing to put you into the Halloween costume spirit!  Above-ground squashes and gourds like acorn squash are thought to contain a harmonious balance of yin and yang. Acorn squash also contains tryptophan, my favorite serotonin precursor.  Happy Autumn!

Roasted Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
rosemary
cinnamon
nutmeg
brown sugar
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Place each half skin side down on a baking sheet.  Top each half with a bit of olive oil, 1 T of brown sugar, and generous dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the squash is soft and easy to pierce with a fork.

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September 12, 2010 · 3:03 pm

Food energetics (and a delicious bread recipe)

For those of you who travel frequently for work, you know how exhausting a week-long conference – even a good one – can be.  By day three, it can be difficult to muster up the energy to attend the twelfth networking event of the week.  Luckily for me, it was during this third-day stretch when I met Rebecca Patt, vice president of business development for Wray Executive Search, a leading restaurant, food service, and hospitality search firm.  I had just walked into the evening’s event, grabbed a glass of red wine, and quickly scanned the room seeking solace in a warm face and a table on the outskirts of all of the activity.

Within five minutes of talking with Rebecca, I discovered that she lives about 15 minutes from me in Pennsylvania, is a fellow foodie with a blog (Rebecca’s Cafe Blog), and is originally from Atlanta (as many of my favorite people  are).  I had hit the networking jackpot!

We’ve been able to enjoy some meals together since, and last week, Rebecca invited me over for a trip to the farmer’s market and a seasonal dinner.  What we made was very simple – we were inspired by the Asian pears at the market, and put together a pear, spinach, walnut and goat cheese salad with a homemade honey dijon vinaigrette  dressing.  We threw some eggplant and red peppers, topped with lots of herbs from her beautiful garden, on the grill, and enjoyed a nice dinner on her porch.

Food energetics is the idea that when we eat food, in addition to the nutrients we consume, we are taking in all of the energy associated with that food – from where and how it grew to who cooked it and who you are enjoying the food with.  Our veggies that night were locally grown, we enjoyed cooking the food together, and we ate slowly over a delicious bottle of wine and engaging conversation.

My clients frequently ask me for weight loss tips.  Is there a secret way to losing weight and staying healthy?  Yes!  Eat real, whole foods that nourish you , and make sure the way your food was grown, handled and prepared brings you positive energy.  Slow down.  Enjoy it.  That’s it!

This week I am going to give another one of Rebecca’s recipes a try.  This recipe is based on some of the bread recipes in Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett.  Rebecca says the book “transformed her into an enthusiastic bread baker of her school of slow-rise, no-knead variety.  This bread has a crunchy crust all the way around, a moist interior, and lots of complex flavors and whole grain goodness.”

I can’t think of a better way to reduce stress than to take the time to prepare this recipe and enjoy its warm and crunchy texture.  The complex carbs in the bread will also raise your serotonin levels.  I can’t wait to try it – give it a shot and let me know how it goes!

Rebecca’s Homemade Bread Recipe

1 cup cooked multi-grain hot cereal (I use Bob’s Red Mill 5-grain mix)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP honey

3/4 tsp. fast-rising yeast

1 1/4 cups plus 2 TBSP. ice water

3 TBSP vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

FIRST PHASE:

1. Cook a yield of one cup multi-grain hot cereal. Cool and store in the fridge for later step.

2. Thoroughly mix together flour, salt, and yeast

3. In another bowl, thoroughly mix together ice water (remove ice), oil, and honey

4. Stir both mixtures together until it is blended and hard to mix by hand — takes a couple of minutes of mixing. The dough should hold together, but barely.

5. Spray, brush, or cover the mixture lightly with oil

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours.

7. Let rise at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours

SECOND PHASE:

1. Vigorously stir the dough, and thoroughly mix in the cooked cereal and milk.

2. Oil a 9×5 loaf pan.

3. Turn out the dough into the pan. Brush, spray, or cover the top lightly with oil and cover the pan with plastic.

4. Cover the pan with plastic and let rise for 2 to 3 hours. Or you can refrigerate it for 4 to 48 hours and then set it out until it returns to room temperature. If the dough rises above the pan rim, stir it to deflate.

BAKING:

1. 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack on the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat oven to 375.

2. Make a few 1/2 inch deep slashes across the top of the dough with a knife, or a line down the center.

3. Bake for 50 minutes.

4. Cover the top with foil to prevent overbrowing, and bake for 30 to 45 more minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few dry crumbs or a thermometer inserted in the center reads 205 to 208 degrees. Err on the side of longer baking.

5. Cool pan thoroughly on a wire rack, then remove loaf and let cool. The bread slices much more easily when cool, if you can wait that long!

6. Use or freeze within 2 to 3 days.

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August 17, 2010 · 12:13 pm

Seasons Eatings

This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of the Rittenhouse Sq Revue.  Click here to see the issue in its entirety.

When you’re in a rush in the grocery store, it’s easy to fall into a fruit and vegetable “rut.”  We  tend to grab what is most familiar – apples, bananas, lettuce – and ignore produce that we don’t know what to do with, or that we assume will take too much time to make.

Summer, however, is a great time to try some new fruits and vegetables.  And since fresh produce from local farms has never been more accessible in Philadelphia, sampling the unfamiliar should be easy.  Whether the fruits and vegetables listed below are familiar favorites or are new to you, now is a terrific time to purchase them.  Take a stroll to Sue’s Produce Market just off Rittenhouse Square at 18th and Sansom, or visit the Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market right on the square on Saturdays to pick up some farm-fresh produce.  Give the quick, healthy and delicious preparation methods detailed here a try, and then enjoy the results with your friends and family.  All of the produce mentioned below is in season, and grows on various farms throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania:

Eggplant:  Eggplants contain phytonutrients, or antioxidants, which can help prevent damage from “free radicals,” offering protection from certain types of cancer.  Some studies also show that eggplants can help lower cholesterol levels.  Don’t let its unique color or spongy texture fool you – eggplant is a cinch to cook.  Pick an eggplant that is a bit heavy, and that has a shiny, tight skin.  Cut it into one-inch-thick slices, brush these with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and then grill each slice for a few minutes per side.  For a quick summer appetizer, stack one slice of grilled eggplant and one slice of fresh mozzarella on top of a slice of fresh tomato.  Top the stack with a sprig of basil, and then drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top.

Watermelon:  What is more delicious in the summer than a juicy, cool slice of fresh watermelon  Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin E.  It is also a rich source of lycopene, which studies suggest can reduce the risk of heart disease and alleviate some of the symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  For a nice twist on this familiar summer fruit, toss it with fresh mint and feta cheese.

Beets: Beets are another vegetable that people often don’t know what to do with, but they are a great addition to any diet.  Several studies suggest that the pigment that gives beets their rich color, betacyanin, may help reduce the risk of cancer.  Beets have a high sugar content, but are very low in calories and contain no fat, so they are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth.  Their beautiful color makes for a great addition to an everyday summer salad.  Beets have also been shown to help cleanse the blood, cleanse the colon and strengthen the gall bladder and liver.  To roast them, heat your oven to 375 degrees, rinse them, and trim off any leafy tops.  Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast them in the oven until you can easily pierce them with a knife – about one hour.  Remove the beets from the oven, and when they’re cool enough, peel the skins off.  Then slice them and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Finally, toss with arugula, goat cheese and pistachios to make a light summer salad.

Peaches:  Fresh peaches are low in calories and rich in iron and in potassium, an important mineral for the proper function of all cells, tissues and organs in the human body.  For a substantial summer salad that will keep you satisfied, bring 3 ¼ cups of water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 ½ cups of wheatberries.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.  Set aside, cool, and toss with some chopped peaches, scallions, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries.  Serve at room temperature.

Berries:  Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all in season now, and are all delicious, rich sources of antioxidants.  One cup of strawberries provides 100 mg of vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice.  Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, and have been shown in numerous studies to improve vision, learning capacity and mental acuity.  For a delicious summer smoothie packed with good-for-you nutrients, combine ¾ cup of ice; ½  banana; 1 cup of berries; ¼ cup of yogurt; and a splash of milk, juice or water in the blender.  Blend and then garnish with fresh berries.

Peppers:  Aside from adding brilliant color to any dish, bell peppers are a great source of vitamins A and C, and contain a healthy dose of fiber and folic acid.  They add a great crunch to salads, and can be roasted, grilled, sautéed, or eaten raw with a low-fat dip for a healthy summer snack.  Here’s one suggestion:  Throw some peppers on the grill, and then cut them into thin slices and toss with bowtie pasta, fresh basil, and sautéed spinach, as well as a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Top with fresh parmesan cheese.

Cucumbers:  Want glowing skin  Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve complexion.  After a day at the beach, toss some cucumber slices with water and use as a toner to make your skin radiant.  Snacking on cucumbers can keep you hydrated throughout the season, since a cucumber’s high water content makes it naturally thirst-quenching.  It is also a cooling vegetable, great for keeping your body temperature down on hot days.  For a quick Israeli salad, toss chopped cucumbers with chopped tomatoes, parsley, onions, mint, green peppers, and the juice of a lemon.  Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

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July 30, 2010 · 12:05 pm

The artificial sweetener experiment

So far on this blog I have written a lot about food, supplements and diets that I have found help create optimal health and reduce stress and anxiety.  Today I want to tell you about my experience with something that I’ve found to do the opposite - artificial sweeteners.

You may be confused about artificial sweeteners due to the plethora of conflicting information out there on the topic.  Some say they’re fine, and some say they’re harmful.  And as frequently happens, each study seemingly proves different results. 

Artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, sucralose and saccharine, are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and are approved for consumption.  According to the FDA and the National Cancer Institute, “studies of these sweeteners have not provided clear evidence of an association with cancer in humans.”  However, the short story is that when consumed in large quantities, these substances do cause cancer in animals. (Click here to read more).  And cancer aside, these sweeteners have proven to cause many other side effects, including headaches, aggravated PMS symptoms, dizziness, moodiness, fatigue, chance in vision, diarrhea and anxiety.  Aspartame in particular is thought to be an “excitotoxin,” a compound that can damage nerve cells by overstimulating them, and some studies suggest that this can cause neurological disorders.

And even though there are no studies that show that artificial sweeteners aid in weight loss (in fact, the opposite is true, as they have been linked to obesity), and they have a bitter, off taste, they are in many of the products most Americans consume.  And because they can taste up to 600 times sweeter than sugar (for all of you foodies reading this) they are throwing off our palates and making us crave more of exactly what we’re trying to avoid – sugar.  Some studies even show that they can stimulate appetite.

So what do I think?  I am not a doctor, or a researcher with a grant for a study.  But I am an average woman who, like the rest of us, gets stressed and craves sweet things from time to time (who doesn’t?)  Years ago, I was addicted to Diet Coke.  I’d have two or three a day, and would frequently consume other products that contained artificial sweeteners like light yogurt and different types of cereal.  I’d also put whatever I had on hand – Equal, Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, in my tea and coffee almost every morning and every night.  A few years ago, I read about the potential link between artificial sweeteners and anxiety, and in addition to the research that has been conducted on sugar substitutes and cancer, it was enough to make me want to give it up.  I used to always suffer from horrible nightmares at night, and although I still get stressed and anxious from time to time, I was shocked when my nightmares disappeared entirely after giving up the sweeteners!

This month has been a particularly stressful month, and like the best of us, I had a few slip ups.  It was extremely hot outside and there was no water at the event I was attending.  There was a Diet Sprite, and although I knew this would dehydrate me more, it looked so nice and cold that I grabbed it and took a few sips.  Why do we do eat things when we know they will have adverse effects?  Then I got the “might as wells.”  I figured I had a Diet Sprite, so I “might as well” add a Splenda to my unsweetened iced tea.  And then I had the iced tea, and figured I “might as well” have a low-fat yogurt.  And so on… Long story short, I had horribly vivid nightmares all week!  I will not tell you what they were about so you don’t influence your dreams (one involved a knife, and the other, the Ben Franklin Bridge and a shark!  At least I have some Spielberg creativity in my subconscious somewhere…).  And I have felt irritable, stressed out and nervous like I used to for the past few days. 

I do believe that everything affects everyone differently, so you may have a different experience.  But in short, be wary of these sweeteners if you have trouble with stress, anxiety or nightmares.  And because I never like to say that you should have “none” of something, if you are trying to avoid sugar and must use a substitute, a great alternative is stevia, which comes from an herb in the chrysanthemum family and has been used around the world for centuries to sweeten tea and other food. 

But in general, I think I am going to stick to the real thing from now on.  Honey, raw sugar and agave nectar are all great options.  Life should be as sweet as tupelo honey, right?

Want an even better way to reduce sweet cravings?  I’m offering complementary initial one-hour health consultations to readers of my blog throughout the summer!  Send me an email and I’d be happy to tell you all about how I really beat sugar cravings and how you can, too.

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June 27, 2010 · 1:05 pm

The “most powerful anti-anxiety measure” Dr. Weil has ever found

About a month ago I had the privilege of attending a whole weekend of lectures at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York.  I am so grateful for the amazing curriculum at IIN that enables me to learn from the world’s leading integrative medicine and nutrition experts directly (email me if you want to know more about IIN).  The weekend was filled to the brim with great information, and, hands down, the highlight was hearing from Dr. Andrew Weil, the leading proponent of integrative medicine.

This is post #3 covering the weekend (click here to read about Joy Bauer’s tips for great health, and here to read about Annemarie Colbin’s thoughts on cravings and whole foods).

Dr. Weil spoke for two hours – the first, primarily about the health crisis we currently have in the U.S.  The second hour was focused on what we can do about it.

“We don’t have a health care system,” Dr. Weil said.  ”What we have is a disease management system.”  Dr. Weil said that we spend more per capita on healthcare than any other country in the world, but we rank 37th in the world when it comes to addressing chronic disease – just behind Serbia.

Before the financial meltdown, experts were saying that healthcare could destroy our whole economy, mostly because we’ve created a recipe for trouble: no prevention and only intervention + using high-tech solutions to most problems = a very costly and inefficient way of fixing (or not fixing) the health of the country.

“How did we get into the habit of thinking the only way to cure disease is to take drugs?  Unless we drastically change our ways, we are headed for certain collapse of our economy and our health system.” Dr. Weil said this is also becoming a matter of national security, since many people now are too obese or sick to join the military.

So what can we do about it?  Here are the top points I took away from Dr. Weil – I hope they motivate you to make positive changes for yourself and for our country:

1 – Health does not mean “absence of disease.”  Dr. Weil’s definition of health is “an inner state of resilience and balance that allows you to go through life and be unharmed by the things that can harm you.”  Our bodies have the ability to heal.  We should make this definition of health our goal.

2 – We need a broad, cultural change in which health becomes cool.  Do what you can to help others choose health by making simple, better choices.

3 – Practice integrative medicine – medicine that is not focused on drugs, but rather on prevention, paying attention to lifestyle factors, considering other dimensions of our life than just our physical bodies (emotions, spirituality), and insisting on the importance of the patient/practitioner relationship.  This is the solution to our healthcare crisis.

4 – Eat real food – According to Dr. Weil, all of the processed foods we are eating are contributing to inflammation – which is causing chronic disease.  To read more about Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet – a great resource if you are trying to eat for your health and prevent disease – visit his website.  Out of all of his books (all of which are great!) my favorite is Eating Well for Optimum Health.  This is an amazing, basic guide to nutrition that should be required reading for all Americans.

5 – Recognize the importance of physical activity and maintaining social and mental interconnectedness as part of a healthy diet.  Studies show the people who live the longest are both active and well-connected to friends and loved ones.

6 – We need to learn how to neutralize the most harmful effects of stress.  Find an activity that helps you calm down – even if it’s simply listening to music, taking a bath or doing yoga.

7 – Lastly, do you want to know what the most important thing I learned from Dr. Weil – and from the whole weekend – was?  It will surprise you because it seems so simple.

It’s that I have to breathe more.  ”Breath is a mastery key to healthy living.  It’s the connection between our conscious and our unconscious mind, and is the master of our central nervous system,” Dr. Weil said.  He didn’t learn much about it when he attended Harvard Medical School, but since, has come to learn that it is “the single most effective medical intervention” that he has ever discovered.  It can cure everything from heart arrhythmias to anxiety.  And it costs nothing, and only takes one minute.  Here is Dr. Weil’s breathing technique:

Breathe in for 4 counts through your nose.  Hold for 7 counts.  Exhale for 8 counts through your mouth.  Repeat four times.  Do this twice a day, without fail.

“This is the single most powerful anti-anxiety measure I’ve ever found, in all of my years of work.  This is the most important thing I am telling you here today.”

This is something we all can afford.  And no matter how busy you are (and I’m pretty busy) I bet you can find one minute to do this each day.  Imagine what the wold would be like if we all took Dr. Weil’s advice?

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June 11, 2010 · 2:15 pm

Cravings and guilt

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a whole weekend of lectures at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York.  It was an amazing weekend in which I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear NBC Health Consultant Joy Bauer; world-renowned author, physician and  leading proponent of integrative medicine Dr. Andrew Weil; Zone Diet creator Dr. Barry Sears; and Founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute Annemarie Colbin all in a two-day period! 

This is post #2 covering the weekend (click here to read about Joy Bauer’s tips for great health).  Today I want to tell you all about Annemarie Colbin’s presentation. 

I loved Annemarie.  As the Founder and CEO of the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, the oldest natural foods cooking school in the U.S., Annemarie has been offering cooking classes since 1977.  Originally from Argentina, she came to America in her teens wanting to be a movie star.  She obviously ended up taking a different path, but is just as fearless and sassy as she must have been when she was younger. 

She spoke to us about food therapy, and how by eating whole foods, we can cure some very common illnesses.  She addressed the fact that some people are skeptical that whole foods can be so powerful.  “There was a time when people were adamant that the world was flat, and there was no way that it was round,” she said.  Today, people may not believe that whole foods can cure common illnesses, but her work proves them wrong.  Throughout her years of teaching people how to use whole foods for optimal health, she has helped people cure everything from constant headaches to reproductive issues.  I don’t know about you, but hearing that was enough for me to grab a pen and start trying to capture all of her tips.

Our bodies are very, very smart.  And according to Annemarie, when we give them things that are not “whole,” or in their purest form, our bodies know, and start to get confused.   For instance, a piece of rice has a bran, starch, and germ.  When we strip whole – or brown – rice of these things to create white rice, we are removing parts of the grain and confusing our bodies.  Ever eat Chinese food and you’re hungry two hours later?  Exactly her point.  Our bodies start to look for what’s missing.  This is when it starts talking to us – through headaches, stomachaches – that something is wrong or missing.

This is also where cravings come in.  According to Annemarie, there are three main causes of cravings.  The trick is knowing when to give in to them and when to resist them.  “Cravings are important because they give you information about how your body is doing,” Annemarie says.  Here are three reasons why you might be craving a certain food:

1 – Addictions:  For instance, sugar and alcohol can be addictive.  In this case, it is okay to resist the craving/it is not something that is necessary for your body’s survival.

2 – Imablances:  If you don’t get enough calories, you will crave sweets.  Not enough fat?  Protein?  Carbs?  Sweets, sweets, sweets.  If you’re on a low-fat vegetarian diet, you may be craving sweets because you’re not getting enough of these macronutrients.  Sound familiar?  It’s all about balance.  This is just one example.  Salt cravings, bread cravings – these could all be about an imbalance in your body.

3 – Memory or emotion:  We want things our moms gave us.  It’s that simple.

Here’s the good news about these cravings.  Annemarie says that we should not beat ourselves up when we have them.  “Guilt is something you can feel if you have been mean to someone and didn’t get caught,” she said.  “Consider everything you eat research.  If anyone gives you a hard time about your diet, say, ‘mind your business, I’m doing my research!’”  Note when you crave certain things, and why you think you might want them.  Then write down how that food made you feel.  Eat way too many cookies and feel gross?  Get over it.  Mark how you feel, move on, and don’t do it again. 

Annemarie also gave us great advice on specific cravings (sugar, salt) and how to manage them.  If you struggle with these (how about that 2:00 p.m. I-need-sugar-or-I’m-going-to-crash snack time at work?) drop me a line.  I’m offering free health consultations for blog readers, and can tell you about how I could support you as a health coach.

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May 31, 2010 · 5:42 pm

Rejuvenating Recipes

Before I continue my coverage of my weekend at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, I can’t resist the temptation to give you a quick glimpse into the delicious meals we made this weekend.  We’ve been traveling constantly throughout May, and have really missed our delicious weekend meals at home.  So we took the opportunity this long weekend to stay home and celebrate the holiday with a rejuvenating weekend full of delicious, home-cooked meals.

All of these recipes are freshly made with whole, nourishing foods.  Enjoy!

These first three are variations from a fabulous cookbook – Clean Food by Terry Walters (also an IIN grad):W

Wheatberry Salad

1 1/2 cup wheatberries

sea salt

4-5 scallions, chopped

1 cup chopped peaches

1/2 cup currants (we used dried cranberries)

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Rinse wheatberries, soak in bowl with enough water to cover for at least 1 hour, then drain.  In large pot, bring 3 1/4 cups water to boil.  Add wheatberries and pinch of salt, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed (35-45 minutes).  Set aside to cool, then fluff with fork.

In large bowl, combine cooked wheatberries with scallions, peaches, currants and toasted sunflower seeds.  Toss with lime juice, toasted sesame oil and pinch of salt.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  Serves 8.

Tuscan Bean Soup

1 thumb-size piece kombu

2 T extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped onion

1 T dried basil

2 t dried oregano

1/4 t dried rosemary

1 1/2 cup chickpeas

1 1/2 cup white beans

1 1/2 cup aduki beans

4 cups canned chopped tomatoes with their juices

1 bunch kale

2 cups vegetable stock

1 T rice vinegar

1 cup red wine

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Place kombu in bowl with enough water to cover and soak 10 minutes or until soft.  Drain, mince and set aside.  In Dutch oven over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil 3 minutes or until soft.  Ad basil, oregano and rosemary and stir.  Add chickpeas, white beans, aduki beans, tomatoes, greens, kombu and stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.  Stir in vinegar and wine, season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve.  Serves 6.

Baby Greens with Grilled Balsamic Pears

3 pears, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 T agave nectar

pince of sea salt

Place pears in a shallow dish.  In separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, agave nectar and a pinch of sea salt.  Pour mixture over pears and marinate 15 minutes.  Heat grill or grill pan to medium, brush cooking surface with olive oil and place pears on grill.  Grill each side 3 minutes or until soft.  Remove and cool.  When cool, toss with baby greens,

Gin Smash

1 t fine white sugar

2 t water

4-6 oz gin

4 sprigs of fresh mint

Dissolve sugar into water.  Smash mint.  Put mint, sugar water, and gin into shaker and shake with ice for 30 second vigorously.  Put a few cubes of ice into a cocktail glass and pour over the ice.  Garnish with a fresh leaf of mint.

Sun Tea

4 green tea bags

1 gallon water

Pour water and place tea bags into a clear, covered pitcher or bowl.  Set in direct sunlight until the water is light-dark green depending on your preference.  Serve with a twist of lemon and fresh mint.

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Filed under Cocktails, Food and mood, Good mood food, Salad, Soup, Tea, Tryptophan

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May 29, 2010 · 8:08 pm

The Power of Food

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending a whole weekend of lectures at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York where I am obtaining my certification as a Certified Health Coach.  It was an INCREDIBLE weekend, in which I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear NBC Health Consultant Joy Bauer; world-renowned author, physician and  leading proponent of integrative medicine Dr. Andrew Weil; Zone Diet creator Dr. Barry Sears; and Founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute Annemarie Colbin.

That alone is a mouthful!  And I so badly want to tell you everything I learned!  If you’ve ever wondered why you crave chocolate, why everyone is now taking fish oil, how you can really prevent cancer, or how you can get those last pounds off once and for all, you’ll want to read my next few posts.  I’ll take it one speaker at a time, and kick off a series of posts covering the weekend with a recap of the first lecture we heard by Joy Bauer.

Joy spoke about the power of food, and covered five very common conditions that can be prevented, cured or alleviated through food, including: heart health, mood, arthritis, memory loss and weight.  Here’s a quick recap of Joy’s top tips:

Heart Health:  Stop smoking, stay physically active, avoid trans fats, reduce salt, and increase good fats.  Keep an eye on your waistline – women should be <35″ and men<40″.  Food: Eat salmon (make sure it’s wild, or says “wild alaskan” – even the canned kind is fine) to get good servings of omega 3s; sardines for vitamin D.  Both of these lower your LDL (you’ve probably heard this called “bad cholesterol”) and increase your HDL (“good cholesterol”).  Increase your consumption of soluble fiber with food such as oatmeal and sweet potatoes.  Lower sodium intake and increase potassium intake – bananas are a great source – to help manage blood pressure.

Enhanced Mood:  Eat every 4-5 hours to keep blood levels stable.  Limit foods that spike book sugar, including the refined carbohydrates and sugar found in many processed food products.  Instead, eat high quality carbohydrates with protein to slow down absorption (think omelet with fruit; lentils with beans).  Exercise clearly improves mood.  People who are clinically depressed often have lower folate – you can increase your folate intake by eating oranges (they have tons of folic acid).  And here’s my favorite – have some dark chocolate!  Make sure it’s at least 70% cacao, and don’t have too much (grate it on yogurt or fruit to get the benefits without eating too much at once).

Arthritis: By losing just one pound, you alleviate 10 pounds of pressure on your joints, so keep weight in check.  Avoid refined carbs and exercise.  Omega 3 fish oil can be a big help – take 1,000 mg EPA and DHA each day.  Use olive oil.  Make sure you’re getting enough anti-oxidants.  Pumpkin (even the 100% pure canned pumpkin is great) has lots of beta carotene in it.  Tumeric and ginger are potent anti-inflammatory agents.  And did you know that one red bell pepper has three times the amount of vitamin C as 1 orange?

Enhanced Memory:  Exercise 30 min. a day – your neurons will communicate more effectively.  Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, and follow mostly a Mediterranean diet.  Eat lots of berries (they have reversed age-related memory in rats), leafy greens for folic acid, fatty fish for omega 3s, and (here’s more good news!) drink coffee!  Some studies show that it helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s.  But also please note that coffee can linger in your system for 3-8 hours, so it is not a good idea if you suffer from anxiety.

Manage Weight:  Everybody’s biggest challenge, right?  Joy told us how to lose weight overnight!  I will give you a few hints – exercise. sleep.  drink water.  But for more of the details, as a reader of my blog, I would like to offer you a free health consultation!  Just respond to this post or send me an email and we can set up one hour during which we can discuss your unique health needs in detail.  I am also offering special discounts on my six month program for readers throughout the month of June!  Click here for more information, and just let me know if you are interested.

Enjoy this wonderful holiday weekend, and stay tuned for the highlight of my session at IIN – Dr. Andrew Weil!

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