Eating to Live: Smoothie Nirvana

Beet smoothie photo initially published on Facebook.

Since eating well is a key to feeling well, smoothies have long been in my morning repertoire. Back in the 1960s I didn’t feel like eating breakfast prior to leaving for elementary school in the morning. And my mom didn't want me to start my day on an empty stomach, so she came up with what she called a protein shake for me in the morning. I’ve been drinking protein shakes, now called smoothies, off and on ever since. I don’t need fancy-dancy juicers to eat whole vegetables and fruit. I’ve been there, tried that, and decided if I ran a blender long enough on the liquefy setting, I could create smooth and delicious blends of goodness without the cleanup of a fancy-dancy juicer.

Here’s my absolutely delicious beet smoothie recipe...
Roast beets: Simply wash and scrub beets (no need to mess with peeling them), remove beet green tops leaving a couple inches of stems, trim root, and rub beets with olive oil. Place beets in foil and seal up. Bake 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow beets to continue to steam in foil. Remove foil, pop off stem tops, cool, and refrigerate until ready to enjoy. Roasting beets in this way allows the natural sugars to release for maximum sweetness. If you're in a hurry, microwave a beet as you would cook a whole potato. 

1. ½ medium cooked beet
2. ½-1 banana (I use this as the basis for most smoothies as it acts as a thickener)
3. 6-8 oz. yogurt (fruit flavored or plain)
4. 1 c. carrot juice
5. 1 kale leaf rib removed (these days I always add kale or a handful of spinach in all my smoothies, and no you don’t taste whatever green goodness you tossed in)
6. 3 strawberries (any berries or no berries necessary in this concoction)
7. Cinnamon (I use cinnamon whenever I can but you decide how much)
8. 1 slice orange rind (I freeze orange, lemon, and lime rinds in 1/2 inch slices to use in beverages, and the intense flavors are wonderful in a smoothie)
9. Mint leaves or basil or both
10. After blending, stir in ground flax meal if you feel you would like more fiber
11. Sit down, put your feet up, and enjoy smoothie nirvana!

You can throw almost anything you love to eat into a smoothie. Just toss in whatever you have on hand. You don’t need a recipe. You can concoct your own delicious goodness in a glass like a mad scientist and reap the rewards of good health and nutrition. So, what does this beet smoothie taste like? First of all, it doesn't taste like beets or kale, as a matter of fact it tastes like I had thrown in heaps of raspberries and strawberries. Let's just say I deemed it the best smoothie ever! Yum!

Michelle

Beet smoothie photo courtesy of damclark's family photos

What's Missing?

Over the next few weeks we will wrap up our travels to Europe. We left the states in early July, so it's been nearly four months of traveling abroad. I find myself thinking about those things I miss, or that aren’t quite the same. For those of you who follow our travel blog, no worries, we will continue publishing posts and catch you up on our activities.

Now, back to this post – I’m missing friends and family, and fortunately I’m in touch with many of those people. I'm also missing the Pacific Northwest autumn; and unfortunately, by the time we get back the leaves will have fallen and the rains will have moved in. Because we are going home soon, that’s probably why I’m thinking about what I’ve missed and can’t wait to get back to. Case in point - food I eat on a regular basis, and then there's the goodies I make once in a while. While traveling full time, I’m able to try many wonderful regional specialties, and because I don't want to heft more of me around than necessary (remember, I pack light), I limit the sweets to one of, or a bite of one my husband has. Still, those tasty goodies are not MY go-to’s. Here's a few of my favorites:

• Cooked thick or steel cut oatmeal with dried cranberries and nuts. Other than when I make it, the only person who makes it just the way I like is Kirby. Unfortunately, I won’t be anywhere near Kirby! Too bad I wasn't missing this early on in the trip when we were in the UK - oats were everywhere. But this will be an easy one for me to do. Oh, and its autumn, so apple cider instead of water will be perfect when I cook up glorious pots full of oatmeal goodness!
• Kale salad – as in my chop-chop kale salad I noted in a previous post, Craving Kale. I haven't seen kale anyplace we have purchased groceries. I’m craving kale in a big way, what can I say. You know, before kale was the cool kid green it is today in the US, I never gave it a second thought.
• Tacos – as in my homemade Tacos with just the right ingredients, not the this will do but it doesn’t do ingredient(s) I see abroad. I may just make them every night until I’m sick of them. Seriously, no chance of that happening - I've been eating tacos since I was a kid before there was any fast-food place selling them. I know tacos and they don’t come from a restaurant or fast-food drive-thru!
• Organic peanut butter (preferably Kirkland brand) – love it on sliced apples or just off the spoon. And that reminds me how much I need to make my peanut-peanut butter-butter cookies (yes, that's one cookie and no typos)! Oh man, can’t wait!
• Pancakes – as in my Daddy’s recipe for buttermilk pancakes made with Bulgarian buttermilk – no low-fat no-fat nonsense for those babies. And that means I’ll need real maple syrup from New England. Dang, that’s a lot of pancakes I’ll have to eat to use that stuff up!
• Smoothies – my homemade goodness in a glass and also a previous post, Smoothie Nirvana. Thing is, I seldom have a blender available, and traveling light means there are things I sort of give up. It’s unfortunate because I’ve been making my breakfast in a glass since high-school. I MISS SMOOTHIES! But not enough to haul even a hand blender around with me.

Surprised that I should mention pancakes and cookies? While some of the healthier mentions above are good for me, and I really try and feed my body properly on a regular basis, it's about balance. I’ve never been someone who cut out everything that’s not good for me to eat. I just eat those things in moderation. Besides, most of the above is good for me, ‘cept those pancakes, the peanut-peanut butter-butter cookies, and, oh, there’s also my chocolate Kahlua brownies, and my macadamia nut white chocolate soft cookies right out of the oven, and then there’s...

Sounds like I need a fully stocked (food and baking supplies) kitchen! It’s nearly impossible for me to assemble the kinds of ingredients I need for my go too’s. It’s just not practicle. Plus, not all the kitchens have decent tools for cooking/baking even though owners note having what is needed. I may be hitting up a few of my friends or family members so I can cook – I MISS COOKING!  I make the best out of what’s available in stores and how the kitchen is set up in the homes we stay in, but it’s not how I’m used to cooking. I MISS MY KITCHEN!

You see, I wasn’t brought up with store-bought baked goods or meals. We made most everything from scratch. And I continued this way of cooking as an adult because the store-bought stuff wasn’t as good as the home-made stuff. So that meant, unless I made it, you wouldn’t find store bought muffins, cookies, pies, cakes, whatever in my home. Frankly, it's been a good way over the years to keep calories in check. Oh, but I need to make an apple pie because it’s the season for it, and I love warm apple pie with sharp cheddar cheese when the temperature and the leaves fall. Oh my gosh, then there’s my incredible pumpkin pie, and I love my home-made soups, and dang, I need to eat something after this ‘cuz I’m starving!

Thing is, with traveling full-time, I may not miss having my home and property. I’m missing a part of me. I’m missing my kitchen, my cooking. While I have gotten rid of most of the things in my life, you can bet I've boxed up and stored everything my kitchen had, except food of course. I know someday I'll have my kitchen back. Until then, don’t be surprised if I show up at your door...

I’m asked time and again what I miss with my full-time travel lifestyle. It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’ve always thought there’s a lot of truth in that. But for now, I’m willing to give up a few things (temporarily or perhaps permanently) for all the other things I'm gaining in this amazing traveling life. I realize there will always be a missing piece or two, or three in my life. Again, it's about balance, and I’m working on all that. I’ll figure out what I'm missing and try to make do, but I think it’s a good thing to test myself and see what’s truly important in my life right now. And I’ve got that with my traveling buddy who just happens to be my husband. But, oh, I need kale salad soon, and then there’s my roasted chicken with garlic and balsamic, my spaghetti with meat sauce, my chicken pot pie...

Michelle

Puzzle2 photo courtesy of Willi Heidelbach

Eating to Live: Eat Your Veggies

So far I have talked about food combining and gluten-free living. All choices I have made in order to relieve my digestive distress. At this writing I have been food combining for 8 weeks and gluten-free for 6. Both dietary changes stress the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.

Eating raw fruits and vegetables generally causes problems for my digestive system, but now I need to somehow consume more vegetables and fruit than I have ever considered. Two weeks into the gluten-free diet, I was still having occasional digestive problems. While eating breakfast one morning, a thought came to mind⎯what if I juiced the vegetables or fruits? Wouldn’t that make it easier for my gut to move the food on down the line, and perhaps the wonderful power of vegetables would aid in healing any inflammation I might have.

I really feel like I am on to something with this vegetable madness⎯and get this, I even have a juicer! Yes, I just never used it. It was given to us when my husband, Dennis, had cancer. What was I waiting for? I pulled out our many books on juicing and began reading that very morning. Yes, I even had books on the subject⎯all of this right under my very nose. The books I had even covered juicing recipes specifically for many ailments including, wait for it⎯Crohn’s! The next morning I went grocery shopping, list in hand.

I have now been juicing for the past month. I love it. I feel like I am drinking some sort of secret healing elixir. I have never, never eaten so many vegetables. At this writing I am juicing once or twice a day. It’s easy for me to go through five pounds or more of carrots within a week! I keep looking in the mirror to see if I am turning orange yet!

Unless you are a vegetarian, most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables⎯period. Juicing provides a rather simple way for us to EAT OUR VEGGIES! Here are a few tips to keep in mind...

1. How does juicing work with food combining and gluten-free?
First off ⎯veggies and fruit do not contain gluten, and what I am reading about juicing correlates very nicely with the food combining. Veggie juices combine well with protein OR starch⎯remember I cannot mix protein AND starch when food combining. I’ll sit down to a meal of protein OR gluten-free starch, vegetables AND a veggie drink.  My body doesn’t know what to do with all the goodness I am sending it⎯well actually I hope it does know what to do with it!

2. What about the mess of cleaning all the vegetables AND the juicer?
I never thought of juicing other than it would be a pain to mess with. Yes, you need to clean all the fruits and veggies and clean out the juicer, but I have found it much easier to clean all my veggies once a week and clean out the juicer once a day. No biggie!!! It’s kind of like I had one of those V8 moments⎯why didn’t I think of that before! The easier you can make it, the more you will do it.


3. Your mother always said, chew your food!
Because you are drinking vegetables, it is important not to drink the mixture rapidly. It is best to sip and allow the enzymes in your mouth to set the whole digestive process into play. It is even a good idea to actually chew it a bit as you sip. I understand this is really important to anyone drinking nutritious smoothies or other healthy drinks. The lack of chewing does not release the appropriate enzymes, which may lead to digestive distress. When enjoying my juice, I sit down as if I were having a meal whether it is a meal or not. I sip my juice and sip a bit of water to help the fiber move on its merry way.

4. Chlorophyll Cocktail:

My go-to gut drink is five carrots, a large handful of spinach, a couple stems of parsley and one celery stalk. If I choose to sweeten it up a bit I’ll add one apple⎯yum! Even Popeye would be proud.

Crohn’s or no Crohn’s, I am feeding my body with amazing nutrients. This is another gift that has been given to me via Crohn’s. Humans are funny animals, we don’t necessarily do what is best for us unless there is a problem⎯and even then we don’t do what is best. I am thinking juicing is something we should just do, problem or not. The world would be a better place for it…there I go⎯visualizing world peas⎯I know⎯corny⎯see I can't get veggies off my mind.

Are you feeding your body the way you should? Think of one small thing you know you should do, know you can do and just do it! And hey, YAY for you!

© Copyright 2011 Michelle Clark

Eating to Live: Craving Kale

This spring we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina. The manager of the B & B we were staying at suggested we try Posana Cafe for dinner. She mentioned how incredibly wonderful the food was, it was a gluten free restaurant, and she now craves their kale salad and must have it on a regular basis. While we aren’t gluten free, I find restaurants fully committed to being gluten free usually have wonderful, fresh, and novel approaches to the food they serve. So, off we went to Posana.

Since my surgery last fall, my pipes (as I refer to my newly connected Crohn’s free intestinal zone) are working the best they have in years. I am eating foods I had long ago given up, and trying foods I have never eaten like kale. While kale has been around gardens and local grocery stores for years, it's the cool kids food of the moment. With the fact there are more interesting ways of serving kale than ever before, and the health benefits of eating it regularly are nothing short of amazing, I now add kale to my morning smoothies in small amounts and slice it sliver thin to add to salads. But I have never had a fully kale salad as I was unsure about all that fiber and how it would move through my pipes. Since I found the craving of kale comment rather interesting, I thought I better try this Posana salad. So I did, and now I crave Posana’s kale salad, too.

I found the recipe for the crave worthy salad on-line and can eat it whenever the mood strikes.  I know - how can anyone crave the rather firm, hard to digest kale with a slight cabbage flavor? All I can say is the executive chef at Posana knows food and knows how to do magic with kale. Since I have prepared the recipe almost weekly since our visit to Posana, I understand how the flavors work. First off, remove the hard center rib from each leaf, slice kale very thin and chop-chop to incredibly small pieces. Then, with your hands, massage olive oil and fresh lemon into the green chopped mixture. This process breaks down the firm kale leaves, imparts a light lemon flavor, and since you have had your hands in the mix - helps you become one with your kale! The addition of Manchego (a firm, nutty tasting Spanish cheese), and toasted pumpkin seeds (I use toasted sliced almonds) is just what the green glob of kale needs to override any residual cabbage flavor. The pièce de rèsistance is the addition of dried black currants. Their intense raisin flavor along with their natural sweetness finish this kale salad in a remarkable, but crave worthy way.

What’s this kale craze, or should I say kale kraze, all about? Consider kale a super food loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, a great source of fiber, and, wait for it, protein! Wow, I know, right? I’m sure you are all quite excited over the possibility of kale in your life right now; okay, maybe not so much. But I just bet you will change your mind on kale when you try the Posana kale salad. Come on; be a cool kid and click the hyperlink to the recipe noted here. If you are ever in Asheville, stop by Posana Cafe and tell them hi for me! One last thing, you may be interested to know National Kale Day is October 7, 2015; party on!

Glowing kale courtesy of deedavee easyflow

Eating to Live: Avocados, Coconut and Flaxseed

It has been nearly a year since I last reported on my never-ending food journey. With science, being what it is today, there are many reports of eat this, not that; only to find, years later, you should eat that, not this! What’s a person to do? I, for one, am trying to eat as healthy as I can on a regular basis while still enjoying those things that are not actually considered healthy on a not so regular basis⎯white chocolate chip, macadamia nut cookies anyone?

Without going into an exhaustive explanation about saturated and unsaturated fats, and the average American diet consisting of an overabundance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids, and that this imbalance contributes to inflammation in our bodies, you just might be interested in the following: 

Avocados
I have always loved avocados, but considered them to be a high caloric food, so imagine my surprise when I found they had gotten a bad rap. Yes, high in calories, but mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and avocados are considered a nutrient-dense food! Knowing this, I eat avocados on a regular basis now, and because I only ate them occasionally in the past, I have some catching up to do.

Coconuts
I’ve heard about the wonders of coconut oil for many years, but once again was looking at its high caloric content and stayed away from it. It wasn’t until the last few years, when coconut products seemed to be popping up everywhere, that I started to investigate coconut oil more thoroughly. Let’s just suffice it to say, I am successfully using coconut oil, when baking, in place of butter or shortening in recipes. While it is still a saturated fat like butter and shortening, it has a low Omega-6 content, and antioxidant properties that help fight inflammation. Does this mean I should be eating more Mounds bars?

Note: Coconut oil is a solid with the consistency of a firm vegetable shortening. We have been taught, over the years, that all fat solids are considered saturated and therefore bad for us. Science may be proving that some saturated fats are actually good for us, as may be the case with coconut.

Flaxseed
When I tried a gluten free diet a few years ago, I came to know and love ground flaxseed. I sprinkle it on many foods and eat it by the spoonful. Since I do not eat a lot of fish and am probably low on my Omega-3’s, eating ground flaxseed not only adds more fiber to my diet, but also adds the necessary Omega-3’s. The flavor is surprisingly nutty and you will find it is a great fiber addition to smoothies along with the noted coconut oil and avocado above.

I rather enjoy this never-ending food journey of mine. It helps me explore foods and improves on a healthy approach to living. This in turn helps to move me forward in a positive direction. But, don’t be so shocked the next time you see me eating a basket of fish and chips, something I love. I just make sure I don’t enjoy this basket of goodness often. Also, it has to be the very best, not just any old basket of fish and chips. Oh, and the best⎯panko breaded.

Laughing photo courtesy of nosha.

Eating to Live: Changing Course

Last year I began a journey that led me to explore food combining, gluten free (GF) and juicing in order to help my gut feel better while Crohn’s disease, or as I refer to it⎯Little Monster, reared its ugly head. For a time, all these dietary lifestyle changes seemed to work very well for me, smooth sailing⎯until the wind died and I needed to change course. After seven months, I was losing too much weight for my small frame (due to eating less starch) plus I began having the same digestive distress (cramping/constipation) I had prior to this dietary journey.

It all came down to this⎯current medication protocol and dietary changes were not working for me, and I could not afford to lose any more weight. The next step on the Crohn’s journey was a new medication protocol, and as my gastroenterologist put it, “Just EAT!” At this writing, the new meds seem to be working and I have indeed gained back the weight I lost.

As one does when sailing into new regions of life, I have continued to hold onto a few elements from last years dietary journey:

• I add carrot juice and a handful of spinach to my morning smoothies⎯great for digestion.
• I’ve cut down on the amount of starch I eat and sometimes choose to eat a starch that is gluten free.
• I found the most amazing and healthful GF cranberry/orange muffins at my local grocer. After Googling recipes with similar ingredients, and many attempts at tweaking various recipes, I came up with my own wonderful version.

WARNING: the following muffins are very good for you and you may just find yourself craving them because they taste so incredible. Even if you don't know a jib from a jibe when it comes to sailing, we all must learn to change course from time to time. It's what we pick up along the way as we sail through life that is most important. Bon appétit!

Photo courtesy of martinak15

Eating to Live: Investing in Breakfast

Who has time to even think about breakfast?

While traveling in Europe last year, I was reminded of the creamy, crunchy goodness of muesli. It is a Swiss/German creation containing a combination of uncooked rolled oatmeal, with various nuts, seeds, fruits (dried, fresh, or canned), and yogurt. In many European countries you can find a big bowl of it on breakfast tables, or you may find a selection of various ingredients in order for you to make your own concoction.

Once we were home from Europe, I changed my smoothie routine and started making muesli. It’s as simple as taking ready-made granola and dumping in a lot of *yogurt. Since the mixture is going to grab the moisture of the yogurt, I make sure it is somewhat creamy prior to refrigeration. I can also add 100% fruit juice, milk or other liquid to increase the creaminess. I am transported to Europe with each bite I take; and it seems to be just the right balance of protein, as I do not feel the need to eat anything else until lunch.

Eating muesli got me thinking about making my own granola, like I did back in the hippy-dippy days of the 1970’s. I am now hooked on creating various granola mixes. With the yummy goodness of my homemade granola, if I am not having a smoothie or muesli, some mornings I layer granola and fruit with the yogurt like a parfait.

Mom was right! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It recharges your brain and your body, so this is not a meal to be missed or taken lightly. Breakfast isn’t just about a bowl of cereal with milk splashed on it, or a quick stop at the drive-thru. There are many good reasons one should eat a balanced breakfast, but we’ve heard them all before. Let’s suffice it to say, most of us need to eat more protein in the morning. Eating a balanced breakfast is part of a healthy lifestyle. A home blended smoothie, muesli, or granola parfait is my way of investing in the day ahead by investing in breakfast first. All three of these ideas for a well-balanced breakfast are simple to make and take if I am plowing full steam ahead into the morning.

Who has time for breakfast? You do! You will find countless recipes for smoothies, muesli and granola on the Internet to help get you started. A change is in the air for your morning routine. Before you know it, you will be concocting your own breakfast goodness. WARNING: While eating muesli, don’t be surprised if you think you are sitting in a grassy meadow surrounded by huge snow topped mountains. You may even be able to hear cowbells in the distance.

*I prefer low or no fat Greek style yogurt as it contains less fat and more protein.
Swiss Miss photo courtesy of the Clark family album.

Eating to Live: Breakfast Salad

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I do my best to start the day with a good meal. While I don’t always have a lot of time to spend on breakfast, it is important for me to start the day off right. Past breakfast posts have been about museli in Investing in Breakfast, beet smoothies in Smoothie Nirvana, and gluten free orange/flaxseed muffins in Changing Course. Today it's my breakfast salad. In an attempt to reduce my carbs, eating just two eggs on a plate without toast cradeling the eggs was unappetizing to look at. Even the eggs looked bored! So one morning I tossed a bunch of salad greens on the plate, topped them with eggs and my breakfast salad was born.

It couldn’t be easier – I grab a handful of tender mixed greens, spinach, and whatever else I have floating around the kitchen that sounds good. My favorite ingredients on the greens are tomato, avocado, and green onion. I drizzle a bit of olive oil, add a dash of salt and pepper, and two fried eggs. You heard me right – fried eggs. I’ve added hard boiled eggs if I’ve had them, prepared poached eggs, but I prefer eggs fried in a slight amount of butter or a drizzle of olive oil – and voila, a lovely, quick and easy breakfast that stays with me until lunchtime. Other toppings I enjoy are: a sprinkle of flax meal, grated cheeses such as manchego, feta, Cheddar, parmesan, crumbled bacon, dried cranberries or raisins, leftover steamed veggies, even sliced fruit and nuts. With this salad you can not only have a great breakfast, but lunch or light dinner, too. Let your imagination run wild - if it tastes good, chances are it will only enhance your salad.

With all the traveling I do, starting my day with a health-filled breakfast is not only important for the day ahead but for my overall health. Since we are not on vacation, but choose this nomadic lifestyle, we can't eat like we are on vacation! As the Italians say, buon appetito! – Have a good meal!

Michelle

Salad photo courtesy of the DaMClark's