Category: wellness

Midweek Mashup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, disease, eating, family, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness1 Comment

MIDWEEK MASHUP

Happy Wednesday. It’s a short week! For that let’s celebrate. Surely all the kids are back in school and this week is probably hectic for many. Here’s some good information and a quick recipe to get you through to Friday.

I’ve always believed that if more people got in the kitchen and cooked meals for themselves and their families, they would be healthier overall. An acquaintance once lamented that she felt like there were so many nutrition rules that it felt impossible to feed herself and her daughter “the right way”, so she gives up and resorts to takeout. I say that the nutrition and wellness community has failed her if that’s what she (and likely so many others) feel. The truth is, a jar of decent quality pasta sauce and a box of whole wheat noodles with a bagged salad on the side is vastly healthier than a drive-thru burger and fries. So, if that’s where you are starting, that’s ok. Trust me, you will progressively become more confident in your cooking and before you know it you will have a repertoire of healthy and delicious meals that don’t feel overwhelming to make on a weeknight. I loved Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl’s take on this in her article “The Cure Is in the Kitchen” in  Experience Life’s recent issue. Take a look.

Speaking of making things easier in the kitchen, one approach that I’ve always practiced is to make extra for the freezer or fridge. When making soup, I often double the recipe and fill up Ziploc gallon bags with the excess. Lay them flat in the freezer for easy stacking. On busy nights just pull out a bag and reheat. Sides like roasted veggies are delicious warmed up or cold from the fridge all week long. In fact, I just bought another rimmed roasting sheet on Monday so I can easily make even more.  After this hectic week of back-to-school and houseguest coming on Friday,  I will also start using my weekends or Mondays to make a big batch of quinoa or other healthy salad that I can eat throughout the week for lunch. 

And finally, here’s a simple and delicious looking recipe for your next Meatless Monday or whenever you want to load up on veggies. These Vegan Thai Curry Vegetables look fantastic for a cool fall day, and the gentle spice should be well tolerated by all in your house. I would serve them over brown rice and fruit on the side and call it a day. In fact, it’s what’s for dinner tonight.

That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed reading. As always, please pass it along, post it to your pages, and subscribe if you did! And I would love to hear what you think in the comments.

You might also like:

Midweek Mashup

Hearty Lentil Soup

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Midweek Mashup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, disease, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness3 Comments

MIDWEEK MASHUP

Welcome to Wednesday! You’ve made it this far, you should be proud! There’s a lot of health and wellness information coming out this week, and I’m excited to share some of it with you.

Have you ever wondered what might happen if you gave up sugar for an entire year?  Like, really gave it up.  No white sugar, no fruit juice concentrate, no maple syrup, no honey? If I’m being honest, the thought of giving up sweet stuff altogether makes me shudder. I grew up in a house in which my sugar consumption was very strictly monitored. My sister and I would ride our bikes to the corner store to buy candy bars behind our mom’s back. For years afterwards, I was a total candy and soda addict and couldn’t control myself around sugar. I finally figured out how to regulate. Now I raise my daughter differently, to have access to sweets in moderation and to teach her how to self moderate. It’s not easy though, and we sometimes get off track. A reboot sounds like a good idea from time to time. Not a year, but maybe like a week? Read this to find out how one family did it, and how they felt at the end of the year. Thanks to my friend Annie for forwarding this along to me!

I have been subscribing to HelloFresh for a few weeks now, and overall I’m pretty pleased. I love their vegetable boxes because they are more affordable and we are also trying to eat more vegetarian meals. I cringe at the waste of packing materials but we are recycling them so I feel better about that. I love that we get to try new recipes that helps me get out of my meal ruts, especially when time is short and I have less time to give it thought. Tonight I made black bean quesadillas with caramelized onions and they were so good even my 11 year old gobbled them up. Click on the link for the recipe so you can make them at home! Use whole wheat or gluten free tortillas if that’s what appeals to you.

And finally, if you’ve been thinking “Gee, I really wish there was a funny food blog I could read today” look no further than ProntoPup. His most recent post on his attempt to go vegan, only to realize that he’s really a “vaguean” (not that there’s anything wrong with that) is hilarious, honest, and will make you wish you could have dinner with him. Spoiler alert, I get to have dinner with him, and it will probably consist of tofu steak!

Have a great rest of your week, you guys.  Don’t forget to check back on Friday for a new cocktail recipe!

 

Sniff sniff

On By Cultivate WellnessIn disease, health, Health and wellness, wellnessLeave a comment

medical mask emoji

Yesterday I started feeling slightly congested.  I have terrible allergies this spring (thanks climate change!) and figured it was just something blowing around in the wind.  By last night I was feeling achy and exhausted and that’s when I knew I had a dreaded springtime cold.

When I start to feel sick, I go into lockdown mode.  I cancel anything that’s not totally necessary and hunker down.  Rest is the most impactful thing you can do when you start to feel under the weather, and I’ve learned time and again that trying to push through only prolongs the misery. Netflix binges of Grace and Frankie and  Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are possibly indicated.

In addition to Netflix binges rest I also add a few remedies.  I drink a green smoothie in the mornings to slam as many fruits and veggies into my system as I can (if you’re interested in green smoothies, click here to learn about the challenge I did in the fall).  All those vitamins are fantastic immune boosters for when you aren’t feeling 100%.

green smoothie

In addition, I take astragalus three times a day in tincture form.  I love this product from Herb Pharm.  Click here for an information page on astragalus published by the National Institutes of Health.  It’s important to know about the herbs and other remedies you use before you start taking them.  I buy it at Whole Foods but you can also order it on Amazon. I also take Gaia Black Elderberry Syrup twice a day which I also get at Whole Foods.  Multiple studies published by the NIH have shown elderberry syrup to be antiviral and immune boosting.  Read here for one of them. I also use a neti pot to flush yucky stuff out of my sinuses.  Here’s a picture of a few different types of neti pots in case you haven’t seen them before and are wondering what in the fresh heck a neti pot is.

neti pot

I learned recently that it also helps when you have fluid in your ear.  Learning to use and get accustomed to a neti pot isn’t hard, in my opinion.  It’s not for everybody but I highly recommend it!  I buy packets of saline solution at my local drugstore.

I also eat copious amounts of raw garlic (sorry family) and drizzle raw honey on stuff because both are antiviral and the honey also soothes a sore throat and a cough.

And sleep.  Obviously.  If you can’t fit downtime into your day (many people can’t), then try going to bed extra early for a few nights.

Please comment below and tell me what you do to fight off “the crud”.  I’m always looking for new things to add to my repertoire!

***And as always, please know that I am not a doctor and I’m not authorized to prescribe any medical treatment to anyone.  Please check with your health care provider before adding any over the counter treatments.

Bikini Body

On By Cultivate WellnessIn body image, Cooking, Kids, wellness6 Comments

I’ve been agitated about something for a couple of weeks now.  Actually, agitated is the wrong word.  It’s not strong enough.  Angry as hell feels better to me.  Let me fill you in: My 11 year old daughter subscribes to Discovery Girls magazine.  It’s a magazine published by National Geographic, and it features stories and articles aimed at girls who love adventure and fun.  Its target audience is 8-12 year olds. Great!  Right?  

One day my daughter brings me a spread from the magazine with photos of bathing suits, and she says “This one is really pretty”.  Innocuous enough, right?  I noticed the title of the story was “What Swimsuit Best Suits You”.  I thought, “Awesome!  This will be an empowering feature on what swimsuit is best for whatever activity you love to do most — diving, swim team, cannonballs”. I’m envisioning sleek, aerodynamic sports suits that will stay put for those epic diving board moments.  

I was wrong.  It was an article on HOW TO DOWNPLAY YOUR FLAWS.  It featured phrases like “If you’re curvy on top, coverage is key!” And “side ties and cut-outs draw the eyes down” (Whose eyes?  They are children.)  “If you’re rounder in the middle, busy geometrics draw the eye inward!” I could keep going but I’m confident you see where this is going. 


I immediately cranked out several tweets to Discovery Girls to express my extreme displeasure.  And then I settled into how I really felt about this.  And what I felt was deep sadness.  My daughter, who still loves to play in the water, who still loves to dive for pennies, who still loves to horse around with her friends, was just told by a magazine I trusted that her body isn’t good enough the way it is.  That it has inherent flaws that she needs to hide. That her job is to create an image that is pleasurable to others. Sure, it won’t be the last time she hears this message.  BUT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME.   So, we had a discussion on what total crap that message is.  We talked about how everyone has different bodies and how each one is absolutely okay exactly how it is.  How she will hear messages like this throughout her life but that they are total bull honkey.  And I sent her off to play. In reality, the loudest voice she hears is mine. So I’m hoping all my positive messages drown out this insanely stupid one. 

Discovery Girls has since quasi-apologized for their misstep.  They received a lot of messages from a cadre of very angry parents. And rightfully so.  They took something from their readers in that feature.  For some girls it’ll sail right over their heads. No harm, no foul.  For others it could be the start of a tumultuous relationship with their bodies.  Only time will tell how each girl will respond to a message like this. But I think we can all agree that we should give our young girls (and boys!) all the time they deserve to be kids who just want to play.

 

Magnesium: “The Relaxer”

On By Cultivate WellnessIn diet, disease, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, supplement, wellness5 Comments

Do you suffer from stiff or sore muscles?  Have trouble relaxing enough to fall asleep at night? Suffer from chronic headaches?  (in this day and age, who doesn’t have one or all of these complaints?).  Having a magnesium deficiency can cause all sorts of problems.  About 50% of the population is deficient in magnesium, and teenagers are even more likely thanks to their higher consumption of junk food.

Reasons for a magnesium deficiency include stress, excess alcohol, sugar and caffeine consumption, and the Standard American Diet (SAD). Sound familiar?

But let’s back up so I can explain what magnesium is and what it does.  Magnesium is a crucial mineral that our bodies use to produce energy, metabolize carbohydrates and protein, and acts as a natural calcium channel blocker. Having ideal levels of magnesium helps balance our blood sugar levels, balances calcium, facilitates bringing nutrients into the cells and wastes out, and functions as a natural relaxant for our minds and muscles. 

If we don’t consume enough magnesium or we don’t supplement and our levels are low, a host of problems can occur, such as blood sugar imbalances, constipation, fatigue, muscle cramps, PMS, heart arrhythmias, high blood pressure, irritability and migraine, to name a few.

I personally love the Calm brand of effervescent magnesium that I buy on Amazon. It tastes great and works rapidly to help me relax at night.

Real food sources of magnesium include leafy greens, sea vegetables, algae, whole grains, nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin sees), avocados and blackstrap molasses. 

One more note: if you take magnesium it is recommended that you also supplement with calcium in a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio for best results.

 

***As always, make sure you speak with a doctor or practitioner before taking supplements.  I am not authorized to give medical advice and this blog post is not intended to treat or diagnose any diseases.

Confessional

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, wellness, yoga6 Comments

You know those confessionals that contestants in reality shows step into?  They sit down and pour their hearts out for all the world to hear.  Yeah, I would never do that.

I will, however, tell you what my New Year has been like so far.

  • I’ve said “no” to lots of things simply because I didn’t feel like saying “yes”.  I consider that a good thing.  It’s something I’ve been working on for, well my whole life.
  • I’ve continued to have a green smoothie nearly every day, and because of that I know I’m giving myself the benefit of high-quality nutrition.  It’s easy in winter to slip into eating only comfort foods.  I’m glad this has become a habit that I want to continue.
  • I’ve gotten some great outdoor exercise with friends in the form of snowshoeing and playing platform tennis.  The sunshine and fresh air really help my mood and disposition.
  • I have been enjoying my cooking adventures and have gotten some positive feedback from my family, which always makes me happy.

BUT

  • I’ll start by admitting that I haven’t been to yoga in like 9 months.  I know better.  I mean, I REALLY KNOW BETTER. Yoga for me is like popping some sort of magical focus and well-being pill.  It smooths out the edges and helps me think clearly and gives me a sense of equanimity I wouldn’t have otherwise.  So why haven’t I been?  It’s that thing of where you don’t do something and you don’t do something and you don’t do something and then all of a sudden it’s been so long it feels weird to go back.  Yeah, I need to get over that.
  • In exchange for my absence, I feel scattered and have had trouble focusing on my Nutrition Consultant schoolwork.  My notes are in like four different physical places.  I missed a crucial slide in a lecture.
  • I also have less energy and generally feel pretty blasé. This happens in winter.  I know this. Which is why I go to yoga.  My husband today said “You need to go back to yoga” and I’m like, “yeah, duh”.

So, who wants to place bets on how long it’ll take me to get into the studio again?  I’m pretty stubborn.

I’d love to hear from you.  How do you tackle those obstacles?  What things do you do that help with focus and energy? How is your 2016 going so far?

And one more thing before I go.  There are two blogs that I absolutely love.  The first, Word Savvy, is written by a good friend who is a brilliant writer and overall fantastic person.  Her musings on life and academia and literature always make me happy.

The second, Pronto Pup, is the most hilarious food blog you’ll ever encounter.  It’s dry and witty and totally NSFW in the best ways.  It is guaranteed to make you laugh and possibly snort, too.

Until next time!

 

BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to spend time with people you love and doing things that you enjoy.  I got to go to a northwoods cabin with my family, where we sat by the fire reading, went ice skating, ate yummy food and just enjoyed being together.  I slept in, went to bed early, and didn’t focus on chores or being productive.  It was fantastic.

I focused more on holiday baking the last several weeks than I did on cooking anything unique. When I’m busy and hectic, usually the first thing to go is my creativity in cooking.  I’ll revert back to things that don’t take much thought of effort.

Last night, after feeling sufficiently rested, I got back to cooking recipes from Gwyneth’s cookbook.  I had dogeared a BBQ chicken recipe that looked good, so that’s where I started. The result was pretty great — the marinade was easy enough.

I prepared the marinade in the morning and after smothering the chicken in it, stuck it in the fridge for about 6 hours.

marinade
Super easy marinade for the chicken

That evening, instead of grilling the chicken in 20 degree weather, I opted to bake it and then put it under the broiler at the end for several minutes to get the skin browned and crispy.  The family liked it, although we all agreed it could use a bit more salt.  Next time I will sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking (or finishing salt at the end).

I served the chicken with sautéed mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

We all love Brussels sprouts in this house
Kiddo hates mushrooms, but husband and I love them

I feel comfortable recommending adding this dish to your rotation! It’s easy, flavorful, and a bit different than the usual baked chicken.

BBQ chicken spanish style
BBQ Chicken, Spanish Style

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Large pinch of coarse sea salt

1 t freshly ground pepper

2 t hot pimentón (I used regular smoked paprika)

One 3-4 lb chicken, cut up (don’t remove skin, it’s the best part!)

METHOD:

Mix everything except the chicken in a bowl. Pour the paste all over the chicken pieces and massage it in, making sure to get it under the skin as well. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for an hour or two, or up to overnight. Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes until juices run clear.  Or, if it’s warm where you are, grill over low heat for 20 minutes on one side or until it’s firm to the touch and browned.

HEALTHY NEW YEAR

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, Health and wellness, holiday, wellness4 Comments

Another year has come and gone.  Now that I’m a grown-up, the years seem to go by so much faster than when I was a kid.  One day my kiddo is a newborn and the next she’s 11 and listening to Adele’s new album 21 on repeat. If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that time continues to tick on even if we aren’t ready for it.

The New Year is a perfect time to remember to take stock of what’s important (staying mindful, feeling gratitude, eating healthy, spending time with family) and toss out those things that aren’t (saying yes to anything you don’t want to do, living your life in “shoulds”, SlimFast shakes, you get the idea).

This coming week I’ll have a new Gwyneth recipe to share.  But in the meantime, enjoy your New Year’s Eve however you wish to spend it.  I’ll be hanging with my family at home eating sushi because the thought of going to some crowded event downtown gives me hives.  See how I said “no” to something I didn’t want to do?  It gets easier the more you do it. Practice it a lot this year. Trust me, it’ll change your life.

Happy New Year 2016

 

Hearty Lentil Soup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness8 Comments

lentil soup

As soon as the weather turns cooler here in the north, I start to crave hearty soups.  I love them when they are full of vegetables because it means I don’t have to serve anything on the side except some crusty bread.  I have a favorite soup that I make all winter and fall that also happens to be a favorite of my family.  Whenever I tell my 11 year old that it’s what we are having for dinner, she gets really excited.

I was late to the lentil game, and now I can’t imagine what I did before them.  Lentils are so full of protein and fiber and really make a soup an entire meal in a bowl.  They felt intimidating to me for some reason.  Now that I know I just have to rinse them and pick out any super weird looking ones, I’m good to go.

This recipe is inspired by a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis.  Over the years I’ve made quite a few changes to it and I really do love my updated version. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil (or just do what I do which is to pour some in a pot till it looks like enough)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, washed & chopped (I seriously don’t even peel them, just scrub)
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 large potato or 2 small potatoes, cubed (again, don’t peel them)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups vegetable broth (I love Better Than Bouillon)
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh spinach

METHOD:
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. I love to use my prized Le Creuset Dutch oven that I received one year for Christmas.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and stir. Then, add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender (about 5-8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Do not let vegetables burn. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the potatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Now, add the broth and stir. Nestle the thyme sprigs in the mix and then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Taste the soup and add any additionally salt and pepper (or more bouillon if using) it needs.

Remove the thyme sprigs. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a large handful of fresh spinach into the bowl and mix to wilt.  Serve with crusty warm bread.  We are partial to sourdough rolls or garlic bread.

THANKSGIVING

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, Cooking, diet, eating, health, Health and wellness, holiday, Nutrition, thanksgiving, wellness1 Comment

thanksgiving table

It’s Monday, and for Americans it’s also the week of Thanksgiving.  This is usually the week where we think and talk about food nonstop.  What will we make?  What will we eat?  What will we have for leftovers?  Pie. Casserole.  Marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes.  Stuffing (my FAVORITE).  It’s a bit overwhelming.

Many fitness and diet experts will give you all kinds of rules and tips to navigate the holidays.  And many of those tips and tricks sap all the fun out of everything.  Don’t eat carbs.  Don’t have gravy.  Skip the dinner roll.  Only have one glass of wine.  Calories in/calories out.

I say, forget that.  Remember that quote I posted last week about how it’s what you eat on a regular basis that counts?  

It's fine to socializeoccasionally with special food and drink.-2

It’s true.  Do you nourish your body with the good stuff more often than not?  Do you give yourself ample opportunities to eat fruits and veggies and drink lots of water?  Even if you answered no, are you really going to start doing this on THANKSGIVING?

Stressing yourself out and feeling anxious and guilty about what you eat messes with your stress hormones, which release into your body, flooding it with chemicals that will inhibit your digestion.  The stress hormone Cortisol is to blame for excess belly fat in many people.  So do me a favor (heck, do yourself the favor) and relax.  If you’re going to eat something decadent, do it with joy and happiness.  Don’t sneak it.  Don’t chew it up quickly and swallow the evidence before anyone has a chance to “catch” you.  Savor it. Enjoy every bite.  AND MOST OF ALL, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. When it’s had enough, respect that and put the fork down. And for goodness sake, never, ever comment on how much someone else is eating, what their body looks like, or how it’s now time to “work off all those calories”. 

And the next day, enjoy a green smoothie as part of my Green Smoothie Challenge, a bit of exercise, some fresh air, and the company of the people around you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!