Avocados

Avocados are probably my new favorite food. I have been putting them in everything. My new favorite quick meal is:

Brown Rice Pasta with Avocado.

Boil Brown Rice Pasta about 8-12 minutes or until tender and drain. Place in bowl and add 1/3 of a cut up avocado. Add about 1 tbsp Olive Oil, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp dill, and 2 tsp coriander. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired (I don't always use them). Delicious.

I have also recently tried the same recipe but with brown rice and adding scrambled egg whites to the mix. Also delicious.


A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools. (Spanish proverb).

Dandelion Tea

Dandelion Tea has become one of my best friends. It acts as an herbal detox and helps with water retention. I drink it maybe once or twice a week. I also make sure I'm drinking water all throughout the day everyday. It has been something I've gotten in the habit of doing to stay hydrated and keep my body functioning properly as well as to give my skin a healthy glow.

I just read an article that drinking tea (black, green, herbal) throughout the day might be even more beneficial than water b/c of antioxidants and other health benefits. It is the summer so if you are looking for a cold glass of iced tea then brew a pitcher of your favorite black, green or herbal tea using about 5 tea bags and let it sit in the refridgerator for a few hours. Add mint leaves for a refreshing taste!


"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way." Thich Nhat Hanh

Pizza!

Not the usual pizza, but it works and is very healthy.

What you need: Orgran pizza/pastry mix. Organic sugar-free tomato sauce (or chopped up tomatos) whatever toppings you choose! I tend to choose from: zucchini, squash, asparagus, red, green, and yellow bell peppers and spinach as staples but you could add chicken (pre-cooked of course) fish or anchovies. Bilinksi's organic chicken sausage is very tasty for a topping!

Follow the instructions on the Orgran pizza mix box. You will need to add olive oil and sometimes I like to add rice milk as well. Once the mix is ready and spread out on a baking sheet add toppings. Bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.



*As for an update from me, I have been feeling great these past few weeks. I continue to go to the rock climbing gym about 1-2 X per week and I play on an Ultimate frisbee team about 1-2 X per week. Aside from that I like to do pilates, yoga, african dance class, jogging or bike riding and I'm still looking for new fun activities to engage in. Climbing and frisbee have been my constants and they are two activities that I really enjoy so throughout the week I can vary up the off days and try new things. I was never a fan of just running but now that I don't depend on it as my primary means of exercise I am able to do it more often. I guess it's a mind game with me. The biggest thing that has helped me to become active again was finding sports that are fun for me and not a chore.

I went to see my allergy doctor this week for a check-up. When I walked in the door she said I looked great, which is very encouraging. I talked with her and she said that I may be able to heal and eat yeast again but it is very difficult for adults once they develop an intolerance. So I am accepting that there is a possibility I may have to deal with this for the rest of my life, but if that means I must continue to eat very healthy, go climbing and play ultimate frisbee every week, I think I'm OK with it :)

Mindfulness and Meditation...And Minus the Salt

I am trying out a very low sodium diet. I had been adding salt to most of my meals to enhance the flavor but I think that could be contributing to some of the problems, so I am backing out on my salt intake as much as I can to see if it helps. I have read that the estimated sodium level that we need per day is about 500mg a day (about 1/4 tsp salt or 1/2 cup soup broth) and the average American consumes on average between 2172-4126mg a day. Sodium is necessary for your body to function but too much of it can cause problems. My plan is to use about 1/4 tsp salt a day and keep it to that if I can (realistically some days might be higher than others.) Sodium can be found in many many processed foods. Fortunately, I don't eat too many of those kinds of foods but I still need to be careful.

I have been increasing the amounts of herbs and spices when I cook. My basil, thai basil, chives, and collard greens are still doing well and all I have to do is pick some leaves off when I am cooking and add them into my meal.

On another note, youtube has become one of my best friends recently. I search for "relaxation music" and I've been loving some of the results. I listen to it at work sometimes to relieve stress and calm myself. There is also a Deepak Chopra Guided Meditation that is very helpful.


"in the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." Deepak Chopra

Getting My Hands in the Earth

I try to eat organic food when I can not only for environmental purposes but I also don't like the idea of having pesticides and other chemicals in my stomach. I think that would just contribute to the problems. I live in an apt so I don't have outdoor garden space but I decided to try to grow some potted plants indoors anyway. Right now I am growing basil, thai basil, chives, and collard greens (plus some non edible plants :) ) I am planning on getting some mint and kale. For myself it is a good idea to try to grow herbs and greens because I use them a lot. I hear fennel is good for settling the stomach so I might try that, too.

I've recently found that being around nature and growing my own plants, herbs, and veggies has been very therapeutic for me as well. My allergy doctor, when I first started seeing her, said, "Food is your medicine." I think the whole process of growing, preparing, and eating my food as well as taking care of the environment is my medicine. Making art when I can also helps relieve the stress.

Note: for the chia seeds and sunflower/flax bread. I had been adding chia seeds to my meals and tried to make my own sunflower/pumpkin seed/flax seed "bread" with agave nectar and olive oil. I did experience stomach pain and bloating, so I think the proper procedure is to start out with small amounts of chia seeds or flax seeds and work your way up.


Food: right now I am enjoying leftovers of a meal I made. I made brown rice pasta, and I sauteed sweet potatoes, green peppers, asparagus, and chopped onions (added turmeric, dill, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic.) It's pretty tasty.


Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds delight to play with your hair. Kahlil Gibran

Chicken and Quinoa

Tonight I basically just threw together my dinner. In fact, that's how I cook most of the time. So I cut up 3 small green peppers and threw them in a sauce pan with a little salt, garlic and ginger. I covered it and let it sit for a few minutes and then added chicken breasts (always get no added hormones and antibiotics). I cooked it at medium temperature until the chicken was almost cooked all the way through and then added the asparagus and 1 chopped zucchinni and cooked that about 5 more minutes (or until chicken is cooked and asparagus is tender). I topped the dish with chives and served with the quinoa.


Still staying active with climbing and ultimate risbee. I also just got a pair of the Vibram FiveFinger KSO shoes so I am excited to take a run and try them out. I am realizing that a lot of my energy comes from being around nature and in the sun so I'm trying to be more outdoorsy.


"How you imagine the world determines how you live in it." David Suzuki.

Sun-Flax Original

So I was in Whole Foods picking out my Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats that I like to eat for breakfast (with fruit, nuts, and cinnamon and a sprinkle of salt) when I ran across raw organic vegan bread. It is Love Force Sun-Flax Original, you can buy it online (although the price is kind of steep). It's gluten free and the only ingredients are: raw organic sunflower seeds, raw organic flax seeds, raw organic agave nectar, and raw organic celtic sea salt. It's good for a snack or to have along with a light meal like a salad.

My other recent purchase at Whole Foods (or like my brother says, whole paycheck) was Chia seeds. A friend of mine told me that they are super healthy for you and full of all sorts of vitamins and nutrients and that health nuts eat them. I couldn't wrap my head around eating a chia pet? Would a chia pet start to grow in my stomach?

I had baked a casserole of zucchini, squash, asparagus, and onions with quinoa (cooked the quinoa first) and brown rice bread crumbs (can be found at Whole Foods or Wegmans or most health food stores). The spices/herbs I added were oregano, salt, basil, rosemary, and dill. I baked it about 25 minutes on 400. I ate some leftovers for lunch today and sprinkled some chia seeds in it.

Lately I've been feeling pretty good because I've been active. I go rock climbing (my new love) about 2 or 3 times a week and play on an ultimate frisbee team. I'm trying to go running/hiking as much as I can as well. I'm trying to balance the cost of pricey foods that I eat (vegan bread, organic peanut butter, rice milk etc.) with buying fruits and veggies at the truck by my house or going to the produce junction instead of the grocery store.


Happy Friday!


I got troubles oh but not today, cause they're gonna wash away, they're gonna wash away... Joe Purdy