Eating Well

Well, maybe.  We humans can't quite figure out this very basic survival instinct, can we?

Having read multiple books and watched documentaries and listened to lectures and so on, it seems that we are very confused what how to eat well.  No matter how much we praise things like flax today, tomorrow it will be deemed over-estrogenic and out out out!  And it is generally well-known these days that low-fat diets lead to weight instability (and inhibit healthy brain function) and that once-vilified butter is way better for you than trans-fatty margarine. It seems to me that keeping it simple is the way to go.

Of course, I'm not the first person to notice this (thank you Michael Pollan, personal idol).

And I mean simple in a variety of ways.  Unless we have diagnosed health problems, our nutrition should not be so complex that we cannot figure it out for ourselves - after learning the basics, of course. It should also not be so strict that we can never indulge.  I call this the Mental Happiness-Body Forgiveness Principle (actually, I don't and just made up that term right now).  If I don't feel like a bad person for enjoying a slice of birthday cake or poorly planning my day's food plan, I will probably feel good and healthy afterwards.

And our food should generally be simple, too.  Limiting pre-packaged and processed foods makes a huge difference, which throws a wrench into the simplicity of planning meals. Now, understand that I make complicated foods at home, like gumdrops and marshmallows.  Each of these require a couple of processed ingredients that I wouldn't suggest eating all of the time, like carageenan gel and boxed pectin, and well, sugar, albeit organic and fair trade.

People tend to make the assumption that I have a sugar addiction, which is not true.  Sure, I enjoy sugary treats, but for me candy works perfectly. If I want something sweet, a couple of pieces of candy quenches the desire and I'm done with it.  I understand that having candy around doesn't work like that for everyone, though.

So why am I offering this diatribe?

I just finished with the main phase of testing my food sensitivities.  And speaking of simplicity, this was an inordinately complex process. Each day started with a large glass of water and liver-support tea before eating anything.  And before coffee.  I also tend to skip breakfast normally, so I had to get on schedule.  Breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner were all planned and balanced and, thankfully, good.  But I did have to make and pack all of my food, every day.

Water is calculated on individual body weight, daily weather, and activity level.  It's a normal amount of water, but I needed to drink steadily throughout the day and not save it all for the evening like I tend to do.

I also needed to take a probiotics supplement.  I should start by stating that I feel weird about supplements - or anything that is expensive and takes weeks to work, if it does at all, and offers no proof of success. And the whole Butter-Margarine-Butter Problem (also just made that up), in which a wonderful new supplement is considered poison a year later (fish oil, I'm looking at you).  But probiotics are awesome.

Without getting too detailed, taking a program of probiotics does wonders if your systematic yeast is off.  I will try to keep this short, especially if you've seen Gentlemen Broncos and would rather never hear the word "yeast" again. Basically, because I've taken antibiotics a couple of times in the past year, my bacterial balance was thrown off.  I cannot believe how much better I feel after the probiotics.  It worked within two weeks and now I'm done with them until the next time I notice symptoms.


Anyway, I felt great for the duration of this process.  I'm currently taking a three day break to enjoy the holiday weekend and eat some treats, but now I have a common sense plan to go back to.  Here it is:

• Eat three meals a day, plus a snack and a small dessert.
• Lunch and dinner should be mostly vegetables, some cooked and some raw.  Don't eat anything raw that doesn't sound appealing raw.  (That's my takeaway, since raw zucchini sounded gross and it was gross and it made me feel gross.)
• Remember to include protein. Fat, too, but I was already on board with that.
• Remember to eat fruit (I'm notoriously bad about actually eating fruit).
• Stop drinking water a few hours before going to bed.
• Stick to olive oil and butter for cooking fats.
• Weigh oneself every morning to collect data on weight gain.  This is for checking water retention (read: inflammation), not actual weight.
• Keep track of other negative responses to food, like upset stomach, increase in seemingly-unrelated health issues, traditional allergic reactions, or skin irritation.
• Continue to make meals look appealing and attractive and enjoy them.
• Don't worry about it.

These guidelines allow me to feel well and determine if a new food is something I react to.  Or that something that is commonly reactive is fine for me, like wheat or dairy (YES!).

So here's a balanced meal that makes me feel good.  Hopefully it makes you feel good, too.


A BALANCED VEGETARIAN DINNER

• olive oil
• onion, sliced hull-to-hull
• carrots, diced
• beet (here I used a candy-stripe or "chioggia" beet), diced
• zucchini, diced
• 2-4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• kale, chopped
• handful of mixed greens per serving
• apple, diced
• 2 ounces cheese, diced (I used blue cheese) (optional)
• 1 ounce goat cheese, per serving (or 2-3 ounces if not using other cheese)
• balsamic vinegar
• dried cherries or cranberries, handful per serving (optional)
• pepitas or sunflower seeds, handful per serving
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon-ish of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until softened, then add carrots and beets.  Once softened, add zucchini and shiitakes.  Continue to sauté until all vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned on the edges.  Season with salt and pepper, toss, and add kale.  Stir in gently and cook until kale is bright green.  Put about half of this on a plate and top with goat cheese and seeds.

Place mixed greens in a bowl and  top with apple, cheese, and dried fruit.  In a jar, pour in equal amounts balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Add a pinch of salt, cover, and shake to emulsify and pour over salad.

Depending on  your opinions about combining apples and dried fruit with everything, you may want to stick with just goat cheese and mix half of the cooked veg directly into the salad.  Top with the goat cheese, vinaigrette, and seeds and dig in.

(About 2 servings)

And finally, don't forget to enjoy these last few weeks of summer!

The Plan, or "Dieting"

I will be the first to tell you, I don't diet.

I'm of healthy weight and like to eat.  General concepts like "everything in moderation" and "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" work better for me than psyllium husks; non-fat, food-like products; and fake sugar.  I find the forced limitations of dieting to be damaging in more ways than beneficial.  Not to mention that the latest new thing will be negated in a few days or years and replaced by the next, with equal and exhausting enthusiasm.

On the other hand, I'm not too fond of my poor complexion or dry eyes or other discomforts that bother me from time to time.  And I have allowed myself to be convinced that if I find which foods might be causing these reactions in my body, I might just be able to clear them up.  How great would that be?

Well, perhaps not so great if it is determined that I react negatively to foods I love.  Like any member of the nightshade family or mushrooms or dairy.  Or wheat.  But, I already do not eat the foods I dislike, so I suppose that the culprits must be ones I enjoy.

Taking in all the factors, I have decided to complete a three-week regimen that is something like a modified elimination diet.  I repeat, I am not interested in losing weight.  I want to reiterate this fact, because I do not have a weight problem and have shocked at least four (well-rounded, intelligent, open-minded) people by stating that I do not have an innate "female" desire to be über-thin and consequentially well-liked by all.  I simply want to be healthy and feel good.

Luckily, the food I am eating throughout the regimen is satisfying.  Whole and low-reactive foods can still be delicious and, well, pretty!  Making my meals look good makes a huge difference when I'm missing lattes and pastries.  Or any of the celebratory LaMar Donuts that my coworkers brought into work last week (they're so good!).  It also helps that if I feel fine after eating wheat and dairy products this week, lattes and pastries are in my near future.  Woo-hoo!

It is somehow comforting that I did not feel fine after eating copious amounts of flax seeds last week.  Ugh.  I am supposed to start my day with a bowlful of "flax granola" (above), which is a morning routine I quickly came to dread...even the prettiness of it couldn't save that one for me.  Then I realized that me practically gagging on the stuff was some sort of a negative reaction and that I should probably eliminate this "fabulous" health food.  Since cutting this part out and replacing it with tasty things, like fruit and Silk Coconut milk, I feel so much better emotionally about breakfast that I feel better physically, too.  Yay!  First "diet" lesson learned.

Everything else has been satisfying and fulfilling.  It feels wonderful to have eaten 99% whole foods for several days, but to also feel full and eat good-tasting meals. It's nice to discover that recipes that sound boring, like julienned carrots and a shredded raw beet (above, with a candy stripe beet from my garden), are actually really great.

I'm learning to put together common-sense, balanced meals and am looking forward to the end of the trial period, when I can start developing my own recipes that are based on a solid, balanced theory of eating.  I think it will lead to some brand-new, delicious recipes for Omnivora!

Most importantly, figuring out what doesn't really work for me doesn't mean that anything is out of my life forever.  I can learn how to manage problematic foods in a way that allows me to enjoy them if I love them.  And that is what eating well is all about, right?



MANGO CUCUMBER SALSA
Adapted from The Plan, by Lyn-Genet Recitas*

• 1 mango, small dice
• 1 pickling or English cucumber, small dice
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño
• sea salt
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

If you have a gas range (and I hope you do!), roast jalapeño over open flame, until well-blistered.  Set aside to cool.

Combine mango, cucumber, and lime juice in a bowl.  Mince jalapeño and stir into salsa, along with cilantro, if using.  Salt to taste and serve with anything you can think of...like fish or other meat, or tortilla chips, or broiled tofu.  It's delicious and you will love it.  I will be making it for an upcoming salsa party.


*The dietary plan I am following is The Plan, by Lyn-Genet Recitas.  I really am having a great time with it and I hope to learn about the foods I don't handle well.  The book is an interesting read, but could use a cookbook editor - planning for The Plan can get out of control.  The website offers shopping lists and alternate menu plans, based on previously held dietary restrictions.  It definitely helps if you like to make spreadsheets and are generally analytical like I am.

Garden Series Part IV: Peas in a Pod

Peas are a given when you have a garden.  But what can we actually do with them when they come into season?

If you're not very careful, they are easy to miss in a mass of tendrils and stalks.  They are very good at hiding and turn from sweet peas into starchy seeds in what seems like a matter of minutes.  When I am harvesting them, it's customary for me to stand there in the garden and eat all the ones I can find before they make the long trek to the kitchen counter.

However, this summer has provided an extended season (believe it or not, this summer has been cooler than the last couple).  My new location for peas seems to be favorable, as well, growing right up the side of a privacy fence.  That, combined with the determination to make something out of the peas, has led to a whole post with an actual recipe.

Okay, okay, so there are not pounds of peas here.  I made a reduced recipe and ate my soup all in one sitting.  But it was the right amount of peas for spending some time on the back patio shelling them and enjoying a cool morning and some peace (no homophone intended).  The soup itself took about fifteen minutes and not too much laboring over a hot stove.

I'm keeping in mind this year to use my favorite cookbook: Tender, by Nigel Slater.  Not only is the book perfect for vegetable gardeners, as it is organized by vegetable, it is beautifully written and worth reading on its own. Slater writes about each vegetable with a sort of honest reverence, without ever tipping the balance to the over-sentimental.  There is also good advice for each vegetable, like which simple ingredients pair well, gardening tips, and the names of many wonderful heirloom varieties.  And he offered me new ways to think about the humble garden pea.


FRESH PEA SOUP
Adapted from "A Green Soup for a Summer's Day;" Tender, by Nigel Slater

• Large head of lettuce (14 oz.), chopped roughly
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped finely
• 1 lb. peas (after shelling)
• 1 quart vegetable broth (or water)
• Handful of herbs
• Salt and pepper
• Heavy cream, to garnish
• Sumac, to garnish

As Nigel warns, wash lettuce thoroughly.  Grit ruins everything when it come to lettuce.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot.  Stir in onion, and cook until softened and fragrant.  Add the lettuce and stir until wilted.  Add peas along with broth and herbs and bring to a simmer.  I used lemon balm and thyme, because that's what I have.  Mint is a good idea, but I forgot to grow it this year.

Allow mixture to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until peas are cooked.  Season with salt and pepper and puree in a blender until very smooth.  Remember to remove the center of the blender lid to allow for heat ventilation - I don't want you to have to clean soup off of the ceiling.

Pour into bowls (3 or 4) and drizzle a tablespoon or so of heavy cream over each serving.  Sprinkle with sumac. While the soup does not need to be chilled, I found that room temperature was nice.  Especially for summer.

Side note: Do NOT underestimate the value of making your own food look nice.  Presentation means a lot when you are dining out, and it can bring some cheer to your home cooked meals, too.  Initially, the sumac was just for prettiness, but it ended up adding the perfect touch of tartness and earthiness to the soup.

First, Salad

The garden has shown a rather remarkable renewal in the past week.

While I have been convalescing inside, the lettuce has been growing, the red mustard is showing its color, and a meadow of dill as popped up.

Everything is loving the arrival of warm weather, so much that it's time to start thinning the rows and debating what is a weed and what is not.  I began picking out the extra plants and gathered a rather large handful that came together like a bouquet.  Above is a mix of heirloom lettuces, green and red mustard, arugula, watercress, bok choy, and dill.  There's a French Breakfast Radish in there, too, but it's striking color is hidden underneath the rest of the bundle.

I didn't take the radish out to take pictures, because, as you can see, I had to work quickly!  Everyone loves a good, green salad.  Even bonafide carnivores.

With my appetite coming back, nourishment is on my mind.  My go-to salad combination is a quick homemade vinaigrette, dried fruit, and nuts.  Cheese would be awesome, but I only wanted blue cheese or chèvre - of which I'm out.

So now I get to eat peacefully on my back patio, enjoying the weather, eating food I grew, reading a novel. Maybe I won't take off to North Carolina after all.


GARDEN SALAD

• large bowl of mixed greens, including herbs, washed and rinsed
• a radish or two, sliced thinly
• dried fruit of choice (here I used apricots)
• nuts of your choice (walnuts today)
• olive oil
• fresh lemon juice or vinegar of choice
• dijon or other prepared mustard (not the bright yellow American kind)
• salt and pepper to taste

Add radishes, fruit, and nuts to bowl of greens.

For the dressing, pour a few tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar into a small mason jar.  Add an equal amount of olive oil - since it separates, you don't need to measure, just eyeball it.  Add a spoonful of mustard, cap, and shake.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Basically, it's easier than shaking the hell out of a new bottle of store-bought and still getting grease everywhere, so you may as well make it yourself.

Pour dressing on the salad and toss.  Eat outside.