Healthy Lifestyle Blog

I love kale. I grew up loving kale. My mother used to make kale soup (not my favorite) and then she’d take the cooked kale and prepare it with garlic and eggs, and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I no longer eat eggs, but kale is still a staple.

It is easy to grow, and I have had kale winter over in southern Vermont for 3 years. Sadly last year the kale plants became infested with aphids and I had to pull them out. I now have some new plants growing and look forward to harvesting some for smoothies, salads and kale chips.

Curly Kale in the Garden

Kale likes cool weather, but I have never had a problem growing it in the northeast throughout the summer. I have even seen it growing as an ornamental (and I’m not referring to the plant that is in a tight head for that purpose), planted among flowers. The curly green leaves add much beauty to the beds, and then you can eat it!

I typically add some kale to my smoothies and soups. Here’s a recipe for a creamy kale salad. Because kale may be difficult to digest raw, it is best to massage it with salt and an acid (in this recipe I use lemon juice) until it “cooks.” The salt and acid break down the cellulose walls and make it more digestible.

Creamy Kale

1 large bunch of kale
1-2 tomatoes
1-2 lemons
2 ripe avocados
Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil (optional – drizzle in if too dry)
Optional: cayenne, scallions or onions

1. Strip kale off the stems, then cut or tear into small pieces (you may save the stems for juicing). Or, use a food processor for this, pulsing gently in small batches. Do not liquefy the kale.
2. Sprinkle with some salt and hand process, massaging the kale until it takes on a cooked appearance. It will greatly reduce in volume. The salt actually cooks the kale by breaking down the cell walls.
3. Squeeze one or two lemons onto the kale and massage again. The acid in the lemon juice will continue “cooking” the kale.
4. Cut the avocados in half and score in a criss-cross fashion. Scoop out with a spoon and mix it thoroughly with your hands, “smooshing” (a special culinary term) it well to create a creamy texture. (Kids love to do this!) For a chunkier salad, reserve half an avocado and toss in without smooshing.
5. Toss in the diced tomatoes, and the (optional) chopped scallions and cayenne.

Dark, leafy greens are among nature’s most beneficial foods. Kale is a great food if you’re looking to protect your health and enjoy a delicious food at the same time. The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables such as kale kelp detoxify cells, clearing free radicals and potential carcinogens, which may be why cruciferous vegetables appear to be able to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers and also provide significant cardiovascular benefits as well. Studies consistently show that diets high in cruciferous vegetables are associated with lower incidence of a variety of cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, breast and ovarian cancer.  Kale is also known for its carotenoids, which prevent damage to the eyes from excessive exposure to ultraviolet light, offering a protective effect against cataracts. Kale is an excellent source of traditional nutrients, as well, including vitamins A, C, B, and manganese and a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper, and potassium. The benefits go on… Kale is helpful for immune support, reducing inflammatory conditions such as asthma and arthritis, preventing colds and recurrent ear infections. Kale is also a very good source of calcium, important for bone health, and vitamin E, shown to slow the loss of mental function. The combination of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients makes kale a health superstar!

Nutrition information source: World’s Healthiest Foods

When I tell people that my mother had two sisters who were centenarians, and that she was with us until one week shy of her 98th birthday, most respond that I must have great genes. For a long time I believed that to be the case, but have learned that a nourishing lifestyle is far more important than genes.

Bruce Lipton, in “Biology of Belief,” demonstrates that cellular environment can control cell function, and states that genes only account for about 5% of disease. After reading John Robbins’ book, “Healthy at 100,” and listening to Dan Buettner’s TED talk, “How to Live to be 100+,” the impact of lifestyle on longevity has become even more clear to me.

Both Robbins and Buettner studied societies where longevity is prevalent, and came to similar conclusions. Yes, a nourishing diet is important (typically plant-based), as is exercise (usually integrated into daily life). But to me the most compelling factor that contributes to longevity is social and spiritual nourishment. In each of the communities that are noted for longevity, the the elders are respected, valued and celebrated; they are connected to family and friends; and they are also connected to purpose, the reason they wake up in the morning. Do you know what your purpose is?

For the past four years I have attended RISE, the BraveHeart Women annual gathering of women from all around the world. These five days in California nourish me. They connect me with a community of amazing women and provide the spiritual and social nourishment that helps me transform. I wouldn’t miss it.

Isn’t it time to live a life that nourishes YOU?

RISE is sold out but I purchased a block of tickets and still have a few left at a VERY discounted price. Call Marilyn for details – 802-254-9121.

Summertime is the best time of the year for enjoying healthy locally grown produce. Here on Long Island there are increasing numbers of farmers markets, where you can find an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as other locally produced goods.

I love the Brattleboro Farmers Market where I can chat with local farmers, purchase freshly harvested veggies and fruits or plants to add to my garden, enjoy a delicious homemade lunch, browse the handcrafted items and maybe even buy a gift or two, enjoy some live music and watch the children in the sandbox. Whenever I am in Vermont, I make a point of spending some time at the Farmers Market. New farmers markets are cropping up all over the country. To find one near you just visit http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/.

Another option for enjoying the local harvest is to become a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA members support local farms by prepaying for a share of the harvest, and in return they receive a weekly share of the harvest – vegetables, fruits, herbs, and/or flowers. It’s a great way to try new foods while supporting local farms, your health and the environment.

If you are transitioning to a mostly raw plant-based lifestyle, summer is a great time to do so. Enjoy your bigger meals early in the day, and save dinner for something light. I typically start my day with a bowl of fresh fruit or a delicious smoothie. For lunch I enjoy a huge salad dressed with freshly squeezed lemon. I often add some hemp or sunflower seeds, or some diced avocado, for a healthy fat. If I am hungry for dinner, it is usually something light.

I often hear from friends about how they can’t believe how much they ate at a holiday event. They complain about feeling sluggish, gaining weight and wonder how I survive the holidays.

Rather than survive, I would rather thrive! So  I have a few strategies that help me feel great throughout the season.

• Bring a delicious healthy dish to share. This way you know there will be at least one thing that you will eat and you can show others how delicious your healthy lifestyle is!
• Eat something whole and nutritious so that you won’t be hungry at the party.
• Focus on socializing and connecting with friends and family rather than eating.
• Decide ahead of time which foods you choose NOT to eat. As a vegan, it’s easy, since much of what you find on the buffet table typically contains some animal products. I don’t feel deprived, though, because I have already eaten something before leaving home, and I brought a dish that I love!
• Commit to only one dessert. Or, if you must, a small taste of two. Choose wisely!

When it comes to gift-giving, try to be mindful in your choices. Check out my previous post on Mindful Gift-Giving for ideas.

In honor of Interdependence Day, I prepared a green smoothie to represent the wonderful abundance our earth provides for us.

This is a favorite among raw newbies and raw foodies alike. I had the pleasure of serving samples of this recently and received rave reviews. It consists of thinly sliced zucchini filled with cashew cheese and topped with Marilyn’s Marinara Sauce and Basil Pesto.

Cashew “Ricotta” Cheese
(recipe adapted from Raw Food Real World. by Matthew Kenny & Sarma Melngailis)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked 2 hours or more
1 medium shallot, peeled and chopped
zest of one lemon
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 to 1 tsp. Himalayan or Celtic salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup water (depending on desired consistency)
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

Procedure:

1. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT the water and parsley in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until as smooth as possible.
2. Add water, small amounts at a time to achieve the desired consistency. If making lasagna, you will want a softer consistency so it is easier to spread.
3. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice if desired.
4. Transfer to a medium bowl and fold in the minced parsley.

Stored in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator, cashew ricotta will keep for 3-5 days. Tastes best served at room temperature.

Zucchini Rollatini

Ingredients:

1/2 zucchini per serving
batch of cashew ricotta

Procedure:

1. Cut off both ends and peel the zucchini if desired (or if not organic).
2. Using a mandonile or a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini lengthwise very thinly.
3. Lay three slices side by side, overlapping a little. Cut the overlapped strips in half. This will make two rollatini.
4. Place a spoonful of cashew ricotta across the sliced zucchini at the end closest to you. Roll the zucchini around the cheese. Repeat until you have three to five rollatini per serving.

Top with Marilyn’s Marinara Sauce and Basil Pesto.

If you have read my Facebook Comments, you already know that I take a strong position on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) AKA GE (Genetically Engineered) foods.  Often the comment is encourage the reader to take action against the approval of one GMO or another.

My preferred approach, however, is to fight FOR something, rather than AGAINST. Whatever we give our attention to receives our energy, and gives it more power. SO… I propose that from now on, whenever we think of GMO, we say Give Me Organic! This way our energy will be going to support organic foods.

That said, because our government does not require any labeling to identify foods that contain GE ingredients, I suggest that you download a Non-GMO Shopping Guide from http://nongmoshoppingguide.com/download.html. And let your representatives in Washington know that you want them to support Organic Farming. That is our best protection from contamination of our food supply.

Every day we have an opportunity to vote with our dollars. Vote GMO – GIVE ME ORGANIC!

It’s becoming fashionable to be green. More and more of us are becoming more aware of  ways to have less impact on the environment. We’re driving hybrid cars, using compact fluorescent bulbs, and recycling our garbage.

We don’t often think of the way we eat as a way of being “green,” yet our food choices can have a greater impact on the environment than any of the other actions we take. One way to green your diet is to eat greens!

Dark leafy green vegetables are among the healthiest foods on the planet, and some believe they should be designated as a separate food group because of their high concentration of nutrients. Sometimes called “nature’s scrub brush,” greens are an abundant source of insoluble fiber that acts like a sponge, gathering toxins from the colon and transporting them out of the body. Greens also alkalize the body, which helps prevent and reverse inflammation and disease.

Greens – Beyond Salad

For most of us, the only greens we eat on a regular basis are found in a tossed salad. Typically, these salads contain some kind of lettuce, baby greens and/or spinach. But there are many ways to enjoy your greens beyond salad.

One of the simplest ways of eating substantial amounts of greens is in a blended form. The benefit of blending greens is that they can be consumed raw, thus retaining all the nutrients and enzymes, and they are more digestible because the cellulose is broken down in the blending process.

My favorite way to get daily servings of greens is in a green smoothie. This is a delicious, nutritious way to start the day. Green smoothies typically consist of fruit, greens and a liquid. You may add other ingredients, but these are the basics.

When you are new to green smoothies, I suggest using small amounts of mildly flavored greens like romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, baby bok choy, mesclun mix, Swiss chard or collard greens. Try not to be put off by the color, especially if you add a red fruit, which will cause your green smoothie to turn brown! (Think about what happens when you mix red and green paint.) If you can’t get beyond the color, pour the smoothie into an opaque cup with a lid, and sip it with a straw. Actually this is a good way to introduce resistant children to this healthy alternative to sugar laden breakfast cereal.

Green Smoothie Smile
(to go with the green shirt and balloon!)

Here is one of an infinite number of ways to prepare a green smoothie.

Chef Marilyn’s Green Orange Julius

1 banana
1 orange – cut off peel, leaving some of the white pith
1/4 lemon, peel and seeds removed
1 – 2 medjool dates, pitted (optional)
1/2 – 1 cup water, depending on how thick you want your smoothie
small piece of ginger, peeled (optional)
large handful of coarsely chopped greens – if using kale or collards, strip the leaf off the stem

1. Place the ingredients in a blender.
   
2. Blend at the highest speed until smooth. You may add ice for extra thickness and to chill the smoothie.
3. Be sure to “chew” your smoothie – digestion begins in the mouth. Savor the flavor in your mouth for about 10 seconds before swallowing and allow the enzymes in your saliva to begin the digestive process.
   

This is just a basic recipe. You may vary the fruits based on what’s in season or personal preference. You may also add a tablespoon of ground flax seeds for a dose of omega 3s.

So green up your life with some greens!

MarilynChiarello, founder of A Taste of Light, is a certified raw vegan chef, educator and health coach. She offers a variety of services including health coaching, classes, dinner parties, consultations and presentations. For more information, visit aTasteofLight.com or contact her directly – Marilyn@aTasteofLight.com or 516-671-7037.

If you would like to receive more recipes and a monthly newsletter including articles about health and the environment, event updates and more, please submit your email address by clicking on the link in the sign-up box at the top of the right sidebar. For notification of blog updates only, you may subscribe directly or via RSS. You may unsubscribe at any time.

OK. I admit it. I watch the Food Network from time to time, and am kind of hooked on the program, Chopped, a three-round elimination competition among 4 chefs who prepare 3 courses using ingredients provided in a mystery basket. I never seen a basket that had all vegan ingredients (except an occasional dessert basket). I wish there was a vegan version of this show… better yet, a RAW vegan version.

Unfortunately, most television shows about food focus  on competition between chefs, recipes for less than healthy meals, and/or food that comes from a plant (as in industrial plant, not the green kind). There was one recent exception, however. Food Revolution, which aired on prime time network TV, featured the work of Jamie Oliver, a British chef and recipient of a TED award. His project was to take on the school lunch program in Huntington, West Virginia, cited as the unhealthiest town in the US.  But the show was aired only for a few weeks, and I wonder if there will be any follow up to the work that he did.

Well, I just learned about a new 13-part documentary series that is in the making, called,  “Food Forward.” As described on the program website,

“Food Forward goes beyond celebrity chefs, cooking competitions, and recipes to reveal the compelling stories and inspired solutions envisioned by food heroes across America who are striving to create a more just, sustainable and delicious alternative to what we eat and how we produce it.”

The following video clip below is a segment from an episode on biodynamic agriculture featuring innovative chef David Kinch:

The creators of this documentary series are currently working hard to raise $125,000 to shoot their pilot episode. KQED in San Francisco has agreed to present Food Forward nationally on PBS upon successful completion of the pilot episode, which features urban agriculture in America.

Here is a trailer for the series:

For more information about this project or to donate to the completion of the pilot, please visit the Food Forward website.

Marilyn Chiarello, founder of A Taste of Light, is a certified raw vegan chef, educator and health coach. She offers a variety of services including health coaching, classes, dinner parties, consultations and presentations. For more information, visit aTasteofLight.com or contact her directly – Marilyn@aTasteofLight.com or 516-671-7037.

If you would like to receive more recipes and a monthly newsletter including articles about health and the environment, event updates and more, please submit your email address by clicking on the link in the sign-up box at the top of the right sidebar. For notification of blog updates only, you may subscribe directly or via RSS. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Every month I demonstrate several raw dishes for the Creating Wellness Center of Commack. The purpose of these dinner demos is to introduce people to more enzyme rich foods that are easy to prepare.

I usually decide what to make by what is available. Of course, summer is wonderful for the abundance of fresh produce, and the peaches were particularly inviting, so I bought several pounds and decided to make a peach cobbler. After searching for recipes online, I came up with my own version.

Enjoy!

Crust and Topping

2 cups walnuts, soaked, drained and dehydrated
1/2 cup raisins or Medjool dates (or combination)
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S-blade.
2. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped and the raisins and/or dates are mixed in. Texture should be crumbly. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture and set aside for topping.
3. Continue processing the remainder of the mixture until the texture is fine and it sticks together easily when pressed.
4. Pour into a 9-inch square pan and press firmly to form a crust on the bottom of the pan.

Peach Filling

7 thinly sliced peaches
2 Medjool dates
1 Tbs. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
zest of one lemon
1 Tbs. psyllium husk powder (for thickening)

1. Set aide about half the sliced peaches in a large bowl.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S-blade and process thoroughly.
3. Taste for sweetness and add more sweetener if desired.
4. Pour mixture into the bowl with the sliced peaches and mix. (Note: you might want to reserve several slices to decorate the cobbler)
5. Pour mixture into pan with the crust.
6. Top with reserved crust crumble.