For the Love of Saturated Fat

I realized that I've never spelled out my thoughts on fats based on the research I've done. I'll admit I'm a subscriber to the Weston A. Price Foundation and Sally Fallon's perspective, and if you are a vegetarian there are still some great options for you.

Saturated Fat

When it comes to fat, mainstream science is focused on the kind, which is sort of important, instead of the quality, which is very important. Studies on saturated fat do not focus on the quality of meat consumed or its level of processing, nor do they take into account the amount of sugar and processed oils also consumed, both of which have been linked to high cholesterol and clogged arteries.

While everyone needs different levels of saturated fat, it is by far the most beneficial fat you can consume from high quality sources. Despite popular belief, saturated fat is not only heart-healthy, it is essential to good digestion, a strong immune system, strong bones, and even prevention of cancer. Studies showing that saturated fat is bad for us don't take into account the quality of the saturated fat or the amount of sugar or other kinds of fats consumed at the same time.

Saturated fat enables the absorption of vitamins A, E, D, and K, and minerals such as calcium. It is also absorbed directly into the bloodstream, reducing stress on the liver and other organs. The brain is primarily nourished by saturated fat, which also influences optimal nerve communication regarding hormones and metabolism. And saturated fat contains microbial agents that protect our digestive tract and therefore boost immune function.

While you might be concerned about the calorie content of saturated fat, both studies I've read and my own experience teaches that consumption of high quality fat actually aids in weight loss. This is largely because saturated fat enables the body to absorb more nutrients, which means it becomes satiated much sooner, which means cravings and usually portion sizes naturally reduce without much effort on the part of the eater.

Saturated fat is highly stable at high temperatures, meaning that will not go rancid with exposure to heat, light, and oxygen. Therefore it is ideal for cooking. Our ancestors cooked with butter and lard for thousands of years without the health issues we have today.

Saturated fat to increase: Organic chicken (whole or with skin and bone are the best options), organic grass-fed beef (again, on the bone is good), wild caught fish, extra virgin coconut oil (a great option for vegetarians!).

Saturated fat to reduce: Non-organic meat of all kinds, bacon, sausage, lunchmeat, pork and ham, and other highly processed meats or meats with nitrates/nitrites. Obviously if you can find these items organic and minimally processed, they don't have to be completely eliminated.

Vegetable Oil and Trans Fat

The fat that actually deserves saturated fat's reputation is vegetable oil. These polyunsaturated fats are not much better than trans fats, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which have been conclusively linked to heart disease and cancer. They clog arteries, provide an overload of omega-6, confuse the body, and turn rancid with exposure to heat, air, and/or light—which often happens before we even purchase them—creating an abundance of free radicals.

Vegetable oils are cheaply produced in mass quantities, often from genetically modified corn and soybeans (GMO foods have been linked to reproductive issues and sterility in lab tests.)

Vegetable oil to increase: Extra virgin organic olive oil, a relatively stable monounsaturated fat that can be used to cook with at medium temperatures and is great for salad dressings. Be sure to store in a cool, dark place and use up quickly to prevent rancidity. Peanut oil is also stable at high temperatures, though it is high in omega-6, which we get plenty of from other sources. Small amounts of sesame oil, hemp oil, and flax oil can be used raw but should not be used to cook with, as they break down and turn rancid very easily.

Vegetable oil to reduce: Soybean, corn, canola, safflower, cottonseed, and generic vegetable oils; all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, including margarine and shortening (Crisco).

If you have a question about a particular fat I haven't mentioned here, send your inquiries my way!

The Primal Diet: An Interview

Recently I caught up with an old friend of mine, who informed me that she has discovered the Primal Diet and is loving it. I have heard only a little about this new eating lifestyle, so I asked her to give me a little info for people who might be interested, and she very kindly agreed.

First of all, she says, "I hesitate too much to say, 'I'm Paleo' or 'I'm Primal.' There's a tendency for people to resemble religious fanatics when they define themselves by the way they eat. I don't want to adhere to the orthodoxy, I just want to be healthy. I really encourage people to do their own research, both in what a nutritious diet is and what goes into your food."

I couldn't agree more! Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that has been identified in recent years with obsession over eating a certain way, whether that way is healthy or not. Many people develop this condition while trying to be healthy—in fact, almost every diet is an example of orthorexic behavior.

Below is an excerpt from our interview.

What made you consider the Primal Diet?

I started by reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. It really opened my eyes that what "everybody" knows about nutrition is based on some really bad science. The next book I read was Protein Power by Drs Mike and Mary Eades. It applied low-carb/no grain to weight loss. Following their sources, branching out from their blogs I found a lot more information.

Some blogs I follow:

• www.marksdailyapple.com
• www.proteinpower.com
• www.fathead-movie.com
• www.freetheanimal.com

Basically it finally boiled down to biochemistry and common sense. The common sense part is that humans have been eating veggies, meat, and fruit for millions of years; we've only had agriculture for 10,000. Clearly we are more suited to these natural—primal if you will—foods.

Besides, do you know what they feed cows to make them superfat? Grain. (Cows are supposed to eat grass, not grains.) If grain can make a vegetarian cow into a complete lardass, it'll do the same for omnivores like us.

I'll add that there is a very important point here: The natural food of cows is grass. I've discussed this in previous posts on my blog and on Skirt.com, but in short, grass makes beef high in omega-3 fats and vitamin D, both of which are sorely missing from our diet, while grain makes beef high in potentially harmful and highly prevalent omega-6 fatty acids.

What has following the Primal Diet guidelines done for you?

My joints don't ache. I have more energy. I have more libido. I think I'm more cheerful. I'm more driven. My skin cleared up. My weight dropped. No colds or flu since I started it. I don't really sunburn anymore. I'm sleeping better. I can skip a meal and not have a blood sugar plummet. I'm gaining muscle. The low level congestion I'd always had disappeared. My sense of taste has really improved.

What's the best part of eating this way?

Bacon, chicken skin, duck fat. Seriously, I suppose I should say the health benefits are the best part, but it's the food. Lifting weights is my second favorite part. I know that's not "diet," but strength training is an incredibly important part of good health.

What's the hardest part?

Cooking for myself is fine, eating out is never a problem. But when somebody makes "Grandma's special cookies" turning them away can seem like an insult. People have a lot of emotion tied up in food. That's why I really don't want to buy into food orthodoxy. People bond over food, they express love with food. I have a hard time turning away food that other people offer me.

I'll add that I think the point that "people bond over food" is so true. "Food orthodoxy," another term for orthorexia, deprives us of more than food we want to eat. It deprives us of interaction with others, and sometimes makes what we are putting into our bodies more important than our relationships. That's why primary food is so key to healthy eating.

Finally, if you're interested in a healthier way to eat grains, check out my blog on soaking them, and also The Nourished Kitchen is a great resource for recipes and tips.

If you've tried the Primal Diet, or something similar, I'd love to hear about your experience!

What Do Potatoes and Twinkies Have in Common?

Well, the short answer is that you lose weight if you eat nothing but either of them.

In two (I must say) fascinating articles recently e-mailed to me by a friend, two separate men embark on journeys consisting almost solely of Twinkies (and other "convenience store" junk food) and potatoes, respectively. Both men lost weight, as well as experiencing lowered BMI, cholesterol, and even blood sugar, in the case of the potatoes.

I find this both appalling and fascinating. Evidently, losing weight makes a big difference in your health. However, I disagree with this statement by Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association:

"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved."

I would challenge the Twinkie professor to follow this diet for longer than 10 weeks. Say, a lifetime. After all, Morgan Spurlock's dangerous health numbers made an unexpected improvement toward the end of his 30 days eating only McDonald's on an increased calorie diet.

Also, one-third of the Twinkie professor's food was a multivitamin pill, a protein shake, canned green beans, and celery. Not the most nutrient dense food, but he was getting protein and a very few antioxidants. In addition, he was watching his calorie intake.

As for Chris Voigt, the head of the Washington State Potato Commission, he ate only potatoes and seasonings for two months to protest the USDA banning potatoes from the approved WIC foods.

I looked up the list, which you can find at the link above. No organic foods are allowed. This is understandable considering the improved cost of organic food, but it still sucks. Whole milk is not listed as an approved food (though it isn't listed as Do Not Buy), and soy milk is approved. The fat in whole milk is best for nursing mothers and young children, which is why it was traditionally reserved only for them. And I've already addressed issues with soy milk.

Finally, whole wheat bread was listed as approved, but since most of it includes high fructose corn syrup, that doesn't really seem like an improvement.

That said, the WIC approved list does do a pretty good job of limiting packaged foods or additives. However, while white potatoes are definitely not the most nutritious choice, they are far from harmful in the way that packaged, processed foods are.

"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."

Well, actually, we can. In the past sixty years, the health of Americans has declined drastically, and instances of chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes), cancer, heck, virtually everything have risen just as drastically. We may have wiped out smallpox and polio, but we are seeing a brand new range of debilitating health issues: ADHD, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Crohn's disease.

I think most poignant for me is the claim of "CornSugar.com" that "high fructose corn syrup—corn sugar—has been used in the food supply for more than forty years..."
I can only assume that this is supposed to be an argument for the safety of HFCS. However, in the last forty years we have seen U.S. cancer deaths rise from 330,972 in 1970 to 554,740 in 1996 to a projected "leading cause of death" in 2010 at over 7 million worldwide.

"Despite dramatic medical advances over the past 50 years, heart disease remains a leading cause of death globally and the Number 1 cause of death in the United States," reports a 2008 article.

Once called "adult onset" diabetes, type-2 diabetes is now affecting children as young as four. This is entirely caused by lifestyle and diet, and is entirely reversible. "The odds of developing diabetes increased by 40% from the 1970s to 1980s and then doubled between the 1970s and 1990s."

Is this all the fault of high fructose corn syrup? Of course not. But it's not a great track record for foods introduced in the last forty years. And it's not a great argument for eating potatoes and/or Twinkies to lose weight. I find it amazing the lengths to which people will go to prove a pointless point, when indicators that dietary changes will majorly and positively impact disease in America are staring us all in the face. Just goes to show what can happen when money is involved.

Beef Stew over Mashed Sweet Taters

So once again I had to get creative with a kitchen disaster, and the result was phenomenal! I bought a couple of grass-fed beef roasts only to find them tough and gristley. I had been planning to serve them with mashed sweet potatoes, so I rummaged around in the refrigerator and decided a beef stew would work just as well, and topped the potatoes with it.

Emily's Beef Stew
1/2 shallot, minced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour (a gluten-free thickener)
1 lb stew beef, preferably grass fed with some fat or bone
1 24-oz can fire-roasted plum tomatoes
1/2 bottle of red wine
4 bay leaves
dash half-and-half
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
half a bag of baby carrots
1 carton organic chicken broth
1/2 package mushrooms, sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
salt and pepper

Saute shallot and garlic in butter in a large pot on med-low heat for 5 minutes. Add arrowroot flour and stir briefly to make a roux. Add beef and brown on medium-high heat, about 3 minutes, salting and peppering liberally. Add tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves; if you are using fat or bone add at this time. Add half-and-half, just one swirl around the pot, mix, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and drop in parsnip, turnip, and carrots. Simmer for about an hour (or longer, the longer the better), then add chicken broth, broccoli, and mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove fat and bone if used, remove bay leaves, and serve over mashed potatoes.


Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I like to mix in one or two white or red potatoes as well. Leave the skins on—it's good fiber, and I don't trust mashed potatoes that don't have lumps!

4-5 sweet potatoes
1-2 white potatoes
dash half-and-half
2 Tbsps butter
1/2 shallot, minced and sauteed

Wash and cut the potatoes in half. Boil them in enough water to cover them for 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced by a fork. Mash in a large bowl and add enough half-and-half to thicken without being soupy. Add butter and shallots (use some leftovers set aside from preparing the beef stew) and mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste (or add a little beef stew juice) and serve under Emily's Beef Stew, or as a side dish for any meal.


Mashed Butternut Squash "Potatoes"
I also made some of these inspired by a recipe from Rosebank Farms. Unbelievably delicious, and possibly the easiest way to prepare butternut squash.

1-2 butternut squash, peeled
dash half-and-half
4 Tbsps butter
salt and pepper
1/2 shallot, sauteed

Cut the butternut squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side up in a glass baking dish with half an inch of water in the bottom. Reserve 2 Tbsps butter and divide the other 2 Tbsps between the squash, placing a pat inside the cup of each and along the stem. Roast in the oven on 350 for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and drain any excess water (you may need to add water partway through the baking process). Mash squash in a large bowl with shallot, half-and-half, and remaining 2 Tbsps butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

When It Comes to Health, Community Is Key

So many times in my food therapy practice I hear about how someone is struggling to do something they know is good for them but just can't convince themselves to do. Losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking, making dietary changes, setting aside personal time, etc. For instance, I know I need to start doing yoga in order to get some exercise and improve my flexibility. But I haven't done it.

This kind of thing is so common, and I think it is because we are all isolated in our own lives. We don't have real "community" anymore―at least, a lot of us don't. We're not surrounded by our families and extended families, so we're raising our children alone. Once we get out of high school or college, we don't have a "posse" anymore―people who's time is spent doing the same things we're doing. We may have a community at work, but even there work is usually the only thing that coworkers have in common, and conversations revolve around the workplace.

In contrast, think about how we used to live, in a "tribal" system where everyone cooked and ate together, traveled from place to place together, endured hardship and danger together. As much as we might crave our own space or time for ourselves, it's hard to find that time and space when we are doing everything for ourselves. Very few people enjoy cooking just for themselves, but there's something fun about preparing a meal for someone you love, or making a dish to share at a friend's potluck. Most people enjoy exercising with a friend, or at least find the motivation in someone with a common goal.

Because we are made for community. For sharing. That's why relationships are so important.

So how to find a community? I'm not sure there is a good answer.

I met my current group of friends and my boyfriend playing kickball in a community league. We have a blast gettin together for potlucks and cookouts and beach outings, but slowly the group is dwindling as people move away or move on to the next phase of life. We've also recently been blessed with some new neighbors who are great at getting everybody together and have introduced me to some cool new people.

Attending a place of worship is probably the closest thing to community that we have right now. At Seacoast I've found that getting to be a part of a life group is essential to getting to know people at the church. So is volunteering. But even bolstering yourself to begin doing these things can be intimidating, and ultimately people have their own lives and families and agendas and priorities, and rightly so. It's healthy and normal to prioritize the immediate family; it's just that in this day and age the immediate family is a lot smaller.

I guess that's one of the main reasons to start a family of your own. And I like to think that when I do, it will become a big family, full of all my kids' friends and their parents, the neighbors, my own family members, and my friends. We'll get together and play neighborhood sports and grill out and support each other and be honest with each other.

Sounds a little bit like utopia. But impossible? I hope not.

Sausage & Bean Stew

This is a most delicious dinner inspired by a recipe by Real Simple. The peppers and eggplant are entirely optional but add delicious flavor and hearty texture to this awesome winter stew. It's quick and easy, too; it's ready in 30 minutes, or you can make ahead of time and simmer longer for added flavor.

2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 organic chicken sausages, sliced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
1 28-oz can spicy diced tomatoes
1 can cannelloni beans

1. Saute sausages in coconut oil for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add peppers and eggplant, and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans, and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes to 4 hours.
5. Turn off heat and mix in kale 5 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Blog: Egg Sandwich

First of all, I have to say I am SO excited that Queen Street Grocery down the street from my house is carrying raw goat's milk from Burden Creek Dairy. I bought a bottle yesterday (only $4.99) and tasted it: no weird goaty flavor, lots of fresh milk flavor. I usually only drink a little milk in my coffee, and I don't think I'll start drinking it regularly now, but I am SO happy to feel good about this option.

A friend did point out that humans are not supposed to drink animal milk. While this is technically true, there are a few exceptions: traditional cultures gave raw animal milk to children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers due to its high nutrient content and high amount of saturated fat, which is essential for brain development, among other things.

Also, we are a dairy-ridden society, so asking people to simply give up milk is not always easy, and the alternatives are not always an improvement (soy milk) or an easy substitute (coconut milk, baking, etc.). It is much better to have non-homogenized, non-pasteurized, predigested raw milk available.

This morning it was really cold in my house, so I wanted a hot breakfast. Having been without eggs for most of the week since I used them up in my quinoa brownies, I was really craving a fresh egg. I was also missing my sister, who is out of town, so I made a variation of her signature breakfast: the egg sandwich.


To make an egg sandwich, you will need:

• 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread
• 1 egg
• tomato
• 2 pieces turkey bacon
• mustard

I fried the egg, broiled the bacon, slathered the bread (Ezekiel) with mustard, and sliced up a fresh tomato from Rosebank Farms. I also had two pickled okra that my mom made to make it feel really gourmet. I have the most awesome mother! Served it up with some coffee laced with raw goat milk, and voila! A delicious, filling breakfast.

Pro: Local organic egg and additive-free turkey bacon provide some quality protein and fat, combined with quality carbohydrate and fiber from the sprouted bread.

Con: This is a fairly acidic, and therefore inflammatory, breakfast: meat, mustard, tomato, and coffee are all acid-producing, so if you are prone to acid reflux or upset stomach this is not a great choice.

Pro: A relatively quick breakfast, I had everything cooked, toasted, and slathered in about 10 minutes.

Con: This is a fairly dish-heavy meal: broiler pan for bacon, pan for egg, plate, mustard knife.

Primary Food*: Holidays and Health

I have been seeing a lot of advertising lately with this message:

"Are you booked for the holidays? Are you so busy going to parties you don't even have time to shop for clothes to wear to them?"

The unspoken message here is "Don't you want to be booked? Wouldn't you feel happier and more successful if you were that popular person invited to all these parties?"

I think this is a very negative perspective, and I would suggest a different one.

Instead of being "booked" this holiday season, I am planning time with people I love and care about spending time with: my family, my boyfriend's family, and good friends, who may or may not be having parties. And following several weekends full of wonderful celebrations—a wedding, a girl's night in, dinner potlucks, and out of town travel—I'm refusing to make plans this weekend. I'm going to enjoy some free time.

There is nothing wrong with being social, enjoying parties, or meeting new people. But if you're actually stressed out by your party schedule, as retail stores seem to indicate it's OK to be, just remember that they're trying to sell you something. If you find yourself tempted to fill your holidays up with networking, social events, and shopping simply for the sake of seeing and being seen, consider where those messages are coming from. Often you'll find they're not even your ideas—they are placed there by carefully worded messages from people trying to sell you something by making you feel inadequate without it.

My love of Madmen aside, I don't think we need to perpetuate the glamorous lifestyle so prevalent in the media, which ultimately turns out to be self-destructive. It's fun to watch; it's empty and painful to live. And if you really need a glam fix, you can always Madmen yourself.


*Primary food is a concept licensed to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

*Warning: I get a little political in this article, and more than a little philosophical.*

I had to steal my blog title from the children's book of the same name, simply because it was too appropriate to this article in the New York Times, which a friend pointed out. I'll sum it up thus:

The US Dept of Agriculture (read: our government) created a "Dairy Management" organization to boost cheese sales. Their big client: Dominoes, which was encouraged to create a pizza with 40 percent more cheese to boost sales. It worked. People like cheese on their pizza.

Does it bother anyone else that there is an entire part of our government devoted to promoting dairy? I mean, really? And that they PAID FOR A $12 MILLION DOLLAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN for Dominoes? (Their annual budget is a whopping $140 million.)

This is where our taxpayer dollars are going.

If you think about it, the whole idea of marketing food is ridiculous. We have to eat. We'll die if we don't. Nobody has to convince us we need food. But when government subsidizes an entire food produce industry in return for that industry's financial backing, marketing becomes a little more understandable.

All that aside, I want to take issue with a couple of points:

Point 1: "One slice [of Dominoes cheesier pizza] contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat."
If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I don't think much of government recommendations for daily intake of anything. They are highly influenced by industry concerns, which are very different from health concerns. Saturated fat is an area of contention for the USDA and FDA. In their desperate attempt to appear concerned for the health of the American public, which is decidedly at odds with the food industry making any money, they have vilified saturated fat due to some dubious studies.

While processed cheese slathered on pizza is not a great source of saturated fat, the fat is not really the issue. Nor is the cheese. It's the processing. And the fact that $12 million is being spent to convince Americans to eat more fast-food pizza, which essentially has zero nutritional value.

Let's take a look at another side of this issue:

Point 2: "Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat."

Cheese is now the number one source of saturated fat in this country. This is because we've all been conditioned to be afraid of fat in milk and beef.

Again, this is a fallacious fear, and not only that, but it is hurting us. Saturated fat in animal products allows for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which cannot be absorbed without fat. Saturated fat greatly increases the absorbability of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals for healthy bones. Drinking skim milk is not the same in terms of nutrients as drinking whole.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health and a former member of the federal government’s nutrition advisory committee, says it better than I can:

“The U.S.D.A. should not be involved in these programs that are promoting foods that we are consuming too much of already. A small amount of good-flavored cheese can be compatible with a healthy diet, but consumption in the U.S. is enormous and way beyond what is optimally healthy.”

Point 3: “When eaten in moderation and with attention to portion size, cheese can fit into a low-fat, healthy diet,” the [Agriculture] department said.

Why yes, it can. However, a low-fat diet isn't necessarily healthy. It's often full of sugar and processed vegetable oils. Also, beef and dairy that isn't organic and grass fed isn't good for us whether it's lean or not. Finally, saturated fat isn't bad for us! Humans have been eating it for thousands of years. It's highly nutritious and contains vitamin D and antibiotic and antimicrobial properties (which support immune function) in healthy, grass-fed or wild-caught animals.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a great resource for information about fats and other nutrients. Co-founder and president Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, is available online.

Point 4: "While warning about fat, U.S. pushes cheese sales."

This is the title of the article itself, and kudos to the NYT for calling the U.S. government to task. We are getting mixed messages from our government, which is trying to promote itself as a concerned parent while behaving like a money-hungry corporation. As I've said in recent posts about the egg recall, GMOs and Frankensalmon, and McDonald's, we have to take full responsibility for our own health. Asking the government to do it for us is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous.

Don't let the government dictate what you eat! Their concerns, as in the health care/pharmaceutical industry, are widely swayed by money, not your health.

Breakfast Blog: Pros and Cons

Eggs with Mushrooms, Kale, and Red Pepper

Since so many people (including myself) have difficulty figuring out what to eat for breakfast, I've decided to blog what I eat for breakfast and give pros and cons.

This slightly blurry but delicious breakfast I had this morning involved the following:

• coconut oil
• minced onion
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• handful of chopped mushrooms
• 2 large kale branches
• 2 eggs
  

Pro: It took less than 10 minutes to make this breakfast.

1. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in large saucepan on medium high heat.
2. Chop red pepper and toss into oil with 1 tsp minced onion and mushrooms.
3. Crack two eggs into a bowl. Stir pepper mix and move to one side of the pan. Pour in eggs.
4. Wash kale and strip from stems, tearing into bite-size pieces. Toss on top of eggs and peppers, close the lid, and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Gently stir ingredients to make sure kale and eggs are cooked. Serve.

Con: It takes at least as long to eat this meal as it does to cook it, since due to the kale you have to chew thoroughly. This is good for your health but bad if you're late.

Pro: This is a healthy meal full of zinc, calcium, fiber, and antioxidants. If you need something a little more filling (this kept me plenty full until lunchtime), add a piece of Ezekiel bread toast with goat cheese.

Pro: This meal only used one pan, one plate, one bowl, and one cutting board.
Con: That's still four dishes to wash. (Did I mention my dishwasher is broken?)


Overall: If you plan to wash your dishes, you'll need at least 20 minutes for breakfast. If not, you can probably make it out the door in 15.

Time-savers: the night before, dice the pepper and wash and strip the kale and put into a tupperware. If you have whole mushrooms, chop them. Then you just have to toss everything, and no cutting board is needed.

What's Your Food Philosophy?

In blogging about nutrition and food there is a temptation, I think, to make every post "marketable" in easily accessible formats like lists. This isn't to say lists are bad. One of my favorite bloggers, Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth, frequently posts lists of books or steps or things she's learned, and I love her stuff—she's authentic and inspiring.

But every now and then I really want to indulge my penchant for the philosophy of food and health. In pursuit of my goal to officially launch my food therapy business Jan 3, 2010, I've been examining some marketing angles to communicate how important this program is and to make it appealing, since nobody's ever heard of "food therapy" (because I made it up).

A good friend and marketing guru asked me today what my mission statement was. Normally when people ask me what I do, I say, "I counsel people to help them resolve their food and lifestyle issues."

Which is true. But kinda vague. So as I was thinking about "what is the problem I'm trying to solve?" it came to me that two kinds of people would most benefit from food therapy:

• people who basically know how and want to be healthy but can't make themselves implement what they know into their lives

Darn it! I failed again!

• people who want to be healthy but don't know what to do because there is so much conflicting information

Enough already! I'm overwhelmed and confused!

I think everyone on the quest for health has fallen into both of these categories at some point. When I started out at Integrative Nutrition, I fell into the second category. Since then I've been empowered to examine conflicting information and make decisions for myself. I still fall into the first category in some areas, and I think I always will, because implementation of good information is a lifelong process.

But recently, in my love of "facts," I've overlooked the beauty of this program, which is that everyone gets to develop their own philosophy—AND action plan. You get to decide what works for you and what doesn't, you become empowered to learn about what you're eating and how you're living and make an informed decision.

For me this means that I'm anti vegetable oil, pro saturated fat, pro soaking grains and relatively anti dairy, though I eat cheese and love half-and-half in my coffee. Other people might be more anti-wheat. Some may do better as vegetarians. There is an answer for everybody and until you discover it and own it, you'll be dissatisfied.

This goes for your life, too. Not everybody wants to be a food therapist, and not everybody should be. But it's my passion and purpose—what makes me most satisfied, happy, fulfilled, and whole. I also truly believe I wouldn't have discovered this career if it weren't for my relationship with God and an almost daily spiritual practice. I rely on Him every day to guide my decisions, my inspiration, and my attitude. If I had to do this on my own strength, I would have given up long before now.

So some people will decide to quit their jobs. Others will need to discover the purpose in them. Most everybody will need to delve more deeply into a spiritual practice, which as a nation we've lost touch with that side of ourselves and our deep need to rely on something bigger and more powerful than us. Some might find they are exercising too much, or relying too much on a romantic relationship to make them happy.

All this starts to become clear with food therapy. And as a result, more than just what we eat changes. Our whole lives change.

What's your food philosophy? What's your nutrition lifestyle?

Come find out.

Fall Recipes: Warming, Soothing, Healthy and Easy!

Even though I always deviate from recipes, I usually need to start off with a recipe for inspiration—at least inspiration to go grocery shopping! Below are links to some basic fall recipes with a lot of flavor but not a lot of work. And they're good for you!

One Pot Chicken Recipes

From chicken soup to cumin chicken with black beans, these are great cold-weather dinners from RealSimple. (photo by Marla Robledo)

Beet-Carrot-Parsnip-Fennel Extravaganza

Don't be afraid of the "exotic" ingredients in this one; it's a great fall vegetable recipe with only simple prep.

Swiss Chard and Potato Frittata

A delicious Saturday morning treat—or a great dinner recipe. The Nourished Kitchen also delves into the nutritional value of ingredients. (photo by Nourished Kitchen)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This simple and surprisingly delicious preparation may make you rethink this veggie's reputation! (photo by Jacob's Kitchen)

Black Rice Porridge with Coconut

If you're tired of oatmeal, give this amazing breakfast dish a try! (photo by Coconut & Quinoa)

As always, these recipes are free of trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.

What Do You Crave?

Ever wonder why you crave pickles or coconut or a ham sandwich? Chocolate and ice cream cravings make sense to many of us because they taste so good. But that's not the only reason!

We all experience cravings, some more than others. If you start to pay attention and maybe even keep a food diary, you can sometimes recognize patterns. Cravings can be emotional, but a lot of times they are your body's way of demanding a certain nutrient. That's why it's important not to deny your cravings, but to figure out what they mean and how to meet them in a healthy way.

First, Try These Simple Steps

1. Drink water. A large percentage of all cravings can be satisfied by hydrating your body.

2. Use a tongue scraper. Clearing your palate of sensation will reduce cravings and prevent eating something to get rid of a "bad taste."

Craving dairy?

A craving for dairy, whether cheese, milk, ice cream, or something more specific, can mean that your body is in the market for fat. Healthy fat, contrary to popular belief, does not make you fat. In fact, it's essential to losing weight, as well as brain function and absorption of nutrients (which makes you feel satisfied and full sooner).

Try these healthy fats.

They key here is to avoid polyunsaturated, omega-6 rich vegetable oils (soy, corn, safflower, and canola) at all costs and go for saturated fats. If you don't use fat to cook with, now is a good time to start. Cooking with olive oil at medium temperatures and coconut oil at any temperature does adds taste and nutritional benefit to your food that makes the additional calories negligible. Try it, and you'll find that it's easier to lose weight and keep it off.

Animal fats are also incredibly beneficial, despite popular belief that saturated fat is bad for you. Actually, saturated fat is the most stable fat, meaning that it does not break down and become rancid at high temperatures, like polyunsaturated fats do. It also contains vitamin D and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Do make sure that you are eating organic meat, and that it has been pasture raised and grass fed (cows) or caught wild (fish). Organic butter from grass-fed cows is also highly beneficial. If you eat dairy, be sure to eat full-fat products, in which the nutrients and minerals (including calcium) are more absorbable, and which satiate you more. Raw dairy contains many health benefits.

Finally, monounsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado) are also highly stable and beneficial, though nuts can be high in copper and are best soaked overnight before consuming.

Craving sugar?

Sugar is addictive, so it's easy to fall into a cycle of needing more and more of it. Using sugar-free products containing aspartame is not a solution; it's a gamble with your health, as calorie-free sugar substitutes have been linked to nervous system dysfunction, among other things. And while new-fad sweeteners like agave nectar claim to be healthy, their processing makes these supposed benefits are highly controversial.

Try sweet vegetables, fruits, and natural sugars.

To satisfy the sweet urge, sweet vegetables such as winter squashes (acorn, delicata, spaghetti, butternut), sweet potatoes, beets, rutabegas, turnips, radishes, cabbage, corn, carrots, onions, beets, parsnips, daikon radish, and burdock root.

Fruit can also be beneficial, though stay away from fruit juices because the natural fiber in fruit helps balance out blood sugar.

Also consider natural sugars such as raw honey (try to buy local if possible), date sugar, Rapadura (dehydrated sugar cane juice that still contains B vitamins and other nutrients to help regulate blood sugar), and maple syrup (buy organic and make sure it has not been processed using formaldehyde).

Craving potato chips?

Craving a salty snack can indicate a nutrient deficiency, so nutrient-dense foods are your best bet.

Try dark, leafy greens.

This may not sound very satisfying at first, but kale, collards, broccoli, arugula and other dark leafy greens are packed with vitamins, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, potasand phosophorus. Not only that, but these minerals are much more absorbable than those found in pasteurized dairy products. In addition, greens require a lot of chewing, even when cooked, so this will satisfy the texture craving for crunchy foods like potato chips and pretzels.

Craving coffee, chocolate, or beer?

Cravings for these foods indicate a stressed liver. When the liver is blocked and overloaded, it may cause cravings for these bitter flavors that cause temporary movement and relief; however, alcohol and caffeine only cause more blockage in the long run.

Try foods that support the liver.

There's nothing your liver loves more than raw foods, so organic vegetables and fruits are your number one friend here, especially garlic and onions, apples, lemon, cruciferous vegtables, and dark leafy greens. A lemon juice and olive oil dressing further promotes liver support and maximum absorption of nutrients. Dandelion and milk thistle tea can also be beneficial to the liver, and if you need a caffeine fix, green tea is a great substitute that still provides energy along with antioxidants.

I wouldn't dream of asking you to give up chocolate, but try organic dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate or conventional candies, which are usually laden with sugar and preservatives. If you can find it, raw cacao is actually a superfood with many health benefits.

Craving your favorite creamy beverage?

Vanilla or chocolate soymilk may seem like a healthy treat, but think again. Non-fermented and genetically modified soy have serious side effects, among them links to reproductive issues, sterility, and breast cancer. By the same token, lattes are usually made with non-organic dairy, which means antibiotics and added hormones.

Try coconut smoothies and rooibos tea.

If you're looking for a cold, creamy drink, a smoothie made with coconut milk, natural vanilla flavor, and a frozen banana is a surprisingly delicious, healthy sweet treat. (Add a tablespoon of raw cacao if you want chocolate.) If you need something hot and comforting, rooibos tea is full of antioxidents with a rich flavor. It's caffeine-free, and many varieties are naturally sweet. My favorite is Yogi Chai Rooibos.

Craving entertainment, comfort, or movement?

Many times when we are bored, stressed, or lonely, we fill the void with food. Becoming aware of what we are really wanting can help reduce emotional eating. If you are lonely, call a friend, attend a local cultural function, or take yourself on a date to a movie you've been wanting to see or dinner with a good book. Go out for a walk or sign up for an exercise class you've never tried before, or treat yourself to a few sessions with a personal trainer. Fulfill a creative passion from your past: maybe you used to play an instrument, paint, or hike.

Also, when we are dissatisfied with a certain area of our life, such as a job or relationship, we turn to food to "feed" us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This can never create satiation, for while food can create a sense of emotional well-being, it is physical sustenance. Create balance by journaling, meditating, practicing yoga, attending a place of worship, or developing a spiritual practice. Evaluate your career and passions, and try to match them up. Let go of unhealthy relationships, or agree to work on them together. This takes time, so be patient with yourself.

What do you crave?

Post your craving or e-mail me at emily@eat2prevent.com, and I'll help you deconstruct it!

Home Cooking away from Home

Two weekends ago I went up to Pittsburgh and got to see some of my oldest and dearest friends. KD, LX and I prepared the meal above: salmon with onions and brie, my spicy greens recipe, beet salad, and roasted butternut squash. A colorful introduction to fall!

Since then, however, I've been "catching up." Workload has been high, and I haven't felt much like cooking, or even going grocery shopping. This has been frustrating, since I was on such a cooking kick recently and felt really inspired.

But all in all I've been wanting to eat out more lately, and giving myself permission to do so has been a hard road (though a necessary one, since I've been subsisting on Annie Chun's soup bowls and Ezekiel toast with almond butter). Today after my acupuncture appointment with Amy Jo of Re-Soul (and let me tell you, every visit is a soul renewal!) I biked down to Fast and French and treated myself to a turkey plate with gazpacho and a lot of mustard.

Fast and French (or G&M, or whatever you want to call it) is one of my favorite places to eat in Charleston, not just because the food tastes good but because I feel good after I eat it—like I've just eaten something homemade from scratch. Having a repertoire of these homemade "comfort food" places is important when you're feeling too busy or tired or lazy or uninspired to cook—or just when you need a treat.

I did find a fun way to motivate myself to cook this weekend by hosting a pot-luck dinner party. My friend Lili brought Korean food, John brought tortellini salad, Ashleigh brought a veggie plate, Mike brought chocolate and ice cream, TJ brought wine, and I made Serbian Ground Beef and Potato Bake along with an apple crumble. A good time was had by all!

So if you're having a hard time motivating yourself to cook, go out! Find a healthy, delicious restaurant and treat yourself. Or invite some friends over and tell everyone to bring their favorite dish.

How Long Does a Hamburger Last?

The latest attack on McDonald's involves photographer and blogger Sally Davies's experiment with a Happy Meal, which she left to sit out for sixty days, apparently with no effect on the food.

McDonald's spokespeople seem very offended and insist that their hamburgers are made with "100% USDA-inspected ground beef" and cooked with "salt, pepper and nothing else -- no preservatives, no fillers" and that their buns are made with "common government-approved ingredients" (which basically means nothing considering that the government has approved trans fats and artificial sweeteners). Notice they say nothing about what the fries are made with.

But let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's say that this is true. What it means is actually scarier than if McDonald's was using preservatives.

First, it says that "USDA-inspected ground beef" is already so full of preservatives and chemicals that it is not a food. If I didn't have neighbors, I would cook a pound of the USDA beef and a pound of organic, grass-fed beef and let them sit out and see which went bad faster.

Second, what McDonald's doesn't mention is that both hamburger and fries are cooked in some kind of vegetable oil, which is itself "preserved" at high temperatures, making it rancid without any symptoms. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that cooking food in rancid vegetable oil will "preserve" it into a state of plasticity.

McDonald's deserves props for switching to trans-fat-free cooking in 2008, though this was a delayed reaction. However, under their "Nutrition" web page, the motto reads "It's all about delicious choices."

Really?

Of course people want their food to taste good. And those who eat McDonald's say that it does. But that is not what "nutrition" is about. I'm treading on thin ice here, because nutritious food should also taste good. However, this seems to indicate that taste is more important than nutrition; that it really doesn't matter what you're putting in your body as long as it tastes good and you get a variety.

How about "It's all about not getting heart disease" or "It's all about putting things into your body that benefit and nourish it"?

If I haven't convinced you, maybe this will.

So what are you supposed to do with this? Just be aware. You don't have to stop eating McDonald's. I'm not trying to make a point to ruin anybody's good mood. But you deserve to know what you're putting in your body and to make an informed decision. And if you get sick, you deserve to know that what you ate probably contributed to it, because knowing this empowers you to heal yourself by making changes.

Ignorance is killing Americans. It's not McDonald's fault, though they share some of the blame. It's the fault of deliberate and innocent deception and unawareness. And it's my passion and my goal to change that.

Celebrate Non-GMO Month!

In addition to being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October is also Non-GMO Month. GMOs are genetically modified foods. You may have heard a lot about them in the news lately, especially with regard to the "Frankensalmon." I remember when the issue of GMO first came up around the turn of the millennium. I thought, No big deal. It's just science.
And that's exactly what Psychology Today wants us to think. According to writer David Ropeik, fear of GMOs is nothing more than a psychological perception of risk. We fear what we can't control. And because the government won't tell us the details of genetic modification (for the financial safety of the companies making money off of it), we fear GMO corn, soy, and now salmon. By this argument, genetic modification is just a "secret recipe" like the combination of ingredients for Heinz or Coke.
By contrast, there are arguments made based on a history of irresponsible governmental decisions when it comes to food. After all, high fructose corn syrup is made from corn and is therefore "natural," yet it still wreaks havoc on the body. As for trans fats, they are made from vegetables, and what could be better for you? However, now even the infamously mainstream Mayo Clinic is now calling "double trouble for your heart health." (The USDA's replacement for the Food Pyramid, now called MyPlate, still recommends vegetable oils, which are not much better than trans fats; in one study of several thousand men, men asked to reduce saturated fat by consuming vegetable oils had 100% more deaths than those who ate "bad" diets containing saturated fat and cholesterol).
So we have a reason to be suspicious of the government's blanket approval of a new way to mess with our food. Other concerns are animal and environmental health, moral and ethical concerns, and the fact that nobody wants to label GMOs, just like they want to rename high-fructose corn syrup.
What do you think about GMO? A blessing or a curse? Is technology like this safe when it comes to food? Should we trust multinational food corporations and the ever-compliant FDA?

How to Soak Grains: Easy, Quick, and Essential

I've been somewhat distressed recently to learn how important it is to soak grains. Evidently this is how our ancestors have been preparing grains for a long time, and for good reason. The phytic acid in grains interferes with absorption of zinc, calcium, and other minerals, the lack of which are behind such common American diseases as osteoporosis and depression, as well as PMS, fatigue, and memory loss. In fact, zinc deficiency is the fifth leading risk factor for disease in the developing world.

So. I have embarked upon a grain-soaking pilgrimage that started when Ken Immer Changed My Kitchen. He showed me how easy it was to soak quinoa, and I have been doing so ever since.

Recently a food therapy client communicated some apprehension about starting this practice, so I came up with a quick step-by-step process to show you just how easy soaking grains can be.

1. Measure out the amount of grain you want to soak: 1, 2, or 3 cups.
2. Put grain in a wide (rather than tall) container, preferably glass but plastic also works, so that grain is spread out as much as possible.
3. Cover with filtered water until the grain is covered by at least 1 inch. You may need to stir the grains around so that they sink.
4. Seal and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Cooking time reduces the longer you soak; after about a week, cooking time is reduced by about half.
5. Whenever you want to cook some grains, measure out the amount, rinse in strainer, and cook normally, with reduced cooking time.

I have also tested this with rye berries and amaranth to great success. (Rye takes 3 hours to cook when unsoaked; after soaking it took approximately 30 minutes!) I'm going to try it with brown rice next, which is especially high in phytic acid. Other grains to try are kamut, millet, barley, bulgur, spelt, and wheat berries.

The Nourished Kitchen also has a lot of information on soaking grains, including this wonderful Soaked Oatmeal recipe that I'm excited to try. Oatmeal always makes me feel yugh after I eat it, so I'll let you know if soaking it makes a difference. She even has information on soaking and sprouting flour, and maintains that fermentation of grains is even more effective at making the nutrients bioavailable. I'll do another post on sprouting and fermenting.

Jacob's Kitchen

Just discovered two amazing sites of the same name!

The first Jacob's Kitchen is located in Oregon, and I have never seen more beautiful food photography! This guy says part of his dream is to be a food designer, and you can tell, even though he also claims that his photography is amateur. Amazing recipes for back-to-basics, down-to-earth food from homemade ricotta to fried risotto, with a delicious emphasis on baking! He even sells scones, muffins, biscotti, and other pastries on his blog.

I just had to steal one of his photos to give you an idea of how gorgeous this food is, but you really have to see the site for yourself. It's as good as eating all those delectable goodies!

The second Jacob's Kitchen is right here in Charleston! (Serves me right for never going into I'on.) With their claim to sustainable, hormone-free meat, poultry, and fish, I have been remiss in omitting them from my Local Eating in Charleston series. The Post & Courier seems pretty impressed with them as well.

It's hard to choose off a menu of such fantastic choices of "New South Cooking," but the Kobe Beef Burger for $10 stands out, as does the pickled shrimp cocktail and the Split Creek Farm goat cheese, chive, and preserved lemon ravioli. Um, YUM! They serve lunch, dinner, and brunch; I know where I'm going to be this Sunday!

A Breakfast Post! Too Many Eggs Follow-Up

So I got lots of great egg options following my Too Many Eggs dilemma. In addition to the comments on that post and some recipes by e-mail, I even got a suggestion (made by a good friend who was clearly joking) that I egg cars.

But ultimately I decided that I would simply whittle away at my eggs by eating two of them for breakfast every day.

I've been frying eggs and eating them over sauteed mustard greens (don't judge till you've tried it; not a far cry from spinach), but this morning I had scrambled eggs with fresh basil and chives, turkey bacon, and a gluten-free toaster waffle (I think I like the gluten ones better). Still, it was a yummy and very satisfying breakfast.

However, I hear a lot and find myself that it's hard to come up with a good breakfast. By that I mean a fast breakfast. I think most people feel this way. I can't ever seem to get to the office before 10 a.m., and while I think this is largely because I don't have a boss or a regular paycheck, it would still make me feel more productive to get there sooner.

Still, there's no doubt that breakfast is important, and honestly, the breakfast above took about 5 minutes to make. While the coconut oil was heating in the pan for the eggs, I stuck the turkey bacon on a broiler pan and into the oven while it preheated to Broil. Then I cracked the eggs and mixed them around in the fry pan for about a minute. Finally I stuck the waffle in the toaster oven for about 3 minutes while the eggs finished cooking. I cut the herbs from my pots and was ready for breakfast.

That said, I've come up with some fast breakfast options out of necessity. They just require a little planning (and shopping) ahead:

• Amy's burritos (frozen, microwavable in 2 minutes, filling, and delicious)
  
• any precooked grain reheated with a little milk or coconut milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon
• Cook eggs and bacon like above and wrap it all up in a tortilla to go
• A banana—while portable and remarkably filling, you'll probably be hungry an hour or so after eating this unless you pair it with some yogurt or a granola bar. I'm not a huge fan of granola bars, but Ken Immer's gRAWnola (available in locally Charleston and hopefully everywhere else) is a great option, as well as Nicole's Nutty Goodness (also local). And of course, if you're eating yogurt, stay away from Yoplait, etc. If you like flavored yogurt or yogurt drinks, try to buy them at Whole Foods or Earth Fare to ensure they have a minimum of additives. Regardless, a banana is better than no breakfast at all.

Now, something for when you're in the mood and have the time for a decadent egg breakfast. This was sent in by one of my readers (my mom). It's from the cookbook Barefoot in Paris, and she's made it for me before, and it's delicious! The heavy cream isn't an everyday food, but don't be afraid of the calories or the fat; it will satisfy you in a healthy way and leave less room for unhealthy cravings later on in the day.


Herbed Baked Eggs
serves 2

• ½ tsp fresh minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley
• 1-2 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs
• 2 TBSP heavy cream or half and half
  
• 1 TBSP unsalted butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted French bread

Preheat broiler for 5 min. and place oven rack 6 inches below heat.

Combine the herbs and cheese and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls without breaking the yolks. Place 2 individual gratin dishes or custard cups on a baking sheet and place 1 TBSP of cream and 1/2 TBSP butter in each. Place under the broiler for about 3 min or until butter/cream mixture is hot and bubbly.

Quickly, but gently, pour each bowl full of eggs into each dish, sprinkle with the herbs and cheese/ salt and pepper and place under the broiler for 5 minutes until the whites are almost cooked. Remove from oven and allow eggs to set for a minute. Serve with hot toasted French bread.

Recent Cookery: Art, Failure, and Practice

I have been doing a good bit of cooking lately, so I'm trying to catch up. I've also been attempting to improve my photo-taking, so below you'll find a "gallery" of pictures in which I've attempted to capture the art of cooking.

This leads me to something I've been thinking about: cooking really is an art. By that I mean that it has to be practiced. Sometimes you just don't get it right, for example:

This looks like a pretty nice (if bland colorwise) meal of halibut poached in white wine, butter, and chives, with kolhrabi (which had a beautiful purple skin before I peeled it), and okra fritters. I followed actual recipes for the halibut and the fritters, yet found both to be disappointing.

So, it's back to the drawing board. My friend Katie, who is a restaurant manager and a mean cook, and I got together and just combined ingredients. From scratch and our imaginations, we came up with a fantastic dinner, which I've taken pictures of below.

It's always fun to start out with an appetizer, in this case Normandy Farms bread,
EVOO with salt and pepper, cheese, and a glass of red.

a lovely salad Katie prepared with arugula, mushrooms, cucumbers, yellow pepper, shredded carrots, snow peas,
and a mixture of red wine vinegar with beet and carrot salad dressings from Whole Foods salad bar

Farmer's Market basil pasta with seared scallops and a colorful zucchini, squash, and red pepper stirfry

That's a lot more like it!


Not long after, my sister and I made dinner. She has embraced kale as wholeheartedly as I have (must run in the family) and made a fantastic Chopped Kale Salad (recipe below) over red quinoa. We grilled okra and chicken and enjoyed it all with a glass of white wine.


Chopped Kale Salad, Coco Style

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 red onion, diced
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  
• 1/2 lemon
• grated ginger (optional)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bunch red kale
• sea salt to taste
  

1. In a large bowl, mash avocado with lemon juice, diced red onion, diced peppers, and sea salt to taste. Add grated ginger if desired.
2. Wash and finely chop kale and cukes. Toss in avocado dressing until coated evenly. If kale seems too crisp, add more lemon and salt to soften.

Serve chilled.