Parenting parallel

The most amazing thing I have learned about parenting so far is the inate ability to know your child's needs simply by being around them. This is not to say I haven't had challenges "learning" Zeke. However, I have learned that intuition is very powerful...more powerful than any "parent book" I have read.

For instance, I have several friends with little babies who I love to bounce questions off of. However, the more we talk, the more I realize how different every baby is and that "one size does NOT fit all" or rather "every child is unique." It's not that I didn't know that before, but when there are books telling you how to make your baby the "happiest baby on the block" or how to get them to sleep through the night when they are 5 weeks old....it puts pressure on you as a mom to DO IT RIGHT.

All this to say, I am learning that this parallels so much with the way we look at diet. Although there are hundreds of different theories, most diets claim that their diet is "the right way" for everyone out there. Just as babies are different, all of our bodies have unique needs.

Some of us have autoimmune disorders, some high blood pressure. Some with trouble stabolizing insulin levels, skin issues & those living with disease. We are all very different depending on our genetic make-up and predisposition to illness and disease. With this said...I am learning already through my studying that "one diet does not fit all."

I am anxious for the time when I can start seeing patients and help them learn what their unique goals, desires and nutritional needs are and helping them transform their lives.

I believe part of learning what is right for us is to spend time seeking God and trusting our intuition. God's widsom will transend our understanding. And our understanding helps us make confident decisions will affect all arenas of our lives.

New Beginnings

2011 marks many new firsts for me!

All in the last three months I have become a mom and an aunt to two beautiful boys, been laid off from work & decided on a career change! The same inspiration that started this blog is what led me to recently enroll in The Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach.

I have put this dream aside, but after losing my job and gaining a son, I was inspired to take a leap of faith and try to pursue my dream of learning how to live healthy life, along with inspiring others to do the same.

I am not sure what direction this will take...but I am excited for the ride. Stay tuned!

Love,

Linds

Laz's Lentil Soup!

My roomie from College, Leslie (Laz) is by far one of the best cooks I have ever met. In college I couldn't even bake boxed brownies (NO LIE! I forgot the eggs! ha)

Laz on the other hand made everything from gormet burgers to amazing Italian Cuizine....she always made college feel like we were at home with "real" food! In honor of lent season, she emailed me her own concoction she made up!

I have made this twice because it is super tasty and easy!


Laz's Yum Yum Yummy Lentil Soup
2 bags of Beluga Lentils (from TJs- near the soups)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 bag of spinach
1 can of tomatoes (regular diced or fire roasted)
Cumin
Oregano
Paprika
Tabasco or Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper
Water


In a stock pot, throw some olive oil in a pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute a minute, add red pepper & saute together for 2-3 minutes. When onions look transparent add garlic and stir for about a minute. Add can of diced tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors blend.

Add lentils and a few tablespoons of cumin and oregano. A few good shakes of paprika & tabasco/ pepper flakes. I use just a little bit of salt and a lot of pepper- don't skimp on the spices!

Add about 2 cups of water, or enough so that lentils are about half covered. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in bag of spinach until wilted and serve!

Top the soup with crumbled Ak-Mak sesame crackers, chopped green onion, pepper and gruyere cheese- YUM!

Winner winner funky chicken salad for dinner!

So......I realize it's been forever since I have posted anything. Sorry! My work blocked my social networking sites from my laptop so J and I are currently sharing one...plus life has been a little crazy! I wanted to share a yummy recipe with you. This is from cooking Light. My sis-in-law, Shanna, made this for us with roasted veggies and it was sooooooo good!

The roasted veggies she used were sweet potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts & parsnips. (coat veggies tossed with olive oil, salt/pepper, thyme or whatever herbs you like. Roast at 350 for 30 minutes. Move the veggies around once or twice while cooking.

Serve veggies with:

Greek Chicken and Barley Salad
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients
Salad:
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – To make this even quicker, buy a rotisserie chicken or left over chicken breasts.
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided – Not needed if using Quinoa
1 cup uncooked pearl barley or Quinoa…Prepare according to package.
2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
½ cup red pepper
1/2 cup cubed yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation
1. To prepare salad, sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1 cup broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until done. Cool; shred chicken. Discard broth.
2. Bring 3 cups broth to a boil in a large saucepan; add barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Cool. Combine chicken, barley, cucumber, and next 4 ingredients (through olives) in a large bowl.
3. To prepare dressing, combine 3 tablespoons oil, rind, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Add to barley mixture; toss well. Cover and chill.

Makers Diet: Phase 3

Due to life and too many gatherings where food is out of my control, I am going to live on phase 3 of the makers diet pretty strickly through Lent (I originally was going to start over but I changed my mind).

For those of you who want to start on phase 1, the foods are listed below. If you are looking for a way to transition into "clean eating" without too many restrictions.....jump to phase 3 with me. As mentioned, if you have any digestion, yeast or bacterial issues, I would strongly urge you to begin on phase 1....but get the book because it will explain the importance of why you are restricting certain foods!

For your reference, here is the total list of approved foods from Jordan Rubin's The Maker's Diet.

Notice that there are 3 phases. Phase 1 is very restricted in order to cleanse the body of toxins. Phase 2 is still fairly restricted, but some new food items are added in. Phase 3 consists of how to eat for the rest of your life in order to maintain optimal health.


Phase I: Foods to Enjoy (2 weeks)

Meat (grass-fed/organic is best)
Beef
Lamb
Venison
Veal
Buffalo
Elk
Goat
Meat bone stock/soup
Liver and heart (must be organic)
Beef or buffalo sausage or hot dogs (no pork casing—organic and nitrite/nitrate free is best) (Use sparingly in phase 1.)

Fish (Wild freshwater/ocean-caught fish is best; make sure it has fins and scales!)
Salmon
Tuna
Halibut cod
Scrod
Brouper
Haddock
Mahi mahi
Pompano
Wahoo
Trout
Tilapia
Orange roughy
Sea bass
Snapper
Mackerel
Herring
Sole
Whitefish
Fish bone soup/stock
Salmon (canned in spring water)
Tuna (canned in spring water)
Sardines (canned in water or olive oil only)

Poultry (pastured/organic is best)
Chicken
Cornish game hen
Guinea fowl
Turkey
Duck
Poultry bone soup/stock
Chicken or turkey bacon (no pork casing—organic and nitrite/nitrate free is best) (Use sparingly in phase 1.)
Liver and heart (must be organic)

Eggs (high omega-3/DHA is best)
Chicken eggs (whole with yolk)
Duck eggs (whole with yolk)

Dairy
Goat’s milk yogurt (plain)
Homemade kefir from goat’s milk
Soft goat’s milk cheese
Goat’s milk hard cheese
Sheep’s milk hard cheeses

Fats and oils (organic is best)
Ghee
Goat’s milk butter
Cow’s milk, butter, organic
Avacado
Extra-virgin coconut oil (best for cooking)
Extra-virgin olive oil (not for cooking)
Flaxseed oil (not for cooking)
Hempseed oil (not for cooking)
Goat’s milk butter (not for cooking)
Raw cow’s milk butter, grass fed (not best for cooking)
Expeller-pressed sesame oil
Coconut milk/cream (canned)

Vegetables (organic fresh or frozen is best)
Broccoli
Asparagus
Squash (winter or summer)
Beets
Cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Eggplant
Garlic
Okra
Cucumber
Pumpkin
Onion
Lettuce
Spinach
Mushrooms
Peppers
Tomatoes
Peas
String beans
Artichoke (French, not Jerusalem)
Leafy greens (kale, collard, broccoli, rabe, mustard greens, etc.)
Raw leafy greens (endive, escarole, radicchio, arugula, frisse, etc.)
Sprouts (broccoli, sunflower, pea shoots, radish, etc.)
Sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, kombu, hijiki)
Raw, fermented vegetables (lacto-fermented only, no vinegar)

Beans and legumes (soaked or fermented is best)
Small amounts of fermented soybean paste (miso) as a broth
Lentils

Nuts and seeds (organic, raw, soaked is best)
Almonds (raw)
Hempseed (raw)
Pumpkinseeds (raw)
Flaxseeds (raw and ground)
Sunflower seeds (raw)
Hempseed butter (raw)
Almond butter (raw)
Sunflower butter (raw)
Pumpkinseed butter (raw)
Tahini, sesame butter (raw)

Condiments, spices, seasonings (organic is best)
Salsa (fresh or canned)
Tomato sauce (no added sugar)
Guacamole (fresh)
Apple cider vinegar
Celtic sea salt (or Real Sea Salt by Redmond)
Mustard
Herbamare seasoning
Omega-3 mayonaise (Spectrum)
Umeboshi paste
Soy sauce (wheat-free), tamari
Raw salad dressings and marinade (recipes in book)
Herbs and spices (no stabilizers)
Pickled ginger (preservative and color free)
Wasabe (preservative and color free)
Organic flavoring extracts (alcohol based, no sugar added), i.e. vanilla, almond, etc.

Fruits (organi fresh or frozen is best)
Blueberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Cherries
Grapefruit
Lemon
Lime

Beverages
Purified, nonchlorinated water
Natural spring water, no carbonation added (i.e. Perrier)
Herbal teas (preferably organic)—unsweetened or with a small amount of raw honey or
Stevia
Raw vegetable juice (beet or carrot juice—maximum 25 percent of total)
Lacto-fermented beverages (recipes in book)
Certified organic coffee—buy whole beans, freeze them, and grind yourself when
desired; flavor only the organic cream and a small amount of honey.

Sweeteners
Unheated, raw honey in very small amounts (1 Tbsp. per day maximum)

Miscellaneous
Goat’s milk protein powder (Goatein by Garden of Life)



Phase II: Foods to Enjoy (2 weeks)

Meat
All meats listed in phase one

Fish
All fish listed in phase one

Poultry
All poultry listed in phase one

Eggs
Fish roe or caviar (fresh, no preserved)

Luncheon meat (organic and nitrite/nitrate free is best)
Turkey, sliced (free range, preservative free)
Roast beef, sliced (free range, preservative free)

Dairy (organic, grass-fed is best)
Homemade kefir from raw or nonhomogenized cow’s milk
Kefir from pasteurized, nonhomogenized cow’s milk
Raw cow’s milk hard cheeses
Cow’s milk cottage cheeses
Cow’s milk ricotta cheese
Cow’s milk plain whole-milk yogurt
Cow’s milk plain kefir
Cow’s milk plain sour cream
Raw goat’s milk

Fats and oils (organic is best)
Expeller-pressed peanut oil

Vegetables (organic fresh or frozen is best)
Sweet potatoes
Corn
Yams

Beans and legumes (soaked or fermented is best)
White beans
Black beans
Kidney beans
Navy beans
Tempeh (fermented soybean)

Nuts and seeds (organic, raw, soaked is best)
Walnuts (raw)
Macadamia nuts (raw)
Hazelnuts (raw)
Brazil nuts (raw)
Pecans (raw or soaked and low-temperature dehydrated)

Condiments, spices, seasonings (organic is best)
Ketchup (no sugar) [I get Westbrae brand, fruit-juice sweetened]
All-natural salad dressings (no sugar/corn syrup, no preservatives)
All-natural marinades (no sugar/corn syrup, no preservatives)

Fruits (organic fresh or frozen is best)
Apples
Apricots
Grapes
Melon
Peaches
Oranges
Pears
Plums
Kiwi
Pineapple
Pomegranates
Passion fruit
Guava

Beverages
Raw vegetable juice (beet or carrot—maximum 50 percent of total)
Coconut water

Sweeteners
Unheated raw honey (up to 3 Tbsp. per day)
Stevia



Phase III: Foods to Enjoy (2 weeks and/or indefinitely)

All Meat, Fish, Poultry, Eggs, Luncheon Meat, Dairy, Fats and Oils, Vegetables listed in Phases I and II.

Beans and legumes (soaked or fermented is best)
Add these along with what is listed in phases 1 and 2:
Pinto beans
Split peas
Red beans
Garbanzo beans
Broad beans
Lima beans
Black-eyed peas
Edamame (boiled soybeans) – in small amounts

Nuts and seeds (organic, raw, soaked is best)
Add these along with what is listed in phases 1 and 2:
Almonds (dry roasted)
Almond butter (roasted)
Walnuts (dry roasted)
Tahini (roasted)
Pecans (dry roasted)
Macadamia nuts (dry roasted)
Sunflower seeds (dry roasted)
Pumpkinseeds (dry roasted)
Pumpkinseed butter (roasted)
Sunflower butter (roasted)
Peanuts, dry roasted (must be organic) (in small quantities)
Peanut butter, roasted (must be organic) (in small quantities)
Cashews, raw or dry roasted in (small quantities)
Cashew butter, raw or roasted (in small quantities)

Condiments, spices, seasonings (organic is best) – all those listed in phases 1 and 2.

Fruits (organic fresh or frozen is best)
Along with fruits listed in phases 1 and 2, add:
Banana
Papaya
Mango
Canned fruit (in its own juices)
Dried fruit (no sugar or sulfites): raisins, figs, dates, prunes, pineapple, papaya, peaches,
and apples

Beverages
Along with beverages listed in phases 1 and 2, add:
Raw, unpasteurized vegetable juice
Raw, unpasteurized fruit juice
Organic wine and beer (in very small amounts)

Grains and starchy carbohydrates (whole-grain, organic, soaked or sprouted is best)
Sprouted Ezekiel-type bread
Sprouted Essene bread
Fermented whole-grain sourdough bread
Quinoa
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Kamut (in small quantities)
Sprouted cereal
Oats (in small quantities)
Brown rice (in small quantities; pre-soak in water and an acidic medium for 7-12 hrs. before cooking)
Spelt (in small quantities)
Barley (in small quantities)
Whole-grain kamut or spelt pasta (in small quantities)

Sweeteners
Along with sweeteners listed in phases 1 and 2, add:
Pure maple syrup

sprouting lentils

In honor of Lent season, here is a brief history of lentils:

Lentils, one of the first crops cultivated by man, have been a food source for over 8000 years. Through much of that time they have been considered the food of the poor people. In ancient Greece the wealthy would never think of serving lentils to their guests or themselves. One exception was Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who prescribed lentils for his patients with liver ailments.

Lentils gained more respect in Eighteenth Century France under the reign of Louis XV, whose wife Marie made them fashionable at the king's court. They were named "lentils of the queen."

Even into the Nineteenth Century they were called "the poor man's meat." The only time of year they found acceptance was during Lent as a substitute for those people who could not afford fish.

There are many ways to enjoy lentils but I am new to them so I decided to sprout them for the first time. They are yummy as a snack or sprinkled over a salad :)

Directions:

1. Fill up a glass mason jar with raw lentils about 1/3 of the way. Fill the rest of the jar with water and soak overnight. (you can find bags of dry lentils almost anywhere. I got mine at Whole Foods for under $3. Leave lid open for oxygen.

2. Rinse your lentils in a colander under water and put back in the Mason jar (do not fill with water this time). Rinse the lentils twice daily to make sure they don't get slimy. Repeat this for 3 days. Leave the lid open a bit for oxygen on these days too.

3. You will see your lentils sprout a little tail :). When this is done--they are ready for eating! Enjoy!

Lentils, raw (Dry Weight) Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 1,477 kJ (353 kcal)
Carbohydrates 60 g
Sugars 2 g
Dietary fiber 31 g
Fat 1 g
Protein 26 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.87 mg (67%)
Iron 7.5 mg (60%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient database
Lentils contain high levels of proteins, including the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, and are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world for those who adhere to a vegetarian diet or cannot afford meat.[2] Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cystine.[3] However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cystine.[4]

Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[5] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[6] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish.

Healthy Yummy Cookies

My friend turned me onto a blog 101cookbooks....awesome recipes on there!

I did a little search and found this recipe. I just made them last night and they are soooooooo yummy and easy! My family loved them!!!!

Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe

You can use unsweetened carob, or grain sweetened chocolate chips, or do what I did and chop up dark chocolate bars from Trader Joes. I sort-of shaved half the bar with a knife and then cut the rest into bigger chip-sized chunks. You can make your own almond meal by pulsing almonds in a food processor or blender until it is the texture of sand - don't go too far or you'll end up with almond butter. And lastly, the coconut oil works beautifully here, just be sure to warm it a bit - enough that it is no longer solid, which makes it easier to incorporate into the bananas.


3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes. I baked these as long as possible without burning the bottoms and they were perfect - just shy of 15 minutes seems to be about right in my oven.
Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies. I made mine a tad bigger so I ended up with 2 dozen.