"Do I dare to eat a peach?" - TS Eliot in the Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock
For most of my life, I have been allergic to fresh peaches. (Tragic, no?) Especially considering that for five years I lived in Atlanta - aka Peach Heaven! I was also allergic to raw apples, plums, nectarines, and pears. For about 20 years, I could not eat any of these without having an allergic reaction (specifically itching and swelling of my lips and mouth - nothing that seemed too dangerous - just uncomfortable and annoying). While I'm sure I shouldn't have been tempting fate to unleash a more severe reaction, I used to test the waters every now and then by eating a bite of one of these forbidden fruits just to see if maybe by some miracle I had outgrown the allergy. it seemed fairly safe to dip a toe in the water now and then to see if anything had changed. So year after year, I'd try apples as they came in season in the fall and peaches in the summer only to have the same disappointing allergic reaction. But then (Oh glory of glories!) LAST year, by some merciful act of the food gods...I ate an apple and had...no reaction! This momentous event kicked off months of raw-apple feasting in our house as I tested variety after variety in allergy-free glee! And this summer, I had the same thing happen with a peach! My first thought? "Amen and hallelujah! Let the testing of fresh fruit recipes commence!"
I found this one in Clean Eating's July/August issue and could not wait to try it. It's just the kind of thing I like to have for lunch - a nice balance of high-fiber whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, some good fat (this time by way of walnuts and olive oil), and a flavor-packed cheese. It is quick to prepare, keeps well, and can be eaten cold or at room temperature which makes it so versatile! It would be a great side dish for dinner, too, maybe paired with grilled chicken or pork?
I've dreamed up a few variations I'd like to try - adding fresh blueberries, using smoked paprika instead of chili powder, gorgonzola cheese...the possibilities are limited only by your taste preferences and imagination. And maybe your own allergies...so if you happen to be allergic to peaches (pause, moment of silence) may I suggest mango as an easy substitution?
Peach & Walnut Barley Salad Adapted from Clean Eating magazine
serves 4
1 c. quick cooking barley 1 c. parsley, finely chopped 1/4 c. walnut pieces, chopped 2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced (about 1 c.) 1 c. diced fresh strawberries 1/4 c red or yellow bell pepper, diced 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh lime (or lemon) juice 1/4 c. orange juice 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 c. goat cheese (original called for feta)
Cook barley according to package directions. Cool to room temperature before tossing with parsley, walnuts, peaches, strawberries and pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, and salt. Pour over barley mixture and toss. Crumble cheese over top and serve.
I used to think sleep was overrated - my philosophy mandated that I squeeze as much activity as possible into every 24 hour period, lest I miss something! Rest was for the weak. The less I slept, the more productive I believed I was! I lived this way throughout my youth and my 20s and maybe even the first year or two of my 30s...but I've changed my tune.
So what do I believe now? I believe sleep is grossly under-valued. We take it for granted, those of us who generally get a good stretch of it every night. I suppose that the chronically or severely sleep deprived have a better handle on the true value of sleep than the rest of us, since the absence of it makes its value painfully clear. I have great empathy and respect for night shift employees, those who suffer from insomnia or sleep-related disorders, etc. And at the moment I can relate just a teensy bit as the mother of a newborn. My 2-week-old daughter is actually a good sleeper so far, going 3-4 hours between feedings and not waking up much otherwise during the night; relative to some newborn behavior, I clearly have nothing to complain about! Nonetheless, the interrupted and shortened nights I've been living with lately have reminded me of how valuable good sleep is to my overall health and well being! With just 2-3 hours a night shaved off my norm, I can see and feel negative effects on my skin, my eyes, my patience, my energy level, and my temperament. In my go-go-go days gone by, I'm not sure I even noticed the ill effects my lack of sleep and rest were having on my body, but now I'm acutely aware of the impact of lost sleep and inadequate rest.
At Nourish, I eventually talk with all of my clients about Rest. Rest with a capital "R" encompasses sleep, but also includes other forms of recovery and rejuvenation (like quietly reading a favorite book or magazine or sipping a lemonade in a lawn chair). But sleep? It's at the very core of Rest.
Why? Because sleep has physical and psychological benefits that can't be overlooked. To highlight just a few:
Cellular Repair As we sleep, the cells in our bodies produce proteins that repair damage inflicted by stress, exercise, pollutants, and all sorts of other things we battle during our waking hours. The more sleep we get, the more restoration our bodies can perform.
Easier Weight Maintenance Adequate sleep is believed to keep two appetite-regulating hormones (leptin which signals fullness and ghrelin which stimulates the feeling of hunger) in check. When they are in the right range, you are less likely to overeat. Beyond that, people who are overtired have less willpower to make healthy food choices - they are more tempted by sugar, caffeine and snacks with their promise of quick hits of energy. Enhanced Focus and Alertness Simply put, sleep refreshes us. We are more alert and can think better, drive better, and perform better after a good night of sleep. Improved Memory Sleep has a positive effect on short term memory, allowing the brain to consolidate information taken in throughout the day so that it can be more easily recalled. This is why the ubiquitous college "all nighter" is counterproductive - wrapping up a study or work session and getting some sleep actually improves performance the next day.
Increased Energy I used to believe that NOT sleeping a lot increased my productivity - I had more waking hours to get things done, right? Wrong. What I know now is that getting enough sleep actually boosts my energy level and focus so dramatically that I'm able to get more done in less time.
Better Skin and Clearer Eyes Pick up virtually any women's magazine and you'll find an article touting the benefits of sleep on skin and eyes. When you haven't slept enough, it shows. Simple as that.
More Even Temperament Tired people are prone to mood swings, anxiety, anger and depression. Simply getting more sleep can help to regulate all of these emotional conditions, thereby improving relationships and overall quality of life.
Most adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a day to perform at their peak. Yet many people today pride themselves on how LITTLE sleep they need. Haven't you heard people bragging that they can get by on 4 or 5 hours? To that I say, if you feel great on 4-5 hours of sleep, just IMAGINE how you'd feel on 7!
Having learned and experienced the benefits of sleep, it's now easier for me to justify an afternoon nap after a rough night with the baby. It's easier to choose to go to bed early vs. staying up to finish one more thing on my never-ending To Do list. It's easier to make those choices because I know they will pay dividends in all the benefits outlined above.
My hope is that you'll give yourself the gift of experiencing these benefits firsthand by ensuring that you, too, are getting enough Zzzzzzzs.
It's HOT outside! The kind of hot that makes your makeup melt off and your clothes stick to you. The kind of hot that begs for gallons of iced tea to be in the fridge and for ceiling fans to assist the AC in doing its job. The kind of hot that makes people start thinking about making gazpacho....well, at least that's what happens to ME!
Isn't it convenient that just when the summer heat hits its peak, so too does the produce at the farmer's market? It makes this gazpacho all the better.
For the uninitiated, gazpacho is a cold, tomato-based, often spicy, vegetable soup that can be pureed or left chunky. My personal preference is for the chunky version - the kind where you can still identify the vegetables that were used to create it. This one, which I've adapted from a Barefoot Contessa recipe, perfectly suits my style.
Be sure to make this before the summer produce starts to wane...then kick back on your patio or deck and serve this gorgeous soup in clear glass bowls to show off its colors and sheen. Top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream or Greek Yogurt and a sprinkle of freshly cut herbs. Open a bottle of a simple white wine (a Chenin Blanc perhaps) and toast to the heat of summer. Aaah.
Gazpacho adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
serves 8
2 English cucumbers, seeded 3 red peppers, cored and seeded 6 heirloom tomatoes 1 large red onion 6 garlic cloves, minced 6 cups tomato juice (buy the best quality you can find) 1/2 cup white (or red) wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Roughly chop the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and onions into 1" cubes. Separately put each vegetable into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped (be careful not to puree!). After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving.
Garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of freshly cut herbs.
I am loving the bounty of fresh produce available at my local farmer's markets and in my parents' garden this summer! Every day presents another opportunity to do something simple and wonderful with all those fresh flavors. I've worked my way through tomato sandwiches, BLT's, caprese, Greek salad, fresh tomato dressing (the one I wrote about in my July newsletter), corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and squash, ratatouille, and all my other standby favorites. And then I started trying new things...like this salad from a cookbook called Clean Food that my husband got me for Christmas last year. It was written by Terry Walters, a fellow graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and since all of the recipes are vegetarian (many are even vegan) it's a great source when I'm looking for vegetable recipes in particular! This one jumped out at me when I found myself in possession of a rather large quantity of fresh green beans.
I'd serve this with a simply grilled meat or fish (flank steak? pork tenderloin? salmon? tilapia?) and a big bowl of fruit for an easy summer meal. It would also pack well for a picnic or barbecue - I'd add the dressing just before serving so the tomatoes don't get overly juicy.
Green Beans and Sweet Corn with Summer Vinaigrette photo credit: Whole Foods website
1 1/2 cups fresh corn, cut from the cob 2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed 2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steam corn in microwave or steamer basket until tender (about 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
Steam or boil green beans for 3 minutes or until bright green or just tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, drain and add to corn.
In small bowl, whisk together olive oil through salt and pepper and pour over beans and corn. Add tomatoes and onions and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature (or cold).
First things first! I'm thrilled to announce that we have a new addition to our family! Brooke Arianna, our third child, was born on Friday evening and she is practically perfect in every way. Our whole world has been turned upside down in the best of ways, as I suspect has happened throughout history for everyone blessed with a new child. There's a never-ending list of newborn needs, two other children beside themselves with excitement, visitors to entertain and major sleep deprivation...and yet, I'm blogging. It might make you ask "WHY?!"
In fact, throughout my pregnancy I was often asked how much time I planned to take off with this baby. With each of my other two, I took a one-year maternity leave from my corporate marketing job to fully immerse myself in being a mom! Those were two incredible and memorable years filled with wonderful moments and I wouldn't change a thing about them. But there is something different this time around that is leading me to take a different approach. What's different? I am doing what I LOVE.
I simply can't imagine wanting to "take a year off" from my work with Nourish because it never really feels like work to me at all! I love every second of meeting new prospective clients, speaking about wellness topics, working with clients 1:1, leading group classes, researching wellness topics, blogging, creating new content for classes, working on marketing plans and ideas, testing recipes, you name it! Sometimes I feel like I'm cheating because I'm getting paid to have so much fun! And yet, isn't that exactly how life should be?
Have you ever had a morning when you woke up before the alarm because what you had scheduled for that day literally drew you out of bed and into the activity? It may have been something at work or something for leisure, but I hope you've experienced that feeling of anticipation where getting out of bed outweighed the appeal of staying under the covers. Lately, I have been experiencing that feeling every day! And it's the most incredible thing. In fact, it's my wish for you. To discover a life you love, one that fuels you with energy as you apply your talents to worthwhile work - at home or outside the home. I feel so blessed to be living my own version of that life.
So...you'll continue to hear from me throughout these chaotic and amazing newborn days and beyond. For now, Brooke is my most precious reason for being drawn out of bed and into my day...but I'm so grateful that my work is a source of energy for me as well. What are YOU doing to discover the life you love? Are you living it yet?
This is simply delicious. Light, refreshing even, incredibly flavorful, simple. It has a definite Asian influence (udon noodles were the giveaway, right?) but isn't overwhelmingly associated with any one ethnicity. It made a wonderful dinner but could be a terrific appetizer/soup course for a more complex meal. You'll love it.
Have you tried udon noodles? Our kids love them because they taste like really soft spaghetti! And we have a children's cooking alphabet book which has taught them that "U is for Udon Noodles." How great is that? As for you, you'll find udon noodles in the Asian section of your grocery store - usually in an 8-10 oz package if dried. Sometimes they are precooked and just need to be reheated. Either will work for this but if you are using precooked, you'll need to adjust the quantity (probably 2 packages of cooked noodles).
This dish is really low calorie (232 calories per 1.5 cup serving) and still packed with 20 grams of protein, leaving plenty of room for great accompaniments. And isn't THAT always a bonus?
Chicken & Udon Noodle Bowl minimally adapted from Clean Eating - July 2010
serves 8
Ingredients:
8 oz. package of dried udon noodles (preferable whole wheat) 4 c. low sodium chicken broth 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped 5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. lime zest 14 oz. unsweetened light coconut milk 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices, each about 1" long 1 1/2 c. fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced 6 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups, loosely packed) 1/2 Napa cabbage, chopped (about 1-2 c.) 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Bring broth, ginger, jalapenos, lime juice, lemon juice and lime zest to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot; reduce heat to medium-low.
Add coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms, stirring well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved noodles, spinach and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until wilted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Water is one of those life essentials with SO many health benefits across the spectrum of wellness that it's high time I write about it! At no time is it more critical to stay conscious of water intake than in the peak of summer's heat...so here are a few thoughts for you about water and hydration.
1 - Drink a full glass of water upon waking. Drinking a full glass of water upon waking is an age-old beauty secret. Whether or not it's true, I can still recommend this practice! You've just gone 7 or 8 hours without water - break the fast!
2 - Drink water throughout the day. I'm not going to give you a formula for determining exactly how much water to drink. What I will say is that MOST of us are chronically dehydrated and one way to be less so is to drink water throughout the day. Try it. You'll be amazed by how much better you feel from this one simple change! 3 - Recognize that dehydration masquerades as hunger. Sometimes you will THINK you are hungry when in reality you are thirsty! Try this. The next time it's a hot day and you are jonesing for ice cream... drink a big glass of cold water first. See if it quells your craving. 9 times out of 10 it will - the other time you can go find yourself a cone of the best ice cream in the vicinity with my blessing!
4 - Learn that water can taste great and still be healthy. Many people claim they don't like the taste of water - or that they find it boring. This group has fueled an entire industry of flavored waters, many of which are filled with sugar and added calories. Here's an alternative. Try infusing your water with herbs, or fruit, or even vegetables! Buy a beautiful pitcher...fill it with water...add fresh mint...or watermelon chunks...or cucumber and lime slices...or lemons....and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Voila - spa water!
5 - Practice good hydration for mental clarity. When we're starting to feel a little foggy, many of us reach for coffee or a caffeinated soda. Switch that to a big glass of water and you'll clear your head just as well without buzzing and then crashing. Just nice, steady energy. Aaaah.
6 - For heaven's sake, bottle your own water! There's really no reason to buy bottled water at this point - there are so many beautiful and practical reusable bottles on the market that you can just filter your own and take it with you, refilling on the go. Have you seen these gorgeous bottles from KOR? Or these from SIGG? Or these from Camelback which my kids love? Need a filter? PUR makes a great faucet-mount or refrigerator pitcher. Or you can use the built-in filter in your fridge if it has a water dispenser - that's what I do! Just remember to periodically change your filter.
A closing thought - please don't take clean water for granted! In my former life, I worked for Procter & Gamble, and in my last role with the company, I had the privilege of working pretty closely with a P&G-run organization devoted to providing safe drinking water in the developing world. Called Children's Safe Drinking Water, the organization really opened my eyes to the World Water Crisis and its impact on the health of individuals without access to clean water. You can learn about the crisis and the organization at the Children's Safe Drinking Water website but here are a few facts pulled from the site to get you started. I hope you'll start to view the clean drinking water you have access to as a privilege and that you will take FULL advantage of it!
More than one billion people do not have access to safe water.
Diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water remains a leading cause of illness and death among infants and children in the developing world.
About 1.8 million children die every year due to diarrheal diseases.
More children die from diarrheal illnesses like cholera and dysentery than from HIV/AIDS or malaria combined.
P&G has collaborated with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) since 1995 to develop safe drinking water systems that people can easily use in their homes.
There is conclusive evidence that simple, low-cost interventions at the community level can dramatically improve the quality of household stored water and greatly reduce the risk of diarrheal disease and death.
It is well documented that simply providing safe, clean, drinkable water can reduce deadly diarrhea and other devastating diseases by about 50%.
If you're looking for a delicious and healthy recipe to take to a Fourth of July celebration this weekend, this one fits the bill! You may already be familiar with Texas Caviar since there are a million variations of the basic recipe in circulation. This party favorite is essentially a marinated bean salad/salsa that is fiber rich and also sugar-free thanks to the stevia substitution I've included here. I usually serve this with baked tortilla chips but feel free to experiment with whatever suits your taste.
As for the name....you can rest assured that there is no actual caviar in Texas Caviar! The dish apparently was created by Helen Corbitt, a famed 1950's food consultant who was the head of food service at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. I found this recent article which gives more of the history if you're interested. If you'd rather just cook it...well, then, read on!
Festive Bean Salad (aka Texas Caviar)
serves: many
Ingredients:
1 can black eyed peas
1 can pinto OR hot chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn (or 2 c. of fresh corn cut from the cob)
1 small jar chopped pimento
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced small
1 c. diced red, green or yellow peppers
6 finely diced jalapeno peppers (seeds removed)
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Dressing Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. canola oil
10-15 packets of Truvia sweetener OR 1 tsp. PURE Stevia powdered or liquid extract
Baked tortilla chips or other chips of your choice
Directions:
Drain and rinse the first four ingredients in a colander or strainer. Transfer to a large bowl and add next 6 ingredients. Set aside.
In a saucepan, bring the dressing ingredients to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pour over beans and vegetables and stir to coat. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 24). Drain most liquid before serving with chips.
I am an avid foodie, wife, and mother of three amazing children. I live and work in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I own Nourish, a wellness lifestyle practice devoted to helping women thrive. Check us out at www.nourishyourself.com.
"Do I dare to eat a peach?"
Posts
