What Is It? And, Why You, TOO Should Street-Walk Hollywood & Sunset

June 15, 2009 at 4:50 pm (Diet, Farmers Market, Garden, Greens, RAW Food, What Is It?)
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I LOVE L.A. Yes, I do. Say what you will about it — and you will be oh-so right — but living in Southern Cali is like no other for the stunning variety of food one can obtain and locally, reducing your chances of contributing to human exploitation (which is ALL around us). Yes, the Farmers of L.A. are awesome, friendly, and generous.

I often mention that I am “Sooooooo lucky!” and, wow, even I marvel sometimes at my good fortune! To have such excellent food at my leisure…it should be this way for every living being on this planet.

Whether you live in L.A. or are visiting, check out a few — at least — of the some of the best So. California has to offer. If you happen to be cruisin’ down Sunset, step on over to the Sunday morning festival that is (just one of) the Hollywood Farmer’s Market(s).

Okay, SO…What is it? :)

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Mm, awful purty!

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Little fuzzy, aye? :)

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Any ideas yet?

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Ah, hangs out with some friends…on a vine…

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C’mon, you green thumbers out there! Ever grown these in yer garden?

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Okay, let’s crack ‘er open…

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She breaches!

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Okay, NO, it’s not my brain…

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Though, I bet mine is greeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!   alien

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Oh, wait…ANOTHER shell??

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Okay, totally nude, you HAVE to know, now…No? ;)

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Yes, Yes!!!

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You got it! Fresh, raw incredibly DELICIOUS Garbanzo Beans!! banana-banjo

Got’em at the farmers’ market! Still on the vines WOW! Forget the Lakers‘ slam dunk — this is a SCORE!!!!grn-wink

Here is a pod holding 2 little ‘peas:

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This one was interesting; it had one that was drying out already!

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I was kind of expecting it to be more flavorful, more savory; but, instead it had very little flavor at all. What a shame :)

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Still purty, tho ;)

Where I first learned that they even existed was at a Whole Foods in the refrigerated section, several years ago. I fell in LOVE with them! I recall trying to convince my fellow raw-foodie enthusiasts at the time they existed, but was met with a lot of dismissive resistance! Hmph. Okay, so more for me, Nyahh :P Since that first time, I’ve not found them as often as I’d like; especially since I eat mostly raw. Now they are becoming more known as the blogosphere indicates!

Back to my Sunday …

So as the sun was waning, I took my bag O’ magic beans, and out to the patio…

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for some chick pea pickin.’

~~~ Ahh, yes, just like back in the old country, I do recall ~~~

Just kidding, lol Beans_Peas_pod

So we talked and picked…

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Rambled with hands busy…

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and picked….

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and reminisced some more…

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and the bowl was filling up nicely…

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…till my bowl runneth over…

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…almost ;) And while I cannot claim any “old country,” to my memoirs, relaxing, sharing, and picking over fresh legumes is quite enjoyable, and I now know why it’s so customary in some cultures to engage in such activity :) What a wonderful Sunday afternoon!

That evening, as every, I feasted! We feasted on fresh chick peas, fresh, first-of-season’s-sweet tomatoes (OH LORD, watch out!! I’ll be consuming loads of these cherry-sweet tomatoes through October!)

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a few other simple foods (I won’t bore you further with the details :) ), all fresh from the farmers’ market.

And All was well with the world. :)

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Speaking of the advantages of living in California, I have also the good fortune to have lived in various neighborhoods around Los Angeles, all rich with different ethnicities; ways; and customs. Flourishing and bringing life, culture, and wonderful experiences to us natives, they have contributed so much to Us All :) One such neighborhood had various Peoples from the region of the Middle East — O, the food! The markets! The colors! I recall running past many a group of two or more elderly women, dressed in traditional clothes, obviously brand new to this country, speaking and laughing in their native tongues. Along side them, large, old wooden buckets filled with some vegetable or other… They shelled and trimmed as they socialized, right there in their front yards;  no doubt a custom.

SO, my bowl full…

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…my heart and soul too :D , and I am grateful — and…

Sooooooooooooooo lucky!!! :D

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So you can’t get these locally, you say? :(   Well…

I am so excited to see these *FINALLY* catching on. Trader Joe’s had/has them every-so-often, shelled, in frozen bags, then — pOOf! Gone! One of things about TJ’s I don’t like >:(

There is a brand which is making itself more available around the U.S., “CaliFresh.” You can see they are in several chain markets — click here for those — so, “Yay” for that!! Even though not organic, you may want to give them a try. These are also available in Mexican markets, again, not organic, but why not try some? OR, heck, if you’re into gardening, how about trying to grow your own?! I’d love to. I’ve grown green peas and I can only hope fresh garbanzos would be so ridiculously easy! Those peas, by the way, were the BEST EVER, as I imagine your own,  home-grown foods are ;)

A-a (34)I found fresh to freeze well too. Some may prefer a quick steam, unless one is accustomed to the taste of, say, raw peas — then the raw chickpeas would be quite enjoyable. Either way, it can hardly be argued that these are not the freshest chickpeas you have ever eaten! They are, to my delight, Greeeeeeeeeeeeen :) And a gorgeous green!

If you can find these at a farmer’s market, grab ‘em. The worst that can happen is that you end up blending them into a green smoothie — now how’s that for tipping the odds? But trust me –  You will love these whether steamed or raw. Bean salad anyone?

A-a (47)The flavor, by the way, is much milder than any other raw legume. It has a nuttiness to it which is faintly reminscent of the dried cooked you know so well; however, this is just straight out unique tasting — highly enjoyable. Can you tell I like ‘em? That familiar “raw” taste is also not dominant like so many raw peas and beans; these are softer than you will probably be expecting. Loads of flavor; no spicing required.

To cook these are also quite enjoyable, as it takes mere minutes to simply steam — Yep, minutes! And so delectable. Much like fava beans — another utterly delicious bean fresh, look for them and GET SOME — the quick cooking is a nice change. I have always loved my summer bean salads with fresh favas. DElicious, I promise you!

A_ (32)These green chick peas can be eaten and served just like you would edamame — either in their pods, or shelled — depending how you find them. I prefer in their pods, but shelled are great too. Just steam them or you can drop them in boiling water for a few minutes, if you like. No salt needed, these are delish on their own; however, spicing them, of course, gives you much more variety and you can prepare delectable little delights with the simplicity and ease of marinating in various spice blends.

Seriously, I’ll say it again: I don’t know anyone who eats better than I do _lol.  And you can feel that way too! :D The changing of the tastebuds is one of the more dramatic results from eating healthfully and abstaining from salt, and chemically-flavored and processed “stuff” often labeled as “food.” I’ve never eaten better in my life, not only nutritionally but also taste-wise.

I mentioned this before also: When you are willing to give up the foods you (think you) love, crave, “can’t do without forever,” you GAIN so much more! :D I promise!

Okay, I’m storing up:Garbanzos_Fresh_in-pods

I’m loading up on these babies to take me through the off season –  into the fridge, and into the freezer, sealed extra well for long storage. :D

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So look for these! It’s that time of the year — Right Now! Go get some! Eat simply. No need for complicated meals! Try them in recipes or plain — Mmmmm, fresh chick peas! Give ‘em a try!

Strix

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ETL Friday! Recipes: No-Grain Granola…

May 8, 2009 at 2:17 am (Diet, Disease-Proof Your Child, ETL FRIDAYS!, Eat to Live, Food, Nutrition, Recipes, Vegan, health)
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~ Update: This NoGrainola is actually excellent with plant-milks; the texture is best described as the texture of “Grapenuts Cereal” if you recall ever eating that. Enjoy :D ~

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No Grainola with Goji Berries and Walnuts

Hi, Folks. No grain, no sugar, no acrylamides, and low fat ETL-DPYC granola. I thought I’d share one of my recipes that I created, utilizing the humble but versatile garbanzo bean –  grain-allergy free to boot. Feel free to tweak. Let me know if anyone you serve this can tell this is NOT “cereal” (without informing them what it is first, of course!); so far, no one has thought it otherwise.

Oh, and, you can make this with grains if you wish; oats are excellent, as well as wheat germ (see note below recipe)

This can take a lot of tweaking and be just as good — from spicing to lots of additionals to taste, such as dried fruit, nuts, seeds, oats/grains, flavorings, extracts, etc.

For morning cereals with ‘milks (see update above ;) )– I can’t say with 100% certainty you will like this with nut or seed milk: It will soften, which most cereals do; however, the texture is different, being beans and all. It’s ultimately up to you whether you like it that or not; try it :D . One friend of mine eats this with nut milk, but doesn’t let it sit to get soggy, so….I don’t know. You can spruce it up with berries — fresh and dried — or some banana, of course.

Sweetening can also be adjusted. I think the 1/2 C is a moderate amount, 2/3 C will satisify most; feel free to add more, if needed. Alternatively, if you find it is not sweet enough, or if others need more and others don’t, simple sprinkle in some date sugar, or sweeten your nut-seed milk. You can also spray the granola with water, then sprinkle with date sugar, spray again so it sticks; then pop it back into the dehydrator/oven :)

Here are two basic, simple versions; work widdit :D :

No-Grain Granola

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1 can of salt-free Garbanzo Beans, plain,drained and rinsed very well (or 1 1/2 C home-prepared, plain)

2  tsp vanilla extract

1/2* – 2/3 C Date Sugar, or to taste

2 TB Ground Golden Flax Seed

1-1 1/2 tsp Spice, such as pumpkin pie mix, cinnamon, Or Ginger if you’re a pea picker ;) ,  etc. (2 tsp Ginger 1/2 tsp Cinnamon is good)

1/2 C Pecans or Walnuts or both, chopped (OR choice of nuts/seeds)

Citrus Zest of 1 fruit (1 orange), Optional

1/2 C dried fruit, Optional

Coconut, flakes, pieces, dried or fresh, Optional

See directions below

I used the entire skin of kumquats for the citrus zest. The skin of kumquats is sweet and edible straight and the inside fruit is tart; so it was easy to just slice up the skin. Use some zest of orange as an alternative. I also threw in chopped up pieces of fresh young coconut and the texture was fantastic; it wasn’t like dried coconut flakes, it was chewy like dried fruit.

*Half cup of date sugar makes this light on sweetness; use 2/3 for a just-right sweetness; more?…at your own risk! ;D .

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Basic No Grainola ;) II

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I like the addition of a bit of tahini in this version:

1 Can Garbanzo Beans, unsalted, drained and rinsed well, (or 1 1/2 C home-prepared, plain)

2/3 C Date Sugar, or to taste

1 – 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon or more (Or others, such as Ginger, Cardamon, etc.)

2 TB Tahini + 2 TB juice/water, mixed

1/4 tsp Almond Extract

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 TB Ground Golden Flax seed

1/2 C Almonds, chopped (or nuts/seeds of choice)

1/2 C Dried Fruit, Other additions, such as coconut, etc., Optional

Zest of 1 Citrus, Optional

1/2 C Creativity ;) Optional

No Grainola Directions

Drain and rinse very well the Garbanzo beans and drain.

Pulse them in the processor

Dump into a bowl.

Combine tahini-water+ extracts

Then with a fork work in the tahini mixture, taking care not to mash — Just toss, but till thoroughly combined.

Add the Date sugar, cinnamon and flax, fork-tossing in as above.

Add the nuts, and mix.

Pour onto parchment-lined dehydrator sheets or baking sheet. Dehydrate at desired temperature till thoroughly dried; Or, bake at 248-degrees (to avoid acrylamide formation) or at lowest temperature you can in your oven till thoroughly dried and crunchy-yum.

I dehydrate 1 recipe in the Excalibur dehydrator at the highest temperature (155-degrees) for 3-or-so hours; it can actually be eaten at @ 2 hours; however it’s not thoroughly dried to my satisfaction at that point for best crunch factor (or for storing). You’ve probably tasted different granolas and some are super hard, others have a softness to them. You decide.

I’ve done lots of variations; so take your pick.

Enjoy!

Note on adding grain and / or Creativity:

If you add the grain, pulse chop rolled oats; if you use quick-cooking oats, you don’t need to pulse them. Start with 1/2 C;  I believe 1/2 C is about right. Try other ingredients such as some carrot pulp, perhaps; or ground nuts/seeds, etc. (Be sure to taste to determine if seasoning needs adjusting.)

And let me know your results :)

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Above is one using oats (pic before dehydrating). Interestingly, though, those who tasted both had no idea the only-garbanzo one was without any grain.

It has pecans and dried bananas

These mixtures look especially beautiful around the holidays with festive fruits and nuts. Oh, and not to mention a great way to maintain your Eat-To-Live lifestyle during that tough season :) .

Enjoy!

ETA: Have to add this!  If you are having problem with eating nutritionally/snacking; etc, this may be too “snacky” or contain too much dried fruit (dates ) for you;  it is, however, great for children. Eat responsibly ;^)

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Some pics to help with the directions;

Pulse the beans; don’t cream them:

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Oh, and speaking of crunch…Don’t forget my My Kale Chips recipe! For a delicious savory crispy munch :)

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Click pic below for a looksee at what else I ETLize to make for family and friends with the incredible, edible chickpea  (and more) ;)

GARBANZO BONANZA! ;^)

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Got recipes to share?

Send ‘em to me and I’ll post ‘em here on ETL Friday! :D

Strix

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Chewing Lessons…

May 4, 2009 at 9:43 am (Diet, Eat to Live, Food, Nutrition, health, opinion)
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I think of this every now and then, and thought I’d post a few ideas on it.

Please add some of your ideas! I will add them to this list; it would be a good resource :)

1. Chew thoroughly – Of course we all know this. Easier said than done! It takes a bit of (annoying) monitoring of your eating for a spell to get this down. When you eat, you should not swallow any pieces or chunks of anything; food should be creamed and go down smooth — like a green smoothie!

2. Put your fork down! – Yes. Try it. After you take a forkful of food, put your fork/spoon down and chew (as in no. 1), swallow and enjoy the flavor! Take a moment. Resume :) Finish that mouthful completely before you even think of lifting up that fork.

3. Fill your fork – with a modicum of food! Yes, take note of just how much you put on that fork/spoon. Surprised? I was — ack! More than enough; in fact, too much. This, leads to a mouth-too-full, which leads to improper mastication (see no. 1 again); poor digestion (eegads — gas/bloating, anyone?); a general rushing; and, actually, less enjoyment. Shoveling food means you’re not really savoring and tasting properly. Try it. I think you’ll find food more pleasurable and flavorful (and better for digestion). The food is in your mouth longer, where all the tastebuds are! The flavor disappears once food is swallowed…how sad ;)

4. Time, as in take your – Yes, this may take what is already more time than you have for eating, but, hey, you gotta do it. If rushed for time, then adjust your meals to accommodate your needs. So, if you have no time for your lunch, make it a more calorie-dense meal to get you through the meal faster — so, focus on beans and fat, and round it out with as many greens as you can get it. Then, make sure you are getting your requirements the other meal(s), like your greens in your smoothies and/or soups, maybe; and the rest of your fruit and veg at dinner, etc.

5. Try not to drink with meals – drink before or after. (this is more about digestion; but I think it also helps to not just flush down a mouthful of improperly chewed food with liquid)

6. Do not eat “mindlessly” – I try not to say this, but do, myself, sometimes, and it’s kind of annoying, lol. I mean, it’s so general, like “Listen to your body” — another one that annoys the heck out of me…I’ll save that for another ramble ;) . “Mindlessly” is just referring to not being conscious or aware of what you’re doing — ever drive and arrive at a destination and have no recall of the journey? Can’t recall getting on and off a particular onramp/exit? Still, who wants to sit and think intensely about food all the time? I mean, it’s fairly impossible if eating with others. Most of us converse with those we sup! So maybe “practice” the above lessons when alone and when you can, being mindful of chewing thoroughly, putting a moderate amount of food on each forkful, and putting down your fork after every entree of food.

7. Count – Well, when you can :) . My Mom always used to say, “Chew your food at least 25 times before swallowing.” Well, that might be okay for the average Western Diet food which is over-processed junk, but for a person eating a nutrient-dense diet, focusing on fresh, whole foods, it’s a whole other ball of wax! With the amount of raw foods we need to consume and generally high fiber foods, we need double that. If it  helps, count how many it takes before food is creamed.

8. Also remember that eating with your mouth closed helps avoid gas and bloating. I won’t go too much into gas and bloating, as I have a post on that already — reference my list of suggestions on this page, Suggestion Digestion Post

9. Avoid Overeating – All of the above will also help you to not overeat. When rushed one does not allow time for the full signal to go from the stomach to the brain. As well, taking it a bit — just a bit, now ;) — slower will help with nutrient absorption because one is creaming the food for the body to better extract the nutrients and digest, so less is needed — you’re more satisfied when your body actually gets the nutrients.  Don’t overwhelm the poor thing! This leads to other goodies, such as true satiety, less food needed, and, as Dr. Joel Fuhrman says, the loss of cravings: Cravings are a sign that the body is improperly nourished.

Personally, I notice that I can still put too much food onto my fork and — this is worse — have another forkful ready to go before I’m even halfway through chewing my last one! That’s, well, embarrassing! Not to mention an indication that I’m rushing and/or eating mindlessly.

Chew Well, All ;)

Strix
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How I get My Purple On…

April 28, 2009 at 3:04 pm (Diet, Farmers Market, Food, Garden, Nutrition, RAW Food, What Is It?, health)
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But first! A “What Is It?” Segment :D

Here we goooo…

Eeoow! Scales

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Ugh

Hm, a long fella…

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Ohhh…but? No. Yes. Well…the colo –

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Ah HA!

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Yes, yes!

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:D …

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Purple Asparagas! And, yes, that is the  real color! I was lucky enough to get 3 bunches of these — hands down, the most delicious asparagus I have ever tasted. I don’t know why, perhaps since it’s been so long –since I’ve had them. My first time having purple; it won’t be my last…I hope :D    They were thicker, which is unfairly rumored, that they are inferior to thin. Not true! Flavor is all that matters. I’ve had equally delicious asparagus thick and thin. Freshness is really the key. No matter how well stored, you simply must eat them as quickly as possible. As for the above, I can only imagine they were fresh out of the ground because the flavor was fabulous.

Since I shopped with my eyes, I had 3 bunches which I could not finish at once — and who’d not want to savor these over a few days? I stored them like I usually do asparagas, with their tootsies in water, not too far up their gorgeous gams :) . I put a bag over it and hoped for the best. Luckily, no loss of flavor was detectable over the next two days — Excellent :D .  I imagine it was primarily the freshness of the asparagus to begin with, then the proper storing.

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I eat asparagus raw, mostly, chopped up in my salads. Cooking away that gorgeous color and (some) nutrients just makes my head hurt :)   And, of course freezing is out of the question, unless I wanted to add them to a dip at some point.

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Best freezing method for asparagus, by the way, is to blanch first. That is the best shot you have at keeping somewhat of a texture other than soggy — or, eooww, slimy. No. No, asparagus should be eaten fresh and raw, I declare!

Next up…

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The purple orbs have landed!

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Probably pretty obvious by now…

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Yep, purple kohlrabi!

I learned something new last week when I found these: Springtime kohlrabi (very fresh) has a thinner skin that’s edible! Most of the time, it’s best to peel the (very) fibrous outer skin. It’s like that very tough part of broccoli stalks; you have to cut some off to get to the soft part inside. But these fresh, thinner skinned ‘rabis are Sooo good! It is definitely fibrous, though, and oh-so filling. I don’t mind getting that extra purple in me.

Slice through a bulb and it’s light-fleshed:

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I love how there is always green somewhere in colored foods :D ‘Tis the source of all that is good :D

Here is the butt end which was actually too fibrous, so I had to cut it. You can see the fibrous part still underneath..

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Kohlrabi should be sweet and somewhat juicy. It’s most like jicama. If it’s not sweetish, it’s not a really good kohlrabi so don’t totally give up on them! Find a good one and you’ll love them! They can be as sweet as or more than beets, but less heavy, less syrupy than beets and carrots. Beets and carrots are more like a nectar type juice (to me). Kohlrabi is more crispy, clean, and light and refreshing. So great for cool Spring and Summer meals. It goes fantastic in cooked/raw savory or sweet dishes, too. I love it in bean salads and slaws. It’s cruciferous, so you’re getting loads of goodies, plus with the purple, you’re getting those Anthocyanidins!

I like to chop into matchsticks and add to my salads

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I love being able to eat the skin!

And best of all is being able to eat the cruciferous leaves of kohlrabi!

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Mmm…blackberries. They star regularly (well, when available) in my Green Juicie Green smoothies and are featured in my cultured veggies too!

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Purple Cabbage, I eat every day. It’s so sweet and crunchy

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Even radishes come in purple…They seem to be less “hot” to me…

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I have also  been getting lots of royal goodness from cauliflower lately (an older pic)

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Blueberries seem to taste best around this time, at least here :)

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Purple Mustards, nice and spicy…

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Purple Curly Kale!

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Other Purpley Stuff:

So far, no purple carrots :D . Would love to try those.

Purple Bells are pretty :) Geez, almost black!

Oh, and tomatoes too! Oh I must resist launching into tomato porn! Oh, how I love thee, to-mah-toes!

Oh, I did use purple potatoes back when I ate them. They didn’t taste any different…thought that was my old taste buds. Not sure how they’d taste now :) Check out the gorgeous color variety of potatoes!Until recently I thought “blue” and “purple” potatoes were the same.

I do like purple corn, but haven’t been incorporating it into my diet  in any consistent way…need to look into using it more :)

Eggplant, of course, has a great purple color; and their are varieties with various sizes and shades of purple. Kenny explains :)

Plums! A great summer stone fruit. These also come in a variety of colors. I can’t say which is sweetest…I’ve had super-sweet ones of all colors. I do think maybe it just depends on how ripe it was at the time of cutting ??

Grapes! I used to grow them. Love green and red grapes, but wow, the purple concords are crazy tasty. I don’t see them often, but grab ‘em when I do! The sweeter ones seem to be champagne grapes; I find the white Muscat grapes I’ve purchased at the farmers market here to be the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I see black grapes sometimes and can’t resist that alluring silky ebony glow!

Purple Onions or Red Onions – I saw these on a list of  “purple foods” once; though I’m not sure if it belongs there or with “red foods.” I do have these often and like them especially  in my salads when not too harsh, that is :)

Purple Peas!

Purple Beans too. These I’ve had. They taste like regular green beans :)

And, probably the Food of gods…FIGS! Oh, the ecstasy … oh, the divine taste — no, the experience — of the perfect fig…Drooling doesn’t quite do it justice :D .

How remiss can I be, having no pictures of figs! Well, all I do have is an old picture of sushi for fruitarians ;) (Yes, I was a fruitarian at one time too!)

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I’m waiting for a purple apple to make its debut; I imagine it to be very rich, but not sickeningly sweet. Maybe thick and syrupy :)

Not sure if this qualifies…the beautiful watermelon radish which has eluded me for too long now! It is the most delicious radish I’ve ever tasted. I hope to see it again one day…

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So what other purple foods are there? I’m sure I’m forgetting some! How do you get your purple on? ;)

Pick up some fresh asparagus while they’re at their peak — and whatever other purple goodies you find — that’s now, by the way. Green is still king; but try some purple fruits and veggies and add to your rainbow!

*Click pic* for my Somethin’ Good Asparagus stream ;)

Something Good

Poxacuatl
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ETL Friday! Staying Positive…

April 17, 2009 at 2:00 am (Diet, ETL FRIDAYS!, Eat to Live, Food, Nutrition)
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Hi, Everyone! We’ve got another Eat To Live veteran this week! A fellow member at Dr. Fuhrman.com; she’s a long-term ETLer aka Nutritarian, and all about the positive. This one is educational too, and provides a great tool that we can actually employ to help us — something we all could use, whether for ETL’ing or not :) Love it!

So a very grateful welcome to Isabel :)

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Staying Positive on Eat to Live with a

Vision Board

Changing your eating can be overwhelming and can lead to your days and nights being filled with a different kind of food obsession and many questions and doubts…what will I eat? Is this enough? What will my family think? Will my mother in law be offended if I don’t eat her dessert?

Often times well meaning family and friends will call us crazy and fear that we’re anorexic or too controlling and they will freely comment. Other times we’ll slip and beat ourselves up. We have lots of opportunities to be negative and doubt ourselves in this journey. That isn’t fun. We need to stay positive and remember why we chose to eat this way and make this our new lifestyle.

I started Eat to Live in order to lose weight and get healthy but it has opened up a whole world of possibilities. Now it is my way of life and helps support me when I face life’s challenges. I have found that a good way to keep looking forward and stay positive was to look at a bigger picture rather than focusing on the numbers on the scale or the last slip. I want to be healthy and have energy so I can one day hike in Morocco or have the strength to mountain bike with my family–this is why I choose to eat this way.

I’m a visual person and I need reminders that invoke feelings and make me smile when I think of the wonderful things to come. How do I stay positive? One of several tricks I have is my vision board. When life gets me down or I wake up dreading another day, my vision board reminds me of my dreams. Eating this way isn’t a goal…it is the way to get to my goals. It supports me and keeps me strong.

What is a vision board? A vision board is a collection of pictures and affirmations that help you focus and remember what you dream of. Chances are you’ve heard of this already and have been thinking of making one. The movie or book “The Secret” mentions a vision board and how it can help you attract what you want. A vision board is a powerful tool to help you focus your attention on what you want and to use the law of attraction to get it. Too out there for you? Don’t worry…even if you find that hard to swallow keep following me. Get some cardboard or a bulletin board and get ready to have some fun with this. Or you can be a bit more technical and make an electronic board.

Let’s say you’re trying to focus on following Eat to Live because you want to be healthy, vibrant, confident and slim. Why not gather a collection of pictures of what that means to you. Try for some pictures that make you happy. How about a lovely picture of a mouth watering salad, some crisp veggies, the beach that you’ll feel confident walking on while wearing an awesome new bathing suit, someone jogging because soon that’s what you’ll have the energy to do, a new bike, a person running after some children…the list is endless.

Next you can make a list of positive affirmations or quotes you like that keep you motivated. Write these out on index cards or nice paper. Glue the pictures and the affirmations randomly to your cardboard or pin them to your bulletin board. I have a bulletin board where I keep a bunch of pictures, affirmations and even a key chain that reminds me of a vacation. I have pictures of my dream car, fit and fabulous looking women, places I want to visit and affirmations that remind me of what I want too.

I keep it in my bathroom and I suggest you place yours anywhere you spend more than 15 minutes at a time everyday. I also have a video vision board so I can see it from anywhere and I’ll often take a look at it while I’m at work. Another thing you can do is make your computer monitor into a mini vision board by placing pictures all around it. Even your fridge will work!

Now that you’ve created it, what do you have to do? Look at it and feel what you’ll feel when you get the bike or have the energy to run after your grandchildren. Imagine what you’ll feel when you’re enjoying that beach vacation in the new bathing suit. Read out your affirmations and SMILE!! Apply focused intent on these things and stay positive. That’s it! The more specific you are and the more consistent you are at focusing on your desires you will attract this into your life.

Still not sure? How about this video vision board for helping you stick to Eat to Live?

Here’s my video vision board that keeps me inspired:

A friend of mine has chosen to plaster most of his house with images rather than just creating one vision board. He has had lots of success by embracing change and even created this movie for what he calls the change series. I liked it and think you might like it too while you’re facing a major change in life….enjoy.

Have fun with this and most of all NEVER GIVE UP!

-Isabel

Awesome!  Before your video vision boards, I  hadn’t thought about how easy it could be by simply doing it on youtube! What a great way to focus, and distract oneself, when feeling pulled by food addictions. There will always be something to do, somewhere to go to; and one can be creative and expressive at the same time — oh, and not to mention re-motivate yourself and remind yourself! How satisfying and self empowering! Thank you so much, Isabel!

For more about Isabel’s amazing “Transformation” check out this video

~ *** ~

“This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense…”

-Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 29 October 1941

~ *** ~


Share your vision board with us right here on ETL Friday! Send me your vision! I’ll post it for an upcoming ETL Friday! Share your goals, desires, thoughts about it, and explore what it is you really want; and get it out there! Whether you’re just starting or have one already, let us encourage and support you, while you inspire others too! It can be a video or a picture of one you made :)

Strix

sm row smiles

7 Comments

ETL Friday!

April 3, 2009 at 2:00 am (Diet, Dr. Fuhrman, ETL FRIDAYS!, Eat to Live, Exercise, workout, weightlifting, Nutrition, health)
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ETL Friday! is back this week with one of ETL’s Lifers :) . Her view of “Nutritional Excellence” gave me another way to look at Eating To Live, and that’s always a good thing!  I can think of few as knowledgeable as Claudia, and I love-love-love what she shares here; it’s truly insightful and wisdom from which we all can benefit.
But , I’ll give you Claudia and stop gibbering :D :

Hello everyone,

I’m here today on ETL Friday to talk about how I discovered the Eat to Live diet-style, and how it has transformed my life.

Most of my life, I have struggled to try and keep my weight down. I did a lot of yo-yo dieting, losing weight only to eventually gain it back again. I always experienced dieting as a form of deprivation which I could not keep up indefinitely. At some point I’d always start to feel too confined and unsatisfied, and fall back into my old habits of eating anything I wanted to, whenever I wanted it.

Before ETL, I was a food addict, and if I went too long without food I became very uncomfortable. My experience of hunger included headaches, weakness, shakiness, and stomach grumbling and discomfort. When I was dieting, I would obsess over food, and think about it all the time. It seems like I was hungry quite often, and always ready for my next meal.

One of the major things that ETL has done for me is to cure me of my food addiction, allowing me to lose all the weight I needed to once and for all, and to permanently maintain an ideal weight without it being such a struggle.

The first time I heard Dr. Fuhrman speak was in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, at a vegan conference on ‘Chinese Plant Based Nutrition and Culture’, where he gave a lecture called ‘Greens: The Super Food’. While I was impressed with his speech, I wasn’t quite ready to make any major lifestyle changes right away. I was just having too much fun enjoying all the great vegan restaurants that Philadelphia has to offer, and my waistline was showing it.

Eventually, I decided that it was time to go on a diet again, but I chose to follow the McDougall plan because eating all the starches seemed more do-able and less confining to me. It really didn’t work out though. Although I managed to lose some weight, I was not so relaxed about it. I was white-knuckling it, and always thinking about my next meal. I was still the same old food addict who was afraid to go too long without food for fear of becoming hungry. Besides the discomfort of being hungry, it tended to cause me to freak out and want to eat anything in sight that wasn’t nailed down. Back in the days that I had followed Weight Watcher’s, I remember they used to tell us that if we went for more than 4 hours without eating, then we were just setting ourselves up for failure. Besides the hunger issue, all of my starch based meals had become rather colorless, and I was also rather pale and colorless as well. Another problem was that my skin become very dry, which I believe was from the lack of any nuts or seeds in the diet.

Meanwhile, I had a health issue that had been brewing for quite some time. I had a fibroid uterus that had grown to the size of a 6 month pregnancy, and I discovered that Dr. Fuhrman was an expert on therapeutic water fasting and had helped women use fasting in order to shrink their fibroids. So, between wanting his advice on my medical issue, and wanting a better diet, I decided that I would become a member of his website in order to get his support. One thing I liked about the member center from the very beginning was the way that Dr. Fuhrman is so totally committed to everyone’s success and has absolute confidence in our ability to achieve it. To make a long story shorter, Dr. Fuhrman told me that I needed to follow his diet, and get close to my ideal weight before he could even consider whether I might be a good candidate for a fast. In the end, fasting did not turn out to be my best option, however, I did end up losing weight faster and more effortlessly than ever before, and the weight has stayed off. Instead of eating a washed out, colorless diet, and being hungry all the time, I now enjoy a delicious, colorful, and satisfying diet, and do not experience the uncomfortable hunger symptoms that I used to have.

When I was new to ETL, I had to go through a period of missing the old foods that I had always liked, and feeling deprived because I wasn’t eating what everyone around me was having. It made me feel left out. Fortunately, I got over that long ago, replacing the old with the new, and thoroughly enjoying my new diet-style. Now I actually feel sorry for those that still struggle with the food addiction brought on by a SAD diet, and who haven’t had the good fortune to be cured of it by ETL. Ironically, many people see my diet as very limited and even feel sorry for me. With regard to this, I have an analogy that is meaningful to me.

In Anusara yoga, we learn to experience greater freedom (of movement) by having structure and setting boundaries. Its a concept that isn’t intuitively obvious, and sounds paradoxical, but it perfectly describes my experience of ETL.

Instead of just letting everything go lax, we use our muscles to achieve proper alignment of the body, setting boundaries that take us places we’ve never been before. Take a look at the picture of John Friend on the cover of this DVD:

John Friend, Anusara.com

John Friend, Anusara.com

John is doing something that takes balance. Balance is something that doesn’t happen by flopping your body around and relying on flexibility alone. You have to engage your muscles and set boundaries in order to get your body to do things never before imagined. This DVD is called the Dance of Yes and No and is all about the experience of freedom through boundaries

I guess the really cool thing about this for me is that ETL is a real life, ‘off the mat’ experience of what John Friend was trying to teach. For me its kind of like an Aha! moment, but its kind of hard to convey this. Its a really profound and deep thing. From the yoga side alone its difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it, and from the food side alone, its also hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. But it is way cool to experience it from both sides, and to realize that it is all connected.

Many SAD eaters feel sorry for me because they think that I have ‘limited’ myself, and that I’m so ‘deprived’. But, what they don’t understand, is that through this ‘limitation’ I am experiencing a freedom far beyond what they can imagine. I am free of food addictions and cravings. I am free of being ‘powerless over food’. I am not constantly controlled by food. I am more relaxed about food. I don’t need to eat as often, and It doesn’t feel like an emergency every time I get hungry. I’m not climbing the walls. I am not in a constant state of hunger, or fear of hunger in which I obsess about having food quickly available at all times. I am free to enjoy a bounty of healthy natural food with a more enhanced level of pleasure than ever before, while also experiencing the joy of having a fit, healthy body. I am not digging my grave with my knife and fork, limiting my enjoyment of life be cutting it short like the SAD eaters.

It’s all a matter of perspective, and while others may see the ‘limits’ I’ve set as self-deprivation, and feel sorry for me, they don’t realize that by doing this I’m achieving greater freedom. I’m achieving the freedom from food addiction.
It is we ETLers who have the real freedom. We have earned it, and it is wondrous.

_Claudia

claudia_1

Claudia in a handstand; Elijah, with hand creating a resistance to press against for greater extension. Photo by “Sheila-Seattle” taken at Dr. Fuhrman’s Utah Getaway

I love the freedom through boundaries analogy and I’ll never forget that description. It’s exactly how I feel.

This is one of the most poignant and relevant benefits for me because it rings so true. Just beautiful! Thank you, Claudia.

Strix

sm row smiles

14 Comments

Live Long And Prosper…

March 25, 2009 at 5:44 pm (Diet, Dr. Fuhrman, ETL FRIDAYS!, Eat to Live, Food, News, health)
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… an ETL Friday! Extra ;)

“Eating a huge, delicious salad is the secret to successful weight control and a long healthy life.”
_Dr. Fuhrman from “Eat To Live“

mache-10

I watched an Oprah episode on “extreme” life extension (note it’s 10 pages) — Watch this short excerpt. I don’t think a video of the entire show is available, watch for a rerun! It was a fantastic show! SO inspiring. I was so excited watching it! I tell ya what, ETL is *the* way to eat for longevity, as prescribed by Dr. Fuhrman in “Eat To Live.” It is as close to exact as you can get to the diet of the longest-lived people in the world. It is a calorie restricted diet, naturally. It also leads into other areas of your life, enhancing it the longer you follow it.

Personally, I really don’t care so much about the numbers — about the years, per se: for me, it’s about QUALITY. Quality of those years. Though extra years ain’t too shabby a perk, don’t you agree?! ;)
I want to be healthy when I die :D . Yes, yes, it’s possible. THAT’S what I want. I want lucidness, clarity, mental strength, as well as happiness and love when I pass. I want it to be a happy passing :D . I don’t want fear, regret, pain…

Many thanks to you, Dr. Fuhrman, for showing me the way. My thoughts on your work are of pure joy and gratitude.

If you’ve never met the longest-lived people on the planet, take a looksee:

If video doesn’t play, GO HERE

They even mention Hara Hachi Bu, which I’ve been practicing for a couple years now…AWESOME! I feel younger already :D . It absolutely becomes normal to eat that way, if you stick to it (just like Eating to live, just like any thing worth doing in life).
What strikes me most — and what I am THOROUGHLY convinced, more and more every single day of its essentialness — is the happiness. Can’t you just see it? See how peaceful they are — from within — it totally exudes from them, even detectable through a video. Amazing. Utterly amazing. I believe this is just as important as nutrition for health. And I believe, even if adopting their diet, but exacting a miserable life of negativity and pettiness and anger and vengeance and jealousy and self-hatred and resentment and on and on, the benefits are diminished, if not moot.

I know, as life is today, we cannot completely avoid negativity and negative people, but we can adopt the “Be the change we want to see” type of outlook, and draw to ourselves positivity. You attract what you give out. So happiness is also a verb :) You have to do it to get it. It doesn’t come to you automatically. Just like love love_hearts :)

I’m happy when I have the company and support of positive people! I find this happening more and more :D . It feels sooooooo great to attract those kind of people — the kind you respect. Who wants petty gossiping, toxic, etc. people around?! What’s more, who wants to be a petty, gossiping toxic person?!!!

I want to smile every day like the folks in that video; I want people I love around me; I want to die smiling :D

Think I can do it? ;) How about you? :)

Poxacuatl

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