The secret to avoid "unwanted" eating!

Who's hungry?  I'm starving!

If you're anything like me, I'm hungry 70-80% of the day.  I'm a constantly active person.  Whether it's dancing at rehearsal, taking a yoga class, or sitting at an office desk doing brain work, we use a lot of energy.  All that energy needs to be replaced, and that's why we eat, to fuel our bodies!

Okay, fine "duh!" you all know this already. But the big question comes when we ARE eating 3 meals a day and yet we are STILL not satisfied.  It's a common worry of people who are new to changing their diets (including myself).  "I just don't feel like the food is satisfying my hunger).

Here are a few questions (and answers) that you should be asking yourself about your eating:

1. Am I eating the right foods to support my daily activity?
The more active you are, the more minerals and protein (yes protein), you will need.  But don't think that having 1 dish is going to satisfy a craving, you need them ALL.  A grain, a protein, a few vegetables, AND leafy greens!  Bottom line, eat a complete meal 3x a day.  

2. Am I absorbing my food/chewing enough?
Can we take a minute here people?  No one wants to see you shoving food down your mouths.  Chew Chew Chew!  Make it a routine.  Take a quick second before you eat and be thankful for the food that is sitting before you. You might be overeating because you're body is still thinking that it hasn't got any nutrients yet (even though your vegetable stir-fried rice bowl is empty, along with your cauliflower salad, and steamed yams).

3. Maybe I'm eating one thing, but craving something different.
Pay attention to your cravings!  If you're suddenly desperately wanting that cookie sitting next to your desk, maybe it's because you didn't have enough sweetness in your meal.  Desserts are important!  Make them fresh and healthy.  But let's be honest, if its just that 1 cookie that's going to settle your craving, DO IT GUILT FREE!

4. Beware the comfort foods!
Or, maybe you really don't want that cookie, but you're so stressed about the overdue assignment that you turn to the cookie to make you feel better?  Yes, we've all been there.  I've even been where it's not just 1, or 2, or 3 cookies....  Next thing I'm asking myself is "why did I do that, because I feel like crap!"  

5. Don't let yourself get TOO hungry!
Be aware of how much time passes between meals.  Did you skip breakfast this morning and run out the door thinking that you were going to eat your breakfast on the train and then realized you forget a fork/spoon?  Oh wait, that must have been me.  Immediately when we are starving, we start picking on snacks or whatever is accessible to us.  I'm not going to say I was almost tempted to stop in the bagel store which I was walking pass.  Why? Because it's easier!  Right?  Wrong!  I was just too hungry to think about the consequences.  So, if you need help avoiding those pressures, make a deal with yourself.  Go back to your desk, eat every food that your brought with you to work, and then if you're still hungry, you can go to the bagel store.  

Turns out, you're never hungry after a good meal =)

Holiday Foods...lets stick to the Roots

A simple little dish that I made on Christmas Day.

Brussels sprouts

Sweet Potatoes

Red Onion

White Wine

Garlic powder

Sea salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop all your vegetables into 1-inch pieces. You want them all to cook evenly. The Brussels sprouts should be steamed and cut in half (so try to make it match them). Place all vegetables into a big bowl. Coat with a good amount of olive oil. Then add all your seasoning. (You can get creative here).

Spread the vegetables out in a pan that can hold liquid. Coal the vegetables with a bit of white wine so there is liquid to cook in. You do not want them over over lap. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and roast for about 30minutes. Check to see if they are tender, put back in oven uncovered for another 5-10mins.

Have a yummy holiday!

Warming Ginger Adzuki Bean Soup Recipe

 

 Is it just me...or does anyone else feel that cold front coming in?

I put this little soup dish together and it did just the time trick!  

(warning this soup might de-chill, decongest, and detoxify your body, and just make you feel all sorts of wonderfulness!)

Adzuki bean

Kombu

Carrot

Onion

Lotus root

Sesame oil

Celery

Turmeric 
Ginger Root

I advise you to use cooked or partially cooked adzuki beans for this dish.  If you don't have them, you can make them ahead of time.  They cook for 60 minutes with a small piece of kombu.

 Dice up your lotus root, carrot, onion, and celery all to the sizes similar to the aduzki bean.  Set aside.  

Add a little sesame oil to the bottom of your soup pot.  Add vegetable one at a time, sauteing into the oil and cover each time in this order:  onion, lotus root and carrot.  Sesame with a little turmeric each time you add the vegetable.  If the beans are not completely cooked don't add salt yet.  If they are, you can salt as you go.  Adzuki bean are added last.  Add enough water to cover all the vegetables and bring to a boil.  

Cooking time depends on your adzuki beans.  If they are already completely cook, the soup should cook for about 10-15 minutes.  I like to add my celery when there's only about 5 minutes left so it stays a little crunchy.  That would be a good time to add your salt for seasoning. 

Travel Foods!

I always get asked about food while traveling:

What do I eat?

Do I bring food?

What do I made that easy to travel with?

How do I carry it?

Here it is! I call it Sushi-a-go-go!

Homemade tempeh, avocado, ume rolls.

Sushi is always so great on the go for many reasons.

- It's a complete meal. You can get your grain, veggies, and some high minerals packed in one.

- You don't need utensils to each it and its not messy.

- The nori almost acts as a preservative. Don't cut the sushi until you're almost ready to eat it. It will last longer. And it doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Packed in a leftover "to go" box. Yes, it's plastic but as look as you don't put anything too hot in them it's fine. Also makes it easier to dispose when it's empty.

For someone as "on the go" as me, I couldn't get through without my food.

I'm off...up up and away!

A Little Macrobiotic Christmas Humor?

What Do You Get When You Show Up To A Macrobiotic Christmas Potluck and there is a grab bag?

A Shittake Mushroom Christmas Ornament!!!!

HAHAHA!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

WRAP It Up!: Lunch Help For Those On The Go...

 

 I can't tell you how often I get asked: 

What do I bring with me to lunch?

What do I give my child to take with them to school?

How do I make time for lunch with my busy schedule?

Here's my answer:  WRAP IT UP!

I work with a lot of people who barely have time in their busy lives to cook one meal a day.  Because I can't convince them to change their patterns of living, I try to teach people to work with the best they have.  That means working smart!  When you cook that one big meal a day, be sure to make lots of left overs!  Left overs will be your best friend <3 p="p">

Remember the tempeh I made earlier this week?  Well here is the leftovers for you.   I pulled together some white rice, added some avocado, and dressed it with a little mustard or veganese (either or both, whatever you like) and wrapped it all in a spinach tortilla.  So yummy!!!  This dish will last a few hours out of the frig, so it's perfect to throw in a lunch bag and bring to the office or school.  

So, let's call this my WRAP IT UP segment...hoping to post more inspiring wraps each month.  Stay tuned!

A Winter Time Lunch...For those of Us With A "Sweet Tooth"

This was a great balanced meal!  The ginger made my nose run....Great for the cold weather coming in.  

Root Vegetable Ginger Soup

White Cod Fish

cooked in Bok Choy Greens and Onions 

Sweet Potatoes 

with cinnamon and mochi

Boiled Millet 

top with roasted sesame gomashio 

Bon Appetite!!

Round me up some Fried Tempeh!

 "Smells like McDonald's and taste like heaven!"

Here is one of my secret little tempeh recipes:

Ingredients:
Soy tempeh (but you can use any flavor)
Shoyu
Mirin
Kombu
Extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil (for deeper frying)

Pre-soak the tempeh with a large sheeting kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms. It should soak for a good hour. Save the soaking water!

Cut your tempeh into slices and fry in oil on both sides until crispy golden brown. Set aside.

Dice up the sheet of kombu and your shiitakes into stripes. Add all back to frying pan and include the soaking water. You want enough water to just about cover the tempeh. You're going to also add your shoyu and mirin seasoning. Be generous. Cover and cook for a good 30-40 mins or until all the water is absorb. Flip half way thru and re-season.

Enjoy!

The Road to DANCE!

Dear Blog Readers:

You all know my story.  The true motivation that has brought me to a "healing journey" is the passion I have for dance and the love of a stage.

This past Saturday night, I over came yet another milestone.  After 5 years (long years) I returned to the stage!  I performance with a company called Danceworks NYC and the show was held in the Miller Theater at Columbia University.

What a remarkable night!

In December 2011, I made a pack with myself (a new year's resolution you might say) which was to be back on the stage before the end of the year.  You see, despite conquering Ulcerative Colitis, just living day to day wasn't enough for me. I need to dance!  I'm sure so many of you can relate to having extreme dreams and visions of how you want life to be.  I'm here to tell you not to give up on that.  I needed to accept that I'm pushing beyond our body's expectations and I would need to make certain life choices to support this activity.  It was time to eat, not just to heal, but for the LIFE I wanted to live!

This was NOT as easy road for me to get my body to do what I wanted it to do again.  Dealing with many injures, inflammation, and chronic pains.   My lack of physical activity, past dancer injures, lagging inflammation had made even walking difficult on many days over the past 4 years.  The key is to be patient with yourself.  LISTEN to your body and LISTEN to your heart.  It will never lead you wrong.  Be grateful for life and every moment we spend here. Food is just food!  Let it be the real deal and ALWAYS the number 1 priority in your life.  If we don't nourish ourselves, no one else will.

Always remember to say THANK YOU!

Here is a video of the dress rehearsal before the performance.  Presenting The Rite, choreographed by Tom Lewkowitz.  So thrilled to be able to share this with you!

Some more photos of some of the best girls I've had the privilege to dance with:

This is just the beginning!!

For those who suffer with IBD every day, Please don't give up!

Billionaire Who Is Planning to live to 125....BY EATING HIS WAY TO HEALTH!

Hey Folks -

I accidentally came across this article in a little research project.  The title caught my eye...and as I started to read on, I realized this guy is really living by "macrobiotic principles!"

Check out the article here:  New York Times: The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday

Here's the paragraph that I really loved:

“I never have anything go wrong,” he said later. “Never have a backache. Never have a headache. Never have anything else.” This would make him a lucky man no matter his age. Because he is 87, it makes him an unusually robust specimen, which is what he must be if he is to defy the odds (and maybe even the gods) and live as long as he intends to. He wants to reach 125, and sees no reason he can’t, provided that he continues eating the way he has for the last quarter century: with a methodical, messianic correctness that he believes can, and will, ward off major disease and minor ailment alike. 

Amazing isn't it!  I hope to live every day with these principles too.  


Further research:  Looks like he appeared on Oprah in 2009!  Watch Video Here:

http://www.oprah.com/health/David-Murdocks-Diet-and-Fitness-Routine-Video


Hope this inspires your day (even just a little).