January « 2007 « ForkBytes

Isabel in the Washington Post Express

Check out Fit:Dishing on Dining to read some of my advice for healthy eating in 2007!

If you are a journalist or producer interested in interviewing me, please get in touch!

Meditation of the Month

New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday.

—Charles Lamb

Simple Boiled Greens

Note: this piece first appeared in the January 2007 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Enjoy this super easy recipe for cleansing, delicious greens.

Serves 4 to 6

1 bunch kale, cleaned and chopped
1 bunch collards, cleaned and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add greens and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well. Place the cooked greens in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice and sea salt. Serve immediately.

Food Focus: Cleansing Greens

Note: this piece first appeared in the January 2007 issue of Clark Wellnes ForkBytes.

Dark green, leafy vegetables are a favorite choice among health food and nutrition experts. They are revered for their fantastic nutrient profile; leafy greens are a great source of fiber, calcium, folic acid, and beta-carotene, and many varieties are also high in vitamins C, A, and/or K.

Greens are great cleansers, so they are ideal to emphasize in your post–holiday indulgence meal choices. Well-cooked greens are particularly beneficial. If you find the flavor of greens to be bitter, try adding a little acidic flavor, such as lemon or umeboshi vinegar, to your cooked greens.

This January, why not try one or two new-to-you varieties of leafy greens? Curly kale, dinosaur kale, collard greens, mustard greens, green cabbage, and bok choy are just some of the delicious, healthful vegetables waiting to be discovered. Start with our recipes for some simple preparation ideas.

Abundance in the New Year

Happy New Year! 2006 just flew by, and here we are in 2007. What are your plans this year? What dreams will you pursue?

The word on everyone’s mind this time of year is resolutions. It’s great to think big and contemplate where you want to be this time next year, but it’s also easy to get caught in a trap of making resolutions that are too restrictive. “Starting January 1, I’m never drinking coffee again!” “This year, I resolve to give up chocolate!” “No french fries in 2007!” Do any of these sound familiar?

This year, try to rethink your resolution-making process. You can do better for yourself with resolutions that emphasize abundance rather than restriction. Try to articulate your resolutions and goals in terms of adding healthy habits rather than removing less desirable ones.

I’ve posted my ideas for health-supportive, abundant resolutions below. Feel free to adopt or adapt these to suit your particular goals. Use these resolution ideas as a jumping off point to develop goals and plans that get you excited about creating your best year ever. Enjoy!

1. Increase your percentage of home-cooked food. No matter where you are on the spectrum, taking small steps to increase the amount of food you prepare for yourself is a great goal. If you currently cook half your meals, add just a few additional home-cooked meals per week to increase your percentage slowly. If you never cook, adding just one home-prepared meal per week is a wonderful first step!

2. Try one new food a week. If you usually restrict your eating this time of year, you can really shake up your routine by experimenting with one new vegetable, fruit, or whole grain each week. You can choose an exotic item, such as plantains, or just a standard vegetable that you happen never to have eaten or cooked before, such as carrots or broccoli.

3. Drink more water. Nearly everyone can benefit from increased intake of fresh, clean, pure water. Just add half a cup a day at a time!

4. Immerse yourself in creative pursuits. Treat yourself to creative time and projects that engage the right side of your brain. You don’t have to be a great technical artist to indulge your artistic side. Just doodling for a few minutes, writing in a journal, or dancing around the house to your favorite song are all great activities for the soul.

5. Add more enjoyment into your life. Often we become bogged down in work or school after the excitement of the holidays is over. This can be dangerous in the wintertime, when drab weather and cold temperatures keep us indoors. Be sure to add a daily dose of “vitamin J” (the JOY vitamin)!

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