Cultivate Your Wellness

Well, Super Bowl Sunday turned out to be a lot more eventful then the actually Superbowl.  I’m sorry, but did anyone else think that game was a little boring?  For me the highlight of those four hours was The Who’s performance. Great light show!

Anyway. In the morning I made Irish Soda Bread.  Not exactly a healthy-as-can-be choice but what’s a little bit of bread now and again?  (Oh, I feel like I’m going to health-nut hell for that one)  If you dare, check out my recipe page for the recipe.  And if anyone out there has a gluten-free/vegan/healthy variation of your choice,  please share with the class.  Here’s what my baking mess looked like.

I am such a messy baker.  They even look messy baking in the oven.

This bread is so good though.  It’s worth the clean-up.

After the bread-making extravaganza, we were off to another museum.  This time it was the Bowers Museum in Orange.  The Art-Student, as I am now calling him, needed to go there for an assignment and I was happy to tag along.  I believe part of my path to wellness is being cultured and looking at art is a great way to do it. Bowers is a small museum exhibiting mostly early Californian art.  At present, however, they are exhibiting the ancient arts of China. Very cool.  They are also showcasing Chris Rainer who documented through photography the culture of New Guinea.  Very intense.

This was my favorite piece…I really love paintings of market places.

The Art-Student fancied this piece done in pastels…He tried to do his own pastel piece tonight but realized he had no fixer.  Anyway know what to use to fix pastels?

We both agreed that this chess set was amazing.  The carving detail was incredible…

So that was our culture for the day.  We then went on to watch the Colts give it up to the Saints, who deserved to win anyway, in my opinion.

And now it’s Monday.  I felt kinda sickly this morning and cruddy all day.  I feel better now and just completed another baking escapade.  I’ve been baking a lot lately and I’ll tell you why…I’m terrible at it and this bothers me greatly so I need the practice.  I like to think of myself as a pretty good cook but baking is just not my forte.  Those who are good at it, hats off to you.  Perhaps next time you can bestow on me some your magic touch or whatever it is.  Regardless, tonight I made vegetable muffins.  I know it sounds weird, but they are actually pretty good. Think of it more as bread with veggies in it.  I figure they will be good for an on-the-go breakfast.  Maybe with a hummus spread.  This recipe can also be found on the recipe page.

I’m excited for tomorrow.  I’m making a Chicken and Cauliflower Curry in the crock-pot, with a few of my own modifications, of course. Stay tuned to see how it turns out.

Well it’s raining again.  We have had more rain in the past two weeks then I’ve seen in the whole 2 1/2 years I’ve lived in California. I’m definitely not complaining. I’m actually quite jealous of all you lucky East-coasters and your two feet of snow.  I’m serious, I love the snow.  I don’t mind the rain either and we certainly need it. Although, now everyone is worried about mudslides.  Always something to worry about.  Anyway, since we aren’t snowed in and only just a little damp, The All-Star and I were able to take a casual drive up to LA yesterday for a visit to The Annenberg Space for Photography where they are having a pretty awesome exhibit on sports photography.

On the drive up I figured we were just going to look a few photos of game winning touchdowns and record breaking home runs, but it was so much more than that.  Hundreds of photos of some of our countries greatest athletes, taken by two of our countries greatest sports photographers, Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, where displayed in both print and digital galleries. I don’t think I understood the magnitude of talent our athletes possess until I saw this exhibit.  A collection of single moments, of the momentum and determination of the spirit, and the agility and power of the flesh. I immediately became in awe of these modern day gladiators, and of the men who took their pictures. It was pretty friggin cool!

The rest of the day was lazy. As rainy days should be.

Today I worked in the morning, then went on a quest to find a mortar and pestle set.  I have wanted one for quite some time and decided today was the day I was getting one. I quest was successful and I returned home joyful. Watch out boys. I am now armed for nut crushing!

I was also excited to find the books I ordered from Amazon waiting for me.  Without TV I now have lots of free time to read.

Tonight will prove to be another lazy night. The Art-Student (a.k.a. The All-Star) has a lot of work to do, so we won’t be bringing down the house or anything.  I’ll probably continue with the book I’m already reading, The Spectrum by Dr. Dean Ornish.  I don’t know much about it, but so far it’s informative and not too radical for the average reader. I’ll let you know what I think and keep you posted on any other good reads I find.  (p.s. While I tend not to be swayed by the opinions of others, if you know anything about this guy besides what he’s written about himself in the book, drop me a line.  I’m curious to hear what the masses are saying).

Bye for now.

It seems that chili is in season this time of year and I’ve unknowingly joined the trend.  I’m not sure where I got the idea to make it.  Perhaps in was the undeniable force of a collective consciousness. Whatever the reason, I was craving it, so I made it, and it was delicious.  Since my own personal chili-party, I’m seeing other bloggers sharing their favorite chili recipes with cyber space, so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon too.  I found this recipe while looking for something to warm my winter-chilled belly.  It seemed like the perfect dish.  I hope you’ll try it and enjoy. (p.s. It’s a slightly modified Giada recipe. Hi, I’m Laura and I’m a Food Network junky.  Two months sober. I don’t have cable.)

White Bean and Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 (15-ounce cans) Northern white bean, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed, stems removed, and chopped
• 11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, spinach, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Next time I’d like to add some crushed tomato and see how that tastes.  I craved a little acidy-sweet. Maybe even a little Cholula would do the trick!

Well, today is Day 30 of my fitness challenge.  I am ashamed to admit that only the first 14 days of fitness were completed.  The last 16 I have spent tending to my broken toe, which is much better, by the way.  I have, however, had a feeling of anxiousness and grief these last two weeks over my fitness failure.  I really was enjoying the challenge, no kidding.  Sure I didn’t always want to exercise but the physical benefits I gained from each activity were immeasurable and I feel the difference without it.   I do plan to continue or re-start my fitness challenge as soon as my toe allows me to run again, but maybe with a little less intensity and obligation.  After all, the goal was to introduce more fitness into my life.  And the last thing that I want is to undo the careful consideration I’ve taken these last two weeks, in regards to my toe, that is.

Now that I’ve admitted my humbling failure, time to look at the positives and move forward, right?  So, what were my successes in the first month of 2010.  First of all, I took the initiative to embark on a challenge.  I didn’t know if I would be able to physically manage a jogging regime, which I am happy to report I was doing well with.  I paid attention to my dietary needs, which is an important life-long habit to which I’m addicted.  I also took the opportunity to examine myself both mentally and emotionally and have continued to grow as a woman and a health care professional.

That being said, it would seem that my challenge wasn’t a failure after all.  Sure I didn’t exercise for 16 out of the 30 days.  But I continued to challenge myself to be a happy, healthier, well-rounded individual, one who learns from her experiences and uses them to strive forward. And really that was the true point.  And maybe I wanted to prove, a little, to myself that I could be some work-out wonder whose physical abilities were only surpassed by her charm and beauty. I’m kidding.  But truthfully, I was using it to feel good about myself.  Having just turned 30 and feeling the need to experience the saga of aging with a spectacular achievement that would validate my youth, I decided to run.  Was I running away?  Hardly, I like to look at it as running forward.  So in truth, I feel good about what I accomplished. I hope you find the same satisfaction from all of your challenges. We prosper from that which makes us stronger.

The true goal is always growth!

People often ask me how I find the time to eat right and stay healthy.  I can tell you honestly that it’s not always easy.  But it’s also never that difficult.  With a little effort, you can have home-cooked variety at ever meal.

Be creative with your time. If I have a little extra time, I’ll spend it looking up recipes online or cooking a second meal for later in the week.  Have a free moment in the morning?  Prepare the ingredients you’ll need for dinner later on.  On the weekends, chop up some veggies or bake some chicken tenders for salads during the week.  I also take my time in the market, checking to see what’s on sale and only buying foods that I need for the recipes I’ve planned.  Shopping on the fly?  Be sure to make a list before hand so you don’t need to waste time or buy things you don’t need.  And remember:  Stay out of the snack isles. Peruse the perimeter!

Be inventive with your meals. Before I reach for the take-out menu, I always take a look at what I’ve got on hand. Sometimes I make my best recipes with stuff I already had in the refrigerator.  A couple of celery stalks here, a green pepper there.  The last few drops of raspberry vinaigrette.  Saute that up with some cut-up pork chops, and viola! I’ve got myself a stir-fry. And again, be thoughtful at the market.  See what’s on sale and what’s in season.  Sometimes there’s a delicous meal just waiting for you, and at half the cost.

Be savvy with your appliances. My crock pot and I are best buds.  Give me a set-it-and-forget-it-recipe and I’m in heaven.  It’s awesome to come home from a long day at work to the smell of chicken and tomatoes stewing in the kitchen.  My rice cooker is another one.  Throw in some rice on the bottom and steam some broccoli and carrots on the top and I’ve got myself a meal in 15 minutes.

Be Ready for Tomorrow. I’m always making extra.  Leftovers are a great way to ensure that lunch tomorrow is just as healthy as dinner tonight. Whenever I have a busy work week, I make soup.  It’s also easy to freeze and to re-heat.  Making extra ensures that I’ve got healthy, great-tasting food ready and waiting.

Tonight’s dinner was Cream of Broccoli Soup.   I doubled the recipe so that I would have extra.  And boy, do I have extra.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream

Directions

• Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color.
• Add stock and bring to boil.
• Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve!

If butter and cream are not in your diet, you can easily substitute. Why not try a little olive oil and butternut squash?  Stay tuned for an amazing butternut squash soup recipe.  And if you have any questions or need more recipe ideas, drop me a line, I’d be happy to help!

P.S. You ever notice that eating out doesn’t get you fed any quicker?

On Monday, The All-Star accompanied me on my weekly food shop.  I always enjoy when my partner in crime tags along, after-all, he eats the food too, why not get stuff that he wants.  Anyway.  I mentioned that we needed some breakfast foods.  Most mornings we have either eggs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or nothing.  It’s the nothing part that’s been looming over me. After all, breakfast is the most….yea yea yea, we got it. So, I threw it out there, and he immediately grabbed from the hot cereal shelf a box of prepackaged cinnamon and pear oatmeal.  I looked at the ingredients for a second, and then at the price, and said, “We can make this ourselves!” And straight to the bulk foods section we went.

So that box of maybe 6 packets of cinnamon and pear oatmeal was around $4, give or take.  It had dehydrated pears and seasoned rolled oats.  One of those instant, just add water, jobs.  I don’t know about you but I have never been a fan of these little oatmeal packets.  They are always too sweet and the fruit is lame and it’s hardly enough for a hearty breakfast.

I found the rolled oats in the bulk section, $1.29 a lb.  You know how many packages of hot cereal a pound of oats make?  Me neither, but it’s more than 6.  Off to the fruit section.  A 3 lb bag of organic pears for $1.68.  (That’s about 10 pears)  Hi, thank you!  What else do we need?  Cinnamon, have that at home.  Sugar?  We’ll use agave nectar.  It’s sweeter and not as likely to spike our glucose levels.  Alright, we’re ready to make oatmeal!

This morning was the first opportunity I had to make this yummy goodness.  I’ll admit that maybe, just maybe, the prepackaged deal would be a just a tiny bit easier but really, we all have time to cut a pear right?  The end result?  Home-made deliciousness for a fraction of the cost.  It was less sweet than I’d expect the boxed stuff is.  My opinion on that is that if fresh pears and a generous drizzle of pure sweetener doesn’t enlighten my sweet-tooth, then there’s probably way to much sugar-stuff in the processed counterpart.

Here’s the recipe.  No thanks, Quaker.  I’ve got my own.

Rolled Oats and Pear

Serves 1

Ingredients

• one pear (peeled & cut into small cubes)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup water
• pinch of salt
• Agave nectar to taste
• dash of cinnamon

Directions

• In small saucepan bring cup of water and a pinch of salt to boil.  Add pears and cook for a minute.
• Add oats and cook until water is fully absorbed
• Drizzle in agave nectar.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve!

Delicious!  And home-made with love!

One of my favorite beans is the chick-pea.  Its sweet flavor and mealy texture make it a perfect addition to any soup, salad, or stew.  In Chinese medicine we learn that the chick-pea, also known as the garbanzo, is beneficial to the pancreas, Stomach and Heart.  In the Western world, we know that it contains more iron than other legumes and is a good source of unsaturated fats! My favorite way to prepare chick-peas is to make hummus, a guilty pleasure of mine I have to admit. Give me a bowl of hummus and a bag of baby carrots and I’m set!

Here’s a great hummus recipe I found in Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. In this book, Pitchford incorporates the wise traditions of Oriental teachings with that which we know about food in the West.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who’s looking to incorporate a healthy, healing diet into their wellness regime. It contains important information about all things food, as well as fabulous recipes that are easy and delicious. 

Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked garbanzos
• 1/4 cup tahini or sesame meal
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• 6-8 tablespoons lemon juice
• dash of hot pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• sea salt to taste

Directions

• Mash or puree garbanzos with rest of ingredients
• Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil
• Serve as a dip with pita bread or your favorite veggies

That’s it.  Pretty simple right?

When I have an injury, am feeling depressed, or even just having a really long day, my first instinct is to reach for the chip bag.  The baby Laura inside me says, “Forget this healthy nonsense and love me tenderly.”  The problem with this pathological coddling is that when you’re in a state of injury, fatigue, sadness, etc, your body more than even needs to be nourished with foods and activity that will help it recover.  Chips, and their evil counterparts cookies, are nowhere near the list of foods that make you big and strong.  They may give us some mental satisfaction but for me that’s usually followed by one of the following: guilt, more fatigue, a sour tummy, or, and I’m sad to say this is the most frequent “or”, another chip.

The easy downward spiral of this situation is that if your injury lasts several days or weeks, or your long day at work turns into a month long project, then you could find yourself sitting among a lot of empty chip bags and once the “toe” heals, do you think you’ll be running for the race gates to start day one all over again?  Maybe/hopefully/definitely! you will, but you may not have the same enthusiasm or strength that you started with the last time.

So what is the solution?  “Don’t eat chips!” Eureka! Thanks Dr. Know-it-all.  But seriously, more importantly would be to have more of the good stuff.  If you are taking a whole-food source supplement, double-up. Have a great breathing meditation you’ve been working on?  Add an extra ten minutes.  Don’t have much time to cook a healthy dinner? Throw a bunch of veggies in some broth and have a yummy soup.  It doesn’t have to be extra work.  It just needs to be extra goodness.  And don’t worry about Little “insert your name here.” When you are finally sitting back on the couch with your mind quiet and your tummy full, he or she will be fast asleep and your body will be on it’s way to it’s old healthy self.

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!

Refrigerator principle for this week…

Smile

As part of a “saving money, being productive, bettering one’s self” effort, The All-Star and I have opted to see how long we can go without cable.  Meaning, no TV at the LB apartment.  We were always complaining that we don’t have enough time, yet seemed to find hours free for boob tube guilty pleasures.  So I fully support the idea.  It’s a box of evil I tell you!  One that that will no longer tempt me, however, now the TV just sits there, its blank black screen mocking me, reminding me I must use my wits to fill my spare time and that my life is more important than those depicted on Bravo.  It’s not fair!  Especially since there’s a “Godzilla” outside.  (Yes, there are calling the winter storm that is hitting Southern California “Godzilla.”  Jeez.  Good thing I don’t have “The News” to get me caught up in that one.)  And my toe is still broken (actually I think it’s only a bad sprain, but regardless.)  I can’t jump around doing whatever hooky aerobic dance-off I find to fulfill my Challenge obligations.  I’m just sitting here, in silence, in a cold apartment, with a monsoon outside, alone.  Exciting isn’t it?  I’m afraid to say it but thank goodness for the internet…  Am I still on? Phew.

So, what to do? I should take this opportunity to teach something important and profound.  Hmm..  How about just interesting…

First I’d like to say that I’m still totally bummed out about the Challenge being put on hold.  I know that I said I would start lifting weights, which I did, on Monday.  But yesterday and today I’m so worn out and tired from gimping around on this injured toe that I really don’t feel it smart to exert unnecessary energy that I could be saving to heal my body just so I don’t feel like a failure.  So I’m opting to take it easy.  It’s what I would tell my patients.

Speaking of patients, and this toe, I want to talk a little bit about Chinese Medicine.  After discussing some herbal treatment options with the smartest herb guy I know, I started to think about the channels that run to the toe and how this injury may be causing more than just toe pain.  As you may, or may not know, the “science” of acupuncture is all about this “energy” called Qi which runs throughout our bodies on “channels” called Meridians.  There are twelve major Meridians, (plus two Extra-ordinary Meridians), which are connected to twelve major organ systems, and these organs systems are what govern our body’s functions.  Confused?  It took me 4 years of a Master’s Degree to come up with that line, so I don’t expect it to seem crystal clear.  What you should understand is that the acupuncture points which we stimulate with the needles are along these meridians and are used to treat the associated organs.

So let’s think about the big toe for a minute, the one that I have injured.  There are two major meridians that run to the big toe.  One is that of the Spleen and the other the Liver.  Spleen’s element is Earth.  It transforms and transports the food we eat, contains the blood within the vessels, controls muscles and the four limbs and houses thought.  Typical symptoms of Spleen pathology are fatigue, nausea, lack of appetite, sluggish bowels or loose stools, foggy headed-ness and muscle weakness (many of these symptoms I have been experiencing since my injury.) The Liver’s element is Wood.   It stores the blood, controls the sinews, ensures the smooth flow of Qi, houses the (Ethereal) soul and controls dreams.  Students of Chinese Medicine most often associate the Liver with emotional frustration and irritability which I will admit I have also been experiencing lately, along with some dreams that would scare the socks of your grandmother.

Now, on the hands and feet are points that we refer to as Shu-Transporting Points.  It is at these points that the Qi of the organs flows closest to the surface and is most easily manipulated.  There are some practitioners that rely solely on these points to treat their patients and find them to be extremely effective for almost any ailment.  The very intelligent Dr. Richard Tan has developed an entire method (called The Balance Method) using only these points.

It is my hypothesis that, because I now have significant bruising on the Shu-Transporting Points of both the Spleen and the Liver Meridians, and that the energy there is so easily manipulated, that the energy of the associated organs is stagnating, leading to the symptoms that I described above, especially the nausea, foggy headed-ness, fatigue and bad dreams.  It sounds complex but it’s really quite simple.  If you can treat pathology by influencing the flow the Qi at these points, couldn’t an interruption in that flow cause pathology?   Therefore, it is my recommendation as a Licensed Acupuncturist and Practitioner of Chinese Medicine that I use this rainy week opportunity to take a load off, administer herbs both internally and topically to move qi and blood in order to return balance to my compromised system.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend Between Heaven and Earth by Harriet Beinfield.  It’s a great beginner guide to Chinese Medicine and an good read.

Oh yeah, and here’s this week’s How to Win Friends and Influence People flashcard principle…

“Be a Good Listener”

Yesterday started off like any other day. I went for my run. Took a shorter route because I was still feeling tired. Cramped again but not for long. Was extra cautious not to sprain my ankle (I was wary, it being Day 13 and all). Stretched when I returned. Felt good.

On to watch the Jets play the Chargers for the second round of the AFC playoffs. Great game. They really showed up and played their hearts out and next week we’re off to Indiana to hopefully see the same showing against the Colts. Felt great.

Came back to our apartment, had a friend over for dinner. Drank some wine, ate some pasta, played some darts, pretended I knew karate. Wait, what?  Yeah, I really have no business doing any sort of karate and well, I broke my toe. At least I think it’s broken. It hurts and I can’t bend it, so even if it’s not medically broken, it certainly doesn’t work like a toe should work so I’m deeming it broken. How was I feeling at the end of Day 13? Physically, pretty crappy.  Emotionally, super psyched that the Jets won the game.  Mentally, really stupid for thinking I knew karate.  Darn show off.

Anyway, now I face the problem of what to do with the rest of this challenge? I can’t do yoga, I certainly can’t run. I can probably ride my bike but it’s suppose to rain all week. (Rain in So. Cal? What’s up with that?) It looks like it’s time to start building some upper body strength. I have a bunch of free weights here so I’ll see what I can get going with them.  I can still do “girl” push-ups and crunches will be fine.  Maybe by Day 30 I’ll be able to do a pull-up.  New goal! One pull up. (lol). I think it’ll be a nice change though I’m terribly distraught that I won’t be running, at least this week.  Anyone know how long it takes for a big toe to heal??