The Water Secret part 2 of 2

So I've been talking about my review of Dr. Howard Murad's book the Water Secret, which is quite a fabulous secret, and that's why I'm sharing it!  As I've already mentioned, there is a wealth of fabulous information at an easy to understand cellular level. The ONLY thing I don't stand behind is his extreme push for supplements and some of the chemical laced products he recommends, but he's a dermatologist and owns a spa clinic an he's got to make his money somewhere-so I get that. (Yes supplements can be really helpful especially if you're on the pathway to recovery but a lot of supplements all the time, to me, is too many at a time.)
In the last post I shared my discovery that our bodies are closer to 50 percent water and the reason for that is the cells in our body have been damaged from (namely) Standard American Diet, environmental toxins (IN the home even more than outside), and just as a general result of wear and tare on our bodies that come with age. As a result of our cellular damage, our cells lack the ability to retain as much water as they used to when we were sprightly young beings. The dehydration of our cells manifests itself in everything from complexion problems, low energy levels, weight, and most importantly a decreased immune system.


No pressure right? Naturally I think I will just drink a TON of water and I'll look better and feel better! Wrong.
Dr.Murad says that "no matter how much water you drink it will not be enough to keep you hydrated and feeling good unless it can reside inside your cells."
So then how in the world do I keep the water in my cells??? After I panicked a little bit about what I was beginning to think were fruitless efforts I had made to keep my body hydrated, I continued anxiously reading. 
I was relieved to learn that we can actually EAT our water in a way that both improves our cells AND also keeps them hydrated!

The added bonus of eating your water? Dr Murad says that "The water we consume when we eat fresh fruit and vegetables isn't just any water. It's water that is encapsulated within the strucutre of food to provide us with a slow and steady infusion as we digest. It's also water that is locked into foods that are rich in antioxidants and other key nutrients that promote cellular integrity." So when we eat our water, the water from the foods we eat is both nourishing and hydrating and has undergone a free purification process by the food it's encapsulated in so we only get the best water for our cells! I love nature and science, so brilliant.

Ways to Eat your Water 

Here are some foods with a high water content that will help repair cellular damage and actually hydrate your cells, improving over all health and wellness.


FRUITS: Appples, avocados, banana, blackberries, figs, goji, grapefruit, grapes, melons, kiwis, oranges, peaches, pears, raisins, respberries, strawberries


VEGETBLES: asparagus, beets, bok choy, brooli, cabbages, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, garli, giner, green beans, jicama, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley


What's better than ONE secret? FIVE SECRETS!

Here are Four more SECRETS to KEEPING your water consumed in the cell membranes, and the foods that contain them:

Secret 1: Amino Acid rich foods: Although the human body can make some of these amino acids, nine of them (the essential amino acids) must be obtained from food.
Foods rich in Amino Acids are Eggs, Kefir and Yogurt are examples of complete amino acid containing foods.  The combination of rice and beans(or lentils), hummus, falafel are other examples of ways to meet all nine essentail amino acid requirements.
SECRET 2: Foods rich in antioxidants: Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals causing chronic diseases. The three major antioxidant vitamin players are Beta-carotene and other carotenoids, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. All berries, broccoli, onions, mangoes, sweet potato and a plethora of other foods
SECRET 3:Lecithin  contains key ingredient in cell membranes called phosphatidycholine.
Foods rich in lecithin include Eggs, cabbage, peas, garbanzo beans, cauliflower

SECRET 4: Essential Fatty Acids are essential because the body can not produce it. Essential fatty acids are fundamental to cardiovascular development and maintenance as well as to the central nervous system.
Foods rich in Essential Fatty Acids: Flax, Chia, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Walnuts, Figs



I like this visual. If I could I pour the top level right on out of the pitcher (the supplements) because I believe that generally 80% of health issues can be resolved with diet including foods that are the source of the supplements. There definitely is a time and place for certain supplements though but THAT-is for another post.
Let me know if YOU  read The Water Secret by Dr. Howard Murad and your thoughts on it.



Further reading and sources for this post include:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health
http://www.eattosaveyourlife.com/proteins,-carbs,-fats/essential-fatty-acids/
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/tc/healthy-eating-vegetarian-diets-organic-foods

Shhh! The Water Secret Part 1

This caught my eye at the library one time when I was browsing the nutritional isle. Water Secret? Secret? Who doesn't love a Secret right? It's obvious marketing, and it works every time. We all want to know Secrets, and this was one I was anxious to learn, and it did not disappoint. I'm going to try to save you the time of reading it yourself, but if you have the time- I totally recommend it. This is NOT a regurgitation of the same old "Drink your water" mumbo-jumbo.
Dr Murad has discovered through his research in The Science of Cellular Water™  the "ability of cell membranes to hold water as the fundamental marker of youthful good health and offers the world's most comprehensive insights into health and aging".  He is an advocate of using dietary supplements to promote skin health and has earned international recognition as the "Father of Internal Skincare."


This is an intelligently written book with great studies to back his claims and is downright interesting. If I had read this book five years ago it probably would have been revolutionary to me to read about the benefits of whole foods to one's skin and over all health. Having been indocrinated so to say in to the world of Green Giants, I didn't feel as surprised as I did vindicated in my quest for overall health. Luring me with a great complexion and gorgeous hair through eating (one of my favorite things!) through eating well is an easy incentive for me to drink the last sip of my green smoothie. It's defenitly a better alternative to crazy potions and procedures that may make a person look good on the outside but is only disguising the bodies cries for nourishment.


I think I could literally recommend this book to just about anyone. The only thing I'm not thrilled about and don't really support is Dr. Murad's intense supplement regime, the chemicals he insists on using.


However-there is some paramount information that I was SO EXCITED, to learn about and have been really anxious to share.

EUREKA!

Dr. Murad says that humans are under the misconception that we are 80 percent water like we were as babies, and that as adults we are closer to 50 percent water. He goes on to say that with age, as a result of internal and external factors, our cells have been damaged, and weakened the ability for our cells to retain water. This is evident in aging wrinkles, slowed digestion, wavering energy, more aches and pains and the need for caffine. He says that dehydrated cells are not resilient and do not function properly and this affects the immune response.

"When cell embranes are damaged...the cells themselves can not properly retain water. The water seeps out of the cells where it belongs and becomes wasted water, the kind that ...shows up as swollen legs and ankles, puffy eyes, and all over bloating."

-2008 Indiana University School of Medicine Dr Rachel C Vreeman and Dr. Aaron E. Carroll

Dr. Murad addresses the hype of how much water is actually recomended and quotes the constantly misquoted article that originally gave guidelines regarding adequate water consumption:

"In the 1945 article from National Research Council, part of the National Academy of Sciene noted that a suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 lites a day. The exact statement was "A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances. An ordinary standard for divers persons is 1 mililiter for each calorie of food. Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods."

More on HOW to "drink" your water and have it work for you next post in the Water Secret part 2.

Basil Watermelon-Lemonade

It's officially summer and the hot weather makes me thirsty. It's times like these I remember the sugar laced and chemical saturated drinks I used to enjoy and while I'm grateful to have rid those things from my diet and body, sometimes I really crave something sweet and fruity when it's hot outside. So, I came up with this homemade fresh twist on lemonade and it has been just the answer.
For many people that are switching over to healthier habits the question of what to drink besides water is common. Give this a try-especially if you're a watermelon lover like I am.  

Basil Watermelon-Lemonade
Makes 2-3 Servings
1/2 C lemon juice (juice from 2 lemons)
1 C Watermelon puree (strained )
1 1/2 C Cold Water
1/4 C agave
1 tsp minced fresh Basil leaves (add more if you LOVE Basil)

Juice fresh lemons and combine with watermelon mixture in blender. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint or basil leaves. Delish!!! 

This is so refreshing and is truly the perfect summer drink that starts sweet in your mouth and ends with a citrus burst. It's really fantastic. My husband is not a Watermelon fan and he says its "fun and refreshing" but he doesn't LOVE it the way the kids and I do.

(This picture comes from the Whole Foods website, they have a recipe for watermelon lemonade that PALES in comparison to this one and isn't near as "whole" or healthy.).

MeatLESS Monday-Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta

We have so much asparagus in the garden it's coming out our ears.
What's great about this recipe is if you don't have some of the ingredients it's not a deal breaker (these removable ingredients have an asterisk by them.)
The dish it still good with out them, just not great! I have sometimes made this with out the herbs and even the asparagus ( I just didn't have any) and still it was delicious. If you really like a certain ingredient, or you're worried it's going to spoil before you get to use it, this recipe works with adding more here or decreasing something you don't like there. What more could you ask from an easy Monday night dinner. Enjoy!

I love that this photo is blurry-it shows I'm a real person just wanting to eat good food-not take pictures of it. I usually don't photograph my food before I eat it, but I'm trying to be better because Lindsay wants photos to go along with recipes. This one's for you Linds ;)

Feeds 4-6 people
14-16 ounces pasta rotini (Whole wheat is best) (rotelli and cavatappi also work) boiled
1 pound asparagus* ( about 8-10 stalks)-steamed

12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, with out liquid, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

2 large firm, ripe tomatoes*, diced ( sometimes I omit these)

1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 Cup chopped fresh spinach

1/4 Cup chopped fresh basil*

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley*

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese of Vegan Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To Prepare:

Cook the pasta in rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, trim the woody bottoms off of the asparagus stalks. Cut them into approximately 1 1/2-inch lengths. Steam in a medium skillet with a small amount of water until bright green and tender-crisp, then drain.

Blend in food processor sun dried tomatoes and olive oil until you have a nice chunky "dressing" for coating the pasta.

Combine the cooked pasta and steamed asparagus in a serving bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss well. Serve warm with a big green salad on the side for dinner. Make this for a BBQ and serve the pasta cold for a fresh tasting pasta salad that everyone will enjoy.

My first Green Smoothie part 2 of 2

"What did you do to your perfectly good smoothie?!?  You really just put an avocado in there? WHY?!?!" This is about as close as I remember to my reaction of the first time someone talked to me and showed me their green smoothie. I freaked out a little bit. I was completely disgusted, and horrified. To top it off, the wonderful woman, who I adored and still do, was an older gal a sweet grandma and I just figured it must be an older person thing. Ha!

My next introduction to a green smoothie was when my friend and neighbor Jen who is quite health conscious, a vegetarian and amazing mother of five kids invited our family over for dinner. I was sure we would leave her house STARVING because she wasn't serving any meat! What were we going to eat??? (I feel bad for my past self sometimes for being so clueless). Anyway-Jen made some pasta, and sauteed some delicious fresh out of her garden zucchini and yellow squash and then a fresh (also out of her garden) salad. (I watched a spider crawl out of the lettuce but I told myself to be brave and to still try and eat the lettuce even though it was thoroughly washed post spider). Just to be clear-it was all delicious and quite filling.

SO-after dinner at her house we played games and she asked if we wanted a smoothie for dessert. She didn't mention it would be green, because if she had it would totally have been a deal breaker. I watched her start making it and my hubby and I kept exchanging worried glances back and forth as we saw an avocado, banana, strawberries, spinach, water, celery, lettuce, peaches and ice go in the blender. I wanted to throw up. ( I realize how pathetic this sounds, but I'm rather protective of my tastebuds, and my tastebuds are rather protective of my gag reflex). She blended everything together, poured the sludge into cups and divied them out. I planned out ahead of time my method for disposing of it with out her seeing me. EVERYTHING changed though when I took a sip-smooth, creamy, sweet, flavorful-and NO sign of a vegetable being in there except for the green color looking back up at me from my cup. Brilliant!

I wish I could say I was converted and made green smoothies every day from there on out, but no-I'm a wader. Just like a cold pool, I waded into green smoothies.

I now LOVE Green Smoothies and I love experimenting with different combinations and tweaking things here and there. I have a few favorite combinations to be sure.There are so many different combinations of greens and fruit for making a green smoothie which is good news for anyone worried about messing up. There is no need to worry or obsess too much over the green to fruit ration. Just get it in there.

This above picture is what I will blend when making a smoothie for my two young children and myself. It include 1 1/2 Cups mixed berries, 2 Swiss chard stalks, 2 Kale leave stalks, 3 big handfuls of spinach, 1 whole pear, 1-2 sliced frozen bananas, 2 stalks celery, 1/2 lemon juiced, and a little bit of agave or stevia to seeten things up.

This is what i would blend for just myself: 1 Chard stalk, 1 Kale stalk, 2 large handfuls spinach, 1 pear, 1 banana, 3/4 Cup mixed berries, 1/2 lemon juiced, agave/stevia to taste.

LET'S GET OUR GREEN SMOOTHIE ON!

Step 1: Add 1 1/2 Cups water








Step 2: Add all your greens to the water and blend, WELL! Chunky greens-yuck. Blend until very smooth.

I realize the bright green color of the smoothie is a little alarming. For someone who really can't get over the color, I suggest adding more berries which turn it purple-ish or place it in a dark glass. The picture above is pre-berries. 

Step 3: Add fresh fruit, blend. For this recipe I used 1 pear and 1/2 lemon juice squeezed with 1/8 of the peel.

Step 4: Add frozen fruit and blend. For this recipe I used 1 1/2 Cups frozen mixed berries and 1 frozen banana.

TIP: Taste your smoothie BEFORE committing to it. Too sweet? Add lemon, lime, ginger. Too sour/bitter? Add banana, pear, peaches or one of the sweeteners stevia or raw agave.

THE SECRETS TO KIDS DRINKING THIS HAPPILY :)
1. Get a special cup, only used for green smoothies. Get a dark cup if you need to disguise the color.
2. Get fun straws if your new cup doesn't come with one
3. On days my oldest is testing his independence and doesn't want to partake of the green goodness I bribe him with a non-food item. ie: a TV show, a game with mom, etc. I like food to be related to health and wellness not to rewards or punishments. (Bribery is usually my last resort).
4. Be excited about it-kids emulate their parents. If a parent makes a big deal about green smoothies being a special treat, kids will catch on.
5. Name your smoothie-own it! We've called ours "Super Hero Smoothies" and I've pretended to have my muscles grow as I sip, this is a riot to kid newbies. When they've been really green we've called them "Shrek Smoothies". We have also called them "Jungle Juice" and we pretend we're "jungle people". Once kids try them they will get over the green and will love them.

Introducing....Green Smoothies...part 1 of 2

Something like a decadent chocolate cake needs no introduction, it's pretty straight forward, you know what to expect. Most people need to be persuaded to NOT eat chocolate cake rather than to eat it. IF ONLY health food were as persuasive.

I personally am weak for all things chocolate. Don't judge. We all have some sort of kryptonite. Put this in front of me, I will ask you no questions, except maybe for a fork, or better yet a spoon (better for shoveling). I will actually gain 5 pounds just from looking at it, another 3 pounds after the first bite, and I will enjoy every bite except for the last one when I realize what I've done:eaten a bunch of empty calories, spiked my blood sugar, just voided any exercise done in the past two weeks, consumed white flour and white sugar increasing my risk of some sort of cancer, not to mention the guilt of falling off the healthy-wagon...

A really good, I mean really  good chocolate cake might change your night  (and your week if you have to work it off) but it definitely won't change your life.
Green Smoothies  on the other hand really are life changing.


Now I realize, THIS, needs an introduction!
I am proud to introduce the Green Smoothie! At 32 ounces you get less than 200 calories with included fiber, antioxidants, chlorophyll, and an amazing availability of vitamins and minerals.
Because this is not chocolate cake, this is something that requires persuading for people to eat.

When I first started making green smoothies, I would have to remind myself, "It tastes so good, even though it may look kind of freaky." Or "This is going to help me lose weight, not get sick, have great skin, and I'm going to have amazing energy after and I'm going to feel good because I made a nutritionally superior choice." Looks are deceiving and even after all this time, I sometimes still have to play these little mantras in my head. It helps to know what I do, about how fabulous they are for my body and mind and overall feeling of wellness. One thing I love about green smoothies is they never make me feel guilty and I usually feel encouraged to make more great healthy lifestyle choices.

WHAT IS A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Anyone looking to amp up their nutrition would be hard pressed to not stumble upon the infamous green smoothie. Victoria Boutenko was the first green smoothie proponent and has been succeeded  by Robyn Openshaw in green smoothie advocacy. A Green Smoothie is a blended combination of  roughly 60% greens to 40% fruit. Some people start with the fruit to greens ration reversed, and if that's what it takes, that is more than fine. Whatever it takes.

WHAT'S IN A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Greens:  These include kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, green lettuce, a spring mix, chard, collards, dandelions, and more.
Fruits:  Any kind of fruit can be used in correlation with the greens used in a smoothie. I personally like to use different kinds of berries to up my antioxidants. I also will use a frozen banana or two to make it creamy. Some people like to use avocado to achieve the creamy effect, but I prefer to stick with the banana. During their seasons, I also like to use peaches or pears in place of berries for their natural sweetness.
Sweetener:  Some people really can't let go of their sweet tooth even when eating produce and we're just going for baby steps, so again, whatever it takes. When I use a sweetener (mostly  when making smoothies for my kids-and yes, they LOVE them) I try to stick with Stevia but I have used agave before many times. I try to just add more fruit though.
Water: There are different bases that are used for green smoothies: yogurts, juices, etc. I usually just use water to avoid any juice calories (especially store bought juice because it always has an added something or another). When I'm organized I will have a bottle of homemade rejuvelac in the fridge and will use that as the base for the smoothie.

WHY DRINK A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Greens are a powerhouse of nutrition and by blending the greens, not only is the time of consumption reduced but the availability of the nutrients into your bloodstream is almost instant. Greens also contain chlorophyll which is great for adding clean fuel to our bloodstream. I know that while I have always loved salads, that if I were to take everything I put into my green smoothies and try to sit down and chew it thoroughly it would take FOREVER (alright, but it would feel like forever but maybe only take 30 minutes.) 30 minutes is still a long time to be chewing on a salad though, right?!? I think so.
Green smoothies are also easily portable. Have you ever seen someone eating a giant plate of salad while driving? (If you have, I would love to hear about it, really!) How easy is it to stick something like this in a cup though and drink on the way to work, doing carpool, on the way to a party, where ever.
This is one of the easiest ways to get kids to eat their greens. A 32 ounce glass of green smoothie can have up to 15, yeah FIFTEEN servings of greens and fruits. My little girl has been drinking green smoothies since she was about 8 months old. I would only give her about 4-6oz at first but she loved it and would end up sharing some of mine with me too. My preschooler asks for them and thinks they are so much fun to make. I give myself serious "parent points" every time my kids drink one because I've done something for them that will contribute to their health in the moment and the future.
When I  have a green smoothie I give myself personal kudos for taking care of myself. As a Mom I find I put myself last a lot and it's important to take care of myself not only for my own physical, mental and emotional well being but because my children are watching me and following my example.

Next post: My favorite green smoothie recipe and tips for tasty green smoothie success. Also, my first green smoothie introductions. I was not easily convinced to partake and now I would  not be easily convinced to not  partake.

GrrrNola for Baby Green Giants

Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to changing eating habits. Getting a good start to the day is important and picky kids and nutrition nutty moms can make for an explosive morning in deciding what to have for breakfast. This Granola is the BEST tasting granola, way better than even the fancy ones at the health food store. It is a "baby green giant" recipe because it has more sugar in it than I would like (and I will often use even less ) but when I make it just like this NO one complains-not my hubby, not kiddies, not no one! ;) I actually have shared this recipe with my extended family and received rave reviews from skeptic taste buds. We call this Grrrnola at our house because this is how my little boy would say it in his excitement over having it.

Sheryl's GrrrNola:

4 Cups rolled oats

1 Cup slivered almonds

1/2 Cup cashews

1/3 Cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 Cup sesame seeds

1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 Cup Sunflower seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar (can substitute for honey or grade B maple syrup)

1/4 C (grade B) Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 C Coconut Oil

 Preheat the over to 250 degrees. In the absence of a roasting pan, line two large edged cookie sheets with tin foil or parchment paper. If using cookie sheets take the time to really use two cookie sheets because it won't cook right if only one is used. 

Combine all nuts and seeds together. Sprinkle on salt and cinnamon until evenly dispersed. In a saucepan melt together over stove the Coconut oil, Coconut Sugar, honey and maple syrup. Just heat until dissolved and combined. Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour sweetener mixer over Oat mixture and stir quickly until everything is evenly coated. Divide mixture on to two cookie sheets, spreading as evenly as possible.

Place a sheet of foil loosely on top of each granola tray.

Bake for 30 minutes with with one cookie sheet on upper rack and one on the lower and then switch the sheets and back for another 30 minutes. After an hour, feel free to remove tin foil covering and back for an additional 15 minutes. The granola will harden as it cools, so don't worry if it's not as crisp as you were hoping for right at first.

Store in an airtight container in the pantry, or in the fridge if this will last your family longer than   1 week.

*When I want to take this to a Green Giant status I will add raw soaked almonds and sprouted sunflower or pumpkin seeds-so good.
**Occasionally I'll also add some Goji berries or raisins

***Grade B maple syrup is NOT the same as the high-fructose corn syrup that has made it self comfortable in family pantry's across America.  Grade B is a much less refined and processed for a maple syrup which retains some of it's original nutritional properties.

****Coconut sugar is definitely a specialty sugar and is worth every penny as far as I'm concerned.

We serve this granola with kefir poured over it, we use it for making exceptional homemade yogurt parfaits, and sometimes even as an ice cream topping. We have taken this in the car as a snack for the kids, and camping. Our taste buds LOVE it and our bodies are grateful for it.

Beautify your Home and your Health

The last few months I keep stumbling on information on how to purify and detox the air in one's home. It's been very interesting to say the least. I've been excited about the idea of adding more plants(my husband already has a few) to our living space as a way to increase oxygen and humidity in the home to myself all while improving the esthetics of our home. The best thing about decorating with plants is that they never go out of style.

Healthy air is IN, just maybe not in the home...
There are so many chemicals that we use-perfumes, household cleaners, air fresheners...as well as the general pollution from the recycling air from air conditioning units and heaters, etc. that all build up. We breathe it, we sleep in it, our children play in it...the more I think about it the more my skin begins to crawl. Studies have shown that even people in the high rises in cities above the pollution have high levels of toxicity in the air in their homes. People who live in area of high pollution have more problems with asthma, allergies, skin conditions, and more. Dr Murad says that the air of our environment effects not only our skin, but our cells.

Even NASA got on board and conducted different studies and found that common household plants are very effective at detoxifying and purifying air. Below I've listed the top plants that NASA recommends for most effectively removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon dioxide from air in doors.

Bamboo Palm-Chamaedorea


Chinese Evergreen-Aglaonema Modestum


English Ivy-Hedera Helix


Chrysanthemum-Pot Mum


Rubber Plant


Janet Craig-Dracaena


Mass Cane Dracaena


Mother-in-law's tongue-Sansevieria Laurentii


Warneckii-Dracaena


Gerbera Daisy


Peace Lily

Some of these plants are considered poisonous if eaten, so anyone with pets or children would want to do their homework first if that was a concern.
An honorable mention of the Aloe Vera plant has been noted by NASA as well as in other sources for assisting in air purification.

Aloe Vera
This is a great one to have in the home for its medicinal uses on burns as well has the health benefits of consuming the jelly like substance inside. A piece of the whole stem also makes a great addition to Green Smoothies.
Beautiful decor and natural air purifiers? Total score! I can't wait!

Learn More:
http://www.zone10.com/nasa-study-house-plants-clean-air.html

The "produce sale" Challenge

When my husband and I lived in beautiful islands of Palau we did not have access to the same quality of food nor the variety that I was accustomed to having in the States.  I was used to picking out a few meals I saw in a cookbook, jotting down the ingredients on a piece of paper and then going to the grocery store and getting said ingredients, and coming home and preparing the planned meal with those ingredients. In Palau-this system would NOT work.  The first time I planned out my shopping trip I did what I had always done, planned the meals, wrote down the ingredients and went to the store. Store was a game changer. Nine times out of ten, the two only real supermarkets (which were right accross the street from each other oddly enough) combined, would not have at least half the items I was looking for.  It took a few times for me to figure out that something was going to need to change. 

The other challenging part of shopping, other than that many of the boxed items were in Japanese, or Korean was that the processed boxes of food would oftenhave bugs in them when I got home. The canned food was often expired and the chicken and beef had travled from the US and had been frozen, thawed, frozen, thawed and repeated who knew how many times in the shipping. Yogurt was often months past the expiration date and I once got a pound of butter home to open it and find that it was black. Has anyone ever seen that? So gross. I quickly became a big fan of the produce section.


It was hard, but I'm grateful now for the sink or swim learning experience. I had to learn to go to the store with a few ideas only of meal plans. I then would shop the store, mostly the produce section, for whatever looked the least bruised and beaten and then would come home and have to figure out what in the world I could make with what I had. Before anyone feels too bad for me, one saving grace was the endless supply of fresh fish at all the fresh markets. We lived in a conglomeration of 270 islands after all-there was "plenty fish", and thank goodness! Rice was also an endless commodity for which I hadn't used much before but it was now my best friend. This was a great way to learn to cook with what I had which comes in very handy in cooking tasty meals that are also affordable.

Moving back to the US was hard-I had to leave my lovely Palauan friends behind, leave the warm weather, the beaufiful scuba, snorkel, kayaking adventures, on and on. However-going into a grocery store in the states again for the first time was magical, really. It was fabulous-so many options! Too many options. I was overwhelmed. So I stuck with my new system, basing my meals around the produce section, which now felt like a security blanket.
Upon being back I learned something about US grocery stores that I hadn't known before: the fruit and vegetables in season are the ones that are usually on sale. What's great about this is that chances are the produce on sale is grown a lot closer to home than say Mangos from the phillipines, Strawberries from mexico, that one might find in a supermarket out of season.
With my "palauan system" I now knew how to look at all the produce and (at the time meat) that was on sale and make a meal from what I had rather than what I wanted or "needed".

The reason why this is such a great skill I want everyone to learn is because too many people avoid eating more produce because they think it will cost too much. I am not a "couponer" but I have price matched produce many times. Most of the supermarkets in my area that have Organic produce often advertise their organice produce sales in their weekly mailers.

The challenge: is to plan two dinners around the produce on salein your supermarket's weekly mailers. (There is no limit to the markets you can go to collect your produce, as long as the produce is on sale, it meets challenge requirements.
When going through a weekly skip through all the garbage and go straight to the produce section and think of some meals you could center around the vegetables on sale, and healthy treats around the desserts.
For example: asparagus is going to be going, I feel like asparagus is the trumpeteer anouncing the arrival of spring. I love watching the asparagus come up in our garden. Try an asparagus soup. (It is SO MUCH better than one would think-SURPRISINGLY satisfying.)


Use fruit as the center piece of a dessert if your family is accustomed to having something sweet after dinner. Baby steps like fresh fruit and cream.


These are just some baby green giant steps that will help build momentum for later, bigger, steps.
One day, I hope that fresh fruit all on its own will be enough a treat. My family loves eating a platter of fresh fruit as a treat, savoring every juicy bite.


Let me know how the challenge works for you? Tell me what you liked, didn't like, what you struggled with. I would love to hear from you! 
Comment here or email me walkingwithgreengiants@gmail.com

Kefir Part 2 of 2

I've discussed how incredibly nutritious Kefir is to the body for its amazing ability to colonize the digestive tract with good bacteria and increasing our probiotic body count. This is where Kefir just keeps getting better. Not only is it so good for the body, it's incredibly simple to make. I'm always amazed that people who have made their own yogurt are intimidated by making Kefir-it's so much easier. This is how I make my Kefir and have had great success.
Step 1: I take a clean glass quart jar and put a Tablespoon (or more) of Kefir grains into it.


Step 2: I pour raw cow milk ( or whole milk not treated with hormones) into the jar about two inches from the top.
Step 3: I put a small cut of cheesecloth over the top of the lid and secure it around the jar with a rubber band. It's not mandatory that cheesecloth is used. I've actually used a paper towel before. It's also common for people to use coffee filters. Basically, the demands are to keep pests out (gnats, flies, bugs) while still providing air.


Step 4: I set the jar in a dark corner on my kitchen counter and let it sit for 24 hours. After about 24 hours I will remove the cheesecloth and stir the milk around to test for desire thickness. If the milk is still very thin I will replace the cheesecloth and let it sit again for another 12 hours or so.
Step 5: At about 36 hours, 48 hours at most the milk is thick and is now considered Kefir.
Step 6: I rest a plastic colander/strainer over a bowl and pour the milk into the strainer.  If it's really thick I may have to shake the colander a little bit. What remains in the strainer are only the Kefir
grains. I then put a lid on the quart jar and stick it in the fridge.

Make sure to use a plastic strainer or collander. You will see pictures all over the internet of people using metal ones-this is not a good idea. The kefir grains do better when not coming into contact with metal.
Step 7: I start the process all over again.   Store the cultured milk, now Kefir, with a lid in the refridgerator until ready to use. The longest I've had my Kefir in the fridge before use is about ten days. Smell it and taste it if it's been over a week. I have eaten yogurt that was a month over its expiration date in the store. I'm not too worried about eating a product that has already been cultured after a while either.


 This really makes a great addition to a morning meal and a great snack for any time during the day. I attribute the Kefir in our diet as the reason why neither my kids or myself have had any sort of bad stomach bug for a long time despite repeated exposure.

There are several ways to go about getting a Kefir starter. The best way is to ask all the "granola" "crazy" healthy people you know about getting some of their grains from them. My Green Giant sister-in-law was the generous one to share with me. Kefir grains multiply over time and Kefir fanatics, like myself, LOVE to share their grains and spread the Kefir love, so don't feel too funny about asking. Do feel funny if you start to become harassing. ;) Kefir reproduce at their own rate, so if you're in a hurry to get started because you're too excited to wait, then go with plan B.
The kefir lady is a great place http://www.kefirlady.com/  is a great place for Kefir starters. Other reliable starters can be found from Cultures for Health and Body Ecology. The Green Smoothie Girl occasionally has starters as well but they go fast. However you find your Kefir grains, "kefiring" is a Green Giant habit that is well worth the five minutes of actual man time it takes to make it.

TO SERVE:
Our most basic Kefir smoothie recipe is blending one frozen banana to about 10 oz Kefir. Blending peaches, strawberries, mangoes are all great choices. I like using frozen fruit for an icier texture. Yumm!!!