Healthy Tips to Feed Your Family

Recently Denny Waxman, leading authority on macrobiotics and natural healing, wrote a blog on  "Achieving your ideal Weight”. His article really rings true in that more and more people are overweight and suffer from obesity. What scares me the most is the number of overweight children.

Weight gain is epidemic and childhood obesity is on the rise. More and more children suffer from
 illnesses that are directly related to their diet. I find is sad to see kids starting out their young lives with health problems that can be completely avoided by parents making better food choices.

As a macrobiotic teacher and counselor I offer menu planning. My clientele ranges from people with serious health concerns to those who simply want to make a transition to plant-based foods. Many of my clients are moms who want to eat better and make healthier food for their families. However, they 

often struggle implementing the transition, fearing their children will not like the new food choices.

Here are some of my suggestions for introducing plant-based foods to your children: 

1. Establish regular family mealtimes and try to eat one meal together each day. If this seems like a stretch begin with a few times a week. Mealtimes are great way to connect with your children and really find out what is going on in their lives. 
2. Begin introducing healthier foods into their diets. Start with grains and grain products such as brown rice, millet, couscous, noodles, pastas, oatmeal and corn. Try unyeasted sourdough breads, pita, and tortillas instead of commercial white breads. Each meal should have a grain or grain product. The word ‘meal’ implies grain. Make grains the main part of the meal. Our brain functions on glucose, which is derived from the breakdown of complex carbohydrates. Grains, beans and vegetables are the main source of complex carbohydrates. 
3. Serve fresh vegetables with every meal. Experiment with a variety of vegetables prepared in a variety of styles. Vegetables complete and balance our meals and help to provide us with freshness. 
4. Take control of your cupboard. Read labels and simply don’t buy junk! After a certain age you cannot control what your child eats outside of your home, but you can control the quality of the foods you bring into your home. What is most important is that they are eating good food at home during mealtimes. 
5. Have good snacks available, fresh seasonal fruits, toasted seeds and nuts, rice cakes. For those of you who enjoy cooking try making some snacks together with your child and introduce them to cooking at an early age. 
6. Try to find your child’s taste and follow their appetite for good food and little by little introducing new foods. Keep reinforcing the health and the environmental benefits from eating plant based foods. 
7. Finally, not exactly food related but equally as important, encourage your child to engage in outdoor and indoor physical “play” activity. Limit the time they spend with electronic devices and cultivate their participation in the arts and in nature. 

Home Popped Organic Popcorn 

This snack is a favorite of both kids and adults. It is great because popcorn is familiar
to and loved by just about everyone. I use specific good quality ingredients that are even healthier than anything you can buy in the health food store. By making your own snacks you can control the amount of sodium used and the quality of the oils. This snack takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and will stay fresh for several days. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of “high heat” Safflower oil or Sunflower oil (This is an oil of thicker consistency)
1 Tablespoon of organic Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/16 - 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of organic non-GMO popcorn

Suggested cookware: A two quart stainless steel pot with a lid or stainless steel pressure cooker.

A large serving bowl and a wooden utensil.

Preparation:
Pour the oil in the pan and turn the flame on the lowest setting.
Add the popcorn kernels and sea salt.
When the oil begins to sizzle, place a lid on the pot.
As the corn begins to pop pick up the pot and give it a gentle shake to allow the
popcorn to cook evenly. You will repeat this step several times throughout the cooking.
When you hear little to no popping sound the popcorn is done.
Pour the hot popcorn into a serving bowl.

Option: If you like more of a rich flavor gently drizzle additional olive oil over the
hot popcorn. Add another tiny pinch of sea salt and gently mix with a wooden utensil

to blend all the seasonings.
For teenagers and adults add a little hot spice.
For a rich gourmet flavor top off the hot popcorn with truffle oil.

*Too ensure freshness, the popcorn needs to cool completely before storing it. 

*To order Susan Waxman's "Healthy Treats" kids snack booklet contact her office.

Green Cocktails Anyone?

Every Spring I like to give my liver a break and begin my own form of “cleanse”.
Typically I like to eat breakfast, but when the weather gets warmer I enjoy starting
my day off with a nice green vegetable juice. This is not a huge pint glass, but rather
a small 1/2 cup serving size, because a little fresh greens juice goes a long way! 

In oriental medicine Spring is associated with tree or wood energy. The corresponding
organs which are most affected and active at this time are the liver and gall bladder,
whose main job is to aid in digestion and metabolize fat. In the colder months we
naturally consume heartier foods which include more savory seasonings and fat.
Additionally, a higher percentage of baked foods are consumed which make our
overall condition more dry. I find that juicing makes me feel more light, positive and
fresh, just in time for Spring.

In Spring, the taste du jour is mild sweet and sour. Combining these two tastes helps to relax
our liver and gall bladder, giving them a break after heavier Winter foods. These juices have a 

refreshing quality that allow us to detox the excess and help to boost our metabolism for a new
Spring cleaning!

Here are some of my favorite green cocktail combinations: 

Ah, so green and fresh!

Napa, green apple and cabbage juice
This combo offers a nice sweet and sour taste.

1/8 cup of napa cabbage juice
1/8 cup of green cabbage juice
1/4 cup of green apple

Napa, cucumber, green apple juice
This combo is mildly sweet and a little
more tart. The cucumber makes it bit of a natural diuretic. 

1/4 cup napa cabbage
1/8 cup green apple
1/8 cup cucumber

Green cabbage, bok choy, cucumber, parsley and lemon
This juice is very fresh, green, and alive with chlorophyll. It is also a diuretic.
1/8 cup green cabbage
1/8 cup cucumber
1/4 cup bok choy
A few sprigs of parsley

Cheers!

Spring Training

February 4 marked the first official day of Spring. Now, this date is significantly earlier than the widely-recognized first day of Spring, March 21st. February 4th is historically the first day of Spring according to the calendars of early societies. When you think about it, this makes sense. February is generally the month that you begin to get a twinge of spring fever. We yearn for sunshine and warmer weather. We start thinking about purchasing our new bright wardrobe. And for all you sports fans, pitchers and catchers reported for spring training camp this week. Go Phillies!

Clearly, these are all signs of Spring. But in all seriousness, Nature’s energy comes to life at this time of year. We observe trees beginning to form buds and tiny leaves. The flowers will begin to push their way to the surface. These visible changes do not happen overnight. All of these changes first begin beneath the surface, and then go through a transitional phase, which is exactly what is happening right now. This is why we all have spring fever, but are still forced to wear our warm winter coats; we feel the change in Nature’s energy, but the consistent warm weather has not arrived quite yet.

So, what can you do with your diet during this transition and in preparation for the warmer season? Here are a few quick and tips to ease you through this Spring so you are ready to bloom when the sunshine is here to stay. 

Light, refreshing, and colorful salads!

• Increase your consumption light and fresh foods, such as blanched vegetable salad, quick steamed greens, pressed salads, fresh salads and quick sautés. The common point with all these dishes is that they are all light, bright, and crunchy in texture. 
• Decrease the amount of salt you use, which includes the use of salty condiments. Too much salt makes our bodies more contracted and will not allow us to discharge the extra winter baggage (I think you get the picture)! 
• Try to make your cooking less excessive. This means cutting back on heavy sauces or thick dressings and use only a light amount of oil. Perhaps you want to go oil free for a bit of time to give your liver and lymph system a break. 
• Decrease your consumption of heavier, heartier dishes. Cut back on long cooking methods. Instead, use shorter cooking times and, even more important, fewer baked foods. 
• Emphasize mild sweets and mild sour tastes. For example, try using a little fresh lemon on your steamed greens 2-3 times per week or use some grated green apple as a dressing for your salad. Beets dressed with lemon or vinegar are also a great sweet-and-sour option, or fresh vegetable/fruit juice combo.                      

 
Stay tuned next week for more information on good-quality sweets, as well as a sweet Spring recipe!