“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
La Rochefoucauld
Road Trip Tips- For a Happy Tummy
Would you like to feel your best while you are on vacation? Here are some tips to help you enjoy your time away from home.
1. Make water your beverage of choice. Water can help to keep keep things moving and flush away any toxins that build up in your system.
2. Pack up snacks that are high in fiber and nutrition. Avoid highly processed foods that are full of salts and sugars.
Some of our family favorites for the road:
- baby carrots
- sugar snap peas
- grapes
- strawberries
- almonds mixed with dried cranberries
- nuts of all kinds - choose nuts that are unseasoned - raw is great.
- snack crackers - look for whole grain
- Granola Bars - look for low sugar, whole grains
- Mary's Gone Crackers
- Annie's
- Kashi
- Cascadian Farm
- Barbara's Bakery
- Wise Bread - Living Large on a Small Budget
- Whole Living - great recipes and snack ideas.
- The Stir - Cafe Mom
- Snack Girl - good brand recommendations.
- Today Health - some great ideas - watch for hidden sugars - especially in yogurts and products with refined carbs - get the whole grains.
3. Make sure to make probiotics a part of your daily regimen. (even when not traveling) Probiotics are the healthy bacteria found inside your digestive system. Think of your insides as being like a garden. The healthy bacteria flourishes when you take care to eat healthy foods full of nutrients and fiber, but when you eat refined, processed foods, the unhealthy bacterias begin to over-run your "garden", causing gas, bloating, and many other discomforts; resulting in disease over long periods of time.
Learn more about keeping your inner flora bloomin'.
4. Make stops every couple of hours to use the restroom. While you are stopped, take a moment to ease aching, cramped muscles by moving and stretching.
Want to feel better on the go? Here are some tips to help you out.
- Yoga for Travelers by Laura Rosenbaum
- Take the Two-Step Cure for a Stressed Stomach by Kristen Dollard
5. Plan to get your rest as you travel rather than pushing your way through the night, which is sure to leave you bleary-eyed and exhausted the next day.
Happy Traveling!
YES to VEGETABLES!
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Vegetable doesn't have to be a four letter word at the dinner table. There are so many beautiful colors, tastes and textures that can be enjoyed! Why miss out on all the benefits of healthful eating?
When my husband and I first got married he said the only vegetables he liked were canned corn and green beans. Fortunately, I was raised on a small farm with a garden full of fresh fruits and vegetables. My mother taught us that we could love all different kinds of veggies.
I am happy to report that my husband now eats just about any of them. In fact I decided that this recipe deserves to be posted. My sweetheart informed me that he did not like cauliflower all that much. Guess who ate almost all of the Roasted Cauliflower that I made today? You guessed it! He did - and my daughter's little friend was asking me if she could eat more too. "It's so yummy!", she said.
Enjoy! PS: You may want to make a double batch or quadruple. (quoting my husband)
What are some of your favorites? What do you do to encourage raising vegetable lovers in your household?
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| Photo: Bryan Gardner |
Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 T olive oil
Sea salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss bite sized pieces of cauliflower with olive oil and sea salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast, stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown and tender, roasting for about 20 minutes.
Try some different Seasonings if desired - Toast with Parmesan the last 5 min, or sprinkle with chipotle chile pepper for a smokey kick - try any other seasoning that strikes your fancy! (You will want to skip the cheese if you are participating in the 2012 28 Day Challenge, though)
Here's another one for you. I thought these were really good. The challenge: Just try it! Kale is packed with fabulous nutrients.
One thing I would do differently in this recipe would be to break into bite size pieces after baking. That way you avoid having to turn a bunch of small pieces in a hot pan.
Sesame - Kale Crisps
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- Coarse salt
Directions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees.
- In a large bowl, drizzle kale with oil, lemon juice, and sesame seeds. Season with salt. Toss until evenly coated.
- Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and, using a spatula, flip kale leaves over. Return to oven and continue cooking until kale is dry and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
These are Recipes from Whole Living Magazine, 2012 28 Day Challenge.
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DYI Milk Alternatives
Are you or someone you know experiencing an intolerance to cows milk? Perhaps you would like to add a little more wholesome variety to your diet. I am re-posting these for a friend and for anyone else interested in learning how to make your own healthier, budget-friendly cow's milk alternatives. They are really very delicious and simple to make!
You can use many different nuts and grains to make milk with, so if you have allergies, or gluten intolerance, you can choose something that works for your needs. When you make it yourself, you know exactly what goes into it and how much and what type of sweetener is added.
Here are a few of the Nuts, Seeds, and Grains to get you started :
Nuts/Seeds: Almonds, Walnuts, Brazil, Cashew, Hazelnuts, Macadamia, Pecans, Hemp Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, and Sesame Seeds. (use raw nuts/seeds) Nuts and seeds are rich in protein and are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, and fatty acids.
Grains: Oats, Brown Rice, Barley, Rye, and Quinoa
Grain milks have a higher carbohydrate content and lower protein content than animal milk. Commercially made grain milks are usually fortified with vitamins and calcium.
Use any combination of nuts/seeds/grains.
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| photo by almondmilkbenefits.org |
Basic Nut/Seed/Grain Milk Recipe
- 1 cup of your choice of raw nuts/seeds/grains. You may choose to do extra. (see tips below)
- Enough water to cover with an inch or more above nuts/seeds/grains.
Soak in water overnight.
If you would like to sprout: You may choose to sprout if the grain/nut/seed is whole. Drain the soaking water and let sit for a few days until the smallest hint of a sprout emerges. Sprouting greatly adds nutritional value and increases the ability to digest it. *Sprouting is optional.
- 1 cup of soaked or sprouted nuts/seeds/grains
- 3-5 cups water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 tsp sweetener or sweeten to taste *optional (see tips below for variations)
- Pinch of sea salt *optional
Discard the soaking water. Rinse nuts/seeds/grains. Place in a blender with remaining ingredients and puree. Smaller amount of water makes a creamier milk. Pour puree into a fine mesh sieve, nut bag, or a clean nylon stocking and strain milk. Milk must be used within 3 days if sweetened, 5 days if no sweetener was added. See tips for left-over pulp. Shake milk well before each use. Enjoy your milk!
View a quick video on how to make your almond milk. This same process is used for all nuts/seeds/grains.
Tips:
- Make-ahead: You can soak/sprout extra and then put in fridge covered with water for up to 1 week. Change the water daily. OR freeze 1 cup rinsed nuts/seeds/grains in baggies for a head start.
- Sweeteners/Flavors: You may sweeten with 2-3 dates, honey, agave nectar, liquid stevia, natural sugar cane, palm sugar, maple syrup, banana, etc. You may also want to flavor your milk with different spices, or flavors. Here are a few ideas, though there are a numerous possibilities: Cocoa powder, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, rose water, orange flower water, lavender, and chamomile. Get creative!
- Other Add In's: You may decide to add in a bit of extra nutrition by mixing in a couple of spoonfuls of a super-food powder, or hemp protein.
- Pulp: Add it into hot cereal, on a salad, or in a recipe such as pancakes, muffins, cookies etc.
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Snacking the Right Way
Healthy Snacking
Having healthy snacks on hand that we enjoy eating is key to keeping your blood-sugar levels even. Remember to balance your carbs with a little protein. Here are some yummy suggestions for healthy snacking.
1/2 whole grain pitta 1 Slice of Wasa crispbread 1 1/2 slices of cheese
3 Tbs hummus 1 Tbs cream cheese Wrap around celery
1/2 c pea pods 1 small apple Dip in mustard
1 c of frozen grapes 1 pear dip in 2 c sliced honeydew
1 stick of string cheese 2 Tbs nut butter 1 1/2 Tbs roasted nuts
Vegetable Based Protiens
Combine foods from two or more of the following columns to create a complete protein. They can be eaten together or separately throughout the day.
Grains
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Legumes
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Nuts/Seeds
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Barley
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Beans
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Sesame seeds
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Bulgur
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Lentils
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Sunflower seeds
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Cornmeal
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Dried peas
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Walnuts
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Oats
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Peanuts
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Cashews
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Buckwheat
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Chickpeas
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Pumpkin seeds
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Rice
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*Soy products
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Other nuts
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Pasta
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Rye
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Wheat
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Spelt
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* The use of soy products should be considered carefully – studies indicate that the over-use of soy can inhibit thyroid function. Soy is already found in MANY of the products that we consume on a regular basis. Read labels.
