Locavore’s Heaven

Are you eating locally this summer?  It’s much easier at this time of year to find fresh, local and often organic fruits and veggies, cheeses, honey, herbs and baked goods at your favorite farmers’ market.  Mine happens on Saturday mornings in Great Barrington, MA.  Even though I’m growing my own tomatoes, cukes, squash and blueberries, I find lots of other delicious reasons to shop -  local peaches, for example, are always juicy, unlike the supermarket varieties that always seem to be mealy and dry.  My family loves Leahey Farms’ pasture raised meats and free range poultry and eggs.  We also stock up on organic maple syrup from Justamere Farms.  The best gazpacho ever is available from Farm Country Soup.  And of course, I always stop by Berkshire Mountain Bakery’s stand for Richard Bourdon’s fabulous raisin bread.

Most of our food travels 1500 or more miles before it hits the shelves.  The Great Barrington Farmers Market says their 25 or so vendors come from within a 50 mile radius – “which not only promotes the local agricultural community, but in this time of energy crisis,  keeps our food dollars local and our energy consumption to a minimum.”

To find a farmer’s market in your area, go to Local Harvest website at http://www.localharvest.org/

Life Change Studio – Save the Date!

Are you going through a major life transition?  Are you wondering what comes next? Are you feeling the urge to discover a new purpose or a more creative life path?

We invite you to imagine your future in a safe, supportive environment called The Life Change Studio.

Join artist Fred Mandell and health coach Nancy Fernandez Mills at Esalen, where you’ll discover your unique “Creative Dilemma” and learn to apply the Seven Core Creative Skills™ of the great masters of art to your personal journey of change.

 Life Change Studio

  Week of November 13 – 18

We’ll do art activities like collage, charcoal and mixed media. We’ll learn to be flexible and open to experience with yoga, breath work, movement and visualization.  No experience is necessary.

Meet others on their own path of personal change…and have fun creating art, relaxing mind and body and renewing spirit.

For more information, contact info@esalen.org or call 1-831-667-3005.

About Esalen:

The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 as an alternative educational center devoted to the exploration of what Aldous Huxley called the “human potential,” the world of unrealized human capacities that lies beyond the imagination. Esalen soon became known for its blend of East/West philosophies, its experiential/didactic workshops, the steady influx of philosophers, psychologists, artists, and religious thinkers, and its breathtaking grounds blessed with natural hot springs. Once home to a Native American tribe known as the Essalen, Esalen is situated on 27 acres of spectacular Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising sharply behind.  Visit www.esalen.org for more information.

What’s In Your Diabetes Pantry?

I hope your shelves and fridge are filled with foods that you love to eat – and that will love you back!  If you have diabetes, it’s really important to have some easy “go to” meals and snacks on hand. Here are a few “must haves” that will help keep you satisfied and healthy:

Oatmeal.  It’s one of the best ways you can start your day, especially if you have diabetes. Buy old-fashioned rolled oats or steel cut variety – you can be sure of a breakfast with a low glycemic index and lots of fiber.  And it’ll help avoid those mid-morning sugar lows.

Beans. With no cholesterol, a low GI and low fat, why not stock up?  You can buy bags to cook yourself – soak them overnight to remove phytic acid – and then cook.  Or buy them in a can for convenience – just add to soup or salad.

Frozen vegetables.  I’m a big fan of fresh and local, but in the off-season, frozen foods are a good alternative.  Veggies are frozen right after they’re picked, so that with just a little steaming, you can get lots of nutrition from dark green, yellow and red varieties.

Lentil soup. It’s fun to make soup on the weekend, especially in cold and snowy weather – but lentil soup is also one of the best canned goods to keep on hand.  It’s a source of protein that’s low in fat and high in fiber – just heat and serve.  Pair with a fresh salad and you’ve got a healthy lunch.

Hummus. This yummy food made from chickpeas can be a dip or a sandwich filling.  I like to spread some in a wholewheat pocket with lettuce, tomato and a little feta cheese. A quarter of a cup has only about 120 calories.

Brown rice and barley. Both are whole grain carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.  They’re great mixed together as a side dish with chicken or can be added individually to your favorite vegetable soup.

Nuts and nut butters are also great pantry additions.  I can’t imagine life without my dry roasted peanuts and no salt, no sugar peanut butter!  More about that in an upcoming post.

Eat More Fruit for a Healthy Diabetes Diet

Did you know that eating five or more servings of fruit a day will help to cut your chances of many serious diseases?

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating colorful fruits and veggies every day can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers, lower risk of eye and digestion problems and have a “mellowing” effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.

But what if you have diabetes?  Are all fruits created equal? All fruits have natural sugars, but some have more than others. The good news is that most fruits have a low glycemic index.

But if you’re concerned about weight loss and insulin resistance, there are certain fruits that have both lower sugar content and fewer calories.

Here are some favorites, good for you whether or not you have diabetes: apples, berries, kiwi, melon, peaches, plums and papaya.

On the other hand, people with diabetes can eat – but may want to limit – the following:  apricots, bananas, cherries, grapes, mangos, pineapple and pears.

Remember – if you substitute whole fruit for fruit juice, you’ll get more fiber, feel fuller and avoid a lot of calories.  One whole orange, for example, has about half the calories of 12 ounces of juice.

Make eating fruit an easy choice – always keep melon and seasonal fruits on hand, ready to eat as an easy and delicious snack, any time of the day.  And keep it where you can easily see it…in a bowl or basket on your counter or in the front of the shelf in your fridge.

Healthy Eating Tips for Diabetes – and Everyone

This post is the first in a series that I’ll offer for people struggling with pre-diabetes or diabetes.  However, a so-called “diet for diabetes” is really just a healthy diet that could benefit all of us.  If you don’t have diabetes, you probably know someone who does…millions of Americans are coping with this serious illness.  So pass the tips along to someone you love.

AN APPLE A DAY…

A is for apple.  Yes, apples make the “A” list of best fruits for people with diabetes.  They are low in sugar and high in fiber…the Joslin Diabetes Center recommends apples as a “best snack food.”

One medium apple has about 95 calories and 4 grams of dietary fiber. It’s also a great source of vitamins A and C.

While you can just grab a whole apple and eat it, you might want to try cutting one into slices and putting it on a plate for a mid-afternoon snack.  I find it feels more like a “mini-meal” and has more visual appeal.

It’s easy and fun to make homemade applesauce.  Just cut up your favorite variety and put into a small saucepan.

Add water and simmer together for about 10 minutes.  You may want to add a little cinnamon – then eat it warm with a bit of low-fat vanilla yogurt – it’s a healthy dessert alternative to apple pie and ice cream.

Eating an apple every day as part of a healthy diet will help you reach two common diabetes goals:  losing weight and reducing the risk of complications of the disease.

Instead of thinking about what you’re trying to eliminate from your diet, think about what you can add – adding one apple a day that’s about the size of a tennis ball will give you 15 carbohydrates or one carb serving.

Placebo Effect in the News

An interesting study from Beth Israel Hospital researchers in Boston caught my eye yesterday.  Doctors and nurse practitioners there gave placebo pills to adults suffering from IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.  The unexpected element of the study was that the placebo meds were marked as such… patients were told that they would be given a placebo.  In spite of that, almost 60% of them got better. The study concluded that “placebos may be an effective treatment for IBS.”

Should this surprise us?  Before this study, experts might have said it was the power of belief that a real medicine was working on their body that helped heal patients taking a placebo.  Researchers have demonstrated over and over that there IS a mind/body effect – that our thoughts, feelings and beliefs can change our physiology. But maybe it’s not just the belief in medicine…maybe it’s a healing relationship at work.   The treatment in the IBS study involved three physician or nurse visits over three weeks and “treatment was given in a warm patient-provider relationship.”  In other words, a healing human connection.

IBS is a global medical issue, with anywhere from 10 to 15% of the population effected during their lifetime.  It’s one of the top 10 reasons for seeking medical care in the United States, with an estimated one in five Americans suffering from cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

According to the New York Times, drugs that have been prescribed for IBS have been withdrawn from the market or restricted because of serious side effects.  Herbal remedies have worked for some.  Soluble fiber in foods like fruit, oats, barley and some beans work for others.

Several studies have been done involving hypnosis, with a high percentage of patients finding relief from their symptoms.  More information is available at IBShypnosis.com.

The placebo effect, however, raises questions for our current system of medical care that typically allows very short visits with a medical caregiver.  If meeting with a warm, supportive doctor or nurse on a regular basis and taking a sugar pill a few times a day can help heal a chronic condition like IBS, what could more time time and support for a close “patient-provider” relationship do to heal our stressed out bodies and lives?

One Big Table

I went to a wonderful culinary event at The Mount on Saturday afternoon.  It was a gathering of food writers, their fans and some folks from the Berkshires offering wine, cheese and connection in Edith Wharton’s (almost) renovated Stable at her historic home in Lenox.  The experts included Amanda Hesser, who has just published The Essential New York Times Cookbook, Judith Jones, legendary editor of Julia Child’s cookbooks and Michael Phillips, the world champion coffee barista from Intelligentcia Coffee & Tea in Chicago.

But my favorite speaker – with the most compelling topic – was Molly O’Neill,  New York Times alum and native of Ohio who has a new book coming out next month called One Big Table.  The research and writing took her 10 years and she has 1200 recipes from all over America to show for it.  But her goal for this project is timely – she wanted to move away from our celebrity-chef obsessed culture and focus on home cooks.  She went to 1000 pot luck suppers, ate a lot of boring food, witnessed the power of food to create community and found some “juicy counter culture folks” of diverse ethnic backgrounds  “cooking and living off the grid.”

“Food brings out the best in people,” concluded O’Neill.  We can use more of that!

Learn more about One Big Table at Simon and Schuster’s website.

An Invitation to Creative Life Change

Please join me on Saturday, November 20, 2010 for a day of creative exploration, movement and fun.  Share your hopes and dreams for your next phase with others on a path of Creative Life Change.  Learn specific creative skills that can help you visualize and manifest your best life, at any life stage.

My friend, artist and author Fred Mandell and I will be offering the Life Change Studio, sponsored by Discovering What’s Next in Newton, MA.  Join us for a transformational experience!

8:30 A.M. to 4 P.M.
$195 (includes lunch and snacks)

You can become a Life Change Artist! Life is a process,
unfolding in often unexpected and challenging ways. But
challenges can become creative opportunities. The Life Change
Studio is based on both the art and science of personal
change. You’ll learn how to apply the skills of the master artists
to your life change journey and how to draw on powerful mind/
body traditions to make meaningful change. This foundational
workshop introduces you to our unique Four Dimensions of
Personal Change and the Seven Creative Skills.
In the workshop you’ll experience creative activities, including
collage and drawing as well as mind/body practices such as
yoga, breath work, and visualization. You will learn new
concepts through short, informative lecturettes and you will
have an opportunity to integrate what you are learning
through group conversation and individual journeling.
Newton Cultural Center
225 Nevada Street, Newton
Register on-line at www.discoveringwhatsnext.com

For more information, email info@discoveringwhatsnext.com or call 617-467-5438.

Bounty of the Season

It’s a cool, sunny day in the Berkshires and my tomatoes are finally all ripe.  Here’s a photo of a dozen from my little organic garden, blanched and ready to become sauce!

I’m using a simple recipe from The North End Italian Cookbook by Marguerite DiMino Buonopane.  Marguerite taught Italian cooking at The North End Union in Boston, a nonprofit community settlement house that became a neighborhood landmark in the years after it’s founding in 1892.  Her recipes are always tasty and her book is still available (in its fifth edition) on Amazon.

She has a great recipe for making pesto in the blender…that will be next – my basil has been growing like mad and I LOVE pesto.

Can’t get enough of that Mediterranean diet!

Memory Foods for Midlife

At one time in the not so distant past, it was “common knowledge” that you never saw people who were both old and overweight.  Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases took their toll in midlife and most of the elderly were literally “little old men” and “little old women.”  Not so today.

Thanks to recent advances in cardiovascular medical care, we have a growing population of overweight and even obese elders.  But surviving into old age doesn’t mean thriving.  It may mean living with memory loss and general cognitive decline. According to the Journal of the Gerontological Society of America, the “adverse affects of being overweight are not limited to physical function but also extend to neurological function.”

A recent Swedish study found that men and women with higher midlife body mass index (BMI) scores had significantly lower cognitive ability and steeper decline than their thinner counterparts over time. Other studies reported in the Journal point to other serious health problems for overweight elders, including poor muscle strength and depression.

So…how to fight midlife weight gain and boost your memory power?  Exercise is a big help, of course.  But for foods that are good for the waistline and good for the brain – start with celery!  The Real Age doctors say that celery is a great source of a flavonoid called luteolin, a substance thought to cool off inflammation in the brain’s memory center.

And that crunchy green is also only about six calories per stalk!

Chop up some celery and combine it with other sources of luteolin -  green pepper, lettuce and spinach – and you’ve got a green giant of a memory-boosting salad.