Beyond Jello and Ice Cream

My kids are now down eight wisdom teeth. This happened the day after we returned from three days of freshman orientation, which were three days where Harry scrambled to eat well even though we'd forgotten to speak to the school's dietitian before arriving on campus. He came home anxious to start eating a better diet, and then we were left with first a liquid diet and then a soft foods diet. The oral surgeon mentioned jello and ice-cream. I'd have to turn in my business cards if I went that route! Aside from that when your body needs to heal, you need good nutrition, not empty calories To his credit, the doctor also mentioned soup - but most of us eat prepared soups, loaded with salt and flavor, but not loaded with nutrition.

So, what's a health coach and mom of a kid with multiple food allergies to do? Especially one who's active and needs a lot of calories to keep him going? Fortunately, my creativity was sparked by the challenge.

The night before the extractions I made vegetable soup. Veggies are packed with phytonutrients. Most Americans are overnourished when it comes to macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) but undernourished when it comes to micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidents). Phytonutrients are the micronutrients that come from plants. I'd also laid in a supply of fruit. So far, so good, but I knew I'd need more.


Right after the extractions, the kids needed food, but their stomaches weren't ready for much. Clear vegetable broth did the trick. Later in the day, the soup with pureed vegetables added more fiber and was more filling. Still later, when they needed more calories, I pureed a can of Great Northern beans into the soup.


Smoothies were also in order and again I stepped them up. My usual smoothie recipe goes like this: 1 T chia seeds in 1 cup water (soaked for 15 minutes so the seeds gel - you want to do this step so the seeds aren't absorbing water while inside you) Chia seeds have a lot of ALA, a form of Omega 3's. Then I add 1 T of cod liver oil (for EPA and DHA, two other forms of Omega 3's, not present in plant sources). Omega 3's are essential fatty acids, meaning you have to eat them, your body has no way of making it (contrast that with Vitamin D which if you get enough sunlight, your body produces on it's own). Research is showing that most of the diseases in our country (heart disease, diabetes, cancer) are due to inflammation, Omega 3's are anti-inflammatory. Ok, back to the smoothie, I then add a T of either psyllium husk or freshly ground flax seeds (for fiber and flax has Omega 3's), a banana and either berries (which are a low sugar fruit) or cherries. I whip it all up in a blender. However, to fill Harry's stomach, I added almond butter. You could also add peanut butter. Some people even add avocado. I've been known to throw greens in my smoothies, but know that Harry prefers I not (I've been told that you won't even taste spinach in a smoothie, but haven't tried it yet).

I cranked out my juicer (Breville compact - an excellent, reasonably priced machine) and made carrot, kale, cucumber, celery, and green apple juice. 

By request, I made fresh apple sauce. This is the easiest thing in the world to make and is so much better than store bought. Peel and core as many apples as you like. Munch on peels as you go. Put cut up apples in a pot with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on medium low until the apples are soft and can be mashed with a fork. Depending on the type of apple the cooking time will vary. I use Macs and it's usually ready in 20 minutes. You can also add some cinnamon if you like. Added sugar of any type is totally unnecessary. Served warm it's the ultimate comfort food!


The next day, I made another soup, using different vegetables and lentils. But, by then, both kids were ready for soft food. They discovered that noodles and seaweed salad could be eaten without chewing - go figure! And now, much sooner than expected, they're back to eating almost anything they like (nothing really hard or cruncy yet) and I didn't even get to make chicken soup from the organic, ethically raised chicken I bought for the occasion!


I have nothing to prove it but I think it only makes sense that eating fresh, whole food, packed with nutrients, helped my kids heal so quickly. We tend to  discount or overlook the power of food, but really, you are what you eat - eat well and you're body will serve you well.

Sprouted Green Lentil and Wild Rice Pilaf

Sprouting lentils activates the enzymes in the seed which increases the bio-availability of the micro nutrients. In English, this means your body absorbs more of the nutrients when lentils are sprouted. With or without sprouting, lentils are a powerhouse of nutrition and an excellent way to get protein. I used truRoots brand dehydrated sprouted lentils. If you can't find sprouted lentils (and don't want to sprout your own), this recipe would work just as well with green lentils.

Hank, my hubby and main taste-tester declared this one of my all-time best vegetarian dishes, which was quite a compliment since I cook a lot of vegetarian food and he likes my cooking.

1 package (1 3/4 C) truRoots sprouted green lentils
3 C vegetable broth and 2 cups water
1 C wild rice
3 cups assorted vegetables (I used two kinds of yellow summer squash, carrots, onions)
oregano, basil, parsely
1 bunch of kale
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Although the package said to boil the lentils (I boiled them in the broth/water mixture) for 5 mintues and then have them stand covered for another two, I found them still too crunchy for my taste at that point and boiled them for another 10 minutes or so. Wild rice cooks like brown rice: boil in almost 2 C water for 40 minutes. While the lentils and rice are cooking, chunk the vegetables (except the kale), coat with olive oil, sprinkle generously with herbs, and roast until just browning (about 40 minutes). Then I mixed the kale, torn into bite-sized pieces, into the rest of the veggies, and continued the roasting for about 5 minutes (until wilted the kale was wilted).
When the lentils and rice were cooked, I drained the extra liquid from them, mixed them together and stirred in olive oil. Then I mixed in the vegetables. Lastly, salt and pepper to taste (we didn't even bother).

If you try this, please let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Beat-the-Heat Gazpacho

In honor of the heat wave, I offer this cool red gazpacho. I promise, the effort required to make it, will not cause you to break a sweat. It's quick and easy to make and packed with phytonutrients.

1 small onion
1 t. cilantro (or 1/3 cup fresh - divided, use half for garnish
1 clove garlic
1 lb. tomatoes, cores and stems removed
1 peeled cucumber
1 red bell pepper (green or orange if that's what you have)
2 T. lime juice (lemon if you don't have lime)
1/4 t Tabasco sauce
1/2 t. iodized sea salt (or whatever salt you have)
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 avocado, peeled and diced (but make the recipe anyway, even if you don't have one on hand)

Place onion, garlic and cilantro in food processor and run until garlic is finely minced. Add remaining ingredients (except avocado) and process until smooth. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. The avocado and remaining fresh cilantro can be used as a garnish.

Stay cool and enjoy!

There are greater lessons from food to be learned from food. It's been said that the way you do anything is the way you do everything. That said, I'm very proud of Harry today.

Harry spent the past week in a combination of celebration over his high school graduation and the start of his first (full-time) job. With it came days of eating the foods he's allergic or sensitive to for the following reasons:

- Celebrating: "I deserve this even though it makes me feel sick."
- Hunger: "I know this is going to make me feel sick, but I want it and I'm too hungry to resist it."
- Lack of choices: "Whoops, here I am at work, having not bothered to pack food and it's either go hungry or eat something that makes me feel sick."
- Habit: "Now that I've eaten poorly all week, I'm back on automatic, eating foods that make me feel badly."

However, Harry and I went to the chiropractor yesterday and when he asked Harry who's responsibility it was to eat well so that he'd feel well, Harry took full responsibility. It made my heart proud because if there's anything a mother wants it's for her kids to grow up and take responsibility for their actions.

And, because as any health coach who specializes in nutrition will tell you, the one thing we agonize over is watching people repeatedly eat food that's bad for them. And the vast majority of us (myself included) keep eating food that's bad for us over and over, no matter how much we know it's bad for us or even how rotten it makes us feel.

Even before getting to the chiro's office Harry knew it was time to get back on track. We were already talking strategies because with his new schedule, we need a new plan. The same goes for the rest of us: if your life changes, your plan will need to change, too.

Here's our top five strategies for helping Harry eat right this summer:

1. Eat before going out. This is probably the number one suggestion made in every women's magazine before the winter holidays set in. If you eat before leaving home, you won't be hungry when you're out and therefore, although you may have to deal with temptation to eat something you shouldn't, temptation alone is better than temptation coupled with hunger (which Harry, like most people, finds impossible to resist).
2. Party food especially is tempting. Food cravings are real. Acknowledging them, but when they hit, and remind yourself of how poorly the foods you're avoiding make you feel (or how overeating makes you feel poorly, gain weight, whatever).
3. Bring a healthy dish or a dish you can eat to share.
4. Pack your own. Harry's allergic to wheat, so packing his own bread means he can make a sandwich if that's what's being served. He's packing his own lunch and dinner before he goes to work. My husband who's also allergic to wheat sometimes brings his own crackers to restaurants so he has something to enjoy when the bread basket is placed on the table.
5. Speak up. At a few parties, the burgers and hot dogs were handed out already on buns. It's a small thing to ask to get the meat without the bread and this kind of small favor does not impose on your hosts.

As a Chinese proverb says, "Fall down seven times, get up eight", Harry may keep slipping up and eating what he shouldn't from time to time. Which is fine. As long as he keeps getting up again and getting back on his diet. He now recognizes the effect food has on his body and that his health is in his hands. Which is why I'm a proud, proud mom.

Do you have other ways to eat healthfully when you're out?