This week, blueberries appeared at the Castro Farmers Market. They were stunning and juicy, and since I know that a “serving” of blueberries is pretty substantial (3/4 cup), I bought a large bag to have on hand for snacking. My son is just starting to try solid foods, and I thought he might like a blueberry, so I crushed one a bit and offered it to him. As he rolled it around in his tiny mouth, his face lit up with unmistakable joy. He clearly had never tasted anything as delicious, and was eager for more. Watching him heightened my own joy in eating the blueberries – it was no longer about making a good food choice to reach my health goals, but rather an opportunity for me to share this incredibly happy moment with my son.

We often hear the phrase “emotional eating” as a negative – people make poor food choices when they’re trying to deal with uncomfortable emotions like loneliness, boredom or fear – but the flip side is that food can fill us with wonderful emotions too, and eating in healthy ways should encourage all of that joy and celebration, not make us feel deprived or unable to enjoy food. Eating blueberries with my son this week was a great reminder for me.

I also had an opportunity come up this week to cook a meal for a stranger. As someone who started a family on my own, I’ve really benefitted from the supportive community of Single Mothers by Choice, and when a message came across the email list that there was a new single mother who was struggling, I offered to help.

Thinking about what I might cook to bring for her brought back the beautiful memories of the first few weeks of my son’s life, eight months ago. My friends showed up with amazing dishes: lasagnas and roast chickens, muffins and fruit for breakfasts, everything fresh and organic and made with love. Everyone who came by wanted to celebrate and nurture us, and they did so by feeding me when I was exhausted in the all-consuming fog of new motherhood.

In the end, though, I chose to make a dish my mother made for me in the week after my son was born. Because my iron was low, my mom wanted to make me iron-rich foods, meat and greens and other things designed to boost this crucial mineral. Red lentils are especially high in iron, and my mom made a simple soup that is a great option for new moms.

When you read about dieting and food issues, there’s so much complicated stuff that comes up, especially for women, about the tensions around food and love and mothers, but it was just so beautiful to have my mother nurture me with healthy food in this moment where I was becoming a mother myself. I wanted to share that by cooking that way for the new mom I met this week.

The recipe below is for the most simple vegan and gluten-free version of the soup, which is great when you don’t know someone’s dietary restrictions or they’re trying to figure out what foods work for them as their body heals from the birth (or any other medical procedure). I’ve also suggested places you can make the soup more interesting for an everyday meal.

Note that the recipe is easily multiplied if you’d like to make enough for yourself and a friend, and that you can increase or decrease both ingredients and cook time here and have things turn out just fine.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils

4 cups water (*you can use any broth you wish for more flavor here)

3 carrots, diced

1 shallot, diced

3 cups dark leafy greens of your choice (chard, spinach, kale, etc.), chopped roughly as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional mild enhancements:

1 tablespoon homemade bouillon (I use this in everything. It’s amazing.)

¼ teaspoon each of the following anti-inflammatory spices: cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, ginger

1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)

Optional hearty enhancements for more of a full meal:

2 chicken sausages, sliced

hot sauce to taste

Directions

1.         Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot.

2.         Add lentils and cook for one minute, stirring well.

3.         Reduce heat to a simmer, add additional vegetables (except greens) and spices.

4.         Simmer for at least an hour, preferably two or three. The lentils will disintegrate and form a thick soup.

5.         Add greens (and chicken sausages, if you’re including those) and simmer for another 20 minutes.

6.         Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small white onion, chopped

1 handful fresh basil, chopped

1 – 28 oz. can “Tuscano” Marinara Sauce (Trader Joes brand)

2 – 18 oz. tubes organic (non-GMO) polenta (Trader Joes brand)

3 oz. parmesan cheese, grated

Olive oil cooking spray

Equipment:

9” x 13” baking dish

Large saute pan

Wooden spoon

Aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F for 10 minutes.
2. Coat baking dish with a thin layer of olive oil cooking spray
3. Slice polenta into ¾” slices and place evenly in baking dish to fill the bottom.  Lightly spray the tops of the polenta with cooking spray.  Set aside.
4. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When hot, add garlic and onion.  Cook for a few minutes until soft.
5. Add 1 can marinara sauce and chopped basil to the pan.  Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes until aromatic.
6. Pour sauce evenly over the polenta.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to cover.
7. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top and seal tightly.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
8. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I love sleep. Love. Love. Love. My dream vacation involves hammocks, ocean breezes and the gentle sounds of waves ebbing and flowing.

My real life, however, has an 8 month old baby. An adorable 8 month old baby who makes me happier than I’ve ever been, but who has some trouble with sleep*. As a result, I haven’t slept through the night in well over a year, since pregnancy was not exactly conducive to sleep either.

According to this article from Harvard’s School of Public Health, “There is mounting evidence that people who get too little sleep have a higher risk of weight gain and obesity than people who get seven to eight hours of sleep a night.” The research suggests that sleep deprivation both increases caloric intake and decreases caloric expenditures.

I have definitely not been decreasing my caloric expenditures – between working out twice/week with Billy and going for long walks carrying my son every day, I’m getting a lot of exercise. But that effort itself is exhausting. At some point I know that exercising regularly will energize me, but I suspect I’ll need a few more hours of sleep each night to hit that point.

So it’s been challenging, and I definitely notice that I make less healthy food choices when I’m tired, and even less healthy ones when I’m tired and stressed. Working on my son’s sleep is stressful, and though it’s getting better, I notice that when he is crying, I start reaching for snacks and alcohol, neither of which are really spectacular choices. Add to that the stresses of the past few weeks of world news and daily life, and I’ve just been feeling less than energetic about everything, including working out and tracking food choices – but I’ve been doing them nonetheless.
There’s hope on the horizon: now that my son is getting more and more active, he’s getting more and more exhausted, too. And he’s now sleeping in his own room where I’m less of a distraction to him, and it seems to be improving his sleep, which means my own sleep is improving. I actually got five hours in a row this weekend, which is more than I’ve had in a long, long time.

Hope you’re all getting some rest. It really helps.

want you to cook more at home!

How to get started:

To upload your recipe photos to the Eating Free Cooking Challenge click here

Cooking Challenge starts on Monday May 6th and ends on Thursday May 23rd. 18 days!!!

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Prize Pack Includes:

Two amazing books
Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep the Weight Off for Good by Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD

The Everything Peruvian Cookbook by extraordinary chefs and food bloggers Morena Cuadra and Morena Escardo of Peru Delights

Four Peruvian Power Foods
1 pack Maca powder
1 pack Cacao powder
1 pack Sacha Inchi Seeds
4 pack Fresh Pichuberries

This hearty Andean soup is a power food powerhouse. Loaded with nutrients from Peruvian superfoods cilantro, purple potatoes and quinoa, this soup is both colorful and flavorful.

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro leaves
32 fluid ounces vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
3 medium purple potatoes, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup quinoa, dry/raw
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup frozen peas (or fresh if possible)
½ cup frozen corn (or fresh if possible)

Directions

In a blender liquefy cilantro with broth. Set aside.

Saute onions and garlic until soft and clear.

In a large stock pot, combine saute, celery, liquefied cilantro broth, purple potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil.

Add 1 cup quinoa and bell pepper.

Once quinoa is cooked about 10-15 minutes add peas and corn. Heat until thoroughly warm.

Did you know that camu is the fruit with the most vitamin C on the planet? It has 60 times more vitamin C than an orange!

Camu is a tropical fruit that is commonly found in the Amazonian jungle. This prized resource is now available in the US in the whole food powder form.

Remember, whole foods are the way to go. Studies show the vitamin C found in camu is better absorbed than synthetic vitamin C supplements.

Camu is a youthful power house! Studies show that its vitamin C content helps with anti-aging.

Camu also strengthens the immune system, as the vitamin C in camu can prevent the onset of cold and flu symptoms.

Camu acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, and it can be used to manage pain in disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

It is also an anticancer agent. When it comes to cancer prevention, the vitamin C in camu delivers antioxidants that help protect cells from damage.

The C Monster Recipe

Talk about an immunity shot – This recipe is a complete immune booster!

Ingredients
4 ounces Fresh orange juice
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup Strawberries
1 teaspoon Camu camu powder
Handful of ice

*You can throw in your favorite protein powder to add protein to this amazing smoothie.

Directions
Combine all ingredients in blender and pulse until smooth. Enjoy!

To buy Camu Camu Powder visit our online store

A dear friend recently recovered from a major surgery that left her unable to walk without enormous pain for several months. In the days afterwards, she posted something to her Facebook page about watching people on MUNI choose the escalator over the stairs, and feeling so grateful that her body could take the stairs again. I was reminded of this “manifesto” I’d seen a few days earlier: “Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act”, and went back to see #54:

“Reframe Exercise as a Privilege: You don’t have to exercise. You get to exercise. Visit a person whose mobility is severely limited, and you’ll appreciate the distinction. Do what you can, and count yourself lucky.”

I thought about this while I was working out this week. A lot. At the same time that I was struggling Wednesday afternoon to do some challenging step-ups with Billy, a childhood friend was having a bilateral mastectomy after a routine mammogram detected cancer in her breast tissue.

My friend made the difficult decision to have this surgery to prolong her life with her children. This, of course, was the same motivation I had for the much easier decision to apply to Commit to Fit, so as I did those step-ups I thought of my friend with each lift, and her bravery. I thought about how lucky I am to be in this relatively healthy body, and how lucky I am to have the chance to work with the best personal trainer at the best gym in San Francisco to become even healthier.

So yes, exercise is a privilege. An enormous privilege. And realizing this has made it more enjoyable. When I struggle with physical effort, I now feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment instead of the tiny whiny voice I used to hear in my head when I exercised. No wonder I never enjoyed exercise before – who wants to listen to someone whine for an hour as you’re working hard?

In other news from the past few weeks, I spent some time visiting my family for Passover. It was a wonderful trip, and my son got to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. We held the traditional Passover seder (a short version, since there were five kids under age 4) and ate all of the traditional foods, including my mom’s amazing brisket. I managed to watch my portion size, though, and lost another two pounds that week.

I’ve been doing my weigh-ins with Sarah at MV Nutrition, and enjoying working with her to optimize my food choices. I feel like I’ve been doing well with portions and calories, but too often reach for a default snack or meal of bread and cheese, because it’s easy and delicious. When I was pregnant, I lost the taste for raw vegetables and salads, and that hasn’t returned yet, sadly. I love most vegetables, but seem to only like them cooked these days. So now I’m trying to cook up some big batches of veggies to have on hand for snacks and meals.

This week, I roasted cauliflower with whole grain mustard, and brussels sprouts with some amazing lamb bacon. Since I grew up keeping kosher (observing Jewish dietary practices), I don’t eat pork, and am happy to enjoy the lamb bacon from Fatted Calf as a substitute. To make about a pound of brussels sprouts, I slice them in half, mince up a few pieces of bacon into tiny bits, toss them all together with a drop of hot sauce and a little bit of something sweet (maple syrup, apple cider syrup, etc.) to caramelize as it all cooks and roast in the oven for a good long while. If you time it just right, the sprouts are crispy on the outside and creamy delicious on the inside. It sounds decadent, but it’s really not that rich – your veggie-to-bacon ratio is still pretty good, and there’s no extra fat or starch, and hey, #32 on that manifesto is “Savor What You Eat”. Try it and let me know what you think.

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese?  It’s warm, comforting, and oozing with cheese.  But it’s also usually laden with fat and calories.  A traditional macaroni and cheese can have 800 calories per 2 cup serving and 50 grams of fat!

Our reduced- fat version has just 335 calories and 14 grams of fat per 2 cup serving.  We did this by substituting 1% milk for whole milk, reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese for full fat cheese, and reducing the amount of butter.  We also used whole wheat pasta and added extra veggies for an added health kick.

What we didn’t substitute, though, is flavor.  This recipe is just as cheesy and delicious as your usual mac ‘n’ cheese, but you can eat it without the guilt!  Click here for our Reduced Fat Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

Topping -
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Mac ‘n’ cheese -
8 oz whole wheat macaroni
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 ½ Tbsp flour
1 tsp powdered mustard
2 ½ cup 1% milk
½ cup (3 oz) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup part-skim ricotta
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss breadcrumbs and butter together in a small bowl; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni for 8 minutes, or as instructed on package.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a large pot over medium heat.  When bubbling, add flour and mustard and constantly whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.  Slowly add milk, whisking to break up any lumps.  Continue whisking until mixture thickens, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Turn off heat and whisk in cheddar, Parmesan, and ricotta cheeses until smooth.  Stir in broccoli and spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cooked pasta and let mixture heat up until bubbling.

Transfer mixture to a broiler-safe 9 x 12 inch baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.  Broil until golden brown on top.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Freebies: 2 G&S, 0.5 Milk, 1 Meat, 1 NSV, 2 Fat

Calories 335 (30% from fat); Fat 11.4g (sat 6.8g); Protein 18.7g; Carb 38.7g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 36mg; Potassium 443mg; Sodium 532mg; Calcium 387mg

Recipe from Lisa Matsunaga, Dietetic Intern