Sweet Potato Blackberry Delight

I just came up with the a great fix for a sweet tooth. Thinly sliced, un-peeled sweet potatoes baked along with fresh blackberries in a little water and sea salt. Cover and bake at 350 F until potatoes are soft. Remove cover and drizzle on Virgin Unrefined Coconut oil and Raw, Local Honey. I could see this evolving into other great dishes as well, which is what I love about being an Intuitive Cook. It's what makes cooking fun for me.

This dish is organic, very nutrient dense and it tastes great. It might be most well-received by those who've weaned off of processed foods and refined sugars. To those who haven't, I'm not sure if they would fully appreciate it yet--but you never know. Maybe just add a little extra sea salt and honey if you're just getting into this Naturtarianism thing (see previous post). Bon apetit!

Naturtarianism

Yesterday, as I was riding my bike home from work in the scorching mid-July Albuquerque heat, trying to self-, money- and planet- preserve simultaneously (and doing a pretty good job of it, I must say), I was pondering how many of us commit to specific ways of eating.  Vegans, I imagine, are able to stay pretty focused because of strong feelings of humanitarianism.  On the other hand, all of the focus in the world can't make it an easy feat in most  social situations. Then I thought about fruititarians.  That would be really hard, not to mention  unsafe after long periods of time.  Not long ago, as I was reading the American Dietetic Association's position paper on eating healthfully as a vegetarian, I came across the fact that although many people describe themselves as vegetarians-- vegans (consume no animal products), lacto-ovos (consume dairy and eggs), pescetrians (vegetarians who will eat fish)-- most people report that they have periods of time in which they go off of these diets and then go back on.  I get this, since I have experimented with vegetarianism myself in the past and still have vegetarian days, but don't consider myself a vegetarian.   As I the sweat dripped off the tip of my nose, half-way home by now, I found myself moving to another ponderance.  Is there a label or category under which I fall at the present?  Funny how we humans insist on categorizing everything, including ourselves. I supposed that the one common thread in my diet seems to be that I consume (most of the time) only natural sources of food and drink.  Then it hit me--I can be a Naturtarian .  This is a word, I'm almost positive, you're hearing here first. I should probably Blackle it to be sure, though. To me, being a Naturtarian means avoiding unnatural ingredients and eating only minimally processed food, if that.  On the surface this seemed simple at first, even to me.  Afterall, how hard can it be for one already shops at natural/organic markets, gets produce from an organic CSA, buys raw milk from a farm from cows and goats who live a happy life grazing on clean green pastures, cooks most meals at home and takes lunch to work; avoids high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, additives and probably some other stuff I can't recall at the moment?  Did I mention that I truly enjoy my food and that it never reminds me of cardboard?  In fact, my friends and family are amazed 9 times out of 10.  Anyway,  I'm already doing a lot of the work it takes to be a Naturtarian, so how easy to just go ahead and call myself one.  But even I, with my superior food label interpreting skills, occasionally am hit with the fact that something I thought was completely natural, is not. And since I'm human, what about those times when I forget to pack my lunch and have to buy something?  And what about my love for fine dining with friends and hot dogs at the baseball game?  How can I be a TRUE Naturtarian if I can't always remember my lunch and refuse to give up eating out? Well, I guess that says it all.  Then again, do I really have to be "perfect" to use the label?  Just like many vegetarians, I find it difficult to adhere to my gold standard 100% of the time for the rest of my life.  But if I'm committed most of the time, that's got to count for something-- a lot, actually.  Some things in life aren't worth giving up completely.  For instance, the rare occasions when I feel like revisiting my childhood with a Chick-O-Stick or salty roasted peanuts in a Dr Pepper.  That reminds me-- I am way overdue for a walk down memory lane. 

Here's my point:

 Good nutrition is a priority to me because I feel that it gives my brain and therefore, spirit, what I need to reach new levels of awareness and experience continual growth.  It's how I plan to arrive at a ripe old age with all of my wits about me, able to pass down the wisdom that I've gained from all of my years on Earth as a fully functioning, highly aware human being. But what's also a priority to me is having fun and feeling that I fit into my culture--enjoying the present. So as I pulled into my driveway, blazing hot, but feeling rather physically and intellectually accomplished for the moment, I had a smile on my face. I felt I had found a place in my mind where I could feel good about imperfection.  A place where accepting the fact that I'm not perfect all of the time, lets me know that I'm really living my life instead of just making me feel guilty.  This feeling is vital to the attainment of optimal health, which, by the way, is highly individual and not altogether categorizable.  Therefore, I accept my imperfections and continue my journey as an evolving Naturtarian.  Never say 'never'--OR 'always', for that matter. 

Blessings and Be Well,

The Gourmet Healer

 

Holistic Perspective On Health

The following is an excerpt from a book I am reading called, The Book of Chakras by Ambika Wauters.

The Influence of the Sacral Chakra

This chakra embodies the totality of our physical health and emotional well being.  It can bring us the highest degree of health or be the most dysfunctional of all energy centers in the human energy system.  When people abuse their bodies, treating them like machines that need only to be fueled and rested occasionally, they fail to realize that the body is a vessel for the spirit.   The Scaral Chakra works from a deep unconscious realm where our attitudes about ourselves create our physical well-being.  Our relationship to health, well-being, and joy reflects how much we values ourselves and honor our spirit on the physical plane…..

If you want health it is important to know that the body regenerates with the proper stimulus.  The body thrives on medicine compatible with one’s higher consciousness.  Energetic medicines such as homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism, and hands-on healing restore natural vitality.  Allopathic medicines give the body heroic doses of chemicals that require large quantities of energy to break down and assimilate.  Eating food with additives and diminished life force from radiation and spraying only cause the cells to become stagnant with irritants.  All this eventually weakens the body’s responses….

The Sacral Chakra functions best when there are optimal conditions for joy, relaxation, and pleasure.  If the body is used as a beast of burden, it will wear out early and develop painful conditions from the strain.  If the body is not given enough stimulation in the form of exercise, it becomes lazy and congested.  What is good for the body is good for our energy. 

 

This chakra thrives with a combination of healthy discipline and enough pleasure to ease out stress and tension in the body.  It looks for natural solutions that honor the physical being and the spirit of a person.  If the Sacral Chakra is looked after properly, the physical body is vital and energetic for well into the senior years.  It wears down from a lack of pleasure, harsh and punishing treatment, and physical therapies that do not  involve an energetic context for healing. 

Embracing Sardines

I was invited to a white elephant gift exchange party this past Christmas, and I totally forgot to go out get a gift. Right before, I was frantically searching throughout my house for something--anything. I found a hot glue gun that I hadn't used in years and a can of wild-caught, Portuguese sardines that I'd just bought the day before. Even though the sardines were high-quality, I knew on a very basic level that they would not be appreciated--perfect! The time came for the gift exchange. The receiver's reaction was just as I'd predicted. He was completely dismayed that he had fallen for the beautiful wrapping that encased such a horrid and non-beneficial gift....or so he thought.
Let's not forget that quality sardines taste REALLY GOOD. The other thing is, they are an excellent source of essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which most people don't get enough of. Actually, the U.S. is globally at the bottom of the list for Omega-3 intake via oily fish. To get enough, we need at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week (salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout and, of course, sardines fit into this category as well).
Why you ask?
Well, for one thing, Omega-3s are known to reduce inflammation throughout the body. Inflammatory processes include, but are not limited to, arthritis, lupus, aging, atherosclerosis (the build-up of plaque on artery walls), diabetes, etc.
These wonderful fatty acids also:
Keep the blood from clotting excessively.
Help to lower triglyceride levels in the blood.
Maintain cell wall integrity (healthy, fluid cells = healthy body)
Help the body to remain sensitive to insulin (prevents diabetes)
Are a key factor in eye health (retina) and preventing macular degeneration.
And MORE!

I actually went out and re-bought that variety of sardines, and had them as a part of my lunch today. Here's how I prepared them:

1.Drain oil from can (Give it to your dog or cat over their food as a treat. Pets need healthy oils, too.).
2. With a fork, mix a tablespoon (or two) of homemade (always better) or store-bought basil pesto with the sardines--just mash them up together on a plate. They are soft and without bones, so it's no hassle at all.
3. Spread onto your favorite 100%whole grain cracker. I used Wasa Rye crackers today.

This was TASTY, FAST and SO NOURISHING on so many levels. Aside from Omega-3s, the nutrient profile of sardines is pretty stellar. So, the next time someone says sardines, smile, don't grimace.

Peace and Namaste,
The Gourmet Healer