massaged kale salad

Leave a comment May 14, 2015 nourishinggrace

This Massaged Kale Salad is one of my favorites, especially when there are fresh strawberries in season at the market. Fresh picked strawberries are a sweet addition to the earthy kale and the citrus dressing. Kale is a superfood that deserves room on every plate. Most recipes for massaged kale salads call for green apples or other fruit, but I think the strawberries are the best. Massaging the kale in an olive oil, lemon and salt dressing has the effect of cooking the kale. The lemon also makes the iron content in the kale far more bioavailable (that means you absorb more!).

I hope you enjoy this kale salad!

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Massaged Kale Salad with Farm Fresh Strawberries

1 bunch fresh kale, washed
1-1/2 cups fresh organic strawberries (from the farmer’s market is the best)
2 tablespoons olive oil (expeller pressed)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup minced red onion
fresh juice of 1/2 lemon
optional : 1/2 cucumber, cut into small cubes
optional : 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds, slivered almonds or pine nuts
optional: 3 teaspoons fresh oregano or marjoram finely chopped

Gather your ingredients.

Stem and chop the kale. Place in large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

Massage kale gently with your hands for five to ten minutes.

Toss with the strawberries, onion and other optional ingredients (if using).

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Enjoy!

kale – wonderful kale!

1 Comment April 22, 2015 nourishinggrace

Move over Popeye… kale is precisely what this nutritionist means when she says, “Eat your greens with reckless abandon.” It is wise to include kale as one of your crucifeorus vegetables of choice on a daily basis.

To start with, kale is a remarkable and ancient superfood, that has gotten somewhat of a trendy reputation in recent years. Maybe you have even noticed kale chips at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. A delicious snack, only made better if you venture to make your own.

What you might not know is that kale has nourished people, well, forever really. Kale is an offspring of wild cabbage. Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have grown kale. Even ancient Egyptians recognized kale as a nutritional superfood – considering that they lined the tombs of pharaohs with elaborate gold and silver carvings of woven kale garlands.

Scientists know that kale has been under cultivation for more than 6,000 years, as there are remants of fossilized kale found in ancient containers from the Shensi Province of China dating back to 4,000 BC.

Roaming Celts evidently brought kale from Asia to Europe as long ago as 600 BC, and because of it’s easy cultivation, resilience and cold-tolerance, kale proliferated and sustained nourishment for people throughout the European continent. It’s easy germination and fast growth is one of the reasons early European settlers brought this nutrient rich leafy green with them to North America.

All of our farmer’s markets bring in an abundance of kale. If you are a gardener, then you know the simplicity of growing kale. In fact it may be one of the easiest vegetables to grow organically. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or new to the possibilities, growing your own kale is a cinch. It’s delicious straight from the garden, and grows well in warm and cold climates. In fact, a little freezing weather only tends to sweeten the kale leaves!

Check out these great resources on growing your own kale – from GentleWorld, Harvest To Table, and Mother Earth News.

Still not sure whether kale is for you? Try the young tender shoots in a salad. They are sweet, nutrient dense and delicious.

There are many varieties of kale from Lacinato, Dino Kale, Red Russian Kale, Tuscan Kale and many more.

Kale has stood the test of time, and deserves a spot on your plate and in your garden. Build a habit of eating more green vegetables, the greener the better!

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Health Benefits of Kale

Aids in Detoxification : Cruciferous vegetables like kale contain large amounts of health promoting sulfur compounds, such as sulforaphane and isothiocyanate and these increase your liver’s ability to produce enzymes that neutralize toxic compounds and substances.

Rich in Phytonutrient Antioxidants : Phytonutrients are biologically active plant substances that are vital to health. Kale is the most concentrated source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that protect the lens of the eye. They act like sunglasses and protect the eyes from ultraviolet damage and are protective against cataracts. Studies have shown that people who eat foods, like kale, rich in lutein have a 50% lower risk of developing new cataracts.

Can Reduce Natural Cognitive Aging : Green vegetables like kale, spinach and collards can help your thinking! In experiments, older rats given a diet high in such greens improved learning and motor skill capacity.

Repair Damaged DNA : Cruciferous Vegetables such as kale and cabbages contain many vitamins and a chemical called “indole-3-carbinol” which repairs damaged DNA. One of the reasons is that phytochemicals activate glutathione, and glutathione is critical to cell survival and repair. Glutathione is a potent detoxifier and our mitochondria (which are what provide us energy) depend on glutathione for their well being.

Protection Against Cancer : Brassica vegetables offer protection against cancer. The organosulfur phytonutrient compounds in kale, including glucosinolates and methylcysteine sulfoxides activate detoxification enzymes in the liver which may help neutralize carcinogenic substances. This helps clear them from the body more quickly.

Kale is Anti-Inflammatory One cup of kale has 10% of omega-3’s, which are anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling, arthritis pain and anti-inflammatory issues.

Concentrated Source of Many Nutrients : At only 36 calories per serving. Kale contains an entire spectrum of health promoting minerals, vitamins and nutrients,

Rich in manganese and copper – which are free radical scavengers

Good source of dietary fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B6 folic acid, and potassium.

Contains calcium and magnesium – vital for strong bones, as well as phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and niacin.

Kale is rich in vitamin A which coupled with beta-carotein is supportive of optimal vision and eye health.

High in Vitamin C : Vitamin C is a water soluble antioxidant which is extremely protective against free-radicals and oxidation (including to DNA and cholesterol). Vitamin C also helps maintain a strong immune system.

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What is the best way to eat kale? Any way you like, but here is a great recipe for steamed kale…

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Steamed Kale

1 pound fresh kale, washed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Separate kale leaves from stems and slice the leaves into 1 inch pieces. Don’t throw away the stems, cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. Let sit for 5 minutes. According the the World’s Healthiest Foods, cutting the kale and letting it rest five minutes breaks down the cell walls and enhances the activates enzymes that slowly convert the plant enzymes to a more active form.

Add two to three inches of water to bottom of steamer. Bring to boil. Stems kale for five minutes max – to preserve phytonutrients..

Place steamed kale in bowl and add lemon, garlic and olive oil. Toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

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More Kale Recipes

Smitten Kitchen has a potato scallion and kale cake that is fantastic. Poach an egg and have it for breakfast! Kale is also versatile in many salads such as roasted cauliflower and kale salad or kale salad with avocado and almonds. Trying it in a soup is an easy way to slip any vegetable in your diet.

Truly, though, one of our favorite ways to enjoy this vegetable are homemade kale chips. My kids love it, and I think yours will too!

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Homemade Kale Chips

1 pound fresh kale, washed and leaves removed from the stem (save the stems for smoothies) Cut or tear leaves into dorito sized pieces.

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt

Massage kale leaves and olive oil. Add salt and nutritional yeast. Toss again until leaves are fully coated. Place leaves in a layer on one or two cookie sheets. Place cookie sheets into a 150 degree oven. Use convection if you have it. Let bake until they are dried out.

If you have a dehydrator, you may also use that.

Enjoy!!

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The possibilities for eating kale are endless. Think your kids won’t like them? Chop small and add it to meatloaf! Throw it in a smoothie with a green apple, four ice cubes, a teaspoon of lemon juice, banana and a tablespoon of coconut oil.

But still, I have to say, the most tried, tested a true way I know to get my kids excited about veggies is for them to help plant and grow it – on a windowsill, back porch in pots or in the garden proper.

Whatever you do, make room on your plate for this awesome vegetable.

Additional Resources:

Hanna, Sharon (2012). The Book of Kale: The Easy-to-Grow Superfood, 80+ Recipes (Kindle Location 257). Harbour Publishing

Mateljan, G. (2006). In The world’s healthiest foods: Essential guide for the healthiest way of eating. Seattle, Wash.: George Mateljan Foundation.

Kornblatt, S. (2012). Eating For Brilliance. Well Being Journal, 21(2), 7-14.

i heart organic strawberries

Leave a comment June 7, 2014 nourishinggrace

“For a long time now we have understood ourselves as traveling toward some sort of industrial paradise, some new Eden conceived and constructed entirely by human ingenuity. And we have thought ourselves free to use and abuse nature in any way that might further this enterprise. Now we face overwhelming evidence that we are not smart enough to recover Eden by assault, and that nature does not tolerate or excuse our abuses.”

Wendell Berry ~ Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food

For about a year of college I lived in Germany, which was my first exposure to farmer’s markets, a way of life at least where my family there lives. That was some twenty years ago – probably about the very time farmer’s markets were gaining new traction in the U.S. At the time, I’d never seen eggs so fresh they were still adorned with feathers, or vegetables still smelling of the earth.

One thing about fresh food is that it’s always near death ~ counter-intuitively that makes it alive, and allows it to nourish us with all the vibrancy of it’s vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phyto-nutrients (a word apparently so new that my spell check keeps trying to change it).

With that in mind, any one attempting to stay as local to their food sources as possible knows the importance of preserving the harvest. Fresh food is not immortal! At the moment we are at the waning edge of strawberry season here in Virginia. In fact, we missed getting any at the past two markets due to our late arrival, so this morning we got there early!

Making that effort to find the best food for my family is really important. These are not delicacies or haute cuisine at all, but no-frill foods that are raised in harmony with the land, in such a way as to be nourishing rather than depleting.

If we don’t eat the strawberries we bought this morning in about four days, they will rot. So, extending the harvest has become a habit allowing us to enjoy the delights of spring even into the upcoming winter. There are many ways to preserve what’s currently in season from canning, to lacto-fermentation and even simply freezing.

As a rule we try to stick with organic whenever possible, but particularly with strawberries which are a fruit known as one of the dirty dozen. That’s because they are covered with some of the most toxic agricultural chemicals available. Many of these chemicals are carcinogenic and known endocrine disruptors – that means they mess with your hormones. Nice! Even after washing, 67% of fruits and vegetables sprayed with these chemicals still contain them. Hmmmm.

Over time, many of these toxins bioaccumulate in our fat cells. Our bodies really do not know what to do with these, and that can have negative effect on our physical health.

The blessing of the farmer’s market is being part of a community. People get to know one another and look forward to chatting, sharing and learning. You know your farmer’s name, and feel confident in his word. None of our local strawberry growers sprays, which is a testament to their dedication and nurture of the land. It’s all connected…in providing well nourished soil to the plants, the plants then become strong and less susceptible to disease and pests, which means these farmer’s don’t need all of the toxic pesticides and fungicides in the first place.

Buying organic can seem more expensive – perhaps in the short run it might slightly be – mostly because we buy en masse. That said, at the farm stand I can pretty much guarantee you will get a discount – most of the time without even asking – if you buy in bulk.

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Whether you freeze them, make them into jams, pile them atop of shortcake or eat them right out of the flat, they are a seasonal delight that brings a smile to everyone’s face!

Farmer’s Market Parking Only

Leave a comment May 3, 2014 nourishinggrace

Good food should be grown on whole soil, be eaten whole, unprocessed, and garden fresh. Helen and Scott Nearing

Today is a great day… the return after a very cold winter of our local Farmer’s Market. It’s been a difficult winter in Virginia for those wishing to eat locally and seasonally. With temperatures hovering in the 20s fora majority of days per week this winter, there was very little local produce, outside of what had been preserved at the end of the summer.

The asparagus at the farmer’s market is a sure sign that spring is here to stay, and by consuming these light spring vegetables our bodies can also spring clean. The vegetables making their way to the local farmer’s markets now and in the coming weeks are deliciously sweet, naturally cleansing and help our bodies clear the internal stagnation of our heavy winter foods or from winter’s inactivity.

Salads are the liveliest vegetables we eat. The chlorophyll in green things gives the body the greatest vitality and relays the sun’s forces directly to the inner man. It is the green life-blood of the plant, the giver of strength and energy. Helen Nearing

Foraged Morels

Twelve Months of Monastery Salads is a wonderful cookbook full salads and mindful eating. There are plenty of delicious recipes for all these wonderful cleansing and spring vegetables on hand! Within the book you will find thoughtful and wonderful quotes to accompany your meal !

winter ferments – gingered beet and carrot slaw

Leave a comment February 4, 2014 nourishinggrace

The dinner table in a monastery is always set with care for both daily fare and feast days. Food is arranged to show the full beauty of God’s harvest in vegetables, grains, dairy products, and fruit.

Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette

Oh…! The rich earthy flavor of this slaw just get better over time. If you are a fan of beets, this does not disappoint – not one bit! Fermenting is a low-cost, efficient and easy process that preserves foods – some indefinitely! We still have the remnants of a corn jalapeño salsa ~ from two years ago ~ that is still viable, delicious and enjoyed!

Ferments have a self sufficient versatility – but at the same time, pair well with a variety of dishes. Fermenting your own vegetables is an artisanal delight that is flavorful, healthy and when made with your local harvest good for the planet too!

Gingered Beet and Carrot Slaw

When fermenting – use the best quality ingredients available to you. Remember, local, simple and seasonal freshness make all the difference in and to the world!

ingredients:

300 grams fresh shredded carrots

500-600 grams fresh shredded beets

100 -200 grams onions (optional)

1/2 – 1 teaspoon shredded fresh ginger

2 teaspoons salt

preparation:

Wash hands. Place all ingredients in large clean bowl. Mix and massage the mixture with hands, squeezing to extract the natural juices. Some recipes call for a brine to be added to the slaw, but my experience (and preference) is that my local fresh ingredients produce enough liquid when the salt is added to cover the vegetables. This is the same principle used for sauerkraut.

Mix for about 10 minutes (this is a great work out!). Place in a clean mason jar and leave out of direct sunlight.

After about 5 days taste and continue to do this every day until the taste you desire is achieved.

got broth?

Leave a comment December 3, 2013 nourishinggrace

Fall and the approaching winter have ushered in a wave of cooler weather. With the change in seasons and temperatures, we naturally migrate our cooking toward more warming & nourishing foods like soups and stews. That brings us to one of the least glamorous of all foods – the humble broth – a nutritionally wonderful canvas to enjoy the hearty fall harvest!

Broth provides a modest yet universal meal.

A remedy for sore throats and the flu, it nurses the sick and puts vigor in our steps. The nutritional savior of the soup kitchen, the humble broth is a warming comfort in times of need. It is also incredibly healthy and a powerhouse of vitality!

Broths are a nutritional superfood in that they offer a very simple, affordable and rich concentration of nutrients that are easily acquired by our bodies. That ease of nutrient absorption is paramount, because there is a big difference between consuming nutrients (from whole foods or supplements) and actually assimilating them into our cells.

Unlike it’s commercial cousins, homemade stocks and broths come with an unabridged complement of the exact nutrition we need to rebuild and maintain bones and joints. One reason is that homemade broths and stocks are teaming with gelatin and minerals. If you are unfamiliar with gelatin, it is a jelly like substance that is extracted from simmering bones or the soft tissues – like cartilage and skin from chicken.

Gelatin is essentially collagen in liquid form and collagen is part of the connective matrix that holds you together! Among other things, it provides for youthful supple skin and healthy joints. It also supports the immune system, digestive tract, heart and muscles and contributes to the building of strong cartilage and bones.

Want to know more about the benefits of gelatin and broth?

Gelatin is an easy way to support your digestive system. It is not only nutritious but very soothing and healing to the digestive tract. Its ability to attract and hold liquids makes foods cooked in broths easier to digest.

American researcher, Dr. Gotthoffer found that cooked foods eaten with gelatin were easily digested and that babies fed milk fortified with gelatin had better digestion than those given plain milk. Also, the babies who were fed milk without gelatin had a higher rate of allergies and intestinal issues.

Additionally, Gotthoffer found studies showing that convalesing adults who have lost weight because of operations, dysentery, cancer and other illnesses fare better if gelatin is added to their diet.

Gelatin has long been recognized in the treatment of digestive diseases. “[Gelatin] is said to be retained by the most sensitive stomach and will nourish when almost nothing else will be tolerated,” wrote L. E. Hogan in 1909. Today, homemade broths are the essential component of the GAPS diet protocol, in that it heals and seals the digestive tract.

One reason gelatin was recommended so highly for malnourished individuals is that it reduces the amount of complete protein needed by the body. So, while gelatin is not a complete protein, it is high in the amino acids arginine and glycine which enables the body to more efficiently utilize the complete proteins that are consumed. For that reason broths are known as “protein sparing” because with broth your body can make better use of the protein you do eat, therefore not require as much.

Gelatin strengthens hair and nails, minimizes wrinkles and prevents and heals cellulite.

Gelatin may be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice and cancer.

Gelatin is unusually high in the amino acids glycine and proline. A vital function of glycine is detoxification. Proline aids the body in breaking down proteins for use in healthy cells and is used in making collagen, tendons, ligaments and heart muscle. Adequate proline is beneficial for the tratments of conditions such as osteoarthritis, soft tissue sprains and chronic back pain.

Gelatin assists in neutralizing intestinal poisons causing problems during an intestinal bug or flu.

Research has shown that broth aides in normalizing stomach acid levels for those with too high or too low stomach acid – which can have a profound impact on digestion.

Despite the abundance of our modern food supply, traditional diets contained far more gelatin than ours do today. Broth was a mainstay in French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, South America, Middle Eastern, African and other cuisines. In the honored traditions of food, none of the animal went to waste (ironically, probably due to the scarcity of their food supply!)

People would eat soups made from bones all the time and doing so supplied their bodies with the whole family of glycosaminoglycans, which used to protect people’s joints. Now that few people make bone stock anymore, many of us are limping into doctors’ offices for prescriptions, surgeries and, lately, recommendations to buy over-the-counter joint supplements containing glucosamine. (Shanahan, 2011).

Broth is economical and therapeutic food.

One can spend exhorbitant amounts on supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitins, but these capsules do not hold a candle to the efficacy of the the whole spectrum of glycosaminoglycans in a well made broth. Whereas a supplement will contain only a few targeted ingredients, a well made broth provides the entire nutrient complex of joint building substances – some of which have likely yet to be discovered.

In that sense, bone broth represents a wonderfully inexpensive therapeutic food. What a bargain! A twenty five cent cup of broth offers an unparalleled small fortune in supplements: excellent levels of bioavailable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus are supported by gelatin, chondroiton sulphate, bovine cartilage, glycine and hyaluronic acid.

Best of all, broth tastes great.

You can enjoy it warm in a mug at the end of a long day, or create delicious nourishing soups, stews and sauces. It’s a pantry item to keep on hand in fall and winter. Making homemade broth is not only very nourishing, but the utilization of the rest of the animal also qualities broth as a nutritional virtue and a wonderful manifestation of stewardship eating.

Of all we consume, may we always eat thankfully, wisely and well.

Nourishing Broth Recipes:

Vegetable . Mineral . Broth

Chicken Broth

additional resources:
Broth is Beautiful by Sally Fallon

Why Broth is Beautiful: Essential Roles for Proline, Glycine and Gelatin by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN

Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine by N.R. Gotthoffer

Proline Amino Acid Benefits LiveStrong

edible-fall

Leave a comment October 1, 2013 nourishinggrace

seasonal eating ~ edible-fall

Today there is a resurgence of folks trying to eat within the boundaries of their local geography and with good reason : local, seasonal food, prepared and eaten properly supports vibrant health and energy and is sustainable for the earth. The thing is, it’s easier to accomplish during the long warm days of summer – when the harvest is plentiful and bringing it to the table is as simple as a trip to the farmer’s market, local market or your own backyard.

Seasonal cooking takes effort but with an adventuresome palette – a willingness to experiment – you can make your meals a seasonal thanksgiving of your landscapes harvest. It’s simpler than you might think!

In our area of the mid-atlantic, the early days of September have already begun to melt away the lingering rays of a hot and lazy summer. The fresh morning chill settles in overnight heralding the first days of autumn. Waxing and waning…. it all blends together, these seasonal changes. Those last warm days of summer are actually the first cool days of autumn. and with that our Indian Summer ushers in a whole new variety of possibilities at the farmers market.

In these past few weeks, hearty fall vegetables have made their annual debut, and their rich unpretentious earthy colors are a prelude to same colorful beauty our eastern forests display in their show of fall leaves – just before they shed to adorn the forest floor.

Foods in your local season, tend to support your wellness in that season. Fall foods are warming foods. Produce that matures in cooler months generally contain more calories than their summer counter-parts, and come with their own complement of nutrients. By helping our bodies acclimate to our regional weather, they perpetuate our health and may help prevent frequent seasonal ailments.

So here they are, the first butternut squashes, oddly colored and shaped gourds, beets and of course – the fall favorite – pumpkins, all emerging at the farmer’s market.

Virginia and West Virgnia is apple country, and those too are sure not to disappoint – especially not the heirloom varieties that farmers are lovingly resurrecting for locals hungry for real food!

fall 2013 Virginia apples – except for the really big one which is an apple gourd…

As the weather changes, so to does our pantry… and a well-stocked pantry is the only way we’ve found to cook with ease at home. Posts in the upcoming weeks will include stocking our fall pantries with a few basics, to make this seasons cooking simple and easy.

Our favorite food of the season is soup… the backbone of which is broth and that simple humble and nourishing broth is the perfect canvas to highlight so many of the glorious foods of autumn. And that is the feature future posts – broth and soups and stews!

polyface farm

Leave a comment October 1, 2013 nourishinggrace

This is Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm, located right here in Virginia. He runs a transparent farm… that means he welcomes visitors! He also keeps it local and won’t raise more animals than his land sustains and so therefore tends a vibrantly healthy livestock which require no daily cocktails of antibiotics or medicines. They are raised in nature, roaming free ~ where they can forage on the very foods God intended, living peacefully in the very manner God intended, rather than penned up wing to wing without any access to daylight or fresh air. He sells his food only to those within certain geographical limit of his farm – he says it’s good for the environment because, among other things, it saves fuel.

Thankfully there are farmers like Joel Salatin across this country (most of them sell at farmer’s markets or have local drop off points). Due to his humane and sustainable method of farming, farmers from across this land come to apprentice on his farm and learn his techniques. These farmers are feeding the future.

People call Joel Salatin a pioneer, but he just considers himself a lunatic farmer.

Why Food Matters

Leave a comment October 1, 2013 nourishinggrace

Improving Wellness with Holistic Nutrition

“Give the body discipline and you will see that the body is for Him who made it.”

Amma Theodora – Sayings of the Desert Fathers

A holistic approach to nutrition focuses not only on a healthy diet, but considers that each person is unique, addressing them as a whole. This includes emotional, and physical health. In fact, the very word diet comes from the Greek word diata, which literally means “our manner of living”.

You can have the healthiest diet in the world but if you are not digesting and absorbing nutrients, it’s simply not nourishing you. Holistic nutrition considers the stomach and digestive system the core of whole body health, because every system in the body relies upon it.

As Orthodox Christians we also believe that each person is unique, created in the image and likeness of God. And…. we also believe that our spiritual life and health begins with our stomachs. So, as we consider steps we can take to improve our health, let us first and foremost consider our Faith. The Church gives us guidance, applicable throughout the ages, about the right role of food in our lives. From an Orthodox perspective, “eating right, or eating well is also about eating for the right reasons”.

“Our initial struggle must be to gain control of our stomachs…

Food is to be taken in so far as it supports our life”

(Father John Cassian – On Control of the Stomach – 4th century)

In other words, we should eat to live rather than live to eat!

So why is this generation so worried about diet and nutrition? Some background is required. While we might say “we are what we eat”, there is a great irony that we, as a nation, eat quite poorly and deficiently.

How did we get in this situation? For one thing, at no other time on the earth, have we been so disconnected from the sources of our food. And from that perspective, it’s easy to be unaware of the the ill health of livestock within modern “industrial” animal husbandry, the unlabeled genetic modification of our seeds, and the pesticide and herbicide laden nature of our produce.

These issues, however, are worth our attention, because “we are what we eat”. There is a complex and symbiotic relationship between the quality of our air, the health of our soil, the health of plants and animals, and our own health.

Nutritionally, we have traded in wisdom for knowledge and traditional foods for overly processed convenience foods. Our ancestor’s cultural eating habits were determined by tradition and despite their varied ethnicities, their diets had one thing in common – they ate a whole foods diet, one that was local, seasonal and organic.

The last century has shown serious trends away from nourishing foods. Now, there is much uncertainty about what even embodies a wholesome diet. People are concerned, and justifiably so.

Humanity has an intimate relationship with food, for our food becomes our very bodies – flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone. “Our genes make their day to day decisions based on the information they receive from the food we eat… in that sense, food is less like a fuel and more like a language conveying information… that information programs your genes, for better or worse.” (Shanahan MD,Catherine, 2011: p 7)

A calorie isn’t just a calorie and nutrient density and quality really do matter. How you nourish yourself over the long run has either a negative or positive affect on your health.

We routinely eat ingredients in our foods which have been created in laboratories and are not even pronounceable, but how often do we question them? The petroleum based preservative BHA, found in beer, butter and cereals, has been classified by the Department of Health and Human Services as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”. Another is titanium dioxide found in your salad dressing, coffee creamers and icing… guess what – it’s also used in paints and sunscreens!

There are many processed things called “food”, but few that are worthy of keeping us vibrant and well!

These are big issues, but the great news is that through education – organic foods, Slow Food and Buy Fresh Buy Local movements are popping up across the country and are very available. People are learning about the wisdom and health benefits of traditional and ancestral food. They are returning to Farmers Markets, buying shares in their local Community Supported Agriculture – CSA’s … at heart, connecting and investing, not only in their health, but also in their communities.

Even if you have really bad eating habits, it’s never too late to begin fresh again. God created us with tremendous abilities to detoxify, heal, grow and regenerate!

Below are some easy steps you can incorporate over time to improve your overall wellness. Remember – healthy eating doesn’t mean eliminating the foods we love. A healthy diet is about balance. If 85% of our diet is healthy, then that baklava proves a guilt free pleasure!

And one last thing… as you begin steps toward wellness, embrace and enjoy the journey! Don’t just eat healthy, eat well. Take pleasure in your meals and dine with family and friends whenever possible… it’s just more delightful together!

Let’s eat to live and make every bite count ~ one morsel at a time!

[box] Make a Diversity of Whole and Plant Based Foods the foundation of your diet. That doesn’t mean you need to give up meat, but strive to make produce the foundation of your eating. Whole foods are those as close to their whole natural state as possible. They look like what they are like an apple or a carrot. Whole grains, and brown rice are also whole foods. They come perfectly packaged with the fiber and nutrients essential for their optimal absorption by our bodies. There is a synergy in the combination of nutrients found in each whole food, in other words, they are more effective in their whole food form.

Avoid refined and processed foods. Reduce sugary snacks, sweets and sodas. Simply stated, refined and sugary foods are very depleting for the body. At the turn of the century, the average american consumed about 2 pounds of sugar per year; we now routinely consume upwards of 100 pounds per year. Last year 60 Minutes did a great expo titled “Is Sugar Toxic”.

Stay adequately hydrated! Good clean water is vital for life and involved in almost every function our bodies perform. Get at least 8 – 8 ounce servings/ day.

Exercise regularly. It reduces stress, increases circulation, releases those good feeling endorphins and promotes weight loss. Moderate your exercise to your ability.

Reduce and Manage Stress. Prayer, a positive outlook and exercise are most helpful in mitigating stress. Stress is a great challenge to our immune system, taxing nearly every organ in our body. It takes a high toll on health.

Add Probiotic rich foods to your diet: These foods are alive, and quite symbiotically, their life gives us life! Probiotics work with our immune system to keep us healthy, but they need to be continually replenished. “Studies have shown that live-cultured foods containing probiotics help to prevent a whole range of allergic, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases.” (Shanahan MD,Catherine, 2011:pp. 147-148) Click here for a list of probiotic rich foods.

Know thy fats! Essential fatty acids are an important part of a healthy diet and should be included. More about them can be found here and here. Also, learn more about the traditional fats which have nourished civilizations well.

Watch your portion sizes. Saint John of the Ladder sums it up well, “Master your stomach before it masters you.”[/box]

The ultimate goal is to Go organic, local and seasonal! You can do it! Buy free range -pastured meats, pastured eggs and dairy and produce as close to their source as possible. Their nutrition is superior. Looking for a farmers market near you? Local Harvest has a nationwide list!

It’s taken our family over two years to dramatically change our diet and we have enjoyed the adventure and the journey ~ slowly making changes, one morsel at a time.

Above all, whatever your diata, keep the Feasting and Fasting cycles of the Church. In her wisdom, she provides this rhythm for the nourishment of body and soul. And in this life, our journey in Christ, through “prayer, daily Christian living, and worship, which ultimately lead to union with the divine uncreated Light” is the ultimate source of our wellness.

about the author

Victoria Cherpes is a wife, and homeschooling mother of three beautiful daughters and Sunday School teacher. On their small urban family homestead, they enjoy tending their Victory Garden full of lettuces, berries and vegetables, weeds and bugs; raising figs for the local market and amateur beekeeping.

She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrition at Hawthorn University and is a student member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP).

If you have any questions, you can reach her at nourishinggrace@yahoo.com

[box] Sources:

Shanahan MD, Catherine (2011-04-22). Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food. Big Box Books. Kindle Edition.

Ballentine M.D., Rudolph (2007-01-25). Diet and Nutrition: A Holistic Approach. National Book Network – A. Kindle Edition

Lipski PhD, Elizabeth (2012). Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion (4th Edition)

Mandell, Catherine (2005) When You Fast: Recipes for Lenten Seasons

Ward, Benedicta (1975). Sayings of the Desert Fathers. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/75385925/Apoftegma Fallon, Sally (2001).

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. (2nd ed)

http://www.nj.goarch.org/resources/spirituality.htm%5B/box%5D

This article was original posted at Orthodoxmom.com and has been slightly revised.

harmony of the harvest

Leave a comment September 30, 2013 nourishinggrace

Eating with a conscience – stewardship eating – puts one between the industrial food chain, and the pastoral one. Local heritage foods, in season, are surprisingly not always easy to come by. Unfortunately, there exists also the misperception that it’s more expensive to eat this way, but it’s actually not .

Over time, within the industrial food web, somehow we lose our connection and appreciation to the goodness and diversity of creation, the fruits of our local land and in some ways, even our connectedness to the seasons. What’s local right now in Virginia, is not what is local right now in California – and that is a very good thing! Our bodies are linked with our environment, and therefore what is growing here locally provides me the local nutrients that my body needs and craves for the current season surrounding us.

In the winter we crave hearty soups and stews with root vegetables which provide rich nourishment for the winter chill. However, with the beginnings of spring and the emergence of the first tender shoots of asparagus and lettuces, nature offers us the very foods which will cleanse our bodies from the winter bulk. There is a wonderful synergy within the local environment but in our modern world an effort to make the connection, one that should be so natural, is required.

It’s interesting that this local food movement is often called an alternative approach to eating, but those who eat local and seasonal are truly not pioneers, radical or attempting anything new. It’s a return to traditional whole foods-the ones God created; grown humanely and sustainably, the way they were intended-and then trusting that they are good! There’s a harmony in the local food chain, a harmony that the industrial one erodes. Enjoy it for only a little while and the abnormality of eating ingredients, discovered and then isolated in a science lab ~ ingredients difficult to spell or pronounce ~ makes one pause. If you can’t pronounce it, can you be sure your body knows what to do with it?

True, it can become difficult to find local foods in the winter – but the search can be fun! In a fast paced city, local food helps us slow down in a way that brings the beauty of the local environment into view which our busyness blurs. Will you find local olive oil in Virginia, probably not. Thomas Jefferson tried to find a variety that would do well and was unsuccessful. There are also times your kids want to make fresh squeezed orange juice and those will never be local where you reside – so of course you make exceptions, because you want your family to enjoy the practice and those treats also give them a greater appreciation for what’s on the table and the reminder that our daily bread is always a blessing from the Lord.