How Green Does Your Garden Grow?

With last week's rain, everything is just exploding. I swear, I can sit and watch the garden grow right before my eyes. My latest morning ritual: juicing the garden! Check out that gorgeous Romaine Lettuce up top.

Spinach

Red Leaf Lettuce

Green Juice for Life

Cheers!

A Feast For The Eyes: Mango Mint Salad

Sometimes, looking is enough.

And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.

Friday Food Porn

As the song says – Summertime, and the livin' is easy. After enduring what seemed like a winter that just wouldn't quit, I am revelling in not only the warmer temps but the abundance of fresh produce available. Farm stands and farmers' markets are open for the season, and I'm in heaven. I've even been able to walk out the back door and harvest a beautiful selection of just-picked lettuce and herbs from my own garden.

I have a voracious appetite for all things green. Imagine my delight when I discovered Green Appetite, a site loaded with luscious ideas for plant-based living. Jessica Stone is an ex-pat living in London, who believes "the ultimate recipe is no recipe at all" and that "the best dishes are uncomplicated and respect the inherent genius in nature rather than try to improve upon it." Hello? Will you marry me?

I stalk her blog now.

You can feed your own inner voyeur. Her mango mint salad will knock your sandals right off, but have a look around. You'll find lots of sexy recipes, and discover just how tasty eating green can be.

Live a little. It's the weekend.

Changing My Relationship With Food

One year ago, on the Summer Solstice, I set an intention to change my relationship to food and regain my health and vitality. I was morbidly obese and yet the goal had little to do with the number on the scale. I wanted to find freedom from mindless compulsive eating, whatever my weight. I wanted to begin living a healthier lifestyle that was more in alignment with my core beliefs.

My intention had nothing to do with dieting, and everything to do with living.

Most people don't even think that they have a relationship with food. Trust me, you do. And mine was quite intimate, and complicated. It started when I was a wee toddler and became more and more convoluted throughout the years.

In my Hungarian household, food took center stage. We celebrated with food. We mourned with food. I learned to use food for pleasure, for comfort, for reward. I turned to food when I was sad, hurt, angry, bored and lonely. I quickly forgot that eating had anything to do with being hungry. Food became the glue that held my life together.

When I set about changing my relationship to food, the goal was not to detach all emotion and enjoyment from eating. It was to find a healthy balance between getting the nutrition my body needs and enjoying my meals mindfully. In short, where I once lived to eat, I had to learn to eat to live.

Reflecting On A Year of Change

Sunday marked the first day of summer, and I spent time reflecting on the many changes of this past year — I've regained my health and vitality, and, yes, I have succeeded in changing my relationship to food. I thought I'd share with you a bit of what I've learned along the way:

• Most of us go unconscious when we eat. After the first few bites, we don't even taste it. Maybe it's because we're usually doing five other things while eating. To feel the physical satisfaction from the food, it is important to be relaxed and aware as you eat.

• Cultivate a sense of gratitude for your food. Each time we remember to eat with awareness, we return to that place of inner peace.

• Most of the time we eat in response to our minds. Most of the time we feed our bodies without consulting our bodies.

• Physical hunger is of the body. Physical hunger asks for food. Nonphysical hunger is of the mind, the heart. When you see that your physical hunger is capable of being fulfilled, you can begin to allow that same possibility for your emotional hunger.

• If you're not experiencing physical hunger, yet you're still reaching for the food, then it's time to figure out what you want from food beyond its nourishing your body. A sure-fire way of doing that is to ask: What is it I don't want to feel, do, or say right now?

• Food is fuel for our bodies, not a drug for our souls. As we learn to nourish our bodies, we find that we are spiritually nourished as well.

• There is nothing you can’t have tomorrow so there is no reason to eat it all today.

• If we change our relationship to food, we have to find other ways to entertain ourselves, comfort ourselves, and find pleasure.

• Going to the farmer’s market for fresh produce and meeting the farmers that grow your food is a wonderful way to foster a healthier relationship with food.

• Stay focused on the healthy choices you're making each day. If you do indulge in old behaviors with food, release the guilt or thoughts of "falling off the wagon." There is no wagon to fall off. We're not giving anything up. We can still eat that whole bag of Doritos if we want, but we're choosing not to.

• When we stop dieting, we have to trust that our body will tell us what it needs. This can be terrifying because we think we need so much. We still want what we weren't allowed as a child. More often than not, this has little to do with food.

• As we begin listening to our bodies, we discover our own voice – something we were often too young to know we had given away. Deciding what goes into our mouths, and when, is very empowering.

• Food cravings are physical. Food obsessions are emotional.

• Physical cravings are our cells crying for the nutrients they need. Sadly, we often respond to this urge by eating highly processed and refined foods which only promote further malnourishment.

• Mineral-rich foods, like dark leafy greens and sea vegetables, stave off cravings.

• There's a very dangerous myth that "fat makes you fat." The truth is, without enough fatty acids, our brains do not function properly and our cells cannot communicate. The proper kind of fats are essential to our health and well being.

• When you are busy loving life, food becomes less of a mistress.

I love that last one. Can't remember where I first heard it, but it's stayed with me and is oh-so true.

Now tell me, what kind of relationship do you have with food today? Friend or foe?

A Feast For The Eyes: Crunchy Sprout Salad

Sometimes, looking is enough.

And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.

Friday Food Porn

If you've hung out around this part of the blogosphere at all, you know I'm crazy about sprouts, particularly crunchy sprouts. I've been known to grab them by the handful and pop 'em in my mouth the way I once did M&M's.

When I came upon this beautiful salad of pineapple, red cabbage, mint, green pea, adzuki and red lentil sprouts, I had to have some now. So, that's just what I did. And, I can tell you, it's aptly named Pineapple Sprouts Explosion.

You can feed your own inner voyeur by visiting SproutingSprouts.com, where you'll discover more nutritious and delicious sexy recipes, plus "all you need to know about sprouts."

Live a little. It's the weekend.

Watermelon: A Fruit Fit For A King

My love affair with watermelon goes way back. Yes, I was that little girl who methodically picked through the candy bin and removed each and every piece of watermelon Jolly Rancher until there were none left. On hot and humid summer evenings, Mom would send us kids out back with a giant bowl of watermelon slices to devour. Of course by the time I reached college, I was a watermelon connoisseur and preferred mine, um, spiked.

These days, I have a new-found appreciation for sweet, juicy watermelon when I discovered it's packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature – vitamins A, C, and B6. And get this: watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable, even tomatoes.

With more than 1,200 varieties, what's not to love! This is fruit fit for a king – in fact, watermelon seeds were recovered from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. When I was traveling in Egypt, cafes often paired the sweet taste of watermelon with the salty taste of feta cheese.

Here's a couple of ways I've been enjoying this delectable thirst-quencher lately:
Watermelon Kiwi Cooler
(you may recall my love of the little hairy brown fruit)

3 cups seedless watermelon chunks
2 kiwi
3 strawberries
Juice of 1/2 lime

Blend ingredients together and serve chilled.


Watermelon Sorbet

Using a melon scoop, place several scoops of watermelon into a ceramic bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes. Serve with chilled blueberries and a sprig of fresh mint as garnish.

Reader's FAQ Answered

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (aka Friday Food Porn) in order to answer some recurring reader questions. But first...

Those of you who contacted me recently about experiencing difficulties posting comments, thank you. Initially, I thought it was just me. And, I thought it was just my site until I encountered the same problem on other blogs using the Disqus system. The common thread: all were on the Blogger platform. I'm still not sure who was responsible – Disqus or Blogger – but, after an extremely frustrating week of back and forth emails, it appears to be resolved.

I'd like to hang in there with the Disqus system on this site. The way in which the comments thread, enable me to converse directly with you. It also makes it easy for you to communicate with one another. This appeals to the community builder in me. It also makes for some wonderful conversation – and not to brag...but...I think my readers leave and engage in some of the best comments on the web on this site. Just to be clear, you do not have to be a registered user with Disqus to jump into the conversation. You can post as a Guest or you can log in using your Twitter account.

In addition to having readers who leave thoughtful comments, ever since I put up the Contact Me link under the header, I have lots of readers who send email. I love hearing from each and every one of you, whether it's to share your own story or to ask a question. I frequently get asked the same questions, again and again. Hence, this post. So, let's jump in and address some.

What exactly is a raw, living foods diet?
Ask 10 different people that question, and you'll likely get 10 different answers. So, I’ll tell you what a raw, living foods diet is for me: eating food in its natural state, not refined, not processed. That means, I consume a primarily plant-based diet, consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts.

Do you have to be a vegetarian to benefit from eating raw foods?
Absolutely not. Raw foods can and should be enjoyed by everyone. I do not, however, recommend the consumption of raw meats. But, please, enjoy more raw fruits and vegetables, picked fresh and full of nature's abundant energy.

Are you a vegan?
No, I'm not. I consume raw honey quite regularly and raw goat cheese occasionally. I also enjoy kefir.

Do you eat 100 percent raw foods?
Some days, yes. Do I eat raw 100 percent of the time? No. It has never been my goal to become a 100% raw foodist. Vibrant health has always been, and remains, my goal. I think people too often feel the need to label the way they're eating. Aspiring raw foodists are no different. But, a raw label never made anyone healthy.

How much weight have you lost?
Last time I stepped on a scale: 103 pounds.

Why don't you post your weight loss or before and after pictures?
It's never been my intention to make In The Raw a weight loss blog. There's lots of those out there already. Look, this whole journey began with my stating an intention to change my relationship to food. There's been many factors involved in that, not just what I put into my mouth. I've had to alter a lot of unhealthy behaviors and, more importantly, my thoughts. When I made the decision to stop dieting and start living, I not only stopped weighing and measuring my food, but I also stopped the incessant weighing and measuring of myself. For years, my self worth was equated with that almighty number on the scale. I weigh and measure myself once a month. That's it. Occasionally, I'll drop that number into a post. I choose to focus on how I feel rather than how much I weigh.

That said, rest assured, there will most likely come a day when my body has completed the bulk of its detoxifying and my weight stabilizes. This, I believe, will be my body's natural weight. What that might be, I can't say, but I know for certain, it's not a number on a chart created by the insurance companies. When my body does reach its natural weight, I will probably post photos of me beside my "fat pants" and we'll all jump up and down and have a big party together. Okay?

How many calories to you eat?
Not a clue. I don't count calories, points, fat grams or carbs.

What is your daily meal plan?
I know every person who asks me this question, wants to hear something altogether different, like "I eat x-amount of protein and x-amount of fruit at such and such time." Sorry. Can't do it. If there is a "plan," it's continually transforming as I continue to transform. I take my cues from my own body. This alone has perhaps been the greatest change of all – simply learning how to listen to my body. I know that won't make a lick of sense to a lot folks, but to those of you who suffered from any form of disordered eating, life-long dieting or chronic health conditions, you'll know exactly what I speak of.

If you'd like to see what a progression of my food intake looked like over the course of roughly six months, you can look at A Day In The Life. Green juice remains the foundation of my daily diet. Initially, I ate a lot of food. A lot. I was also morbidly obese and severely malnourished (a seeming paradox, I know). After 11 months of getting the waste out and vital life-giving nutrients in, I don't have a need to consume nearly as much. A typical day now looks something like this:

Between 8:00 and 10:00 am: a quart or more of fresh spring water with lemon.
Around 10:00 am: a quart of fresh green juice
Between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm: I usually eat fresh fruit. Lately, I've been polishing off a whole watermelon.
Around 4:00 pm: a quart or more of green smoothie, or maybe some romaine roll-ups with raw almond butter and raw honey.
Between 6:00 and 7:00 pm: large salad (mixed greens, bell pepper, tomato, onion, avocado, sprouts) with either a raw entree, or if I have something cooked, it's usually steamed veggies or a baked potato. Sometimes, I enjoy a sweet treat like a bowl of raw ice cream or sorbet.

I eat rather simply, especially now that the weather's warmed up and fresh, just-picked produce is in abundance.

What kind of exercise do you do?
I walk 5K every morning and every evening – my walking partner/Siberian husky, Maya, sees to that. I have a daily yoga practice. I love hiking in the woods (Maya too!), so I'm out there at least three or four times a week. Just got a pair of inline skates for my birthday, so I'm starting to rollerblade. Lookout folks!

Do you feed your dog raw food?
Maya eats BARF – that's bones and raw food, to you and me. She descends from wolves. They eat meat and thrive on it. Any meat and/or bones she consumes are free of hormones and antibiotics. She also loves apples, blueberries, watermelon, sweet peas and corn on the cob. Oh, and green smoothies.

Can you recommend any books?
Yes, a bunch. Take a look in the right sidebar. Visit my store, In The Raw Kitchen, to see an even larger selection of books and dvds.

So, there you go, the questions I am asked most frequently. Feel free to pick one and answer it yourself in the comment section below.

A Feast For The Eyes: My Birthday Pie(s)

Sometimes, looking is enough.

And, sometimes, you just have to give in to temptation.

Friday Food Porn

Raw Mini Mango Berry Creme Pies. Say that three times, fast! Better still, eat 'em three at a time. That's just what I plan on doing for my birthday today.

These darling little yum-yums were created by Gerry, aka CherryBombPie. Can you tell she's an art student?

To feed your inner voyeur and grab a slice (or two) of raw vegan life, hussle on over to her site for a taste of this raw vegan treat and other sexy recipes.

Live a little. It's the weekend.

Loving The Little Hairy Brown Fruit

How often I'd pass by those little hairy brown fruits. But when the sign read, Kiwi: 6 for $3.00, I couldn't pass up the bargain.

Beneath the peel, I discovered green flesh, white pulp in the center, and small black (edible) seeds. Mmm, not bad. The taste reminded me of a mixture of banana, pineapple and strawberry, all rolled into one small fruit.

Today, I threw some into a smoothie I was making, and ooolala, this one's a keeper.

3 handfuls of spinach (one pound bags on sale for $1.99 – score!)
1 kiwi, peeled
1 C pineapple
1 frozen banana
2 C water

One of my new favorite haunts on the web is Nutrition Data. Look what else I found beneath the peel – these little buggers pack a wallop of Vitamin C!
The question I probably hear more than any other since I put down the cheeseburgers and picked up the fresh produce is Where in the world do you get your protein? I've written about this before here, but the search for actual data to show my incredulous family members is how I first stumbled upon the site Nutrition Data.

Let's check out the protein quality of spinach

Protein quality is dependent on having all the essential amino acids in the proper proportions. An Amino Acid Score of 100 or higher indicates a complete or high-quality protein.

How did spinach score?

• SPINACH 1 CUP = 119 Amino Acid Score

Ta da! A complete protein. And, trust me, three of my handfuls is far more than 1 cup.

Our little kiwi, by the way, scored 105 – another complete protein!

Here's a nifty Nutritional Target Map for Spinach:
The closer a food is to the right edge of the map, the more essential nutrients per calorie it contains. The closer a food is to the top edge of the map, the more likely it is to fill you up with fewer calories.

So, if you want a lot of bang for your buck and a whole lot of vital nutrients that will fill you up without filling out your waistline, don't pass by the hairy brown fruit and spinach next time you're grocery shopping.

Question: Anyone have tips on how to peel a kiwi's paper thin skin without wasting too much of the flesh in the process?