We had a powerful activity where we were interviewed by another person, and asked these questions:

• What are your top three values? In other words, what do you stand for?
• What are your strengths? These are the things that come easy for you.
• What jobs, passions or hobbies have you had throughout your life?
• What challenges or patterns have you noticed in these areas of your life? (family, career, health, love and relationships)

In the next part of the activity we had to connect the dots and see how our own business alligned with our values. The idea was that we in order to feel authentic, our businesses needs to represent what we believe in. That way our work is not just something that we do, it is what we stand for.

My challenge was to put more of myself into my posts. To share with my Tasty Life tribe (you!) my own story that brought me to health coaching, and why I wanted to help people transform their lives for the better. I realized it is easy to hide behind intellectual articles or health tips, and much harder to put myself out there for you to see. I knew I  needed to push my own boundaries a little more, so that my message to you always comes from the heart. (PS: That’s why I made the video that you will see below this post!)

I realized that I had this illusion about my own mentors being perfect. As if they never struggled with going to the gym or eating a tray of chocolate brownies. Hearing them say that at times they also got scared and stuck along the way, made me feel calm and assured that I was “normal”. The same thing happens with my own clients who get stuck in old habits that don’t serve them, because they are so are comfortable and familiar. Most people stay stuck in the old patterns because they intuitively know that in order to make room for something new, they will also have to leave something behind.

Change is like chi that has to flow. If you block the flow what happens? Stuckness, illness, fears and the things which hold us in place. When we have perfectionist thoughts or we pretend and deny change will happen, our resistance stops the flow of energy and blocks us from receiving.

So it’s important to ask yourself, “What are you willing to let go of in order to have more of what you want? And by letting go, what will open up for you?”

I too am terrified of stepping forward in a big way in my own business. Radical honesty moment: I hesitate before sending out every e-mail or post, because I worry it isn’t perfect- but I forget that perfect is an illusion to distract us from taking action. Who’s perfect? Sometimes we can wait so long for “perfect” to come along, that we end up procrastinating and putting off what we really want. Have you ever set yourself up for failure by demanding perfection of yourself? Maybe you think, “well if I can’t cook a perfect meal like (name your top celebrity chef) than I may as well eat out.” or “If I can’t make it to the gym every day, then I may as well not go at all.” We can all get stuck in perfection paralysis, but in those moments we need to learn how to:

1. Trade in perfect for good enough.

2. Take one small, tiny easy step, and when it’s complete move on to the next step.

3. Notice where you get stuck, and feel where your blocks are in your body. Sense how stuckness feels for you. Does it have a color, a name, a sensation? Remember that we stop ourselves and get stuck when we are afraid of growing.

4. Ask yourself, “What is stopping me, or slowing me down from taking action today?”

5. Remember that change can seem scary but it’s really just an opportunity to grow into a new version of yourself.  My favourite line from this weekend was, “Fear is excitement without breath.” So where can you breathe into a new version of yourself?

Watch my really H-S-B* moment of radical honesty video here:

My big AHA

*H-S-B = Holy Shit Balls

Love,

Usually sushi is the first thing that comes to mind when I ask my clients if they have ever tried seaweed before. While the Japanese have succeeded in getting us hooked on nori rolls and seaweed salad, did you know there has been a long tradition of consuming seaweeds not only in the far East, but all over the world! In Western countries the principal use of seaweeds has been used for thickening and gelling agents (carrageenan and agar agar). The Aztecs ate it as a staple food, dried and spread on tortillas. Africans of the Sahara region also use dried spirulina with grains and vegetables. Seaweeds have been a central part of traditional diets because of its wealth of  health protective properties.

 Abundance of Vitamins and Minerals

Sea vegetables come in a variety of colors such as red, browns and greens. The color depends upon the spectrum of light available to the plant for photosynthesis. Sea vegetables contain ten to twenty times the minerals and trace elements of land plants, along with an abundance of vitamins.

As Paul Pitchford explains in his book, Healing with Whole Foods,

“Consider that our blood contains all one hundred or so minerals and trace elements in the ocean. Seaweeds contain these in the most easily absorbable form because their minerals are integrated into living plant tissue. In fact, as a group they contain the greatest amount and broadest range of minerals of any organism and hence make superb mineral rich foods.”

Benefits for Cancer Patients

Seaweeds such as spirulina, wakame, nori, hijiki, and dulse (to name a few) are especially beneficial for those undergoing chemotherapy since they are known to help remove radioactive and toxic metals from the body by converting these toxic metals into harmless salts which the body can then excrete through the intestines.

Got Seaweed? (the new calcium slogan I just came up with!)

Seaweeds also contain one of the most important vegetable sources of calcium. Selected seaweeds in their dried states compared to other high sources of these nutrients looks like this;

Hijiki, arame and wakame each contain more than ten times the calcium of milk.[1]

In some red seaweeds, such as dulse (Palmaria palmata) and nori (Porphyra tenera), proteins can represent up to 35% and 47% of the dry matter, respectively. These levels are comparable to those found in high-protein vegetables such as soybeans (in which proteins represents 35 % of the dry mass.)[2]

Cooking with Sea Vegetables

Sea vegetables can be found in the Asian part of your local grocery store, in health food stores or in Asian grocery stores. It’s easy to add these vegetable to your diet! When you cook legumes such as beans or lentils. Omit salt from the recipe and replace it by placing 1-2 pieces of kombu seaweed into the cooking water at the beginning of cooking. The minerals in the kombu impart a salty flavour without giving you excess sodium. If cooking your own beans is too time consuming for you, consider buying Eden Organic’s canned beans.  Eden has omitted the salt completely from their line of canned beans, opting to use kombu for that salty flavor instead! They also make Gomasio, a great way to “shake” some seaweed into your meals! (can be found in most health food stores.)

Since seaweeds are so concentrated in minerals, a little goes a long way. The ideal way is to use about 5-15 grams of dried seaweed a day. You can easily incorporate them into your meals by tossing some into your salads or in your soups. You can use nori wraps to make your own sushi rolls. Each seaweed has its own unique taste, so experiment until you find the one that you like most. If you don’t want to eat it, but would like to benefit from its properties, consider taking a powdered spirulina supplement, or kelp pills under the careful guidance of your health professional.

Kombu Seasoning or Soup Stock

(This is a good base for lots of variations on miso soup)

Recommended reading: The book Vegetables from the Sea, by Arasaki (Japan Publ, 1983) is a good source of further information on the healing potential of seaweeds.

PS: This is part 1 in a series on getting to know your sea vegetables

Sources:

Burtin, P. (2003). Nutritional Value of Seaweeds. Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 1-3.

Fallon, S. (n.d.). www.westonaprice.org. Retrieved May 25, 2009, from Weston A. Price Foundation: www.westonaprice.org

Fortunately my sisters (who all live out of town) promised to drive in with their partners so we could have the two seders together. We thought it would be nice to use my parent’s home in their absence to keep with family tradition. We used my grandmother’s candelabra and plates, and had the added benefit of cooking a feast in my mother’s huge kitchen space (a big change for my N.Y sisters who barely have counter space in their apartments). We also decided to have a more laid back bedouin version of the seder, by spreading pillows on the ground, and dressing up in comfortable clothes. Here’s a picture of our seder table.

One of the challenges of holiday eating is how to stick to traditional family favourites while also giving them a healthy twist. The other challenge is how to enjoy Passover without overdoing the Matzo and relying instead on fresh salads, quinoa, nuts and seeds.

Last week I had the pleasure of leading a cooking demonstration at this amazing new cookbook store and cafe called Les Mots a La Bouche. I showed the participants how holiday cooking can be healthy, gluten free and tasty while still keeping to traditional recipes.

Samantha, an attendee at the workshop said,  ”I realized I would be able to serve my guests food that wouldn’t only taste good, but that would fill them up for the night. I learned that being kosher for passover doesn’t have to mean compromising healthy eating principles- And that raw kale is delicious!”

Matzo balls are always a staple at the Passover table, and it’s a recipe that has  passed from my own grandmother to my mother. Nowadays, it is usually it is made from a box containing Matzo meal, salt, monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, onion and pepper. You then add oil and eggs, pat them into balls (or use a melon baller) and place in boiling water where they become light and fluffy balls of delicious comfort food that pairs well with chicken soup.

Recently I was thinking, what about all the gluten free folk who have been deprived of the Matzo ball tradition? Fortunately for them, I found a recipe in Elana’s Pantry that usesalmond flour instead of Matzo meal to get a very similar texture and taste. I added lots of dill and parsley and a little less salt, and they turned out delicious. My boyfriend said he even liked them better than the real thing! Traditional matzo balls are often so soft and fluffy that they would make the perfect food for someone who just got their wisdom teeth taken out (or wears dentures like my grandfather did.) These almond based ones have a bit more bite to them and you may like the texture even better.

Nut’zo Balls

Enjoy these healthy and delicious Nutzo balls as a gluten-free and protein rich alternative to the traditional Matzo balls, usually made from a mix. Make 2 hours ahead of when you would like to serve, since mix needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour.

4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2-4 tbs chopped fresh dill or parsley
2 cups blanched almond flour (can be made by putting almonds in food processor)
6 cups vegetable stock or chicken soup

Wash dill, chop finely and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper for 2 minutes. Stir in the almond flour and dill. Refrigerate the mixture 2-4 hours.

When you are ready to make them, heat a large pot of water (with ¼ teaspoon salt) and bring to a boil.
Either use a melon baller or roll the batter in your hands into 1-inch balls (so they stay fluffy try not to pack into tight balls) then drop them delicately into the pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Heat 6 cups vegetable stock in a separate pot. When the matzo balls are finished, remove from simmering water with a slotted spoon and add to soup. Ladle soup, plus 2 matzo balls into individual bowls and serve.

Matzo ball Joke: 

A Jewish family invited their non-Jewish neighbors over for dinner. The first course was set in front of them and the Jewish couple announced, “This is matzoh ball soup.” On seeing the two large matzoh balls floating in the broth, the man was hesitant to taste this strange looking brew. Gently the Jewish couple pressed him, “Try it; if you don’t like it, you don’t have to finish it.”

Finally he agreed. He dug his spoon in, first picking up a small piece of matzoh ball with some soup in his spoon, and tasting it gingerly. The usual “Mmmmmmmmm” sound could be heard coming from deep within his chest, and he quickly finished the whole bowl. “That was delicious!” the man said. “Can you eat any other parts of a matzoh?”

I just ate a bagel. Granted it was a Montreal bagel, so it was much smaller (and I can argue) more delicious than the typical huge and tasteless American variety. But why is this something to write home about or better yet, confess?

I spent years avoiding bagels. They were considered part of that “white” refined flour stuff that I told my clients would rob them of energy, cause their blood sugar to spike and was essentially void of nutrients and fibre. I would direct them to eat whole grain breads or whole wheat flax bagels instead.

But the funny thing is, when I went out for breakfasts with friends and ordered whole grain toast and salads thinking I was making a superior healthy choice for my body- it wasn’t what I actually yearned for. In fact, I was secretly envious of their white seeded toasty warm and buttered bagel. All I really wanted to do was lean over and take a bite. (Have you ever ordered something that you really didn’t want, but felt you should eat because it was supposed to be good for you?)

Why couldn’t I just let go a little of my healthy mantra, and give in to my body’s true desire?

One of the things I tell my clients is to let go of their food judgements. To end the food war. To realize that there are no “good” or “bad” foods. Yes food can cause your body to feel energized or sick, but the food itself is morally neutral. As author Marc David says, “green beans don’t have halos and chocolate bars aren’t planning to rot your teeth.” Yet, here I was judging bagels for being “bad” for me.

I have discovered that that food is much more than nutrition. It is more than just fibre, flax and micro-nutrients. It is also about nourishment, the kind that you can’t get from taking supplements or juices. Judging food in terms of nutrition alone, is akin to judging a magnificent work of art by the pigments in its paint- you’re not really seeing the whole picture.

As I scanned the menu at lunch today this thought entered my mind, “what food would really nourish me today?” I felt like  something that would be warm, comforting and that I could hold in my hands like a  little kid eating a messy sandwich. A salad and whole grain bread just weren’t going to cut it. I saw the option of a toasted bagel with melted cheese and suddenly it beckoned. As I bit into the toasted exterior and felt the warm familiar sweet soft dough and salty cheese melt in my mouth, I suddenly remembered what a bagel meant to me.

It was what my father toasted in the morning for me for breakfast, spread with butter and some love. It was the toasted Lenders bagel my grandmother served us spread with Temp-tee whipped cream cheese on the summers that my sister and I spent at her house. It was what my mother made me when I was sick at home with a cold, and couldn’t stomach anything else. A bagel wasn’t just “white refined carbs.” It was love. It was the comfort food of my youth that I associate with being taken care of and protected.

And it was just what I needed today.

What food do you associate with comfort and why?

Here is a post about comfort food from my friend Dani, who shares his heart warming story about how fish head soup reminds him of his mother:

Note: I will be giving a live lecture next Tuesday February 7th at 7pm on the Food and Mood connection at 450 Kensington.

Email me to reserve your spot: tastylife@gmail.com

It’s as easy (and as tasty) as apple pie but you don’t have to wait 45 minutes to bake one!

Apple Pie Oatmeal Breakfast Recipe

Cook it once, but enjoy it all week!

 1. In a medium-sized pot, bring the water and almond milk to a boil. Add in steel-cut oats and a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low.

2. Stir in the chopped apples and cinnamon. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 mins so that the oats don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. When the oats are creamy and tender (but still have a bit of bite to them) remove from heat and stir in almond butter, apple butter, grated/crystallized ginger to taste. You can serve immediately with drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar.

Note * Once you have prepared the oats you can allow them to cool, transfer into a container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week. When you want some, just reheat it over the stove in a medium size pot with 1/4 cup of boiling water or milk (if you lack a stove at work, use the microwave.) For an even creamier version you can add 1/4 cup of coconut milk when you add the almond butter, apples etc.

When you’re rushed in the morning and trying to save on time, a muffin and coffee  might sound like a good breakfast on the run plan. That is until your energy crashes by the time you get to work and you start having cup after cup of caffeine  trying to play catch up.

What if instead you had an energizing whole grain breakfast, perfect for the cold winter weather that would  keep you satisfied? You could even bring it to work with you and reheat it in the  microwave- what am I referring to? Oats of course! (since that’s been the theme of  the week!)

There are many different varieties of oats out there, so how do you know which one to pick? What’s the difference between quick cooking oats, rolled oats and steel cut oats? Essentially it is the way they have been processed.

1. Instant cooking oats are oats that have been pre-cooked and dehydrated so though they are faster to cook with. They only require a little boiling water and can be ready in minutes. The down side is because they are “instant” they will also raise your insulin levels and blood sugar more quickly. That means you’ll start feeling your energy crashing about an hour later. They are also the variety (I talked about in the previous post) that you can get out of a box and usually contains lots of added sugar, salt and flavorings you don’t need to make oatmeal yummy.
2. Rolled oats:  These are sometimes called old-fashioned oats and take between 5-10 minutes to cook. These oats been steamed, pressed and dehydrated. They are good for baking and for oatmeal. When these oats are cut into smaller peices they are sold as quick-cooking oats which take about 3 minutes to cook.
3. Steel Cut Oats are whole oats that have not been rolled into flakes. Instead, they are cut approximately into thirds. It has much more texture and bite to it than regular oatmeal, which I really like. It takes about 30 minutes to cook, but to save time, you can also cook them the night before, and store oats in a Tupperware in the fridge. In the morning when you make your oatmeal, put ½ cup in a pot with a little milk and add additional toppings to the batch. The beauty of doing this, is you only have to cook them once- but you get to enjoy them all week long!

Note: Steel Cut Oats are also known as Scotch Oats, Pinhead Oats and Irish Oats.

When eating larger flake oats (rolled oats) and steel-cut oats that have more “bite” to them, giving your body more time to digest them, as they are digested more slowly, they also gradually release sugar into your bloodstream. This will allow your body to have more balanced energy rather than a quick spike in energy.

Tomorrow I will post my favorite recipe using steel cut oats!

  In Ode to Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the U.S

“Not all oatmeal breakfasts are created equal”

Though bagels and eggs are typical salty breakfasts choices, don’t you ever feel like something sweet in the morning? In the winter when I need some solid warmth to protect myself from the -17 degree weather– I seek refuge in an oatmeal breakfast. It’s easy, warm, comforting, delicious and will fill you up with energy to last you until your next meal.

Research shows that eating oats, oat bran and oatmeal can help lower high cholesterol levels since they contain a specific type of soluble fibre, called beta-glucan. This type of  fibre will help you balance your blood sugar levels by reducing energy dips. While you might be buying oatmeal thinking you are making a healthy breakfast choice, you should know that not all oats are created equal.

Throughout the week, I will be providing you with new tips and tricks to make sure you are eating the right kind- the oats that will give you long-lasting balanced energy and contains the most natural ingredients.

Tip #1: Avoid buying flavored oatmeal out of a box.

If you ate Wild Blueberry Muffin Instant Oatmeal for instance, here are the ingredients it would contain: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, SWEETENED AND FLAVORED BLUEBERRIES (DRIED BLUEBERRIES, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, GLYCEROL, NATURAL BLUEBERRY FLAVOR, SAFFLOWER OIL, CITRIC ACID, CALCIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE), MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, GUAR GUM, SOY LECITHIN, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARAMEL COLOR, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID*.

Mmm sound appetizing?

Why don’t you pass me some pyridoxine hydrochloride and caramel color to pour over my oatmeal please! (This is what’s actually in caramel coloring)

Here’s what I hope you take away from today’s tip: with the exception of brands whose ingredients only contain rolled oats, avoid flavored oatmeal with catchy names like “peaches and cream.” They have lots of added sugar, salt and flavourings that we usually cannot pronounce nor identify. You can be a more conscious and empowered consumer if you read ingredient lists carefully and don’t take health claims on the label at face value.

I remember when I was trying to fight my sweet cravings. When I was feeling sad or lonely, I would be calmed knowing that there was a liter of cappuccino frozen yogurt that was sitting in my freezer just waiting to comfort me. I felt this sense of urgency. I had to have the ice cream…or else. I don’t know what would have happened, but I felt that if I didn’t follow my craving and grab a spoon in the next five seconds, I would lose control.

I wouldn’t be able to survive the emotions that might overcome me. I knew it wasn’t logical or rational, but it felt almost primal. I had to have the ice cream to numb the feelings that would otherwise overwhelm me like a crashing ten foot wave. I knew that the moment of bliss when my spoon scraped gently along the creamy surface and I placed it in my mouth would be worth it. Spoon to ice cream, spoon to mouth. It felt like a ritual. A numbing repetitive ritual until the entire liter was gone and my spoon was scraping the bottom of the container looking for more.

One day, as I was sitting on my kitchen floor with my spoon in my hand, ready to dig in for more- I stopped. Suddenly a stream of sadness came up and out of me like a faucet, and I realized then that I was fighting a losing battle. I could never fill the void within me with food. That empty feeling of “never enoughness” was prevalent throughout my life, and I would constantly feel like I needed more things to keep filling up- unless I started to believe and accept that I was enough as I was. I remember the lesson that you can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Something had to change.

I found a food and life coach who could support me in this transition. I knew I needed someone who could hold me accountable to show up for myself, and she started telling me how we would stop the food fight and call a truce with my relationship to food. I liked the sound of that. She explained that it wasn’t about fighting off the cravings or ignoring them, it was about learning how to face the yucky uncomfortable feelings that accompanied the cravings, rather than stuffing them. It took time to gain strength and trust myself and my body again, but I was given tools that I continue to use both on myself and now with my own clients.

Many of us have old ways of coping that are self-destructive whether it’s smoking, drinking, gambling or shopping- but the reason it is so hard to stop cold turkey is that the habit has clung onto us like an old friend. It becomes familiar, despite it being toxic for us. The truth is we can’t envision another path until it is shown to us and we are ready for something new.

I had to let go of the belief that the cappucino frozen yogurt could help me find my way out of my emotional craze. The truth that I know now is that the only way out of the pain, was by going inward first.

Seven years have passed since that day on my kitchen floor and this mindful exercise below is a tool that I now use with my own clients who binge and have out of control cravings for food. It is about teaching them how to become more aware, curious and compassionate. This is a practice that my favourite author on compulsive eating, Geneen Roth calls inquiry. The idea is that when you get present with your body and listen to what it might be experiencing, you can stop being ruled by your thoughts and therefore your cravings.

Fight Sweet Cravings, Find Freedom

As the ancient seers observed, while pain is unavoidable, suffering, which is the pain that we hold onto, is optional. The following process will help you release every kind of emotion by connecting directly to the sensations in your body:

Close Your Eyes, take a few deep breaths, sit quietly, and feel the sensations in your body. You might feel tightness in your chest, stiffness in your neck, or some other manifestation of the upsetting emotion.

Feel the sensations without judging them. Just sit with the sensation.

Allow any image, feelings, thoughts or energies to arise. You may hear the voices of anxiety, anger, fear, or regret. Let the voices say what they want to say, and listen with compassion.

Feel the energy of the emotion dispersing, without demanding a total release. Your body will let go of as much stored energy as it can at this time.

In a few hours or the next day, repeat the process. You will begin to feel a sense of lightness and wellbeing as you release and free your heart.

The above exercise was adapted from The Chopra Center http://www.chopra.com/namaste/healingmoment

Here are 4 Easy Cooking Tips to Reduce Gas and Bloating when eating beans that I would love to share that with you, so you don’t have to hide out or excuse yourself after a eating a bowl of chili.

Growing up with an Israeli mom, I learned to love all legumes: cannelini beans with tomato sauce, chickpea based hummus  or lentil salad- you name it, I ate it. What I didn’t learn until I attended the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and began cooking for myself was that there was a way to avoid the embarassing tootin’ and bloating that followed a bean rich meal.

1. Soaking: Soak your beans and legumes overnight in a pot of cold water (3 inches of water above the beans) this will help remove the phytic acid that inhibits our digestion of zinc and other minerals, it also has the potential to reduce the digestibility of protein. *Remember to drain the soaking water, and use fresh water when you start cooking the beans. Soaking will also speed up the cooking process.

2. Salty Effect: Instead of salting at the beginning of the cooking process, season your beans with unrefined sea salt, miso or soy sauce near the end of cooking once beans have softened. If salt is added at the beginning, the beans will not cook completely. Salt can be a helpful digestive aid when used correctly.

3. Add Seaweed: Adding kombu or kelp seaweed to the boiling water as you cook the beans helps improve flavor and digestion, adds minerals and nutrients, and speeds up the cooking process.

4. Pour Vinegar: Pour a little apple cider, brown rice or white wine vinegar into the water in the last stages of cooking. This softens the beans and breaks down protein chains and indigestible compounds.

 Why Cook Your Own Beans?

You will get more bean for your buck and less gas pains  if you cook them yourself! You can always freeze leftovers, instead of relying on canned, oversalted beans. Next time I will talk about how to cook your beans, but for now let’s do the math…

Bean Arithmetic: Save $

1 lb can of beans= 2 cups

vs

1 lb dry beans= 7-9 cups cooked beans

 When you first start introducing beans to your diet, start slowly so your body can adjust to the additional fiber. Start with adding 1/4 – 1/2 cup of cooked beans to your meals and serve with big salad or plenty of green vegetables to help lighten the meal.

Hope this has bean inspiring!

*Note: Avoid giving legumes to children under 18 months because they have not developed the gastric enzymes to digest them properly.

Hi Tasty Lifers,

My favourite part of this past Jewish New Year was being surrounded by my family and friends at the dinner table. After we paused to give thanks to all who prepared the meal (from the sun and rain, to the farmers who grew it, to the cook who prepared it) – we shared in the delicious feast fit for kings and queens, that was spread out before us.

I have always loved how food has a sense of generosity, this power to bring people together. Families who live oceans apart and strangers who sit beside one another become intimately closer by sharing a meal together. This is rendered even more inspiring when we become aware that while food can feed and fill us up on a nutritional and biological level, we also need to remember our primary foods. These are the things that don’t come on a plate, but rather, fill us on a deeper level with energy and nourishment.

While you are eating your Thanksgiving meal this year (or breaking the Yom Kippur fast) notice your surroundings, nourish yourself with community, good friends, and new opportunities for connection. Nourish yourself with good company, laughter and love. Instead of focusing on stuffing yourself with turkey and sweet potatoes, or kugel and bagels, take a few deep breaths throughout your meal, put your fork down on occasion, slow down and talk to the person sitting beside you. You might notice you will eat far less, because you will be filled with a different kind of nourishment- your primary foods!

Here’s a Thanksgiving healthy recipe I found on www.christinacooks.com which I tweaked to my liking, you can add whatever fruits you have on hand: peaches, blueberries, strawberries, but now that it’s apple season- you can’t go wrong!

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Ingredients
Topping:
1⁄2 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup light olive oil
1⁄2 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1/4-1/2 cup vanilla rice or soy milk
1⁄2 cup coarsely crushed pecans or walnuts

Filling:
3-4 Granny Smith or Macintosh apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon light olive oil
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a standard square baking dish.
Combine the dry ingredients with the spices. Mix in oil and maple syrup to
create a soft dough. Slowly mix in Eden Blend until a thick, spoonable
batter forms. Fold in pecans.

Mix apples and cranberries with oil to coat. Stir in arrowroot and
sweetener and spread evenly in baking dish. Spoon topping, by dollops, over
the surface of the fruit, covering completely, but allowing some fruit to
peek through. Bake until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden and firm,
about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Please feel free to share your own list on the Tasty Life Wellness Facebook page