on the importance of water

“Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital.” – Kelly Barton

With a humid summer heat wave reaching our city this week, it’s the perfect time to revisit the importance of water.

As the quote states above, water is often times overlooked in our diet.

The vital power of water is a necessity that we can’t live without.

Make sure you are drinking enough water today, and everyday!

Inspire others around you to do the same, and we will all be much better off.

Photo courtesy of fox_kiyo

cooking is a revolutionary act

If you follow our blog, you most likely love to cook.

Well, we are in good company!

We are part of a movement that is inspiring our audiences to cook at home, fostering relationships with family, friends, neighbors, while furthering physical, mental and spiritual health.

Cooking doesn’t have to be fancy or feel out of reach. On the contrary, cooking should be seen as simple, approachable and fun!

With all of the jarring statistics we hear everyday, it’s comforting to know that we can change ourselves, our families, our communities by using our own two hands. Grocery shopping, turning on that oven, prepping those ingredients, and sitting down at the table can have profound effects on everyone involved in the process.

As Dr. Mark Hyman summarizes, “cooking…can transform everything…our health, the environment, our economy and so much more!”

Join Dr. Mark Hyman for an “eat-in” on April 7th, to “take back our health by avoiding restaurants and packaged foods.” On this day he asks us to make real, whole, fresh food and invite family and friends over to share in that moment.

Let’s all pledge to prepare more food at home, and help educate and inspire others to do the same.

Happy healthy eating to all!

Photo courtesy of theeatin.org

someone to eat and drink with

“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.” – Epicurus

As Passover heads our way, and Easter not so far away let’s take a moment to take in a big deep breathe, clear our heads, and focus on making these celebrations a time to create memories with family and friends, while sharing delicious food and drink.

As Epicurus suggests, let’s embrace the company we keep, removing judgements, preconceived notions, ego and expectations. Let’s sit, talk, laugh and enjoy each other’s company first and foremost.

Then let’s all dig in, and delight in the foods that make these holidays so sweet!

reading list

The food revolution of our time has been well underway, and with the proliferation of food information many insightful books have bloomed.

We are here to share with you some of our staff favorites, hoping that our list may inspire a food revolution in you, or in your community.

• A Girl and her Pig April Bloomfield
• American Wasteland Jonathan Bloom.
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Barbara Kingsolver.
• Blood, Bones, and Butter Gabrielle Hamilton
• Eat to Live Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
• Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food Is Changing Our Diet Stephen Nottingham.
• Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease Robert H. Lustig, M.D. 
• Foodopoly Wenonah Hauter.
• Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health Marion Nestle.
• Free For All: Fixing School Food in America Janet Poppendieck.
• Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health Gary Taubes.
• Home Made Yvette Van Boven.
• Life on the line Grant Achatz
• Mindless Eating: Why Eat More Than We Think Dr. Brian Wansink, Ph.D.
• Omnivore’s Dilemma Michael Pollan.
• Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal Melanie Warner.
• Raw Energy: 124 Raw Food Recipes for Energy Bars, Smoothies, and Other Snacks to Supercharge Your Body Stephanie L. Tourles.
• Setting The Table Danny Meyer.
• Slow Food: The Case for Taste Carlo Petrini.
• The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià Ferran Adria.
• The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing’s Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living Scott and Helen Nearing.
• The One Straw Revolution Masanobu Fukuoka.
• The Unsettling of AmericaWendell Berry
• The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why Jonny Bowden Ph.D, C.N.S.
• This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader Joan Dye Gussow.
• What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating Marion Nestle.
• Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health William Davis, M.D.
• You Can Farm Joel Salatin.

What food related books have inspired you?

Photo courtesy of whitneyinchicago

suggestions for picky eaters

Feeling defeated in trying to get your children to eat healthy?

Perhaps it’s the texture, color or consistency of a food that discourages them from eating it, or simply an aversion to specific foods?

Your children are not alone, picky eating is a very common phase for growing children. In fact, research has shown that the average child needs to be repeatedly exposed to new foods before forming an honest opinion on it.

When introducing your child to a new or healthy food, have patience. It may take more than a few times of trying the newly introduced food before your child accepts it. A great way to help children ease into the introduction is by working new food into your typical family meals. Some favorites of ours include:

Cannellini puree: Makes for a great addition to various kid-friendly foods such as mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, or to thicken up soups. It will add in some extra protein and fiber into your everyday meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon water
• herbs and spices of choice

Directions:

Blend until smooth.

Carrot puree: Add this puree to your favorite tomato sauce, mac and cheese, muffin or pancake recipe. A wonderful way to add more vitamin A and folate to your meals.

Ingredients:

• 3 carrot stalks, peeled and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Put sweet potatoes and carrots into a pot, add enough cold water to cover. Boil for 30 minutes or until soft. Drain, then add into your food processor with 2 tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth.

What strategies have you come up with to add nutrients into the diets of your picky eaters?

Photo courtesy of CarbonNYC

Recipes adapted from Parenting.com