Making Peace with Food

Many of us have chosen to override our instinctual connection with food by intellectually controlling what we are eating.  Meaning that we've listened to outside sources in order to determine what to eat instead of trusting our own intuition.  We're animals, we're designed to instinctually know how to survive.  So, how do we get back there? This part is simple, but not easy.   Whether you're a yo-yo dieter, an athlete, a standard American, a person recovering from an eating disorder, or plain ol' Joe Schmo, we've all learned to deem food as bad or good, right or wrong.  We've been at war with foods that are an essential part of our structure and function: fats, proteins and carbohydrates.  I'm asking you to stop fighting with food.  Stop restricting, rewarding, punishing, and controlling.  Simply put, I'm asking you to eat.

I was big on fad diets, which turned into an obsession, which turned into an eating disorder.  When I started my healthy lifestyle I had "recovered" from my struggles with eating disorders, but the obsession with food and my body still haunted me.  I knew that if I was going to pursue a healthy lifestyle I was going to have to do it a different way.  No more restricting and no more right and wrong.

That's how I began, eating whatever the hell I wanted to, whenever the hell I wanted to, with the addition of healthy food.  I focused on drinking enough water, juicing three times a day, and finishing both my lunch and dinner meals with raw salads.  What I ate beyond that was of no concern to me.

I had an excellent Professor in college, who specialized in eating disorders, tell me that if someone had a restriction / binge relationship with Oreo's then they should be sure to carry around a bag of them wherever they went.  The more we resist something the stronger our urge is for that thing.  I have plenty of experience to back that statement up.  We should allow ourselves to indulge in cravings as long as we do our best to create a healthy standard.  Let the unhealthy cravings become the exceptions and the healthy, nourishing foods become our norm.

Pumping my body with nutrients soon lessened my appetite and unhealthy cravings.  Pretty soon I was daydreaming of kale and brown rice instead of Taco Bell and onion rings.  Our bodies want to be healthy, it's our minds that  screw it up.  So, do your body a favor and surrender control.  Let it decide what to eat, but support it with proper nourishment.

I have to add that exploring your patterns of eating, emotional connections to food, and feelings towards your body will help you break free of unhealthy eating patterns.  Journalling, refocusing on positive thoughts, and letting go of judgements were integral in my healing.

Nowadays, I'm not perfect, nor do I want to be, but I've allowed my body to resume control.  I still allow myself to emotionally eat and indulge in cravings, but my healthy lifestyle dramatically outweighs these times and my body can handle it.  I deem these as "soul" food days and enjoy them, but am excited to get back to my green juice and quinoa. It's my philosophy that health and happiness comes from enjoying your food, supporting your body when you can, and eliminating judgement. So, go on now and start loving yourselves and loving your food!

Fresh and Simple Gluten-Free Summer Pasta

This is one of my favorite summer dinners.  The in-season tomatoes and basil make it so fresh and delicious.  Plus, it's easy as heck! Gluten-Free Summer Pasta

Serves: 4-ish

Start by boiling water with olive oil and sea salt for your pasta.  Once boiling add about 3/4 of a pound of your favorite gluten-free pasta and cook as directed.

In a skillet heat up a fair amount of olive oil and add one 12-ounce container of ripe grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered, and 1/2 of a large red onion, roughly diced or sliced.  Cook until soft.  Add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, 1/3 cup chopped kale, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Throw in your cooked and drained pasta and then adjust seasoning.  Add sea salt and italian seasoning, to taste.  Often I add cayenne and/or hot sauce for a kick.  This is a super basic recipe, so get crazy with it and make it your own.  Happy summer eating, friends!!!

***Tip: Don't refrigerate your tomatoes!  Once they get refrigerated they start to lose flavor instantly!

Make Your Own Veggie Burgers

In honor of Memorial Day and the beginning of summer celebrations I felt inspired to make some veggie burgers.  I hope you enjoy! Veggie Burgers:

2 med/large eggplant

3 medium yellow onions

8 cloves garlic, peeled

Olive oil

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

5-6 cups rolled oats

4 carrots, grated

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Sea salt, to taste

Cayenne, to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cut your eggplant into roughly 1" cubes. Toss with a generous amount of sea salt and set in colander to drain over the sink or another bowl for about 15 minutes. The eggplant will breakdown a bit and release liquid. Slice up your onions and toss with the eggplant, 8 cloves of garlic and a generous amount of olive oil to coat. Throw the mixture into the oven on a couple of baking sheets. Cook for about 30 minutes until soft and onions are clear, but not browned.

Bring 1-1/2 cups of water to boil then turn off the heat. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, cover, and set aside to soften.

In a food processor process the oats until broken down then set aside. In batches, process the cooked eggplant, onion, and garlic mixture with the softened sundried tomatoes, and the grated carrots.

Put the processed vegetables in a large mixing bowl, add the sesame seeds and slowly add the processed oats until mixture is sticky and able to form into patties (you may not need all the oats). At this point add some sea salt and cayenne until you reach a desired taste. Then form into patties, remembering that they won't shrink when cooked, so form them to size you want.

Cook on a grill or grill pan until they are slightly firm and cooked on both sides. I like them to still be soft in the middle. The longer you cook them, the more dried out they'll be.  Makes 12-15 patties depending on the size. Once they're cooked you can serve them or freeze them for later. A summer fave! And don't worry if you hate eggplant, it doesn't matter.  I have served MANY people these burgers who hated eggplant and they loved them. :)

Vegan Corn Chowder

Summer is right around the corner and I'm so excited to see corn and watermelon making their way into season.  Having just made a ton of almond milk, I had my mind set on making a vegan "clam" chowder using oyster mushrooms.  My friend, who hates mushrooms, easily talked me into a corn chowder when I saw all the beautiful, fresh corn at the market. Vegan Corn Chowder

I chopped up 1 red bell pepper, 2 small leeks, 1 red onion, 1 large potato, and 2 stalks of celery.  I added in shaved corn from 3 cobs (roughly 2-3 cups, if using frozen).  I melted some dairy-free "butter" in a large pot then added in the chopped veggies.   I sautéed them until softened and then added a splash of liquid smoke (you don't need much at all), sea salt, 3 minced garlic cloves, about 1/2 tablespoon chili powder and 1 chopped jalapeño, with seeds (depending on your spice preference).  I sautéed that for a few more minutes then stirred in 4 cups of almond milk (unsweetened) and roughly 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast.  Brought the soup to a boil then let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Add more salt or nutritional yeast to make the soup more savory.  I garnished with cilantro, chives, and lime juice.  Simple and tasty!