All Things Considered

When Will We See?

2009-09-23T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys-

Sorry it’s been a while since I have blogged here. I have been so busy with lots of exciting projects and writing for The Huffington Post. I kind of got ‘blogged out.’ But you can check me out weekly there (www.huffingtonpost.com/living). Oh, and stay timed for a brand, spanking new awesome Christina Cooks website in the next few weeks. On to business now.

When I saw the recent news about the sad death of Patrick Swayze, I knew I had to find the time to write this particular blog.

Who didn’t love this smooth talking, handsome fabulous dancer? What woman wasn’t swept up in ‘Ghost’ and the pure romanticism of love? Who didn’t want to ‘dirty dance’ with him?

What was even more sad to me was watching his interview with Barbara Walters where he talked about his feelings on alternatives and his belief that if he ate healthy food, it would ‘feed his cancer’ and make matters worse.

I think that Patrick Swayze’s close-mindedness about alternative health practices illustrates what a lot of America feels about alternative approaches to health and wellness. It’s too good or too simple to be true in their view. I have been personally attacked by this same close minded thinking; called a liar and much worse. And all I do; all that my mission entails is to ask people to consider eating healthy food. I do not advise against medical care, nor do I bad mouth those who choose that path for their healing. I simply give the information that, in my experience, has validity.

Many years ago, I was diagnosed with a terminal form of leukemia and told that I had only months to live. As devastating as that news was to me, I knew that I had to look at every avenue to try and save my life. No door was closed; no information not sought out.

For me, the answer was in the food I was using to fuel my body. I did research and discovered that my choices, vegetarian junk food, had stolen my health and now threatened my life. I discovered that the way we fuel our bodies has a direct impact on how they function. Whether or not we can maintain our health and vitality is directly linked to what we choose to eat.

With all Americans know about making healthier food choices, why don’t we? We must choose food that serves the purpose of our lives and supports health, not steals it. Then we could avoid this cold sweat panic over health care reform, because by virtue of being healthy and fit, we’d prevent most of what has created the exorbitant health care costs that threaten to bankrupt us and break our spirit.

According to Dr. Dean Ornish, more than 75% of all health care costs are spent on what we now call ‘lifestyle diseases:’ obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. That’s a staggering number, considering we spend more than $2.1 trillion on it…but what’s even more staggering is how quickly we could turn these numbers around if we just chose to eat food fit for human consumption.

Research continues to mount indicating that consuming an unprocessed plant-based diet (along with being physically active) is absolutely key to controlling weight, reducing blood pressure and heart disease, reducing the risk of diabetes and stroke and some cancers. Wow! Imagine a life free of these plagues.

For the life of me, I can’t figure out why every single American isn’t eating a healthy diet. I can’t believe that there’s one person who wants to be fat, at risk of disease, lethargic, foggy and achy. It doesn’t get easier or more delicious than the natural approach to eating. You can even transition slowly if that helps. But you must do something!

Start by substituting whole grain products for bread, pasta and grains (like brown rice for white). Choose nuts, seeds and beans for your protein (for those of you eating animal products, go for wild fish, but seriously, you can skip it and be just fine…remember, cows eat grass; gorillas gorge on berries and nuts…); get rid of the saturated fat that’s clogging your veins and arteries. Drizzle olive oil or other mono-unsaturated fats in place of butter. Skip the meat and dairy. Your heart will be grateful and not attack you!

I could go on for days about all the reasons to eat healthfully. But for some reason yummy, delicious food is not enough. Robust health is not enough. We who promote healthy eating beat our heads against the wall daily to inspire people to eat well and still, Papa John wins the day.

Take a personal inventory and see for yourself. Check your own vitality and well-being and see if it needs a wee tweak. Don’t wait until a safe is dropped on your head and you are in danger of losing your life. Choose an unprocessed, plant-based diet. Choose health. Choose life.

Love,
Christina

for love of julia

2009-08-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys-

Well, it’s happened, five years after her death and thirty eight years after it was first published, Julia Child’s quintessential French cookbook, ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ has made it to the New York Times bestseller list.

To this day, it remains the only cookbook to explain how to create authentic French dishes in American kitchens with American ingredients. By teaching techniques of French cooking, Julia Child singlehandedly turned American housewives into gourmet cooks.

I used to race home from school to watch old reruns of Julia (as I called her) cooking everything from soufflé to lobster (yikes, that was awful, I must say). She was masterful and goofy, funny and wise, graceful and clumsy and I loved her and her cooking. I was hooked, something that many people who make their livings in kitchens will admit.

I remember meeting Julia for the first time. I was brand new to television and we were both at a national public television event. I was dying to meet her. As I stood in a hallway one day, lo and behold, Julia Child was walking toward me in all her height and eccentric splendor. She was with a young woman and as she strode past me, she said,’ Now remember, I want to meet that new young woman who doesn’t cook with butter.’

I wanted to scream, ‘That’s me!!!!’ But I didn’t. I walked up and introduced myself in a civilized way, completely starstruck. Julia was warm and cordial and asked if we could talk about her favorite ingredient. The young woman with her warned that she had about ten minutes to spare. Two hours later, (well after I stopped picturing Dan Akroyd’s famous portrayal of her…), Julia asked me if she should give up butter for her health. We both laughed as she realized that at 87 years of age, she was doing something right.

That meeting sticks with me because I remember being most impressed by her love of all food…of course, only good food. She had no time or patience for junk food of any kind. I often wonder what she would think of the swill we have peddled to us as food. Not much, I suspect.

And so now a movie has been made about her greatest recipes, based on a blog by a young woman whose life was going nowhere and decided to cook her way through Julia’s masterpiece cookbook. And now this same bible of cooking has finally become a bestseller.

It’s interesting to me that in a time when fewer and fewer people are cooking that Julia’s homage to great food has risen to such heights. And at a time when diabetes, obesity and heart disease are epidemics, people are buying a book that celebrates all the foods we now know do not serve our health.

Is it to own a bit of history? A bit of Julia? Is it because Meryl Streep so beautifully channeled our godmother of cooking? Does this new status for ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ mean a return to cooking from scratch?

And what about the ingredients so essential to Julia’s way of cooking. Butter, lard, organ meats, cured meats, all manner of heart clogging foods are falling out of fashion. They are, aren’t they? We want healthier fare, don’t we?

We can’t afford to cook the way Julia did. We don’t live in the innocent 1950’s when food was authentic and not manufactured, when butter wasn’t laced with growth hormones, antibiotics and steroids, when beef was grass-fed and thereby lower in saturated fat. We no longer live in the world where the cook of the house shops daily for the freshest ingredients and cooks from scratch. We live in a world of fast food, junk food, deep-fried oreos and 600-calorie coffee drinks. We live in world that is literally groaning under our collective mass and is slowly dying from the way we produce and manufacture food.

Julia learned her love of food and cooking when food was simply food and we cooked it and ate it. In our modern world, food is entertainment…we watch chefs working against the clock cooking food that we can’t even identify and where the new style of high cuisine is sous-vide, a method by which food is vacuum packed and then cooked at low temperatures for a long time in boil bags after which some searing or other ‘finish’ cooking used to complete the dish. Really, back to boil bags? And we worship the chefs using this new method, from Thomas Keller to Charlie Trotter.

When did we lose touch with all that Julia stood for: actually learning to cook and mastering that art? Whether you agree with her choice of ingredients or not…and I mostly don’t (and she would disagree with me that healthy food is necessary. She believed that all food, in moderation, was the key), we all have to respect what she stood for and the gift she gave us. She taught us that the kitchen wasn’t a scary place reserved for white coats and French accents. She taught us that anyone could cook.

It’s time to head back to the kitchen, dust off your copy of ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking;’ adapt the recipes to create healthy meals and pay homage to our great Julia by mastering your own art of cooking.

Buon Appetit!

Love,
Christina

what will it take?

2009-08-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

hi guys!

Sorry to be off radar...I have been crazy busy and just the thought of blogging made my head hurt...but I am back...here we go!

I try not to judge. People are where they are in their evolution. I consider that all the time and carefully measure my words and actions to accommodate that fact. But sometimes I wonder what people are thinking.

I just returned from teaching on a cruise ship. I know what you’re thinking. What was that cruise line smoking when they invited me, the queen of bad news for junk food eaters, onto one of those floating binge palaces to teach healthy cooking? I thought the same thing.

My first class was on the first day we were at sea. I convinced myself that the first attendance would be light, first morning and all; people struggling to find their way around the ship. But I walked onstage to a packed room, filled the brim with people ready to be entertained and educated about healthy cooking. Class was totally fun. The people asked thoughtful, concerned questions about health. Who knew?

But before we get all warm and fuzzy about change; hang on. After class, I had free time. So my husband and I took up seats on the ninth deck overlooking the sea…and it turns out, the buffet dining room. Yikes!

Granted, there is everything a person could possibly want to eat displayed in a most enticing manner. From lamb chops to chocolate mousse and everything in between: pasta, pizza (at least 4 varieties), bread, pastries, cold cuts, eggs, omelettes, bacon, sausage, French toast and waffles, the lines for food were endless…unless you were interested in the salad bar. The crisp, fresh greens sat abandoned next to little bowls of glistening chickpeas and kidney beans, nuts and seeds, unless they were smothered in ranch dressing.

It got me to thinking. This obsession with excess goes far beyond our desire to eat our ‘money’s worth.’ It goes beyond the desire to ‘treat ourselves’ and beyond the attitude of ‘I’m on vacation; I’m entitled to all of this…and more.’ It was clear that people were making their choices; the cruise line didn’t have a gun to their heads forcing them into the fried food line.

What entitles people to abuse the one body given them in this life? And what makes people want to do that to themselves? I watched one gentleman, a perfectly nice guy (you could tell, just from his eyes that he was a sweetie), huff and puff his way across the deck to a chair, one hand holding 8, count them…8 large sugar cookies, while the other hand balanced an ice cream-filled waffle cone. His breath short, his gait labored, I watched him struggle to his seat. Flopping down, he dove into his food, but not with relish, more with a pained look on his face, like every bite added to his discomfort just as each bite added to his substantial girth.

I got to wondering as I watched this pattern repeated time after time, person after person, almost in a pained obligation to excess. As bloated bodies waddled from food station to food station, their plates groaning under the sheer volume of stuff on them, I couldn’t figure out what continued to drive them. At what point did they lose hope? After they lost control? Is it after the first 15 pounds lands on their butts and bellies? The first 20? When do you say to yourself, ‘this is what I am meant to be’ and just let go?

At what point in life do you decide that the mere seconds of sensory gratification on your tongue is worth your health and quality of life? I can’t believe that people don’t know any better, that they have no idea that what they are eating (overeating) is creating so many of their problems, from aches and pains to diabetes and heart disease.

Look, I know that a cruise may not have been the best place for me to observe people and their eating habits. I know that the reputation on a cruise is that people eat as much and as often as they can. And I know that most people go on cruises for that reason; the glaciers, national parks, beaches and landmarks take a definite back seat to what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Look, everyone loves to eat (almost everyone anyway…) and food is meant to be yummy, sexy and satisfying. I love food, good food, tasty food as much as the next guy. But when that love of eating exceeds all natural limits and robs you of your health and vitality, it’s time to wake up and examine what you are doing. With the average American consuming 4400 calories a day (twice what they need to maintain their weight), it begs the question of how much is enough?

And don’t even think of giving me the argument that healthy food is elitist and expensive. Sure, I can’t compete with a 99-cent burger and fries combo, but what is your health worth? You can either invest in healthy eating now…or you can pay the price later…with your health and your healthcare premiums. I am tired of paying for people’s bypass surgeries that could have been avoided had they just eaten a healthier diet. And I ain’t even talking about being vegan. I am just talking about eating real food and not as much.

I was watching Bill Maher the other night and he was talking about how healthy people are demonized and ridiculed, like we’re no fun, the bad news at this party of excess that marketing has created. In his more than sarcastic and eloquent way, he said that Americans think it’s their right to eat poorly and excessively and be fat.

How sad for us if that is true.

Love,
Christina

meat and mrsa...what are we thinking?

2009-07-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys-
I was reading a magazine the other day and I saw a tiny blurb talking about the connection between eating red meat and MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus)…remember that super-bug that was wiping people out in hospitals and long term care facilities because bacteria can flourish in these environments and many of the people there have compromised immune systems and are heavily antibiotic-reliant?

Well, it seems that MRSA is back in a big way and you’ll never guess how…turns out that confined animal feeding operations (aka factory farms) have become a spectacular breeding ground for this vicious little villain because the animals are compromised and so antibiotic-reliant. And then it’s passed on to us, through the meat we eat and since we are so heavily antibiotic-reliant and compromised, MRSA can thrive in us, too. Wow, another selling point for McDonald’s, Arby’s and Wendy’s!

And it gets better. A new study has been released linking the consumption of red meat and dairy products to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was done by the Division of Cancer, Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD (wow, that’s a mouthful…) and was initiated because ‘up to now, the link between pancreatic cancer and dietary fat, a risk factor that people can do something about, has been inconclusive.’ Ay, ay, ay!!!! But I held out hope…

So the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and AARP got together and studied more than 300,000 men and 200,000 women to search for links between fat consumption and pancreatic cancer. They also took into account, smoking, body mass index and diabetes.
The study concluded that people who consume the greatest percentage of their diet as saturated fats had the highest risk of pancreatic cancer and here’s the kicker.

‘We did not observe any consistent association with polyunsaturated or fats from plant food sources.’ And…‘Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in carcinogenesis.’

Seriously? That was the conclusion???? It suggests a role? Who are we kidding?

Okay, so here’s my beef (pun intended). What will it take for us to really get the message that meat is not the best choice of food for us? And while I live a vegan lifestyle, I don’t for one second think that the entire world will follow suit. It would be nice, but I live solidly in reality.
I go back to, what for me, are the million dollar questions. What will it take for us to wake up and look at how our food, particularly meat is produced? When will we demand better and stop swallowing the swill they market to us?

Where, in all of our ability to reason, do we see the logic in producing more than 14 billion animals a year for slaughter? Do we really think that it’s sustainable? For us, the planet or the species we kill by the millions? Do we think that these animals are raised in a healthful manner (forget being nice to them for a second…) that makes them fit for human consumption? Or do we just refuse to look at the issue because that would demand change? Real change…and then we’d have to do something about it.

Maybe that’s it. Maybe we think that we can just ignore all of this and it will disappear on its own…obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer (good lord, if I see one more bloody race, walk or other sporting event to support research for disease…that will never be cured because the pharmaceutical giants out there would close their doors…). Well, here’s a clue. Lifestyle diseases, as we have come to know the modern day plagues that rob us of our health, aren’t going anywhere as long as we continue to cling to our childish eating habits and old ways of doing things.

The time is over for us to wait for someone else to do the work. We can not sit idly by and wait for an ambitious soul to come along and rescue us from ourselves. There is no magic wand to wave. We can’t bury our head deeply enough in any sand to escape the hard realities of the effects of meat-eating on health.

Another article I read this morning questioned whether or not meat is the villain in this drama we call our health. The article showed results from a study that said that it’s the quantity and quality of meat that affects us, not so much the actual components of meat. Seriously, this article goes on to say that if Americans ate one or two servings of organic, grass-fed meat a week, surrounded by lots of whole grains and vegetables, then it would be okay to eat. Well, duh. And just how many fine Americans are doing that? How many are spending a mortgage payment to buy organic, grass-fed meat for the family and eating it only once of twice a week?

With less than 19% of Americans eating the 5-9 servings of vegetables and fruit a day and consuming close to 4000 calories per person, per day on average, with 40% of the average diet coming from saturated fats, not many of us are following this utopian eating pattern that includes organic, grass-fed meat and lots of fruits and veggies.

While most of us are aware that we should be eating vegetables and fruit each day…we even know how much, we take in most of our veggies in the form of potatoes and our fruit in the form of juice…more calories and sugar.

But look, it’s not easy and marketing makes us nuts and literally makes it hard not to be fat and sick. There are more than 50,000 fast food chains in this country, translating to more than 500,000 places to buy junk food. Kids between the ages of 6 and 14 eat at fast food restaurants an average of 157 million times a month…a month!!!! Americans spend more than $100 billion (with a ‘b’) on fast food every year. And that number is growing with our waistlines.

And the real kicker? Most Americans know that fast food is not their healthiest option.

So why? What’s it gonna take to wake us up and get us on the path to being the healthy, fit humans we are meant to be? Whatever it is, I hope it happens soon because I am tired of paying for other people’s childish indulgences each month when I write the check for my health insurance premium.

Time to be well, people…

Love,
Christina

i'm back from italy!

2009-07-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys-

I am sure everyone has seen the latest stats to be released on obesity. (I just got home from Italy and found them waiting on my desktop.) While Mississippi is ‘still king of cellulite,’ an ominous tide is rolling onward as Alabama is currently running a close second in its obesity rankings.

The new stats have just been released and they hold little good news. In 31 states, more than 1 in 4 adults is obese (not just pleasantly plump, but obese…yikes!). The report, released by the Trust for America’s Health says that obesity rose in 23 states over the past year, while not one state experienced a decline. In fact, the report indicates that the crest of the wave of obesity has yet to crash over us.

And while this report provides one of the first in-depth looks at obese baby boomers…and also credits them for a good deal of the crushing rise in obesity (39% of boomers in Alabama are obese), I won’t bore you with yet another blog about obesity and its impact on health. We all know the truth. We need to eat real food and exercise regularly to be fit, vital humans.

But I think the problem is much deeper than how many Happy Meals you eat. I think that we live in a world where you have to be constantly vigilant to not be obese. I think that beating people up, yelling and finger-pointing won’t really solve the problem. I think that the problem runs so deep that a total overhaul of our food system is needed to beat obesity before it steals our future completely.

If you’ve seen the documentary Food, Inc., read anything by Michael Pollan, or listened to the current information that Mark Bittman talks about, you know the truth. As a culture, we have moved so far from eating real food, that we almost can’t identify it anymore.

As decades have passed and we grow further from the garden and the kitchen, we have lost sight of what real food looks like, tastes like and how we feel when we eat it. In the name of convenience and speed, we let our health, along with real food slip through our fingers and the price we are paying is high.

I often ask people what they are looking for in life. It seems that we spend our days wishing them over. We can’t wait for school to be out, work to be finished, our time at the gym over, dinner done…and I wonder why. What is it that we can’t wait for? Hours in front of the television? More time on Facebook or Twitter? What?

We need to re-think and re-set our priorities. In this economy, we talk a lot about getting back to basics, getting rid of excess. We need to begin with our food. It’s time to stop buying into all the marketing and hype that we see and hear, promoting fast food, junk and other foodlike substances.

Getting back to basics begins in the kitchen…actually in the garden and at the farm stand. Before this madness known as the obesity epidemic can be stemmed, we need to identify real food and begin to make those choices. We need to demand better quality from the people who produce and manufacture the food we eat. We need to tell them…loud and clear…that enough is enough and we won’t continue to eat their cheap, fast food that is loaded with fat, sugar and salt and is designed to send us to an early grave, but not before we become reliant on pharmaceuticals. We have to tell them that we won’t buy it anymore…and then we need to stop buying it…and make better choices for ourselves.

It’s so easy to turn this tide that threatens to snuff out humanity. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, even some cancers are all part of the new category of killers known as ‘lifestyle diseases.’ Our lifestyle is killing us and only a change can stop the terrifying statistics that steal our hope. Eating whole, natural, unprocessed food…the real thing…going back to the kitchen and preparing the lion share of your meals…gathering around the table with those you love…that’s the road back. That’s the path that can remove the stain that fast food and convenience has left on humanity.

And don’t for one minute try to make the argument that eating natural food is expensive and elitist and that it’s so much cheaper to buy poor-quality junk food to feed your family. Not only is that not true, but even if it were, the long term effects of eating fast food on our health is seen in the terrifying statistics we hear about every day. Better to invest in that head of broccoli than those 99-cent burgers. Remember that eating well is a right, not a privilege and everyone can afford to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Yes, you have to cook them and that makes it harder than swinging by the drive-through window, but if we are to return to health, we need to go back to the kitchen.

It’s time to stop letting marketing and advertising own us and determine our health. It’s time for us to take control of our destinies and create the vitality that so many ads promise, but none can deliver. There is not a pill, lotion or potion that can give you your health. They can only mask the symptoms they have helped to create and give you the illusion of health and well-being.

Instead, why not eat real food, not too much, mostly plants and create the real thing?

Love,
Christina

Food, Inc.

2009-06-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys!

All the buzz is around the new movie, Food, Inc. and I must say it is out of this world. If you have any doubts about who controls the food you eat or any thoughts that the ‘health food nuts’ you know are conspiracy loons, this will open your eyes. According to the research and facts presented in this film, unless you are eating whole, unprocessed, organic (as much as possible) food, you can not be sure at all what might actually be on your plate. Not for the faint of heart, this powerful film pulls no punches.

Food, Inc, for those of you not aware, is a documentary that indicts the industrial system of agriculture and the policies that have allowed companies like Monsanto and the National Chicken Council all but own the food you buy and consume daily…and since they own it, they control the quality (or lack thereof) of it.

While Big Agriculture is attempting to demonize the film saying it jeopardizes the small family farm; that is just another attempt to confuse the consumer with their typical bait and switch games. Farm Aid, an organization that has supported family farms for over 20 years says just the opposite…that Food, Inc shows the struggle of the family farm, their integrity and their willingness to provide the food we need and maintain the health of their farms and the planet.

Big Agriculture is slamming the film, calling it elitist, that to eat in a responsible, healthy and sustainable manner is somehow only for the few. They fail to mention that it’s their stranglehold on subsidies and their dedication to the corporate bottom line are the real reasons that our most needy can only afford to eat the food that they manufacture. It is their very style of business that deprives people of their right to eat healthy food.

Look, the corporate food industry thrives on the status quo. It is of little interest to them that our kids are growing unhealthier with each passing day and that ‘lifestyle diseases’ are increasing at such an alarming rate we will have no worries about swine flu. Cheap, fast food-related diseases are the next pandemic.

We are reaching a tipping point like no other in modern history. We are beginning to realize that our food choices are making us sick. Our health care crisis is just another term for the catastrophe that is the standard American diet. More than half the money we spend on health care goes to treat preventable, diet-driven diseases.

It’s time that we demanded better food and better information on what is in the food we eat. Agribusiness repeatedly blocks better labeling laws because they argue that too much information is a bad thing. Perhaps if the food they sold us was natural, they wouldn’t have to worry so much about what was on the label.

I have only one disappointment with Food, Inc. Robert Kenner, the genius behind the film was recently interviewed and he talked at length about the impact of the policies of meat production and its impact on the environment and human health. The interview was chilling in its power…until the end, when Mr. Kenner said that he was not a purist and still ate meat. Look, I am very clear that we won’t see a vegan society anytime soon, but seriously, Mr. Kenner. How can you make this film, see what you have seen, document the horrors you witnessed and end an interview with that kind of flip remark.

To say that is to deny the very content of your film. As a viewer, I ask myself the question: if the film maker was not altered by what he saw, then why should I be? How can he expect to maintain his credibility in light of comments like that? Did Mr. Kenner make this film simply because it’s a hot topic and a sure bet to be a hit? Food for thought, to be sure.

Food, Inc is not to be missed, whether or not Mr. Kenner grasps (in my view…) the real inconvenient truth of eating meat.

Love,
Christina

ps...i am going off to work on a project and i may miss blogging for a couple of weeks...but i will be back at it in july, so come and visit me then.

here i go again...

2009-06-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

hi guys!

Veganism will never, in my view, be a widely accepted lifestyle choice…ever. And not because it isn’t a gorgeous way to live (because it is…); not because it is a deprived and grim way to eat (because it isn’t…); not because it’s too weird or left of center (okay, I’ll give you that one…). No, veganism will never thrive because a lot of vegans will not allow it.

I was reading an article recently…written by a good friend of mine, someone I love and adore, respect and admire. I was so upset by what I read that I thought my head would explode. Maybe it’s me, but the attitude he displays in the piece shows me arrogance underneath the supposed compassion he professes.

The article was all about the word vegan and its proper use. You may say, huh? I did. You know that joke I make about not being ‘vegan enough’ for most vegans. I think it may be true, sadly. Apparently, you may only use the word ‘vegan’ to describe yourself if you choose this compassionate way of living in order not to contribute to cruelty to animals. (It’s apparently okay to be mean to people, just not animals…). And before anybody goes nuts and writes me about compassion and animals, I am all in for that, so save your breath.

The article said that according to Donald Watson’s description of veganism (he being the founder and definer of the movement that splintered off from vegetarian groups over the use of dairy foods) vegans are those who choose this life to prevent…or at least not contribute to…cruelty to animals. To this line of thinking, the article went on to say that if you are choosing vegan living for personal health or environmental causes, then it would serve better to say that you eat a ‘plant-based diet’ and leave the word ‘vegan’ to those who are truly committed to the cause. And why? Because you might change your mind and give veganism a bad name…or so that was implied.

Here’s my beef (yes, I know…) with this thinking. I am a teacher of vegan/macrobiotic cooking and many of the students who have come through classes were not looking to change their thinking completely. Most of them were just trying to get a bit healthier and since I make this look so easy, delicious and fun on television, they wanted to give it a go. Most of them didn’t know what they were getting into; but many of them changed their lives and now embrace vegan living, compassionately in harmony with the world around them. Some chose to eat a vegan diet, but not embrace activism. By the thinking in this article, I should have turned them away, advised them to take a different approach and come back to me when they had their priorities in order. After all, it’s only about the animals if you are vegan, right?

To ignore personal transformation and to discount the idea that transformation begins with the physical is silly and arrogant, to say the least. If some vegans remain aloof and exclusive, shunning everyone who doesn’t embrace the cause of animal rights, they don’t get to wonder why people are not flocking to join them. They seem to forget that change; true change has to occur at the most primal, visceral level…physically.

When people are drawn to plant-based eating, it is most often for personal health, but how else can we truly transform our thinking, our hearts, our very beings if we do not first, make our bodies healthy and strong and feel for ourselves the power of natural plant-based food. From that physical transformation, the human psyche is freed to think about loftier ideals and to contemplate the plight of the world and all the living beings in it.

We all have to start somewhere. If personal health is what draws you to vegan living, then I welcome you with open arms. By virtue of mere diet change, people who choose veganism for all the ‘wrong reasons’ change themselves, reduce cruelty; grow more compassionate as their bodies heal and strengthen and they leave a lighter footprint on our fragile planet…oh, and they care for the welfare of animals.

It seems to me that some of us vegans have lived too long in a bubble, surrounding ourselves only with people of similar thinking. Many have lost touch with the idea of reaching out, in compassion, to other humans and helping them along in their path of life.

Buddha said that the responsibility of each man, woman and child is to make the lives of those around them better and to aid each living being we meet on its path to enlightenment. Each person we meet is a gift to us and we a gift to them. But if we push them away because they make choices differently than we do, then how can we ever inspire them?

If being ‘vegan enough’ means shunning the brilliant humans I meet because they choose their vegan lifestyle for health, then I think I am happy to fall short of the standards set by this exclusive sect. I prefer to welcome all people, students, friends and family to my lifestyle and see how physical change transforms them to live lives of compassion and peace. Semantics mean little to me when health, peace and the lives of living things are at stake.

Maybe my crazy vegan life is crazier than I thought…but I love every vegan moment of it…in good health.

Love,
Christina

confusion

2009-06-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

hi guys...

I think I may have figured out why Americans do not make better food choices. I think people are completely confused. Heck, I get confused and I work in food, study food and research the effects of food on health. I am considered an expert (whatever that means…) and if I get confused, I can only imagine what the rest of the country…who just wants to live their lives and eat dinner…feels.

And I know why we are confused. The latest addition of Men’s Health magazine arrived the other day, the ‘Life in Balance’ issue and it kicked off with a great…and I mean great editorial by David Zinzenko, author of ‘Eat This, Not That’ and editor in chief. In the essay, he talks about Michael Pollan and eating real food, skipping drive-through and junk food; he speaks of whole unprocessed food versus the ‘edible foodlike substances’ we have come to rely on in our diets. He waxed poetic about ‘pulling off the packaging and examining what’s really on the end of our fork.’ He goes on that our modern food culture has pulled us away from the reality of food with slick graphics, cartoons and healthy-sounding words like ‘lite.’

Well, you can imagine my excitement as I prepared to steal my husband’s magazine and pore over every word of this balance issue. I could not wait to read the exposes, the scathing indictments of processed foods. Sure enough, I turn the page and there is an ad for ‘Silk’ soymilk. Cool. But wait…what’s this? Can it be? An item in the Table of Contents called ‘Soy’s Dark Secret’? (I’d bet ‘Silk’ knew nothing about this article before they bought into the ad space.)

The magazine goes on blathering about the ‘bad rap’ burgers have gotten, citing some obscure U.K. study on LDL (bad cholesterol) and how meat doesn’t contribute to those levels rising. Then they go on to cite a test tube study in Canada to make the case that eating fried eggs can reduce hypertension. Seriously? Are we so attached to our childish ways of eating, so attached to the very foods that every expert under the sun (okay, except some Brits and the test tube guy in Canada) say are slowly making us fat and unhealthy…and speeding up our appearance at the Pearly Gates that we can’t look at the truth?

But the real killer, the real icing on the cake of the ‘Life in Balance’ issue came in the form of their ‘Weight Loss Bulletin’ page. Here’s the scene set in the photo. On the left, a more than hefty man in a trucker’s cap, napkin tucked into his shirt front, looking ready to have sex with the huge mountain of fried chicken on his plate. Next to him, a slender Asian man in a tie and dress shirt, glancing sidelong at the chicken as he delicately prepares to eat a salad. The blurb was about ‘pumping up the protein’ and talks about a study that found that people who ate more protein than carbohydrates were more likely to stick with their diet for a year than those who ate less protein. That may be true, but what has that to do with fried chicken and the obvious results of eating it…obesity? One look at the photo and the truth was obvious. I’ll take the slender salad eater, thanks.

The magazine went on with its usual stuff…the 15-minute workout, how to get (and lay) the girl…how to lose belly fat…ads for ‘The End of Overeating’ to Kentucky Grilled Chicken (don’t get me started…again…). From ‘The Perfect Day of Weight Loss’ to how to cook with Guinness, the magazine is a study in contrasts. On one page, an expose on fast food and how they fool us with marketing…then an ad for grilled chicken dinners from KFC. Then an article on ‘The Capitols of Cancer’ rating cities around the country for their cancer risk and incidence based on exercise and consumption of alcohol…and fruits and veggies. That article was followed by ‘Eat Like a Man,’ with lots of advice on how to cook meat…to ‘The 125 Best Foods for Men.’ Topping the list? Post Spoon-Sized Shredded Wheat. And last? Nitrean Vanilla Protein Powder (not even a food the last time I looked). In between, there was a plethora of products, from beverages to foodlike substances. Wow, no wonder we can’t decide what to eat.

And then I got to the meat of the magazine (pun intended…seriously…), ‘Soy’s Dark Secret.’ With a dramatic photo of a single soybean, the headline read…‘Is This the Most Dangerous Food for Men?’ Yikes! The article begins with the heart-wrenching story of a retired US army intelligence officer who had developed breasts, lost body hair and his sex drive. After all other options were ruled out, it was discovered that his body carried estrogen levels eight times higher than the average woman. Cancer tests came back negative, so one doctor placed the focus on his diet. Turns out, our retired solider was drinking more than three quarts of soymilk a day. Now, that’s a lot, but that would be a lot of any kind of milk.

The article goes on to cite comment after comment from men enduring soy based meals prepared by the women in their lives because it’s ‘healthy’ for them, but the message was clear. They’d rather have all their fingernails pulled out and any man worth his chest hair would feel the same.

And then the science followed. Talk of genistein and daidzein, compounds in soy that make up the famous ‘phytoestrogens’ in the plant ensued. The article goes on about feeding kids too much soy in formula (I agree with that one…). Studies on mice showed that when significant amounts of soy were consumed, the thymus gland shrunk. But they could not say if this result occurred in human infants who drank formula…only mice. The next study cited said that men who ate 15 different soy foods showed a decrease of 32% in sperm count. But again, the conclusion was that it’s too early and inconclusive in the research to tell men to avoid soy to increase fertility. H-h-h-m-m-m-m…this is interesting. After a terrifying story about older Indonesians being studied for dementia risk and how the people who ate very high amounts of tofu showed more memory loss than those who ‘ate a moderate amount,’ they concluded that phytoestrogens may not be all that marketing has cracked them up to be, but that they aren’t bad either…for most people, they lie somewhere in the middle for men’s health. Huh? What happened to deadliest food for men?

The story concludes with our hero, now drinking lactose-free milk in place of the soymilk he was over-consuming. He started using Ensure, which contains soy protein and sure enough, his symptoms returned with a vengeance. Acknowledging an obvious super sensitivity to soy, the retired soldier’s doctor…and the other experts in the article…came to this conclusion…‘Soy protein today is an ubiquitous, profitable and often buried ingredient in a bewildering number of packaged foods’ and it’s best to monitor how much of it men are eating. Well, duh! Soy protein found in packaged and processed foods has been bastardized in the unhealthiest way possible…not unlike high fructose corn syrup. It’s not a food men…or women and children…want to consume at all.

But if you’re going to seduce me into an article with dramatic headlines about ‘dark secrets’ and ‘deadliest food for men,’ you had best give me some hard and cold facts, not some mamby-pamby inconclusive studies that may or may not support the ideas put forth in the headlines.

Look, there is compromised soy protein out there and yes, as a modern culture, we may very well be eating too much soy for our own good…but you could say that we eat too much of everything for our own good.

In the end, the real discussion that needs to be had is about the effects of the hormones fed to the animals we eat in such large quantity. Is the real problem we face the phytoestrogens in soybeans or the hormones and steroids in the burgers this same magazine so proudly and confidently supports as real food for men?

Think about it…

Love,
Christina

Where Has All the Compassion Gone?

2009-05-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hi guys-

I wanted to talk about something that seriously bugs me. I have lived a vegan lifestyle for more than 25 years and people rarely knew it. I always told myself it was because I hate labels, so ‘macrobiotic,’ ‘vegan…’whatever was off my list of things to call myself.

But that’s not entirely true…actually not true at all. Having lived as part of both of these communities for many years, I think it’s time to have the discussion about compassion, a word thrown about by both vegans and macrobiotics that seems to have little to do with the actual living of the lifestyle.

In macrobiotics, we say that by living this way, we are choosing to create a bigger life, one steeped in ancient wisdom, compassion and freedom of choice. And yet, I repeatedly see a kind of ‘them and us’ attitude that excludes anyone not of the same mind as us. I was always taught that, in accordance with macrobiotic thinking, we are all part of one whole…all connected to each other and that what happens to one, happens to all.

So why the exclusion of anyone not choosing this life? How can we ever hope to achieve ‘oneness’ if we continually set ourselves up as superior and better because we choose to eat brown rice. Do we really think we are better, smarter, on the fast track to enlightenment? How can we ever hope to attract people to our gorgeous lifestyle if we refuse to let them in because they don’t know or understand it.

And then there's vegan, another label I proudly wear…except when people are yelling at other people for their choices. When books like ‘Skinny Bitch’ can thrive, where has compassion gone? I cringed my way through all the books in this series and realized that they were quite successful in conveying their message…that you are a fat and stupid waste of skin if you are not vegan. Really? These Dr. Phil-like authors set themselves up as paragons of virtue and goodness as they demean their fellow humans. There is enough in life to make us feel badly about ourselves. We certainly don’t need former models adding to our misery.

As a committed vegan, I am deeply concerned about the way we treat our animals…and how we produce them for food. If we think for one moment that farming and producing more than 10 billion animals for food annually can be done in a compassionate, healthy and humane way, then we are more out of touch with reality than I feared.

But I also care deeply for human health. As vegans or macrobiotic people who say they are committed to health…human health, planetary health and spiritual health, how can we justify reserving all of our compassion for animals and serving up only disdain for people? How can we hope to enlighten people and help them to see when we are constantly blinding them by shaking our fingers in their faces? How can we hope to achieve harmony when we care only for the welfare of some animals and not for the welfare of others (humans, for example…).

Most vegans tell me that I am not ‘vegan enough’ for their taste because I refuse to spray paint people who wear fur (as gross as that is to me…); I don’t protest with violence; I don’t feel contempt for anyone not playing in my sandbox.

I prefer the philosophy of catching more bees with honey (pun intended…). If we are peaceful, attractive, inviting and open to all we meet, do we not stand a much better chance of them hearing what we have to say and thereby effecting greater change? Seriously, who wants to be scolded? And who wants to scold? It’s exhausting to be so self-righteous…for us and those who must endure us.

For me, the time of ‘them and us’ is over. It’s time for all those who live compassionate lives to show their fellow humans the same compassion we show to cows, pigs, chickens, puppies and kittens. Compassion opens the door for understanding and with understanding people can…and will…make better choices. But they can’t…and won’t…if they are constantly under attack, made to feel that they are inferior to we more ‘enlightened’ types and left feeling that they are less than worthless.

Compassion is not selective, but the gift of all sentient beings to each other.

Love,
Christina

the big disconnect...

2009-05-12T09:06:00.001-07:00

Hi guys-

So I sat down last week, tired from too much office work and decided to see what Oprah was into these days. I like to check her show out now and then to see what she has America thinking, feeling, wearing and reading at any given moment.

Well, her show was about hooking people up to make their lives better…note that I said to make their lives better…and the promos for the show were positively seductive! Oprah looked directly into the camera, her big brown eyes moist with compassion and promised America that she was hooking everybody up with a special gift.

The show begins and Oprah ends the anticipation and gives America its present. Each and every American is entitled to head on over to her site and download a coupon for a free grilled chicken dinner from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Huh? I was sure someone had slipped crack into my lunch. Did she say KFC? Seriously? KFC?!?!?!?

Of all the food on this fragile planet; of all the promotions Oprah could endorse, she goes with KFC grilled chicken dinners. This is Oprah, the same Oprah who has Dr. Mehmet Oz come on the show and talk to America about health and wellness and making better food choices. The same Oprah who has everyone from Eckart Tolle and green experts to Kathy Freston on her show talking about making a lighter footprint and living more compassionately. That Oprah. Is she schizophrenic?

Now that I have calmed down, (yes, this is me calm over this disgraceful promotion of junk food to an already obese and sick nation), I checked out the comparative nutritionals. While a breast of KFC original recipe has 370 calories, 21 grams of fat and 1050 milligrams of sodium, the new Kentucky Grilled breast has 180 calories, 4 grams of fat and 440 milligrams of sodium. Is it better than fried chicken? Of course; even I can see that. But here is the thing. It’s still chicken, with all that goes with being chicken.

When we eat chicken, we participate in cruelty…period. Nearly 10 billion chickens are raised for food each year and if you think for one minute that there is a compassionate, humane way to raise that number of animals, you need to think again. Each chicken is raised in a space that is less than one half a square foot; their beaks are cut off without anesthesia to prevent injury when the stressed out birds freak out in the crowded conditions. Imagine if you stood all day and night in a hot, packed space with nowhere to turn to be free. Oh, wait, we did that. It was called Auschwitz!

And because more and more Americans are turning to it as a fabulously healthy protein source (Oprah said so; it must be true, right?), we need to produce chickens faster, so they are genetically altered and fed growth hormones and steroids to encourage abnormally fast growth. Pushed beyond their biological limits, hundreds of millions of chickens die each year before reaching slaughter at a mere 6 weeks of age. Yikes! See, their lungs and hearts can’t keep up with how fast their bodies are growing, so they die of congestive heart failure. Not to mention the crippling leg disorders occurring because they can’t support the abnormal weight of their bodies. And that is even before the processing which can involve stunning the birds in electrified water, slitting their throats while conscious and if the blade misses that slits their throats, well, they are boiled alive.

But okay, suppose you’re not all into the animal suffering bit. Suppose the suffering of a living creature is not that big a deal for you? How about this? The chickens are raised in such unsanitary conditions that they become disease-ridden and need massive amounts of antibiotics to try and stem the tide of the diseases they carry. And all that poison lands right on your plate for your dining pleasure.

Sidebar, lest you think I am out of touch: There begs to be a discussion of organic chicken production here, to be sure, but since we are talking KFC and organic is not a word in their vocabulary, we’ll save that discussion for another time. Suffice it to say, however, that if you think organic chicken is a better choice, do some research and make sure the producer you buy from is following the spirit of organic production, not just the technical letter of the law. Organic feed used in the same circumstances as other factory farms may technically be organic, but it’s far from the spirit of sustainability and compassion. I’m just saying…

But back to KFC. For decades, their savvy marketing of kind ‘ole drawling Colonel Sanders helped shove this swill down our more than willing throats. My mother used to say that you could fry wood chips and people would eat them. She was right. And so now, after all the heart-stopping, artery-plugging fried junk food they have promoted, even going so far as to say dinner in a bucket was the greatest way for families to eat together again, they are trying to jump on the healthy food bandwagon. (Seriously, is that the best we can hope for, dinner in a bucket?)

And why do we think KFC is going this new route? You can bet your clogged arteries it ain’t for your health, but for the health of their bottom line. With healthy eating on everyone’s mind, it has become the fastest growing segment of the food industry today. And with that every health-stealing pirate in the fast food industry is looking for creative ways to keep you walking through their doors and purchasing their food…well, it looks like food, but trust me…

Look, at the end of the day, this is not an indictment of Oprah. I love the work she does in the world and I think she has a great heart. But she is also the perfect illustration of the disconnect Americans have with their food. To be able to move from green experts talking about a lighter footprint to giving away KFC (grilled, I know; I know…) to the entire country suggests a disconnect on the most basic level.

We have lost touch with who we are and what’s fit and unfit for human consumption and if we are to survive and thrive, we’d best reconnect right quick. Our very lives depend on it. There’s no free lunch. This Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal comes at a very high price.

Love,
Christina

swine flu and smithfield

2009-05-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi guys-

I know I am not supposed to call it swine flu anymore because the pork industry says it disparages pigs and is bad for their business, but…

I have spent a little time this morning reading articles about the suspected origins of this current outbreak of flu that is terrorizing America and the world (The media has seen to that!)

Apparently there is great suspicion that this all began in La Gloria, Mexico where massive pig farming takes place and the pollution from said farming has been causing sever respiratory illness, fever, chills, aches and fatigue in hundreds of residents of this village since February. But until a 5-year-old boy was officially diagnosed, this crisis in the making was left out of the news.

It makes me wonder why. This small village supplies more than 50% of the pork to Smithfield Foods in North Carolina, the proud owners of the largest pig slaughterhouse in the world. Such an achievement! They must be so proud. The biggest hog producer, as well as the nation’s leading processor of pork and packaged meats, Smithfield claims that their pigs do not have the flu. Not one of them…not one in the 14 million they raise or the 27 million pigs they own and slaughter has the flu. They claim they have all been tested.

And I am the Virgin Mary.

According to Mexican newspapers, showing the rotting corpses of pigs floating in pig waste ‘lagoons,’ Smithfield’s Granjas Carroll plant practices could most certainly have contributed to this current flu outbreak.

Let’s look at how it works with pigs, highly intelligent and gentle creatures in their own right. A pig produces, on average, three times its weight in solid waste. That’s a lot of manure. In 2003, Science magazine reported that ‘swine flu was on the evolutionary fast track’ due to the increased size of factory farms and uncontrolled waste accumulation. The best estimates put Smithfield’s waste output at 26 million tons a year. That would fill Yankee stadium 4 times. And it’s not just that there is a lot of pig manure out there, but it’s almost radioactive in its toxicity, according to environmental expert, Jeff Tietz. Ostentatious pollution, it seems is a lynch pin of Smithfield’s business model, as they allow great volumes of toxic waste to run off their sloped barn floors into the groundwater of the surrounding areas. With repeated fines from the EPA, you have to wonder what Smithfield is thinking.

Well, we know what they’re thinking. There is no possible way that they can produce in excess of 6 billion pounds of packaged pork each year without compromise to environmental standards, excessive cruelty to the animals as they are factory farmed under horrible conditions. But I guess we can’t let a little thing like human health get in the way of profit.

With 250 pound adult hogs crammed together in a tight space that has no sunlight, fresh air, earth or straw, the pigs trample each other to death. In the pits below the pens, accumulations of antibiotics, insecticides, dead piglets, afterbirth and excrement mount up. In such conditions, the gentle pigs become susceptible to infections and are shot up with antibiotics to cover their symptoms and get them to slaughter. And Smithfield tells us that there is no way that their pigs have infections? Or flu?

Now as the terror induced by the media loses strength and this latest version of swine flu looks like it will not become the pandemic of the age (sorry, CNN and Fox News…), the plight of the pig will once again recede from our consciousness. But now more than ever, we need to call for a worldwide health inquiry into the toxic conditions surrounding factory pig farming and put an end to Smithfield’s dirty little secret that threatens to create a colossal health danger.

Celebrity chef Paula Deen may look like a Southern granny with her white hair and saccharin drawl, but representing a company like Smithfield and what they do to the planet and to humans makes her anything but your neighbor over the back yard fence. She may say that she ‘puts family values ahead of her cooking values,’ but if she continues to work with a company known for cruelty to its animals and workers, pollution and violation of environmental laws…well, no wonder she needs so much butter in her cooking. She has to disguise the bad taste it leaves behind.

It’s time to step up and make choices for our health and the health of our planet. Stop swallowing (literally) all the marketing and smiling faces in the ads. Go with the truth…always…and vote with your dollar. If you want to see Smithfield make changes to how they produce, then stop buying their products and tell them why. When they see that they are losing your money, they’ll change their practices. In fact, stop buying their food-like substances all together…for all the reasons you know…saturated fat, diabetes, obesity.

Maybe one day, we’ll see the Smithfield organic broccoli farm. A girl can dream…

Love,
Christina

about food

2009-04-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hi guys-

I was thinking about food this morning…and what to blog about, when, by divine intervention, the idea was handed to me in the form of a Sunday morning magazine program.

A friend called me, screaming,’ Turn on the t.v. There’s a vegan firefighter!!!!’ Ah, I thought to myself, more press for the brilliant Rip Esselstyn, former athlete turned firefighter who changed the lives and health of his fellow firefighters at their engine house in Austin, TX. When he saw the declining health of these true heroes, he knew he had to do something, so he developed a 28-day plan designed to melt fat, lower cholesterol and prevent many of the lifestyle illnesses that plague so many Americans. His plan was so effective for his fellow firefighters, that he developed the ‘Engine 2 Diet’ cookbook.

His groundbreaking approach to weight loss and fitness? Eat a plant-based diet, no processed foods and exercise. I love this book because I love Rip’s message; I live the lifestyle he is recommending…and I adore firefighters. So I was more than happy to turn on Sunday morning television (something I HATE…) and watch Rip do his thing…and he did…and he was great. And while his Chief said she missed fried chicken and he admitted that great barbecue still smells good to him, he leaves it at the memory so that he can maintain his health and eat delicious food…it’s just different…and the results in his life are obvious.

But here is where it gets weird…and made me totally nuts…totally. While Rip spoke of the benefits of a plant-based diet and cited solid study after study about nutrition and health, his segment was inter-cut with an expert spokesperson about meat. Nancy Rodriguez, a Connecticut nutritionist whose research has been funded by the beef industry, said that meat is a healthy option in man’s diet and cited the absorption of iron as the bedrock of why people need meat. She continued that moderation is the key, that if people just ate a wee bit healthier and lost some weight, we would see the same results as we see with dietary approaches like veganism. Really? On what planet? Has she looked around and seen where this idea of change without really changing has gotten us? Does she live under a rock with no access to information about soaring healthcare costs and their direct link to the food we eat? We don’t need more healthcare; we need to take care of ourselves and it begins with what we choose to eat.

The question was then asked, why prolong life if you can’t enjoy it? Rodriguez said, ‘Those other types of pleasures that come from enjoying good quality proteins whether you’re roasting a turkey or a piece of beef, I think it would be sad to deprive ourselves of some of those things.’

Sad????? That’s her answer? And she’s a nutritionist! Heaven help us! I’d like her to tell me what the standard American diet has contributed to in terms of ‘enjoying’ life. Now I know a heart attack is every girl’s dream and cancer, well that’s a party we all want to attend, but if it means giving up all that greasy saturated fat, well, life just ain’t worth living, right?

Seriously, if we think that giving up killing and eating animals to satisfy some weirdly programmed, marketed desire in us will make us happier, then why aren’t we? If meat is the key to enjoying life and feeling fulfilled, then why, as a culture are we fat, unfit and depressed? Many of our men can’t get it up and women aren’t interested if they can. We’re sad and angry and irritable all the time. That’s what our current style of eating and living has wrought. And while some of the ‘health nuts’ in your life are a little, well, nuts (me included), they are generally slender, happier, peaceful and fitter. That’s what a diet of all those foods that take away life’s pleasures gives you.

It’s a truly sad day for us and the world when nutritionists use our battered emotions to keep us eating in a fashion that keeps their work funded. And I suppose CBS couldn’t very well have Rip Esselstyn and his doctor father talking about the perils of eating meat when advertising dollars hang in the balance. How could they justify this position to Wendy’s or McDonald’s or any of the other fast food, junk-peddling, health-robbing pirates out there masquerading as food manufacturers?

When giving up meat would make us ‘sad,’ we need to step back and see that we are being screwed…by big business, meat lobbies and advertisers. And we didn’t even get kissed.

Love,
Christina

earth day

2009-04-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i subscribe to a very cool e-newsletter called 'the daily green' and on most days, i barely have time to read it. but today, their headline was 'selling earth day.' yikes, i thought! really? but then i remembered that we market and promote everything for profit, so why not earth day?

the daily green really called a spade a spade with this one. it seems that everyone from tropicana (who will plant trees when you buy their newly re-branded products...and harvest your information for sales pitches when you enter the accompanying sweepstakes) to marcal paper products (who point out how much paper we waste in an attempt to sell their new recycled line of paper products) is out to 'sell' us on what a good job they are doing for our fragile planet. ay, ay, ay...next thing you know, we'll see an earth day festival sponsored by enron or cargill (and don't even get me started on their ads about how they love and support the small family farm...what a crock!)

i did an interview last evening with a young, inspired (and inspiring) college student who, for one of her courses, had to apply a modern problem to antiquity and find literary references to support her arguments. it was one of the most interesting interviews i have ever done. the naivete of youth is so great. as she asked me questions and i ranted about corporate greed, the corruption of our food supply, the mockery being made of healthy cooking by every corporation and self-help guru as they water down its true meaning, she listened with an intensity that i have not seen in some time. her questions were pointed and came from the place of being so young. 'so who do we turn to?' 'how do we really change this and save the planet and humanity's health?' she talked about being the butt of many a joke with friends and family because she chooses a plant based diet. (i should note that her parents are completely on board, but extended family...well...) she talked about finding answers before it's too late...and she came to her own conclusion...change must happen person to person, one at a time, a completely grassroots, independent movement to making better choices. she discovered that you must turn inward for inspiration and strength and then find a voice that resonates with you and follow that vision. she realized that change, real change is hard work.

the most inconvenient truth we face as we approach earth day is this. while it has become a day of festivals and parties (yielding, ironically, tons of trash that end up in the landfill), earth day is about commitment...commitment to preserving precious resources, to conserving energy, reducing waste, reducing your footprint and working to salvage our planet before it's too late.

so how do we really change? well, let me tell you that we won't save the planet simply by carrying canvas totes or using a sigg bottle in place of plastic ones (although they are a step in the right direction). in order to effect the kind of change that will preserve life as we know it, we need to change our food...big time; not just moving to skinless chicken breasts.

the nhs, the largest health care system in europe wants to remove meat from all hospital menus. ironically, they do not want to do this because of health, but because they discovered that their system of health care made a footprint on the planet equal to that of 18 nations...and since meat is 'not necessary in a healthy diet,' why not just take it off the menu and leave a lighter footprint behind?

so many people are realizing the truth. so many are seeing that arby's, mc donald's, wendy's, olive garden and all the other fast food, junk food-peddling hucksters behind the marketing do not have the health of america or its children at the heart of their campaigns and marketing strategies. they want your money. so since that's the case, go for it. demand better quality. let's all tell them that if they want our hard-earned dollars, they have to earn them. they have to create products, services and foods that improve our quality of life...we have to say 'enough!!!' no more foods that make us obese, unhealthy and dependent on pharmaceuticals. we have to tell them that we want healthy children and healthy lives...and a healthy planet.

so this earth day, vote with your dollar. money speaks loudly and it's the only language marketers hear...use it!

this one was for you, grace...

love,

ya' gotta wonder...

2009-04-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

so today, robert was out running and i did something i rarely do...i turned on morning tv...to gma and there was paula deen cooking up some of the unhealthiest desserts i could imagine...or even she could imagine (but then again, she did, right?). now nothing personal. paula is a nice woman, even though her southern accent gets more pronounced and louder each season.

after watching i got to thinking. you can turn on any number of cooking shows and be entertained...and even learn a thing or two about cooking...regardless of whether i like what they are cooking most of the time.

but what is the responsibility of tv chefs to the health of this country? like it or not, approve or not, tv chefs have become rock stars and while that's weird, it's true. some, like jamie oliver are using their celebrity to effect change. he works tirelessly to get better quality foods offered in the public schools in england. great work! he also works with underserved kids to give them a chance in the restaurant business...all good...for the world and jamie's karma.

at a time of life when obesity is an epidemic; when diabetes is hurtling through the population both young and old; heart disease and cancer are killing us in record numbers, isn't there a responsibility on the part of chefs who claim to teach us to cook to teach us to make healthier choices? i am not advocating all chefs turn vegan, although that would be nirvana. i am suggesting that perhaps whole sticks of butter along with heavy cream and sugar may not be the best examples of the way america needs to eat. surely, in the case of most of these chefs, one look at the size of their bodies and their bloated faces tells you that they do in fact, practice what they preach, such as it is.

look, i know this is a free country and people may say and do as they like. it's what makes us americans. but on the other hand, anyone who holds themselves up as experts have a responsibility to teach people to make choices that help them, not make matters worse. and you may say that all these cooking shows are just entertainment, but are they? cookbooks sell like mad (mine included...) so people want to cook like the chefs they love. i am just not sure that they want the bloated obesity that goes with that adoration...and i am quite certain that so many of these chefs need to re-examine their message and get on board with helping this country through the health crisis that has made health care such a burden. so much of the disease that plagues us is lifestyle based and can be avoided and alleviated if we just made healthier choices.

if people changed their diets, health care would reform itself.

love,

it's been too long...

2009-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i know; i know...it's been quite some time since i blogged...sorry about that. the month of march proved too much for me...with only 6 days at home, i spent the month traveling for my work and i just could not blog...oh, i sat in front of the computer (sometimes in the strangest places) but i just could not get anything on the screen that made sense...

but i am back...for a bit, before taking off again. so here i am, literally just off the plane from a working trip to italy (yes, i know, a dirty job...i figure if i have to work, i may as well work there...) and i am reflecting on life in italy versus life here in america.

now before anyone gets their nickers in a twist, i am not un-american. i think that our country is amazing and that the opportunity here is beyond what anyone in the world can imagine. but we have somehow lost our way. when i am in italy, life moves at a pace that feels more natural, at least to me. it's a more social way of living, more communal, more lively. when i come back to this country, i realize how isolated we are...we spend days and nights on twitter and facebook; we live in a world as small as our computer and television screens...and we're slowly becoming emotionally and spiritually bankrupt as a result.

in italy (and i am sure other countries, but italy is what i know), they don't have as much stuff as us, but they are rich beyond imagination in my view. their social culture keeps them truly connected, not just cyber connected. they spend their evenings in the local town square with friends and family, talking about life and politics and gossip and kids and family...they're not in front of their tv's (italian television is just terrible anyway...) watching news and silly reality shows...they are engaged in reality. and life is better for it.

and yes, i have a facebook page and just signed up for twitter...but they're fun. i don't consider them a part of my social life, but a way for me to be in touch with friends who are far away from me...from india to the virgin islands. i like reading what other people are doing...but neither of these fun sites satisfy me in the way that time with my loved ones does. i guess i am just more tactile and physical. i want to look into someone's eyes; hold hands; feel warmth; feel connected to a physical being.

my time in italy gives me a peace that i can't seem to find in other places. simple living, wonderful healthy food, the relaxed pace all come together to make me feel calm, centered and whole. i am more 'me' when i am there than at any other time or place in my life.

so i'm back...in full swing...and once my feet are back on the ground; the laundry is done and the mail sorted, i'll be back here telling you what i think.

be well...til then.

love,
c
ps...to scott...about olive oil...there are numerous studies showing the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil and no, you can't just add it to your diet and keep all the junk in place. certainly, it needs to take the place of other fats, none of which we should be consuming at the levels we do. dr. barnard and i have had many discussions about oil and fats, so i am well aware of his view. i passed on information i discovered. but i will assure you that i will do more research and report what i find out.

wellness

2009-02-18T11:57:00.001-08:00

hi guys-

first some more answers to questions posted on the blog site...be patient with me; i try to get to them all.

kombu is a sea plant; kombucha is a fermented tea, good for digestion. kombu is used in cooking to help tenderize beans and make them more digestible.

ah, my spoons...i love my spoons....made by jonathon's spoons...check them out at www.woodspoon.com.

so i am just back from new mexico teaching the first of many wellness workshops sponsored by campbell's soup to help kids make healthier choices and see that preparing food for themselves is not hard and can be fun.

we had 3 classes of about 25 kids each at the largest elementary school in albuquerque...the kids were spectacular, funny, engaged and completely into playing with their food! some of the salad dressings they created should be bottled and sold! their creative natures and open willingness to try new veggies they had not tasted, to mix ingredients and to create food that they wanted to eat was so much fun and so fulfilling.

the message that was loud and clear for me on this one was simple. if we engage our kids and involved them in the preparation of food, they will try just about anything. they want to learn; they want to prepare food; they want to play. i know it's more work to have the kids in the kitchen with you. it takes more time, more effort and definitely more clean-up...but i see it like this; if we can't invest time in our children's future, what is worth our time?

everyone is tired, overworked and over-scheduled and parenting is the toughest job there is...but i truly believe that if we are to save this generation of children, we need to help them find their way back to the kitchen; back to the basics of health and teach them how to feed themselves in a way that will sustain their health, their lives and their dreams.

next stop, houston...

peace and love,
c

stuff

2009-02-11T12:00:00.001-08:00

hi guys-

i know; i know...it's been way too long since i blogged, but it has been a week...or more? yikes, i have completely lost track!

some quick answers to questions i see posted. coffee...i love it, but i reserve it for a treat once a week...it's tough on the adrenals and kidneys and can make you feel chronically fatigued, so be careful with it...if you drink it regularly, wean to drinking less; otherwise headaches can result. but try to drink less...as for remedies, nope...can't really combine them...weird flavors and you will compromise their effects...the vegan cheese i use is made by 'follow your heart.' i love it because it's pretty pure, ingredient-wise and actually has a nice flavor and is low in fat...it's soy based so i use it occasionally.

okay, today's point.

yesterday was a most amazing day. my mentor, bill tara...you have all heard me speak of him...came to philly to create the pilot episode for the new public radio show we are developing. it's called 'well, well, well' and bill will be my co-host. my gratitude to him is without bounds. i remember when i was new to teaching and i had hit a spot of pretty tough adversity...i was thinking about quitting teaching altogether. i was at a conference and i will never forget bill's support and guidance that kept me in the game...and here we are...after all these years, working together. by the way, if you have not gotten his new book yet, get it...'natural body, natural mind.' if you have trouble finding it, we'll be adding it to my site soon.

the show will be a magazine format with lots of segments on healthy living...food, natural health, green living and politics...there will be experts, recipes, interviews, jokes and lots of great information for you to use in your life.

we hope to have the show on the air by next year, so i will keep you posted...i know i am jumping the gun on telling you about it, but i am excited and soooooo thrilled to be adding radio to our repertoire...and since the pilot went so well, i just had to tell you.

so i am off to new mexico to teach healthy cooking at an elementary school in a partnership with campbell's soup, who are committed to helping kids make better choices...yep, you heard me! it's been quite an experience to work with them to develop this program and this school is the first of 6 across the country that i will visit.

so i'll tell you all about it when i get back next week!

have a great week!

being a part of the process

2009-01-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

i just got back from a day in washington, d.c. i was invited to present oral testimony to the senate advisory committee on the new dietary guidelines being issued in 2010. i have to say that i was a nervous wreck...and worked my butt off on research and ideas for my 3 minutes. intimidating would be the best word to describe the experience...until i actually started talking and realized that the entire committee really wanted to hear what i (and all the other people there) had to say...they really wanted to hear our views and our ideas...

just to be a part of that process is amazing. i am not a wild, blind, flag-waving patriot, but i admit to being unbelievably impressed with the fact that we have a government that allows us to speak to them...even if we think they don't listen.

the gist of what i said was simple...that it's time to wake up and smell the toast...that with just one look around at the health (and weight) of the american population to see that the current guidelines are not actually guiding us to health...

so i talked about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. my colleagues of the day included dr neal barnard, the president and founder of physicians' committee for responsible medicine (pcrm.org) and a variety of other nutritionists and activists for the cause of creating awareness for eating a truly healthy diet...a plant-based diet.

and i talked about advertisers and how they confuse the american public by showing fit, slim, healthy people eating junk food...but when most people eat it, well, we know how they end up looking and feeling...

i ended up by saying that there is nothing we can't achieve if we are healthy...and that we will achieve little if we are not...i asked the committee not to turn 'yes, we can' into a campaign slogan, because if we aren't healthy, well...'no, we can't.'

it was so much fun and humbling and awe-inspiring...i was honored to be asked, honored to be a small part of what could be a big change in the way we nourish ourselves.

what a day!!!!!!!

2009-01-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

well, i have stopped crying long enough watching the inspiring inauguration of our next president to blog for a few seconds.

my husband says that none of you care about my politics and that you want me to talk about food and health. well, to me, part of being whole and healthy is being an active part of your community and working each and every day to create the kind of world we want to live in.

the election of this new president tells us that when we come together as a unified people and speak with one voice; when we unite and work for the change we want...we are a force of nature and we become the change we wish to see in the world.

imagine if we applied that same fervor, that same inspired passion to changing the quality of food we consume and feed to our families and loved ones (you know i was going to bring this back to food...). if we decided that enough was enough, that we would no longer accept poor quality food just because it was cheap and easy...if we decided that we would only accept the very best quality that our farmers, producers and manufacturers could produce, what changes would we see then?

would we see a world free of so many of the ills that plague us? would we see less add-hd, less type 2 diabetes, less arthritis, less indigestion, less sexual dysfunction, less obesity, gorgeous skin and hair, truly graceful aging?

we'll only know if we come together, as we have in this election of barack obama, this vote for change and become the change we want to see in our food...

see ya.'

oy vey, oprah!

2009-01-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

first, let me apologize for being so long in between blogs, but...i have had this awful cold-flu-plague that is floating around the universe...but i am getting back on my feet slowly, so here i am...

second, those of you who posted questions...i will answer them in an entry tomorrow on this blog, cool?

and now...the rant...just about all my students watch oprah and ask me what i think...i don't really watch her too often, but when i read about her life makeover series because she has gained weight...again...i thought i would watch and see what was up.

well, i suffered through all of last week's touchy-feely, love yourself as you are, money advice, sex advice and advice on how to attract what you want. i watched oprah 'out' herself and her lack of control over eating and food. i watched dr oz (with great interest...i do love his work...) talk about the non-benefits of not eating well...i watched bob greene talk about the disconnect between weight gain and lifestyle and the role of exercise...

and today, oprah is talking to people who have lost weight and gained it back...from a body builder to a biggest loser winner who has gained it all back. she just finished talking with a woman who has learned about foreplay. and now she is talking about her thyroid problem...again...

so here we are, in day 6 of this best life makeover series that has placed its focus on making the body healthy, strong, fit and not fat...and what has been missing in each and every episode? what factor has not been addressed (that i have seen...and i did miss some...)? food...no one that i have seen has talked about food.

yes, there is more to weight loss than food. there is more to finding your ideal weight than what you eat. but without the foundation of a healthy, whole, unprocessed, natural diet, you will spend your life on that carousel of weight loss and gain. you will struggle constantly. in order for us to achieve health, vitality and our ideal weight, the formula is simple...we need to eat very well...meaning a plant-based diet of whole, unprocessed, natural foods...we need to exercise every day...we need to live naturally, as humans were meant to live, which means, in my view...working hard, playing hard and resting in balance...being a part of a community, having a purpose, making a difference...

look, i think that oprah does great work in the world and is most likely a fine human...so, if i could speak to her, i would say only this...relax; stop fighting and laying the blame on self-esteem and self-love; lay the blame where it lies, on your dinner plate. your food choices will give you the clarity you need to discover the path of diet and exercise that will get and keep you where you want to be.

talk to you later...

it's a new day

2008-12-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

well, here we go...it's almost 2009, a year when history will be made in many ways. a new president will take his place in washington and ask us to become better people; to work for the good of us all; to create community and support each other. it is a year when we will be asked to help those around us who may be less fortunate or weaker.

to do that huge job, we will need our health. we will need strength, clarity of thought and vitality. it's no small task to change the world, but america is at a tipping point and change is all that will save us from ourselves. the era of poor politics, over-consumption, materialism and obsession with celebrity and 'stuff' is over. it's time to stop taking and time to begin giving back. it's time to lift the burden off our planet and treat her with the kindness and generosity she always shows us...no matter what we do.

it's time to get back to the basics of truly living well...and it begins in the kitchen, where we create delicious meals from whole, unprocessed, seasonal (as much as possible) ingredients prepared in balance with who we are and what we want to achieve in life. health begins in the kitchen. vitality comes with every saute, every simmering pot, every fragrant stew that you serve to those you love.

in times like we face, we need strength of mind and body to overcome and rise to new levels of greatness. eating dead, processed junk food will never give us the wings we need to soar to those heights. humble, natural food prepared by our hands, in our homes is the ticket to health and wellness.

enjoy a great 2009...i wish you all peace, prosperity and togetherness...because after all, what happens to one of us happens to us all.

enjoy this quick dish and give your energy a lift!

Orecchiette with Green Olive Pesto

Makes 4 servings

Green Olive Pesto
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, left whole
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
¼ cup pitted green olives (Niçoise are best)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 oil-cured black olives, pitted, very finely minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
2 cups orecchiette, cooked al dente, ¼ cup pasta cooking water reserved
4 basil sprigs, for garnish

Make pesto: Combine garlic, shallot, green olives, parsley and basil in a food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop. With the motor running, slowly add olive oil and process until fully incorporated into the olive mixture, but do not over-process. This should be a coarse pesto, not smooth.
Heat a deep skillet over medium heat and add pesto, black olives, salt and tomatoes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in orecchiette and pasta cooking water and cook, stirring, until the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes more. Serve hot, garnished with basil sprigs.

ps...to erica...jon is a friend from nashville, whose talent i admired and wanted to share with everyone...robert pirello is my most cherished and adored husband of 21 years...

soy vey!

2008-12-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

so i was teaching a class the other night and someone asked the question i have been asked about 10,000 times...is soy healthy?

i know that information is confusing and conflicting. some 'experts' say soy is grand and healthy, the second coming of food and others weigh in that soy will...oh, i don't know...make our brains smaller, our sex life disappear, our breast cancer become virulent and life as we know it will end.

i'm being sarcastic, obviously, but soy vey, what a big to-do over the humble soybean. so let me explain with the information that i have gathered over the years...and then the decision to soy or not to soy is up to you.

soybeans and their byproducts as food sources are ancient, with their beginning in ancient china. from edamame, tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, natto, soymilk, miso and dried soybeans, this incredible bean gave us concentrated nutrition in the form of protein, fiber, carbohydrates and other essential nutrients...and these little beans still do...and they're low in fat and easy to use.

as time went on and we discovered 'nutrionism,' breaking all our food down into its teensiest nutrients, we made note of the soybean's concentrated levels of compounds called phyto-nutrients, which are present in all plant foods...but soy was a bit unique in that one of the phyto-nutrients it contained came to be known as phyto-estrogen, which led people to believe that it is a plant form of estrogen. and the problems began...

as marketers discovered this information, soy became an ingredient in everything from hand cream to energy bars, soups, salad dressing, cereal, bread and pastry...yikes! but how did they do that? how did they get tofu into every single product we purchased (and marketed to women...). well, they didn't. they took a chemically compromised version of soy protein and put that in all those products...and if that wasn't enough, they began cultivating genetically modified versions of soybeans...and they marketed them to us in droves, so now, as a culture, we were sucking down more soy that mother nature ever really intended.

so simple, pure, nutritious soybeans, meant to be a part of a healthy diet have become the bane of our existence.

is there anything wrong with eating edamame, tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, soymilk, natto or dried soybeans when they are in their natural, organic form? nope. should you eat these pure products every single day? nope.

so here is my scoop, if you will on soy. in it's pure, organic form, soybeans are just fine for your health. do you really think that tofu is the reason for the increase in the rates of breast cancer? trust me; there are not enough people eating tofu for that to be true.

tofu and tempeh and soymilk are quite tempting to be an everyday thing, aren't they? it doesn't get easier, really. with those ingredients and a few veggies, you have dinner in minutes. but try not to fall into that trap.

in my view, the healthiest way to incorporate soy into your diet and to benefit from all of its nutrition is to use it 2-3 times a week, in the form of tofu, tempeh or soymilk...not three times each, in total. on top of that, using miso occasionally, soy sauce, natto and other forms of pure soybeans are just fine.

if edamame keep you out of the chip bag, let them be your treat once a week.

compromised soy products like that found in a lot of processed foods, even natural ones, should be skipped over in my view. those isolated soy compounds are soooooo far from what nature created that it should come as no surprise that they can compromise your health.

should you eat soy if you have breast cancer? only you can make that call...i know what i think...see above...but you have to be comfortable with your choices. do some research; read; study and then make an informed choice. i can tell you this. phyto-estrogen doesn't behave in the body as estrogen. it behaves as your body's own estrogen receptor cells behave, meaning that they do the same job...which is this. when a body needs estrogen, estrogen receptor cells open and search the body for estrogen sources to keep the body hormonally balanced. if the body has more estrogen than it needs, then estrogen receptor cells 'close,' blocking the absorption of this excess estrogen, again making the body hormonally balanced.

but will soy shrink your brain? or bring on dementia? kill your sex drive and your kids? will it give you cancer? no...and it won't wax your car, either.

have a lovely christmas!

tis the season

2008-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

sorry to be late this week...it's been one of those, ya' know?

quick answers to some questions before the blog...

kombucha is a very good thing...if you can get it down, which i can't...hahahahahahahahaha...my hubby swears by it and i know it's completely healthy, but it's too strong for me...

raw spinach is the best way to eat it, as long as you wash it well...using it raw inhibits the release of oxylic acid that can inhibit your body's ability to use calcium, so have at it...raw mushrooms, i am not so sure...organic or not, i lean toward cooking...but if they are clean, you might be okay...

okay, now...it's the holidays and i have been working like crazy, which is normal and i love my work and am completely blessed, so i have no complaints.

but i have been thinking...in these economic times, most of us can't shop like we usually do for christmas (that may be a good thing...) and many are wondering what they can do to make the holidays special without a lot of stuff.

in our house, we spend most of our holiday money on food and having people over...a lot...it seems to me that i am having people over for meals more than i go out...making a meal for friends and loved ones allows you to nurture in a way that no gift could. and if you can't have people over, then make some delicious food and knock on a neighbor's door and share it.

if cooking is not your thing, then try doing a good deed for someone each day of this glorious season...you will find yourself doing it all year round, trust me. run an errand for an elderly neighbor; watch a busy mom's kids for an hour so she can hit the gym or get a manicure; do someone's grocery shopping; bake cookies for a friend or your child's class...and if all this fails, just smile at a stranger...you will make their day...and yours.

enjoy the season...for all the right reasons.

Q and A

2008-12-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

well, first let me say thanks for all your questions, because i was wracking my brain to find a topic to write about, but with all of your queries posted, i think i will just go for some of them and see if i can't give you the guidance you are looking for...i'll rant about the commercialism of the holidays next time...hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

okay, first agave nectar is a sweetener made from cactus...it has a very similar nutritional profile to brown rice syrup, but the texture is a bit looser and to me, it is much sweeter, but it works just fine in any recipe that has rice syrup in it with great results.

now on to cranberry sauce or chutney, whatever we are calling it...christea, your recipe looks just fine and no one should notice too much difference if you use agave...but...and this is big...if you use agave or rice syrup, the texture will be much looser as you noticed, so you might want to ditch the orange juice and just use orange zest...you may find that the texture is chunkier, which is what you want, i think. as for the grand marnier, well, it's a bit of an indulgence, but it's the holiday, so enjoy it if your family loves that flavor...

the pumpkin squares should have turned out fine with the eden blend...it is part soy and part amasake, so you should have had nice results...the only thing i can think of is that the amasake is sweeter than the blend and you may have lost sweetness in changing up...but just adjust your spices, vanilla and add a touch more sweetener and you should be just fine.

now on to my knives...which i love, love, love...i have used a lot of different knives over the years, but none have won my heart quite like the ceramic blades from kyocera...i love them so much; i wish i could permanently attach them to my hand, but i suppose that could be dangerous! anyhow, i love their light weight; i can work all day with them. i love their razor sharp edges...i love the fine work and delicate slicing i can do without effort. they are expensive; i will admit, but to me, they are the tools of my trade and i think that they are well worth the investment...and since they do not need sharpening for several years, they are pretty much perfect in my view.

h-h-m-m-m-m-m-m-m...i think i have covered all the questions posted...let me know if i missed any...and i will be back blogging soon...

be well and enjoy this glorious season.

gratitude

2008-11-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

hi guys-

i will be short and sweet this week, as i am headed to the cape for the holiday and computer access there is sketchy at best...which is something to be grateful for now and again...hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

so, i wanted to tell you all that i am grateful for your posts and emails and interest in all that i have to say. i am grateful for all my blessings, challenges, friends, family and adversaries; for all thing sweet and bitter; for success and failure; for good times and bad...

i am grateful for each day and the privilege of creating another adventure.

enjoy your many blessings this thanksgiving.

ps...in answer to some questions posted...to order the new book, this crazy vegan life, until it is posted on the site, call the office at 800-939-3909...

meg, there are cultures within countries that raise their children as vegans, but i do not know of entire countries that do...

and to 'c' i am thrilled you enjoy the recipes...

oh, one last thing...here is my thanksgiving menu...in case you are interested.

Golden Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ (one half) cup semolina or quinoa flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
generous pinch sea salt
generous pinch ground cinnamon
3-4 tablespoons avocado oil
1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 cup, smoothly mashed, cooked sweet potato*
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 375o and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and whisk briskly. Cut in oil with a fork or pastry cutter to form the texture of wet sand. Add the apple juice, sweet potato and rice syrup, mixing to form a soft dough. Fold in pecans, working to incorporate them into the dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in just enough flour so the dough loses its stickiness. With floured hands, press the dough into a 2/3-inch thick rectangle. Using a glass or cookie cutter, cut the dough into 16 biscuits, re-forming dough as needed to use it all. (Note: when cutting the biscuits, do not turn the cutter, simply press straight down into the dough. Turning will remove air from the biscuits, leaving them heavy). Arrange cut biscuits on lined sheet about an inch apart. Bake 15-18 minutes or until the biscuits puff slightly and they spring back to the touch (or a toothpick inserted comes out clean).
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot. Makes about 16 biscuits.
*You can also use canned pumpkin for these to save time.

Creamy Mushroom Soup
Extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
sea salt
2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, diced
6-8 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup until tender, thinly sliced (soaking water reserved
10-12 ounces button mushrooms, brushed free of dirt, thinly sliced
¼ cup mirin
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 teaspoons sweet white miso
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced

Place a small amount of oil, garlic and onion in a soup pot and turn heat to medium. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes more. Stir in shiitake and button mushrooms, a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute more. Add shiitake soaking water, mirin and almond milk, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until mushrooms are quite tender, about 25 minutes. Remove a small amount of hot broth and dissolve miso. Stir back into soup and cook over very low heat, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes to activate the enzymes in the miso. Serve garnished with fresh parsley. Makes 4-5 servings.

Stuffed Winter Squash
1 large winter squash-buttercup, hokkaido, hubbard work best
spring or filtered water
avocado oil

To begin, remove the top of the squash, jack-o-lantern style, so that you can scoop out the seeds and pulp. Replace the top and lightly oil the outer skin. Place in a baking dish with about 1/2-inch water. Bake at 325o, uncovered for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing the stuffing.

Sourdough Stuffing
1 large sourdough loaf, crusts removed and cubed
1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cups diced celery
1 cup button mushrooms, brushed clean and diced
1 cup tempeh, or seitan, cubed and pan-fried until golden
1/2 cups pine nuts, lightly pan-toasted (optional)
soy sauce
fresh grated ginger juice (optional)
small handful flat leaf parsley-minced
spring or filtered water

Preheat oven to 300o and arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet. Bake until bread dries slightly.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes. Add celery and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 7 minutes. Combine bread cubes, sauteed vegetables, fried tempeh, pine nuts, soy sauce and ginger juice to taste and parsley. Slowly add water, while mixing until a soft stuffing forms. Allow to cool completely.
To stuff squash, pack filling firmly into the opening, until firmly stuffed. Replace the squash top and place in a baking dish with a small amount of water to tenderize the squash. Raise oven temperature to 350o, cover and bake until squash pierces easily with a fork.
The exact baking time will vary, depending on the size of the squash, anywhere from 1-3 hours. (Note that any filling that doesn't fit in the squash can be baked separately in a casserole for about 35 minutes.)

Rice Pilaf
1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 carrot, diced
small handful slivered almonds
small handful dried cranberries, unsweetened
1 cup long grain or basmati brown rice
1/4 cup wild rice
sea salt
3 cups spring or filtered water

In a deep, heavy pot, heat the oil. Saute the onion with a pinch of salt until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the almonds and cranberries and saute until well-coated with oil. Stir in the balance of veggies and saute with a pinch of salt for 1-2 minutes more. Spread the vegetables evenly over the bottom of the pot and top with the rices. Gently add the water and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir well and remove to a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.

Artichoke Salad with Greens and Figs
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thin half moon slices
sea salt
8-10 marinated artichoke hearts, split in half lengthwise
1 red pepper, roasted over an open flame, peeled, seeded, sliced into thin ribbons

dressing
juice of 2 limes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons umeboshi or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup or honey
generous pinch black pepper

2 bunches watercress, stem tips trimmed, left whole
8-10 fresh figs, split lengthwise
2-3 fresh scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Place a small amount of oil, garlic and onion in a skillet and turn heat to medium. When the onions begin to sizzle, add a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in artichoke hearts and red pepper ribbons and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes more.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together lime juice, oil, ume vinegar and rice syrup, adjusting seasonings to taste.
To plate the dressing, arrange watercress on a platter, with figs around the rim. Spoon sautéed artichoke heart mixture over the top and drizzle lightly with dressing, serving the balance of the dressing on the side for those who want to use more. Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately after dressing. Makes 5-6 servings.
Note: If fresh figs are not available, use dried figs, but soak them.

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, tips trimmed, crosses cut into the bottoms of each
2 red onions, thick wedges
2-3 sweet potatoes, split lengthwise, ½-inch thick half moons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
grated zest of 2 lemons
½ (one half) cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey
juice of one half lemon
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced

Preheat oven to 350o.
Place all the vegetables in a mixing bowl and add oil, a generous sprinkling of salt, lemon zest, wine and rice syrup. Mix well to coat. Arrange vegetables in a large baking dish, avoiding overlap. Cover with foil and bake until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking until vegetables are browned and liquid has turned to a syrup, 10-15 minutes more. Remove from heat and squeeze lemon juice over top. Sprinkle with parsley and toss gently to coat. Serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.

Creole-Style Hummus with Pita Chips
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed well
½ (one half) cup avocado oil
½ (one half) cup sesame tahini
juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 teaspoon brown rice syrup or honey
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ (one half) teaspoon chili powder
½ (one half) teaspoon black pepper
½ (one half) teaspoon ground ginger
sea salt

Pita chips
4 whole wheat pita breads
Avocado oil
paprika

Place all ingredients, except salt in a food processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt; adjust seasoning to taste and puree, slowly adding water to achieve a creamy consistency.
To make the pita chips, preheat oven to 375o and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice pita bread into 8 triangular wedges and arrange on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake until crisp, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a basket.
Transfer to a serving bowl, with pita chips on the side. Makes 3-4 cups of hummus.

Mincemeat-less Pie
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried apricots
3 cups apple juice
pinch sea salt
4 cups tart apples, cored and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons red miso
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water or juice
2 tablespoons fresh grated orange peel
1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup walnuts-pan toasted and broken into small pieces
1 recipe pie dough (see below)

Soak the raisins and apricots together in the apple juice for 6-8 hours. In an uncovered pot, place the soaked fruit, the soaking water, salt and apple pieces. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour. Remove a bit of hot juice and dissolve the miso. Stir into the pot and simmer for 15 minutes more. Mix the spices in very well and then stir in dissolved kuzu until the mixture thickens. Finally, stir in the orange and lemon peel, the orange juice and the walnuts. Set aside to cool as you prepare the pie crust. Makes 1 pie, about 10 servings.
When making this pie, I like to prepare it as a single crust pie, but you may also prepare double the recipe and make a lattice top. One other thing, this recipe makes really beautiful miniature tartlets, as well as a full-sized pie.

Streusel Topped Pumpkin Pie
2 ½ cups pureed pumpkin (cooked fresh or unsweetened canned pumpkin)
pinch sea salt
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ (one half) cup brown rice syrup or honey
generous pinch ground cinnamon
scant pinch allspice
3 tablespoons agar flakes
3 tablespoons arrowroot, dissolved in small amount cold water

pie crust
1 ½ (one half) cups whole wheat pastry flour
pinch sea salt
¼ cup avocado oil
spring or filtered water

streusel topping
½ (one half) cup whole wheat pastry flour
pinch sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ (one half) cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3-4 tablespoons brown rice syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 350o and lightly oil a deep-dish glass pie plate.
Place all filling ingredients, except kuzu, in a saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, whisking frequently, until agar is dissolved, about 20 minutes. When the agar is dissolved, whisk in arrowroot mixture and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Make the crust by combining flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in oil with a fork or pastry cutter to create the texture of wet sand. Slowly add water, mixing until dough gathers into a cohesive ball. Roll out between 2 sheets of parchment, creating a thin round that is about an inch larger than the pie plate. Transfer piecrust to pie plate and fit into crevices without stretching, allowing excess to hang over the edges. Fold excess crust up over the rim and using your fingers, crimp into a decorative edge. Pierce in several places with a fork and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Spoon filling evenly into crust and set aside.
Make the streusel by combining flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Fold in pecans, oil and rice syrup and mix until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle generously over the pumpkin filling, covering completely.
Place the pie on a baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until the edges of the filling are set and the topping is browned and crunchy. Transfer pie to a cooling rack and allow to stand for 15-30 minutes before slicing. Makes 8-10 servings.

eggs

2008-11-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

okay, real sister...here i am with your answer about eggs...2 posts in a day is unusual for me, but you need an answer.

i hear you...i used to feel really good when i ate eggs, too, but i found other ways to get that same feeling because i do not want to eat animal foods of any kind.

that said, eggs are the least offensive to your health, when eaten in moderation, which means about once a week. from a health standpoint, eggs offer the most concentrated protein you can imagine, but it is in the form of an unborn chicken, so the body can handle it better than meat. that said, that level of protein can create a lot of trouble for you.

remember that the body wants mostly carbohydrates for fuel, followed by fat using protein for fuel only when it is desperate, which for most of us, isn't that often. the body uses a lot of resources to digest animal protein and over time that can exhaust the kidneys and liver.

so, from a standpoint of the body, eggs are the least offensive, but not at all the health food they are touted to be.

does that help?

it's here

2008-11-13T13:33:00.001-08:00

hi guys-

so imagine my delight the other day. it's a gorgeous autumn afternoon and i am working away on a new chocolate cookie recipe, which i will share when it is perfected. the doorbell rings and it's my very cool ups man with a package from the penguin group, my publisher. i think to myself 'what are they sending me now?' thinking it will be yet another cookbook to add to my collection, i tear open the package to find the very first copy of my new book, 'this crazy vegan life.' i wasn't expecting it for another 2 weeks and here it was, in my hands.

as usual, when i get the first copy of a new book i have written, i teared up for a minute to see that all the work and recipe testing has come to fruition yet again. and no matter how many books i write (there are 6 in all, counting co-authoring...), it is so emotional for me to see it as a book...to see it on bookstore shelves...on amazon.com...and to see people buy and enjoy them.

this book is very special to me and very personal. i have been a vegan for 25 years now, but i really was not so vocal about my choices. even on the show, i usually just don't cook with any animal products, but i never chose to label it. but with this book, my crazy vegan life is front and center and i share it all...how to get started, stay inspired and cook amazing food.

exercise has always played a big role in my life, but an injury caused me to stop working out and i learned the hard lesson that if you go from active to not, you will gain weight. so after i healed, i needed to get in shape...i began to work with my amazing trainer, anthony molino and together, we whipped this body back into shape and then some.

i share all my ups and downs and experiences in this book, along with the exercise program that got me into shape, losing 10 pounds and a dress size in 3 weeks...and now you can, too.

look, i know that we are in hard economic times...this mess has affected everyone in every way. but now, more than ever, it's important that we invest in our health and do our best to prevent illness and disease. 'this crazy vegan life' can help you do just that.

but you can do more than invest in your own future. you can invest in our kids, too. simply go to my website and click your way to the new book. you will see 2 options. you can just order the book for $18.95 and enjoy it...or you can purchase an autographed copy for $25 and $10 will go toward the work of my non-profit, the christina pirello health education initiative, dedicated to changing the health of our kids.

so you decide...either way, you will have invested in health...

be well and i will speak with you soon.

Yes We Did

2008-11-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

hi guys!

it was a long campaign, but one of the most inspiring times of my life. i have been politically active for most of my life, it seems. i was raised by a conservative father and a radically liberal mother, so you can just imagine the lively dinner conversations. the result? i developed an acute political awareness a long time ago.

however, i became jaded as i watched our government work for fewer and fewer citizens and grow more and more corrupt and broken. i watched us wage war unprovoked and ignore the pleadings of citizens in need.

i was...and am...a supporter of the spirit of the barack obama campaign (and now presidency) and the heart and promise it has brought to america. i love the idea of an america where liberals and conservatives, republicans and democrats, fundamentalists and athiests, pro-life and pro-choice can set aside their differences and agree to disagree while we all work together as americans to recreate the country we know can exist, the country we love. president-elect obama gives us the promise...and opportunity of just that.

i like john mc cain. his service to this country is incredibly honorable and i think his heart belongs to serving others. in the 2000 campaign, i admired his integrity and hated how his fellow republicans sullied his reputation with lies and innuendo.

but this campaign gave me hope and inspiration. barack obama, our president-elect, presented himself to his fellow citizens with humility and authority, with grace and serenity, with an impression of sure-handed leadership...and has told us that he needs our help to return our country to greatness.

so let's join in the celebration of this new president and work together as americans.

Coming Together!!!

2008-11-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!
Sorry to have been away from blogging so long, but I have been working on this historic election. And today is the day...so go vote!!!! No matter your view, this has been the most exciting election in years. What a ride!

My husband is constantly telling me that people don’t want to hear my political views; they want to hear what I think about food and living a healthy life. Well, as much as I love my husband (and I do adore him), I think that part of living a healthy life is working to make a difference…and not just in our personal health.

Whether the outcome of this historic moment leaves you feeling like damage has been done, undone or just begun, by this time tonite, it will be done. I have been politically active for most of my adult life and never thought I would see the day, in this fine country, when people of opposing views treated each other like mortal enemies instead of simply people of differing ideas and direction for our country. I never thought I would see the day when people feared for their safety…and that of their family…if they spoke out on an issue, regardless of their position.

It seems to me, as I move through my days, that the ‘threat of terrorism’ and 'patriotism,' have made bad behavior permissible once again, racism, cruelty, ignorance and violence. It seems that our basic civilities are eroding, along with our civil rights.

Our comfortable, secure lifestyle has been forever changed and whatever the outcome of this economic crisis, it does not give us the right to threaten each other or those running for public office. It does not give us the right to deride people of differing opinions, either liberal or conservative. It does not give us the right to divide our great country out of fear.

We live in a wonderful melting pot of a country; we all want the same things, good lives, simple abundance and a safe existence. We can never have that if we continue to abuse each other over our differences. We can never have that if we continue to pull apart, instead of together. We can never have that if we don’t embrace our neighbors, speak up and take action when we see injustice. We, as citizens, must work together. Debate is one thing…I love a good discussion with someone of differing ideologies. I always learn something. But derision is quite another matter.

It’s time to step up and create the communities we want to live in. Ours is a country built on revolution and action. Any change for the better has begun with the people of this land speaking out and saying ‘enough!’ Help to create the change you want to see.

Remember these great words as you go through your days…they are words that are at the core of who we are as Americans: ‘I may disagree with your views, but I will fight to the death for your right to have them.’

There is no time to lose. We have a lot of work to do…to get our country back on track…and regardless of who will carry the burden of the Presidency, we must work together as one people and we must be healthy and fit to meet the challenges we face.

on cooking

2008-10-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i just left a meeting in which i found myself babbling on and on about the passion and joy of cooking. at some point, i regained my lucidity and realized that the person i was with was staring at me, eyes glazed over...i had lost her somewhere along in my reverie.

it occurred to me as it has millions of times over the years, that a lot of people don't share my passion for cooking. and it baffled me, as it has millions of times over the years.

i have cooked for most of my life, beginning as a young girl at my mother's side, absorbing every detail of what she did as she prepared meals for our family. i cooked my way through school, cooked to support my life as an artist, cooked for friends and family, cooked for the sheer joy of cooking. i love the entire process, from shopping to cleaning up. i always have and i pray i always will.

now i surely have days when i lack inspiration and when i can not, for the life of me, figure out what to make for dinner, but nine out of ten days, you will find me in my kitchen, happily slicing, dicing, sauteing and simmering my way to another meal that will bring a smile to my husband's face.

i cook for friends, family, students and strangers. i love what i do and am blessed to live the life that i do.

so how do you develop that love of cooking? is it genetic? is it like opera? you may learn to appreciate it, but you either love it or you don't? cooking is not rocket science; it's an art form. cooking allows us to free our passions and create. with fresh natural ingredients, cooking inspires us to our greater selves. our intuition is in high gear as we subtly coax every nuance of flavor from a dish.

cooking is the ultimate form of self-love. i am not sure what it says when people hate cooking. sure, it's work; it can be hot and sweaty and dirty...and sexy. the key to great cooking is simple...master some basic skills (like figuring out which knife to hold and where the stove is located) and then cook with ingredients that inspire you, that draw you in. walk through the produce section of your market and breathe in the life around you. choose the food that intrigues you; try new things.

then go into the kitchen; roll up your sleeves; get your hands dirty and your face a little sweaty. inhale the perfume of the dishes as they bubble on the stove. watch the food transform under your hand as you gently stir and saute.

and as you eat, allow the food to transform you. be the change you want to see in the world...begin in your kitchen.

see ya.'

on human health

2008-10-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i just finished a new book yesterday called 'natural body, natural mind' by bill tara. it just so happens that bill was one of my original teachers of macrobiotics and one of my mentors...to this day. within the macrobiotic community, there is no one i respect more and no one who makes more sense. not enslaved to dogma for the sake of dogma, bill has always been...for me...the voice of reason in a sometimes unreasonable lifestyle.

in this new book, bill boils down the theories of macrobiotics so that they apply to modern life in a way that is inspiring, creative, entertaining and nothing short of eye-opening. one read of this book and you will discover that you play more than a minor role in what ails you...or doesn't ail you.

i love the way i live my life, working each and every day to impart information that as bill says 'creates a new vision of human health.' we all struggle with living naturally and in harmony with nature in an increasingly un-natural world. simple, natural eating has to be at the foundation of all that we hope to build in life.

we see the effects of our excesses every day, but it has been brought sharply into focus for me with the current economic crisis. people are losing their homes, can't afford health care, are having their credit frozen. do we think that this just happened? that we are somehow victims? while scheming bankers and loan sharks (yes, some of these guys could be...) are responsible for damage, so are each and every one of us. we all contributed to creating a society that consumed 'stuff' faster than a dyson on turbo suck. we eat too much; drive cars that are too big; consume more energy, water and resources than we are entitled to by nature. we buy the newest games, shoes, bags, computers, phones, clothes...the planet is groaning under the weight of our excess. and somehow, in all this, we deluded ourselves into thinking that it could go on unchecked forever...that it wouldn't all blow up.

this economic trial can work for us or against us...we can make ourselves sick over what we can't buy anymore or we can turn this situation into a way to create a simple and satisfying life. we can return to the basics of eating, real food, not so much and mostly plants. we can make this a time that we turn to our neighbors and friends and reverse the trend of pollution and destruction on our planet. we can take this time to reconnect with our society and emerge stronger and more committed to balanced living.

as we all struggle with the uncertainty that we face, let's pull together and help each other through...with a hot meal and warm bed for someone less fortunate...with a ride to the store for a friend who may not be able to afford the gas. times like these can show us to be people of strength and character or it can bring out the worst we have to show.

look, we all love nice stuff...but nice stuff doesn't necessarily make for a nice life. good natural food, robust health, balance and loving relationships do...maybe they can become our new goals.

see you next time.

on giving

2008-10-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i was wondering what to blog about today when i was sent this glorious poem by kahil gibran...enjoy...and live by these words...your world and the world around you will be the better for it.

On Giving
You give but little when you give of your possessions.
It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.
For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?
And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?
And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?
There are those who give little of the much which they have--and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue; They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.
Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.
It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding; And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.
And is there aught you would withhold? All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.
You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving."
The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.
Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights, is worthy of all else from you.
And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.
And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?
And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?
See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.
And you receivers... and you are all receivers... assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.
Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings; For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.

italian feasting

2008-10-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

a few months ago, i was teaching on a costa cruise ship and battling seasickness when a lovely woman approached me after a cooking class and introduced herself as chef mario batali's sister. she handed me a sheaf of papers and told me that i had been invited to be the guest chef at an italian festival in seattle. my first thought was to say yes because it was on solid ground and i would not be at the mercy of the waves of the ocean. i thanked her and told her i would check my schedule.

once home, i came across the papers and headed on over to the website of the festa and checked it out. after reading about this celebration of all things italian, i could not wait to say yes, yes, yes...or si, si, si, as my italian friend, elisabetta says.

well, many months later, i have just returned from working as the guest chef at this festa. i can honestly say that i have never had so much fun at an event in my life. not only well-run, this festa brought together the best of 'la dolce vita' and made it accessible to everyone interested in the experience of italian living.

as i worked at this event, amid thousands of italian people (and some non-italians, too...), i learned so much about my ancestry. i discovered why we behave the way we do, where our passion comes from, where our love of food comes from, why italians are as committed to great food as they are...why italian food is so delicious...why italians are so colorful and do what we do...and why people are so enchanted with italian food, wine and life.

i have always loved italian food for its simplicity...its commitment to natural, fresh ingredients and most important, the commitment italians have to eating together...i love being in italy and experiencing that commitment to the table.

this festa confirmed my belief that a truly good life begins in the kitchen and culminates at the table, where we learn everything from social skills to justice to grace. it's time for each of us to begin to honor that moment in our days...to go back into the kitchen, create delicious, simple food from natural, seasonal, fresh ingredients and dine with those we love around our tables.

so whether you are italian, wish you were or have nothing to do with italian living, get your butt in the kitchen and make dinner...or lunch...or whatever and sit and enjoy your own little slice of 'la dolce vita.

celiac awareness

2008-09-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

tonight is an exciting night for us at 'christina cooks.' i have been asked to host a big event at our wachovia center here in philly sponsored by the national celiac awareness foundation. i have worked with them before and this will prove to be an amazing night.

called 'appetite for awareness,' this event has attracted 40 area chefs who will seduce attendees with the most delicious food...all gluten-free. in case you are not aware, people with celiac disease become deathly ill if they eat gluten...and the problem is genetic with no cure...it is easy to live with, requiring some creativity and accommodations, but people with celiac can live wonderful...and delicious lives.

getting involved in this event has been an interesting journey for me...each time i work with the people from this foundation, i am struck by their passion for their cause...i do not have this disease; nor do any family members, so you may ask what drives me to commit time and my name to them.

it's interesting. i love anything that connects food and health. i love people who are passionate. i love people who want to remove the connection between food and health from the world of illness and make everyone a part of our world, equally.

for people with celiac, their lives can easily become all about what they can not eat. but the people at the national celiac awareness foundation are committed to preventing that. with events like this one, they have made the goal to take gluten-free cooking from the world of disease and elevate it so that it becomes a part of our cuisine, with options for everyone in the dining world.

bringing together the finest and most creative chefs in our area together around a gluten-free event drives home the point that cooking for health can be delicious, sexy and glamorous.

i am committed to helping this organization because i am passionate about the very same thing...that the food we choose can be healthy, sexy, delicious, desirable and nutrient-dense. we can have it all...at least with food, if we only use our creativity and pay attention.

so i am off to have my hair blown out since my face will be on some sort of jumbo screen tonite during the event...yikes! i am pretty nervous, with more than 1000 attendees and 40 chefs on hand, but i'll sip some champagne and dive right in.

then i head to seattle this weekend to teach classes at 'festa italiana,' a wildly popular italian festival on the west coast. i am so excited...a whole weekend dedicated to all things italian...you know i love that.

be well until we speak again.

i am shocked!

2008-09-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

it would be nice to say that nothing surprises me anymore, but that would make me a cynic and i am nothing if not supernaturally optimistic...some people think it's nauseating...hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...i am pretty easily shocked, but this latest news item floored me.

i was perusing the new issue of 'veg news' magazine when i saw a small piece on lab grown meat. research is being done in europe to create this synthetic meat that would eventually be grown in giant bio-reactors. Okay, that is pretty shocking in itself, but i had heard about this nonsense. i guess we can't produce meat fast enough the natural way, so we need to lab produce it now...all i can say is e-e-e-e-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w.

but here is where it really takes a turn for the weird. PETA, the infamously radical animal rights group, is offering $1 million to 'whoever successfully manufactures and markets the first in-vitro chicken or meat product.' are they kidding me????

look, as a vegan, i am completely in favor of not eating animal food. i do not think that we need it. i choose not to judge people for their choices...everyone has their karmic destinies. my job is to share information about what i have experienced and i can tell you that you will experience the best health by eschewing animal foods.

while i do not believe that we need to kill animals for food (or sport, but that's another blog...), i find it hard to stomach that the people at PETA think it's okay to stomach humanity to yet another un-natural food-like substance and the health of the species be damned. no one knows the longterm ramifications of lab-grown meat on humanity's health or that of the planet. and yet this supposedly 'conscious and compassionate' organization thinks it's acceptable to sacrifice human life in this grand experiment.

it's like pro-life people who are hunters or in favor of war or capital punishment...or environmentalists eating steak dinners at their fundraisers...something in this equation doesn't compute. in my view, you are all in for life or not. you can't have it both ways...if you say you value life and would never sacrifice it, then you must stand true to your word...stand in your truth.

we have made our causes small and petty. we protect dogs, but not cats. we are pro-choice, but racist. we rescue stray animals, but leave homeless people to fend for themselves.

we must learn to care for all life, to live truly compassionate lives...none of us are perfect, least of all me, but i believe that we must learn to live with the mantra given us by the buddha...do no harm.

and even if that harm is only potential harm, grown in a lab in the form of meat, we need to just say no, not rejoice in this frankenstein style of food production...and certainly never reward it.

i was seriously considering getting involved with PETA, because i thought we shared values...but i am re-thinking my options...i want to back an organization that cares for the health and safety of all living creatures...

see you later...

a sad day

2008-09-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

regardless of your politics, take a minute today to reflect on what happened in new york seven years ago. that massive loss of life should stand forever as a reminder of the frailties of humanity and why we must all show kindness and compassion to each and every person we meet.

see you later...

vegan cupcakes rule

2008-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i was all set to blog about consumption and the new study that shows that obese kids are at a greater risk of liver disease than previously thought, but then i saw this lovely post about making cupcakes vegan and i thought i could postpone ranting for one day and talk about sweets!

i love vegan cupcakes. these compact little treats are such a lovely indulgence and there doesn't have to be a compromise to your health or your hips!

for flour, i have recently discovered that a mix of whole wheat pastry and quinoa flour (yes, like the grain) yield the most spectacular texture. about a 50-50 mix does the trick. second, i use equal measures of baking powder and soda (a teaspoon of each per cup of flour) to make them rise and create those little peaks that you think you can only get with eggs!

for oil i use avocado or a blend of flax and sunflower oil by a company called shape foods. i love the blended oil...i get a sweet treat and omega-3. the blended oil allows for cooking the oil without losing the omega-3. how sweet it is!

for sweeteners the options are varied. if you are looking to create a low-cal cupcake, go for stevia or erythritol, both natural and no calorie. stevia is an herb and comes in both liquid and granular form and is intensely sweet, so you will need to play with it to get your sweet taste right. a little goes a long way.

erythritol, known as the brands organic zero and z-sweet (i am sure there are others, but i know these) is a fermented sugar alcohol that has no effect on blood sugar chemistry and is all natural...it's very cool and i really like cooking with it. the only quirk is that you have to heat it slightly with your oil before adding it to the flour or the grains of the sweetener do not dissolve well and your cupcakes can taste gritty.

i use brown rice syrup most often and still love it the best for sweetening, but it does have calories...

the way i see it, we're talking cupcakes, so enjoy.

and here's a great recipe for cupcakes...from my new book, 'this crazy vegan life' due out in december!

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Orange Glaze

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup semolina flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup avocado or olive oil
½ cup erythritol
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 cup canned pumpkin or pureed winter squash
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Orange Glaze
½ cup unsweetened orange marmalade
4 tablespoons brown rice syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 24-cup mini muffin pan. You may also use paper liners.
Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
Combine oil, erythritol, syrup, pumpkin and vanilla in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until ingredients are smooth and creamy and erythritol is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Combine the pumpkin mixture with dry ingredients. Slowly stir in almond milk to create a smooth batter. Fold in walnuts. Spoon mixture evenly into muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake until the tops of the muffins spring back to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the baking pan for 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove each cupcake and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Make the glaze while the cupcakes cool: Bring marmalade and syrup to a rolling boil over medium heat. Slip a sheet of parchment paper under the cooling rack and spoon glaze over each cupcake, letting the glaze run down the sides onto the paper. Allow glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.

Per cupcake: Calories 70; Protein 1.9g; Total Fat 1.3g; Sat. Fat .12g; Cholesterol 0mg; Carbohydrate 22g; Dietary Fiber 1.3g; Sodium 127mg

rock the vote!

2008-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

me again...late again...i took some time off for the long weekend and did not even think about computers, email, phones and whatever else...hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...

but i did watch tv...last week, i was mesmerized by the democratic convention...and this week i am fascinated by the republicans' party in minnesota. everyone says that the 2 parties are pretty much the same thing these days and that it doesn't matter who takes office this coming january. i think that those people could not be more wrong.

i won't get all political on you...i don't think you all care who i am voting for or support...i am sure that many of you can guess...either way you may lean, conservative or liberal, this election is proving to be historic with both an african-american and a woman on tap to enter the white house. either way, it's a big step for this country.

but i am noticing something as i watch both conventions. the democratic platform seems to be more about taking care of each other, of taking personal responsibility for who we are and what we do, about diplomacy and repairing foreign relations, about a government that makes it possible for all of us to make our dreams come true if we are willing to work hard. the republicans seem to be talking more about keeping the country safe from harm, worrying and staying, as president bush said in his address, 'on the offensive' to protect our country and its interests...and about having a government that makes it possible for all of us our dreams come true if we work hard. it's interesting to me.

regardless of the color, age or gender of any candidate, i think that it's time for americans to put down their cheesburgers for just a minute and educate themselves on the ideals of each party and then decide which one embodies their personal ideology the most. and then step into that little booth in november and vote for the party that will take the country in the direction they'd like to see it go. with all the mud-slinging going on, we need to remember that our elections are not about the candidates; they are about us. we decide what this country will be.

we can stay as we are, pay it forward or take huge steps backward. americans are wonderful, compassionate, caring, generous, clever, open-hearted, savvy, smart people. we live in a country founded on optimism, progressive ideas and revolutionary thinking.

this election will change everything. be a part of it and vote.

ps...we'll get back to food and health in the next blog, i promise!

life...and what it takes

2008-08-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

sorry to be slow slow this week, but i have been copy editing the manuscript for my new book that will be out in december and between reading and re-testing recipes, it has been quite a trip...but i am almost through it and hope you like this one as much as i do.

i wanted to talk to you about accountability and charity today, if that's okay by you. i have led an interesting life and through hardship and illness, i was given a second chance years and years ago. i have tried to use that chance to my best abilities; each day is a new adventure of trying to do my best work.

each and every one of us owes it to humanity to give back to the world for all that we have been given. all who have succeeded through hard work and sweat or by inheritance have an obligation to do for those who have not done so well...or who suffer. i choose to give back by sharing what i have learned, through experience and study, about food and its impact on our health and wellness.

i make a lot of appearances to help organizations raise money for their causes...from cancer organizations like Gilda's Club to Meals on Wheels to churches trying to keep their soup kitchen open for the homeless in the neighborhood to our own Green City Youth Council to working with doctors and hospitals to educate people about the link between what they choose to eat and their health.

so many medical professionals, through experience and research, have come to the same conclusion as hippocrates...that food should be our medicine and medicine our food. marketing has saturated our brains with the message to eat more and more and that it be less and less natural. the ads show models and athletes sucking down food that would kill them if they really ate it...or at least make them as obese and unhealthy as the rest of the world. but we believe it because it's what we are told. alternative approaches to health are weird, right? offered by a bunch of old hippies turned snake oil salesmen, right? after all, if food could cure cancer, wouldn't everyone know about it? don't ask me. i only know what i know and do what i do based on what i know to be true. doctors like dr. neal barnard, dr. t. colin campbell, dr, dean ornish, dr. sanjay gupta and dr. mehmet oz are just a few of the medical geniuses leading the charge...making nutrition an essential part of healing, so we will see what the future reveals.

with the work i do in the world, i see so much heartbreak. sick kids, sick adults, sick families, sick communities...all trying to get well and get that second chance. by putting my money where my mouth is...giving of my time and resources and teaching them about healthy eating and natural approaches to health, my message is simple. strengthening immune function can help in the fight to return to health. there is not a sane person in this world who would say that my message is demeaning to those who are ill or in any way damaging to people's health. whatever choice you make in treating your illness is yours...but eating a healthy diet can only support you through it, keeping you stronger and giving you a leg up on that second chance.

we are all accountable for our lives and our actions and one day our lives will be judged on their merit. i work each and every day to do no harm, to fall into bed each and every night and be able to say that i gave back, that i did my best in my work, that i learned something new and that i did not judge another human being who crossed my path...not for their choices or their style of life.

i work to give people information that they can use (or not use...) to make their lives a bit healthier, to make their bodies a bit stronger and to leave lighter footprint behind. i make no excuses for what i have been through or what i have done in my life. i can only pray that my own life will be judged for the good i may have done.

enjoy your week...and find some way to give back for all your blessings...and if that fails, simply do something nice for someone...it will change your world.

olympic fever

2008-08-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

well, we're all doing it...or most of us anyhow...catching olympic fever and cheering as athletes from all over the world perform the most incredible feats of physical ability we will ever see.

watching the synchronized divers last night, i was amazed at the lightness and lithe qualities of the chinese bodies as they slipped seamlessly into the pool. our divers seemed almost clumsy next to them (trust me...it's all amazing since i could not imagine doing it at all). we're taller, more powerfully built, less intense, but we also seem to have a little more fun with all of this than the other teams.

and then there's michael phelps...the 8th, 9th and 10th wonder of the swim world. there seems to be no end to his energy, strength and capability. as a former competitive swimmer, i sit with my jaw on the floor as he glides through the water like he is part fish!

but today i read an interview with him where he talked about what he eats when he is training and it was like watching a train wreck. his diet consists of a festival of fast foods, saturated fat and junk food. what a shame. what lousy fuel to feed such a gifted and precious body.

i am always amazed that so many athletes have such little regard for making healthy food choices. oh, some do...and maybe it's just the folly of youth and the feeling of invincibility that comes with being 23 and physically gifted, but it would make sense that they would want the best fuel for these fine-tuned machines that perform such feats of skill.

as an athlete, i can tell you that what i eat is a hugely important factor in how well i train and perform. a skipped meal, a poor lunch or an indulgence means that my gym session, run, bike ride or race will not be so much fun. and i know that i am not in my 20's anymore, but i would hope as these young athletes age and the time comes for them to pass their wisdom to the next generation, they will learn a few things about nourishing those magnificent bodies with more than just a lot of calories, saturated fat and junk.

the olympics show us what humanity is capable of...getting along, healthy competition, communication and peaceful coexistence, the universal nature of humanity...but i do hope our michael sweeps the gold!

see you next week.

baking soda

2008-08-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

i love to share things i hear about with all of you and today is no exception. i received an email from a neighbor about an italian oncologist, dr tullio simoncini, who is doing the most amazing things with cancer treatment. he has discovered (and written a book about...) that cancer is, in fact, a fungus and can be treated as such with great success. he's not whacky, but quite right when you think about it. but rather than anti-fungal drugs, which have side effects, his treatments, which have shown great success, particularly with lung and prostate cancer, involves 'bathing' the tumor with a solution of water and baking soda...you know, the stuff that keeps your fridge fresh.

it's so simple; it's brilliant. think about it. according to the principles of natural healing and chinese medicine, disease, including cancer is caused by an overly acidic internal condition. baking soda is the ultimate alkalizing agent...if it can keep food from decomposing in the fridge, keep produce from getting moldy (fungus) what else is it capable of?

now before you assume i have lost my grip and am off my rocker, consider that dr simoncini has video of lungs before and after treatment and shows lung tissue going from white and tumor-filled to pink and healthy in less than a week. less than a week!!! his theory is that beneath the surface tissue of a tumor (which is all that is tapped into for a biopsy) lies the fungus mass and when it is treated with this alkaline solution, it starves and dies, leaving healthy tissue behind.

the downside is that the tumor has to be directly bathed by the solution of baking soda, which will most likely involve the insertion of catheter into the body by a surgeon. the only side effect he is showing is a small risk of infection at the site of the catheter. but no side effects to the treatment...imagine treating cancer without nausea, hair loss, debilitating side effects and incredible results.

it's so simple, most people will dismiss dr simoncini as crazy or a snake oil salesman...trust me, i know about that type of reaction. how can food cure cancer? how can something simple and natural make such an impact on our health and well-being? if it was true, wouldn't every doctor advise natural approaches to treatment before the big guns of chemotherapy and radiation (and all their accompanying side effects)? wouldn't we all be advised to eat a plant based diet, alkalize our blood and see if we can help our bodies to heal naturally? would the pharmaceutical cartels allow for that?

i have done a good bit of research on dr simoncini's theory and i think it holds water, as the saying goes. it's so simple, it's hard to believe...but what if?

see you next time.

cape cod and all things summer

2008-08-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

hey kids-

it's that time...we're well into august and already tv is bombarding us with 'back to school' sales, fall clothes and getting ready for cold weather. and then, on another channel, we have some self-help loony tune telling us to live in the moment. yikes!

but enough! last week, i blogged that i was headed off to cape cod for the weekend and i received a comment telling me about a great organic produce stand not far from where my husband's family home lies. while i have been to the cape many times and in every season, there is nothing quite like summer on the cape (unless of course, you are there at christmas, when it seems that there are twinkling lights and magic around every corner...or autumn, when the color and beauty are more than you can take in...)...okay, i love the cape!

this was a working weekend, as my mother-in-law is laying hardwood floors throughout the house and we went up to help out with that process. but we found the time to take a spin to nearby cummaquid to check out jean's little farm stand and to have a chat with her. a feisty 86-year-old, she told us all about the farm; showed us around the field...and of course, sold us some amazing veggies. the cherry tomatoes were like candy and the green beans (sauteed with garlic and lemon zest) were to die for!

there is nothing like summer for me. i love all seasons, but summer is the best. i love the abundance of vegetables and fruit, lush and ripe...perfection! i love the long, leisurely evenings in the garden (even my small city oasis) and weekends on the cape, where it seems i discover something new and wonderful every time. from jean's farmstand to the pottery co-op in the village of barnstable, this was a weekend of new discoveries about the cape for me.

as many times as i go there...and as much as the drive is long and tedious, i feel the tension melt from my shoulders as i drive across the bridge, feel the cool breeze on my face and smell the sea air. it's a magical place and i am so blessed to have family there which makes it even more special.

be well...i'm back to work now...laundry awaits!

Getting Started

2008-07-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

hi kids!

i was teaching at a whole foods market the other night when someone asked me the question i have been asked thousands of times over the years i have been doing what i do...'how do i get started with all this?' so i thought i would tell you what i think...which is what i do here on this blog, right?

getting started has such intimidating undertones, but it doesn't have to be that way. people find vegetarianism, veganism, macrobiotics to be terms that are all about what you 'can't eat' anymore. if that's the way you think about making a life change, then you will find it daunting and grim. changing your life, your food is about taking on a new adventure, a new way of looking at life and the world around you. if you look at it that way, then it becomes exciting, with new experiences and possibilities at every turn.

once you have your attitude adjusted, then it's time to take on the practical task of changing your life. should you clean out the cupboards and the fridge; dump all the food you know and re-stock with unfamiliar items and hope for the best? if you want to fail, this is the perfect way to go. in two weeks, you'll be standing in the kitchen, wondering what the heck to make for dinner and think, 'screw this...' and you will slip back into your old ways because you know them; they are comfortable.

no one likes change. it can be tough to take. so here is my recipe for success in getting started with health eating...a recipe that will guide you through life.

take it gently, slowly and a little at a time. if you never, ever eat vegetables, then how successful do you think you'll be if you toss all the food you love and stock the fridge with broccoli and cauliflower? if veggies are not your thing, you need to fall in love with them a little at a time. try a new veggie each week. you'll find so many recipes for preparation, that you will never be at a loss to know what to do with them. you'll discover new flavors, new seasonings, new textures, new cooking techniques and you just might find yourself wondering why it took you so long to discover nature's bounty.

whole grains are the foundation of any healthy diet, but they require cooking, so take it slow here as well. if you are used to eating white rice, switch to brown rice. you will love the nutty flavor and chewy texture and you will adore the fact that you don't get hungry again so quickly. once you have mastered brown rice, begin to explore the other whole grains available to us. quinoa is a wonderful option, high in protein, yummy and quick-cooking. there are so many grains to try...head off to a natural food store that has bulk bins and commit to trying a new grain every week. before you know it, your pantry shelves will be lined with jars of grains that have become as familiar to you as the food you ate before.

if meat is your thing...you can't live without it, well...yikes! okay, sorry...if meat is your thing, think about reducing your intake of it, rather than eliminating it completely at the start. i won;t go all animal activist on you here, i promise. but look at what meat can be doing to your health, with the effects of growth hormones, pesticides and disease wreaking havoc on our well-being. as you chow down on that steak, remember that heart disease (linked directly to animal food consumption) is the number one killer of both men and women and is the number one most preventable disease known to man...double yikes!

there are other options to protein than animal foods...beans, tofu and tempeh are great sources of protein that the body can use without harmful saturated fats, so give them a try before you turn your nose up. and with so many meat substitutes on the market, from sausage to 'chicken' fingers, you might be surprised.

as for the pantry, keep it stocked with great oils, vinegars, herbs and spices...stock your kitchen with pots and pans you love, a wooden cutting board and a fabulous knife. shop for your knife in a kitchen store that lets you hold them in your hand. this may sound airy-fairy, but the minute you hold the knife that is right for you, you'll know. a good knife is the best way to get started and the finest tool you will ever use.

okay, enough for now...i am off to cap cod for the weekend, so we will chat again next week. enjoy the weekend and happy cooking!

it's our kids, stupid

2008-07-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

hey guys-

i have been watching and thinking about our kids...a lot. i worry about them. i worry that they are marketed to at an alarming rate. i worry that they are being hypnotized by television. i worry about what they eat. of course, i have started a non-profit so that i can take action and not just worry (www.christinapirello.org) hint-hint...

then i heard this really interesting and disturbing report on npr yesterday. two psychologists from harvard have released findings that our kids are over-scheduled and without coping skills. they said that parents, in an attempt to experience success through their kids' success, have created a generation of children who are unable to cope with life's little (and big) challenges. and it's being seen at the college level too, with kids suffering breakdowns at a near-epidemic rate. and why? because they have no idea how to handle all the challenges that come with living independently of their parents.

i am of the generation that had parents who made us fend for ourselves...to a degree. they never put us at risk, but they showed us that actions had consequences and they taught us how to be strong and independent. if we faced a problem, our parents did not come running to our rescue. we had to figure out a solution. if we messed up, they guided us, but they didn't bail us out at every bump in the road of life. they taught us respect...for them and for ourselves. they taught us to how to handle disappointment.

i remember going to my mother once with what i thought was a crisis. i was on the basketball team, but the drama club was holding tryouts and rehearsal would be at the same time as basketball practice. i expected my mother to solve it. she told me that life was about choices, so i had to decide what i wanted to do and pick one activity. but she reminded me that i had committed to the basketball team, so i have the responsibility to speak to the coach. if she released me from practice, i could try out for the play. if not, not. i begged her to talk to the coach so i wouldn't have to...she told me that she wasn't the one who wanted 'out' of her responsibility. so it was on me. i summoned my courage and spoke to the coach, who released me for tryouts, telling me that if i got a part, i would have to decide. i stuck with basketball and i learned how to handle a situation where i have to choose.

our parents were hard on us and i remember being so mad when they made is stand on our own two feet. but as i look back, they taught me self-reliance and respect. they taught me to think for myself and not to be so easily swayed. they taught me to step up and take responsibility. they taught me to take risks. they taught me how to handle success...and failure.

i feel so bad for our kids. they are wonderful, young, energetic, curious and the hope of our future. it's time to stop insulating them from life and allow them to embrace it for all that is has to offer. it's time to let them fall...be there to catch them if they need catching, but let them see what life is about while they still have their families to cushion the blow.

let's produce a generation of self-reliant, flexible, respectful, open, vital and strong people, not spoiled, self-absorbed, weak people without the capacity to face challenge. that would be this culture's greatest tragedy.

Doesn't It Make You Crazy?

2008-07-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

hi there-

so here we are in week 7,000 (or so it feels) of the salmonella scare and no one seems to know what's up or what food is the 'culprit,' as the media now refers to our produce. first, it was tomatoes...now it's chili peppers...what's next, broccoli, lettuce? it seems to me that we are spending a lot of time looking at our veggies and trying to find out why they are attacking us instead of looking at the real 'culprit.'

how do we think our produce could possibly get contaminated with salmonella anway? it's almost exclusively a problem of animal food, so what's up? has anyone looked at the water that runs from feedlots onto farmland to see if maybe that is the source?

remember the 'tops' beef recall? what a joke. within minutes (or so it seemed) of the announcement that all these tons of meat were tainted, the u.s.d.a., f.d.a. and all the other 'd.a.'s' were on the news assuring us that america still had the safest meat supply in the world and we should go on guzzling burgers.

now think back to the spinach recall of a few years back. where were the f.d.a. and u.s.d.a. guys then? no one defended this tender little green, whose growers have still not recovered from the blow of this contamination of their crops...and reputation. perhaps the spinach lobby is not so strong and powerful as the meat cattle ranchers lobby.

the biggest joke of this 'tomato scare' is that no one has examined how most people eat their tomatoes in the first place. yes, a small percentage eat them in salads, but tomatoes are most often served as toppings to...burgers! but i guess the meat lobby can't have another problem so soon after the largest beef recall in our history.

it's time we woke up and demanded better from all the agencies that were founded to protect us and our food. for these people to appear on the news each and every night and say that they just don't have the answer; that they just can't find the source of the contamination of our vegetables is way beyond unacceptable. they must think that we're morons.

perhaps we need to consider this idea...crazy as it may sound to you. when meat was an issue, it was quickly resolved. but as more and more people are turning to vegetables for real nutrients and not eating so many dead animals, suddenly, our produce crops are hazardous to our health...and our meat is safe.

i'm not a conspiracy nut by any means, but something stinks here.

talk to you soon.

Oy!

2008-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

it has been a week, ya' know? well, you don't know, but trust me.

i have not had much to blog about in the last days; i am still trying to figure out what it is you want to hear from me. i can't imagine that you could be interested in my day to day stuff, so i struggle with what to write about. i have been busy working and doubt you will find it
interesting, so i prayed for inspiration and the topic came to me.

in the last few days, i have run into several people who have changed the course of their lives with their diet choices. and while they have rid their bodies of the symptoms of disease, i am not sure that i would classify them as well and happy. they seem to live their lives, post-disease, in mortal fear of the next thing. now before you get all upset, hear me out.

when i was ill (a billion years ago), i recovered through my food choices and got on with my life. i was so happy to be well that the scope of my possibilities over-shadowed any fear that i held about my illness returning or whatever other nightmare i could imagine. and i'm italian; trust me we can imagine some pretty bad stuff. i worked hard at my health and worked just as hard to understand the principles of food that had so clearly helped me to recover. that understanding gave me power and freedom to live my life richly with great gusto.

but it seems that more and more people who are looking to food for a 'cure' are finding themselves in a world that is no bigger than the perimeter of their plate. and that makes me sad. people get so caught up in the dogma of an idea that they forget to live in the world. fear takes over their entire life. they question everything and listen to every loony tune on the planet for advice. they wear blinders to common sense.

some of the ideas being perpetuated under the guise of natural living make me scratch my head in wonder. who came up with the idea that regular visits to the gym are so toxic that your cancer might return because of the electrical currents from the machines and the sweat from all those meat eaters working out next to you? listen, i am totally in on the idea of 'energy' and its power in our lives, but seriously. some of this stuff is just nuts. where did our common sense fly off to?

food is a life-sustaining, sexy, powerful aspect of being human. mother nature, in all her wisdom, made food an enjoyable thing so we would eat it and create life. food that is whole and unprocessed, as nature intended, is a gloriously wonderful thing, meant to be savored and enjoyed; i doubt she intended for it to become something we wring out hands over in fear.

i have spoken to people just this week who are in such fear of food that they stress over each morsel that they consume. can that be healthy? not in my book. while we have adulterated food to a point where some of it is not recognizable as food, if you have made the switch to a whole, unprocessed, plant-based diet, it's time to relax. the hard part is over. trust me, if you are ill and using food as your tool for recovery, it's not tomatoes or olive oil that got you into trouble. it's not roasted peppers and crusty bread either. if you are at all like i was, it's diet soda and snicker bars that did you in.

all i am saying is that if you have decided to eat well, a whole, unprocessed, plant-based diet, leave your anxiety at the door, please. enjoy all the abundance that nature provides and cook as though your life depends on it, but do it with passion, intuition and love. it is the difference between enjoying the health you have created or living in a self-created prison of fear and anxiety over your choices. understand the food you eat and free yourself. food is sexy, yummy, sexy and well, sexy. not enjoying it is criminal and makes you so not fun to be with.

okay, enough ranting...time for boot camp!

oops

2008-06-27T08:58:00.001-07:00

hi guys-

so sorry to be absent yet again, but it has been a week...i wrote this great blog about what it means to be well...a real tearing rant, but the karma of the universe (coupled with my lame computer skills) conspired to lose it...so, it was not meant to be.

it's one of those hot and sticky days typical of summer and i was wondering what to write about when an email came through that solved my problem. see? karma, again.

a friend sent me a link to commondreams.org where i found an article about a 45-year-old art teacher in illinois who was fired from his job for promoting veganism to the kids in his class. i thought...they're kidding, right? fired for promoting veganism?

apparently it all began with marshmallow peeps (you know, those candy chicks that we all got in our easter baskets as kids)...this teacher had kids treat them as pets and from there it morphed into the little chicks being cages and in frying pans as a way to show kids how cruelly we treat animals. well, the mistreatment of these marshmallow figures was just too much for the school board who said that the teacher's 'PETA' agenda was subversive and had no place in school.

enter t. colin campbell, author of 'the china study' to testify on the teacher's behalf and speak to the 'cruelty' of killing animals to feed our children diets that are making them fat and killing them. with milk poster plastered all over the cafeteria and the school unable to qualify for national school lunch subsidies without adhering to their guidelines, which include the very foods that are stealing the health of our children, is it any wonder that the battle continues and this teacher remains without work.

it seems to me that any teacher who is committed to compassion and to the health of our kids is to be lauded. how ever will they know about animal cruelty and what it takes to create the meat they eat if they are not educated? with a shortage of teachers, can we really afford to lose one just because he teaches kids about alternatives to meat?

heaven forbid they become fit and healthy! what would the pharmaceutical companies do if we did not need to medicate our children? they could lose an entire demographic of consumers.

what is this world coming to?

wellness

2008-06-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

hi guys-

well, it's a hot and humid monday and i am just coming off teaching my 3-day hands on intensive cooking seminar at drexel u. it was an amazing group; most were real beginners to a natural way of cooking and living, some with health concerns, some just curious. that was totally inspiring for me. to watch them interact with each other, exchanging ideas, creating support and offering advice was a very cool experience. i have the best job in the world, teaching people to cook and live more healthfully. i will admit that i am beat today...i had to have been 100o in that kitchen, but you know what they say...if you can't stand the heat...

the weekend got me to thinking, too...about wellness and what it means to people in their lives. for some, it's enough to be happy. they may not eat the healthiest diet, but they are fun to be with and simply love their lives and are well for the sheer joy of living. for others, it's service. the more they do for others, the more vital they feel. for others, it's their life mission. the harder they work toward their goal, the more they experience wellness.

then there are the holier-than-thou, preachy types who grimly endure life, eating only the purest of foods, cooked in the purest way. They frown their way through their days depressing everyone they meet with their finger-pointing and condescending attitudes. it's hard for me to believe that can be healthy over the long term. the grimness alone would kill me.

and finally, (for me anyway) there are those who eat well and stay fit in a relaxed and playful manner, doing the best they can to be healthy and leave a lighter footprint on the planet. they are the future of the world.

even if the most dire of diseases is what brings you to the point in life that you must change what you eat...radically or kiss this life goodbye, it's important to approach each and every moment with gratitude and joy. i saw that in this group of students at my intensive. the heat in the sixth floor kitchen was stifling; everyone glistened with sweat, but there was more laughter, more sharing, more chatter...more life in that kitchen than many will experience in all their days.

wellness is personal as well as obvious. certainly wellness means robust health and vital well-being and fitness. but wellness is so much more. it means that you are having a love affair with life itself, with all its ups and downs, all the joy and the pain, illness and health. with wellness, you have the strength to embrace it all.

i want to dedicate this blog to my students from this weekend...from the professional clowns (i kid you not...) to the future teachers of natural living and all the people in between, i thank you.

Back Home Again

2008-06-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

ciao kids!

sorry to be off the blog for so long. while we had web access in Italy, well, let's just say it was spotty on a good day.

i have to say this and i promise not to 'sell.' if you have the chance, you absolutely must join us in Italy one day. it will rock your world. our 13 guests had the greatest experience of la dolce vita; saw all the great sights in Tuscany; sampled great local, organic wine; were left breathless by the David...and yes, enjoyed the very cool food my crew and i cooked.

but i am back home and working hard. it's about 100o here in the northeast part of the country and the days are sizzling. my little city garden is frying in the sun, but the shade of my gorgeously lush magnolia, holly tree and wisteria provide welcome shade to the little nasturtium blossoms everywhere.

as much as i love to cook, i will admit that it's a challenge in this weather. chocolate dipped strawberries are all i really want, but Robert seems to need real food...imagine that! so last night, i stuffed perfect artichokes with breadcrumbs and tomato pesto and steamed them for an hour. easy, sexy and yummy. with a chilled crisp salad, we were in heaven.

tomorrow, i will be working at my favorite charity...the kids in the culinary program at one of our inner city high schools. we have created raised beds to grow veggies and herbs and tomorrow we celebrate the first harvest of the season (and the last before school ends) with a lunch that we will all cook together from what we grew. it should be a blast, so i will fill you in when i get home.

until tomorrow! for now, i am off to boot camp!

Italy or Bust

2008-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

As I write this, the second blog of my career by the way, I am headed off to Italy to work. Now that I am into this blogging thing, which I resisted for so long, I sort of like the idea of having a place to share my thoughts with you and to pass on any cool and snazzy information about food and health that comes across my desk. (And yes, you may even find a recipe or two that I might be experimenting with…but you have to promise to let me know how it turned out for you when I do.)

My husband and I spend a lot of time in Italy as a part of what our work…we host healthy vacations…you get to see all the sights but my staff and I do all the cooking so you go home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

I love walking the local markets for the freshest ingredients and planning the menus for the group as I go. I am as surprised as they are some evenings…in a good way!

One of the things that strikes me…every single time I am there…is that Italian people are so connected to their food. (I am sure other cultures are, too, but Italy is where my experience lies.) And I don’t mean obsessed in that neurotic way that we are. I mean, connected to it as their source of life, family, community and sharing.

Here in America, we race through the market getting shopping done as quickly as possible. I have been guilty of it myself. In Italy, shopping for food is part of the sensuous experience of dining, to be savored almost as much as the meal itself. Haggling over the freshness of the greens and fruit is common; warm bread just from the oven is the first to sell out; serious-looking women direct the butcher’s hand to the freshest-looking piece of meat, cheese or fish in his case. It’s all part of dinner, so to speak.

I feel so strongly that if America is to truly find its way back to robust health and quality of life, we need to find our way back to the kitchen and gather at the table for meals. Dinner has to stop being a burden; the interruption of tv viewing or video game playing and become the time of day when we gather together and share nourishment and love. It needs to become the time of day when we connect and find our hearts in each other.

It sounds sappy and anyone out there who knows me knows that I am not. But I find myself tearing up when I am sitting under the grape arbor of our dear friends, Alessandro and Maritalia, with friends and family around us, laughing and talking over each other as we enjoy a feast of fresh ingredients brought together by the loving hand of the cook, designed to feed our bodies and our souls.

I wish for each and every one of you the experience of this kind of dining. It may not be fancy, but the food you create in your own kitchen and serve at your own table is the most delicious.

I’ll try to write from Italy, but with cooking and travel, who knows? I promise a full re-cap of the trip…maybe even some photos if I can figure out how to post them when I get back. Til then…as we say in Italy…ci vidiamo…See ya.’

All Things Considered

2008-05-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

I was driving out to the suburbs to teach a cooking class the other night, listening to my favorite national public radio show, ‘All Things Considered.’ They were featuring a story about food prices being affected by inflation and how we have seen beef prices soar because of fuel costs, but now even chicken and pork prices are expected to increase, maybe even double. And while the beef price increase was no surprise, the chicken and pork increases were being seen as the harbinger of doom. At the end of her piece, the reporter stated, with some dismay, ‘American consumers will be forced to eat further down on the food chain.’

I smiled to myself thinking that inflation may be the worst thing for our fiscal health, but perhaps the best thing for our physical health.

It’s funny to me that ‘eating lower on the food chain’ is synonymous with being poor and unfortunate. As a society, we have come to associate affluence and abundance with all of the foods that are robbing us of health. I just finished, ‘The Blue Zone’ by National Geographic reporter, Dan Buettner and while the book is fascinating on many levels, here is the piece of information that really made my jaw drop. Since the time of ancient Rome, the human life span has increased. Sanitation, health care, better living conditions, enough food have all contributed to extending our lives. Until now. For the first time since ancient times, we are beginning to see the human life span decrease once again. And for the first time in human history, that shortened life span is linked to having too much food, as opposed to too little. Yikes!

For the last twenty-five years, I have lived a vegan/macrobiotic lifestyle and for the last twenty years, have worked as a macrobiotic cooking teacher. For the last ten years, I have hosted a vegan/macrobiotic cooking show on public television. In that time, I have seen an incredible a lot, most notably an increase in disease and degeneration, much linked to what we choose to eat. In the philosophy of macrobiotics, we take the little axiom: ‘You are what you eat’ pretty literally and hold the belief that you can create or destroy your health largely by the food choices you make.

The great irony in modern society is that the very food that can restore the health of humanity: whole grains, beans, seasonal, organic (and local if possible) vegetables and fruits are the foods considered to be ‘lower on the food chain.’ These foods, filled with life-sustaining nutrients and energy have taken a back seat to the processed ‘food-like substances’ (as Michael Pollan, author of ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’ refers to modern convenience foods) which are destroying humanity.

If that sounds dramatic to you, consider this. Since the Industrial Age, modern man has moved away from nature and away from natural foods. In that same time period, humanity has seen an increase in degenerative disease that is unprecedented. We now have entire hospitals devoted to cancer in children; wings of clinics just for the treatment of diabetes; television commercials for pharmaceuticals to treat diseases we could never imagine. Obesity has become a national epidemic.

And if the statistics are correct…and I suspect that they are; then nearly two-thirds of the chronic diseases that plague our modern world can be prevented and even reversed by changing the food we choose.

A diet with its foundation based on whole grains, beans, bean products, lots and lots of fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds and excellent quality oils will not only sustain us deliciously, but can change the course of the natural health disaster that we face as a nation. And only we, each and every human, have the power to make that change and enjoy robust health and vitality.

We walk for the cure, for lung and prostate health, for diabetes. Maybe we should all just eat a little ‘lower on the food chain’ and exercise for the fun of it.