It’s My FaVoRiTe Time of Year: Strawberry Season

Strawberry Season is approaching and I have already tasted some pretty good ones J. Aside from being scrumptious strawberries also pack a nutritional punch. They are rich in vitamin C and manganese, as well as potassium, folate, vitamind B2, B5, B6, and K, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and copper. Experience has probably already told you that strawberries have a very short shelf life, perishing within a few days of purchase. Which can be frustrating.  I usually buy the jumbo pack from Costco, thinking we will eat all of them no problem, but we never seem to finish the pack off. Strawberries are so tasty and such a bang for your buck at Costco I wanted to find more creative ways to use them. As luck would have it, in the June edition of Food Network Magazine they share 30 ways to enjoy strawberries for the month of June. I tried a few ways and found them a great success. For those that don’t have the magazine I will share some of my favorite ways to enjoy them:

·         Strawberry Pops: puree 4 cups strawberries,  ¼ honey, ¼ agave, and ½ cup orange juice, then freeze and enjoy a little later

·         Blend strawberries into a vinaigrette

·         A Strawberry packed Smoothie: handful of strawberries, some frozen fruit of choice, ½ cup of nonfat plain yogurt, add apple juice, Orange juice       or water to puree

·         Salad: spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds, strawberries and a vinaigrette dressing

·         Frozen Filled Strawberries: mix nonfat plain yogurt and honey, pipe into hulled strawberries and freeze

·         Strawberry Cream Cheese: puree 2 cups berries, beat puree into cream cheese, with a dash of honey

·         Fruit Parfait: 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (preferably one that is all natural no added sugar), 4 cups strawberries, and a smidge of honey for sweetness, top it off with a little granola 

·         Strawberry Soda Popp: puree 2 cups strawberries with ½ cup agave, add to lime soda water

·         Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: I buy the Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet chocolate chips (gluten free, dairy, nut, and soy free, also they use organic cane juice instead of processed sugar ), melt some chips in the microwave (15 seconds at a time then stir with a fork, it doesn’t take long to melt the chocolate so be careful not to burn it), dip the strawberries and let harden

 Have Fun and Enjoy the Taste of Summer!

Love,

Stacey Gerh♥rt

A funny word: LeGuMeS

In my attempts to eat a healthier and more balanced diet my attention has shifted to legumes. I feel like this super food is overlooked in most households. Forgive me if you give it the proper attention in your home, I commend you, and so does your body. However, for the majority, our dinners usually look like this:  a protein, some veggies, and then our side dishes tend to lean toward starchy foods (i.e. potatoes, pasta, rice, maybe quinoa (another super food that I will get too eventually). Replace some of the starch with some beans. I challenge you to learn a little about legumes, add them into daily diet, and your body will thank you.

BLACK BEANS are my favorite and new research is showing that they have higher health benefits than other legumes. Here are some back bean facts and ideas that will hopefully inspire you to incorporate them into your life. Side note: In my experience when you eliminate processed foods and gluten you tend to get hungrier faster. Black beans are a good go to item to help you get full and stay full longerJ.

Fact:

Recent research has shown that black beans provide special support for digestive tract health, in-particularly our colon. The indigestible fraction (IF) has been shown to be the perfect mix of substances for allowing bacteria in the colon to produce butyric acid. The indigestible fraction of the black beans has recently been shown to be larger than the IF in either lentils or chickpeas. The Cells lining the inside of the colon can use this butyric acid to fuel their many activities and keep the lower digestive tract functioning properly. By delivering a greater amount of this to the colon, black beans are able to help support the lower part of our digestive tract. Because of this there is a lowered colon cancer risk that is associated with black beans.

Fact:

We have been told that brightly colored fruits and vegetables is our best source of phytonutrients, but recent research has recognized black beans as a strong contender in phytonutrient benefits. The seed coat of the black bean (the outermost part that we recognize as the bean's surface) is an amazing source of three anthocyanin flavonoids: delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin.  Flavonoids have many health benefits. They reduce inflammation, promote healthy arteries, and help fight aging by preventing and repairing cellular damage. Flavonoids may also protect against dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and some cancers.

Fact:

You have the choice between using home cooked beans and canned beans. If you are in a hurry canned beans can be a healthy option. Unlike canned vegetables, which have lost much of their nutritional value, there is little difference in the nutritional value between canned  beans and those you cook yourself. Warning: canning can take place in a variety of ways, and some aspects of canning have raised research concerns with respect to canning materials and their potential health risk. One special concern in the canning area has been the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in resin-based can liners. I buy both, organic canned black beans from Trader Joes (much cheaper there), and uncooked black beans. I reserve the canned black beans to times when I am in a hurry and need a quick healthy filler, usually lunch times. Dinners I tend to put more thought into and have a little more time to cook them. Uncooked usually takes a couple hours to cook, but it’s worth it!

Fact:

Here is the nutrition information for black beans. It shows all the great things that are packed into these amazing little beans.

Black Beans, Cooked, 1 Cup	% Daily Value
Molybdenum	172%
Folate	64%
Dietary Fiber	59.8%
Tryptophan	56.2%
Manganese	39%
Protein	30%
Magnesium	30%
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)	28%
Phosphorus	25%
Iron	23%
Calories	(227)

Some Ideas:

• Include black beans with your other favorite toppings next time you make a stuffed baked potato.
• Black bean soup or chili is certain to warm you up on cold winter days.
• For a "mucho bueno" twist on traditional burritos, use black beans in place of refried pinto beans.
• Blend cooked black beans with tomatoes, onions and your favorite spices to create a delicious bean soup.
• For a simple yet delicious lunch or dinner serve a Cuban inspired meal of black beans and rice.
• In a serving bowl, layer black beans, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, diced onions and cilantro to make a delicious layered dip.
• For Fast lunches sauté a little salami and garlic in bottom of pot for a couple minutes. Add a can of black beans, some spices, and one cup chicken broth. In less than five minutes you will have a tasty stew. For less calories use chicken.

Please post any recipes that your family loves that incorporate black beans.

References:

2011. Black Beans, Worlds Healthiest Foods Inc. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2

2011. What Are Flavonoids, Real Age Inc.

 http://www.realage.com/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/flavonoids

Learning from our Mistakes

Ok so I must confess, I stopped my food regimin, and ate all sorts of food that I am not suppose to eat! Yikes I know, terrible right?! I slipped up on our vacation, I got sick of having to look at labels. I got sick of having to practice self-discipline and say no to the foods everyone else was enjoying. I got sick of smelling the goodness as I ate something less exciting. Well, lets face it we are not perfect and with creating new healthy habbits brings times of slip-ups. We may go on vacation, we may have, I take that back, we will have bad days, we may have an extra dose of “pms”, our children or spouse may have gotten the best of us, truth is there are an infinate amount of excuses that can take us down so it is important to be prepared. I have learned a few good things from my slip-up and hopefully you can learn through me so that whatever you have committed to you can stay strong in it.

·         “Create a plan.” I honestly consider myself a suger aholic and with addictions one of the most important things to do is to plan and know  how you will handle the steps after you indulge in those unhealhty habits. So with any new healthy challenge you make, first establish a plan to get back on the ball.

·         “Establish Support.” Find a couple of people around you that can be a support to you when times are tough. We all need a healthy dose of encouragement and support, it can do wonders. Make sure these people know their role and be humble enough to let them into how you are feeling and doing in this journey. I know that it is hard to be vulnerable and admit our mistakes, trust me, but in doing so brings freedom and peace.

·         “Appearnaces are decieving.” In my case the bad (i.e. processed and sugary) food always looks and smells so much better than it tastes. Honest! I have so many memories and expereinces attached to food.  Ever since Jr.High I have rewarded my school work with a little sweets here and there. Well, I am a Grad student now and have numerous amounts of work that if I rewarded myself with sweets for every book I read, or paper I wrote my body would be falling apart. In which case, I was and it was. Sweets were a stress release, a prize for doing well. So now that I am not eating those foods my emotions are triggered. When I see or smell a piece of candy, cookies, brownies or bowl of ice cream I feel like if I ate “that” I would be happy. Well, it’s not true and when I did take a bite I was surpised at how sickly sweet and almost poisonous it tasted. When your body has detoxed from all the processed food you can actually taste the difference, and it is no longer that thing that you can’t resist. It looses its yumminess. Now be forewarned, the memory is still there so tread lightly. Do not, I repeat DO NOT give in to that temptation just because you think it doesn’t have a hold on you anymore. Because it will come back and you will be back to being oppressed by it. Stay strong, resist it, and trust me your not missing out like you think you are.

·         “Our body is a temple.” I know it might sound silly to be talking this way about food, but lets face it many of us struggle with sin surrounding food. Whether we are addicted to it or struggle with eating disorders. Our body is a temple of God and anything that causes it harm is displeasing to God, and ultimately not in His plan for our lives. Therefore we must take action against it and claim it for what it is, sin. We must draw on God for self-discipline and strength in taking care of our bodies. It is sooo important, for heavens sake, we only get one, and the one God gave us should be well taken care of to do God’s work here on earth.

·         “You feel so much better.” Honestly, my body feels a million times better and I am a million times more productive when I am following this eating regimin (no processed foods, processed sugar,  gluten, or dairy). Immediately after falling off the band wagon, so to speak, I was back to daily stomach aches, aches and pains, headaches, heartburn, lethargy, bloatedness, and a lack of motivation.  I noticed the difference the first day. Why wasn't it enough to stop me from eating poorly you ask? I'm not sure. I guess we get used to those pains, and when we have pain we have a lack of motivation to do anything, even if it will help take the pain away. I got back from vacation and knew what I needed to do. It took me a week to stop eating badly again and the first week off of those foods was of course hard. The next week however I felt amazing. I had the most energy, no more pains, no more stomach problems, I was free J. Yippee. That feeling gives me motivation to stay on track. I hope that you will have the courage to stop doing the things that are holding you back in life. Even if it as simple as eating healthy for your body and for God.

·         “Instant Gratification has become our life.” I have truly realized that we want everything NOW. It may be different extremes for different people, but lets come to grips here, we are way too comfortable with instant gratification. As I write this I am listening to the ice cream man circle our neighborhood and am reminded of summer days as a kid eating popsicles. It’s a warm spring day, It has been a long cold winter, I worked hard today, I want some ice cream! The temptation will always be there, but we must find ways to overcome it. We can plan ahead as much as possible. Have some food on hand that is healthy but still quench the craving. If we have to wait, so what, it wont kill us! Rely on God to get you through the waiting, even if it is just something silly like waiting for the craving to subside. God cares so deeply for all of us, in our big stuff and in our small stuff. So go put some 100% juice in the freezer and enjoy a guiltless popsicle…“later”.

Just so you know I am back on track with eating right. I have some people I can rely on for support, and I have a plan for the next time I slip-up. I see this as a journey I am taking with God to be healtheir and in return I am learning so many things. I pray you will hold fast, stay strong, rely on God, and in return find freedom and peace. 

Love,

Stacey Gerh♥rt

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter (recipe called for creamy but I used crunchy since it was all I had and it worked out well. It added some extra crunch to the cookie).

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup Dark chocolate mini chips (For those that are doing sugar free there are options for sugar free and dairy free chocolate chips. Or you can just leave this part out of the cookie).

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients except chips until well blended

Use a mini ice cream scooper because the dough becomes very sticky! Place on ungreased cookie sheets (12 to a sheet) - do not flatten.

Bake 10 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool on wire rack for at least 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet (they will be very soft).

Note: 
* I love warm baked cookies but these cookies are actually better the next day once fully cooled. I gave them to some of my high school students and they were surprised that they had no flour or sugar in them.


* Also try them with a glass of almond milk. :) 

The story behind my Blog

Let me preface this blog by clarifying that I am not a writer or even a good speller for that matter. Those are not one of the gifts that God has given me. Even so I am starting this blog to document the journey that God has for me. I am such a foodie and my husband and I love trying new food. We love eating out, he loves to cook, and I love to bake. We are avid watchers of the cooking channels. We consider food much of the time to be an adventure. I have many memories surrounding wonderful foods in my family that have become traditions.  I am Italian and Greek so enough saidJ.

I feel like throughout life we are all tested in many ways that help us grow to hopefully be better people in the end. So when I learned that for my health I needed to go on a strict food regimen I wanted to make sure to turn this trial into a learning experience for myself. As I mentioned before food means a whole lot to me and my family and I know that this experience will be a challenge. But I also know that it can be a growing experience to help me be healthy and to rely more on the Lord for strength and guidance. So I decided to start this blog. For me in order to remember this journey, or life experience I needed to write it down. I need to be able to look back and see how far I have come. Being that my carrer choice is a counselor emotion, being real, and growing as a person are very important to me. I plan to be real with where I am at in this journey and how I am feeling. I LOVE food so I know that I will struggle at times with how strict this diet is, obviously you don’t have to read this part of the blog, but I hope if you do read it you will gain courage to be healthy too.

I am writing this blog for not just myself as I mentioned previously but also to encourage others to be healthy. There are many reasons why wheat and sugar are not good for anyone to eat large amounts of. Sadly I noticed in my diet that the majority of my food was sugar, since carbs turn into sugar. Basically I am a certified sugar-aholic J, and my friends and family certainly know that. I will be posting many different things to help us all eat healthy. I will be posting recipes that I try that are gluten, diary, and sugar free. I will post other blogs or websites that I find useful. I will also update on my gardening experience in the spring. Hopefully these can be of help to us all in being healthier.

 Quick background in case you wanted to know why I am starting this food regimen. I was recently told by my doctor that I have endometriosis. It sounds like such a big scary word that can be the cause of a lot of health issues. But after reading about the symptoms I am relieved to finally have an answer to many of my health issues I have dealt with for a long time. I am also so blessed that my health issues are not life or death. So many people are going through extreme health issues that require extreme medical treatments and a lot of faith. Thank you God that I am still blessed with good health. Quick side note: (If you happen to be reading this and going through a difficult time with your health please know that God is with you. He can help you, draw strength and piece from Him).  Through my research and through the help of a friend, I stumbled across a lot of information linking diet and eating habits to problems for those with endometriosis. I am going off of sugar, gluten, red meat, soy, caffeine, and dairy. It is kind of overwhelming but I am confident that with support I can stick to it. Plus feeling better every day will definitely keep me going. Thanks if you are reading this and giving me support. We all need the extra support in life. Hopefully this blog will inspire you to eat healthy and to take care of the gift of life God has given us all.

Love,

Stacey Gerh♥rt