The Break

I love NYC and I'm thankful for the privilege of living here, I've said that before. However, summer in the City is a tough, steamy business. And that's why whoever is able, leaves Manhattan every Friday by 2:00 PM or moves out for the entire season, fleeing to the beach or the country, near water, green, and trees. It's kind of a survival mechanism of everyone who can afford it logistically, financially, professionally and physically. For the last 12 years, we've spent summer in the City, and tried to take advantage of the amazing possibilities it has to offer during the hot months: concerts, The High Line, plays, Governors Island, playgrounds with sprinklers, Central Park, ice cream trucks, The Met's Roof Garden, Statue of Liberty, and the list keeps going. However, I do feel at unrest when the neighborhood turns into a ghost town.
Added to that feeling was the fact that my children refused to get into the swimming pool at every possible occasion. At 6-years-old, my son was even afraid of getting into the water! As a parent, even if I suck at many things, it's clear to me that I need to facilitate my kids basic survival skills, and swimming is on top of the list. 
Then the plan took shape: some very dear relatives with an empty apartment in Florida agreed to lend it to us. I thought there was no better encouragement for my non-swimmers to jump into the pool than the thermometer hitting the 90s and the peer pressure of day camp mates that have been swimming like dolphins since they were 2 months old. My heart is at rest now that both kids are diving in and comfortably swimming, yes doggy style, but that's enough to survive! 
I had lots of projects to take care of while we were in Florida: I brought some work with me and I was going to draw, paint, write a book, make my own yoga retreat by the pool, figure out how to fix the comments section on this blog, post weekly, become proficient in social media, detox my life, my soul, my body; and solve the whole professional tongue twister I've got myself into. 
But...as it happens when you are having fun (and when you have to drive kids to and from day camp, and you examining the isles at Whole Foods one product at a time), I didn't accomplish most of my goals. However, stepping out of my life routine did marvels. It helped me think, and start putting together my life after a couple of complex years. I'm a nutritionist with a master's in food studies, a certified pastry chef, a former cake designer, the owner of a tiny artisanal baking company of wholesome products, a blogger, a recipe developer and tester, someone who loves painting and learning about art, a writer who writes in a language that she's barely proficient in, a health food chef and advocate, a teacher and an ice cream lover! I studied and read a lot while I was away, I saw friends I had not seen in a long time, and I visited with myself too. There was no oven in the apartment, which at the beginning worried me. What was I going to do without one? The impossibility of an oven ignition ignited many other things in my brain. I made some tasty raw treats and not baking gave me the break and clarity that I needed more than I thought. The most exciting decision is that I'm getting certified as a Health Coach, and will soon launch my own practice. I hope this is the last piece of the puzzle that I've been trying to put together for almost 20 years, where my love for food and cooking, my history with eating (not always healthy, but where health has prevailed, and often related to my emotions), and the passion I feel about the culture, science, art and psychology that surround food, can come together while I work with people to help them feel happy and peaceful about eating well. 
Sometimes, we just need the break and step outside in order to understand ourselves better. I'm very thankful for having had this opportunity, and I hope I can learn to remove myself routinely in different ways when I need answers in my life.

I learned that stepping out is so helpful, that we started a tostada (or taco) night tradition that allows me to step out of the kitchen on a weekly basis. 
While in Florida, during one of my multiple visits to Whole Foods, I found these amazing Mexican oven baked flat tortillas 

 
And why do I make a big fuzz over them, since every supermarket carries taco shells, tostitos and tortilla chips? 
Well, tortilla shells are an American invention. Most brands are greasy and full of additives and GMOs, so I wouldn't recommend those. These ones are flat and made just with ground corn processed with limewater, which is an ancient Mexican method of making tortillas, called nixtamalizacion. By adding the alkaline solution, the calcium content of the tortillas goes up to the roof, and the availability of the corn's B vitamins and aminoacids also increases considerably. Unfortunately, I can't find them in Manhattan and I'm waiting for my amazon order to arrive. In the meanwhile, I've been using organic tortilla shells, which aren't as nutritious as the nixtamalized tortillas, but at least don't have GMOs nor weird chemicals, and since I won't let a fightless dinner every week to pass, the shells will do for now.Alternatively, you can purchase corn tortillas and toast them on a baking sheet in the oven until they are firm; or, you can make your own tortillas from scratch using masa harina flour (nixtamalized corn flour), it's very easy, although a bit labor-intensive for a stepping-out-of-the-kitchen dinner. I'll blog about the how to soon!

So, how does tostada night work?  
Here's the tostada night scene:

Collage made on a CB2 catalog spread with cutouts from other magazines, watercolors, labels, washi tape and Lego figures

• I make some beans (OK, canned also work if I lost you at "I make". I recommend EDEN organic brand, because it's can is BPA-free and they are unsalted and prepared with kombu seaweed, which makes them more digestible) 
• Cut up MANY different veggies in a variety of colors (I often enlist my kids help): Romaine, red cabbage, zucchini ribbons (use a peeler all the way through), sliced radishes and/or kohlrabi, baby spinach, carrots, corn, assorted sprouts, etc
• Make guac: Just avocados, fresh lime juice and sea salt, but feel free to add in onion and jalapeno or serrano chiles and cilantro.
• I dice fresh tomatoes and season them with raw apple cider vinegar, a tiny bit of avocado oil, sea salt and fresh herbs, if I have them at hand.
• Organic store-bought mild salsa
• Goat milk yogurt or Greek yogurt (or sour cream) 
• Shredded cheese or crumbled goat or sheep cheese.

 The rules are that the tortilla(s) should contain at least beans and 1 vegetable and everyone prepares his own. By having the fresh veggies in separate bowls, my kids end up eating way more of them than if I ever served them on a plate or combined and they love customizing their meal. They have their protein, their veggies, their fiber, their minerals and vitamins, their texture contrast and their independence (and mine!). 

*You can also cook ground beef, chicken or turkey and offer it along. If you keep kosher, just omit the yogurt or sour cream and serve Daiya vegan cheese instead of dairy cheese.

I should have written posts before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but I was swamped with work. For pre-fast tips, please visit last year's post at: 

http://ironyofbaking.blogspot.com/2012/09/after-flood.html 

And here's the link to my Rosh Hashanah posts for Kosher Scoop. They were inspired for the New Year, but are great for the rest of the Holidays:


Apples and Honey--From Appetizer to Dessert. 

If you observe Yom Kippur, have a meaningful fast and G'Mar Chatimah Tova. If you don't, enjoy the day and have a delicious meal thinking of your Jewish friends!

Inside Our Gut Feelings

I'm incredibly hyped about this post. I've seriously lost sleep thinking, reading and working on it! What I'm about to write, and I actually started to brush upon it in my last post, is the future. It's where conventional and alternative medicine, science, cuisine and of course, the industry, will head to for the upcoming years, and hopefully converge. 

Let's start with some good news: your body (and mine) weighs 4 pounds less than the number that the scale registers! 

Now that I've captured your attention, I'll explain. There's no new theory of gravity. What happens is that we have an extra organ in our body, that is not really part of our body (nor an actual organ) that weighs a bit more than 4 lbs. This organ is our intestinal (gut) flora, aka microbiome, biome, biota, friendly or good bacteria.
And why do I keep referring to it as an organ if it isn't one? Because the trillions of microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but there also are yeasts and other beings, which vary from person to person,) that populate our GI tract have such vital functions in our bodies, that they are as important as an actual organ. And we should take care of them!
Lately, more and more findings have been taking place regarding the amount, variety and actions of the microbiota, although a lot is still unknown. There's some exciting research going on, such as the American Gut Project,  which attempts to map all the microbes living in the bodies of the thousands of subjects of the general public (anyone who desires to participate in the study can do so, click on link above if you're interested) to understand the correlation between people’s lifestyle, diet, and health status with the makeup of their microbial community.
In past posts I've mentioned pro and prebiotics (just look at the previous entry), which are the stage names assigned to the friendly or good microorganisms that populate our gut (probiotics) and the food (prebiotics) that nourishes and helps them proliferate. So, to make it clear, probiotics are the bugs and prebiotics are their food.

So, what's the big deal? Here's what we already know about the functions of the gut flora:

• PROTECTIVE: The biota keeps at bay pathogenic microorganisms in various ways:

- It occupies the physical space in our gut
- It consumes the nutrients that the pathogens may need
- It produces anti-microbial factors that would attack the unwanted bacteria, viruses and/or funghi. 

This explains why tourists may get Moctezuma's Revenge on their Mexican vacation (or anywhere else...), while the locals, whose floras are populated differently, can eat/drink the same things without suffering from food poisoning. Remember the scene in the Sex and the City movie (part 1) after Charlotte accidentally drinks water from the shower in Cabo?   

• STRUCTURAL:

- The biota strengthens the host's immunity by triggering the secretion of IgA, a relatively non-inflammatory antibody that prevents foreign substances from being absorbed into the intestinal cells.

- It forms a physical barrier between the inside of the gut and the bloodstream.

- It tightens the cell junctions (space between intestinal cells), so no unwanted compounds can permeate in between cells, avoiding leakage. A leaky gut is when certain particles that shouldn't permeate from the intestines into the bloodstream, do make their way into the blood and cause reactions that could end up in inflammation, and therefore, disease, such as metabolic syndrome, eczema, allergies, asthma, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, IBD, other autoimmune diseases, even autism. 

• METABOLIC: The microbiota is involved with our digestion, absorption and metabolism of certain vital substances. 

- It helps break down foods we can't digest
- It synthesizes vitamin K, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12, certain neurotransmitters (including "feel-good" serotonin), enzymes, and other essential nutrients, such as amino acids and short-chain fatty acids, some of which play a role in brain function, and may even modify our temperament. 
- It produces signaling chemicals that regulate our appetite, satiety and digestion.

All this has such a powerful impact, that it's been suggested that the composition of our biota may be as, or even more important, than our genetic makeup. The most promising part is that although we are pretty much stuck with the biology we inherited from our parents, the composition of our biota can be modified, restored (or damaged) and cultured. And since microorganisms' adapt and multiply way faster than our bodies, this might work in our favor to help us adapt to changes in the environment and increase our immunity.

To understand a bit better all this impossible-to-understand stuff, let's talk about how we get our specific gut flora: While we are in our mother's womb, we are sterile, but during birth, we pick up our first batch of microorganisms from our mother's birth canal (OK, vagina). Then, breast milk follows. Once thought to be sterile, mother's milk contains both, pre and probiotics, which stimulate the colonization of the baby's gut (it's been shown that C-section and formula-fed babies' biota doesn't resemble as much to their parents' gut flora, but more to their skin's, which might not be as protective as the former). Then, during the first 3 years of life, with the introduction of solid foods and the environment (remember?, those are the years during which babies and toddlers put everything into their moths and you pray that she survives after licking everything in the playground's sandbox), the biota shapes into a more stable, adult-like microbioma, that could still change, but not as readily as in the first 3 years, because the flora is more strongly established, and the new microorganisms would have to fight harder for a spot in our gut. All those practices of  boiling the baby's pacifier every time it falls (best results are when the parents lick it!) and spraying all the toys and surfaces with Lysol after a play date, although well-intentioned, might not be for the best (not judging, I did it myself!). Why? Because by wanting to kill the bad germs, we're wiping out too the ones our little ones need, and we're interfering with the development of their bioma. I have nothing against cleanliness, but we might have to chill a bit in the antibacterial end, and learn when we should resort to Clorox, Purell or boiling water, and when just a milder way of cleaning would be best. 
A factor that interferes severely with the composition of our bioma at any age is the use of antibiotics; which are some times necessary to preserve our health, but the abuse of them might put it in danger. Antibiotics kill the bad, but also the good  microorganisms inside us. It's a good idea to make an effort to restore and replenish our flora after using antibiotics. This is easier said than done, as we don't know exactly what kinds and amounts of bugs we should ingest as probiotics (and variety seems to be key in a healthy flora), because we don't know with precision which ones we had before the antibiotics, and because often, probiotic supplements are not really what they state they are (no regulation!), or they don't survive the stomach's acidity. Although there are some proven to work. So far, diet might be the most controllable tool we have to work on our gut microcommunity from home and easily. Since foods are complex compounds, not isolated beings or nutrients, and are influenced by the environment where they were produced, non-industrialized foods might be the best vehicles of diverse good bacteria we have.
It's important to include:

• Fermented foods (the fermentation process is caused by good bacteria and in some cases yeast), so they contain the actual bugs (probiotics). The most widely available are: kefir, yogurt (both with "live cultures," don't bother if the label doesn't state they are live this), and raw (again, don't bother if they're pasteurized) kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, tempe and some pickles. Or, venture into making your own!
• Prebiotics (mainly fiber): Different microorganisms eat different foods, so a variety of types of fiber (plant foods) is key to support a diverse community of microbes: whole grains, root vegetables, nuts, beans, bananas and other fruits, bran, leafy greens, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, garlic, onions, and avocados. For more on fiber, click here. Among other prebiotics are raw honey and raw apple cider vinegar.
• Unprocessed foods: Quoting Michael Pollan (my favorite activity, and I must say I was tempted to just copy and paste the whole article!) in The NY Times magazine: "The less a food is processed, the more of it that gets safely through the [entire] gastrointestinal tract and into the eager clutches of the microbiota." Processed foods have been "predigested" for us, by removing layers of compounds and nutrients that our bodies and our biota need. A diet rich in processed foods with no fiber (or artificially added fiber that doesn't contain all kinds of fiber), lots of refined sugar, artificial chemicals and fats, doesn't feed our microbiota what it needs, so we're not only depriving our body from nutrients, but we're being rude hosts! Besides variety and nutritional structure of the food, the preparation (less is more) of it also affects the flora. As Pollan writes, "al dente pasta, for example, feeds the bugs better than soft pasta does; steel-cut oats better than rolled; raw or lightly cooked vegetables offer the bugs more to chomp on than overcooked, etc." So be gracious to your gut when you prepare a meal!

Scientists claim they are still far from completely understanding all the implications and mechanisms of our microbiota, thus refuse to make statements and reach conclusions too early. However, while researching this fascinating topic, I found out about Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. She became a medical doctor in her native Russia, practiced as a Neurologist and Neurosurgeon and later moved to the UK, where she earned a postgraduate degree in Neurology and another one in Nutrition. After her own child was diagnosed with autism, she developed a diet to treat him. Her results where so amazing, that she ended up "working with hundreds of children and adults with neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as autistic spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD⁄ADD), schizophrenia, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, OCD, bi-polar disorder and other neuro-psychological and psychiatric problems," and published her first book with the diet protocol (followed by 2 more books ), called Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAP Syndrome or GAPS)™. The term refers to  "a condition which establishes a connection between the functions of the digestive system and the brain." She believes that an intestinal flora that is not well balanced or is damaged is to blame for for an endless list of diseases and conditions (that start with a leaky gut). One of the reasons why she caught my interest when I first read about her was that her diet is a modification of the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), a diet I'm familiar with through a client of mine who's been able to control his Crohn's disease completely (no medication whatsoever) by following the SCD, which is a restrictive diet, that offers great results for many digestive disorders. It requires lots of will power, organization and commitment, but it works! Dr Campbell-McBride's version aims to detoxify the body and once it's clean, to the biota (she claims that plant foods detoxify and cleanse our bodies, while animal foods help build and feed them...). Her method differs a lot from conventional medicine and she encourages, among other things, the consumption of homemade fermented foods, including the use of raw dairy transformed into yogurt, kefir and butter, as she claims pasteurization deprives the food from its probiotic qualities. As it happens every time a new idea is introduced in a field, some members of the scientific community criticise her, while others praise her, but I find interesting that her third book is a compilation of personal stories of patients documenting how the GAPS diet healed them....
This video is a brief explanation of her theory. And this is a list of all the diseases she says we can heal through her dietary protocol.

Bottom Line: There's a lot coming regarding our microscopic tenants. Perhaps the American Gut Project can help us understand Dr Campbell-McBride's theories (and demonstrate if they do work or not). While we wait, let's be super good hosts and take care of our flora. Let's encourage breast feeding, use antibiotics only when truly needed, eat lots of different kinds of fiber, learn to ferment foods, take preventive measures in case of a C-Section*, not go crazy with sanitation, decrease our processed food consumption, and love our gut!  
Plus, now we know that if we sit in a restaurant by ourselves, we will never be dining solo!

* Pollan writes that the head of the sequencing and analyzing lab he met, used a cotton swab to inoculate his newborn infant’s skin with the mother’s vaginal secretions to "insure a proper colonization after an emergency C-section. A formal trial of such a procedure is under way in Puerto Rico."

Recommended reading:

• Dr. Campbell-McBride: http://www.doctor-natasha.com/index.php

• GAPS diet info and books: http://www.gaps.me/?page_id=20

• Review article: Ecology of Host-Associated Microbial Communities: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2937523/

•  Diversity, stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota:   http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v489/n7415/full/nature11550.html

• Pollan's article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 

• American Gut Project: americangut.org

• Lisa Rose's Sauerkraut tutorial: http://www.realfoodkosher.com/simple-sauerkraut-a-probiotic-superfood/

•  Boyd, C. Love Your Gut: The Startling Role of Intestinal Flora in Food Allergy and Celiac Disease. Living Without. USA August/September 2013

• Egan, S. Making the Case for Eating Fruit in the NYT:  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/making-the-case-for-eating-fruit/?_r=1&

   
  

Pre and Probiotic Chilled Soup

This recipe is much better than the name I decided to assign it! Since there's no cooking involved, the bugs are still intact and quite delicious, plus there's plenty of fiber for them to enjoy the meal as much as you do. I made it with SO Delicious Dairy Free Cultured Coconut Milk, as kefir, because I was serving the soup during a meat meal. This product is a descent option when dairy is an issue, although it contains carrageenan, a sea vegetable extract that might trigger inflammation, and other additives so I wouldn't recommend it for daily use. Plain kefir from cow or goat's milk, preferably organic, are great options, or a homemade version with those milks or coconut milk (although I haven't found a pareve kefir starter with certification just yet, but will report if I do).

Ingredients

2 cups plain kefir (see note above)
30 green seedless grapes, plus more for garnish
3/4 Brazil nuts (or almonds), preferably soaked overnight in water, drained and rinsed before using
1/4 cup original raw kombucha, optional

1 mini cucumber
3 dates, pitted
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp  + 1 tsp white miso paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
6 leaves fresh mint, more to taste and for garnish
1 tbsp raw, organic apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Water, if needed

Method
Whiz everything, except the water, in a blender until completely pureed. If too thick, thin with a bit of water or more kombucha. Adjust seasoning, cover and refrigerate overnight.
Serve with sliced grapes, fresh mint and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Enjoy!

Serves 4. Can be doubled.

Mickey and his biota loved it!

 

Liquid Gold

In the olden days, as my daughter calls the time when I was young, when you needed a reliable answer about any topic, you looked it up in the Encyclopedia Britannica. You had to know how to spell the word, locate the appropriate tome, read the whole spiel and try to distill knowledge out of the paragraphs or pages written by experts. Since no one could afford to buy a new encyclopedia every year, the information was often dated. Nowadays, you google the word or even a sentence on your iPhone whenever and wherever curiosity strikes you. If the word is misspelled, you will get a corrected version and 20,000 Internet links with all the most recent knowledge regarding your theme of choice. And that is how we get our facts these days. What we find can be written by the tenured University professor that authored every single peer revised article on the topic you are looking for, it could have been typed by a 6-year-old playing with his mother's iPad, by someone trying to sell you something to increase or decrease the size of a body part that you've been desperately trying to change (or that you don't even have), by a blogger with qualifications or without them, or by the advertising/marketing world. Information has turned into a patchwork of reliable and unreliable sources, absolute truths and current trends.
In The Irony of Baking, I deeply research my food topics (that's one of the reasons why it takes me so long to write each post), trying to be as impartial, thorough, and objective as I can be. I explore the different traditional and holistic points of view, and after digesting everything I find, know, trust, and believe in, I summarize it for my readers and suggest practical applications to everyday life. I can't say I know the right answer to everything or that I don't make any mistakes, but I try my best to make the complicated, simple and applicable to our busy lives. Nutrition is a science that keeps changing as discoveries are made and new theories surface. Policies change and recommendations evolve. Just this week, it was published that omega 3 supplements may cause prostate cancer. In the last decade, omega 3s have been some of the most publicized nutrients and people who like to keep up to date have been popping them in. And that's why, in general, I always say that we should try to get our nutrients from whole foods (not the store necessarily, but unprocessed, nutritive foods) instead of pills or capsules, but then again, as current research indicates, vitamin D is an exception and we should opt for the pills.
I don't believe in miracle solutions nor in magical foods, supplements or products, as it's all a combination of choices and behaviors that make up a healthy lifestyle. I often struggle with my own balance, food preferences, feelings, thoughts, time availability, family dislikes and a tremendous amount of words that you probably don't want to read. So here it goes: this post's topic is Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) a great, inexpensive ingredient with lots of potential.

I'm talking about the raw, unpasteurized one sold mostly in health food stores, that in the bottom of the bottle shows a cloud of disgusting-looking strands, which would make you think that the product is spoiled. Well, it's not. That ugly sediment is The Mother and is where all the goodness: AKA enzymes, good bacteria and phytochemicals, of the ACV concentrates. High temperatures and pasteurization make ACV look prettier, but they kill the mother. So go for the ones labeled ORGANIC (as conventional apples are highly sprayed with pesticides, and fermented apples are the main ingredient in this product) and RAW, with the mother. Bragg's is the most popular brand (that one with a label worth a makeover), but there are a couple of different manufacturers.

If you look online, pick up any one of the latest detox programs, books, magazines or pamphlets, or if you watch Dr. Oz, you'll immediately run out the door in search for this fabulous elixir. Claims are that if you drink it, use it topically, and rub it on your kitchen counters and windows; your gut, your skin and your home will be free of toxic materials, dangerous bacteria, pimples, eczema, dandruff, lice, itch, fungus, Candidiasis, joint pain, acid reflux and heartburn, warts, cancer, bad breath, high cholesterol, body odor, diabetes, dull hair, and extra pounds. I'm not making any of those up!

Some users swear by it, and there's an infinite amount of anecdotes describing how great ACV was for curing acne, for developing a flat stomach and everything in between. Unfortunately, there haven't been that many scientific studies to contradict nor support the health claims of ACV, nor to understand the mechanisms linked to them. A lot still remains unknown, however, there have been studies that officially suggest that ACV might help (and help is not solve!) regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, decrease the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, and may help promote weight loss.

In terms of a more holistic, or integrative approach, the thoughts are that, the unique acids in ACV can bind to toxins (that come from the environment and the food we ingest), and transform them into substances that can be easily eliminated from our system.  Another way apple cider vinegar may aid detoxification is by breaking up mucus throughout the body and cleansing the lymph nodes to allow for better lymph circulation, which would make the toxin removal more effective and would improve the immune system response.
As I mentioned before, The Mother is made of strands, a combination of enzymes  (proteins that promote specific chemical reactions) and bacteria. These bacteria are prebiotics, which are substances that feed the good bacteria in our gut, and promote their growth (as opposed to probiotics, which are the actual gut bacteria and are found in other fermented products such as miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, etc). As Alejandro Junger, MD explains (obviously, I had to quote Gwyneth's pal. You know, her friends are my friends!), the Flora (billions of good bacteria) that covers the intestinal wall, detoxifies a big portion of the toxins we ingest. These bacteria also digest part of our food, and if the Flora is damaged, there will be important nutrients that won't be absorbed by our body. These beneficial bacteria also defend their territory against other kinds of bacteria (bad), viruses and parasites. So ACV feeds the Flora, helping to maintain it healthy.

It's very easy to incorporate ACV into our diet. Some people suggest diluting 1 tablespoon of it in a cup of water, adding a bit of raw honey or pure maple syrup, and perhaps a dash of cayenne pepper and drinking it before meals or throughout the day. I personally add it to my morning green smoothie and use it in my salad dressings.
Topically, it's recommended to dissolve ACV with equal parts of water and use it as a skin toner. I've tried this myself with great results (anything for you, my dear readers!). I initially thought my skin would burn like hell, as I use Retin-A every night and it makes my skin more sensitive, but I felt fresh like a cucumber and my skin was clear, although my husband and kids were offended for my salad scent. For warts, I found that the treatment is to place some ACV in a cotton ball and secure it with a band aid, leaving it overnight and repeating treatment as needed. I have not tried this, so can't vow for it. Some people use it as a hair conditioner, but I haven't tried that either, fearing that the smell will be even worse that when I use it on my skin. And talking about smell, some bloggers substitute commercial deodorant for ACV, if you try it, please report back! Adding some ACV to a warm bath may help alleviate joint pains. As you can see, there are multiple uses for ACV, and included in a healthy lifestyle, it can help us be cleaner inside and out.

Bottom line (in case I lost you during my never-ending intro)

-Only buy Raw, Unfiltered and Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

-Always consume ACV diluted (in dressings, smoothies, water, etc. Basically, don~t drink it straight of the bottle)

-Shake ACV before using it so The Mother gets evenly distributed and you get some of it every time.

-ACV is not magic, it should be incorporated into a diet rich in plant based products, low in sugar and bad fats. So don~t drink it to wash down newly relaunched Twinkies. It won~t help.

-Use it in moderation. About 1 tablespoon per day is a good amount.

-Check with your doctor if you have any health conditions, as ACV might interact with certain drugs or not be beneficial in certain situations.

-You can cook with ACV, but most of the health effects will be lost due to high temp. You need to consume it raw in order to benefit from the qualities explained above.

ACV DRESSING

1/4 cup avocado (or EVOO) Oil

3 tablespoons ACV

1-2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons coarse grain mustard

1 teaspoon raw honey 

1 pinch fine sea salt

Makes about 1/2 cup dressing

You can make 2 or more times the recipe and store it in a jar with a lid in your fridge. It keeps well for 2 weeks. The other day I opened a can of chickpeas (BPA-free), a box of organic pre-washed greens, cubed half an avocado, sprinkled on some hulled hemp seeds, drizzled in the dressing and had a delicious, super healthy and very satisfying lunch ready in 5 minutes. Sliced radishes and anything else in season or even some hard boiled eggs are great additions.

Chard Wraps

During the last four weeks I've started writing 3 different posts that I never got to finish, so I really hope I can click on the "publish" button for this one before my unshakable ADD attacks again. 
It's been a time full of important events, a bunch of interesting work projects, some wonderful celebrations, atypical nights out (a record total of four!), and the end of the school year. I've been composing entries for the blog in my head wanting to talk about all that, but there hasn't been real time for typing.Where's the app for that????

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to present at the Green Tea Expo, a health-focused fundraiser for a Manhattan private Jewish school. The keynote speaker at the event was Rabbi Aaron D. Mehlman, whom I became a big fan of while he was my kosher supervisor when I had the baking space in the Upper West Side. I might not do justice to his great speech, but I'll try to do my best in conveying one of the ideas that actually stuck in my Teflon mind. Just a quick note: no matter what religion you observe, or even if you don't observe one, this can apply to everyone. He mentioned the importance of taking care of our bodies (which is actually commanded in the Torah), and explained how without our bodies functioning well, we cannot obey any other commandments or perform good deeds, or do anything at all. However, he said, despite the obvious, it's hard to take care of ourselves. We need the strength of a whole additional spirit in order to actually do it. It's a big effort, and temptation is difficult to placate. I'm not talking about a temptation against sin in the Dante Alighieri kind of way, but we do need much discipline and will power to perform all those daily tasks that keep us healthy: flossing, working out, attending therapy, eating nutritious foods, scheduling medical checkups, applying sunblock, keeping a good posture, and the list goes on and on. So many endless tasks and so much temptation from the environment, and also from within ourselves to boycott them... I remember my high school psychology teacher explaining Freud's Eros (drive of life) and Thanatos (drive of death) concepts, and I think this is another interpretation of what the Rabbi was explaining, and I can't help picture an old Disney cartoon in which either Goofy or Donald (can't remember which one of the two) has two little versions of himself on each shoulder. One is dressed as an angel and the other one as a devil, and they are both whispering into his "real-size" self's ear trying to convince him to act in the right or evil way. Without going to extremes of calling it evil or drive of death, we face these internal discussions lots of times, and often, the boycotting part of us offers a freer, funer or tastier seeming option. It can be shaped as a cheap, greasy chocolate cream doughnut with rainbow sprinkles (that actually looks better than it tastes), a permit to ditch the gym for the week (or forever), a can (or 10) of soda, one too many alcoholic drinks, or even a pathological obsession to exercise 3 hours every single day with no rest. 
In the scope of healthy eating, the topic is a bit like faith itself: it's a long term investment that we hope works out as we believe it will. There's rarely an immediate reward with the food we put into our bodies (caffeine might be one of the few examples), but we have to be patient, work at it, and hopefully see the results later on. There's no magic: if you eat junk food, no thunder will strike you on the head, and if you dine on kale, you won't win the lottery or become a size 0. Just as with faith, there are numerous interpretations of what eating healthy means, and some times we have to resort to the experts for advice. No matter what, we need to use that "extra spirit" that will give us the strength of taking care of ourselves. At doing this, we don't only take care of our body, but we teach by example, especially if there are children around. And that example includes enjoying a piece of chocolate once in a while, with pleasure and no regret! 
Sometimes it's hard to know how to begin. There's so much information everywhere, and it's difficult make the right choices. I recently spoke to Shmuel Shields, PhD., who wrote the book L'Chaim: 18 Chapters to Live By. If you keep a kosher diet, this is the manual you should start with! With decades of experience in the nutrition field, Dr. Shields navigates the intricacies of Torah wisdom and the latest scientific research, producing an easy-to-use guide to health, strength and well-being.


And now, I leave you with this recipe that I love and will be eating all summer long. And the best is that I won't need to resort to my strong extra spirit to convince me on this one!

Swiss Chard Spring Rolls

I used to be the only single Mexican on Earth who didn't like avocado. Then, a couple of years ago, love flourished, and now I can't get enough of the rich, creamy, and vitamin E loaded fruit (yes...it has a pit, therefore it's a fruit). My Mexican mango affair is no news, but its pairing with avocado has been this season's obsession in my kitchen. It's a match made in Heaven.
Not only in their marriage of texture and flavor, but even nutritionally, they make each other better than the sum of their parts.
Recent studies have shown that when fresh avocado (or avocado oil) are added to a salad, our absorption of lycopene and beta-carotene (powerful antioxidants) increases between 200 to 400%. So it happens, that mango, besides being rich in vitamins C and D, is very high in beta-carotene, which avocado only improves!
Due to a very particular fat content (not only in amount, but type as well), avocado has anti-inflammatory benefits, can help lower the risk of heart disease, and, by being rich in fiber, this fruit can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent some types of cancer. 
To wrap things up, literally, I love using the large, dark green leaves of the Swiss chard plant. As most dark green edible leaves, the nutrition content of the chard is outstanding. Specifically, chard contains at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, including kaempferol, a heart-protecting substance also found in broccoli, kale and strawberries. Chard also contains syringic acid, a flavonoid with blood sugar regulating properties; and along with beets, chard is a unique source of other phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying qualities.

This recipe is vegan and free of: dairy, eggs, gluten and can be made nut free.

If anyone knows how to rotate pics once they are already uploaded in blogger, I'd appreciate your help, as it seems to have a mind of its own.....

INGREDIENTS:
8 Swiss Chard leaves
2 Mexican mangoes (Champagne, ataulfo, any other kind as long as they are from Mexico)
1 Hass avocado
1 lime
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 spread recipe (see below)

Spread:

60 g. (1/4 cup) unsweetened, unsalted nut or seed butter*
15 g. (1 tablespoon) white miso paste
10 g (11/2 teaspoons) raw honey (pure maple syrup or coconut nectar also work)
14 g. (1 tablespoon) brown rice vinegar
5 g. (1 teaspoon) tamari soy sauce, or to taste

*Almond, cashew, sunflower seed, peanut, tahini, all work

METHOD:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk all the spread ingredients together.

2. Trim the thick bottom stems of the Swiss chard, until you only have 1/2-inch left between the end of the stem and the beginning of the leaf. 

3. Peel and pit mangoes and avocados, and slice flesh into 1/4-inch thick strips. Squeeze fresh lime juice on avocados and set all fruit aside.

4. Place one chard leaf with the more textured side upwards on a cutting board and top it with another leaf in the same direction. Spread 1 tablespoon of the prepared spread long wise, leaving 2 inches all around the edges of the leaf with no spread. 

 5. Place a couple of slices of mango and avocado on the chard leaf with spread and add some mint and basil leaves. The fruit strips should be placed on the center of the leaf, facing along. 

6. Fold in the tips of the chard leaves from the section with no spread. Then fold in one of the thicker sides and then the last one, to make a roll containing the filling.

7. Repeat until all chard leaves are used. Slice each wrap in an angle and serve.

Makes 8 half-wraps

 

A Hairy Situation

Last year, an amazing initiative took place at my children's school: the lower school kids were invited to donate at least 8 inches of their hair to make wigs for pediatric cancer patients. My hair was pretty short then, and when I asked my daughter if she'd like to participate in that incredibly generous deed, she declined, because she was terrified she'd end up with ultra short hair. I understood, and we agreed we would both let our hair grow the whole year and then donate it.
Last week, all of this year's volunteers gathered at Salon Moscow on the Upper East Side (which actually donated its services) for a massive hair cut that ended up in more than 15 pony tails destined to become wigs for children who are suffering hair loss due to their treatment.
While at the salon, my throat was tangled in a gigantic knot. I was trying to hold in the tears. It was incredible: all these kids between 6 and 10 years old, mostly girls, plus an adorable pair of sibling boys, some teachers and moms lining up to donate their hair. The good energy was palpable, everyone felt good and proud. Nervous, but proud.

I was 6 years old when my mother started her cancer treatment. She lost all her brunette, long and lush mane, and it never grew back. A cancer patient goes through physical torture in order to try to survive. Unfortunately, there's little we can do to help with that (although visiting the sick has proved to be effecting in uplifting the patient's moral, and contribute in the healing process), and on top of all that, the patient witnesses his or her appearance deteriorate with complete impotence. They are sick inside and the mirror and other people's reactions to they way they look, just keep screaming at them how ill they are. Few things more demoralizing for an individual that looking different and evidently sick.
And that's why, in my mind, with just a simple haircut, we were helping those patients feel so much better about themselves, and that was priceless.

It turned out that that was easy for me to say...I cover my hair on a daily basis, and I'm not an 8-year-old whose lovely, waist-llength hair suddenly shrank up to her shoulders, after 12 months of watching it grow longer and longer.
I was over the moon proud of my daughter, and her enthusiastic approach toward the project. However, when she saw herself in the mirror right after the cut, the shock got the best of her. We got home and she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to come out so no one could see her. I tried to convince her of how wonderful she looked (she does look beautiful!), how healthy her hair was now, how the New Moon was the perfect time to get a haircut, I gifted her the beanie hat she loves the most from my hat collection, I tried rationalizing, explaining, hugging, and she just announced how she and her friends agree that "I always make her do things."
I felt so bad, so guilty, so sad. Such a bad parent...I wanted to teach her the lesson that some times we can sacrifice ourselves a bit in order to help someone who has lost health and even a bit of dignity due to a disease that shows up randomly, damaging happy lives. I wanted her to learn that with small acts of kindness, we can do our part on healing hearts. I wanted her to learn that the haircut would eventually make her soul and her hair grow stronger. I wanted her to become resilient and be able to endure the haircut for a bigger cause. And by trying to do that, all I had done was hurting her self esteem.
Bad mom, pushy mom, bossy mom, mean mom...
At some point, when she was still crying "I look ugly," I thought of my mother, and how bad she must have felt the first time she saw her reflection in the mirror after her chemo. Her hair wasn't shoulder length, it was gone. Then I downloaded a photo of a child with cancer and decided to show it to my daughter. I asked her how she thought this kid (who actually came with a name) must feel about her looks. Suddenly, my daughter reacted and agreed to leave the bathroom. She wrote a list of the pros and cons of her haircut and fell asleep.
She was pretty upset the next morning and didn't want to go to school. Bad, pushy mommy got into action. We eventually got to school (even later than our usual) and her friends welcomed her with cheers, many said that they'd love to donate their hair too, they touched her new coif and tried on her new purple beanie (which instantly put me on lice terror alert, but I can't really complain, as she felt so good and proud of herself, that bad, pushy mommy had to swallow her "no hair accessory sharing policy"). During the weekly school assembly, all the donors were called to the front and a emotional slide show of the whole thing was shown to all the students. Everyone got a glimpse of the atmosphere at the salon, and the admiration for the kids who participated made them all feel great.
As I saw my daughter feeling better, I realized that even if it had hurt me learning that I'm a topic of criticism in the conversations with her friends, it may not be so bad, that I "make her do things," because it's actually part of the job description I accepted when I delivered her into this world. If I'm not the one trying to show her what I consider the right way, who will do it? I'm sure that the way I consider the "right" one might be debatable, and I'm learning by daily trial and error. 
All I'm 100% sure about is that she'll need therapy due to my making her do things. But I also think that her treatment will be way shorter if she has to see the shrink for that reason, than if I didn't make her do anything.    

And among the other things I make my daughter and son do, is to "take care of their bodies" by eating their fruits and veggies.
A couple of moths ago, I discovered how much my daughter loves fruit smoothies, so now, I make her one every morning. It's all fruit with just a bit of water. It's different every day, depending on what we have. But it's always made with some fresh and some frozen fruit. The secret is to always add at least one of the following frozen fruits to ensure sweetness:
mango
pineapple
cherries
You can also use banana, but in our case, it's the only fruit she doesn't like, so I omit it.

To the frozen fruit I add fresh peeled, but whole clementines or oranges, berries (fresh or frozen, any kind), peaches, melon, fresh figs, apples and/or pears (I don't peel those fruits with edible peels).

I throw everything (let's say a handful of each) in the food processor (a good blender works even better and makes no mess, but since mine broke and I'm saving for my children's shrinks, the processor will do for now) with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and I puree the whole thing. She drinks it immediately, and I recommend anyone to do so as well, because as it warms, the fruit separates and it's not as tasty.
You can adjust fruit and water quantities according to your taste.
This is a sweet, but vitamin, fiber and antioxidant loaded way of starting the day, and since by drinking the concoction, there's way more fruit in her body than if she were eating it. So even if that's the only fruit she eats for the whole day, there's plenty and I don't have to nag for it.

Now, by popular demand when people see me slurping a green, brown or purple beverage at school drop off, here's a more detailed description of what I'm drinking. There's no exact recipe, as I always eye it and change it depending on what's left in my fridge, freezer, fruit bowl and memory.
This smoothie is my breakfast. I started drinking it when I decided to cleanse my diet (a bit more than a month now), and I love it! I love how it tastes and I love how I feel after I drink it: energized, focused and my body feels light and easy to move.
I usually make it with whatever is left over in the processor after I make my daughter's smoothie, but it's also to whip it up from scratch.

AWESOME GREEN, BROWN OR PURPLE SMOOTHIE  

Ingredients:

4 ounces (about 3 large handfuls) fresh leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and/or chard*

4 or more leaves Romaine lettuce (from the heart)

1 mini-seedless cucumber

1 to 1 1/2 cups fruit (fresh and frozen, such as the mentioned above, although pineapple goes really well with kale in smoothies)

1 to 2 cups of water, depending on desired consistency

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon RAW (unpasteurized) apple cider vinegar, or to taste, but don't omit it! It's key! 

  

*I often buy organic prewashed mixed baby greens and I like using chard, because it's easy to wash and the stems are edible.

Optional:

• To add fiber and omega 3's : 2 teaspoons chia (whole or ground), you know I'd never leave this ingredient out!
  

• To add fiber: 2 teaspoons psyllium husk (sold as supplement in vitamin shops or at Whole Foods)
  

• To super-charge with non-caffeine energy and for hormonal balance: 1 1/2 teaspoons maca powder

• To add Vitamin E, healthy oils and make it creamy: 1/2 avocado, pitted

• To add sweetness, fiber, iron and more vitamins: dried white mulberries (soaked overnight in water) 

• Even more antioxidants: 1 packet frozen unsweetened acai puree (sold in freezer at health food stores) or goji berries (soaked overnight in water)

• For good vegetarian protein: hemp protein powder (sold in health food stores)
  

• Other great additions: fennel, cooked beets (peeled), lemon or lime juice, fresh ginger, fresh mint, basil, dill or other fresh herbs. Some people like 1 celery stick, I personally rather eat my celery than have it in my smoothie, but we all have different tastes, so don't be afraid to try it!

Method:

Just add all the ingredients into the bowl of a large food processor or a powerful blender. 

Puree. 

Adjust amount of water to taste and desired consistency. You can always add more cherries, other fruit or vinegar.

Serve. Drink up and thank yourself!   

Serves 1-2 people. Keeps covered refrigerated for 1 day.