Thanksgiving Detox
Oh sadness, the 2009 Thanksgiving holiday has come to a close and now we are left with only memories and muffin tops. The snug fitting jeans and the extra rolls make for an uncomfortable Monday as we get back to our regular weekly routine. It is time for a little detox to cleanse our systems and get ready for another holiday hit coming down the road. Together we can de-puff our bodies, clear our food-fogged minds and reclaim the fit of our denim! Here are ten easy-to-follow tips that make detoxing easy to incorporate into your diet, starting right now!
1) Focus on eating raw, fresh foods. By this I mean mostly fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies have a high water content and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Most importantly, fruits and veggies do not have chemicals, preservatives (go organic!!) or fat-- all substances our bodies need a break from after such heavy eating.
2) Drink water! Aim to drink room temperature water as it is easier for our bodies to assimilate. Cold ice water can shock the system. Add a slice of lemon to your glass, which has an alkalizing effect in the body. As for the amount of H2O you should be drinking, divide your body weight in half and that number in ounces is the amount you should be consuming.
3) Hit the gym. Not only will this help burn some of the extra calories consumed this holiday, but you will sweat out nasty toxins and speed up digestion for a faster removal of, um, the waste that is sitting inside our bodies. Gross, I know...sorry!
4) Consider a shot of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a superfood that is EXTREMELY nutrient dense and cleanse-worthy. Just one shot glass is the equivalent of eating 2-3 lbs of vegetables!! How is that for healthy? Wheatgrass also oxygenates and purifies the blood and by doing so it removes any stagnant toxins sitting around. In addition to cleansing and feeding the body, wheatgrass has an energizing effect and reduces cravings! Check out your local juice bar or health food store and give it a whirl.
5) Avoid extreme foods. By this I mean, foods with a lot of sugar, salt, dairy, fat and caffiene. This is all in the name of giving your body a rest from the heavy eating that took place over the course of Thanksgiving and the leftover days that followed. Focus on incorporating low-fat and natural versions of the foods you normally eat. Aim to get the fiber you need, which is about 26 grams a day for women and 30 grams a day for men.
6) Drink green tea. Green tea is loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants, which will help boost your immunity and neutralize free radicals inside your body. Not to mention green tea is a known metabolism booster.
7) Don't eat foods late at night. Choose a cut-off time that works for you, but it should be 2-3 hours before you hit the hay. This is the amount of time it takes for food to go through the initial digestion process. Also, night time/sleepy time is when our bodies repair and recover after a long day of work, so having an empty stomach allows your body one less chore and makes over-night recovery a lot easier.
8) If you can, go vegetarian for a week. Give your body time to recover from the turkey and tryptophan coma. Meat is a heavy, protein-dense food and it requires more time and energy for your body to digest. Treat your body and digestive tract to a rest.
9) Floss. I hope you floss on a daily basis, but if you don't please, please, please make sure you floss this week. You do not want the food to settle and embed itself into your gums. It is here, through the gums that bacteria can seep into the body. Not to mention, unflossed gums contribute to gum disease and halitosis -- permanent bad breath!
10) Eat garlic! Incorporate garlic into your diet as a seasoning (or if you wish, eat it raw). Garlic helps your liver produce enzymes that detoxify the bacteria in your digestive tract.
So there you have it -- tips and foods for you to consider as you aim to cleanse your body and rid that inescapable feeling of Thanksgiving fullness. Now that one holiday has come to an end there are more just around the corner. So use this week to de-puff and de-fog in prep of the holiday eating that lies ahead. Cheers!
1) Focus on eating raw, fresh foods. By this I mean mostly fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies have a high water content and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Most importantly, fruits and veggies do not have chemicals, preservatives (go organic!!) or fat-- all substances our bodies need a break from after such heavy eating.
2) Drink water! Aim to drink room temperature water as it is easier for our bodies to assimilate. Cold ice water can shock the system. Add a slice of lemon to your glass, which has an alkalizing effect in the body. As for the amount of H2O you should be drinking, divide your body weight in half and that number in ounces is the amount you should be consuming.
3) Hit the gym. Not only will this help burn some of the extra calories consumed this holiday, but you will sweat out nasty toxins and speed up digestion for a faster removal of, um, the waste that is sitting inside our bodies. Gross, I know...sorry!
4) Consider a shot of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a superfood that is EXTREMELY nutrient dense and cleanse-worthy. Just one shot glass is the equivalent of eating 2-3 lbs of vegetables!! How is that for healthy? Wheatgrass also oxygenates and purifies the blood and by doing so it removes any stagnant toxins sitting around. In addition to cleansing and feeding the body, wheatgrass has an energizing effect and reduces cravings! Check out your local juice bar or health food store and give it a whirl.
5) Avoid extreme foods. By this I mean, foods with a lot of sugar, salt, dairy, fat and caffiene. This is all in the name of giving your body a rest from the heavy eating that took place over the course of Thanksgiving and the leftover days that followed. Focus on incorporating low-fat and natural versions of the foods you normally eat. Aim to get the fiber you need, which is about 26 grams a day for women and 30 grams a day for men.
6) Drink green tea. Green tea is loaded with polyphenols and antioxidants, which will help boost your immunity and neutralize free radicals inside your body. Not to mention green tea is a known metabolism booster.
7) Don't eat foods late at night. Choose a cut-off time that works for you, but it should be 2-3 hours before you hit the hay. This is the amount of time it takes for food to go through the initial digestion process. Also, night time/sleepy time is when our bodies repair and recover after a long day of work, so having an empty stomach allows your body one less chore and makes over-night recovery a lot easier.
8) If you can, go vegetarian for a week. Give your body time to recover from the turkey and tryptophan coma. Meat is a heavy, protein-dense food and it requires more time and energy for your body to digest. Treat your body and digestive tract to a rest.
9) Floss. I hope you floss on a daily basis, but if you don't please, please, please make sure you floss this week. You do not want the food to settle and embed itself into your gums. It is here, through the gums that bacteria can seep into the body. Not to mention, unflossed gums contribute to gum disease and halitosis -- permanent bad breath!
10) Eat garlic! Incorporate garlic into your diet as a seasoning (or if you wish, eat it raw). Garlic helps your liver produce enzymes that detoxify the bacteria in your digestive tract.
So there you have it -- tips and foods for you to consider as you aim to cleanse your body and rid that inescapable feeling of Thanksgiving fullness. Now that one holiday has come to an end there are more just around the corner. So use this week to de-puff and de-fog in prep of the holiday eating that lies ahead. Cheers!
Vitamins & Supplements Galore
This is a view inside my top desk drawer at work. Seriously, this it what it looks like. Forget about paper clips, envelopes, extra pens and paper, this drawer is gladly and quite messily devoted to my daily vitamin routine. I try to keep it hidden from most of my coworkers, but for those that work closely with me, they have gotten used to it and they know that I am a health freak. I have been caught in the act many times - organizing, sorting and swallowing - my vitamins everyday after lunch. It is a process and a habit that I am glad I keep. Oh, and yes, that is a spare REESE'S Peanut Butter Cup in the drawer buried under my vitamins. You never know when you're going to need it! I am saving it for a bad, bad day.
The story of my vitamin intake begins many years ago when I stumbled across a copy of The Perricone Perscription by Dr. Nicholas Perricone. This book is devoted to saving your skin and body through the foods you eat and the supplements you take. I devoured the book, walking away with a grocery store list of vitamins and supplements. Thankfully, shortly after I decided it was too pricey and too unrealistic for a 20-something to be taking so many vitamins, so I whittled it down to about three of Dr. Perricone's recommendations: DMAE, Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Coenzyme Q.
A few years later, I thought it would be good practice to start taking some healthy fats in a capsule, so I added an Omega 3-6-9 complex (which when I finish my current bottle I plan to switch strictly to Omega-3 fish oil). And most recently, upon becoming an upper-twenty-something-year-old in my childbearing years (yes, I just said that), I decided I must make sure that I am getting all of the essential vitamins and minerals (especially folic acid). To achieve this, I incorporated a women's multi-vitamin called Simply One by Super Nutrition. I feel much better now knowing that if I were to become pregnant my body can properly support and nourish the baby. In the meantime, I might as well be nourishing myself, right? RIGHT!
1) DMAE (Dimethylaminoethenol) -- acts as an antioxidant in the body by neutralizing toxins, increases energy levels and cognitive capacity, supports immune system
2) Alpha Lipoic Acid --found naturally in the body and helps convert glucose into energy, supports immune function, an antioxidant that rids body of free radicals
3) Coenzyme Q10 -- found naturally in the body and is a strong antioxidant that helps convert the food we eat into energy that is used by the body. CoQ10 is useful in maintaining a healthy metabolism, promotes cell division and tissue repair, supports heart health and immune function.
4) Omega 3-6-9 -- a blend of fatty acids that the body needs to function properly. They support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels. Also good for skin tone and nourishing the body at a cellular level.
Omega 3s - fish oil, walnuts, flaxseed oil. Omega 6s - vegetable oils (soybean, safflower, canola). Omega 9s (oleic acid)- olive oil, olives, peanuts oil and avocados. ** Omega 6 and 9 are readily available in the foods we eat, unlike Omega 3, which is why I plan on switching to an Omega 3 fish oil supplement.
5) Simply One Women's Multi-Vitamin -- a good mix of vitamins and minerals, plus organic green foods and herbs
You may have also noticed a container of spirulina in my desk drawer. This supplement upsets my stomach so I have stopped taking it. Spirulina is a blue-green algae that has been called a superfood. It contains a number of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals including a wide range of B-vitamins. The spirulina link above makes a call out to possible dangers associated with bacteria that can be found in this algae...so needless to say I am glad I stopped taking this supplement, especially since supplements of any kind are not regulated by the FDA!
What are your crazy vitamin and supplement habits? What do you take and why? I'd love to know!
Foods with MSG
-Morning Star Black Bean Burgers
-Joseph's - Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Cheetos
Doritos chips
Fritos chips
Lay's potato chips
Tostitos Hint of Lime/Hint of Jalapeno
Pop Chips
Wachusett's brand chips
Ken's Salad Dressing - Ranch Healthy Options
** Check all Salad Dressing's
Progresso canned soup
Cheetos
Doritos chips
Fritos chips
Lay's potato chips
Tostitos Hint of Lime/Hint of Jalapeno
Pop Chips
Wachusett's brand chips
Ken's Salad Dressing - Ranch Healthy Options
** Check all Salad Dressing's
Progresso canned soup
Sunday Baking: Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins w/ Coconut Flour
This past Sunday I did some baking and tested out coconut flour for the first time. Coconut flour is a gluten-free alternative to regular flour and it is full of fiber and protein, making it quite the healthy alternative to the regular white refined flour. Healthy it is, but its consistency makes baking with it a bit more complicated in the kitchen. I decided being the newbie that I am, I would adhere strictly to a recipe and not make any substitutions (okay, I made only one, wait...two).
I found a tasty looking recipe for Coconut Blueberry Muffins at Gluten-Free Bay. It is short and simple, making only 6 muffins, which is a good number for the first go-around.
Here is the recipe:
1/4 C plus 2 TBSP of coconut flour
3 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP canola oil (or melted butter) *i used canola - it is healthier!
2 TBSP unsweetend coconut milk
3 TBSP honey (here I substuted agave nectar)
1/4 TSP salt
1/4 TSP baking powder
1/2 C frozen blueberries (I went with fresh blueberries)
Mix together the wet ingredients first
(eggs, vanilla, canola oil, coconut milk, agave nectar)
Once nicely mixed add the flour, baking powder and salt.
Mix well, trying to get rid of the lumps
Then fold in the blueberries (frozen or fresh)
Voila
Fill the muffin....
Throw in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.
Enjoy!
These muffins are pretty good. Mild and not too sweet. Although, I suppose a little more sweetness never hurts in the taste category. In the future, I may end up supplementing a recipe with a little coconut flour to get the added fiber and protein, while saving the overall consistency of the muffin batter. Hopefully, this way I won't have to use so many eggs! Does anyone have any tips and or recipes on baking with coconut flour?? I would love to know!
** Note, if you decide to give this recipe a whirl and want to use agave nectar...agave nectar is 25% sweeter than honey, so you will need just under 3 TBSPs. :)
MSG: Our Daily Poison
Happy Friday all!! I have some upsetting news that put a slight damper on my gleeful Friday afternoon. Apparently, it is a lot harder than I thought to avoid the problematic food flavoring MSG. As most of you hopefully know by now, MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, and it is a natural ingredient extracted from a Japanese seaweed known as Kombu. MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese food and at McDonald's -- or at least that is what I thought until today. Boy was I WRONG!! MSG is in many foods and its presence is hidden behind descriptive phrases and lengthy unpronounceable words. How cruel is that?
MSG is believed to promote adverse physical, emotional and psychological side effects within our bodies. There is a running list of ailments associated with MSG intake ranging from asthma and migraines to bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder.
Here is a list of MSG laden ingredients to look out for... (www.naturodoc.com, www.truthinlabeling.com)
The scarier part is that phrases such as "natural flavoring" are often an indicator of MSG presence. So weekend homework y'all...chuck any poison (MSG) that might possibly be sitting in your kitchen cabinets. This is what I will be doing for sure! Oh, and definitely check out the Naturodoc website for more information on MSG and how to avoid it!!
MSG is believed to promote adverse physical, emotional and psychological side effects within our bodies. There is a running list of ailments associated with MSG intake ranging from asthma and migraines to bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder.
Here is a list of MSG laden ingredients to look out for... (www.naturodoc.com, www.truthinlabeling.com)
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
- Hydrolyzed Protein
- Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
- Plant Protein Extract
- Sodium Caseinate
- Calcium Caseinate
- Yeast Extract
- Textured Protein
- Autolyzed Yeast
- Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
- Yeast Nutrient
- Yeast Food
- Glutamic Acid
- Monopotassium Glutamate
- Glutamate
- Gelatin
The scarier part is that phrases such as "natural flavoring" are often an indicator of MSG presence. So weekend homework y'all...chuck any poison (MSG) that might possibly be sitting in your kitchen cabinets. This is what I will be doing for sure! Oh, and definitely check out the Naturodoc website for more information on MSG and how to avoid it!!
Mineral Packed Molasses Muffins
The smell and taste of molasses carries me back to my childhood and reminds me of baking gingerbread cookies with my mother. In my freshman year of college, my basketball team called me "hermit," after my insatiable appetite for the dining hall hermit bars. There is something about the robust, distinct sweetness of the molasses flavor that imparts comfort and warmth in the cold winter months. It was not until I started reading more about healthy foods that I discovered molasses is the most nutritious of any sweetener. In fact, the darker the color, the healthier the molasses! The darkest and healthiest of all molasses varieties is Black Strap Molasses, containing super high concentrations of iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium!!
This week I put black strap molasses to the test and baked some tasty VEGAN FEEL FULL MUFFINS. This recipe comes to me via a recommendation by Your Daily Vegan and it is a recipe by Jennifer McCann of the Vegan Lunch Box (her blog is full of tasty looking vegan dishes). What I love especially about these muffins is not their vegan-ness, but they are oil free!!! Never before have I had such a delicious home-baked muffin that did not contain any butter, oil or eggs!
FEEL FULL MUFFINS
1/2 C spelt flour
1/2 C barley flour (or can use a combo of 1/2 cup white flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour in place of the spelt of barley) -- I used spelt and whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ripe bananas, peeled
3 TBSP black strap molasses
1/2 C apple juice, plus more as needed (I needed to add abt 1/4 C more)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 zucchini, finely grated (abt 1 1/2 C)
1/2 C finely chopped or ground walnuts (I didn't have walnuts :( but would be delish!)
1/2 C currents or raisins (optional) -- I added a TRADER JOES mixed medley, see below
1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl - flours, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda
2) Combine bananas, molasses, apple juice and apple cider vinegar in a mixer -- see picture above
3) Combine dry and wet ingredients in the mixer - see above picture
I didn't have raisins, but I did have TRADER JOE'S Golden Berry Blend w/ golden raisins, cherries, cranberries and blackberries (YUM!)
Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to fill the muffin pan (grease the muffin tin w/ non-stick cooking spray)
Batter filled muffin pan!
Muffins are done! Just 20 minutes on 375 degrees.
I enjoyed my muffin still steaming and it was delicious! It is crazy moist and perfect for all you molasses lovers out there! Better yet, I worked out the calories and fat for these very muffins (w/out walnuts) and it comes to 95 calories and less than 1 gram for each!! Enjoy :)
A Friendsgiving Feast
Although, Jimmy did buy an organic turkey from Wholefoods. Check!
Depsite some organic herbs and vegetables here and there the rest of the food is completely butter and cream laden. But what would life be like if you didn't let yourself be bad every once in a while?
The turkey is in the oven and it smells heavenly. I would bottle this smell if I could -- fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon, onion...mixed together with olive oil and turkey juice!! Ohhh....how I love Friendsgiving. And the great thing about today is that two weeks from now we get to celebrate the real deal.
Skip ahead to today, Sunday November 15th. I stopped writing mid-post yesterday when the first set of friends arrived. It is better now to be writing and reflecting upon the meal. It was absolutely amazing!
Here is the menu:
-Garlic Mashed Potatoes w/ fresh chives (involved roasting a whole garlic w/ olive oil, which was mashed into the potatoes!)
-Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (Barefoot Contessa -- Oh, Ina Garten, this cornbread was the best I have ever had!)
-Cranberry pineapple sauce
-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
-Green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil.
-Parmasan Crisps
And for dessert:
-Apple Crisp (Barefoot Contessa) --sadly no photo :(
-Pecan Pie (Gourmet --the last issue)
-Pumpkin Pie (Gourmet-- the last issue)
-Birthday cupcakes (Magnolia Bakery Cookbook) Golf Inspired--thank you Martha Stewart! Claire baked these as well as the apple crisp...these were delicious!!!
Unfortunately, everyone was a bit too full to enjoy more than the apple crisp, which was fantastic! We enjoyed it a la mode (alamodee as Jimmy's friend Ryan likes to say) with Haagen Daaz FIVE Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. One brave soul, Eric, powered through a piece of pecan pie and another, Ryan, the birthday boy, enjoyed 3 plus of his delicious birthday golf inspired cupcakes.
It was a meal to be proud and now as Jimmy and I sit on the couch with some Sunday coffee and leftover cornbread....I am planning a trip to the gym and a week of healthy detox eating! On my agenda for the week -- baking some Feel Full vegan muffins and 3 visits to NYSC!!
Green Tea with Taste
I know that a lot of people struggle to enjoy the taste of green tea. This is unfortunate because we all know that green tea is extremely good for us. It is especially important to drink right now in the colder months for a little immune boost. Um, hello? Swine flu!! Some people may manage to drink green tea but suffer through each sip, while others may choose not to drink it at all. I was one who chose to suffer through my cup...but not anymore! There is now a solution for all the green tea haters in the world!! I discovered it last week wandering the aisles of my neighborhood health store and I have been drinking it ever since. The tea is called Good Earth and the flavor is Lemongrass!! This tea is shockingly tasty and you do not need to add any sweetener. It has a naturally sweet taste that I guess is the Lemongrass, however, to me it tastes a little like passion fruit. It also smells devine. I drink it in the office to de-stress and to warm my stomach in between meals. Yummm! I am already excited to pick up another box (and maybe check out a few more flavors)!
The Things We Do For Love
Here is a tiny excerpt from a conversation I had with my bf, Jimmy, over Gchat today. It is in regards to our dinner reservations on November 20th at Maialino, a new italian restaurant in the Manhattan. Note, I have chosen to omit our nicknames for each other for both your sake and my own!
Jimmy: ____, question for you
Me: Yes, ____
Jimmy: Maialino is Italian for little (or baby) pig.
And the specialty at Maialino is "Maialino for two."
Can we get that?
Me: Hahahaha
Awwwww
____, you are too cute.
[It is] a little pig?
A baby pig.
Do you think it's a piglet?
Jimmy: I'd rather not speculate.
Me: Does it sound delicious ____?
Jimmy: I'm sure that if they have the balls to serve something that's named for the place, it's gotta be good.
Me: That's true.
____, I will probably say yes to you ____ (which means I will say yes).
Jimmy: Oh, ____!
You're so wonderful to me.
The things we do for love! Jimmy does have a food blog after all (Golden Eats) dedicated to eating New York whole. I will let you know how this meal turns out. However, I doubt I will make any nutritional discoveries a la the chicken liver at Falai.
FAT! SO? -- Questions, Concerns, Comments Anyone??
Happy Monday everyone! I read an article in the Sunday Times yesterday that struck a chord of concern within me. The short article was about a new book out on the shelves by Marilyn Wann called "Fat! So? " The headline under the title states "because you don't have to apologize for your size." True, you do not have to apologize for you size...big or small. Obesity and health are subjects that should not be dismissed and the title of the book Fat! So? does just that. Wouldn't it be just as acceptable to write a book and title it Anorexic! So? Since I have not read the book I will stop typing now. I am liable to say something very stupid about a potentially wonderful and inspiring tale on how to be healthy and happy regardless of size -- something that I fully support. I think the book's cover design is awesome by the way!
Check out the website: www.fatso.com
BPA-Free Bottled Water
I made my daily trip to Health 4-U today on Park Avenue between 30th and 31st street and picked up a bottle of Penta water. This bottled H2O appears to be some of the healthiest water you can buy out of a bottle nowadays. Apparently, Penta undergoes an 11-hour patented purification process that not only removes all traces of Bisphenol A, but also trace pharmaceuticals. This water is marked as chlorine, arsenic, fluoride, chromium 6 and MTBE free. What I wonder, does this mean that all other bottled water actually comes with these unwelcomed particles!? Either way, I am not a fan of plastic bottles since they are extremely unsustainable and cruel to our lovely lady Earth. It is unfortunate that Penta water is so hard to come by...Check out these claims posted on the back of the Penta water bottle:
- Penta has proven anti-anging benefits
- Provides superior hydration over sports drinks
- Penta's patented process energizes the water
- Penta's crisp, clean taste gives a sense of well-being
Oh, Preserv-ed Girl Scout Cookies
Tonight I am home alone. My dinner, a light and unsatisfying meal, has been consumed. The Yankee game is on but it is not enough to tide me over for the night. I need something. And something I found…nestled deep in my kitchen cabinet: Year-old Caramel Delight Girl Scout cookies.
A year old! And still these cookies tasted like they were baked yesterday. Never has freshness been such a massive turn-off. I allowed myself to indulge in 2 cookies before turning over the box to be horrified. NO, I did not read the fat or calorie content. I went right to the list of ingredients, or rather preservatives. And this is exactly how the list read.
Ingredients: Sugar, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) corn syrup, vegetable shortening (palm, partially hydrogenated palm kernel, and/or coconut oils) coconut, sweetened condensed milk (milk, sugar) high fructose corn syrup, contains less than 2% of: sorbital, dextrose, cocoa (processed with alkali) whey, glycerine, salt, leavening (sodium bicarbonate ammonium bicarbonate monocalcium phosphate) soy lechithin, natural and artificial flavors, artificial color (red #40 lake, yellow #5 lake, blue #1 lake, blue#2 lake).
Gross and gross! This list is the very example of ingredients we need to avoid. Spell check cannot even process these words, let alone our bodies!
So I am glad to have been the guinea pig for tonight’s post! Tomorrow I will be hitting the grocery store and stocking up on some healthy snacks (dried fruit, nuts, yogurt, granola bars). The box of once beloved Caramel Delights is now in the trash and my kitchen is already a much safer place.
What evil foods do you have hiding in your kitchen cabinets?
Liver In My Mouth: A Nutritional Discovery
The powers of persuasion failed me last Friday evening when I lost a dining debate to my boyfriend, Jimmy. He overruled my vegan request and instead we dined at his restaurant of choice, Falai, an off-beat Italian eatery in the East Village. I do admit he had an easy win once I saw Falai’s menu. The menu managed to tempt me despite a few revolting dishes featuring beef tongue and chicken liver. It was the night before Halloween, so why not indulge in some good eats?
The restaurant was small and beautiful with good music, friendly waiters and an open kitchen. We were both happy to be there and we were enjoying our wine when suddenly the chicken liver dish landed on our table! I don't know how or why it happened (wait, yes, I do -- my boyfriend is a foodie) but within minutes there was a piece of liver in my mouth. I didn’t want to eat it, really I didn’t, but it smelled so good, and it looked so good. So...I did and it was AMAZING.
I only had two bites of Jimmy's chicken liver, but just two bites were enough to send me into a chicken liver tailspin. How could something so gross taste so good? And if it tastes good, could it possibly be good for you? Being the conscious eater that I am, especially when it comes to animals and their organs I couldn't wait to hit the internet and do some research. It did not take long for me to learn that liver is a miraculously healthy food.
Early in my online search I stumbled upon words and phrases like "sacred," "magical," "highly nutritious," and "power food." I was dumbfounded. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions liver "contains more nutrients gram for gram than any other food." Liver includes all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, every single one of the B vitamins and a ton of minerals, not to mention it is jam-packed with protein. As I continued to read on the Weston A. Price website I learned that some people (I would guess very few people) eat raw liver. And not just any raw liver, but liver that has been diced if you will, frozen, and then either swallowed like a pill or sprinkled on food as a supplement. Whoa. And this practice is all in the name of health! There is even a holistic doctor in Manhattan who recommends raw liver to all of his cancer patients.
So there you have it. Chicken liver. A power food. Don't jump out of your seat just yet because chicken liver (or any animal liver) comes with a small list of disclaimers. One, if you have high cholesterol stay away because liver has a ton of it. Two, if you enjoy chicken liver don't eat it everyday. It is important to limit your liver intake, not only because of all the cholesterol, but because it loaded with vitamin A. When too much vitamin A is consumed it becomes toxic. And lastly, if you enjoy liver, try to buy free range and grass fed for top quality. And please, please know how to prepare it. Quick prep and bland seasoning is likely to result in a taste just as disgusting as is the idea of eating liver.
I feel lucky that my first experience with chicken liver was a pleasant one. Since I plan on keeping it that way liver will remain a rare indulgence. Down the road if I ever cross paths with a delectable and irresistible dish of chicken liver, I will happily oblige and I encourage others to as well, since we now know that liver is a nutrition worthy food and a potential culinary delight!
For more information and pictures of our dinner, check out Jimmy's blog, Golden Eats.
I only had two bites of Jimmy's chicken liver, but just two bites were enough to send me into a chicken liver tailspin. How could something so gross taste so good? And if it tastes good, could it possibly be good for you? Being the conscious eater that I am, especially when it comes to animals and their organs I couldn't wait to hit the internet and do some research. It did not take long for me to learn that liver is a miraculously healthy food.
Early in my online search I stumbled upon words and phrases like "sacred," "magical," "highly nutritious," and "power food." I was dumbfounded. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions liver "contains more nutrients gram for gram than any other food." Liver includes all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, every single one of the B vitamins and a ton of minerals, not to mention it is jam-packed with protein. As I continued to read on the Weston A. Price website I learned that some people (I would guess very few people) eat raw liver. And not just any raw liver, but liver that has been diced if you will, frozen, and then either swallowed like a pill or sprinkled on food as a supplement. Whoa. And this practice is all in the name of health! There is even a holistic doctor in Manhattan who recommends raw liver to all of his cancer patients.
So there you have it. Chicken liver. A power food. Don't jump out of your seat just yet because chicken liver (or any animal liver) comes with a small list of disclaimers. One, if you have high cholesterol stay away because liver has a ton of it. Two, if you enjoy chicken liver don't eat it everyday. It is important to limit your liver intake, not only because of all the cholesterol, but because it loaded with vitamin A. When too much vitamin A is consumed it becomes toxic. And lastly, if you enjoy liver, try to buy free range and grass fed for top quality. And please, please know how to prepare it. Quick prep and bland seasoning is likely to result in a taste just as disgusting as is the idea of eating liver.
I feel lucky that my first experience with chicken liver was a pleasant one. Since I plan on keeping it that way liver will remain a rare indulgence. Down the road if I ever cross paths with a delectable and irresistible dish of chicken liver, I will happily oblige and I encourage others to as well, since we now know that liver is a nutrition worthy food and a potential culinary delight!
For more information and pictures of our dinner, check out Jimmy's blog, Golden Eats.
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