I absolutely love quinoa. It’s a true superfood, packed with amazing nutrients, high in protein, and gluten-free, making it an excellent addition to almost anyone’s diet. I’ll confess that until recently, I have not been the best at making it. Sometimes it would come out too crunchy, sometimes mildly mushy, but for some reason it was never as light and fluffy and perfect as I’ve had when it was made for me properly.

Photo by Nerissa's ring

Until now.

I learned a great tip from Chef James of Wholesome2go for how to prepare quinoa properly. It takes an additional step or two, but it’s well worth the effort, and you can make extra so you can use it over the course of several days. Here’s how you do it:

1. Rinse the quinoa well. I like to put it in a bowl with water for a few minutes and then put it in a fine colander and rinse it some more.
2. Spread the quinoa out on a skillet, and put it on low heat, stirring often, until the moisture has evaporated. Don’t go too far from the stove while you’re doing this or you’ll burn it!
3. While you’re heating the quinoa in the skillet, put the appropriate amount of water in a saucepan (approx 1.5 cups of water for every cup of  quinoa) and bring it to a boil.
4. When the moisture from the quinoa has evaporated and the water in the saucepan is boiling, add the quinoa, and turn down the heat to low. Cover, and let cook for approx 15-20 minutes. It will be light and fluffy when you’re done and a whole new quinoa experience!

The most recent question posed to me on the “Ask Margaret” feature at Spud! was about safely transitioning to a more plant-based diet. Here’s the question and my response.

“I’m trying to eat less meat and would like to know how I could transition without losing any nutrients that are vital for a healthy diet. What should I be eating in place of meat?”

When transitioning to a diet with less meat, here are a few things you want to be sure to do:

• Make sure you’re eating loads of vegetables and fruits, and not loading up on empty starchy carbs such as pastas, rice, bread, and other grain products. Aim to have up to 75% of your plate different kinds of veggies and fruit, emphasizing the veggies. You can have some starchy carbohydrates, but keep them to a minimum.
• Make sure you get adequate protein with at least 2 meals a day – this can be some dairy or eggs, fermented soy in the form of tempeh, or legumes. Mix it up. Variety is key. Do have some animal protein (dairy or eggs) at least daily.
• If you’re open to it, eat fish once or twice a week to make sure you’re getting a good source of the Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, both of which are directly found in fish (as opposed to seed oils which have the precursor to these two fatty acids, but require a conversion process in our bodies which often gets disrupted)
• Eat whole, real foods as opposed to foods imitating other foods. Avoid imitation meats and cheeses as these are highly processed and quite distant from the foods they started out as.

“Ask Margaret” is a new feature offered through the amazing organic grocery delivery service and one of my favorite sources of Naked foods, Spud! This weeks’ question was:

Hi Margaret, I’ve always thought of soy as a health food and recently I’ve heard conflicting information, making me think it’s not so healthy. Can you clear up the confusion? Thanks, Debra Joy

Here’s my answer:

Soy is certainly not as healthy as has been promoted. Originally soy wasn’t intended for human consumption – it was used in crop rotations in Asia for its nitrogen-fixing properties. Soy is incredibly difficult to digest because it has powerful enzyme inhibitors that essentially prevent its own digestion. It is really only fully digestible when it has been fermented, a process that neutralizes these enzymes. Thus it is a healthy food only when eaten in traditional, fermented forms such as miso, tempeh, and the Japanese dish natto. Unfortunately, this isn’t how we’re eating most of our soy.

The trouble with soy in the North American diet is that it’s all-pervasive. Soy derivatives (soybean oil, soy protein isolates, soy isoflavones, and soy lecithin are just some examples) are in all sorts of processed foods: in meats (yes, meats – as a filler), salad dressings, low-carb versions of high-carb foods, cereals, and many other processed foods. And of course there’s the abundance of soy products positioned as alternatives to animal products.

Unfortunately, soy is packed full of anti-nutrients, the enzyme inhibitors I mention above are just one example. Soy also contains oxalates and phytates, two compounds that block the body’s ability to absorb vital minerals such as calcium, zinc and iron, and isoflavones, or “phytoestrogens,” estrogen-mimicking plant hormones that affect reproductive system in both men (lowering testosterone) and women. An interesting anecdote is that soy was fed in large quantities to monks in monasteries in part because of its libido-reducing effects.

To top it all off, soy is also one of the top eight food allergies, and has goitrogens, which have been shown to damage the thyroid.

The story of soy in our diet is actually a fascinating one, and if you’d like to read more, The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN is an excellent read.

“Ask Margaret” is a new feature offered through the amazing organic grocery delivery service and one of my favorite sources of Naked foods, Spud! This weeks’ question was: I don’t have much time to cook breakfast in the mornings. What are the most nutritious things I can eat?

Here are some of my favorite grab-and-go breakfasts:

1-2 hardboiled eggs and some fresh fruit – you can boil eggs at the beginning of the week so you have them when you need them.

Pre-soaked oatmeal – this does require some cooking, but it’s minimal and really fast. The key is the preparation the night before. You have to put whole oats into the water at some point, right? Well, do it the night before, maybe toss in a few nuts and seeds while you’re at it and a pinch of salt, and leave it on the stove, covered, no heat overnight. In the morning when you first get up, turn on the stove to very low (you can throw in a handful of frozen berries at this point if you like), and while you’re getting dressed, etc, it will be cooking. Throw it in a bowl and add a little milk and some raw honey if you like it a bit sweeter and you’re good to go. An added benefit to soaking the oatmeal overnight is that it reduces the amount of phytic acid in the oats (an anti-nutrient that all grains, legumes and nuts have that negatively impacts your body’s mineral absorption).

Another thing to remember for breakfast is that it doesn’t have to be what we typically think of as a breakfast food: leftovers from last night’s dinner make a great breakfast. The most important thing is that there’s some good protein and fat in your breakfast so that you set yourself up well for the day. A carb-only breakfast will give you an energy crash mid-morning and set you up for sugar cravings for the rest of the day.

“Ask Margaret” is a new feature offered through the amazing organic grocery delivery service and one of my favorite sources of Naked foods, Spud! This weeks’ question was What are the nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef compared to corn-fed beef? Here’s my answer:

Grass-fed beef is certainly nutritionally superior to corn-fed beef for the simple reason that in their natural environment cows eat grass, not corn (when was the last time you drove by a corn field and saw cows gnawing at the corn?) When eating what they are biologically designed to eat, the cows themselves are healthier, and thus the quality of the meat and dairy they produce is significantly higher.

One of the key differences between the two is the quality and type of fats in the meat. Grass fed beef is actually quite lean, very high in Omega 3s (the essential fatty acids that help to reduce inflammation, among other things) and low in Omega 6s (the essential fatty acids the increase inflammation, and that tends to be rampant in our diets). The ratio of Omega 3s : Omega 6s in grass fed beef is 1:0.16, whereas in corn-fed beef it’s closer to 1:20.

Also, the Omega 3s in grass-fed beef are naturally high in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a potent anti-cancer substance, a nutrient that reduces body fat in overweight people, and has beneficial effects on blood sugar levels. Grass fed beef has 300-400% more CLA than feedlot beef.

Will it surprise you if I shared that Americans eat more packaged food than their counterparts in almost every other country? A recent New York Times article shared that we eat 31% more non-naked foods (pre-prepared, refined, packaged food, made with the goals of speed and convenience trumping nutrition and health) than fresh food. Refined, packaged, non-naked foods have been shown to lead to higher rates of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

One more reason among many to Eat Naked!

Here’s the full article for your perusal:

Factory Food,
Hannah Fairfield, Published in The New York Times April 3, 2010

No country has embraced the movement toward commercialized, prepackaged food as much as the United States.

Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries. A sizable part of the American diet is ready-to-eat meals, like frozen pizzas and microwave dinners, and sweet or salty snack foods.

“Americans tend to graze rather than sit down and eat a full meal, so the food is tailored for convenience,” said Mark Gehlhar, who has studied global food consumer preferences at the Economic Research Service of the Agriculture Department. “And Americans do not seem to be as discerning about quality.”

T. Colin Campbell, a nutritionist at Cornell University, said that “there is a lot of money tied up in the industry because it is profitable for companies to make these foods.” He added that “Processed foods contain large amounts of fat, salt and sugar, and Americans have become addicted to them.”

But epidemiologic studies have shown that diets with higher levels of fat, salt and sugar lead to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The Japanese eat a large amount of packaged frozen seafood, but it undergoes very little processing and has few chemical additives. Some Europeans eat a similar amount of packaged food per capita as Americans, but much of it is bakery bread and dairy products, rather than things like frozen toaster pastries and artificial nondairy creamer.

I’m not a big junk food fan, but I’ll admit there’s something satisfying to the odd handful of potato chips now and again. Some of my clients really crave them, and I wanted to find an alternative that was nutritious and yummy, not packed with unhealth fats, unnecessary fake flavors, and too much salt.

Enter kale chips. “Really?” you might be asking. “Isn’t kale that bitter leafy green that can be kinda tough and hard to get down?” Well, personally I love kale, but even for those who don’t (and I’ve tried this recipe on them), this way of preparing it surprisingly satisfies that craving for something a little salty and nicely crunchy. They even kind of melt in your mouth. I found myself reaching for more, and more, and more…

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and chopped into 2′ pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Dash of sea salt

Directions:

Put the olive oil in the bottom of a big bowl, and gently toss the kale in it, using your hands so that a little of the oil gets on every leaf. You’ll get a little greasy.

Put the lightly oiled kale leaves on a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Bake them in the oven at 425 degrees, staying close to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Let them cook for 3-4 minutes and then give them a stir so that a new side is up. Let them cook another 3-4 minutes – you’ll know they’re done when they’re a little brown and slightly crispy to the touch.

Let them cool, and enjoy!

One of the basic principles of a naked lifestyle is to savor the simple pleasures in life. Abundant and free, they require very little of us other than to take the time to pause and notice them.

I was reminded of this by Deb Joy of Bcelebrated in a recent note she wrote to those of us doing the Year to Live challenge:

“I’ve found the best way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary is to pay attention… What I noticed was that at all times I was surrounded by beauty. All Times! It was just a matter of noticing it. It was in nature … even in the middle of the city, it was in other people … even in the middle of a disagreement, and it was in the stillness deep inside me … even when it was buried deep beneath my busy thinking.”

On reading this, I took a moment to reflect on my experience of noticing since making the conscious decision to live 2010 fully, and yes, I really have been noticing the smaller things more.

Just the other day I ate the first strawberry of the season. I had been watching it grow and ripen out of my office window for a couple of weeks, and when it seemed so ripe it might burst, I ate it. Perfect. Juicy. Delicious. Warmed from the sun. Impossibly sweet.

And even though it was just one, it was so perfect, I didn’t want or need another. I just savored every little taste of it, taking the smallest bites, ooo-ing and aah-ing the whole time.

“But I don’t live in sunny California like you, Margaret! Here the ground is still frozen solid and the grey of winter is hanging on. My first strawberry is months away!”

Yes, it can be easier to find these little gems when the sun is shining and things are flowing. But even on the darkest day, even when it feels like nothing is going your way, there is beauty and something simple to take pleasure in nearby. All it takes is slowing down to notice it.

Take a look around yourself right now, and I’ll bet that you see at least one thing that is beautiful, that makes you smile, that gives you pleasure, and that brings you back into the present moment.

Simple, naked pleasures like this are everywhere around us. It takes little to no money, time, energy or effort; all it takes is noticing.

Practice this. Practice it often, and notice how the world around you shifts, and how your attitude about yourself and your life starts to move to the positive on a more consistent basis.

I shared in Living 2010 Fully that I’ve made the decision to live 2010 as though it were my last year to live. I am living it FULLY – taking the risks, following my heart, and relishing every little delicious moment that this life has to offer.

One of my life-long goals is to run a marathon. I’ve talked about doing this for years, but I’ve never successfully made it to actual race day for all sorts of reasons I won’t bore you with. This year I’m intent on reaching my goal. This being my Year to Live, my year to create legacies, I decided I want to do this for something bigger than just me and the satisfaction of running through the finish line (although from what I’ve heard, that’s quite a moment!)

With a little research, I learned of the AIDS Marathon training group. It’s affiliated with the APLA (AIDS Project Los Angeles), an incredible organization that provides food, home health care, and other basic needs to thousands of people whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS.

So here’s the deal: I raise $2,500 for APLA, they train me to get through the marathon finish line, and together we’re doing something really powerful for people affected by HIV/AIDS, many of whom are living in poverty with few places to turn. And here’s my request of you: will you be part of this effort and support me in this mission?

It doesn’t take much. There’s no minimum donation. $5, $10, $20, $100, $250… anything and everything helps! And here’s a little carrot for one lucky person who’s been thinking of working with me nutritionally – the first person to donate $1000 to this incredibly worthy cause will receive 6 months of nutritional counseling with me, FREE OF CHARGE, and with a nice ol’ charitable tax receipt for your contribution to make it all the sweeter. Now doesn’t that sound like a good deal?

DONATE NOW

Love couscous but have a gluten sensitivity? Or want to stay away from too many refined carbs? Or want to increase the nutritional density of your side dishes but keep some of that comfort flavor? Well, do I have a trick for you.

Here’s a salad that mimics your basic couscous Greek-style salad, but instead of using actual couscous, or any other grain substitute for that matter (I often substitute quinoa for the couscous to avoid the gluten), this version uses a secret trick I learned from my friend, wellness coach Sheree Gillaspie: raw cauliflower.

Raw cauliflower?!? Yup. Sounds crazy. But it’s absolutely delicious and delightfully simple to do. The only special thing you’ll need is a food processor – a kitchen must-have in any naked kitchen. Here’s how you do it:

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, rinsed and separated into big chunks
• 1 pepper, diced (I used green in the picture here, but mix it up and use different colours)
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup walnut oil
• Fresh ground sea salt and black pepper OR you can 1 tsp of the “Breathless Garlic” spice from one of my favorite all-natural herb companies, Green Cuisine Herbs

To make the “couscous”, simply chop up the cauliflower into tiny pieces using your food processor (takes very little time). Add the pepper, tomatoes, parsley and cilantro. Mix with the feta cheese, lemon juice, walnut oil and seasoning. Either eat immediately or store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it!