Robin's Article Archive
Fruit Cobbler
Sunday, July 25th, 2010Not too sweet, not too tart…that’s how a fruit cobbler should be! This time of year is so rich in the bounty that is available at the natural foods cooperative market where I shop: fruit, fruit, and more fruit. I make smoothies. I chop up berries to mix with cereal. I keep a huge fruit salad cut up and in the fridge, ready to savor at any moment–alone, with yogurt, or even on top of vanilla ice cream. Grapes and cherries, papaya, mango, pineapple, apples, pears, peaches, plums, berries, bananas–you name it and I’ll include it in my fruit salad.
I am a real advocate of preparing foods ahead as much as possible to increase access to healthful small meals throughout the day. I have found a delicious twist to this that is a healthful treat, and especially useful if the fruit salad has been in the fridge a day too long! Healthful Treat. Now when’s the last time you saw those two words together?
Ingredients:
- as above, any fruit you have lying around, chopped into bite size pieces
- sugar, to taste
- granulated tapioca
- optional: a pinch of cinnamon and/or fresh ground nutmeg
- flour
- sugar
- coconut oil (in its solid form, not liquid)
To prepare:
- The amount of sugar you mix into the fruit will depend on how much fruit salad you will be using, as well as your personal taste preference. I suggest: Go Tart!
- Mix in granulated tapioca. (try 3 T for every 4 cups of fruit)
- Consider cinnamon or nutmeg here, but just a small pinch.
- Put the fruity mix into a glass baking dish.
*** Here’s where the fun begins: assembling the cobbler topping *** - In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and coconut oil until you have a crumbly mess that is not too sweet but pleasing to the palate. (see note below)
- Pour the crumble over the fruit, spreading evenly to the edges of the dish.
- Bake uncovered, in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45-ish minutes, keeping an eye on the topping. Once it starts to become golden brown, I turn the oven off, but let the dish sit happily inside for another 10 minutes or so.
- Let it cool, then enjoy this delicious and healthy treat.
- Top with yogurt or creme fraiche, and you’ve got a small meal of good quality fat, carbs, fiber, and amazing flavor.
NOTES:
- I’m not a measuring spoon type of gal; I love the free flow of creativity in the kitchen. It works out most of the time, that I am rewarded with a delish dish or meal that may never taste the same way twice, but that elicits joy and satisfaction in the process.
- My personal choice is organic food; from produce to flour, sugar, grains, spices, coconut oil, dairy, etc. See how that concepts fits into your own personal choices.
- For this recipe, I use unprocessed cane sugar and light brown sugar. I suggest that you try to shift towards less sugar when baking–the tartness in fruit is quite exciting once your mouth has a chance to savor the flavors beyond sweet.
- I love coconut oil. Yes, it is a saturated fat, but one that has the health benefits of plant foods, and woweezowee, once you get a taste of it in this topping, you’ll never go back!
Grilled Veggies Extraordinaire!
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
It is nearly unimaginable to me that I have gone through my entire adult life–until last week–before becoming familiar with this divine, easy, and healthy method of cooking up a bunch of vegetables all at once–and having them come out as a side dish to any meal that a 5-star chef would be proud of! Where have I been hiding? Well, it’s never too late and I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I now do!
Ingredients:
- any and all veggies that you round up: zucchini, peppers (red and yellow), cauliflower, mushrooms, eggplant, broccoli, purple onion, green beans — don’t hold back!
- olive oil
- good quality balsamic vinaigrette (I use fig vinaigrette–it’s sweet flavor adds a surprise zip to the marinade)
- a small pinch of salt and a hearty pinch of black pepper
To prepare:
1. cut veggies into bite size pieces, and place into large bowl
2. add enough olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette to please your palate, and to coat the veggies uniformly
3. add the salt and pepper; mix it all up well
4. place the veggies into one of those grill pans intended for small pieces of food (see photo)
5. cook for 15 minutes on medium flame on the BBQ, stirring every 5 minutes
6. Enjoy the most delish, crunchy, healthy, aromatic, and simply marvelous veggies you have ever eaten!
8/13/10 Eat To Your Heart’s Content!
Friday, July 16th, 2010
I am joining forces with Wendy Van Wagner of In The Kitchen for this informative, fun, and delicious heart-healthy cooking class. We are looking forward to seeing you there. Space is limited so register soon at 478-0669!
Another Opportunity to Relax
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010I write and speak often about the benefits of taking time to relax–to quiet the mind, mitigate the effects of stress hormones in the body, and to create brain changes that support personal, emotional, and professional well-being. Another opportunity to relax came to me recently in a different format, but one that I am willingly going to cultivate as a practice.
Relax: in front of the video camera, an audience, my Toastmasters colleagues…I’ve blogged previously that I have been held up by my expectation of perfection, for performing well, for success–heck, I gave a winning speech at Toastmasters about this very topic–and I am slowly giving myself permission to accept my best without being self-critical, to understand the value and insight I bring to others need not be delivered in a “perfect” manner, and simply to relax.
As I continue to pursue this way of being present, another opportunity to relax has recently come up for me. I’ve submitted a video to Man on the Go, Chris Brogan’s newest online venture–a travel blog for busy professionals–with my subject matter titled Healthy Travel Tip of the Day. I see endless possibilities for subject matter and intend to submit a video for each and every idea I can think of that relates to physical and emotional health and well-being for the successful professional. Here’s where the opportunity arose: being relaxed in front of the Flip video camera! Allowing myself the human element of spontaneity, to go with the flow but provide useful and practical information that is presented with my own unique and personable style.
This epiphany is a gift. A liberation from my self imposed expectations. An Opportunity to Relax.
Brain Changes Lead to Behavior Changes
Thursday, May 13th, 2010Joy, mindfulness, positive affirmation, and visualization
We are creatures of habit, finding comfort in the familiar. Our brain reinforces this sense of routine and familiarity, in that the brain would rather you made the same choices over and over. Although you may be committed to a goal of “eating healthier” or “becoming fit”, the very desire to change familiar behaviors to ones that will support the achievement of your goal(s), are perceived by the brain as being a stressor, which will activate the sympathetic nervous system response of fight or flight.
The body of science-based evidence continues to expand that validates the fact that we can “change our brains” to be more responsive to subtle and pleasant behavior change goals. There are four principles to practice that will decrease the excitability of the brain, minimize stress hormone presence in the body, and create the brain changes that will enhance the achievement of small-step behavior change goals.
- Invite joy into your life
- Move mindfully through your day
- Express positive affirmation regarding your intention
- Visualize the outcome you desire
How wonderful those principles are! Finding joy is such a gift—and it is everywhere, if you choose to see it. The laughter of children playing, the glorious song of birds celebrating spring, the scent of blooming flowers, the smile you receive as a result of a kindness you extend to another human being, the petting of an animal…all of these opportunities present themselves to us every day (in variations, of course), and if we slow down enough to see them, then JOY will become a primary emotion throughout our day. And by the way, joy and gratitude are kissin’ cousins in terms of the positive effect on your brain and body.
Mindfulness and joy go hand-in-hand, in that the slowing down of being mindful creates the space to experience joy. Additionally, mindfulness can be evoked while we are eating, listening, and even while working on the computer.
Ah, positive affirmation…isn’t it interesting that we have evolved to be a species that expresses displeasure about ourselves—in the form of negative self-talk. This very common and potentially sabotaging dialogue can be slowly let go of simply by practicing positive affirmation. Called cognitive restructuring, expressing your intention with positive words will diminish resistance and ambivalence that the brain holds regarding new behaviors or thoughts. For instance, stating “I enjoy the energy I feel after going for a brisk walk” is received differently by the brain as opposed to “If I am going to get into shape, I have to go for a walk”—a subtle difference on the surface perhaps, but truly, there is the positivity of “enjoy the energy” versus the obligation of “have to go”. Think about it!
Lastly, consider visualization. It’s been known for years that prior to competing, athletes visualize the ski run, or the gymnastics routine, or the bike race, seeing themselves at their best performance. This prepares the brain for success and fine-tunes mindfulness for that particular event. You and I may not be racing in the Olympics, but nonetheless, the same technique of visualization will enhance our performance to create our own personal successes. Imagine a party scene, as it relates to your commitment to “eating healthier”. See yourself visiting with friends, visualize the buffet table: you take a small plate, mindfully selecting a variety of small bites of whatever you desire, see yourself sitting at a table with friends, enjoying their company, eating slowly, savoring flavors and textures, allowing yourself the time to become satiated. Visually experience the pleasure and satisfaction of having eaten well, reveling in good conversation with others, and having honored your personal commitment. When you arrive at the party in reality, you will have set the tone for your behavior, simply by having visualized your success.
These four principles are FREE! Meaning they are available to you right this very minute, at no cost to you, but for the few moments it takes to practice. Practice is a key concept, as each of the four mindsets becomes more and more familiar to you and your brain when they are intentionally practiced.
I invite you to experience joy, cultivate mindfulness, express your positive beliefs about yourself, and visualize your success. What a rich life you live!
Best Beets Recipe
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Yep, it’s true: Beets are delicious. If your memory of beets are from the canned, mushy slices your mom served you, be prepared to have your taste buds delighted and your body rejuvenated! Beets are nutrient dense and can be prepared in a very tantalizing way. Here’s my favorite recipe:
Ingredients:
Red or golden beets or a mixture of both
Blue Cheese, crumbled
Turkish apricots
Candied pecans or walnuts
Balsamic vinegar
- Wash and wrap beets in foil, bake at 400 for 60 minutes. Let cool completely (several hours).
- Wearing kitchen gloves, rub the beets gently and the skin will fall right off.
- Clean up the beet tips.
- Chop into bite sized chunks.
- Add crumbled blue cheese, chopped turkish apricots and (optional) just a few candied pecans.
- Drizzle with good quality balsamic vinaigrette (I used fig) and sprinkle a tad of salt and pepper.
- This dish can be eaten at room temperature or cold from the fridge in the summer. Enjoy!
How Your Brain Can Save Your Heart…
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010I listened in on a teleconference yesterday; sponsored by HeartCoaches, that featured Cynthia Ackrill, MD as the opening speaker. Dr. Ackrill “has extensive training in new brain-based approaches to behavior change and performance enhancement. Her specialty is psychoneurobiology, a field of applied neuroscience measuring brainwave patterns and their correlation to psychometric measures of symptoms, behaviors, and performance”. WOW! This burgeoning field of brain science is utterly fascinating and holds the key to understanding the opportunities for sustainable behavior change that supports optimal health and well-being.
Also discussed was the VIA Survey, an assessment tool that defines character strengths. Recognizing and utilizing your character strengths are correlated with “an understanding of the various dimensions of character, the dynamics between character strengths, and the valued outcomes that result from living authentically in concordance with one’s character strengths. With greater ability to articulate and develop character, we will be poised to better direct our talents and abilities into meaningful and engaging behavior to better our own lives and the lives of others.”
Paul Nelson, MEd, and Director of HeartCoaches, described the 4 brain-based strategies that he has developed “that research has shown to be critical for increasing self-efficacy, encouraging determination, strengthening resiliency and creating an optimistic attitude–all essential ingredients for making lifestyle changes that lead to a longer, healthier, happier life.”
I was thrilled and deeply touched that during the teleconference, my HeartMatters program was validated by science-based principles and studies. Behavior change that leads to optimal life-management is entirely possible by incorporating a mindfulness and relaxation practice and positive affirmation, creating a Health Vision, and engaging in small-step daily goals that are subtle, pleasant, and realistic. And in the process, you will cultivate an emotional connection to your deeper self, understanding your strengths and opportunities, and believing that it is possible–a secondary benefit to enjoying radiant health and well-being.
Doesn’t that sound like what you want?
