New Spin on Spanish Tortilla

Here's a new spin on a Spanish Tortilla -- otherwise known as a flourless quiche!
Great for breakfast, on-the-go snack, or party hors d'oeuvre.

I brought my healthy vegetarian, low-glycemic creation to a foodie event last night, and one of my friends says "are you sure there's no meat in here?" I say that's a great compliment! It's the heartiness of the sweet potatoes and the muskiness of the wine-soaked mushrooms that made it feel so filling that my foodie friend had to ask that question.

What you need:
8" skillet with 2-3 tall height, and a lid
separate sautee pan for prepping the veggies
30-45 minutes for a dish that can last 8-12 servings

Please note, my recipes are approximate and depend on what I have around the house. To make it easy on yourself, you can substitute herbs based on what you have available or what you like! (Thyme vs rosemary, still very tasty.)

Click here for full recipe.

Want to keep your teeth for a long time?

I remember as a kid, I saw grandpa needing to use his fake teeth and sometimes he just didn't bother and tried to eat with just his gums.

Well, I have a health goal to keep my teeth and gums healthy as long as possible because I love food and can't imagine trying to eat with just my gums. Which means, I ought to floss to keep my teeth healthy but I hate having bleeding gums.

What most regular dentists may be not understand about my unusual case of bleeding gums is that I don't fit the normal profile for unhealthy gums. I have a very healthy exercise and low-glycemic nutrition profile, yet somehow my gums are sensitive and seen as "pre-peridontal disease."

What I learned from a holistic dentist is that some of us need an extra boost (because of genetic predispositions etc) with the help of a supplement like CoQ10. I did some research of my own and ever since I've been taking CoQ10, flossing is not so much of a bloody experience. Plus, this antioxidant is needed to help fight inflammation in all of your body, especially good for your heart health too!

If you need help learning more about your dental health, this holistic dentist has a great website to help you pick the right toothbrush, and he offers wellness seminars in Long Beach, CA.

Staying Cool with Healthy Nutrient Dense Foods

What's your personality when's it's hot?

When the temperature causes you to sweat while sitting still, some of us have very little motivation to chop your vegetables and turn on the stove to get a good home-cooked meal. So before you forget to eat well, use your blender and you can open a bag of mixed baby greens to start a salad. That's right, you can put together a great protein fruit smoothie (frozen berries blended with protein/fiber powder) to go with a healthy green salad with nuts and other favorite toppings! And you can do all this without chopping if you don't want to (think cherry tomatoes if you don't want to chop).

If you're at a loss for recipes, check out the latest from Eating Well magazine for yummy food that is good for your skin! What's your favorite summer recipe?

Gourmet on a Budget

As a big foodie coming of age in Berkeley with the influences of ethnic cuisine and chef Alice Waters, the concept of eating fresh, local, and organic is not only a political and health mindset, but one of the tastebuds!

This week, I took advantage of the Gelson's mailer coupons--and saved $2 off a $10 deli purchase. What did I get? My favorites of smoked salmon and prosciutto. With the $2 I saved, I put that towards stuffed grape leaves.

At the 99 cent store, I was hunting for my bag or basket of organic salad greens and noticed a display of cactus tortillas known as "nopaltillas." If you adhere to the low-glycemic load lifestyle of eating, you probably know that corn by itself is a high-glycemic load food. So this cactus tortilla was really exciting to me-- I love nopales (part of mexican cuisine) but don't know how to cook it. The fiber and calcium from the organic nopales make the tortilla even better, with higher nutrient density and tasty all-in-one!

What yummy food creation does this create? I melted thin slices of some spanish sheep's milk manchego cheese in my new food discovery of nopaltillas, and used my kitchen scissor to cut them into quarters. Then I draped slices of my discounted but gourmet italian prosciutto on top. I also pulled out my leftover bok-choy sautee from my local farmer's market lady who has no-pesticide veggies to add more greens to my meal.

Wow! Mexican+Spanish+Italian with a side of Chinese. That's world traveling all in one meal.

Try a healthy dessert instead of ice cream

Craving something cold and sweet?

Greek yogurt is creamy and has high protein to help you slow down your absorption of sugars. Add fruit and honey to your low-fat greek yogurt and it's a great substitute for ice cream! If you don't have fresh fruit, add some frozen blueberries, or a tablespoon of natural fruit preserves (be sure you quit the preserves that have high fructose corn syrup).

Summertime seems to call for ice cream--and if you want to splurge on fatty sugary ice cream, have it after dinner when your body has a mix of lean proteins and fiber to help you slow down the high level of sugars in the ice cream. Timing your dessert AFTER a meal helps you stay to the low-glycemic load health habits. Also, you can choose brands of ice cream that have 5 simple ingredients and not so many additives.

I love ice cream, and you should see a childhood picture of little me smiling the biggest smile with my ice cream cone. And since I love ice cream so much, this greek yogurt option is a nice way to tame the cravings!

Exercise and Nutrition helps with anxiety, depression, and stress

Want to feel less stressed or worried?
Check out Dr. Mercola's comments on research reported from a June edition of Time Magazine. Join our hiking group, or register for a free 20-minute wellness/nutrition consultation. Exercise and nutrition can help you improve your brain chemistry. Why wait? Together, we can make exercise and nutrition easy and something that becomes part of your lifestyle today.

---excerpt from the doctor's blog---
Psychologist Jasper Smits is working on an unorthodox treatment for anxiety and mood disorders. The treatment is free and has no side effects. What is it? Exercise.

Research has shown again and again that patients who follow aerobic-exercise regimens see improvement in their depression -- improvements comparable to that of those treated with medication. Exercise not only relieves depressive symptoms but also appears to prevent them from recurring.

According to Times Magazine:

"Molecular biologists and neurologists have begun to show that exercise may alter brain chemistry in much the same way that antidepressant drugs do -- regulating the key neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine."

Tips for Keeping Lean!

I had great fun talking about the 4 S's that can help you focus on achieving a healthy leaner you.
Todd asked me to talk about moms who want to lose that baby weight, and the tips I've made easy to remember are good for any busy person, while tailored for moms. I talk about breathwork and posture to help you look instantly taller and leaner.

The 4 S's to help you stay focused on a healthy leaner you:
Stress Management -- How you manage stress can keep the pounds OFF! Stay away from the "flight or fight" mode.
Simplicity -- Create a routine for cooking/packing snacks so you can have what you need, instead of that long to-do list.
Smoothies -- Don't have time for breakfast? Get your nutrition in with a protein vitamin-packed smoothie!
Snacks -- Healthy snacks pre-packed and handy will help you resist temptations and keep you in a better mood.

Here's the link to the recording of the radio show. Enjoy!