Curry Vegetable Barley Soup

This recipe was my introduction to rutabaga. I’d never had it before or could even say exactly what it looked like. Rutabaga is thought to be a hybrid of a turnip and a cabbage. Nutty and sweet with a mild flavor, rutabagas, it turns out, can be roasted, sautéed, baked, fried, boiled, mashed, and added to soups and stews. They can also be eaten raw as a snack or grated into salads or coleslaw. I had extra left over from making this soup, so I ate some raw and grated some into salads. Mashed, they complement potatoes, onions, and carrots, butter and salt and make a hearty, warming dish.

This soup is a hearty can be made with or without the curry and it will taste good. Add the curry if you like it hot, increase it if you like it even hotter.

4 tsp olive oil

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

4 cups cubed peeled rutabaga

4 cups peeled winter squash

½ cup pearl barley

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

340 g mushrooms, sliced

3 cups packed fresh baby spinach

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp lime juice

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat half the oil over medium heat; cook onion, carrot and celery, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger and curry paste; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in rutabaga, squash, barley, salt and pepper and 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender, about 40 minutes.

Using immersion blender (or transfer to a blender in batches), purée until smooth. If using blender, return to pot.

Meanwhile in large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden and no liquid remains, about 8-10 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms, spinach, cilantro and lime juice into soup. Cook over medium heat until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving):

Protein 6 g

Fat 5 g

Carbohydrate 37 g

Fibre  8 g

Sodium 437 mg

Potassium 951 mg

% RDI:

Calcium 12%

Iron 22%

Vitamin A 161 %

Vitamin C 62 %

Folate 32 %

Motivated to be strong

I sometimes get asked what keeps me motivated when it comes to working out. Or where do you get your motivation? Because it’s not something I give much thought to, I have to stop and think. Motivation is an elusive quality. But I do know that my motivation is to be strong and get stronger, keep fit and get fitter, and ultimately get better. If that’s my goal, it’s a moving target, which is why it works well as a motivator. You attain it but never really attain it.

Recently I read an article on motivation and it reminded me that one’s motivation for anything comes from what we desire. My desire is to move easily and not slow down with age, to move myself, as well as heavy objects.

When it comes to fitness, we need to realize that taking care of our bodies should be at the top of the list of things we need to do. It is our one body, it is all we have. You cannot expect it to thrive from neglect. There must be intention.

If you think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our physiological needs come first, our basic needs of life: air, food, water, shelter, warmth, sleep etc. Once these needs are met, our need for movement and effort must be taken care of. Once upon a time this need was included in acquiring food, water, and shelter. Now that it is not we have to make a more conscious effort to attain even a minimal level of fitness.

If you want to know how to live a fit and healthy life, the first step is realizing that your functioning body and healthy state of mind not negotiable. It needs attention daily. The next step is doing one thing at a time until it becomes a habit, part of your daily routine.

Of course we all accept that life sometimes gets in the way. It is our job to rise above obstacles and move forward, to learn from these experiences but never doubt yourself. Challenge your doubts and ask yourself why do they exist? I find if I miss my morning workout, it is more difficult to get it done. I am not always motivated. I have to adjust and reset. Once I get started there’s no problem staying in the moment and enjoying the process because I know it is positive and taking me where I want to go. The workout is its own reward. Sticking with it, overcoming obstacles, it’s all part of the journey of finding and having strength.

Everything you do is a result of your choices. Embrace the knowledge that you are in the driver’s seat. Don’t just be stronger in spite of obstacles that arise, but because of them. This is strength; this is freedom.

Working out takes Effort and it needs to be repeated. Consistency is key, so keep at it. Don't have time for your full workout? Shorten it up. Doing something is better than nothing. When you are working out, give it your full Attention. Designate time and respect the process.

One last thought. We progress and improve by looking at what is stopping us from doing what we know we should. Looking at ourselves and seeing if we are making healthy, positive choices or negative ones. This is how we become motivated to do what’s best for ourselves and for those around us. Keep the right attitude for improvement. Start by doing and keep exploring until you find what works for you, and what you enjoy. Don’t wait for it to miraculously show up.

"Do something today that your future self will thank you for." That effort is never wasted.

Rethinking cow’s milk

Less than a generation ago, cow’s milk was a staple food in North American homes. Other dairy products were as well. But in the last 50 years, cow’s milk has been revealed to be a source of real concern for an increasing number of people. Several years ago someone wrote that humans are the only beings who drink the milk of other species. This gave me pause. And then I thought, well yes, that’s true, but humans do a lot of things that other animals do not. Things that go against nature. I dismissed the idea as academic.

With time, however, I have come to the conclusion that cow’s milk is causing far more harm than good. Although I have no issues with milk or dairy personally, I see more and more people suffering from its effects.

There are lactose-intolerant individuals who have to eliminate dairy from their diets to be healthy. Lactose-reduced products are becoming increasingly more popular. But they are not completely lactose free. There is no process to remove 100% of the lactose. Lactase is the enzyme we require to digest the lactose in milk. Some people do not produce lactase and so they cannot digest lactose and as a result they feel quite ill when they drink milk or consume products that contain dairy. Examples of distress include flatulence and abdominal discomfort, cramps and diarrhea.

It is not uncommon for some people to develop an intolerance later in life because although we may have been born with the enzymes necessary to digest milk, we may lose them as we get older. This is nature’s way and it makes sense because the enzymes are no longer required to break down the sugar in mother’s milk.

Most of the world’s population does not have the ability to produce lactase in the intestines. This lactase deficiency may affect from 70 to 95 per cent of Oriental, Black, Native American and Mediterranean adults and from 15 to 25 per cent of Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent.

Continued consumption of milk products by those with a lactose intolerance may also produce fatigue and a predisposition to catch colds, bronchitis and ear infections. The degree of severity of symptoms is highly individual.

Anyone who has a lactose intolerance is well advised to avoid all dairy products and all foods with lactose, whey or milk solids as a hidden ingredient. Yogurt and some cheeses are not as high in lactose so some individuals are able to tolerate small amounts. Best to avoid them altogether.

Some lactose intolerant individuals can safely consume butter which contains only small amounts of lactose. This small amount can be completely removed by clarifying the butter to make ghee.

There is a smaller segment of the population that is allergic to milk. Allergy and intolerance are not the same thing. Allergy refers to faulty immunity in the body; intolerance refers to faulty digestion. It might be the casein, one of the most allergenic proteins in milk. Or it might be the way that milk is produced and processed that is causing the problem. If we consider how cows are raised today by big-agricultural farmers, it is no wonder that people are getting sick. As well, pasteurization and homogenization reduce the nutritional content of milk. Pasteurization, although not a health-promoting process, is required by law but you can find unhomogenized milk in health food stores.

In general, people tend to develop allergies to foods that their ancestors have not traditionally eaten. Knowing this can be helpful in identifying offending foods. Allergy to milk is a frequent cause of chronic duodenal ulcers and colitis. Whenever these conditions exist dairy products should be suspected. (Allergy to grain is another common cause of intestinal distress.) Milk allergies may also cause arthritic symptoms. Other diseases that have been associated with milk include celiac disease, chronic diarrhea, various gastrointestinal, pulmonary manifestations and fibrosis.

"Drink milk" advertising campaigns notwithstanding, maybe it is time to rethink our habit of drinking cow's milk and products made from milk.

Quick Kettlebell Workout

Is difficult for you to find the time to work out? One of the great things about kettlebells is that you can do a really effective workout in a short amount of time. Kettlebells work the entire body and this means you get total body conditioning. 

Use the following quick kettlebell workout when you are short of time.

Complete all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next. Allow 20 seconds rest in between sets. Total time is less than 15 minutes.

• Turkish getup 3x3 (3 on consecutive get-ups one side, then 3 on the other)
• Hand-to-hand swings (switching hands after each swing) 3x25
• Snatches 3x10 (on ea. side)

Don’t let time be your excuse. We all have the same number of hours in our day. Make time for exercise, even if it is only a little bit. 

How to make working out a habit

If you can make working out a habit, you will have the recipe for success whatever your goals might be: climbing 10 flights of stairs, running a half marathon, pressing your own bodyweight, completing a kettlebell challenge or losing 10 pounds. Having a results-oriented goal is good. Having a habit goal is even better. It will ensure you make progress.

If there is one secret to physical fitness success, it is consistency in training. Put a different way, fitness must become a habit, like brushing your teeth. You never miss. How do you achieve this? By making it a lifestyle choice.

Here are some tips to make this happen:

Make your goal realistic. Make it small enough that you’re sure you can achieve it. For example, "I will run for 15 minutes every day". Or, "I will practice push ups for 5 minutes every day". This is more achievable than I will do 10 perfect push ups in a row by the end of the year. The time you spend practicing, and the frequency are within your control but the outcome of your practice isn’t.

Make it frequent enough to become a habit. Working out for an hour twice a week is excellent but less likely to stick than working out for twenty minutes every weekday.

Make the time spent workable. If one hour five days a week is overwhelming, it won't stick. Pare it down to a manageable window.

Find a trigger that will prompt you to do the work. For example, every day when you get home from work, you work out. This way, you attach your workout habit to your existing habit of arriving at home after a day at the office. Or, you may want to work out before dinner, before work, or at lunchtime. Plan to do it before, during or after something you already do as a matter of course.

Find someone to take the journey with you. Having a partner who has the same goals can help with motivation. Being part of a workout community can make a big difference. Working out with others is always better than working out alone when it comes to building habits. Maybe you need a trainer to keep you motivated. Whatever works for you; including somebody in your plan will make it more likely to succeed. 

And remember consistency - not intensity, not volume, not frequency - is the key to success!

Frequent colds and food intolerance

Holistic nutrition is based on the reality that each individual is unique. And that wise food choices prevent disease and certain foods act as a medicine for those already ill. The best foods for an individual depend on that person’s unique biochemical makeup. Foods considered healthy for the general population can act like poisons in those who have sensitivities to them. For many it is hard to accept that food choices can have devastating consequences.

Undiagnosed food sensitivities affect more than half the population, though many are unaware that their symptoms are being caused by inappropriate food choices. They go from one practitioner to another seeking answers only to be told it is all in their head.

Food sensitivities can be difficult to pin down because sensitivity reactions can mimic almost any ailment and affect almost any organ or tissue in the body. Food sensitivities is an umbrella term that encompasses two different responses: allergies and intolerances. A food allergy is an unnatural immune reaction to a specific protein in a food that is otherwise harmless to most people. The body builds antibodies to these foreign proteins, and the battle between the antibodies and the invader results in side effects that damage nearby tissues.

An intolerance on the other hand is an inability of the body to digest or metabolize a particular food constituent, resulting from surpassing the body’s capacity to handle it. This is why you may be able to have a small amount of a certain food and feel fine; but if you exceed a certain level, you start experiencing adverse reactions. Very often, intolerances are the consequence of the body’s inability to produce a particular digestive enzyme.

Allergies, however, are absolute. You are either allergic to a substance or you are not. In either case, if our body’s functioning is in any way impaired by an offending food, then we need to stop eating it.

The most telltale sign of food sensitivity is chronic fatigue. Just about any other symptom can also be caused by food sensitivities. If there is fluid leakage, muscle spasms, excess mucus, low resistance to infection, poor absorption of nutrients, generalized toxicity, and problems in target organs. Target organs are those uniquely susceptible to attack due to a person’s genetic weakness or biochemical individuality. These organs are those most likely to store toxins and least likely to receive all the nutrients they need.

A sensitivity to a particular food might result in bladder spasms, a spastic colon, spasm in the throat, or spasms in the next or back. The brain is sometimes a target organ resulting in psychological and behavioral symptoms.

The common cold affects allergy-prone individuals more frequently than the general population. Some people rarely if ever get colds. They have strong immune systems and are not particularly vulnerable to food sensitivities. Chronic food reactions may weaken immune systems, lowering resistance to upper respiratory infections. Very often, once food sensitivities are identified and eliminated, colds become a thing of the past.

If you have unexplained symptoms and/or get frequent colds or infections, investigate the possibility of allergies or food sensitivities. While many symptoms can have other possible causes, there are certain symptoms that are most commonly related to food sensitivities. These include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Food addictions/cravings
• Swollen lymph glands
• Chronic infections
• Puffiness and/or dark circles under the eyes
• Chronic diarrhea
• Intestinal malabsorption
• Spastic colon
• Irritable bowel
• Colitis, ulcerative colitis
• Anaphylactic shock
• Uncontrolled urination
• Hives
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Migraine headaches
• Hyperactivity
• Recurring ear infections

If you experience any of these symptoms, it is very likely you have a food sensitivity which, once identified, can be eliminated and you can start to feel better much of the time.

Quick Curried Couscous

If you’re like me, you appreciate a recipe that’s quick and easy to make. And of course, it has to be delicious. This recipe for curried couscous fits the bill! It takes less than 30 minutes including cooking time for the couscous, and there are a minimum number of ingredients. Give it a try and see what you think.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups cooked couscous

3 cups of chicken stock or water

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup raisins

1 bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped

½ cup slivered almonds

Method

Pour cooked couscous into a bowl. Lightly toast almonds in a dry pan. Mix chicken stock, curry powder, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous. Seal top of the bowl with a tight lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and toss with olive oil and raisins. Top with cilantro and almonds.

This dish can also be made with quinoa instead of couscous for higher protein. Either way it’s a delicious and nutritious meal!