12 things I am certain of...

Since I started this little blogging venture, my world, in terms of health and nutrition, has been turned upside down a couple times. I started this from a more plant-based diet standpoint, rarely eating meat or dairy, until I went to the Real Food Symposium (expecting to meet fellow vegetarians and vegans), where I was introduced to the findings of Weston A. Price and his foundation whose church is the one of raw milk and grass-fed meat, with all the fats please. Needless to say, that was a bit confusing, after hearing through different sources and seeing first hand that eliminating animal fats from your diet can actually cure and prevent cancer. However, I took an open stance, and heard enough things at that symposium, to make me think twice about my mostly vegetarian, almost vegan diet. For example, someone told me that when you go vegan, you feel great the first couple years, because you are really cleaning up your diet of not only animal foods, but all sorts of junk. However, you are not giving your body certain nutrients that it needs and that can only be found in meat, or mostly in meat. Vitamin B12 is an example. I was also told that you exhaust your adrenal gland and then start developing other health issues, such as food allergies, rashes, etc... Given that my food allergies have increased and that I have been trying to figure out this rash on my tummy after I eat, this got my attention.

I also met Mark McAffee, from Organic Pastures, who preached about the benefits of raw milk and its importance in our diet. I met my old D.O at the symposium and asked her about my son, who is prone to asthmatic bronchiolitis, and she told me to feed him raw honey and raw milk. So I went home and did just that. A week later, he was at the hospital for an asthma crisis. Gulp! Raw milk went out  of his diet as quickly as it went in. However, we visited Mark's farm in May and met many people who were raving about raw milk and said they had all sorts of digestive issues and intolerances to milk that stopped once they started drinking raw milk.

So little by little, I started reintroducing certain things in our diet, but I felt very conflicted. Between my friends who are on the Paleo Diet and say that we are the only mammal that drinks another mammal's milk, and what's wrong with that picture, and Dr. Campbell who created the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet and says that grains and plants are the source of many gut issues, which is the place in our body where all disease starts, whereas raw milk and grass fed animals are really good for you... and the China Study, the movie "forks over Knives", the Food Revolution movement, all advocating for a plant-based diet, denouncing the over consumption of animals and what that does to the planet...


I have been pretty disoriented... and admittedly, neither of these diets resonated with me. If felt better on a plant-based diet but was nervous that I was depleting my body of important nutrients. And eating fat meat and dairy made me feel fat and bloated... I found myself going back to the Swiss doctor that my mom's nutritionist was trained by, Dr. Kousmine, and her much more balanced approach on health and disease.

As a friend said, I wish we could fast-forward 50 years and see what research would tell us about the way we are eating now.

Just the other day, I found out that you shouldn't eat raw kale every day because These veggies are bitter because the antioxidant and anti-cancer compounds they contain are designed by the plant to ward off predators. Crucifers produce compounds called isothiocyanates, originally designed by the plant to kill the cells of worms, bacteria, and insects that try to eat kale. Unfortunately, these compounds are not only capable of destroying human cancer cells, they also destroy healthy human cells (just as any form of chemotherapy can). They do so by poisoning the cells' mitochondria [Milner SE J. Agric. Food Chem. 2011; 59: 3454–3484]. Turns out antioxidants are double-edged swords...maybe there's a reason why kids don't tend to like these foods after all? (this came from the comments section of this article). Well, that made me feel great, after putting raw kale in my daily smoothie for the last two and a half years!

Sooo, as I continue to read, research, try to heal myself and my kids, I only have a few things that I am really certain of, and they are pretty basic and balanced, nothing too extreme. I thought I would share them with you:

1. Eat real foods (non processed)

2. Eat lots of organic fruits and vegetables

3. If you drink milk and do dairy, favor raw, full fat milk over pasteurized.

4. If you eat meat, only eat organic and grass fed beef or pasture raised chicken, turkey and pigs

5. Most vegetable oils are bad for you. Only buy first cold pressed, in a dark bottle, and store in a cool place. Do not use for heating, and stick to cold pressed flaxseed, olive, sunflower, walnut and hemp oils. Avoid products made with vegetable oils, as these are most likely either GMOs or they have been extracted or heated at high temperatures, which has turned them into trans-fats.

6. Raw cold pressed coconut oil is good for you and can be used for cooking because it can withstand high temperatures without its structure being modified

7. Soak and sprout your grains, beans and nuts. It makes them more digestible and gets them rid of lectins and phytic acids, which are components that are toxic.

8. Anything with more than 5 ingredients should not be eaten. It's over processed

9. Aspartame is a neurotoxin. Avoid it! Favor raw honey, grade B maple syrup, coconut sugar or sucanat. These are all natural sweeteners and minimally processed. Stevia leaves are also a good option. Stevia powder is questionable, seemingly highly processed, as well as agave syrup (I know, it's in a lot of my recipes. I'm learning as I go...). Note that aspartame is in your diet coke, light yogourt, and in your sugar free gum, among other things.

10. Sugar in general is bad for you and should only be used in its purest form (fruits and natural sweeteners above) and minimally. It increases inflammation and feed cancerous cells.

11. Avoid GMOs at all cost. It's full of poison. Research is now out showing a link between cancer and GMOs.

12. Pay attention to the balance between acidic and alkaline foods in your diet. Your PH, which you can measure with PH Strips dipped in your urine, should be around 7. Below that, it's too acidic, above it, it's too alkaline. (I'm hoping to one day write more about that). When your PH is too acidic, it creates inflammation (first in your liver) which then can spread through your blood stream and cause disease. Most fruits and vegetables are alkalizing (but not oranges and tomatoes, which are very acidic), especially bananas, pineapples and potatoes. Meat, fish, dairy, grains and beans are acidic and should always be eaten with plenty of vegetables.

Refreshing mint and lemon verbena tea

It's still really hot and though I should have posted this recipe a while ago, in the middle of summer, I think this is the perfect time to use your little herb garden if you have one and make this thirst quencher drink.

My mom used to make it in this big stock pot when we were kids and it is ridiculously delicious. I don't make it enough, but when we came back from our trip, it was so hot here in SoCal, and our herb garden had grown out of control, so I plucked a few sprigs of mint and lemon verbena,  boiled some water, threw the sprigs in there with a couple lemons, turned the stove off and waited for it to cool off before placing it in the fridge, and voila!
Here is what you will need:

1-2 gallons of water
6 sprigs of mint
6 sprigs of lemon verbena or lemon balm
3-4 fresh stevia sprigs, or stevia powder, or raw honey to sweeten
2 lemons, cut in wedges



Bring water to a boil in a big stock pot or any big pot you have, then throw the herbs and the lemon wedges in it and turn off the stove. Let it sit for several hours, until your tea has cooled down. You can squeeze the lemons into the tea before removing lemon peals and herbs. Sweeten to your taste and transfer into a pitcher, then place in the fridge for several hours. Drink cold.

You will love the lemony taste of the verbena mixed with the mint. This is much healthier than any powder iced tea and has no caffeine, so it is totally kid friendly :)

You can also just boil water, pour in a cup, and throw a sprig of lemon verbena or lemon balm, add mint leaves (or not) and drink it hot, with or without lemon. Delicious!

summery gluten-free "couscous" salad

Summer is almost over, although it certainly doesn't feel like it in this part of the world. There is still time for barbecues and summer salads. When I don't know what to make for dinner, I often resort to quinoa. Many people have told me they don't like the taste of it, yet it is such a super food and it can be so versatile! You just have to dress it up :)

Quinoa is gluten-free, rich in fiber, and not only is it rich in protein, but it is a complete protein. This means you don't have to combine it with beans, like you would with rice, to obtain and consume all the amino-acids of a full protein. It has them all!
For a more complete article about quinoa, with a bonus breakfast recipe, click here

Here is one example of a "couscous" salad, which is dressed with plenty of crunch and zest and spice:


3 cups cooked quinoa (if you have time, soak your quinoa in water for 12 hours before cooking it. Then add 1 cup water for 2 cups quinoa. It will cook super quickly and will be much more digestible)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded celeri
2 cups sliced cucumber
1 cup sliced green olives
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, mint, lemon thyme

Mix all the ingredients and toss with your favorite salad dressing. My favorite with this salad is something citrusy, like lemon juice, mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

turkey-veggie burgers and why meat could still be important in your diet

I realize I have been posting mostly vegetarian/vegan recipes, so this post might surprise you a little. Like I have said in my first post, I do not consider myself rigid about food, and I am constantly searching to find out what is the best diet for our family. Lately, I have been hearing more and more about the Weston Price Foundation and about the benefits of animal protein and animal fat, providing it comes from an organic, pasture raised, grass fed animal. I am also learning that different health issues require different diets. I definitely believe that for someone suffering from cancer or at high risk of cancer, meat and dairy should be avoided or kept to a minimum. If the body and the immune system are weak, they are not able to process things the same way, and these two foods can increase inflammation if the immune system is not strong enough, or so I was told at the Real Food Symposium.

However, meat is rich not only in protein but also in minerals and essential fatty acids.
Red meats in particular, are rich in minerals, especially iron, zinc and magnesium, and are a great source of Vitamin B12. The fat from the meat of grazing animals contains both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, in small but balanced amounts. And it contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is an anti-carcinogenic fatty acid. Two good reasons to go for grass-fed meats.

Now there are so many studies out there, saying so many contradictory things, it is really confusing. The vegans say that meat and dairy will cause cancer, the meat and dairy eaters say that  veganism depletes your body of too many things and that you end up with food allergies, joint problems, gut issues, asthma, etc, etc... Since despite all my research, I can't quite find one approach that clicks with me and they all make a little bit of sense, I am trying to eat a balanced diet and notice what causes irritation. Our consumption of meat has definitely been reduced significantly over the past two years and we all feel much better since then. But my boys jump for joy when I cook beef or chicken, and could by-pass all the veggies if it was up to them. So I have developed little tricks to get them to still eat vegetables, and it ends up making my burger taste better. 

This recipe works with any kind of ground meat, and you can vary the quantities of vegetables you mix in, as well as what kind of vegetables and herbs you put in. Use your imagination, this is just an example :)

For a great source of grass fed beef and organic chicken, visit your local farmer's market and look for Dey Dey's truck. I know he is at the Pasadena Saturday farmer's market, and other LA markets. To find out his schedule and/or how to order from him, visit his website here.


1 pound of ground turkey or beef
1 cup of  shredded carrots or zucchini or both
1 cup of shredded onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup of chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl, form into patties, heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan on medium to low heat and throw the patties in, flipping sides after 3-4 minutes, and continuing to do so until fully cooked.

My mom's zucchini and tomato gratin

It's tomatoes and zucchinis harvest time in So Cal gardens, and whether you grow them in your own backyard or get them in your CSA box or at the Farmer's Market, you might end up with so many of them you don't know what to do with them anymore.

Last week, I went to the Farmer's market and bought a bunch or heirloom tomatoes that were very very ripe, for a discounted price. That night, I made my favorite zucchini/tomato gratin, which my mom used to make (and still makes) when I was a kid. I made it again for friends this weekend and it was a success!

It is so simple, yet so delicious. If you are not a cook, don't shy away from this very simple recipe. You could suddenly become very popular in the kitchen ;)

5-6 medium zucchinis, sliced
1 onion, cut in two, then sliced
3 large tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper
3-4 tbsp of grated parmesan or gruyere (leave out if you are doing the 28toGreatBarre3 Challenge)
olive oil, drizzled.

grease the bottom of a baking dish (9x15) with olive oil, then spread a layer of zucchini slices at the bottom. Cover with a layer of tomatoes, sprinkle some salt and pepper on it, then add a layer of onion slices. Repeat until you have used all of the vegetables. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the middle or on top, then sprinkle the parmesan on top and place in the oven at 380 for 40-50 minutes, or until the zucchinis are tender and translucent.  Serve with quinoa, rice or potatoes, and/or a fish or meat dish.

spa popsicles

Have you ever heard of spa water? It's that deliciously refreshing  calorie free drink composed of cool water in which mint sprigs and cucumber slices have been soaking. It is the perfect drink for hot summer days and I have often served it at parties instead of sodas. Well, the last two weeks have been exceptionally hot and last Sunday was the first day I had some time to be in the kitchen since we came back, and I had all the ingredients for  a marvelously refreshing popsicle blend. Inspired by a recent post from www.nourishingmeals.com,  I gathered the following ingredients in my blender:



5 or 6 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves only
1/2 green cantaloupe
1 whole english cucumber (they are the long ones), pealed
juice of 4 limes
a sprinkle of stevia

2 kiwis, sliced

Blend all the ingredients, until you obtain a smooth liquid. Peal and slice two kiwis and place two slices in each popsicle mold. Pour mixture on top, cover with lid and freeze for 6-8 hours. Enjoy on a hot summer day :)

Verdict: my kids love them, even though they are green, and they even love the fact that they can see the kiwi slice hiding inside. I am absolutely addicted to them, and they are completely guilt-free, which is a plus!

Milk and Honey

I have been rather silent over here, over the last few weeks. I have been missing my little blog and my mind has been buzzing with ideas and things I want to talk about. I was away for almost a month, visiting my family and home country over summer break. What a wonderful experience it was! I know this is a food blog, but I would like to share with you a little bit of my experience and why this trip was particularly special for me this year. Of course, I enjoyed all sorts of food that I don't necessarily miss anymore, but if you put them in front of me, in such a beautiful setting, let me tell you that all the good resolutions go out the window pretty quickly. After all, this was vacation, and there is a time for indulging and enjoying. And that is exactly what I did.

Let me tell you about Switzerland. More than ever before, this country strikes me as the land of milk and honey. You know, the promised land, in the Bible? And it litterally is a little paradise, full of, well, milk, you guessed it, and not just any milk, but milk from Happy Cows, grazing in mountains and fields that are untouched, non genetically modified, cows that have bells around their necks... and some of the milk is raw, not from a farm such as Organic Pastures, but from the farmer next door, from whom you bought your freshly extracted milk that same morning...

Hot chocolate with raw milk

And with that milk of course, comes the butter, the cheese, the chocolate, the cream, in all possible forms and variations of it. As for the honey, you have not tasted honey like this. It is so good, so tasty, and of course, so raw, because really, the beehives are in the field next to the forest, or in your neighbor's backyard, and as my mom told me when I asked her if the honey I was eating was raw: "All honey is raw".

 Cream Budwig

My parents' garden

So, for me who has been freaked out about the GMOs in America, and who has been striving to eat a healthy, organic, mostly raw diet, this was a little slice of heaven. Not to mention the fresh air you breathe, the breathtaking views of the lakes and the mountains, and the overall kindness and simplicity of the Swiss people who have values, traditions, manners, all of which were extremely refreshing to experience this time around.

Switzerland, in all its beauty, isn't perfect, though. When I left, 11 years ago, after some adjustment time in the States, I found America very refreshing. There is a freedom and a creativity in the States, an openness, spontaneity and diversity that allows anyone to find their little niche, their little place in society. You can find your passion, develop your ideas, pursue your dreams, and be very successful. In Switzerland, it's a different story. There is a protocole to everything, mostly one way to do things, rules and regulations, limitations, order, discipline. But with that, there are also values, traditions maintained, land protected, food regulations and landscape regulations... I realized this time around that the narrow mindedness I am usually struck by when I go home provides a different kind of freedom and quality of life. The reason why Switzerland is so beautiful, so preserved, so safe, is because they have a system in place. It is rigid, and definitely not very conducive to the development of creative and "out of the box" ideas, but it has protected this land, its values, its traditions, its landscape. You can't just do whatever you want.
I have enjoyed the freedom that has allowed me to develop my creativity, open up my own business and be inspired by all sorts of creative people. But I am also getting fed up with the lack of clear boundaries around food and agriculture regulations, the medical system, society in general. The lack of values and traditions, the way we rape the land in this country... It appears to me that if you want safety, it costs you freedom, and if you want freedom, it costs you safety. I wish I could have it all, but I live in the in between, longing for one when I have the other, and vice versa. Loving both, yet hating aspects of both.

 Living with that tension is not easy. For about three weeks though, I decided to enjoy all I could about my homeland, and these are the little treasures I cherished:

The respect of nature and beauty. Wherever there is a view, there is a bench, a picnic table, a chair for you to sit on and admire. There are agricultural zones where it is forbidden to build new constructions, in order to preserve the landscape and the old buildings. Old stones have a story to tell and they maintain the spirit of Switzerland, they retain history. Cows have bells around their neck, just for the heck of it, because it adds to the charm of the scene...

Manners and values. People are polite, considerate. A bit shy and for some, seemingly cold, but if you smile at them and engage in conversation about their country, their traditions, people open up and loosen up with a smile. They take much pride in their land and its beauty.

Long meals, sharing good wines and foods with good friends around the table. In my country, eating is not just to feed the body. There really is a ritual around food, a communion, a way of fellowship, that I strive to maintain in LA, with my family and with our community. If you have eaten at my table, you hopefully know what I am talking about.

                                                                         Little wine tasting place and Lavaux vineyard

Needless to say, all sorts of things made it into my plate, and to my palate's delight, into my mouth. The beautiful swiss wines, the cheeses, the breads (oh, the breads! I don't normally eat gluten but I couldn't resist the whole grain breads there), the chocolate, the yogourts, the honey... I have definitely paid the price in terms of health, my body struggling to assimilate some of these, and I am coming home with a couple extra pounds, but it was well worth it :) Most of these foods were whole foods, clean and organic.

Alphorn players and swiss bakery in Zermatt

Fondue!

In the South of France, where we spent a few days with my brother and his family, I enjoyed fresh fish, olives, tapenade, cheese, prosciutto, melon, croissants, baguettes, honey... I must admit, I was a little shocked by the amount of bread the French eat. It France, it's mostly white bread, but who can resist a freshly baked baguette for less than a dollar?

                           Les Halles, covered market in Nimes. Olives, garlic and prosciuttos, yes please!

                                                        Food places in the streets of Nimes

There is nothing like a french croissant dipped in hot chocolate!

                              Caquelon camembert and bacon. I did not eat that, this was my husband's :)

                                                                       Tapas!

Octopus and squid

                                                          The best way to cook a chicken!

                                                         The butcher in Anduze

                                                                    Sardines on the grill

                       with my brother's out of this world ratatouille and a glass of Costieres de Nimes, divine!

Enough said, I hope  you have enjoyed these pictures of the beautiful and delicious things we enjoyed, before I go back to my healthy and hopefully inspirational lifestyle. I might need to write a post about cleansing and detoxing ;)