Why does unhealthy taste so #*$#@!% good?

I ask my friends, my mum, my sister, and my fiancé this question. Sometimes I ask this question mid-pain-au-chocolat-bite or post-pasta-massacre (as in, I killed all the pasta on my plate). But in all seriousness: How are humans-- the arrogant over-achievers of evolution-- so vulnerable to the dangers of cookies, cheese, and bread?! We humans have no natural predators (other than ourselves), and, yet, come 3:00pm those oreos seem like the closest thing to just that. The issue is that our love affair with food has outpaced the evolutionary tweaks needed ever since we stopped having to run after and shank our food. 200,000 years ago our Neanderthal ancestors didn't live the cozy life of being able to stock up on food at the local Piggly-Wiggly, and foods high in fat, sugar, and salt were rare. When they did find those paleolithic equivalents of a snickers bar, they cherished it and ate up because who knew when you'd find another. Fast forward a quarter of a million years and our brains are still hard-wired to cherish and gobble that [actual] snickers bar even though there's about 4000 of them within a 3 mile radius of your condo. Eating healthy definitely has the most significant impact on your physical health when compared to exercise, but for me (and many) it's probably the hardest thing to modify and stick with. Salad is something I rarely want to eat when I'm in my own kitchen, but at many restaurants there are salad magicians. These salad sorcerers can take leafy greens and mix them with random gems like fruits, nuts, and more veggies and suddenly you have a dish that can honestly compete taste-wise with that other delicious, carby, fatty thing on the menu. The trouble is-- most of us do not live with these salad magicians. But...now, you too can make at least one magical salad! On a recent trip to a favorite KC eatery, I begrudgingly ordered a salad as opposed to that other delicious, carby, fatty thing on the menu...and it turned out to be the best thing we ate that night. The next day I was determine to re-create it, and I honestly think I created its exact magical clone! The key to making this or any delicious salad part of your "everyday" is to chop up everything once and store everything in separate containers in the fridge. When it's Tuesday night and you don't have the energy or motivation to be a salad magician, you can just be a regular person and simply mix what you've already cut up. It really is impractical to do all this prep work every single time you want a salad-- so do it once, and reap the benefits of your one-time-only prep work.

The Salad You’ll Actually Want to Eat

Serves 10

Salad Components

3 Heads of Romaine, washed and chopped

1 Bag of pre-washed mixed baby kale and chard

2 Golden Beets

2 Red Bell Peppers

8 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped

Sliced Almonds

Goat Cheese

Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette

½ Cup Raw, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

¼ Cup Olive Oil

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey

2 Garlic cloves

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon of salt

½ Cup water

Directions

‘Da Beets

1. Chop off the tops of the beets. Place them in a large pot and fill it with water to cover the beets. Boil the beets for 20 minutes on medium heat.
2. Once the beets can be easily pierced through with a fork, remove the pot from the heat.
3. Peel the beets and set them aside to cool.
4. Once cool, slice and quarter the beets

‘Da Bell Peppers

1. While the beets are cooking, work on the bell peppers. Wash, core, and julienne the red bell peppers.
2. Toss the bell pepper slices in olive oil and spread them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Roast the bell pepper at 425° F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow peppers to cool.

‘Da Dressing

1. To prepare the Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette, begin by toasting the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens slightly. Don’t allow the pan to get too hot, or you will scorch the sunflower seeds. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Remove the seeds from the pan and allow them to cool
3. Place all the vinaigrette ingredients (EXCEPT the water) in a food processor.
4. Run the food processor for one minute. Add the water.
5. Run the food processor again until the dressing is smooth and free of lumps.
6. Taste and add more honey, salt, or pepper if you see fit.

Magic Time!*

1. Place your greens in a large bowl. Add some of the Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette to the greens and toss to coat.
2. Add beets, bell peppers, dates, and almonds to the greens. Toss to combine.
3. Plate the salad. Crumble goat cheese on top and serve

*I would advise assembling only the amount of salad you plan on eating immediately. I would not assemble all the ingredients into a salad and then store that. However, you can assemble a salad in the morning, store it in a Tupperware, and eat it for lunch a few hours later.

Sunflower Seed Vinaigrette Recipe Adapted from: Naked Cuisine

Recipe is inspired by the Napa Garden Salad at Urban Table in Kansas City

If Cavemen Ate Pies, They'd Eat This One

I've missed this place. Since my last dreamy post consisting of chicken pot pie and cooking nights with friends, things have been a LOT less warm and fuzzy. The last several months consisted of 17 hour study days for board exams, 3:30am wakeups for clinical rotations, and the eating and exercise habits of someone who does not write a food blog. Don't get me wrong-- the first and second years of medical school were my toughest years to date, but now we're a bit more exposed to the real world. By real world, I mean waking up before the sun does and getting home without a shred of energy left in you let alone the motivation to study and cook a gourmet something-or-other (<-- And that's a good day!) But over the last few weeks, I've come to realize that, for me at least, cooking and working out every morning is part of what makes me me. Without dabbling in the kitchen every week, sharing food, and working out regularly I start to lose my sense of self and that feeling of well-being-- aka I become a bit grouchy. This process of becoming a little less human is exacerbated by wearing scrubs 2 sizes too big for you every day, attending physicians who don't know you but already don't like you, and that pesky issue of sleep  lack of sleep. On my way home one day I realized how completely enveloped we are in non-food food that also makes you feel, well, not your best (and decided to take pictures). 

Full disclosure: My bad eating consisted of cafeteria turkey burgers, cookies, dirty chai lattes, sausage biscuits, frozen meals, and occasionally popcorn or cereal for dinner. So the default for those whose health is most vulnerable and those who (in theory) should be setting an example for how to maintain one's health is...the QuesaritoTM! Okay, okay...maybe that's not fair. There is a salad bar in the cafeteria. But try giving iceberg lettuce to a patient's worried family member or a stressed out surgeon or an even more stressed out resident after an involuntary 8 hour fast-- they will throw said lettuce at you! These experiences have made me even more aware of the very real obstacles between every day people and the healthy, whole lives we want to lead. I know that my future blog posts will be heavily influenced by this because I am-- from what I eat to how I fit in some extra physical activity not just to stay healthy but to keep being me. This recipe is something I made recently to remind myself of how much I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. It is great for those of you who love banana cream pie as much as I do but can't justify the refined carbohydrates and saturated fat. This recipe is gluten free and Paleo! Maybe you can make this for that Caveman Labor Day party you have coming up...

Paleo Banana Pudding Pie

Serves 12

Almond Meal Pie Crust:

2 Cups Almond Flour

¼ Teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 Egg

1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Place the first 2 ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine
3. Add the oil and egg and pulse until it forms a ball of dough
4. Press the dough into a pie dish or tart pan
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes
6. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely before filling

 Banana Chia Seed Pudding:

2 Cups Reduced Sugar Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Very ripe banana, chopped up

3 Tablespoons Honey*

3 Medjool Dates, pitted

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¼ teaspoon Salt

6 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

2 bananas for garnishing

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender except for the chia seeds. Blend until smooth
2. Add the chia seeds and pulse the mixture once or twice to just incorporate the chia seeds
3. Pour mixture into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour
4. Pour the thickened chia pudding into a cooled pie crust and chill the pie in the refrigerator for an additional hour
5. Garnish with sliced bananas right before serving or cover with saran wrap immediately if you are not serving the pie right away

*You can replace the honey with pure maple syrup for increased sweetness or you can increase the amount of honey if you’d like it to be sweeter.

Crust Recipe from http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-pie-crust/

Photo Credits: KiwiConfections

When Life Hands You Brown, Mushy Bananas

You always hear "When life hands you lemons..." I never really understood why lemons were considered so bad. And besides, it's pretty clear that lemonade, lemon bars, and lemon wedges in water and/or cocktails are all delicious. On the other hand, most people will simply throw their brown, mushy bananas away. And that is why I propose we change the aphorism to, "When life hands you mushy, brown bananas." Because if you actually use them to bake with, they're even better than regular, yellow-green bananas. If you haven't caught on yet, I'm about to make a metaphor between almost rotten fruit and life. Three years ago yesterday, I met an awesome guy in a brown banana situation. I had just moved back to Kansas City after graduating from U of M, I still wasn't 100% positive that I wanted to go to medical school, and my first significant relationship had ended a few months prior to that. Coming back to Kansas City wasn't easy because it meant swallowing my pride and moving back in with my parents (who I love dearly) instead of going straight to grad school or a high-paying career, and it also meant leaving my social network and having to start over. After going on a few dates with people I'd met organically through work or mutual acquaintances and realizing that it wasn't working, I did what I consider to be the most daring thing I've done to this day-- I joined an online dating service. I'm sure many of you or people you know might think, "Aww, that sort of thing is really nice and cute for other people, but I would rather die than do it for myself." (Believe it or not, people have actually said this to me after knowing how Ryan and I met). And I can't blame you for thinking that because I think I thought that too before I pulled the trigger. I went on 17 dates in the span of two weeks. I don't recommend this sort of schedule to anyone, and I probably could have started a blog on just those 17 experiences. The guys I met were hardly brown bananas, but they weren't for me. Just when I was ready to close my account, I decided to make good on a raincheck I'd given a guy who had messaged me before. I was so busy at work (and going on dates) that I had turned down a polite invitation to grab drinks from a really great-sounding guy. He had just graduated from Notre Dame (I didn't hold it against him) and was in Kansas City living with his older sister while applying to dental school. We both loved "Arrested Development" and travel-- he'd been to South Africa for study abroad and I'd traveled to Central America on health brigades for three of my four spring breaks in college. Last minute, I said that I had some free time for lunch and that we could meet then. He obliged and three years later we've traveled to 7 different countries together, he's in dental school, I'm in medical school, we're engaged, we've made wonderful new friends, and we only have 18 months left of being 350 miles apart. Whether it's online dating or having to do long-distance, don't dismiss the brown, mushy bananas and just throw them away. Sometimes, finding "the one" in an unorthodox manner or having to face the challenges of long-distance before you're even married makes your banana bread way better than the ones made of regular, yellow-green bananas. Oh, and...Happy three year anniversary, Ry!

And now for a fantastic recipe-- a guilt-free, but delicious and moist banana bread to welcome Fall.

Healthy Banana Bread

Serves 10

3 medium, very ripe bananas, mashed

½ Cup reduced fat Greek yogurt

2 Tablespoons Canola oil

2 eggs

½ Cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ Cup All-Purpose Flour

½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour

½ Cup Ground Flaxseed

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add brown sugar and vanilla and  beat until combined.
3. In a separate bowl combine flours, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
4. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; stir just until blended.
5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove bread from pan; cool completely.
6. Slice and enjoy (or cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for later).

Photo Credits: KiwiConfections

A Women’s Magazine Article that Actually Said Something + A Recipe

   

     I read an article in Glamour magazine’s September issue while at the gym last week, and it was pretty great. In a nutshell, it dispelled the myth of today’s ideal woman—Wonder Woman. So it got me thinking about the comic book starlet…She has super powers. She’s smart. She kicks ass at work and at home. And did I mention that she’s hot? It’s no surprise, then, that Wonder Woman is actually the product of a pretty famous male psychologist. His name was William Moulton Marston, and he was already a big deal in his profession because he invented a blood-pressure monitoring apparatus that was instrumental in the creation of the lie-detector test. In describing the underlying theme of his female superhero creation Marston said, “Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world."¹

    While William Marston may have had the best of intensions in creating a new female heroin for little girls to look up to, Wonder Woman has become the caricature of something young women today constantly feel pressure to live up to. Young women including myself! Of course I am rational enough to know that there’s no such thing as a Gisele Bündchen, M.D. PhD that also has a perfect home life, tons of friends, a sweet spot for humanitarian work, and a knack for entertaining and bake sales. Actually, I think I kinda have believed that. Slowly, but surely I’m learning that Wonder Woman is not real and trying to be like her just leads to disaster. I am also learning the best tricks at surviving real life—not Wonder Woman style,not Gangam style, just me style. Me-style includes (but is not limited to): 1) frugal- I’m a med student surviving on student loans 2) quick- I have to study all the time, and when I’m not studying I want to see the people I haven’t seen in forever because I’ve been studying  All. The. Time. 3) taste conscious- I love eating, and it can sometimes be the highlight of my day, so it’s got to taste good 4) healthy- after I graduate my job will be to tell people to be healthier and help them become so. I want to walk the walk not just talk the talk. Plus I feel better.

     I’ll continue to share these tricks of surviving me-style on the blog, but let’s start with one of my favorites….

Crockpot meals! (No, not queso dip) They’re not glamorous, but we’re talking about real life here, remember? What’s awesome about these are that they work on my $50/week food budget, allow me to still get my 8 hours of studying in, and provide something yummy and healthy to eat. One of my favorites right now is Chicken Tortilla Soup. The recipe takes away any excuse you have to not make yourself a healthy home-cooked dinner tonight.

1. Hendrix, Grady (December 11, 2007). "Out for Justice". The New York Sun.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 5

2 lbs Chicken Breast*

1 (15 oz) can Whole Peeled Tomatoes Mashed

1 (10 oz) can Reduced Sodium Enchilada Sauce

1 Dried Ancho Chile

5 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Medium Onion, chopped

1 Serrano Pepper, halved and chopped

2 Cups water

2 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth*

1 ½ teaspoon Cumin

1 ½ teaspoon Chili Powder

1 ½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Bay leaf

1 Cup frozen Corn Kernels

2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Lime

2 Avocados, sliced

*To make this recipe vegetarian: Substitute frozen edamame and/or black beans for the chicken. Don’t add the edamame or black beans until the end of the cooking time. Sub low sodium vegetable broth in for the chicken broth.

Directions

Before you go to sleep: place the raw chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, garlic, onion, Serrano, water, chicken broth, and seasonings in a crock pot. Do not add the (edamame and/or black beans), corn, cilantro, lime or avocado in yet. Set it to medium or low heat. Allow it to cook over night: 6 to 8 hours.

After it is done cooking, use a fork to break apart/shred the chicken (while in the crockpot). Add in the (edamame), corn,and cilantro. Cover the pot with the lid and allow it to slowly cool down for 30 minutes. During this time, the (edamame and/or  beans), corn, and cilantro will also warm up.

Serve into bowls. Squeeze in a bit of lime into each bowl and add 5 or 6 slices of avocado to each bowl. You can also add some tortilla chips in, but I love it without chips too. Enjoy!

(Or, store the chicken tortilla soup in Tupperware until it’s meal time. Heat up individual servings in the microwave. Then add slices of avocado and some lime before eating).

Recipe Photo Credits: KiwiConfections

Being Bad 30% of The Time

Photo Credit: Tucker's

Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? No, not the the Pareto Principle or the one defined on Urban Dictionary. (you can pretty much assume anything on this blog has not been also defined on Urban Dictionary). The 80/20 rule I'm talking about is what a lot of fitness gurus and the like swear by. It means eating at an almost pious level 80% of the time and "treating" one's self 20% of the time. It makes a lot of sense to me, except that my ratio is a lot more like 70/30...and you know what? that's totally okay! And if the ratio dips into 50/50 during those summer days when you just can't say no to ice cream after your dinner of grilled hot dogs and potato chips, then so be it! (For a great read on accepting one's self flaws and all, please head to my friend Caro's hilarious and poignant blog) The important thing is to be aware of what's going into your body and to enjoy every crumb and dribble of the naughty stuff when you do have it. Another way I stick to my 70/30 manifesto is my body's own saturated fat/sugar/salt threshold. I can't eat burgers/fries, pizza, and ice cream for every meal every day because I hate how I feel. After I indulge in one of the above, I crave a guilt-eraser if you will. Some sort of healthful food that not only balances out my last not-so-virtuous meal, but also something that actually makes me feel good inside again. Doing something active every day also helps keep that 70/30 ratio in check too!

Photo Credit: Tucker's

Earlier this week, we went to Tucker's-- a must-eat burger joint when you're in OKC. On the nutrition side, these delectable onion burgers have no redeeming qualities. However, the ingredients are local and the taste is uncomplicated and sinful. I don't need to look up the nutrition facts because there is nothing that tastes this good under 800 calories. After enjoying Tucker's the way it's meant to be enjoyed: AKA with a side of freshly-cut fries...I knew I wanted a guilt-eraser for dinner. Enter, the Kale Salad with Dates, Almonds, and Parmesan. On the good-for-you/terrible-for-you spectrum of foods, I believe Kale is at the exact opposite end from Tucker's cheeseburgers. This Kale salad, however, is truly delicious-- in its own, non-cheeseburger way!

Photo Credit: Me

Guilt Eraser: Kale Salad with Almonds and Dates

Serves 3

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 shallot, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup sliced almonds

8 dates, pitted and chopped

2 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a peeler

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk lemon juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper flakes.
2. Add kale; toss well. Let sit 20 minutes. Mix in oil. Refrigerate for up to 1 day, or serve immediately.
3. In a dry pan, toast almonds over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens, Don’t allow the burner to get too hot, or you might scorch the almonds. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add almonds, dates and Parmesan to kale; serve.

Recipe adapted from: SELF Decemeber 2012 by Zoe Singer