Category: Healthy Food

Like many of us, perhaps there were many excesses during the holiday season? Did you have one too many chocolate kisses? A slice of or an extra slice of that special cake ? Rich foods you normally pass up – did you make an exception last week because it’s … the holiday season ? Did your yoga practice or exercise program get off the track because … it’s the holiday season? It’s a celebration feast or you were traveling or … you had out of town guests? They are all valid reasons/excuses … it was the holiday season ! We are lucky to even have this “problem” as sadly, unlike the reports in the mainstream, many had another kind of a problem – a bit of hunger, yes, in USA, supposedly the richest country in the world.

So for the lucky ones who truly experienced if not the spiritual, at least the physical “abundance”, we come back to the mat, the studios, the gyms, the tracks, the weights … with all kind of New Years Resolution – most typically to lead a more healthy lifestyle and on the superficial level, to many lucky ones who got to indulge (I did not say gluttony!) – that means – weight loss.

In that vein, it is noted that if you slip into the excesses, the binges, the let go and eat whatever comes your way during the last 30+ days, most are feeling a bit of “guilt” and go into shaking off that guilt by setting unrealistic New Years Resolution. Guilt is not a good way to start the year – Let go of Guilt, Shame, Fear …

To lose weight – isn’t it simple ? You exercise more and you eat less. Simple, No? Actually No. You can eat more and exercise “right” with intelligence … That “exercise” does not just mean mindless workouts but a work-in to better balance the nervous system and the hormones, glands/chemicals in our body – and for our internal organs to function with more effectiveness and efficiently to keep disease at bay. Seemingly counter-intuitive, yoga style such as Restorative Yoga actually aids in weight management as another name for this style is called a “Rest & Digest” yoga and it’s about not only digesting in a physical sense but in a psychic sense as well … No surprise, I lost 10 lbs once I was doing regular restorative practice – Before, I was burning enough calories and I was eating less calories but … Our body is not based on simple arithmetic of calorie count – it’s more complicated. We are each, complicated but the solution is surprisingly … simple.

So … one thing we do want to do is give our digestion a little break – meaning, it’s been worked to overdrive during the holiday season to digest digest and eliminate and your GIT is a bit … tired. In fact, so tired from the irregularity from travels or excesses from indulging and no longer functioning to digest optimally nor eliminate properly. It’s like after too much partying, one is … tired. Let’s give our GIT a little break the first 2 weeks of 2016. It’s in the Japanese tradition as well to PAUSE 7 days after the New Year by cleansing the system by eating a very simple plain food, “Nanakusagayu” – seven herbs porridge…

It’s not dieting but cleansing… so difficult living in the regular world where “celebration” is synonymous with eating – nothing wrong with that as long as it’s truly nourishing. EAT, Eat, eat … it’s okay after pressing that PAUSE button. Then that REFRESH button.

Apparently Americans on the average gain 5-10 lbs during the holiday season – gasp ! And as I fearfully got on the scale I had avoided, I am an “average” – from 116lb to 121lbs. I am so … normal? I indulged in MOCHI too much … it shows.

So … what to do?

Exploring how to do it without losing my energy and level of activity…
or some might say, “sense of humor”:)
Researching. Just cutting out refined white sugar and any kind of meat may have to do for now.
Kushi’s Macrobiotic-ish meals to start as soon as I finish these wonderful biscotti baked by a student.
Barbara’s Biscotti, Bravo Biscotti is delicious … sharing:)

Thank you Barbara for such a sweet gift ! Your Biscotti is delicious. I love the scent of cinnamon – such a treat.
Thank you !

Reminded, cleansing and purifying is not about austerity but … nourishing and loving everything that was made with love and care – which includes none other than …YOU. When food is made with love and care, it’s all good.
The energy in bedded in that food is that of … love and care. How could it not be …
GOOD.

photos to follow …

Fresh Oysters are not too expensive at Happy Hour specials.
Japanese take on hot dogs… very popular here but did not try as they were sold out of salmon.Yes, there was a salmon, seafood hot dog as well.
At Krishna Festival – all foods so vibrant, vegan and … FREE. THANK YOU
Lord Krishna! Very colorful, healthy and vibrant. The kind of food you feel GOOD about eating.

Yes, that’s butter. Melted butter. Recalling a macrobiotic teacher – late- Ayako sensei- once saying, there’s just is no replacement for butter – everything else we can replicate.

Cold Pressed Locally harvested cranberry juice made right there at Forage… the place is … so relaxing with babies and families and …lots of wood – fresh scent of wood.

Key theme?
Sustainable sourcing of food …&
Generally …maybe a bit

Fusion … everything is in entropy.

As a purification or a mini-detox cleanse time-out, I may go on no-salt diet or no sugar diet, macrobiotics diet, even fast for few days or I go vegan for a week or two, even a month(!) but I am NOT vegan. Being a vegan is a lifestyle choice that requires quite a commitment. I am not vegan as I do eat seafood and I am not ashamed to integrate the gifts of the rivers, lakes and oceans into my life. I love unagi and crab; I love all fresh fish… But, I do not normally eat red meat and I respect and admire those who are truly vegan in words and action. Red Meat – I say normally because if my dear Persian friend makes what’s considered their Soul Food, their national dish that has lamb in it – painstakingly time consuming effort – and serves this stew sprinkled with ruby red pomegranate with so much pride and love… okay, I will eat modestly with much delight and gratitude. If my cousin takes me to a very special sushi restaurant for lunch lamenting how this particular sushi with delicately steamed Anago (kind of eal like fish) was my late-aunt’s favorite, I will eat it with much appreciation, reminiscing about his late mother, honoring her great skills in cooking and that heart of gold she shone to everyone. All the while, with each bite, thanking the Angel Anago which has become part of me. So like my yoga practice, my diet adherence is rather loose, not so dogmatic but with a certain fuzzy regimen.

But even then, probably 300 days? out of 365 days, a label of Pescatarian or vegetarian actually does stick. I have never been one for extremism and there’s no judgement. If someone makes a meal for you with care and love with ingredients that may include honey, eggs, cheese and butter …that he took the trouble to gather – I will be happy to eat with much gratitude. But with moderation…with restraint savoring the love that went into such food preparation.

Yes, Thanksgiving is coming up. Hope food choice is not going to be something that turns judgmental and divisive. Hope it does not divide and separates family and friends but brings us closer despite our differences. Hope its about inclusion and togetherness. About tolerance and friendship…

Best way to persuade is probably by living it so for that reason, I do respect Peaceful Cuisine founder, Ryoya. He does not preach or lecture. He does not have a I am better or superior or more enlightened being than you air; He just does it and lives an example. I do admire that kind of a quiet unassuming revolutionary. There’s tenacity in that kind of humble “action”.

Having said that, here are some dishes from my Tokyo trip this summer…

Topping off was a dessert dish my mother insisted on having WITH a scoop of ice cream – it’s an extra – without the ice cream, it would be pure vegan dessert. With two spoons to share the treat with, she cheerfully ate most of the ice cream:) Then there are sushi rolls – very simple ones BUT with eggs and crab…(macrobiotics and vegans can replace the eggs and crab with just as delicious ingredients…)

Then Unagi lunch … there’s a certain day in summer when everyone is encouraged to eat “unagi” -it’s kind of similar as Turkey for Thanksgiving for Americans … Here on this platter, everything BUT unagi bowl would be vegan …

Yama and Niyama … how do we incorporate them into our lives without strain, with authenticity.