The Urge to Purge

When you get the urge to purge go with it. Inspiration is telling you that its time. And as you clean out closets, garages or whatever, the feeling of lightness as you discard your unwanted or no longer needed stuff is unmistakable. Suddenly you'll feel like you lost 10 pounds.This alone will encourage you to eat lighter fare because you like how your body feel. The clean closets...that's the bonus.

Spring Cleansing

Every year around this time, I feel a strong desire to clean out my closets. I want to simplify my life and this always starts from the inside out. It starts with cabinets, closets and drawers. Though my house may appear uncluttered, I know better. Hidden in every corner is something I don’t need or want. I’ve grown very intolerant of such excess, so the urge to purge is strong.

This year, this urge has taken on a new meaning and application – my body. Though I have always been conscious of eating well, I’ve come to realize that I don’t know what healthy really is. It seems that every day we hear about some product or food group that used to be considered healthy, but no longer is. Who or what do we trust…ourselves? Hidden in every cell of our body is a wisdom that does know what we need. We can trust it. Now, I’m ready to listen.


Growing up, a healthy snack was a glass of milk and a grilled cheese sandwich on Wonder bread. Now we know better, so we may try to eat only whole grains, less meat, more fish, and lots of fruits and vegetables. There are substitute products for our various allergies to dairy, corn, wheat and so on, but food just isn’t what it used to be. People have been eating wheat, for instance, since the beginning of time. Why is it now a problem for so many? Has the quality of food gone down or is our sensitivity on the rise? Both, I’m sure.


In the kitchen during my restaurant years, I’d get many requests for no nuts, shell fish, chicken broth, and on and on. I used to think, “It’s all in your head.” Although this is true in a sense, also true is that our bodies are trying to communicate; they’ve become unable to tolerate so much of what we ingest. And it isn’t just junk food - it’s almost all food.


Can any of us really be confident that we know where our food comes from and how it’s been treated? Even if we buy organic, how nutritionally valuable are our fruits and vegetables if our soil has been seriously compromised? Answering these questions will require a book rather than a short article, and thankfully there are many resources to choose from. But the point is this: If “we are what we eat,” doesn’t that mean that our health is in peril? Never one to foster the dark side of anything, I’ve come to accept that all we can do is the best we can with what we have. And what I have is a body that needs a spring cleaning.


There are many cleansing diets to choose from. One of the best is the “21-Day Cleanse” by Kathy Freston, made popular by Oprah. I may love Oprah, but 21 days of no wheat, sugar, animal products, alcohol and caffeine is a bit more cleaning than I want to undertake. Instead, I was inspired by Dr. Christiane Northrop, who has reduced her basic eating guidelines down to the 80/20 rule: Eat 80% fruits and vegetables, and 20% everything else. Simply put, that works for me.


I would add one more ingredient that can do wonders to compensate for any lack in the quality of our food – love. It costs nothing and the supply is infinite. In a nutritionally questionable environment, this is something we all can apply. I firmly believe that how we eat is at least as important as what we eat. At least that’s what’s in my head. Therefore, my prescription for a cleansing diet that we can adhere to daily is this:


• Chose a simple, basic diet that works for you both nutritionally and philosophically
• Return to the table with family, friends and neighbors
• Bless your food with love
• Share real conversation

This will go a long way towards infusing the necessary nutrients into our meals, and soon enough our bodies will radiate a vibrant life force – from the inside out.


So now, on the rare occasion when I crave cake – I eat it.


Happy Spring,


Chef Silvia

Portobello Burger with Roasted Peppers on a Gluten-Free Bun

2 portobello mushrooms (drizzled with olive oil)

1 medium sweet onion (sliced)
2 red bell peppers (roasted – see below)
1 handful of baby greens (mixed greens or arugula)
2 thick sliced of vine ripened tomatoes
2 gluten free, toasted English Muffins (found at Trader Joe’s)
A smear of mayo

Grill the mushrooms over a medium/hot grill until softened (about 5 minutes on each side)
Sauté the onion slices in a hot sauté pan with a bit of olive oil
Toast the muffins and spread with a bit of may
Top with the greens, followed by the tomato, the mushroom, the peppers and the onions.
Serve immediately

Roasted Peppers


2 large bell peppers (red, yellow or orange are sweetest)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-4 Sprigs of fresh parsley-coarsely chopped
1 large fresh garlic clove-finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste


Wash and dry peppers
Place on a baking sheet or rack about 4-5 inches from broiler or directly on a grill or gas burner
When the skin of the pepper is black and looks burnt, it is ready to be turned. Continue turning each pepper until each side is blackened
Place peppers inside a brown paper bag or in a covered bowl. The steam from this will loosen the skin from the pepper, making it easy to remove. Set aside to cool
When cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin, remove the core and all seeds. Do not rinse them under water. This will rinse away the flavor.
Tear into filets. Add the oil, garlic and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Toss.

This is My Plan and I'm Sticking to it

When it comes to a diet that works for you and your family think "lifestyle". Decide how and what you want to eat; vegetarian, vegan, organic or just sensible. I used to adhere to, "Eat anything you want. Just do so in moderation." Personally, because of various food sensitivities, I can't do that. So I've had to make a lifestyle change to gluten-free with animal products, dairy and caffeine in moderation. At first this was overwhelming. Now it actually simplifies things. When you can't choose everything...you learn to make the best of what is available. So here's a few tips, helpful for anyone, regardless of your specific tastes, diet restrictions, or budget.

 

 

• Decide on a lifestyle diet
• Chose several recipes that fit, make them, expand on them, improvise and grow your repertoire from there.
• Keep a stocked pantry of the basics needed for your plan so when you're inspired to try something new, you have options.
• Shop for perishable items at least twice a week and plan your meals around them.
• Search for recipes that can be made quickly for those times when meals have to be ready in a flash.
• Mix these quick recipes with ones that require more time and plan to make these when cooking can be a labor of love shared with assistance in the kitchen.
• Be open to inspiration from everywhere: restaurant meals, magazines, TV, grocery stores, specialty and farmer’s markets.
• View your new lifestyle choice as an adventure rather than a chore. This simple shift in perception will bring joy to this process and this alone is priceless.