Trick or (HoLiSciOuS) Treat!

BOO! It's that time of year again! The ghosts, goblins, and granny smiths are clear markers of the season. I remember my childhood Halloween days very well; who doesn't??? Pumpkin carving, jumping into large piles of brilliantly colored leaves, hot apple cider, and candy apples. There's even a certain crisp smell in the air that cannot be duplicated. Halloween is a very symbolic holiday for some. Some of the symbols that used to resonate with me were 'Hersheys' or 'M&Ms' and the like. Unfortunately, with the rising rates of Type 2 diabetes in CHILDREN due to excess refined sugar consumption, some of these sweet symbolic treats' may need to be replaced. As a culture, we have strayed far from our roots. Whoever created our Universe (you may call him/her God) provided us with everything necessary for survival. In all actuality, fruits are Earth's candy! When you begin eating simple foods, you may start enjoying the simple yet satisfying sweet taste of a granny smith or a McIntosh or a Honeycrisp apple. There are also many sweet vegetables, including acorn squash, kabocha squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, onions, among more. Not only are these gifts of nature filled with natural, complex sugars/carbohydrates, they are also ALL in season!

This Halloween season, do yourself AND the people around you a favor. Fill up on nature's sweets. If this is difficult for you, start small. Is it really the candy apple you are craving, or perhaps the memory that comes with it? Try the apple itself and see if that satisfies. Be mindful and chew well while eating this perfect offering of of the land.

Healthier sweeteners to help stabilize blood sugar and limit highs and lows include: brown rice syrup, grade B maple syrup, and stevia extract.

WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?

Obviously, giving a kid an apple instead of a Milky Way isn't necessarily going to work. Good old granola as a Trick or Treat item will most likely be thrown aside. Here are some healthier Trick or Treat item sure to satisfy the kids. They are available at most health food stores:

1. Sunspire organic sun drops
2.) Organic gummi bears
3.) College Farm Organic Nature Pops
4.) Organic Dark Chocolate (Green and Blacks)
5.) Kind Bars
6.) Carob or Dark Chocolate covered almonds or raisins (available in bulk food section)


Have a 'BOO'tiful, healthy Halloween!

A Visit to an Organic Farm

I don’t know how many of you have visited an organic farm but, if you haven’t, you might want to visit Blooming Hill Farms in Blooming Grove, NY (pictured here). They have a website if you’d like to see what they’re all about…. www.bloominghillfarm.com. And, I must say, it’s an amazing place to shop for the freshest, cleanest and healthful foods you can imagine. Not sure if you know how hard it is to work an organic farm. It’s hard, hard work to keep the little (and big) critters away from the plants. It’s much easier to spray with insecticides and other chemical products. But, who wants those chemicals in our bodies! If they kill the bugs, imagine what they can do to us!! Alan and I went to Blooming Hill on Sunday which was a cold, raw and rainy day. As we approached the front door of the barn, a gust of wind splashed water in our faces just in time for the wood burning stove to envelop us in a blanket of warmth as the barn door closed behind us. I cannot tell you how good it felt to hear the crackling of the flames dancing on the wood and to see so many people huddled around wooden crates filled with vibrant colored organic vegetables. There were purple and cranberry colored carrots, purple, yellow and light brown potatoes, green, orange, beige and yellow squash, pumpkins, turnips, too many greens to mention, apples the names of which you’ve never heard of and stalks of celery that spanned the length of the backseat of my car! Of course, I couldn’t resist buying one of just about everything I spotted. Oh…. and the garlic! I just can’t seem to get enough of it. They’re so much easier to peel than the garlic I buy in the supermarket and I can’t figure out why. And, some of the cloves are HUGE. If you’re like me, garlic is basically in every dish I make. And, it’s so healthy for you!

I know we all like recipes, and since cauliflower is abundant right now, here’s a simple recipe that everyone in your family will love. We keep passing down this recipe because you just can’t seem to get enough….

I’ve just been roasting it long and slow, letting it crisp up with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and sometimes garlic. Roasting really brings out its flavor. Cauliflower is somewhat of a neglected vegetable – maybe those big heads intimidate people. Cauliflower is really so easy to prepare, and it can work with lots of different flavors. This is a great recipe for easily using up a whole head, and a good introduction to this vegetable if you never know what to do with it.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
Method
1. Toss the cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange in a big baking dish. You can add some sliced or whole garlic cloves if you like.
2. Roast at 250F for about an hour, or until cauliflower is as done as you like it!
ENJOY!

The Healthiest Hot Chocolate EVER!

It is that time of year again! Well... almost. When the temperature begins to drop, I find myself craving warmth, such as root vegetables, soups, etc. Who doesn't?! I used to stick to a strict raw food diet, however my climate did not allow me to thrive on that diet throughout the cold winters. When my body was craving soup, I would go get a salad. My body was out of balance (too yin and not enough yang, if you follow macrobiotics). It is extremely important to listen to the signals your body is telling you, and not what something your mind or the media is saying. Everybody is different, and it is vital to find out what works for YOUR body.

Another frosty weather favorite of mine is hot chocolate (you can substitute carob if you prefer to refrain from chocolate consumption). This recipe for RAW VEGAN hot chocolate is decadent, full of nutrition, and sure to satisfy and warm you from the inside out!

What you will need:

Peeled cacao beans OR cacao nibs
Teapot with strainer (for loose teas)
Coffee Grinder
Hot Water
Maple syrup or raw honey
Milk of choice (I make my own cashew mix in a Vitamix blender, but you can use unsweetened store bought almond, rice, or soy milk)
Cinnamon

What you will do:

Grind about two handfuls of cacao beans/nibs in coffee grinder
Put cacao 'powder' in strainer
Pour hot water over cacao powder into teapot
Let it sit for about 3 minutes
Pour into a cup
Add desired amount of milk (sometimes I heat the milk on the stove briefly before adding it)
Add one half teaspoon sweetener (maple or honey)
Add one dash cinnamon
ENJOY!

Listen Close!

I began incorporating raw food into my diet approximately two years ago. Prior to that, I was a slave to caffeine and daily afternoon naps. I was also a slave to the treadmill. Despite dreading the experience, I would consistently drag myself to the gym for my daily hour-long workouts. Some may be inspired by that so-called sense of ‘self-discipline’, yet the reality of the situation was that I felt like a hamster on a spinning wheel. I was miserable. My life was very monotonous, and so was my diet. I was receiving energy from stimulants, because my real energy was too busy digesting processed foods.
Over time, I began noticing the connection between food intake, energy level, and mood. I started experimenting with this intricate relationship, and eventually continued to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City, where I was introduced to a plethora of dietary theories. As I began incorporating more raw food and less processed food into my diet, I immediately noticed a tremendous shift in my energy levels. It was so sudden, that I almost felt awkward and out of place amongst my coffee-drinking crew. It is no lie that once your dietary intake changes, your mood may shift. I have a friend who once told me, “When you eat simple, you will be simple.” When you eat organically, you begin thinking organically.” Until you try it, you may not experience this sensation. As a result of this unexpected transformation, I knew my daily regimen needed to shift.
Yoga fell into my lap at the same time I began eating healthy (coincidence?). At first, that little voice in my head kept urging me to go back to the gym, however there was some overpowering force that compelled me to slow down and move organically. Yoga requires an enormous amount of energy, focus, and concentration, which cannot be fueled by anything other than a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the coffee I used to drink is now replaced by my yoga practice! Not only does it strengthen the bones, muscles, circulatory, and respiratory systems, it provides me with limitless energy and ease. Yoga has served as a tremendous sigh of relief, and I can sometimes feel and hear my body whispering, “Thank you.” Stretching and strengthening the body are essential to keep all systems running smoothly, especially when you are eating fiber-filled foods provided by Mother Nature.
You do not have to be a ‘spiritual’ person to enjoy the tremendous benefits of yoga. A simple ten-minute home practice is enough to stimulate the major energy centers of your body. When you wake up in the morning, I encourage you to offer silent gratitude for something in your life. Listen close for the cues your body is giving you, and move in a way that feels good. Finding the space between steadiness and ease will provide for an effective practice.

Shayna Hiller is a Holistic Health Counselor and private yoga instructor in NYC and Northern NJ. She has assisted numerous people of all ages in listening to what their body is asking for, and in return, gaining more energy, losing weight, and finding peace. To learn more about her work, please visit her website at www.shaynayoga.com or her active blog at www.holiscious.com. For a complimentary one-hour consultation, please e-mail Shayna at shaynayoga@gmail.com.