Week 2--Kohlrabi

Kohl what?  Don't worry if you have never heard of this root vegetable.  I hadn't until last Winter when the amazing guys at the Terra Bella farm stand introduced me to it.

Kohlrabi (German turnip) is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that grows almost anywhere.  The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin.  The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet.  Kohlrabi can be eaten raw as well as cooked and its leafy greens can also be eaten. (Source:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi)

Why should you eat Kohlrabi?  

5 reasons

1.Kohlrabi is a nutrient dense food, meaning for merely 35 calories per cup you get a load of good nutrients.
2. Kohlrabi is good for the circulatory system as it is low is saturated fat and cholesterol.
3. Kohlrabi maintains a healthy immune system, which can be attributed to its high vitamin C content (1 cup contains approximately 140% RDA).
4. Kohlrabi promotes healthy digestion.  A cup of kohlrabi contains 5 grams of dietary fiber which is 19% of the required RDA.  Dietary fiber helps promote bowel regularity by maintaining healthy intestines and colon.  Fibers are also important in preserving the population of good bacteria.
5. Kohlrabi assists in proper muscle and nerve function, the main function of potassium in the body.  A cup of cooked kohlrabi contains 14% the RDA of potassium.
Source:  http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-kohlrabi/

This week I picked a really simple, yet delicious recipe:  Roasted Kohlrabi with Parmesan Cheese.  The recipe is not mine to claim.  You can find it here:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-kohlrabi/.  Here is what you will need:

Ingredients

• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Enjoy! :)

What can an hour get you?

As a mother of a young child I'm often confronted by the following conundrum:  what to do in the ~1 hour while my son sleeps.  Often the answer is I can cook, or I can clean my floors, or I can clear out my inbox, or I can return a friend's phone call, etc.  Emphasis on the word "or" here.  One hour isn't really a whole lot but somehow I seem to want to fit a whole day's worth of tasks during that precious time.

On a good day (like today),  I apply my makeup (Yes I showered hours before but my face and hair are still undone by 3pm), I brush my hair, I bring in the garbage cans, something that doesn't usually happen before sunset, I call a friend back and we talk for about 20 minutes while I pick up the toys that carpet the entire living room, I clean up the refrigerator (I'm a bit compulsive about this task), and I even have time to clean my floors.  All this with low to no stress.

On a more typical day I roll out of bed after putting my son for a nap, I open the door to the bathroom where my makeup bag awaits patiently, I catch my breath and then I hear a cry... I tense up... I go shush my guy who should be sleeping... It doesn't work.  He's up.  I'm upset.  Nothing gets done.

Week 1--Kale

In conversation with some family members and friends who say I eat "weird stuff," I began to think that much of what I eat I didn't actually grow up eating.  I have an adventurous spirit when it comes to food and I'm always searching for new foods that are nutritious and tasty.  This has led me to expand my palate and my cooking repertoire to satisfy my unusual cravings while keeping me healthy.


This year I will be featuring a weekly recipe with a seasonal produce item.  The recipes will be either my own creation or copied from outside sources.  I will try to choose recipes that are fast, easy, and versatile (aka:  good for kids and picky eaters as well). As much as possible I will select organic ingredients and most of my featured produce items will come from the local farmers market. 


This week we begin with Kale.

Kale is from the cabbage family, although its central leaves do not form a head.  kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, iron, calcium, and of course fiber.   Kale is also a good source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells (Source:  Wikipedia).   

This all may sound fantastic but if you can't make this fibrous, green vegetable edible there is really no point in all its health benefits, so let's get to the cooking...

Today we will be making ground beef tacos with, you guessed it, Kale.  Here is what you will need:

1lb ground beef.  I chose Trader Joe's organic, 100% grass fed 85/15 ground beef (see image below)

1 large onion chopped

1 large bell pepper chopped

3 large cloves of garlic minced

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup of water (or beer if you must)

Ground pepper

Cumin

Paprika

Salt

1 large bunch of kale chopped into small bite size pieces.  Remove hard middle stem.

Taco shells or tortillas

For garnish

1 cup shredded cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

salsa(s)**  Probably a good idea to have more than one (mild and spicy)

Directions:

1. Brown meat in a large skillet (Note:  You do not need any cooking fat.  Cooking spray should be sufficient)

2. Add pepper, cumin, and paprika and salt to taste (I don't give measurements for spices because I never measure.  Pinch, dash, whatever you want.  Make it tasty)

3. Once meat is no longer pink add onion, bell pepper, garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft

4. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes

5. Add kale, cilantro, and water, cover and let kale steam for approximately 15 to 20 minutes (may require additional cooking since Kale can be tough)

6.  While kale cooks  heat up tortillas or taco shells.  Taco shells are probably more kid-friendly.  Organic corn tortillas are not easy to come by but if you can find them by all means use them.  I have ethical issues with Guerrero or any other brand of Mexican tortillas because they are known to contain genetically modified corn.  My husband however loves his Mexican tortillas so that's what I used.

7. Prepare garnishing for tacos.  I used jack pepper cheese, shredded lettuce, avocado/green salsa (purchased from Trader Joes) and my own extra spicy roasted tomato salsa, made with chiles de arbol (recipe upon request)

8. Enjoy!

Disclaimer:  I'm not a trained chef.  I cook from the heart.  If you like what you see let me know.  If you have ideas for improvement I'd love to hear them.  My passion is tasty and nutritious food.  No fuss.  No frills.

On why I run

A few years back I had an issue with electrolyte imbalances in my body.  I was told by my doctor that I was drinking too much water, and thus, diluting my essential electrolytes.  During that time I was also instructed not to run until my body recovered fully (I had had a couple of episodes of fainting so my doctor wanted to prevent any potential accidents).  I remember how furious I was by the diagnosis.  At the time I used to take daily runs during my lunch hour at work, doing so gave me sanity.  I could not imagine coping with my stressful job without my runs.  I was devastated.

I began walking instead of running, not without much resentment of course, but I just didn't get the same benefit. Running is one of two activities I do where I'm actually able to shut the demons in my head.  Yes, I can get some alone time with... moi!  My brain runs 24/7 and I can't get it to stop, but running does.  Running also releases unwanted tension in my body and endorphins that keep my mood up for the rest of the day.  Running also allows me to check in with my body.  When I run I can tell if I've been eating and resting enough and I can also identify areas of my body where I may have a dysfunction.  I identify myself as a runner and I pray that I can continue to run for years to come.

I've been recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  To be frank I was shocked by the diagnosis;  I was certain I would pass the glucose tolerance test with flying colors because I tend towards hypoglycemia.  When I got the news I was in denial.  It couldn't be me.  I probed the doctor trying to figure out how the diagnosis is done, hoping to get her to say, "Oh, I'm sure it was a mistake."  No it wasn't.  My fasting blood sugar was 4 points above the threshold and that puts me in the "at risk" category for developing diabetes post-partum with a 50% probability.   As if this wasn't bad enough, my baby faces the same fate.  I of course frieked out.  How could this be?  I watch my diet closely, I exercise, I take good care of myself.  Impossible. And then I looked at other factors:  genetics, family history, ethnicity all of which played against me.  It took me almost two weeks to finally come to terms with the fact that I have not failed my baby.  There is nothing I could have done to prevent this situation, but there is plenty I can do to avoid further damage.

I had a two hour consultation with a dietitian in which she reviewed every detail of my daily hours:  eating, sleeping, and exercise patterns, family history, pregnancy history, etc. I was showered with information about my condition and sent home with a glucose monitor and a carbohydrate fixed diet to follow.     I'm a disciplined individual and I know enough about food and nutrition to follow the diet without a problem.  I also don't mind poking my finger 4 times a day to check my blood sugar.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn't uncomfortable with the thought of not being able to run anymore, and of course there is the "change" factor.  I resist change.  I am a creature of habit.  For as much change as I've had in my life I should be a lot more flexible but I'm not.  I must think beyond the present and focus on the benefits of this change.  I'm actually quite resilient to change and I adapt a lot easier than most folks I know but it's still a difficult pill to swallow.

First things first.  I will not compromise my baby's health or mine for my stubbornness.  I promise to do all in my power to assure a healthy delivery and prevent future complications to his child.  I vow to take this challenge one day at a time and I ask for your support and prayers.  

A day to be thankful

A few years back I would be dreading this day, and the days following it.  As a matter of fact, I often fantasized about being able to skip over the holidays.  Not anymore.  Thankfully.

Earlier today I was thinking about an entry for my gratitude journal.   I kept asking myself:  "what am I thankful for?"  A million things came to mind:  family, friends, our house, our neighborhood, etc. And while I'm thankful for all these things every day, today I am especially thankful for something else I had not taken notice of.  I am thankful for my changed relationship with myself, with my family, and with food.  First things first.  Let's talk about food.

My relationship with food

I once had a dysfunctional relationship with food.  A what?  Yes, a sort of love/hate relationship with it.  It was overwhelming, paralyzing, terrifying, and so it occupied much of my waking hours.  I obsessed about every morsel that went into my mouth and about the calories I could avoid. Holidays were a particularly difficult time due to the overabundance of rich foods.  A self-proclaimed health nut I counted calories more frequently than I took breaths during the day.  What a sad story that was.  Today it finally hit me that I was looking forward to this day and food was a secondary thought.  My relationship with food has evolved to a level of nutrition and energy supply.  I still love food but I don't hate myself when I eat.  That is something I am truly grateful for.

My relationship with family

If I could have one wish granted this day it would be for my (blood) family to be together at least once again before we lose another family member.  Sadly this wish may not be granted.  I miss my gang more than words can express.  Yes we are a crazy bunch and being together brings the best and worst in all of us, but we are still brothers and sisters and I would give my life for any one of them.

Every year during the holiday season I hope to spend time with (blood) family.  Lately that hasn't happened due to family circumstances, distance, broken relationships, etc.  Every year I am disappointed and upset for not having the type of family that hangs out together, plays cards, goes for walks, talks openly and without resentment.  This year I prayed for a different experience and I got it.  I realized that my unhappiness had roots in  unrealistic expectations of MY family, expectations that simply cannot be filled at this time or ever.  This year, unlike others I was content to be surrounded by friends who are just like the family I have been obsessing about.  I couldn't be more thankful for that gift.  I am thankful to celebrate this special day with friends who are now family.

My relationship with myself

A few months ago I blogged about my chronic anxiety condition and overall sense of unhappiness.  I am happy to report tremendous progress on both of those areas.  I'm sure my gratitude journal has something to do with the latter but the former is simply a result of lots of prayer, meditation, and community support.   I like the person who lives under my skin.  I can't wait to see what she is capable of.

On being me amidst being a mother

Lately I find it difficult to find time to write.  I know this phrase may sound rather cliche (I am a mother afterall!).  I've been working on my time management skills and overall I do pretty well.  I don't overschedule our days and I allow for plenty of downtime.   It's just that when I finally have an hour to do something personal I find myself unwinding by getting  distracted with nonsense.  Or simply checking up Facebook :)

I may have shared with a friend or two that I wasn't one of those women who instantly knew they wanted to be mothers.  In fact, for years the thought of raising children made me cringe.  Fortunately I married into a wonderful relationship and the pressure to have children lifted almost immediately.  When the time was right we both decided that having children was definitely important to us, in fact, so much that our life would be severely impacted if we turned down this gift.  So we embraced parenthood and all its challenges.

Being a stay at home mother was not something I had ever desired or even considered.  Life takes sudden turns.  Often decisions come to us influenced by extraneous factors.  Seldom with negative consequences in my opinion (though at the time it may not seem that way).  I am enjoying my new life state as the primary caretaker of our son.  It doesn't come to me naturally and I have struggled with the transition.  I feel inadequate more often than I'd like but what mother doesn't?  What has helped is a strong support system I have found in my church and community and lots of prayers (and running miles!).

In a way this feels like a marathon challenge, something I never thought I could do but I'm so darn proud I'm doing.  In the process I am discovering a new person within me, someone who is more patient, more loving, more resilient, and more capable of handling challenges than I had ever thought possible.  I am also discovering life in a totally different way.  Walks take a whole new meaning.  Even mindless acts, such as grocery shopping have been elevated to a level of discovery I never thought possible.  Seeing through the eyes of my son is suddenly refreshing beyond words.  There is nowhere else I'd rather be at this moment.

Having said that, I know that deep within me is a person that yearns personal growth, beyond being a mother.  There will come a time when my life situation changes I will nodoubtly seize the opportunity.  The best gift I can give my son is that of wings, but I can't do this unless I've released my own.  I want to soar and open the way for him to do the same.  I have many dreams and aspirations and my eyes firmly set in HE who makes all things possible.  In other words, I have the will and I know that HE will pave the way.  In the meantime, I have some art wall cleaning to do.  Thank God for magic erasers!

Growing, growing, and growing

It's been over a month since my last pregnancy post so I thought I would write an update.

What is happening in the belly?

Lots of movement this week with a few soccer style kicks.  I've also had what I consider an excessive amount of braxton hicks the last couple of days (~1 every 30 minutes or so).  I'm not sure what this means but just to be on the safe side I'm going to take it a little slower this week.

Aches and pains?

Other than a minor sciatica discomfort on my right leg I'm basically pain free thus far. After my long runs my hips get very tight but I'm typically back to  normal within a day.  I'm also able to sleep very comfortably now, no more restless legs thank God!

Exercise keeps me pain free

As previously announced I ran the Nike's Womens 1/2 marathon last Sunday and I did better than expected.  I wasn't running for time but I still kept under 2 hours and 20 minutes which took me by surprise because I took it especially slow to make sure I didn't burn out too early.  It was such an amazing course that I completely lost track of time and distance.  I took in the beauty of the scenery and relished every mile.  By the end of the race I was so elated I wanted to keep running.

This week I scaled back my running from 26 miles to 18 miles and added a 12 mile bike ride.  I'm still weight lifting 2x a week and doing yoga/pilates once a week. I'm hoping to add in some hikes to my exercise regime in the coming weeks.  I find the pilates classes especially helpful with hip discomfort.

How big is the baby and how big am I?

The baby is about 20oz according to the doctor and measuring about 12 inches, the size of a spaguetti squash.  It seems so small compared to how I look.  The funny thing is that I really don't feel big.  There are days when I forget that I'm pregnant, for the most part I'm still very agile and flexible, but then I look at my image in the mirror and I get a different story.  My arms and legs are relatively small but my middle area is round baby!  I'm estimating that my chest area alone is adding an extra 6lbs to my weight.  And of course my ever growing belly is gaining more and more volume.  In total I've gained 14lbs so far.

Other symptoms or unusual changes?

I've been feeling very impatient and somewhat short tempered.  There are days when I remember being a teenager and feeling the same way.  It must be the surge of hormones flowing through my body.  I don't particularly like feeling this way since I've always been pretty mild tempered, even through my last pregnancy.  I find that rest helps a lot so I've made my afternoon naps a mandatory coping mechanism.

I have recurring episodes of low blood pressure.  This morning it was so bad I could barely stand in church.   Half way through the mass I had to leave the choir area to sit down for a while.  I felt faint and very short of breath.  Neither rest nor food made me feel better.  I noticed significant relief after I drank a diet cola which I don't typically like to do.  I may instead drink a small cup of coffee next time I find myself feeling this way.

My aversion for sweets is almost non-existent.  I've enjoyed a few treats in the last few weeks.  I don't have any particular cravings but I find that my body requires extra carbohydrates.  I still can't stand the smell of sugar-free gum.  It turns my stomach just thinking about it.  I have also developed an aversion for anything with corn syrup.  In general I find that my body rejects most artificial ingredients.  Nature working at its best I suppose.

What I'm looking forward to

The next couple months are just going to fly.  I'm so looking forward to the holidays I can't even stand it.  Now that I'm singing in the choir, church festivities take on a whole other level of importance and I'm so glad to be a part of it.  I'm also looking forward to celebrating with family and friends.  Our holiday plans are still up in the air but wherever we end up I know that it will be very special.

VACATION!!!  Yes!  We have booked our 10th anniversary celebration in Hawaii.  I'm beyond excited and thankful for this amazing gift.   For years we have talked about visiting Hawaii.  I've had dreams of hiking amidst lush greenery and doing lots of sunrise runs.  I'll be just happy to walk on volcanic soil and look my son's face as he discovers a new species or digs up a shell from the sand.  How blessed I feel to have this privilege. 

All for now :)