There Is Time!

I was recently interviewed on a local radio station. After my first interview with a Washington, DC station, I got over my nervousness and really enjoyed being on the air. Jewish radio hosts are energetic, humorous sorts who make it a lot of fun.

But after this interview, I was bothered.

To begin with, I found it a bit difficult to relate to the question:

"Can certain foods or eating habits help reduce parental stress while they're getting their children ready for the new school year?"

I certainly don't recall being stressed while getting my own kids ready for school. What I remember is feeling relieved at the prospect of a finally having a little peace and quiet!

But if you are stressed, there are things you can do and specific foods you can eat. So I suggested to my host that you sit down and eat rather than eat standing up or on-the-run. That's always a good way to relax.

"There's no time to sit down and eat," was the response.

Then I suggested eating foods like whole grains - healthy complex-carbohydrates that can help you feel calmer.

"But we don't have time to cook," I was told.

No time to sit and eat? No time to cook?

When my children were young, our lives were very full. Day school, sports, careers, friends and much more. But we valued family time and meals together. Breakfast at the kitchen table was a given. Somehow I found time to cook dinner, even if it was just the basics. How long does it really take to boil pasta and make a simple sauce? Pancakes were our "worst case scenario" fall-back dinner. The boys loved it.

I don't think we were unusual. We just had priorities. Family time, good food and relaxation were high on our list. So we made the time.

There's no magic bullet for reducing stress. No quick nutritional fix. There are foods you can eat and ways to eat them, but you'll have to make the effort and find the time.

If it's really a priority, you can make it happen.

Orthorexia Nervosa

Too much of a good thing isn't necessarily better. That's true even when it comes to eating well.

Can you really go overboard with healthy eating? Absolutely.

In an effort to eat an especially healthy diet, some people overdo it. They may even make themselves sick.

Sometimes it starts with a strict vegetarian or vegan (no animal products) diet. No problem, if done with the proper guidance. It may start with eating only organic or raw foods.

Problems begin when eating healthy food becomes an obsession. When whole food groups are eliminated and "healthy" eating takes control of your life. When eating well turns from enjoyment to fixation.

At that point it may become a serious condition called orthorexia nervosa.

Unlike anorexia and bulimia – eating disorders motivated by the desire to lose weight, orthorexia stems from a desire to feel healthy, pure and natural.

Food restrictions and strict rules about eating may sound innocuous. But when restrictions become excessive and rules turn rigid, it's a sign of trouble. Anxiety over food and social isolation may be the first signs. Weight loss and malnutrition may follow.

Who tends to develop this condition?

Usually, it's well-educated, older and more affluent people who can afford alternative "specialty" foods. People who may already be on a diet. Artists and musicians are especially vulnerable to orthorexia.

What can be done?

If you or someone you know are concerned about excessively rigid eating habits that are affecting your health, you should get help from a professional who's trained in eating disorders.

It's important to recognize the difference between eating well and feeling that you have to control every bite that goes into your mouth. It's often a fine line. Your intentions may be good. But good intentions can be harmful if they become obsessive.

Children and the "Clean Plate Club"

If your children are taught to clean their plates at home – to eat everything they're served, they're less likely to choose food wisely when they're away from home.

That's the finding of a study of preschoolers who were allowed to eat as much sweetened cereal as they wanted. Those from "clean-your-plate" homes ate 35% more than children who set their own food limits. Self-control starts at home, and it starts early.

As parents, it's our job to help children develop that self-control. That includes not just what they eat, but how much they eat. One way to do that is to gently encourage, but not force our children to make good choices.

Here's what I did when my sons were young:

I tried to make food fun and attractive – broccoli "trees", cottage cheese and fruit "people" and "ants on a log" (peanut butter and raisins in a celery stick), for example.

I encouraged them to taste a little bit of everything that I served. If they wanted more, they could have it. They were never forced to eat something they didn't like. As the boys got older (and fussier), they knew they could always make themselves a sandwich.

I used age-appropriate dishes and utensils. Small dishes are best for small, child-sized portions.

I never ate my children's leftovers. While we were careful not to waste food, I wanted to be clear that there was no harm (or guilt) in leaving food on their plate. They also learned that parents didn't always finish everything on their own plates.

Did it work? They're all fairly slim adults now. One son doesn't eat mushrooms. Another won't touch tofu. The third prefers grapefruit to chocolate. (Where did I go wrong there?)

They still tease me about having had to endure the "hardships" of growing up with a dietitian for a mom. But they have a good sense of what to eat. And none of them are members of the "clean plate club".

Are you a member of the "Clean Plate Club"?

As a child, my parents insisted that I finish all the food on my plate. That's because children in China were starving. I didn't think to ask how the food I didn't eat was supposed to get to the Chinese. Nor did I understand then that it was really Jewish hunger in my parent's lifetime that was behind their directive.

What my parents didn't realize was that it's normal for us to clean our plates.

Human beings are natural eaters. We're born that way. It's the strategy that worked for survival – eat all you can, as fast as you can, because who knows when you'll eat again.

It worked well for our ancestors. But these days it hasn't served us well at all. Our response to a continuous supply of abundant food is to keep eating more and more of it. Regardless of the amount of food on our plates, it's our nature to finish it all.

What can you do to counter the "clean plate club" instinct?

Start with portion control – the amount of food that you eat.

A serving is not necessarily the amount you decide to put on your plate. It's a specific amount of food defined by measurements like grams, ounces or cups.

Normal serving sizes are smaller than you think. For example, one portion of bread is the size of a cassette tape. Now think about the last bagel you ate. Most likely it was three or four times that size! (Click here for a guide to portion sizes http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide)

Fill your plate in the kitchen and bring it to the table. Store whatever's left before there's a chance to eat it. When leftovers are out of sight, they're out of mind.

Most of us underestimate the amount of food we eat by 20%. So when you're filling your plate, dish out 20% less than what you want. There's only one exception: when it comes to low-calorie salad and vegetables (not potatoes!), serve yourself 20% more.

Use smaller serving dishes. The smaller your plate, the less you'll eat.

Next: Children and the "Clean Plate Club"

Grains Made Easy - Without a Mix

A "10-Minute" pre-cooked grain mix (see my previous blog) is nice to have around when you're really in a hurry. But it's very easy (and a lot less expensive) to cook most grains at home with a minimum of fuss. All you need is a saucepan, water and the grain of your choice.

Put the grain in the saucepan. Add water to cover by at least an inch (2.5 cm). If excess sodium isn't a concern, add a pinch of salt. Now bring it all to a boil and cook until the grain is done to your liking.

That's it!

It works for long grain rice (brown, red, wild and white), quinoa, barley, wheat berries, faro, spelt, whole oats, couscous, cracked wheat and kasha.

I suggest that you rinse grains in a strainer before cooking them and drain them well when they're done. Some grains cook faster than others, so you'll need to taste occasionally to know when they're ready. Couscous, for instance, might take 5-7 minutes, while wheat berries may take an hour or so. If the water starts to evaporate before the grain is cooked, add more boiling water to cover.

Toss the finished grain with olive oil, herbs and vegetables for a great salad or side dish. (Sautéed onions and mushrooms make a great addition to most any grain.) If you don't plan to use the grain right away, mix it with a little olive oil and store it in the refrigerator.

Looking to save even more time? Cook up a double or triple batch of grain. Use what you want now and store the rest for later. Grains can be refrigerated for several days and frozen for a few months.

Grains and Beans Made Easy

I’m a big fan of whole grains and beans. They're full of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and protein. They're a great source of fiber – a nutrient that most of us don't get nearly enough of. They're low-fat, salt-free, vegetarian and parve. They're versatile and they're delicious.

But most people stay away from them. They take too long to cook. They need to be pre-soaked. How many of us have time for that?

Thanks to the Israeli company Sugat, it's now easier than ever to eat grains and beans. Their "10-minute Collection" includes six mixes that take just 10 minutes to cook. They include grains like barley, spelt, rice, kasha and kamut as well as red, yellow and brown lentils and split peas.

How can whole grains and legumes cook in just 10 minutes? Sugat has done a little pre-cooking for us. All you do is bring some water to a boil. Add the mix and cook for 10 minutes. (I tried the Five-Grain Blend and found that it cooked to my liking in just 7 minutes.) Drain the grains and serve.

The possibilities are endless: Patties, pies, salads, soup, side dish or main course. I added vegetables an egg and cheese and used it to stuff red peppers. The next day I heated the leftovers with milk and cinnamon and enjoyed it as a breakfast cereal. The (English) website has lots of yummy sounding recipes for inspiration.

Look for these mixes in (Israeli) grocery stores near the packaged rice, grains and beans.

Soup and Cornbread in the Sukkah

Soup and quick breads - breads made with baking powder or baking soda rather than yeast, are a great lunch or dinner choice during Sukkot. You can prepare soup ahead of time and make the bread just before dinner. The beauty of quick breads is that they really are quick - you can mix them together in less than five minutes!

Here's a quick cornbread recipe. Try it with Red Lentil Soup for a delicious warm meal in your Sukkah. Chag Sameach!

Buttermilk Cornbread (Dairy)

¾ cup cornmeal

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a 9 “(23 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt.

Using the same whisk beat the eggs slightly and then mix with the oil and buttermilk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just to combine.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6-8 servings

Food Labels: Hype or Help?

My son just brought home a bottle of apple juice.

"100% Apple Juice From Concentrate" it said on the label. That sounds good to me. We're not big juice drinkers, but he's young and eats a well-balanced diet. Some fruit juice once in awhile won't hurt him.

Label reader that I am, I examined the attractive logo on the bottle. (You can't read the print, but you can see the design in this photograph.) It's green, yellow and orange – like a flower or the shining sun. Maybe the juice is natural, organic or enriched with vitamins?

The not-so-fine print on the logo says:

Source of Energy - מקור לאנרגיה

What's that supposed to mean?

Energy means calories when it comes to food. Unless it's water or a diet drink, it's going to have calories. And those calories are a source of energy. The nutrition label states clearly that one cup of this apple juice has 96 calories. Of course it has energy.

So the eye-catching logo is telling us the obvious – that apple juice is a source of energy. Big deal!

Much of food marketing is just like this – catchy (or not so catchy) phrases that don't mean much of anything. So it's up to you to bypass the hype and go straight to the helpful information – the nutrition label. From there, compare prices and choose the best deal.

Yom Kippur - Before and After the Fast

Adapted from my book, Food for the Soul – Traditional Jewish Wisdom for Healthy Eating


Judaism has always acknowledged the relationship between the physical and spiritual elements of life, and most of our holidays embrace both, through celebration and prayer.

On Yom Kippur we strive to elevate the spiritual while setting aside the physical. Fasting allows us to disregard, but not totally neglect, our physical needs in order to better concentrate on our spiritual ones.

To ensure an easy and safe fast, drink plenty of water a few days in advance, so that you will be completely hydrated. If you usually drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, start tapering off a week or so before the fast, to minimize withdrawal headaches.

On the day before the fast, avoid eating heavily salted and fried foods. Try to eat foods containing complex carbohydrates and continue drinking lots of water.

Erev Yom Kippur dinner should begin early enough to allow for a relaxed meal before leaving for the synagogue. You might want to eat a mid-morning brunch that day or a hearty breakfast followed by a very light lunch or mid-day snack; that way you can start dinner early enough to avoid rushing.

Include complex carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein and a small amount of fat in the pre-fast meal. Use salt sparingly, to avoid thirst later on. Stay away from overly sweet and spicy foods, carbonated beverages and alcohol. Eating a moderately sized meal may actually make fasting easier than trying to eat enough at dinner “to cover” for the next day.

Here’s a menu idea: Green salad dressed with olive oil, vegetable soup, baked chicken or turkey breast, brown rice pilaf and poached fruit.

We like to break the fast with a light dairy meal. Tuna, salmon and vegetable salads can all be prepared the day before the fast. Sometimes I bake a dairy casserole, kugel or quiche and re-heat it in the microwave when we return home.

It’s best to avoid a large heavy meal. And be sure to drink plenty of water to rehydrate after the fast.

G’mar chatimah tovah and best wishes for an easy fast.

Olive Oil Cake

This light-textured sponge cake is not too rich, yet full of flavor. Serve it with fresh or cooked fruit. On Rosh Hashanah I served it with oven-poached figs and a small scoop of home-made honey ice cream.

It would be perfect for breaking the fast after Yom Kippur.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar, divided

4 eggs, separated

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh orange or tangerine juice or half juice and half citrus liqueur

Grated zest of one lemon, orange or tangerine, preferably organic

Method:

Line the bottom of a 10" (25 cm) spring form pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C)

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add in ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks are formed. Transfer the whites to a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same bowl of the electric mixer (no need to wash the bowl), beat the remaining ¾ cup of sugar with the egg yolks on high speed until they're thick and pale. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add in the olive oil, juice and zest. Stop the mixer, add the dry ingredients and mix together gently. The batter will be thick.

Gently and gradually fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, until they're thoroughly incorporated. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake on a rack for 15 minutes and then remove the sides of the pan to cool completely.

Serves 12