New Year's Resolution: To treat my body better

This winter I resolved to change my habits for the better. Someone once said something about insanity and doing the same things over with the expectation of a different result. I'm over doing the same thing over; over and done. I'm ready to really change my habits, make them better and heathier, smarter. New year; new start ... here's hoping I can make it last.

Speaking of new starts, check out my new haircut. Now you see it now you don't! I decided to go extra short. I have wanted to for so long and finally did. It is one of the most liberating things I've done and I don't see myself 'going back' for a long time.

Before ...

After ...

One of the facets of my self-improvement is fitness. Since September (ish) I have been doing yoga at my house with a friend three evenings a week. It makes me feel better, more connected, more vibrant. I used to do yoga ALL the time. When I was living with my parents (over 6 years ago) and going to school in the mornings, I would come home and have lunch with my mom and then spend sometimes all afternoon and evening studying, reading, listening to music and practicing yoga in my room. My parents said I was 'cloistering' myself. I believed I was taking care of myself. I still do.

I think yoga has the power to restore my body; I have already seen it happening over the last few months. I feel stronger and more centered. I feel more at rest mentally; this is huge - no other pratice has had the ability to do this for me. I can't believe I allowed myself to drop the practice of yoga for so long knowing its healing power. It's a rush of energy, strength and peace throughout my body ... a connection with something great within myself. I can't imagine not doing yoga; I know life with yoga and life without it: life with yoga is a much better way to live.

So ... I continue my yoga practice 3 times a week. I supplement it with healthier eats and happier thoughts - I find the latter comes even more naturally with the incorporation of yoga into my routine. I eat more raw foods, fruits and vegetables and less animal products - no meat (sometimes a piece of tilapia), but still eggs from time to time and my Greek yogurt drizzled over almond granola. I try not to eat sugar and desserts (honey in my tea though). I make lots of tabbouleh and raw cabbage salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, steamed broccoli, curried chickpeas. Between meals I snack on apples, bananas, grapes, almonds or a glass of So Delicious Dairy Free. My goal is to go entirely vegan this year; I haven't gone 'cold turkey', but I'm making the shift.

Here are a couple of recipes for raw, vegan foods that I adore. They are nothing but pure goodness for your body and mind.

TABBOULEH:

I love tabbouleh! I could eat it every day and not tire of it.

You can find my full recipe here.


RAW CABBAGE SALAD:

I first made this salad (not exactly the same) a couple of years ago. I was actually making a 'regular' (lettuce) salad and thought it would be nice to add some raw cabbage for crunch (not to mention heart health). I loved it. This version is now all cabbage and no lettuce so I guess it's technically a slaw, but I don't drown it in a fatty mayo dressing; just some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

1/2 head cabbage, green or red, grated or chopped into small pieces
1 tomato, diced small
1/4 green bell pepper, diced small
1 carrot, grated
1/3 large cucumber, peeled and diced small
2 green onions, chopped (greens and whites)
1 T capers, drained and rinsed
2 eggs, hardboiled and coarse chopped (obviously if I was a pure vegan I wouldn't include this)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

drizzle of olive oil
juice of 1/2 a large lemon

Combine all the prepared vegetables and toss with the oil and lemon juice. Season with Kosher salt and fresh cracker pepper.




Leftovers for lunch today.


RawFoodRecipes.com is a great website I stumbled upon in my quest for health. It's a great resource for all things vegetarian, vegan and raw.

Let me know what you are doing this year to make your body and mind a better place to live. And please share your healthy recipes, too!!

Today Kevin gave me the idea for curry.

We love curry.

The first time we really experienced curry was several years ago - maybe 4 or 5? - when we were living in McKinney and going to school at night in Dallas. We had math class one night and were famished afterwards. We stopped at this little hole in the wall Indian place on Spring Valley at Abram Road which has since been replaced and then replaced again with each-time inferior establishments. We ordered some kind of curry and were sure to tell our kind waiter we wanted it mild. Apparently mild in India is blazing hot in America; as we ate, we couldn't stop sweating and crying and sniffling. But neither could we stop eating. No pain no gain. ;)

Unfortunately some people are so stuck on burgers and chicken and similar boring fare that things like curry are 'gross' or foreign - I don't "do" Indian or Thai or Japanese or whatever. These different foods are certainly not gross, people are just unwilling to try new things. Stop being stubborn! Branch out! Experience new things! Going with what you know or what's easy or safe is simply boring ...

Having said that, I think some people may have to develop a taste for it; the heat can be intense and the aroma is definitely pungent. But the flavor is delicious and complex and proves itself to be a great base for a variety of veggies or meats. Usually, we use chicken (boneless, skinless breasts); once, we used pork (thin-cut chops). Sometimes we throw in pineapple, fresh cherries, peas, green bell pepper. But we've never used salmon til tonight and it turned out wonderfully.


1/2 onion (white or yellow), diced
2-3 T curry paste  - I mixed green and red curry paste together.
1/3 head cauliflower, bite size
2 T fish sauce - Again, not exactly a nosegay but the flavor is great! Asian markets are good for items like this, as well as inexpensive coconut milk and a few items you have probably never seen before.
1 can coconut milk
2 c water
1/2 c frozen green peas
1 can diced or crushed pineapple - I had a can of diced on hand and ended up chopping it down a bit more.
2 salmon fillets (honestly though, use whatever protein you like best or have on hand)
2 T corn starch in 1/2 a cup of liquid (made after you've combined the above ingredients)
2 pinches (whatever those are!) salt

2 c rice (Jasmine is best)
a few lemon wedges for later

red and green curry pastes; a bottle of fish sauce

Soften the onion in butter and olive oil then add the curry pastes and break it up into the onions, letting it bubble and hiss a little. Don't breathe through your mouth - you'll probably start coughing if you do. ;) Splash in the fish sauce.

After a couple minutes, add the cauliflower and coat in the curry paste; then add the coconut milk and water. Let it heat through and simmer for a few minutes. Add in the peas and diced pineapple and simmer for a few more minutes.

Meanwhile, steam the salmon. Actually you could pan sear or bake - whatever. Just let it cook for a short time since fish doesn't need long; plus, the next step is to ...

Poach the salmon in the curry sauce for several minutes minutes, letting it bubble.

freshly poached and infused with coconut milk and curry

While this is happening, have a pot of rice going: 2 cups of rice, 4 cups of water; high heat til boiling, then down to medium til soft. Stir it from time to time since Jasmine seems to stick a little - or maybe I'm just no good at making rice!


Once the curry sauce has bubbled for a few minutes with the salmon, lift the fish out and set it aside. Prepare the corn starch, pour it into the sauce and stir - add more if you like it thicker. Remove from heat.

Yay! Time to eat! Top a bed of rice with a salmon fillet and a generous drizzle of the curry sauce (more like 2 ladles full!), then squeeze on a wedge of lemon juice. Don't forget a glass of Pinot Grigio! (always great with salmon and just sweet enough to cool the heat of the curry.)

sooo good