The Fruit of the Dead

My absolute favorite place on this Earth is Greece. Have you ever been? It's both breathtaking and beautiful. It's rich in culture and history. The people are the nicest and most vivacious people I've ever met. Oh! And meals are such a big deal! Every time we'd go out for a meal, at first we thought it was bad service, but we realized the two to three hours were to allow for you to enjoy your meal and your company. What a wonderful way to think of food!

Skopelos, Greece

My Paradise

I loved it when we would all get together for dinner! It was an enormous spread with fresh foods and herbs. Best of all, it always felt like a celebration, enjoying the food, the company, and the dancing!

Live music and great company!

Dancing ALWAYS followed dinner!

For years, I had dreamed of going to Greece and I finally went for a study abroad in 2005. However, this all started in 5th grade when we were assigned a Greek god/goddess to present in front of the class. So, in Miss Glass's class, 1995, I dressed up as the goddess Demeter, walked to the front of the class, and presented the sad story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone:

Demeter was the goddess of Harvest and brought flowering, fruits and vegetables to the earth. However, one day, Hades, king of the underworld, in love with Demeter's daughter, stole Persephone away. Demeter, heartbroken by her loss, wandered the earth searching for her daughter, refusing to allow the Earth to blossom and harvest. Zeus, king of the gods, realizing the devastation of a barren Earth, asked Demeter to return to her duties, but she refused until her daughter would be returned. Zeus convinced Hades to return Persephone to Demeter. He begrudgingly agreed but not until after he convinced Persephone to eat seeds from the pomegranate, the fruit of the dead. Because Persephone ate seeds from the fruit of the dead, half the year, she is to return to the underworld, during which Demeter wanders in grief, laying waste to the land (fall and winter), and when Persephone reunites with Demeter, the earth is blessed with harvest (spring and summer).

So, ten years after I fall in love with Greece I visit it, and now fifteen years after my presentation, I follow the footsteps of Persephone and finally try a pomegranate! And they're in season! Right at the start of fall.

Fruit of the Dead

Oh my gosh! Delicious! Good thing I'm not Persephone or I'd never leave and just eat the fruit all day. It's both sweet and tart.  Plus, pomegranates have been in the spotlight for the past few years as the new superfood. And why shouldn't they be? They're rich in phytochemicals, specifically flavenoids. Phytochemicals are a type of antioxidant. They help in the prevention and treatment of certain chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease, by blocking free radicals, which damage our tissues. Flavenoids found in pomegranates help lower our LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is the bad cholesterol that results in the clogging of arteries. The amount of flavenoids found in pomegranates is more than that of red wine or green tea! However, it should be mentioned that the juice of pomegranates, much like grapefruits, can interfere with certain medications.

You don't have to eat pomegranate seeds alone. You can add them as accents to salads and desserts. There's plenty of recipes using pomegranates as well. Last night I tried one of them out!

Musical selection for food preparation: Led Zeppelin's BBC Sessions

Dinner: Roast Pork with Pomegranate Sauce via allrecipes, with a side of green beans and chopped almonds and half an english muffin

I think you have to give Persephone some credit here for eating pomegranates!

Iron Chef

Last night I had an incredible dinner with my friend Sam. Check out her blog here.

I can always count on Sam to make delicous meals, and after trying her artichoke lasagna (SO good!), I coerced her into having me over for dinner! Okay, that's not really true. Sam loves to cook and I love to eat, so the solution to that equation was easy.

My conversation with Sam when we decided on dinner went as follows:
Sam: "What are you craving? It can be anything. I enjoy the challenge."
Me: "Hmm... Well, how about BEEF!"

Now, beef is a meat you don't want every day because there are adverse health effects associated with eating red meat daily. That's why when I do get to eat beef, I savor it. Everything in moderation.

Lean beef, though, does have some nutritional benefits if eaten in moderation. Now, I don't know whether it's because my previous job had such a big concerntration on anemia or not, but my favorite thing about beef (besides the taste) is it's a great source of iron. Iron is used in the body to help with many processes of metabolism. One of the ones I like to talk about, is that iron is used in the form of hemoglobin to carry oxygen from the lungs to all the organs of the body via red blood cells. In layman's terms, iron, among other things, helps provide us with oxygen. When we don't eat enough iron, and in turn become iron-deficient, we feel tired and lethargic because our organs don't have enough oxygen.

But wait, I thought you said to minimalize beef intake? No worries! Iron is found in many other foods, including chicken, pork, turkey, fish, shellfish, enriched grains and cereals, and even potatoes with skins. Oh! And add Vitamin C sources, such as fruits and vegetables, to your meals when eating foods with iron to help your body absorb the iron. When I started feeling tired and realized it was a result of low iron, my favorite dish to turn to was chili! It has both the meat and the veggies. Complete delicious package in a little bowl!

So I definitely got a good kick of oxygen last night after Sam's beef meal. Take a look (I need to practice on my food photography)! Decadent as always! Thanks Sam!

Remember, when it comes to beef, savor it but keep it lean and minimal!

From Purchase to Digestion

A good majority of my job is about changing perspective.

I'd say it is 30% providing nutrition knowledge, 70% changing perspective. Unlike medications and disease processes, everyone "knows" food. People know what tastes good and what doesn't. They've been exposed to food all their life. Most people don't feel like they need an expert to explain to them what are fruits and vegetables. Truth is, most of my clients know which foods they shouldn't be eating and which foods they should. Therefore, I find myself spending most of my counselling session working with them to want the good over the bad.

That is hard when everyone has their own preferences. Healthy eating, however, is a process. It's not just from plate to mouth; rather the process starts from purchase and finishes with complete digestion. The way you buy and choose foods, the way you store foods, the way you prepare foods, and the way you eat all play a role on your nutrition choices.

For the start of the weekend, I was able to do a few things to make healthy eating more appealing to myself. Being a single woman, I often find myself eating my dinner over the sink, and not savoring my food. This takes away from the overall enjoyment in eating. Something as simple as setting the table, lighting candles, and sitting down to eat will allow me to savor my dinners, eat at a slower pace, and help me recognize when I'm really satiated. Also, playing music and dancing in the kitchen while making a nutritous home cooked meal not only works in the movies but also in real life. Try it!

Friday night I joined a group of girlfriends to paint wine glasses, eat, drink, and be merry. Every time I join friends and food is involved, I discover a new recipe that I want to add to my recipe box (Kimmy's sautéed cheesy onion dip was incredible!). Many of us are set in our ways and have trouble changing eating habits because we've grown up with certain foods. Try doing potlucks and get togethers to expose yourself to different dishes.

And look at my painted glasses! I've already setup my dining table with the new wine glasses to truly enjoy my next dinner.

Go Gators!

This morning I stopped by a couple of green markets. The air has finally gotten cool and crisp in South Florida, making it a perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and get some Vitamin D. Green markets are a great place to go food shopping. The fruits and vegetables are often cheaper and fresher than going to a grocery store. The vendors are usually local, so not only do they sell the fruits and vegetables that are in season, but also, there is very little travel time, allowing for foods that are fresher, riper, and more flavorful! Often, the stands are visually more appealing than many grocery stores, making you more likely to pickup those fruits and vegetables.

I created myself a goal for this morning: Only spend $6 and try one new fruit or vegetable. I first stopped at the Oceanside Farmer's Market because it was close to me. It's a fairly small market but you really get a sense of community. Every vendor I walked by said hello and offered me a sample. I was able to try mango sherbet (so good!), guacamole, and a 12-year aged balsamic vinegar with no sugar added. That balsamic vinegar was out of my budget for today, but you can be sure I'm going to return to buy it!

Then I took the ocean road and headed north to downtown West Palm Beach for their GreenMarket. Oh my gosh! I'm making this a weekly trip! 

I'm not fully satisfied with the outcome of my budget but it was my first time. The lady in front of me had a whole bag full of food that she said cost her only $7! Next time I'll be more prepared and take my time to look at the prices and quality of each vendor. That being said, I couldn't help myself when I just grabbed for foods. There were so many choices and I wanted to try cooking new things. I've tried all the foods below but I've never cooked eggplant or a whole portobello mushroom, so I was really excited to take my loot home and try it this week!

So remember, make the process a part of your meals! Change the little things to help change the bigger perspective.

An Apple a Day

The first piece of nutrition advice I remember receiving, besides "Stop jumping around and sit down to eat your meal" from my late Lolo (which is Filipino for Grandad), was

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Now, I'm not sure an apple a day is enough medication to keep the doctor away, although there is so much an apple has to offer.

Working with kids, and really adults too, for the past couple of years, I've come to realize telling someone to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day was not going to cut it. They say kids are picky, but I've met more than my share of adults who are as well. If I had a penny for every time I heard "But he/she doesn't like fruits and/or vegetables", I'm pretty sure I'd be rich. So, I'd like to not only help expose the true power of foods but also show just how versatile foods really are. Just because I say "Eat your vegetables", does not mean you have to have a cup of plain steamed broccoli on your plate(although, steamed broccoli is delish). Each food item has so much to share, so I'll try to focus on one aspect rather than write a thesis on every nutrient.

Which brings me to our first topic: Apples!

Doctor repellent?

Besides Vitamin C (we'll revisit later), raw apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber. One small apple contains 12% of your daily dose of dietary fiber, more than in 1 slice of whole wheat bread. Dietary fiber cannot be digested or absorbed in the body and passes through intact. This allows for fiber to encourage regular bowel movements, which in turn maintains intestinal health. The fiber apples contain is called pectin which is a soluble fiber, meaning it dissolves in water. Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol and blood glucose. Pectin also contains a substance that decreases insulin needs, which can help in the management of diabetes. And that's just the fiber part of it! Go apples!

I do have to mention this really cool statistic I recently stumbled upon: Several studies have shown that the regular consumption of apples was found to reduce the risk of several types of cancer anywhere from 17 to over 50 percent!

Now, to the Yum-O part! The cooking! I love fuji apples just as they are, and being fall, apples are in season! Alright cheap apples! But there are so many ways to prepare apples other than just eating them raw. Apple pie (a la mode), apple muffins, apple tarts, apples and baked brie, apple butter (my fave)... oh, gosh, I'm getting so hungry! Good thing I bought some apples to make today's dish:



Mom's Cinnamon Apple Pancakes 


Whole wheat pancakes can taste sort of bland, so spice them up with some apples and cinnamon!

• Pancake mix and ingredients (I used Fiber One buttermilk mix - extra fiber!)
• Apples - about 1 apple for every 4 pancakes
• Cinnamon
• Sugar

First, dice the apples to small pieces. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the diced apples, and set aside. Create the batter for the pancakes according to the box. Grease the pan using spray and place the batter onto the pan. While one side of the batter is cooking, take about a tablespoon of the diced apples and spread it on top of the batter. Once one side of the pancake is done, flip it, but make sure there is enough grease on the pan before cooking the other side.

Voilà! Apple cinnamon pancakes! You can add whatever toppings you like to your pancakes. I like topping it off with extra diced apples and syrup, but Mom likes it with peanut butter and honey.

Mom's Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

I remember picking apples when visiting family up north. There's so many types of apples and they all have their own special tastes. Check out the Washington State Apple Commission website for more information on apples!

Finally, I love discovering new delectable recipes. Send me some of your apple recipes (or any recipe for that matter) if you have any and I'll make sure to post them!

Hello!

Welcome everyone! My name is Mariel and I am a registered dietitian. I have a passion for the field of nutrition. I believe food is medicine for both the soul and the body. Oh, and I LOVE food! I love to try new foods and dishes and am working to become a better cook.

There is so much included in the field of dietetics, including wellness, medical nutrition therapy, and food service. My passion is wellness, and prevention and resolution of chronic diseases, but I am going to start a new job as a clinical dietitian working mainly with cancer patients. I've previously worked outpatient care with mothers and children.

I want to share my knowledge of nutrition and new things I learn daily with all of you. I also encourage coupling smart lifestyle choices with healthy eating. I’ll admit I don’t always look forward to exercising and eating healthy foods, but they always do wonders for my health and my mood.

I hope you enjoy my blog! I’d love to hear from all of you!