My Pesto is the Besto

I had planned to make myself a sandwich for dinner and call it a night.  But as I was cleaning out my inbox and clicking through The Daily Green  emails, I came across some recipes for spring veggies.  I found an asparagus dish that sounded delightful, and since I had all the ingredients, I decided it would be a nice change of pace.

The Asparagus and Spinach Pesto recipe had directions to make your own pesto with a food processor.  I could have done that, but I also happened to have a jar of already made pesto lying around.  Pesto usually has parmesan cheese in it, but sometimes you can find one without it at Whole Foods or Swanson Health Products or another natural foods store.  The Trader Joe's pesto-- although fantastic-- has dairy in it.

This simple recipe calls for whole wheat spaghetti (or whatever pasta you feel like using), pesto (homemade or store bought), spinach, asparagus, olive oil and garlic.   While the pasta is boiling, I sauteed the asparagus with garlic and olive oil.  I threw on the spinach towards the end because that wilts pretty quickly.  Drained the pasta, tossed with pesto and topped with asparagus and spinach.  Viola!  Typically, when I cook for just myself I make too much food and end up eating it anyway.  This time, I made just the right amount... but I was craving more immediately after I cleared my plate!

Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold

Sometimes you can do everything right, but bad things happen anyway.  You can avoid smoking your entire life, but get lung cancer from secondhand smoke.  You can work so hard at the job you love, but become disposable overnight.  You can love someone as much as you possibly can, but might ultimately be left heartbroken.  And on a much more common note, you can protect your body and build up your immune system, but you will get sick.

I consider myself a healthy person.  I don't use drugs or tobacco, I drink on the weekends-- and even that isn't an excess of alcohol-- I am not obese or being considered overweight by doctor's standards or society's, and I eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables every day.  I'm not perfect by any means-- I do stray every now and then with a bag of barbeque kettle chips, or maybe a few mini peanut butter cups, and I frequently "forget" to go the gym-- but I don't abuse my body.   So it was a little bit of a surprise when the flu decided to inhabit my healthy body and set up shop there for a week.   But of course, I am not invincible.  And the flu doesn't discriminate.

I haven't lived at home in ten years.  Granted, where I live is my "home," but it's not where I grew up.  There is nothing like being sick and having your mother nurture you back to health.  (Sorry Dad!)  When you're young, you think of sick as missed school days, watching movies, and having someone bring you soup.  But when you're older, you're worried about missing work, you are bored with everything on TV, and most likely you have to heat that soup or pour that juice for yourself.  Not to mention, you are responsible for cleaning up after yourself-- disinfecting your apartment, washing the dishes, and making sure your sheets are germ-free for when you're feeling better.  Oh yeah, and also you're the one stuck paying for doctor's visits and medicines out of your own pocket.  When you're an adult, being sick sucks.

I am now on the road to recovery after  being sick for the past few days, and being cooped up in my dirty apartment.  And it's a road paved with Lysol.  Until today, there wasn't a single amount of counter space that wasn't covered with dirty dishes caked in half-eaten soup, bottles of Naked juice with straws tucked inside them, mugs stained with leftover green tea, and little orange medicine bottles that made my kitchen look like a pharmacy.  And that was just one small part of my apartment.  I had piles of dirty laundry and sheets and towels in my living room, and trash collecting in one corner of my bathroom-- in my defense, I had been afraid of getting sick while I was in bed, so I had hastily thrown everything out of the small trash bin so I could keep it bedside just in case.  Today, I tackled the apartment, even though all I wanted to do is sleep.  But it is the first day I've felt better in a week.

It started last week with fever, chills, body aches, headaches, nausea, and swollen glands.  It got a hell of a lot worse after the doctor gave me something that caused a major allergic reaction.  I immediately stopped using that, but am left with a leopard-skin looking, itchy rash.  (I typically try to avoid pharmaceuticals if I can-- that's a whole different story-- but in some severe cases, I get desperate and will try anything.)

When I get sick, I do the same thing: pump myself with vitamin C and echinacea.  My favorite cure-all is Bolthouse Farms C-Boost, but for variety I'll drink Naked Juice. I also consume a lot of green tea and veggie soups. I'm one of those people who seems to always have an appetite, and even when I'm not feeling hungry during sickness, I know I must eat something to get better.

If I can impart any bit of advice through all of this: it's to not take your health for granted, not even for a second.  Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure the saying "starve a fever, feed a cold" is bogus.

C'est La Vie

In a world with more than 6.7 billion people, its inevitable that there will be one who you do not like.  There's always going to be someone you seem to butt heads with.  There will always be at least one person who makes your life a little harder.  There will always be that one person who brings negativity to the table.

In the grand scheme of things, those people don't freaking matter.  When you look at the big picture, one negative person is so insignificant to all the positive people in your life.  Your well-being is more than just eating the right foods and avoiding chemicals in your diet and body products.  It's also about a healthy mindset.  Negative energy can cause stress.  Other people can cause stress.  And stress can cause a variety of health problems-- minor and serious, short-term and long-term.

The problem is that there are stressors around us everywhere-- most of which we can't control.   For those things we can control, we can only do the best we can.   For the ones we can't, we have to try to take a step back and breathe.  I remember how much Los Angeles traffic used to overwhelm me.  I would be stuck in horrible traffic, and a six-mile trip would take at least 45 minutes!  Nothing seemed to bother me more than sitting there in my car, anxious to get where I needed to be, worried that I was going to be late somewhere.  Then at one point, I finally realized that I was expending too much energy on being upset.  My father always says you can't worry about something you can't change.  And boy, is he right.  In this case, I couldn't make the cars move any faster.  I couldn't do anything about the situation.  If I was late, I was late.  It's not the end of the world.  So why was I so stressed out over it?  From then on I took that opportunity to connect with friends and family on the phone, or reflect on the day while listening to my favorite music.  It wasn't a solution to the problem-- the traffic was still there-- but it was the best way I knew how to handle it.

A bigger problem-- like the lack of a job or money, or a bad relationship, or illness-- isn't always as easy.  Some people like to dig their own graves.  As the problem escalates, they become more and more stressed.  I am guilty of this too, until I hit the breaking point.  It's never to late to change things.  If your job search isn't going well, try a different approach.  If you're in an unhealthy relationship, end it and move on.  If you're having health problems, figure out the best ways to look on the bright side, even when you're convinced there might not be.  Take care of your body, and be positive that you can overcome your illness.

As far as other people, singer/songwriter Bettie Serveert says it the best:  hell is other people.  People create conflict, wars, competition, and even diseases.  Sometimes we bring it upon ourselves.  Other times there's someone else inflicting that pain.  These people exist everywhere.  They're our friends, coworkers, classmates, family and even strangers.  My thoughts are this:  Don't waste one bit of your energy on people who just aren't worth it.  Be kind and polite, as hard as it might be.  No more, no less.  And don't wish anyone ill will; they'll probably bring it upon themselves anyway.

When it comes to the little annoyances of every day, you have to remember to put things in perspective  Are you healthy?  Are you happy?  Do you have a support system?  Do you have love?  Focus on what you do have, instead of what you don't.   And if you can change something, do it.  I'm a firm believer in change.  Change your job, your location, or your outlook.  Make yourself happy, because realistically, no one else will.

Veg on the Go

It used to be when I was in hurry or didn't have time to cook, I would rely on Lean Cuisines.  Then I was informed that although they appear to be healthy, there are, in fact, some questionable ingredients.  Still to this day, I'm not entirely sure what they are or why they're bad-- except that they have high levels of sodium-- but I avoid them anyway.  Regardless of whether they're bad or good for the average person, the majority of dishes contain animal products.  I might even venture to guess that all of them do in some way, but I can't say that for sure.

So when I went veg, I started to replace Lean Cuisines and Healthy Choice with natural and organic frozen foods by Amy's.  They have dozens of frozen meals including burritos, pocket sandwiches, pasta, pizza, snacks and other entrees.  All of them are vegetarian, and some are vegan.  I am obsessed with Amy's frozen foods for a quick meal!!  I can't stress enough how delicious everything tastes, too.  They manage keep the calories and fat counts down without losing the flavor.

My favorites are the tofu teriyaki bowl, bean and rice burrito, breakfast burrito, Indian samosa wrap, and black bean enchiladas.  Fortunately these items are popping up in places other than Whole Foods. The only downside is that they are expensive.  The cheapest items are the burritos, which will run you about $3.   The bowls and entrees are around $5.  But you pay for what you get-- taste, quality and health.  For me, that outweighs the cost.  And if you think about it, it's cheaper than going out to eat or hitting up a fast food place.

What's the Alternative?

My newest project is taking all the recipes I've collected from my Vegetarian Times and Whole Living magazines, and various clippings sent from my mother, and putting them in some sort of coherent cookbook.  Even though it's only for my personal use, I haven't quite figured out the best way to organize everything.   I figured the easiest way to sort recipes is by category: appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, desserts-- rather than by vegetable or by ethnicity.  So I was sifting through the recipes and separating them into their appropriate category, when I came across a handful of dessert recipes that use eggs.  I considered throwing them away, but then thought there has to be some way I can change the recipe and use an alternative to eggs.

Instead of scrambled eggs, you can use some spices and crumbled tofu.  But I wasn't sure whether tofu would work when it came to baking.  In various food blogs, I found out that a teaspoon of soy flour and a tablespoon of water works as a substitute, or you can buy EnerG Egg Replace or Orgran No Egg, which contain potato starch and tapioca.  Others say 1/4 cup of mashed banana works too.

There are vegan alternatives for other common foods that might help new vegans:

Milk: Can use soy, rice, or hemp milk in recipes, over cereal, or to drink plain.
Butter: Use a dairy-free, 100% natural, non-hydrogenated oil-based margarine like Earth Balance.  Good in mashed potatoes, any recipe that calls for butter, or melted over popcorn.
Mayonnaise: Try Follow Your Heart Vegenaise.  It's an acquired taste, but it works on sandwiches or in dips.
Cream Cheese: Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese.  They also have a sour cream.
Ice Cream: Any soy or rice-based frozen dessert will usually do the trick.  Tofutti Chocolate Cookie Crunch is so good and it has half the calories of regular ice cream.  Even if you do eat dairy, you'll still enjoy this.  Also, I'm a sucker for Tofutti Cuties, which are vegan ice cream sandwiches.  Yum!

There are also alternatives to whipped cream, cheeses and yogurt-- as long as you find ones without casein, which is a milk protein.  Silk Live Soy Yogurt actually has milk in it.  I'm pretty sure So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt doesn't.

Some people like soy or tofu-based burgers masquerading as a meat patty, like Boca or Morningstar.  They also have bacon, sausage, and other "meats."  I prefer veggie patties that aren't posing as the meat kind, but are simply mashed up vegetables.  I like Gardenburger Veggie Medley or Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers.  The latter are harder to find, unless you live near a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

A lot of breakfast foods have eggs.  Try Nature's Path Flax Plus Frozen Waffles.  They are completely animal-free.  If you're feeling ambitious, spread on some organic peanut butter.  Nature's Path makes wonderful cereals and also toaster pastries, which are the healthy version of a pop-tart.  Some of those may contain dairy, though.  If you're in the mood for something like a danish or a crepe, try Tofutti Mintz's Blintzes.  Top with organic raspberry jam and it could be a breakfast or a quick dessert.

Most marinara sauces are devoid of dairy, but some do have hidden high fructose corn syrup.  I love Newman's Own Bombolina Sauce the best.  Newman's Own products are made with quality ingredients and without bad chemicals.  They can be found on most store shelves.  I'm also a fan of their salad dressings, sauces and salsas.  And when summer rolls around, I'm also a sucker for their lemonade.  It reminds me of being a kid and drinking lemonade out of a plastic yellow lemon at Busch Gardens.   I have yet to try their wine.

Flying the Friendly (Healthy) Skies

I love airports because it usually means you're going somewhere.  It's either that or you're picking someone up, which is usually a good thing-- unless it's at a large airport like LAX and you have to waste an hour in traffic to get there.  That's typically not a good a thing unless you have a lot of patience.  I don't.

Everyone is going somewhere, to see someone, to do something.  You could be going home to see your family.  You could be meeting a loved one halfway.  You could be traveling across the world to someplace exotic and foreign.  Or you could be going somewhere familiar, and comforting.  Even under the worst circumstances, there's a light at the end of the runway.

Some people don't like traveling.  I don't know those people.  I like to take weekend trips and at least one fun vacation a year.  I've lived in my current location for a year, and so far I've left the state ten times.  A couple of trips were to neighboring states, while others were halfway across the country.  And I'm planning some big trips in the next few months.  If it were up to me (and a disposable income), I would spend a lifetime traveling and exploring the world.  That's not to say I don't want to settle somewhere.  I've done the backpacking around Europe thing, and after two months I missed home.  There is nothing like home base.  But every now and then, it's refreshing to leave.

When you're traveling, you will undoubtedly face obstacles: delays, missed connections, middle seats, lost luggage, boredom.  And if you have food allergies or special eating habits, finding the right food might be just another one to add to the list.  But it doesn't always have to be.

Most airlines are accommodating.  On long trips, you can request a special meal.  It used to be just vegetarian and meat, but now you can even request gluten free and vegan.  Shorter flights also offer more choices than soda and chips.  On United Airlines, you can get an organic snack box with crackers, fruit snacks, granola and apple chips.  Virgin Atlantic offers a veggies and dip tray with an impressive variety of vegetables, white bean avocado dip and gluten-free crackers, and an gourmet veggie wrap.  Delta has pita chips and hummus, and assorted fruit and cheese plates for purchase.

Over the years airports have gotten healthier too.  Sure, there's still McDonald's--which I won't touch based on principle, even if it's a salad or bottled water-- but now there are ethnic restaurants, lounges, wine bars, organic cafes and markets.  Minneapolis-St. Paul has French Meadow Bakery Cafe, an organic bakery with all-natural ingredients.  I love their veggie burger sans Swiss, and sub chive aioli for barbeque.  They also have a fantastic bbq tempeh wrap, which I have finally mastered in my own kitchen!  Chicago has Cibo Gourmet Market, which has tons of pre-made sandwiches, salads, noodle dishes and snacks.  There isn't only one option for vegetarians and vegans either-- they have tons of things to choose from.  I recommend the jerk tofu wrap.  It was incredibly spicy, but so delicious!!  Cibo Express is also found at Dulles, JFK, Reagan,  Laguardia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Logan, and Tucson airports. 

The bigger the city, the bigger the airport, the more options you're likely to have.  If you're stuck at a small airport with four gates, you may be out of luck.  In that case, you'll have to scour the gift shop for a nutrition bar and bottle of water.

This great website, Travel To Wellness, has more detailed information on healthy restaurants by airport.

Blackberries Singing in the Dead of Night

Berries are delicious.  They're also low in calories, carbs and fat.  And they provide a lot health benefits.  I've always loved raspberries and blueberries, but lately I've gotten into blackberries.  Research has shown that some of the highest levels of antioxidants are found in blackberries.  They also contain ellagic acid-- which protects skin-- and polyphenols and anthocyanins that help to fight cancer and heart disease. On top of that they're jam-packed with vitamins, mineral and fiber.  Oh yeah, and they taste good too!

Some random facts of the medicinal purposes of blackberries: they were used to cure dysentery during the Civil War; were believed to cure diseases of the mouth and throat in Ancient Greece; and also once used as a solution to dye hair back in the day.

Blackberry season usually peaks around June or July.  That's when they're cheapest in grocery stores.  Otherwise, you'll pay four bucks for a tiny little container.

How to Be Vegan in a Meat-Eating World

When it comes to being vegan or vegetarian, you're bound to be in some social situation where there isn't food to accommodate you.  Sometimes you luck out.  Other times you have to compromise.  And in the worst case scenario, you're screwed.

If you're at a cocktail party, the fruit and veggie tray will be your saving grace.  Also go for chips and salsa.  Tortilla chips and salsa don't usually have high fructose corn syrup in them either.  Obviously steer clear of dips or anything white because they're probably loaded with milk or cheese.

If you're at a wedding, request the vegetarian meal.  It will likely have cheese or dairy.  There's not much you can do about that but suck it up and eat it, or not get a meal at all.  I've realized that it's hard to be 100% vegan, and you frequently have to compromise.  Just remember that it's only one meal.

If it's potluck, bring something that you'll eat and everyone else will too.  You don't want to be that person who brings the weird vegan dish that only you will eat.  Some good ideas are vegetable-based dishes, salads, hummus and pita bread, or a fruit dessert.

If it's a work function, chances are that you won't have many options.  Your office will likely offer a veggie sandwich during the lunchtime meeting.  But it will probably already have cheese and mayonnaise on it.  Or it might be tuna fish-- which isn't vegetarian, but sometimes carnivores think it's the equivalent.  Since it's just lunch and the meeting will probably be an hour tops, my advice is to eat before or after the meeting.  Also, if your coworker brings in something to share for everyone, just avoid it altogether.  Unless it's your vegan coworker.

If you're at a restaurant with limited options, ask extremely politely if they can accommodate you.  My favorite local restaurant has a vegetarian sandwich made with veggies sauteed in butter, and a pesto aioli (translation: pesto mayonnaise).  Instead, they will make it for me with olive oil, and leave off the pesto aioli altogether.  I'm such a regular at the restaurant that I don't even have to ask anymore, they just know!  Remember though, it's harder to find menu options to fit your lifestyle if you're eating in a smaller town.

If you're traveling, this gets a little trickier.  It's not impossible, but it can be challenging.  Carry nutrition bars and nuts with you, and eat lots of fruit.  That's pretty easy to find anywhere.  Remember that you're traveling for the experience, so sometimes it's better to have that and bend a little when it comes to food. Don't get me wrong-- I'm not saying to eat the roast lamb while you're in Greece, or indulge on beef in Argentina-- I'm just saying don't miss out on the culture because of food neuroses.  Also remember that while other parts of the world do consume meat as well, America is one of the places very heavily dependent on animal products.  So if you're overseas, especially in Asian countries, you shouldn't have too many problems finding veg dishes.

Above all, remember that these are your food choices and this is your lifestyle.  Not everyone or everywhere will be accommodating.  Just remember to smile and be polite.  It goes a long way.

Fighting Winter Skin

I've always had pretty good skin.  Except for the occasional breakout here and there, it's remained pretty clear and hydrated.  I credit the foods I eat, and the way I take care of it with SPF.  But my job and the winter weather have wreaked havoc on my face.  It's become dry, chapped and irritated.

I have to wear a lot of makeup for work.  So my pores are getting clogged, and the products are bothering my skin.  I typically wear MAC tinted SPF moisturizer, which is good for the camera, but doesn't seem to replenish my skin enough.  When I get home from work, I want to wash off all the gunk I've piled on in the past eight hours, without over-drying or scrubbing my face too much.  And then I want to apply a nourishing face cream.

I've used Philosophy Purity face wash for years and I loved how delicate it was.  But I was afraid that with all the makeup I was now wearing, it wasn't cleaning my face enough.  So when I ran out of it, I went to Target and bought something that would be a little stronger.  Big mistake.  I tried Neutrogena Rapid Clear Scrub and it was way too harsh.  It definitely prevented breakouts, but instead caused my face to be red, blotchy and bumpy.  I threw it out immediately.  I also tried Aveeno Positively Radiant foam cleanser, but that one was just awful.  It smelled too perfumey and unnatural, and seemed to bother my face as well.

Ultimately, I went back to Philosophy.  My mother came to visit and brought a little bottle of it, which I started using again, and I realized that I never should have strayed.  It doesn't irritate my skin, and that's really my main concern right now.  She's sending me another big bottle in the mail!

My next problem was finding a great moisturizer.  I used to use Philosophy Hope in a Jar, but I didn't really like the smell, so I stopped using it.  I also used Philosophy's tinted moisturizer, which was great, but I stopped using that one once I started working and needed better coverage for an on-camera job.  I am a big fan of Korres products because of their quality ingredients, but much like Philsophy, you can only order them online if you live hours from a Sephora.  So sometimes, I have to resort to Target or CVS if i need something immediately.  Well, my face was becoming really dry and I figured I could buy a bottle of cheap moisturizer to tide me over until I ordered one I really wanted.  I bought Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer and I hated it.  I don't like the way it makes my skin feel and it smells awful.  It didn't in the beginning, but a week later, it smells like something is starting to rot.  Terrible.  'm really disappointed in both Neutrogena and Aveeno products, lately.

In retrospect, I'm an idiot for not sticking with what I know.  I've used and trusted Philsophy and Korres for years, yet I thought that buying something cheaper and quicker was the better way to go for whatever reason.  I've always read articles that expensive face creams are equivalent to cheaper brands, but now I'm not so sure.  Maybe I just had some bad luck or picked the wrong things, but I'm definitely thinking that it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your skin.

I also believe that natural, organic products belong just as much on your skin as they do in your body.  My mother told me about a great article she read on the eco-friendly skincare line Boots Botanics Organics.  The products are made with certified organic ingredients in 100% recyclable packaging, and have received rave reviews.  They've been compared to Kiehl's and Origins.

I decided to try the Organic Face Hydrating Day Cream made from almond oil, which is said to nourish skin and leave it feeling silky, supple and smooth.   I like the packaging and the smell of it-- which is always half the battle-- and I'm digging the way it feels on my skin already!  It's thinner than I expected, but it still feels like it's doing its job.  It's also very reasonably priced for an organic product.  And of course, I like the fact that I know what I'm putting on my face.  I know that the ingredients are natural and that I'm not applying harmful chemicals on my skin.  I'll have to see how it plays out over the next few weeks.

While we're on the topic of skin, I have to say that I swear by Aquaphor Healing Ointment for chapped lips and hands, and I love dousing my body in True Blue Spa Lay It On Thick Shea Butter at night, and True Blue Spa Skin-Quenching Daily Body Lotion Grin & Bear It during the day.

Going Green

I used to drink a lot of coffee.  I loved going to Starbucks and getting a frappucino or a caramel latte or a cafe mocha-- I loved it all.  I even drank strong, plain, black coffee.  But every time I drank one of those things, my stomach hurt.  Like, really hurt.  I ignored it because I really liked coffee and I liked the caffeine buzz that kept me up studying for finals, or getting through a day after not enough sleep the night before.  I liked the energy it gave me.

Well, it turns out that plain coffee isn't that bad for you.  (I can't really say the same for the other high-sweetened sugary drinks, though.)  But it was bad for me.  The stomach pains and headaches were symptoms that maybe I shouldn't be drinking them.  It's kind of like how lactose intolerants take Lactaid so they can eat dairy-- just don't eat dairy!  It's your body's way of telling you not to!  So I gave up those drinks and went cold turkey on coffee.

But I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get through my days without the caffeine. (Little did I know then that a plant-based diet and things like hummus, tofu, and almonds had natural energy in them.)  So I started drinking black tea because it has the most caffeine in it.  Then I heard about all the health benefits to green tea, and I made the switch.

 Research has shown that green tea can boost your metabolism, fight cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol, and prevent diabetes.  I even give it partial credit for helping me beat the swine flu without antibiotics-- I probably drank eight to ten cups a day during that time.  Despite the wide range of medicinal benefits, it also tastes good.  It actually tastes like you're putting clean, natural things into your body.


I still go to Starbucks, but instead I order their Tazo Green Tips tea.  They used to only have Zen Green Team, which I didn't really like because the spearmint flavor was overwhelming.  The new Green Tips is fantastic, though.  Every few months, I'll enjoy a soy caramel latte.  But my daily drink of choice is green tea.