It is part of our culture and ingrained into our heads that we need to snack, and if we don’t, we may starve. The rest of the world doesn’t snack and it is not part of their culture. Americans fear hunger, and that is something to address.

When I was in university in Paris, my friend’s kids would come home from school and have a yogurt or fruit.  I,  on the other hand, was always armed with protein bars and powders as if I were  preparing for a bomb shelter or a picnic. Everyone thought I was the crazy American, which I was.  I had a constant fear of hunger, despite the fact that I was in the middle of Paris, the gastronomic capital of the world.

Is there anything wrong with snacking?

NO!!! But it depends on WHY you are snacking and WHAT you are snacking on. It is common to have a hunger dip in the afternoon, especially if you didn’t have breakfast or if you are a caffeine drinker. A small nibble during the day can boost your blood sugar and aid  your concentration.

A few questions to ask yourself before mindlessly grabbing a snack:

Dehydration disguises itself as hunger.  Sometimes we grab a latte or a cookie when in fact we really just a need a drink of water.  Have a glass of pure water BEFORE considering a snack. Remember, only water quenches thirst.  Tea, juice and soda are beverages.

Is the thing you are actually craving, time with a lover or friends, or do you really just need a hug? Sometimes we mistake hunger as a need for connection. I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s true! Cookies or ice cream seem like they can fill that empty feeling but they just can’t.  Try calling a friend first. Trust me, I have been this way too many times and gone through way too many expensive chocolate bars. I have been amazed how the hunger subsides after a quick Skype chat!

This is an interesting one. Cravings can be nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances or even anxiety. Sometimes we crave crunchy potato chips because we just got in a fight with a boyfriend or a boss. Anxiety can wreak havoc on the body.  We ladies know hormone spikes all too well. They are real—but perhaps this is something to check out with a doctor and not ignore.

Eating is not entertainment. Although dinner with friends IS an activity, eating to fill time is not.  My suggestion? Go for a walk, call a friend or find something else to do.  My food shrink used to say, “get away from the crack.” In other words, if you are bored, sitting at home around all of your nibbly foods, opening and closing your refrigerator, maybe you should go elsewhere.

We are blessed and food is available to us most of the time. There is something to be said for planning ahead, but sometimes you can plan a little TOO much.  A small bag of sprouted almonds is most likely just enough to get you over a low blood sugar hump.

 LORA’S TWEETABLE: Trust your body. It will tell you when you are truly hungry, or what you really want. 

What are nutritious snacks?

 Fat + crunch  + a little bit of protein 

Why? Fat and protein will satisfy the hunger while crunching will satisfy the mental component necessary in snacking.

Mental component of snacking?

YES! As I said earlier, sometimes we are not REALLY hungry—we just need to munch. I don’t always agree with this but at times we just have to do it. (Of course I I have been guilty of this!) Should we do some soul searching and look for what that genuine desire is?  Most definitely. Chocolate will not take the place of a hug or a compliment—but if you happen to be low blood sugar as well, it will satisfy for the moment.

The following are five  nutritious snacks you can munch on MINDFULLY-

Meaning, not in the car, not while walking, not while talking on the phone.

Sit and eat—you may even eat less than you thought you would!

What are some of your favorite snacks? Do you munch when you are not hungry?

Please share them in the comments below. AND if you found this post enjoyable, please share it with someone who may enjoy it as well.

They not only enhance flavors, but they strengthen the nutritional potency of any culinary creation. 

Spices are healing foods.

I began to embrace spices while living in India. A spice box with a rainbow of colors and flavors was always beside the stove of the best Home Cooks and Chefs. My Southern Indian landlord taught me how and why to use each spice while considering both the taste and the medicinal effects; much like a doctor might prescribe medication. A world of possibilities was now open to me in the spice cabinet. Spices are healing foods.

 LORA’S TWEETABLE: When you add a spice to your food or drink, you escalate its nutritional value exponentially. 

I like to call these spiced foods “Super Enhanced Foods” because they ARE so densely nutritious. And it is easy to create these multi-dimensional, thriveful foods yourself by adding spices in various combinations to foods, drinks and smoothies. I encourage students and clients to break free from recipes and try their own blends. I teach the art of spice blending in my Kitchen Harmony class. It is filled with techniques to make you more confident and at ease in the kitchen.

You will be amazed with what you come up with and how the spices make you feel.

Let go and have a little fun with it.

Remember these three tips on dried spices

1)    Pay attention to the expiration dates and buy in small quantities.

2)    Always buy organic.

3)    If you can’t smell it, it’s not fresh.

The following are my top seven spices that you should try to eat more of.  If you are already eating them, please let me know some recipes or ways that you DO eat them, I would love to hear, so please share in the comments below.

This spice is a miracle worker. Cayenne aids in digestion and is said to speed up the metabolism and suppress the appetite. Cayenne has anti-fungal properties, regulates blood flow, and is beneficial for circulation. One of my favorite pick-me-ups is a shot of lemon juice, ginger and cayenne pepper—this works better than a double espresso.

Another miracle spice, cinnamon is a natural food preservative and has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Cinnamon can help with arthritis and swelling, help to prevent yeast infections and balance blood sugar. Indians often eat cinnamon with any carbohydrate as it aids in digestion. I even put a pinch in my tomato sauce as I find that it balances  the acid.

The medicinal properties in turmeric are astounding. It has been used as a natural pain reliever for its anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural antiseptic. Turmeric is filled with antioxidants and cancer fighting properties. I take a teaspoon of raw turmeric in some water with lemon every morning, as it is an excellent way to get the stomach moving and begin the day.

Cumin adds depth and strength to a dish, as well as tremendous nutritional benefits. It is excellent for digestion and relieving gas and colic, and acts as a mild diuretic. Cumin boosts the immune system so is excellent for colds or flu. The spice is also filled with iron so those with anemia should include a teaspoon a day in water or in food.

Crushed, toasted, raw, and chopped—I love Garlic. The healing benefits of garlic are extraordinary. It is a natural anti-microbe and can help keep parasites and bugs at bay. Garlic’s anti-inflammatory properties may help with arthritis and if you  have a cold or even an allergic reaction, garlic is an inexpensive and quick cure. Some of the vitamins and minerals found in the garlic bulb are manganese, vitamin C, tryptophan, and protein.

Black pepper stimulates the taste buds and the secretion of hydrochloric acid, which is needed for the digestion of proteins and other food. Without this acid, food sits in the stomach and heartburn, indigestion, gas, and other stomach irritations can occur. Black pepper is also an antioxidant and stimulates the breakdown of fat cells.

Ginger is the king of cures and one spice that I cannot live without. Ginger is anticancerous, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic and  anti-motion sickness. A strong brew of fresh ginger root tea can settle the stomach as well as heal the body of colds, the flu or just about any ailment. Ginger also acts as an appetite suppressant.

Lora kindly sent me two copies of her book, so I could share one with you!

 To Enter To Win The Extra Copy of Veggies for Carnivores all you have to do is:

1. SUBSCRIBE to Food Babe and leave a comment below by October 26, 2012, Noon EST.

2. (Optional) Spread the word on Facebook or Twitter and leave another comment to add a second entry.

Hope you enjoy the recipe & good luck!

Food Babe

They don’t have to be.

True story:

Years before Whole Foods, I was diagnosed with “chronic label reading.” It was suggested to me by my fancy Upper East Side shrink that I limit my health food shop visits to 20 minutes or less. As health food shops and now Whole Foods are my Happy Place, I rebelled. I was determined to master the art of label reading and I did—in all seven continents, countless countries and in any language.

There is a formula on the package, and with a little bit of knowledge and a few navigation tricks you too can master this art . . .  because, my friends, this is an important one.

In this video, I illustrate what symbols to look for and what they mean.

I also demonstrate the difference between organic and natural.

Lora’s tweetable: Only Certified Organic means that it is organic. Natural means nothing.

Subscribe to Lora’s list

Subscribers receive a FREE copy of my “Essential Guide to Label Reading”, enter givaways and be the first to receive the latest news!

And if you find this information useful, please share it with a friend. Thank you in advance for that.

It is so easy! It just takes a bit of streamlining and finding new tricks.

I was just at Expo West, the Mac Daddy of all natural product shows and my idea of falling into a fluffy organic pillow of shopping heaven—thousands upon thousands of natural and organic products to discover and investigate.

Food shopping and natural food shops have been a favorite pastime of mine for most of my adult life. I can spend copious hours browsing the aisles of obscure health food shops in remote areas around the globe, and I have mastered the art of label reading by being a chronic label reader.

Since I have made it my mission in life to simplify keeping within my healthy living regimen even when on the road or abroad, I am always looking for ways to simplify it even more. This is indeed an art form. Below are some of the exciting new products I found at Expo-West that will make our veggie-centric lives even more streamlined and a lot more portable!

AND, as added joy – each of these incredible companies has offered to give away ONE of their spectacular products below to ONE lucky winner.

The instructions to enter and win the raffle are below.

The Smash Box

Veggie Wipes

The amazing Coconut Spray!

Lora’s Tweetable: I am of the belief that if you can eat it you should be able to wear it, and vice versa.

Of course there is!

Jicama is a refreshing water-based, somewhat sweet vegetable. I often find that people don’t know what it is or how to eat it.

Let me show you how to eat jicama -

Lora’s tweetable: Jicama with lime, chile and a pinch of sea salt is the perfect quick healthy snack

Peel the jicama with a small knife instead of a vegetable peeler. I find the peeler too difficult for thick skin root vegetables like these.  Cut the veggie in sticks and dip like carrot or celery sticks.

If you like this video & veg-idea, share it with a friend who may like it too!

]]> http://lorakrulak.com/2013/03/quick-healthy-snacks/feed/ 4 http://lorakrulak.com/2013/03/veggie-soup/ http://lorakrulak.com/2013/03/veggie-soup/#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:31:51 +0000 Lora Krulak http://lorakrulak.com/?p=2058 What if I told you that you could make flawless smooth veggie soup in less than five steps – every time.

Smooth veggie soup seems time consuming and daunting to make…

The easiest veggie soup

Guess what? It’s NOT.

The key to making a perfect veggie soup is following a simple formula that is easy to replicate time and time again.

My favorite thing about a smooth veggie soup is that it is highly convertible. Meaning— one if I make one soup, freeze half and “re-create” it a few days later by adding sautéed vegetables or even crumbled goat cheese to the top of the soup. Result? I look like a genius!

Lora’s Tweetable: Turn a smooth-blended, veggie soup into a hearty stew by adding chunky steamed or sautéed veggies.

So here are a few SIMPLE steps to flawless veggie soup…

But the KEY to remember is to leave the TOP OF THE BLENDER open a bit while blending the soup so your soup does not end up all over your kitchen instead of in your pot!

Lora’s Recipe

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Dulse and Sriracha Chile Sauce 

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (or any root veg)

1 small box organic veggie broth

Handful of dulse

Pinch of crushed red chile flakes or Sriracha chile sauce.

Process:
Peel a butternut squash and cut into squares.

Bring a pot of very salty water to a boil and add the squash.

Boil for about 15 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Drain the squash, reserving about ½ C of the salty water to the side.

Add the squash to a blender and blend with the small box of veggie broth until smooth. If you want the soup thinner, add some of the reserved salty water or more broth.

DO NOT PUT THE LID ON TIGHLY OR THE BLENDER WILL EXPLODE- This is the key. The heat of the veggies must be able to escape while blending, so let the top of the blender open a bit while blending. 

Put the soup back into the pot and heat for a few minutes or until ready to serve.

To serve, top with dulse flakes and Sriracha chile sauce. or red chile flakes

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and let me know if you have a favorite veggie soup or a quick tip to share!

And if you like this, SHARE IT with a friend who you think may like it too, we all love veggie soups, after all.

Kale has become the popular leaf lately, but it can be difficult to eat,

bitter tasting and even more difficult to digest.

It doesn’t have to be….

Soften raw kale in less than 15 minutes with out even touching it.

When I was living in Paris, I longed for dark leafy greens more than you can even imagine. Parisians have spinach, but kale and collards are a-miss. When you find a rare bunch, its like dark green heaven.  But when you find something you haven’t had in a long time, you want to eat it as fast as you can! Perhaps not the healthiest state of mind, but the truth.

Lora’s tweetable: The key to getting the kale from the bag, to the sink to the bowl in the shortest amount of time, is a good salt.

Lora’s Recipe

Raw-Kale Salad with avocado and celery root

Ingredients:

1 head organic kale, washed well and torn

3 stalks celery, chopped

½ celery root, spiralized

1 avocado, sliced.

½ lime

Celtic sea salt

Method:

Place the raw kale in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Let sit for at least 5 minutes and up to 20. (I like to let it sit for at minimum 15, but if you are anxious to eat, 5 will work!)

Chop the celery and set aside

Spiralize the celery root. If you do not have a spiralizer, you can slice or chop it.

Slice the avocado.

Toss the kale, it should be softened. The raw kale will look darker and wet.

Add with the avocado and the other vegetables.

Sprinkle the salad with Celtic sea salt, the lime, and a splash of olive oil.

If you want a dressing for the salad – watch me and my friend Max from Living Maxwell soften raw kale and make a salad dressing here:

http://livingmaxwell.com/how-to-soften-kale

Subscribe to Lora’s list

Subscribers receive a FREE copy of my “Essential Guide to Label Reading”, enter givaways and be the first to receive the latest news!

And if you like this, share it with a friend who you think may like it too!

One question I am asked repeatedly at the beginning of each new year is “how can I detox or get healthy?”.

After all of the parties, the dinners and holiday indulgences, everyone wants a fresh start.  Not a huge subscriber to cleansing, I feel if one leads a healthy lifestyle, bit by bit – it builds on itself and you will inevitably become a healthier person.  In much the same way that if you did 5 minutes of abdominal exercises every day – your abs would be strong, developed and they would last. It’s consistency that builds on itself.  Not a diet, nor a resolution, just a new habit.

All that said – I offer you 10 tips to start the new year on a crisp and clean note.  I recommend picking 3 and incorporating them into your daily life.

The idea would be to turn the tips into habits.  If you begin by eating a green salad a day, I promise you will feel better, your skin will brighten and you will want to try more.  When you are doing good things for yourself like eating more veggies and deep breathing every day, you may find that your desire for negative habits (lets say walking and eating) may just fade away…

 10 tips to start the new year off clean

1. Sit when you eat – Take the time to sit and enjoy your meal. Walking and eating are not compatable.
2. Eat a green salad a day – We all know you should eat your greens and it is SO easy!
3. Have a veggie juice each day – These are like liquid sunshine filled with chlorophyll and packed with nutrients.
4. Eat with friends or loved ones at least once per day – Laughing and surrounding yourself with loved ones changes the focus from just the food to your life. It also makes you a happier person and you will digest better!
5. Drink at least 2L of pure water each day – Not tap water, pure clean filtered water.
6. Add 10 minutes of stretching or abdominals (or both) to your day  – Just move every day. No excuses, 10 minutes a day builds on itself.
7. Take 10 deep belly breaths each morning, before picking up the mobile. – Breathing increases your metabolism and calms you down.
8. Increase your organic and non GMO consumption.
9. Flip your veggie to protein ratio – You don’t have to become a vegan to embrace veggies and their tremendous benefits.
10. Eat real food – no foil packages, just real food that comes from nature.

I would love to hear about what you may begin to incorporate!  Please leave a comment below or email me at lora@lorakrulak.com

Have a very happy and healthy new year and a beautiful day!

And if you like the recipe, let me know! If you have any additional comments, please leave them below, I always love to hear.