My version of Thom ka gai

Should I even mention the weather? It’s been C-c-cold EVERYWHERE! That, plus nursing a nasty respiratory infection, means only one thing in Casa Stacey : soup! To be honest, this coconut based soup is what happened after I chopped some root veggies, added come coconut milk and chicken broth and realized I had no chicken. It came out so fragrantly because I really sautéed the half cup of chopped onions and tsp of garlic in a couple tsps olive oil; then added a bay leaf and a tsp of turmeric. Brought it to a boil, let it simmer for 30 mins and then added a handful of chopped kale and voila! I love happy accidents!

The Scoop: What’s Hot & Not in Wellness

Hot on the trail of wellness news!

The latest on wellness news around the web!

1. The FDA is phasing out antibiotics for weight gain in cattle? Wait, are they admitting they know something we don’t?
2. Just in time for this huge meat recall.  Rats. Ew.
3. Low meat turkey burgers?  Yep, and they sound delish (not dairy free).
4. Vegetarian for beginners : Yay! I needed this to help me as I become mostly plant based.
5. Your gut agrees about less meat/dairy
6. Outdated “health” products: We all fell for the marketing, yo.
7. This news justifies my love of nuts

How to cook & make everything taste awesome

low carb cooking

Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up that allow me  to feed myself deliciously while keeping it healthy.

1. Choose wholesome and easily found ingredients: I’m no Julia Child so I stick to what won’t be too much of a headache. Sure, I’ll experiment once in a while but that’s good to keep you learning. First things first:  the ingredients are whole foods and the best I can afford. I eat less meat because I like grass fed and organic meat which requires a small bank loan sometimes.
2. Have at least three to 4 Recipe Favorites: Pick a handful of your favorite easily prepared healthy meals  and PERFECT  them and make variations of each.  Curried chicken, baked salmon and soup are just 3 of mine that I enjoy modifying.
3. Keep your favorite spices handy: I can’t make anything savory without sea-salt, thyme, coconut and olive oils. I also keep curry, rosemary, garlic, and onions on heavy rotation ( I smell batter than this implies and I rarely get sick). For sweet flavors it’s all about honey and coconut nectar or sugar in my house. Whatever you’re into, keep it around!
4. Have a healthy respect for the versatility of vegetables:  Don’t throw your vegetables under the bus! Vegetables can be the main dish AND the side, my friend. In my opinion, the secret is NOT to chop them until you’re ready to eat them.
5. Get a Good Knife: Any chef worth their apron will tell you a strong, sharp knife make life so much easier. Mine was part of a set and since I sharpen it regularly, it works perfectly fine even though it is less expensive than some.
6. Invest in a food processor, if possible:  Trust me, it changes the game for everything in the kitchen! Suddenly nothing is impossible in terms of texture and cooking time and effort decreases exponentially.
7. Try a NInja Blender: especially if you can’t afford a food processor. 
8. Crock-pots are magic: You put flavors and foods you like to eat in it, you go away for awhile, you come back and a yummy meal comes out of it. What’s not to love!

The Scoop: What’s hot in wellness news

Here’s what’s (maybe) new and kinda noteworthy this week:

1. Now being fat and healthy is a lie: make up your minds, people!
2. Runners think you can Be a better gift giver
3. Don’t drink? No worries these celebs don’t either.
4. Trust your gut when it comes to relationships.
5. Depression makes Type 2 diabetes worse.
6. Can you OD on caffeine?
7. This stuff is the best coffee replacement I’ve ever had.
8. Ahh that explains it. Men and women’s brains are wired differently!

A Review: Paleo 3 Ingredient Naan Indian Bread (from myheartbeets)

Paleo 3 Ingredient Naan Bread (myheartbeets.com)

Sometimes being a guinea pig is hard work! I mean, here I am, out in the crazy food and fitness world, risking taste-buds and personal comfort so you know what to skip and what to try. Um, yeah. It’s right up there with digging ditches and brain surgery, I think 😉 I came across this Paleo Naan recipe from the blog myheartbeets as I was cruising the interwebs for all things wellness. It came at the perfect time because it’s COLD here in NYC and I wanted something chewy. Like I’ve said in the past, I’m more mad scientist than chef so any recipe with 4 ingredients and under always grabs my attention. This one only had 3, all of which are in my pantry so I HAD to try it.  *As the Nutrition Coach for fitness and meal delivery company PhatBurn, I have been able to try their 5 a day meal plan for the last 6 weeks now ( it works!). Needless to say, this recipe was not on the plan but it didn’t break it either….at least not by much.

This recipe took maybe 20 minutes from seeing the recipe online, to gathering the ingredients, to mixing in the blender, to heating the skillet and to browning both pieces.

Results: OH.MY.NAAN!!! Seriously, this is one of the best paleo recipes I’ve EVER tried. So good that I had to throw the other one away.

Pros: Authentic taste and mouth feel: chewy, fluffy. The high protein (12 g per piece),  lower carb than regular naan (13g of carbohydrates per piece) and grain-free content makes it good for diabetic patients. This recipe is modifiable to make a tortilla or crepe.

Cons: High Calorie: I counted 600 calories for the recipe so 300 calories per piece; High fat ( almond meal+ coconut milk + coconut oil for frying= I counted around 22g per piece ). If you’e counting calories and/or you’re not that active then see below.  Just remember, fat is GOOD for you if you’re eating a balanced, healthy diet.

* Note: Ashley, the author of Myheartbeets does suggest making a thinner version crepe-style naan as an alternative. Doing it this way will mean using less batter and so will equal less calories etc per piece. Note to self!!…I’m THIS close to digging through my trash for that other piece but I think I feel my fat cells doing a happy dance in my upper thighs.

Grain-Free Apple Pie Pancakes Review (from Primally Inspired)

Ok, forget cool FALL air, it is COLD like Winter in the BK now. Make that, it is colder in my apartment than it is outside because my windows are poorly sealed and my landlord is loathe to turn on the heat for more than 4-5 hours at a time (9pm-2am usually). Cold weather makes the Afro want nothing but chai lattes and chewy carbs so since I’m a low-carber (diabetes occurs in my Jamaican family history) I had to think fast.  The fact is that if I want to stay lean over the Winter, I have to fight this urge to nest and stuff my face full of pancakes, oatmeal and all flour based everything. Enter this grain-free apple pie pancake option by the awesome Kelly at the blog Primally Inspired.  Kelly actually makes things that taste as good as they look! Her recipe caught my eye the very day I brought home that bagful of apples  from Warwick, NY and luckily enough I still had a few left to make this stack of goodness. 

Review: 5 Forks up! I made 5 of these and got through almost 3. They are very filling and protein rich so no need for anything else. The sauce really adds something special. 

Pros: Fragrant, nice mouth feel, very low carb and nutrient dense.

Cons: High in fat because coconut powder soaks up A LOT of liquid so I kept having to re-grease my skillet. Longer time to cook, be patient. 

High Fiber Sweet Potato Protein Pancakes: Recipe

If you know me then you know I LURVE sweet potatos. They are yummy, so portable and keep my blood sugar on par. Diabetes runs in my family so I’m all about keeping the blood sugar even. My client actually introduced me this preparation so I thought  I should pass it on to you. You will need a high speed blender ( I used my ninja)

Recipe

2 medium baked sweet potatos, chopped with skin left on ( I used the microwave)

2 eggs, use only 1 yolk

1.5 TBSP almond milk 

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil for skillet

Blend it all together until creamy; lightly brown on each side.

Review: This recipe is a blank canvas for you to add whatever you like as it can be made savory or sweet. I added no sweetener IN the recipe but I kinda wanted a it of honey on top. The skin adds a nice texture but be sure not to burn the potatoes or the results will taste bitter!

Improving your quality of life at home

Well, it’s finally Sunday, the end of a whirlwind week that basically had me touring Manhattan away from my cozy Brooklyn homestead. It was hectic, but I am SO lucky to know some really great people with beautiful homes. One in particular was so Zen and spa-like that I had no choice but to get the much needed rest I craved. The owner of the apartment, my friend Ursula, is also quite the yogi-health-maven so I was not surprised at all by her high quality of life at home. Her apartment was so cleanly gorgeous that it was like a giant Deep Breath just walking through the door. That got me thinking about my own home and I decided that having a home that inspires deep breathing is important to me.

Then it was onto Kim’s downtown bungalow and again, I just marveled at the good homey and feminine feel of the place and not to mention the absolute lack of clutter. How do these women who always look impeccable, by the way, manage these sparklingly organized abodes?  I am a very clean person but neatness takes work for me, I must admit. Definitely NOT a natural tendency but I now really feel the need to conquer it. So starting now,  I have set about to re-train myself on how to live fabulously clutter free all while  improving the quality of life in my space. To get started, the 1st brain I picked was Ursula’s since she IS a professional organizer to the stars. She sent me this to get started. Read it to prep yourself and join me on this journey to better living!

Cherry-Banana “ice-cream”

It’s already getting to scorching temps here in the BK! So much so that I found myself making my annual trip to Momofuku Milk bar earlier than usual. Like a lot of you, dairy is not my friend BUT I do sometimes miss the texture of ice-cream. Luckily, I won’t hav eto miss much with this yummy recipe.

Serves 1 (High speed blender or processor required)

1 large frozen banana

1/4 cup pitted cherries ( can be frozen or fresh)

Place in processor and blend until creamy

Serve immediately and enjoy!

* Many fruit and especially bananas have a great creamy consistency when frozen. This makes them a great base for all “ice-creams”. I give this recipe 2 thumbs up but will experiment more. Maybe almonds and dessert flavorings for a new twist?

Mental Health Break: Try this trick of highly successful people

It’s Sunday evening and the M Word looms before us: MONDAY. Are you ready for it and the week that follows? And I’m not just referring to making meals  and snacks to carry you through to at least the middle of the week, although that would be wise too. I also mean, have you wrapped your head around all that you need to get done this week? Before I stress you out, deep breath,  calm down. I’m talking about visualization, people. Almost all successful athletes do it before a game and some uber successful business people too before speeches and events. Visualization not only centers you, it also allows you to envision all possible outcomes and to get comfortable with the one you want to happen. In short, it sets the intention for what you really want to happen. It’s useful for almost all situations that can cause anxiety and can reduce the dread you feel about them. So find somewhere quiet, close your eyes, and get calm through deep breathing. Then picture how you want this week and its accompanying projects to go.  Be as detailed as possible in your scenarios and the reactions you intend to have. Skim past the things that might go wrong, no need to dwell on the negative. Instead, focus on what you DO want to happen. Got it? ready set: VISUALIZE.