The Body Doesn't Lie (32 page)

2 ounces smoked or poached salmon with olive oil on 1 slice gluten-free rye bread, with ½ cup fruit (or 1 piece fruit) and 1 cup plain goat’s-milk yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 to 3 gluten-free pancakes with a little honey or Stevia sweetener, topped with fresh blueberries or grated apples

½ cup steel-cut oats or gluten-free organic oat porridge made with unsweetened almond milk, 1 tablespoon raw honey or manuka honey, 2 to 3 tablespoons nuts or seeds, and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed; with ½ cup ricotta on the side once a week if desired (to increase protein)

½ cup steel-cut oats with 1 tablespoon goji berries and 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs (crumbled raw cacao beans)

Organic millet rice or oat bran-flake cereal (special treat!), with unsweetened organic almond milk or rice milk

2 slices wheat-free toasted bread drizzled with olive oil (or spread with almond butter) and topped with sliced avocado

2 to 3 slices roasted/steamed turkey (not smoked) on 1 slice wheat-free rye bread, with ½ cup fruit (or 1 apple or pear) and ½ cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds or ground flaxseed

Table 14.
Additional Lunch or Dinner Options

Best eaten about 12:30
P
.
M
. and 6:30
P
.
M
.

4 to 5 ounces lean protein (tuna, buffalo, turkey, veal, or grass-fed beef ), 1 serving veggies or salad as desired (nonstarchy), and ½ to 1 cup brown rice, with ½ to 1 cup fruit (or 1 piece fruit)

1 to 2 cups tuna or chicken salad on kale and lettuce or on 1 slice gluten-free rye bread, with ½ to 1 cup fruit (or 1 piece fruit) or side salad

4 to 5 ounces protein of your choice

1 cup vegetable soup

California Fresh Salad with 4 to 5 ounces chicken or turkey and 1 ounce cheese (feta, goat, mozzarella, or hard cheese), topped with lightly roasted pine nuts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, with ½ to 1 cup fruit (or 1 piece fruit)

Pan-Grilled Tuna (or Mahi-Mahi or Sea Bass), with grilled asparagus and broccoli

Toasted rye with olive oil and tomato and buffalo mozzerella with basil leaf

Table 15.
Snack Options

Best at approximately 11:00
A
.
M
. and 3:30
P
.
M
.

1 ounce nuts (5 to 10) and 1 piece fruit

1 to 2 ounces (slices) cheese and fruit

1 wheat-free crust (available at Whole Foods)

1 2-percent Greek-style yogurt with 3 to 4 walnuts and 2 slices pineapple

2 to 3 gluten-free organic rice cakes with organic almond butter or sesame tahini or manuka or Greek honey (flavored with sage or thyme) or avocado

¼ to ⅓ cup nut/fruit mix (walnuts, almonds, prunes, figs)

¼ to ⅓ cup mix almonds, walnuts, goji berries, and dark-chocolate cocoa nibs

1 organic apple with 5 to 6 almonds

Ginger, lemon, and manuka honey tea with 1 teaspoon grated ginger and lemon juice

Table 16.
Special Treats

Indulge only 1 to 2 times a week

Glass champagne

2 to 3 squares dark chocolate (greater than 75 percent cocoa)

1 shot high-quality tequila with fresh grapefruit juice

1 shot rye vodka

Table 17.
Healing Teas

Chamomile

Dandelion

Echinacea

Ginger

Ginkgo biloba

Green

Hibiscus

Jasmine

Lemon balm

Milk thistle

Nettle

Oolong

Peppermint

Rooibos

Rosehip

White

Yerba Mate

8

The Positive Feedback Recipes

P
reparing food and sharing it with loved ones is one of the most radiant experiences on earth. I recently moved to California, and my husband has been spoiling me with the most amazing fresh dinners, highlighting line-caught fish, truly fresh farmers’ market vegetables, sweet berries, and crunchy salads with lemon and olive oil. Even if you don’t live in California, your local grocery store has an entire produce section full of delights waiting for you. Shoot for a variety of vegetables every week; don’t allow yourself to get into a rut. If it helps to keep things exciting, challenge yourself to try a new vegetable or fruit every week. Or sign up for a share in a CSA, shorthand for a local farm that sells weekly subscriptions—what’s come to be known as “community supported agriculture.” From what my friends tell me, there’s no greater culinary challenge than using all your CSA vegetables in a week! That good pressure will help broaden your horizons, and the produce is often delivered straight to your door.

Whenever possible, use organic produce to reduce the toxins you ingest. Although it tends to be more expensive, it’s well worth it. The same goes for cage-free and grass-fed poultry and meats. Not only are they better for you, but they taste better, too!

To inspire you, I’ve included in this chapter some of my absolute favorite recipes, collected over a lifetime of meals with my mother, Jenny, and my husband, Jerry, both amazing cooks who really know how to bake their love into everything they prepare for the family!

SERVES 2 TO 3

           
3 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped

           
1 beef tomato chopped

           
1 cup ripe avocado, sliced

           
½ shallot, finely chopped

           
½ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

           
½ lime, juiced

           
½ lemon, juiced

           
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

           
½ cup gluten-free tortilla chips

Combine the lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and/ or pepper. Pour this dressing over the salad mixture and toss everything well. Sprinkle with tortilla chips just before serving.

(Optional: You can turn this salad into a main course by adding albacore tuna or leftovers from your roast chicken or turkey. Pair with short-grain brown rice or quinoa.)

SERVES 2 TO 3

           
2 cups ripe tomatoes, chopped

           
1 cup Persian cucumbers, chopped

           
½ white onion, finely chopped

           
½ cup green olives

           
½ cup parsley, finely chopped

           
½ cup feta cheese (goat or sheep)

           
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
½ lemon, juiced

           
½ cup salted or unsalted capers

           
½ teaspoon dry oregano

           
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Before prepping other vegetables, chop the onion and put it in water with 1 teaspoon salt to kill the onion’s strong taste. Once all the other vegetables have been prepared, combine olives, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, feta, and rinsed/drained onion in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and lemon and top with capers. Sprinkle oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

SERVES 2 TO 3

           
1½ 6-ounce bags washed baby spinach

           
2 to 3 hardboiled eggs, peeled (yolks discarded) and chopped

           
½ cup pine nuts

           
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

           
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine spinach, eggs, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle the salad with olive oil right before serving, seasoning to taste.

SERVES 2

           
2 cups white crab meat

           
½ shallot, finely chopped

           
1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped

           
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

           
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

           
1 lime, juiced

           
1 tablespoon purchased Thai fish sauce

           
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

           
1 head baby gem romaine lettuce, washed and separated

           
½ tablespoon Thai chili pepper (optional), seeded and finely chopped

Gently fold the crab meat, shallot, lemongrass, ginger, basil leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, and sesame oil in a bowl. Serve the romaine leaves, still whole, separately. At the table, scoop the crab mixture into individual leaves of romaine. Add chopped chili pepper if you can take the spice!

SERVES 4

           
½ cup ripe kiwi, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

           
½ cup whole strawberries, stemmed

           
½ cup blueberries

           
½ cup raspberries

           
½ cup blackberries

           
½ lemon, juiced

           
Stevia, to taste

This recipe can be made using any combination of fresh seasonal berries (2 to 2½ cups total). Gently toss kiwi, strawberries (left whole!), blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries with the lemon juice and Stevia sweetener. Let the mixture (covered) sit overnight in the refrigerator. Serve as is or with a spoonful of goat’s-milk yogurt.

SERVES 4

           
4 cups pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped)

           
1 cup red pepper, seeded and chopped

           
1 cup zucchini, chopped

           
1 cup yellow onions, chopped

           
½ cup celery with stem, chopped

           
6 to 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

           
1 cup crumbled goat cheese (or hard cheese)

           
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

Place the chopped pumpkin (or sweet potato), zucchini, onions and celery in a large soup pot and add the vegetable stock until at least half the vegetables are covered. Bring the broth to a boil then let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool to room temperature before pureeing vegetable and broth in a blender. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pureed mixture and return the soup to the pot and let simmer for 15 minutes before serving in individual soup bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the pumpkin seeds, crumbled cheese, and ginger.

SERVES 4

           
1 cup yellow onion, grated

           
1 cup carrots, sliced

           
1 cup celery, chopped

           
1 cup red pepper, chopped

           
1 cup ripe vine tomatoes (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste)

           
1 vegetable bouillon cube

           
3 to 4 cups water

           
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine the onion, carrots, celery, red pepper, and tomatoes (or tomato paste), along with the bouillon cube, in a stockpot containing 3 to 4 cups water. Simmer the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes. Add the olive oil and seasoning just before serving.

SERVES 2

           
1 whole sea bass, skin and bones intact

           
Crystal sea salt flakes

           
½ cup flat-leaf parsley

           
1 lemon, half sliced for stuffing, half juiced for salsa

           
½ cup cherry tomatoes, stemmed

           
1 tablespoon shallot, finely diced

           
1 tablespoon salted Sicilian capers

           
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

           
Sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place sea bass in a baking dish or on an oven-safe tray. Salt both sides of the fish, as well as the cavity. Stuff the cavity with parsley stems and lemon slices. Bake the fish 15 to 20 minutes. (To check if the fish is cooked through, place a sharp knife through the thickest part of the flesh. If the tip of the blade is warm to the touch when removed, the fish should be ready to eat.) Remove the fish from the oven tray (to halt further cooking) and let it rest 4 to 5 minutes. Discard the parsley and lemon stuffing.