This peppermint  will take over my yard if I let it
but it’s great for making iced tea.

I don’t normally buy too much meat for my family, especially in the summer. We eat a mostly vegetarian diet with a little bit of flesh thrown in. I always buy my chicken from the farmer’s market because the animals are raised on local farms where they receive more humane treatment. Chickens fed on the ground are much healthier than those from commercial farmers because they are nourished outside and in the sunlight rather than being fed  from a feeder in a factory with thousands of others. Plus, factory-grown animals are always shot up with hormones to make them grow abnormally faster.

Also at the farmer’s market, the butcher is willing to custom-pound the meat, which helps to tenderize it before you cook it.

In the summer, I prefer mostly fish, and am starting to eat less and less of it - especially in light of the Gulf oil spill (and who knows how far that will travel).  I’m moving away from seafood as well. Farm-raised seafood, although it might not have the same pollutants found in the ocean, have  other problems such as bacteria. Plus farm-raised fish just isn’t authentic enough for my tastebuds and it doesn’t really taste enough like the ocean.

Which brings me to this: I love vegetables, especially in the springtime. There’s nothing better than a stir-fried or steamed medley of fresh veggies. I love buying my vegetables from the co-op or from local farmer’s markets for pretty much the same reason as for meat. They are much fresher and organic, and those farmers don’t use chemically laced pesticides. In fact, some vegetables are so fresh they still have dirt on their roots.

Every summer I try to grow a few more herbs. Last year I started with peppermint and rosemary, which are both great for seasoning many foods. Peppermint is a weed and it has taken over my garden. This year I added lemongrass and I’m also trying to grow tomatoes. With a small yard I can’t grow too much. But many people are turning their roofs  into roof-top vegetable gardens. I’m not there yet , but still I find that concept fascinating.

I’m at the beginning of growing tomatoes and the experts say I should grow something for them to climb up. Any suggestions?

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My two youngest daughters are typical teens who love to shop, whether they need clothes or not. Their biggest challenge is that their drawer space is tight. But that doesn’t matter to them because they still keep them packed with clothes that they’ll probably never wear again. And there’s nothing worse than having tons of ill-fitting clothes that you hate, either because they make you feel fat or they’re last year’s styles.

When I examined their drawers, I was shamefully reminded of my late grandmother Susie, who would be appalled because she didn’t believe in waste and only owned three of any pieces of clothing. Her basic rule was: One on your back, one in the drawer and one in the wash. Remembering this, I insisted that my daughters throw away clothes that they no longer use before I’ll buy them anything new. So they’re busy getting rid of stuff and their giveaway piles are huge.

The thing about spring cleaning is that we never realize how much useless stuff we accumulate until we start purging. And that goes for the kitchen as well.

Every week or so, I try to invest in my kitchen. But since I’m not currently in a position to purchase the six-burner Wolf professional stove or the Sub-Zero refrigerator that I dream of owning, I’m busy stocking up on cooking utensils that I can afford. And just like with my closets, every time I buy a new kitchen utensil, I get rid of something else to make space for the new item. Recently, I got rid of my deep fryer and replaced it with a bamboo steamer.

Come to think of it, I can’t even remember where the fryer came from, but it has never served me well. It’s a good thing, too, because just like the dust bunnies and junk that was in my house, I didn’t realize how much weight I’d gained until I went clothes shopping. But many of us neglect ourselves during the colder months.

Maybe it’s because we wear so many clothes to keep warm that we don’t really notice all of the weight that has piled on. Then it’s time to start shedding those layers of clothes and we get to see what a mess we’ve become.

One look in the mirror and I decided to postpone my clothes-shopping trip until I’ve dropped at least two dress sizes. And if you’re anything like me, you’re also probably wishing that you’d been a little more active while it was cold. Now that it’s getting warm, there’s no excuse not to walk, run and get moving.

And as I’ve mentioned in other recent posts, spring is a great time to freshen up our diets, too. Food, like exercise, is seasonal, and we should steam vegetables like baby asparagus, squash or mushrooms. Steaming preserves more of the nutrients and is much less caloric than frying.

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One of them is using tofu, which can be prepared in a variety of ways. The good thing about tofu is its flexibility. And it’s also very cost-efficient, averaging about $3 for a block that can easily feed 4-6 people - depending on their appetites – when mixed with vegetables.

It took years for me to like tofu, which is basically curdled soy milk that comes from the soybean. Sounds yucky, right? It’s really not bad at all. In fact, tofu is one of the few foods that my picky daughter number four loves and will eat consistently.

I’ve eaten tofu prepared as chicken salad or made to taste exactly like tuna. However, I prefer it seared in olive oil and garlic, then mixed with stir-fried vegetables, served over brown rice.

But because tofu is so bland, you have to work with it to get it to taste really good. Tofu comes in a block, packed in water and I’ve found that there’s a big debate over how to press out the excess water, which will make it hold seasoning better and easier to cook. There are tofu presses but they really aren’t necessary.

I simply sit my tofu between two plates underneath my cast-iron frying pan to squeeze out the excess water. Then I season it and sear it in that same pan with garlic and olive or sesame oil.

Stir-fried veggies with tofu (feeds 6)

Best prepared in a wok

Ingredients

1 package of firm tofu

½ head broccoli (florets only)

¼ head cauliflower (florets only)

4 large button mushroom caps (sliced)

½ yellow pepper (seeded and sliced lengthwise)

1 small yellow onion (sliced)

½ cup baby carrots (halved lengthwise)

¼ cup virgin olive oil or sesame oil

3 cloves fresh garlic (diced)

1 pinch sea salt

1/8  cup Tamari or soy sauce

1tbs cornstarch

Directions

• Drain off water and place tofu in between two plates, and then under a cast-iron frying pan or something heavy to squeeze out excess water. Half the tofu lengthwise and slice about ¼ inch thick
• Heat ½ of olive oil in a wok or cast-iron pan
• Fry pieces of tofu until golden brown on each side and set aside
• Add remaining oil and sauté garlic and then vegetables until the broccoli is just bright green.Lay tofu into the veggies.
• Mix Tamari sauce and cornstarch into a paste and then stir into vegetables.
• Season with salt at serving time

Note : Sesame oil is lighter and heats much faster than olive oil. Be careful not to burn it.

Serve over brown rice

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Consistently, I observe that people whose carts are stuffed with pre-fab food are more likely to be fat and so are their children. They buy sodas and snacks, and plenty of frozen food, yet choose few live fruits and vegetables. They also eat way too much meat, no two ways about it.

Obesity is a real problem in this country and it seems that Americans are  getting fatter by the day.

Our lives move fast, and we keep  everything  on speed dial, so who has  time to cook? We prefer frozen pizza and waffles, or drive-through windows because we’re busy, they’re easy and kids love them. We eat too few vegetables and choose convenience over healthy. Who wants to spend two hours cooking when five minutes at the drive-through can feed the family instantly?

But they certainly aren’t healthy. Getting a handle on our fatness  means changing unhealthy habits, there’s no magic bullet diet or a supplement. The real deal is that although fast food is convenient, we might as well be eating cardboard. No matter how happy we are that it makes our lives easier the rule is that if it’s frozen, it’s dead and therefore has no sustainable qualities.

First Lady Michelle Obama gets this, and has focused her attention on projects that inspire America to get healthy. Her goal to fight childhood obesity began the moment she hit the White House, and she had a huge vegetable garden planted there. She wants to leave something sustainable after her husband leaves office  that helps people develop healthy habits to last them a lifetime. Mrs. Obama is  talking about much more than eliminating Mickey D’s. She’s also targeting the freezers in our kitchens that are filled to the brim with frozen convenience foods.

In reality, we don’t  have to eat Taco Bell to have quick and easy food. Burritos are simple to make. Even my youngest and pickiest daughter, who is happiest with pasta and chicken, loves my veggie burritos. If I say vegetarian burritos on any given day she is game. And I think I’ve finally figured out that one reason she likes them so much is because she can roll them herself and choose the ingredients she wants. That makes her feel like she’s in control, which is an important goal for any teenage girl.

Vegetarian Burritos  (12)

Ingredients 

• package of soy crumbles
• 1 ½ cups dried black beans
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• ½ cup finely diced yellow pepper
• 1 ½ cups  fresh chopped vine-ripe tomatoes
• 3 cloves fresh crushed garlic
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 dozen large tomato/basil sandwich wraps
• 1 cup grated  Monterey Jack cheese
• ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fresh salsa
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• aluminum foil

 Directions 

• Soak black beans in five cups of water  for 3 hours.
• Rinse the beans and boil in 5 cups of water until soft (about 2 hours). Drain and set aside.
• Mix dried spices together and set aside.
• Heat oil in a  dutch oven or large skillet.
• Sauté garlic, onions, peppers and fresh cilantro for five minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Scrape bottom of pan, re-distributing the essence.
• In the same pan, brown soy crumbles, which will absorb the oil quickly.
• Add dried spices, beans, onions and peppers and tomatoes. Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
• Mix cheeses and set aside.
• Place the sandwich wraps in stacks of 3  in foil.Warm in 400 degree oven until steam lifts when you open them.
• Spoon 2 tbsp fresh salsa down the middle of a wrap.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup cheese mixture.
• Add 1/4 cup soy mixture.
• Fold the bottoms of each wrap about 1/2 inch and then roll tightly vertically.

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Simple dietary and lifestyle changes can improve all of them.

Most of us don’t want to spend a lot of time counting  calories or even reading labels, but both are a must for people who are concerned about consuming too much fat, sugar or salt.

Often when eating at restaurants we think we’re making healthy choices but we really aren’t.  Today Show did a segment  on healthy menu swaps at popular eateries.

The column  Eat This Not That on  the  Men’s  Health website  provides a list of calorie-cutting alternative foods.

Here are some simple and basic ideas to improve your health:

• Eat more salads, fruits and fresh vegetables, and whole grains
• Cut down on meat and dairy, which contribute to “  female problems,” and use rice or almond milk instead
• Get rid of the chips and pretzels, and eat healthy snacks like carrot sticks,  nuts and raisins  or seasoned popcorn
• Use portion control and if you lack discipline,  use smaller plates.
• Drink at least  8  eight-ounce glasses of spring water daily
• Get enough rest (6-8 hours of sleep per night)  and take time to meditate
• Exercise regularly. It doesn’t take any money to stretch, walk and run.

Many eateries have heart healthy  menus.  The next time you order that fancy-dan chicken sandwich,  ask the waitstaff to ask  the chef to leave off the mayonnaise, bread crumbs and high-fat cheese. Instead add salad or fresh spinach.  Resist  fat-saturated foods like  mac and cheese and instead  order pasta (preferably whole grain) tossed in olive  oil with fresh garlic and broiled  instead of fried meats that are usually floating in oil.  Instead of the creamy salad dressings,  get lo-cal  or use the olive oil and vinegar that sits on the tables at many restaurants. Eating out can still be a pleasure,  if we pay close attention to the menu and resist those hidden calories.

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If you’re from the South, you probably remember the  elders de-worming every one in the fall.  They took  “bitters” made  with nasty-tasting root plants as well as herbs and daily doses of  cod liver oil to keep the bowels ” regular.”    Some people get allergies,  particularly  in the spring,  at the height of high pollen counts.  By the time fall comes around, our bodies are ripe to be fortified for the winter’s harshness.

I live for spring and summer, when fresh vegetation is abundant and the days are long.  At the end of every summer I get a little bit blue, knowing that winter isn’t far behind and by mid-winter am usually in a pure blue funk.

That’s because I suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which happens because of  a chemical imbalance in the brain due to light deprivation.  I didn’t know about S.A.D. as a child and never understood the complexities of Winter Sadness,  a form of depression that arrives like clockwork when it gets cold  and the last leaves have fallen. Research has taught me that S.A.D.  affects millions of people, and the good news is there are a number of ways to control it.  Some people use light therapy in the winter to compensate for the lack of sunlight.  But food also has a strong correlation to how we feel physically, as well as emotionally.

In the fall, our bodies are ripe for fasting and cleansing our liver to prepare for the winter’s rest.  The liver is the organ that correlates to our emotions. Leafy green vegetables and root plants rich in vitamins and minerals  help cleanse the colon and liver by ridding the body of poisonous toxins that have accumulated.

You’ll see an abundance of leafy green vegetables like kale, collards and various cabbages in the market. All of these vegetables help to sweep the bowels and are loaded with nutrients. If you decide to do a fall fast, you can prepare your system by eating plenty of leafy greens a couple of weeks ahead of time. And you don’t have to load them down with pork to make them tasty.

Despite the common belief,  greens are delicious without meat, which clogs our insides and is not exactly conducive to fasting. Besides, meat  carries the very parasites that you want to get rid of.  Chef Angela Brown,  who competed on NBC’s  cooking competition The Chopping Block,  caters to all types of palates.  Although Angie does season her greens with turkey, she taught me some key ingredients that lend themselves to making collards without meat.  My sister Diane makes her kale with capers and red onions,  a delightful combination. Finally, you can eat your greens raw or cooked and they will serve your body well either way you choose.

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