Healthy Living Club

It was on a warm spring afternoon last year that I realized I’d become something of a greens fanatic. Invited to an “almost summer!” barbecue, I arrived with my potluck side dish and looked around the buffet table to see all the usual suspects: potato salad, pasta salad, rice salad, green salad, chips and salsa, baked beans. I made room for my gratin of Swiss chard and kale, which I thought looked great—the Parmesan-and-breadcrumb topping browned into a lovely crust. But immediately I wondered: What had I been thinking, bringing a slab of cooked greens to this ritual offering of grilled sausages and vegetarian “not dogs”?

I mean, everyone knows greens are good for you, and some folks probably eat them out of duty, but they’re not quintessential party food. With the exception of bite-size triangles of spinach in phyllo, I can’t remember cooked greens making it onto the menu at many gatherings I’ve been to. And yet there I was with my chard and kale and the realization that I must have some subconscious desire to convince my friends of the glories of greens.

Leafy greens are among the most nutritious foods you can eat. A half cup of cooked Swiss chard, for instance, provides more than 150 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin K, which your body needs to maintain bone health; 55 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, important for vision and healthy lungs; and 26 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, necessary for a robust immune system. Chard is also an excellent source of minerals like iron, potassium, and magnesium, as well as a great way to increase fiber intake. And you get all of that good-for-you stuff in just 18 calories!

Chard, collards, kale, spinach, mustard greens, and turnip greens have all made it onto the World’s Healthiest Foods list, compiled by the George Mateljan Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing unbiased nutrition information to consumers. The foundation ranks these greens among the most nutrient-dense foods around—calorie for calorie, they give your body more of what it needs than most other foods.

(Mateljan, who founded and eventually sold Health Valley Foods—one of the first purveyors of packaged health foods—is a longtime advocate of the idea that good food choices make for healthier people. He established the foundation to educate people about healthful eating, and it funds and operates the World’s Healthiest Foods site. See World’s Healthiest Foods for nutrition information about these greens and a list of other healthy foods.)

I didn’t share any of this data with my BBQ buddies, though. Instead, I watched in disbelief as the gratin was devoured. Even the kids came back for seconds, and soon mine was the only clean platter on the table. Clearly the dish won fans based on its divine flavor—any healthful properties were only a bonus.

The Calcium Connection

On a morning walk, I told my neighbor Kay that I’d found myself serving greens to everyone I could. I was growing dinosaur kale and rainbow chard in my garden, and so I’d sautéed the chard with golden raisins and pine nuts for a few friends, stir-fried the kale with mushrooms for my family, and made a repeat of the gratin, which my daughter and her preschool pals had gleefully gobbled up. I was loving the fact that my friends and family were getting the health benefits of greens—and enjoying their flavors.

I also appreciated the ease of growing them: Put in a couple of plants, and snip a few leaves when you’re ready to cook. My sister managed to keep kale growing in a cold frame through a New Jersey winter, and my old-timer gardening friends in California taught me to never uproot a chard plant; apparently, the older the plant, the sweeter its leaves.

Kay, a nurse midwife with a keen interest in nutrition, mentioned that she favored kale and collards over Swiss chard and spinach because the latter have fairly high levels of oxalic acid. The acid can bind with calcium and prevent your body from taking in much of the calcium present in those vegetables.

As a woman in her 50s, Kay is concerned about getting enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis—but Americans of all ages would be wise to pay attention to their calcium intake. “In our culture, the decline of milk consumption that has come about with the popularity of soda pop has meant that a lot of people aren’t getting enough calcium,” said Debra Boutin, a registered dietitian and an assistant professor of nutrition at Bastyr University. The USDA recommends 1,000 milligrams per day for most people.

I knew that some leafy greens are high in calcium—a half cup of cooked collards provides 179 milligrams—but I’d never heard of the calcium-oxalic acid connection and decided to do some research. As it turns out, oxalic acid does not generally cause problems for people—except those with compromised kidneys, whose doctors may recommend avoiding foods with high levels of oxalates.

But it’s handy to know that Swiss chard, beet greens, and spinach all have relatively high levels of oxalic acid. “If those were the only three greens you ate, you wouldn’t be getting the maximum calcium you can from greens,” Boutin said. “And you can definitely meet your calcium needs without dairy,” she added. “Greens are an excellent source.” A cup of cooked kale, for instance, contains 90 milligrams of calcium, about one-third as much as a cup of milk, but with no saturated fat.

Boutin, though, didn’t agree with Kay’s approach of cutting out greens with high levels of oxalates. “Those three are excellent food sources of other nutrients, including vitamin A. So don’t eliminate them; just don’t count on them as your main source of calcium that day.”

Stephanie Gailing, a certified nutritionist and a consultant to the World’s Healthiest Foods site, offered more advice: “You can reduce the oxalic acid level by cooking spinach, beet greens, and chard.” Boil the greens in an uncovered pot for one to three minutes, and you’ll even find they taste sweeter, too, as the oxalic acid leaches into the water. And cooking your greens at a temperature greater than 165 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 15 seconds will kill any E. coli bacteria that might be present, too. (Water boils at 212 Fahrenheit.) But watch the clock: The longer you cook any plant foods, the fewer nutrients they retain.

Green Day

In my childhood home, where salads and fresh homegrown veggies like zucchini and string beans were served nightly, the only cooked leafy green we dined on was spinach—a frozen square boiled in water, drained, and garnished with a pat of butter. (My poor mom was treated to an endless supply of overcooked turnip greens by my southern belle grandmother and has never really embraced cooked greens.) It wasn’t until I moved to Manhattan for college and discovered spanakopita, “white pizza” topped with spinach, and the 1980s phenomenon of wilted spinach salads that I started to appreciate cooked greens.

Back in foodie San Francisco, I developed a taste for broccoli rabe quick-sautéed with garlic and lemon. And when I lived in Argentina—a vegetarian among meat lovers—I became dependent on tarta pascualina: a vast quantity of extremely salty Swiss chard and whole hard-boiled eggs, packed into pie dough.

These days I put greens in soups from miso to minestrone, in stir-fries and pasta sauces, and often I sauté them, adding caramelized onions, feta cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, or orange zest, lemon juice, and pine nuts. Gailing, the nutritionist, tells me that my taste for citrus and oils with greens is a healthy one: A good squeeze of lemon can boost your body’s ability to absorb the high amounts of iron in spinach. “When vitamin C is ingested with non-heme iron [the type of iron in plant foods], absorption can be greatly increased,” Gailing said.

And drizzling oil onto greens increases your absorption of carotenoids, the phytonutrients in plant food that are among the body’s strongest allies in fighting disease. “Adding oil after cooking greens is definitely a way of upping the nutritional value,” Gailing told me.

Georgeanne Brennan, who wrote Great Greens and lives on a small farm in Northern California, says she eats spinach almost every day. Often she’ll just quick-boil it, but occasionally she’ll make creamed spinach, spinach lasagna, or spinach crepes. And she often uses greens as the base for beautiful, nutritious one-plate meals.

“Make a bed of lightly braised stir-fry greens and top them with slices of grilled eggplant, tofu, red pepper, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds,” she suggested. “Or cook down tomatoes, peppers, onions, and some fresh oregano. Mound some arugula on the plate, then top it with polenta and the tomato mixture.” In her cookbook she gives a recipe for wilted arugula topped with butternut squash and toasted pecans.

The gratin recipe I discovered last year in Great Greens has become a true family favorite. Although it requires cooking the greens a bit longer than a nutritionist might like, its ability to win over the taste buds of even the most finicky of diners is worth it! It just might inspire a lot more people to go green.

The recipe calls for Savoy cabbage and Gruyére cheese, but I’ve made it with whatever greens and cheeses were in the fridge—kale and Parmesan is a favorite—adding garlic or onions or mushrooms, depending on what I’ve had. Brennan was delighted when I told her of my various adaptations. “My inspiration for that recipe came from France, where I’ve had a house for many years,” she said. “The way people cook in the country is with whatever is on hand. You’ve got a little milk, flour, some stale bread, hard cheese.” Add a bunch of greens and… voilá! It tastes good enough for a party.

 Store-bought presents aren’t Lorin Seidman’s thing. In fact, she’s stopped buying holiday gifts altogether. Instead, she gives a party, inviting loved ones to her Boston apartment to celebrate the season. Here, among glowing candles and festive decor, guests mingle over her delicious hors d’oeuvres, minidishes of vegan cassoulet, and beautiful trays full of olives, crudités, and fresh, home-baked breads.”Making food for my friends during the holidays is the best way I know to show my gratitude for all that they do for me the rest of the year,” says Seidman, who is a public-relations executive and PranaVayu yogi. “The memories that can be created by sharing food and enjoying conversation are so special. Time spent together means a lot more than any gift I could buy.”

And therein lies the joy of year-end parties: time devoted to family and friends, and a sweet opportunity to express your love for them. Surely, it’s time consuming to entertain, especially when you cook from scratch. But if you consider the time you spend throwing a party to be a gift to yourself as well as your loved ones, the whole event—from prep through cleanup—can be truly joyful. And the friends and family members you invite will be touched by the spirit of giving that made it all happen.

Party Platter

When a crowd is coming, hors d’oeuvres are the ideal food. You can often prepare them partially or even completely in advance, and if you make finger foods, cleanup is a snap. “Your guests will be in motion—mingling, standing, walking, and drinking,” says Frank McClelland, a chef in Boston who brings tricks of the trade from his restaurant, L’Espalier, to entertain his family at home. “If something can be eaten in one bite, there’s no fuss and no mess.”

So when it comes to party planning, think of a variety of bite-size items that can be artfully laid out along a kitchen table covered with beautiful fabric and shimmering candles. Leave most of the food and drinks on this surface, but place a few dishes of olives, nuts, and crystallized ginger on side tables around the room to avoid any crowding or waiting in line to eat. And putting some hors d’oeuvres in other locations—such as on a coffee table or a mantle—ensures a natural flow or movement of minglers at a party. A creamy dip with crudités adds color to any spread and can be piled next to toasted breads topped with homemade pesto or hummus. While this is not a sit-down dinner, you may want to serve the staples of a light meal: fresh vegetables, soup, a hunger-satisfying protein like tempeh, and something hearty—such as Japanese eggplant stuffed with a simple ratatouille of tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, and basil. If you’re inviting 25 or more people, consider passing around several small trays of something decadent like stuffed mushrooms.

If your party is held during dinnertime, plan on about four to five hors d’oeuvres per person per hour. That amount should ensure that guests don’t feel as if they’re scraping up the last crumbs from the platter, while preventing you from ending up with heaps of perfectly good food that goes untouched.

In planning the menu, choose some items that can be prepared in advance. For example, make a simple batch of egg rolls filled with mushrooms, carrots, and tofu a week or more before your party. After you’ve cooked the rolls, quickly transfer them to a cookie sheet, making sure that there’s a little space between them. Carefully place the cookie sheet in the freezer and set the temperature lower than usual for an hour. Once the rolls are completely frozen, store them in a sealed container to go back into the freezer (raise the temperature to normal at this point) until you’re ready to reheat them when company arrives. Flash freezing will preserve the flavor and texture of food and save you valuable prep time. Crudités, or cut-up raw vegetables, can be prepared two days ahead and refrigerated, stored in containers filled with water to maintain the veggies’crunch and color.

You might surprise your guests with cups filled with a dreamy, creamy soup made of puréed white beans or red peppers, which can be made up to a week beforehand. If you serve it in small cups or even shot glasses, no spoons are necessary. But do place a tray nearby for empty glasses.

Winter brings a host of tasty root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, which can be made into “fries” by baking and then sprinkling them with cayenne, or serving them with a curry dipping sauce. Tiny new potatoes can be boiled, halved, and topped with chutney. Or try stuffing peppers or mushrooms with a savory almond filling.

A simple and elegant hors d’oeuvre is made from warm bread topped with a savory spread, a sweet vegetable or fruit, and garnish. Toast pumpernickel bread, cut it into individual servings, and add a bit of spreadable soy cheese, a roasted fig, and a sprinkle of minced rosemary. For crostini or other bread-based hors d’oeuvres, slice and toast bread in the morning. An hour or so before the party, spread on olive tapenade or baba ghanoush and top with a sliver of bell pepper or a ribbon of carrot (made with a peeler).

The best beverages to serve with flavorful party foods are refreshing and palate cleansing—and hey, you’re celebrating! How about something with bubbles? Effervescence goes well with rich foods, leaving taste buds primed to experience each bite of food as intensely as the first.

Try sparkling water with a dash of cranberry juice and a twist of lime, or the Apple Pilar, a nonalcoholic cocktail served at Jardiniere in San Francisco: Combine 3/4 cup organic apple juice with the juice from half a lemon. Add 10 or so large mint leaves, stir, then mix in 1/4 cup ginger ale. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Guests of Honor

While planning is key to pulling off such an event, there’s something to be said for connecting with your heart. To infuse your cooking with love and ensure that prep time is as much fun as the party, crank up some holiday tunes that make you feel joyful or sing along to a kirtan (chanting) CD. You can chop to the rhythm of your favorite mantra or make an offering before you begin cooking, asking for all who partake of the food to be blessed. And do invite a friend to help. She’ll feel honored that you asked, and together you can fill the food with your positive energy.

After all, this is your party too: It’s your time to celebrate with people closest to you. Make every moment of it—before, during, and after—a memorable gift to yourself as well as your loved

As hard as you try, you can’t always keep the colds and flus of winter from stuffing up your head and slowing down your body. Before you know it, you’re wondering if you should attempt your regular yoga practice or give up and go to bed. Here’s what I suggest.

LISTEN CLOSE Check in with your body before practice. If you’re wiped out, you could make things worse by pushing through your normal routine, so try a gentle or restorative practice instead and skip strong breathing techniques. Once your energy improves, you can gradually return to a more vigorous practice even if you still have a cough or your nose is stuffy. If you feel worse after practicing, it’s a sign that you’ve probably done too much.

TREAT YOURSELF If you feel you need to take something for your symptoms, avoid antibiotics; they are worthless for colds, and even over-the-counter cold remedies aren’t very practical, since many contain five drugs when all you need is one or two. It makes more sense to take individual remedies, like slippery elm lozenges for a sore throat or acetaminophen for pain. For nasal congestion, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to boiling water and inhale the vapors. Although it’s still not clear how effective echinacea, zinc lozenges, vitamin C, and homeopathic preparations can be, you can still try them, since they are all generally very safe.

CLEAR YOUR HEAD A stuffy nose, while not serious, can really put a crimp in your practice, especially if you do a lot of Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath). To unstuff yourself, use jala neti, a yogic nasal cleansing technique: Put a quarter teaspoon of noniodized salt and eight ounces of warm water in a neti pot. Standing over a sink, tip your head to one side and insert the spout into the upper nostril, allowing the water to flow into your nose and drain from the other nostril. Repeat on the other side. You can try this several times a day if you’ve got a cold. Jala neti can be helpful right before pranayama or meditation practice, or even asana.

SOUND OUT YOUR SINUSES Vibrations from humming have been shown to open the sinuses and let phlegm drain, which can relieve pressure and may even help stave off a bacterial infection of the sinuses. Try chanting Om, or, for nasal congestion, experiment with the pranayama practice of Bhramari: Press your lips together and make the sound of a buzzing bee.

STAY UPRIGHT If your head is stuffed up or you’re feeling tired, modify or skip inversions like Headstand and Handstand. Even Shoulderstand can worsen nasal congestion and head pressure.

cold SUPPORT YOURSELF Even restful poses like Savasana (Corpse Pose) aren’t easy when you’re congested, so instead of lying flat, support your back on a bolster running lengthwise from your lower spine to your head, with a folded blanket under the head and neck if needed. This makes breathing easier, and it’s more energizing. Supta Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) can also be done with back support.

Whether we’re standing tall in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) or flexing our toes in Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), yoga gives us ample opportunity to focus on feet. Unfortunately, it’s often the only time we do. Foot care is not something many of us find time for, and when a yoga instructor directs our attention toward our feet, we’re often unpleasantly surprised.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, eight out of 10 American adults will suffer from some kind of foot problem in their lives?and yogis are no exception. For the regular practitioner, foot problems often go unnoticed until a callus thwarts our stance in Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) or foot odor becomes a source of embarrassment in class. But here’s the good news: Simple home treatments can both treat and prevent common podiatric problems.

If you’ve ever surveyed the feet that walk through the doors of your local studio, you know that certain problems are common among yogis. Perspiration can be one of them, and it’s no wonder. With 250,000 sweat glands, your feet can produce as much as eight ounces of sweat daily.

To avoid slipping around on your mat, brew two black tea bags in one pint of boiled water for 15 minutes. Add two quarts of cool water and soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes. The tannic acid in the brewed tea will change your skin’s pH level and help prevent unwanted odor-causing bacteria.

Athlete’s foot presents another big challenge. This itchy condition around the toes ranks as the most common fungal infection in the United States. You can pick up the organism that causes athlete’s foot almost anywhere?including shared sticky mats?so consider bringing your own to class.

Geranium oil and tea tree oil both have germ- and bacteria-killing properties, making them excellent treatments. Add these oils to your own creams and powders, or look for products containing them as a key ingredient. Athlete’s foot germs thrive in damp environments, so also be sure to keep your feet clean and dry, especially between the toes where moisture can get trapped.

While not contagious, corns and calluses certainly cause discomfort. Your body produces these growths as protection against daily friction and pressure, but if they get too large, it’s time to smooth and reduce them. Use a wet pumice stone to slough off extra skin, or purchase foot creams that contain ground pumice for smooth, soft feet.

Also, try adding fresh or canned pineapple juice to your footbath. This tropical fruit contains bromelain, a natural enzyme that will help soften calluses and rough heels.

mYogaShop.com has officially opened its new online retail yoga shop featuring fair-trade, organic and eco-sensitive yoga products.

“We are excited to offer yoga enthusiasts, practitioners and resellers a variety of products at affordable prices”, said Kenya Moses, Store Founder. mYogaShop.com is geared towards individuals who are eco-conscious and care about the impact of our fitness products on our environment”, continues Kenya.

The new store features products such as mYoga’s very own Natural Rubber Yoga Mat, Yogitoes’ Skidless Premium Yoga Mat Towels and the complete Yogi & Yogini line from Wild Earth Nepal.

mYogaShop.com is committed to giving back to the community and will contribute throughout the year to local bay area public schools as well as sustainable charities throughout the world.

mYoga is a retailer of fair-trade, organic and eco-sensitive yoga props, apparel and health and beauty products.

As an exclusively online school of yoga, International Yogalayam has developed several innovative yoga distance education programs.

To aid in the dissemination of these yoga training programs, they have now established a Yoga Affiliate Program.

Yoga schools, yoga teachers, and website owners can help to promote these unique yoga training programs by becoming a Yoga Affiliate of International Yogalayam.

International Yogalayam has received much praise for its pioneering approach to yoga education – one that allows eager students across the globe to gain comprehensive training in the art and science of yoga.

For more information on the benefits of becoming a Yoga Affiliate of International Yogalayam, and how to get started, visit http://www.discover-yoga-online.com/yoga-affiliate.html