healthy living

The CDC has recommended that anyone who is over 60, and has certain health factors such as diabetes avoid going out as much as possible in the midst of this current coronavirus outbreak. My parents fall in this category, and they are not happy about being told to stay indoors. Being very vital individuals, the thought of sitting at home, now that they are retired together, is offensive, and quite frankly cramping their style. My sister and I have been urging them to stock up on medication and food and lay low for a bit until we see how this mess plays out. They are very grudgingly, half-obliging. I’ve been encouraging them to delve into growing some of their own food, for back up, and to learn something new while being stuck at home. Starting with microgreens. Microgreens are easy to grow, and provide up to five times the nutrition of mature greens. That’s an easy way to make sure your nutritional needs are being met, especially if you can’t get to the grocery store. Being diabetic, many of the foods that we use for food storage, are very high in carbohydrates, which is not great when trying to control blood sugar levels. Having access to whole, healthy, low carb foods is crucial to them both. With no idea how long this virus is going to plague us here in the U.S., I feel it’s necessary for them to have a back up plan, where groceries are concerned. Learning to grow some of their own food just makes sense. If you would also like to learn to grow your own microgreens, your going to need to gather up some seeds and containers. Any shallow container will do. You can certainly order all of the trays on amazon, but I just use what I have lying around, for now. When I have turned growing microgreems into a weekly habit, I will probably shell out for the lights, trays and a really cool indoor setup.

But for now…it’s just old milk cartons and a south facing window.

Here I’ve started radish, mustard, and spinach.

Let’s get started. We will start by putting around an inch of dirt in a shallow container, sprinkling your chosen seed liberally, then add a light layer of dirt over top. You should have no more than 1.5-2 inches of dirt when you are done. Then just add water. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can dip your tray in another tray filled with water to water from the bottom up, or your can spray thoroughly with a spray bottle, just make sure to not over water. It’s recommended to mist a couple of times per day. Follow these instructions and you should have beautiful delicious microgreens to add to your smoothies, salads, and sandwiches in a couple of weeks.

Have you experimented with growing microgreens? What are your favorites? Share your ideas in the comments, or on instagram @canigetaramen. I can also be found on FB and Pinterest @ canigetaramen.food.blog.

So many times I have seen people set admirable goals for their health and wellness, start out on a positive track, stick it out for a couple days, or even weeks, then suddenly revert back to the old habits that they were trying to shed to begin with. They, then, continue to start, then stop, over and over, each time feeling as though they are falling further away from their intended goals. Why do you think they struggle so hard to meet their dietary goals? Is it because they just don’t want it enough? No. That’s not it. I’ve seen people who are desperate to transform their lives, lose weight, build muscle and heal themselves from illness, but they just can’t seem to make it last.

They start out striving to eat perfectly, based on the program they choose, thinking if they make just one little mistake it will all come crashing down, and all will be for naught. This extremist mindset sets them up for failure every single time. Then what happens? Their thinking moves from “this was a failure” to “I’m a failure”, sending them spiraling into shame, making them less likely to try again. If they do muster up the courage to give it another go, it’s with a preconceived notion that they will not, actually, succeed. Every time they put themselves through this cycle, they are less likely to succeed in their long term, healthful goals. Have you ever found yourself in this cycle? Maybe you are in this cycle still? There is someone out there who can help you find success.

What your kitchen consultant knows, that you don’t, is that what you need most is a mental shift, designed to alter your relationship with food. Someone who can help you understand where your food comes from, why you need to make healthier choices and what your food is intended to do for you, and for your health. Someone to help connect you to the food that you choose in practical, useful, real world ways.

The most common plea for help I hear goes along these lines “I wish someone would just come to my house and teach me how to do this.” I get it. It’s overwhelming. As always, the key to success is preparation and planning. Not everyone knows what that looks like. Or how to apply it to their specific goals.

An organized kitchen is a great place to start. Having the proper tools on hand, and knowing how to use them to simplify the cooking process. Knowing what to cook each day, and how each meal will help you on the path to your current goals. Learning how to organize and use herbs and spices in your kitchen, knowing which ones to purchase next, to prepare delicious, healthy meals that you will look forward to eating. Knowing when and how to splurge a bit and enjoy your life, while still staying true to the plans you have made for your health. Knowing where to purchase fresh, local produce, affordably, while helping your local economy, farmers and entrepreneurs.

A kitchen consultant can help you clearly define these goals, align them with your current experience and mentor you through each process to success. They will actually come to your house and give you the hands on guidance that will help to put you on track to your best life. With my holistic, systems thinking approach, together, we will create intentional goals, and a kitchen space that will support those goals. If you decide to make this investment into your health, we will explore a growth mindset, and help you develop a personalized, winning strategy, designed to meet your specific nutritional needs. If you live in the Western NY area, and think you could benefit from a kitchen consultation feel free to contact me at mdbridge8181@gmail.com.

Tag: healthy living

Stuck Indoors? Grow Some Microgreens.

What the Heck is a Kitchen Consultant?