Eat Your Greens

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all know we need to eat greens. Greens like spinach, romaine, chard, cabbage, and the list could go on. If you do a bit of nutrition research you will find that most greens have list of nutrients that could rival a multivitamin. It seems like the darker the green the more nutritious they are. They are full of iron, calcium, fiber, vitamins A, B, C, E, K, etc. So the question now is, if greens as so good for you why in the world are they so hard to eat?

I'll admit that greens are not the easiest thing for me to put in my diet. Don't get me wrong, I love salads with romaine and spinach, however, while they are good for you they aren't the most nutrient dense of the bunch. Greens (the darker ones like kale, collard, and chard) can be quite tough and bitter. Definitely not something I would be excited to go eat. That said I realize the benefit they are to my health so I have been trying to wean myself into eating more variety of greens.

I have found that I really like greens cooked in soups, stews, and casseroles. Granted I like them more cooked than they recommend for optimum nutrition, but it's a step. One of my favorites is savoy cabbage. When cooked in soups it can lend a sweet delicate flavor. I have even eaten, and liked, lentil soup with collard greens cooked in it.

Many people swear that the way to "get your greens" is to drink green smoothies. They say that it provides you with a boost of energy and nutrients, which I can see to be true. One lady whose blog I check occasionally said it like this, "I love green smoothies because I feel the living energy pulsing through my veins!" I have tried to make a couple of green smoothies over the past year and all I've felt is a rock in my stomach, no "pulsing energy". I found them to be watery and bitter. I got a few mouthfuls down, but never the full thing. So I gave up. I figured I'd just get my greens from salads and soups.

But then again it's not like me to give up completely. I decided this morning that I'd try again. It had been several months since I've tried. Maybe my tastes have changed. Plus I decided that maybe I needed to slowly move into green smoothies. So this morning I made something in between a fruit smoothie and a green smoothie. You know what? It was pretty good! (For a green smoothie)

Here's what I did...

Fill the blender 3/4 full with mixed baby greens
(I use Organic Girl Baby Spring Mix. It provides a variety of greens. Being 'baby greens' they tend to be sweeter and more tender, thus easier on the palate and digestive system. Perfect for acquiring your taste for greens.)
Fill the blender 1/2 full with cold filtered water.

Blend greens and water until completely blended

Add
1 small banana
1 ripe pear
1/4 of an avocado
1 Dole fruit cup of Mandarin Oranges (juice and all)

Blend until smooth. Enjoy! (makes about 3 glasses worth)

The avocado and banana yield a creamy smooth flavor that makes it easier to get down. Even though there's a lot of fruit in here it's not really sweet, so be prepared.

Even though I didn't use some of the heartier greens I think this is a pretty good start. I'll just try to keep making baby steps to eating more variety of greens, including the 'yucky' ones. :)

Oats Controversy

Remember in school when you learned the vowels. A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. I never got that. Does anyone even know when Y counts as vowel and when it doesn't?

I have found similar things with the gluten-free diet. If you hear anything about the gluten-free diet you will hear that you can't have wheat, barely, rye, and sometimes oats. This is a little bit of a different principle than the whole vowel thing though. I actually have knowledge about when and why the 'sometimes' exists. And for those who care, I am going to share it with you.

All grains have a protein. However it is the protein (gluten) in wheat, barely, and rye that are an issue. Wheat, barely, and rye are related on the same ancestry line, which is why they all contain the same genetic protein gluten. Oats were an early branch off that line, thus being closely related. The protein in oats is called avenin. Research has found that in some people with Celiac Disease this protein can cause a reaction similar to gluten, including the intestinal enteropathy (damage).

Some people believe that all people with Celiac Disease should not eat oats. Some people think that it's fine for those who can tolerate oats. I have personally taken the position of no oats. There is still a lot of research to be done on this particular issue and on Celiac Disease in general. I take the position of 'if there is any question, I'm just not going to eat it'. So no oats for me.

However, if you choose to eat oats there are a few things you should know. First off most oats are grown in a rotation crop with wheat, or in a field next to wheat. Shockingly enough this is actually sufficient to cross-contaminate the oats with gluten. Even if it weren't most farms process oats on the same equipment they process their wheat, thus cross-contaminating it further. So, if you eat oats make sure that you get Certified Gluten-Free Oats!!! This means that they were grow in a dedicated gluten-free field and processed on gluten-free equipment. I have seen that Bob's Red Mill have some Gluten-Free Oats you can try if you wish.

The other point to be aware of if you decide to eat oats is that you shouldn't eat more than about 1/2 a cup (50-70g) a day. This is a studied and know fact. People have found that if they eat more than that they have negative effects. Also, make sure to be retested about six months after you start eating oats to make sure you aren't having any negative effects from the avenin.

Relativity of Classiness

My friend once told me I was a classy person. I've really appreciated that compliment in my life. She also told me I had great legs. While I am grateful for that compliment as well I might appreciate it more if it had come from a guy. :)

But I digress..... To the point

I was reading an article recently about new reality TV shows coming out (why I don't know, I was bored most likely) and one of them caught my eye. Not for the actual show, but for certain things about the people in the show. Here, read for yourself...

"It's "The Biggest Loser," only with brides and grooms. On the new show "Shedding for the Wedding," nine engaged couples compete to lose weight and win the wedding of their dreams. Each couple's wedding has a theme, from gaming to football to Greek life (frat, not Athens). The Greek life couple plan to have a beer pong table at their nuptials, but monogrammed 'cause that's "classier." (Premieres after 'Top Model," Feb. 23, 9 p.m., The CW.)"

Gaming? Football? Greek life? Hmmmmm...... not exactly my opinion of classy. 

Want to know something else that caught my attention? I went bowling for my birthday this past summer. When we arrived we noticed a wedding party there. Each person in the wedding party had a shirt with the date of the wedding (it was the next day) on the front and their name on the back. The bride had a white one, the groom a black one, and everyone else had a bright green one. Don't believe me? Check it out....

It didn't end up being the family friendly affair I thought it would, especially once the beer and pizza came out. (Hmmm.... beer and pizza, now that's class.)

The next time I happened to be at this same bowling alley someone proposed over the intercom system. Half of the place was in cheers (the half of the place that was surrounding the couple), and the other half were in disbelief and groans of "Seriously!?! Really!?!? On the intercom!?!?"

At first I thought about writing this and making some sarcastic jokes about the seemingly class-less wedding affairs of others. I even had some great one liners ready to go. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that I have no right to judge what is meaningful or "classy" to other people. In the end I have to have a great deal of respect for all these people. They had the courage to do what was meaningful and important to them in celebration of their relationship together no matter what others might think about it. While I may not be interested in having a Greek life themed reception, or having my significant other propose his love for me on a bowling alley intercom, I do want to feel free to celebrate in the way I choose. (I might could get on board for a bowling party the night before.) So whenever the time comes for me to plan a wedding of my own I am going to remember these people. I am going to make sure that whatever we do it is fun and classy for us. Who cares what other people think or say, it's not about them anyway. 

I will just say if and when I get to plan a wedding it will be TRULY classy!!! ;)

Walk With The Lord Daily

Elder Christofferson gave a talk entitled "Give us this day our daily bread" at a CES fireside a couple of months ago. Check it out HERE.

I loved this talk! I think it is applicable to everyone no matter what is going on in their lives. I felt touched by several aspects, but one thing that really stuck with me was the point that our trials are opportunities to draw closer to the Lord, to learn to rely on the Lord in all things, to walk with the Lord daily. When our trials span over years it allows us to create the habit of always relying of the Lord. Hopefully we will be able to keep this habit when the trial ends and maintain the relationship we have created with the Lord.

I hope and pray that I have created a sufficient enough habit to not loose the relationship with the Lord I have gained over the past several years. If I am able to continue to walk with the Lord daily, I know that this habit will be one of the greatest blessings I could have received through the trials of the past few years.