It ‘ain’t always an easy path, but what else can I do? Now that I know and have experienced that feeling the feelings is the ticket out of the enslavement of binge-eating, I can’t turn back. And the good news is, after seven years of inviting in, rather than running from Truth, I don’t want to.
Wishing you all a Healing and Enlightening 2016 with the knowledge that you don’t walk this road alone.
xoxo
Stacey
If you’re going to do carbs, the very best time of day to eat them is in the morning, because you’ll have the rest of the day to burn them off! Nutritionally speaking, some of the finest and most loaded and complex carbs on the planet are whole grains alchemized into hot cereal.
What? You’re not a fan of mushy hot cereal? You only THINK you’re not! Erase all the preconceived stereotypes and lousy childhood memories of tepid, flavorless gruel, a la Oliver Twist. I’m not suggesting it can or should resemble crème brule, but with a little imagination, you can make your next bowl of hot cereal teetering on the verge of appealing…if you play your cards properly.
What’s required is a good foundation of whole-grained, gluten-free carbs such as oatmeal, brown rice, oat bran, steel cut oats, and the like. From there, proceed with the following crucial elements:
The building blocks
Of note: Chia and flax seeds are often marketed as whole seeds but I’ve heard from a number of sources (and it makes sense to me) that these poppy-sized seeds are so tiny, they can’t be broken down in the digestive track like larger foods so they pass right through and so do the nutrients, unused. The solution is to grind them yourself in a nut or coffee grinder or buy them pre-ground.
I can hear those on a tight schedule muttering about the time it must take to prepare. Sure it’s more than a zap in the microwave, but cooked on medium-low (hot cereal burns easily so watch the flame and stir often) it’s done in 10-15 minutes. My strategy for a little time-saving: Get all the ingredients together in a saucepan the night before. The grains soak and get nice and plump overnight in the milk (I use almond milk so spoilage isn’t a factor) and cooking time’s not as long.
Simple, glorious oat bran
So there you have it, one of my strategies for comforting yourself with carbs in a way that will enhance your body’s functioning, not throw a monkey wrench into it. The combinations for delicious hot cereal are many. Below is a single recipe, but it’s a template to work from. Make your own formulas based on what’s in the cupboard or what you’re craving. Who knew morning cereal could be so creative?
Super Oatmeal with Goji Berries
Serves 1
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond, coconut, or sunflower seed milk
1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats
2 tablespoons ground flax or chia seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
1/4 cup dried goji berries *
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sweetener of choice: 1 tablespoon honey, or coconut palm nectar. Or 8 drops of stevia.
* Dried goji berries are very tough (not soft like raisins) so this cereal recipe lends it self to an overnight soak. If you can, place all ingredients but sweetener in a small saucepan and soak overnight. In the morning, place covered over medium-low heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until desired thickness is reached. Stir occasionally. When done, mix in sweetener and serve immediately.
Fabulous fuel!
It’s taken some discipline, but I’ve done some serious taming of my former white-sugar habit. Oh, there were the binge-eating years when it was all junk all the time. Needing food to cope with the various challenges in my life at that time (stressful job, unhappy relationship), I considered the cookie aisle of the supermarket my oyster, and I dove in regularly. But it didn’t end there. Oh, the fun I had at donut shops, baking cookies at home from those tubes of dough, and I confess, like most binge-eaters, sometimes the dough didn’t make it to the cookie sheet.
When I embarked on my transformation journey in 2009, the changes I made with food choices were gradual because I wanted habits I could live with. Dieting or anything that resembled it was out. The gradual changes such as eliminating gluten and cow dairy gave way to significant weight loss. And I still ingested white sugar along the transformational path. But as my weight got closer to its setpoint and as I entered that physiologically bewildering phase of life known as menopause, it became clear that more fine-tuning of the food choices was needed. Another way of looking at it was, I had unofficially made gluten-free cupcakes (with a mountain of sugary butter frosting) its own food group. No, I didn’t overeat them in terms of quantity, but the frequency was regular. And my nutritionist Nancy Guberti revealed that my organic acid test showed I had an inordinately high level of bad bacteria lining my stomach – so much so that it created a barrier that effectively blocked nutrient absorption.
My sugar intake had gotten out of control, and believe me, it doesn’t take much to exceed Guberti’s suggested 30-35 grams per day in the culture we live in. Sugar is EVERYWHERE: in drinks, condiments, crackers, and of course, desserts.
I’m not trying to take away all of your fun, but it’s time to start looking at what’s thrust onto the supermarket shelves and restaurant menus with a more discerning eye. Sure it tastes good, but what about what happens during and after digestion? Even moderate amounts of sugary drinks are enough to start the production of fat-depositing enzymes into the liver, according to a study published this year by the American Liver Foundation.
And if this news weren’t sobering enough, there’s research linking sugar to Alzheimer’s disease. New York Times writer Mark Bittman did a brilliant and descriptive essay on the subject in 2012 titled “Is Alzheimer’s Type 3 Diabetes?” Read it only if you’re ready to wake from the culture-induced trance that sugar is just harmless fun. And if you didn’t know that back in 2005 doctors and scientists began categorizing Alzheimer’s as the Type 3 Diabetes, well, wake up and smell the unsweetened iced coffee!
Ah, but it’s not all gloom and doom where the world of sugar and desserts are concerned. And that’s a big part of why I wrote my second book, “Sweet Comfort,” which has 44 recipes made without white sugar. Most use coconut palm sugar, stevia, or the beloved date…one of the most delicious and nutritious ways to sweeten since the dawning of the first date tree in ancient Mesopotamia.
Since I’m always in recipe development mode, the following recipe for date milk isn’t in the book, it’s HERE, for you to enjoy! I love this sweet drink in the morning for a shot of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It’s perfect to tote along on a road trip or during an afternoon of errands. The choices at most convenience stores, drive thrus, and restaurants are sub-standard as far as I’m concerned. Food and drink has to do more than just taste good, it must do something FOR me. And this lovely, simple recipe does both.
Date Milk
Serves 1
Ingredients:
12 ounce of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons shelled hemp hearts
4 dates
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a large bottle, shake well, and soak overnight, either refrigerated or unrefrigerated. (I prefer non-chilled drinks, but if cold’s your thing, by all means chill it)
The next morning, place all ingredients in a blender or Vitamix and blend for about a minute or until creamy. Pour into a glass or a road-worthy container and enjoy.
You’ve probably heard how it’s important to “eat the rainbow,” code for getting a wide spectrum of fruits and vegetables into onto your plate and into your body. Vitamins and supplements are great, but nothing nourishes you like food straight outta Mother Earth.
Here are two ways to imbue your life with the color purple…Enjoy!
In my nearly seven years of eating clean, doing DDPYOGA, and in the process, dropping 180 unwanted pounds, I’ve learned a thing or two about food. Most importantly, it’s crucial to still enjoy it. I do. How else could I have made it this far? But balance is equally critical because, again, I ask: how could I have made it this far? In my former life, I was either dieting or overeating. No middle ground. None.
Today, it is on a patch of fertile middle ground where I have pitched my tent. And right next to it I’ve planted a massive victory flag that waves triumphantly in the wind. And since the New Me is here to stay, I’ve had to learn the fine art of choosing my battles, or in this case, simple carbs. In other words, I’ve got to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em. I have every intention of making Thanksgiving a gastronomic feast. I eat considerably more and considerably heavier on this day. Why wreck the glory of it by inserting a dish or two that would be better suited at a spa? That said, I don’t go wild either.
Case in point, the sample menu below. It’s simple, yet rich. And because of that, I’ve chosen a clean green to cleanse the palate of all the fat and starch that’ll be gliding down the gullet that day. I used to be enamored with the green bean casserole made with canned mushroom soup. Nowadays I fare better with a simple dish of sauteed string beans, a little olive oil, and a few splashes of lemon topped with slivered almonds. Every dish on here is gluten-free and mostly dairy-free. I confess to baking and cooking on special occasions with heavy cream. As much as I adore coconut milk, I don’t want the taste of it in mashed potatoes or creamed onions. If heavy cream is off the list for you, substitute with a vegan creamer.
The cranberry sauce is made from whole berries and no white sugar. It’s another delicious way to give the palate something else to grab onto and also cut through the gravy and butter. This may look like a small menu, but it’s simply reflective of my preferences. I’ve done the 15-item Thanksgiving menus in years past and discovered we tend to gravitate to five or so favorites. A tight list of all-time faves saves time, money, and sanity.
A CLEAN AND COMFORTING THANKSGIVING MENU
Turkey with Gravy
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans Almondine
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Optional: Gluten-Free rolls, biscuits, or popovers
Dessert: Coconut Cherry Cobbler or Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Below are recipes for some of the above. As for the mashed potatoes, my secret is, boiling quartered potatoes in chicken stock instead of water. When they’re soft and fork-tender, drain liquid and add this delicious elixir known as melted butter and warm (NOT cold) heavy cream in increments as you blend with electric beater. Salt and pepper to taste. As I openly admit, I use heavy cream (not milk) on special occasions. Sometimes there’s just no other viable substitute.
Cranberry Sauce A La Helen Gurley Brown
Cosmopolitan magazine…circa 1988. It’s the last place I ever thought I’d find a usable recipe. But I did. And it was so simple, I committed it to memory in the confines of that sweat bath of a studio apartment I rented on the upper west side that summer.
There’s no sugar in this, which is amazing for a cranberry recipe. Use it any way you like: in yogurt, oatmeal, on ice cream, waffles. No rules. Except one: don’t under any circumstances leave the stove while this is simmering. You haven’t really cleaned until you’ve cleaned molten cranberry sauce off a burner. I’ve named this concoction in honor of the woman who (on some level) must have given it the green light:
Ingredients:
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 can frozen grape juice concentrate (100% juice)
Instructions:
Place both ingredients in a sauce pan on medium heat and cover. Cook about 5-10 minutes, or until it begins to simmer. Uncover and turn heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before serving or storing. Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Months if frozen.
Stacey’s G-Free Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 loaf gluten-free white bread, slices left uncovered overnight to harden (some gf breads are cardboard, and in this case, that’s an asset!)
1 bunch celery
2 large onions
Chicken stock (at least a quart)
Butter or olive oil
Bell Seasoning (or whatever you have: thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat butter or olive oil in large cooking pot. Dice vegetables in a food processor until fine. Add to pot, sprinkle with spices and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook until translucent or just starting to brown. While vegetables are cooking, dice the bread into cubes and preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour diced bread into pot and add heated chicken stock. (I found that g-free bread absorbs a lot of liquid so don’t hold back) Mix thoroughly and transfer to casserole. The stuffing shouldn’t look dry. If you can’t see any liquid, add some more (unless you like dry stuffing). I added enough liquid so it filled the casserole dish almost halfway. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.
From experience I can say, it’s great to be able to enjoy stuffing and not feel sedated and bloated.
Chef Bill’s Gluten-Free Gravy
Chef’s note: for those who like their gravy very thick, have at least two ‘gravy thickeners’ on hand. Recipe: approximately 1 tablespoon of corn starch or potato starch mixed with 1/8 stick of butter or 1 tablespoon of oil, and rolled between your palms until it becomes a ball. Refrigerate until ready to use. If your gravy doesn’t come out as thick as you desire, whisk 1 chilled ball at a time into the gravy until desired thickness is achieved.
Gravy ingredients
Note: you can either use turkey stock made from boiling parts, or have two quarts of boxed turkey stock on hand and heated.
Approximately four pounds of smoked turkey parts, available at most gourmet grocery stores or smokehouses
Half-stick of unsalted butter or 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 generous tablespoons of corn or potato starch
11/2 ounces brandy or cognac
1 tablespoon browning sauce such as Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Boil the turkey parts boiled uncovered in about a gallon of water with an onion and carrot until water is reduced to about half (about two hours). Remove turkey parts from liquid and strain through a colander. Chef’s note: meat from turkey parts may be removed, chopped and added to gravy, or put in the roasting pan with turkey for extra parts.
In a large Dutch oven, heavy sauce pan, or wok, melt butter (or heat oil) over medium-high heat, then whisk the potato or corn starch until it becomes a roux (thick, creamy paste). When roux begins to bubble, turn the heat down to medium. Slowly ladle in warm stock and whisk briskly. Keep ladling and whisking until stock is depleted and the gravy thickens. If stock is depleted and gravy is not to desired thickness, see chef’s note above.
Just prior to serving, whisk in the browning sauce, cognac, thyme, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.
Cauliflower-Scallion Puree
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen cauliflower florets
1/3 cup tofu sour cream or goat’s milk yogurt
1 bunch scallions, rinsed and chopped
Salt to taste
Instructions:
Place cauliflower in large sauce pan. Add enough water to just cover bottom of the pan (essentially you’ll be steaming the vegetables). Sprinkle with salt. Add chopped scallions, sprinkle with a little more salt. Cook covered over medium-high heat until water reaches a boil, then turn heat back to medium and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is fork-tender. Turn heat off and sour cream or yogurt. Cover and let the heat from the vegetables work through it for a few minutes. Then puree everything with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
Gluten-Free Popovers
Ingredients:
2 cups Namaste all-purpose baking mix
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups milk (unsweetened almond or coconut) at room temperature
5 large eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425. Spray muffin tins or popover tins with non-stick cooking spray and place in the oven for at least 10 minutes while mixing batter.
Place all ingredients in a large blender or Vitamix. Blend for 10 seconds and no more (it’s important not to overbeat the eggs or the popovers won’t rise).
Carefully remove hot pan from oven. Ladle or pour batter into muffin cups till cup is ¾ full. Bake for 25 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 10 minutes. Popovers should be golden brown. Serve immediately.
Light and delicious!
Dessert
Given the nature of the meal, I prefer lighter desserts on this occasion. When I’m smack in the middle of digesting copious amounts of turkey and carbs is not the ideal time to send down a slice of flourless chocolate cake as a chaser. Sometimes I’m too full for a dessert, but if you’re big on it, you could give a Crustless Pumpkin Pie, or Fruit Cobbler a go. Served with a small scoop of Almond or Coconut-milk based ice cream and you’ve got a dazzler. Often at the end of any dinner, if I’m truly craving a sweet, I’ll have a small piece of dark chocolate and let it melt slowly in my mouth. It totally does the trick. Every time. But if you’re of the belief that a pie just isn’t a pie without a crust, below is a recipe for a gluten-free pie crust, courtesy of Team DDPYOGA member Diane Bender, who adapted it from a Libby’s Pumpkin Pie mix label.
Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Instructions:
Combine rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Form well in center. Add egg and vinegar; stir gently with a fork until just blended. Sprinkle with water; blend together with a fork and clean hands until mixture just holds together and forms a ball. (Be careful not to add too much water as dough will be hard to roll.)
Shape dough into ball and divide in half. Cover one half with plastic wrap; set aside. Place remaining half on lightly floured (use rice flour) sheet of wax paper. Top with additional piece of wax paper. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Remove top sheet of wax paper and invert dough into 9-inch deep-dish (4-cup volume) pie plate. Slowly peel away wax paper. Trim excess crust. Turn edge under; crimp as desired. Repeat with remaining half.
Cherry-Coconut Cobbler
Filling
1 22-ounce jar or can of cherry pie filling or the frozen berry equivalent (I prefer the sugar-free pie filling)
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crust
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup coconut powder or unsweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 330
Spray an 8 x 10 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside
Bring water to a boil and add cornmeal, salt, sugar, vanilla, and oil and whisk vigorously. Reduce heat to low and continue whisking until mixture is thick. Turn heat off and whisk in coconut. The cornmeal should be porridge consistency but not runny. If too thick, add a bit of hot water.
Pour fruit into baking pan. Drizzle the two juices over the fruit and mix slightly so it’s evenly distributed. With a rubber spatula, drop cornmeal bit by bit on top of the fruit and spread slightly so it’s an even crust. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve hot.
Sparkling Clean White Russian
And then there’s the other option after a voluptuous menu: a liquid dessert. Here is one Chef Bill invented recently, after deciding that I’d been deprived of White Russians long enough. No holiday is complete without a little libation – enjoy!
Ingredients:
6 ounces of unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce Godiva Liqueur or Kahlua
A dash of cocoa powder
Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Serve strained or on the rocks.
