Monthly Archives: June 2011

Super Foodies

Want a crazy easy, ridiculously nutritious meal?

Turn this


Into this

When I was a kid my mom made us salmon burgers semi-regularly.  I had a random craving in college, bought some canned fish, opened it up, gagged and fed it to the cat.

Nearly 10 years after the incident I was ready to give it another try.  Turns out, unless you are into that sort of thing, buy the “skinless-boneless” salmon.
The lesson learned and now I am hooked on the convenience and nutritional stats of this easy summer meal.

Superfood Burgers

  • 1 can of skinless, boneless, wild salmon
  • 1 piece of bread, coarsely chopped (whole wheat and sprouted for more nutrition!)
  • 2 pasture-fed, local eggs
  • 3 tablespoons oats
  • 1 tablespoon of walnuts
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • lots of fresh, finely chopped dill, chives, and parsley
  • dash of cayenne
  • ~1 tablespoon organic, grass-fed butter
Mash everything-except butter and garlic-together in a bowl.  Set aside.  In a skillet heat about a teaspoon of the butter on low-medium heat, add garlic, and cook until just soft.  Add garlic to salmon mixture and give it all a good stir.  Add another teaspoon of butter to skillet, use your hands to form patties, gently add patties to hot skillet.  Cover with a lid.  Flip after a few minutes, cover, remove when both sides are golden brown.  Repeat with remainder of mixture. I made 5 three-inch patties.
Why superfood burgers?
Wild salmon and walnuts are awesome sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids which contribute to joint and cardiovascular health as well as improved mood and cognition.
Whole, sprouted grains have higher vitamin content than unsprouted or refined grains.
Pasture fed eggs have a 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more Omega-3’s, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta-carotene than conventional eggs.  Note: “vegetarian fed” “cage free” or “organic” is not the same as pasture-fed!  It’s hard to find pasture-fed eggs at a conventional supermarket so seek these babies out at farmers markets or local health food stores.  It’s so worth it.
Oats, do I really need to say more?  Ok, just a quick reminder; soluble fiber=positive influences on overall cholesterol,high satiety, and regularity.
Garlic is full of the natural antibiotic allicin.
Fresh herbs are a great source antioxidants which reduce damage to cells by stabilizing free radicals.
Cayenne increases circulation, boosts metabolism, and makes food more satisfying.
Organic, grass-fed butter is an excellent source of Omega-3’s, vitamin E, and conjugated linoleic acid.  The benefits of eating pastured eggs and butter proves, once again, that whole foods win out of processed ones every-time.  The cows and chickens in the pasture eat the fresh food that is full of nutrients provided by the sun and soil.
What better dessert after a superfood dinner than serviceberry‘s straight off the tree?

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Ritualize It

[Sorry!  I wrote the following post this morning and just realized it didn’t actually publish!]

In May 2008 I summited Mount Hood.

In May 2009 I ran a marathon.

In May 2010 spent 10 days backpacking in the Himalayas.

See a pattern here?  In 2009 I realized it was the second year in a row that I was accomplishing a physical challenge in my birth month and decided to officially make a ritual of it.   Lucky for me we just happened to be backpacking in Annapurna area in May last year so it was a given.

This year, however, was a challenge to come up with my challenge.  I thought of a triathlon but the lake where I wanted to swim didn’t open until last week.  I really wanted to do a two day backpacking trip, which would be a first for me.  Yes, I did just say we did 10 days last year but we didn’t have to carry food or bedding because we hiked from hut to hut.  That plan got rained out.

I did accomplish some physical challenges last month and they ended up being mental hurdles as well.  In fact, they were more mentally challenging than physically but I’m still saying they count.  Hey, it’s my ritual to I get to make up the rules (as I go along :)).

The first was 7 days in a row of yoga.  In all my 13 years of practicing yoga I had never gone 7 days straight.  It was a challenge to roll my mat out on many days, a little piece of me resisted almost every time, but once I got going it felt awesome and by the end of the week I felt more centered and flexible.  I also did 30 Sun Salutations on my birthday-definitely a first!

The second was that20 mile bike ridearound Brooklyn and Manhattan I went on a few weeks ago.   Totally mental hurdle!  And the old school Schwinn bike I rode with the back peddle brakes was no easy task either!  In fact, I went on two 20 mile rides in May, a feat considering my average milage is 10-a week!

For me it seemed only appropriate that I celebrate my life with what makes me feel the most alive-MOVING!!!

Do you have any birthday rituals?

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