Denise Minger's Perfect Diet

Denise Minger of Raw Food SOS is an interesting lady. People either seem to hang on every word she says or regard her with complete incredulousness. Whatever your feelings are about her, she's got a lot going for her. She's smart, well read and thought provoking. She's a thinker; a trait that's important in any capacity you can get it.

The root of the passion Denise elicits from people stems from the fact that she doesn't necessarily prescribe to any specific type of diet, other than her own, healthy one. She has been a vegetarian, a vegan, a raw foodie, a paleohead, a pescatarian, a high fatter and a low fat fan. Once to subscribe to one of those groups, pledge allegiance and then do a 180 you're bound to get some angry emails... no matter how much science is behind your reasoning.

It really goes to show that there are every "diet" or "food lifestyle" has pros and cons. Sometimes the pro that out weighs anything else is merely the fact that you can stick to it.

Anyway, I digress. Denise gave the chat below that I can't stop thinking about. She touches on a concept that I've often thought about never fully conceptualized. At 20:26 she hits the nail on the head. <10% fat or >65% fat in the human diet seem to be where the healthy magic happens.

Sit back and take a look:




I suspect that <10% was the diet that homo sapiens evolved to survive on and >65% was the diet that Neanderthals/European ancestors learned to live on, meaning some of us have some adaptations for it. I take most of my evidence from populations who have lived it, and there are far more healthy populations living long on <10% (roughly) fat and fewer who live long on high fat diets (Maasai). However, for healing it provokes some interesting thoughts.

I'm not sure where Denise has gone these days or what she's up to lately, but I hope that she is continuing to share her thought scientific creativity ideas wherever she is.

What do you think about the video? Which dietary mantra makes more sense to you? Which one is more practical? If you're not sure, do some research and let me know your thoughts!

Ikarian Experiment: Day 7

When day 7 arrived I was ready to get creative with the ingredients in my fridge. I woke up late and skipped a proper breakfast. I made some tea and headed out to the farmers market. 

I walked a mile to the market, picked up some tomatoes, peaches, okra, zucchini and corn (all organic) and headed back home. Carrying pounds of groceries on your back in blistering heat is a heck of a workout!

Immediately I started thinking about lunch. I came up with a creation that I didn't picture but looked a lot like this:

via

I had several helpings and added a good amount of goat cheese. I also had two ears of delicious corn, raw. Did you know that raw corn is digested as a carb, not a starch?? Yum!

I spent some more time walking around and began prepping dinner at 4:30pm.

I had some leftover rye flour, 1 tomato, 1 small zucchini, 3 potatoes, capers, garlic, lemon and goat cheese. It looked sparse in the fridge, but there is a meal lurking somewhere in these ingredients. 

I made the flour into a dough for flat bread...

 

(Flour, salt, garlic powder and water)

And topped it with tomatoes (matted with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture), eggplant and feta.

 I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees until the bread was crisp and the cheese was browning. 

~40 minutes.

Meanwhile, I boiled the potatoes until soft and added them to the food processor.

 

I added 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, a squeeze of lemon and plenty of olive oil. Puree in the processor until it has mashed potato consistency. You may need to add a little water.

Topped with capers and more lemon juice. YUM!

Soon the pizza was ready and we were starving!

Yum! We ate all three pies. 

It was SO rewarding to know everything on the table was my creation. Completely worth a rumbling tummy and a little extra time. Cooking is a craft well worth it. Some people pamper themselves with massages and manicures, but giving your body clean, healthy food is the ultimate spa treatment. This is nourishment it craves.

You'll notice we don't have wine on the table. A total Ikarian "no no". Honestly, I am sick of wine and this is coming from someone who typically loves a nice glass of red. After like six nights of it I need a break. I've said it before during this challenge- I don't know how the Ikarians do it. Especially the older ones. Maybe there is something in the air in Greece.

I will definitely be taking away an increased confidence in the kitchen and appreciation for home cooked/scratch meals. I have learned to not go to the grocery store out of laziness, but instead create something to eat from the ingredients I have on hand...even if it's just flour and cheese!

I will also definitely be making weekly loaves of bread. It is so affordable and so easy and just plain fun to make. There is a world of different recipes to try...I think next week I will be experimenting with gluten free.

So this ends the Blue Zones, Going Greek Challenge - focus on Ikaria. Thanks for following if you did! Now back to smoothies and raw, plant based recipes :)

Day 7 - Mission Accomplished!

Ikarian Experiment: Day 6

 Friday morning was as usual. Lots of homemade bread paired with goat milk and tea. Too boring for pictures!

I packed the usual for work:

mixed almonds and cashews

an apple

2 huge pieces of bread

jar of honey

left overs (lentil and veggie soup)

herbal tea

 

I enjoyed my leftovers outside for lunch. It's funny, I've noticed that with this fresh food it seems to taste better the next day. 

 

I walked back home after work exhausted from the week but still wanting to enjoy the freedom of Friday. 

We went on a long walk and ended up grabbing a snack of chips and salsa at a new restaurant in town. We both really wanted to stay out and enjoy the night life but at like 8 o'clock we were beat. We went home and I threw together some food for dinner.  

 

Bread with honey and goat cheese paired with some wine that nearly knocked me out. 

 

I also had the last of the soup in a small bowl.

We watched the weirdest movie on Netflix called Novo. It was like Memento but without the "ah ha" revelation at the end. It was just strange.

 Tomorrow I'll be creating recipes out of the remainder of food in my fridge and panty. To be honest I considered just going to the store to buy my normal groceries in the morning. I felt like I barely had anything to eat and all of the food needed to be prepared. 

This, however, is the gist of living a more "Ikarian" life. Yes, it's a pain to make everything from scratch, but this is how it's meant to be done. It makes you appreciate the food that you're eating and think twice about over eating. It's  far easier to stop eating when you're full and have leftovers the next day. This week has exercised my ability to turn food away when I've had enough and I feel like I am better versed in this practice coming out of the experiment.

It also helps to avoid mindless snacking and most importantly, preservatives. On day 5 my coworkers brought in dunkin donuts. Out of curiosity I cut myself a slice the size of a tablespoon from a "blueberry" flavored one. 

Guys, it was seriously gross. It was not a pleasing flavor at all. It certainly wasn't made from anything blueberry... I know it was mostly sugar but the taste of synthetics seriously overpowered anything sweet. It tasted like it had accidentally been sprayed with cleaner.

Ugh. 

5 days of cooking from scratch can completely change your pallet. Granted I ate clean 90% of the time prior to Going Greek, I have never had such a strong reaction from stealing a snack of junk food as I did with this donut. 

Day 6 - Transformation :)

Ikarian Experiment: Day 5

By this morning I was craving my routine. Goats milk, tea and a large piece of bread with date honey.

For lunch I brought pretty much what I always bring: mixed nuts, bread, honey, olives, a peach and some sort of left over.

The peach was one of the most intensly flavored peaches I'd ever seen!

For lunch I was excited to have the last of my beet salad. Yum! So refreshing :)

When I came home from work we went on a walk which turned into a run to the grocery store for more bottled water. The run felt great. Over all I did about 3 miles to and from work, 1 mile walk and .75 mile run. Almost 5 miles :)

As soon as I got home I could not wait to get some food in my stomach! I had leftover soup and I swear it was even better than the previous day. Obviously, I had bread as well.

Later that evening some friends invited us out for a drink and some sushi. I never go out on week nights. I love my nightly relaxation routine and HATE feeling tired at work (almost as much as I hate being cold). In the spirit of bringing an Ikarian lifestyle to my little city, I agreed to join them. 

We stayed out laughing and drinking wine until almost 11. I'm usually asleep at 11. I probably had three glasses of wine which is much more than I usually drink. It was fun but I seriously don't know how the Ikarians do it. No lie, the next morning was brutal. I probably won't be indulging in this aspect of Going Greek again.

But overall, I'm glad I went. I'll suffer through my Friday morning with lots of tea and date honey and try to focus on the parts of my body that are thanking me for supposedly enhancing their wellbeing :)

Day 5 - I will succeed! Well fed, relaxed but tired :)

Ikarian Experiment: Day 4

I had so much fun being social and not concerned about time that I completely missed writing this post. Clearly someone is enjoying being more laid back!

Yesterday morning I started with a breakfast of more homemade bread and date honey and a cold glass of goat's milk.

Followed by a 1.5 mile walk in some intense humidity to work.

Here is what I brought to eat for the day:

Same as usual. Leftover beet salad, olives, nuts, a peach and bread. Each item is simple, but bursting with natural, complex flavors. Yum!



I sat at my desk and enjoyed some of the bread with honey.

After work, I walked back 1.5 miles in a thunder storm. It was scary but I tried to enjoy the breeze and the cooling of the air, and the overall feeling that something bigger than me and out of my control was looming. I was so glad to get home though.

When I walked in the door I felt like cooking. I whipped up a quick snack of bread (addicted) and goat cheese. Looking at the fridge I kind of felt like I was running out of food. I realized I had just cooked all of the things I was initially excited about. The rest of the recipes were a little more creative. I started working on making some soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 big carrots
• optional shitake mushrooms
• 2 tomatoes
• 6 stalks celery
• parsley
• 1 onion

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and add the lentils. Let this cook for about 1.5 hours. Cook with a lid.

Mince garlic and add to pot.

Chop up the veggies and greens and allow them to soak in a white vinegar/water mixture as a cleaning solution.

After the lentils are done, add in the rest of the veggies and allow it to simmer for another hour.

Enjoy!

For dinner I had a small helping of soup and some wine. I will probably be eating off of it for a while... it was deeelish!

Day four - Loving all the fresh food I'm eating!!

Ikaria Experiment: Day 3

For breakfast I had some watermelon juice and my delicious homemade bread with date honey. I forgot to take a picture of it but I did get one of my food for the day:

Horrible image quality but basically this is leftover soufiko (the last of it), mixed nuts, olives, a peach and a baggie of bread. I brought a jar of honey as well and some herbal tea bags to sip on throughout the day. 

My day was hectic and stressful as usual but it felt great to come home. The 1.5 mile walk is so relaxing for me. When I walked into the kitchen I swung open the refrigerator door only to realize I had tons of food and nothing to eat. Everything in my fridge was an ingredient...not a meal. I wasn't starving, just hungry and tired, but oddly this appealed to me. Everything about this challenge kind of wrapped around this moment. I had taken the fast food, the luxury, and convenience out of the equation. 

I got to work putting some beets in the oven, making a new loaf of bread, cleaning and boiling some greens for my 'horta' and chopping veggies for my lunch tomorrow. It was so rewarding. An hour and a half later when my bread was finally done and still cooling on the stove I stole a piece. I swear it was the best tasting bread I'd ever had.

Here is a recipe overhaul from my cooking frenzy yesterday evening:

 

More Bread - this time with stone ground whole grain rye flour... wow. I can't stop eating it.

I also made horta for the first time. 

• First: I tore and soaked some kale leaves in a water/white vinegar mixture. The leaves floated to the top and the grit and dirt sunk to the bottom. 

• Second: I placed the greens in a strainer and washed them off. 
• Third: I added them to a pot of boiling water with salt. I let them sit in there for about 20 minutes (probably longer, until the stems were soft).
• Lastly, when I remove the greens, I strained them to get any excess water out, then salted and olive oiled them. I also added some chopped garlic which made it wonderfullll.

Note: Don't Throw Away The Green Water From Boiling!!!!

  More on this later.

For dinner I paired the horta with some bread with goat cheese and, of course, wine.

 It was simple and delicious.

Later I prepared my lunch for the next day.

 

Beet Salad:

• 2 large beets - baked for 40 minutes on 350
• 1 large zucchini
• 1 large tomato
• red onion - to taste
• 2 heaping tablespoons of goat cheese crumbles or 1 oz, chopped up
• sea salt
• olive oil

Chop everything up and mix together in a bowl. Let it sit in the fridge...the flavors get better with time!

 

It ended up being enough for 2 days of lunches!

My day slowed down with a cup of hot horta water.

It makes for a wonderful tea/soup drink packed with nutrients. I added lemon and a little sage. I thought it was interesting that it kind of tasted like a broth, but was still very "tea-ish". It was different, but wholesome and tasty. 

Day 3 - Loving the inconvenience!

Ikaria Experiment: Day 2

I started the day with some homemade bread and date honey with a small glass of goats milk. Such a simple breakfast was much more filling than I had initially expected!

After breakfast I set out (7 minutes late) on my 1.5 mile walk to work. I listened to music and said hi to everyone I passed. A lot of people see me daily, so it's nice to have faces fit into my morning routine.

My work day went on as usual and I started getting hungry around 10am. Below is what I brought for the day. At this point I reached for the mixed nuts and olives.

 

I also brought a peach, some flat bread I had made the day before and my leftover Soufiko. At 1pm I sat outside with a friend and chatted and snacked.

Perhaps I packed too much? By 3pm I had been grazing all day and was stuffed. 

I walked back home, cleaned a bit, put away some dishes, changed into "unwork clothes" and called my Mom. I spent an hour on the phone walking around and enjoying the last hours of daylight. 

By the time I got home for good, I was mildly hungry again. I fixed a small plate of veggies with some bread and wine.

We chatted and watched our favorite show (Jeopardy) until Monday won and it was time for bed.

Day 2 - Trying to make this work!

Ikaria Experiment: Day 1

It's more than just what the title suggests... I set out yesterday with a different mindset than usual. I was determined not to let the little things get to me, be relaxed about time and enjoy socializing a little more than usual. This is all easy to do on a weekend. I actually felt like I was on vacation. At one point I awoke from a nap to the sound of 6pm church bells as reality slowly set in from an actual dream of being in a Tuscan villa. Talk about relaxed.

I started off my morning with quick run followed by breakfast. I had two slices left over from an artisan loaf of whole grain bread with date honey, mixed nuts, olives, 6oz of goats milk and a cup of boiled sage leaf tea. I took my time and sipping and nibbling, enjoying and appreciating the complimentary flavors of the food in front of me.

I encountered my first obstacle when I realized I didn't have anyone to eat and socialize with, but I took that opportunity for 'me' time, to sit and think about nothing and just listen to the birds and street sounds outside. 

After breakfast I cleaned the dishes, put in a load of laundry and hopped in the shower. I had not looked at the time since getting up.  

After my shower I meandered down to the grocery store to pick up a few bottles of water and some flour. I stopped to talk to my neighbor and even chatted a little with the cashier. I'm typically an earphones-in, I'm-not-here-to-talk kind of gal, but I made it a point to be different today. I walked the mile back to my apartment in the heat with 4 liters of water and a pound of flour and it felt great. 

Going into this Ikarian/Blue Zones/Get Healthy/Get In Touch With Life week, I knew I wanted to challenge myself in the kitchen. The two pieces of bread above were my last store bought slices- I am here on out making my own bread. 

For any fellow beginner bread makers: 

1. It's really so much easier, and more fun, than you'd think.

2. Start easy like I did. Try pita, and then soda bread. Once those have been mastered we can move on to leavened bread. 

3. For pita, see this recipe.

4. For soda bread, see this recipe.

I made soda bread using the above recipe. 

 

It turned out great, and was so easy that it makes me super excited to add yeast next time.

 Perfect with olive oil, goat cheese or honey. 

While it was cooking I made myself a greek salad and sat outside to eat it with a glass of (diluted) wine. 

• Spinach
• Tomato
• Olives
• Red Onion
• Goat Cheese
• Parsley 
• Generous olive oil and lemon as dressing. 

Despite being diluted, the wine, sun and exercise had me ready for a nap. I took the bread out to cool, laid down on my bed with the window open and was asleep in no time. 

As I mentioned above, I awoke to the sound of church bells and felt like I was vacationing in Europe without a care in the world. Glorious. 

I began preparing my lunch for Monday- Ikarian Soufiko.

• 1 eggplant (chopped)
• 1 zucchini (chopped)
• 1 large tomato (chopped)
• large handful of parsely, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 large onion (chopped)
• 1 green or red bell pepper

 Pour olive oil onto the pan and add in the veggies. Top with a bit of salt and more olive oil. Steam on low head for about 20 minutes.
 
The picture above was from my first trial, so I only made a little. Once I figured out what I was doing I actually made like 3 times as much as what's above.

Some things to note:
1. it is possible to use too much olive oil
2. make sure it's a low heat so the olive oil never smokes
3. allow this dish time to let it cook- not temperature,
4. salt to taste. actually taste it as you add. not too much.

I packed this away in two containers sure to last me Monday and Tuesday's lunch. 

I even had enough left over for a light dinner that night, paired, of course, with some hearty home made bread. When my other half came home from work I treated him to a set table, warm food, a glass of wine, music and a huge smile. After dinner we took a walk and soaked in the summer air.

Day 1...success.

Ikaria Experiment: The Grocery List

Typing those words in the title already feels very non-Ikaria. Most of what's on this grocery list is typically grown in gardens and fields. Since I don't have access to enough (any) land yet, the market will have to do!
 
Below are some staples you want in your fridge and pantry and places you can find them. It goes without notating, you should try to get everything organic, especially the items that are plant based and definitely the greens and berries:

• Olive oil - look for 100% pure, extra virgin. If you can, buy artisan or local. Look for olive oil made by hands that truly appreciate the craft, not by machines.
• Olives
• Capers 
• Goat Cheese or Sheep's Milk Feta -Trader Joes or Whole Foods, OR Farmer's Market! (opt)
• Goat's Milk or Goat Milk Yogurt - I bought my goat's milk at Trader Joe's
  
• Dried Lentils, Fava or Lima Beans
• White Wine Vinegar
• Almonds and walnuts
• Whole grain flour or Whole grain bread - look for bread that contains only wheat/seeds, yeast, oil, salt and water.
• Honey - Ikarian honey comes from bees that feed off of pine trees and flowers. If you can find this, great, if not, opt for Raw Honey.Check your local farmer's market for or Trader Joe's
• Organic, Sulfite free Wine - try Our Daily Red at Whole Foods ($10) or Well Red at Trader Joe's ($7)

Produce (all farmer's market buys):

• 10 tomatoes (1 got about 6 huge ones)
• 1 red onion
• 1 white onion
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• 4 cucumbers
• 3 beets
• 1 eggplant
• 4 potatoes
• 1 pepper -red or green
• 4 zucchini
• lemons
  
• 4 peaches
• 3 plums 
• blackberries

Spices and Greens (mostly farmer's market purchase, some from Whole Foods):

• oregano
• parsley
• dill
• endives
• chard/kale/dandelion greens
• spinach
• fennel
• sage

I already had honey, capers, olive oil and white vinegar at home. The rest cost me: $31 at the farmer's market, $15 at the local grocery store and $33 from Trader Joe's. This was a little over my usual $60 but for a full week of groceries it's not bad! Next week I will have a lot of the items left over and will pretty much just need to buy the produce. If you'd like to add fish or meat, go for fresh caught fish and goat meat or pork (see this article). Eat these for dinner with horta and bread :)

Recipes for the week are coming up next! If you are afraid some of your produce might go bad, or there is not enough room in your fridge, you can split the groceries up into two trips according to the week's meal plan. 

Happy Shopping!
 

Ikaria Experiment - Greek for a week!

The following series of posts are based on a personal experiment I conducted a few years ago for another blog. Since then, I like to "go Greek" at least once a year :) Enjoy!....

 
For a few months now I've been reading in depth about the dietary habits of the world's oldest living people- the Ikarians of the eastern Greek Islands. It all started when I read an article by Dan Buettner in the New York Times about his observations of this unique culture that seems to contribute to Ikarian longevity. (Dan's article HERE.)

 via

        I have since read several other articles, books and websites about Ikaria and my fascination is quickly becoming obsession. I've had fatigued and lazy days in my 20s that Ive claimed to feel 80 years old. Meanwhile, in, Ikaria, citizens into their 80s and 90s are consistently social, physically active, and even intimate. Throughout my research this is what has sparked my obsession; if an 85 year old Ikarian man can dance with his peers after a long day of scaling mountains and picking grapes, why am I so completely devoid of energy after a sedentary day in the office? What am I doing wrong? Or perhaps more importantly,

what are they doing RIGHT in Ikaria?

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     Though diet is not the only factor contributing to the island's health and wellness, I believe it is what facilitates each and every other healthy habit they have. Simply put- it all starts with food... food that gives energy, releases endorphins, is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, promotes relaxation and healthy sleep cycles and reduces stress. This is breakfast, lunch and dinner, respectively. This is how our bodies want to eat and this is a lifestyle I plan to emulate for a month.

     Thanks to this article over at Traditionally Me, Dan Buettner's findings about the traditional Ikarian diet have been summarized. 

 via

     As I mentioned above, the day begins with food that gives energy and releases endorphins. Breakfast is a meal that is rich in protein and carbohydrates:

"A typical day might begin with a spoonful of honey. It is seen as a tonic. After that comes a breakfast of one optional glass of wine, goat’s milk or goat yogurt, sage tea or coffee, honey, and heavy naturally-soured sourdough bread made with whole grains."

A plant based lunch is stocked full of antioxidants and polyphenols:

"A late afternoon lunch is usually a large meal consisting of perhaps another glass of wine, some kalamata olives, wild greens, plenty of potatoes, beans, or lentils, more heavy sourdough bread, and perhaps some hummus. A sunset snack with friends for Ikarians is a cup of herbal tea and one glass of wine."

Finally, the day ends lightly with a small meal which promotes relaxation and healthy sleep cycles and reduces stress. 

"Dinners consist primarily of only whole grain sourdough bread, goat’s milk, and a glass of wine. If they add anything else to this meal, it is merely some fish twice a week, or a bit of goat or pork five times a month. After a dinner with friends, a dance to traditional Greek music is not uncommon."

 via

Some important lifestyle factors that are important to consider and take part in include:

• Exercise, walking or hiking for at least an hour per day
• Spending time outside
• Napping and getting enough rest
• Laid back approach to time (Ikarians rarely wear watches)
• Community and Family Values
• Gardening

 Tomorrow I will post a grocery list, meal plan and daily schedule for my transition to a more "Ikarian" lifestyle. 

Keep in mind that I work a 9-5, just like many of you, and my job is very demanding. I was encouraged when I read that many Ikarians also have full time jobs unrelated to farming, cooking or gardening as well. If they can do it...I can do it!

Join me this week on my lifestyle journey to Ikaria! Stay tuned for more tomorrow ;)