Tentative Parenting : You are what you eat!

I love the weekends - the time to slow down a tad bit, get over the week's madness and regroup - walks with  the 2K's and catch up on my DVRed  TV shows (what's up with The Good Wife, Scandal and Grimm -- why so many twists and turns), cook a little bit -- I absolutely adore Sundays - I make breakfast  for the boys and me and enjoy it with a cup of Chai (hot chocolate for K2)  (here's what we had today - Waffle Omelette with a slice of multi-grain toast) and then head out to the Farmer's Market.

K2 and I have been watching a documentary Fed Up the past week and it's been very educating for us - it showed K2 that calories in fruit are not the same as those in soda  --it included  touching video self-portraits by some young people who belong to the almost 17 percent of children and adolescents, 2 to 19, who are considered obese. K2 learnt that - at this rate, in twenty years, 95 % of the population will be obese, a crisis that affects every aspect of our country's stability from health care spending to national defense. What struck me was :  40 percent of thin people are also fat, their internal organs padded with enough damaging blubber that they may as well be clinically obese. Behold, our new national paranoia: TOFI or Thin Outside, Fat Inside.

Reality is this applies to us working moms, executives, product managers and managers too - it isn't about grabbing a quick bite to satisfy the hunger - we are athletes at work - confronting challenging mental tasks and dealing with stress -- our brain and bodies need the right nutrition and hydration. I don't just believe it - I live it -- it definitely is not easy but once it is a habit, you usually are more mindful and aware of what you put into your body. Every weekend , I do an inventory of my refrigerator  (after shopping in the Farmer's Market) and come up with a loose meal plan. Here's a view of what's in my fridge 

( Flat of Organic ) Strawberries, 2 lbs of Organic Super Greens, Milk, Coconut Water, Organic Apple Sauce, Blue Moon (gotta have the beer right K1), Lotus Elixirs, Coconut Yogurt, Noosa, Home made Wheat Bran/Vanilla Cake, Grated Beets, Cooked Lentils, Eggs, Bread, Cashew Butter, Ravioli (stuffed with shrimp & asparagus); Produce Section : Beet Tops ( I add them to my lentils), Beets, Carrots, Eggplant, Brussel Sprouts, Fresh Corn, Tomatoes, Lemon, Mandarins, Pears, Blood Orange, Raspberries, Apples; Condiments, Wines (got to have my Prosecco!) 

 What's in your Fridge?

Here are some of things I do to take care of our family's health -

# Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate - I begin the day with 1/2 a liter of water followed by a warm cup of water with Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). 

# Dish out the healthy Fats - a handful of almonds and walnuts for snacking is a GREAT idea. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed are the perfect brain and heart food.

# Think Anti Oxidants - berries, green tea, kombucha, apples, black beans,greens should be a constant in your diet

# Add natural caffeine to your diet - preferably in the afternoon when you need a pick me up - Green Tea, Runa Tea or Pink Lotus Elixirs are my libations of choice

#Cut out Fatty Foods - Chips, Fries and fried desserts may taste good for just a second and harm you in the long run. Science bears this out. According to a Cambridge University study, after five days on a high-fat diet, the treadmill performance of lab rats declined by half. Moreover, the rats eating fatty chow began to falter on a maze test they had been trained on--finding only five treats before making a mistake. The healthier rats were able to find six or more treats. 

# Sugar = Bad  - A recent UCLA study found that a diet high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning. 

I want to leave you with a thought -

Waiting for Godot

I had the strangest conversation with someone I was mentoring last month. Here is how it went -
Friend: So, I have been in this role for 4 years and I am bored - there has been no promotion, interesting stretches in the job or monetary uplift
Working Mom : So what did you do about it?
Friend (surprised look) : Whaaaat? I am waiting for my manager to offer me the position of  Lead ?
Working Mom : Have you had a conversation with him letting him know of your interest?
Friend : Well I am working so hard , my work should speak for itself
Working Mom : So the reality is ...managers are not mind readers. You need to have a candid conversation with them around your career aspirations and interests. If  (a) the conversation does not yield a milestone map with them on your progress (b) status quo....it is your cue to stretch yourself and explore other opportunities. Yes it's hard and in situations inconceivable given the comfort level and security in your current job but the decision is yours to make.

How many times have you followed your dream....said damn the consequences this is what I want to do and I bloody well will do it come hell or high water? 

I was watching Shark Tank yesterday and one of things the Shark Robert Herjavec said was - the worst thing you can do is nothing. It resonated with me because ...It is very easy for  a person to get into a state of “Anomie”…a mindless state of just being …reminds me of a play I had read ages back in a literature class. The play was titled “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett. It was about two sad men – Estragon and Vladimir and it follows two days in their lives while they wait expectantly and unsuccessfully for someone named Godot to arrive. They claim him as an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting that they would not recognize him were they to see him. To occupy themselves, they eat, sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide — yet they are afraid to even take that final step of suicide…what if the belt or the rope broke…they were plain afraid…still waiting for Godot. It was a simple play which our English teacher had us enact and dissect and yet what remained twenty five years later were memories of those two sad men…waiting, afraid and in limbo…

Action is better than inaction any day...you have to try, fail, learn and do it over in order to grow. By failing you are setting yourself up to savor the successes that come by small or big. The best advise I have ever received was from my father who is no longer with me - He definitely lived it...he transformed himself from a child who lived in an orphanage all through middle school and high school to a full scholarship student (oh!so hard) to passing the IAS Exams at age 22 and he ended up the Head of a State.

He said Get out there and do something, Take Action. Don't take action because your neighbor did it ....but take it because there is this fire in your belly (I read that as Passion) that is forcing you to take action. You have one life -- Live it -- GET OUT THERE & DO SOMETHING

Healthy Recipes : "Pain Be Gone" Chocolate Cake

Cooking and Exercise are my panacea to all kinds of stress and unhappiness -- I found out that one of my first cousins is no more this week and it filled me with an intense sadness - he and I had been very close when we were in school -- he understood my penchant for books and melancholy better than most and we spoke about his dreams and aspirations to become a doctor who changed the world. We drifted apart growing up and I haven't seen him in over two decades - yet the pain felt when I heard that he had a heart attack was intense....he was only 42. I sat in the parking lot of the gym for 20 minutes contemplating going in and dancing away the pain...the body wasn't up to it. So I went back home and I grabbed my blender and whipped up a chocolate cake to ward away the cobwebs of melancholy and pain. 

                                                                                                                     

Serves: 12 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1/2 Cup Wheat Bran
• 1 Banana
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds)
• 3 tbspoon Chia Seeds
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1/2 Cup Kefir 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar (I used Stevia)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
• Pinch of Salt to Taste

PREPARATION
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  I stick all the ingredients in my Food Processor and blend to cake consistency. Pour into a round well greased cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes till  toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Nutritional Insights : Calories per Serving - 120, Carbs - 10 g, Fat - 5 g, Protein - 8 g, Fiber - 6 g 

The secret to my moist cake is the Kefir which is a close cousin to our Lassi/Buttermilk but embodied with healthy good for you probiotics. This cake is high in fiber, has healthy omega fats (from the Chia Seeds and Walnuts) and zero butter/vegetable oil. 

Healthy Recipes : Coconut & Chickpeas Ishtew

Things were lazy and relaxed over the weekend. We had a wonderful trip to the Santa Cruz Natural Museum. I have been cooking a lot more at home the past month and have been experimenting with a lot of easy recipes. Sunday saw me heading out to the Farmer's Market where I picked up  the week's organic produce : 2 heads of cauliflower, sweet potatoes, cabbage, pink beets (so pretty!), mandarins, colored carrots. I have been obsessed with making a cauliflower and chickpeas curry, so looked at multiple sites before I settled on a merger of sorts between an Eating Well and Epicurious Recipe (what can I say - my recipe is one of it's kind)

                                                                                                                      Photo Credit : Epicurious

Serves: 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped Tomatoes
• Finely chopped finger of ginger and 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 4 teaspoons curry powder - I used Shaan's Chana Masala Powder
• 4 cups largish  Organic cauliflower florets
• 1 15 Oz can Organic  cooked garbanzo beans, drained & well washed
• 1/2 cup of frozen green peas
• 2-4 tablespoons Organic Coconut Milk (Whole Foods Brand)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION

 Heat oil in large pressure cooker over medium heat. Add  onions, garlic and ginger and sauté until golden brown. Now add the tomatoes and sauté till it's all mushy . Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans;  stir 1 minute. Add the Shaan Chana Masala  and  stir till it all melds together. Pressure Cook for 1 whistle and turn the heat off. When you can open the pressure cooker, turn your range to low and add in the frozen peas and the coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro. Enjoy with a helping of cooked Quinoa.

Nutritional Insights : Calories per Serving - 200, Carbs - 26 g, Fat - 10 g, Protein - 10 g, Sodium - 200 mg, Fiber - 10 g

Tentative Parenting : 7 Habits for Healthy Living

All my life, I had eaten like there was no tomorrow - not thinking of consequences, just focused on the taste, textures and the feelings that eating brought me. Food was my refuge as a shy, overweight teenager and it was always with me even when I felt lonely and lost.I never did have a AHA! moment about healthy eating and yes! I still obsess about food, the inner critic is especially loud about my unseemly bulges and yet I have managed to bring some amount of balance into my life - I have managed to maintain a healthy weight without dieting and have developed a healthy appreciation for whole foods & exercise

My weight loss journey hasn't been a very dramatic one. It has been a slow, gradual progress of adding foods that fit into our life style easily. It was about tweaking my exercise regimen from being focused solely on Yoga for 10 years to gradually progressing to Zumba - 5 times a week for the past 2 years and now I am attempting to add in some resistance training too. 

My son  on the other hand has been exposed to real foods from Day 1 of his existence - homemade Quinoa and Sweet Potato Porridge, Khichari made with seasonal organic vegetables, Kale, Kefir, Chia Seeds....in fact this 8 year old kid averages 25,000 Steps on his Fitbit -- motivating me to stretch beyond my meagre 10K to the 15K range. The words of advice that I offer to my son are the following ( though on second thoughts I should be the one taking the advise from him)  - 

#1 Sleep will not solve all of your problems, but not sleeping will create new ones
#2 Playing Sports will keep you happy and healthy. Keep Moving!
#3 Working Out signals to others that you are hard-working, focused and disciplined. Don't overdo it though -- you don't want to come across as swaggering, narcissistic and self-absorbed
#4 Nature Rocks - make nature a part of your fitness routine - be it long walks or hikes. Your mind, body & spirit will thank you for it one day
#5 Food is fuel - think about what you are putting into your body. If you eat crap you will feel like crap...if you eat well you will feel GREAT
#6 Strong = Self Sufficient - When you get stronger you don't have to ask me to open bottles for you - you will be opening bottles for me...ain't that an uplifting thought
#7 Endorphins help you cope - Remember your Ma and how she was sad two years back and every time she felt like crying -- you said Ma - go to your Zumba class you will feel better! At 6 years you were wise beyond words K2 -- now I offer you the same advice for life. When you are angry or sad- go run around the block, go for a walk and just breath, or go shoot the ball in the hoop for an hour...I guarantee it you will feel better.

And today for dinner just because I was obsessing over it - I have made K2 Dark Chocolate Dessert Waffles ( I couldn't make him waffles for Breakfast in the AM today)

You Need

• Kodiak Whole Wheat, Oat and Honey Waffle Mix (  Whole Grains and minimal processing)
• Dreams Blend  (Unsweetened - I use this instead of water)
• Navitas Raw Chocolate Powder  
• Homemade Rasberry Coulis
• Stevia to taste
• Fresh Raspberries (on the side)
• Organic Whipped Cream  (on the side)

Process

•  Blend all the items on Pulse in your blender ( I use my Blendtec)
•  In the meantime heat up your Waffle Griddle
• Start making your Waffles – serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream
• Serve for an extra decadent, guiltless dessert - my son asked for seconds and thirds and I had no issues giving it to him

Photo & Recipe Credit - Ellie Krieger

At the end of the day Food for the body is not quite enough, you need food for the soul to sustain yourself.

Color me Red...

This has been an odd kind of a week - work had been busy but the mind preoccupied. The husband was travelling so even with the preoccupation it was busy at home with an active 8 year old. I have been seeing flashes of red yesterday in the bird flying away quite suddenly, the beautiful red camellias and roses in the garden and the beautiful red beets and raspberries that I got in the farmer's market - they inspired poetry and some wonderful meals. I am sharing here with you the recipe for my super yummy and good for you Beets and Quinoa Khichdi.

Color me Red Beets & Quinoa Mush

You Need :

1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Mung Dal ( or whatever Dal grabs your fancy)
2 cups grated beets
2 Cups Organic Vegetable Broth
2 Tomatoes
Finely Chopped - Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilly to Taste

Wash and soak the Quinoa and the Mung Dal.

In a pressure cooker first add a spoon of ghee...add a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing). Let 1/4th tsp of Jeera sizzle and splutter. Then add a half a tsp of turmeric and then add your finely chopped ginger/garlic/green chilies  and fry for about a minute!  Now add in the chopped tomatoes and let it cook for 2 minutes. Then add in the grated Beets and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add in the washed Quinoa and Mung Dal. Add in the Vegetable Broth and turn on the pressure cooker. Let it go for 4 whistles (3 if you like it more Al dente).

When the mixture is cool, add more salt if required (I usually don't add more salt - the salt from the Vegetable Broth is enough), Fresh Lemon Juice (1/2-1 Lemon) and Chopped Cilantro (I didn't have the Cilantro today). Enjoy with a side of yogurt and pickle.

I also made a wonderful raspberry jam with the raspberries from the  farmer's market.

           

So life color me red, yellow, blue, pink or orange but most importantly Color me life and light , I have breathed a thousand breaths and still, I long to see tomorrow's sun.

Tentative Parenting : Being You

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”  

                                                                   -- Dr. Seuss

I was at the PBWC Conference today and it was a day of positive affirmations for me - absolutely essential - the last few days had been intense due to quarter end work.  Got to hear some inspiring speakers, spend time with friends (made new friends) and meet some larger than life personalities.

I made it home in time to pick K2 from his extended daycare and he was in a buoyant mood and  as usual we started talking.

K2: Ma - I think I have a 3 on Social Sciences (side note - his weak subject and a 3 means he is doing great!)
Working Mom : Great! How do you know?
K2: Ms. N showed me the progress report. BTW, Something happened today. 
Working Mom (slight heart rate going up) : Ummm...what?
K2:  There is a Cooking Club happening tomorrow and they are baking pies. None of my friends wanted to go (read : boys!). I told the teacher I wanted to go and she asked me what kind of pie I wanted to bake and I said Apple. Guess, what C and S changed their minds and want to bake pies too! 

I was ecstatic with this conversation for two reasons - (a) my son is learning to appreciate the priceless art that is cooking and not relegating it to "girl" territory...so I am getting thro' to him (b) "Being You" is a concept he is embracing with open arms...even when he has to do it alone

So when the monkey asked me for Quesadilla  (yet again!) -- I of course had to say Yes!  But my Quesadillas are actually GREAT for him...and he says they are the best tasting ones he has ever had (more power to me!)

Here's how I made it  (literally took me 15 minutes!) if you want to try them at home. I confess to eating them myself and feeling great about it -- the nutritional profile is amazing and the taste is to die for !!!

1. Trader Joe's Whole Grain Flour Tortillas with Flax Seeds (really great ingredients with 5 gm of Fiber and 100% Whole Grain)
2. Cheese of Choice was a variety of Organic Cheeses from Horizon
3. Veggie Mix ( I dumped a can of Whole Foods Black beans, chopped onions (about 1/4), chopped cilantro (to taste), grated beets (1 medium sized) with salt, cumin powder and microwaved for 3 minutes. Mix and Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
4. Heat a flat skillet - I added  a touch of Olive Oil and cooked one side of the tortilla, flipped and then added the veggies and cheeses to the cooked side. Fold and let the cheese melting magic happen.

So to K2 and his friends I say in the words of Dr.Seuss - So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you'll move mountains.

P.S - Tomorrow marks the 2nd Anniversary of my Bapa being gone - he is loved and remembered.