Help! Health Contradictions

Ok, so I did something that I didn't think I would do anytime soon: I signed up at the gym across the street from me. It's not just any old gym. It's like a weight-lifting, mind-changing, philosophy-pumping gym filled with large, muscly, oily looking men and women in tight spandex work-out shorts who don't smile back when I smile at them. Why? Well, the thai-boxing didn't work out (waaaaaaay too expensive!), and my partner and I wanted something exercise-y to do together that was convenient, interesting and a challenge. After muathai proved too hard on my summer budget, we signed up at the gym across the street.

Now, the signing up came with a 3 hour lecture on how to eat better and exercise better and a 1 hour training session on how to do 4 different lifts properly. We brought coffee, but I still left yawning. All I wanted was something to supplement my cardio workouts, something that would allow me to get stronger and more capable at doing certain physical tasks. The messages I got, were not only confusing, but hard to follow. Yeah, I'll spare you the gorey details, but apparently, cardio is a waste of time because it lowers your resting heart rate and you end up burning less calories when you're sleeping or resting -- but by lowering your resting heart rate aren't you making things less difficult on your heart?? It gets better. Apparently we're supposed to cut dairy out of our diets because it's so unnatural and no other mammal drinks another mammal's milk (so ... no other mammal wears clothes ... or uses technology ... or friggin pumps weights!), AND we're supposed to stop eating grains too because their not part of our "original diets" (yet at the end of it, he said that we should take advantage of the global market and eat a variety of meats and fruits and vegetables ... yeah, I don't think the global market was around when the first humans hunted and gathered!). Oh yeah, and basically all vegetarians have it wrong because you'll end up chubby and will never be able to build muscle because there's no protein in a vegetarian diet (Hello!! Brown rice + beans = complete protein!).


So ... does that mean that this (and I quote) "best oatmeal I've ever eaten," inspired by this gal and this lady shouldn't ever be made again? Oh come on! Peanut butter, bananas, strawberries? Until last summer when I read the mentioned posts, I never even thought to bake oatmeal. Now I do it all the time and experiment with different fruit/flavour combinations (apples, raisins, cinnamon and rhubarb, cherries and almonds). And that big dollop of skim milk yogurt on top .. that's no-no too??

The Best Baked Oatmeal

1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of soy milk
3/4 cup of skim milk
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 banana, chopped
1 handful of strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup of quick cooking (5 minute) oats

1. Put the peanut butter in a large bowl. Whisk in the soy milk a little at a time so that the peanut butter gets incorporated (as opposed to just having big lumps in the liquid).

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well-combined. Pour into a cake pan or square baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven until all the liquid is absorbed and it gets little golden at the sides.

3. Prepare to taste oatmeal that you have never tasted it before! It's like having cake for breakfast! Even better topped with yogurt (oh no! the dreaded dairy! How am I ever going to build muscle!)

So, does this ALSO means that the honeyed cherry muffins I made yesterday morning are nixed from my repertoire as well?? I thought they were super healthy -- oatmeal, fresh fruit, honey, canola oil, psyllium husks (ok yeah that was random.. I tried to sneak that one in but it didn't work. My Dad brought over this huge jar of psyllium husks because it's supposedly super healthy. If you don't have it, just use wheat bran or wheat germ). The secret here is soaking the oats in the liquids for 5 minutes or so before adding the rest of the ingredients - makes a very tender, moist crumb for the muffins. But the grains are a no-no ... really?!

Honeyed-Cherry Multi-Grain Muffins

1/2 cup of quick cooking oats (5 minute kind)
1/4 cup of psyllium husks (or wheat bran or wheat germ)
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/2 cup of skim milk (or instead of milk and yogurt, use all buttermilk)
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of honey
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1 egg
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of cherries, pitted and chopped

1. In a large bowl stir together the milk, yogurt, oil and honey until well blended. Add in the oats and psyllium husks and stir. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes (this would be a good time to pit and chop your cherries).

2. Add in a beaten egg, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

3. Sift in the flour and baking soda and mix until just combined (don't over mix!). Stir in the cherries.

4. Spoon the batter into lined muffin tins (makes 12 big ones and 24 mini-muffins) and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

5. Enjoy your whole grains! Yeah, I'm never going to get a six-pack anyway!

Cleaning Up: Curried Legumes and Grains with Chard

My cupboard is a mess. I don't have the organizational skills of someone I know who has everything stored away in cute little glass jars, and thus when cooking, only needs to open the lids, pour and smile. No. I cut open a bag and then clip it with a mini alligator clip or tie an elastic band around it. Result? Many many bags, spillage, a cluttered cupboard, and worst of all, migrating tastes and smells. Example? I made granola awhile ago. When my partner bit into a piece, he said "Am I crazy, or do I taste cumin?" Cumin, one of my most favourite spices and the strongest smelling one in the cupboard, had infused the dried cranberries. Another example: I made mango coconut muffins the other day, and my mom complained that they tasted like Indian curry (she hates cardamom and cumin with a passion). Again, where did I find the bag of shredded coconut? Right next to the ... cardamom pods. Although my partner loved the hint of cumin (and apparently pepper) in the granola, my mom was less than impressed about the curry-scented muffins.



Oh dear! Am I going to change my ways? Am I going to organize my cupboard so that spices go on one side and dried fruits go on the other and everything is sealed in cute glass jars so that no mixing of flavours occurs? Probably not. But I'm working on it. One day, I will become organized, but for now, I'll just settle for a nutritious, quick dinner with all my favourite flavours while using up some grains.

I had a little of this and a little of that all still stored in their original bags, so to save space, I used them up. I mixed all the little bits of grains and legumes in my cupboard, cooked them with a healthy dose of spice, added some hearty green veg and made my favourite dish: curry with lots of cumin and lemon. It's the perfect "comfort in one bowl" type of dinner, but without the richness of restaurant curry made with butter and cream. Because I used barley and lentils, the liquid thickened up without me needing to add flour or corn starch. The spices were absolutely heavenly. With a dollop of skim milk yogurt on top, you've got a meal in one bowl with all the food groups. And a bonus: whole grain + legume = complete protein. Plus, it gets tastier as it sits in the fridge and the flavours meld. Perfect! A healthy, tasty, leftover-friendly meal that cleans out my cupboard.

Now ... if only I could get organized ... ;)

Curried Grains and Legumes with Rainbow Chard

a bunch of rainbow chard - stems cut up small, leaves cut into ribbons
1 large carrot diced
1 stalk of celery diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 small onion diced
a little chunk of ginger finely chopped
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of curry powder (I used Malaysian curry powder)
zest and juice of onelemon
2 lime leaves
4 cardamom pods
4 curry leaves
1 cup of mixed grains and legumes (I used, brown rice, pearl barley, yellow split peas and red lentils)
3-4 cups of water or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onions, chard stems, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic for about 3 minutes or until you start to really smell the ginger.

2. Add the lemon zest, cumin and curry powder and cardamom pods and stir. Cook for about 1 minute so the spices toast.

3. Add the mixed grains and legumes and stir until everything is coated.

4. Add the water or stock, lime and curry leaves, and give it a big stir.

5. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, then add the chard leaves and more water/stock if needed. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the grains and legumes are at the texture you like. My lentils had melted away, rice and barley was nice and chewy and split peas had a bit of bite.

6. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Try your best to fish out the curry leaves, lime leaves and cardamom pods. Enjoy a bowl topped with skim-milk yogurt and an extra squeeze of lemon if you like.