wellness and food, part 3

Here is the last installment of "food my brother made." :)

(It's true, I am a proud big sister.)

In all seriousness, Sean's visit couldn't have come at a better time. For the past 3 weeks, I have been doing the elimination diet, trying to figure out if I have any food allergies or intolerances.

Sean's meals have been a welcome (and delicious) change to the dishes I was preparing day after day.

What I have discovered on this diet so far is that I don't seem to have any major food intolerances (knock on wood) but that my body is particularly sensitive to acidic foods and beverages, and that I feel my very best staying on a primarily alkaline diet. I pretty much already knew that, but it's been interesting to have it re-confirmed during this process. For example, I have cheated on the diet a few times. With my brother's visit and lots of late night talks, I re-introduced wine earlier than I should have. While I felt fine at first, I felt like hell after a couple nights of drinking. Same goes for decaf coffee-- I can tolerate it without a problem if my eating has been really clean and non-acidic, but if I do it every day, my stomach starts burning.

Since I love wine and coffee, I don't plan on eliminating them from my life completely. But I can see how I need to be extra vigilant about the rest of my diet if I want to enjoy them.

I still haven't re-introduced dairy, gluten or sugar which are huge contributors to inflammation and acid in the body, so we'll see how I feel when I eat them again. I have a feeling it's going to be on a very limited basis. I am okay with that, though....there are so many great alternatives!

Oh, before I forget, Sean just started a blog where he'll be sharing some of the recipes I have been talking about. You can see that here.

Anyway, here is what we had last night....

salmon ceviche with avocado

zucchini "pasta" with kalamatas and tomatoes three ways (sundried, roasted & fresh)

coconut milk custard with cardamom

raw corn salad with toasted cashews

wellness and food, part 2

Just had to share two more dishes that Sean made last night.

The fresh rolls were delicious but the real winner was the marinated zucchini "noodles" with sundried and cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and a hint of truffle oil. YUM.

wellness and food

My brother, Sean, is in town right now.

He lives on the east coast, so I treasure every second I get with him.

Sean is an acupuncturist and Qi Gong instructor and, along with his wife, does private catering to clients who are looking to integrate alternative medicine with a healthy diet in order to achieve optimal health. Both Sean and his wife, Jenny, believe that food is our greatest weapon against disease.

The dishes they prepare are primarily vegetarian and incorporate a lot of raw foods, as well as legumes, whole grains, vegetables and fruits. They are sensitive to people with allergies and focus on low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory food.

But aside from all that, the food is DELICIOUS! I know this because I have personally sampled a whole lot of Sean's food over the years. He makes some of my favorite dishes on the planet and there are a number of dishes I request every time I see him, (well, except for his beet smoothie. I just can't hang with that one.)

Here are a few of the things he's made in the last few days...

Baba ghanoush with quinoa flatbread

Raw beet soup

Raw collard spring rolls with marinated vegetables

Baked yams with coconut milk