Humble Neighborhood Archives

So many traditions revolve around New Year’s Eve—from watching the ball drop in Times Square and planting a smooch on your loved ones at the stroke of midnight to plunging ahead with “one too many” and making resolutions that, despite your best intentions, you know you’ll never keep. This year, I’m going on a diet, I’m going to lose (insert appropriate number here) pounds. I’m going to work out every day. Given the new frontier of a new, unspoiled year, it’s tempting to make a lot all-or-nothing resolutions. Chances are, if you’re making them this year, you very well may have made them last year. And the year before. Do yourself a favor—do not start counting how many years in a row you’ve made resolutions that were virtually impossible to keep. Instead, repeat after me: If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. That’s not to say you should abandon your quest for self-improvement; only this year maybe take a different approach. Why not just decide to be healthier? And what better way to improve your health than to improve the quality of the food you put into your body?
            Now take a deep breath and relax. However indulgently you celebrated the recent holiday season, it’s never too late to begin your healthy new life. This doesn’t have to be a rigid or stressful process, and you don’t have to deprive yourself of cocktail parties and family gatherings in the name of trying to eat healthy in the coming year. We asked Holistic Health Counselor Naoko Ikeda for a little nutritional advice on how to take a walk on the healthier side. Ikeda, who practices in Mamaroneck, is a Certified Holistic Heath Counselor and Pilates instructor. “I see private clients to help them reach their health goals and I do some nutritional and lifestyle counseling. I also once in a while I do group workshops on things like sugar cravings, eating for energy and the mind-body approach to weight management/weight loss.”
           Holidays notwithstanding, it often seems there is some sort of temptation waiting to trip you up just around the bend—chocolate on Valentine’s day, comfort food when you’re snowed in for the weekend, endless birthdays, anniversaries, summer barbecues and other celebratory occasions. You can, however stay on the healthy eating track while still enjoying delicious food and celebrating all the special occasions that come with friends and family. This is true whether you’re hosting an event or attending as a guest. The key, Ikeda advises, is finding what’s right for you and experimenting with different kinds of foods, rather than following a really regimented diet. “In general,” she says, “I recommend whole, unprocessed foods. For example, it’s better to eat a whole fruit than juice. Eating whole foods is key because they have the fiber, the vitamins, the minerals, the enzymes—they’re all intact in the whole state. So that’s a really great way to approach and nutrition and health.”
          Making healthy food choices in your day-to-day life is one thing, but when you’re at the mercy of Aunt Stella and Uncle Maury’s annual backyard barbecue, making healthier choices can be a little more challenging. “In terms of going to a party…it does get difficult so I recommend a couple of things. The first thing is for you to eat something that’s a little bulky but is nutrient-dense like a big salad or a brothy soup before you go. It's a good idea to eat something with protein and good fats such as nuts, seeds, a hard-boiled egg, a salad with olive oil dressing, or a few slices of avocado.  These foods will help regulate blood sugar and hence keep you feeling full for longer."
“If you think it’s appropriate,” she adds, “you can always ask the hostess if it would be OK to bring a dish. I don’t think anyone would say no to a nice, healthy appetizer. Or if you don’t want to cook and you can get a plate of nice vegetables and dips. 
            In terms of making healthier choices from the available fare, Ikeda offers a couple of guidelines. “Let’s say, for example, you have an orange, an orange juice and orange soda. If your choice is between the orange and the orange juice, then you should choose the orange.  If it’s between the orange juice and the orange soda, you would choose the orange juice. What you want to try and do is get as close as possible to the whole food. For example, if your choice is between Quiche Lorraine and a little hunk of cheese, the cheese is less processed. So when you find things on a platter, you can ask yourself which one was the least ‘touched’? So if you see any type of vegetable, go for those. If you see grilled or roasted vegetables, those are fantastic.”
            If you’re hosting a gathering, you can please your guests and serve healthy fare at the same time. “The number one missing food in the standard American diet—the acronym is SAD—is green vegetables. So I think it’s really important for you as a host or hostess to offer that choice to have the green vegetables and to give your guests the opportunity to eat well while they’re having a good time.” Ikeda advises choosing the delicious and often-overlooked green, kale. “A really great way to prepare kale is just by roasting it in the oven for five to ten minutes with your favorite seasoning. And that could be salt and pepper, olive oil, sesame oil.” This nutrient-dense green is actually a sweet vegetable, says Ikeda “When you cook kale, it gets really, really sweet so it’s not as intimidating or bitter as it might look.”
Ikeda also likes working with food that’s in season. “For example,” she says, sweet potatoes are fantastic during the fall and the winter. You can roast them in the oven, cut them up into one-inch cubes and you drizzle it with olive oil or with any kind of cold-pressed, natural oil. If you caramelize them, they turn really, really sweet. That’s a wonderful dish.” Ikeda also recommends pureeing your sweet potatoes and turning them into a dip or spread. “It’s almost like the filling for sweet potato pie and a dash of cinnamon actually enhances the sweetness. That’s a great way to flavor without adding sugar and excess calories. What I also like to do sometimes is get sprouted bread, which is not made from wheat, so it’s healthier and it has more nutrients than regular bread. Just toast the sprouted bread in the oven, brush it with a little olive oil and place it along side of the sweet potatoes. 
            Ikeda’s passion for healthy eating is clear as she relates one simple, healthy dish after another. Her recipe for bean dip, for instance, sounds as easy as it does delicious. “You can get canned beans—like pinto beans or white beans—drain them, rinse them under cold water and then put them in the food processor with olive oil—or any other oil that you like, some fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste and you serve it up. It looks great, it tastes great and it’s a very healthy food. It’s high in good fat, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. This is a great balanced dish and if you serve it with the sprouted or whole grain bread for example, it becomes a complete protein. So it’s almost like you’re eating meat, it gives you that satisfaction. And it’s delicious.”
            In general, Ikeda says that in order to stay healthy, you’ll want to create an environment for success. “In the end it’s really important to take control and say, ‘What can I do to make this year a little bit healthier for me, my family and my friends. If you take that approach, eating healthy can be a lot of fun because you can get creative.”
Portion control is another key to a healthy approach to eating. “You can eat too much kale,” she says, revealing a subtle sense of humor. “A glass of wine won’t kill you. One little Quiche Lorraine to please your hostess might be great for the heart. I think that’s just as important as eating greens three times a day. It’s important to remember that food can be more powerful than medicine,” she says, summing up, “Your food choices can cause, prevent or treat diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, skin diseases including acne, and allergies.”
            So this year, why not change the way you make those resolutions? Instead of weighing yourself down with rules and restrictions, arm yourself with knowledge and nutrition and begin your journey to a healthier, happier version of you.

    For more information or a free, one-hour consultation, contact Naoko Ikeda at (914) 589-8892 or visit her on the Web at www.nourished-living.com.