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Nutrition & Use of Tahini

As I mentioned in last week’s post, I love tahini not only for its culinary wonders but also for the nutrition it carries. It is a thick paste of ground up sesame seeds… not too different from peanut or almond butter. Since it’s ground up, it’s easier to digest and absorbs easily into your body. Tahini is most commonly used in Middle Eastern countries and is most well known for its use in hummus.

It is packed with B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5 and B15). This is important for cancer prevention, cell growth, and strong immune systems. I also love sesame because it has a highly absorbable form of calcium. This is particularly important for those who do not eat much dairy. In fact, I’d argue that tahini is easier to digest than dairy for most, and is therefore an easier way for your body to get calcium. And don’t forget the protein its packing and the essential fatty acids!

People often wonder how they can use tahini in ways beyond hummus. Here are some ideas:

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Tahini Love

heart

Love is on the brain as yesterday was Valentine’s Day. This has always been a hallmark holiday for me, but it does always remind me of the importance of love in my life. It is something many of us take for granted and I find it helpful to have reminders throughout the year that love takes nurturing and maintenance… just like everything else in our lives.

Love doesn’t always come easy and it shows up in varied forms. One of the hardest relationships is with ourselves. This shows up in how we feed ourselves, treat our bodies, or our minds, and in what kinds of people we surround ourselves with.

This year Valentine’s Day reminded me that loving myself takes work, too. And that no matter what the intention’s are or the messages in the back of our head’s are, we have to do the daily work. How is this showing up for you? For me, it’s about finding silence in my days and spending more quality time with the people that I care about… key word being quality! These may sound like simple things, but I find that being authentically true to this can be challenging.

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Powerhouse Lentils

Everyone is looking for the foods that are quick, affordable, and loaded with nutrients. Lentils are most definitely on this list of powerhouse foods that any busy person can incorporate into their routine. When I come home exhausted from a busy day, all I want is something easy that is also nourishing to my body. I love lentils because they provide all this for me, but they are also tasty and vary in types. They are commonly used in many cultures around the world. India, Ethiopia and Middle Eastern countries have diets that thrive off of lentils. If you go into an Indian Market, you’ll see oodles of options in types of lentils.

Why are they so amazing nutritionally?

I’ll make it simple.

High protein, fiber, magnesium (something many of us are deficient in), iron (ladies, you know you need it), folate (particularly good during pregnancy and for young children) and B vitamins.
Low in calories and fat. Help decrease cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease.
Because they’re high in fiber, your body processes them slowly and keeps blood sugar levels even.

There are a few types of lentils that are most common in the US:

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To Dosa or Not

On our way to Tennessee for the Christmas holiday, we stop in Asheville to meet up with friends and my brother. This year, we met up at Chai Pani in Asheville, NC. This place was amazing! They offer innovative & affordable Indian street food.

I enjoyed a Mumbai Monsoon (Tamarind, fresh lime, muddled mint, simple syrup, ozeki dry sake, soda) and was able to share with my table a thalis (a traditional meal featuring a daily selection of regional dishes that highlight India's culinary diversity. Served with fragrant basmati rice, daal, raita, roti, kachumber, papadum & dessert) as well as okra fries, goat bbq (yes, goat bbq!) and some Bombay Chili Cheese Fries. I don't always get things like chili cheese fries, but these were made with homemade fries, paneer, ground turkey, and amazing spices. They not only offer tasty/healthy food, but there are vegan/gluten free choices as well.

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Brussels Sprouts Glory

Brussels sprouts

I love holidays where everyone brings a dish. For last weeks Thanksgiving celebration, my sister brought this amazing Brussels Sprouts Salad she found on the Gluten Free Girl blog. I ate a serving of that salad every day for a while and then I found 3 bunches of unused Brussels sprouts in the fridge. Thank goodness I love them!

Many people grow up hating Brussels sprouts because they weren’t prepared well. These cruciferous powerhouses are easy to prepare & pack in a ton of nutritional benefits. Not only that, but they are in season right now.

Brussels sprouts can be purchased loose or on the stalk. While they are available all year, their peak season is late fall to spring. When buying these tiny little cabbages, look for a bright green color (not yellow), and try to get them when they are tight and compact rather than fluffy. They will be sweeter this way.

The Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts:

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Holidays are Ahead

I felt it last weekend when I ran some errands. Halloween has passed and the orange/black candy is on sale to make room for the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas candy. It’s holiday season!!!

This is a bittersweet time for most of us. With all the food, travel, and celebration it’s both fun & hectic. I am actually hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever. This is a REALLY big deal, as you can imagine. I have about 20 family members coming to my home for the holiday. What an honor!!

I find it helpful to head into the holidays setting some loose goals for myself. I find that if I have no boundaries with food & routine, I’ll just do whatever. That usually means way too much refined sugar, white flour, & tasty meats. All of these items are fine in moderation, but when you struggle with moderation, it’s easy to let it all creep in.

In preparation my anticipated holiday eating, I’ll be teaching a TWIST IT UP: HEALTHY HOLIDAY FOODS Cooking Class on 11/20. I will be making some of my favorite traditional recipes with healthy whole ingredients. Some of my personal favorites are pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes!!

What is your favorite modified holiday recipe??

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Coaching Questions

People always ask me questions about food and nutrition. I’m a health coach. I spend my time working with individuals on issues relating to food. Lately, however, this has begun to evolve. Food and lifestyle are still the initial platform I work with my clients on. But I realize my true passion is in the coaching.

Sure, I make recommendations on products or give advice on recipes. But I excel at asking my clients the right questions. Often people come in talking about whole grains and leave talking about self-worth. There is no authentic change in lifestyle without peeling the layers back to deal with the real issues.

I am participating in some continuing education for deepening my coaching skills and working with my own coach (as I have for years). I notice such a difference in my sessions with clients. We’re able to go to a much more in depth place and they are, thus, able to go further with their health/lifestyle goals.

We often get stuck blaming ourselves or asking the wrong questions. This leaves us in a negative space creates more hurdles to overcome. When you begin to feel this way, ask yourself a broad question.

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Same Lesson Keeps Showing Up

We all have lessons to learn. You know, the ones that seem like they should be easy, but you somehow need to keep learning them over and over and over again. One of mine (and yes there are plenty), is that I do too much. That has been evident even on this blog.

To my credit, I have gotten better. There is much less on my plate than there used to be. The hardest times for me, though, are weeks like this. I'm sick. I hate being sick. And I got sick because I've been doing too much in the last few weeks. But I hate being sick because it gives me time. Time to think about all the things I want to do in life, to dream, and to reflect.

And unfortunately, a side effect of reflection long overdue is to feel crappy about myself because I easily get lost in what’s not happening.

When I was talking about this cycle I go through with a friend, it became obvious to me.

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Rolling Coffee Table

Finding, creating, & sustaining home is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle. Feeling good in your living space is just as important as in your body.

I found this picture earlier today. I just fell in love with the colors, the practicality of it, and how adaptable it is to any space. This could easily be stained or painted. Or a flat surface could be added.

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How to Store Produce

An important part of any healthy diet is produce. In grocery stores and markets, produce has a higher cost usually due to its shorter shelf life. So when we get produce home, we want to do whatever we can to keep it looking & tasting good until we can eat it.

Potato, Onion, Garlic Bin In a busy lifestyle full of meetings, work & putting food in our bellies comes the fear of rotting food in the back of the fridge. But it’s important to note that different types of produce are stored differently.

Tomatoes should never be refrigerated because they will lose their flavor.
Onion, Garlic & Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place (think drawer, wood box, or cupboard).
Radishes should have their greens cut off so they don’t draw out excess moisture and should then be in an open container with a cloth on top in the fridge.
And so much more!!!

I found this site to be comprehensive & helpful for tips on produce storage. It lists most fruits and veggies that you'd come across & will help you eat the freshest produce year-round.

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Miriam Biber

Holistic Health Coach