To thine own self be true

Written by Robin Glowa
Wednesday, 02 March 2011 00:00

“Some people change their ways when they see the light, others when they feel the heat.”

— Caroline Schroeder

There is an immense amount of information out there about dieting and health. Eat this, don’t eat that, but the most effective way to be healthy and feel fantastic is to pay attention to your body.

Our bodies are incredibly sophisticated biocomputers. When we take time to listen to our body’s signals and responses to the food we eat, we learn what foods will best enhance our daily functions.

It’s amazing how deeply food affects us, not only physically, but emotionally. A steady diet of processed and junk foods and excess sugar can bring about unhappy, erratic behavior, while a diet rich in whole foods and nutritious fruits and vegetables makes the skin glow and provides wonderful energy.

When you treat your body with love and respect and feed it with deliciousness, you have learned the joy of eating with awareness. Being conscious of food quality is so important, and choosing organic foods is an effective way of feeding the body consciously.

Organic produce tastes cleaner, fresher and is full of deeper flavor. Organic carrots, for example, taste so bright and sweet, the difference is spectacular. Full of valuable nutrients, carrots are especially rich in vitamins A, K, B6 and C. They contain powerful antioxidants, which may help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The intense levels of beta carotene in carrots may be responsible for promoting good vision, especially night vision, and may also protect against macular degeneration.

Try this vivacious carrot soup recipe. It will provide you with warmth and sweetness in these few remaining weeks of winter, and the stunning color will stimulate your senses as well. Be true to yourself and your body’s needs as you prepare your delicious life.

Delicious Life Carrot Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups diced sweet onion

6 cups sliced carrots (peeled and trimmed)

3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

2 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger root( peeled and minced)

3/4 cup milk or heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

Sea Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil. When hot, but not quite smoking, add onions and sauté until golden brown. Add the carrots, orange juice, broth, and ginger root. Simmer until carrots are quite tender. Let the soup cool down a bit and puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Return to the pot and whisk in the milk or cream, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Robin Glowa, HHC, AADP, is a food and wellness enthusiast who earned her certification in holistic health counseling from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College.

She specializes in teaching healthy cooking classes for children and adults, as well as cooking presentations and wellness workshops for many local organizations.

For more information go to theconsciouscook.net, call 203-393-1037, or confessionsofaconsciouscook.blogspot.com.