Because everybody deserves to have sweet in their lives.  I was reminded of this at a conference recently when a colleague, who is truly a grande dame of healthy nutrition if ever there was one, mentioned that when she travels she always packs some gluten free fig newtons. She finds them energizing, comforting and a welcome treat on the road, when she’s speaking to audiences, engaging with participants, in high energy mode. When she gets back to her room for some quiet time, it feels good to have a little something special with a cup of tea.

What are blood sugar regulators? The answer to this first question is pretty straightforward: fat and fiber. Some of the foods you’ll especially want to consider are avocados, almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, legumes, edamame, cinnamon, peas, and quinoa, along with all of the dark leafy greens. (Dark leafy greens nearly always make an appearance on healthy food lists, don’t they?)

A reader recently asked: what does your plate look like? Great question, and one I can answer in a word — veg-centric.

I find inspiration in so many different things in my life. Right now, outside my window, my eyes drink in spring flowers blooming, lavender growing, and my beloved Meyer lemons. My garden is so inspiring to me! I find inspiration in other people’s stories, in faces, in COLOR, in gorgeous food photography, and in paintings by Watteau and Monet. I’m inspired by my farmer buddies and the glorious kaleidoscope of produce as the seasons change at the farm market.  

Quick! What herb comes to mind when I say appetite-stimulating, digestion-aiding, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, heart-healthy, brain-healthy, AND detoxifying? Ok, you guessed because of the title. But did you know all that about dear old humble parsley?

Wondering what kind of fish to eat (and not to eat) and how to prepare?

From a health standpoint, if you are open to eating fish, by all means, do! And if selection and preparation are holding you back from cooking fish, then follow me into my kitchen and let’s dive in :)

“Inflammation” is one of those health words that is bandied about all the time… but do we really know what it means? We think of swelling and the color red… we know it’s not a good thing, and that we want less of it… but the rest is a bit mysterious.

When we cook for ourselves, our friends and our family, everything about our life slows down.It’s like living in a Frank Lloyd Wright home, where the kitchen is right in the middle, comfort and communications central. That’s where everyone wants to be! Aromas emanate, from morning coffee to mouth-watering soups, to veggies roasting, to cookies baking. A place to create, to savor, to taste, to reconnect with our food, our health, our family. Ourselves.

Yesterday 500 guests joined me in my kitchen (the most I’ve ever had!) for my first live, online Kitchen Chat, and it was wonderful.

The topic was Fighting Cancer -- with Food! and we kind of went over a bit, and one hour stretched to an hour and a half... and I think we all could easily have stayed all afternoon, there’s just so much to discuss. And so many questions!

Food has the capacity to bring joy.

Regardless of where anyone is on the continuum of cancer -- metastatic, going through treatment, doesn’t have cancer, has another disease state, or is “healthy,” quote, unquote -- food has the capacity to bring comfort and joy into our lives, sometimes in the middle of painful circumstances, in the smallest and most treasured ways. Food can have a powerful effect on our quality of life, right here and right now. It can be one bite that shifts your life. And we’re not talking about just surviving; we’re talking about thriving!

We humans can fly to the moon, but we still get felled by the common cold or flu virus!

Your immune system is responsible for protecting your body against the invasion of yuck!

It’s designed to detect and ward off disease-causing pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites… all of the things you don’t want! Sure, you can’t see it or taste it, or wrap your arms around it. It’s a bit mysterious! Like your very own invisibility cloak. But we do know that components of the immune system reside in your lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, lymphocytes (small white blood cells),  thymus, and leukocytes (high white blood cell count), all involved in eradicating unwanted invaders.

But… what’s food got to do with the immune system, anyway?

Feeling bombarded? New Year, New You. Top 10 Exercises for the Perfect Body. Get Glowing! 30-Day Detox. Juicing! Cleansing! Weight Loss Challenge! Another program. Another promise, a whole list of techniques to learn, and a bunch of supplements to ingest. Blah blah blah.

Take a breath!

It’s been amazing connecting with you. I so appreciate the genuine quality of our conversation. We are all in this healthy, healing food life together! And you know how sometimes it’s even more gratifying to give than to receive? That’s how I feel about creating recipes, sharing kitchen wisdom, and writing for you. I love it! You’re the best.

You won’t be surprised to learn that I love giving food gifts any time of year and especially for the holidays. Food = abundance, nurturing, love. What a great message to send to friends and family.

Chocolate! We know how much we love it -- but, do you know how good it is for you? I joke about it: another study coming out about chocolate! As if we need a reason.

For the record -- may I share HOW good it is for you?

Don’t you love to give wonderful books for gifts?  

Let me help you with a list of my favorite cookbooks and food reads that are my go-tos, the ones I look at for inspiration, that I think are the really good ones to have in your library or to curl up with by the fire.

I always think that Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the people who have made a difference in our lives.

For me, the older -- and hopefully wiser - I get, the more potent the reflections, and the richer the crazy quilt of my life becomes. The people that wander in and out sharing pearls of wisdom are like the threads stitching the the quilt together. Each might have appeared only for a day, a week, a month or a year. Sometimes they are just characters with walk-on parts, with two or three lines that have been game changers for me, or they have guided me in the right direction when I needed it most.

Here we go! The cascade of the holidays starts now.

On Thanksgiving we focus on the traditional feast, our special menu or dish we have GOT to have. 4 days to make, 4 minutes to eat. Whew! But November is about SO much more than that ONE big meal.

What is it about the Mediterranean diet that is SO healthy?

Study after study reveals notable benefits of the Mediterranean diet for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s  -- so many chronic diseases. This breast cancer prevention study zeroed in on olive oil. And while the olive oil is most certainly effective, I’m equally sure that it’s only part of the reason. We Americans always look for the one magic bullet to solve our problems! But the beauty of the Mediterranean “diet” is that Mediterranean cultures have orchestrated the whole health package: diet PLUS lifestyle.