The Environmental Working Group is encouraging people to go meatless on Mondays. You can sign their pledge here.
One of the people supporting this effort is chef Mario Batali.
My restaurants were already very vegetable heavy, but I came to realize that vegetables did not have to be only a condiment or a side dish, and we’ve added more veg-centric entrée-type options. I wanted to make it easier for other people to cut back on meat, so we began promoting Meatless Monday and offering alternating veggie specials every week!
This issue is particularly important to me because it so profoundly affects children. Studies have found that young kids are eating triple the currently recommended amount of protein, mostly from meat, yet few eat enough fruits and vegetables. If we don’t take action now and teach our kids how to eat less meat, more and more of them could face serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and even some types of cancer as they get older.
You can help your family eat healthier by serving them a tasty meatless meal once a week. And if we all do it together — cutting down on the chemical fertilizers, fuel, pesticides and toxic chemicals that harm the environment — we’ll make a huge difference!
Check our blog each Monday for a meatless recipe – Marilu.com fully supports Meatless Monday (and other meatless days, too, as you find more meatless meals you love).
Marilu will be chatting with members about MEMORY on Monday, August 22nd at 1 PM Eastern (10 AM Pacific).
Learn more about Marilu’s unique superior autobiographical memory!
Find out about Marilu’s new book on memory!
Get updates on memory research!
Ask your questions about memory and how the brain remembers!
Mark your calendars for this Members-only chat!
Monday, August 22, 1 PM Eastern
Not a member? Join now and you can take the Healing Traditions class and join the chat, too!
In the spirit of healing traditions from around the world, we have some meditation music this week. It will give you time for a good 10-minute meditation. The song is from Sounds of the Ether by Joseph Michael Levry.
Most of the words in this song are “I Am”. Use that to focus your thoughts on who you are, and who you want to be – loving, nurturing, accepting, generous, compassionate, healthy, helpful, kind, considerate, strong, forgiving, etc (just pick one at a time, though, and really focus on it). Open your heart to let that trait become a part of you.
These cakes are similar to polenta slices – serve them topped with a marinara sauce or salsa, or perhaps with a mushroom sauce. Add steamed veggies and a green salad to make a complete meal.
At this time of year, zucchini is in abundance, but for the times it’s not available, you can substitute other vegetables.
For people with gluten allergies, millet is a good optional grain, as it contains no gluten. Millet is easy to digest, with a cooling and soothing effect on the digestive system. Millet is high in vitamins and minerals, notably iron, magnesium, and potassium. It helps the body with repair, cleansing, and elimination.
Millet can be cooked in two ways. Cooking it with plenty of water results in a thick consistency, ideal for stuffings, burgers, and as a hot cereal. If toasted first (dry in a hot skillet) and cooked in a little less water, the result is a fluffy grain similar to couscous.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Stovetop Millet Cakes adapted from The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind, by The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers
Blue * Serves 4-6
2 cups millet
1 quart water
pinch of salt
1-1/3 cups chopped zucchini
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour (or use a gluten-free flour blend)
2 Tablespoons oil
7 ounces firm tofu, drained, pressed, and crumbled
Place the millet, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the zucchini, bring the pot back to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Cool.
When cold, mash the millet and zucchini. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to make a thick batter. Add a little extra water, if necessary.
Heat a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Form millet into cakes by putting a handful of the mixture into the skillet and pressing down on it with a wet metal spatula. Only cook 2-3 cakes at a time. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Keep warm until they are all cooked (remove to an oven-proof platter or cake pan that you keep in a 200F oven).
10 weekdays (Monday-Friday, Monday-Friday)
STARTS TODAY!
August 15-26, 2011
Coach Robbie will introduce five different traditions from around the globe — Ayurvedic traditions, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Japanese Macrobiotics, Native American practices, and Celtic traditions. Throughout the 10 days there will be cross references to common threads found in the various schools of practice. The idea is to focus on dietary guidelines and habits of self-care that support good health.
Members check your inbox today for an email today with links to the class.
Not a member? Sign up now!
You’ll also get access to Marilu’s Memory chat next Monday!
Marilu will be chatting with members about MEMORY on Monday, August 22nd at 1 PM Eastern (10 AM Pacific).
Learn more about Marilu’s unique superior autobiographical memory!
Find out about Marilu’s new book on memory!
Get updates on memory research!
Ask your questions about memory and how the brain remembers!
Mark your calendars for this Members-only chat!
Monday, August 22, 1 PM Eastern
Not a member? Join now and you can take the Healing Traditions class and join the chat, too!
Every month at Marilu.com we have online classes – an opportunity for you to learn more about healthy living from Marilu and her hand-picked coaching staff. Classes are included with your membership! Not a member? Sign up now!
The next class starts Monday! Join the fun and learn something new about different ways to be healthy.
HEALING PRACTICES * August 15-26 2011
Coach Robbie, an anthropologist, shares healing practices from around the world. Join today!
Here’s what you can look forward to for the rest of the year!
BACK TO BOOTY SCHOOL—EUROPEAN SEMESTER * September 2011
We’re going “on location” (virtually) with Coach Evi to explore healthy living in Europe. Recipes, lifestyle and cooking tips from several different European countries…it’s our own version of a semester abroad!
GRATITUDE * October 2011
As we prepare for the holidays, we get into a mindset of gratitude and abundance with Coach Robbie.
GLUTEN-FREE LIFE * October 2011
Coach Jill helps us understand the gluten-free life. If you have family or friends who are GF (for any reason), join us for recipes, cooking tips, and lifestyle tips.
HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS * November-December 2011
This class is your all-around holiday preparation and organization class with Coach Jan.
Remember burpees? Probably from gym class, unless you’ve taken a boot camp fitness class recently.
Burpees are … not our favorite thing to do. But they are effective, and they work a lot of major muscle groups, as well as calling on smaller muscles for stabilization. And they raise our heart rate, too, but we’re not sure that’s an intended benefit.
Start by standing with your feet a little wider than shoulder distance apart.
Squat into a frog-like stance, planting your hands inside your feet.
Jump your feet back, so you’re in a plank position (the “up” pose of a push-up).
Do a pushup. If you need to put your knees down to do a pushup, that’s okay. Make sure you have good form.
Jump your feet back up to your hands, so your knees are outside of your arms.
Stand up. (Or jump up.)
That’s one. (And one is a lot of work! But it’s working for you… for your body and for your health. Think about the benefits. Think about being strong and powerful.)
Start with three sets of eight burpees. Build up from there!
“Pollo” is Spanish for chicken, but you can make these with tofu, too.
If your family is “mixed” (vegans and non-vegans) this is a good recipe for everyone. Just marinate the chicken and tofu in separate bowls, and put them on separate skewers. To prepare tofu for marinating, use firm water-packed tofu. Drain it, and sandwich it between two clean towels and then between two plates. Put a weight on the top plate (a large can or heavy book) and let it sit there for 10 minutes. Then slice the tofu into 1-1/2 inch cubes (same size as the chicken). You’re ready to marinate!
Serve the kebabs with thin slices of whole-grain artisan bread and a ginormous salad of mixed vegetables.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Pollo Adobo Kebabs Adapted from Eating Well magazine
Blue * Serves 2
1-1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes (or equivalent tofu – see above for instructions)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, peeled, quartered, and separated into layers
Lemon wedges
Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill.
In a medium bowl, blend 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and pepper. If using chicken and tofu, divide the marinade between two bowls. Add chicken to one bowl and tofu to the other, and toss to coat. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and oil. Set aside.
Thread chicken (or tofu) and onion pieces alternately onto 4 large or 8 small skewers.
Using a long-handled barbecue brush, coat the grill rack lightly with oil. Grill kebabs, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes, basting with reserved lemon-oil mixture on cooked side only. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.
