My Alive magazine article + recipes - April issue...

Hello friends,
I've been busy making and promoting my new show: Found + Foraged of late (you've likely seen all the hoopla on my social media sites) and writing various articles and of course spending lots of time with my son Oskar. We are hoping to get more funding for our show very soon - so will keep you posted as things develop.

In the meantime, here's a link to my latest article w/ 5 recipes I created for Alive magazine for this month's (April) issue.

Be well and enjoy...

My new show...Found + Foraged

Hello friends,
Well, I just got back from an amazing workshop at Hollyhock on Cortes Island with none other than Paul Stamets - someone I've admired and who's work I've followed for years now. I think I'm still floating...
It was particularly special because my Mom and I attended together. What a unique experience; one we'll undoubtedly never forget. More on this later...

In other news...I am very excited to fill you in on a project I've been working on. It's a lifestyle series called Found + Foraged and it's all about foraging on the west coast of BC in various landscapes and interviewing experts in re: various wild edibles.

Please have a look at our Facebook page and/or check out our promo video on YouTube. With a little luck, Telus Communications might just pick it up for their Optik TV .... or who knows what other possibilities there might be.
We've already have a few VERY interesting experts that we'll be interviewing (hint: one of them is Wade Davis!!! I cannot tell you how stoked I am about him agreeing to be interviewed by me! I think my heart may still be racing now, a week later ;) I'm a big fan of his work.

Feeling very excited!

Foraging is something I spend a lot of time doing as a hobby, you could say, and my focus the past few years has been medicinal mushrooms. I'm very passionate about it and it feels very much in alignment with who I am.
And so I want to share it with everybody and inspire folks to get outside, eat healthier (and as local as possible) - all while learning, being inspired and hopefully benefiting the local environment and our connection to it.
Wish us luck...

Sending lots of love and healthy vibes out to you and yours...
Lisa Marie

My Encounter with Paul Stamets

Hello friends,
I want to share with you a wonderful day I had recently with fellow-mushrooms-enthusiast friends of mine; attending a talk by Paul Stamets in Vancouver.

It was a 2 hour talk by him, hosted by Banyan Books, about his work with developing various life-saving formulas with medicinal mushrooms, as well as a great deal of work he has done on environmental clean-up techniques using ass't fungi. It was a really inspiring talk. I have not been to something so inspiring in a long time. This is one man who is visibly changing the world for the better.

If you haven't watched it yet, please watch his TED talk video 6 Ways Mushrooms Will Save the World and you'll see many of the examples he described in this talk. Even though i had previously seen several of his videos online and have followed his work for over a decade, I still learned so much from him and his wisdom. I also saw old friends from the supplement industry there; the ones who never settled for the majority poor quality supplements out there. The ones who support whole food-based supplements; those made with integrity. And there were several Bowen 'neighbours' there too. It was a delightful afternoon.

I was very nervously excited to meet him after his talk; this man behind the fungi I had been studying rather fervently for several years now. I even brought my prized, rare Agarikon mushrooms to show him (see him holding it in photo). Lo and behold he had brought his too! Picture it; two mushrooms geeks sporting their trophy's!

The next day, my mushroom pals and I went out for a fungi forage and found quite the bounty of turkey tail (aka coriolus, or trametes versicolour, photo below right) and ganoderma applenatum (aka BC Reishi, photo below left) mushrooms. With them I make healing tea - which, by the way, would help almost any ailment, since it modulates your immune system.

 

After the talk I phoned my Mom to tell her how great it was and I guess she heard something in my voice and my excitement so she decided we should do his upcoming Workshop at Hollyhock as an early birthday present for me and a Mother-Daughter 'project'. Needless to say, I'm overjoyed and can hardly wait!!!

Thanks for tuning in to my geek speak :)

More practical info on mushrooms coming soon...

Yours in health...
Lisa Marie

Is the Scientific Community Finally Waking up to the Importance of WHOLE Foods!?

We can only hope! But this article gives me hope and is so refreshing!
Especially the part where the researcher says that we need to start looking at food in its whole form instead of always reducing it down to its individual nutrients! Yeah!
Please read...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/saturated-fat-alone-doesn-t-predict-heart-disease-risk-1.2576252


(Special thanks to Nadine Ijaz for posting it to her Facebook wall and bringing it to my attention :)

Nourish Your Sweetie on V-Day...

Yep, the big commercial love day is fast approaching!
(For those of you a little out of the loop - it's tomorrow!)

Instead of buying your sweetie (or yourself) that junky chocolate, or those sickly sweet cinnamon hearts...
I implore you...do something a little different. Perhaps comething a little more traditional.

How 'bout a homemade card? Some poetry? A day out in nature?  A massage?

Or... one of my personal faves; a dynamite homecooked meal! (Yeah!)
Make a good effort to make what your sweetie's heart sings for...go on you can do it!

Bring on the vitamin 'L'...

Here is my list of inspirations (feel free to improvise!)

• For the Paleo lover...One-pan roasted (organic/free range) chicken with potatoes/onions and carrots in the same pot (so they get basted and the resulting liquid acts as an easy gravy. Mmmm...) *Of course it wouldn't hurt to sautee a little broccoli/chard/red cabbage on the side for added colour, nutrients & alkalinity.
• For the carb-loving Vegetarian love in your life...Wild Mushroom & Leek Risotto
• And for the ador-able Vegan...Grilled Tempeh with Orange/Maple Glaze... on a bed of thai red rice or quinoa

And don't forget that Valentine's Day should really be every day...so maybe make your sweetie (or yourself!) a fab breakfast or lunch more often...

• Smoked Salmon Eggs Benny w/ Sauteed Spinach
• Gluten-Free or Spelt Pancakes (* hint: use fresh-ground Buckwheat groats and quinoa as flour + eggs to bind) loaded with berries & topped with peaches and full fat greek yogourt (Made this last weekend for my sweetie and brought him on his knees!  - not literally, dirty bird!!)
• Wild Mushroom & Braised Greens Omellete (sounds way fancier than it is!)
• Sensational Smoothie with fresh-ground pumpkin seeds and walnuts, kale, coconut milk, - fresh/frozen/seasonal fruit (ie: apples, pears, berries) - topped with cinnamon.

Hope this post got your juices flowing...I know it did mine!

Keep on keeping it real...Lisa Marie xo

New year (new you) tip #4

Remove wheat from your diet.
I know this is controversial (what natural practice isn't these days?!).
I personally believe that wheat is no longer a natural healthy food for us (not even organic wheat, unfortunately). I won't go into all the details other than it has been so modified that our bodies no longer recognize it. Therefore, it stresses our digestive and immune systems (a little or a lot, depending on your system).
And who needs more internal stress!? Not me. And nor do you.

You may be saying to yourself right now, "but i don't react to wheat".
Wellllll, you likely don't know that you are because it isn't an instant reaction, nor does it only manifest in your tummy.
It can also take up to 4 days and it can occur in many forms; skin inflammation, headaches, weight gain (or difficulty in losing weight), any gastro-intestinal issues, acne, back pain (this is how my body reacts to wheat), low energy, inablity to absorb nutrients efficiently, heart burn/acid reflux, susceptibility to colds/viral infections, yeast issues, etc.

At least give it a try. A good old college effort. About 6-8 weeks is needed to really notice any difference. Some people notice an improvement in as little as a day or two.
Try and be as thorough as possible.
*FYI: wheat comes in many disguises, for example: cousous, semolina, durum, gluten (usually from wheat), farro, einkorn, orzo, bran, germ, etc.

If you are not very familiar with alternatives, here are a few:
Bread: Spelt, Kamut, rye (often mixed with wheat so look for pure rye), gluten-free varieties (look for whole grains ones and skip the starch-laden ones)

Pasta: brown rice, kamut, or quinoa are all really good and much healthier than wheat varieties.

Crackers: brown rice, rye, spelt, quinoa, nut thins.

Wraps: brown rice, sprouted corn, buckwheat

Enjoy your journey to better health...(it's easier than you think)...
Lisa Marie

New Years tip #3...

Eat a new vegetable this week.
Pick one. Eat it every day.

*The key is to have it in addition to the other veggies you are already eating so you are upping your veggie intake.
It is, afterall, unanimously agreed upon; we all need to eat more veggies.

Do it. It's easy.
->Turn off the story loop that keeps telling you that you're too busy, don't like veggies, life's too short to eat so many veggies, it's too hard...just do it. It's actually easy.

Remember every positive change you makes, makes a difference in your health.
So do small changes gradually and they will certainly add up.

My choice this past week has been sprouts.
I like the 'deli blend' you can get at the supermarket, or sometimes just alfalfa is all that will do.
I use them as a salad base, because leafy green are not where it is at at this winter-y time of year.

(Note: raw leafy's are hard to digest and not very nutrient dense nor seasonally appropriate. Skip them and eat sprouts instead. You'll like it :)  Wait 'til Spring and then go crazy on the leafies again. I will too.

Keep well my friends...
Lisa Marie

PS: So by now you have figured out that I don't post daily...or even weekly. I post when I'm moved to post (and when i have time to). Hopefully that will be more often this year (as i shut off my internal story loop that keeps me from doing what I really want to do). That is my goal. Stay tuned...and spread the food love...

New Year's health tip #2

Turn off devices/distractions at mealtime. Just eat. Relax (breathe, be grateful). And enjoy...

*This new habit will be of the single-most transformational things you do for yourself and your health. It improves digestion and absorption of nutrients, and it will also improve your state of mind and mood as well as your relationship with food and self-nourishment.... all of which improve your immunity and your overall health.

Not bad for something so simple huh?  It's all about implementing simple daily practices to bring you to sensational health!

Do it. You won't regret it...

Best in health to you,

Lisa Marie

New Years tips for a healthier YOU

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Here's to a new year that is bigger, brighter and healthier!

TIP #1:

Drink more filtered (chlorine free, not demineralized) water.
*Drink water on an empty stomach in order to adequately hydrate and avoid diluting digestive juices.

One more step toward a healthier you!

Yours in health, Lisa Marie

Where does a person start?

Hello friends and fellow foodies,
I am back (I never left, just spending too much time on Facebook!) to share some great info with you...

Eating healthfully can seem overwhelming at times, right?  The amount of info out there is mind-boggling how do you know what to believe?  So much of it is bogus information too - coming straight to your favourite magazine or newspaper from an industry-funded study or marketing firm (neither of which is driven by concern with you or your families health).

So where does a well-meaning consumer start?  How do we get back on track?

I just read this amazing report on Occupy Monsanto's website and think it is wonderful and comprehensive and succint.

This is a wonderful place to start!  Happy reading...

http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/2013/04/12/the-grocery-store-blacklist-12-food-companies-to-avoid-and-95-sneaky-aliases/

And for more info on the perils of Genetically Modified foods (aka GMO's), click here.

Happy, HEALTHY New Year to you...

2013 is going to be good.  Real good.  I can practically taste it.

In fact it already is good. I had a beautiful walk yesterday down to the bay near my home (see photo).  It's where I go to meditate outdoors.  This year I will continue to meditate both indoors and out.  It makes me a better person;  I digest better. I'm better nourished. And I'm more centered and less overwhelmed.  I truly believe that meditation can serve anyone - it's all about customizing it to fit your needs and lifestyle.
There's no one-size fits all, as with diet.

I digress.

This blog is about new beginnings.  The cliche of this time of year.  And i like it - so I'm sticking to it.  I think we ought to create anew (or at least strive to) at the beginning of each new season rather than just once a year.  Perhaps that will be my resolution.

I believe in making realistic goals. I dream big but set tangible, attainable goals to chip away at it.
You gotta break it down - otherwise overwhelment sets in and let's face it; many of us are overwhelmed at the best of times.  Life these days is full.  Very full.

We are more than ever faced with the challenge of prioritizing what is most important to us...or time slips away and time gets wasted on what is not so important.  I strive to be more aware of this this year too.  Less time on Facebook, more time writing.

Another goal is to juice once a week and to eat one more vegetable a day.  If I cannot do it every day that's okay too as long as I do more. My body is asking for it, so I shall deliver.

The last days of 2012 were spent with family. My Dad is dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis so I did some juicing for him while I was visiting. Juicing can be a great way to get in the extra nourishment we need when our body's defenses are not up to snuff.

My mom and I delighted in the colours of our fresh, frothy concoction (see photo). We stuck to mostly local (my motto in case you haven't yet noticed ;) and blended BC Pink Lady apples, carrots, beets and parsley and a bit of orange, all with skins on.  Delicious.
(*Be sure to keep all edible skins on, scrub them well and if your juicer separated the skin/pulp be sure to put some back in your juice for better nourishment and healthier blood sugar balance.)

I hope you find a healthy new habit this 2013.

Stay tuned for more inspiration.

Sick Day Scramble

The title says it all really.  When you feel rotten but still have an appetite and need to nourish yourself here's a very simple quick recipe to really go deep with your nutrients.

(By the way, I've been on a bit of a hiatus due to some personal issues but I intend to get back to blogging in the early new year.  There is no end to my inspiration. Thanks for reading...)

Enjoy...


Sick Day Scramble
Heat some butter and or cold-pressed oil in pan at low heat.  
Add 6 shitake mushrooms, sliced and 1 large garlic clove, chopped. 
Sautee for a few minutes until the aroma infuses the room and they look softened.  
Add 2 organic eggs and a smathering of organic spinach, pinch unrefined salt and a dusting of cayenne pepper.   Mix and cover until cooked to your liking. *Do not overcook egg yolks as it oxidizes their good cholesterol.
Accompany with a half an avocado and a gaggle of your favourite sprouts.
Divine. 

Your getting needed protein to heal, a range of quality fats, a variety of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.  Anti-inflammatory and immune boosting compounds from garlic, shitakes, cayenne and spinach, enzymes from the fresh sprouts and avocado and electrolytes from the unrefined salt.  I could go on...

A complete and healing meal in many respects.  All you have to do now is enjoy it and your body will do the rest...

I am in love. again.
I have re-discovered the world of fermented beverages and my newest adventure has been with water kefir. I had tried my hand at other home-brewed bevvies in the past with success. In fact, ginger beer and T'ej (Ethiopian honey wine) were staples around my house for some time.
But water kefir has really rocked my boat. I think a big factor is that it takes a fraction of the time that others take to make - and who doesn't appreciate that?
The most pleasing attributes for me though are the flavour and how great it makes me feel after drinking it. It is the cleanest crispest flavour I've experienced in a ferment. Now I'm no fermented beverage aficionado - not by any stretch of the imagination - but I have had my fair share of 'booch' (aka: kombucha).
And there is also no denying how happy my belly feels after a cool crisp glass of my homemade water kefir. When I first made it a few months ago after a workshop I took with the talented Andrea Potter, I couldn't stop!  I was hooked on the first sip and had to have more. 
I was also adequately convinced that the refined sugar (something I don't normally use at all) was metabolized in the fermentation process and so it did not create any of the ill effect it would have if it had not been fermented. The refined sugar is virtually consumed by the active bacterial cultures within the kefir 'grains' and used as fuel to make this deliciously healthy drink. Some of the nutrients within include: enzymes, probiotic / friendly bacteria, antioxidants, assorted vitamins and minerals.
Now that's some good food magic
The method is simple once you get your hands on some water kefir grains (ask around at health-food shops and organic markets - many folks have them you just need to ask around in neighborhoods where people make or grow their own food).

Basic Recipe:
Approx. 1/4 tsp. kefir grains (that's all you need for a litre!)
1 litre boiled/purified water
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
Approx. 1/4 cup fresh or dried fruit of choice
a few sprigs of herb of choice (ie: mint, thyme, basil, fennel) - optional but recommended to achieve complex flavour and higher nutrient value.

Method:
1. Place clean jar(s) on counter top and add 1/4 cup sugar to the bottom of jar.
2. Pour just under 1 litre water into jar over sugar and stir.
3. Add the herbs of choice to the hot sweet water.
4. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Add the fruit - I mash the berries to get the maximum nutrients out of them. If I'm using lemon or lime wedges I squeeze them a little first too.
6. Then add the kefir grains. I first put them into a little reusable tea sac to avoid having to strain them out of the fruity/herbal much afterwards.
7. Place a tea towel or cloth napkin over the top of the jar and fasten with an elastic band.
8. Let sit for 48 hours in a warm place away from direct sunlight and stir with a non-metal implement every           8-12 hours. (They don't like metal so I use a wooden spoon.)
9. After 48 hours, remove the little sac with the kefir grains and place it in the refrigerator in a jar with some of the liquid from the kefir to keep it moist and fed. It will be fine for a few days but feed it with a little sugar and water if you leave it for longer. Even better, use them for the next batch right away - this keeps them the healhiest.
10. Strain the rest of the fruit/herb bits and bottle the strained liquid. *Note: Bail top bottles are my favourite and they are nice and strong for holding back the sometimes powerful carbonation that builds during fermentation. Wine bottles and corks work too - put on lids tightly :)
11. Leave the bottle at room temperature for another 24 hours if you like carbonation.
12. Transfer to fridge after 24 hours in the bottle and enjoy once cooled.
*Be careful opening your fermented beverage as it can act like champagne sometimes and flow over wildly!

A few favourites: Rhubard and vanilla pod, lime & mint, summer plum, pomegranate, aumtumn pear or pineapple + coconut water.

"Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy" as my son Oskar would say!

Enjoy drinking in the goodness...

Food Glorious Food

For those of you who love to garden (or aspire to) - raise your hands.
Gardening can take many forms. I started small; growing herbs in my window and throwing the odd seed in a pot when I lived in shared housing back in my college days.
I had little to be responsible for back then (compared to my days now as a mother). And I had something to watch grow. My education was less tangible it seemed, i guess ;)
This year I've planted my biggest edible garden yet. I feel so fortunate to have the space and the time (albeit not a lot!) Rather than have the token tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans and various herbs that I had last year, I have decided to go big.
This Summer I want to feed my family from the garden. I can always share any extras, right?
Then, my plan is to start making my move toward expanding into the fall and winter months and learn ways to extend the season. I've been learning much  from others who have been doing this for years. It's just about having a little know-how and taking the plunge. And making the best use of the space you have.

It's got to be one of the most gratifying things an individual can do - to grow your own food.  Not only is the process exhilarating - watching those tiny seed pods burst forth into seedling and then mature plants (all from a tiny seed!) - but the finished product pretty much blows your mind. Well, when things turn out, that is. There are never any guarantees with gardening but the risk of course is part of the excitement.

I lately been rather enthralled with the many ideas on the internet exploring vertical gardening. The ideas seem endless and so ingenious. It seems that folks want to grow wherever they are and no matter their space restrictions.  Good on them, I say!
I think that we all need to reconnect with our foods sources. So even if you live in a wee little north facing apartment with a black thumb. There is hope. You can grow - somehow.

Here's some links to get you started:http://www.windowfarms.org/
http://www.facebook.com/willemvancotthem
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/roof-wall-gardens-videos.html

Happy growing to you...

Culinary Spices for Life

Check out my latest Alive Magazine article

Orange Cheese - why!?

Have you ever wondered why cheese in North America is often orange? I have!  Not until I became a little more food savvy of course but I just grew up thinking that some cheese were just 'that way'and not ever questioning why or even how. I think it has, over time, just become an accepted thing or, perhaps more accurately, an unquestioned thing. Until fairly recently that is, as consumers are becoming more in the know about food additives they are wanting to avoid them as much as possible.

I was please to be forwarded this article today from a good friend and fellow concerned foodie:
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/ever-wonder-why-block-cheddar-bright-orange-160000906.html
Please pass it on as we as consumers need to stop supporting food companies that use these additives - for the sake of our kids and our collective health!

Another Women's Day post (from fellow blogger)..

Perhaps it should have been Women's Month!

Here's The Queen of Green on Women's Day...

Eating it Real Celebrates International Women's Day

Today's post is dedicated to all the young women of the world who deserve all the opportunities that they can dream of.

As a woman, I believe that empowerment via knowledge, wellness and spirituality can be trans-formative.
It is my wish that people will realize the far reaching effect a healthy diet has not only on one's body, mind and spirit but also the effect we all have as individuals in the world (environment, economy, social policy, human rights...)
On the topic of self-nourishment, my hope is that young women of the world will not only realize the vast benefits of self-nourishment (physically, mentally & spiritually) but practice it daily, without guilt, without fear...without hesitation!

I think there are few key of ways to initiate and inspire the young women in your life to do this:
First is through education. Many people do not have the first clue how to just physically nourish themselves so proper nutrition education is paramount. Make efforts to ensure that nutritional education is prominent in your community. As the effort toward physical nourishment (via food) is strived for, it will then nurture the idea of self-importance; another form of nourishment reaching the soul/spirit.

Another way to inspire young women to care for their nourishment is to celebrate them; tell them what they mean to you, show them how much you care and how important they are to this world.

Next, cut out the body image banter! Enough already with pressuring women to look (and talk!) like Barbie. This is impractical and unhealthy for the vast majority of the population.

These simple practices can change the world. Afterall, women are the 'nourishers' (of others) and once we become depleted who's going to do it? We must include ourselves in the nourishing! So, be the change you want to see in the world and inspire through action...

Happy International Women's Day! Please see this link for other blogs that are writing for this special day:

Thank you and be well nourished,
Lisa Marie

My recent Interview of Lindsay Coulter - Queen of Green

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki's Queen of Green. She's SO great!  My new favourite person...

(You may recall that she interviewed me just a short time ago. Now the tables have turned - mwah-ha-ha-ha...)

Check it out here

Berry Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes - oh my!

Today I made something I've never made before. Well, actually something we make often but with a twist!  And the idea was all my son Oskar's. We set out this morning, as we often do, to make our staple buckwheat pancakes (we're a milk and gluten free family) but Oskar had set in his mind to start his day with a glass of chocolate almond milk which I had picked up from Choices Market recently. I explained that that was not a healthy option to start the day with. So, as any 4 year old would do, he figured out a way to convince me.  So, naturally, he suggested that we add it to the pancake mix in lieu of regular almond milk; one of the ingredients in our recipe. I was about to say no when  I realized that it was Valentine's Day and why not treat ourselves to something a bit decadent?  So, off we went with reckless abandon and created a rather yummy breakfast treat. I snapped a shot to share with you. Perhaps you'll enjoy it too...
Hope there's love in your day!

Oskar's Valentine's Berry Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes (with berries)
You'll need:

 2 cups Buckwheat groats (fresh-ground is way better, taste and nutrient-wise. *Buy whole/raw and use your coffee grinder!)

Approx. 1.5 cups Chocolate Almond milk (or Vanilla Brown rice and/or coconut milk - use just enough to make pancake batter creamy and thin enough to pour but not runny/milky) add more if needed.

2 organic eggs

2 tablespoons. non-alum baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of nutmeg

Fresh/frozen organic/seasonal fruit (thinly sliced apples, pears and/or berries work great).

Method 

1.) Blend all ingredients, except fruit, well.

2.) Heat skillet to medium and add butter/ghee/virgin coconut oil to coat pan.

3.) Scoop out enough dough for one pancake.

4.) Add fresh/frozen fruit and flip when it bubbles.

5.) Once finished cooking, drizzle with real maple syrup, raw honey or homemade jam or apple sauce and perhaps even a dollop of organic, non-homogenized yogourt….enjoy!