Posts by Liz

Stirring the pot: a conversation with author/chef Mollie Katzen on food, women and aging

Posted by Liz on Feb 8, 2010 in diet, menopause | 14 comments

Just about anyone who’s interested in cooking and whose formative years took place in the late 60s and 70s knows these names:  Moosewood Cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen. Personally, both of these volumes occupied prominent places on my bookshelves for years. That is, until worn from overuse and stained with food and memories, I reluctantly let them go.

So, what do cooking and midlife and menopause have to do with each other? And what type of insights can chef and author Mollie Katzen lend to the conversation?

I originally approached Mollie in search of nutrition advice for women going through midlife and menopause. Although I realize that she isn’t a dietician or a nutritionist, as someone who’s immersed herself in food for decades, she seemed quite capable  to lend a perspective. But as our conversation took hold and we found our rhythm, I realized that the focus had shifted: what I ended up with was a mini-instruction manual, not only for eating healthy but also for forming and maintaining positive relationships with food and with ourselves.

A champion of “keep it healthy,” Mollie entered the scene when cookbooks were largely geared towards the typical American meat and potato diet.  When the Moosewood Cookbook first hit the shelves, “there was barely even a cookbook section in the bookstore, let alone, a ‘healthy eating’ or  ‘vegetarian’ section,” explains Mollie.  Yet, she is not what many of us classify as “vegetarian,” and  although she  primarily skews the dinner plate towards greens and veggies, she consistently includes small amounts of animal protein.  “My diet in my 30s and 40s could have been classified as practically vegan,” she says, “even if I wasn’t orthodox about it.” (At that time, she was also keen on a low-fat diet, which, coupled with the lack of ample amounts of protein, spelled trouble.) “It was almost ‘remorse cuisine;’ I’d eat this way and by mid-afternoon I’d almost be fainting, depleted, irritable. I had no focus. I found that I wasn’t functioning and would wonder what was wrong with me because I thought I was eating the purest diet on the planet. I felt like I was falling apart.”

If you are familiar with the earlier editions of Mollie’s books, they concentrate heavily on whole grains and legumes. However, age has paved a path for a significant alteration in what she eats.  Emphasizing that the amount of bulgar and beans she’d have to eat to obtain the amount of protein that she needs for her blood sugar to stay stable could easily translate into an extra 50 pounds, Mollie says that she has changed her diet to include grass-fed animal protein and raw milk cheese, milk and butter.

What about aging and diet? “I think that women get really frustrated,” she says, pointing out that as we age, even if we change nothing about our lifestyles, e.g., if our lifestyle is reasonable, we are of fairly normal weight, exercise moderately and eat pretty well, we still gain weight. “Our bodies become an inefficient machine and our metabolisms slow,” she says, adding that one of the most consistent things she’s observed amongst her friends is the “oh my god, what happened to my body” moment. The ‘I’m minding my business, doing the same things I’ve always done and all of a sudden, I’ve got this spare tire, I’ve got the fat” epiphany. Sound familiar?!

Although challenging, the answer to this common dilemma is fairly intuitive. And while we’d love to fool ourselves into believing that declining hormones are the primary culprits, they aren’t. Rather a decline in physical activity and lack of dietary restraint are the key players.  Mollie agrees that while women can’t do a whole lot about the fat redistribution, the “one thing [they] need in order to keep the [weight gain] at bay is to keep muscles toned as possible with resistance exercise and also, eat less.” New flash! This actually works; Mollie reports that she currently weighs the same as she did in her 20’s!

Of course, what works for one woman might not be exactly what works for another. We all need to forge our dietary paths and strategies that work for both our individual metabolism and our bodies.

“Health is trial and error,” Mollie explains. “So much of it shows up in how you feel a few hours later. For example, do you feel sleepy after you’ve eaten? Do you feel sluggish or irritable later in the day? Do you have trouble sleeping at night? For me, these were all symptoms of what was going on when I was eating almost no fat or protein.” Much in line with health and nutrition experts, Molllie’s strategy has been to reduce her daily caloric intake while at the same time increasing the percent of calories in her diet that are fat. “I get a good 30% of my calories from nuts, olive oil, avocado and fatty fish.” And when she snacks, its the good fats that she reaches for: “avocados and nuts, especially walnuts. When I am hungry, I have a handful of almonds. I just think that for people as they get older, they should lose the pretzels and eat almonds or guacamole or something with good fat in it.”

We also need to slow down. Bet you’ve heard that before! Mollie says that the most radical transformation we can make with food isn’t so much changing what we eat but how we eat it. Her advice? “Don’t even pick up the fork for the first minute that the food is served. Breathe deeply, look at it, admire it, thank the cook, be grateful. Then pick up your fork, take a few bites and put your fork down. Swallow your food. Women simply don’t have the metabolic ability to do a good job with all that food.”

Food heals. As women, our love-hate relationship with food is complex. We not only use food as fuel, but also to feed our emotions. Or on the flipside, we deprive ourselves in ways that are counterintuitive and sometimes, downright unhealthy.

“This sounds so obvious,” says Mollie, “but I really want people to turn towards cooking and not away from it. To me, the more hands-on and proactive we are about food and cooking, the more we heal whatever issues or concepts we have around food. I’ve actually seen people healing their relationship with food by diving into it.” Make food one of your favorite hobbies. She suggests that rather instead of shunning away from the grocery store run, step back and make it a trip to pick up something beautiful to be celebrated. “Diving into a more positive, deliberate relationship with food gives you something nice to do,” she adds.

What are the take-away messages?

• Tailor it uniquely: keep it healthy.. for you.
• Move towards healthier choices and use food in a healing, more positive manner.
• Embrace yourself with beautiful food, whether it’s a perfect tomato from the Farmer’s Market or some kick-ass, green-as-grass guacamole.
• Take it slow, and breathe.

Wise words, from a wise woman who knows her way around a kitchen or two.

p.s. Mollie has shared two of her favorite recipes. Check them out, try them out and please, comment and show some love!

About Mollie:

Mollie Katzen, with over 6 million books in print, is listed by the New York Times as one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time. A 2007 inductee into the prestigious James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, and largely credited with moving healthful vegetarian food from the “fringe” to the center of the American dinner plate, Ms. Katzen has been named by Health Magazine as one of “The Five Women Who Changed the Way We Eat.”

In addition she is a charter member of the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable and an inaugural honoree of the Natural Health Hall of Fame. An award-winning illustrator and designer as well as best-selling cookbook author and popular public speaker, Mollie Katzen is best known as the creator of the groundbreaking classics Moosewood Cookbook, and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Her other books include the award-winning children’s cookbook trilogy, Pretend Soup,Honest Pretzels, and Salad People; Vegetable Heaven (winner of the International Cookbook Reveu Best in Category award); Sunlight Café; Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less (with Walter Willett, MD of Harvard), and the best-selling The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without.

Stirring the pot, part 2: recipes from author/chef Mollie Katzen

Posted by Liz on Feb 8, 2010 in Inspiration | 2 comments

Food is powerful. It can engage, embrace, empower and entertain. It can inspire community, sharing and love. It can make you feel “I am woman (or man)” or stir powerful memories.

Mollie Katzen has shared two of her favorites that respectively represent empowerment and community. The first, from her book Still Life with Menu, is filled with greens and pasta and feta cheese, a powerful combination of flavors, textures and nutritious wonder.  The second is a lovely Indian-inspired dish; truly, what’s better than a big, thick dal with split peas and lots of exotic spices?

Enjoy!

Pasta with Greens & Feta

Mollie Katzen (© All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.)

Here is a painless way to slip some of those ultra-nutritious bitter greens into our diet.  You can use any combination of kale, mustard, collard, dandelion, escarole, chard, beet,  turnip, or spinach.

The instructions call for “short, substantial pasta,” and I have suggested a few forms. This kind of sauce, with tender pieces of onion and bite-sized flecks of greens, studded with soft crumbles of feta, adheres best to small shapely units of pasta.  Each mouthful of this dish delivers a beautiful integration of textures and truly satisfying flavor.

3 to 6 tablespoon olive oil

3 to 4 cups chopped onion (pieces can be on the large side – up to you)

3 or more bunches leafy greens – washed, dried, stemmed (if necessary) and coarsely chopped (8 or more cups chopped)

Salt

3/4 pound penne, fusilli, shells, orechiette, farfalle, or some comparable short, substantial pasta

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Put up the pasta water to boil.  Place a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, and wait for about a minute. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan, then wait another 30 seconds or so. Add the onions, and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, add the pasta to the water when it boils.

Add as many of the chopped greens as will fit to the skillet, salt lightly, and stir until the greens begin to wilt.  The wilting will make room for more of the greens, so add as many more as will fit, salting lightly as you go, and lifting/turning the greens (cooked and uncooked) with tongs.   Keep doing this over medium-low heat until all the greens are in and they are all wilted.

When the pasta is done to your liking (keep it on the al dente side) scoop it out with a “spider” or a strainer, bit by bit, hold it over its cooking water briefly to drain, then add it directly to the potful of sauce. (You don’t need to drain the pasta thoroughly – okay if some water adheres…) Mix with tongs until reasonably well blended, sprinkling in the feta as you go.  Grind in a generous amount of black pepper.

Cook the complete dish just slightly over low heat for just a few minutes (really just until the feta melts in a little). Serve immediately, topped with walnuts, if desired.

Preparation time: About 40 minutes. Yield:  4 to 6 servings

Yellow Split Pea Dahl

Mollie Katzen  (© All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.)

“Dahl” in Indian cooking refers to porridgelike dishes made from legumes – usually split peas, mung beans, or lentils.  Dahl is often served in a thinned state as a soup, but equally often, it well be a thick, hearty side dish.  This is a thick one, comprehensive and highly spiced enough to be the focus of a meal.  It goes beautifully with basmati rice (I especially like the rice with toasted almonds added), and keeps and reheats very well.

2 cups yellow split peas

2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon cinnamon

10 to 12 medium-sized garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

Cayenne

Place split peas and 10 cups water in a soup pot or Dutch oven Cover and heat to boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer very slowly, partially covered – stirring intermittently- for about 2 1/2 hours, or until very soft.

About 45 minutes into the simmering, heat the oil in a small skillet (over medium-low heat) and add the cumin and mustard seeds.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the seeds smell toasty and make popping noises.  Add the remaining spices and the half the garlic, and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until everything is heated through and well mingled.  Add this mixture to the simmering split peas.

About 45 minutes later, add the remaining garlic.  Stir and continue to simmer.  As the dahl becomes thicker, you can add a heat diffuser under the pot to prevent sticking.  You can also add more water – 1/4 cup at a time.

When the split peas are tender, add salt, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne to taste.  Again, if desired, okay to add small mounts of additional water.  Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes further, and serve hot.

Preparation time:  A few minutes of work; 2 1/2 hours of independent simmering Yield:  6 to 8 servings (maybe more, depending on the context)

Sex: all it takes is a litle stretch and breath

Posted by Liz on Feb 5, 2010 in sexual desire, sexual health | 2 comments

Have I got your attention? Add a little stretch and breath into your life. And you may find that sexual desire and satisfaction return.

The actual existence of sexual disorders such as FSD (female sexual disorder, also known as HSDD) been disputed, although there is no question that many women experience significant declines in desire , ample lubrication or the ability to achieve orgasm as they enter menopause. And as I’ve written previously,context is also very important.

One missing link in many of these discussions is how mood comes into play. Ask yourself: did you feel sexual the last time you were especially anxious or stressed? Not surprisingly, numerous studies have been written on how stress of any kind can negatively contribute to sexual function. Hence, it’s no wonder that researchers are now saying that yoga may be helpful for improving sexual function and sexual disorders, in women.

Yoga is a wonderful panacea for many aspect of our lives, helping to refocus our minds, building inner and outer strength and evidently, improving sexual function and sexual disorders. In a small study published late last year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers found significant improvements among women who were enrolled in a yoga camp for a 12-week period. Comparisons of responses to a sexual function questionnaire before and after yoga camp showed improvements in desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain; this improvement was more pronounced among women older than age 45 compared to their younger peers.

The improvements in sexual functioning may be linked to yoga’s positive effect on stress and anxiety, especially in association with sex.

Wednesday Bubble: 5-HTP

Posted by Liz on Feb 3, 2010 in hot flash | 1 comment

With increasing evidence that hormone replacement therapy significantly increases the risk for breast and ovarian and deaths from lung cancer, as well as heart disease, stroke and other conditions, researchers are constantly looking for effective replacements to address the troublesome symptoms of menopause. Any regular reader of this blog knows that I wholeheartedly support the quest and devote my time to providing evidence-based information on alternatives.

Of late, there’s been a lot of interest in the use of antidepressants, in particular, the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), in managing hot flashes. Study results vary, although paroxetine (better known as Paxil) has been probably studied most extensively and shown to reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. On the other hand, SSRIs have also been possibly implicated in heart disease during menopause. So, it is a crapshoot.

Is there a safer form? For example, is the herbal form of the precursor to serotonin — 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) – as effective SSRIs in reducing hot flashes?

Evidently, the answer is no.

In a very small study among menopausal women who reported hot flashes, researchers compared the effects of 5-HTP (150 mg taken daily) to placebo on hot flash frequency. At this particular dose, no significant effects were seen. In fact, on average, women had about the same number of flashes before and after the study.

Sad to burst this bubble because I am a fan of 5-HTP. At the moment, however, it looks as though you’ll need to try a prescription antidepressant if you choose to go that route to address hot flash symptoms.

She’s hot. She’s cool…

Posted by Liz on Feb 1, 2010 in herbal medicine, hot flash | 0 comments

St. John’s Wort can cool down those hot flashes?! Yes, you may want to pay attention as a new study appearing in the February issue of Menopause, may help to cool those hot flashes.

If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you may recall that I wrote previously about St. John’s Wort and its potential role for improving quality of life, sleep disturbances and hot flashes. The latest bit of information suggests that daily use of St. John’s Wort extract among menopausal women resulted in significant declines in the number of daily hot flashes by as much as 50% through eight weeks of treatment compared to women taking only placebo. Daily St. John’s Wort also reduced both the length of time that flashes lasted as well as their severity. At the start of the study, women were experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes at least once daily. Importantly, women taking placebo also experienced declines in hot flash frequency, although not to the same extent as those taking St. John’s Wort.

What you should know…

St. John’s Wort, while generally considered safe, should be used cautiously. As I wrote last year, experts recommend against taking St. John’s Wort at the same time as alcohol, narcotics, amphetamines, tyrosine supplements, flu medicines and foods containing tyramine (e.g. yeast, aged cheese, eggplant, soy sauce). St. John’s Wort can also interact with prescription antidepressants, oral contraceptives and certain medications that thin the blood. More information about St. John’s Wort, its side effects and risks can be found here.

As with any herbal preparation, it’s critical to speak to a healthcare practitioner before embarking on therapy.

For more information on this study, as well as some comments by the researchers, check out Reuters Health’s coverage of the same study.