Georgetown University Tree Lighting, Dec. 2, 2011

Last night, a couple of my closest post-bacc friends and I gathered in Georgetown’s main quad to listen to carols, drink hot cocoa, and watch the annual tree lighting on campus. It was fun and festive, and for the first time this year, I felt glimmers of the holiday spirit.

I’m a big sucker for the holidays, but this is a strange season: for all of its charms, DC just isn’t home to me yet, and its hard to watch the Christmas season go by without Madison Avenue decorations, the skaters at Rockefeller Center, and, most of all, the cozy comfort of my Mom’s apartment around the corner. Beyond that, life outside this blog has been a little tougher than I tend to let on: work is never-ending, and no matter how much time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears I put into my post-bacc, I continue to struggle. At times, I feel as though nothing I do matters in these classes, and that’s a new and uniquely frustrating experience for me academically (I encountered challenging classes as an undergrad, but in those cases hard work and concentration always yielded improvement).

In any case, I spend a lot of time silencing doubts lately—about school, about med school, about my choice to change careers so dramatically—and this was one of the harder weeks.

Until last night, that is. At some point between the tree lighting, dinner with Valerie (recap to come!), and early morning yoga with Katie, the clouds lifted, and I realized that I’ve found a family here in DC.

I never worked very hard at finding a “family” in college—I made great friends, but I also had the comforts of my home town and childhood friends all around me. I didn’t need community the way kids from out of town seemed to. Now, as I battle this challenging program in a new city, I understand why community and school spirit matter so much to so many students. I’m pretty sure that I’ll survive my post-bacc, but even if I don’t, it will feel worth it to have made the friends I’ve made in the last six months.

On that note, it’s time to hit the books again. Tomorrow, a restaurant recap!

xo

Thank you to all the lovely ladies who participated in last night’s Spark! Wellness + Choosing Raw Cleanse teleclass! Hadley, Andrea and I were blown away by the intelligent questions and comments you all threw out, from “how do I explain the cleanse to my husband?” to “how much exercise is recommended while you’re cleansing?” Hopefully we helped to clear up some of these issues. For those of you who are already signed up for the cleanse, the call was recorded and is available for listening; details here.

For those of you who are still considering signing up for the cleanse, which was just featured in VegNews magazine, the deadline has been extended to this Sunday, January 10th, which is the day on which cleanse materials (including meal plans, recipes, and tips) will be sent out to participants. I, for one, can’t wait to lead the program and to follow it along with my cleansers. The level 3 forum is already abuzz with wonderful conversation about the cleansers goals and intentions, and I’m looking forward to more dialogue with these smart and motivated women!

On to food. It’s been a while since I did a product review, so I thought I’d share with you all my latest taste test. The lovely folks at Divine Foods were kind enough to send me samples of their Boomi and SuperCharger PranaBars!

I’ve been hoping to sample PranaBars for a long time. They’re certified organic and gluten-free, sweetened with organic agave nectar, and (this is my favorite part) the nuts are slow cooked at low temperatures to denature their enzyme inhibitors, making them slightly more digestible than other nut based bars. The new SuperCharger line is infused with so-called superfoods: maca, goji berries, acai, and the like.

Now, you guys know that I’m a devoted fan of LaraBars. But I will confess, I was excited to add some variety to my bar options. And overall, these guys hit the spot!

The pros: Flavor! So far, I’ve tried the Raspberry Pomegranate and Goldenberry Goji flavors. Like  LaraBars and Clif Nectar bars, they taste simple and clean. But their flavor is slightly more complex and rich than LaraBars; the Goldenberry Goji flavor, for example, tasted of fresh vanilla. It was delicious! These guys are sweeter than some other bars I’ve tried, so I’d suggest them for when you’re in the mood for a dessert-like snack. I sampled by bar along with a large tahini-romaine salad (pictured here–nothing shouts “scenic photo op!” more than a desk lunch), and found that the bar held my hunger nicely all afternoon—a big plus!

The cons: The bars all contain puffed amaranth in addition to nuts, which means that they’re miscombined. In fairness, they didn’t upset my stomach in the slightest, and amaranth is absolutely one of my favorite grains, so I was psyched to see it on the ingredient label. That said, it’s present in a very small amount, so part of me wishes they’d leave it out altogether, for a well-combined treat.

The mix of grains and nuts was more evident in the Boomi Bar, which contains crisp rice. I didn’t love this bar as much, to be honest. It was mostly a question of texture: I enjoyed the density of the PranaBar more than the crunch of the Boomi Bar (I also see on the company website that some Boomi Bars–not the flavor that was sent to me–contain Whey Protein Isolate, which I’m not a fan of, primarily because it’s not vegan, and secondarily because protein isolates are highly processed and some are suspected carcinogens).

My other quibble here is that I tend to cringe at too much hype about “superfoods”—I think it’s a highly misleading label for foods that are simply nutrient-dense (like many other foods). Goji berries are not going to save your life, and the effects of such plants as maca still demand more study before they can be considered conclusive. I have no problem with people enjoying superfoods; certainly, they’re far more nourishing and tasty than many other foods that our society has deemed health-promoting! But I think our obsession with superfoods is a part of our search for quick fixes–foods or supplements that will magically serve as cure alls for weight loss, sickness, and low energy–rather than doing what we should be doing, which is to eat a clean, balanced, plant based diet every single day.

The cult of superfoods, though, is not the issue here. The issue is, how did Gena ultimately like her PranaBars? And the answer is, a lot! I’m not a BoomiBar convert, but I am a big fan of the PranaBars, and encourage you to give them a shot. They’re delicious, healthy, made with great integrity, and (from what I experienced) highly digestive-friendly.

Thumbs up.

Speaking of products, there is a stevia giveaway going on here. And speaking of delicious snacks, I’m sending a giant hug to my dear friend Nelly, who made me chocolate peppermint donut holes for Christmas!

I’ve been enjoying these treats all week, Nel: thank you so much! May everyone have friends as thoughtful and culinarily gifted as Ms. Nelly: attorney, crusader, ultimate Frisbee champ, vegetarian, hottie, and newly-initiated food processor addict.

On that note, I wish you all a great night

xo

P.S. It’s Thursday. Everyone check out my friend Katie’s awesome Vegan Thursday Challenge!

I’ve like to think of recipes as templates, not prescriptions. My favorite recipes are the ones that require minimal time, minimal ingredients, and can be adapted in a maximum number of ways. For me, versatility matters more than shock and awe.

Remember my zucchini alfredo? Well, zucchini pasta is every bit as quick and versatile as regular pasta. Here’s a variation that I guarantee you’ll all love: zucchini pasta with sweet pepper marinara. I was shocked at the authenticity of this dish: it tastes like the best marinara sauce you’ve ever had, only without the hours bubbling on the stove! I got the basic recipe from Wendi’s lovely site, Pure Jeevan, and I made a few modifications. Here’s it is:

Zucchini Pasta with Sweet Pepper Marinara (adapted from Pure Jeevan)

(Serves two)

1 very large red or yellow bell pepper, deseeded
¾ cup cherry or roma tomatoes
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Generous sprinkle dried thyme
Generous sprinkle dried oregano
¼ cup basil
Stevia to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender till thick and smooth. Serve over spiralized or thinly sliced zucchini, and enjoy!

Another great thing about this sauce? It’s neutral, so it can combine with any food. You can serve the pasta with raw nut-meatballs (like these), chunks of avocado (which is how I prepared my bowl), or any other mix-ins. Here’s a close up of the thick sauce:

And a bird’s eye view of dinner:

I hope I’ve managed to inspire you all to try out vegetable pasta. Use zucchini, carrots, or beets as your base, and any sauce you love. And let me know what you create!

In other news, my very dear friend Nelly sent me a link to this article today. I don’t always love Tara Parker-Pope’s column, but I did love this piece, which discusses the tremendous significance of friendships in maintaining good health. (I also thought it was apropos, given my quitiversary post, that this research ranks friendship on par with smoking as a determiner of heart attacks.)

I’m blessed to have many deep and enduring friendships in my life. Some, like Nelly, are women I’ve known since Kindergarten, who have watched me grow up; some are professional acquaintances who have become dear friends; some are people I’ve met through my interest in health. They all enrich my life more than I can say. This article serves as a very good reminder that health isn’t simply a reflection of what we do and don’t put in our bodies. Social bonds, psychological states, and emotional stability have a direct impact on our bodily well-being. So it isn’t a platitude to say that health is spiritual, as well as physical.

The food and health blogging community is all about nutrition, of course–and that’s great. But let’s all remember to celebrate the components of “health” that go beyond the purview of our kitchens and workout regimens. Next time you feel tempted to skip a lunchtime workout in order to catch up with a good friend, or tempted to celebrate a social occasion with an uncharacteristically rich meal, don’t berate yourself: your instincts may be every bit as “healthy” as your typically conscientious habits. Friends make us healthier in mind, heart, and body.

Have a great night, everyone! xo