Evolving Magazine
A Guide for Conscious Living since 2009
Eating Well in Santa Fe - August 2015 - Santa Fe
Vitality Foods: What's On Your Fork?
By Valeria Alarcón
We are what we eat this is a fact… So what’s on your fork? And have you noticed how the foods that you are consuming are igniting your vitality or robbing you of it? Due to the highly processed foods readily available to the majority of the population we are seeing and experiencing a pandemic in diabetes, heart disease, digestive illnesses, auto-immune illnesses and cancer. However, more and more we are also seeing the sprouting of local organic farmer’s markets, which provide a variety in seasonal fruits, vegetables and other essential health promoting items like local honey, bitters, cheeses/yogurts, sprouted whole-grain breads, and seed starters. Naturally cultivated and harvested foods are loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins, all that your body needs. Our bodies possess divine wisdom, the ability to regenerate and heal itself if given the right foods of course. Every day trillions of cell restore and regenerate, thus with every bite of food we are given the opportunity to support our trillion’s of cells continued health and vitality. Here’s a quick educational and empowering experiment: For a week write down everything you eat throughout each day. Capture how you feel physically, emotionally and energy wise 20 minutes after each meal or snack. By the end of the week you will be able to identify the foods that contributed to feeling lethargic, foggy minded, sleepy, heavy and you will also be able to identify the foods that promoted more energy, increased stamina, increased mental clarity and focus. Once you identify the culprits you can begin to omit the energy depleting foods and include more energy promoting foods. So what are these energy-promoting foods? You may be asking. Well these foods sure don’t come in a box, can or sealed bag… Energy promoting foods come from the earth in its natural state - uncontaminated by carcinogenic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, hormones, anti-biotics or genetically modified. The health benefits from consuming locally grown and traditionally (safely) planted, and cultivated seasonal produce not only benefits our health but also the health of our children, communities, and the environment and yes even the local economy. With each bite of locally sourced and organic food we support local farmer’s who treat the earth and cultivate through environmentally conscious practices and we support the employment in and around the farming communities thus investing in our local economy. What’s on your fork is more than just making a healthy food choice, which that in it self is an important piece, but it’s also about making healthy choices that have a broader ripple effect. The macrocosm of the We is a powerful force and possesses great influence with every choice we make, so let’s choose wisely.
Summer’s Vitality Pesto!
6 cups of basil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 Brazil nuts or ½ cup of walnuts
2 tablespoons of Parmesan reggiano cheese
Add all ingredients in a food processor or blender, process until mixture becomes a paste consistency.
You can add the pesto to sprouted whole-grain bread and garnish with sliced prosciutto and heirloom tomato slices
Or
You can make noodles from cucumbers and green zucchini and add pesto for a cooling version of pesto pasta
Enjoy! And here’s to your continued health and vitality!
Valeria Alarcón is a Holistic Health Coach and Advocate AADP, whose mission is to inspire, educate, and empower individuals who are committed to reclaiming life and vitality through health and wellness.
As a cancer survivor Val knows what it takes to reclaim life and vitality, and she is delighted to be of support to her community. For more information visit www.VitalityWithVal.us