Mushroom “Bul Go Gi” Recipe

    Please join me for lunch today! This Korean inspired recipe is from Ani's Raw Food Asia. It's my vegan, gluten-free, and raw version of Korean BBQ, made with marinated shiitake, crimini, and wood mushrooms. I call it Mushroom "Bul Go Gi" (page 186). Use your favorite green leaf, like romaine or red leaf lettuce as the wrap. Then, top with cucumber, carrot, thinly sliced garlic, and my delicious Gochujang Sauce (page 225) made with unpasteurized miso (for living enzymes), sesame oil, and chili powder, to taste. Add a sweetener syrup like agave or coconut nectar too to balance out the spice, salt, savory, and sweet. Super yummy on a rainy day here in LA (thank goodness, we need the rain!). Mushoom "Bul Go Gi" Lettuce Wraps BulGoGi 4 cups sliced mushrooms 2 T tamari 1 T toasted sesame oil 1/2 T minced garlic 1/2 cup Asian pear, microplanes or pureed in food processor Fillings 1 clove thinly sliced mushroom 1 Korean or jalaeno pepper, sliced 1 cup julienned cucumber 1 cup julienned carrot Wrappers 8 red lettuce leaves, or more Toss together all BulGoGi ingredients in one bowl. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes, until softened. Prepare fillings, and set aside. Squeeze excess marinade from mushrooms, and place into each lettuce leaf. Top with fillings. Drizzle with Gochujang Sauce, below. Serve and enjoy! Gochujang Sauce 2 1/2 T unpasturied miso, any color 2 T toasted sesame oil 1/4 cup agave syrup or coconut nectar 1/2 teas chile powder, or cayenne, to taste Whisk to mix well. One last tip: I just moved my car out of my garage and onto the street so it will be 'washed' clean by the rain! Conserving water during our [...]

By |May 14th, 2015|Beauty, Farmers' Market, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, Main Dishes, RECIPES, Snacks & Side Dishes, Super Foods, Superfood, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Mushroom “Bul Go Gi” Recipe

It’s National Women’s Health Week!

It's National Women's Health Week! I'm the proud representative for women in their 40's, and am working with the Office of Women's Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. to help encourage women to make our health a priority! Over the past several years, my focus on wellness has been comprehensive across fitness, sleep, stress, and nutrition. I'm realizing how much the hormonal changes that begin in our early 40's affect our physical and mental health moving forward. So, now is the time to really grab hold of our wellness. A great way to start is by making yourself a priority by scheduling appointments and physicals. I'm booking my doctor's appointment this week to have my physical exam and my blood tested for everything (including my liver and kidney function, cholesterol, and hormonal levels). I'm also going to ask for a baseline EKG of my heart. And, since I live in Southern California where the sun is really strong, I'm going to see the dermatologist to check my moles and skin. I'm not concerned about any health issues, but want to baseline where I am today. Other appointments to consider include: Dental exam and cleaning Comprehensive eye exam Blood pressure screening Diabetes screening Baseline skin exam to determine skin cancer risk Breast and pelvic exams, pap test, and bone density test (I choose breast ultrasounds, rather than mammograms, to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure) As our hormones change in our 40's, it's even more important to get adequate sleep and rest, and to decrease our overall stress. I've shifted my lifestyle to do less, and rest more. To spend less, consume less, and have more free time to play, laugh, and love. High levels of stress [...]

By |May 11th, 2015|Beauty, Fitness, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, NEWS & EVENTS PAGE|Comments Off on It’s National Women’s Health Week!

Give Me Sugar-Free Juice!

My favorite KOA organic juices are now available at Gelson's Markets in SoCal and LA! Yay!! KOA is cold-pressed and made from 12 fresh fruits and vegetables like pomegranate, red sea lettuce, guava, holy basil, heirloom carrots and lemon...and more. It has good-for-you vitamins (9) and minerals (74) like some other cold-pressed juices, but KOA Olakino is sugar-free with zero calories. And, they taste absolutely delicious! Other cold-pressed juices that include fruits of any sort (including apples, pineapple, pear, etc) can contain anywhere from 45g to 65g of sugar per bottle! Whoa!! That's more sugar than 3 donuts. Scary. And, our bodies have the same insulin response, whether the sugar is from juiced fruits or a candy bar. (To learn more about the effects of sugar on our health, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc...watch the documentary "Fed Up"). Incase you're wondering why KOA calls their "juice" Olakino, it's because the FDA's definition of "juice" is a beverage that contains fructose (sugar). Since KOA Olakino contains no sugar and no calories, KOA is charting new territory into a new category all their own called "Olakino", which means "healthy" in Hawaii. Pick up a bottle and tell me which flavor your prefer: Original (mint) or Raspberry. So hard to choose....      

By |May 5th, 2015|Beauty, Farmers' Market, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE|Comments Off on Give Me Sugar-Free Juice!

Thai Green Mango Salad

The freshest tropical salad recipe at Phulay Bay in Krabi, Thailand made with romaine lettuce, shredded green mango, toasted coconut, roasted cashews, and sliced red onion. I left out the pomelo, but that would be yummy to include too. Superfood, vegan, gluten free, and organic salad made with all local and seasonal ingredients that are great for detox and boosting overall wellness. Enjoy with a Thai baby coconut....Delicious!

By |April 2nd, 2015|Beauty, Dressings & Salads, Green Living, Health, RECIPES, Super Foods, Superfood, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Thai Green Mango Salad

Surf and Sun in Thailand

Another amazing beach day in Thailand on the Andaman Sea where the sand is soft and the water is body temperature. Soaking up the sun and loading up on my vitamin D!

By |April 1st, 2015|Beauty, Fitness, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, Travel|Comments Off on Surf and Sun in Thailand

Ritz-Carlton’s Reserve at Krabi, Thailand

I'm made it safely to Krabi, Thailand where I'm relaxing at the villa now that prep for our 5-day Raw Food Lifestyle Retreat is finished for today. Super excited to be teaching Raw Food Lifestyle classes Wednesday thru Sunday here at the Ritz-Carlton's Phulay Bay resort. I've crafted exclusive Thai-inspired Raw Food, vegan, superfood, gluten-free recipes using local Thai ingredients. Plus, we'll be talking about treading lightly on the Planet, natural beauty, fitness, healthy detox, nutrition, and ways to lower stress while increasing vitality and longevity. If you're in Krabi, please join me here Wednesday thru Sunday!  We're going have tons of FUN!!!!  

March 2015 at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The beautiful Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Phulay Bay has invited me to develop an exclusive 5-day wellness program for their Thailand resort to launch in March 2015. This exclusive retreat will include vegan raw food cooking classes and recipes featuring local ingredients and flavors with a focus on the Home Chef, along with my eco-green living, healthy lifestyle, fitness, natural beauty, and detox philosophy. I will personally be at Phulay Bay teaching classes from March 18th to 22nd, 2015. These classes are complimentary to resort guests. And, guests completing all 5-days will receive a Certificate of Completion equivalent to my Level 1 Home Chef Raw Food Certification Course. So, please book your stay now at the Ritz-Carlton Reserve website, and join me at Phulay Bay! I look forward to seeing you in paradise.  

Makeup vs. Natural?

Makeup can do wonders for a girl's self esteem…but, at what cost to our health? Makeup is often full of toxic colors and chemical preservatives. We Raw Fooders believe skin cancer is caused when toxins we place on our skin (like sunscreen, makeup, moisturizers, etc) react with the sun. Now that's a food for thought! But, wearing makeup can be fun. We just need to make sure to choose natural mineral colors while avoiding common poisons like BHA, BHT, dibutyl phthalate, diazolidinyl urea, and parabens. I have to wear makeup for photo shoots, like this one for a local magazine here in LA. And, I always bring jojoba oil and use it to cleanse my face immediately afterwards. Coconut oil works great as a makeup remover and skin/hair moisturizer too. I try to avoid putting things on my skin that I won't eat. It absorbs through just the same!  

By |August 28th, 2014|Beauty, Fitness, Green Living, Health, Interview, LIFESTYLE, PRESS|Comments Off on Makeup vs. Natural?

Summertime on the Slopes

  Big Bear Lake is a popular Southern California winter destination for playing in the snow. I didn't realize how many people go in the summertime to splash around on the lake and hike in the forest. We rode up the chair lift to the mountain top, found a ton of trails, and hiked for hours in the woods at 8,600 feet elevation! The air was super fresh, the pines smelled delicious, and the views were spectacular. Hiking in nature is the perfect way to recharge and to detox from urban life. It helps me relax and reconnect with what is really important to me….my health and happiness! I noticed a ton of people brought their mountain bicycles to ride along the many trails, and down the mountainside on the ski runs. That looked super fun, and I will be bringing my mountain bike next visit. Have you visited a winter ski resort in the summertime? I actually preferred it better in summer, since I am completely over snow now. Having grown up in freezing Buffalo, NY, if I never see snow again, I don't think I would miss it.          

By |August 7th, 2014|Beauty, Fitness, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, Super Foods, Superfood|Comments Off on Summertime on the Slopes

The Power of Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is liquid sunshine! A raw, vegan, mega-superfood! Just 2 ounces contains the same amount of nutrition as 5 pounds of organic vegetables. And, about 20% of its calories come from complete branch chain amino acids and protein. It's a powerful detoxifier for the liver and blood, neutralizes toxins and pollutants in our body, and lessens the effects of radiation. Wheatgrass cleanses the body of heavy metals too. I love GREEN! The color comes from chlorophyll, a very important phytonutrient our cells need to heal and fight disease. Chlorophyll also helps carry tons of oxygen to our blood. Lots of oxygen is always a good thing! Best taken on its own, fresh, and on an empty stomach so that its nutrients can be best absorbed. Most fun shared and enjoyed with friends and loved ones! xoxo  

By |July 23rd, 2014|Beauty, Farmers' Market, Fitness, Gluten Free, Green Living, Health, LIFESTYLE, Super Foods, Superfood, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on The Power of Wheatgrass