How To Massage Your Greens

Kale SaladDid you know you could massage your food?

Yes, it’s true!

I first learned of this technique several years ago, when I was new to eating kale salads – or kale anything, for that matter.

What intrigued me, was how infinitely more tender this salad was, than the kale salads I typically made at home.

I happened to be dining at one of my favorite gluten-free restaurants – Posana Cafe in Asheville, NC. (Yes, this is a long way from home, but it’s worth the trip, in my opinion since their Kale Salad is the absolute best).

But what had the restaurant done to make the salad so tasty?

Before too long, I learned about “massaging” your greens, and quickly realized this was the exact same process the restaurant had used to perfect their kale salad.

The sky’s the limit here, by the way – you’re not limited to kale.

Just about any greens can be massaged – chard, spinach, collards, arugula, lettuce – you name it.

Why the focus on Greens?

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Breaking the Fast

SmoothieNot sure where to begin?

Why not start at the beginning?

The foundation of your day –  and your gluten-free lifestyle – is Breakfast.

The very fact that it’s your first meal of the day, is exactly why it’s so important!

Maybe you’ve always eaten breakfast, or maybe this concept is new to you.

Perhaps you’re one of those people who never eats first thing in the morning, or before noon.

I recently heard a nutritionist talk about the value of starting one’s day off right, simply by eating a regular meal.

That’s because adequate fuel is what gets you through the day.

She subsequently addressed the common dilemma of “but I don’t eat breakfast” by suggesting that you start small.

If that sounds like you, it might be a matter of changing your mindset.

Mindsets are powerful.

This is why, for most of us eating a Western diet (consisting of cereal, or eggs and bacon with a side of toast) might question what choices we have when eating gluten-free.

The answer is there’s still plenty to choose from – beginning with a great selection of gluten-free cereals.

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GREENING YOUR HOLIDAY

‘Green’ has become quite the buzz-word of late.

You can live a Green, eco-friendly lifestyle, taking the time to Reduce, Re-Use and Recycle and remove toxins from the home.

More specifically, you can embrace Green Design by introducing eco-friendly, sustainable products to your home’s interior. This one simple act can ensure clean, fresh air and a healthy living environment for you and your family.

Then there’s the mantra to eat your Greens, relying on lots of leafy greens and vegetables as a mainstay of your diet.

This is even more critical for anyone diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia. But then, leafy greens are important to include in your diet regardless.

There are lots of ways to sneak extra greens into your daily meals, whether adding a handful to a smoothie (it really doesn’t affect the taste, I promise) – or relying on oversized leaves as a wrap, in lieu of bread.

I’ll address that in a future article.

Meantime, here’s another idea for incorporating greens:  an easy home-made Pesto.

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