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Recently it seems health is foremost on everyone's mind, and is the subject of endless conversation. Health of the planet, healthy minds, and of course healthy bodies. And to have a healthy body we should be eating a healthy diet. But what is considered good for you food-wise is not exactly agreed upon. What one expert says we should eat, another expert will completely refute. So how in the world are we supposed to know what is truly a healthy diet? A vegan may say that eating only plant-based foods is the ultimate in good health. A paleo-diet proponent points to our ancient ancestors and says we should eat like them as they were lean and fit. Nutritionists encourage lots of nuts, avocado, salmon for the best kinds of fats. Your weight counselor will warn you to eat them cautiously because of how high fat they are. Juicing is the newest health rage, but now studies are beginning to show that consistent juicing, without eating the real food is harmful to those of us needing fiber. Some studies show chocolate and red wine to be good for our hearts. Others say steer clear of sugar in any form. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. click here for more...
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Cooking Classes with Janet Ciel!!
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Come check out my series of cooking classes through Parks & Recreation at Finley Center in Santa Rosa! The third class focuses on Lean Appetizers and Side Dishes, and we will make some great party foods, such as Corn Fritters and delicious salads, like Asian Cabbage Slaw and Pearl Barley Salad.
My aim in teaching these classes is to enlighten everyone on how incredibly easy and yummy it can be to lighten up your meals. Less, fat, less sugar, less calories, but great flavor and always super easy! I am not a gourmet chef; I am a regular person who loves to cook healthy meals, and teach others how to do it too. I am also big into shortcuts, so know lots of healthy products which make meals yummy with no effort at all.
These are all weekday evening classes, so not only do you get a fun, educational class, you get yummy food made for you after a long day at work! These are demo-only classes so you just watch and eat!
How can you go wrong?
Lean  Appetizers and Side Dishes
Wednesday, May 8 6pm - 8:30pm
As we get close to Memorial Day and the party season, we want to get out our party foods, and this class will give you all sorts of pointers on making awesome potluck fair which will fool the greatest "healthy food" skeptics.
 Baking Light
Tuesday, June 18 6pm - 8:30pm
This is my favorite class of the series because I get to put on my baking hat and make some to-die-for
desserts which will have little to no sugar or fat!! Yet they will be so yummy you will be shocked.
All classes taught in the kitchen at Finley Center
(Stonypoint & College Aves) Santa Rosa
$39/resident $49/non-resident
Click here to register
or email me with questions
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 I just taught a short class this week at Kaiser in Baking Light and they were very curious about gluten-free baking so I consulted my Facebook friend, Oonaugh Williams, originally from Ireland who lives in New Hampshire. How we became friends I am not sure, but she specializes in gluten-free baking. Now I will not say her baked goods are low fat, low sugar: she bakes the real thing, only subbing out the flour. But for many who are gluten sensitive, here is the lowdown on how baking with gluten-free flours work, and I am adapting one of her recipes to lower it to a reasonable amount.
Check out Oonaugh's website and her cookbook!
GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIX
(there are many mixes pre-made on the market, such as Bobs Red Mill, King Arthur, etc. Even Trader Joes now has their own version. But here is how you can make your own).
Makes 1 cup of flour
½ cup potato starch (not potato flour which is basically dried potatoes ground to flour)
¼ c tapioca starch (Check that it sounds squeaky through the bag, they also have tapioca flour which is gritty through the bag, even though tapioca flour and tapioca starch are meant to be identical).
2 tbsp amaranth or millet flour
2 tbsp sorghum flour
This is rarely a straight forward substitution. Depending on the recipe you will likely need to add xanthum gum, perhaps more egg, baking soda, etc. Use recipes which are specifically gluten-free to get the best results.
OONAUGH'S FRESH APPLE CAKE 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces like shredded cheese.
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c Xylitol or sugar 1/6 c butter melted and cooled (or vegetable oil)
1/6 cup applesauce
2 large eggs
1 tsp gf vanilla extract -Costco's is gf.
1 + ¼c gf flour blend
¾ tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 375*. Spray oil and gf flour 8 x 8" pan or 9+1/2 " springform pan.
2. Mix sugar, xylitol, applesauce oil, eggs and vanilla together and beat together for 1-2 minutes until there are plenty of air bubbles.
3. Stir flour, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt onto mix. Stir thoroughly until no sign of flour remains. There is no need to use an electric mixer. Stir in shredded apples.
4. Transfer to pan and bake for about 45 minutes until top is brown and crusty and a thin knife inserted comes out clean. It needs to be baked this length of time to cook the apples.
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Lost in the Supermarket...
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 Read this review of "Pandora's Lunchbox" which sounds like an amazing book I must explore. It is apparently an in-depth account of the processed foods industry...and this article gives you some astonishing tidbits. For example, did you know Subway's Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich has 105 ingredients," (you read that right) and "55 are dry, dusty substances" whose names sound familiar only to those who read labels, names like disodium guanylate, calcium disodium EDTA, and other things you probably don't have lying around your kitchen. Oof!!
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Why Walk When You Can Dance?
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I just loved this jaunty video of spontaneous dancing in the streets...
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The Happiness Thing Just Getting You More Depressed?
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In the last newsletter I printed 2 different articles/image collections on happiness. Then I read this article and it made me think. For those of you who live with depression please read it.
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Choo...Choo....Chooocolate!
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Almost Makes You Want to Shop at 7-11...
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Your jaw will drop to your knees when you see what this convenience store clerk does. Enjoy Magician Michael Carbonaro...Hilarious!
click here
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 Just a quick note to let you all know I am assisting in the production of an event which is April 26-28 in San Francisco; The New Living Expo. Chock full of speaker, workshops, panels, music, yoga classes, massage, and hundreds of vendors, this show revolves around alternative thinkers and doers and should be educational, enlightening and I suspect lots of fun. This is not my normal type of event, and it may appeal to some of you quite a bit (some of you may know it: it was the Whole Life Expo for many years: it has been around for over 25 years) and not to others. I mention it here to let you all know about it and direct you to the website so you can learn more. But also because the next two weeks will be quite quite busy, so I will not send out my next newsletter on its usual date, but the Sunday following...Just an FYI...
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 As a certified Life Coach, specializing in weight management I offer both practical suggestions and guidance, as well as emotional and psychological support to help you through this most challenging of realms. Please consider taking that leap to get the help you need to lose that weight for good in 2013! |
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