When one stands against the status quo, there is opposition.  When those who oppose stand together there is resistance.  When resistance reaches critical mass, there is revolution.

Last month when I saw that Martha Stewart included a full spread on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen in her magazine I felt critical mass fast approaching.  Top that off with Oprah’s new article that is actually entitled A Delicious Revolution, and that has to be a sign that we are getting close.  I mean come on, when Martha and Oprah make a stand doesn’t the world, or at least women ages 28 to 60, stand up behind them and demand change?  Even while households are pinching pennies to make ends meet, these two American matriarchs are asking people to throw down a little extra cash to get a high return on their investment in the form of improved health.

Even though these articles haven’t prompted my mom to call me and admit I’m not a total nut for buying organics, I know that I am lucky to be surrounded by individuals who, for the most part, understand and abide my passion for organic, local foods.  I can’t YET say the majority of my friends and my family, have walked away from supporting conventional farming, processed foods, the mainstream meat and dairy industry, or even fast foods.  I can say with confidence that my loving rants and consistent stand for healthy eats has altered their diets a little and opened their minds even more.  I know that little by little the circle of influence I have as one individual is slowly but surely affecting change and promoting a delicious and healthy (for our bodies and our planet) revolution.  Everyday I can find one thing to do to keep the revolution rolling.  Can you?

Join the revolution and make simple changes in your diet today for a brighter tomorrow. Subscribe to the Delicious Revolution for updates on easy, simple changes.

Brian Springer Trinida & Tabago's Health Advocate

Trinidad and Tabago’s leading health advocate on radio and internet is Brian Springer. Brian graciously invited me to speak on his radio show to promote The Delicious Revolution Cookbook.  Despite the early technical difficulties, the conversation was lively and fun.  Since it was my first live radio call, I was nervous.  To my surprise and pleasure, not only was the book and it’s concept well received, but they invited me back to discuss the new book The Delicious RAWvolution in January.  We will cover basic cleansing as well as discussing the new book.  I’ll post the interview when the station gets it to me and will post the date and link for the January show once it is confirmed.  The next interview will be on a bigger station that has a live internet stream of the broadcast so you can listen in here in the States.

Thank you Brian and thank you Radio 103.5 Trinidad!

Why give an ass-expanding box of typical holiday chocolates when you could empower your favorite chocoholics to indulge in healthy, delicious ways.  Raw chocolate contains the same beneficial fats as olive oil and more antioxidants than green tea.  It contains fiber, iron, vitamin C and more!  The only thing that makes chocolate a dietary downfall is all the unhealthy fats and added ingredients that some companies use in their products. Consider giving your loved one’s a gift basket with all the yummy healthy ingredients they need to make delicious chocolate treats like raw chocolate mint brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pistachio crisps, or raw caramel coconut brownies.   Use a recipe here or find others online and put all the ingredients into a pretty basket along with the printed recipe.  One bag of raw cocoa powder will make far more treats than a box of chocolates, be a much healthier choice, and even involve some quality time together as you whip up your treats.

Organic Raw Cacoa Powder

Kristin Bretthauer found her path to healthy eating and was kind enough to share her story with us.  This woman is an absolute knock out!  To look at her now, you would probably assume she’s just another genetically blessed, tall, thin blond that eats whatever she wants and never gains a pound.  In truth she struggled with weight issues, not for lack of trying to eat healthy, but due to a very common misconception of what eating healthy really entails.

She, like so many trusting consumers, turned to diet versions of her usual processed food choices.  Big brands concerned with their bottom line, not the growing size of your bottom, are happy to process their foods even more to offer you low-fat, low-carb, sugar free versions of your favorite foods.  In doing so they secure their place on your pantry shelves, keep sucking your grocery dollars, and create the illusion that you can eat crap and still look and feel your best.  Thanks to Rory Freedman and  Kim Barnouin, the ex-Ford models behind Skinny Bitch, Kristin was introduced to real healthy eating.  This tiny, entertaining book is a quick read and the best “gateway drug” to healthy eating you will find.  If someone you care about (or you) needs a healthy does of GET-REAL-OR-DIE  advice for their dietary style, get a copy of this little gem today.  You may not agree with all they have to say, but you will be amused, enlightened and informed about simple changes that can overhaul  your healthy and your quality of life.

Here’s Kristin and her inspiring story:

Gorgeous and Glowing on REAL Food!

One year ago (November 2008), a random stranger said to me, “I don’t care what my friend says, I think you’re pretty for a BIG girl!!”  I was devastated but I knew my lifestyle and diet were out of control!!  My weight at the time was the heaviest I had been in my life.  Almost 180 pounds on my 5′9″ frame.  I wasn’t fat yet… but I was on my way.

From Nov. 08 to Mar. 09 I lost 15 pounds.  I accomplished this by consuming low-fat processed food items, low-carb diet, highly processed lean deli meat on fat-free tortillas with non fat mayo, ect.   I was going to the gym 5 days a week.  I made sure I was calorie, fat and sugar restricting and it was working, I was down to 160 pounds. But I was having trouble pushing past that. It was frustrating and discouraging.  I felt great about losing the weight, but I didn’t intrinsically feel good.  I was constantly looking at food as the enemy.  And how many of us on a diet hasn’t looked at food and sworn off all the “good” stuff till we lose our weight?!?!?!

Then, in March, 2009 I read “Skinny Bitch“… and my DELICIOUS revolution BEGAN!!  Their no-nonsense approach told me that processed flours, sugars, toxic meat and preservatives were making me sick and fat!!  Next I read Michael Pollan’s two books, “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and “In Defense of Food.” His books taught me that food is meant to be enjoyed (no duh!!)!!  I didn’t need to stop eating the foods I loved, but I needed to make sure that the foods I ate were real, whole foods and not the make believe processed items that we are constantly bombarding our system with!! I started by going through my kitchen… I threw out EVERYTHING with High Fructose Corn Syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, SUGAR, processed flour, all my meat products, any products containing additives, preservatives, nitrates, basically ANY food items with words that I didn’t recognize in the label!!  It was fun and liberating!!!  It took me 30 minutes to accomplish.   It took one day to transition the food in my kitchen!!!!  I began buying whole foods, fruits, vegetables, good fats and started reading labels THAT DAY!!  I didn’t have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of new food. I just had to start with some basics and expanded from there.  I began losing weight, without paying much attention to what I was eating.  I knew everything going in was nutrient, not calorie dense, and food was suddenly not my enemy anymore!!  By June, I was down to 145 lbs.  The biggest difference is not my weight loss, but how I feel!!  One of my good friends commented after not seeing me for sometime, “Kristin, you just glow with health!!”  I have more energy, more vitality and more zeal for life then EVER before!!

Although I am at my preferred weight, I am always learning and growing towards the healthiest me that I can be.  Finding websites like this one, http://www.facebook.com/l/f11ad;Deliciousrevolution.com is one of the many ways to enhance your health and life experience.  Buying this cook book, is a way to find delicious recipes that you can prepare and feel GOOD about eating.  You don’t NEED a Hollywood diet to lose weight, you just need to eat real food.  It’s that simple.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Thank you, gratitude, blessings and any other positive platitudes I can possibly pile on.

• Thank you Kristin for sharing your story, and for letting the Delicious Revolution help you implement what you learned in Skinny Bitch, Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense Of Food
• Thank you Rory Freedman, Kim Barnouin, and Michael Pollan for writing books that open eyes and save lives!
• Thank you Travis Houston, my supportive, gorgeous, loving husband and partner in crime for making the Delicious Revolution a reality.

My search for a tasty coconut oil available in eco-friendly glass jars has come to a happy end thanks to the far reaching customer service hand of Whole Foods.  I sent an inquiring tweet and got a prompt answer back; try Spectrum brand. They explained that availability might vary between store locations but that the rep believed they provided coconut oil in glass jars.  Sure enough they did, I tried it and YUM.  It’s delicious.  Happy me and happy planet!

If you don’t have a Whole Foods near you (so sorry),  you can try ordering Spectrum brand Coconut Oil through Amazon.   Today it is $5.99, but their prices change all the time so check first before you order.

Anyway, I found a brand that comes in a glass container and gave it a try.  WHY?  Two reasons: no leeching plastics and glass is MUCH more environmentally friendly with it’s 1:1 recycling ratio (one container will equal one new recycled container- not the case with plastics).  Wilderness Family Naturals offers an extra virgin, organic, cold pressed  coconut oil that comes in a glass jar.  I gave it a try, and was surprised to find the oil tasted TERRIBLE.  I spread the butter knife across the oil and found there was a large gap in the oil in the middle of the jar.  I suspected that maybe the air trapped in the jar during packaging had made the oil turn rancid, so I returned it for another jar.  Lo and behold the new jar tasted just as bad.  Unlike the lovely coconut aroma and mild coconut taste of the Nutiva and Nature’s Way brand, this one smelled like vegetable shortening.  It had an oily smell, but not a hint of coconut odor.  The taste was worse than the smell because it had a nasty after taste that lingered.  YUCK!

So for now back to my faves!  Come on NUTIVA- switch to glass!!  You too Nature’s Way!!!!  Your products ROCK, let’s save the rock we live on by using a more friendly container.

Here is a free PDF for you that contains links to all the items reviewed in the video above.  If you’re not down with downloading more stuff to your computer, you can also access descriptions and links to the recommended kitchen gear HERE.  Happy crowd-free, from-the comfort-of your-home, no-stress, holiday shopping.  You don’t even have to hunt for a parking space!  Whoo whoo, pass the egg nog and spike it well.

I love hummus, but I’m not down with sprouting garbanzos to make a raw version because it doesn’t come out very tasty.  This hummus is made with zucchini as the base.  It works perfectly, comes out creamy, smooth, and is absolutely addictive.  Mix up the flavors and try a basil & garlic version too.  If your veggies have a high water content you may need to add a little extra sesame seeds.

½ cup sesame seeds
1  zucchini, peeled
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 large clove of garlic
½ sweet red pepper
dash of red chili flakes or Sriacha if you like a kick

Peel the zucchini. Put the sesame seeds in the Vita-Mix and blend until nearly powdered.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Serve with pita bread, flax crackers, or veggies.

Thanksgiving sweet potatoes can have enough sugar in a single serving to kill a diabetic before dessert hit the table.  They are generally baked with tons of brown sugar and if that wasn’t enough they are topped off with puffed sugar balls (pronounced marshmallows) that are baked to golden brown perfection.  YUM!  But also YUCK, do I need to slam my body with that much sugar when eating a side dish that by name we know is  naturally sweet??  NO.

Here’s a great substitution for sugary sweet potatoes with half the calories and twice the  flavor.  It also looks pretty due to the mandolin sliced vegetables.  Note that in this photo I used a mix of sweet potato, parsnip and carrot to mix things up, but to replace a typical holiday sweet potato dish, I would go for all sweet potatoes!  That way the dish will have the signature orange color everyone associates with sweet potatoes.

6 sweet potatoes (or 2 sweet potatos, 2 yams, 3 parsnips & 3 carrots)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided?
3 tablespoons honey?
1 cup bread crumbs (or two slices toasted & crumbled Ezekiel bread!)
 3 green onions?
sea salt ?
fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400?.  Use a mandolin to thinly sweet potato.  Use one tablespoon of the olive oil to grease the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.  Make a triple layer of sweet potato slices, then drizzle olive oil and honey and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Repeat forming with triple layers of sweet potato then drizzling olive oil & honey until all slices are used up .  Add a half cup of water, a little in each corner of the baking dish.  In a small mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and green onions and mix well.  Cover the gratin with the bread crumb mixture and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Note that the sweet potoatoes have a more pronounced flavor if you cook them until tender instead of mushy.  Serve hot out of the oven.

The Godizilla that tramples my healthy eating during the holiday season is my mother-in-law’s Lemon Bars.  They are tangy and sweet with just enough tartness that they border on, but do not cause the sour pucker or that tinge of jaw pain that accompanies a bite into a lemon.  (Yes I do that,  it’s a hurts-so-good kind thang.) Did I mention the bars have a flaky, pie-crust-like bottom?  This angel of a woman hides dietary Satan horns that pop out when the oven starts pre-heating.  Her lemon bars ooze citrus-sweet goodness. The smell of them baking calls to me like crack to the corner junkie.

These tantalizing bars are full of processed, bleached flour, refined sugars, eggs and butter.  The only nutritionally beneficial thing about lemon bars is the fresh lemon juice and even that has its enzymes baked to death at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  YIKES!  What’s a girl to do??  I’ve suffered through a few tummy aches by caving in and enjoying one or ten of the delicious bars before it came to me: I could spin it!  I’ve a knack for putting a healthy spin on everything from mac & cheese to pizza to peanut butter pie (another heavenly dish she makes that would melt the strongest dietary resolve).  Why not reinvent the lemon bar in a healthy style that allows me to indulge without stomach pain or mood swings that make Cruela DeVille look like a PETA advocate. As luck would have it, this thought popped into my head while I was on a two week living foods cleanse.  I love the way the universe drops challenges into my lap.
I did it!  I’ve never been more proud of a dish than when I served a dainty little Living Lemon Bar to the Goddess of Lemon Bars and she said “Wow, I think I like these better!”.  Even factoring in the fact that my husband and I gave her the cutest grand-son of all time, which undoubtedly skewed her response in my favor, I was thrilled.  Not only did they satisfy the lemon bar void for the duration of the Living Foods Cleanse , they are also a much healthier alternative to the “real things” that I can enjoy guilt-free while keeping holiday ass-expansion to a minimum.  I loved the challenge that kept my internal-chef-self mentally spinning recipe ideas until a healthy, great tasting alternative was found.  Now I’m jonesing for a new challenge.

Do you have a holiday favorite that you LOVE to indulge in but you value your current pant size to such a degree that you know you should pass??

I’ll do my best to make sure you can have your cake and eat it too.  Send me the recipe that most challenges your dietary resolve and I’ll do my best to spin you a healthier version. Email me directly joyhouston@gmail.com or comment here on the blog.

Here’s to healthy holiday eating!