September 2008 Newsletter
Back to School!
Greetings from Green Spirit Healthy Living!

Even though I have been out of school for more years than I was in, September still always gives me that “back to school” feeling. The lazy days of summer come to an end and it’s time for renewal – of projects, goals, learning something new or a recommitment to ourselves. If you haven’t been as committed to your health as you would like to be, it’s a great time to step things up a notch. With summer travel, bbq’s and parties you may have gotten off track. Put that behind you, the cooler weather is great for starting an exercise program and there is still an abundance of fresh produce at the farmer’s market just waiting for you!

This month I’m focusing on portable lunches – so if you are back to school, back to work or just want convenient, delicious, healthy raw meals, this is for you. If you’re not lucky enough to have a refrigerator to store your lunch, you’ll need to pick up a small cooler. There are many varieties to choose from, from the standard plastic flip-top to soft-sided ones. There are also so many new styles of lunch boxes on the market, many with lots of separate containers for organizing your food. A thermos is also great to have to transport smoothies or soups.

A green smoothie is great to take along for a mid-morning break. When I used to work downtown, I drank half of my smoothie at home in the morning and took the rest with me to enjoy later. That kept my going until lunch and was easy to drink at my desk.

You want to make sure your lunch is substantial enough to get you through the day and not leave you feeling deprived. This is key to sticking with your healthy eating goals. Saving part of it for a mid-afternoon break is a good idea, you don’t want that vending machine or whatever is convenient to you, calling your name in the afternoon trying to tempt you with that stuff they call food.

Salads are a great take-along lunch, just make sure it is a large one, with lots of variety and some type of good raw fat to satisfy you. Good choices are sliced avocado, a creamy dressing made with flax, hemp or olive oil, or a scoop of raw pate or guacamole to put on top. Or you could have your pate or guacamole separate on raw crackers or bread or eat with raw veggies. Just make sure to pack your dressing in a separate container so your salad is not soggy by lunchtime.

If sandwiches used to be your staple lunch, you’re not out of luck because you went raw. There are many ideas to choose from. Great bread substitutes are large romaine leaves, collard greens, raw bread or tortillas. Fill them up with sliced tomato, cucumber and avocado or raw cheese & sprouts, marinated veggies, or a pate. Or try this fabulous raw Egg Salad recipe from Cru Cacao.

Leftovers from last night’s dinner also make a great lunch to take along. A raw lasagna, pizza or marinara sauce over zucchini noodles. Fruit is a great snack idea, just eat it a couple of hours before or after lunch for the food combining and better digestion.

If you’re wondering how to make raw cheese, crackers or breads, I’m having a special class in my home on Sunday, September 28th. More information is on my class schedule here. I also have several other great classes scheduled for fall, including Divine Desserts and Raw Italy, so if learning something new is on your list, register soon!

Wishing you radiant health!
Linda Szarkowski