Author Archives: Sarah F. Berkowitz

What’s on your Plate?

19 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in Paradigm Shift

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I’m in middle of a life-changing book by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD called Eat to Live. He suggests that to start giving your body vital nutrients, lose the FDA food guide pyramid (6 to 12 servings of rice, bread and pasta?!) and create a new one that has raw and cooked veggies as the base.

Two easy ways to get those veggies:

Eat two HUGE salads a day. (Here’s what my recent mix looked like: artisan lettuces, pepper rings, radish, mushrooms, snow peas, red onion slices. Seriously delicious and highly satisfying. I just squeeze lemon on it, but Dr. Fuhrman has recipes for nutritious salad dressings here: http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/recipes.aspx)

Make a large pot of wholesome, nutritious vegetable (bean) soup each week and serve often. (I make a new pot every two days and freeze leftovers.)

If you’re like me and don’t want people telling you to ditch the foods you enjoy, this is a sneaky way to start yourself on the road to success.

My own tip – change up the breakfast routine. Ditch the donut and coffee and find yourself some tea and fruit. Or whole grain oatmeal packets. Target makes a fabulous instant multi-grain oatmeal with absolutely no additives – just whole grains. I add blueberries and lots of cinnamon and allspice to sweeten (no sugar). 

It’s frightening to read about the obesity numbers in America, along with cancer, heart-attack, diabetes and other illnesses that are so prevalent today. Study after study has shown that green, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, onions, nuts, berries, seeds and other high nutrient foods fight these diseases.

The kinds of foods being eaten by most of us on a regular basis do not fight disease, they contribute to it. We all need to start doing the right thing by hanging out in the produce department for twice as long and selecting the best of the best to bring home to our families.

Yes, it takes a lot of work to create fresh dishes. But you’ll feel great eating this stuff and feeding it to those you love.

If you somehow find this blog and read my message, please add more leafy greens, other vegetables and fruits to your daily diet. Buy the book Eat to Live, read it and tell another ten people about it. Don’t doubt our ability to fuel a food revolution that will make a significant difference in the overall health of our society.

Change is very possible – there was a time when people thought it was crazy for doctors to wash their hands before and after working on a patient. And that drawing blood was the best way to cure any ailment. Today’s idiotic prevalent practice is to rely on the government to tell us the best way to create a balanced diet. We’re smarter than that – aren’t we?

Death and Marriage

13 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Paradigm Shift

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Today is our seventeenth wedding anniversary, but as of yesterday we hadn’t yet decided how we were going to celebrate when I received an e-mail that a new, yet very dear friend had tragically passed away.

Sadly, I spent the morning at her graveside funeral. I listened to praise for a strong and courageous woman who brought her family to new places of spiritual growth, committed herself to the community through outstanding hospitality, presided over a charity that provides various needs for struggling families, and worked all hours of the day and night on a fundraising endeavor for our local school. She left behind her husband, two young sons, sister, parents and many other bereft family members.

When I first heard the news, I was so shocked I didn’t cry. But today, as I was circling the cemetery hopelessly lost and wondering where the guiding arrows were, I suddenly felt tears pooling up in my eyes. I needed to be at her funeral on time, and instead God had decided I should wander for a bit.

From somewhere deep inside of me, a loud voice said, “THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME.” I was overcome by a calming sensation, and my frustration dissipated. A few minutes later I arrived to find that they were just starting the eulogies.

Toward the end of this heart-breaking funeral, I watched with unbelievable sadness as the new widower bravely put a hand on each of his son’s backs and walked them through the throngs of friends and family who had come to grieve and to give comfort.

It can be hard to internalize another’s pain. Certainly being at a funeral – particularly of someone who dies young – is a wrenching experience. But at the same time, we ‘guests’ leave with tears drying in our eyes, and hours later we are back in the routine of our day. Not so with the family, and not so with the wise ‘guest’. One who tries to take inspiration from life (and death) will walk away from an emotional experience motivated to make a change.

What would have been a typical anniversary celebration is going to take on so much more meaning. Flowers, gourmet dinners and material gifts are all nice. But this year, I intend to make something of the incredible gift we have been given by God, that we have been granted seventeen full years of marriage together.

In Cindy’s memory, I will spend some serious time contemplating the gift of my incredible husband, and I will let him know it. I will say an extra prayer of thanks to God that he has brought us together, gave us our beautiful children, and continues to bless our lives.

I will pray that Cindy’s husband, sons and family members find great comfort in the coming weeks, months and years, and that the good deeds she has done in her life  serve as an inspiration and motivation for the rest of the world – forever.

On the Culinary Fence

09 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in Scaling Mountains

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My husband’s always been health conscious and fad diets have never impressed him. But there are two ‘commercial’ eating plans that have come to our home for extended stays: Pritikin Healthy Living and Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live. Both are extremely sensible, nutritiously sound, and a panacea for almost anything that ails you.

I, on the other hand, typically rotate my diet between a crumbly home-baked muffin or a great dish of mac ‘n’ cheese.

Several months ago I woke up on the right side of the bed (nutritionally speaking) and I went cold turkey on my fave foods. The first three days nearly killed me, but after that the cravings nearly disappeared. And of course, you know what comes next. I felt great. I lost weight. I had more energy, almost no headaches, I actually craved exercise, and soft, chewy cookies held no interest for me.

During that time we had Thanksgiving dinner at friends’ of ours. To be nice, I took the tiniest sliver of two of the many pies and decadent desserts from the dessert buffet. How’d that work out for me? Just fine. And from my high and mighty perch on the throne of willpower, I looked down pityingly at all the mere mortals who felt the need to indulge in full portions, and even seconds (gasp) of dessert.

Fast forward several weeks, and you’ll see me sharing a (large) piece of tiramisu with my daughter. What is it about those terrible, horrible, no good foods that I keep coming back to them?

It’s the weirdest thing. I cook unbelievably nutritious soups, wash bundles of gorgeous green leafy vegetables, and chop rainbows of God’s glorious, powerhouse fruits and vegetables. I eat a huge salad with a squeeze of lemon for lunch, enjoying its goodness, and then I go and eat a white chocolate kit kat.

I have one hand in the garden and the other in the cookie jar.

But I hope that one day soon I’ll be re-inspired to climb back on that high and mighty throne, cuz it sure feels good up there.

Here’s one of my favorite nutritious dishes that feels like a guilty treat:

Roasted Carrots with Cinnamon and Chili

Buy bunches of organic carrots with stems. Cut off all but one inch of stems so guests don’t think they’re the boring bagged carrots. Wash well and use gentle strokes with a peeler to remove skin. Spray with Pam, sprinkle with cinnamon and chili powder, and bake at 350 until soft, about 30 to 40 minutes. You can seriously pop these like french fries, especially the ones with the crispy tips. So good…

Self Absorption or Life Mission?

06 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Paradigm Shift

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My teenaged daughter took a look at this blog’s tagline and remarked that wasn’t that just a little bit egotistical? Well, child, ya gotta know the truth. The world was created just for me.

And here I am going to get really, really serious. Walk away now if you’re looking for humor.

The all-girls religious school I attended in Michigan was a wellspring of philosophy and advice for living a meaningful life. We were taught to keep two things in mind throughout our lives:

Memo to self:

1. The world was created solely for my sake.

2. I am dust and ashes.

One note in each pocket, we were told. The idea of message #1 is that we need to make something of ourselves, use the talents we were given, and make a difference in the world. We are strong, we are powerful, and we can affect people around us in a huge way.

At the same time, message #2 reminds us that when life is over the body is returned to the earth and none of the materialism that meant so much during our lifetime comes with us. No perfect figure, magazine-worthy home, fancy cars, jewelry, clothing. Only the difference we made in the world remains, and the merits that we take up to heaven.

The two messages seem contradictory at first, but they are actually perfectly suited to keep us in check and guide us through life with a healthy perspective on what’s important.

Child, you have your head on straight. I just chose not to include the second half of the dictum on this self-serving blog because really – does the time I spend posting here do anything for the world?

As a consolation prize for putting up with my ramblings, I’ll share a stunning photo taken by my daughter. (There’s a story behind the flowers, but that’s for another post.)

Votre Raison D’etre

05 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in Life's Funny

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If you insist on sticking around, I’ll tell you a little story. My husband and I were on one of our first dates together driving down a main road in Detroit when a car came out of nowhere and nearly sideswiped us. My heart nearly stopped beating at the near miss, and I mumbled some gibberish out of nervousness. Soon to be husband asked, “What did you say?” as he calmly continued driving as if nothing had happened. I responded that I was merely reciting the French version of “My life just flashed before me.” End of story.

Years later, happily married with kids, my husband made reference to my familiarity with the French language. I knew not of what he spoke. He reminded me. I gasped internally at the trust he put into one simple (what I thought was funny) statement on my part. And then proceeded to set him straight on my true knowledge of languages. English, yes. Hebrew, k’tzat (a little – even though I was born in Israel). French? Spanish? Latin? It’s all Greek to me.

Back to the title. Your reason for being here, if I may gently remind you, is to allow me a place to vent, outlet, express, and let my fingertips do the talking without paying exorbitant fees to a professional whose office looks strangely like a cozy little family room with umpteen degrees on the wall. Funny thing is my home office also looks like a cozy little family room. And I do plenty of counseling in it, for free, relying on my BA in Communications together with my MRS and MOM in Life.

That’s it for now. Once again, I thank you for stopping by.

Skip this Blog

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in Paradigm Shift

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This is a blog about me. I’m a writer and editor, a fabulous baker, decent vegan cook, loving mother and wife, and a servant of my Creator in the best way I know how. There are truly hundreds or thousands of topics I could write about. But the one topic no one else in the world can write about except for me is me.

Here you won’t find hot deals, the latest news, scoops on the  celebrity of the day, technology updates, recipes, or instructions for how to change your garbage disposal. As a matter of fact, you probably won’t even find this blog. It’s simply by me, for me. Thanks for accidentally stopping by, thanks for quickly leaving, and thanks for understanding that’s it’s all about me. This blog will offer nothing for you.

A word about my name, to myself, of course. For over three decades, I thought my name had the most beautiful and significant meaning – Princess Bird. Throughout my typically turbulent teenaged years I spent many an evening wishing I could fly. I’d view the all the pettiness and the complicated people from above, where nothing mattered except soaring gracefully through tree tops. Some nights the dream came true, and I literally dreamed I was flying.

Several years ago my husband and I got to talking about names. Turns out my second name doesn’t mean bird – it means fig. Talk about falling from grace. What kind of free ride do you get in life from having a name that means princess fig?

About a year ago a new neighbor moved into the house across the street from us. Beautiful young couple, sweet, friendly, with an adorable toddler. And a huge, organic fig tree in their new backyard.

The first time this neighbor brought me a sample of their incredible figs, I had to tell her about my name. My fate was sealed. I was dubbed Princess Fig, and the name stuck like goat cheese to a fig jam tart.

But that’s another story.

So now I tell myself that sure, a bird is graceful, beautiful, and sings like a – bird. But a fig has taste. And an organic fig has no pesticides. And when you eat a fresh, organic fig straight off your neighbor’s tree – don’t wash it, that’s a surefire mood killer – you feel like you’re experiencing one of the earth’s greatest hidden treasures.

I’m over the bird royalty thing.