In This Issue

About Babies
      Nutrient by Nutrient Why Breast is Best
About Children
     Getting Kids to Cooperate
Our Charis Family
     Mary Ann Stoltzfus
Charis Cuisine
     Curry Wasabi Nori Rolls
Letters to the Editor
     Comments From Our Readers
 Life in Ukraine
   Three Exciting Topics
 Tidbits from Ebony
     Women, Local Doctors and Midwives

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Our address

Charis Childbirth, Inc.
P.O. Box 6900
North Port, FL 34290

It's been a year since Charis headquarters moved to Florida. If you use our old Virginia Beach address, your mail will not reach us as the post office is no longer forwarding mail.  Be sure to mail your yearly membership fees to the Florida address!

Our Director's Heart

 “I want to be a Cupcake”
Tips for Making Healthy Food Delicious

While trying to encourage her son to eat his dinner one evening, my friend quoted the well-known saying, “You are what you eat,” hoping it would be the motivation necessary to cause him to heartily eat his vegetables with gratitude. His response, however, was not what she anticipated, and made everyone in the room roll with laughter. “Well,” he proclaimed, “then I want to be a cupcake!”

That little boy is not unlike most adults. While we say we want to BE healthy, we don’t always want to EAT healthy. The reason for that is very simple. We BELIEVE that healthy food is not as delicious as unhealthy food and we fear that to embrace a healthy diet means to give up the enjoyment of food. That is so far from truth and, with creativity, it is possible to eat well and thoroughly enjoy it!

It is extremely important for both expectant mothers and the birth professionals who serve them to give their bodies the proper fuel to do their work. Without the right nutrition, every cell, organ, and system in our bodies will suffer and eventually malfunction. What we eat truly does make up our physical bodies. Most people understand that eating a food as close to the way it grows as possible will provide the most nutrients and enzymes. But most people don’t know how to make raw vegetables taste good.

You can enjoy a smoother transition to eating healthy by following a few tips that can make it super delicious to add nutrient-packed raw fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Be adventurous. Be willing to break out of the box and try new things. Keep a positive attitude and this can be a lot of fun.

Become educated.  The time and effort it takes to research and learn about the benefits of eating a variety of raw fruits and veggies is well worth it. There is an abundance of living enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and water present in raw foods. These are the building blocks every cell in our bodies needs to function properly. I have found lots of great information in raw food recipe books I have checked out from the library. Once we learn for ourselves and truly understand how much our bodies need raw foods, we have an easier time taking ownership over this adventure.

Use the internet to find recipes. I have found my most favorite raw recipes by searching online. Many people post their favorites on their blogs or on raw food websites. Some recipes will be delicious, and some might not. Remember, this is an adventure! I try to regularly post new recipes our family enjoys here on here on my blog.

Experiment with international flavors. Other countries serve raw vegetables seasoned differently than we do in the United States that are extremely delicious. Many of my favorite meals have been inspired by international cuisine. Two examples are my Thai Salad and Cinco de Mayo Salad.

Make your plate a work of art. The more color, the better! A variety of colors means a variety of nutrients to build the body and a variety of flavors to please the palate. Look how beautiful my Tangy Kale Salad looks. It tastes incredible.

Stimulate all five taste centers on the tongue. When preparing food, it is important to balance the flavors of all five tastes (sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter) so that your tongue is completely satisfied with every bite. I learned this from Sergei and Valya Boutenko, teenage authors of the book “Eating Without Heating”. Even my children have learned to put this into practice as they experiment and create their own delicious recipes with raw vegetables and fruits. My Spicy Cream of Celery Soup is a great example of how amazingly delicious raw soup can be when the right ingredients are used.

Eat fresh, locally-grown produce when it is available. Produce that is harvested and shipped long distances is not as fresh and lacks the wonderful flavor that fresh-from-the-garden produce has. Of course, growing your own food is best, but many people are not able to do this. I have enjoyed picking my own fruit and veggies at local farms my whole life. I have never tasted more delicious broccoli than the broccoli I picked myself at Henley Farm in Virginia Beach. It was so delicious that my children wanted to eat it raw, dipped in a  simple sauce we made in the blender, for every meal; and when it was gone, they begged me to go back and pick some more. All across the United States there are farms that grow food for local families.  Community Supported Agriculture provides fresh local produce seasonally and distributes bags weekly to those who are members. In many areas you can be a non-working member or participate in tending the fields for a lower price.

Make your own dips, sauces, and dressings. Not only are people choosing to make their own condiments because they are healthier, but also because they are more delicious and less expensive. It is so easy and only takes about 5 minutes to make a delicious, nutritious dip or sauce in the blender. Dressings can often be made by simply shaking the ingredients together in a mason jar. There is an abundance of recipes for raw dips, sauces, and dressings online that can turn a drab salad or veggies into a wonderful taste experience. My Dressing for Spinach Salad is addicting!

Host a Raw Food Potluck. Even if only a few people come, a raw food potluck is a fun way to try new dishes and exchange recipes. We host one in our home monthly as a way to encourage others toward wellness and to provide another enjoyable avenue of accountability to be a good steward of these amazing bodies God has given us to use while on earth.

With a little education, some creativity, and a good attitude, you can change your mind about wanting to “be a cupcake” and take a giant step toward wellness by adding more nutrient and enzyme-packed raw foods to your meals.

Blessings,
Kristin Schuchmann
Executive Director, Charis Childbirth

May you be filled with God's abundant blessings
as you and yours share this Thanksgiving.

 

The information in this newsletter is for educational purposes only and is not intended to take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider.