Mission Accomplished! Praise for Mexican Macrobiotic Community Dinner

Hello Leslie,

I just want to say "Thank You" for the unbelievable Enchilada! Vegetable soup had quite a bit of happy looking veggies, the simple green salad was also super nutritious. I see many people don't realize what the real food taste like, I mean this good has to be normal? That means we're consuming too much of added chemicals, processed food everyday. The excellent ingredients you and Kathy offers for us is always extraordinary. I don't mean to exaggerate, you are just TOO GOOD.

My self-claimed food critic husband asked me for one bite looking at my enchilada, as you know, same things happened like Tofu Cheesecake incident on June 19th, remember? 2/3 of my enchilada was stolen again. His strong preconception toward Macrobiotic way of living started to change. He admits he was wrong, just wanted to eat "good food" not vegetables, weeds with sprinkles. And that good food is called Macrobiotic food, people like him exists everywhere. If they're suspicious, just bring them in to Leslie's community dinner, let them try first, then they'll know what's missing!

Thank you again. Kaori

Love Your Liver & Gallbladder

This was in a newsletter I got from respected macrobiotic teacher Jane Stanchich at Great Life Global.

Love Your Liver

Learn about the vital importance of your liver and how to best
nourish this amazing organ, especially in the Spring.

• Reduce fatty, fried, oily foods, including chips and baked goods.
• Eat plenty of vegetables, especially dark leafy greens.
• Use dashes of lemon juice and brown rice vinegar in foods.
• Get plenty of outdoor recreation with lots of fresh air breathing.
• Get plenty of sleep, sing and laugh often, cultivate a joy of life.

Glorify Your Gall Bladder

The Gall Bladder is known as the “Soap Dispenser” of the
body. (See illustration at right with liver on top and greenish gall bladder
nestled underneath.) Along with the liver, the gall bladder digests fats
and performs hundreds of vital functions. The American diet is, on
average, 40% fat, including harmful hydrogenated fats in
processed foods. We recommend that you avoid such fats, and
reduce saturated fats. Eating a plant-based diet and reducing the
consumption of animal foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy creates
a healthier digestive system and improves the overall function of
the liver and gall bladder. Learning the basic symptoms that can
indicate liver/gall bladder disorders can help you prevent serious
flare-ups and pain. Consult a health professional as needed.

Symptoms of Liver/Gallbladder Imbalance

• Indigestion • Eye Disorders • PMS
• Criticism • Irritability • Muscle Pain
• Anger • Gas/Bloating • Pain on right side
• Jaundice • Insomnia • Menstrual Disorders
• Nausea • Migraine Headache • Jealousy
• Fatigue • Sore “heavy” legs • Violence

Is the health food store "healthy"?

There is an assumption that if an item is in the health food store, it must be healthy. It's up to the consumer to understand that this is not always true. The consumer can do this by reading the labels before buying something! For example, a new vegan cheese appeared on the shelf in one of the health food stores here. Turn it over to read the label, and guess what's in it? It consists of: organic soy base, modified food starch, soybean oil, calcium sulfate, tapioca starch, corn syrup solids, carrageenan, sea salt, tara gum, sodium phosphates, natural flavor, carotenal (color). It's just as bad as any other processed food with additives and preservatives, and it surely doesn't even taste that good to boot. High fructose corn syrup is not something we want to be consuming!! What is "modified food starch" and "natural flavors"? This is the kind of food that makes not only us, but also the environment sick, and has a high carbon footprint. We have to be discerning enough to know that the label which claims "nutritional foods" and "excellent source of calcium" is misleading. We can get gluten free and cholesterol free foods that have no transfats by eating whole and unprocessed foods. The key word is "unprocessed" whether you're buying from the health food store or not. So the answer to the question is that the health food store is healthy when you buy grains, beans, vegetables, sea vegetables, and other raw ingredients and prepare them into healthful and tasty dishes that nourish and satisfy. Avoid the processed items for best health.

Using leftovers creatively

Last night for dinner we had tempeh spring rolls with peanut sauce. I sent the extras with Dan for his lunch at the farm, but I still had some tempeh that was leftover. For lunch, I minced garlic and ginger, and sauteed these in toasted sesame oil with onion, carrots, and lacinato kale. I topped this with the leftover peanut sauce and served it with a side of brown rice. So delicious!! How do other people use their leftovers creatively?