Month: November 2022

Education

Practicing Gratitude

Shirin Yadegar shares her father’s morning gratitude practice that you might want to adopt.

Thanksgiving is the time of year we gather with family and friends to be grateful for one another and the abundance of food and freedom. My dad used to always baste the turkey. He would marinate the turkey with the same attention and love he led his life with.

My father sadly won’t be basting a turkey or sharing in our thanksgiving meal this year. I’m sure he has other plans as an angel in heaven; but the lessons of gratitude he taught my brother and I will always be present not just on thanksgiving but every morning. (more…)

Health

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves: 8-10
By Pamela Salzman

  • 5 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, such as garnet or jewel, scrubbed (often labeled yams)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, ghee, or vegan butter, divided + additional for greasing baking dish
  • ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves (save the stems for the turkey cavity)
  • ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
  • 1 ½ cups coarse FRESH sourdough breadcrumbs (pulse fresh, preferably stale, bread in a food processor (or use panko)
  • 2 large shallots, chopped or ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup any kind of unsweetened, plain milk (dairy or non-dairy)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1⅓ cups finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(more…)

Health, Health & Beauty

8 Sneaky Foods That Cause Inflammation

By Elissa Goodman
Inflammation is one of those trigger words that you probably automatically associate with “bad.” But when injuries and foreign invaders are present in your body, inflammatory processes act as a defense mechanism to protect and heal you. So, in this sense, you want inflammation to occur! However, you can have “too much of a good thing,” and this idea definitely applies to inflammation.

Inflammation is particularly problematic when it becomes chronic (i.e., lasts for an extended period, and inflammatory markers are flagged). Chronic inflammation can lead to many complications, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, chronic kidney disease, and osteoporosis (which I discuss here). So what can you do to prevent potential inflammation or reduce existing inflammation? (more…)