So spring-ter’s last hurray brought some coldish weather as we head into the official declaration of Summer later in June. Just its yearly reminder that we live in the Northern Hemisphere and Michigan in particular, which can be fickle and unpredictable. As summer approaches we are busy planning an amazing summer for Paradise Natural Foods. Mask mandates and social distancing may be relaxed, but we are still committed to keeping our staff and community safe. Our Pop Ups will still encourage safety and mostly be at outdoor events such as Farmers Markets, and our popular Healthy Friday event at the beautiful Ohana Organic Gardens. Great plant based food, music and fellowship. Starts Friday July 2. Look for more information in upcoming newsletters
Other exciting news for June includes the kick off of our Capital Raising Campaign for the upcoming Paradise Deli and Marketplace at the Love Building Campus on Grand River. Featherstone Moments, the Media company that helped Paradise Natural Foods to get to the finals in the 2018 Hatch Detroit Contest will be spearheading our campaign. We are looking forward to working with Juan Carlos and his team as we ask our community to join us on this journey to bring forth our Caribbean and global inspired deli and marketplace, and also a space for learning and sharing our wellness journeys. Official announcement coming at the end of June. Keep reading our newsletters every week.
WHAT I’M EATING RIGHT NOW
So counting down to my birthday in July, I am doing an Intermittent Fasting diet protocol starting June 1-July 31. What’s intermittent fasting? It is an eating pattern that breaks up a 24 hour period into eating and fasting periods. There are several types of intermittent fasting programs. I will be eating from 12noon until 8p and fasting from 8p until 12 noon. My meals will be entirely plant based, with reduced carbohydrates, no bread or sweets, limited processed foods, and fats limited to cold pressed oils, nuts and avocados.
I am a trained Community Health Educator, but I am here to tell you that wellness is a journey. As with any journey, there are ups and downs, hills and valleys. When I teach health and nutrition classes, I like to share my own stories in all those manifestations. Living a healthy lifestyle is a choice, but at any moment life can happen. But at any moment we can give ourselves grace and keep moving forward with the information we have or seek to be more knowledgeable about the positive changes we can make. Follow me on my Chef Nezaa’s 30 Day Wellness Journey on Facebook. I will be posting updates, recipes and random Live or Zoom events. Whether you join me or cheer me on, I hope you tune in. All eyes on me means accountability. Yeah. The Health Educator needs accountability, too.
Spring greens are plentiful right now, and their abundance of chlorophyll makes them a great addition to my intermittent fasting.. I love this basic vinaigrette recipe because I can add other ingredients to keep it interesting.
BASIC VINAIGRETTE
¾ cup of cold pressed extra virgin olive oi (can substitute other cold pressed oil)
¼ cup citrus juice or vinegar (balsamic, wine, apple)
½ tsp sea salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon granulated onion
1 minced shallot
1 finely minced garlic
1 tsp mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon maple syrup
SHAKE WELL. For a creamy dressing reduce the oil to ¼ cup and add ½ cup of a good quality vegan mayo and blend in a blender until smooth. Add a little water if too thick. Use sparingly on your salad.
-Chef Nezaa