Sandwiches...When You Want Something You Can Wrap Your Hands Around!

I have a lovely, wonderful friend named Shannon, with whom I was a roommate in college. One Saturday, when discussing what she was going to eat for lunch, Shannon said she needed to eat "something she could wrap her hands around". This is a sentiment many of us can relate to (I certainly can), and was well put. She knew a fork and knife weren't gonna cut it this time. My husband is also an enthusiastic lover of sandwiches, as are many people, and it's easy to see why....what's not to love about two pieces of bread brimming with all sorts of tasty trimmings that you can deliver by hand right into your own mouth?

So. There's been a lot of me posting my recipes on here lately and lots of talk about bringing lunch to work and making time in the day for a more relaxed, substantial meal. Worry not, this does not mean we aren't showing love to sandwiches. It's simply a matter of re-imagining your standard sandwich, making some small but worthwhile changes, and getting back to the good stuff....and after trying these substitutions and sandwich ideas, I don't think you'll mind.

Let's start with the basics. Most people envision a sandwich to mean bread, some kind of meat, often cheese, *maybe* lettuce and tomato, and some kind of condiment like butter, mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc. Your standard deli sandwich. Now let's take that model and, without getting too fancy or complicated, turn it into a healthier, more wholesome meal.

First of all, swap out the white or flimsy whole wheat bread for some good, hearty, whole grain bread. It's out there; and it's more substantial and better tasting than the alternatives, not to mention much better for your body. When buying bread, read the ingredients to see what is in it: First of all, skip enriched flours, often listed as the first ingredient. "Enriched flour" means the manufacturer added in vitamins and minerals to make up for the fact that the flour was refined in the first place, thus stripping away these natural essential elements from the grain. Sound counter-intuitive, wasteful, and ridiculous? It is. But you don't have to settle for that- look for whole grain flour, simple as that. Next, look at what sugars, additives, and preservatives are in the bread- you want to keep it simple, bread is an old-fashioned ad straight forward food. You want to see that WHOLE GRAIN is the main element. Buying wholegrain bread from a local bakery helps to cut down on the unwanted stuff, but if that's not an option, your grocery store has better choices too. Do the best you can. Look for nutrition labels that show the most fiber, protein, and minerals while STILL having a simple and basic ingredient list. You don't want them just adding THAT stuff in, either. Keep it real. Real food, real simple.

Next, fillings. If you're going to use meat, get the best quality you can. (And if you're not a meat eater, skip to the next paragraph). Organic is always best when it comes to animal food, and even better if you can obtain it from a local source who can assure the quality and safety of the origin of the meat. If that's not an option, look for store brands like Applegate Farms that assure that the meat does not contain any added growth hormones or antibiotics, and in some cases that the animals were raised humanely. When it comes to amount of meat in the sandwich, less is more: when I make sandwiches for my husband or other people who want to eat meat, I use two thin slices. Two. Think that's crazy? Visit somewhere like Europe and see how much meat they put in their sandwiches. When it comes to protein, we do need it- but we don't need a mound like we get in most American sandwiches. Too much meat in proportion to vegetable food in the meal (and overall diet) results in bloating, constipation, and acid inflammation, not to mention worse...so try to make the switch and realize that when it comes to meat, Less Is More. If you're using cheese, same guidelines: organic whenever you can, or at least all natural good quality cheese, and less is more- one thin slice does the job.

So what are you going to do with all that room now that you've trimmed down your meat and cheese portions? Bring in the veggies. Lettuce and tomato are great, but why stop there? And why so little? Step it up! For greens, try arugula, spinach, or watercress (where I studied abroad in Scotland, sliced hard boiled egg with watercress on wholegrain brown bread was a popular sandwich), and add more volume than you used to. If using lettuce, use the darkest green possible. Slice up tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, throw in some sprouts, sliced olives, radishes, avocado, or even a layer of cooked vegetables from your leftovers from the day before- why not? Go to town! You're reinventing the sandwich here, don't be shy. Let the veggies take the stage, and you'll be surprised how filling they can be! Also, especially because you're now using nutrient dense, fiber-full, protein-and-mineral-packing whole grain bread, your sandwich will be more filling and long-term energizing anyway, so you won't miss the larger portions of meat and/or cheese, and you'll be doing your body a favor by following the proportions of animal food to plant food that are best for health, digestion, and metabolism.

So what about the condiments, the icing on the cake? If you're like me, you love love LOVE condiments and sauces of any kind, and sandwiches are no exception. I was once told by an Irish person that is not my husband that the typical American refrigerator contains all condiments and no food. While I disagree about the no food part (or at least I hope/believe that is changing), I do agree that as a culture we have a love for the condiment...and we're not ashamed to show it, nor should we be! So feel free to use that affinity for sauciness to dress up your sandwich a bit, but here again, consider some restructuring. For example, if you're going to use higher fat and calorie condiments like butter or mayonnaise, use organic when you can and only use a little. With condiments, we're going for taste and sometimes texture, not bulk or substance, so we really don't need a lot- they're meant to be used sparingly. Next, make use of lighter options like mustard, vinegar, natural ketchup or barbecue sauce, olive oil, pesto, relish, horseradish, sesame tahini dressing, salsa, and many more to add punch, flavor and moisture. Avocado and tomato are particularly wonderful sandwich ingredients because they function as both filling and condiment- both add moisture, flavor, and texture- one creamy, one juicy. For a sandwich revelation and boost to your health, try swapping out cheese in your sandwiches for sliced avocado sprinkled with a little sea salt. It's creamy, fatty, rich, salty...all the things we want from cheese, but with healthier fat and fiber and protein to boot. Your heart will thank you, and your tummy won't mind a bit.

So that's how to reinvent the "standard" sandwich. Now are you ready to shake it up a little? Try skipping the meat....the vegetarians are already used to this, and know how satisfying meat free sandwiches can be. Try the following options as choices for the main filling: hummus, bean-and-grain burger (not processed soy burger), avocado, tofu, or tempeh. Then follow the steps above to pack the sandwich with filling, nutritious, satisfying veggies. Top with condiment combo of your choice, and voila!

Below are some examples of how this simple sandwich wizardry works, and some non-"typical" sandwich options that anyone can enjoy. Don't be afraid to let these balanced sandwiches become a new, healthier part of your foodscape!

Quality WHOLE GRAIN bread topped with...(remember always to UP the veggie portions!!)

-hummus, avocado, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed green lettuce, and bean sprouts

-bean and grain burger, sliced pickles, arugula, mustard, natural ketchup

-steamed tempeh, sauerkraut, sliced radish, tahini dressing, natural ketchup (kinda like a Rueben!)

-olive tapenade, avocado, sundried tomatoes, drizzle of pesto (less bulky, but more rich....great for a pizza substitute! Also can add spinach or arugula)

-2 slices of any lean meat, spinach leaves, shredded carrot and cabbage, drizzled with olive oil and vinegar.

-Sliced smoked salmon with capers, baby mesclun greens, and raw onion on olive-oiled bread dash of horseradish

-leftover cooked vegetables and beans from another meal thrown into a whole grain wrap, or even wrapped up in a large collard green or lettuce leaf as described in a recipe here

-one sliced hard boiled egg, watercress, sliced cucumber, and toasted pumpkin seeds, light smear of pesto if desired

-almond butter or sunflower seed butter, shredded carrots, raisins, and sliced apples (sound weird? It's awesome. You have the mother of a kid in my 5th grade class to thank for this one....I haven't forgotten!)

The list goes on and on....remember, just have fun with it and experiment. The whole idea of a sandwich is about putting things you like together in new combinations tucked in one handy package, so be bold and don't worry about messing it up...it's only a sandwich!


Interested in finding out more about what foods are right for your own body and why? Looking for personalized information and support to help you change your eating and lifestyle choices in order to achieve your own specific goals for health and wellness? Contact me to set up a consultation: erica@wellnessrealized.com

Beating Bloat

Check out this magazine article I was interviewed for on Bloat: It's Causes and Natural Remedies, which ran in the July issue of YourHealth Monthly, a nationwide health and wellness publication. You can zoom in to read/print the info!




Interested in finding out more about what foods are right for your own body and why? Looking for personalized information and support to help you change your eating and lifestyle choices in order to achieve your own specific goals for health and wellness? Contact me to set up a consultation: erica@wellnessrealized.com

Get Yourself Into A Pickle

So what's the deal with pickles? Are they simply extra garnish on the plate, or a flavorful addition that some people relish (sorry, I can't help myself!) but others view as mainly decoration?

Nope, there's more to it than that. Ever wonder why sandwiches and hamburgers are often accompanied by a pickle spear, or why hot dogs are traditionally topped with sauerkraut (which is pickled cabbage), or why sushi comes with pickled ginger? These various pickled foods aren't just there for decoration, and not just for their burst of taste either- fermented foods, including vegetables that are "pickled", serve a very important digestive function. Pickles are almost always served with other foods, rather than on their own, and for good reason- they actually help us to break down and better digest our other food, especially when it comes to animal foods such as meat which require more energy and effort from the body to digest. In all of the above examples, a meat or animal food is served with a pickled vegetable...we may think of it as just "the norm", and not think about the reason, but in fact these pairings come from a long tradition of food wisdom from other cultures about what our body needs in order to most efficiently assimilate and then dispose of the food we consume.

So what exactly do these powerful pickles do for us when it comes to digestion? Fermented foods such as pickles provide active healthy bacteria, or "flora", which we need in the intestinal tract in order to effectively break down and digest our food and then dispose of the remains as waste. This may come as a surprise, but we have active bacteria at work in our bodies all the time, and it's a good thing we do- we need them to adequately process the food we take in, and to be able to dispose of what we don't need. When we consume fermented foods such as pickles, these healthy bacteria get to work in our intestinal tract, and we reap the benefits through improved digestion in every area from assimilation of nutrients to ease of bowel function. This is why you hear about people taking probiotics or eating foods containing probiotics to ease digestive problems- it's that healthy bacteria getting the job done.

The meat and pickle connection comes in because of the fact that meat and animal foods are primarily composed of protein and fat, and don't contain the necessary fiber to move themselves smoothly through the intestinal tract on their own-our bodies depend on adequate intake of vegetal foods (foods that come from plants) to provide the absorbent, bulky fiber that will soak up water, become heavy, and move the more dense, protein and fat rich animal foods through the intestinal tract. If we aren't getting a good balance of animal to vegetal foods and there are not enough high fiber foods to move the low fiber animal foods through the colon, then the animal foods can sit there for too long and begin to decay and putrefy, thus releasing toxins and bad bacteria into the intestinal tract, interfering with digestion and also creating extra work for the kidneys and liver. These toxins and bad bacteria can also be released if we are consuming poor quality animal foods, or accidentally consume a piece of animal food that was spoiled. Therefore, it makes sense to have a tradition around consuming pickles in a meal that contains meat or animal food, because they give us that good bacteria to 1) help us to maximize our digestion and assimilation of nutrients from our food and assist in the disposal of what we don't need, and 2) balance out any bad bacteria that could be released due to low fiber foods "stuck" in the colon, and to get those foods moving to where they need to go.

In Northern Europe, where pork consumption has always been popular, sauerkraut is a staple. In the Middle East, where lamb is a featured meat, it is usually served with fermented yogurt. The examples go on. The best news is, the good bacteria connection only one part of the pretty pickle picture- fermented foods are also generally alkaline in nature and therefore help to balance out an acidic state in the body, which can result from the consumption of too much animal foods without balancing vegetal foods, or from consumption of too much alcohol, sugars, or extremely fatty foods and refined/processed foods. An overly acidic condition in the body creates inflammation, which is increasingly indicated as the predominant precursor to serious degenerative disease, as well as more common discomforts such as headaches, muscle cramps, and constipation. To avoid an acidic state in the body, it is therefore very important to balance with alkaline foods, as well as to mitigate stress which is a major contributor to inflammation.

But it doesn't stop there- pickles have another trick up their sleeve! In Eastern medicine, they considered very grounding to the body and mind; before people knew anything about a calorie or a fat gram or a carbohydrate, they used a different kind of science to help them understand foods and how they related to the needs of the body. This wisdom was based on the perceived energy of a food; the energy that would be imparted to a person who consumed it. When we get moving too fast, or too caught up in our head, or when we can't seem to stop the wheels from spinning and are feeling distracted, we need some grounding energy- something to bring us down to earth and calm us down. Pickles pack a powerful punch in this area. To prove it, try this experiment: the next time you are craving sweets mid-day or late at night (which is a common but misguided craving when people are moving too fast and burning out or feeling distracted), snack on a pickle spear instead of a cookie, or nibble a spoonful of sauerkraut instead of some ice cream. A few minutes later, see if that sweets cravings hasn't bitten the dust, and if you aren't feeling more relaxed and grounded (which is the exact opposite of how you'd be feeling if you gave in and went for sugar, because sweets have the opposite energetic effect).

So now you're ready to party with pickles! One thing to remember, though: the beneficial elements of pickled foods do depend on the active bacteria, so don't heat them to temperatures so high that these active bacteria have been killed. Stick to pickles, sauerkraut, and pickled ginger and other veggies that have not been heated. You also don't need a large amount to enjoy the benefits, and pickles are best enjoyed in moderation: one small serving per day is plenty. Happy Eating!

*And when it comes to wine and beer (yes, they are fermented, and of course everyone asks!), it's important to remember that they are also alcoholic, and so drinking more than one or two drinks puts your body at a disadvantage in terms of processing the effects of the alcohol.


Interested in finding out more about what foods are right for your own body and why? Looking for personalized information and support to help you change your eating and lifestyle choices in order to achieve your own specific goals for health and wellness? Contact me to set up a consultation: erica@wellnessrealized.com