Showing posts with label Cooking Classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking Classes. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Vegan Macrobiotic Cooking Class: Healing Your Body and Mind


Healing body and mind macrobiotic whole plant-based vegan cooking class #3 was help on September 24, 2015. 

It has been a very hot and humid summer in Southern California. Many people eat spicy, salty food and drink cold icy drinks too much. I eat very carefully to not loose balance of principle of macrobiotic eating, but I even seek out to eat a little more herbal and spicy food, more raw salad, and raw seasonal fruits and drinks with more purified water cooler barley tea.  My focus is not too eating too extreme so I loose the balance. It is easy to just eat spicy food and icy drink to drop your body temperature, but in order to balance our body temperature comes up again to stabilized to our normal body temperature. Our body is very complex and well made if it is too hot and our body is healthy we seat and lower the body temperature. When you go out the most places have air conditioning systems and it is a way too cold for most of people who eat healthy, but outside is so hot so in and out of this extreme temperature difference whack our balance and our bodies are not able to use our natural thermostat in our systems.  It is the end of September, but it is still hot but then once a while temperature drops suddenly and we loose our health balance.


We focused on:
How to cook for hot summer to hot late summer transitioning in LA area:
How does this hot humid weather effect our mind?
How do we take care of our health differently?

Even it is hot weather and we feel we are drawn to eat extreme food and drink for temporary relief, but we keep our principle and eat some whole grains or noodles/pasta once a day with leafy green vegetables and sea vegetables also and soup also.





Our menu was

White Navy Beans with Corn Soup: Corn wasn’t originally in this recipe, but we chose to use it when we saw it was near the end of the season at the farmers market which we highlighted in this soup and it also gives nourishment

Millet and Kabocha Squash with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Millet is high plant based protein whole grain and we added sweet vegetables to relax our pancreas and spleen/late summer organs

Miso-Glazed Grilled Cauliflower: Using a BBQ grill to cook something yummy and easy. Everyone loved this dish so much.

Pressed Raw Kale Salad with Red Radish: This surprised most macrobiotic people how raw kale can be tender and so tasty – the key was massaging kale gently, but well.

Quick Cucumber Ginger Pickles with Arame: Eating sea vegetables is important in a plant-based diet. Learn to eat variety way of eating.

Raspberry Mousse: Fresh raspberries are in season.  It is not too sweet, but it gave us a good satisfaction to complete the meal.  






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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Mercury Retrograde, Full Moon and 10th Anniversary!

 
Eating more balanced organic quality vegan macrobiotic food I started to pay attention to not only my body (physical), also my feelings (emotions) carefully. I noticed so many things around affect me and I am aware of how nature is ruling the global. Nature is making a balance by yin and yang of universal order. 


dynamic clouds over the ocean



I know noting about Mercury Retrograde, moon cycle and season affect our body and emotions before. After I learned macrobiotics way of eating and living I started understanding everything is connected. A full moon and new moon have a different energy and different affect on us and season’s changing is very important to balance us.  

beautiful green sea vegetable on the sand



When I found out about Mercury Retrograde a long time ago I was going through very difficult time for me to accept how I was feeling. I was grateful to find out about how Mercury Retrograde affect on us. Now I believe that Mercury Retrograde comes as one of universal order to balance us out three times year (sometime four times year). I only know a little of astrology so Mercury Retrograde means to me Mercury is moving backward not forward. During Mercury Retrograde I usually feel stacked and even feeling exact the word - going back word if I stressed out and push too hard during this period. Another word I go through a dark spot and I feel extra sensitive. Sometimes everything and everybody irritate me. I feel very lonely. 

In the past, my computer acted up – I had experiences of crashing my Apple computer twice during Mercury Retrograde period. Things were missing and could not find them. I usually checked the date of Mercury Retrograde to be aware of challenges are coming, but this month I was pre-occupied over my left arm and shoulder which have been giving me a trouble and had pain and limited mobility. I already have pain and limited mobility on my legs and feet from the car accident I had in 13 years ago so having more pain and limited ability was over the limit – after three months of arm and shoulder problem I lost my patient completely. I became very unhappy person. I was also trying to organize our 10th year anniversary and teaching at La Casa De Maria for Health Classics Macrobiotic Conference. When Mercury Retrograde hit on June 6th and full moon came June 13th, also the lowest and highest tide… I felt everything sink in and hit me to the bottom after I watched a movie that I should have not watched. I had a nightmare and the PTSD condition came back. I was not able to talk and just cried for many times for a long time. I started to hate myself and do the things I did not want to do – like being super bitch to my husband and even to my 4 legs family. Of course my husband was getting effect by Mercury Retrograde so he was a super grouchy too. We thought we never make to our 10 year anniversary, but I found out it was Mercury Retrograde nick of time and this Mercury Retrograde time somebody wrote that we do the things we don’t even want to do and this made all sense to me. It was not we hate each other - it was Mercury Retrograde (this time till July 2), but we talked about our 10 years of ups and down (yin and yang life) and how grateful for us to be here together still after we met 23 years ago. 
 
--> Our 10th anniversary at Health Classics Conference
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10th anniversary cake by Tiziana



We shared many things together to celebrate this10th last week: meditation, playing an ukulele, the beach with our dogs –there I showed my love as swimming in the ocean by myself (usually I am afraid to go the ocean because of my limitation on leg mobility), teaching a cooking class and exchange the gifts. It has been so much shifting and transformation for me.

 
cooking class at Health Classics in Santa Barbara


 We also enjoyed summer solstice evening with many friends of the Health Classics conference who made this celebration possible, Health Classic organizer, Larry Cooper, Chef Mark Hanna and ChefTiziana Slipo Tamborra who made our 10th anniversary cake. I am sending my love to all of people who support us. 
with Tiziana and Larry




Keith, Pamela, Micheal, Tiziana, Heidi, Mark, Dara and Cynthia and more



I want to thank my husband, Eric Lechasseur for being with me for the happy and batches time, healthy and painful time, full moon and new moon time and Mercury retrograde time!

10th anniversary gift: Tie pin and the money clip with diamonds with the engraved box from me to Eric



10th anniversary gift: Tin and Diamond pendant from Eric








Love, 
       
             Sanae



Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spring Vegan Macrobiotic Cooking Class:

Wonderful season of spring. This season helps us to open our heart and mind and transformed to change our life to grow for us.

Let's learn to cook for opening our mind and changing our life.

http://www.meetup.com/Vegan-Macrobiotic-Community-Meetup-Group/events/126994972/

Menu Sample:
1. Quinoa Salad




Quinoa Salad © IMG_0527


2. Homemade Natto (fomented soy beans) Canapé
Natto Canapé

3) Carrot Soup

4) Conditment: Carrot Green Top Gomashio (sesame salt)

5) Water Sautéed Greens

6)  Myer Lemon Amazake Cream
Lemon Amazake Cream copy

Hope you join our cooking class.

Love, Sanae

Friday, December 6, 2013

Macrobiotic Medicinal Remedy Drink Class for Thyroid Problems

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Hi everyone, 
My name is Sanae Suzuki. 
I am a whole health macrobiotic nutrition counselor for people and pets.
I have been teaching macrobiotics cooking and lifestyle for almost 20 years after I healed myself from ovarian cancer by practicing and live macrobiotics. You can see all the classes info. and what I offered 193 classes/events last 5 years at Meetup  I am so thankful to my health, my macrobiotics practice and all of you!

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At Macrobiotic Healing for Women's class

It was one of my dreams to teach for healing class for women for a long time and this year I was able to start it at Seed Kitchen this year almost every month. 
It has been a really great opportunity to practice and teaching this class. 
The last month I was planing to teach class for Thyroid problems and many people who could not come to the class have requested me to post this on my blog so here is one for everyone. I hope this help many people and I hope to practice and teach my macrobiotics many more years.



These are the things I shared in the class:

When I read an article that it's estimated that as many as 59 million Americans have a thyroid problem. I questioned myself “Do most of us know about it?”. I had time to time people who have had a thyroid cancer and a problem came for macrobiotic counseling to me. The macrobiotic approach of diet and life style definitely helped and healed them when they followed directions. I, myself had to followed the direction to help heal my two dogs who had thyroid problems. 
Some of you might wonder that a dog and a human have the same problems and results? Yes, I have seen so many symptoms with human also over dogs. I have researched more when I needed to help my two dogs from their thyroid problems and applied to them and sure worked so much and they are both doing good. They are not taking any western meditation anymore. You can also get benefit from macrobiotic approach for thyroid problems.

The first, you need to know your thyroid grand. It is an important organ just like heart and stomach and others, but the majority of us don't know it yet. It is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck a small gland found at the base of your neck just above your collarbone, just below your Adam's apple. I think it should move like butterfly and be flexible so the thyroid hormones control your body activities and metablism like your body temperature and how fast you burn calories and how fast your heart beats.

1. The example signs of Thyroid problems
Since undiagnosed thyroid problems can dramatically increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, depression, anxiety, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, infertility and a host of other symptoms and health problems, it's important that you don't go undiagnosed.
You don't need to have all of these symptoms in order to have a thyroid problem, but here are some of the most common signs that you may have a thyroid condition: 

1) Fatigue.
2) Weight Changes.
3) Depression and Anxiety.
4) Cholesterol Issues
5) Bowel Problems.
6) Menstrual Irregularities and Fertility Problems.
7) Hair/Skin Changes.
8) Neck Discomfort/Enlargement.
9) Muscle and Joint Pains, Carpal Tunnel/Tendonitis Problems

3. Two major problems of Thyroid:

4 Macrobiotic Medicinal Remedy Drink for Thyroid:
The modern diet of meat and other processed foods can cause the thyroid to malfunction.
Modern diets low in iodine and other trace of minerals found in whole grains, vegetables from land and sea, and other fresh foods are primary cause. Doctors can give a western medication but it doesn’t address the source of the problem.

This drink is can help to detox your body’s condition and support for hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism both.

1/4 cup each vegetables of carrot, burdock, daikon, lotus root
1 cup daikon greens or other hard leafy greens
1/4 cup komubu, soaked chopped small
4 cups water

1. Finely chop all the vegetables and soaked kombu.
2. Put all the ingredients and add water to bring a boil in a covered pot.
3. Lower the flame, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add a pinch of sea salt or 3~4 drops of tamari or ¼ umeboshi plum at the end of cooking.
5. Drink and eat 1 cup while it is warm/hot.
6. You can drink and eat everyday, 1 cup, for 10~14 days. Then every other day for an equal period.

If you have concern it is important to have a macrobiotic counseling for more advise. 

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Ingredients of vegetables before prepping the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

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All the ingredients ready to make the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

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Simmering the medicinal remedy drink for thyroid

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The medicinal remedy drink for thyroid


5. Macrobiotic food and life style recommendations for Thyroid problems

1) Example of what to eat more 
·  Vitamin A rich foods (carrot. butternut squash, dark leafy greens, sweet potato, dried apricots etc.)   
·  Omega-3 Fats (sea vegetables, fax Seeds, chia Seeds, hemp seeds, mung beans, winter squash, leafy greens, berries, etc.)
·  Miso/ Miso soup *
·  Soy sauce/ Natto fermented soy beans products *
·  Umeboshi plums *
·  Sea vegetables/Iodine* (including kombu, kelp, dulse, nori, wakame, arame etc.)
The best to getting from the sea vegetables directly, but if you are not used them you can take
       sea vegetables/seaweed tablet as a supplement till you get used to eat them.
       *too much iodine can actually trigger thyroid problems and worsen symptoms, so it’s   
        important to have a healthy balance.
·  Saltwater fish (2~4 oz 1~3 weeks only with grated daikon and lemon juice if you want to eat fish)

*** To find good recipes for Miso, Natto fermented soy beans and umeboshi plums you can check vegan macrobiotic healing cookbook "Love, Sanae"

 
2) Example of what to avoid:

·  Any meat and dairy food.
·  Refined processed food. 
·  Cauliflower (Any vegetable that falls into the broccoli family is a goitrogen and shouldn’t be eaten more than twice a week if you have hypothyroidism and raw if you have hyperthyroid.)
·  Millet   
·  Pine nuts/Peanuts
·  Unfermented soy
·  Canola oil      
·  Iodized salt  (iodized salt is heavily processed so recommend avoiding)  


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With all the participants

3) Example of Life style:
1)     Make your medicinal drink yourself and cook your healing food at home.
2)     Go to bed early and rise early.
3)     Be active mentally and physically.
4)     Everyday do light exercise or take a walk outside for a half hour.
5)     Massage yourself thyroid ground area to stimulate for 5 minutes every day and also receive Shiatsu massage.
6)     Until the condition improve, you may take a small amount of food 4~5 times a day instead of 2~3 times a day, but have it at regular times.
7)     Avoid artificial environments, including exposure to high-voltage lines, excess air- conditioning, stagnate sir, dampness or high humidity and chemicals (including cosmetics and other body products). No fluoresces light. No X-ray (including at the airport also)
8)     Keep your living area clean and in good order.
9)     Avoid stressful human relations.
10)   Try to keep in touch with nature and live simply.
11)   Use organic cotton for underwear. Bed sheets, pillowcases, and comforter cover.
12)   Try to avoid using TV, computers, microwaves, fluorescent lamps, and other devise and equipment that emit strong electromagnetic filed.
13)   Tell yourself you are better and no more thyroid problem and sign happy song everyday.




Be healthy and be happy!

Love, Sanae

❤ Next Macrobiotic Healing for Women class is Dec. 15. Sat. at 10am. If you want to register, please click Meetup.