Galantys Game Plan

A ripe summer peach is nature at perfection.  I could eat about 6 in one sitting and still look forward to more the next day.  Although my favorite way to eat peaches is in the unaltered form right off the tree, I buy a whole bunch of extras when they are in season to turn into incredible desserts.  We made a peach cobbler in our raw foods desserts class this past week, which was quite tasty, but afterwards, I decided to experiment with a different crust and topping and according to my kids, this recipe rocks! The original Read the rest of this entry →

I swore this time would be different. I would not revert back to all my bad habits when I went on our annual ski trip as I do every other time I go on vacation. I would not fall prey to the greasy lunch time fries and the après ski cocktails (which seem to occur earlier and earlier in the day with each passing year). Read the rest of this entry →

So I’m back. You didn’t really think I could stay away from this blog for too long did you? I have truly missed writing the articles, so the posts may be infrequent and sporadic, but they will be here when inspiration strikes.

I’ve had quite a few weeks since the holiday madness relinquished it’s control over my life to unwind, relax, and enjoy some much needed downtime. (Although coaching our kids’ basketball teams and racing from one after school activity to another isn’t exactly downtime, it’s less busy than it had been for a few months.)

One of the things I have been enjoying the most during these cold winter months is reacquainting myself with my juicer. I’ve been giving it quite a workout of late. Juicing isn’t something I usually associate with the cold winter months; I’m more of a Read the rest of this entry →

Has the bounty of your summer garden gotten out of control?  Over zealous with your tomato plants this year?  If you can’t possibly think of one more way to prepare your surplus veggie or fruit (for me it’s zucchini…it seems to be multiplying daily), perhaps it is time to invest in a dehydrator. Read the rest of this entry →

Fasting is not some new age hype that all the skinny people talk about.  It is an often ignored, age old custom that is our oldest health remedy.  Fasting is simply taking a break from food…as simple as it is, it can be quite therapeutic.  It takes a lot of energy to digest food.  Those internal organs are hard at work after we ingest a meal.  When we stop taking in food, our digestive system gets a chance to take a rest and our bodies will automatically heal themselves by eliminating toxins and balancing the body’s chemistry.  Health is restored through cleansing.

Years of a diet filled with artificial flavors and dyes, preservatives, pesticides and rancid oils (not to mention the air and water pollution we are exposed to)  takes its toll.  Our systems Read the rest of this entry →

Getting refined sugar out of kids diets (or adults for that matter) is a major challenge.  You can have the best of intentions, keeping junk food out of your house completely, but unless your child lives in a glass bubble, they will be continually bombarded with it every time they leave the house. Birthday parties, play dates, class parties, movie theatres, stores…it’s everywhere and it is so enticing.  It is packaged so appealingly, it tastes good, and it is completely addictive. Kids are like a bunch of little junkies running around looking for their next fix.

When I first started introducing raw foods to our household, I decided to approach the kids from the sweet side.  If nothing else, if I can replace a refined sugar, white flour dessert with a healthy raw one that tastes just as good, I will feel as if I have accomplished something.  The battle isn’t won, but it’s a step in the right direction. Read the rest of this entry →

Each week I will challenge you to do something healthy for the entire week and take note of the effect it has on you.

Whenever I feel sluggish or want to strengthen my immune system, I turn to juicing. My monster size Breville juicer has a prominent place on our kitchen counter, right next to the sink, so it is always accessible and easy to clean…two key components.

Think of raw organic juices as nutritional supplements and preventive medicine. Drinking freshly made juices provides us with a concentrated supply of vital nutrients and live enzymes that we can’t get from eating alone; it’s just not likely that we could eat that much of a given vegetable at one sitting. For example, a 9 ounce glass of carrot juice has the same amount of nutrients as 18 ounces of whole carrots. That’s a lot of carrots. Read the rest of this entry →

The dreaded morning question…what am I going to put in the kids lunch boxes today?  It has to not only be nutritious and satiating, but it has to be able to withstand the beating it gets en route to school in the backpacks of some fairly rambunctious children.  I stare into the depths of the monster size refrigerator and pantry, both full to the brim with food and think, there’s nothing to eat, despite the fact that a third world nation could live for months on what I have within the confines of those cupboard doors.

Like everything else in my life lately, I am learning to simplify the process of lunch box packing.  I’m sticking mainly to raw fruits and vegetables because they are easy to pack, nutritious and the kids like them.  I round it out with a variety of leftovers such as soup in a thermos, a wrap, sushi, tuna fish on crackers or Read the rest of this entry →

If you want to improve your health, the first place to start is to increase your intake of green vegetables.  They are without a doubt the primary food group lacking in most people’s diets (okay I know that technically green vegetables are not classified as a food group of their own, but they really should be…they are that important).  When I say this to people, invariably they tell me they eat lots of green vegetables already, but I suspect this is not really the case.  Eating a salad with dinner and a side of broccoli, although a good start, is not nearly enough.

Why are green vegetables so vital to our health?  They nourish and strengthen our blood and immune system.  They prevent cancer, boost your energy level, and they are loaded with fiber, Read the rest of this entry →