Dear Friends,

I hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend. It was an amazing demonstration of pink skys, bright sun, and the full, lush greenery of spring. And – I saw the clothes come off this weekend – finally!

People are getting ready for summertime and getting sexy. Bikini tops and short shorts are out and the living is easy. Makes me think how opportune it is to nourish yourself well and mindfully. Somewhere between all the barbecues and the parties, the official beginning of summer has arrived. Are you ready? Remember – every day is another chance to feel great.

How? Here’s 5 easy ways to start feeling great:

1. Try a green juice today – get your 5-a-day-greens and then some to boost your energy levels and nourish your body
2. Spend 5 minutes a day breathing deeply. Close your eyes, move away from the computer/the phone/whatever and do a meditative breath to reconnect you with your majestic self. Inhale deeply for a count of 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Repeat this series just 4 times for incredible benefits. Maybe even right now…
3. Enjoy some gorgeous fruit – it is a sweet, vitamin-filled way to replenish your body’s moisture.
4. Drink a tall glass of water with lemon juice first thing in the morning. It supports the body in detoxification and gives you a boost of vitamin C.
5. Eat organic produce – it is more important that eating just about anything else organic. You’ll reduce your toxic load and feel L i g h t er.

For more great tips on eating well, come to my free class this weekend at the Park Slope Food Coop.

With love, respect and other nutrients,
Ella

Dear Friends,

We were almost all in tears – touching on issues so deep in a group of nearly 2,000 was one of the deepest things I’ve ever experienced. It was so powerful to hear Geneen Roth talk that I wished to share the knowledge with each and every one of you. In fact, I wish I could share it with every one of your friends too.

Who is she and what does she do? Well, I guess you can say she is a self-help guru. But what she really is, is an emotional eating philosopher. She put it out there so clearly, and so obviously that it helped me realize that we all have our food issues. We are all medicating ourselves with one thing or another, but mostly with food. We’re tired we drink coffee, we’re sad we drink alcohol, we’re mad, we drink more alcohol, we’re tired we drink more coffee, we’re lonely we eat chocolate chip cookie dough, we’re dissatisfied we eat a burger, we’re stressed we eat chocolate… the list goes on. And it’s all a kind of medicating. The comforting news is that we almost all do it to some extent – and that there are ways to get it under control. And it’s great – if we can recognize what it is we are actually trying to eat or drink away. I mean hey, everybody hurts, right?

So if you have a moment, perhaps you can think about what lies beneath your food urges, when i’ts not just hunger. What you eat, when you eat, why you – HOW you eat – the opportunities for self-discovery are really endless. I would love to lend support in this area with a free consultation about eating and what goes on around it – and also, as always, to get you to take advantage of this amazing spring produce with a dinner delivery from The Regal Vegan. Be well!

With love, respect and other nutrients,
Ella

I’m always astounded at all the fearmongering that is done by the news media. Everything is an epidemic, sales are down and people are dying.

It turns out that some things are just minor weather fronts, miracles are being performed, businesses are expanding and precocious babies are being born every minute. It seems to me that the news is pushing is hopelessness. If you can imagine – someone writing the entire newspaper from a positive perspective what the news would sound like: “Swine Flu sheds light on terrible animal factory conditions. Pratices slated to improve.” “Middle East decided the only way to exist peacefully is to operate peacefully – permanent ceasefire reached.” “McDonald’s stops supersizing food in an attempt to stop the supersizing of America.” “Downturn in economy spurs creativity, cooperation, and partnership.”

What if every economic downturn, war and act of opposition was actually happening to improve the earth, in a slightly twisted you-have-to-figure-it-out-yourself kind of way. Suddenly the news just wouldn’t seem so bad – just the interpretation of it.

I am personally very encouraged by the amount of greens the earth is putting out. It’s something Americans need more than anything and it’s now “Cool” to eat them. I’m seeing salads decorating restaurant plates with enormous amounts of wild watercress and baby arugula and all kinds of seasonal flavor explosions. I’m seeing how eating more vegetables has improved the blood pressure of a dear relative of mine. I’m seeing how the economy has forged new partnerships and ordered more creativity from the people.

I’m happy to say that soon I too will be experiencing the fruits of this season by moving into a new space. Yes, soon you will be able to get Regal Vegan items retail in a great little place called “Organic Heights” in North Park Slope. So, I remain encouraged. Come down and say hello!

With love, respect and other nutrients,
Ella

Dear Friends,

This week I was at the Brooklyn Food Conference which brought together food activists to educate people about how to create a just, sustainable, healthy and delicious food system. Boy, was I all over that! A highlight for me was a roundtable of chefs whose businesses revolve around organic and sustainable food. They brought up great topics like when is local better than organic and vice versa. It was fascinating, and I’m glad to be able to bring that education to your table this week.

The good news is that people are starting to pay attention to food and are making better choices. My real discovery though is that somehow – I became part of a movement. Who knew I was so political? I mean, of course by now you all now that a vegan diet does more for the planet that switching from a hummer to a bike (read more here), but the food system not only impacts environ mental sustainability and human health. It impacts social justice: who gets to eat organic food; what our kids eat in schools; what kind of labor and therefore energy goes into our food; where does it come from. what kind of treatment our food receives before it is packed in plastic and stamped with a pretty label; what goes onto and into our food and therefore into our bodies and who gets a say in it.

As always, I strive to bring you the best food, sourced from responsible growers of organic, local and seasonal produce. This week is a testament to their work and the wonders of spring with Local Sorrel, Fiddlehead Ferns, Asparagus and Wild Ramps. I am so excited! Show your political side this week by voting for local food. The future will thank you.

With love, respect and other nutrients,
Ella