Life Force Lesson #4: Free Yourself from the Herd

Blasphemy is more complicated than the simple act of cursing God. It is an attempt to remove our cultural eyeglasses, or at least grind the lenses to make our focus broader, clearer. There are deep strictures against removing these eyeglasses, for without them, our culture would fall apart. Question Christianity, damned heathen. Question Capitalism, Pinko Liberal. Question Democracy, ungrateful wretch. Question science, just plain stupid.
—Derrick Jensen, A Language Older Than Words

If you are reading this newsletter, it is probably because you are suffering, and you are tired of all the gold-stamped, socially accepted, shrink-wrapped, commercial “solutions” that have failed you ...

Ana’s Lazy Girl Food Tip: Stock and Save

The Freezer

When you have an afternoon or evening to spend some time in the kitchen, fill up the freezer with some quick and easy meal options to make life easier on more hectic days.

I freeze my favorite zucchini pesto (zucchini, lemon juice, stevia, celery, basil, and red pepper blended with just enough water to keep the blades moving) and Doris’s Zucchini Hummus Dressing in a large ice cube tray. Place the tray in a Ziploc baggie, and you’ll have perfect serving sizes to pop out and defrost for salads, spaghetti squash, or steamed veggies. This is an opportunity to stockpile ...

Recipe of the Week by Natalia Rose Institute Executive Chef, Doris Choi: Warm Roasted Salads

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Spinach

1 large eggplant, cut into ¾-inch slices
½ cup chopped parsley, fresh oregano, or basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Drizzle of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
Lemon-stevia dressing
Raw goat cheese, grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine eggplant, herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper so the eggplant slices are evenly coated, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, turning once. Enjoy on a bed of spinach tossed with lemon-stevia dressing. Garnish with grated raw goat cheese, if desired.

Roasted Zucchini Salad

2–3 medium zucchini, cubed

Navigating the Menu

Gemma
Bowery Hotel
335 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-7300
Open Mon–Wed, Sun, 7 am–12 am; Thu–Sat, 7 am–1 am
Executive Chef: Chris D’Amico

This lovely eatery has amazing olives, greens, and seasonal outdoor seating. It’s in Manhattan’s trendy East Village, so people watching is always fun, and the ambiance is romantic and intimate.

Start with the olive plate as an appetizer, focusing especially on the Castelvetranos and Cerignolas.

Order the double salad of your choice to start. We love their fresh arugula, heirloom tomatoes, and roast beets. For non-vegan diners, a side of goat cheese is delicious; and for vegans, avocado ...

Testimonial from Tara

Hello Natalia,

Thank you so much for creating such a fantastic book! Although I always was very mindful of my nutrition, I fell victim to the many popular nutritional suggestions of our culture. Some of my consistent mistakes included eating a heavy whole grain cereal meal for breakfast (with soy milk), combining either an egg or peanut butter with toast at lunch (with fruit), and eating low-carb wraps and lean meat protein at dinnertime. In addition to that I was completely toxifying my body with artificial sweeteners in the form of diet soda, Jell-O, yogurt, pudding, and coffee. I just started ...

Glossary Term: Detoxification

Detoxification: Overused and abused, the term “detoxification” is often associated with a change in diet. This is misleading, however, because detoxification occurs only when that dietetic or lifestyle change results in the excretion of accumulated waste matter and its by-products. This is a two-part process of awakening and releasing stored toxic waste. Intelligently applied alkaline substances, with the help of colonics and deep sweats, work with the body’s waste management team to reconstitute and awaken acidic matter and show the waste matter to the door. Detoxification has not occurred unless and until the waste leaves the body.

Natalia-ism on Getting in Tune

“The body communicates through pain and pleasure. Pay attention both to what feels great and to what is setting off your body’s alarm system. Your body is a regular Chatty Cathy!”