As I’ve mentioned before, Michael and I are trying to spend less time in front of screens. Because I do well with rules–a fact I find amusing and weird–we decided that Monday and Wednesday evenings (after work) are to be screenless. Today starts week two of this, and already, I love it. Once I got over my initial separation anxiety last Monday, I’ve found this to be nothing short of bliss.

We were inspired to do this by two sources. First was watching No Impact Man, about Colin Beavan and his family who go without electricity for six months. We are not that hardcore. But stepping away from TV and computers a few times a week? Yes please! Also, as part of this Spent program, I’m not supposed to be around a screen after 10p.m. This isn’t entirely practical for me as some days I get home after 10 and have work to do, or if I want to talk to anyone Stateside, it has to be late given the fourteen hour time difference. But less screen time is certainly good, and I try to step away from screens by 11:30p.m., unless I’m talking to family. For example, last night I spoke to my sister and her family on Skype around midnight, but seeing my niece wiggle and tell me about “snow that came up to [her] belly!” was well worth any sleep disruption. As I’ve said before, for me, it all comes down to balance.

The great discovery has been how much better I feel after our no screens nights. It gives us a chance to really connect because I’m not half watching a movie while clacking away on my computer. We sit down to a real meal, bust out a board game, or a puzzle, or a crossword, and catch up while doing something fun, face-to-face.

I also can be a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to TV. I don’t like them, I don’t want one, and when I lived on my own, mine sat in my closet, unplugged, until I finally gave it away or sold it, I don’t remember which. That said, you give me access to a host of TV shows, good and bad, and I can easily spend hours staring at the screen like a zombie. Our apartment in Seoul came with a giant TV, though, and my darling man did a stint as an actor in Hollywood and loves movies. As a result I wind up spending far more time in front of the boob tube (usually all too willingly) than I would otherwise.

This won’t be a surprise to many of you, but our no screens nights have proven to be much more relaxing than our couch potato evenings. I find it easier to do yoga, I don’t mind doing the dishes (as much), and I have time to take a long, hot shower. (I know, I know, very un-green of me, but I only shower every other day in the winter (my hair and skin get too dry otherwise), so that means I get to shower twice as long, right? Right?) And when I crawl into bed, not only is my seratonin production not all whacky from the screens, but I also feel that I’ve had a real chance to share my day and hear about the fella’s, which makes me feel nice and fuzzy inside.

If it’s all so great, why don’t we give up screens all together? Part of the reason is where we live. Sometimes, we just need to escape to a mindless, English-speaking world, and our laptops are how we stay close to our friends and family. Part of it is that we really enjoy sitting down and watching a movie or TV show (um, have you seen The Wire?! Crazy good!) together. If we really like this Monday/Wednesday no screens thing, though, there’s a very good chance we’ll add more. Or, at the very least, stop making it our default activity.

In fact, I’m typing this early and posting from work because tonight I have a writing project I want to (finally) get started on–using good old fashioned paper and pen–but I’ll save that for another day.

Don’t forget to enter my very first giveaway if you haven’t already done so! You can enter to win a copy of The China Study, Eating Animals, or Spent (which comes with a complimentary email session with the author, Dr. Frank Lipman, a special offer for The View From There readers!). Click here for details and to enter.

Lately I’ve been trying to make an effort to do little things I enjoy–even when I don’t quite feel like it. I’m going to start a writing project soon, I’ve been spending more time in the kitchen, and I’ve been trying to head out of the apartment a bit more. My favorite destination? Garasu Gil, which loosely translates to Tree Lined Street. It reminds me of a Greenwich Village neighborhood trying to look European, and has oodles of cute shops and cafes. Last weekend I headed over to catch up on work and tap into my artistic side (poems and pictures), and today I went back to have lunch with fellow R.O.K. blogger Bessie. Here are some highlights:

This figure is one of the first things you see when you walk down Garasu Gil. It sits over a music venue, and makes me smile every time.

This side street makes me feel like I'm a world away.

This one, too.

East meets west.

Mug for rabbit is my favorite cafe in the entire city

The mugs have bunny ears that peek out from the top of your drink. The more you sip, the more of the bunny you get to see. (But I have no after pictures because this was a sugary drink, so I had to pass. Boo.)

I love all the interior details--rich mustard hues, gorgeous wood floor, and a teeny tiny door with a unique knob.

After my (unsipped) latte, I headed to Millimeter Milligram, full of cute and quirky--and largely earth-friendly--notebooks, bags, and the like.

But perhaps the best part, for a jewelry nut like me, is Dami. It reminds me of the fabulous shop I used to work in in Philly.

I try to resist purchases, but have definitely treated myself to a little sparkle here and there.

Lastly, I love this little reminder. Granted, the store sells teeny tiny clothes, but...the sign is in the right place. Right?

Don’t forget to enter my very first giveaway if you haven’t already done so! You can enter to win a copy of The China Study, Eating Animals, or Spent (which comes with a complimentary email session with the author, Dr. Frank Lipman, a special offer for The View From There readers!). Click here for details and to enter.

I first made kale chips a few weeks ago, and couldn’t believe that they were actually health food. Sara Sue has been waiting patiently for this recipe since I first talked about it, so I’m naming them after her. As part of our “less screens and screenless” evenings, Michael and I invited over two of our friends to play our brand spankin’ new Korean Monopoly, and I made a few batches of kale chips for the group–and remembered to (ask Michael to) take a picture. Look at all this healthy deliciousness:

There were more, but we ate them too quickly before I remembered to snap them. Once again, here is a very rough recipe for how to create your own. I suggest you take it more as inspiration than as a strict procedure.

Ingredients

• 3-4 (at least) large kale leaves, cut or torn into bite sized pieces (2″ x 2″ is a good size, but don’t be precious about it)
• light drizzle of olive oil
• seasonings of your choice (sea salt, cracked pepper, paprika, dried oregano, and curry powder have all been successful, but play with it.)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Toss kale pieces with a light drizzle of olive oil in a bowl. (If you use too much olive oil, your chips won’t crisp, but a bit is really helpful to make the seasonings stick.)
3. Lay pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer, then sprinkle with seasonings of your choice. I add salt to all of them, and think dried oregano is the winner. A heavy sprinkle of paprika tastes great.
4. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until just crisp. I make mine in a glorified toaster oven, so my timing might be different.
5. Eat! These are best straight out of the oven. If you’re going to eat them later, I would put them on cooling racks so they don’t get soggy.

Because our little teeny oven can only do one tray at a time, the more batches I do, the more flavors make their way onto the chips (from leftover sprinkles on the tray). I consider this a good thing. Let me know what other flavors you come up with–I think I might tray blacken seasoning kale chips soon.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to enter my very first giveaway if you haven’t already done so! You can enter to win a copy of The China Study, Eating Animals, or Spent (which comes with a complimentary email session with the author, Dr. Frank Lipman, a special offer for The View From There readers!). Click here for details and to enter.

As many of you know, my friend Jen keeps a great blog over at Holistic Health Junkie. She recently did a wonderful post about the benefits of yoga, and was kind enough to include me in it. Check it out! (And be forgiving about my poor form in crane pose–I’m not used to being photographed mid-asana, and my form really suffered.)

***Update: Dr. Frank Lipman has generously offered the winner of Spent a free email consultation to go along with the book. (Lucky me, I get one, too!) To that end, if the first winner I draw has not selected Spent, I will draw a second winner as well from the Spent entries. Spread the word!***

I can’t believe this is my 100th post. Thanks so much to everyone who reads this blog–especially those who leave comments! To show my appreciation for everyone who follows along and gets engaged, I’m giving away a copy of one of my favorite recent books. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents, Kindle users, and very patient residents of the R.O.K.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that The China Study (T. Colin Campbell), Eating Animals (Jonathan Safran Foer), and Spent (Dr. Frank Lipman), have all made a big impact on me in the last six weeks. The winner of this giveaway will get to select one of these amazing books. This blog is largely about shared experiences, so I want to share these reads with you. I originally thought about selecting just one book, but didn’t want to exclude readers who already had/read it, and I couldn’t pick just one that I would recommend over the others. So the choice is yours!

To enter, leave a comment telling me which book you’d like to win, and why. Once you’ve done that, you can also use these additional ways to enter, just be sure to leave a comment for each telling me what you’ve done:

• Follow my blog in Google (or a similar) Reader
• Link to this giveaway on your blog
• Add my blog to your blog roll
• Mention and link to this giveaway in Twitter

I will randomly select a winner on Friday, February 12. Winner will be contacted via email and announced on this blog. U.S. readers can choose between a print or Kindle copy, international Kindle users will receive a Kindle version, and South Korean residents can choose between a print or Kindle version, but will have to wait until late April to receive the print version. (Sorry–international shipping is expensive!)

Thanks again, and good luck!

I think it’s safe to say that one of my absolute favorite parts about living in Korea is kimchi jjigae, or kimchi soup. I eat it at least once a week, and it is always my example for how to talk about food with my TOEFL students. After hearing me wax poetic about this delicious, healthy, tangy, spicy soup one too many times, a student asked me why I don’t just make it myself instead of eating at the restaurant beneath school all the time.

What? Very very white me might be able to make the greatest Korean soup of all time?

Fine, but they were going to have to tell me how to do it. Below is my extremely rough recipe. I am a notoriously lax when it comes to measuring, and I usually make this is giant batches, filling my soup pot to the brim. If you have any questions or need clarification, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to help. If you get it right, you get to enjoy a great big bowl of awesome that looks something like this:

(Please note, this picture is from my first batch of soup, which used ddok (rice dumplings), pork, and inferior kimchi. The recipe below will look just about the same, but be healthier and more delicious. Win-win.)

Ingredients (all measurements are best guesses!)

• 1 bag moogeun kimchi* (It’s really hard to go wrong with the amount of kimchi you use, but I like a lot in mine. The bags I buy contain two medium sized heads of cabbage that have been fermented, which works well for a giant batch.)
• 1 tbsp diced ginger
• 1 onion, cut into quarters, then thin strips
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 package of firm tofu, cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 bunches fresh Enoki mushrooms (but any mushroom will do)
• red pepper powder, to taste
• water (to cover)

Procedure (as best I can remember)

1. Lightly coat bottom of large soup pot with olive oil, then add garlic, onions, and ginger. Saute until onions become translucent.
2. Add mushrooms, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to release some juice
3. Add kimchi, sliced into strips (I just dump mine in and cut it with kitchen shears), and tofu
4. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Add more water if you like more broth, less if you like a more stew-like soup. I usually cover with water until just about the top of my soup pot because I love the broth.
5. If you like extra spicy soup, add a bit of red pepper powder. Taste your kimchi before you do this, though, so you don’t have any unpleasant surprises. Kimchi can range from relatively mild to really stinkin’ spicy.
6. Cover soup and allow to simmer for at least an hour and a half.

Though this can be eaten right away, it’s best the next day after the flavors have really come together. Serve with a side of brown rice. This recipe is vegan and gluten free. (Celiacs, be sure to check your kimchi ingredients to make sure they didn’t cheat and use soy sauce. I’ve never had a problem, but it bears mentioning.)

Variations

• If you’re a pork-eater, add some squares of bacon or other sliced pork when you add the mushrooms. I admit, it adds some flavor, but the vegan version above leaves me perfectly satisified.
• For some really nice texture and as a nice counter to the spice, add a handful of ddok, sliced rice dumplings. (They’re the white oval things in the picture.) I love ddok, but it’s refined rice, so it’s a no-go for me these days.

*Moogeun kimchi is the really old fermented kimchi, and it’s by far the preferred type for this soup. Just ask for old kimchi or fermented kimchi at your Asian market.

(This is post #99, which means next post will introduce my very first giveaway! Be sure to check back for details!)

Well, I survived my first sugar-less, wine-less weekend–and I even went out on Saturday night. Michael and I met up with our fave couple in Seoul for dinner and drinks (hey, tea is a drink), accompanied by a great side of discussion. We talked about everything from the benefits of eschewing meat to must-see documentaries and how to finagle a visa to live in Europe.

The whole night was a wonderful affirmation for me. To start, the ladies so positive that I asked if I could record them for whenever I need a little added encouragement. (Seriously–not only did they want to look at Spent so they could think of doing it, too, but when they tried my green smoothie, it was followed with, “That’s really good!” and “I would drink that every day!”) It was also nice for me to be reminded that I could go out for dinner and drinks with friends and not just sit there feeling deprived. Did I want some sangria and to nibble the fries or try the gratis creme caramel? Heck yes I did! But I also got to split a delicious salad with my fella, snack on some yummy cheese with the girls, and drink two pots of tea–rose and thyme–out of super cute glasses. And yes, the fact that the teapot and glasses were adorable definitely helped things.

On Sunday, I went to my favorite street in Seoul (post coming soon) to get some work done and enjoy some peace and quiet. The Spent part of the outing came when I was at a great little coffee shop and ordered a wasabi latte. I figured that wouldn’t be laden with sugar, right? I was wrong. Unfortunately my Korean is awful so I couldn’t go back and explain, or ask what drinks aren’t sugary. While I do know how to say “No sugar,” most of the options looked naturally sugary or processed, which is a no-go. So I sat at my table, overpriced wasabi latte by my side, and instead drank all the free water I wanted while I edited a friend’s (really good) grad school essay and looked over my new poetry homework. (I’ll post about that soon, too.)  The point is, I was victorious. Lindquist: 1, Sugar: 0.

The rest of the day was spent watching Full Metal Jacket, which I decided was just a little too much for my sensitive self, and No Impact Man, which was awesome. This was one of the recommended documentaries, and I’d been wanting to see it for a while now. If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to watch the movie and check out Colin Beavan’s No Impact Man website. We talked a bit about what more we could do to green our lives, and, to be honest, decided that given how many comforts we’re doing without while living in Korea, decided to delay any major overhauls until we’re Stateside. But we already made the switch to fewer animal products, we recycle and compost far more than we throw away, and most of transport is on foot or using buses and subways (though we do indulge in the oh-so-cheap Seoul cab rides when the situation calls for it).

One change we did talk about–and hurray for my awesome man for suggesting it–is instituting screenless nights a few evenings a week. We used to play cards (M kicks my butt) and board games (see previous parenthetical) and do crosswords (solid team effort) all the time, but with crazy work schedules, laziness got the better of us. Seeing as time in front of screens interferes with melatonin production, not to mention isn’t real quality time, I’m pretty excited about this change.

What are your favorite activities that reduce your carbon footprint and allow you to better connect with others?

(This is post #98, so we are getting awfully close to the Post #100 Giveaway–be sure to check back this week for details!)

While I try not to make a big show of what I do to get and stay healthy, I don’t try to hide it, either. I get inspired by others’ healthy choices, and I want to be good role model for others, particularly my students. By now, most of my kids are used to seeing Teacher walk around with bright green smoothies all the time, and they always ask about the books I’m reading. When I walked into class the other book with a green smoothie and a copy of Kristen Suzanne’s Easy Raw Vegan Smoothies, Juices, Elixers, and Drinks,  one of my favorite students exclaimed, “You’re going to live to be 100 or something!”

That’s not what I’m going for—necessarily. What I care about is living a full, vibrant, energetic life while I’m alive and kickin’. I’m not just after longevity, I’m after vitality. This explains my latest reading choices (The China Study, Eating Animals), as well as my latest health adventure: following Dr. Frank Lipman’s Spent program, as outlined in his book. (I think his marketing team changed the title to the Revive program in later editions, but I’ll stick to calling it Spent if for no other reason than that’s how I think of it.)

This program seems to have a nice balance of regimentation and flexibility, which really appeals to me. I’m (pretty) good at following rules, and do much better with directives like don’t eat gluten than I do with general pronouncements about how it’s best to limit your intake of x to y servings a week. Dr. Lipman sets out forty-two changes—one each day for six weeks—designed to recalibrate your body and help you feel vibrant. It’s not all about food, either. He talks about sleep (something I’ve struggled with my entire life), environmental stressors, and the like.

Right now, I’m on Day 2, and so far, so good. I think (hope!) that yesterday’s change is the most difficult for me. Day 1 means No. More. Sugar. For six weeks, I’m not to have any added sugar, though fruit is fine. I’ve done a good job of weaning myself off my candy habit, but wine remains one of my greatest pleasures, and six weeks without any imbibing of any kind does not sound fun. It also means no refined carbohydrates, like the ubiquitous white rice and my favorite spring roll wrappers. But I’ve done this before (once on a 4 month candida cleanse, and then for multiple 3-4 week detoxes and elimination diets), and I can do it again.

For me, the trick is not feeling deprived. To that end, I went out yesterday and spent way too much money on healthy indulgences. I stocked up on sparkling water, which costs an arm and a leg here (but is cheaper than wine, right?), herbal teas (because caffeine is getting yanked at some point, too), and yummy fruits and veggies.

The Day 2 “change” was easy for me, as it’s already my favorite healthy habit: make a green smoothie for breakfast every day. I actually cheat a bit and make a massive green smoothie every other day and drink it over two days. It might lose some nutrients that way, but it’s what works for me at this point, so that’s good enough.

I don’t know all the changes ahead because I’m really trying to focus on the tasks at hand and take it one step at a time. 2009 was the year of getting my finances in order; 2010 is the year of finding my optimum health. I’m content to go slow and steady on this one, because I want these changes to stick. Feeling rundown all the time isn’t good enough for me. I want to live a big life, and that can’t happen when I feel completely depleted most of the time. That is why I am giving this plan a shot.

I would love to hear from anyone who has done this before, or anyone who is thinking of starting it soon. What do you do to feel vibrant?

(And stay tuned for my very first giveaway coming up in celebration of my 100^th post.)

I tried to post this quickie update in a comment on my CSL guest blog, but it doesn’t seem to have shown up. I realized that I misread a reader’s earlier question (Megan, I hope you see this!). I buy my supplements via iHerb.com.  If you’re new to iHerb, you can use discount code XIM000 to receive $5 off your first order. (I think those are zeros, but copy and paste to be sure.)
In other great news, my absolute favorite enzyme powder is just recently available on iHerb! If you’re interested, follow this link. I use the Pineapple Banana flavor, and don’t find it too offensive. And again, this was prescribed to my by my naturopath after a series of lab tests, so there’s no guarantee it will work for you. All I can say is that for me, it has done wonders to help my digestion and general sense of health.

Recently I wrote a CSL guest post about staying healthy while traveling. For me, part of that means avoiding gluten. As I mentioned, I decided long ago that I’ll be careful as can be, but won’t live in fear of accidentally eating gluten. Unfortunately, I think I’ve slacked on doing my due diligence to keep myself healthy; with all the labels I can’t read (because they’re in Korean), it seems I’ve gotten complacent about the labels I can. And today, my friends, I made a boo boo–and I learned a lesson.

A friend is heading back to the States tomorrow, and brought in a slew of goodies from his kitchen. Including Riesens. You know Riesens–those yummy, chewy, chocolatey coffee-licious candies. They got the better of the fierce sugar cravings I’ve been having, so I had one. Then two…three…six. I’d skimmed the ingredients and eaten them before, maybe one or two. Saw “modified food starch” on there, and told myself it’s safe, it’s almost definitely corn. This has been a very convenient li(n)e I’ve told myself over the last few years. I may have been OK had I scoured the ingredients more closely, like I did this evening after I started to get those tell-tale pains in my joints: “Contains milk, wheat, and soy ingredients.” Dammit!

The good news is, I think the amount I consumed was small enough to make me extremely uncomfortable, but not writhing in pain, unable to stand, searching out that one half narcotic pain killer I keep as an absolute emergency. I am taking a cue from the inspiring Maria at Going Down Swinging: A RSD Blog, and refusing to give in to the pain. On my walk home from work, I practiced some deep breathing and visualization techniques (until it occurred to me that closing my eyes for visualizations wasn’t the smartest thing while walking home), and focused my attention on what I wanted to manifest. In other words, I kept telling myself how healthy I am, how smoothly my joints work, and how good I’m going to feel in the morning. To be honest, yeah, I’m still in pain, but I know it’s not going to last. And I just got even more motivation to stop eating packaged foods, and, when I do, to read the stinkin’ labels!

Finally, I recently came across this stellar CSL post by Stefanie Bryn Sacks entitled All About Wheat and Gluten! If you’re curious about the distinction between wheat allergies and gluten allergies, and which companies make the best eats, this blog is a must read.