I’m sitting here today with a head that’s throbbing due to all sorts of crap but mostly due to snot.  It’s been one of those weeks . . .

I’ll start off by saying that yes, right now, I’m being bullied.  Last I checked I’ve been out of school for some time so I wasn’t really expecting it.  I also wasn’t expecting, but am not surprised by, the source of the bullying.  I can’t get into too many details but I’m not the only one and people who are much more vulnerable and scared than I are also being bullied.  In reality it’s been going on for some time now.  And the bully?  Someone who is supposed to be protecting them and working for them … thus I am nothing if not ROYALLY PISSED OFF!

So what does all this have to do with Green Food for Beginners?  My first reaction, after the anger, was somewhat atypical … instead of my body craving the usual crap, sugar filled comfort food, I wanted something green.  My actual thought process was … I need to eat some kale … yes I’m currently concerned for my state of mind … but it’s as if my body said “give me fuel, something I can use to fight with.”  Insert Popeye joke here … (Damn!  You know the programmers of this blogging platform are of a different generation when Popeye isn’t in the dictionary!  I would think they’d at least be proper cartoon aficionados …)

Thus the other night I created something yummy with kale and what little I had in the fridge.  Fortunately I still have a few bags of tomatoes left from last summer!

I bought a bushel basket of organic plum tomatoes late last summer and pureed them in a food processor then bagged the raw puree and froze it … other than taking out the tough bits of tomatoes as I popped them in the food processor that’s all I had to do … it does make for an interesting sauce … lots of little red bits of tomato skin float about in your dish.  At least it adds some flair.

Anyhow, I cooked down the tomatoes with some garlic puree  then used it as the liquid for some quinoa and once the quinoa was done I stirred in some chopped up kale.  It was tasty and simple and turned out like this:

Sorry!  Just realized how smudged my camera lens was … too snotty to care though!  I also added a little EVOO to the mix and had a sweet, yummy dish to fortify me for the battle ahead.

Green food doesn’t have to be complicated.  You can literally throw greens into almost anything.  Just cook them till their somewhat soft but still bright green.  Alternate with salads so you get both the raw and cooked benefits of your green food and you’re covering all your bases!  A friend whose family are dutch once introduced me to a traditional family dish that involved mashed potatoes mixed with kale and sausage on the side (or if you’re like me and really lazy mashed potatoes (sweet potatoes would be even better) mixed with chopped up kale and ground pork with some sausage like seasonings.  Better for you and easier to clean up!).  A simple, traditional dish that fortifies you, is flavourful and gets you through the winter months when local food is often down to a few choices like potatoes and kale … hence the traditional part of this dish.

The importance of eating real food and green food is pretty huge (just in case I haven’t told you already )!  If you’re sick, stressed, working towards a goal, working on getting fit, burning the candle at both ends (or all of the above) feeding yourself food that will help your body keep itself healthy is key.  I recently caught a TV interview with Stephen Lewis (That man is ridiculously amazing by the way!  I’m lucky to have grown up in a household where we watched him whenever he was on TV) where he discussed the continuing work he’s doing to help stop the spread of HIV and Aids in developing countries (yes you can take a wild guess as to whose show it was …).  He made a point that even if children are being treated for HIV/Aids they still need nutritious food for the treatment drugs to work (and these days the drugs really do work).  Their little bodies require real food to help them stay strong and to help their bodies physically use the medication they’ve been given.

It’ll not only keep you healthy but real food and green food will also keep you sane!  If your eating crap your brain won’t function and you won’t have the capacity to react and fight back when bullied, no matter what age you are.  If you’re concerned about your kids being bullied in school … feed them well.  Same goes if you’re told they’re the ones doing the bullying.  Sugar and refined foods will mess with their bodies biochemistry.  If their biochemistry (all the important chemicals/hormones making their mind/brain/body work) is off then it will lead to lower self-esteem, inability to concentrate and behavioural issues.  Feeding them real whole foods (many of which should be green … and yes … good luck with that!) and getting them outside to exercise (brisk family walk before dinner anyone?) will help them cope with their feelings and behaviors in more constructive ways.  It will help them stand up for themselves and others and it will help them realize there are better ways to express their anxiety than bullying.  It will also help with depression, acne, body image, you name the teenage issue and it will help!

If you’re one of the many marginalized folk in society without the funds to purchase real food you’re not going to have the energy or brain power to fight back when your rights are being ignored (let alone being strong, sharp and healthy enough to go out and find work).  It’s why programs like FoodShare, The Stop and Food Forward are constantly working to get fresh, real, whole foods to those that need it.  It’s why so many people have worked with Put Food In The Budget to write about their experiences of living on food bank rations for a week.  It’s why the Daily Bread Food Bank in Etobicoke has started a garden on site.

With all the crap going down in the world this week it’s been heart breaking, educational and inspirational.  50 workers in Japan risking their lives to save millions from nuclear meltdown after the quakes and tsunami.  Uprisings in Libya where the current dictator Gaddafi is slaughtering his people … but they refuse to give up (if you want the facts and up to the minute information about what’s happening in the middle east follow @acarvin (Andy Carvin is a National Public Radio Senior Strategist) on Twitter).  Elections in Haiti and Egypt … the list goes on.  It makes me think that what’s happening to me is so small and insignificant … except … We’re Canadian.  This sort of bullying isn’t supposed to happen here.  Also, it no longer has as much to do with me as it has to do with the vulnerable and scared people whose voices are being suppressed or simply ignored.

A last little note … if “you” are reading this and have made it this far … a little reminder:  The MORE free time I have on my hands, the more I’ll be able to do and … the LESS my hands will be tied when it comes to voicing my concerns.  Somethin’ to think about!

Pass the kale please …