It’s spring time – the perfect season to focus on our skin. This is a season where everything starts over with tons of greenery. I hope you enjoy this little blurb on skin and maybe even consider a nice detox program to renew your body from the inside out!

Our skin is our largest organ of the body and one of the safest avenues for your body to alert you of an imbalance. For example, eczema is a form of inflammation expressed on the skin. The conventional way of managing this condition would be to apply steroid cream. Though the steroid cream will remove the symptoms of the eczema, the underlying cause is left unidentified. More and more research is confirming that inflammation is the root of chronic disease whether it be obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or autoimmune conditions.

Eczema is commonly associated with asthma (inflammation in the lungs). I often see both of these conditions affected by food allergies. Common food allergens include dairy, gluten, corn, soy, and egg. These foods can cause inflammation in the digestive system and the easiest way for your body to convey an imbalance internally is by showing it on your skin. Identification and elimination of food allergens can alleviate the inflammation causing the eczema. There are two ways of identifying food allergens — an elimination diet or going to your doctor for a food allergy blood test. 

Other Examples of Skin Inflammation/Skin Conditions:

• Folliculitis
• Acne
• Rosacea

Folliculitis makes me think a couple things — possible thyroid deficiency or nutrient deficencies. Folliculitis is a condition where the follicle of a hair or hair become inflammed commonly on the back of the upper arms or back of the thighs. Having a thorough thyroid evaluation is key. Nutrients deficiencies associated with this condition is often Vitamin A and Zinc. Vitamin A is potentially toxic or contraindicated, so supplementation should be monitored by your doctor.

Acne and Rosacea are very closely linked where acne is often seen in younger people and rosacea is seen in older adults. Both clue me into poor detoxification and again inflammation. These conditions can be caused by food allergies, hormone imbalance, and poor detoxification via the skin and liver. Hormone imbalance can include too much testosterone. If too much testosterone is the case, certain herbs are very effective at lowering levels. Poor detoxification can be improved by adding in some liver loving herbs like Burdock, Nettles, Dandelion, and Milk Thistle. Other ways to enhance detoxification include breaking a sweat and drinking plenty of water!

If you, like so many of us, suffer from the occasional – or not so occasional – skin flare-up, it might be time to start up a conversation with your doctor about possible underlying causes.  Or drop Dr.Thalia a line at Discover Health Medical Partners.  She will be able to point you in the right direction.

What better way to leap into summer than firing up the BBQ! It’s one of the best ways to have dinner outside with the family or spend an afternoon entertaining friends.

Looking for a healthier way to still enjoy your BBQ? Try this burger recipe makeover: an open-faced turkey burger! Swap out those soggy white buns, greasy fries and bottled sugary toppings with healthier fixings. This recipe calls for free range ground turkey, whole wheat bread, homemade toppings, and sweet potato fries to make it complete!

Steps

1. Add the ground turkey to a medium-sized bowl.  Fold in the shallots and combine well.  Season with a bit of salt & pepper. Shape your ground turkey into four evenly sized patties. Set aside on plate to be grilled.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and slice the sweet potatoes into wedges. Lightly toss the wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil & garlic. Season with a bit of salt & pepper. Spread your sweet potato out evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and cook until tender and crispy around the edges, about 30-45 minutes depending on your oven.
3. Lightly toss your sliced onion and peppers in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and wrap in tinfoil. If you have a veggie grilling pan, that works well also.
4. Heat the grill to medium-high and sear the patties on one side for 8-10 minutes. Flip and repeat until the burgers are well done, about 20 minutes depending upon the thickness of the patty and the temperature of your grill.
5. Once you have the burgers on the grill, add your veggies as well. They should take about the same amount of time as the burgers to cook.
6. Meanwhile, rub both sides of your bread with a bit of olive oil. Once the burgers and veggies are done, add the bread for a quick toasting, about 1-2 minutes per side.
7. Now it’s time to pull everything together. There is really no right way to do this and by the end, it may end up looking like a salad on your plate, but will taste delicious! My order: toast, burger, red peppers, onions, avocado and arugula with sweet potatoes on the side.

Kitchen note: Next time, feel free to spice up your burger by mixing in a little bit of chopped jalapeño. Top with sliced tomato and a fried egg. And for you condiment lovers, try a homemade batch of Summer Ketchup. For a little bit of sweet, add a side of sliced watermelon with fresh mint is always a refreshing added bonus!  Just keep it fresh, homemade, and healthy.

I love Chinese Chicken Salad, and I have to say that this cliche all-American Chinese dish sits right up there with the rest of the western classics – like the good ol’ ceasar or the hearty cobb. 

What I love most about the salad is the texture

It’s all about the thinly chopped, watery Iceberg lettuce, sprinkles of fried noodles, shredded chicken (vs. chopped), baby bites of mandarin oranges, and of course, the toasty sesame seeds. It’s crispy, it’s crunchy, and has the perfect hint of sweet.

Problem is – it’s not the most nourishing bowl of greens.

In fact, I remember how “processed” this ol’ family potluck dish used to be – sometimes with raw Top Ramen noodles and sprinkles of the foil-pouch MSG flavoring. Definitely the Betty Crocker version to the Pan-Asian invention.

Inspired by my recent reflection on how to encourage our parents (and elders) to live healthy too, I decided that this recipe makeover salad would be a perfect way to commemorate my hapa mixed, Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese roots. Our recent eBook release, Eat Real Essentials is all about helping folks see the benefit of a whole, foods diet, but the real fun is cleaning up our childhood favorites and keeping them a tradition.

Here’s the difference:

• swapped the Iceberg for a heartier blend of leaves – thinly sliced napa cabbage, purple cabbage, and bok choy
• added a few extra veggies, like snap peas and cucumbers
• kept the mandarin oranges, but they are fresh (not canned) and can easily be swapped for oranges if it’s easier to find
• swapped fried noodles for toasted almonds
• kept the sesame seeds, but like the look of black ones better!
• poached a whole chicken in water and ginger (then saved the broth for something else)
• came up with a whole, new dressing – still using toasted sesame oil, but making it super fresh with cilantro, ginger, a carrot, and even half of a cucumber – all thrown into a blender (or food processor)

Use it for on-the-go lunches, bring it to a work potluck, or serve it up at your next BBQ. Enjoy!

Steps

1. To prepare the chicken, rinse it thoroughly and place in a large pot. Cover with water and add sliced ginger and a generous pinch of sea salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce over medium/low heat for about 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Use tongs to carefully transfer chicken from the pot to a large dish to cool for ~15 minutes. De-skin and shred with two forks, then set aside. NOTE: The flavorful broth can be used for a soup later this week! Don’t throw it out.
2. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the leafy purple cabbage, napa cabbage, and bok choy by slicing thinly with a sharp knife or using a mandolin. Then, chop/cube/slice the sweet peas, cucumber, satsumas, cilantro, and green onions. These are the key ingredients to creating a texture AND nutrient-rich salad.
3. Toast sesame seeds by placing them in a small frying pan over medium heat. After a few short minutes (be careful not to burn), you will notice a toasty smell and hear light pops – this is a sure sign to remove them from the heat and place them into a dish to cool. Set aside.
4. Roughly chop the almonds and place them in a toaster oven or regular oven at 400 degrees until toasted. Set aside.
5. Prepare the dressing by throwing everything into a blender or food processor. Taste and add more sea salt, lemon, or honey to your liking.
6. When you are ready to serve, use a pair of tongs and large bowl to toss salad ingredients with dressing. If you know that you will use some for leftovers, keep the ingredients separate and toss before serving (or in the morning before packing it up for lunch).

Serves 6

Well, on a recent call home to my workaholic momma, I started to think that we’ve never really talked about how to encourage the folks that raised us to live healthy too – our parents or any other “well-seasoned” person that helped us navigate through life.

Why is that?

We grow up, we learn to take care of ourselves (kind-of), and then for the most part, we focus on the future of us – our careers, our homes, or even the real but embarrassing thoughts that truly consume our daily thoughts, like: “I feel extra fatty today,” or “I really need to make more money,” or “should I eat that gluten-free cookie in the office kitchenette?”

Today will be different.

Now is more important than ever to think beyond ourselves, and invest not only in the children we raise, but also the parents (or mentors) that helped raise us. Believe it or not, you know more than you think about how to live healthy, and a few minutes of sharing or inspiring your folks can go a really long way. Besides, it’s really true that FOOD IS HEALING and small, healthy habits can help reverse disease, reduce symptoms, and prolong a healthy life. Why not share the wHealth?

5 tips to encourage your folks to lead healthy lives.

ENCOURAGE THEM TO WALK DAILY: “Hey dad (mom, neighbor,…), did you go for a walk today? According to a recent study published by journal PLoS Medicine, lacing up those sneakers and breaking a sweat for 30 minutes a day could really add an extra 3.5 years to your life. And although you may want to kick back in heaven soon, I’d really like you to [play with my future children], [see my dream come true], [enjoy retirement]…”

ENCOURAGE THEM TO STRESS LESS: “Hey dad (mom, neighbor,…), how about you take a break from worrying and go spend two hours enjoying some time outside? There’s tons of studies that show people who suffer from stress, also ‘experience physical side effects, such as shaking, heart palpitations, depression and other chronic health conditions.’ I know I add to your stress sometimes, but I’m going to work on that.”

ENCOURAGE THEM TO EAT MORE VEGETABLES: “Hey dad (mom, neighbor,…), I’m really loving this new recipe I found with kale, and roasted carrots, and toasted almonds, and I want to make it for you. I’ve been learning a ton about immunity-boosting, super veggies and I feel more amazing now than I did a year ago. You gotta try it!”

ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE CREATIVE: “Hey dad (mom, neighbor,…), did you know that you actually might be MORE innovative and creative in your older age? According to Stanford’s d.School philosophy, ‘empathy is critical to design [and innovation] because of the need to understand the people for whom you are designing…and older people have a greater capacity for empathy because empathy is learned and refined as we age.’ No need to check out yet. Your creative thinking is SO valuable.”

ENCOURAGE THEM TO FORGIVE THEMSELVES: “Hey dad (mom, neighbor,…), I know you feel sad about [working so hard all these years], [mom’s death], [not being able to visit], but you have to let it go.  I really am thankful to have you in my life and I want you to know that it’s hard to watch you beat yourself up all these years for circumstances that just happened. You are great. I love you just the way you are and it would make me so much healthier to know that you can relax and celebrate the now.”

As tech-savvy, health-invested, smart people, we are fortunate to know what we know about healthy eating and living (wherever we are in “the journey”). Watching our folks or other “well-seasoned” loved ones in our lives, complain about their health is tough stuff to hear. So let’s stop worrying and start sharing.

And if you are like myself, who’s already lost a parent, then I’m sure you can find someone else in your life that could use a healthy tip or two.

Inspired by my Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, family gatherings, I took on a traditional party potluck dish and made it a bit healthier. Head on over to my most recent recipe makeover – Chinese Chicken Salad. You’re gonna love it!

Bob and my girls didn’t let it go quite as easily. But they did dial back on the fanfare, understanding that I preferred a quiet day of reflection and appreciation for the loved ones with me still. And maybe a few homemade cards and a new cookbook.

But this year is different. For reasons that I don’t fully understand, I have moved beyond the sadness that came with each holiday and passing milestone. Grief is a weird thing. Who would have guessed that 6 ½ years was going to be that magic number for me to make the shift away from the feeling of loss to happy remembrances?

So, Mother’s Day is back. This year, I will send my fabulous stepmother a much deserved and overdue “something” to let her known how much I appreciate all she does. I will happily accept my homemade cards and cookbook. And I will makeup for some lost time by giving myself a few little “gifts”. A bit of an odd list but I think that my mom would appreciate them.

My gifts to myself this Mother’s Day:

• I will teach my kids how to load AND empty the dishwasher.
• I will allow Bob & the girls to make a Mother’s Day brunch without spending even a smidge of a second thinking about what they are making, how they are making it and the mess that they are creating.
• I will sign up to run a 10k. And then I will get a friend to agree to do it with me. And then I will tell everyone I know that we are doing it so that we can’t back out.
• I will take a social media vacation.
• I will spend a few quiet moments with my girls letting them know how blessed I feel each day to be their mother.
• I will enjoy a guilt-free afternoon sitting in the sun with my growing pile of unread magazines (weather permitting).
• I will take every opportunity to remember my mom with joy and love.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Are you a stress-eater? I am. I can honestly and openly admit that I eat when I am stressed. I like dark chocolate. Super dark. Sometimes 99% dark. And I know it’s not about the sweet and I know there’s a chemical reaction going on when I finally “get my fix,” but I hate it. I hate that I’ve developed this story in my head that I “must have” this food to get me over my stress hump.

Vice • noun \ˈvīs\ • An undesirable habit.

The other day, I was driving home and was thinking that if I really wasn’t into nutrition and healthy eating, I probably would’ve developed even worse habits to cope with my stress. I can see how folks get into these unyielding, repetitive habits of smoking cigarettes, eating crap junk-food, indulging in salty grease, drinking wine after work, or heck even the whole weed thing.

We all have our vices, but I do believe there is an answer.

Ok, you may be thinking: “dark chocolate? what’s the big deal?” The big deal is that I’m not addressing the real issue to my stress, but rather finding easy, temporary solutions that never remove the obstacle from my path.

A few stress-eating moments ago, I took a pause and asked myself: “what is going on RIGHT now that is making me want chocolate?” Here’s what I captured:

• I’m on a deadline.
• I feel under pressure.
• I don’t like the type of work that I’m doing right now.
• I can’t figure out a way to solve this creatively (I was wrapping up a project).
• What I’ve done so far looks like crap.
• My a$$ hurts because I’ve been sitting.
• This isn’t working.
• This is hard.
• I need chocolate.
• I’m going to get that chocolate and sit back down and figure it out.

WOW. That’s real. I took the 10 thoughts that just shot off in my head and put them on paper. I didn’t realize I was having that many thoughts in such little time. I took a deep breath and asked myself… “When do I LEAST have these stress-eating moments?”

• When I’m moving (vs. sitting).
• When I tell folks what kind of time and space I need to get something done.
• When I’m creative and building things with my hands.
• When I’m with people…that I enjoy.
• When I’m outside.
• When I’m at peace with everything that is happening right now.
• When I’m doing something that helps someone else.
• When I’m listening to music or my favorite podcast, This American Life.
• When I’m inspired by other people’s work.
• When I am CELEBRATING the moment.

A new perspective

Like I said earlier, there’s something uneasy about falling into monotony, or heck “being hypnotized” to perform robotic patterns that do nothing for my long-term good. If I entertained my stress-eating habits long enough, where would that lead me? To more habits? Feeling horrible? Repeating them all over again to feel more stressed? If I did more things on my second list, would I less likely grab for that dark chocolate? Maybe. Probably. Let’s see.

For the next two weeks, I’m giving it a try.

So my answer to you…the stress-eater is…

Pause. Ask yourself in moments of stress: “what thoughts am I having RIGHT NOW?” Maybe write them down. Then ask yourself: “when do I LEAST want to entertain these “less-than-healthy” habits? And consider doing more of the later.

Inspired by stress, I created a CELEBRATORY Piña Colada recipe that will give you a bit of boost and energy to your day. Check it out here »

]]> http://www.eatlifewhole.com/2013/05/are-you-a-stress-eater-heres-a-solution/feed/ 0 http://www.eatlifewhole.com/2013/05/how-to-make-a-pina-colada-healthy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-a-pina-colada-healthy http://www.eatlifewhole.com/2013/05/how-to-make-a-pina-colada-healthy/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 00:24:11 +0000 stephanie http://www.eatlifewhole.com/?p=14495

Cheers to celebration – to cool projects, to new babies in the family, to graduation, to folded laundry, to love, to that new flower that sprouted up in your garden.

This coming weekend, marks a very special day in my neighborhood. On top of launching our new eBook, Eat Real Essentials, I’ve been collaborating with a few great local leaders and artists to build a park. Our goal is to improve safety, bring people together, get adults physically active, grow food, provide discovery learning activities for kids, and teach outdoor DIY classes for the crafty. Call me crazy, but it’s activities like this that keep me whole-healthy. It’s the other side of “EATing LIFE WHOLE.”

We are kicking off the project with a Cinco de Mayo celebration, to unveil the mural, and eat good food with great people. Inspired by my goals to stress-less and celebrate more, I made this recipe for us all to enjoy. Join me this weekend by serving up healthy Cinco de Mayo goodies for your friends and family.

Simple Ingredients

Springer and I are on a mission to show as many people as possible that EATING REAL, whole foods is the best way to clean up your diet and grow healthy bodies. That goes for special indulgences and drinks too!

Piña coladas (Spanish for pineapple + strained) are a fairly simple drink. It’s fresh pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and rum. That’s it. However, most bar and homemade versions use coconut milk loaded with sugar, starches, and preservatives. The processed stuff PLUS alcohol is definitely no formula for feeling awesome.

To keep this family-friendly, I’ve ditched the rum and added a few, naturally sweet and boosting ingredients for you to enjoy. It doesn’t mean you can’t add the rum later

Steps

1. Throw everything in a blender.
2. Serve with a fresh slice of pineapple.
3. Enjoy and celebrate life.

Serves 4 

Checkout more Cinco de Mayo recipes »
How to Make Coconut Milk » 

Like everyone else, I have my little “things” that I do and like.  I think of the wooden spoon I use to do most of my cooking.  It’s a VERY broken-in bamboo number that I bought at the hardware store about 5 years ago because the woman in front of me accidentally left it on the counter.  Nothing great.  Certainly no better than the 5 other wooden spoons that I have.  But it’s MY SPOON.

Our weekend Headlands hike has also become one of my “things” over the years.  When I wrote a blog post about it almost 2 years ago, we were already regulars – hitting the same trail at least once a month.  What I didn’t mention is that our routine extends beyond the hike itself to a post-Headlands lunch at Joe’s Taco Lounge in Mill Valley.  The two come hand-in-hand.

A few months ago, the woman sitting next to me at Joe’s was eating the most delicious looking thing that I had ever seen.  Ready to mix it up from my regular prawn tacos, I asked her what she had going on.  Chili Tofu Tostadas – it’s been my “thing” ever since.

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year, I took a stab at recreating the tofu tostadas at Joe’s.  Different, for sure.  But still delicious.  Enjoy!

SF Peeps: Click here for directions to the Headlands hike.

More Cinco de Mayo Suggestions:
Superfood Burrito in a Jar
Cherry Tomato Salsa
Zesty Black Beans
Shredded Beef Tacos with Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Veggie Burrito with Whole Wheat Crepes

Steps:

1. Prepare your Zesty Black Beans up to 1-2 days in advance.
2. Give your block of tofu a quick rinse.  Set it on a paper towel or clean dishtowel in a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish.  Top it with another towel before laying a heavy skillet or stack of plates on top.  Set aside for 15-30 minutes.  The goal is to press out as much water as possible.  Once you have finished pressing the tofu, cut it up into 1-inch cubes.
3. Prepare your marinade for the tofu.  Combine the lime juice, cumin and chili sauce in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix well before adding the tofu.  Toss gently until all the tofu is evenly coated.  Set aside for 30-60 minutes.
4. Prepare the Mango Salsa by combining all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Melt 1 tablespoon ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Coat each of the tortillas with the melted ghee and a sprinkle of salt.  Lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches).  Put the tortillas in the oven for about 4-5 minutes.  Take them out, flip them over and put them back in for another 4-5 minutes or until the tortillas are crispy.
6. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tofu and continue cooking until all sides are browned, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Lay 1 tortilla on each plate.  Top with the Zesty Black Beans, tofu, Mango Salsa, lettuce and queso fresco.

Serves 4.

Kitchen Note:  If you decide to use canned black beans, go for a “no salt” option.  That way, you can spice up the beans the way you like and not have to work around the high salt levels that come with many canned varieties.

Also, I used ghee for this particular recipe because it stands up well to high heat.  Not very “Mexican” but it does the trick.  Another option is coconut oil.  It works just as well but with slightly different flavors.

I have the team at Schwab to thank for putting that fire back in my belly earlier this week.  We were wrapping up 4 great weeks together where we had talked about everything from stocking a natural foods pantry, to smart shopping, to healthy stress management.  Everybody came to the table with their own personal health goals, but shared a common commitment to making their health a priority.

Our final workshop was focused on eating-on-the-go.  A topic that seems pretty straightforward at first glance but presents a very real health challenge for those who are eating away from home with any regularity.  And that is most of us, these days.  It is certainly the case with the folks at Schwab.

During our hour together, we took a look at the potential pitfalls of restaurant eating.  We also talked about snacking.  With the amount of conveniently available (and often free) nibbles that we are all exposed to each day, snacking has become a BIG challenge for many us.  It’s just too damn easy to grab a handful of whatever is there.  And too often, what is there is NO GOOD.  Even some of the “healthier” choices can knock us off track – granola bars being the first thing that come to mind (flavored yogurt being the next).  For what many of us consider a “health food”, certain granola bars can pack in as much as 12-15 grams of sugar – that’s ~3-4 teaspoons.  Yikes, right?

As we were closing out the hour and saying our goodbyes, I asked a few folks to quickly share one or two takeaways.  Lots of great stuff came up.  But the one that really stuck with me well after I had left the building came from a woman who had been pretty quiet up to that point.  As others were walking out, she came up up to me and thanked me for helping her to realize that it has been her snacking habits all along that have kept her from reaching her health goals.  Now she had the power of information to do something about it.  And she really meant it.

So, that was my I-love-what-I-do moment.  A very quick exchange but I walked away feeling like I had really helped her.  And that is what Eat Life Whole is all about.

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add your cranberries and apricots to a medium-sized bowl.  Cover them with boiling water and let them site for 10-15 minutes.  Once they have softened up, drain out the water, giving them a gentle squeeze with your hand to get rid of any excess (be careful not to burn yourself).  Roughly chop the fruit and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, combine your oats, flour, walnuts and salt in a large bowl.  Add your fruit and give it a good stir until everything is well combined.
4. Warm the coconut oil and maple syrup in a small saucepan over a medium-low eat until the oil is completely liquified.  Pour it over the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing well so that the oil mixture is evenly distributed.
5.  Grease a 8 x 11 inch pan with your coconut oil.  Add the batter, spreading it out evenly throughout the pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Once the nut bars are done, set them aside and let them cool completely before removing them from the pan to cut.

Yields 12 bars.

Kitchen Note:  This recipe is a rif on one of the many amazingly wonderful recipes that you can find in Clean Food by Terry Walters.  If you love cookbooks the way that I do, this is definitely one to add to your collection.  All the recipes are deliciously simple and easy to prepare.  Yum!

No doubt, it was Mom’s complete dislike for shopping that, in the end, helped shape her look.  I don’t think that I am far off in saying that she would have rather worn a burlap sack than spend more than a minute in a store buying something for herself.

This carried over into her kitchen as well.  It’s safe to say that most of her pots and pans were wedding presents from when she married my dad – in 1966!  Old school stuff, for sure.  But it still worked.  And in her mind, that’s all that mattered.

When she passed away a few years ago, my cousin Holly and I did the duty of packing up her stuff. Most of it was lovingly gifted to her church thrift store (there just had to be someone else out there who appreciated Jackie O sunglasses & crochet sweaters).  But there were a few things I decided to take home.  One was her blender.  By the time I got my hands on it, it was easily 15 years old already.  But it worked.  And that’s what mattered, right?

The blender chugged along for another 6 years.  It got a good workout, that is for sure, but finally called it quits last week.  It was a sad day, having to part with that blender.  But I did. And now I have a fancy new red one that does all sorts of crazy stuff – but it’s just not the same.

So, this week, I dedicate my blended Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe to my mom’s old blender.  Thanks for 20+ years of solid, always-reliable service.  I will miss you.

Steps:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions begin the soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the pepper flakes and combine well.
2. Add the veggie broth and bring to a boil.  Add the broccoli and kale.  Cover and continue cooking until your veggies turn a bright green, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and arugula.  Set the soup aside to cool for a bit.
4. Add the avocado to the pot, and begin blending the soup in batches using your blender or food processor.  Return the soup to the stock pot and season with salt & pepper.  Warm over a low heat, if necessary.

Serves 4 – 6.