While we tend to use the words “habit,” “routine,” and “ritual,” interchangeably, there are subtle differences.  Understanding their definitions can help us build good habits, design good routines, and turn routines into rituals.  With all three words, the similarity is they are all regular, repeated actions.  A habit tends to manifest itself as an automatic urge to do something triggered by a cue.  In my dad’s case, it is the habit to drink a cup of warm water right after he gets out of bed because of the chill (trigger) he feels.  In contrast, a routine requires deliberate practice.  Exercise is definitely my dad’s intentional practice of routine because he knows at his age, exercise is his prescription.   He also knows that if he doesn’t, the alternative is medication.

The difference between a routine and a ritual is the attitude behind the action.  While routines can be actions that just need to be done, rituals are viewed more as mindful practices with a sense of purpose or a sense of spirituality.  Human beings need rituals to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy and trauma so that we don’t have to haul those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down.  In my dad’s case, he pays tribute to God, to his ancestors and his parents, as a way to bring vital support to fulfill the spiritual part of his life, here on earth, and he does so with such a focused concentration that I am always so moved by it when standing by his side. 

 My ritual, on the other hand, is scrubbing the floor.  Yes, every morning, I mop the floor with my hands and knees.  It is a habit that I do without thinking, but also as a ritual.  As I go down on both knees, I feel as if I am surrendering to God.  It may sound silly to say that, but as I scrub and scrub, I give up my thoughts, my idea, my will. I feel so small, so humble, and in the process, it cleans my soul…. And I get a good workout because, by the time I am done, I am all sweaty.  I know many people read the bible in the morning as their ritual, I would argue if you can turn your exercise routine with mindfulness, concentration, and good intention, then it is a ritual.   

Of all three words– habit, routine, and ritual–the ritual requires the most energy and concentration.  But it is also the most rewarding act.  While my dad’s ritual is his daily prayer, mine is scrubbing the floor and also a gratitude journal.  So my dear friends, start building a good routine in your life as step one. If you can, turn that routine into a habit as step 2. Furthermore, make it a ceremonial ritual.   I believe you bring the right earnestness to your homemade ritual, God will provide the grace. And that is why we need God.

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Recipe:  Corona Soup

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 cup lentil
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced or 1 (14 oz) canned stewed tomatoes
• 1 (14 oz) canned bean (white, black eye, or garbanzo)
• 3 cup kale/ or dark leafy greens

Spices:

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp pumpkin spices (cinnamon; nutmeg, cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp curry
• ½ tsp turmeric

Instruction

1. In a medium soup pot, heat 2 Tb olive oil under medium-high heat. Add onion to sauté for 5 min or until soft and sweet. Then add carrots and celery to stir for another 2 minutes. Add all spices and sauté for another minute.
2. Add 6 cups of water to the pot to heat until boil.
3. Add rest of the ingredients except greens. Cook under medium heat for 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Lastly, add leafy greens and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.

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How to Enjoy Them:

You can bake them as you would with potatoes.   The way I bake sweet potatoes in the oven is by slicing them into halves and then brush a little bit of olive oil on the surface so that it gets a little bit crispy.   You can also sprinkle some cinnamon or salt or butter If you want. However, if you were to ask me my FAVORITE way to cook these tubers, it would be roasting them in the coals of a hot fire!!!!  Frankly, it does not require any techniques or spices. The hardest part is starting the fire…….

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When it comes to preventing the spread of viruses like COVID-10, every precaution such as washing hands, maintaining social distance, wearing masks, and avoiding sick people are key. But what are other things we can do to give us an edge in staying healthy?  As you know many people who catch the virus are asymptomatic and some have recovered in matters of days.  But there are people who are hospitalized or on the vent because of COVID.   When it comes to immune health, the analogy that I like to give is this.  Our body is like a fortress.  We need to build a strong fort, have adequate soldiers, and supply chains to fight off the enemy. And if the fort is being attacked, we have the ability to repair it quickly and efficiently.  So how we can boost our immunity?  Here are five tips I have to offer.

 

 

1)     Adequate Sleep:  We all experience days when we don’t sleep well and it affects our energy level and our mood.  Our immune system is like a computer. It needs moments of rest.  When we are sleep-deprived, the body release stress hormone like cortisol to keep us awake and alert, which can suppress the immune system.  

2)     Stay Active:  Exercise is a powerful way to boost the immune system. It causes antibodies and white blood cells to circulate more rapidly which means they may be able to detect and zero in on bugs more quickly.  There have also been studies that show people who exercise in moderation but regularly are less likely to come down with the flu as well.

3)     Stay On Top of the Stress. There is a strong link between immunity health and mental health.  When one is on constant chronic stress or anxiety, the body produces stress hormones that suppress the immune system.  Therefore, people who are stressed are more susceptible to catching the virus. There are many stressors in life.  Everyone identifies the stressor at a different level and cope with it differently.  It is important that you have 3-4 coping mechanisms to deal with the stress and choose ones that are healthier.  Many people drink, smoke, or play video games as a way to cope with their stress.  However, there are plenty of healthy alternatives such as exercise, meditation, reading, and consulting someone you trust.  You just need to find the 3-4 bags of tricks that work for you. 

4)     Watch Your Diet:   A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fat found in wholesome food is an excellent way to build a strong body that provides the building blocks to keep our cells healthy and to produce antibodies and white blood cells aimed to destroy unwelcome guests.  The key vitamins that play a key role in boosting immunity health include Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and B-Complex. The top minerals for the immune system are zinc, selenium, iron, and magnesium.  There are also many phytochemicals like polyphenols and sulfur-containing compounds, all of which play some role in cellular health, cellular production, energy production, DNA synthesis, DNA repair.  Specific foods that have immune-supporting properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidants, anti-bacterial that I would like to highlight include assorted berries, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, green tea, nutritional yeast, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.  Foods that are rich in probiotics such as Kefir, kombucha, natto, and kimchi are also great immune booster foods. 

5)     Be Strategic about Dietary Supplements:  There is no magic pill that can prevent or fight the virus singlehandedly, especially when dietary supplements are regulated as food and NOT as medicine by the FDA. It is believed that isolated compounds extracted from foods do not have the consistent preventative effects as whole foods because the bioavailability may be lost or they do not behave the same way (bioactivity) when they are in whole foods.  So, the best way to load up on these essential nutrients is really straight from food.  However, with that being said, dietary supplements do help fill in the gap. From a behavioral perspective, not everyone eats a perfect diet and everyone has his/her own sets of dietary preferences which are hard to change.  It is also possible that an erratic life schedule or a decreased appetite requires one to take dietary supplements to supplement the needs.  When one is diagnosed with certain medical conditions, the demand for certain vitamins and minerals are increased as well (e.g. Vitamin D and B 12 deficiencies commonly found in older adults).  If that is the case, it is best to take dietary supplements in addition to foods. Talk to your doctor if you are thinking about taking dietary supplements is my advice, bottom line.  

 

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1. The practice of mindfulness: Mindfulness is a state of being where one pays full attention to the moment to moment activity. The practice mindfulness is not limited to meditation; it can also be paying attention to moment -to moment activities such as setting the table, brushing teeth, or making the bed. I tend to find when I focus on the present moment, my worry goes away, and I live a more fulfilled life.
2. Ritual: Working in the mental health field, I understand the importance of routine and structure. I think having a routine not only works well with children and people dealing with a mental disability; for everyone else, having a routine gives us a sense of control and structure, which then helps reduce anxiety. For my family during the past few months, we have been taking an evening walk every day. My kids know that when the clock strikes six, it is time to put on the shoes to go out. After the walk, our body tends to be more relaxed, and it also helps to reduce anxiety. I have also requested my kids to make their beds and clean their rooms every morning. The reason I gave them is, “If you had a very bad day, but seeing a clean bed and a clean room would make you feel better.” A clean and organized house also feeds into a sense of control over our living environment and lives.
3. The power of positivity: One thing that helps to deal with stress in my own personal life is “positivity.”  I surround myself with positive people and minimize negative conversations with others. I also try to focus on positive emotions such as gratitude, humor, kindness, and humility. While my children may feel sad that they cannot go to school or see their friends, I try to remind them of the things they need to be grateful for such as shelter and food. Having had to deal with many challenges in life, I think we all have developed an appreciation for these positive emotions and understand how they uplift us while negative emotions such as hatred, resentment, self-blame spiral us down!
4. Taking Action: Recognizing the negative thought and try to reframe it into a positive has worked really well in me. But another thing has also helped is doing something about it. It is simply what my grandma would say ” Stop fretting; just deal with it!” If things are out of our control, rather than push the worry away, invite the “worry” for a conversation! One can do that by writing the worries down and pen down any necessary thoughts or actions. Writing down lists of “pros” and “cons” and possible solutions can be more productive and empowering, than simply worrying in the head and do nothing about it. Sometimes the worry has no perfect solution. But be able to accept it, have a plan for it, and move forward with it is better than always thinking about it.
5. Cleaning: There are two other things I like to do when I am worried. One is exercising and the other is, cleaning. I think there are enough articles written that talk about how physical activity helps boost one’s mood. But I personally have found cleaning the house or organizing my cabinets to be quite therapeutic. As I am cleaning, it works almost like cleansing my soul and calming my emotions. Sometimes, a light bulb might just come up and turn a mundane task into streams of inspiration! A word of caution though, if cleaning, is becoming an overwhelming task, set a smaller goal so that you feel more accomplished.

 I am not a mental health professional. But I do work with many highly trained professionals.  My colleagues have shared with their field of expertise over the years. The tips I have provided here, however, are for reference only. If you are dealing with extreme anxiety or other mental health issues, it is best to consult a professional for help! Turn your worries into triumphs.  Good luck! 

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Ground meat is a very common meat used in the group home. Number one, it’s cheaper than whole meat and also number two, it tends to be easier for clients to choose.

Today I would like to show you how we can use ground meat to make different dishes. When we think about ground meat, let’s talk about what are some of the dishes that are made of ground meat.

So for example, Italian. You can think about spaghetti sauce. You can think about meatballs. You can think about lasagna, baked ziti. When you think about Mexican or Latino cooking, what comes to mind is burrito, taco, tostada, enchilada and when we think about Asian cooking, I think about – of course it’s a lettuce wrap, which also utilizes the ground meat.

So when we talk about ground meat and the different kinds of ground meat, I think that turkey and ground beef are like the most common one that the group home uses.

Typically, if you have a house that needs to watch or lose weight, I would recommend turkey because it’s leaner. If you have a mixture of different clients, I would say that you’re having beef, ground beef and also ground turkey. To have that on hand is pretty useful.

When I go shopping to look for ground meat, I typically like to look for leaner ground meat like 80 percent or even 90 or 95 percent. But if you can’t find it, let’s say you can only find 70 or 75 percent, just remember that when you’re cooking it, be sure to drain the oil. The way, you can get rid of the fat.

So today, what I have is, I have ground turkey. I have ground beef and I also have ground pork. So I just want to show you some of the products I made with ground meat.

So with the ground meat, what I have made is that I made it into hamburger patties and like these and like freeze it or I can make meatballs and I can freeze it.

One thing when I make meatballs or hamburger patty, what I like to do is I like to grate some vegetables in the meat so that they look more nutritious. They have more vegetables in there.

So when you add vegetable to your ground meat, you need a binder. OK? That’s why a meatloaf would ask you to add some eggs or ask you to add some breadcrumbs. So just remember every time you want to add vegetable to your ground meat, make sure you have some binder like egg or corn starch or breadcrumb to bind them altogether.

So even with this, you can serve it with bun. Make a hamburger bun or like I said, you can put a sauce, a white sauce, a brown sauce in it. Then it becomes a little Swiss steak or Salisbury steak. OK?

So now, let’s kind of talk about what I’m going to be making today.

I like to maybe take half of it, just half of it. I’m going to use these for turkey sausage patty. OK?

When I see people buy sausage patty from a grocery store, as you know, they tend to be high in sodium and homemade sausage patty actually is very easy to make. All you have to do is you take this and you add sage, which is the key ingredient, sage, and then just some salt and pepper.

If you want some little kick to it, maybe you can add red pepper. So what I have here is about a half pound. Typically when I make patty, I like to just use one pound.

So one pound of turkey, of ground meat, you just add about one teaspoon of sage in it. So I’m just going to – and since this is only half pound, so I’m going to just probably add about half teaspoon of sage to the meat and then I would really just season it with a little bit of salt and pepper. OK?

If you are watching your sodium intake, you don’t want to add salt to it. What maybe you can consider is just add garlic powder to it. So I’m going to add a little bit of salt. Not too much. Maybe just a quarter teaspoon just to give a little bit of flavor and then I’m going to add some pepper to it. OK?

And that’s it. That’s your really basic turkey sausage patty. OK? Now, so this is going to – so what I’m going to do is I’m just going to mix them up really, really good. OK? Now what I’m going to do is I’m going to just take a little – like a – maybe just like one ounce and then I’m just going to shape it into a little patty.

With that, what I’m going to do is I’m just going to kind of put it in a – I’m just going to form a little patty like this and then I can just freeze it.

Now what I want to move on and just talk about how – I’m going to make – I’m going to use these ground beef and I’m going to make two dishes. I’m going to save half of it for my spaghetti, like Italian spaghetti sauce and then the half, I’m going to save it to make a chili.

You’re going to begin making the spaghetti sauce and the chili by cooking the ground meat first. I’m going to start taking the onion with the raw ground meat. Let it fully cook and then you can begin to drain the grease.

Now this ground meat has been fully cooked and because it’s kind of greasy, not only I drained the fat. I actually also rinsed it with water just to get rid of more grease.

So with this, this is one pound of ground meat with one whole chopped onion. So now what I’m going to do is I’m going to take half of it. OK? This half of it is going to be used for my spaghetti. OK? And I’m going to use the rest. So half of it, I’m going to be using it for chili.

So now, this is where you’re going to add the spices to make the food taste different. So with spaghetti sauce, what I usually like to do is I like to add a little bit of nutmeg in it. A little bit of nutmeg really makes a difference. So if you have one pound, maybe I will say add about like a half teaspoon.

So here, this is about a half pound. So what I’m going to do, I’m just going to add about a quarter teaspoon. OK. So this is what – it will give it a little bit different flavor. OK? And then I’m also going to – with Italian dish, you always want to add garlic. So here, I have some garlic I’m going to add to it. OK?

So this is about like one clove of garlic. This is your ground meat. Now with the other ground meat, I’m going to make a chili. So when you think about chili, one of the main ingredients obviously is the chili powder.

Now you can definitely buy those McCormick mixture of chili and you just add to it. But if you don’t have that, a very basic chili mixture is your – we call ancho Chili Pepper with cumin. OK? And with oregano and also with garlic powder.

So because it’s a chili, you want to add a lot of chili. So I have about two teaspoons of ancho Chili powder in there. That’s the most mild chili powder and I’m going to add some cumin to it. OK? And I’m also going to add some oregano to it.

Now these different spices really make the food taste different. So now there, I’m going to add the sauce. OK? So we have the spices. I’m going to add the sauce.

OK. So typically, you would buy like a typical spaghetti sauce and you add to the sauce. But spaghetti sauce usually has a lot of sodium in it. So usually what I like to do is I really like to just add half of it. OK? And then I will add either fresh tomato or I put this – these are canned tomato, which is very low in sodium.

So I would add canned tomato or fresh kind of tomato to make it less salty or less sodium. So that’s my spaghetti sauce right there.

So with the chili, what I’m going to do is I’m going to add half of the tomato sauce and I’m going to just add a mixture of bean in there. The bean could be kidney bean, black bean, pinquito bean or garbanzo bean.

So in my pantry, I only have kidney and garbanzo and that’s what I’m going to add today.

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Nestled in the rolling Santa Rita Hills, Hidden C

anyon Ranch is a farm that uses what the proprietor/chief wrangler Erin O’Brien called sustainable regenerative farming. In essence, this type of farming creates its own ecosystem where everything, including animals, soil, insect, even predators has a job. The regenerative agriculture uses a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity and enriches soils without the use of pesticides or commercial fertilizers. It is more than just organic farming. Animals living on this farm also benefited from this type of farming. They are obviously very happy living there because of the free space that is available for them to roam around. For obvious reason, this type of farming also creates more nutrient-dense food and healthier air, water, and soil for all of us to live on!

In a 90 minutes farm tour, my kids learned so much! They not only learned about regenerative agriculture, but they also developed an appreciation for food and its origin—something I preached to them all the time. And of course, they loved ALL the animals that live on this farm. I was so surprised that they remember all the names even the turtle! The team at Hidden Valley Ranch really creates a nurturing farm atmosphere, so idyllic that I can almost write a fairytale about these animals that live there.

I highly recommend anyone who is paying a trip to central California to make a reservation to visit Hidden Canyon Ranch (https://hiddencanyonranch.com). What makes this farm so special is not just how they farm, the way staff interacted with you, the picturesque setting, the animals, the log cabin, are all that make this place worth visiting. But don’t take my words for it. Here are the reviews my kids wrote.

Special Note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 realities, all the wine tours and Hidden Canyon farm tours are by appointment only. They made us feel safe following good COVID-19 safety protocols.

Ryan Lo, Palos Verdes CA Age 12

Hidden Canyon Ranch and Farm is located in the gorgeous  Santa Rita Hill in Central California. Established in 2010, the Farm’s mission is to leave the earth better then they found it. They grow fresh and organic food in chemical-free soil. Hidden Canyon Farm educates others through amazing and fun tours. As you tour around the farm you can see chickens busily eating the pests and bugs, while also leaving their fertilizer behind. This is a great way to clear and fertilize the land and soil. Inside the coop, you can see a homemade Chicken Trailer that is used to protect the chicken during the nights. Hidden Ranch also has an amazing grape vineyard, that is grown with regenerative principles. In addition, the farm also has a variety of good nature and friendly animals.

The animals in Hidden Canyon all have a specific purpose on the farm. As you walk past and through the pens and homes of these farm animals, you can tell that they are happy to be there. Animals such as Gina the African American tortoise live beside and with the chickens. If you wait and look carefully you can see various chicken, hopping, and riding the old tortoise.  The ranch also has a variety of dogs. Dogs such as Toby, the Great Pyrenese,  guard, and protect sheep and chickens from dangerous predators such as wolfs and coyotes. Hidden Canyon Ranch is an amazing and fun place to explore. As well as things mentioned in this writeup, the farm also includes horses, donkeys, and lamas. Go check Hidden Canyon Ranch for yourself which is located in, 5425 Campbell Road
Lompoc, California 93436.

Shawn Lo, Palos Verdes CA Age 13

Have you ever thought about where your food comes from? Have you ever consider the effort just to put food on the table? In the small town of Compoc, California is the Hidden Canyon Ranch, which produces one of the highest quality of food. In Canyon Ranch, owner Erin O’Brien and her ranch managers engage in farming healthy foods and raising happy animals. On Erin’s 44 acre farm, she raises various domestic animals from cows, chickens, horses, and bats! In addition to her family of animals are fields of the crops she grows with her own hands. Unlike many of the farms in the US which produce food through industrialization and pesticides, Erin’s farm produces crops more naturally. When you visit the Hidden Canyon Ranch, you will indeed have an unforgettable experience. 

On the Hidden Canyon Ranch, Erin describes her farm as one big ecosystem. When she showed me around the farm, there were a variety of species of domestic animals. Regarding these animals, O’Brien emphasizes that each animal has a fundamental purpose and role. The cattle and chickens raised on the farm are harvested of their milk and eggs. However, all of the animals on the farm are not just for eating. According to Erin, the cattle, goats, chickens, horses, and even the turtle help compost soil with their droppings and supplement nutritional value to crops. The composition helps establish suitable farmland and Erin’s vineyard. The fertile soil is what makes the Hidden Canyon Ranch a good reputation with its food.

Regarding O’brien’s farm animals, not only they are efficient in making compost, and for food, these animals, help establish a balanced ecosystem on the Hidden Canyon Ranch. Like most difficulties farms usually face, there would be an overgrowth of weeds that occupy too much of the farm’s land. Erin’s sheep and livestock consume the weeds, which help make space for crops. In addition to Erin’s ecosystem are the many dogs that roam around the farm. Erin explains that the dogs help keep away unwanted animals, such as coyotes who crave to eat the farm’s chickens and sheep. The Hidden Canyon Ranch also has more unusual species of animals, such as bats who seek the insects that graze on the crops and eat them. 

In addition to the farm are Erin’s fields and gardens of crops. According to Obrien, she plants a variation of all kinds of vegetables, from carrots to beets and even grapes. The grapes that are collected in Hidden Canyon Ranch famous vineyards. However, it is how Erin grows her crops that make her product of high quality. According to her, she practices regenerative farming, a system that enriches the soil with compost and not to use pesticides. Pesticides are applied to stop bugs from eating plants. However, the people who ingest these foods would likely consume harmful chemicals, which is why Erin sprays more natural substances to resist hungry insects. 

When you visit the Hidden Canyon Ranch, you will truly have a fun and learning experience. Erin’s farm includes many different animals that you would get to meet. You can buy fresh vegetables and eggs from her farm. Furthermore, the Hidden Canyon Ranch is a must-visit. 

Note: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 realities and in an effort to operate in a safe compliant manner, all the wine tours and definitely the farm tour were by appointment only and were all implementing sanitary requirement procedures.

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