vegetable

Homemade Tomato Sauce

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Have you ever read the ingredient list of your store-bought tomato sauce? You'd be surprised to find that it's most likely loaded with added sugar, preservatives, and excess sodium. I got in the habit of reading labels years ago. It's amazing to find what is in products that are even labeled "all-natural," "organic," "sugar-free," etc. Point is, why spend money on these products that are not good for our health when they're so easy and more flavorful to make at home? Preparing your own sauces, dressings, and dips is fun and provides lots of health benefits.

There are many types of tomato sauces out there. This is my go-to base recipe. It's so simple, yet full of flavor. You can add different herbs and spices to make it your desired flavor (i.e. roasted garlic, chiles, etc.). Use sauce on vegetables, grains, chicken, or fish.

 

IMG_7702Ingredients

8 Roma tomatoes

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (less or more to taste, I like mine spicy)

1/4 red onion (optional, gives it more spice)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

small handful of fresh basil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
  2. Place tomatoes on a glass baking dish or parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender and skin has cracked.
  3. Let tomatoes cool for a bit and once manageable, take skin off and discard.
  4. Place tomatoes and remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust if needed.

Makes ~2 cups

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Avocado Soup

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I've been playing with my new Vitamix way too much. It's been weeks of soups, puddings, and smoothies. I have made variations of avocado soup before, but this one is my favorite so far. This is a perfect summer soup, creamy and refreshing. It's very easy to make and you don't need any fancy equipment. Any type of blender will do.

Ingredients

2 avocados

2 garlic cloves

2 green onions

1 cucumber, peeled

1 teaspoon tamari (can omit)

3/4 cup water or vegetable broth

1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

juice of 1/2 lemon

pinch of sea salt

pinch of black pepper

Procedure

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust flavor to your liking. Serve and garnish with cayenne pepper or fresh herbs.

Serves 4

What is Clean Eating?

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You've probably already seen or heard the term 'clean eating' or 'eating clean.' But what does it mean? What is so great about it? I'd like to clarify what it means for those of you who are wondering and what it's benefits are. Clean eating is not a specific diet, it's a lifestyle choice.

First of all, there are many different definitions of clean eating, depending on what meal regimen one follows and recommends (paleo, raw, vegan, vegetarian, etc). For example, a vegan might say that a clean eating regimen is one that omits all animal products, someone that only eats a raw food diet might say that clean eating is an all raw-food diet, and so forth. I don't believe that one is better than the other, it is just a matter of finding what works for you.

My definition of  'clean eating' is to eliminate all refined and processed foods from your diet. Foods like white sugar, white rice, bleached flour, white flour, and enriched flour all are foods that have been refined in some way. When refined, their nutrients are removed resulting in ingredients that only provide empty calories (calories with no nutritional value) with a blood sugar spike.

A clean eating regimen consists of whole, unrefined foods in their most natural state. These foods are:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Whole grains
  • Pasture-raised eggs and poultry
  • Grass-fed meats
  • Full-fat dairy products

Be sure to read labels when buying things in a package. Just because the box says "whole grain" or " natural" doesn't mean they really are. Read ingredients closely and choose grains that don't have additives. You'd be surprised what's in that box of "whole grain" cereal you love so much, not a whole lot of nutrition. Chicken that is labeled "all natural" is interesting to me. Shouldn't chicken be natural? Sadly it's almost always not the case; instead they are fed antibiotics and hormones. Labels are misleading and most of the time not true.

Talk to the butcher at the grocery store, ask questions, and read the ingredient list. Try buying products that have 5 or less ingredients. And make sure they are ingredients that you can pronounce and that are unrefined. Visit my post on reading labels for more information.

Benefits of a clean eating lifestyle:

  • Weight loss/fat loss
  • Increased energy
  • Better skin and hair
  • Better health
  • Increased mental focus
  • Better sleep
  • Better mood
  • Decreased cravings and sugar addiction

As you can see, eating clean is a great thing. It seems to have become more and more popular these days, when in reality, it has been around for a long time and just now people are starting to realize how important it is to make this lifestyle choice in order to be healthy and happy.

How to transition to a clean eating life:

  • Eat whole fruits and vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats,  and whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth)
  • Drink at least 8 cups of water each day
  • Eat 5-6 times a day to reduce cravings and keep blood sugar regulated - include protein in every meal
  • Avoid all processed and unrefined foods (sugar, candy, pastries, white flour, white rice, bread, cereals, packaged goods, etc.)
  • Avoid beverages that are packed with sugar (soda, juice, Gatorade, energy drinks, sweetened tea, coffee drinks)
  • Avoid trans fats

Clean eating is the lifestyle choice I made and what I preach every single day. I have never been happier and felt more comfortable in my skin. If you are just transitioning to a clean eating lifestyle, take it slow and make small changes every day. It takes time, but don't give up. Know that your body will love you for it and you won't regret the health benefits from it.

Trust the process.

Balsamic-Ginger Glazed Carrots and Chard

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Summer is one of my favorite seasons. I love going to the farmers market and being surrounded by all the wonderful colors of fruits and vegetables.

Have you seen those beautiful rainbow carrots yet? And the amazing varieties of cucumber? What about the juicy peaches and plums?

I can spend hours at the market just admiring (and tasting), but mostly, I go to get influenced to create new and delicious recipes. This week, I chose to make something different with carrots.

Carrots are available year round, but they have the most nutrients, freshness, and flavor when they are in season (fall and summer). They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin K, fiber, and antioxidants (vitamin C and beta-carotene). They are anti-inflammatory, a good source of complex carbohydrates, and help cleanse the liver.

Ingredients

1-2 Tablespoons unrefined sesame oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)

1 bunch rainbow carrots, washed and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 large leaves red chard, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1-inch ginger root, minced

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

sea salt

Procedure

  1. Cut off the large end of carrots. Cut carrots in half long wise, then cut into 2-inch pieces with a diagonal cut.
  2. Heat sesame oil in a large pan. Add carrots and a generous pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, ginger, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice and cook for another 5 minutes or until carrots are tender.
  4. Add chard and sauté for another few minutes until chard wilts. Serve.

Note: You can garnish with chopped herbs and/or seeds.

7 Easy Ways to Detox Daily

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We are a ways into the new year and some of us are still looking to start out fresh and rid our body of all toxins. There are many types of cleanses and detoxes that last anywhere from 1 to 30 days. For most of us, when we hear the word "cleanse" or "detox" we think of a juice fast, or liquid diet, or a strictly fruit and vegetable diet. Although some of these may help you loose some weight (water weight), not all of them are actually good for you. A detox and cleanse are always interchanged, but are two different things.  Detox. When you detox, you rid your organs of toxins such as chemicals, heavy metals, cigarette smoke, etc. A detox targets an organ like the liver, for example. The liver is a highly important organ in the body with many functions such as detoxifying the body, building proteins, and helping digestion. Although one of it's functions is to detoxify the body naturally, if we over consume foods that stress out the liver like alcohol, refined sugar, gluten, or lactose, we are giving it more toxins than it can handle and keeping it from functioning properly thus leading to low energy, inflammation, poor digestion, and not detoxifying the body as it should. Cleanse. When doing a cleanse, you are mainly cleansing your digestive tract and eliminating toxins and bacteria. A liquid or juice fast is mostly a cleanse because it's giving your digestive tract a rest but still providing nutrients.  No matter which you choose to do, what you're really doing is giving your organs a break from anything that strains them and keeps them from working properly. They are both great ways to feel good and energized while eliminating toxins in a safe and natural manner.   The best way to cleanse or detox is to eliminate inflammatory foods and introduce foods that support the liver. Fortunately, there are many foods that support the liver such as leafy greens, lemon, sauerkraut, eggs, herbs including parsley and cilantro, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, ginger, spices, green tea, onion, sea vegetables, apple cider vinegar, beets, chamomile, artichokes, and omega-3 oils. Ideally, we would include all of these foods in our every day diet, but the most important thing is to eliminate the ingredients that cause inflammation. Doing either a cleanse or detox can be intimidating and takes some planning and dedication. Most of us have hectic lives or are simply afraid to commit to an eating plan that will last a few days or weeks. A juice cleanse is ideal, but if you're not ready for that, there are things you can do on a daily basis to help detox without feeling deprived of solid food.  No need to stress, take it one day at a time and do the best you can that day to take care of your body. At the end of the day, check in with yourself. How do you feel? How was your mood, energy, awareness, and productivity that day? You might just find that you feel great and want to do it all over again, or you might need a few days of this in order to see any changes in mood, but focus on finishing that one day knowing that you are doing something for yourself and don't let others discourage you. You are the one that will feel great and benefit from this.

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Here are 7 easy natural things you can do on a daily basis to help your body detox: 

  1. Avoid gluten and introduce gluten-free grains. Gluten is a protein found in wheat (white or whole wheat products) that causes inflammation in the body, even to those that are not gluten intolerant. Also, look out for gluten-free products as they are mostly always packed with refined sugar. Stick to gluten-free grains such as quinoa, brown rice, millet, and amaranth. For gluten-free snacks, check out my post on Healthy Snacking.
  2. Avoid refined sugar. Refined sugar weakens your immune system and causes inflammation in the body. Let your sugar come from natural sources such as fresh fruit, honey (good for sore throat and cough), dates, and root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, squash/pumpkin, and beets. 
  3. Drink water and lemon water. Water is essential for cleansing the body. It helps flush toxins out and helps regulate metabolism. Not being well hydrated stresses out our system and prevents detoxification. Dehydration is often confused with hunger, so next time you feel hungry when you've just eaten, drink a glass of water. If you're not fond of water you can add cucumber slices, fresh fruit, or lemon juice to make it flavorful. Lemon water also supports the immune system, supports liver in cleansing out the body, helps digestion, acts as a natural diuretic, balances pH, and aids with weight loss. Start your day off by drinking a cup of warm water with lemon juice on an empty stomach. Add some apple cider vinegar to have even more detoxifying properties. 
  4. Drink apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has many health benefits. It's good for digestion, skin care, detoxifying, anti-bacterial, weight loss, cures allergies, kills candida and fungus, eases arthritis, and balances the inner ecosystem. Add 1-2 Tablespoons to about 6 oz of water and sip. 
  5. Eat leafy greens. Leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, spinach, bok choy, arugula, celery, and dandelion are alkalinizing to the body which helps attack bad bacteria and reduce cravings. They contain chlorella which helps cleanse the body. Most of these are also bitter and bitter foods support the liver with detoxification. Incorporate leafy greens in smoothies, salads, and vegetable sautéed dishes. 
  6. Slow Down. Slow eating = conscious eating. By eating slow you are usually more conscious about how much you eat and will often find that you get full before eating everything on the plate because you give yourself time to feel satieated. Take time to chew your food to digest it better. Better digestion will also lead to better absorption of nutrients. 
  7. Sweat. Sweating is a way of flushing toxins out of the body. Take at least 30 minutes of the day to do some sort of physical activity that will get you sweating. Exercise burns calories and will help weight loss. Sitting in a sauna or getting a massage also help detoxification. 
 

9 Natural Ways to Keep the Flu Away

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The immune system is what helps us fight virus and bacteria and keeps us from getting sick. During this flu season and cold weather, it's important to give our immune system a boost. Here are 9 natural ways to keep the flu away:

  1. Drink ginger tea. Ginger is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, relieves pain, and aids digestion. To make tea, simmer a 1-inch strip in 2 cups filtered water for about 10 min and then enjoy with some lemon juice. 
  2. Load up on Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts the immune system. It helps to prevent a cold/flu and also helps get rid of it. Foods high in vitamin C include dark leafy greens (kale, collard greens, chard), citrus fruits, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. 
  3. Garlic. Garlic is strongly an anti-bacterial and anti-virus ingredient. Eating it raw (uncooked) provides the most health benefits, but cooking with it is also good. If you can take the strong raw taste, chop it up and throw it on your salads, cooked vegetables, cooked meats, and even smoothies. Otherwise, add to pan towards the end of cooking to expose to heat for only a short period of time.  
  4. Get enough sleep and manage stress. Lack of sleep puts stress on our body and stress weakens our immune system. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night without interruptions. Things you can do to help deal with stress are: take a walk/hike, drink tea, listen to calming music, read a book, yoga, exercise, meditate, take deep breaths, draw/write, take a hot bath, and prioritize your life. 
  5. Cook with spices. Spices like cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne pepper are anti-inflammatory and help relieve pain and fight health problems. 
  6. Eat probiotics. Probiotics are live cultures that live mostly in our gut. These are good bacteria that help fight off the bad bacteria. Feeding the gut with good bacteria helps heal it and strengthens our immune system. Get probiotics by eating fermented foods such as raw sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir(lactose-free), and kim chi. 
  7. Avoid refined sugar and dairy. Refined sugar (including alcohol) is what feeds the bad bacteria in our gut and allows it to replicate. Refined sugar also weakens our immune system and causes inflammation in the body. Let your sugar come from natural sources such as fresh fruit, honey (good for sore throat and cough), dates, and root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, squash/pumpkin, and beets. Dairy is also something you might want to avoid if having symptoms of a cold/flu because it creates mucus in the body and only makes things worse. 
  8. Drink unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is great for many things. Some benefits are detoxifying the body, feeding the gut with good bacteria, and curing a sore throats, sinus infections, headaches, and the flu. Mix 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with some filtered water and drink slowly. For a sore throat, gargle apple cider vinegar in the back of your throat then spit out and repeat a few more times. 
  9. My favorite remedy - "Voo-doo Juice." I learned this tea from my mom and it's what I immediately go to if I feel a cold approaching. It is packed with immune supporting ingredients and it really does the trick. I add 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2-inch piece of ginger, about 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or more if you can take it), and 4 cups filtered water to a small pot and simmer for about 10 minutes. Filter tea into a mug and enjoy with a bit of raw honey. 
Don't forget to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get lots of fluids from water, hot tea, and chicken or vegetable soup. 
 
Stay healthy. 

 

Kale and Walnut Pesto

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I love pesto. Pesto is a great way to incorporate healthy fats, greens, and herbs into an every day diet. It is high in protein and pairs well with almost any type of vegetable or meat. I use it as a spread, dip, marinade, or dressing. There are many different recipes and types of pesto. Here is a recipe that I recently came up with and I eat with absolutely everything! 

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

8 small kale leaves (about 2 cups), stemmed

2 Tablespoons thyme leaves

1 clove garlic

Juice of one lemon

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Procedure

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
  2. Place walnuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. 
  3. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust with sea salt or lemon juice. If pesto is too thick, add more olive oil. 

Notes

 

  • Toasting of nuts is not necessary, but it will enhance their flavor. 

Acorn Squash with Sautéed Kale

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Fall is here! I know you're all just as excited about it as I am. Who doesn't love pumpkin and squash? Not only are they delicious, but they also have a great nutritional profile. They are a good source of complex carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin C, and high in fiber. These vegetables are anti-inflammatory and cancer preventative. 
 
Below is one of my first recipes of the season with roasted acorn squash. Roasting is an easy way to cook pumpkin or squash to bring out their amazing flavor and either eat as is with some spices or incorporate into a dish. 
 
Ingredients
 
1 acorn squash, halved
filtered water
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 white onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, more to taste
sea salt, to taste
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
 
Procedure
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
  2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. 
  3. Place squash halves in a baking dish, face side up. Add about 1/2 inch filtered water to bottom of baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until squash is soft and a fork can easily be inserted into it. When cooked, peel skin off with knife or hands and dice squash. 
  4. While squash is baking, heat a medium size saucepan over high heat. Add coconut oil and let melt. Add onion and generous pinch of sea salt and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes. 
  5. Add garlic and kale and sauté for another few minutes, until kale starts to wilt. Add cinnamon and mix in. Taste and adjust with sea salt and more cinnamon if desired. 
  6. Turn off heat. Add cooked squash and combine well. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with chopped almonds. Serve. 
Serves 4
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Tips for Weight Management

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There are many factors that contribute to a person being overweight. It can be frustrating to manage weight when we don't know what the issue is. "Calories in and calories out" does play a role in weight management, but there is more to look at. It's mostly the quality of the calories that matters.

Most popular weight management diets just restrict calorie intake and don't consider the quality of the food going into our bodies. If a diet is low in calories and still full of refined sugar and carbohydrates, a person might lose some weight at first, but the sugar cravings, mood imbalances, and old eating habits will still be there. A weight management plan should be a lifestyle change and not temporary restrictions or eliminations that are not realistic to stick with.
 
Factors that contribute to a person being overweight:
  • Behavioral
    • Eating when not hungry
    • Skipping meals
    • Lack of exercise
  • Emotional
    • Overeating due to stress, anxiety, depression, or frustration
  • Metabolic
    • Low thyroid
    • Slow metabolism
    • Medical drugs
    • Low muscle mass
    • Lack of exercise
    • Age
    • Gender
    • Toxicity
      • Metals
      • Food colorings, preservative, and flavorings
      • Plastics and pesticides
      • Bacteria or parasitic overgrowth
  • Nutritional
    • Eating too many foods that lack nutrients such as processed foods, high sugar foods, and refined carbohydrates
    • Consuming more energy (calories) than expanded 
    • Having an imbalance of essential nutrients (usually it's an excess amount of carbohydrates and not enough protein and healthy fats)
Factors that contribute to a person being underweight:
  • Not consuming enough energy (calories)
  • Not getting enough nutrients
  • Digestive issues
  • Anorexia/Bulimia
  • Excessive exercise
  • Allergies
  • Stress
  • Crohn's and Celiac Disease (gut issues)
  • Mal-absorption of nutrients
  • High thyroid
  • Medication side effects
Tips to manage weight:
  • Detox/Cleanse: A detox is not the same as fasting and should not be a calorie restriction diet
    • Feed your liver: The liver is an organ with many important functions such as making enzymes, making proteins, making bile (helps digest fats), detoxifying chemicals, detoxifying drugs and alcohol, filters about 95% of microbes and toxins from the bloodstream, and regulates blood sugar
      • Increase protein: eggs, meats, yogurt, nuts, seeds, legumes
      • Increase bitter foods: arugula, dandelion greens, chard, raw cacao powder
      • Increase greens: leafy greens, sea vegetables
      • Increase sour foods: sauerkraut, vinegars, lemon juice
      • Increase herbs and spices: parsley, cilantro, licorice root, cinnamon
  • Regulate blood sugar: Weight gain around the waist is usually a blood sugar issue
    • Decrease gluten-containing grains and sugar intake (refined carbohydrates)
      • Eat gluten-free grains: amaranth, millet, quinoa, brown rice
      • Avoid tropical fruits (banana, pineapple, mango) because they are very high in sugar, stick to berries and seasonal fruits
    • Increase non-starchy vegetables: greens, greens, and more greens
    • Increase healthy fats: coconut oil, nuts, seeds, nut butters, olive oil
    • Increase protein: protein at every meal is important, especially at breakfast (Ideally within an hour of waking up)
    • Increase fiber: vegetables, legumes (good source of fiber and protein), flax seeds, chia seeds
  • Increase metabolism
    • Cinnamon
    • Cardamom
    • Green Tea
    • Ginger
    • Garlic
    • Apple Cider Vinegar
    • Sea Vegetables
    • Cumin and Curry Powder
    • Hot Peppers (Cayenne)
  • Exercise daily
    • Exercising in the morning is best because training hard at night messes up cortisol balance and can cause you to hang on to weight
  • Get enough sleep!
    • Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night
    • Lack of sleep leads to cravings and overeating
  • Stay hydrated
    • Water
    • Herbal teas
 
Sources
 
Bauman College Workbook, Spring 2012