Food & Cooking

The Thanksgiving dilemma is that we want to FEAST, but we don’t want the food coma that follows!When you make your Thanksgiving unprocessed, you will actually eat less and be more satisfied! Switch out manufactured foods for whole foods that don’t come with a nutrition label to have a truly pleasurable meal that doesn’t leave you feeling sluggish and sick!

Non-boxed Stuffing

It’s time to think outside the box – the stuffing box! In this wild rice stuffing, say goodbye to stale bread & long ingredient lists. Say hello to tender wild rice, crispy bacon, mushrooms, herbs, nuts, & cranberries.

• 1 c. wild rice blend
• 2 c. chicken bone broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tb. butter
• 6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
• 1 onion, diced
• 8  crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• ½ c. fresh cranberries
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tb. fresh snipped sage
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Salt & pepper to taste

Bring the bone broth to a simmer. Add the wild rice, bay leaf, and butter. Then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onions, mushrooms, garlic and celery in a little bit of the grease left from cooking the bacon. When vegetables are soft, stir in cranberries and cook just until they pop. Mix in the herbs.

Combine the rice, bacon, sauteed vegetables and nuts. Season to taste. Voila! A classic recipe for Thanksgiving, unprocessed and original!

Green Beans with  Mushroom Gravy

Forget the canned soup for this green bean casserole that is loaded with flavor! Portobello mushrooms and balsamic vinegar are sauteed in butter and thyme, then topped with baked leeks for a bit of crunch in this amazing unprocessed Thanksgiving comfort food!

• 1 leeks, thinly sliced (white part only)
• 1/2 Tb. avocado oil
• 1/8 tsp. each salt and paprika
• 24 oz.  frozen green beans
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 1/2 c. sliced portabello mushrooms
• 3 minced cloves garlic
• 2 Tb. butter
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tb. balsamic vinegar
• ¾ c bone broth
• 24 oz. (2 pkg.) frozen green beans

Toss the leeks with avocado oil, paprika and salt. Microwave in a covered bowl for 2 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spreading them out into a single layer. Place 6″ beneath the oven element and cook on low broil for 4-5 minutes until golden.

Saute the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in butter and thyme until tender. Add salt, vinegar, and broth. Simmer 10 minutes. Blend until smooth.

Steam the green beans according to package directions. Fold beans into mushroom gravy. Garnish with leeks.

Traditional Candied Yams

Dates, pure maple syrup and cinnamon lend a decadent sweetness to these classy candied yams– without artificial ingredients — to make an unforgettable comfort food for your Thanksgiving Unprocessed.

• 6 c. yams, peeled and cubed (2-3 yams)
• 4 Tb. butter, melted
• 1 c. chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 c. boiling water
• 4 Tb. pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ c. unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 Tb. butter, melted

Toss yams with 4 Tb. butter and layer in a 9×13 baking pan. Roast at 425° for 25 minutes.

While yams are roasting, pour boiling water over dates to soften. After 5 minutes, strain the dates. Combine the dates, maple syrup, cinnamon, coconut flakes, and 2 Tb. butter. Toss with roasted yams and bake at 350 for 15-20 more minutes.

Homemade “Cornbread”

Pass up the frozen dough and gluten bloat when you make this absolutely scrumptious corn bread from millet, buttermilk, and sweet potatoes. No sugar needed!

• 2 Tb. coconut oil
• 1 c. millet flour
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 c. sweet potato, cooked and mashed
• 1 egg

Melt the coconut oil in a 10″ oven-proof skillet.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mashed potato, and egg. Add the potato mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combine

Spoon into  skillet and bake in a preheated 425° oven for 20 minutes.

Fresh Fruit Salad

In this rosy cranberry fruit salad, there’s no need for imitation whipped topping! The unprocessed burst of flavor comes from honey, warm spices, and orange juice, perfect for your Thanksgiving meal!

• 5 whole cloves
• 3-4 allspice berries
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ½ c. honey
• ½ c. orange juice
• 1 pkg. fresh cranberries
• 2 red pears, diced
• 2 green apples, cubed

Put spices in the center of a coffee filter. Bring the edges together like a bag to enclose the spices. Secure with a wire twist tie or a piece of string. Put the honey and orange juice in a saucepan. Add spice bag. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half.

Remove and discard the spice bag. Add the cranberries to the pot and cook until berries are softened. Remove from heat. Cool, then add pears and apples.

Unprocessed Thanksgiving Pie

You’ll love this mouthwatering no-bake pumpkin pie! The yummy cookie crust contains only unsweetened coconut flakes and dates. So there are no trans-fats or processed flours. And the delicious pumpkin filling is made without canned milk!

Cookie Crust:

• 2 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 ½ c. pitted medjool dates, roughly chopped

Process the coconut flakes and dates until the mixture resembles brown sugar. Press mixture firmly into a pie tin. If you desire a crisper crust, poke holes in it with a fork and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Cool and fill.

Pumpkin filling:

• 1 Tb. gelatin
• 3 Tb. water, divided
• 2 c. cooked pumpkin (may be fresh, frozen or canned)
• 2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• ½ c. butter, softened
• 1/3 c. honey

Soften the gelatin in 1 Tb. cold water. Add 2 Tb. boiling water and whisk until frothy. Blend the gelatin mixture, pumpkin, spices, butter, and honey. Pour into crust & refrigerate.

Your Thanksgiving Unprocessed

When you eat real food, you are less likely to overeat. But if you do happen to gorge yourself on all this appetizing, nourishing food, your best bet is to take a walk instead of hit the couch.

If you feel bloated or have heartburn, try these natural remedies instead of reaching for Tums or Zantac:

• Sip peppermint or chamomile tea.
• Nibble a razor-thin slice of fresh ginger root.
• Chew some roasted fennel seeds.
• Stretch into some yoga poses for digestion, such as maricasana or pavanamuktasana.

 

With a chill in the air, I’m eager for an oven-roasted meal full of fall flavors! But just because I’m eating whole foods doesn’t mean cooking a sheet pan meal needs to be complicated. When my husband wants take-out, I tell him I can have the meal ready before he can drive to the take-out counter and get home again. Really, a sheet pan meal only needs 20-25 minutes to cook – no tending needed! Throw it in the oven and read a book while it makes its magic of savory deliciousness!

Advantages of a Sheet Pan Meal over Fast Food

• Aids detoxification with its inclusion of onions, garlic, or other alliums.
• Anti-inflammatory! Find me one fast food meal that isn’t inflammatory!
• Provides antioxidants to protect your cells against damage that leads to disease.
• Can be adapted to any budget, any level of pickiness, any dietary restraints.
• Uses good fats that are necessary to your health and avoids bad fats that contribute to inflammation.
• Contains more vegetables than the typical take-out meal.
• Doesn’t contribute to blood sugar imbalance.
• Aborts cravings because it is so filling, mouthwatering, and nutrient-dense!
• Saves well, so you can make a double or triple batch and not have to cook again for a couple of days.

So, let’s get started!

Pick Your Protein

What’s your preference: land or sea? A sheet pan meal needn’t be limited to beef or chicken. Shrimp, crab, scallops, fish fillets, and even mussels work wonderfully in oven-roasted fare. So do pork, venison, and lamb! Vegans can use products such as tempeh to create an appetizing dish. How much you use is up to you. I recommend 3-6 ounces per person, cut into bite-size pieces.

Choose Some Color

Here’s where it gets fun! Think of the rainbow. Mix and match colors and flavors to suit your personal preferences. Add as many as you like, but make sure you have at least 1/2 cup of cubed or julienned produce per person. Include firm fruits to provide sweetness if you want. The options you select for your individualized sheet pan meal may lend themselves to a particular ethnic flavor, so let your creativity reign! (See image at the end of this post.)

• White: cauliflower, jicama, leeks, fennel bulb, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, mushrooms, daikon radish, kohlrabi, and potatoes.
• Yellow/Orange: summer squash, winter squash including pumpkin, yellow and orange bell peppers, pineapple, yellow beets, sweet potatoes/yams, carrots, and corn
• Red: tomatoes, beets, red bell peppers, chili peppers, radishes, cranberries, red pear, rhubarb, red pear
• Purple: eggplant, purple endive, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple potatoes, dried plums, black currants, figs, or even elderberries
• Green: beans, peas, broccoli, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, artichoke hearts, celery, endive, celery, green bell pepper, jalapeno, green chilies, serrano pepper

Grab Some Leafy Greens

In traditional cultures, a meal is not complete without some dark green leaves. Think beyond spinach here! Some options are mustard or beet greens, chard, kale, collards, arugula, bok choy, rapini, and watercress. Be generous because they are one of the most concentrated sources of nutrients on the planet. They will cook down substantially, so aim for at least 1 cup torn leaves per person. Since these do not require a long cook time, you can just toss them onto your sheet pan meal the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

Remember The Sulphurs

No sheet pan meal – or other meal, for that matter – is truly balanced in flavor and composition without sulphurs. What are these? Primarily, they are the foods in the onion family, including leeks, garlic, chives, shallots, and scallions. But that’s not all. Mushrooms are sulphurs, too. So are the cruciferous vegetables.  If you haven’t already added a cruciferous vegetable as one of your colors, here’s your chance to include some of the healthiest plant foods of all time. One onion and 2-3 cloves garlic are usually sufficient quantities for a single recipe of this oven-roasted entree.

Dress With a Temperature-Safe Oil

Polyunsaturated liquid oils, such as canola and safflower, are unstable and degrade at high temperatures. So stick with monounsaturated or saturated fats, like avocado oil, coconut oil, pastured tallow, or ghee (clarified butter). If your oil is solid, warm it enough to melt it, then toss with all your other ingredients in your sheet pan meal. Use about 1 tablespoon for every 2-3 cups of food on your tray.

Season With Herbs and Spices

Flavor your dish to suit your palate. Fresh thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, tarragon, and sage are winners. You may also like chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, bay leaf, paprika, or cayenne. Just sprinkle your favorite flavors over you meal until the vegetables are very lightly dusted. Don’t forget salt and pepper. Now slide the whole tray into a preheated 450 degree oven and bake until meat is cooked through and vegetables are fork-tender (20-30 minutes). I usually turn the food after about 15 minutes to insure even cooking.

The Finishing Touch

When the sheet pan meal comes out of the oven, I like to give it just a splash of vinegar to add depth of flavor. My favorite is balsamic vinegar, but red wine vinegar is good, too! Of course, rice vinegar would be the perfect choice for an Asian meal.

Below are some ideas to get you started!

A nutrient-dense breakfast isn’t optional for me. If it isn’t convenient to eat well in the morning, will it be more convenient to be unwell? As a functional nutritionist, I know that every bite I eat has the power to inflame or heal. Plus, I know that my breakfast sets my blood sugars for the day, giving me either steady or erratic metabolism. Since it’s vital to get minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants from my food, I want a breakfast that is nutrient-dense as well as balanced.

So what does a functional nutritionist eat for breakfast? A broad variety! I’m as likely to have leftovers from dinner as to actually prepare a meal in the morning. But if I were to pick several meals that rotate through my menu frequently, you would see a diversity that reflects several cultural influences.

Eggs are Nutrient-Dense

I like to make up creations, such as taco eggs, pizza eggs, or eggs-in-a-nest that contain a variety of vegetables and perhaps a little extra protein as well. Here are some common egg breakfasts at my house:

• Italian Frittata (I also add mushrooms and olives!)
• Fisherman Eggs (The recipe is at the bottom of the post.)
• Thai Curried Eggs (You can omit the venison, but be sure to use plenty of Chinese greens, such as bok choy and pea sprouts!)

Meals with Breakfast Meats

While I do not follow a paleo or keto diet, per se, I like to make sure I get about 20 grams of protein in any given meal. Getting meat in the morning helps insure I am having a nutrient-dense breakfast. I like these vegetable-meat combinations:

• Yam, Apple & Sausage Skillet
• Hawaiian Wraps (For convenience, I use pre-made sausage patties and pineapple rings. I omit the cornstarch from the sauce and add a little honey to make it thicker.) Here’s a cleaner version that I’m dying to try because it look so yummy!
• Farmer Hash (I enjoy grating or chopping rutabaga, turnip, cabbage, parsnips, yams, squash, carrots, or beets for mine. And of course, there’s always the addition of dark leafy greens and some crunchy vegetables such as celery and bell peppers.)

Nutrient-Dense Comfort Food

Everyone likes some comforting carbs once in a while. How do I do that and still maintain balanced macro ratios? To begin with, I use unrefined carbohydrates. Then I add fiber-rich vegetables, healthy fats and quality protein. Check out these enticing selections:

• Black Rice Pudding
• Pizza Burritos (I make a flour-less tortilla using cooked and blended plantains and yucca root.)
• Plantain Waffles (Top them with chevre cheese and tart berries for a savory treat!)

1.  

   Need help eating right on busy mornings? Certainly, you need breakfasts that are quick and easy! But you need them to be nutrient-dense, too! Fighting inflammation requires a host of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals! So, You can’t just buy toaster pastries and be optimally well!

Do Your Prep on the Weekend

One way to conquer the busy morning frenzy is to assemble and freeze ingredients ahead of time. For example, Pizza Burritos made with zucchini and mushrooms provide lots of potassium and B vitamins.

Pizza Burritos

• 1 zucchini, grated
• 6 mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 6 eggs, beaten
• salt & pepper
• 3/4 c. grated mozzarella cheese
• Tortillas

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat with the zucchini, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. When the mushrooms are softened and the meat is evenly browned, pour the beaten eggs over the sausage mixture. Season with salt & pepper. Then, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until set. Using a spatula, transfer onto tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese, roll, wrap in plastic and freeze.

The Crock Pot is Your Ally Against Busy Mornings

Take just a few moments to put ingredients into a crock pot or Instant Pot at bedtime. Breakfast will be ready when you are. Combining steel cut oats with Greek yogurt makes a creamy, high protein breakfast. Top it with antioxidant cherries and zinc-filled pecans for even better nutrition. Last of all, add crunchy chia seeds for an Omega 3 boost.

• 1 c. steel-cut oats
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups bone broth (for added protein)
• 1 c. Greek yogurt (I like FAGE Total 5%  to balance blood sugars)
• Frozen cherries
• Pecans
• Chia seeds
• cinnamon and nutmeg, optional

Spray your crock or Instant Pot liner with non-stick cooking spray. Put the oats, salt and broth into the crock or liner. For the crock pot, set temperature to low. If you are using an Instant Pot, employ delay feature to start cooking 20 minutes before you want breakfast ready. Set cook time to 10 minutes. Let cool naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the pressure.

Just before serving, stir in yogurt and scoop into 4 bowls. Finally, top with additional ingredients.

Microwave a Grab-and-Go Sandwich

You can poach an egg in just 60 seconds using your microwave! Fill a ramekin with 1/4 cup water and break an egg into it. Before you cook it, puncture the yolk and cover with plastic wrap. Check after 30 seconds of cooking and microwave another 20 seconds if needed. Then, toss it onto a tostada, slip it into an English muffin, or stuff it into a pita. Besides egg and grain, you can add cheese, meat, spinach, sprouts, tomato, or avocado to balance your meal. For example,

• Southwestern Tostada: Add cotija, refried beans, and pico de gallo
• Club English Muffin: Include ham, swiss, turkey and spinach
• All-Star Pita: Load it up with sprouts, avocado and bacon

Quickly Blend Your Nutrition

Do you love a speedy smoothie for busy mornings? Then whirl antioxidant blueberries with probiotic kefir for a superfood breakfast. Top with hemp hearts for essential fatty acids.

• 1 1/2 c. plain, unsweetened kefir
• 1/2 c. coconut water (for electrolytes)
• 12 oz. frozen blueberries
• 1 avocado (for added creaminess and blood sugar balance)
• 2 scoops protein powder
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tb. honey
• hemp hearts

Blend all but the hemp hearts. Divide between 2 tall glasses. Top with hemp hearts.

Deep Nutrition is Part of Functional Medicine

Preventing and reversing chronic disease means addressing the roots of inflammation. Minimizing the stress of your busy mornings and eating nutrient-dense anti-inflammatory food are impactful choices to help you be well.  Learn more about your power to change inflammation in my 4-week Functional Nutrition Course.

Your health may be a reflection of how many cups of greens you eat per day. Nutritionists and scientists agree that the more vegetables you eat, the better. Not only that, dark leafy greens seem to trump other foods when it comes to specific health benefits. African, Indian, and Asian cultures all have rich culinary traditions that include bountiful quantities of leafy greens. In Western society, treatment protocols for healing chronic disease, such as the Wahls protocol, include at least of cup of dark greens every meal.

Can you eat that many cups of greens? You probably can down a green smoothie for breakfast, and grab a spinach salad for lunch. But everyday?

Let me show you how other cultures do it.

Simple Indian Creamed Farmer Greens ( Saag)

20 oz. mixed beet greens, kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens (about 20 cups of greens)

1 c. water

2 Tb. coconut oil

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 inches of ginger root, julienned

1/2 c. coconut milk

Wash the greens, cut away the tough stalks, and roughly chop. Place in a large stockpot with water and steam 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. When the oil ripples, add the cumin seed. After 30 seconds, reduce the skillet heat to medium low and add the onions and ginger. Saute until the onion caramelizes.

In a food processor or blender, puree the cooked greens and their steaming water with the onion mixture. Return to the pot and cook on low until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes more. Stir in the coconut milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serves 5.

African Spinach Stew (Efo Riro)

2 onions, chopped

2-4 Tb. curry powder, according to your preference

1/2 – 1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, according to preference

1 tsp. salt

2-3 c. bone broth

1 lb. stew meat, cut into 1″ pieces

6 large tomatoes, diced

3 Tb. unrefined red palm oil

1 tsp. dried crayfish, optional (but it lends the characteristic Nigerian flavor)

3 10-oz. bags of spinach, chopped (freeze then crumple the bags to speedily break the leaves into pieces)

In a large soup pot over medium heat, simmer one of the onions, the seasonings and the stew meat in enough broth to cover the meat. (Add more if needed.) Cook slowly until reduced to a very thick, mixture, about an hour. While the meat mixture is cooking down, melt the palm oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the tomatoes and the second onion. Saute slowly, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and the vegetables form a paste, about 30 minutes.

Add the tomato mixture to the meat mixture. Stir in crayfish and spinach. Heat until spinach is wilted. Served with fufu, rice, or potatoes.

Chinese Wilted Greens (Fan Chao)

Growing up, not having a plate of Chinese greens on the table for dinner was like not having rice—it was simply unthinkable.   – Shao Z.

1 lb. bok choy, napa cabbage, gai lan, or choy sum (may use spinach, chard, or kale)

2 Tb. cooking oil

1 Tb. minced garlic

1/2 c. bone broth

Oyster sauce, optional

Chop the greens into 3″ pieces. Heat oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add greens and stir-fry just until coated with oil. Pour in the broth, cover, and steam for about 3 minutes. Leaves should be tender and bright green.  If desired, serve with a drizzle of oyster sauce.

 

How do you pack a nutrient-dense lunch that kids will want to eat, while avoiding chips, cookies and crackers? It’s easy with these four tricks.

Employ the Lollipop Principle

If you put food on a stick, everyone wants it! Haven’t you seen this principle in action with hot dogs, marshmallows, and cake? The advantage of a skewer is that it holds more vegetables than a sandwich. A Pizza Kabob is a nutrient-dense lunch your kids are sure to be wild about. Items to skewer include grape tomatoes, green and black olives, mushrooms, basil leaves, cheese, sausage, and sourdough bread.

Roll it Up

A pinwheel has charm and can hide vegetables from picky eaters. Create a Taco Wrap using a tortilla, guacamole, shredded cabbage, pulled pork, and pico de gallo. Go Greek by using pita bread, goat cheese, dates, chopped celery, and baby spinach. Bibb lettuce works for rolling sauteed vegetables and rice.

Provide a Dip

Lots of adult foods gain appeal when you dunk them. Peanut sauce (below) makes snap peas, chicken, cucumbers, green onions and bell peppers come to life! Hummus is a delicious dip for smoked fish, carrot sticks, and falafel balls. Marinara sauce turns cauliflower, zucchini, and eggplant and into a pizza party.

3-2-1 Peanut Sauce

• 5 Tb. natural peanut butter
• 4 Tb. boiling water
• 3 Tb. soy sauce or soy alternative (I use Coconut Aminos)
• 2 Tb. lime juice
• 1 Tb. palm sugar
• Chili Garlic Sauce to taste (1-3 teaspoons)

Dissolve the palm sugar in boiling water. Whisk together with remaining ingredients. Refrigerate any unused portions.

Leave Love Notes in a Nutrient-Dense Lunch

Place stickers, drawings, and riddles with your healthy offerings. It’s not a new strategy. But why not use it on hard-boiled eggs and avocados instead of Cracker Jacks and Laffy Taffy? Even a banana peel or an orange peel is a great place to mark down a joke. By the way, what did the burger name her baby?

Patty!

 

Whether you’re going by plane or by car, you’re more susceptible to illness, digestive upset, and weight gain when you’re on the road. Insure you eat the right foods for healthy travel by following these five tips!

Hydrate Correctly

Water is the first food for healthy travel. Fatigue, cramps, and headaches are all early signs of dehydration. While it’s tempting to grab pop, coffee, or tea, you will have to drink extra water if you do. Your body has to dilute sweetened beverages. In addition, caffeinated drinks are diuretic, so your water ends up in the toilet.

But water is not enough. Electrolytes – traces of potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium – are important, too. So, an easy solution is to carry herbal tea bags. After you have passed security with your empty water bottle, you can fill up at the water fountain, slipping the tea bag in to cold infuse into the water during your flight. Peppermint tea is a refreshing choice.

Bring Portable Protein

Travel means stress. That stress triggers blood sugar instability and creates “wear and tear” on the body. Therefore, protein is the third food for healthy travel. It balances your blood sugars, staves off cravings, and rebuilds your body tissues. Increasing your protein can boost your energy, too, reduce agitation, and improve your sleep. For a great protein that requires no cooking and is portable, try foil packets of wild-caught salmon or salmon jerky. At the hotel, you can boil eggs in the coffee pot to take with you on your sightseeing adventures.

Remember Healthy Fat

Subsisting on sandwiches, chips, and crackers is a quick ride on the blood sugar roller coaster. Though an amusement park may be part of your itinerary, blood sugar dysregulation can make you “hangry.” No one wants to be irritable, shaky, or foggy during their vacation. Natural fats can keep your moods and energy levels stable. Try olive cups, whole avocados, and raw mixed nuts as packable snacks. Amp up your breakfast by adding nut butter to oatmeal cups.

Eat Loads of Antioxidants

You are much more susceptible to viruses when your travel because of the extra strain on your body. So, you need antioxidant food to keep your immune system strong. That means eating lots of brightly-colored fruits and vegetables. If you are not near a grocery store, bring a cooler from home. You can pack an insulated lunch bag inside your checked luggage to keep produce fresh. Berries, cherries, grapes, beetroot, and bell peppers are all great choices. Live sprouts are a gold-mine of antioxidants if you can find them fresh in your local grocery store.

Plan Substitute Foods For Healthy Travel

You know you’re going to be assailed by the travel mart convenience foods – candies, cookies, and chips. Why not prepare in advance with your own appealing alternative? Munch on crunchy, savory dehydrated vegetables or high-protein cookies before junk food tempts you. My Peanut Butter-Jam Cookie recipe requires only 4 ingredients!

High-Protein PB&J Cookies

3/4 c. all natural peanut butter, no sugar added

1/2 c. all-fruit jam, no sugar added

1/4 c. collagen protein powder

1/2 c. almond flour

Combine all ingredients and mix well. If dough is sticky, add 1/4 c. cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Makes 2 dozen.

 

 

 

A greener summer isn’t just about lawns and forests. It’s about your diet, too. You know vegetables are good for you – especially those leafy greens and the cruciferous kind, like broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. But maybe you don’t know why you should eat them…or how! Here’s my list of what naturally green food does for you. I especially like #3 and #4 when it comes to stabilizing blood sugars and reducing inflammation. So, read on! I’ll tell you how to use them next.

 A Dozen Health Benefits of Green Vegetables

Green vegetables are a powerhouse of nutrients to keep you in top form. While I can’t list all of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals they contain, here are my favorites:

1 – Folate

A precursor for methylation, this vitamin occurs in greens almost more than in any other food. So what? Well, methylation processes toxins, builds neurotransmitters, recycles spent hormones, and creates immune cells. But that’s not all: it synthesizes DNA, produces energy, and maintains the integrity of your cell membranes.

2 – Minerals

Probably only liver has more minerals. I bet you’d rather eat spinach than liver. But why are minerals critical? They’re like spark plugs in the body. We call them co-factors, but basically, they help trigger all the reactions and functions your body  performs. For example, take immunity. If you don’t have enough minerals, your immune system can’t regulate itself. It runs too fast or too slow. Then you are vulnerable to allergies, asthma, and autoimmunity on the one hand, or cancer on the other.

3 – Fiber

If you’re concerned about carbohydrate intake, vegetables are the answer. Eat as many as you like of these carbs without spiking blood sugars because their fiber content slows their absorption into the bloodstream. Nature knows that her greener summer is not only pretty, but healthy!

4 – Antioxidants

Green vegetables have many antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, including vitamin C and chlorophyll – the stuff that makes them green! If you really wanted to, I suppose you could just drink liquid vitamin C and chlorophyll. But it’s probably more pleasant to eat Caesar salad and pesto.

5 – Potassium

This humble electrolyte is a champ at fighting bloat and fluid retention. Since you’re not going to find this nutrient in abundance in animal foods, vegetables are your go-to.

6 – Beta carotene

Known as the plant pigment that gives carrots, squash and cantaloupe their color, this nutrient is more prevalent in dark leafy greens than it is in orange vegetables. While you might connect beta carotene to eye health, it is also important for healthy skin. In fact, it is considered a natural sunscreen.

7 – Magnesium

If you’re stressed or have high blood pressure, eat more greens. Magnesium, abundant in vegetables, especially green ones, is a relaxant. That goes for tight muscles and for constricted blood vessels, too.

8 – Calcium

Arguably, dairy foods have more calcium than dark leafy greens. But you only absorb about 30% of that calcium. While broccoli and kale may have less calcium to begin with, you uptake a much higher percentage from them. So to cover your bases, it’s great to round out your diet with plenty of leafy greens to protect your bone health.

9 – Polyphenols

These are micronutrients found only in plants. Among their wide and varied benefits are the ability to fight disease and bolster immunity. Therefore, not only do you need a greener summer, but a greener winter, too.

10 – Prebiotics

You probably know the importance of probiotics to your gut health. The thing is, probiotics are living organisms. That means they need to eat. The beneficial bacteria in your gut tend to languish on simple sugars and refined carbohydrates. However, they thrive on the plant fiber – prebiotic material – that is so hard for you to digest. So, if you think asparagus has too much fiber for your comfort, think again! You are feeding a healthy microbiome, and these bacteria, in turn, are helping you to digest your food.

11 – Chlorophyll

Although I mentioned this amazing nutrient as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant, it has many assets. Chlorophyll is amazing for detoxification because it has the quality of being able to bind heavy metals and escort them out of the body. Chlorophyll helps cleanse your liver.

12 – Live enzymes

When it comes to digestion, enzymes have a lot of work to do. Your body makes digestive enzymes in the pancreas. But the more live enzymes you eat, the less the burden on your pancreas. You are getting live enzymes any time you eat raw plant food, such as celery sticks, cucumber slices, and snap peas.

50 Ways to a Greener Summer

Okay, now that you know why you should eat more green vegetables, let’s talk about how! I get pretty bored with having salads all the time, and a side of broccoli is not very exciting. However, nature is so versatile, there’s no reason to limit yourself to iceberg! Just to get you started, I’ve listed 50 ideas. Since recipes are prolific on the internet, I’ve left the interpretation open to your personal taste.

1. Alfalfa sprouts blended into a fruit smoothie
2. Parsley, finely chopped, and sprinkled into a sausage and sweet potato skillet
3. Mint leaves to perk up a mundane salad
4. Nettle steeped and chilled for iced tea
5. Clover sprouts tucked into wraps
6. Broccoli sprouts on top of avocado toast
7. Cress nestled in sandwiches
8. Spinach, minced and mixed into spaghetti sauce
9. Mung bean sprouts served atop any soup
10. Broccoli, chopped, steamed, and stirred into teriyaki sauce
11. Kale massaged into tropical fruit salad
12. Chives accenting a potato salad
13. Basil on a skewer with tomato and watermelon
14. Arugula tossed with roasted squash, potatoes,beets, and carrots
15. Mesclun mix served with strawberries and poppy seed dressing
16. Pea shoots added to stir-fry
17. Asparagus, chopped, and served in risotto
18. Cilantro blended into avocado & tomatillo dressing for Mexican dishes
19. Brussels sprouts sauteed in an apple & bacon skillet
20. Pesto stirred into white bean soup
21. Collard greens lightly steamed and rolled with any filling for wraps
22. Swiss chard, steamed, and folded into creamy bechamel with green onion
23. Green beans grilled with cherry tomatoes and seasoned with basil and oregano
24. Green bell pepper stuffed with stew, pilaf, or frittata
25. Romaine grilled with olive oil and red pepper flakes before tossing into soup
26. Endive (also known as chicory) lightly braised with andouille sausage and added to pasta
27. Okra simmered in jambalaya
28. Kohlrabi grated into cole slaw
29. Zucchini grated into pancake batter
30. Fennel sauteed in butter with pear halves, then dressed with honey and cream
31. Turnip greens wilted as a bed for meat or fish
32. Beet greens tossed with olive oil and baked until crispy for chips
33. Bok choy shredded into Oriental salad
34. Mustard greens simmered in Indian curry
35. Artichoke hearts accenting pizza
36. Celery, stir-fried, and served with chopped hazelnuts
37. Leeks sliced into scalloped potatoes or baked beans before cooking
38. Scallions sliced into frittata
39. Cabbage slow-cooked with roasts
40. Rapini blanched and sauteed with garlic and baby red potatoes
41. Dandelion greens steeped in a tea
42. Snap peas tossed with green onion slices and feta cheese then dressed with vinaigrette
43. Snow peas sauteed with carrots, drizzled with honey, and topped with peanuts
44. Peas piled onto creamy polenta and topped with parmesan
45. Cucumber, hollowed, and filled with chicken salad
46. Oregano minced into bread dough
47. Fenugreek leaves chopped into Indian butter chicken
48. Spirulina  sprinkled into black bean dip
49. Kelp, dried, and mixed into your salt shaker as a natural source of iodine
50. Nori folded into an omelet

What other ways can you think of to have a greener summer?