Category: Healthy Eating

Eating Seasonally Using Fall’s Bounty

Fall was a time in traditional societies to harvest the bounty of produce grown and to prepare them for storage over the winter months.  It was also a time to gather resources in preparation for the colder weather.

Now it’s also the time to set the stage for your health and well-being over the coming holiday season.  Your food choices now will help determine your health during the coming winter months.  By eating health supportively now, you boost your immune system and keep a healthy weight which becomes a foundation to see you through the next 4 months of frequent holiday celebrating.

Fall gives us an amazing selection of immune building foods like the pumpkin and winter squash families as well as tubers like yams and carrots.  These complex carbohydrates give us a naturally balanced sweet taste and stabilizes blood sugar fending off the munchies.  This in turn gives us a steady stream of readily available energy throughout the day.  The naturally sweet complex carbs also help us to adjust to the shorter days.

Combining these yellow and orange friends with a serving of whole grain such as brown rice, quinoa, or millet and a helping of protein along with ample amounts of low startch veggies gives you a health building, tasty meal which will also help keep your weight stable through winter.

SEASONAL PRODUCE PICKS:

Starchy Veggies:  Pumpkins, winter squashes (kabocha, banana, acorn) carrots, yams

Low Starch Veggies:  Brocolli,  Choy, Chard, Cauliflower, Kale

Fruits:  Apples, pears, persimmons, figs, pomegranates

Fall is the time to harvest many varieties of nuts to use as condiments or crunchy additions to grain and veggies recipes.  Enjoy the bounty of produce available through the coming months by creatively adding one new veggie, grain or fruit recipe each week.

A Votre Sante,

Kaaren

Gluten & Dairy Free Substitutes…Summer Holiday Favorites

With Memorial Day weekend almost upon us, closely followed by July Fourth celebrations, here are some healthy substitutes for summer time favorites to help keep you on track.

Everyone loves to indulge in ice cream and & fruit shortcakes at summer bar-b-ques, but if you are gluten & dairy intolerant, the summer celebrations can be a challenge.

If you have been invited to a party, bringing your own special contribution to the meal is usually welcomed by your hosts.  When throwing your own celebration, you can always have the traditional fare and offer some alternative dishes for both you & your guests.

Both “Soo Delicious” & “Pure Decadence”  offer a variety of  wonderful coconut milk/agave sweetened ice cream substitutes.  My husband, who is an ice cream connisseur, actually prefers “Pure Decadence” to ice cream.  If you can handle rice based products, “Rice Dream” makes a killer mint chocolate chip ice cream along with carob/chocolate coated “rice cream” bars.  I really like these!!

You can easily make your own shortcakes in less than 30 minutes by substituting any gluten-free baking/biscuit mix for the flour in a traditional shortcakes recipe.  Just top the short cakes with your favorite sliced fruit marinated in frozen unsweetened orange or apple juice concentrate.  Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches  nectarines are great toppers.  We like to do combinations of fresh seasonal fruits.  Gild the lily with a scoop of any of the above ice cream substitutes.

To kick grilled chicken or fish up a notch, simply marinate for a few hours in “Sis Meliss”  gluten, soy & sweetner free Balsamic Vinaigrette.

For amazing grilled veggies, marinate in the same “Sis Meliss” vinaigrette.  Some super veggies to grill are any of the summer squashes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, zucchini & mushrooms.  Be sure to make a lot because guests usually go back for seconds & thirds.  If there are any leftovers, just toss into some cooked pasta for a tasty pasta salad.

Red potatoes halved & tossed in olive oil with some Spice Hunter or Frontier Pizza blend are a nice side dish.

For a refreshing spritzer, mix your favorite unsweetened fruit juice with sparkling water.  Float a few sliced strawberries with a slice of lemon or lime in each glass for some flair.  If you freeze the fruit slices it will keep a large punch bowl of this spritzer cool for hours without the diluting factor of ice cubes.

Some simple treats to beat the heat around the pool are a selection of sliced frozen & cubed fresh fruits.  Whole grapes, sliced oranges, pineapple, mango, nectarines, kiwi, strawberries, & peaches work well, along with cubed melons.

Remember to keep your water intake up during the summer months especially if you have imbibed in alcoholic beverages..as well as your low starch veggies.

A Votre Sante……

Kaaren

Tasty Tips For Making Easy Veggies

The most important food component that will create maintain well being, is to make at least 50% of your daily intake our low starch veggie friends, who turn on our “Inner Healer”.

Sometimes this is “easier said than done” due to busy lifestyles, travel, or simply because you become bored with the same thing day after day.

Here are some tips that amp up the taste quotient & are great for on the go lifestyles.

1) If cutting up fresh veggies for every meal is not possible 100% of the time, it’s better to use flash frozen low starch vegetables rather than lowering your intake or skipping them all together.  Just read the labels to make sure you are getting 100% veggies, not  any added salt, seasonings or sauces.

Trader Joe’s is a chain of discount gourmet-health foods in many US cities.  They have great organic whole green beans, mushroom combos,  a spring greens medley, aspargus, artichoke hearts as well as the traditional mixes & singles.   Steaming a bag or two for a meal & saving the leftovers to toss into salads or pasta is a super time saver.

2)  Use one of the many salt, yeast ,MSG, & gluten free seasoning blends by either the Spice Hunter or Frontier brands stirred into your steamed , sauteed veggies, purees, or salads.  These brands can be bought at most standard chains or purchased online.   Most  supermarket department managers are happy to special order upon request. They are well worth the effort to find & easily pack for trips.

Some of my favorites are Spice Hunter Pasta, Herbs de Provence, Italian, Poultry,  Deliciously Dill & Italian Herb blends.  Frontier makes a super Pizza , Poultry, Italian, & fish blend as well.

3)  Drizzling a tablespoon of a low sodium, sweetner free salad dressing over your salad or added to lightly steamed/sauteed low starch veggies after cooking can be very satisfying.

Sis Meliss (www:sismeliss.com) makes  a low sodium, gluten & sweetener free Balsamic Vinagrette that does double duty as a marinade for proteins, a salad dressing,  wheat free pasta salad marinade or as an addition to cooked veggies.

I like to marinate leftover lightly cooked vegetables & wheat free pasta overnight in the Sis Meliss dressing for a nice portable lunch.

4)You can also puree a medley of lightly cooked vegetables with some homemade chicken broth for a quick soup.

QUICK CHICKEN BROTH

I cook bone in chicken breast  covered in several cups of water adding seasonings of choice, some celery stalks, whole onion, & parsley.  When the breast are cooked through, I strain the broth into ice cube trays & keep the chicken on hand to toss into salads or a stirfry.  When the broth cubes are solid, I put them into a freezer bag to use later as a soup base or to sautee in.

5)  If you are having a meal out, are traveling, or bring take out home, simply put a few fork holes into a zucchini or crooked neck yellow squash & microwave for 1 minute on two sides will provide a health supportive balance.  Remember, the low starch veggies are are alkalinizers & turn on our “Inner Healer”.

The “nuked” zucchini or crooked neck yellow squash can be added to a pizza, layered into a sandwhich or burger or sliced into a pasta dish.  This tip is a life saver when traveling as most hotels have microwaves in the rooms & all grocery stores have zucchini.

6)  Of course, the Bieler’s Soup recipe from my ebook is one of the all time best combinations of healing veggies I have found.

A Votre Sante…..Kaaren

Spring Cleaning Part II

With the Spring equinox just past & warmer weather approaching, it’s a good time to start “spring cleaning” for your body.

This does not have to be in the form of a strict extended water or juice fast, but instead a more gentle, supportive approach to rid your body of winter accumulations.

1) Start by taking a day or 2…or 3 off your usual routine to begin a short Bieler’s Soup fast. Every hour or so, have a cup of Bieler’s Soup either hot or cold. You may add a squeeze of lemon or lime using any of your favorite herbs/spices for flavoring. Just avoid adding salt.

2) Make sure to drink at least 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of pure water (not tap) throughout the day to assist in cleansing.

3) For additional benefits, Art of Health’s “Deep Nourishment” or “Soothing Comfort” teas are not only delicious, but restorative. I like mine with a bit of stevia added either hot or cold.

4) A daily bath with 8 oz. of Epsom salts & a few drops of lavendar or chammomile essential oils will help you to relax, restore balance to the cental nervous system & assist the detox through the skin.

5) Some form of mild excercise such as restorative yoga,lwalking, or swimming is best during the fast so as not to tax your body.

6) Go onto my website & use some of the Natural Self Care Healing tools for a few minutes a day. Jin Shin Jyutsu self care is an amazingly simple, but powerful natural healing tool.

After the fast, go back to a health supportive eating plan as outlined in “Eat Your Way To Health”.

If you find yourself experiencing “build up” symptoms during the short fast such as mild headaches, body aches, low energy, or skin erruptions during the “spring cleaning”, this will usually pass in 2-3 days. Using the Jin Shin Jyutsu & daily baths will help to alleviate cleansing symptoms.

Of course, if these symptoms persist or worsen in the days following the fast, you may need to enlist the help of a holistic health care or medical practitioner to sort things out.

Stay tuned for more tips to create optimal health next month.

Kaaren

Spring Cleaning

With the end of winter fast approaching, here are a few easy to prepare, tasty recipes to get a head start on “spring cleaning”…and increase your daily low starch veggie quota.

ROASTED LEMON BROCOLLI

2, 1 lb. packages of frozen brocolli
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tlbs. grated lemon rind
1 lemon
Spice Hunter Pasta Seasoning to taste

Place frozen brocolli on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, lemon rind, & Spice Hunter Pasta Seasoning. Bake @ 400 for 25 minutes. Just before serving squeeze the lemon juice over the batch & serve. Great hot or cold.

I often make a double recipe to have on hand to toss into lunch salads or pasta.

CITRUS KALE SAUTEE

2 cups finely chopped kale
3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tbls. fresh lemon or lime juice
4 tbls. olive oil

Lightly steam kale & fennel until just wilted/tender but still retaining color. Drain well & toss with olive oil & citrus juices.

Serve hot or cold.

DANDELION GREENS WITH MUSHROOMS

3 cups of coarsely chopped dandelion greens
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (shiitake are my favorite)
4 tbls olive oil
2 tsp Spice Hunter Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Lightly blanch dandelion greens & drain well. In a spearte pan sauteed the mushrooms in olive oil until tender adding the Spice Hunter Italian Seasoning & garlic powder. Combine with the dandelion greens & serve hot or cold.

I make a double batch of this to have served up on a slice of my favorite wheat free/yeast free toasted bread. It’s a great open faced snack that is also a super liver detoxer. For a quick light meal, top with 2 poached eggs.

Coming Next Month…..”Spring Cleaning Tips”

Tasty Treats To Tame a Sweet Tooth

All of us enjoy sitting down with a favorite sweet treat. If you are choosing health supportive foods on a regular basis, indulging in a special sweet now & then won’t do any harm.

Here are some of my client’s “two thumbs up” recipes.

CAROB HAYSTACKS

2 tbls. coconut oil
16 oz. unsweetened carob chips
3 tbls. small sized unsulphered raisons
3/4 cup oat bran or “No-Salt Crispy Rice” cereal

optional: 2 tbls finely chopped raw, unsalted pecans or walnuts

Heat the carob chips & coconut oil in a double boiler or a Pryex/heat proof bowl over boiling water. Stir constantly until melted & smooth.

Pour over the raison/oatbran or cereal/nut mixture in a separate bowl mixing until all dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Drop by the tablespoon onto a plate or cookie sheet covered with wax paper or foil & refrigerate until firm. Store at room temperature or in the frig.

CAROB OR CHOCOLATE FONDUE

16 oz. grain sweetened carob or chocolate chips
1/2 tsp sugar & alchohol free almond/mint/orange/coffee extract

Fresh fruit of choice sliced/cut into uniform bite sized pieces. Some favorites are: Kiwi,pineapple,grapes,strawberries,bananas,apples,pears,orange or tangerine segments.

Wooden skewers or forks for dipping

Melt carob or chocolate chips in a double bioler or a heat proof bowl over boiling water stirring constantly until smooth. Add extract of choice.

Have fruit & skewers ready to dip into the hot fondue.

QUICK AND EASY FRUIT CRUMBLE

Fruit Filling:

3 cups of sliced fresh fruit of choice. Apples, peaches, nectarines, pears & berries or a combination of, work well. Frozen, unsweetened fruit is fine too.

1 tbls. cinnamon
3 tbls arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl adding the fruit tossing well until uniformly coated. Then add 1 cup apple juice concentrate stirring well, reserving 1/2 cup of the apple jiuce concentrate for the Crumble Topping.

Put into a heat proof baking dish & top with the following crumble.

Crumble Topping:

1 package Mrs. Denson’s Wheat Free Fruit Juice Sweetened, Oat-walnut cookies (or similar)
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter

Crush cookies & mix with 1/2 cup apple jiuce concentrate & the melted butter> spread evenly over the fruit & bake @ 350 for 1 hour.

Serve hot or cold. I like mine with a few tablespoons or Pure Decadence coconut ice cream.

Enjoy!!