I Heart Beets!!!!
I'm almost positive I get a sample of the beet and fennel salad in the deli at work every day!! Hahaha Chelsea probably hates me!! I had never tried beets until I started working at Fresh and Natural and now I feel like a beet addict! ;) I love adding steamed beets to my dark green raw salads or roasting them in the oven! Here is a link to some wonderful beet recipes to try: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/recipes/index.shtml#BEETS
Beets are an excellent source of hearth-healthy folate and a very good source of the antioxidant manganese and heart-healthy potassium. Beets contain digestive-supportive dietary fiber, free radical scavenging vitamin C and copper, bone-healthy magnesium, and energy-producing iron and phosphorus.
Tips for Preparing Beets
Rinse gently under cold running water, taking care not to tear the skin, which helps keep the health-promoting pigments inside. Since beet juice can stain your skin, wearing kitchen gloves is a good idea when handling beets. If your hands become stained like mine during the cleaning and cooking process, simply rub some lemon juice on them to remove the stain to avoid the "I just committed a murder" hands!! :)
Cut beets into quarters leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of stem on the beets.
The Healthiest Way of Cooking Beets
Cook beets lightly. Studies show beets' concentration of phytonutrients, such as betalains, is diminished by heat. I recommend healthy steaming beets for 15 minutes to maximize their nutrition and flavor. Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to a rapid boil Add beets, cover, and steam for 15 minutes.
Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork or the tip or knife into the beet. Peel beets by setting them on a cutting board and rubbing the skin off with a paper towel. Wearing kitchen gloves will help prevent your hands from becoming stained.
Flaxseeds!
For a teeny tiny seed, the flaxseed sure does pack a punch! Regular consumption of flaxseeds delivers huge quantities of lignans and alpha linolenic acid (not to mention bunches of fiber). Why do we care? Well...· Alpha linolenic acid is an essential omega-3 fat that produces anti-inflammatory effects. This means fewer symptoms of asthma, less arthritis, fewer migraines, and less chance of osteoporosis.
· In the standard American diet, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is skewed. We tend to take in too much omega-6, which promotes inflammation and bone loss. Increased omega-3 consumption (through foods like flaxseeds and walnuts) helps readjust that ratio.
· Omega-3 fats help reduce the formation of blood clots-which means less risk of heart attack and stroke.
· Omega-3 fats also keep cell membranes flexible, enabling better absorption of nutrients and eliminations of waste. There's no point in extra healthy eating if the nutrients can't make it all way into your cells, now is there?
· Flaxseeds also do an amazing job of controlling cholesterol. One study found that people who ingested 20 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of ground flaxseeds each day reduced their cholesterol counts at about the same rate as those who took Statin drugs.
· Flaxseeds also contains high quantities of lignans, which protect against breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Lignans also work to cut off the blood supply to tumors, thus reducing the likelihood of cancerous growth.
· AND, regular flaxseed intake has been shown to reduce dry eyes and minimize hot flashes.
Pretty impressive for a little seed, huh?
And flaxseeds are versatile, too. Flaxseeds can be eaten whole or ground (they're pretty tasty sprinkled on salads, in smoothies, meatloaf, cereals, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, peanut butter, or other dishes) or used as a base for raw crackers, breads, and cookies. And flaxseed oil makes for a great salad dressing-light and yummy drizzled over air-popped popcorn with a little sea salt!!
One of my friends makes about the easiest dressing I've ever seen using flax oil: she uses a spray bottle to mist oil on the salad, and then seasons it with fresh-ground sea salt and pepper. It's amazingly good for something so simple!
Look for them at any natural food store in the refrigerated bulk section or in bags. They come in the whole seed form or ground into meal. I recommend buying the seeds and grinding them yourself at home and storing them in the fridge. Be sure to use them up within one week because they contain oil and oils go rancid quickly!
Add ground flaxseed to your diet gradually. Adding too much fiber to your diet at one time can produce some uncomfortable gastrointestinal effects which can be reduced with a gradual increase. When adding ground flaxseed to your diet, drink plenty of water to prevent constipation. Discover the great nutty taste and health benefits of flaxseeds!
Bowden, J. (2007). The 150 healthiest foods on earth. Massachusetts: Fair Winds Press
Holford, P. (2004). The optimum nutrition bible (revised and updated ed.). California: Crossing Press.
Smoothies!!!!
I have been making and eating alot of raw food/green smoothies lately!! I pretty much combine whatever I have in my refrigerator or freezer. Here are some of the things I randomly throw into my Magic Bullet Blender any given day:
water
lemon juice
cranberry juice
tart cherry juice
frozen acai berries
kale
collard greens
spinach
beets
daikon radish
carrots
sprouts
dandelion greens
blueberries
strawberries
banana
raspberries
cherries
apple
dulse
garlic
spirulina
chlorella
greens powder
plant protein powder
ground flaxseed
fish oil
All these ingredients are nutritional powerhouses!! Green smoothies are very beneficial to the body!
-full of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants
-help with inflammation
-a stronger immune system
- increase mental clarity
- less 'brain fog' and better memory
- better digestion and absorption of nutrients
- effortless and healthy weight loss
- clearer skin and brighter eyes
- liver and kidney support through detoxification
- cravings for sugar, salt and fats decrease
- energy increases, less need for sleep
- blood sugars are naturally stabilized
- your body's natural PH balance is restored to more alkaline levels
-have cancer-protection properties
and the list goes on and on!!
I challenge you to experiment and see what you can come up with! Drink up!! :)
"When I Started Loving Myself"
This was written by Charlie Chaplin on his 70th birthday on April 16, 1959.
"When I started loving myself, I’ve understood that I’m always, and at any given opportunity, in the right place at the right time. And I’ve understood that all that happens is right. From then on, I could be calm. Today I know it is called trust.
When I started to love myself, I understood how much it can offend somebody when I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I know it is called respect.
When I started loving myself, I could recognize that emotional pain and grief are just warnings for me to not live against my own truth. Today I know it is called authentically being.
When I started loving myself, I have stopped longing for another life and could see that everything around me was a request to grow. Today I know it is called maturity.
When I started loving myself, I’ve stopped depriving myself of my free time and I’ve stopped sketching further magnificent projects for the future. Today I only do what’s fun and joy for me, what I love and what makes my heart laugh, in my own way and in my tempo. Today I know it is called honesty.
When I started loving myself, I’ve escaped from all that wasn’t healthy for me; from dishes, people, things, situations, and from everything pulling me down and away from myself. In the beginning I called it the “healthy egoism”, but today I know it is called self love.
When I started loving myself, I’ve stopped wanting to be always right; thus I’ve been less wrong. Today I’ve recognized it is called humbleness.
When I started loving myself, I’ve refused to live further in the past and to worry about my future. Now I live only at this moment where everything takes place. Like this, I live every day and I call it consciousness.
When I started loving myself, I recognized that my thinking can make me miserable and sick. When I though requested for my heart forces, my mind got an important partner. I call this connection today heart wisdom.
We do not need to fear further discussions, conflicts and problems with ourselves and others since even stars sometimes bang on each other and create new worlds.
Today I know this is this life!"
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Jackie Mart
Holistic Nutritionist, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker & Fitness Instructor
