10 Tips to Increase Your Fruits and Veggies - Part 2 of 3

How did you do last week? Were you able to add more Fruits and Veggies to your day? When you sit down to dinner this week look at your plate. What percentage is veggie (cooked and raw)?  If it is 25%, increase to 50% for a few meals and notice how you feel.  Also, stop by a local farmers market or farm stand for seasonal apples. The Honey Crisp are fantastic and make an easy to pack snack!

Hated it as a kid?

Try a new vegetable or maybe one you disliked as a child. Not a fan of Brussels sprouts or asparagus as a kid? Try roasting them at 400 or 450 degrees (depending on how your oven cooks) with a little coconut oil for 30 – 40 minutes checking for desired “doneness” at 20 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sea salt. (See my Brussels sprout recipe below)

Grab and Go Snacks

Make fruits and vegetables your snack option instead of chip, pretzels, or candy. Keep fruit washed and ready to grab, and make up veggie snack bags with sliced carrots, celery, and cherry tomatoes.  Make up 5 every Sunday for the week ahead. 

I'll have what she's having!

Have a green juice from the Plant Bar at Belvedere Square or Zia’s in Towson or The Natural in Cockeysville instead of an afternoon coffee or tea. Make sure the juice you order is 80% vegetable and 20% fruit. You will feel the energy! Just give it a try. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

3T unrefined melted coconut oil
2T Bragg Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2t Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
2 lb Brussels Sprouts, washed and halved (fresh is best but frozen from Trader Joe’s works)

Mix all ingredients together….might need to use your hands. In a 400 degree oven roast for 15-20 minutes and toss. Roast for another 10 -15 minutes to desired "doneness".

10 Tips to Increase Your Fruits and Veggies! - Part 1 of 3

You’ve been hearing it since you were a kid, “eat your veggies!” and you probably have said it you your own kids! The big question is how do you put it into practice and make it enjoyable?  Most Americans score sub par so don’t feel you are in the minority if you’re not making fruit and veggies a part of your daily routine. If you start by taking small steps to add a little more to each meal and snack in time you will reap the rewards.  Whole, plant foods are nutrient dense and loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and water.  They provide structure to your diet and will help to balance cravings, will keep you full longer, reduce inflammation so you feel better and have greater sense of wellness.  Plus when you focus on adding more of the “good” in time some of the “bad” will begin to slip away!

As a community we can focus on making it fun and exciting! Make a commitment for the next 30 days to increase fruits and vegetables in your diet.  It’s important to set a specific goal that’s attainable and realistic. Write your goal down and record your fruit and veggie consumption. Don’t go it alone!  Partner with your spouse, a neighbor, coworker or friend and check in with each other daily to hold each other accountable. 

Here are some 3 tips to get you started! Try at least one and let me know which ones become a part of your food choices.

1)  Add Fruits and Vegetables to Breakfast

Start your day off right with a Green Smoothie (see recipe below); add sautéed spinach or zucchini, peppers & onions to eggs; add fruit to warm oatmeal; in a hurry grab an apple and some raw nuts to eat on your commute.

2)  Add Veggie Soup

Now that winter is approaching add veggie soup as a lunch option or as a starter for dinner. If you are making it at home increase the amount of veggies the recipe calls for. Atwater’s with various locations around Baltimore always have vegetable soup options with like veggie lentil or gazpacho .

3)  Easy on the Sauce!

When preparing chicken or wild salmon for your next dinner party instead of making a sauce,  sauté chopped onion, mushrooms, peppers and zucchini to serve over with a shake of sea salt and chopped parsley.

Recipe

Drink Your Greens Juice

8oz water or nondairy milk like almond, coconut, hemp or rice
1-2 frozen bananas
1c fresh or frozen fruit like blueberries, pineapple, mango, peaches, apple, pear
1-2c greens or veggie option like spinach, kale, chard, dandelion greens, celery, zucchini, cucumber , canned no sugar pumpkin

Combinations to try

Banana-strawberry-celery or cucumber
Banana-mango-spinach
Banana-pineapple-dandelion
Banana-pumpkin and 1t pumpkin pie spice, ½ t vanillia, 1T maple syrup or 1 date

Quick and Easy Pesto "Pasta" Salad

Summer Porch Dinners are my favorite. Our garden is flooded with basil and zucchini so together they make PESTO🍃

For the pasta I tossed spiralized yellow zucchini with Trader Joe's organic quinoa and brown rice pasta. Then I topped it with fresh peas. Always serve on a bed of greens and sweet corn on the side 🌽 I hope you Enjoy it!  As always, please share if you like it and send me your comments below!

Pesto - Dairy Free & Raw
Blend all ingredients in Vitamix or high speed blender:
Bunch of Basil
1 Zucchini
Juice of Lemon
1/4-1/3c Raw Cashews
1/4 - 1/3 c Pine Nuts
4 cloves garlic
1-2T Olive Oil Sea Salt
 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

What do you feed your soul with?

Me, I love movies! And when I find one I love, I can't wait to share it.

This movie is fantastic. Our whole family saw it and has been quoting it non-stop. Funny, poignant, and heart-warming all wrapped up in one.  I haven't laughed so much in years.

I hope you'll try it out and pass it along if you like it too!  Right now it is playing at the Charles Theater in Baltimore, MD. 

P.S. Happy Birthday, Ricky Baker!

Blended Lemon Water...how I start my day!

My morning lemon water blend is loaded with vitamins, minerals and enzymes to boost nutrition reduce inflammation and aid digestion. 

Although lemons have citric acid, they leave an alkaline ash on the body and are considered one of the most alkaline foods. (If we’ve met for a nutritional consult we’ve probably discussed the role alkaline foods play in the diet.)  Lemons are loaded with Vitamin C, Folate, B6, Vitamin E plus Potassium, Magnesium and Copper. They aid digestion because the acid is similar to stomach acid, so the body begins to produce bile in the liver to keep everything moving along smoothly.  It encourages food to be digested more slowly, so there is less of an insulin spike and more nutrients are absorbed. Lemons also stimulate the liver to flush out toxins and are a natural diuretic. 

Like lemons, parsley is alkaline and supports the immune system. It is rich in Vitamins C, B12, K and A plus Iron, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Zinc. Like lemons parsley flushes fluid which supports kidney function. It is also said to lower blood pressure, reduces joint pain and relax stiff muscles because of its anti-inflammatory properties.  

Everything You Wanted to Know About Yoga...but were afraid to ask!

YOGA seems to be everywhere! You hear the buzz around the office about classes being offered. You see folks walking into the gym with mats in hand. You pass the local studio on your way to pick up groceries. Even your kids come home from school doing Tree Pose and Cobra! Even though it seems like everyone is doing it you wonder if it’s right for you, but are afraid to ask!

The body is meant to MOVE and increasing strength and flexibility along with balance is important as we age. Yoga is the answer to what is needed, but so many have a preconceived idea as to what Yoga is and shy away before even stepping onto the mat. If you’ve got an idea of what you think Yoga is “let it go” and be open to a thousands of years old practice that is available to all levels and ages.

Q: I can’t do Yoga because I’m not flexible.

A: Very few are “naturally” flexible. In a class you will learn how to open the body and become more flexible. Usually it takes building strength and learning how to use opposing muscles to gain flexibility. 

Yoga was actually created to build flexibility knowing that the practitioner isn’t.  And it’s not only about physical flexibility. You might notice it in the mind as well! 

Q: Is Yoga like a religion or a cult?

A: Yoga is not a religion or a cult, but can be a spiritual practice if you’d like it to be. The physical practice is just one branch of the complete yoga practice. It can be a meditation if practitioner’s focus is on the breath and stilling the mind while practicing the postures. 

Q: I went to a Yoga class and it wasn’t for me.

A: If you went to one class and didn’t enjoy it try another! There are many different styles of yoga each with a different focus. If you tried a power yoga class and are new to Yoga find a gentle, beginner’s class.. It’s essential for enjoyment to have a comfortable grasp on how to do the postures correctly. If you have injuries look for an Iyengar class that uses props and focuses on proper alignment. Talk to the teacher. Ask about his/her training and experience level. Some styles of yoga focus more on breath while others are more centered around the body. 

Q: Do I need to chant in a Yoga class?

A: Yes and No. Like the practice it is all your choice. The teacher will lead the class giving cues and it’s the students choice based on how it feels whether to do the posture or modify based on physical needs and limitation. Most teachers will give modifications. As to chanting not all teachers do. If yours does and you choose not to sit, enjoy and breathe.  

Q: Isn’t Yoga for 20 year olds who wear tight lululemon pants?

A: Yoga is for all levels and ages. Again it’s about finding a level class that you enjoy and a teacher with whom you connect.

Once you get hooked you will learn how much Yoga can teach you both on your mat and off.  It is your chance to get off the treadmill and slow down for an hour. You will learn that it’s not about “being good at it”, but how much you learn on the journey.