Category Archives: Vegetables

January 25, 2013 · 8:55 am

Why Get Sick…

…when you can NOT get sick?

Unfortunately, it’s that time of year…you know the one I’m talking about. The germy, sniffly, feel yuck time of year. Don’t join that party. Because we all know it ain’t any kind of party.

So on that note, here are my best recommendations for fighting off the flus and colds and other gross mystery illnesses:

1. Wash your hands!

Wash ’em right and wash ’em often! Use warm, soapy water. Wash for the duration of 2 renditions of Happy Birthday. That may sound like an eternity, but it’s 10-15 seconds. Let’s not be dramatic.

2. Greens

Eat your greens, drink your greens…whatever. Just get as many green veggies into your body as you can. They are your best defense.

Cooking them is especially good this time of year, as it will be warming to your system and will kill off any bacteria. Don’t overcook, of course. Just lightly steam or sautee them. And add a bit of healthy fat after cooking, like olive oil or avocado, so the vitamins and minerals are better assimilated into your body.

3. Berries and Citrus

Eat your antioxidant-rich foods! Berries and citrus are loaded with Vitamin C and and good-for-you vitamins. It’s very important to eat real, whole foods, to stay healthy and to recover faster if you do get sick.

Additionally, organic blueberries are more reasonably-priced this time of year. And berries are low in sugar. See #7 for more on that.

4. Rest

Tired? Don’t go get a quadruple latte. Take a few minutes to lie down and let your body recharge. If it’s tired and you caffeinate, you’re just going against it and that’s not going to work out well for you in the end.

5. Herbal Remedies

I recommend Gaia Respiratory Defense, Black Elderberry, Ashwagandha, and Astragalus Reishi. These help you fight stress and boost your immunity. Take note, my pregnant readers: these are not for you.

Screen shot 2013-01-24 at 11.02.42 PMScreen shot 2013-01-24 at 11.24.36 PM

6. Fish Oil

Fish oil fights systemic inflammation, so it’s a good idea to take a high quality one daily to support the immune system and overall health. It also boosts fertility, is essential for pregnant women and their growing babies, as well as those suffering from arthritis, heart disease, or other chronic diseases.

My recommendation is Pharmax Finest Pure Fish Oil Capsules – all pcbs, dioxins and mercury have been removed and these won’t give you fish burps.

Screen shot 2013-01-25 at 8.49.53 AM

7. Avoid sugar
Know what won’t boost your immunity? You guessed it: sugar. Sugar wreaks havoc on your immune system and leaves you vulnerable to all the nasty bugs out there. And once the bug is in your system, it feeds on sugar and exacerbates the illness.

If you love your sweet stuff, my recommendation is to ease way up when you’re feeling sick. Otherwise, you’ll just be sick for longer. The choice is yours…

Hope you all stay healthy out there!

6 Comments

Filed under Health, Products, Sugar, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

October 25, 2012 · 9:19 am

Day of Pumpkin

Halloween is almost upon us! Halloween is a favorite holiday in our house, so I thought I’d get in the spirit a little early with a day of pumpkin.

Yup. Pumpkin for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Two posts ago, I had some requests for pumpkin soup. I heard you loud and clear and here’s what I’ve come up with…

Take a fresh sugar pumpkin, cut it in half, and scoop out seeds and strings.

(For roasted pumpkin seeds: separate out the seeds, wash and dry them discarding the strings, and roast them at 350 for no more than 20 minutes with sweet or savory seasoning – a great snack for you pregnant gals!)

Put a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake the halves skin up, flesh down at 375 for about 30 minutes. You should be able to slice a knife through it.

Scoop out baked flesh and put in blender or food processor.

Add 1 tsp of ground vanilla bean, 1 tbsp of coconut crystals, a few shakes of nutmeg, and liberal shakes of cinnamon. I recommend purchasing organic spices, of course.

Add in water, coconut milk (I made my own – see below for the recipe!), or broth (if for soup), and blend until smooth. Amount of liquid needed depends on how much pumpkin there is – start with a little and just keep adding until pumpkin is smooth but not watery.

You now have a delicious, sweet base! (Alter spices to make it more or less sweet.)

First, I had it in my oatmeal for breakfast. I added in chia seeds, raspberries, oats, cacao nibs…you can get creative with it.

Then I ate it by the spoonful for a sweet snack throughout the day. It made a great dessert after lunch!

And lastly, I turned it into a soup for dinner. I put the puree back into a pot, added in all kinds of veggies – mushrooms, celery, carrots, cabbage, broccolini – and cooked it all for a few minutes. Then I added a few pieces of leftover chicken on top and…Voila! Soup! And a one-pot dish, no less!

Make sure to either use a bit of coconut milk or coconut oil in the mix so you absorb the vitamins. We cannot absorb all the vitamins and minerals in our veggies without a little fat. That’s especially important for my pregnant readers – getting the most out of your food is critical now!

Now for the Coconut Milk Recipe…

Combine 1 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut and 3 cups hot water in a blender. Blend for about 2 minutes or until it looks creamy and you have a good froth on top. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer.

That’s it! Quick, easy, and without all the additives you’ll find in store-bought coconut milk.

I, of course, added a couple shakes of cinnamon (as always!) to the mix because I love cinnamon and it serves as an anti-microbial while adding a little hint of flavor. Double bonus!

See Adventures in Nut Milk for more nut milk recipes.

3 Comments

Filed under Chicken, Coconut, Health, Recipe, Snacks, Soup, Spices, Vegetables

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

September 28, 2012 · 11:05 am

Falling Into Fall

Wow. Summer is done. I think it’s officially the fastest season of the four. Every year it seems to fly by in a flash!

I hope you all managed to squeeze in a relaxing vacation. Ever noticed how amazing someone looks after some R & R? Yeah. Vacations are super healthy.

I wish I could say I took one, but alas, there’s too much going on for me right now. I’ve been working ’round the clock!

And although it was a VERY busy summer, it was a fulfilling one. The most rewarding things are those we work hardest at, and I can say that I’ve seen many labors of love come to fruition of late. (Keep reading for more on that!)

As we settle into Fall, I’ll revisit some old recipes I haven’t made in awhile and stick my hand into a fresh pumpkin again!

Pumpkin is absolutely one of my favorite foods – I love the taste and I love that it’s high in fiber and low in calories, as well as rich in so many vitamins and minerals. I add it to oatmeal, smoothies, steamed veggies, baked goods…pretty much anything I can.

And pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are a superfood – loaded with good stuff we need like magnesium and zinc – as well as high in protein and fiber. But don’t over-roast them: 20 minutes is the max.

**For all my pregnant readers, you should know that pumpkin seeds are a fantastic food for you and your growing baby. With important vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, you should make these little guys a regular addition to your snacks or meals.

As for those labors of love I mentioned above, I am thrilled to announce that we have opened our much-anticipated Roastery Roll-Up Bar at Barefoot Coffee Roasters. It looks amazing and our incredible team has worked incredibly hard on it. Many thanks to them for making my vision a reality.

So come on over to Barefoot Coffee Roasters at 76 Sunol Street in San Jose for some kickass coffee!

 

7 Comments

Filed under Health, Superfoods, Vegetables

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

September 15, 2012 · 10:24 am

Dehydratin’ Away…

So the hubby and I are pretty much inseparable. We work together, we live together (obviously), and we go places together. It’s awesome. And the dog ain’t far behind.

I mean, look at that face. Would you leave her? Exactly.

But this week, I have a new best friend. Her name is Excalibur.

That’s right. Health Coach Jillian is dehydratin’ the bejesus out of anything she can get her hands on with her new 5-tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator. It’s BPA-free and phthalate-free.

But if the hubby feels threatened, he has only himself to blame. (And maybe two employees at Whole Foods.) All three commented on my out of control addiction to kale chips. All of them said, “Why don’t you make your own?”

The first time I got the question I replied, “Whenever I make kale chips in the oven, they burn.”

But last time I got the question, I fielded it differently. “MY DEHYDRATOR IS ON ITS WAY TO ME!! I JUST ORDERED IT!”

Okay, maybe the cashier was unprepared for that level of enthusiasm, but he asked and with my Excalibur en route, I was excited. Super excited.

So now I’m trying anything that sounds like it will taste good when dried out: apple with cinnamon, strawberries, figs, carrots, zucchini, and of course, kale.

Now, one might wonder what the point is. Don’t we want the water that’s in these foods? Sure!

And when you eat dehydrated food you should drink water to rehydrate. So it seems totally pointless, right?

Not exactly.

I keep the temperature on 105F so the foods are still technically raw, but cooked. Cooking with high heat destroys much of the nutrients in food, but at this temperature, I’m preserving the nutrients and the live enzymes that are in raw food. And I get on-the-go healthy snack food – like carrot chips and zucchini chips. This way, I can make some healthy concoctions instead of always eating cold food out of the fridge. But mostly, I just eat truckloads of kale chips.

Finally, I gotta give a special shout out to the Mom and Dad – my new bestie is a result of some birthday cashola (yes, HCJ gets older in the summertime). Thanks, guys! I’m having a blast with my new toy!

13 Comments

Filed under BPA, Chemicals, Fruit, Health, Organic, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Water

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

September 8, 2012 · 10:44 am

Crockpot Chicken Extraordinaire

Whoa. I freakin’ knocked dinner out of the park last night.

Normally, the husband and I take to the kitchen separately to make our own salads. That’s right. The husband eats salads for dinner. How great is that?

But yesterday I said, “Husband! We’re having chicken tonight.”

(There were vegetables, too, of course. And it was all organic. You know how I roll.)

And the best part? In all it’s deliciousness, it couldn’t have been easier.

For the veggies, I sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and green beans in coconut oil and Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle. That’s it. You’ll get the au jus from the chicken so no need for more flavor. You can do whatever veggies you want, however you want, but make sure you’ve got some greens in there. 😉

As for the chicken, I did it slow cooker style. Meat was falling off the bone. You’re welcome.

Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle 24 Herbs & Spices
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon of turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 onion
  • 1 large chicken

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
  2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  3. Remove giblets from the chicken (HCJ’s secret: have the meat guy do that for you).
  4. Rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
  5. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. Don’t add any liquid.
  6. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Save the scraps and make a stock!

3 Comments

Filed under Chicken, Health, Organic, Recipe, Spices, Vegetables

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,