Sip your way to wellness

There is nothing like a warm cup of nourishing tea to soothe long cold winter nights or to warm up your insides throughout the day. I love tea. I love coffee too, don’t get me wrong but tea is softer, it feels more healing and there is a tea for every ailment and for every palate.

Here are my favorite healing teas of late…enjoy!

Marshmallow is not just something to eat by a fire but the perfect root tea to ease sore throats with a lovely soothing coating while also calming the bronchial passages. If you like it sweet, add some fresh raw organic honey and this blend is perfect to ease that nagging cough as well. I am also a big fan of licorice root tea and echinacea tea which is often combined with elderberry a fantastic anti-viral herb that I have grown to admire over the years.

Having trouble getting great sleep? Remember a lot of healing and body regeneration takes place when we sleep so it is vital to our optimal health. I terms of sipping your way to great sleep try a blend of valerian root, a muscle relaxing, stress relieving herb that is often combined with passion flower to induce a very restful sleep.

And only because I am drinking it right now and loving it, dandelion tea for detox is just great to have in your tea repertoire. Dandelion is wonderful in relieving congestion in the liver and kidneys, the main detoxification centers in the body. It is also known to stimulate bile so it can be very helpful as a digestive aid to break down fats as well as cholesterol. I like my dandelion tea roasted which adds a great robust flavor to every sip. Combine this with chicory and top it off with some almond milk and wow, a caffeine free substitute is born!

 

Sprout Fourth this July

Sprouting is fun and simple and really healthy. Sprouted foods are generally higher in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber AND they are more digestible because sprouting increases the enzyme activity within a food. It also is said to be more digestible because sprouting decreases phytates which can prevent us humans from completely being able to digest these seeds to begin with. So really, need I say more?

How to:

You soak your seeds, beans or grains for 12-24 hours in a bowl of water or overnight, drain them of the water the next day and place them in a colander. I keep mine in the colander and rinse/water them twice a day then back on the counter they go until I literally see them sprout, they will look like they have a little ‘tails” .  Note; they should not sit in the water except for the first night or 12-24 hour period. This is why I use the colander to drain all the water. If they are sitting in water for a few days they will just grow moldy.

Nuts and grains are unique in that they will do not all form tails and most raw food people feel that just soaking them for 6-8 hours is good enough to get the benefits. But most seeds and beans will actually visibly sprout. Also note that flax seeds will form tails but you will find it hard to rinse them because they form a gel like clump. No worries, you do not have to rinse flax seeds, just let them sit in the water  (1:1 ratio flax seeds to water) for 12-24 hours them enjoy. Same goes for chia by the by…

If it is warm out the sprouting process will happen in one-two days, if it is cold, it can take longer. In general also note that beans take longer than seeds. If you plan on cooking your beans or seeds, as opposed to eating the sprouts fresh or sprinkling them on salads then just soaking for 12-24 hours then rinsing is enough to activate them. As a general rule 12-24 hours of soaking will actually germinate the seeds or beans, so you can reap the benefits fully even after one day, even if you do not see a tail.

Some stores have sprouting jars or bags which is great but not necessary. You can also grow your soaked seeds on a tray of earth to get green shoots. Get a tray, lay down about 1.5 inches of soil and place your soaked seeds on top, lightly cover with soil and then water daily. You can grow wheat grass this way as well.

So go out on a limb today and try it! Today go buy some sunflower seeds and experiment. These are easy to sprout and they grow a nice tail which is very satisfying. It will take a few days so be patient but once you see that tail it will feel like sunshine growing in your colander!

And just so you know, because people always ask me, flackers (www.drinthekitchen.com) are made from sprouted flax seeds. In fact once, a few pieces landed in my drain and two days later I noticed that there were sprouts growing out of my sink!

 

 

Oscar Winning Chili

Nothing says easy, healthy, filling, yummy, warming, delicious, inexpensive and hearty like a fantabulous bowl of chili! Chili is like the sound person on a movie set, no one really knows who that person is-they really rarely make into the lime-light, but they are pivotal for the success of every movie. Chili is that underestimated, often undervalued casual fare at parties but it is none the less pack full of incredible nutrients and it is super healthy. Add a bowl of flackers, tortilla chips, guacamole and maybe even some humus and you are all set to celebrate.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 6 cups of beans. I like black beans or mung beans and I actually sprout them first before using. Soak in water for 24 hours, transfer to colander and water twice a day for two-three days or until you can see little sprout shoots. Or use 3 cans beans of your choice or a combination. Drain and rinse well.
• 3 fresh organic tomatoes or 1 can diced organic tomatoes with liquid
• 1 can organic tomato sauce
• Optional; 1 to 2 jalapeño or you can go hotter with other types of chili peppers if you want
• 1 tablespoon red chili powder
• 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion sauté over medium-low heat until translucent or lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and the flavors have melded.
2. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Add finely chopped parsley for garnish.

Optional Variations:

• Add kale or spinach towards the end for extra nutrition
• Add cooked corn kernels toward the end for more sweetness
• Add extra “hot stuff” like minced fresh chili peppers, dried hot red pepper flakes

 

Super Bowl Amazing Guacamole

Apparently when the Superbowl frenzy hits America, the sales of guacamole and chips escalate. Since I am not the biggest fan of football (did I really admit to that today?) but I adore guacamole I thought this is a win win situation for everyone. I will share my easiest recipe with you and you can eat this healthy dip guilt free even while being a potential couch potato for a few hours this evening. Having said that before I give you that famous guacamole recipe of mine, do not forget that yo can have a guilt free night bu eating these with flackers www.flackers.com instead of, or at least with chips. Also, you perhaps I can encourage everyone to move their stairmaster into their living room tonight and then you can actually feel even more a part of the evening event with your own heart racing and your own adrenaline rushing naturally…just a thought (:

OK, my guacamole recipe…

Ingredients:

4 avocados, mashed
Juice of two limes
3 garlic cloves, freshly pressed
4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion
1 teaspoon cumin, ground

1 jalapeños, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix avocado with lime juice and then stir in garlic, onions, cumin, and jalapeños, easy si?

Enjoy!!!!

Nutrition

Per serving (about 4oz/109g-wt.): 150 calories (120 from fat), 13g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 10mg sodium, 9g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 2g protein

 

Spicy roasted beets

Just when you thought I was done with beets….

After my beet greens post the other day I thought I was too! But then I thought two things

1. if you have beet greens, then you usually also have beets. So maybe I should say something about these lovely healthy root vegetables like how they are packed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detox potential goodness. 

2. To top it all off I then saw this recipe in www.vegetariantimes.com and I could not resist doing post number two on beets and sharing. Besides even if you do not like beets, spicy roasted? Doesn’t that sound delish? Perhaps this recipe will tempt you to give them a try, they are in season after all…

Recipe:

2 bunches of beets, golden preferred (tops removed-but now you know what you can do with those babies right?), washed and quartered. You may also peel if you like but you would miss out on some good fiber

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1 pinch of chili powder

preheat over to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients together and spread on baking sheet, Bake for 30-40 minutes or until beets are tender. Turn them over once. Salt pepper as desired and enjoy…yum!

 

Last Chance to Get an Olympic Body!

Aside from training ten hours a day for most of your life, an olympic looking body, firm, svelte, full of energy and flexible is not as out of reach as you may think! Here are some tips on getting there the Dr in The KItchen way!

1. Make sure that you are free of food sensitivities or allergies which can cause joint pain, bloating, fatigue and unnecessary weight gain.

2. drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. Dehydration often presents as fatigue, so before you reach for the sugar, have a glass of H2o the reassess.

3. make sure that you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids found in flax, hemp and chia seeds, walnuts and all cold water fish. This will ensure that your joints and tissue stay well lubricated and oiled up so that you are flexible and able to do those twists, turns and back bends

4. Fuel up on healthy carbohydrates and protein, not sugar!

5 and finally add a little fun to your workout, sing along to your music, add in a few skips or jump rope and stir things up with activities that make you feel light fun and youthful!

 

Beet greens – delicious recipe

I bought some beets at the framer’s market yesterday and they were tiny, but still little gems of red goodness. There was definitely more leafy stuff then beets and so I thought hmm… green and dark red leafy, has to be good for you, now how to make it taste good?

So I washed them well, dried them and chopped them up, stems and leaves. In a pan I added sesame oil, sesame seeds, (black because they have more calcium), garlic, a dab of seas salt and stir fried them up. They were super rich tasting and really delicious! I had some plain and then ate a few over savory flax crackers…amazing!

 

All ears salsa; guilt-free yummy summer treat!

T’is the fresh corn season and you do not want to miss out this yummy sweet summer delightful produce.

Corn is the perfect high fiber, low-cal way to add a sweet crunchy flavor to any of your summer dishes.

With the tomato crop being so plentiful as well this season, i thought to create a combo salsa that is delicious, healthful, and perfect with flackers, chips, as a side dish alone or with baked summer fresh potatoes.

This salsa is low in everything: calories, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate and fat, but not in flavor. It boasts corn, which is a whole grain and tomatoes, which are rich in antioxidants. The perfect yummy guilt-free summer treat.

Recipe:

• 3 cups chopped seeded tomato (about 3 medium)
• 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatillos (about 2 medium)
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained. You can also soak you own overnight, rinse, cook or-rinse and sprout them for a few days then use
• 1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus rind (must be organic)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, small jalapeno or chipotle pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; cover and chill and enjoy!

 

Olympic Gold Medal Snacks

If you are an olympics fan and want to feel as fit as the athletes and look just as good then its important to feed yourself with only the best whole food ingredients even while munchng and snacking. Consider some of these fabulous healthy snacks while watching the olympic games. They will satisfy your cravings, keep you feeling full, energized and balanced!

 

The life and times of a flacker…

Yesterday, Donn and I explored my garden plants and here is what we found….amazing!

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It all began one cool day a few months ago as I was cleaning up my kitchen and found a container of sample flackers that was ? days or months old. Since I am a composter, I figured why throw them away, some critter out there may be hungry for a flacker and so I threw the whole box into the garden. It rained for a few days after that and when the sun finally came out, behold the flackers were sprouting in my garden!!