4 Nutrient-Dense Breakfast Casseroles

Cereal and juice, toast and coffee – standard American breakfast staples – quickly convert to glucose (blood sugar). High blood sugar, especially first thing in the morning, sets you up for a blood sugar roller coaster that can continue throughout the day and night.

This affects your energy, focus and mood. These blood sugar roller coaster also wreak havoc on your body (cells, tissues, organs) as it tries to balance the blood sugar and insulin racing around. (Insulin is the hormone your body uses to store excess glucose.) Chronically high blood sugar and insulin cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to metabolic diseases like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and even Alzheimer’s.

Breakfast casseroles provide a nutrient dense balance of macronutrients and a variety of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals) to balance your blood sugar for stable, steady energy. This will also improve your focus, your mood and boost your immune system and brain function.

  • Protein provides building blocks for your tissues, antibodies that strengthen your immune system, insulin and glucagon that regulate your blood sugar and energy levels, and for neurotransmitters that affect your memory, focus and more
  • Fats are essential for numerous functions and structures such as your hormones and provides slow burning energy. They also help you absorb soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K), slow down digestion and regulate hunger
  • Carbs: Carbs are a quick source of fuel for your muscles and brain, provide fiber for healthy gut bacteria, slows down your digestion and helps regular elimination of waste. Combined with fat and protein, carbs help your body fight infections, grow new body tissue (bones and skin) and lubricate our joints

These casseroles are based on eggs, which are a powerhouse of nutrients:

  • 5 – 7 grams of protein per egg
  • brain healthy B vitamins
  • essential minerals calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, manganese
  • important lesser-known nutrients like choline an essential nutrient that improves cognitive function and disease fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. These anti-inflammatory carotenoids may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, decrease cancer risks, and improve cardiovascular health

So versatile! Omnivore or vegetarian. Change them up with additional/different veggies, herbs and spices for more flavor and nutrient density

  • Leafy greens and cruciferous family of vegetables are some of nature’s most nutrient dense foods
  • Rainbow vegetables provide a wide diversity of essential micronutrients. Each color (green, red, orange, white) represents a whole family of immune boosting and healing compounds
  • Flavor compounds in herbs and spices are powerful antioxidants and many also have antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties
[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Sarah Ballantyne MD” source_title=”Paleo Principles: The Science Behind the Paleo Template” full_quote=”Nutrient dense refers to the concentration of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids per calorie of food. The Standard American Diet is energy-rich, but it’s also nutrient-poor: the types of food that many people eat each day are high in added sugars, refined grains, and industrially processed oils, but lack the vitamins and minerals (and other health-promoting compounds) found in whole foods. The result is a high prevalence of nutrient deficiency” short_quote=”Nutrient dense refers to the concentration of nutrients per calorie of food”]

Make a double recipe Saturday or Sunday to have leftovers for breakfast or lunch during the week.

Traditional strata – Color My Food

Strata is a brunch dish made from a mixture of bread and egg giving it a custard-like texture. There are innumerable variations using different vegetables, meat (sausage, ham) and/or cheese. The name strata (layers) comes from layering the bread with filling. Prep the day before and chill overnight. Bake in the morning.

Potato-based Casserole – Well Plated

Skip the bread, use potatoes. You can also use sweet potatoes instead for extra nutrients. Use leftovers
Add additional spices (like cumin, chili, paprika) and/or fresh, chopped herbs (such as basil, cilantro or parsley)

Hash Brown Casserole  – Two Healthy Kitchens

Frozen hash browns are a helpful staple. Just remember to defrost them first. Mix hash browns into the mixture OR use them as a base and pour your egg mixture over like with a strata.

 

Mexican Breakfast Casserole – The Gracious Wife

This recipe I make for brunch with friends, or when family staying with us. It is always a huge hit – with or without the sausage.

Do you have a favorite breakfast casserole?

References

  1. Haas, Elson M, (2006).  Staying Healthy with Nutrition, New York, NY: Random House Inc.
  2. Ballantyne, Sarah, (2017). Paleo Principles: The Science Behind the Paleo Template, Canada, Victory Belt Publishing Inc.
  3. Sharma, Praveen. “Inflammation and the Metabolic Syndrome. “Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry : IJCB, Springer-Verlag, Oct. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210244/.
  4. Shoelson, Steven E, et al. “Inflammation and Insulin Resistance. “The Journal of Clinical Investigation, American Society for Clinical Investigation, July 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1483173/

Nourishing Breakfast Classes for You

Do you struggle to get moving in the morning? Are you stuck in a rut with breakfast? Eating nutrient dense foods can help you and your family feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. This online breakfast class series is designed to help you create sustainable habits to help lower your risks of disease, and improve energy, focus, mood.

Thursdays at 11 am CST

Register today 😊

Class 1: Awesome Oats and Ancient Grains
Cereal is a Standard American Diet staple. Oat-based breakfasts make an easier transition to more nutrient-dense meals for balanced energy, improved focus and strengthened immune system.

You will learn how to

  • leverage key nutrition concept to obtain nutrient density (more nutrients per calorie)
  • improvise using the ingredients in your kitchen based on your personal preferences and family favorites
  • alternate or replace with other ancient grains such as quinoa and buckwheat

You will get 4 core recipes that you can spin off into different variations

  • Nutritious cake-inspired oatmeal
  • Savory oats
  • Baked oats
  • Overnight oats

Class 2: Egg-Powered Breakfasts
Eggs are a powerhouse of nutrients: 5 grams of protein per egg are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Combining eggs with plant foods increases not only nourishment for your body and stable energy, but also satiety – keeping you fuller longer. Bye-bye snacking!

You will learn

  • Tips and tricks to bring leafy greens, vegetables, herbs, and spices into your eggs in delicious, nutritious combinations
  • How to jumpstart nutritious breakfast with dinner leftovers

You will get 4 core recipes

As well as tips to make different variations. Recipes can be either omnivore or vegetarian. Make them on the weekend and have breakfast ready to go on busy mornings

  • Breakfast Casserole, including overnight options
  • Frittatas and Omelets
  • Quiche (no crust, nutritious crust options (hash brown, sweet potato, quinoa, or cauliflower crust)
  • Quinoa Muffins

Class 3: Nutrient-Dense Pancakes and Muffins
Pancakes, waffles, and muffins are breakfast staples in most U.S. households.

You will learn

  • how to load them with veggies, protein, and fiber instead of highly refined flour and sugar
  • increase nutrient-density with nuts/seeds and spices
  • top them with brain-healthy berry purees, chia “jam” and other nutritious options

You will get 5 core recipes to spin into different variations

  • Whole-wheat pancakes
  • Oat-based pancakes
  • Gluten-free pancakes
  • Fruit muffins
  • Savory muffins

Class 4: Sweet Potato Round Up
Part of the good mood orange food family, sweet potatoes are loaded with an abundance of disease-fighting nutrients essential for health. They are rich in:

  • Vitamins A, C and E (one sweet potato has 5x the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A)
  • Minerals such as magnesium and potassium. Potassium helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in your body’s cells, normal heart function and blood pressure
  • Carotenoids. These powerful phytochemicals protect against oxidative stress and facilitate communication between your cells. Beta carotene is good for your brain. It is also boosts your immune system

You will learn

  • how to load them with veggies, protein, and fiber instead of highly refined flour and sugar
  • increase nutrient-density with nuts/seeds and spices
  • top them with brain-healthy berry purees, chia “jam” and other nutritious options

You will get 4 core recipes to make different variations

  • Sweet potato breakfast bowl
  • Sweet potato breakfast hash
  • Sweet potato waffles, “traditional” or savory
  • Breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes

Breakfast Series Bonus!
When you complete the series, you will get a Breakfast Meal Planner Template to help you build a sustainable, nourishing breakfast routine.

What is your favorite breakfast?

5 Good Mood Red Cabbage Recipes

In a farewell to February and a tribute to red/purple foods, here is a round up of delicious, nutritious red cabbage recipes. Cabbage is one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Purple cabbage has additional powerful phytochemicals (natural chemical compounds in plants) called anthocyanins that are good for your brain.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Drew Ramsey, MD” source_title=”Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety” full_quote=”I want to give a special shout-out to anthocyanins, the compounds you can find in reddish-purplish foods ranging from blackberries to red cabbage. I don’t like to play favorites, but these molecules are something special. These flavonoids have long been known to exhibit extraordinary anti-inflammatory properties. They have also been linked to improved memory and mood states.” short_quote=”These flavonoids exhibit extraordinary anti-inflammatory properties. They have also been linked to improved memory and mood states”]

Tip:

Shred a whole cabbage in a food processor to use throughout the week. In addition to using in these meals you can

  • Add a handful into leafy green salads
  • Replace rice with the shredded cabbage and use base for curry, bean dishes
  • Add a handful on top of chili or bean soups

Nutrient-Dense Cabbage Mushroom Ramen Soup – Color My Food

Creamy Red Cabbage Soup – Easy Healthy Recipes
Topping options

  • Micro greens or chopped parsley
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Braised Red Cabbage – Maria Ushakova
I made this with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, a classic pairing with cabbage in Germany and Austria. The leftover braised cabbage I mixed, about 1/4 cup or so, into leafy green salads.

Roasted Red Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts – Color My Food

This is so pretty. And super nutrient dense!

Variations

  • Use broccoli instead of Brussels sprouts
  • With or without potatoes
  • Use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes
  • Experiment! What other veggies could you add?

Pesto Roasted Cauliflower and Purple Cabbage – Sanity of Lack Thereof

I never thought I’d ever say I am crazy for cauliflower. Yet here I am. Especially for roasted cauliflower. Yum! When I learned how powerful cauliflower is for our immune system, I set out to find ways to make it taste good. Suddenly I have found so many possibilities!  This is an especially nutrient-dense recipe because it has both cauliflower and red cabbage.
Pesto is a favorite in our house. I always make a double batch to use later in the week:

  • on roasted fish or broiled chicken breasts
  • spread on toast and broiled with tomato for breakfast with goat cheese on top
  • a generous dollop mixed into salad
  • on a tortilla wrap with greens, olives and goat cheese

Put Your Heart in Your Mouth: Color My Food Book Chat Notes

Did you know that cholesterol is essential to human health?

Check out the highlights from my February online book chat: Put Your Heart in Your Mouth, by Natasha Campbell-McBride. The hypothesis that fats cause heart disease is scientifically incorrect. Inflammation is the root of heart disease. It is caused by processed carbohydrates, excessive sugar, man-made chemicals.

The Diet-Heart Myth
For 50+ years we were told to eat low fat. The diet-heart hypothesis that dietary fats and cholesterol caused heart disease was held as truth. Avoid these foods, we were told, to avoid developing heart disease. But this hypothesis is scientifically wrong.

Cholesterol is Essential to Human Health
We cannot live without it, nor function well. Your immune system needs cholesterol to function properly.

Your cells

  • Your body is made up of billions of cells. Almost every one of the billions of cells in your body produces cholesterol all the time, all our life.
  • Saturated fat and cholesterol are an integral and vital part of your cell membranes

Your brain

  • Every cell, every structure in the brain and your nervous system needs cholesterol to build itself and to accomplish its functions. Interfering with your body’s ability to produce cholesterol, puts your brain and the rest of the nervous system at risk
  • Memories are formed by brain cells establishing connections with each other called synapses. Synapse formation is almost entirely dependent on cholesterol

Your hormones

After the brain, the organs most hungry for cholesterol are your endocrine glands (adrenals and sex glands). They produce steroid hormones (such as estrogen, testosterone etc.) that have innumerable functions:

  • regulate your metabolism
  • energy production
  • mineral assimilation
  • brain, muscle, and bone formation
  • mood, behavior, emotions
  • reproduction

Inflammation is the Root Cause of Heart Disease
Atherosclerosis is a disease that can cause narrowing and obstruction (plaque) of your arteries –

  • impair blood flow to your heart and can cause heart attack
  • to your brain and can causes strokes – the 3rd leading cause of death (after cancer)

The chronic causes of inflammation are:

  • Processed foods
  • Processed carbohydrates spike blood sugar and provide little nutrition. And can feed pathogenic bacteria your gut which damages your immune system
  • Sugar consumption and excessive blood sugar
  • Nutritional deficiencies –your body needs nutrients: amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fats. Our modern diet does not provide many of these nutrients.
  • A sedentary lifestyle
  • Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, agricultural chemicals
  • Man-made chemicals – personal care and household products

What To Do?
Mother Nature gave us perfect bodies – miraculous creations. Our bodies have the complete power to keep themselves healthy, to repair any damage and health themselves.

  • Stop eating processed foods
  • Minimize exposure to chemicals
  • Eat nutrient-dense whole foods
  • Compromise and economize on clothes, cars, entertainment etc., but never on food. Buy good quality and fresh food.

Register and tune in for the March Book Chat! Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety, by Drew Ramsey, MD.

Wednesday, March 9 at 5:30 Central Time.

I look forward to seeing you online 😁

 

6 Nutritious, Delicious Beet Recipes

Eat more good mood red food beets!  Did you know beets are a rich source of vitamins and minerals?

Vitamins : Vitamin A, B6, B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, folate, riboflavin, and betaine.

Minerals: Calcium, iron, potassium phosphorus, sodium, fluoride, Zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.

Beets also contain phytochemicals (natural chemical compounds in plants) called anthocyanins that are great for your brain. These powerful antioxidants help reduce inflammation.  Research shows they help prevent age-related decline in the nervous system.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Drew Ramsey MD” source_url=”https://drewramseymd.com/nutrients/anthocyanins/” full_quote=”Anthocyanins cause levels of the brain protecting chemical BDNF to increase, improving learning and memory skills while helping warding off depression. They also help promote different types of memory, whether it’s remembering a phone number long enough to jot it down or learning how to navigate a new city. Anthocyanins have even been shown to slow down age-related decline in brain function. These phytochemicals are linked to better heart health and posses anti-cancer activity.” short_quote=”anthocyanins improve learning and memory skills while helping ward off depression”]

In addition to helping boost brain function, here are 10 Reasons to eat beets:

  1. Improve liver function
  2. Prevent signs of aging
  3. Increase hemoglobin levels – increases oxygen levels and improve blood circulation in the body
  4. Reduce inflammation
  5. Improve stamina
  6. Lower blood pressure
  7. Brighten skin tone
  8. Help control diabetes
  9. Purify the blood
  10. Promote healthy hair

Roast them, steam them, bake them or shred them raw. You’ll be surprised at all the delicious nutritions ways to eat them. Here are some our favorites:

Beet Hummus – The Natural Nurturer

How about some good mood red food hummus? Hummus is a frequent inhabitant in my refrigerator for lunch wraps and salads, or afternoon snacks. This is a fabulous way to change it up.

Beet Apple Carrot Ginger Soup – Just Beet It

Carrot Beet Salad – Color My Food

Crimson Coleslaw – Color My Food

It’s worth making this for the colors! And oftentimes even people who don’t like beets change their minds after trying this beautiful coleslaw.

Red Beet Pancakes  – Weelicious

These are not only a standing Valentine’s tradition in my kitchen, but show up with some frequency when beets are in season. I make a double batch and freeze them.

  • Top with whole-milk Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of honey
  • Make “sammies” with cream cheese
  • For a special treat, top with with melted dark chocolate mixed with a bit of butter of coconut milk

Red Beet Cupcakes  Weelicious

Made these for a Valentine’s play date when my daughter was a toddler. Almost a decade later, these cupcakes are still one of our favorites!   So yummy and pretty.

Did you know you can eat the beet greens to? Another rich source of nutrients! AND fiber! I slice them coleslaw-style into a salad, or I add to soups and stews they way I do with spinach, kale or other dark leafy green.

What’s your favorite way to eat beets?

For More Empowerment

Just Beet It   – Creative beet recipes, fascinating beet history, interesting beet facts and trivia, and detailed beet nutrition.

Updated from post published February 2021

Good Mood Red Foods

How many red and purple vegetables and fruits do you eat each day?
Loaded with powerful nutrients, they can improve brain function, promote heart health, and help protect your cells from cancer. Their beautiful purple or red color come from anthocyanins . Anthocyanins are compounds in flavonoid family of phytochemicals (natural chemical compounds in plants). These nutrients help your brain in several ways: .

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Enhance blood flow
  • Boost cognitive fitness
  • Improve mental health
  • Protect your brain against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Red foods also contain another phytochemical called lycopene is linked to improved cognition and memory. They reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. Adding fats from nature — like avocado, extra-virgin olive oil or grass-fed butter — significantly increases your body’s ability to absorb these nutrients

Check out the possibilities! Which new options will you explore? It could be a new vegetable. Or something familiar in a different way. I roasted dover sole with purple grapes for a quick weeknight dinner.

  • Beets
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Cranberries
  • Eggplant
  • Grapefruit
  • Pomegranate
  • Purple grapes
  • Purple potatoes
  • Radicchio
  • Rainbow chard
  • Raspberries
  • Red apples, pears, grapes, and potatoes
  • Red beans
  • Red bell peppers and chilies
  • Red cabbage
  • Red onions
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelon

Think fresh and seasonal

  • Add grapefruit to leafy green salads

  • Shred red cabbage and/or rainbow chard to use in salads, grain bowls, add to stir-fry and even roasted veggies

  • Beets, red apples and pears, bell peppers and chilies — Eat them raw, shredded, roasted, or steamed and pureed
  • Make babaganoush with the eggplant and use on sandwiches and wraps instead of mayo; enjoy it on rice cakes and seed crackers for an afternoon snack

Use your pantry 

  • Add sun-dried tomatoes or roasted bell pepper (jar) breakfast eggs, roasted veggies, cooked grains, and salads
  • Add (canned) red beans to rice and grains, toss into salads, make into bean dips for wraps and breakfast toast topped with pumpkin/sunflower seeds

Use your freezer

  • Add berries to oatmeal and chia puddings, pancakes, and muffins; defrost and puree them to mix into Greek yogurt or as pancakes and waffle toppings
  • Roast and puree beets; freeze in 8 oz mason jars to use in overnight oats, blender pancakes, brownies

For More Empowerment
10 Powerful Purple Vegetables You Should Be Eating and Why – Food Revolution Network

What are anthocyanins and why are purple foods so healthy? BBC Good Food

6 Health Benefits Of Lycopene & Sources Of The Antioxidant – Mind Body Green

Drum Roll…New Service Offerings!

Hello Color My Food friends!

I am so excited to share my new offerings in this new year.

FREE CLASSES

How to Get your Kids to Eat More Veggies and Fruits?

It’s more important than ever to boost our immune systems.
Every other Thursday at 10 am and one Saturday a month at 10 am.

Eat for Brain Health

Do you experience brain fog, anxiety and mood swings? Adding more nutrient-dense foods into daily life will give your brain the nutrients it needs to function at its best. Good mental health, just like physical health, depends on proper nutrition. The balance and variety of foods you habitually eat is also linked to your risk of developing cognitive decline down the road.

MONTHLY BOOK CHATS

No time to read the book? No worries! I will provide cliff notes and key ideas. This is a fun, informal way to learn how you can take charge of your health with food. And to connect with a growing community of people taping into the most powerful act of selfcare – eating to give your brain and body the nourishment needed to function their best.
2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:30 CST. Prep your favorite beverage, pull up a comfy chair and tune in.

NUTRITION CLASSES/COOKING DEMOS

Nourishing Breakfast Cooking Series
This online Breakfast series is designed to help you create sustainable habits. The Standard American Diet does not provide the nutrients your body and brain need to function well. A whole-foods, nutrient-dense breakfast routine helps lower risks of major diseases down the road AND improves:

  • Energy
  • Mood
  • Focus and memory
  • Immune system

Eat for Brain Health
Did you know chronic low-level inflammation contributes to depression and cognitive decline? Certain foods trigger inflammatory responses in your body. Other foods (reduce systemic inflammation.
This online 5-week program will help you build a repertoire of core recipes and meals that boost your mood, memory, and protect your brain.

 

The RESTART Program


Next session begins Monday, February 7
The RESTART® program focuses on how to use real food to boost your energy, reduce inflammation, and eliminate sugar cravings. Discover what foods are best for you.

 

 

5 Immune-Boosting Moroccan Tagines

These nutrient-dense Moroccan tagines are loaded with anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting herbs and spices. Tagine dishes are slow-cooked outrageously savory stew, typically made with meat, chicken or fish together with a variety of vegetables, spices, dried fruits and nuts. I love these dishes for their delightful harmony of flavors, color and textures.

You can make these dishes vegetarian, but make sure to get protein. Protein is critical for immune function.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Dr. Hyman” source_url=”https://drhyman.com/blog/2020/04/01/a-functional-medicine-approach-to-covid-19/” full_quote=”Protein is critical for immune function and protein malnutrition is a big risk factor for death from infections. Eat approximately 1 gram/kg or about half your body weight in grams of protein a day, or about two four-ounce servings of organic, clean animal protein. Plant-based proteins (legumes, nuts/seeds) are adequate if consumed in enough quantity. Try tofu and tempeh from non-GMO soy for the highest protein concentrations. ” short_quote=”Protein is critical for immune function “]

Here are the spices most often used in Moroccan cuisine.  Their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties together with other micronutrients can help improve immune function and prevent disease.

  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon
  • Cardamon
  • Cumin
  • Paprika

Moroccan Meatball Tagine – Epicurious

Chicken, Apricot and Almond Tagine– Color My Food

Not only do the apricots give this dish fabulous flavor, they are rich in vitamin C and A also that play important role in the immune system. Vitamin C helps your body’s natural defense mechanisms fight off bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A has an anti-inflammatory effect.

(Chicken), Chickpeas and Mint – Color My Food

Orange and Fennel Tagine with Chicken – My Moroccan Food

Fennel has a mild licorice flavor and is rich in minerals including selenium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”full” source_site=”Medical News Today” full_quote=”The selenium found in fennel appears to stimulate the production of killer T-cells and modulates the immune system in other ways. Studies have shown dietary intake of selenium can improve immune response, especially to viral agents” short_quote=”dietary intake of selenium can improve immune response, especially to viral agents”]

Lamb Tagine with Prunes – My Moroccan Food

Lamb is an excellent source of zinc. Your body needs zinc for your immune system to work properly.

Additional Moroccan Recipes

My Moroccan Food

A fabulous assortment of delicious, nutritious recipes.

Instapot Moroccan Recipes – Instapot Eats

Characterized by a tapestry of spices, Moroccan food is often a combination of a range of interlacing flavors.

4 Ways to Detox Your Kitchen

How to avoid temptation? By keeping it out of your house. Transform your kitchen into a place of nourishment and healing. Create an environment where you can make wise choices automatically.

Would you like me to help you do a pantry rehab? We can Zoom! Let me know in the comments.

Rehab Your Pantry

  • Get rid of Halloween candy, Christmas chocolates, all foods that contain sugar (including juices)
  • Take out any packaged foods with artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives, food coloring/dyes– check the ingredient label. If you don’t recognize the ingredient, your body won’t recognize it as food
  • Remove all hydrogenated oils such as vegetable oil, corn, soybean, safflower oil
  • Swap out junk food for better options (chips, crackers, snacks and granola bars)

Stock Up

Fill your pantry with foods that help the detoxification process and give your body more nutrients.
Foods rich in omega-3 fats:

  • salmon
  • sardines
  • chia seeds
  • hemp seeds
  • flaxseeds
  • walnuts

Foods rich in fiber:

  • lentils and beans (dried and canned)
  • whole grains such as old-fashioned oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice etc.
  • canned tomatoes
  • nut butters

Healthy oils

  • coconut milk
  • olive oil
  • avocado oil
  • coconut oil
  • sesame oil
  • ghee
  • flaxseed oil (keep refrigerated)

Herbs and spices contain powerful anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting compounds that give you many health benefits. Adding spices to your food is a way to get your extra dose of nutritional medicine. Here are 5 core spices for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties

  • Tumeric (always use with a pinch of black pepper to activate it)
  • Cumin
  • Rosemary
  • Cayenne
  • Cinnamon

Join a Farmer’s Co-op or Shop the Weekend Farmer’s Market
Load up on foods that can help your body detox – foods rich in B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants and phytochemicals. These foods are especially kind to detox processes:

  • Cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower
  • Dark leafy greens like collards, kale, watercress
  • Lemons and limes
  • Garlic and onions
  • Cilantro and Parsley

Eating nutrient-dense whole, real foods is a foundation for health. They reduce inflammation, boost your detoxification processes, immune system  and metabolism.

Stock Your Freezer

I always have frozen veggies of some sort, usually edamame, spinach or broccoli, riced cauliflower or sweet potato hashbrowns.  Stock up on your family favorites. Lots of options for precut, shredded veggies to jumpstart meals. Combined with pantry staples, I’ve made many a last minute meal this way.

Protein staples are grass-fed ground beef  (or bison or turkey) and shrimp.

For More Empowerment

Dietitian’s Top Fridge, Pantry, and Freezer Foods – Dietetic Directions

Ten Foods to Help You Gently Detox – Culinary Nutrition

Choosing Healthy Cooking Oils – Culinary Nutrition

5 Self-Care Tips for the New Year

Do you feel bloated, exhausted and sluggish with the abundance of holiday foods, special events and sugar everywhere?

Here are five tips to reduce bloat and stress.

Focus on one each week to build sustainable habits. This can help you improve your physical wellbeing and brain health.

Hydrate

Drink 8 – 10 glasses of clean, filtered water a day to help your body flush out. Water is the primary component of all your body fluids. It is involved in almost every bodily function: circulation, digestion, absorption, and elimination of wastes. It carries electrolytes – mineral salts that help convey electrical currents in your body. Water is an important detoxifier. It helps clean your body through your skin and kidneys.

Eat a Nutrient-Dense Salad Every Day

Leafy greens are high in nutrients and low in calories. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and good carbohydrates. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant green and cruciferous vegetables help your body’s natural detoxification process and help protect you from disease. In addition, they:

  • Reduce inflammation
  • Improve your immune system’s resistance to viral and bacterial infection
  • Enhance your defenses against destructive toxins
  • Help to renew/regenerate your cells
  • Support healthy gut bacteria
  • Remove carcinogenic compounds from your body

To make a nutrient-dense salad, add:

  • Rainbow vegetables
  • Beans
  • Nuts or seeds (chia, pumpkin, sunflower)
  • Healthy fats: canned salmon or sardines, avocado, hummus

Make your own salad dressing tossing extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Breathe

Stress activates your sympathetic nervous system. In response, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline surge in your body. Mindful, deep breathing triggers a parasympathetic nerve response. It is a way of quickly flipping the switch from high to low alert in seconds and calms your body on many levels.

The parasympathetic response changes your physical and emotional responses to stress and is characterized by

  • Slower breathing
  • Slower heartbeat
  • Muscle relaxation
  • Decrease in blood pressure
  • Reduced inflammation

Mindful breathing also benefits your lymphatic system – a key part of your immune system. The deeper you breathe, the more active your lymph system is.  Deep breathing and physical movement pushes lymphatic fluid around your body.
This way it delivers nutrients and collects cellular waste. And also helps to destroy pathogens and other harmful organisms.

Here is a basic deep breathing exercise.

  • Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor
  • Relax your body. Release the tension in your neck and shoulders
  • Inhale through your nose for a long as you can
  • Feel your diaphragm and abdomen rise
  • When you think you’ve filled up your lungs, sip in a little more air
  • Slowly exhale to the count of twenty
  • Push all the air out of your lungs
  • Repeat 5 times

Move Your Body

Let go of the binary idea that you are either exercising, or not exercising. We are literally born to move. Human life has become so structured that it is easy to avoid movement.
Add movement each day to offset stress and bring balance back to your nervous system.
Use everyday actions — as both a mindfulness and a movement practice. For example, when you sweep the floor, sweep with your whole body. When you reach for something on the top shelf, use it as an opportunity stretch from your feet on the floor through the reach of your fingertips.
Take a walk. When you walk, swing your arms and smile. You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature.
Breathe fully and deeply throughout the day. Let breath be its own kind of
movement.

Honor Sleep Time

Sleep is essential for physical and mental health. Sleep is not a state of inactivity. It impacts every system in your body. Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences, including inflammation and depression.

Healthy, consistent sleep habits are essential to hormonal balance: affecting hunger, digestion, stress, cellular recover. Prioritize a pre-midnight bedtime. The hours of sleep before midnight are the most rejuvenating of the night. Ideally head for bed by 10 pm, to capture the slow-wave sleep that occurs the early part of the night.
Creating a bedtime ritual is a powerful self-care practice and an investment in your physical and mental health. Unplug to recharge. Disconnect from digital devices at least 30 minutes before sleep.
Take a warm bath with Epsom salts for the calming effects of magnesium.
Do some deep breathing exercises when you lay down in bed.