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Color My Salad

What comes to mind when you think of salad? For years I assumed a salad was lettuce perhaps with tomatoes or carrots. Or maybe a Caesar salad or coleslaw slathered in mayonnaise.

But loving color in my food and learning about Nutrient Dense Foods it’s been huge fun overturning my preconceived notions of salad. Salads can be flavorful, colorful, and wildly nutritious. Salads create possibilities limited only by our creativity.

I now toss all kinds of marvelous concoctions in my salad bowl. Salads are full of heart-healthy, cancer fighting, cell-building ingredients. Eating salads regularly is one of the best ways to stay healthy. The variety and colors of salads bring an abundant array of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals into every bite. Fiber reduces bad cholesterol, helps control blood sugar, and helps digestive health. Lowering cholesterol and preventing constipation can in turn prevent chronic and life-threatening diseases.

Eating seasonally means summertime is a true feast for our tables and palates. Summer brings a lovely abundance of vegetables and fruits into my kitchen creating marvelous possibilities for fresh, vibrant and ah yes, colorful salads! Cool and crunchy, with various textures and flavors, summer salads are fun to eat.

Local, seasonal foods simply have more flavors. Picked when they are sun-ripe makes produce crispy, juicy, luscious and tasty! Local, seasonal produce also has more nutrients that strengthen our immune system and ward of viruses and disease. Building a lifestyle around seasonal foods not only enhances the flavor and diversity of my food, it also connects me with nature.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman MD” source_title=”Eat to Live” full_quote=”Raw uncooked vegetables and fruits offer the most powerful protection against disease, and I encourage my patients to eat huge salads and at least four fresh fruits per day. As the amount of raw fruits and vegetables are increased in a person’s diet, weight loss and blood pressure are lowered. Raw foods contain enzymes that offer significant nutritional advantages to protect against disease. Consuming a significant quantity of raw foods is essential for superior health” short_quote=”Raw uncooked vegetables and fruits offer the most powerful protection against disease”]

In this post I focus only on leafy green-based salads. There are whole worlds to roam with coleslaws, or bean salads or grain salads; we’ll talk about those another day.

Mighty greens pack a powerful punch of nutrients just on their own. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables have more micronutrients than any other food.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”LiveStrong” source_url=”http://www.livestrong.com/article/386542-what-are-the-benefits-of-eating-salads” full_quote=”Your chosen leafy greens do more than just lay a foundation for your remaining mix-ins. In fact, leafy greens pack a powerful punch of nutrients all on their own. Although each type of leafy green offers different health benefits, they’re packed with fiber and low in calories. Fiber also improves the health of your digestive system. Dark green lettuce, kale and spinach are packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, while bok choy and mustard greens also provide many of the B vitamins. This combination of vitamins supports the immune system, protects bones and keeps the cardiovascular system healthy. ” short_quote=”This combination of vitamins supports the immune system, protects bones and keeps the cardiovascular system healthy.”]

My general guidelines

  • Use leafy greens as the foundation: arugula, spinach, baby kale, mixed greens or romaine. Leafy greens I use organic as much as possible. Conventional spinach is high on the Dirty Dozen list because of the amount of pesticide residue
  • Add something soft: avocado, mango, peach, berries
  • Add green onions or red onions and usually garlic in the salad dressing
  • Add nuts or seeds

To make a meal out of my salad, I add leftover fish or meat (chicken, thinly sliced pork tenderloin, sliced steak. And/or leftover grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley etc) and beans (lentil, garbanzo, black, white – either leftovers or canned).

Salad dressing is always homemade. Store-bought salad dressings, even expensive fancy ones from organic stores, have more additives than necessary including sugar.

Making salad dressing is quick and easy. 

I was going to say here are some of my favorite salads, but truth be told, my favorite salads are too many to list as they are composed with whatever happens to be fresh that week. But here is a start.

Rainbow Salad, more than a recipe, this is a concept. Starting with a base of leafy greens, I make a “rainbow” of color: strawberries, blueberries, carrots, almonds, raspberry, cucumber. Or carrots, red cabbage, mango, pumpkin seeds, celery. With some creativity of ingredients, any color (and flavor) combination is possible.

Spinach, Mango, Purple Cabbage

Arugula Peach Salad

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Feta

Avocado Strawberry Spinach Salad

Epicurious: Mixed Greens with Feta, Almond and Blueberries

 

What are your favorite salads?

 

For more empowerment

9 Good Reasons to Eat Salad Every Day

Dr. Axe: Eating Seasonally for Better Nutrition and a Better World

10 Reasons to Eat What’s Seasonal

 

Sweet Potato and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon

Skip the bacon and make it vegetarian.

Did you know sweet potatoes are not the same as yams? Sweet potatoes, native of North America, are a superfood loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Yams are starchy roots native of Africa and also grown in tropical parts of Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

Nutritionally, sweet potatoes greatly outweigh yams. They are sweet and moist. Yams are starchy and dry. I recognize sweet potatoes by their tapered ends and thin, smooth skin. Yams have rough, dark skin.

The original recipe calls for yams. I use sweet potatoes instead, and kale rather than mustard greens. For dinner parties, if vegetarians are among the guests I split the potato salad in half and mix bacon into one half only, leaving the other half for the vegetarians. Or leave the bacon on the side, but I find it more flavorful if the bacon is mixed in.

I’ve made this the day before. But it is thirsty and soaks up the dressing. So if I make it the day before, I make extra dressing add additional dressing before serving.

Finally, for a prettier presentation I like to serve it on a platter over a bed of shredded kale (with dressing mixed in prior to putting the kale on the platter).
How to tell the difference between sweet potato and yam?

Pumpkin Hummus

It’s such fun to flavor this hummus for fall by adding in pumpkin, knowing it also boosts the nutritional value. It’s always a hit as an appetizer at our autumn dinner parties, and it makes for a delicious sandwich spread, or wrap.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link alignment=”full” source=”SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt M.D. and Kathy Mathews” full_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable caortenoids known to man. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times my recommended daily intake of alpha-caronte and 100 percent of my recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” short_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.”]

For a hummus as sandwich spread, I prefer a thicker consistency (similar to softened cream cheese). If using as a dip (with veggies, pita or crackers), I add a couple tablespoons of water.

I discovered it also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week

 

Cancer Fighting Foods

Cancer-Fighting Foods

Many of us have been – or will be – affected by cancer. The statistics are sobering. Nearly half the men and about a third of all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Every year 10 million people in the world develop cancer; and seven million deaths are caused by the disease. This is 12 percent of all reported deaths on Earth.

The good news is that there is something we can do about it. Individual lifestyle choices play a major role in the risk of developing cancer. The role of diet and cancer has been researched since the 1940s. In Western countries, over 30% of all cancers have been estimated to be directly or indirectly linked to dietary factors. Cancers particularly sensitive to dietary factors include breast, colon, prostate bladder, and lung cancers.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link alignment=”right” source=”Foods to Fight Cancer: Essential Foods to Help Prevent Cancer, by Richard Beliveau PhD and Denis Gingras Phd.” full_quote=”Recent studies establish a close relationship between the lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet and an increase in the rate of certain cancers. A significant intake of fruits and vegetables leads to marked decrease in the risk of developing cancer. In general, individuals consuming the fewest vegetables have about twice the chance of developing certain cancers than people who consume greater quantities of these foods. Radically modifying our diet must be the goal of any preventive strategy to reduce the number of cancers. A diet based on regular intake of the right foods is indispensable to fighting cancer. Enjoying a diverse, balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables is a simple and effective way of significantly reducing the risk to developing cancer.” short_quote=”Recent studies establish a close relationship between the lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet and an increase in the rate of certain cancers.”]

Recent scientific advancement in anti-cancer research has identified specific foods that offer powerful protection against cancer. These foods are essential for prevention of cancer and also increased odds of survival after diagnosis. In particular cruciferous vegetables (kale, spinach, cabbage, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts) seem to contain the most potent anti-cancer substances of all types of vegetable providing mechanisms that may protect against cancer including:

  • inhibition of angiogenesis (blood vessel formation important for tumor growth)
  • detoxification or removal of carcinogens (like heterocyclic amines)
  • inhibition of cancer cell growth
  • promotion of cancer cell death
  • prevention of DNA damage by carcinogens.

Other potent cancer fighting foods include onions, beans, berries, seeds and nuts. Beans in general are beneficial for protecting against reproductive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Dr. Fuhrman” source_url=”Source URL” full_quote=”Cruciferous vegetables including kale, cabbage, collards, broccoli, and several others contain the most potent anti-cancer substances of all types of vegetables. Human studies show a huge protective effect; people who were regular consumers of these foods had approximately 60 percent less cancer. For example, in one prospective study, one or more servings per week of cabbage reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 38%.30 This was only one serving a week, which demonstrates that dramatic protection is available and real when a diet is ideally designed. The regular consumption of mushrooms has been demonstrated to decrease risk of breast cancer by over 60 percent.31 Onions, berries, seeds and beans also have dramatic beneficial effects.32 Beans in general, not just soy, are beneficial for protecting against reproductive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer.33” short_quote=”Human studies show a huge protective effect; people who were regular consumers of these foods had approximately 60 percent less cancer. “][/su_expanding_quote_web]

Based on all my reading, I choose to eat a plant-rich daily diet:

  • minimizing meat and dairy
  • increasing consumption of greens (kale, spinach, Romaine, collard greens) and cruciferous ( broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels Sprouts), onions, beans, berries, seeds and nuts
  • eating a wide range of colorful fruits and other vegetables (sweet potatoes and pumpkins, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers and citrus
  • enjoying whole grains in breakfast or dinner
  • drinking less coffee and more green tea
  • keeping foods made with white sugar and white flour for special treats and not every day

For further health empowerment:

Eat for Health – The Anti-Cancer Diet

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer by Making Better Food Choices

Diet and Physical Activity: What is the Cancer Connection

 

Delicious Cancer Fighting Recipes

African Coconut Soup with Chickpeas

Spicy Kale and Garbanzo Stew

Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts, Apple and Walnuts

Spinach, Grated Broccoli and Grape Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipes

Sweet Potato and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon

Skip the bacon and make it vegetarian.

Did you know sweet potatoes are not the same as yams? Sweet potatoes, native of North America, are a superfood loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Yams are starchy roots native of Africa and also grown in tropical parts of Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

Nutritionally, sweet potatoes greatly outweigh yams. They are sweet and moist. Yams are starchy and dry. I recognize sweet potatoes by their tapered ends and thin, smooth skin. Yams have rough, dark skin.

The original recipe calls for yams. I use sweet potatoes instead, and kale rather than mustard greens. For dinner parties, if vegetarians are among the guests I split the potato salad in half and mix bacon into one half only, leaving the other half for the vegetarians. Or leave the bacon on the side, but I find it more flavorful if the bacon is mixed in.

I’ve made this the day before. But it is thirsty and soaks up the dressing. So if I make it the day before, I make extra dressing add additional dressing before serving.

Finally, for a prettier presentation I like to serve it on a platter over a bed of shredded kale (with dressing mixed in prior to putting the kale on the platter).
How to tell the difference between sweet potato and yam?

Pumpkin Hummus

It’s such fun to flavor this hummus for fall by adding in pumpkin, knowing it also boosts the nutritional value. It’s always a hit as an appetizer at our autumn dinner parties, and it makes for a delicious sandwich spread, or wrap.

[su_expanding_quote_without_link alignment=”full” source=”SuperFoods: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt M.D. and Kathy Mathews” full_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.Pumpkin contains one of the richest supplies of bioavailable caortenoids known to man. Half a cup serving of pumpkin gives you more than two times my recommended daily intake of alpha-caronte and 100 percent of my recommended daily dietary goal of beta-carotene.” short_quote=”Foods rich in carotenoids have been linked to a host of health promoting and disease-fighting activities.”]

For a hummus as sandwich spread, I prefer a thicker consistency (similar to softened cream cheese). If using as a dip (with veggies, pita or crackers), I add a couple tablespoons of water.

I discovered it also freezes well, which is a great resource for an impromptu dinner party or for quick sandwich/wrap lunches during the week