Are you ready to start feeling as healthy as you were meant to feel? As our children are getting back to regular routines this fall season, why not take this time to start getting back into a healthy routine yourself?
Fall into Feeling Fabulous is a 21-day online program designed to help you get back on track. You will learn how the body thrives when it is properly nourished through wholesome eating and good quality supplementation.
Along with an online education and support community, recipes and tracking tools you will receive a full months supply of the highest rated quality supplements on the market today (AM & PM multivitamins and minerals of pharmaceutical grade), probiotics (dairy-free pharmaceutical grade, to support digestive health), Optomega oil (essential fatty acids ) and gluten/dairy/soy/fructose free meal replacement shakes that you can fit into your program up to twice daily for those rushed on-the-go meals.
This program focuses on healthy eating habits and you will receive healthy meal and snack options that you may incorporate into your daily routine. As always, please contact your health care professional before commencing any nutrition or fitness program. This program is not intended for the use of treatment or diagnosis of health problems or disease. Please consult your doctor or other health care provider for professional care, treatment and diagnosis.
Chickpeas are one of my favourites. They are easy to throw in soups and salads or even to just eat plain as a quick and easy portable snack. Try this easy hummus recipe that can either be used as a dip for raw veggies or pita, or as a spread on sandwiches. It is a great way for vegetarians and vegans to ensure they are consuming something that is high in protein and it is loaded with dietary fibre allowing you to feel fuller longer. Being low on the glycemic index, energy can be sustained over a longer period of time if they are consumed. Chickpeas are also a great source of many vital minerals and vitamins, including calcium, folate, and manganese.
If soaking and cooking beans seems to be too much work for the person who is new to dried varieties, try canned, just make sure they are drained and rinsed well before blending them up.
Easy Hummus Recipe
2-540mL cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1/3 cup olive oil (my favourite EFA blend is Optomega)
2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves of crushed garlic
¼ cup of water
Pinch of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
In a blender combine half the chickpeas and oil, pulsing to puree. When slightly creamy add the remaining chickpeas, oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic and spices. Pulse and use a spatula from time to time to scrape off the sides of the blender. Add water as needed to get the desired consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Enjoy!
About two weeks ago, my youngest son had an adenotonsillectomy which prevented him from eating for several days. Popsicles and sipping drinks was just about all he could handle for the first week, a week that seemed like an eternity to me. I tried everything to get this child to eat, puréeing, and overcooking just about anything I could think of. You name it, I tried it. I resorted to making a lot of bland, creamy soups as anything spicy, acidic or chunky was out of the question for my little man. Finally on day 10 he started to come around and began eating, mostly out of hunger I think, as any food that went down his throat still brought him so much pain.
While I tend to make many soups over and over again, I’m lucky if they turn out the same each and every time as I am sometimes limited to what I have on hand. The following hearty bean soup is one that I make often and my son was able to eat with little discomfort as his recovery progressed. I usually use the beans that I have on hand which may include: pinto, limas, red and white kidney, black-eyed peas, red and green lentils, yellow and green split peas, navy, black, red, garbanzo beans, etc. If you are new to working with dried beans and don’t have many varieties on hand you can usually find a 13 bean soup/chilli mix in the natural section of your local grocery store or just use 2 mixed cups of what you have. This soup freezes well without changing the texture of the beans. You can substitute a few cups of water for broth if you prefer once you add in your veggies. Some of you may like to add tomato paste, but I think it tastes nice without.
Hearty 13 Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 cups dried 13 bean mix
10 cups of cold water (preferably spring or filtered tap water)
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
8-10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (3 tsp dried)
1 tsp sea salt
2 medium carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 onion chopped
Juice of ½ a lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Wash and soak the beans overnight if possible or at least for a few hours if you have the time (this will greatly reduce the cooking time of the beans). Drain and rinse the beans, placing them in a large soup pot. Cover with the water and add in the garlic and sage. Bring the water to a boil and then cook for several hours until tender (this time varies depending on how old the beans are and how long they were soaking).
Once the beans are almost tender, add the salt (but not before or it will interfere with the cooking process of the beans). Add in your carrots, celery and onion and cook for about an hour.
Once the cooking is almost finished add more salt and pepper to taste along with the lemon juice. Serve with your favourite bread (I personally like rosemary focaccia, a recipe I will post soon!). Enjoy!
Fall is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the changing colours that come with the season and the delicious assortment of foods that come out of the autumn harvest. One of my favourites this time of year is butternut squash. I especially like to make this recipe after the kids have picked the apples and the squash off the farm themselves. What I usually do is cube a few large squash and freeze them in equal cup portions so that I have them on hand to make this delicious soup.
Preparation Time: 15 mins.
Cooking Time: 40 mins.
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6
5 cups of butternut squash (peeled and seeded), cut into 2cm cubes
2 cups of carrots, cut into 2cm cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 2cm cubes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp oil
2 large, firm apples cut into 2cm cubes (peeled and cored)
1 tsp curry powder
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup apple juice (or cider)
toasted pumpkin seeds
Instuctions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine squash, carrots and onion and drizzle with oil, stirring well to combine. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add apples, stirring well to combine. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove and add curry powder, again stirring well to combine. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes more or until vegetables are very soft. Vegetables should be browned a bit. Puree roasted vegetables in a blender with 2 cups of vegetable broth. Transfer pureed mixture to a stockpot, add remaining broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in apple juice. Sprinkle with more pepper and toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
(Reposted from 10/13/2011)
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