Simple Spring Salad!

Spring is here! Jogging in central park, sipping ice coffee, and outdoor dining is back! With the weather getting warmer, who wants to spend time indoors slaving over dinner? Not me! Try making this simple, fresh, and HEALTHY salad in 20 minutes or less! It's packed with all the nutrients you need to fill you up!

1 head of romaine lettuce (vitamin A, K, C, fiber, and folate)
1 head of fresh broccoli (vitamin C, K, folate, and calcium)
1 sweet potato (fiber, vitamin A, and C, and helps regulate blood sugar)
1 cup of raw kale (high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and can help lower cholesterol)
1 granny smith apple  (fiber and helps regulate blood sugar)
1/2 seedless cucumber (low calorie!)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (vitamin E and can help lower cholesterol)
2 tablespoons chopped almonds (fiber, vitamin E, protein)
1/4 cup of feta cheese (protein and calcium)

Dressing: 
balsamic vinegar                                                                                                        
olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Serves: 2-4

Start by microwaving your sweet potato (depending on the size, between 6-8 minutes). While your potato is cooking, start chopping your kale (remember to discard the stem), romaine lettuce, granny smith apple, and cucumber. Next steam your chopped broccoli for about 2-3 minutes. After your sweet potato is soft in the center, chop it and put in the freezer to cool for 5 minutes. Once the broccoli and sweet potato are cool, add them to the salad and top with seeds, nuts, and cheese. Dress with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and spices (sorry I never measure!!).

Enjoy the salad and the warm weather!

National Nutrition Month!

What are you doing to get your plate in shape?

Here are some smart snacking tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - 

Snacks with 200 calories or less:         
• One tablespoon peanut butter spread on slices of a medium apple
• One cup tomato soup with five whole-grain crackers
• Three cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with three tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• Tri-color veggie snack: 6 baby carrots,
10 sugar snap peas (or green pepper strips), 6 cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping
• Fruit smoothie: Blend 1 cup fat-free milk,
½ cup frozen strawberries and ½ banana
• Trail mix: Mix 20 almonds, miniature box of raisins, and ¼ cup sunflower seeds

Remember, only snack when you hungry and choose wisely!

Cooking with Candle 79

I recently got the candle 79 cookbook (vegan restaurant in NYC)  and was so excited about all the awesome recipes! Last night I hosted a dinner party with some friends and tried out some of the healthy dishes-




We started with a Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Crispy Sage Leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (you can modify the amount)
1 leek, white and pale green parts, rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped white onion
2 pounds Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and rinsed
5 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sea salt

crispy sage leaves -
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8-12 fresh sage leaves

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and saute' until softened (about 5 minutes). Add the artichokes, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the artichokes are tender, around 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer mixture to a blender and process until smooth. To crisp the sage leaves, heat the olive oil in a small saute' pan over medium heat. Add the safe leaves and saute' until crisp (about 2 minutes). Drain the oil on paper towels. Garnish each soup with a couple of safe leaves. Serving size 4-6  (source: candle 79 cookbook).

Nutritional info:
Jerusalem Artichokes are a good source of potassium, iron,  fiber (1 serving has 2.5 grams of fiber, total recommended daily amount is 25 grams), and low in fat and calories.


For the main course we had a pesto crusted tofu with two varieties of potato mash (sweet and regular) and a layer of green beans in the middle.

For the pesto tofu -

marinade:
1 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup water
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
3 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 pounds extra-firm tofu, sliced into 1 by 2 by 3 inch slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To make the marinade, put the pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, and water in a blender and process. Add the parsley, basil, garlic, yeast, and salt and process for 1 minute. Pour the marinade over the tofu and marinate for at least 4 hours. Remove the tofu from the marinade and heat olive oil (or oil spray) in a large pan. Add the tofu and cook until lightly browned (about 3 minutes per side). To serve, heat the marinade and spoon a little on top of the tofu. Serving size 4-6  (source: candle 79 cookbook).

Nutritional facts: Good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron



Plating the dish using just mashed potatoes as a base and beets as a garnish
(roast whole beets in the oven for an hour - let cool and slice)




Plating the dish using just sweet potatoes as a base with arugula lettuce as a garnish on top.

Enjoy!!

Yoga Pose of the Day - Sukhasana

If you are new to yoga, Sukhasana or "easy pose" is a great place to start!

I like to do this pose first thing in the morning to stretch out my back, knees, ankles, and hips.

Come to sit on a block or a blanket (folded about 6 inches high). This will keep you from rounding in your lower back and will also allow you to deepen the stretch through your hips.

Bend your knees and cross your shins. Your feet should be far enough away from your pelvis that when you look down you see a triangle shape.  If you knees are very high from the floor you can place a block underneath each knee for support.

 Rest your palms face up on your knees if you feel tired and need more energy. Rest you palms face down if you feel anxious or hyper and want to ground yourself. Release your shoulder blades down your back and tuck your chin in slightly. Imagine there is a string lifting the crown of your head gently up towards the ceiling. Stay here for  as long as you like and don't forget to breath!

STAVE OFF THE SNIFFLES

Taking important steps to help prevent the common cold can go a long way! A healthy dose of physical activity and proper nutrition is the perfect recipe for boosting your immune system this winter season. While it would be nice to hide under the covers all day and wait for spring, we will all feel much better if we make the extra effort to exercise, and eat right!

Why choose yoga?

Yoga is wonderful for reducing stress, which can be a major contributing factor to developing a cold.

As you get more and more familiar with the yoga poses (or asanas), you can actually spend the entire class focusing on your breathing, allowing your practice to become a meditation in movement. At the end of your session, while you rest in shavasana, you give both your body and your mind a time to rest.

Restorative yoga poses and forward bends are particularly helpful to calm the nervous system and reduce stress. Focus on childs pose, shavasana,  bound angle pose, seated forward bend, and seated head to knee pose.


What do I eat to help prevent me from getting sick?

Consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, that are high in antioxidants will help keep your immune system strong. Three major antioxidant vitamins include beta-carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Last night I cooked up a healthy and simple kale dish, packed with immunity boosting vitamins! In case you want to try it for yourself...



Kale, white beans, and pepper saute' - (you can play around with the proportions!)
1/2 bunch of kale (raw) - chopped with stems removed
1 orange pepper (or any color) - chopped
1 can white beans - drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or less)
garlic powder
black pepper
chili powder

Directions: Pour the olive oil into the pan and saute minced garlic until lightly toasted. Add the yellow pepper and saute an additional 3-5 minutes. Next, add the kale and cook until soft (5-6 minutes). After the kale has cooked through, add the white beans, soy sauce, and season to taste with chile powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

kale:
-high in vitamin A/beta-carotene - one cup of kale has 192.4% of the daily value
- high in vitamin C - one cup has 89% of the daily value
- good source of calcium and fiber

orange pepper:
- high in vitamin C - one large pepper is 596% of daily value
-  source of protein and fiber

beans:
- excellent source of fiber and protein (to keep you full for longer!)

Sweet Talkin'

Did you know that Americans consume an average of 22 teaspoons, or 355 calories worth of sugar a day?
According to the American Heart Association ....

• Women should limit their sugar intake to 6 teaspoons, or 100 calories worth a day
• Men should limit their sugar intake to 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories worth a day

What is the difference between naturally occurring sugar and refined sugar?
Naturally occurring sugars are found in certain whole foods and beverages -

1. Fructose found in FRUIT
2. Lactose found in MILK and MILK PRODUCTS
3. Fructose plus glucose in HONEY
4. Sucrose in REAL MAPLE SYRUP

Foods that contain natural sugars provide nutrients and health benefits! For example, fruit contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Milk provides vitamin D, calcium, and protein.
Most of your daily sugar intake SHOULD come from naturally occurring sugars.

Refined sugars are extracted from plant foods to create sugars that can be added to foods -

1. White table sugar
2. molasses
3. brown sugar
4. high fructose corn syrup
5. Agave (requires more processing than honey and less than high fructose corn syrup)

Refined sugars are added to foods that provide calories but few nutrients; they are often found in foods and beverages such as soda, candy bars, and cookies. It is important to limit your intake of added and refined sugars.

The bottom line:

• Diets high in sugar can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes
• Sugars are all digested the same way in the body; they are broken down into glucose and provide energy. If your body makes more glucose than it needs for immediate energy or storage, it will be stored in your fat cells and turn into body fat  
• All sugars provide 4 calories per gram
• Research has failed to prove that high fructose corn syrup is worse for you than regular cane sugar (that doesn't mean it should be consumed in large quantities!)

Be Nice to Your Knees!

Yoga can be a wonderful tool to help strengthen your knees, but small misalignment repeated over time can actually do more harm than good.  Here are some helpful tips to keep your knees safe -

1. Avoid hyper-extending
- In straight leg standing and seated poses like triangle, mountain and staff pose, it can be easy to over extend your knees. Try to focus on drawing the top of your thighs back, while pushing the back of your calves forward to engage your legs. Avoid pushing your knee joints back.
 -If you have a tendency to hyper-extend, it's better to slightly bend your knees in poses that typically require straight legs.

2. Proper alignment
- In standing poses like warrior I, warrior II, and extended side angle make sure to bend your knee directly over your ankle at a 90 degree angle, lining your knee over your second toe. Never allow the knee to come past the ankle.
- Constantly focus on drawing your knee outward to make sure it doesn't slip inward.
- If you have a previous knee injury, back off slightly, and come out of the pose if you feel any discomfort.

3. Warm up your hips
- Stretching your hips can help take pressure off your knees. Practice poses such as pigeon, happy baby, child's pose, and bound angle pose to open your hips.

4. Use your feet
 - In triangle and mountain pose raise the inner arches of your feet to take pressure off your knees.

***Special thanks to my yogi dad for some extra tips in this post on how to protect you knees!