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Who would think that this recipe can improve heart blood flow, possibly eliminating the risk for heart disease including heart attack and stroke. The nutrient Vitamin K found in these vegetables may be involved in inhibiting the calcification process (narrowing) that occurs in our blood vessels. So eat up! This recipe makes an amazing side dish option.  Ingredients:
3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, shredded 2 medium carrots, shredded 1 pear, thinly sliced 2 scallions (green onion), thinly sliced 3 oz. prosciutto, chopped 1/2 C pomegranate seeds or 1/3 C dried cherries 3 T extra-virgin olive oil juice of 1/2 orange 2 T maple syrup 1/4 C hazelnuts 2 t Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, minced Instructions: In a large bowl, toss together Brussels sprouts, carrot, pear, scallion, prosciutto, and pomegranate seeds or dried cherries. Place olive oil, orange juice, maple syrup, hazelnuts, mustard, garlic, and a couple of pinches each of salt and pepper in a blender container and blend until slightly chunky. Toss dressing with slaw. Makes six servings.
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If you're like me and always looking for healthier meal options for you and your family, I have this perfect stuffing recipe for you this Thanksgiving. This recipe is clean, healthy and packed with nutrients that you and your family will LOVE. It is a great substitute for the nutritionally-lacking white bread recipe. Hope you and your family loves it as much as we do.  Ingredients:
1 ½ cups brown rice, uncooked 2 cups natural apple juice and 1½ cups water 2 tsp olive oil 1 crisp harvest apple cored and dice ½ cup Brussels sprouts, chopped fine 4 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press 1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine 1 cup celery, diced 1/3 cup uncontaminated oat bran or wheat bran ½ cup dried cranberries 1/3 slivered, raw almonds ½ tsp poultry seasoning ¼ tsp thyme Freshly ground black pepper Preparation: 1. Make rice according to package instructions. Use the combination of 2 cups natural apple juice and 1½ cups water for the liquid. 2. Place olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook all chopped fruits and vegetables until they are crisp, not soggy. Add cooked brown rice, bran, cranberries, almonds, poultry seasoning, pepper and thyme. Toss well 3. Use as stuffing for poultry. 4. Remaining stuffing can be baked separately in a casserole dish. Enjoy! If you are looking for meal ideas to use up the freshly picked tomatoes from your garden this summer, here is a quick and simple one. This recipe is a very simple to prepare and for that, great for any busy household.  Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 10 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 15 or until the juices run clear. 2. In the meantime, combine chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and basil in a bowl. Place bowl in refrigerator until chicken is ready. Spoon over chicken and enjoy! Let us know how you like it in the comment below. This recipe is one of my old-time summer favorite. It is easy to prepare and very tasty. All ingredients can be found in your summer gardens and/or can be purchased from your community food stand and local stores. Let us know how you like it!  Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
1. Prepare sauce by whisking tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add water 1 tbsp. at a time, until dressing thickness is to your liking. Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Set aside. 2. Arrange lettuce “boats” on a platter, and begin filling with 1-2 tbsp. of hummus. Top with lots of veggies! 3. Drizzle the dressing over the top, and serve! (Servings 2-4) This recipe looks a lot more complicated than it actually is. It is one of my favorites for a power breakfast, and it comes together quite easily. 🍅It’s even quicker to prepare if you pre-chop your veggies on the weekend. 🥑Have you tried frozen avocado yet? It’s definitely worth checking out. The night before you make this, I recommend taking your avocado out of the freezer, wrap it in cling wrap so it doesn’t brown, and putting it in the refrigerator to thaw. 🥚😋 Starting your day with a dose of protein, veggies, and healthy fat will keep you feeling full and satisfied! Adding a side dish of a half-cup of berries is an optional healthy boost. 🍓 If you prefer the vegan option, you can switch the eggs for sweet potatoes and cheese for non-dairy cheese of your choice. Although I am not vegan, I like to substitute for sweet potatoes and cashew cheese.  Breakfast Burritos
(Makes 2 burritos) Ingredients
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until soft and slightly caramelized. Add beans and pepper flakes and cook until warmed through 3-4 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, in a medium bowl whisk the eggs and egg whites, and then add the cheese. When the veggies are heated through, transfer to a dish and if necessary, spray the skillet with non-stick spray. Pour in the eggs and scramble, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. To serve, spread each tortilla or lettuce leaf with some salsa, and then layer each with half of the black bean mixture, half the eggs or cooked crushed sweet potatoes, and half the tomato and avocado. Season with hot sauce. Roll up your tortilla or lettuce leaf like a burrito and enjoy! Leave us a comment and let us know how it turned out! Not only is asparagus low in fat and calories, but it can do so much more, like help you beat bloat and lose weight, thanks to its diuretic properties and high fiber content. The veggie is packed with other nutrients, too, including vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, calcium,and protein. Plus, it’s a rich source of antioxidants. Asparagus season is here! Pack on the asparagus!  Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Snap ends off asparagus. Shave 3 spears with a vegetable peeler to create ribbons, set aside. Chop remaining asparagus. 2. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until translucent. Add chopped asparagus and cauliflower and cook for about 3 more minutes. 3. Add stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes until cauliflower is very tender. 4. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with shaved raw asparagus and fresh pepper. This month, we've got an AMAZING recipe that is SO GOOD for your gut health (and also your “everything” health!).  If you’re not a tea drinker already, you might become one after reading this.
We keep hearing about how healthy it is to eat a plant-based diet (or at least more of one)! Well one reason is because of special plant compounds called polyphenols, which can have a huge positive impact on your health. The good news is, you don’t have to go full-on vegan to get their benefits. Researchers are still learning more about exactly HOW polyphenols work, but one thing is for sure: they are antioxidants that fight inflammation in your body. You can find polyphenols in everything from wine, grapes and turmeric to coffee, chili peppers and berries! … and, you guessed it, also TEA! Especially black tea. The polyphenols in tea appear to promote the growth of the good bacteria in your gut AND make it harder for bad bacteria (like salmonella) to grow. Plus, black tea contains properties that help repair the lining of your digestive tract. This recipe also contains other gut-friendly ingredients like cloves, turmeric, peppercorns, and ginger. Makes 2 servings 1 cup (235 ml) non-dairy milk (carrageenan-free) 1 cup (235 ml) water 2 whole cloves 1 cardamom pod, crushed 1-2 peppercorns, crushed ½ cinnamon stick ½ tsp turmeric ¼ inch piece fresh ginger, grated 2 tsp coconut sugar 1 tbsp black tea leaves Splash of pure vanilla extract Instructions In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, water, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium low if it gets too hot. Stir in the coconut sugar, tea, and vanilla, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Strain mixture into cups and enjoy! Share a comment below about this recipe. We appreciate it! :) Natatia Gemmell This lentil soup recipe is so easy, comforting and so good for you! It’s a perfect option for lunch, and it tastes even better the next day. Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein … plus this soup packs a whopping 13 grams of fiber into one serving (which will keep you going!). And it’ll keep you feeling full for hours!  Easy Lentil Soup 🥣🍅🥕
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)
Over medium heat, drizzle the olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot. When it’s hot, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic cloves and saute for about 1 minute. Next add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, broth and spices, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, and cook until the lentils are done, about 40 minutes. You can serve as-is, or if you want a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Optional: Serve topped with a splash of fresh lemon juice and your choice of fresh herb. Now that the peak of New Year's resolution season has come and gone, many of us have abandoned our grand visions for 2020. Big-picture goals, which are often vague and too ambitious, sometimes fall by the wayside as life inevitably gets in the way. But that's no reason to give up on better health this year. In fact, February – also known as Heart Month – is the perfect time to focus on improving your heart health. The key is structuring that goal in a way that keeps you motivated throughout the year. 
Now, we know what you're thinking: So, you just want me to lose weight, eat right, exercise regularly, quit smoking and keep my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar down? Fat chance! But the truth is, each objective really is attainable through manageable behavioral changes. The first step is to find out where you stand. Go to the AHA's website and complete the simple assessment to find out what areas you already excel in, where you need to make improvements and what information you may want to ask your doctor about. For example, if you don't smoke, you've already achieved one of your seven big-picture goals. Don't know your blood sugar levels? That's something you should probably discuss with your doctor. In addition, the assessment will reveal areas where you can improve your diet, how much exercise you need to add to your day and where you stand in terms of body weight and other variables. Now that you know your long-term goals, it's time to incorporate behaviour changes throughout your day and week to help you progress. Need to get moving? Consider joining us for a gym membership and/or trying some of our fitness classes. Or start with a commitment to walking a 2 km loop in your neighbourhood several days a week. Short on fruits and veggies? Start by adding one piece of fruit to your breakfast each day and eat a salad as part of your dinner three days each week. You can also boost your vegetable content with VegeGreens super food powder, which is availble at the club. Is your blood pressure too high? Talk to your doctor about ways to control it - there are many natural ways to do this. As those new behaviours become habits, you can modify them as needed. Eventually, small behaviour tweaks will become big changes. They'll also provide frequent successes that keep you motivated throughout the year. Every time you join a fitness class or walk that 2 km loop, for instance, you've achieved another goal! Remember, lifestyle change is not an all-or-nothing proposition. It may be quite some time before you meet every aspect of the dietary recommendations, or achieve every one of the 7 steps – if ever. But every improvement counts, as does every pound lost. For instance, losing 50 pounds to get back down to your college weight may not be achievable right now, but losing 10 percent of your body weight could lead to dramatic improvements in your health. Likewise, you may not be able to exercise every day, but every moment of physical activity counts. The successes will accumulate and become their own type of habit. It's all about perspective and acknowledging your achievements along the way. You CAN do it!   This salad requires no cooking and is made with just a few healthy ingredients. This crunchy broccoli salad with lemon tahini (sesame paste) dressing is a simple healthy twist on a classic dish! This simple salad only has 9 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to make! It's plant-based, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low in carbohydrates, and keto- friendly. It's perfect for weeknight dinners, and meal prep. INGREDIENTS
To make this a full meal, add your favourite protein! You can easily mix in your favourite protein, like:
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AuthorI'm Natatia Gemmell. No matter how busy life gets, eating well and exercising is always a priority! I LOVE fitness, and I share my passion for exercising and clean eating with my friends and family, And I want to share with you too! Let me know how your next recipe turns out! Archives
December 2020
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