We can encourage physical—and mental—balance by adding lots of fresh produce into your diet. At the end of the summer just before fall, we can enjoy seasonal heirloom tomato, zucchini, and sweet corn.

Heirloom Tomatoes

We may have a preconceived notion of the perfect red beefsteak tomato: round, smooth, with consistent coloring. In contrast, heirloom tomatoes are not always the prettiest tomatoes on offer because of their odd shapes and colors. This is a distinct advantage though, because those lines, bumps and crazy color variations are a result of their genetic biodiversity.

How to Select the Perfect Heirloom Tomato

Select carefully. Even with the unique shapes, try not to buy any that are heavily cracked or split since breaks in the fruit’s skin can invite disease and insects. If you do buy one that is cracked, just be sure to wash it well—or even blanch it—before eating.

Heirloom Tomato Benefits

These tomatoes are a rich source of Vitamin C. They are also valuable for their Vitamin K content, necessary for functional blood clotting as well as strong and healthy bones.

The abundance of potassium is valuable since this electrolyte is known to assist in lowering blood pressure. Heirlooms are also high in the anti-oxidant lycopene. Research shows that lycopene plays a role in cancer prevention.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Benefits

We know the obvious difference between zucchini and yellow squash: one is green and the other is yellow! Aside from this, their shapes are distinct – yellow squash tends to taper at the top and have a fat bottom while the zucchini squash tends to be straight from end to end. Both squash are great to use in vegetable-based recipes to offer variety of hue.

Yellow squash and zucchini squash are nutritionally similar when it comes to high water and fiber content and low caloric value. Zucchini also has high levels of potassium, folate and magnesium. It is highly anti-inflammatory and the presence of Vitamin A in zucchini aids in enhancing our vision and preventing age-related eye issues such as macular degeneration.

The Sweet in Sweet Corn

Sweet corn sometimes gets a bad rap because many people believe it is too high in carbohydrates or has no nutritional value. Yet it is important to note that fresh corn is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup. One ear of fresh corn has about 60 calories and only 2.3 grams of sugar, which is less than an apple!

Corn on the cob is full of fiber, beta-carotene, lutein, Vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium. It is also naturally gluten-free. One more benefit to sweet corn is that it contains large amounts of insoluble fiber, which is a prebiotic helpful for maintaining good gut bacteria.

Dish Ideas for Market Fare

• Chop heirloom tomatoes for a salsa or a gazpacho.
• Pair heirloom tomatoes with other veggies for a salad or stew.
• Spiralize zucchini for noodles (zoodles) and sauté in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or toss with pesto or your favorite marinara.
• Eat corn from the cob.
• Cut kernels off the cob and add to a salad.
• Fold fresh corn kernels into the batter of your favorite baking recipe.
• Combine all for a hot or cold soup.

Summer Vegetable Soup (hot or cold)

This delicious soup combines fresh, end-of-summer produce and a few fresh herbs. You can serve it hot or cold. I love it cold for a refreshing savory lunch on a warm day.

Ingredients

• • 3 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 ears of white corn
  • 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 TBSP fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 yellow boatneck squash, sliced into thin circles
  • 2 zucchini squash, sliced into thin circles
  • 4-5 large cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 large Anaheim pepper, chopped (if you don’t want any spice this is optional or you can use a bell pepper)
  • 1 bunch of lacinato (dinosaur) kale, stems and veins removed
  • 4 cups low sodium stock (vegetable or chicken)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F. Place corn in foil-lined baking tin. Mix 2 TBSP of olive oil, some sea salt, pepper and the chopped fresh oregano and coat the corn ears with the marinade. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on the extent of roasting you like). Cool and then scrape the kernels in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat with the other 2 TBSP of olive oil. Add the chopped carrots, onion, sea salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes and then add the chopped zucchini and yellow squash, garlic, thyme, kale, and Anaheim (or bell) pepper. Cook around 10 minutes. If this needs more oil while cooking, it’s okay to add up to another TBSP of olive oil.

Stir in the corn, chopped heirloom tomato, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until everything is well-combined and at the desired consistency. Serve hot or cold and save the leftovers, since the flavors will continue to marinate.

Carrie Gabriel, MS, RD

Carrie Gabriel is a food-savvy dietician who has dedicated her life to helping guide others up the stairway to overall health and wellness. She has a Master’s Degree in nutritional science from CSU-LA, has experience at hospitals and in diabetes education; she is currently a freelance consultant working with private and corporate clients developing meal plans, conducting nutrition sessions and cooking demonstrations, and teaching seminars.

www.steps2nutrition.com

The post Heirloom Tomato Soup Savoring End-of-Summer Veggies appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Preparation is the key to success in most avenues of life, including healthy eating. As a dietitian, I believe taking the extra time at home to prep and cook most of your daily meals can help you maintain a healthy body weight and support your overall vitality. When you make a meal like a power lunch it sets you up for success. Plan meals for living life on the go and you’ll notice the positive effect on your day.

Where to Begin?

The best approach in the meal prep game is to have a plan and keep it simple. I find many people will fix something at home for breakfast and come home at night to prepare dinner, but lunch is the meal that most need help planning for healthy habits.

Here are some of my secrets to a successful lunch:

Pre-cook Whole Grains

Buying whole grains such as quinoa, barley, or brown rice and cooking a batch ahead of time helps making lunchtime meal prep easier. Many stores sell whole grain varieties that only take 10-15 minutes to cook—or you can find value in the bulk bins if you are willing to soak and pre-cook. You can easily add some sautéed veggies, beans and/or your favorite animal protein to the mix for a quick and easy on-the-go meal.

Pre-cut Vegetables

I am a huge fan of pre-cut vegetables. You can purchase them already cut or pre-cut them yourself and store in them in bags or containers in the fridge. Vegetables such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, celery, and many leafy greens can be chopped up and kept on hand to add to a salad, stir-fry, or grain dish for nutrients and extra flavor.

Proteins

Have your favorite proteins cooked and ready to go. Season with spices and leave a few pieces in a glass storage container ready to be added along with your pre-cooked grains and vegetables. (Warning: if you’re prepping fish, cooked fish can get odorous sitting for extended periods of time.) For vegetarians or vegans, having beans, tempeh, tofu, or other protein analogs prepared and seasoned can help decrease prep time.

Spices and Seasonings

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring; spices can really make a difference. My absolute favorite spices are from Flavor God, a company based out of San Diego. These seasonings are chemical- and filler-free and have low sodium levels; the have an assortment of blends, which is helpful for those who enjoy variety.

Containers

While there are a number of available brands of reusable packable containers, my favorite on-the-go container is the classic Mason jar. You can put smoothies, oats, soups or salads in Mason jars. Glass doesn’t leach chemicals into food, it is easy to wash, and the jars are so easy to carry around. Go for the quart-size jars with wide-mouth lids since these are easier to fill; use the jar for serving and even for eating on-the-go or during your lunch break.

The Perfect DIY Mason Jar Salad

Start with salad dressing.
Since you keep the jar upright, the salad dressing will stay separated from the veggies. This is great if you don’t want to pack a separate container for dressing.

Add vegetables.
Start with denser veggies like carrots, radishes, onions, and chickpeas that will taste delicious after soaking in the dressing. Top with anything else such as bell peppers, chopped cucumbers, or cherry tomatoes.

Layer the leafy greens.
These should take up at least half the jar. As mentioned earlier, go for pre-cut greens to save time, or if you’re using your own, make sure they’re dry before you add them to the jar.

At last, the protein.
Sprinkle sautéed tofu, beans, grilled chicken, or shredded cheese on top. These will help push the lighter-weight greens down so you can add more to your jar. You can also add avocado, nuts, seeds, or dried fruit.

Shake or pour when you’re ready to eat. At lunchtime, you can shake up the container to distribute the dressing, or pour the entire contents into a bowl and mix it up with your fork.

Some of my other favorite lunchtime recipes include a stir fry and a grain dish. Here are the basics. Experiment with combinations and flavors for the seasons.

Easy Prep Stir Fry

Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 cup cremini mushrooms
2-3 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp Liquid Amino Acids (Bragg’s or Coconut Aminos) to taste.

Directions
Prepare quinoa as directed.
Lightly coat sauté pan with cooking spray or grapeseed oil.
Add all vegetables and cook at medium heat for about one minute.
Add grapeseed oil and about 1 tsp of Aminos, sauté 3-5 minutes.
Toss the vegetable mixture with the quinoa.

Optional: Add 4-6 ounces of cooked and spiced protein of choice.

Arugula, Barley, and Bell Pepper Salad

Salad
8 ounces barley (equivalent to one Trader Joe’s bag of 10 minute barley)
1 bag of organic arugula (6-8 ounces)
2 organic bell peppers (colors of choice), chopped
1/4 cup pinenuts (optional)

Dressing
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Cook barley as directed. (This is about 10 minutes for 10 minute parboiled barley or soak and then simmer bulk barley for 40-50 minutes.)
While the barley is cooking, rinse arugula add half of a bag of arugula or three to four ounces of arugula to a large bowl.
Chop the bell peppers.
When the barley is cooked, add it to the arugula, then add the chopped bell peppers.
Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients in a small cup.
Stir and pour over the salad.
Add the pinenuts (or other nuts) if desired.
Toss and enjoy!

Carrie Gabriel, MS, RD

Carrie Gabriel is a food-savvy dietician who has dedicated her life to helping guide others up the stairway to overall health and wellness. She has a Master’s Degree in nutritional science from CSU-LA, has experience at hospitals and in diabetes education; she is currently a freelance consultant working with private and corporate clients developing meal plans, conducting nutrition sessions and cooking demonstrations, and teaching seminars.

www.steps2nutrition.com

The post Power Lunch for Success: Plan in Advance appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

A little background: In healthy people, the inside of the small intestine is lined with finger-like projections called villi. The main function of these villi is to increase the surface area of the small intestine so that the body can better absorb the nutrients in food.

When a person with celiac disease eats gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. This damages the villi, causing nutrients to pass directly through the digestive tract and be excreted with the body’s waste, often causing this person to suffer from malnutrition.

So who needs to go gluten free? This is a major argument in today’s society. Some say that no one should eat wheat. There is research that claims that humans do not fully digest wheat and that the undigested portions ferment and create gas in our systems. Many claim that wheat is considered a pro-inflammatory agent. When consumed, it is quickly converted into sugar, causing a rise in the body’s insulin levels, which leads to inflammation at the cellular level. Wheat is also believed to cause leaky gut syndrome, where toxins, undigested food, and waste leak from your gut into your blood stream. Another consideration is that refined wheat, which is what many of us tend to eat, has little to no nutritional value, anyway, because processing has stripped it of most of its nutrients.

These sound like valid reasons for most of society to go gluten-free; however, there is also an argument that following a gluten-free diet can lower levels of certain vitamins and nutrients that are commonly found in grains. You’ll be surprised by just how many essential vitamins and nutrients you could be missing: B vitamins, D vitamins, omega-3, iron, calcium, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Lower levels of these nutrition essentials can lead to risk factors for heart attacks, vascular disease, and strokes. A person is also more likely to have constipation on a gluten-free diet because many of the gluten-free grains are stripped of fiber. Also, if a person on a gluten-free diet is not careful and is eating processed gluten-free goods instead of whole foods, they may be adding more fat to their diet, in addition to other fillers which companies add to replace the gluten  textures, calories, and nutrients.

How do you know if you should go gluten-free? Many people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Approximately 1 in 100 people have celiac disease, and many are unaware that they do. No one knows how many people have gluten sensitivity, but estimates are that this may be found in as much as 50% – 70% percent of the population. Many people with sensitivity to gluten who have had great results from going gluten-free said they did so because they had been tired, headachy, and felt like their digestive system was always off. Other people complain of rashes or unusual skin ailments, depression, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, or trouble paying attention.

How do you go gluten-free? The first thing I suggest is to focus on food that is naturally gluten-free. There are many good ones: potatoes, rice, lentils, avocados, leafy greens, eggs, apples, bananas, mangos, grapes, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds; there is an endless list of amazing gluten-free foods. Figure out what gluten is and where it hides — in A LOT of processed, packaged foods, sauces, dressings, et cetera. One thing I can say is you are less likely to have to worry about hidden gluten if you cook your own food and eat as naturally as possible.

Here are two of my favorite gluten-free recipes. You can find all of these ingredients in your local grocery stores. Both recipes are easy to make and delicious.

If you are not vegetarian, you can add animal protein to these recipes. I add ground turkey to the spaghetti squash all the time, or sliced chicken breast to the acorn squash.

Spaghetti Squash with roasted Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and onions

1 spaghetti squash

1 pound Brussel sprouts

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 cup vegetable broth

15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

salt and black pepper, to taste

sliced almonds or avocado, optional

Instructions

NOTE: this is a healthy recipe and while it is not difficult, it takes a little over an hour to put together. You can store it in a sealed container and take it with you to work with you after some advanced preparation.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Pierce a spaghetti squash a few times with a knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet or foil on center rack of your oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn it over. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.
2. While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half. Place on a baking sheet and douse with olive oil. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove them when they are just beginning to get brown (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step).
3. In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, spray it down with cooking spray and cook the onions on medium-high heat until they become golden, about four to five minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more broth or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.

Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, chopped in half

1 cup quinoa

1/2 cup lentils, red or green

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

1/4 tablespoon cumin

1/4 tablespoon turmeric

sea salt and pepper to taste

Set oven to 350F. Cut squash in half and place in a baking dish filled with 1/2 an inch of water. Place flesh side down and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cook 1 cup quinoa and 1/2 cup lentils together in a pot of water (about two cups of water) for 10-12 minutes or until fully cooked. In another pan, sauté the garlic and red pepper in the coconut oil. When the red pepper and garlic are soft, combine them with the lentils and quinoa. Then add the turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. Drizzle a little more coconut oil if necessary.

When the squash is done, take it out and let it cool for about five minutes. Drain the water from the pan and place a baking sheet in the pan. Put the squash back in the pan and pour the quinoa and lentil mix into each squash half. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes. Take them out and enjoy!

Here is a gluten-free dessert I enjoy making. It is super healthy, and high in antioxidants, but also delicious, rich, and creamy.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

1 large avocado

1/4 cup coconut milk

4-5 tablespoons of cacao powder

1-2 tablespoons of Manuka honey, or whatever honey you desire

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Blend, scoop into a bowl and enjoy. Add fresh berries or other garnishes as desired.

Carrie Gabriel MS, RD earned her masters degree at UCLA and is committed to helping people achieve greater health and wellness. Read more of her recipes online at: steps2nutrition.com. 

Carrie Gabriel, MS, RD

Carrie Gabriel is a food-savvy dietician who has dedicated her life to helping guide others up the stairway to overall health and wellness. She has a Master’s Degree in nutritional science from CSU-LA, has experience at hospitals and in diabetes education; she is currently a freelance consultant working with private and corporate clients developing meal plans, conducting nutrition sessions and cooking demonstrations, and teaching seminars.

www.steps2nutrition.com

The post Why Go Gluten-Free? appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.