Month: January 2015

Winter Wellness

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Wintertime sure is the season of sickness, whether you are in the snowy midwest or sunny California. The change in season sure accompanied by bugs and viruses, but the cold temperatures aren’t entirely to blame. The common cold rhinovirus is not caused by the cold. Rather, what we do when it gets cold is the cause. Chilly weather draws people indoors, building air is recycled, and viruses or bugs are circulated between people in close proximity–whether it is in the workplace, classroom, or gym. Essentially, we are all sneezing, sniffling, and coughing on each other through shared air or items. Not to fear! While it may seem impossible to avoid, there are so many ways to naturally boost your immunity– or if you’ve already come down with something, to ease the symptoms while you recover. Although no one cure kills off all strains of cold viruses, your best bet is to incorporate immunity boosting preventative methods to decrease your susceptibility to the cold. Let your body’s immune system serves as a front line defense against the nagging cold virus, …

Asian Lettuce Wraps with Chili Peanut Sauce

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Cool and crisp–lettuce wraps are a fantastic way to get your daily serving of veggies and more! These healthy wraps are high in protein and totally vegan. They are so simple to make and are perfect as a lunch or appetizer item. Ingredients you’ll need: Dice the following ingredients for the filling: 3/4 cup purple cabbage 1 medium red bell pepper 1 medium orange bell pepper 1/2 cup water chestnuts 1/2 cup bamboo shoots (optional) 1 bulb of fennel (sliced like in the picture above) 3/4 cup of baby corn 2-3 stems of celery handful of cilantro handful of pea sprouts or bean sprouts 1 block organic extra-firm tofu organic coconut oil Sambal Oelek Chili Paste low sodium soy sauce sesame oil rice vinegar juice of 1/2 lemon salt and pepper to taste chopped roasted peanuts (optional) For the Chili Peanut Sauce: 2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (NOT the Garlic Chili Paste–make sure you read this correctly!) 2-3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce lemon juice to taste To …

Avocado Corn Salsa

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Did you know avocados are a berry, not a vegetable? Here are some quick stats on the lovely fruit: Avocados are high in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, unlike most fruits which are high in carbohydrates. They are low in saturated fats (unhealthy fat). They contain more potassium than a banana! Potassium is essential for blood pressure regulation. The are abundant in Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin E A quick trick to know if your avocados are ripe: Gently peel off the stem and look for a bright green color like below. Then your avocado is ready to go! Ingredients: 2-3 ripe avocados, diced 2 diced medium roma tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1/2 cup corn kernels fresh green chilli, diced (for spicier version) 1/2 cup black beans (optional, but adds a good source of protein!) handful of cilantro 1 tsp cumin juice of 1/2 lemon (or to taste) salt to taste 1-2 tsp paprika How to make: Simply toss all prepped ingredients into a bowl …

3-step Vegan Thai Coconut Curry

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Vegan Thai Coconut Curry Behold the mighty coconut. Full of vitality, nutrition, and sustainable practices, coconuts are incredibly versatile from providing nutrition, to fuel and shelter. As the main ingredient of this recipe, coconut milk provides a savory and creamy base for vegan curries (also check out this recipe) and for those who are lactose intolerant. It makes for a great substitute for not only milk, but heavy whipping cream in many soups or Indian curries. You can also try adding a splash into smoothies, oatmeal, or to hydrate chia seeds into a pudding. With just 3 easy steps, create this savory curry in no time! Makes 5 servings Ingredients: 2 cups chopped mixed bell peppers (about 1 medium size pepper of each color: red, yellow, orange, green) 2 cups broccoli 2 cup yellow corn firm tofu cubes (optional) 1 can coconut milk 2 green chili’s (Serrano or Thai) juice from half of lemon freshly ground sea salt and black pepper green chili paste, optional handful of chopped fresh cilantro coconut oil Directions: 1. Heat 1-2 …