Lentils With An Italian Kick!

I love lentil soup but have tried to keep it more organic and rich with this recipe. You'll notice my stock is large cuts of carrots and celery and I've added a lot more spices to spice it up of course!  I love lentil soup by itself but when serving for others I always feel it should be paired with a meat.  In this case I found a great product that added the italian kick I was looking for.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did last night. Whats even greater about the first serving is the second and third servings.  The flavors keep building over 24 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leafs
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) whole tomatoes
• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and layered on soup
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• also add these for some punch (cumin, red chili pepper, or turmeric)

Optional: 

Italian style sausage by aidells at www.aidells.com I opted for their smoked chicken & turkey sausage made with poultry raised without hormones. This product also has no gluten and no msg.
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

"WATER IS THE BEST DRINK FOR A WISE MAN."

This statement was made by one of America's nineteenth-century philosophers, Thoreau.

It's important to have a variety of health beverages in your diet. Today, there are too many people subsisting on diet sodas, regular sodas, and energy drinks. These consist mostly of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavoring, and caffeine. The body will not perform to peak performance with a steady intake of these types of beverages according to author Sharon Stajda "Drinks That Are Good For You"   I have long been creating my own cleansing water that is 100% natural and very easy to make. There are some main ingredients that are necessary and others that can be added to taste.  I like to add lemon slices to mine while others may add another fruit for a twist!

Ingredients:
Ginger Root (Approx. 2" section) grated
Mint Leaves (Handful to taste)
Cucumber (Lg.) sliced
Lemon (Med.) sliced
2 quart pitcher (Ice & water)


Have some Bing Cherries for an afternoon snack!
Cherries are on my top 40 Best Foods group.

What A Perfect Combination

Beans & Rice + Sun Dried Tomatoes 

I love rice and beans because it compliments any fish or chicken. Adding Turmeric, sun dried tomatoes or other spices gives this standard an added punch to any dinner.  Take a look at this dish and build a great dinner!  This recipe came to me via Vegan Yum Yum, which I recommend you take a look.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Brown Rice, uncooked
• 1 Can Great Northern Beans (rinsed)
• 1/2 Cup of Sun Dried Tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup of Pine Nuts
• 2 Large Handful of Baby Spinach
• 2 Tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 2-4 Italian Herbs of your choice (Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Rosemary, etc.)

Cook your rice (Stove top or rice cooker) When finished, heat 4 Tbs. olive oil  in a saute pan over medium heat. Add herbs, tomatoes and pine nuts.  When pine nuts start to turn golden brown, add the beans. Add salt and vinegar, stir gently.

Layer spinach on top of beans. Place hot, steaming rice over spinach and leave for 30 seconds or so, until spinach is wilted.

BRAIN FOOD... Think About It!

My son is challenged with ADD and is now starting college.  I suggested he needs to focus, pay attention and follow-through if he expects to be rewarded on this new journey.  
Then I wondered, don't we all need brain food?


Here are five things you should know about feeding your brain:

• Fuel It Up (Balanced meals)
• Become A Grazer (Eat all day)
• Eat Lower On The Glycemic Index (GI)
• Know Your Fats (MUFA's)
• Discover Yourself (Exercise daily)

I wanted to introduce some "Brain Food" dishes that are easy to make, that you can eat anytime and will hopefully keep your eyes wide open for this thing called life! Click here for 50 best brain foods. The five supercharged brain foods are fish, avocados, blueberries, spinach and eggs. 

1.  Fish

It’s definitely not a myth that fish is good for the body. But exactly how good is fish for the brain? Fish is actually one of the most healthy foods for keeping the brain at an optimal level of functioning. Eskimo’s and countries that are high in fish consumption tend to have slower aging rates, significantly lower percentages of “mental diseases” and “disorders” and an overall healthier population. High fish consumption has been linked to lowered rates of depression & neurosis and a stabilized mood.

Fish actually fights aging in the brain and significantly reduces cognitive decline in the elderly. “That rate of reduction is equivalent to being three to four years younger in age,” wrote researcher Martha Clare Morris, (ScD, of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago) in the Archives of Neurology. Eating fish high in Omega-3 fatty-acids is especially helpful for not only the brain, but the entire body.

That’s why I take the fish oil supplements daily, which have been proven as effective as actually eating fish.  If you are currently consuming plenty of fish or taking fish oil supplements, you are helping your brain reach a peak level of performance! If you aren’t, your brain is definitely missing out.

2.  Avocados

Avocados are almost as good as blueberries in enhancing brain health. While the avocodo is pretty fatty, the fat is monounsaturated; promoting increased circulation and bloodflow. The increased circulation from avocado nutrients is not only found in the body, but is highly prevalent in the brain.

So if you want increased oxygen and bloodflow to the brain, stock up and chow down on some avacados. Avocados also lower blood pressure levels — which is known to benefit the brain. Lower blood pressure is linked to an increase in cognitive abilities and I.Q.

3.  Blueberries

Compounds in blueberries have been proven to actually “reverse” short-term memory loss. Research compiled on blueberries effects on the brain found that they actually increase the number of cells in thehippocampus – the region of the brain which is responsible for memory.  So blueberries actually causeneurogenesis – the production of new brain cells.

This is a great finding for those who may have killed off a few too many cells from stress. Blueberries have also been known to prevent brain aging and actually trigger specific neural-pathways in the brain to enhance cognition and mental processing speed. I suggest keeping those blueberries around for a snack.  By eating them you are literally feeding your brain new neurons!

4.  Spinach

Spinach has been linked to preventing dementia in women. A study has proved that middle-aged women who ate spinach and other green vegetables, delayed cognitive decline by 2 entire years.  Spinach is literally brain food and feeds the brain vital nutrients and enzymes that it needs to strengthen synapses and produce healthy levels of neurotransmitters. Spinach also keeps up Folic acid – low levels of Folic acid have been linked to memory decline and heart disease.

To keep your Folic acid levels up, eat spinach! Spinach helps control the amount of water your body retains and helps eliminate bloating. Neurologists recommend eating spinach at least 3 times a week as brain food. It is now highly recommended by experts to find organic spinach because spinach is on the top ten list of insecticide-laden vegetables. But if you aren’t already eating spinach, it definitely wouldn’t hurt to incorporate a little bit of Popeye’s diet into your own!

5.  Eggs

Eggs are known to enhance many executive brain functions. Recently, the National Sciences Academy recognized the nutrient “cholin” in eggs as being “essential to one’s diet.” “Cholin” plays an essential role in the development of brain motor functioning and memory. At the University of North Carolina, research conducted by Steven H. Zeisel found that the brains of babies whose mothers were given “cholin supplements” showed increased memory functioning and capacity.

“The difference is so clear that we can differentiate between them even when they have reached adult age”, says Dr. Zeisel. Eggs have always remained high on the “brain-food” chain.  So, if you enjoy eating eggs, you are actually enjoying the associated benefits of enriched brain functioning.

Side note: An extensive study from the Harvard School of Public Health proved beyond any doubt that healthy people can eat eggs without any adverse effects on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

The Choice Is Yours

Obesity is quickly becoming the number one health issue confronting America today, and it's not just America, other countries are affected also. Obesity leads to a multitude of health problems including, but certianly not limited too:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure

These 3 alone are rapidly becoming the leading causes of premature death in both men and women, in our society according to Jim Newell at http://www.ToYourHealth101.com

The choice is with us. We can choose to eat in moderation versus overeating. We can choose to eat the best foods versus bad foods. We can choose to take our bodies for granted or invest in them by accelerating our discovery process on how we operate and function. 

I was overweight with boarder line diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My doctor wanted to prescribe drugs to control my out of control behavior.  I decided to change the order of my priorities and focus on what goes into my body combined with good exercise and mental state of being.

I believe in the 40 BEST FOODS along with MUFA's (The healthy fats). Of course this alone does not reduce weight or maintain a healthy body if you overeat.  Caloric intake must still be maintained based on your goals to loose weight or maintain a balanced body system. By all means consult a doctor as well but realize that you are a key player in this decision.

Check out some of my simple meal plans to get you started.  

Aren't you tired of diets? 

Why not simply CHANGE!

Healthy Stew

Healthy Stew...Vegetables Never Tasted So Good!

This dish can be served right away. However, flavors tend to taste better the following day.  This dish is good hot, cold or reheated the next day.  It can be served with eggs as a great side dish that adds protein to the meal. I have pictured this stew with a dab of greek yogurt complimented by sweet potato tortilla chips by "Food Should Taste Good". This company has other health minded products that are Gluten Free.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
4 medium tomato's 
1 large yellow onion 
1 large yellow & red pepper 
1/4 Tsp of chile pepper
5 cloves of garlic
2 cups of broccoli 
1 large zucchini 
8 oz. tomato paste
2 cups of red potatoes (pre-cooked)


Mix all ingredients into a large mixing bowl along with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour mixture into a glass baking dish (13" x 9" x 2.5") pre-heat oven to 375 and bake for 50 minutes.  Add provolone cheese or parmesan cheese about 10 minutes before taking out of the oven.