CLEANING MADE EASY!
The Holidays are over. It's a great time to do a little house cleaning. Before you start moaning and groaning, we're not talking about your home, we're talking about your body! Your body needs to be as "clean" as possible so it works well. Eating more fruits & veggies will help you get rid of the "muck" caused by eating too much Holiday food. "Cleaning" your body means eating more delicious fruits & veggies! Easy. Now that's the kind of cleaning we can all get behind!
Our body's cleaning tool is FIBER! It acts as a "broom," naturally sweeping through our bodies and clearing out "muck" like bad cholesterol (LDL) and fatty deposits that make you sluggish. Research shows that adding 5 - 10 grams of soluble fiber to your diet each day will reduce bad cholesterol. Adding one cup of black or kidney beans can lead to a heathier heart!
It's easier than you think. Add fresh produce and fruits to your recipes like:
Apples, bananas, pears, avocados
Carrots, beets, broccoli, sweet potatoes, acorn & butternut squash
Dark colored leafy greens like collard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, kale
Almonds and pecans
Beans, like chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans are especially high in fiber. They are also high in protein and promote a strong immune system.
Clean Up with simple, delicious fiber-rich dishes: See details below
Honey Roasted Veggies: Sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries and a dash of honey
Greens and carrots seasoned with thyme and garlic
Soup made with lentil and leeks
Green smoothie: Cucumbers, apples and ginger
Fiber works throughout your digestive system to help maintain healthy blood sugar and promote normal body weight. It's a hard working house keeper.
Sit back, eat up and enjoy "cleaning" for a change!
GO DELICIOUS WITH FIBER
RECIPE: Quick Veggie Dishes
HONEY ROASTED VEGGIES:
Chop sweet potatoes and apples into chunks; add ½ cup of cranberries and coat in some honey and olive oil. Bake for 25-30 mins on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees. Dust with cinnamon. It's like eating a healthy dessert for dinner.
DARK LEAFY GREENS:
Chop leaves and stems of large bunch of collard greens or Swiss chard. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add 3 garlic cloves, two thinly sliced carrots & the green's stems. Cook until stems are soft. Add green leaves, 2 tsp of thyme, 2 tbsp of water. Cook about 5 minutes until greens are soft. Skip the meat, save some $$$.
LENTIL SOUP:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of dried red lentils
2 carrots, quartered lengthwise then diced
3 sticks celery, sliced
2 small leeks, sliced
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
PREPARATION:
Put all the ingredients into a large pan.
Pour 6 cups of boiling water over the veggies. (or use mixture of chicken broth and water) Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils and carrots are tender. Serve and enjoy!
TIPS: Delicious Additions
SMOOTHIE FOR BREAKFAST...OR LUNCH: Full of fiber and energizing taste.
Add some pineapple and raisins to your stir-fry.
Mix 1 teaspoon of corn starch into a cup of chicken broth until dissolve
SNEAK IN SOME EXTRA FIBER:
CHICK PEAS OR BLACK BEANS:
Add them to soup or stews or salads. A few heaping tablespoons add a lot of fiber!
NUTS:
Like almonds or pecans. A handful is plenty.
BEETS AND "SWEETS": Easy pan fried dish!
Heat oven to 400°
In a bowl, toss the 6 peeled beets with ½ tbsp olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet
Mix 2 tbsp olive oil, one tsp each of garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Put 3 chopped and peeled sweet potatoes and 1 sliced sweet onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.
WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH?
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