THURSDAY BASICS: on smoothies.
This week's Thursday Health Basics blog post is zeroing in on one of the most oft questions I get: what do I think of smoothies? How do I build a good smoothie?
For you, my bullet-breakfast loving friend, here is my spiel on smoothies.
Click on the image for a full exploration on Building A Top Notch Smoothie.
Another Thursday, another throwback! Let’s take a peek at one of the old #mondaybasics series of 2016.
Today’s post is one that is suitable to those who often reach for liquid nourishment, first thing in the morning. How you build your smoothie can have a big impact on your blood sugars and hormones for the day; if not prepared well, you could be stoking those fires of inflammation.
ON SMOOTHIES.
COLES’ NOTES:
1. This is about optimizing digestion - because you are what you assimilate. Make sure you’re breaking your foods down into nutrients as best you can!
2. This is about nourishing your body from the get-go in the morning, in order to balance blood sugars + hormones over the course of the day.
3. This is about looking after your gut lining + microbiome, nourishing things deeply here, provide the body with nutrients to help move chronic inflammaiton out.
It’s a long one, but a good one. Read on to get a recipe / template to get you started on how to build a deeply nourishing smoothie!
This week's Thursday Health Basics blog post is zeroing in on one of the most oft questions I get: what do I think of smoothies? How do I build a good smoothie?
For you, my bullet-breakfast loving friend, here is my spiel on smoothies.
There are clearly two camps when it comes to smoothies: those that say 'yea' and those that say 'nay'. I sit on the fence. I really do.
I think they can be fantastic vehicles for nutrient density; I think they can carry lots of goodies if you're looking to increase your intake of fruit and veg for those all important nutrients, vitamins and minerals to best help support a body.
I wonder how much we are by-passing normal parts of digestion when we just 'drink up' our breakfast (or snack or meal).
I mean, I think we have teeth for a reason. I really believe we were always meant to chew our food; chewing activates the proper cascade of events we need to go through in order to optimize digestion.
And if you know me, you know what I'm going to say: you are what you assimilate. If you aren't digesting properly, you will have trouble getting nutrients out of the foods you're eating. Our bodies utilize nutrients after all; not food. We need to be able to properly break down our foods in order to get at the nutrients within.
If you look back in history, no one, nowhere was making smoothies. We were all chewing what we had on hand, what was in the larder, and what we found or hunted on the field or in the woods. Or kept in the coop out back.
It was all slow food all the time. So I really think there is something to the business of chewing our breakfast, and taking our time for that important first meal of the day.
Digest well
My recommendation here then is, if you're going to make a smoothie for breakfast or for a snack, you should aim to chew it in your mouth in order to start the digestive process properly.
Really swish it around your mouth so that you can start building what is called a bolus: from the greek, meaning a soft, roundish mass or lump, especially of chewed food. You need to work your saliva in the mix here in order to help initiate that important breakdown of carbohydrates.
Know that if your smoothie is cold, the temperature can halt or hinder digestion. It is best to warm it up a bit before you consume it in the morning. You can warm it up by adding a spot of hot water, or a mugful of tea!
Conversely, this means no more ice cubes added to your smoothie base. That stuff’ll knock your digestion right off track!
The Fat of the Matter
It is important to ensure your smoothie is loaded with the good stuff. I do a breakdown of what to include and why, and offer suggestions below.
One of my key recommendations to anyone who makes smoothies for meals, is to ensure you have a good fat and/or protein in the mix. This is essential to slowing down the release of sugars found within the smoothie (which can make its way into your system so quickly if your food processor or vitamix has blitzed it in to such small particles).
I have talked before about the addition of full fat at length, and invite you to read up on past Monday Health Basics posts for the refresher.
You'll find an earlier post on navigating fats here (which ones to choose, which ones to ditch)
I focus on going full fat here, especially dairy! Options galore!
choose your animal-based fat sources to come from grass-fed and grass-finished animals
ways to explore including EFAs or Omega 3 fats in your diet (and smoothies!) found here
All good reasons and explanations behind including those good fats found by clicking on the items listed above.
You may recall a write up earlier in the year where I spoke about the importance of soaking your nuts and seeds before using them as a base for your smoothie. You can find that write up here, including an easy recipe and how-to for pre-soaking your nuggets.
I love using nuts and seeds in a smoothie: they add wonderful healthy fats, give a good plant-based hit of protein and offer some vital vitamins and minerals that are essential to the body's functioning.
As if that wasn't enough, they are also good sources of fibre, helping to bulk up your stool and move spent metabolic waste and toxins out of your body so that your engine can run clean. GOOD WORK.
Smoothies are an integral part of the Wahls Protocol, a protocol developed by a Functional Medicine Doctor in the United States named Terry Wahls who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a number of years ago. She did extensive research into how diet and nutrition could play a role in her health and wellness; she developed a protocol based on nutrient density and foods that would help 'mind her mitochondria'. Dr. Wahls is a big believer in loading up on a variety of colours in your fruit and veg, and ensuring the good things are in the mix here.
YOUR RECIPE / TEMPLATE TO BUILDING A NOURISHING SMOOTHIE
So let's break down the template, shall we? Here is my smoothie equation for you:
Greens + Berries + Fat + Fibre + Extras
+ The Liquid
Let's go item by item to get the gist of what this means.
GREENS
This is an important part of the smoothie, and a great way to boost the nutritional content in your smoothie. You can find an extensive write up as to why greens are good for you here at an earlier MHB post. These foods are mineral rich and offer great support for detoxification and overall lowering of inflammation. Including a handful of greens or a cup of chopped greens or herbs in your smoothie is a super idea.
If you have a thyroid condition, consider using swiss chard instead of kale or spinach, as these last two foods have goitrogens, which have been shown to slow down your thyroid's function. Reach for romaine, or add some herbs as greens. Mint imparts a most delicious flavour, and ensures those minerals you are looking for here.
Smoothie-approved greens (1-2 cups):
kale
collards
spinach
swiss chard
lettuce
parsley
sprouts
bok choy
beet greens
sorrel
dandelion greens
nasturtium leaves
borage leaves
Organic is always best, as greens have been shown to have a pretty high pesticide residue and so are listed on the 'Dirty Dozen' list as ones you should pay the extra dollar for. Find that information here.
Another idea you can try is to dry your own greens and mince them up, adding a tablespoon of them to your smoothie. Find the how-to here.
BERRIES
Smoothies are typically sweet tasting. Adding fruit is a wonderful idea and a brilliant natural way to add that sweet taste. My recommendation here though is to stick to low glycemic load fruit, things like berries, or maybe apples or pears.
I highlight berries because they're easy to keep in the freezer. They don't spoil as readily when purchased frozen. I love the idea of frozen berries too, seeing as they typically freeze freshly picked berries close to where they were picked. (True for other fruit and veg as well.) This allows the berries to fully ripen on the vine, which ensures a more nutrient-dense end product.
Go for frozen berries. Warm them up a bit before tossing into the smoothie, in order to continue supporting digestion - remember, cold shuts down digestion!
Add a good cup or cup and a half per serving.
Vary your berries from one purchase to the next, in order to offer a variety of nutrients. You should know, most berries are fairly high in pesticide residue as well; it is something you may want to purchase organically. Read up on the why here.
Another benefit to berries is the high fibre content, and also the high amount of antioxidants found in these deeply hued berries. These antioxidants help neutralize that free radical damage that happens in our bodies, especially helpful in slowing down the aging process and protecting our cells from the inside out. These nutrients are of tremendous support to the liver in keeping your engine running clean.
FAT
In addition to the points mentioned above, fat is also critical in helping balance hormones, and keeping us satiated. Fats are key providers of nutrients necessary to reduce inflammation.
My fave smoothie go-to-fats (choose 1 or 2):
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, cacao butter, nut or seed butter or straight up butter/ghee
keep it plant-based by adding a half an avocado
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a handful of nuts or seeds (pre-soaked and activated of course!)
you can use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of homemade creme fraiche (the how-to is here)
1/2 cup of homemade greek yogurt (read up on why it's wise to make your own here, including full instructions)
FIBRE
Fibre is just so integral to helping usher out spent metabolic waste and toxins our body is looking to get rid of. I did a wee blog post on the importance of including fibre here. The seeds listed below also happen to have a good amount of omega 3 fatty acids, which will help in reducing inflammation.
I recommend here you include 1-2 tablespoons per person:
chia seeds
hemp seeds
flax seeds
EXTRAS
This is where you get to be creative. Depending on what kind of health concerns you are currently working through, seeing a Holistic Nutritional Consultant may be of benefit when it comes to figuring out this piece. I know a gal. I can hook you up.
These are all optional; you can pick none, or one, or three to add to your smoothie. Look for these at your favourite local health food store, or check out The Light Cellar on Bowness Road in the NW of Calgary. (* denotes you should only add at the time you are blitzing the smoothie together)
1 tsp matcha green tea powder or 1 tsp moringa leaf powder– great for adrenal support!
1/2 to 1 tsp minced seaweed – extra mineral boost, liver support (spirulina is my fave)
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of fresh minced ginger – liver support, reduces inflammation
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of fresh minced or dried turmeric – anti inflammatory
1 tsp of vanilla powder – antioxidant support
1 tsp of cocoa powder – if it's raw, extra antioxidant support
1 tsp colostrum – immune and gut support, balance blood sugars
1 tsp of medicinal mushroom powder – good write up found here on The Light Cellar's website
1 tbsp of dried nettle leaves - liver and inflammation support
1 tsp of holy basil loose leaf tea (aka tulsi tea) – excellent support for histamine intolerance issues, migraines, inflammation and adrenal support
1/2 tsp bee pollen - for inflammation, although not recommended for pregnant women or women hoping to get pregnant
a scoop of collagen powder* - for gut support (this one is my preferred)
a raw egg yolk* – make sure your chickens were pastured; conventionally raised eggs have possible contamination issues like E.coli and salmonella
1-2 tsp of cod liver oil – nutrient density at its finest, good for your entire body (find a lemon flavoured one - the best)
My medicinal mushroom tea with reishi, chaga, astragalus, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, pepper
THE LIQUID
You obviously need to add some liquid to make this a smoothie. To the blender, I would add 1 cup of any of the following:
water (warmer is better - filtered is de rigueur)
tea – dandelion root, rooibos, rose hip, ginger, green tea, nettle, peppermint, lemon tea
kombucha
water kefir
any non alcoholic fermented beverage you have on hand – excellent way to include probiotics
milk kefir (or coconut kefir if you can't tolerate dairy)
a cup of any of these liver-loving teas (medicinal mushroom brew recipe included)
Make a big pot of medicinal mushroom tea, and stash in the fridge once it is complete. You can pull from this stash for a week at least.
BATCH PREP IS KEY
Batch cooking really is key here to making this a do-able thing. I recently spent a full day with a friend preparing meals for her freezer for easy retrieval; she was about to undergo major medical treatment and wanted some ready-made easy-prep things in her freezer to pull out in order to ensure proper nutrient density for those days when food wouldn't necessarily be so appealing, nor would the energy be there to prep a meal.
She purchased big containers or bags of greens, berries, ensured she had good fats, seeds for fibre and some tasty extras. We assembled about thirty little freezer bags of smoothie essentials. It took all of 15 minutes to put it all together.
We set medium-sized freezer bags propped open in a box, and dumped a handful of spinach in each bag, a handful of slivered chard (without the stems), a cup of berries, a few slices of peaches, a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of chia seeds, a teaspoon of matcha green tea powder. We wrote on the bag to include some creme fraiche and a cup of kombucha for the day she will be using the baggies. Easy peasy.
On days where she wants a nutrient dense easy meal, all she has to do is take it out of the freezer, add in some liquid, some warm tea and blitz the whole thing in her blender. Voila. Talk about good fuel for her days, and her body's work ahead.
This is a wonderful gift you can put together for a friend in need, or for a loved one about to undergo extensive medical treatment. New moms would love the ease of a quick nutrient-dense meal like this. Your older parents may love the idea of an easy breakfast at hand to go along with their daily buttered toast. Your kiddos away at university may find this saves them on their early mornings. Your littler ones may enjoy helping put together a batch of these baggies so they can start making their own breakfasts in the mornings.
This was a long post. Phew. Extensive. But I hope you find the template a do-able thing, and an easy thing to follow.
Greens + Berries + Fat + Fibre + Extras
+ The Liquid
Now go play with your food.
The information provided in this post is not intended to replace your doctor's advice. This is for educational purposes only. If your current health status is giving you cause for concern, it is best to seek out the support of your Medical Team before consuming any of the foods mentioned in this post.
THURSDAY BASICS: love your immune system.
Without fail, the colder weather creeps up on us as it does this time every year. And with the temperature dropping, we often start talking about taking care of the ole immune system. Let's cover some basics today, and talk those easy things we can do to love up our immune system.
Click on the image for a full rundown on the ways you can support Immune Function.
#tbt day here at #goodfoodHQ, time to dive back in to the #mondaybasics series of 2016.
As the colder climes set in, so our attention usually turns to this trend of waning immunity. It doesn’t have to be so, you know?
LOVE UP THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
COLES NOTES:
1. Learn the five key points to supporting your immune system. (Guess where ground zero for immune system lovin is?)
2. Garner a deep understanding of why stress/trauma/worries can tip the scales when it comes to immune health.
3. Learn which foods help, and which hinder in the picture of immune system support.
This is about your foundation of health. It’s a long one - I’m pulling this in to a full class in the new year. Keep your eyes peeled for that. Better yet, sign up for my newsletter to get in on the action first-hand!
Without fail, the colder weather creeps up on us as it does this time every year. And with the temperature dropping, we often start talking about taking care of the ole immune system. Let's cover some basics today, and talk those easy things we can do to love up our immune system.
Your immune system does so much for you: it, along with your gut, is your foundation to good health. Let's go over the components you can put in place that are essential to immune health.
FIVE KEY COMPONENTS ESSENTIAL TO IMMUNE HEALTH
Look after your gut
Eat Real Foods
Prioritize sleep
Reduce stress
Reduce your toxin load
Let's break these down in to the practical, shall we?
LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT
You gotta love your guts. See, there are estimations that roughly 70% of your immune system resides in your gut. The two work hand in hand in keeping you well, in keeping potential harm at bay and moving it out in a timely fashion so that you can get through your days.
It is your immune system that acts as your main line of defense against everything you come across, from cuts and bruises to incoming pathogens like bacteria and viruses. It has a pivotal role in keeping cancer at bay.
This part isn't news to you; what might be news is how intricate the connection is between our gut and our immune system.
The good bacteria living in your gut (called your “microbiome”) have developed intricate interconnections with your intestinal and immune systems; they help calibrate your immune system so it is working in tip top shape, able to recognize what is 'you' and what is 'other'.
Your microbiome plays a big part in regulating overall body inflammation, starting in the gut and radiating outwards to all of your organs and body systems. Those little bugs? Well they are also key players in supporting overall immune health.
As we embark on this new season where we are finding ourselves more indoors than out, it is imperative we give our immune systems a little support by looking after our Good Gut Guardians, our microbiome.
THE GOOD GUT GUARDIANS
There are a few good ways to repopulate your gut with those healthy bugs: a good place to start is by slowly introducing live or raw fermented foods into your diet. These foods contain the 'good bugs' that contribute to keeping your microbiome in good stead. Think probiotics, only in food form. And when those things come via foods, they are part of the traditional ways our ancestors before us would have had them, and ways our bodies will be able to assimilate.
One of the key components then to loving your gut, is to make sure you get some fermented foods into your belly. They'll take care of the rest. (If you are new to the idea of fermented foods, look to this article for a comprehensive look at how to go about it.)
FEED THE GOOD GUYS
We also need to provide your body with those foods that will best fuel the cells of your intestinal lining. Ensuring these foods on a regular basis will go miles in supporting your immune system, and reducing overall inflammation.
My top pick? Why it's my good friend, Mrs. Meat Stock! Look for a full write-up including a recipe at this fairly recent post.
Next up, you'll find butter on the list of foods. While I love it for the nutrients it provides to your immune system for optimal function, I also looooooove the nutrients it provides to your intestinal lining, ensuring integrity in this very important area. Plus it's delicious. Check in here for more reasons you can love butter. (You're welcome.)
FIGURE OUT WHAT’S OFFENDING
Food allergies and sensitivities place a stressor on our immune system. It is important to look into what foods are contributing to a negative impact on your digestive system, and do that work to support the gut lining and improve your body's ability to digest, in order to reduce the impact of food sensitivities and allergies on your immune system. *Get in touch if you’re trying to figure this piece out. I’ll be your ally.
Gut love is where it's at, my friend.
EAT REAL FOODS
There are loads of nutrients that offer targeted support to your hardworking immune system. Protein is one of those key foods, providing the building blocks that are being assembled for the response when there is a perceived threat at hand. Reaching for good quality protein is important.
If you're able to, ensuring your animal products come from animals that were raised on pastured will afford your body a better complement of nutrients to help support the immune system and lend a protective effect to the gut. Look for a more in-depth article on the importance of sourcing your animal products from grass-fed sources here.
FOODS + NUTRIENTS TO ADD IN
In the same vein, ensuring good quality wild-caught fish will best serve this system. Both the pastured meats and wild caught fish will also provide an excellent source of those all-important Essential Fatty Acids. Read up on the hard work these nutrients do in the body here, and how they play an essential role in your body's immunity.
There are so many nutrients necessary to proper immune function. I would rather you get hung up on the foods that will best support your endeavours though, instead of trying to micro-manage what you're getting and what you need to get. If you are looking for a more focused approach on micro-nutrients, this is where the help of a Nutritional Consultant may be of benefit. (Get in touch!)
I have pulled together a list of foods I would recommend, providing your body with important micronutrients necessary to immune function, but also abundant in nutrients supportive to the intestinal lining. Eat the ones in bold more often, and make sure you're reaching for the others on a regular basis:
cod liver oil
garlic and onions
organ meats
avocado
asparagus
all berries
beets
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
cinnamon
cranberries
horseradish
kiwi
lemon
oranges
oysters
papaya
pineapple
sardines
shiitake mushrooms
thyme
wild caught salmon
pumpkin + sunflower seeds
FOODS TO TAKE OUT
Reducing your intake of simple sugars and refined carbohydrates will serve you well, as they suppress your immune system. I remember one of our profs in school, a local Naturopathic Doctor mentioned one teaspoon of sugar ties your immune system up for eight hours. EIGHT. HOURS. !!!!
While I can't find the exact study that explains this on PubMed, I did find this article that would support the notion.
I think it's important to note here that I would also lean towards the idea of regulating your blood sugar levels, which would of course involve curbing your intake of refined flours and simple sugars. I would also add you need to look at consuming some good fats my friend, to help balance those sugars. Read here if you want to explore the concept further.
And hey, want help on the real food front? I have a program for that.
PRIORITIZE SLEEP
I have written a lengthy article about the benefits of sleep. In it, I talk about how important it is to make this a priority, as it is where our body's repair and rebuilding work happens. Look for that article here, along with some good tips on how to achieve better sleep.
The take-away?
Aim for at least 7-9 hours a night. Turn your cell phones to airplane mode, or better yet, take them right out of the room. Get some serious black-out curtains. Reduce your exposure to electronics in the last hour before beddy-byes. Sleep like a baby.
Nay, rather more like a teenager.
REDUCE STRESS
I know I know, sometimes by just saying' reduce stress!' the end result is we've ramped it up. But you really should know that science indicates (as do your memories of exam days whilst in University if you go back!) that stress really does weaken the immune system. It's really important to keep a positive frame of mind to help support your immune system.
One of my top recommendations is to GO HAVE SOME FUN. Prioritizing the good times can play a pretty big part in bringing down stress, and have a protective effect for your immune system.
Here is my favourite list of ideas for you, may you find one or two that resonate:
go for a walk – everyday! (so simple. So good.)
head out to a cafe to play cards with a friend or honey
host a games night with friends and neighbours
find the comfy chairs at the library and settle in with a good book
start a book club
visit a nearby town and check out antiques or farmers' markets
schedule a little me time (self care is the best!)
soak in the tub; make it an epsom salts soak, bonus points!
take your littles (or your friend's littles!) to the park or an indoor water park
downsize your commitments (Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne was a huge book for me that helped me figure this one out)
start a garden
join a yoga class
take up pottery like you always meant to
check out a comedy night in town
check out some new local music, head out to a local club
have a movie night with the fam
take a cooking class
get season's tickets to one of our fabulous theatre companies or orchestras in town
schedule in regular date nights. In pen. Don't back out.
REDUCE YOUR TOXIN LOAD
I love that you've read this far. Let's get to this one last important component in supporting the immune system.
Toxins in your life, be they from toxins you ingest through your skin via personal care products or compounds found in the air you breathe, toxins found on our foods, toxic thoughts even, or toxins produced in our bodies via regular metabolic functions, they all add up to compromising our immune function. You can add in here the toxins produced in your body from the interactions you have with the toxic people in your life.
Ugh. Sorry.
Here is a start for ideas on how to reduce your toxin load:
consider stopping smoking
start your day with a glass of water with lemon to support liver's detox
consult the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen to reduce exposure to pesticides and herbicides
change your furnace filter on a regular basis
open your windows in the car when you first get in to help air out dangerous chemicals emitted in that 'new car smell'
place a few houseplants in different areas of the home to clean your air
OK gang. What are the five main points for immune lovin again?
Take care of your gut.
Eat Real Food.
Sleep like a champ.
Destress like a three toed sloth.
And reduce those toxins.
Do what you can. Baby steps. One thing at a time. You got this.
THURSDAY BASICS: add seaweed
For this week's topic, I am going to work hard at not getting bogged down in scientific evidence and fancy words to try to extoll the virtues of seaweed or sea vegetables. We're talking adding seaweed to your regimen today on the blog. Because minerals. Because lignans. Because cancer protection. Because reducing inflammation. Read on if you need more evidence.
Click on the image above for a full exploration on the topic of seaweed.
#tbt day here at #goodfoodHQ, as we look back on the #mondaybasics series of 2016.
Last week, we dove in to adding in nettle, a sort of Level 400 Holistic Nutrition add-in if you will. This week, we add to your toolkit by adding in yet another Level 400 kind of food to your day to day.
ADD SEAWEED
COLES’ NOTES:
Because minerals.
Because lignans and fucoidans. (For cancer protection + reducing inflammation. (Code for chronic disease.))
Because chelation work to take out heavy metals.
This really is Level 400. Read on for the reasons behind this idea, what kinds of seaweeds to look for, and how to work them in to your every day. Because delicious!
For this week's topic for the #mondayhealthbasics series (now #thursdaybasics), I am going to work hard at not getting bogged down in scientific evidence and fancy words to try to extoll the virtues of seaweed or sea vegetables. (Although if you're looking for research behind some of these facts, simple hover over parts of the text and you're bound to find a link to something that may prove to be an interesting read, should you be wanting to delve further into the science side of things.)
We're talking adding seaweed to your regimen today on the blog. Because minerals. Because lignans. Because cancer protection. Because reducing inflammation. Read on if you need more evidence.
SEAWEED vs SEA VEGETABLES - ARE THEY THE SAME?
Some call them seaweed, others call them sea vegetables; they are one and the same. It might be obvious, but these culinary (and healthy!) delights live typically in marine waters (so think salty seas) and in some freshwater lakes too.
They are mainly lumped into one of three categories, based on their colour: brown, red and green.
Not all kinds are fit for consumption, but there are scores of edible sea vegetables you can include on your table. Some of my favourites include arame, hijiki, kombu, kelp, wakame, nori and dulse.
Most folks would be familiar with seaweed as the wrapping around sushi, or the floating green bits in their miso soup. So think Traditional Foods from the food-loving people of Japan and Korea.
I have a wonderful few recipes from Darina Allen in a book on traditional Irish cooking where she shares recipes on using Carrageen Moss to make pudding. Seaweeds have been a part of traditional culinary cultures living in proximity to ocean waters for many centuries, and with good reason!
LET’S TALK MINERALS
Why I love seaweed: they are a fabulous source of minerals. As we move away from traditional ways of cultivating our foods and harvest, our soils are losing some of their mineral content. This loss of minerals is reflected in the produce grown in these depleted soils.
As we consume these foods from depleted soils, so we start missing some key minerals in our diet. A good way to help support our health then would be to add in to our diet those foods that would help bridge that gap and provide those lost essential minerals. This is where seaweed comes in!
You'll find these sea vegetables are a good source of important minerals like magnesium and calcium (minerals that work in tandem for bone health, nerve health, heart health, adrenal and thyroid health too), iodine (thyroid health, protecting against breast cancer), a good source of folic acid (a critical B vitamin essential to nervous system health, cardiovascular health and reproductive things as well). You'll also find these vegetables to be good sources of iron, potassium, other B vitamins.
WHAT THE HECK ARE LIGNANS AND FUCOIDANS
But what you may not know is that they also supply us with good amounts of lignans and fucans or fucoidans: these two nutrients bring with them cancer-protecting properties (especially estrogen-dependant cancers) and help support the body in reducing overall inflammation, assisting in reducing blood cholesterol.
Sea vegetables are considered to be a blood tonic, supporting the kidneys and stomach function.
HEAVY METAL HELP
No, seaweed is not a member of a Heavy Metal Band you listened to in the 70s and 80s. Seaweed are excellent at chelating out heavy metal toxins from between your cells: I mean, COME ON! That's reason right there to include them at least once a day, if you know that heavy metal toxicity has a negative impact on hormonal balance, blood sugar balance and neurological function to name a few.
But how does one just start eating seaweed.
Does it mean I have to forage by the ocean and munch on the sandy rubbery mess?
Well, no. I mean you can if you want to try it out, but I don't recommend it. Yet. (Foraging for seaweed is something on my bucket list. I know. I'm a nerd. Deal with it.)
Know that you can find seaweed and sea vegetables in many different forms, either at your regular grocery store or at your local Health food store too. Look for seaweed that is dried, in packages.
You may also want to check out the bulk bins or spice racks, where you may find kelp powder, or other types of seaweed in powder form. Adding in a half teaspoon of chlorella powder to your morning smoothie or oatmeal bowl might be an easy place to start.
Simply switching a salt shaker on the table for ground up kelp powder can also be a fabulous and easy way to add the goodness of seaweed to just about every meal, without having to put much thought into it. Better yet, leave this shaker of powder by the stove top and sprinkle liberally every time you make some food!
kelp powder - keep it next to the stove and use all the time!
OTHER WAYS TO INCORPORATE SEAWEED INTO YOUR DAILY REGIMEN
Other ways to incorporate these greens into your everyday: you can take a long strip of seaweed and soak it in filtered water for at least 30 minutes in order to soften it. This is one of the key steps in making the Japanese traditional stock called Dashi. (You can also make a bonito dashi, if you're feeling more adventurous and looking for deeper flavour)
Once soaked, you can chop it in bite sized pieces to include in any soups, stews or stir fries or to eat raw in salads. I have a recipe I came up with in my Month of Salads challenge I set up last June, this one uses arame, a noodle-like seaweed once soaked. Delish.
Speaking of noodles, there are a few gluten-free noodle options out on the market these days that are made strictly with seaweed. Some are better than others, so don't be discouraged if the first one you try is not to your liking. Play with your food! Look for the kelp noodles. Easy to incorporate into meals!
Of course you can easily use nori leaves to wrap your sushi in, but did you ever think to use these sheets as an excellent gluten-free alternative to a lunch time wrap? Or cut into squares as a base vehicle for mayo+smoked salmon+kimchi+capers? Easiest way yet: munch on these as crackers. Easy peasy and kid friendly to boot.
You can also chop nori sheets up into strips to toss into salads, soups and stews or one of my favourites, with butter over popcorn.
I toss a kombu strip every time I make a meat stock or bone broth; I have been known to sprinkle in minced Sea Veg Blend to anything I can sneak it in. This includes casseroles, soups, rice dishes, stews. I even sneak them in, along with dehydrated greens, to my meatballs and burgers.
Dulse is an easy one to include in anything soupy or stew-like, as it completely dissolves and is not recognizable in your prepared meal. It takes no time to cook!
USE SEAWEED IN YOUR FERMENTS
And fermenting? Why yes, yes I use seaweed in my ferments! And why wouldn’t you? You unlock access to more minerals and vitamins in the fermentation process, and so adding seaweed in to your ferments is a brilliant way to increase the nutrients available in your finished product.
Wakame is a wonderful addition, along with ginger to a sauerkraut; or tossing in strips of dulse in with your kimchi would be divine.
TRADITIONAL FOODS
Adding a strip of dried kombu when making a batch of beans is a Traditional Foods idea folks have been doing for yonks, and it appears to improve the digestibility of the beans, which means less gas for the consumers. And friends who are hanging out with said consumers in the hours following.
Know that these greens do come from the ocean, and so they will bring with them a bit of salt. Taste your finished product (with seaweed added in!) before salting your dish.
I am aiming for a toonie-sized piece of seaweed per day at our house. It isn't a recommendation set in stone and I certainly don't get bothered if I don't include it in the day's meals but I really do aim to include this goodness in just about every calendar day. There are so many benefits, how could I not?
the humble seaweed.
THURSDAY BASICS: Add Nettle to Meals
Welcome to Thursday. This week’s throwback blog arms you with an idea on how to get to Level 400 of Holistic Nutrition: add in the nettle. For the love of all body parts + systems, won’t you?
Click on the image for a full exploration of why + how to introduce nettle into mealtimes.
#tbt day here at #goodfoodHQ, as we look back on the #mondaybasics series of 2016.
Today’s post is kinda Holistic Nutrition Level 400. Wanting to up that nutritional ante on a day to day basis, adding in something that will benefit all your body parts?
ADD THE NETTLE.
COLES’ NOTES:
This is about increasing the minerals in your day to day.
It’s also about harnessing the power of Ma Nature - this stuff grows everywhere + is wildly prolific! Talk about loving us up.
Read on for tips on how to use it, where to find it, and why you may want to!
This is one of those fundamental changes that will slowly and irrefutably support increasing your digestive fire, reduce inflammation, support immune function and love you up from the guts on out.
Kick chronic disease to the curb, friend! Tell that histamine that YOU are boss! Nettle it up.
My week got off to a roaring start with a thoughtful gift from one of my sisters, a book from boreal herbalist wunderkind Beverley Gray called The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North – a Guide to Harvesting, Preserving and Preparing.
Oh the joy. Oh the possibilities! (I am so lucky to have two awesome sisters. I love them so!)
See, I am a forager at heart and as I dig a bit deeper into our family's history, I realize I come by this quite honestly. My paternal grandmother was quite the herb gatherer; and the grandmothers that came before me and her, they always worked foods from the wild into their meals, cups of tea or in the every day.
This book has been on my radar for years since a good friend shared the knowledge within. But leafing through this new tome to my collection last night got me dreaming of things I want to uncover in places near by.
As the book cover suggests, “(this) is an indispensable guide to identifying and using northern plants for food and medicine.” In this book you will find profiles of plants, berries, herbs and trees that will help you identify them in the wild.
These profiles will help you figure out how and when to gather and preserve these goodies, with safety tips. You'll find lots of recipes and how-tos with detailed information on how best to gather these medicinal foods and make the most of the plants growing wild in the recesses of your back yard to the more remote spots found in nearby wilder areas.
Leafing through the book last night, I zoned in on the Stinging Nettle, or Urtica dioica. Yes yes yes, the same plant that gives you the very intense zing-like needling you would experience were you to chance upon a patch without knowing it. (Found that out time and again while exploring the English and Irish countryside a few years back!)
This perennial plant runs wild in almost every nook and cranny of this planet where there are wetter areas or where the soil has been disturbed. It loves rich damp soil. And when spring seems to be just around the corner, it will be one of the first wild plants that will pop up for early harvesting. But don’t think you need to be a harvester to get in on this nourishing action!
I love nettle for so many reasons: it grows wild and can be found quite easily if you know where to look and what to look for.
It's a super green, providing a rich source of iron (we need for energy and oxygen transport in our bodies) and silica (a mineral necessary for our body's structural force so think strong bones, nails, skin and hair).
It's a power house of vitamins and nutrients, a good source of vitamin K, magnesium, chlorophyll, vitamins A and C too. My favourite thing in nettle is the high calcium content: 1 cup will supply your body with roughly 40% of this important mineral for the day! All of this to say that nettle is a food that will promote the good health of bones and teeth, my friend. And these things we need strong for this world, yes?
The Boreal Herbal book explores the folklore behind this nutrient-dense herb, stating it is a blood purifier. It's purported to help your kidneys and liver. There are new studies looking into the efficacy of this herb in the treatment of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), a non-cancerous growth of the prostate gland. So fellas, this one is for you too!
This herb is a fabulous anti-histamine herb, and as such would be of tremendous support for anyone dealing with allergies or the kinds of reactions we would associate with hayfever like itchy watery eyes.
HELP NOURISH TO COMBAT CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
My favourite superpower of nettle: the leaves have also been shown to help combat inflammation. This translates that those who struggle with arthritis or gout, eczema or psoriasis, cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, any of the degenerative nervous system diagnoses or mood related diseases, truly any chronic disease of any kind (including autoimmune!) would do well to add to their daily regimen.
Nettle has a diuretic effect as well, so if you are someone who tends to retain water, this would be a good herb to add to your arsenal. Love your kidneys and lymph up, my friend.
Some companies have added it to their hair care products in order to help control dandruff. There are even manufacturers out there who have figured out how to utilize the fibres of the plant to produce textile. Fabric! All because of how easily and prolifically it grows. (Some folks call this a weed. A weed to you is a herbal delight to me.)
WHERE TO FIND THE GOODS
Now not everyone is up for hiking through dense marshy areas in search for this perennial herb. And fair enough. (I am not a super experienced forager, so I will forego sharing any tips or ideas on how or where to find nettle. I don't want to send you in the wrong direction or fail to give you the full and complete information you would need to ensure the plant you have in your hand is indeed the nettle plant. Plus, I don't want you to get hurt. BUY THE BOOK. It's about all I can say.)
So where would one find this amazing herb then, you ask, should one prefer to go the surer route? There are quite a few favourite local haunts where I have seen them on the shelves, or where I have purchased bags of the good stuff. Make sure to check your local favourite health food stores like Amaranth, Community or Blush Lane. You can also pick some up at The Light Cellar next time you're in Bowness.
Dry nettle leaves
HOW TO CONSUME THE GOODS
I'd forego trying the stuff raw. Imagine it stings you. While you're chewing. I'm just not that much into extreme food sports, you know? I mean they're called stinging nettles for a reason: there are hairs on the plant's stems and leaves that, when they come into contact with your skin, well they STING! And that feeling is just not pleasant.
But once you cook them, that stinging property disappears and you are left with a wonderfully dense, nourishing green that will provide your body with the good food. One of the easiest ways to consume the benefits of this herb is to steep it in a tea. Just toss the lot in with some water, and simmer for a short time if you prefer a weaker tea, or go ahead and let it simmer for longer for a deeper greener taste. I myself like to throw it in with other herbs in my thermos for the day's tea, depending on what I have in my pantry or what organ I want to support at that time. Nettle is always in the mix, every single day.
If you go digging around the internets, you'll find some wonderful recipes like this Potato, Golden Beet and Nettle Soup that sounds scrumptious. The good folks at The Kitchn have compiled a comprehensive list of recipes for clever ways to consume nettle in things like pestos, pastas, pies and pizzas here. You'll also find a wonderful compendium of recipes featuring this herb at a website solely dedicated to the health properties of Nettle.
I'm not so calculated, I tend to cook from the hip. I throw a handful of dried nettles in lots of things from meatballs to soups and stocks; I've been known to throw some in with the ground beef or bison I'm cooking for a taco salad or add it in to spaghetti sauce or a chili. Anywhere you want a little more green, my friend. It's as easy as that. Toss it in with your morning egg scramble; add it to the shredded sweet potato pancakes you have on tap for dinner tonight; simmer them a bit in a cup of meat stock for snack time; add it to your herbal profile when making a bouillon salt; add it to the greens you're cooking up for a yummy Palak Paneer; throw it in with the vegetables in your next ferment.
Whatever you do my friend, you best
GO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD.
THURSDAY BASICS: Batch Cook.
This week's Thursday Basics idea is one that I have implemented in my weekly approach to making meals an easier and more attainable task, and has evolved over time. In the last six or seven years, I have slowly winnowed out packaged and prepared foods from our family's regimen and have been aiming for more and more whole foods from scratch. It all started with my few years of working in the kitchen at my daughter's school, helping to prepare the school's hot lunches. Batch cooking is really at the heart of making meals for large groups, and some of these tenets can be taken into your own kitchen, albeit on a much smaller scale.
Let me save you that five years' of ruminating I did, and skip to the good part. BATCH COOKING ON THE WEEKEND. In do-able chunks.
#tbt day here at #goodfoodHQ, as we look back on the #mondaybasics series of 2016.
This week’s missive is about making your kitchen work FOR YOU. This blog post has now morphed into one whole module in my new program, the Real Food Reset. It’s the practical side of things!
BATCH COOK! 🍲🥘🍵
COLES NOTES:
1️⃣Maybe a Big Cook is in your future.
2️⃣Maybe a mini version of the Big Cook.
3️⃣Or may I propose we keep it simple, and you aim for one batch item a week?
In the interest of keeping it real and meeting you where you’re at, think about doing one batch item a week. It is one of those essential practical things to put in place where older you will reap the benefits of younger (and wise!) you!
#mondayhealthbasics: batch cook.
Monday Health Basics: a weekly blog post where we explore simple things to add, in order to support ourselves to aim for optimal health. If you're new to the blog, or curious to peruse the other posts on the subject, might I recommend you click on the tag at the bottom that says “monday basics”? Good fodder there to get you started.
This week's idea is one that I have implemented in my weekly approach to making meals an easier and more attainable task, and has evolved over time. So let’s talk BATCH COOKING!
In the last six or seven years, I have slowly winnowed out packaged and prepared foods from our family's regimen and have been aiming for more and more whole foods from scratch.
It all started with my few years of working in the kitchen at my daughter's school, helping to prepare the school's hot lunches. Batch cooking is really at the heart of making meals for large groups, and some of these tenets can be taken into your own kitchen, albeit on a much smaller scale. Let me save you that five years' of ruminating I did, and skip to the good part.
The concept of batch cooking might not be as foreign to you as you think. Some people call it The Big Cook, others get a gaggle of friends together to make a shwack of meals (yes, that's the technical term) for everyone to divvy up and take home.
I participated in one of these group sessions for meal making, and it was a breeze. We decided on the recipes before hand and sent our grocery list to the woman hosting, and then spent that whole day assembling meals in foil containers and freezer bags. We each took home two full family-sized servings of every meal that was pulled together that day. It was amazing!
I can't imagine how much organizational work went in to it on behalf of my superstar friend organizer Cindy, but it truly brought such a fabulous group of women together, and we all ate better for those next few weeks, let me tell you. It was a gargantuan grocery bill as you can imagine, but we all divvied up the cost and the labour, and if you can add 40 family-sized meals to your freezer for the coming days and weeks with only one day's work, I'd say you're way ahead of the game. Thank you for that memorable day, Cindy.
I have joined with friends since then to do mini versions of this big cook idea, and had great success. It really does make meal prep in the ensuing weeks immensely easier. I'm up for anything that takes a load off and makes things easier.
KEEP IT REAL
I don't know about you though, but I can't sustain a day or a full afternoon of batch cooking every few weeks. I simply don't have the time, unfortunately. And so I have winnowed this idea down over the course of these last few years, to make it an accessible task for myself when it comes to meal prep for our family.
I aim to do one batch cook prep item per weekend for the week's meals ahead.
How I come to choose which item, well that depends on a few things. Some weeks, I will pick an easy enough condiment that will be the base of many of the coming week's meals. (Mayo anyone?) I have been known to prepare big batches of lentils, nuts or seeds and allowing them to pre-soak in order to deactivate anti-nutrients. Doing a whole shwack (see a pattern?) means I only do it once for a bevy of meals down the road. And yes, I have two freezers.
Making a double or triple batch of Butter Chicken is a great batch item!
When out for groceries for the week's meals, I sometimes come across some incredible savings on produce and so stock up. Once back at home, I tuck these discounted veggies into bags destined for the freezer. Other weekends I may have a pot of meat stock happily bubbling on the stove for meal plans in the week ahead. It really all depends what I have going on, or what kinds of things I need to stock up on.
And so today, my food-loving friend, I wanted to offer my suggestion on how to make this whole-foods journey a bit easier, and a more manageable task. Every weekend, I think of one thing I need to make in order to make the coming week's supper time a more manageable task when it comes to preparing food for my family. Below, you will find my list of ideas; click on the titles to find spots online for recipes or how-to.
To be clear, just choose one thing to make on the weekend!
Next weekend, it will be something entirely different. But slowly, over the course of time, you will be building your resources and stock piling some delicious offerings that will help make mid-week meal prep an easier task. I'd love to hear what kinds of tips you can share that have worked for you!
Easy One Batch Cooking Ideas
for weekend planning to ensure ease of meal making in the week ahead (click on items that interest you for full instructions and how-to)
Pre-soak 8 cups of lentils for 12 hours along with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, drain then cook 40 minutes or until cooked to desired consistency. Tuck in smaller portions in freezer bags for future quick protein for salads, soups and lunch bowls. (Follow this link to find more info on how to properly soak & cook beans and legumes)
Make a big batch of pizza sauce and freeze in ice cube trays for easy retrieval on pizza night
If you are planning to order a side of beef or pork, ask your farmer if they would sell you the fat from the animal and intend to make a batch of lard or tallow (couldn't be easier!)
Make a curry paste from Jamie Oliver's fab set of recipes, and intend to use it up in myriad ways in the coming weeks
Have milk going bad soon? Make your own yogurt!
Go the easier route with dairy that is going off (or that 50% whipping cream at the grocery store). Make a big batch of creme fraiche! It will extend the shelf life of your dairy by at least 3 weeks.
If chicken is on sale, consider throwing it all in your slow cooker with a 1/2 cup of water for 8 hours on low. Shred the meat off of the bones and tuck in freezer bags for quick protein additions to later meals, and save the stock that has gathered. Delicious.
Make a batch of meat stock - great base for all kinds of meals.
Make a homemade ketchup or BBQ sauce (bonus points if you try your hand at fermenting them!)
Homemade bread is so much better than store bought. Whip up this batch of Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day, and it will keep in your fridge for up to 12 days. You need only pull out enough to make a loaf, tuck the rest in the fridge for later that week.
Double or triple a big batch of soup or chili on the weekend, and tuck into individual-sized containers in to the freezer for quick lunch grabs or dinner re-heats on hockey night.
Greens getting wilty in the fridge because you never got around to them during last week's dinner intentions? Get some fresh herbs and make some pesto or chimichurri by replacing half of your herbs for those wilty greens
Making your own mayo is infinitely easy and serves as a great base for flavours in this week's meals. Look for some great alterations to standard mayo recipe to dress up the next days' meals here.
Make a big batch of easy homemade kale chips
Pre-soak and sprout one kind of nut or seed at a time, and dehydrate. Do this in as big a bulk you can afford and have room for, and tuck in freezer bags in to the freezer for easy retrieval.
Buy three or four vegetables for the meals coming up. Wash and peel if necessary, and chop into individual containers in the fridge for quick add-ins to the meals you have in mind. Cuts down on your prep time during busy weeknight meals!
Roast a half dozen sweet potatoes while prepping Sunday night's dinner, and keep them in the fridge again for easy suppers mid-week.
Batch cooking day with a friend.
Keep it simple
There you are. Just a few ideas to get you started. My idea here is to offer some ideas on doing one good thing a weekend to prep for meals coming in the week ahead. As you build on this one-thing-a-weekend, soon your pantry and freezer will be loaded with quick things you can add to your week's meals. At the core of it all, I want to underline the word simplicity. Keep it simple. Good-enough-meals are just what should be on the table. No company is coming over, nothing fancy nor drastic is required. Just simple, and good enough.
Please go play with your food. And comment below with ways you keep it simple and tasty!