Lately I’ve been getting requests for healthy and quick summer time recipes. As the weather really starts to warm up our bodies naturally crave lighter foods.

It’s easier to grab a piece of fruit or some raw veggies when it’s hot out… be careful though because lighter foods can also contain more sugar and fats in dressings and marinades.

3 Things To Remember When Choosing Summertime Foods:

1.     Eat your fruit with 10-15 nuts or 1 ounce of cheese (if tolerated) or a small amount of protein like an egg.

2.     Make a choice between adding avocado, cheese or an oil based dressing to your salad. All are fats. Even though you might be choosing heart healthy fats like avocado and olive oil they can still contribute to weight gain when you have too much.

3.     Aim for two portions of fruit per day. An average fruit portion size is about 1 cup or the size of your closed fist.

Enjoy these three summertime recipes. Feel free to forward this email onto friends and family that would also enjoy these recipes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients

2 scoops protein powder
1 cup unsweetened almond chocolate milk
1.5 tsp natural creamy peanut butter
¾ cup blueberries
1 tbsp of chia seeds (whole or ground)

Directions

Combine in blender and blend until smooth.

Cauliflower Hummus Makes 2 Cups

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1 1/2" florets
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp sea salt (optional)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tahini (may be found in many middle eastern markets or at Whole Foods)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced into a paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1/8 tsp paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Toss cauliflower, olive oil, cumin, sea salt and black pepper together in a large bowl.

Transfer mixture to rimmed baking sheet and spread out evenly. Bake until cauliflower is browned and tender, 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine tahini, garlic, lemon juice and roasted cauliflower in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste forms (add additional olive oil if desired).

Season with sea salt (if desired) and sprinkle paprika on top.

Serve warm or cold with assorted vegetables.

Kale Coleslaw  

Ingredients

1 14-16 oz. package classic coleslaw mix
3 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup apple cider vinegar 
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
2 tsp raw honey
1 tsp salt and pepper

Directions

In a large bowl toss coleslaw mix, kale, red pepper, carrot and green onion.

In a small bowl slowly whisk apple cider vinegar into grapeseed oil, mixing to emulsify. Add garlic, honey, and salt and pepper mix well. Pour dressing over coleslaw mixture and toss well to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

From a health standpoint, vegetables are an unbeatable food: naturally nutrient-rich; better tasting than a vitamin pill; low in calories; high in fibre and packed with disease-fighting phytonutrients. All types of vegetables can be nourishing and delicious – fresh, frozen, canned and juiced.

To maximize your health with vegetables, nutrition experts suggest at least 3 to 5 servings per day – but why stop there? With so many ways to enjoy spring-time goodness, you could easily eat vegetables at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  Here are a dozen daily ways to treat yourself to good health!

• Asparagus: Saute in olive oil with garlic and a hit of lemon zest for a refreshing and seasonal dish. Roasted asparagus is a great finger food for snacking on!
  
• Broccoli and cauliflower: Versatile and very healthful – eat them raw (with dip if you like) or cooked, in a salad or even a slaw.
  
• Carrots: Sweet, crunchy, good for your teeth, eyes and heart! Perfect raw (as a snack or salad) or cooked in a stew.
  
• Peppers: Green, red, yellow, orange or even purple!  Enjoy peppers in a salad, stir-fry, casserole or as a snack.  They are great roasted too.
  
• Spinach: A salad of baby spinach leaves with pears or apples can turn anyone into a real spinach lover. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle goat cheese on top, mmmmm.
  
• Onions: The zesty onion family (scallions, leeks and garlic, too!) offers some powerful antioxidant nutrients.
  
• Peas: Fresh or frozen, peas are a treat to eat and they are very popular with small children.  I like to eat them freshly picked, right out of the pod.
  
• Beets: If you’ve never liked beets, try them in a new way – like roasted, grilled or lightly steamed in the microwave.  They increase inflammation-fighting nitric oxide. 
  
• Mushrooms: Just a mushroom or two adds rich flavor to a casserole, soup, stew, stir-fry or even a tossed green salad.  Asian mushrooms are loaded with anti-cancer nutrients.
  
• Leaf and romaine lettuce: Rule of thumb for a healthy salad – the darker the color of the lettuce leaves, the more nutrients you get.
  
• Green, yellow or purple beans: Like their pea ‘cousins,’ beans offer some fibre and a little bit of protein, along with vitamins and minerals.
  
• Tomatoes: Cooking increases the availability of some tomato nutrients – so enjoy canned sauce, paste and chunks.
  

Many people don't eat vegetables until dinner. Make a commit to your health - Check off the new ways you want to try to enjoy more veggies during the day:

I can add vegetables at breakfast by:

□ Adding vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, onion, green or red peppers to an omelet

I can add vegetables at lunch and snack by:

□ Adding leafy greens, cucumber, or peppers to sandwiches
□ Adding different vegetables to a green salad, like broccoli, green beans, asparagus or peas
□ Adding a bag of sugar snap peas, carrots, peppers, celery and/or zucchini sticks to my snack
□ Adding extra vegetables to soup
□  Choosing kale chips or nori instead of potato chips


Leave a comment below and let me know how you enjoy your favourite veggies.

In good health,
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, CPCC, Personal Trainer

Fibre-rich foods generally have a low glycemic index (GI), although not all foods with a low GI necessarily have high fibre content.

Eating meals with the right amount of low glycemic index carbohydrate, i.e. the right glycemic load, lowers inflammatory markers and helps you fell fuller longer.

According to Harvard researchers, healthy, middle-aged women who ate the meals with the lowest glycemic load had the lowest levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the body.

In overweight women who had greater levels of C-reactive protein to begin with, eating higher amounts of low glycemic index foods had an even greater impact on their inflammatory markers.

Glycemic Index and Inflammation

Insulin resistance means glucose is not effectively cleared from the blood after eating. This extra glucose in the bloodstream causes inflammation.

High-GI diet appears to increase insulin resistance after a meal. British researchers compared the effects of a high-fat diet, a low-GI diet, a high-GI diet and a high sucrose (table sugar) diet on insulin resistance in middle-aged men with heart disease risk factors. Despite containing the same number of calories, the high-GI diet caused greater fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin levels.

In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Harvard researchers found that eating more high-GI foods significantly increases the amount of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) in healthy middle-aged women – regardless of whether they have other risk factors for heart disease.

Inflammation in Heart Disease

In the same Harvard study, researchers explain that high-GI carbs may boost heart disease risk by exacerbating of pro-inflammatory processes like insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means glucose from food is not effective cleared but lingers in the blood stream triggering inflammation. Eating lots of rapidly digested and absorbed high-GI carbohydrates increases the risk of heart disease, particularly in overweight women who are already prone to insulin resistance.

According to research in the May 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, long-term intake of grains with different glycemic indexes may affect the extent of inflammation in people with the heart disease risk factors. For example, researchers from Finland found that the glycemic response to the rye bread and pasta are lower than that of oat and wheat bread and potato - with the harmful effects of high blood sugar sticking around in the body for more than two hours. The people involved in this study had metabolic syndrome, which means they were already at higher risk of developing heart disease and other inflammatory conditions. 

Researchers from Tufts New England Medical Center found greater declines in CRP concentration after consumption of a low glycemic load diets in overweight people. In this study, published in the journal Obesity, 34 overweight people were given calorie-restricted diet that had either a high glycemic load or a low glycemic load. Weight loss aside, the people who ate the low glycemic load diet saw a drop in levels of inflammation in their body.

Numerous studies have shown that overweight adults on low-GI diets have lower levels of CRP and lower blood levels of bad LDL cholesterol than their overweight peers who eat high-GI diets - even if they didn’t lose weight on the low-GI diet.

Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes

Another study from Harvard showed that diets high in low-GI whole grains and portion-controlled carbohydrates may have a protective effect against systemic inflammation in diabetic patients. Portion control of carbohydrates – even low-GI carbs – means you’re eating the controlling your glycemic load.

In this 2007 report, long-term, epidemiological studies were reviewed to reach the conclusion that low-GI diets reduce oxidative stress and guard against system-wide inflammation that may mark the beginnings of type 2 diabetes.

Glycemic Response and Colonic Health

The strength of your gut, as determined by your rate of colonic fermentation, plays a role in the rise and fall of blood sugar levels after eating high-GI foods. In comparing a high-GI meal to a low-GI meal, Swedish researchers found that rates of colonic fermentation (a sign of a healthy gut) dropped as blood sugar levels peaked.

In this study, 15 healthy people ate evening meals with varying amounts of non-digestible fibre (the kind found in wheat bran). At breakfast, those who ate more non-digestible, low-GI carbs reported increased feelings of fullness and showed higher rates of colon fermentation. 

What are low-GI foods?

Veggies:
Asparagus, avocado, beet greens, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, fennel, green beans, kale, crimini mushrooms, mustard greens, olives and olive oil, romaine, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, yams.

Fruits:
Apples, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, raspberries, strawberries.


Grains, breads, nuts and seeds:
Oat bran, rolled oats, pumpernickel, sourdough, brown rice, buckwheat, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts.


Beans and legumes:
Lentils, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, chick peas (garbanzo), black eyed peas, yellow split peas.

Try some new, low-GI foods today and let me know what you think?  Oh, and remember to drink lots of water between meals if you're new at introducing these foods.

As always, connect with me if you have any questions about nutrition, health, wellness, exercise, etc.

In good health,
Cheryl

What exactly are superfoods anyway? 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, superfoods are “a super nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and/or phytonutrients, etc.”.  I have also read they have specific benefits for health improvements, few negative properties and are a whole food in its natural state.

In a perfect world, we would all be able to buy organic, local, grass fed, free-range food on a daily basis.  But if you’re anything like me, that’s not possible, the grocery budget is only so big, especially with 2 growing boys.

Now, I’ve made some changes in our monthly budget so that I can buy more organic food.  Cut back on the Starbucks for one.  But I’ve also found this great guide that shows which produce has the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic, and which are the least contaminated and you can save your money by buying them conventional.

Visit the Environmental Working Group’s website to get your copy of the “Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen” list.

Since cancer prevention and support is my passion, I’ve chosen 3 foods from each list, highlighting their cancer fighting properties.

The Dirty Dozen list…BUY THESE ORGANIC

1.     Spinach/Kale

• Per calorie, kale has more calcium than milk, which helps in preventing bone loss, osteoporosis and maintaining a healthy metabolism
• Greens are also high in iron, high in fiber and low in calories (eat them with a little lemon squeezed on to get the full absorption of iron)
• The risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently included cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary and prostate

2.     Tomatoes

• Lycopene has been shown to lower the risk of developing prostate cancer and reduces the aggressiveness by up to 60% (and recently, shown to reduce breast cancer risk and aggression as well)
• Orange colored tomatoes have a higher bioavailability of lycopene (better absorbed)
• Helps to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
• Excellent source of immune boosting anti-oxidants like vitamin C & E and beta-carotene (can you say anti-cancer?)

3.     Strawberries (or any berry for that matter)

You read about it, see it on the net, on TV, Dr. Oz pretty much never stops talking about it, but doing it is a whole other thing.

You always have the good intention to add those extra veggies to your daily routine, but life gets busy, complicated, and sometimes you forget. 

We all need simplicity in our lives, so I've compiled 5 easy ways for you to get more veggies into your daily diet...they're easy and tasty and before you know it you'll be giving Dr. Oz the 'nod' because you're doing it right.

1.    Add some green to your morning. Who likes mornings?  If you raised your hand, you're in the minority.  You get up, get ready, rush, rush, rush.  Sometimes you don't have time, or frankly the brain power that early, to get in a full breakfast...that's where smoothies come in.  They're easy, fast, delicious and a smart way to sneak some extra veggies into the start of your day.  Add a handful of kale or spinach to your fruit smoothie, I guarantee you won't taste it due to the sweetness of the fruit.

2.    Roast 'em up.  Steamed veggies are great, they retain their nutrients much more than if you boil them, but have you tried roasting them?  It brings a brand new world of taste sensations to the table.  That little bit of crispness, touch of sweetness that comes out with roasting, will elevate your everyday zucchini or eggplant to a whole new level.

3.    Juice anyone?  Juicing is the hottest thing, and has been for years.  Investing in a good juicer is not a frivolity, it's a necessity if you want to make great tasting veggie drinks that boost your energy and keep you healthy.  There are so many benefits of juicing, one being the satisfaction you feel as you take a big swig of your colorful concoction because you know you're doing your body good.

Looking for recipes? Grab your copy of my Cancer Prehab 101: Juices and Smoothies ebook…the link is at the top of this page on the right.

4.    Toss them in.  Omelets and stir-fries are an excellent way to bump up your veggie intake.  Toss in some chopped up peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes with your eggs, or be adventurous and add some Swiss chard or bok choy to your stir-fry.  A whole load of vegetables with some lean protein and an amazing meal awaits you.

5.    Please sir, can I have some more?  Soup is the perfect way to pack those vegetables in.  A rainbow of fresh or frozen veggies added to a low-sodium, low-fat stock, where you can even toss in a handful of whole wheat pasta and some cooked chicken breast for some extra bulk, and a warm, satisfying lunch or dinner is done...and don't forget about leftovers, which means you don't have to cook again...yeah!

Here's a great recipe using vegetables that you can work into your repertoire.  It's easy and yummy!

Roasted Chicken with Veggies

3 lbs chicken pieces
1 each green & red pepper, cut into rings
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 med onions, cut into 4 wedges each
4 small potatoes, halved
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tsp paprika

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Line a 9x13 inch shallow roasting pan with heavy duty foil.
Arrange chicken, peppers, zucchini, onions, potatoes, carrots and celery on the foil.  Pour tomatoes over and season with salt, pepper and paprika.  Cover pan with foil and cook for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

Lift foil and baste with juices.  Continue roasting uncovered for 45 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and browned.

Serves 4.


Enjoy!
Cheryl Wahl, RHN, Personal Trainer
North Shore Nutrition