4 Apps to Help You Protect Your Health

Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions for 2019? I usually don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but this year I said I would like to try something new every week; whether it’s a vegetable I’ve never had, a local road trip to some interesting ‘small town Ontario’, a farmer’s market I’ve never been to, an activity I’ve never tried, a blog I’ve never read … you get the idea!

When you look at polls on ‘Top 10 New Year’s Resolution’ lists, they are pretty much all the same, with most resolutions relating to health, and with #1 typically being “to diet or eat healthier”. Let’s forget about dieting and focus on simply making better choices when it comes to food.

In my experience, that is sometimes more easily said than done, and it’s because there is so much information out there that it takes forever to wade through it all. To make matters worse, much of it is contradictory or just plain wrong, so our decisions are sometimes a crap shoot. Interestingly, most people cite a lack of knowledge and time as major barriers to making healthy nutritional choices.

If you’ve been reading my blogs for awhile, I hope that I’ve helped you to sort out some fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition. This year, I’m making a bigger commitment to help even more people sort through the maze of nutrition and health information through my on-site corporate Lunch-and-Learn sessions. If that is something you’d like to bring to your workplace, you can learn more here.

Apps can also help to improve decision making when it comes to health and nutrition, and in this blog, I’d like to tell you about four apps that I use to help me make better choices when I’m shopping for food and personal care products. They’re all free, easy, and quick to use.

1 – Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Healthy Living App

This app provides ratings for more than 120,000 food and personal care products. Why personal care products? Because our skin is excellent at absorbing whatever we put on it into our body, so we need to be more aware of not only what we put into our body, but what we put on it! Just open the app, scan the bar codes of the products you are comparing, review the ratings, and make the best choice. This short video demonstrates how the app works. Click here to learn more about EWG and its mission.

2 – The Non-GMO Shopping Guide App

This app created by The Non-GMO Project is specially designed to help shoppers avoid GMO (genetically modified) products. The app features a list of brands and products that are certified to be GMO-free, and it can also be used to find retailers in your area that stock non-GMO products. The Non-GMO Project is a mission-driven non-profit organization dedicated to building and protecting a non-GMO food supply through consumer education and outreach programs; marketing support provided to Non-GMO Project Verified brands; and training resources and merchandising materials provided to retailers.  The website for The Non-GMO Project includes a guide on common ingredients used in GMO food and tips on how to avoid GMO food. 

3 – The Seafood Watch App

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® has created an app that helps you choose ocean-friendly seafood at your favorite restaurants and stores.  It uses your phone’s GPS to load the right regional guide for your location and even has a new feature called Project FishMap where you can find restaurants serving sustainable seafood in your area. The app includes a sushi guide, which lists fish names in Japanese and English and if you ever find seafood on the “avoid” list, the app will offer suggestions for sustainable alternatives.  This short video explains the importance of making not only healthy, but also sustainable decisions when it comes to fish/seafood.

4 – Savour Ottawa Buy Local Guide

While this is a website and not an app, Savour Ottawa’s goal is to develop and promote the Ottawa area as a premier, year-round culinary destination, with robust offerings of local foods and experiences for both locals and visitors to the area. Eating local and in season is often a great way to support our health, the environment, and the local economy! When you see the Savour Ottawa logo at farmers’ markets, butcheries, retail grocery stores and more, it indicates that each product or establishment carrying the logo has undergone a verification process to ensure that they are using local food in their products or are a local producer. The website provides an updated map of all the region’s local food and farms. It’s a great way to find organic farmer’s markets, food-to-table restaurants, and more!

Do you have a favourite app that helps you make healthy food choices? Tell me about it by emailing at info@perfectresonance.com and I’ll share it on  my Facebook page!

Filed Under: Tip of the Month Tagged With:

5 Reasons Why I Can’tola When it Comes to Canola Oil

This month, I’m sharing a video that shows how canola oil is made and why I avoid it. Before you scroll down to watch the video, please read this article in its entirety – including some info I’ve included after the video with a link to a resource that will help you to stop being fooled by manufacturer’s big fat lies. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about the lies and confusion surrounding the topic of fat … but there is still so much of it swirling around, I feel it is important to revisit it; this time, perhaps from a slightly different perspective. focusing on a particular oil that so many people are still using because it is often touted as being so very healthy for us – canola oil.

Canola is often marketed as one of the healthiest oils you can use in salad dressings, baking, and virtually all of your food prepping and meal cooking; in fact, it is often said to be heart healthy thanks to being rich in heart-healthy oleic acids and also containing inflammation-busting omega-3 fatty acids. Well, that’s the canola industry’s story anyway.

Despite these claims, I do my best to avoid canola oil – and many other ‘popular’ vegetable oils. Here are a few reasons why I can’t-ola when it comes to canola.

1 – Its History

The canola plant originated from rapeseed which is known to have a high erucic acid content. Natural forms of rapeseed contain high levels of erucic acid (it makes up over 40% of the seeds total fatty acids). At high levels, erucic acid had been associated with a disease characterized by fibrotic lesions in the heart. I often wonder if ingesting smaller amounts of erucic acid over your lifetime would be any better, or just accumulate and cause problems to occur at some point? Especially when exposure can start at birth through infant formula (since some contain canola oil).

 

Stories have been passed on to me through a few generations that rapeseed oil was traditionally used in the maintenance of heavy farm equipment, but since it grew so well in Canada; in fact, the stories I’ve heard were that farmers didn’t even have to spray rapeseed crops because insects and animals tended to stay away from it (smart cookies those animals!), the powers that be wanted to do more with it. When early discussion exploring the use of rapeseed in the production of oils for the consumer food industry, it was also noted that it would have to be genetically manipulated to have a lower erucic acid level that would be ‘safe’ for human consumption. The lower erucic acid version was created, and named LEAR oil for Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed oil.  Since ‘rape’ or ‘lear’ don’t have very positive connotations, the name of this new LEAR oil was changed to Canola, for Canadian oil.

2 – How It’s Grown

It is estimated that 95% of canola crops grown in Canada are genetically modified, therefore the crops are sprayed with RoundUp Ready. RoundUp is the pesticide developed my Monsanto, and the active ingredient is glyphosphate. There’s been lots in the news recently about how unsafe levels of glyphosphate are being found in children’s cereals and cereal bars because of the heavy use of RoundUp on the crops/ingredients used to make those products. The focus of these news reports has been on childrens’ cereals containing oats … but it could just as easily have been on products containing canola oils which is used in sooooo many packaged, processed, canned foods and condiments … and used in restaurants for cooking.

 

3 – Canola Promoters are Ignoring the Research

For over a decade now, research has been busting current mainstream recommendations regarding eating fats, which are based on poorly done research dating back to the early 1950s. In 2012, the results of a large meta-analysis were published in British Medical Journal, a highly respected international peer reviewed medical journal. The objective of this study was to “evaluate the effectiveness of replacing dietary saturated fat with omega 6 linoleic acid, for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death.”

In everyday language, the study was trying to see what would happen to coronary heart disease rates and death rates if people replaced saturated fats (from foods like butter, egg yolk, whole fat dairy, cheese, meat, and coconut oil) with foods and/or oils high in omega 6 linoleic acids/polyunsaturated fats  (like canola oil. corn oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, and soy oil … to name a few).

The researchers’ conclusions were as follows:

My non-techy translation? “You know how you were told for 70 years or so to avoid saturated fats like those found in butter and eggs and to switch to margarine, refined vegetables oils, and processed egg whites in cartons in an attempt to lower rates of death from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease? Seems we were wrong and that some research is showing it actually increased the risk of these two outcomes … oh and death from all causes actually.” 

I also just read recently read an article referring to some animal research linking canola oil to Alzheimer’s complications. Here is an interesting statement from the leading author of that research paper:

Even though canola oil is a vegetable oil, we need to be careful before we say that it is healthy,” Praticò said. “Based on the evidence from this study, canola oil should not be thought of as being equivalent to oils with proven health benefits.

4 – Both my Nonnas Made Butter … And Even Olive Oil … Not Canola Oil

My nonnas, my mom, me, and my daughters have all made butter with just one ingredient, and two pieces of ‘equipment’. The ingredient was cream, and the pieces of equipment were a glass jar and our muscle power. Delicious butter … every time. My nonna also used to press olives from her farm to make olive oil. In both cases, no heavy machinery, genetically altered ingredients, hexane, lye, or bleach was required … which brings me to the fifth reason I avoid canola oil.

5 – How it’s Processed

Like many refined oils on the grocery store shelf, high temperatures and pressure are used to extract the oil from the plant. High temperatures and pressures are known to denature oils, in particular the delicate omega-3 oils that canola so proudly says it contains. In addition, numerous chemicals and solvents, for example lye, hexanes, bleaches, and deodorants (perhaps to hide the fact that the oil is already rancid when it’s being bottled do to the processing methods? Just a though ….), are used to give the oil is characteristic smell, colour, and taste. How much of anything good can be left by now? By they way, I’m pretty sure the processing is the same in the production of ‘organic’ canola oil.  BTW – consuming rancid oils causes health-destroying oxidation in the body. Oxidation is the cellular basis of virtually every disease.

Not convinced yet? Sometimes seeing is believing, so here’s a a video Ii found showing how ‘healthy’ canola oil is made. Once you’ve finished watching it, keep reading as I’m going to suggest a way that you can break through a lot more big fat lies …

 

Want to Break Through The Big Fat Lies?

Fats and oils are one of the most important parts of health and unfortunately one of the most contradictory. Here are questions I get asked ALL the time:

  • Should fats be avoided? If so, why and which ones?
  • Is margarine better than butter?
  • Will eating eggs and beef raise my cholesterol?
  • Is canola oil better than olive oil?
  • What’s the healthiest oil to cook with?
  • Should I be avoiding fat to lose weight, or is it true that some fats promote weight loss?
  • How can a product with a zero trans fat claim actually contain trans fats?
  • Why are omega-3 fats so important and why are most of us deficient in them?

Do you know the ‘real’ answers to the above questions? Being misinformed can be hazardous to your health, potentially increasing your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and numerous other health issues.

You can now get all the answers to the above questions and more through my pre-recorded webinar ‘The Skinny on Fats’. Click here to learn how you can own it for just $20. Take control of what you can!

References

Erucici acid a possible health risk for highly exposed children; European Food Safety Authority; Nov 9 2016

 

The Great Con-ola

Filed Under: Videos

Want to Beat the Odds this Flu Season? Do This One Simple Thing!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am once again writing about the importance of supplementing with vitamin D, especially as we enter ‘official’ flu season, which runs roughly from the beginning of October to the end of March for Canada. In this blog, I want to share some very interesting findings from two articles that I have recently read which both highlight just how powerful vitamin D

The first article is entitled ‘Vitamin D for influenza’, and appeared in the June 2015 edition of Family Physician. This is the official Publication of The College of Family Physicians of Canada.
In this article, the author explains why he no longer uses drugs like Tamiflu to prevent or treat influenza among his patients. A main reason is that the potential side-effects of these types of drugs make it difficult to know if the patient is suffering side-effects of the drug or if they have in fact contracted influenza. Why the confusion? Because the side-effects of the drugs include flu-related symptoms, such as:

  • vomiting and/or serious diarrhea
  • confusion, hallucinations, or delirium (can be symptoms of high fever)

The author states that it is well known that flu season corresponds to a drop of vitamin D levels in our blood, and that Canadians in particular, have considerably low levels in the winter, which puts us at risk for the flu – not to mention a number of other health conditions.

Another statement the author makes – that was unbelievable to me – is that “a recommended daily dose of vitamin D by The Institute of Medicine is erroneous, due to a statistical error made in the research to arrive at the recommended dose – and that doses of 2,000 IU (IU stands for International Units) per day can bring vitamin D levels into ranges that can help prevent the flu.” Yep – The Institute of Medicine made a mistake.

The author also talks about a vitamin D treatment he uses with some patients called a ‘vitamin D hammer’ – this is a one-time dose of 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 (the biologically form of vitamin D – look for supplements using this form) or a dose of 10,000 IU three times daily for two to three days. The author states that the results of these doses of vitamin D are dramatic, with “complete resolution of symptoms in 48 to 72 hours.” Please note that you should have your blood levels checked and consult your health care professional regarding this level of dosage. Note that what is often considered ‘acceptable’ in standard lab reports isn’t necessarily a therapeutic level.

I personally take 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day, depending on the time of year (lower dose in spring and summer; higher dose in fall and winter), and if I feel I am coming down with something, I will take 8000 IU for several days. I have had my vitamin D levels tested, asked for the results, and compared them to what is recommended by the Vitamin D Council.

The second article, entitled ‘Vitamin D pills could stop colds or flu‘, appeared in BBC News in February 2017 and highlights the findings of research conducted at the Queen Mary University of London. Researchers conducted the study by pooling data from 25 separate trials, for a combined sample size of approximately 11,300 people. The study found that 1 person was spared from contracting a respiratory tract infection for every 33 people taking a vitamin D supplement. If you don’t think that’s a big deal, here’s a newsflash for you – it’s better than the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, which spared only 1 person in 40 who got the shot.

I have often suggested that vitamin D is one of the single most important things we can do to for protection ourselves from the flu. It is also one of the most cost effect things we can do. For more tips on protecting yourself from the flu, check out my previous blog entitled 10 Steps to Building Immunity Naturally .

Finally, I want to make it clear that not all vitamin D supplements are created equal; that is, they don’t all deliver therapeutic results. To find out what brand I personally take and recommend and why, click here.  If you’d like a bottle of this liquid sunshine to get you through flu season, you can place your order today by emailing info@perfectresonance.com and putting VITAMIN D in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation email with payment instructions when your order is ready for pick up through Perfect Resonance Natural Health Counselling, located in the Marshall Health Clinic at 2605 Carling Avenue, Ottawa ON.

This flu season, take control of what you can!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

6 Recipes to Celebrate September!

September is a great time to make meals with herbs and veggies that are local and in season. In this post, I’m sharing 6 of my favourite recipes that celebrate September crops. I hope you’ll try them! To see the recipe, just click on its title in the list below.

1 – Presto! Make Your Own Pesto

I love basil … and all the other ingredients that go into making this delicious pesto. The basil in my garden is always amazing and I never want a single leaf of it to go to waste.  This pesto is easy to make and freeze and it’s great on pasta, fish, chicken, and veggies, and it’s a yummy addition to wraps, salad dressings, and dips (or use it as a dip!).

2 – Delicious Stuffed Zucchini Sept 2017

I usually have zucchini coming out of my ears at this time of year. While this wasn’t the case this season, I did get enough to make stuffed zucchini a few times. You can use whatever veggies and other ingredients you like for the stuffing – no need to stick to what I’ve used!

3 – Fresh Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Buckwheat Pasta

It takes about 10 minutes to make this yummy pasta dish, Easy peasy quick and delicious dinner that’s easy to make for one or many. Buckwheat pasta is a great alternative to wheat-based pasta – not just because it’s gluten-free but because it’s loaded with nutrients.

 

4 – Roasted Cauliflower

I try to avoid starchy side dishes such as rice and potatoes. An easy, delicious and nutritious alternative to both is cauliflower. In this recipe, I’ll be showing you how to make roasted cauliflower as a substitute for roasted potatoes. It’s super-easy, delicious, and packs a greater nutritional punch compared to roasted potatoes.

5 – Kale and Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe incorporates two of the most nutrient-packed veggies into one delicious casserole! Kale and sweet potatoes are loaded with fibre and nutrients, especially beta-carotene, which our body can convert into Vitamin A. Beta-carotene and vitamin A offer numerous health benefits, including modulating our immune and inflammatory responses, which are critical to overall health. Kale is also a great source of two important bone-building nutrients, calcium and vitamin K. Bon appetit to that…or should I say Bone appetit…sorry, couldn’t resist!

6 – Sweet-and-Savory Braised Red Cabbage

I love the look and taste of red cabbage – and its more than just a pretty face…I mean more than just a pretty head! Its beautiful rich colour is due to a high concentration of powerful antioxidants called anthocyanin polyphenols. Research shows that these antioxidants boost immune system function and deliver protection against inflammation and numerous diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Red cabbage is also loaded with vitamins and minerals and contains up to 8 times more vitamin C compared to green cabbage. In fact, a cup of cooked red cabbage provides 85% percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! No wonder Mother Nature provides us with this veggie just as cold and flu season arrives. This recipe turns red cabbage into a delicious sweet-and-savoury side dish that goes particularly well with red meat mains.

 

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Recipes

It’s Tomato Time!

Whether in your veggie garden, at your favourite farmers market, or in your grocery store, local tomatoes are abundant at this time of year.

In this post, I’m sharing 5 health tips and 5 recipes from previous blogs that starred the tantalizing tomato. Here we go!

5 Tomatoey Health Tips:

#1 – Tomatoes support prostate health.

Tomatoes are high in lycopene which supports prostate health. The lycopene content of tomatoes is generally higher when they’re cooked – and absorbed better when consumed with a healthy fat/oil, such as extra virgin olive oil. (From my video blog: Carrots for Bone Health, Sage for Memory, and More – July 2018)

#2 – Tomatoes support cardiovascular health.

Tomatoes are often cited as a veggie that supports heart health, as they contain two key nutrients that have a big impact on heart health: lycopene and potassium. (From my blog: 5 Tips for Heart Health – Feb 2017)

#3 – Eat tomatoes to protect yourself from the damaging effects of too much sun exposure.

Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, which studies have associated with a decreased risk of skin cancer when regularly consumed. Tomatoes also have a very high water content, which will help skin stay hydrated. Studies show that the lycopene in cooked tomatoes, especially when they are crushed and cooked with fat (think simple yummy tomato sauce with olive oil!), is more easily absorbed. (From my blog: Inside-Out Sun Protection – August 2014)

#4 – Eat tomatoes (and other foods with a high water content) to help you stay hydrated.

The water content of tomatoes is 95%. (From my blog: 10 Ways to Eat Water – June 2014)

#5 – Maybe you shouldn’t eat tomatoes!

Tomatoes are part of the Nightshade family of vegetables. If you can relate to any of the following (see original blog post for list), you may want to consider avoiding tomatoes, and other nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, all all peppers e.g. chili peppers, habenero, cayenne pepper and paprika … but not peppercorns!). (From my blog:  Digestive Issues? Joint or Muscle Pain? These Vegetables Might be Contributing! – July 2018)

 

5 Tomatoey Recipes (click on the recipe title to see the recipe!)

#1 – Fresh Herb & Garlic Topped Grilled Tomatoes.

These grilled tomatoes were a regular side-dish to my family’s BBQ meals for as long as I can remember. You can make them any time of year, but I especially love making them in late summer/early fall when the tomatoes, garlic, and herbs are fresh out of the garden. (August 2017)

#2 – Tomato and Basil Soup.

Tomatoes and basil – a match made in heaven! Make lots while these ingredients are in season. This soup freezes beautifully. (December 2013)

#3 – Gazpacho 

This tomato-based soup is served chilled and is a great addition to any summer-time meal! (June 2014)

#4 – Puttanesca Spaghetti Sauce.

A naughty name for a nutritious and delicious multipurpose sauce!  (January 2014)

#5 – Fresh Tomato, Basil and Garlic Buckwheat Pasta.

A quick and easy recipe that you can make in about 10 minutes!  (Dec 2013)

A final note: Click here for a super easy way to preserve local, vine-ripened tomatoes so you can use them to make sauces, stews, soups, and more until next tomato season! (From my blog: Frozen Freshness: Enjoying Local Tomatoes Year-Round – Sept 2013)

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Tip of the Month

Digestive Issues? Joint or Muscle Pain? These Vegetables Might be Contributing!

You’ve always been told to eat your veggies; however, for some folks, a family of vegetables called ‘the nightshade vegetables’ could cause inflammation that can lead to joint pain, digestive issues, and more.  Since it is the end of July, when many of these vegetables are local, in season, and plentiful, I thought it was good timing to tell you about them.

What are Nightshade Vegetables?

Nightshade vegetables are a group of vegetables that belong to the Solanacae plant family. The most common ones include:

  • potatoes
  • tomatoes
  • eggplant
  • all peppers (e.g. chili peppers, habenero, cayenne pepper and paprika … but not peppercorns!).

These vegetables contain compounds called alkaloids, which are more concentrated in the green parts of these vegetables – think green spots on potatoes, green bell peppers, and green tomatoes. FYI, green peppers and my digestive system do not get along; however, I’m fine with red, orange, and yellow peppers.

Should You Avoid Them?

If you can relate to any of the following, you may want to consider avoiding nightshade vegetables:

  • heartburn/acid reflux
  • joint pain
  • digestive/bowel issues including cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, excess gas/flatulence, diarrhea and/or constipation, mucus in the stool
  • sensitive to changes in the weather
  • chronic pain
  • if you have gone gluten-free but are still having symptoms (note: many gluten-free products use potato starch … and tomatoes contain lectin (gluten is also a lectin), in particular in their skin and seeds

A Superfood Nightshade

Have you heard of goji berries? They are often touted as a superfood due to their high antioxidant content. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you may benefit from avoiding goji berries too.

So What Do You Do?

If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you may want to eliminate nightshades from your diet. To do this properly, you have to completely eliminate them from everything you eat for at least six weeks. At the end of six weeks, you may notice that your symptoms are gone or at least less problematic.

When changes happen slowly over a number of weeks, sometimes it is hard for us to notice if we’ve actually had any improvement. I have had clients who have followed my recommendations for weeks come back to me and say “I’m not sure this has made much of a difference”. So then I ask them to test their uncertainty. The way I ask them to do this is to go back to their old ways and do it big time. In the case of someone who has avoided nightshades for six weeks and isn’t sure if their symptoms have decreased, I tell them to eat night shades at every meal for a day or two – as much as they want/can – and then see if they feel differently. Typically, they will notice that their symptoms are worse within a few days (note that sensitivities can take up to 72 hours/3 days to manifest).

Will You Ever Be Able to Eat Nightshades Again?

Almost any food can be problematic for certain individuals. Regardless, it is often not the food, but the state of our digestive and gut health that is the root of the problem. In any case, the best strategy is to completely avoid the problematic foods for awhile (in some cases, for at least 6 months), and in the meantime, work towards healing and sealing the gut under the guidance of an experienced practitioner … such as yours truly.

References

Nightshades


https://draxe.com/nightshade-vegetables/

Filed Under: Tip of the Month

Carrots for Bone Health, Sage for Memory, and More…

In this month’s video, I’m taking you on a nutritional tour of my veggie garden, sharing one or two interesting health benefits associated with each veggie and herb growing in it. For your convenience, I’ve summarized the information in a list below the video, and provided links to some of my recipes that use the veggie or herb mentioned. I don’t have any specific references cited because I’ve come across this information from decades of reading!

If you don’t have a veggie garden (no time, no space, not interested) I encourage you to try growing something in a pot on your deck or balcony (tomatoes and/or herbs would work), and/or supporting local farmers by shopping at area markets and stores that carry locally grown/produced foods and eating at food-to-table restaurants/restaurants that purchase from local farmers. Here a couple of links with lots of info on where and how to support local farmers:

Just Food

Ottawa Start

Take control of what you can!

Video Summary

  • Cilantro – mercury/heavy metal detox; regulating blood sugar. So yummy in guacamole!
  • Sage – supports memory … as does the omega-3 found in salmon. My Pancetta and Sage Wrapped Salmon combines both!
  • Parsley – general detox. Grilled or Roasted Veggies on Quinoa Tabouleh is a great dish to bring to a summer gathering – and a great way to use parsley!
  • Basil – antibacterial (also supports digestion!). I love using basil to make pesto. Here’s my pesto recipe!
  • Tomatoes – high in lycopene which supports prostate health. The lycopene content of tomatoes is generally higher when they’re cooked – and absorbed better when consumed with a healthy fat/oil, such as extra virgin olive oil. Fresh Herb & Garlic Topped Grilled Tomatoes are a perfect addition to any BBQ meal – and combine the health benefits of tomatoes with those of herbs, garlic, and olive oil!
  • Zucchini – high in water and fibre. Try out these zucchini recipes: Delicious Stuffed Zucchini and Zucchini Spaghetti (Zoodles).
  • Cucumbers – high in water. My Tzatziki recipe is one of my favourite ways to use cucumber. Use it as a a veggie dip, salad topping, or as a condiment with grilled chicken/chicken souvlaki.
  • Beets – cleanse/detox; plant-based source of iron. Check out my video: How to Cook Beets Without Making a Mess
  • Carrots – high in beta-carotene which is a strong antioxidant and a precursor to Vitamin A. Carrots have recently been associated with bone health. I love using carrots to make my Carrot Ginger Soup.
  • Lettuce – high in water and fibre; remember variety is important!
  • Leek, onions, garlic – support cardiovascular health. My Leek and Cauliflower Soup is delicious and you can make it look very fancy by decorating it with a beet puree and fresh herbs.
  • Bell peppers (ripe/red) – Vitamin C and bioflavanoids for strengthening blood vessel walls. Watch my video Boosting the Benefits of Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids to find out if you’re throwing away a nutrient-loaded part of peppers!
  • Kale – lutein for eye health. Kale is a great addition to this Green Smoothie!
  • Swiss Chard – a great source of minerals, including some that many of us are deficient in (magnesium, iron, calcium). Love it in this Frittata with Swiss chard, onions, mushrooms, and goat cheese
  • Green peas – new research suggests a compound in green peas may decrease the risk of stomach cancer. Pea shoots are delicious and even more nutrient-loaded. You can grow them indoors at any time of year. Watch my video Growing Your Own Pea Shoots is Easy Peas-y! and start growing your own! Yummy addition to salads!
  • Green beans – good source of silicon which is an important mineral in bone, skin, hair, and nail health. If you have string beans in your garden and you’re picking them faster than you can eat them, why not freeze them? It’s easy!
  • Rosemary – supports circulation. Fresh herbs, such as rosemary, are a yummy addition to marinades.

 

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