Teaching You How to Use Lifestyle as Medicine
This bright green pesto is packed with flavor and nutrients. Nutrients like lutein and vitamin A, especially important for eye health. Use to dress extra lean protein (like fish or super firm tofu), spread on a sandwich, or add to any combination of cooked grains/roots and leafy and tender vegetables for a fast and delicious salad.
In addition to incredible volume to help keep you full, this salad provides a remarkable amount of bioactive compounds. Cauliflower is a member of the brassica family known for their powerful cancer-protecting properties. Parsley is rich in immune-supporting Vitamin C and green onions contain immune and liver boasting sulfur-compounds. Olive oil is a source of desirable monounsaturated fat and, given that all ingredients are enjoyed raw, this salad is a strong natural ‘digestive’.
Milk alternatives are huge business as consumers look for increased choices beyond dairy. Huge demand can also mean huge prices for these products ($3-5 per quart or $1 dollar per 1 cup serving). But they don’t have to be expensive! These “milks” are so easy and so cheap to make at home (pennies per serving).
Apples contain fibers and polyphenols that help regulate the breakdown of carbohydrate and slow the absorption of sugar from the digestive tract. They are also rich in prebiotic fibers which act as food for our healthy native strains of gut bacterial. Proof that ‘super foods’ don’t have to be super fancy!
Cashews, often deemed indulgent, are a rich dietary source of monounsaturated fat and copper which is essential in energy production, antioxidant functioning and bone formation. Enjoyed in moderation, they contribute to increasing our overall intake of nuts which studies have confirmed can lower our risk of heart disease, lower the risk of developing gallstones, and lower our risk of gaining weight! Participants in a study that consumed nuts 2x per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than those that never ate nuts. Enjoy (in moderation)!
Although it’s true that dark chocolate contains beneficial bioactive compounds, we like this evening snack for its theanine (in the chocolate) to help induce relaxation– perfect for those cold winter nights. This hot chocolate is balanced and very subtly sweet compared to commercial preparations – but that’s why we love it. Sip it knowing you are supporting your health through balance and before you know it you will actually prefer its simplicity.
Legume-based pasta (like garbanzo, black bean, and soy) is an incredible way to continue enjoying pasta while getting much more nutrition than just carbohydrates provided by flour-based varieties. This recipe pairs legume-based pasta with our Faux Alfredo Sauce (white bean sauce) to make a plant-based protein-rich, fiber-rich (which equals FILLING) meal. Enjoy with endless varieties of leafy and tender veggies!
This salad is as pretty as it is nutritious. Pomegranates have various bioactive compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties against cancer cells. The arils are also a wonderful source of vitamin C and potassium needed to regulate blood pressure. The prebiotic and soluble fibers also help regulate the native strains of gut bacteria. This is a lot of health activity from something we just call “lunch”!
You know how alcohol is an acquired taste? There is usually something a little bitter (like tannins) or pungent in these beverages that we come to anticipate. When finding alcohol alternatives, I like to experiment with combinations of flavors that I might not exactly love at first sight – but I acquire a taste for it. This makes it more satisfying to me than just replacing my wine with a glass of juice. I still want that distinct taste that makes me sip it, slow down, and relax. Here is one combination that I enjoy. And in the spirit of CARE, the herbs are also therapeutic to the digestive system. This beverage supports your native strains of bacteria rather than stress them (as alcohol does).
A CARE member brought a copy of this recipe to me after her family just fell in love with it. It is remarkable how a staple like peanut butter, or other nut butter, can be blended into soup stock transforming it from “the usual” to absolutely unexpected. I added tofu for additional protein compared to the original recipe. This makes this vegan soup an unexpectedly rich source of calcium. Adapted and balanced from Robin Asbell’s recipe in the Star Tribune which she adapted from “The Moosewood Cookbook”.
