Tag Archives: Wellness

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

I find this time of year with fresh produce in abundance so inspirational!

The vegetables on display by local growers who take such pride in their offerings is sheer art!

Cumin and pumpkins seeds (also know as pepitas), are a very delicious combination and enhance the sweetness of the carrots. Did you know cumin also has the ability to aid digestion as well as help insomnia and respiratory ailments? It was used by the Egyptians 5,000 years ago, and is popular today in many cuisines.

Pumpkin seeds are a great alternative to nuts in cooking, and have excellent nutritional benefits like containing zinc for immune support, magnesium, fiber and plant based Omega 3’s.

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat your oven to 400º degrees.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Young Carrots

1/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

Juice of 1 Lime

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink (My favorite :-))

1/2 Teaspoon of Pepper

1/3 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

Directions: Toss the washed carrots with the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the Cumin, Salt and Pepper and squeeze the juice of one lime over it. Toss thoroughly to spread the seasoning evenly. Pour the Carrots onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer.

Oven roast for 40 to 50 minutes until the carrots are starting to caramelize. Toss them once or twice during roasting to re-coat with the oil and seasonings.

Remove them from the oven, and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Serve them hot!

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pepitas

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pepitas

Eat Your Nutrients!

Blueberry Spoon Fruit (Date Sweetened)

Making Spoon fruit is a delicious way to use Summer’s fruit bounty! It is a technique that purees and reduces the fruit on the stove top, without added thickeners or refined sugar, to a jammy consistency.

For this luscious Blueberry Spoon Fruit, I used dates and a bit of fresh lemon juice, along with wild blueberries.

I use this spoon fruit in my Chocolate Blueberry Ripple Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Simple is often the best!

Blueberry Spoon Fruit

Blueberry Spoon Fruit

Ingredients:

1 Cup Blueberries

1/4 Cup of Pitted Dates (Roughly Chopped)

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions: In a small saucepan, bring the berry mixture to a boil, and simmer for ten minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Add mixture to a blender (I used a small Ninja) and puree.

Making Blueberry Spoon Fruit

Yield: approximately 3/4 cup

Date Sweetened Blueberry Spoon Fruit

Eat Your Nutrients!

French Asparagus Salad

It’s Asparagus Season! After my trip to Florida this month, I came home and recreated a salad I had while dining at a French restaurant, Bistro Chez Jean-Pierre, in Palm Beach. They made the salad on the fly, just for me, when I told them of my food intolerances. The asparagus was crisp tender, and the leafy greens tossed in a vinaigrette where perfect with it. They also brought out a beautiful bowl of fresh berries for me for dessert.

Spring and Summer are the easiest times to eat local, seasonal food, and I like to take advantage of the Farmer’s Markets for sure! Research has proven that nutrients are the most plentiful in produce when it has just been harvested. After it has traveled to the store and sat on the shelves for several days, the nutrient content lessens day by day. (You can read more about this here).

French Asparagus Salad

It is such a pretty salad! I hope you give it a try and also take advantage of all the beautiful, locally grown food this time of year. Your body will love you for it!

French Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:

10 Asparagus Spears, Snapped at the ends to remove tough portion

2 Cups of Fresh Leafy Salad Greens (You Choose)

1/2 of a Red Bell Pepper, Diced

2 Tablespoons of Sliced Green Onion

Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Teaspoon of Djon Mustard

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Dried Parsley

1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Good Olive Oil

Directions: Whisk the dressing together until emulsified. Refrigerate any leftovers.

To make the salad, steam the asparagus for six minutes until fork tender but not mushy. Immediately move while it is hot to a shallow bowl, and toss with 2 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Let this sit for ten minutes to marinate.

Place the two cups of leafy greens in another bowl, and toss with a generous amount of vinaigrette. Arrange the asparagus on two plates evenly in a fan. Add the diced red pepper artfully. Then mound the leafy greens at the end of the spears. Sprinkle with scallions and a little additional salt and pepper.

It is ready to serve!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Great Resource When You Don’t Have Time To Bake and For Ingredients When You Do

When You Just Want To Put Your Feet Up!

Have you heard of Wellbee’s, buzzing back to health?

It is a fabulous online bakery and food shopping experience for those on the SCD, GAPS or Paleo Diet. They are also Gluten Free, Grain Free and Refined Sugar Free.

They have a bakery completely dedicated to making food that is SCD Legal using honey for their sweetner. They are an invaluable resource for people who can’t just go anywhere to buy pre-made food. There products are good. I have been ordering from them for two years. What is also so nice about them, is you don’t have to spend hours reading ingredient labels and figuring out what products you can buy that aren’t going to mess with your digestion. They also offer prepacked portable snacks for travel, and when you are on the go, or don’t want to cook.

Some of my favorite items are their homemade croutons (I am a huge salad fan!), nut flours, a seasoning called Paleo Powder (this is a spice blend with all clean ingredients and no fillers), Lemon Infused Avocado Oil, Fermented Pickles, Pizza Crusts (Baked in their Bakery), Pecan Bread (Ditto on the Bakery), Duck Sauce, Ketchup, Hot Dog Buns (baked by them too), Granola and Apple Butter.

Switching your diet can be overwhelming at first. It is a huge learning curve, and they make it easier. I do want to point out, when you are beginning to heal your digestion, you will get the best results by spending time in phase one of a gut healing protocol. That means sticking to meat, vegetables, bone broth, healthy fat and a limited amount of fruit. Once you are seeing improvement and feeling much better, then is the time to add in nuts, seeds, honey, and grain free baked items one at a time and see how you do. This includes adding in dairy and legumes if tolerated. I want to mention that I don’t receive any payment at all from promoting them. They are just fantastic, and you should really know about them if you don’t already. Shout out to Donna! I am sure there are many that would benefit from this resource. I know it makes things so much easier for myself!

Check them out. Here’s the link!

Wellbee’s Prepared Food

Wishing you Happy Digestion!

Sam

Eat Your Nutrients!

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Lacinato Kale, also referred to as Dinosaur Kale, is a flat leafed kale with dark green blue leaves. This is my favorite kale to cook with. It has a slightly nutty flavor, and is less bitter than Curly Kale. I use Curly Kale to make kale chips, because the curls grab on to every bit of sauce you put on them. By now you would have to be hiding under a rock to not hear about all the health benefits in greens, and Kale has taken center stage in the past couple years.

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Kale is full of benefits, such as it is high in fiber, is a good source of Calcium, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K. It is fabulous for strengthening your immune system, bones and skin.

This recipe for kale is crunchy, garlicky and savory. It is important to eat greens with fat to help your body access the nutrients, plus it just plain tastes good. I have used Olive Oil in this recipe. There are endless ways to serve this dish. It makes a great side for fish and chicken. Add some protein, and you have a meal.

Lacinato Kale

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Lacinato Kale, Stripped of Stems and Washed

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (I use a garlic press)

1 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (It brightens the dish)

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

Directions:

Slice the Kale into 1 inch strips by grabbing a bunch and using a sharp knife on a cutting board. Set aside.

Heat the Olive Oil in a large cooking pan over high heat. Add the Minced Garlic, and cook just briefly, just about 30 seconds. Add the sliced Kale and Sea Salt. Cook over high heat until the Kale is wilted, tossing frequently. Once wilted, add in 1 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed Lemon Juice. Toss just to coat.

Place the kale in a serving dish and sprinkle with the Sliced Almonds.

It’s Ready to Eat! It is so good!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Are You Living in Abundance?

abundance photo

Happy Friday! Are you living in abundance? Do you feel your life is balanced, and you are accomplishing your goals and living your purpose? It is good to evaluate areas of your life and check in now and then with yourself to see if your circle of life is on track. A circle of life includes many different facets such as Joy, Spirituality, Creativity, Finances, Career, Education, Health, Physical Activity, Home Cooking, Home Environment, Relationships and Social Life. This is something a Health Coach helps you explore as part of your coaching program. Here is a quick Abundance quiz! I wish you a life of Abundance! Have a fantastic weekend!

Take An Abundance Quiz Here

Step Out Into New Things. Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back!

Be Fearless!

Happy Friday! How was your week? You were created to have a vibrant life! Are you holding back from living your life to the full extent you were intended to? If fear is holding you back, and you are staying in the “safe zone”, how does it feel? It is comforting to be safe, I understand, but it is not always where you will live the life you were meant to have, and experience all the opportunities and blessings that are out there waiting for you. It can become boring and repetitive. To be human is to make mistakes, and sometimes this can make us fearful.
Spring is just around the corner, and it is a time of renewal. Today, I encourage you not to let fear keep you from enjoying your life, and putting the brakes on your destiny, no matter what your age!
What is something you would really like to do, but haven’t because you are afraid? It could be things as simple as talking to people you don’t know, starting a new career, changing your lifestyle, traveling, moving, volunteering, starting a new hobby or taking a class to learn something new…….fill in the blank. If fear is preventing you from making a change, start with something small. Pray about it. Seek a friend to encourage you. Then move on up and watch your life expand!
Love you guys!
Have a beautiful weekend!
Sandra Shields, Certified Health Coach

You’ve Got the Beet! – Day 7 – Seven Days of Smoothies

Today is the final smoothie recipe of the Seven Days of Smoothies series! You’ve Got the Beet! has a respectable amount of fiber from figs (6% per medium fig). Sweet delicious figs also contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, Iron, Vitamins B, C, Selenium, Phosphorus and Zinc. There are two colorful vegetables incorporated into today’s smoothie, (you guessed it beet, and also carrot). Strawberries are a low sugar addition to this smoothie and provide over 140% RDA of Vitamin C. Choose your favorite dairy free milk to add, and don’t forget the protein!

You've Got the Beet Smoothie - Day Seven, Seven Days of Smoothies

You’ve Got the Beet Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries

2 Turkish Figs (soak them if they are not soft for ease in blending)

3 Baby Carrots

1 Slice of Beet (about a Tablespoon)

1/2 Cup Dairy Free Milk

2 Tablespoons Pomegranate Juice Concentrate

1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

Blend it thoroughly to incorporate those figs! Then add:

2 Tablespoons of Collagen Powder and/or Your Favorite Protein Powder (add after initial blending and blend just until incorporated to prevent foaming).

Here is a recap of the smoothies shared during the Seven Days of Smoothies! When rotated into your routine, they will keep you from getting into a rut with food choices, and help you include a colorful array of nutrients into your diet!

Razzleberry Rad – Day 1

Blue Bumbleberry – Day 2

Orange U Sweet – Day 3

Kale Me Later – Day 4

Chocolate Mocha No Moo – Day 5

Creamy Dreamy Tropical Ginger – Day 6

You’ve Got the Beet! – Day 7

Blue Bumbleberry Smoothie – Day 2 – Seven Days of Smoothies

We are at day 2 of Seven Days of Smoothies! Today’s smoothie is rich in Anthocyanins! They are the blue, violet, and red flavonoid pigments found in plants. Anthocyanins are good for your eyes and cancer protective among many other benefits. I have also included Maca which is beneficial for hormone balance in both men and women. It is an ancient Peruvian Superfood!

Blue Bumbleberry Day 2 Seven Days of Smoothies