Spring is the perfect time to up your intake of greens. The grass is turning green, the trees are blossoming and green shoots are coming up all over. Nature is reminding us to eat our greens!

Greens help cleanse and detoxify our bodies, increase our energy and make us feel more in tune with the season. Greens also have a high fiber and nutrient content - calcium, magnesium, iron, folic acid, as well as antioxidant vitamins A, B, C and E.

What greens should I eat?
This time of year it’s a good idea to add some of the bitter greens to your salad mix - arugula, dandelion, mustard and watercress. Sprouts are great too - you can even grow your own! Dark leafy greens such as kale, swiss chard, spinach and collard greens are a good addition any time of the year.

Kale is the King
Sometimes called the “King of greens”, kale is a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory properties. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and rich in calcium.

Kale tastes delicious!
My favorite way to cook kale is to boil it for 4 minutes in 1-2 cups of water. Yes, some of the nutrients are lost in the boiled water, but not if you keep the water and drink it or use it as a base for miso soup (just add miso paste and wakame seaweed!).

Pro Tip: Ume plum vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon tastes delicious on kale.

Kale can also be baked in the oven to make kale chips (rub with olive oil first)… a great way to get your kids to eat kale!

I used to suffer from year-round allergies that were at their worst in the springtime. I was on a corticosteroid inhaler and took antihistamines for six months out of the year. I had frequent colds, sinus infections and headaches. I decided to get off the medications and fight my allergies the natural way. This is the protocol that I have followed for the last eight years. I can’t promise that it will work for everyone, but I can say that I am now medication-free and 90% allergy-free.

Cut back or eliminate dairy products - especially milk and cheese. This is a biggie for me. I love cheese, but unfortunately it leads to a lot of congestion and extra mucus production for me. I have found that while I can tolerate dairy at certain times of the year, spring is the time when I need to cut way back or even eliminate it.
Spring Cleanse - This is the best time of year to cleanse and detox the body from winter’s excesses. Cleansing the body now will help your body deal with spring allergies. A Spring Cleanse is also a great way to see how you feel without dairy.
Neti pot - The neti pot is a great tool for irrigating your sinuses. It is excellent for preventing and providing relief from allergies, sinus infections and colds. 1/2 tsp. of sea salt is mixed with warm water. The spout of the neti pot is placed in one nostril. Tilt your head to the side and the salt water goes through your sinuses and drains out the other nostril. It is safe, simple and effective. Use it first thing in the morning as part of your bathroom routine, or more often as needed. Read the rest of this entry »

1 cup water
1/2 cup rolled oats (Bob’s Red Mills is my favorite)

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add in 1/2 cup rolled oats, put lid on pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Set timer for 15 minutes (this is when I take my shower).

Add in some or all of the add-ins listed below to make this a delicious and nutritious breakfast that will keep you full and energized for hours.

Add-ins:
Flax seeds (best freshly ground)
Slivered almonds
Sunflower seeds
Raisins
Banana
Blueberries
Maple Syrup
Rice/Soy or Almond Milk

How to Make Oatmeal… Wrong - Mark Bittman’s New York Times article on oatmeal and why McDonald’s oatmeal isn’t the best choice.

Most of us have dutifully made a list of resolutions and found to our dismay that 2 months later our habits haven’t changed at all. What can you do to really own your New Year’s Resolutions and make permanent changes?

Write down your resolutions - Write them down and take a good look at them. If you have a long list, pick just one. Pick the one that will make the biggest difference in your life and is the most do-able.

Make a plan - If your resolution is a bit general, break it down into easy-to-do action steps. Decide when you are going to start the first step. Today? Tomorrow? Monday? Put it into your schedule right now.

Tell someone else - No secrets! Tell at least one person who will hold you accountable. Tell them what you’re going to do and when. Have them ask you whether you’ve done it.

Visualization - Sit in a comfortable quiet place for at least 5 minutes. Imagine yourself doing the first action step of your resolution. How does it feel? Imagine that you continue doing this for the next month, six months, year from now… how will you feel then? How will your life be different?

Write down 5 positive outcomes that will come from successfully implementing your resolution. Post these somewhere visible such as on your refrigerator or by your desk as a reminder.

This soup is one of my favorite winter-time staples. It is a satisfying meal and easy to make. Make one big pot of it and enjoy the left-overs all week long…

2 tsp Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup carrot juice or vegetable bouillon
1/2 pound unpeeled sweet and/or white potatoes, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of swiss chard chopped Read the rest of this entry »

I got a whole bunch of leeks and potatoes from my organic CSA Farm Share, Stone Soup Farm… what to do with them? After researching recipes on the Internet, I created my own healthy dairy-free Potato Leek soup. I paired it with fresh greens topped with grated carrots and beets and a slice of golden raisin fennel bread. It turned out super yummy!

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 long leeks, washed and sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups of water (approximate)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (optional)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 vegetable bouillon
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large pot, heat the olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and season with salt. Cook the sliced leeks over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re completely soft and wilted. Add the thyme, chile powder, pepper and stir for about 30 seconds. Pour in the water, add the potatoes and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 15-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender when poked with a sharp knife. Pick out the bay leaf and puree the soup using a blender or immersion blender. If you use a blender, don’t fill it more than half full. Put the blended soup back into the pot to re-heat it before serving. If the soup is too thick, add more water until it is the desired consistency.

This is the time of year for colds… here are some basic tips for staying healthy:

• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if you are unable to get to the sink.
• Avoid touching your face with your hands. One of the biggest ways that we infect ourselves is by transferring germs from our hands to our mouth, nose or eyes.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to avoid spreading your germs to others.
• Use a neti pot or sinus irrigation tool to rinse your sinuses with warm salt water every day. Gargling with salt water is a good idea as well. Don’t give the germs a chance to stick!
  
• Get enough sleep. This varies by individual, but generally 7-8 hours is recommended.
• Stay off the sugar! Sugar depresses your immune system.

Vitamin C

Whenever I get that rundown/scratchy-throat feeling, I immediately take a 1000-2000mg of Vitamin C in crystallized form. I keep it up until I feel good again!

Vitamin D3

Most of us are deficient in Vitamin D3. Get your D levels checked at your Doctor’s office or by taking part in the GrassrootsHealth Vitamin D Research Study. Most of us in the Northeast need to supplement at least 1000iu a day in the fall and winter to get to the recommended levels (40-60 ng/ml).

Echinacea and zinc

May also be helpful for your immune system. Experiment to see what supplements work best for you to keep your immune system functioning optimally.

Roasting vegetables releases the natural sugars of the vegetable. The recipe below uses the vegetables from my weekly farm share. Feel free to experiment with a variety of root vegetables and squashes  - carrots, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, parsnips, beets and squashes are all delicious roasted.

This recipe can be served alone or with almost any roasted meat, game or poultry. Add a salad of tossed greens to your menu to round out the meal. Or add a side of your favorite whole grain for a vegetarian meal. Read the rest of this entry »

Seems like I just can’t get enough kale!  Not only is this salad super yummy, but it is incredibly healthy and easy to make. This is a great raw choice for the warm months and a nice dish to bring for a potluck.

Ingredients:
-  1 bunch of kale
-  1 avocado
-  1 lemon, squeezed
-  1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Rinse the kale, remove the stems and chop. Combine the kale, lemon and sea salt in a bowl. Massage the kale with your hands for a few minutes - until the kale becomes tender. Chop up the avocado into small pieces and massage it into the greens.

Optional Add-ins:
− Grated root vegetables such as beet, carrot and daikon radish.
− Toasted sesame or sunflower seeds.
− Crumbled goat or feta cheese.
− Extra Virgin Olive Oil
− Quinoa