5 Min Bowl of Anti-Inflammation

It's faster than fast food and will make a nutritional superhero out of you!

Think of this as the new fast food.  If you're like me, when you get hungry you want to eat and don't really want to spend time thinking about what and how.  What if you could make something in less than the time it takes to tie your shoelaces and it gave your body superhero power? Its not very far-fetched.  

Read The Nutritional Low Down below for all the ways this Fast Lunch will give you a superhero edge!

 

Ingredients:

The amounts of each of these ingredients are up to you.  Its all good for you, so use as much as your hungry for.  Its a foolproof recipe after all, so there are no rules!

*If you're questioning the use of canned beans, fear not! Canned beans are a nutritious way to provide cheap and fast beans. If you buy organic and BPA-free cans, which are becoming more prevalent, then you're fine.  

What about rinsing the beans? You actually don't need to. The liquid contains so many good for you minerals, you don't even need to drain and rinse it.  

Beans cause you digestive issues like flatulence? Not to worry. Canned beans make it easier for you to digest.  So no more flatulence and no more sitting around waiting for the beans to cook!

• Organic and BPA-free can* of lentils
• Organic spinach
• Optional: Any desired herbs 
• Organic flax seed oil 
• Himalayan salt 

Method:

1. Open a can of Bpa-free organic lentils (i know, very challenging) and put desired amount in a bowl.
2. Water sauté organic spinach or leave them raw and washed, then add to lentils. If you're feeling spunky you can add garlic or whatever herbs you have on hand. 
3. Since your lentils are cold, you can add flax seed oil.  Flax seed oil will get denatured if exposed to any sort of heat or light. Which makes it great for this recipe as your lentils are cold. 
4. OPTIONAL: You can lightly heat your lentils with your spinach, it will still only take you 5 minutes, but then skip the flax seed oil.  Try olive oil instead or no oil at all. 
5. Top with a bit of himalayan salt. 
6. CHOW DOWN

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The Nutritional Low Down

Lentils are a nutritional beast of a legume. Lentils come stocked with loads of fiber and protein for a very low amount of calories. 

The soluble fiber in lentils helps to keep you regular, detoxifies your body, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease, stabilizes blood sugar, and can keep you lean! 

Spinach is a leader in the leafy green category.  It's of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.  Meaning per bite of spinach you're getting more nutrients than almost any other food on the planet!

Spinach has phytonutrients and antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits. Check this out: These spinach extracts have been shown to slow down cell division in human stomach cancer cells (gastric adenocarcinomas), and in studies on laboratory animals, to reduce skin cancers (skin papillomas). A study on adult women living in New England in the late 1980s also showed intake of spinach to be inversely related to incidence of breast cancer.

Lentils & Spinach are a great plant based source of iron and folate.  Of the many things that your body needs iron for, did you know that iron deficiency could be what's causing your dark under eye circles?  Iron deficiency also causes a lack of energy.  So eat up!

Flaxseed oil is an amazing source of Omega-3 fatty acid which your body is in dire need of.  Omega-3 goes into your body and helps repair inflammation.  This anti-inflammatory property helps prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and arthritis. 

Flaxseed oil also has a 4:1 ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids.  Your body needs to be consuming more Omega 3 than Omega 6 for a good balance. The typical American diet tends to contain 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Many researchers believe this is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.

Additionally, Flaxseed oil helps prevents depression and supports good brain health. Who here doesn't want to be happier and smarter?

xx, 

Your Resident Beetmaker, Shaina Simhaee

Make Hot Pink Hummus not Hammas

Hot pink hummus? Yes, please! 

You can make this in literally 3 minutes.  You can use it as a dip, a salad dressing, or just eat it straight. Kids love this stuff because of the intense color and it makes just as it makes any tabletop shine. 

The first three ingredients are vital, the rest just make it a little bit better, if you don't have them, substitute or leave it out. 

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas.  (Always look for organic and BPA free cans)
• 1/3 or 1/2 of a washed and peeled beet.  
• juice of one lemon (or two lemons if your feeling zesty)
• 1 Tablespoon tahini
• Teaspoon dried garlic
• Teaspoon dried basil (plus more to garnish)
• Pink Himalayan salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons Flax seed oil

Method

1. Open can of chickpeas.  Dump contents of entire can including its liquid into a blender. 
2. Add all other ingredients except the flax seed oil. (Flax seed oil will get denatured in heat so don't add to a powerful blender)
3. Blend. 
4. Once plated, add flax seed oil and extra salt to the top. Add basil as a garnish. 

The Low Down

Chickpeas are a fantastic source of fiber and protein. Even the liquid that the beans were soaking from inside the cans contain a great source of nutrients. By dumping the entire (organic bap-free) can into the mix, you get all the benefits of the beans.  

Flax Seed Oil provides a wonderful source of Omega-3 oil, which can lower inflammation and help with autoimmune disorders. It's also great for optimal cognitive function and may even boost happiness!  Most hummus recipes call for olive oil.  While olive oil can be great for your health, nothing beats the nutritional benefits of flax seed oil! 

Beets The name of this website is FastBeets, surely you know by now how wonderful beets are. But in case you need a refresher course, check out: The Bountiful Benefits of Beets.

Beetlicious Raw Pink Spread

Beets are an incredible veggie, and not just because of their bright pink hue.  Beets are of the most nutritious foods on the planet. 

Most beet recipes ask you to roast or boil the beet first, but that increases time spent and a great deal of the nutrients are lost when its cooked.  So in this recipe were using a raw beet.  Not only is the color more pungent, but you're gaining some seriously good nutrients in half of the time! Kinda genius, no?

This sauce is great as a dip for veggies, a topping for a cracker or toast.  It also doubles as a salad dressing.  Add some flax seed oil and it turns into a print pink salad dressing. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Beet, washed and skin removed
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 heaping tablespoons of tahini
• 1 large cucumber or two small cucumbers
• handful of chopped or baby carrots (optional)
• Juice of two lemons
• Himalayan salt to taste

Method:

Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. 

White Bean Balsamic Hummus

Here's a fun twist on a yummy dip.  Throw these ingredients in the blender and bam!

Ingredients

• One can of organic white beans 
• Two tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• One clove of garlic
• Juice of one lemon
• Three Tablespoons hemp seeds
• Three Tablespoons Poppy seeds
• Two Tablespoons tomato salsa
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Open can. Throw entire contents with the liquid into blender. 
2. Throw all other ingredients into blender or food processor. 
3. Blend. 
4. Eat. 

The Low Down

This nutritional beast of a hummus contains zero added oil.

By using hemp seeds in the mix, you'll get really good for you Omega 3s plus added protein. 

While most recipes ask you to drain and rinse the beans, you don't need to for this recipe, saving you an extra minute or two. The reason being, beans are so nutritious, that even the liquid from inside the can contains really good for you minerals. Since you are using a BPA-free can of organic beans, it'll all good. So keep the liquid and ditch the oil!