Immunity Broth - The Holiday Edition

Tis the season to not get sick! With the weather outside getting frightful, now's a good time to boost your immune system and stay healthy all season long.  So, let the chestnuts roast on an open fire and have yourself a very merry immunity broth! 

(Drops mic...) Seriously speaking though, with the holiday's in full effect, taking some "me" time and making some healthy meals can really save you from getting run-down.  This super easy immunity broth is definitely a Foolproof Eats you can make in a jiffy with a few ingredients.  The onion, garlic and turnips are supercharged foods to strengthen your body's defenses. So bring on the holiday parties!

NUTRITIONAL LOW DOWN

Turnips: Turnips are one of my favorite immune boosters.  For only 30 calories each, turnips will go to bat for you! Its a wonderful  nutritionally dense food, Turnips are chock full of Vitamin C.  Just 2 turnips provide as your daily recommended  amount of Vitamin C.  [They also contain a plethora of B-vitamins, folate, magnesium, and potassium.]

Onions: Onions have certain phytochemicals that allows vitamin C in your body to work.  So the turnips and onion work hand in hand to boost your immune system.  This onion and turnips in this broth are the perfect marriage to give your immune system an edge. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 onions, chopped  (Add more if you wish)
• 2 cloves garlic, cut in half (Add more if you wish)
• 3 Turnips (or 4!) washed and peeled.
• 1 TBL Dried basil (or your favorite herb)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 liters of filtered water
• 1/2 half cup of broccoli florets

Method

1. Briefly saute onions in a large pot with the olive oil.  Olive oil can't handle high heat, so saute for only a few minutes and keep heat lower so it won't smoke or burn. 
2. Add dried herbs, a pinch of himalayan salt, and garlic cloves. 
3. Add water and bring to a boil
4. Drop turnips in and allow it to boil until turnips become soft (about 30 mins)
5. When the broth is done, add in the broccoli florets and allow to cook for another 3 minutes.  You don't want the broccoli to get mushy, so 3 minutes is enough time.  
6. Enjoy!

Leftovers

This is great the next day and even if cold! Just add some fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of himalayan salt. 

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 Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• I head of kale (curly kale works best, but any variation will do)
• 2 medium sized beets.  
• Seeds of one pomegranate 
• Handful of hempseed
• 4 Tablespoons Flaxseed oil
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon honey mustard 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Boil the beets in water until they are tender. 
• When the beets have boiled, do not drain the water. It should be bright red.  Drink it, it's filled with nutrients.  
• Remove the skin of the cooked beets and chop into bite size pieces.
• Chop kale finely and deseed the pomegranate. 
• Add the beets, pomegranate and hempseed to the kale. 
• Toss with oil and mustard.  Add extra oil/mustard for the dressing amount you desire. 
• Serve.