Food Friday: Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes

www.skinnytaste.com (My dish looked a little sloppier...as it should!)

Don’t we all love food that reminds you of a childhood memory? This recipe brings me back to being a young girl at camp…oh wait…maybe I’m imagining myself in the movie It Takes Two as one of the Olsen twins. 😃  Whatever the memory is, sloppy joes are a delicious comfort food. This recipe is a healthy twist on the classic, filled with veggies and served on a flavourful sweet potato. This dish is gluten free, dairy-free and even Paleo. It is very quick and easy to make on a weeknight or Sunday, for week day leftovers. Be sure to get good quality ground beef, such as from Getaway Farm Butcher Shop in the Hydrostone or the Seaport Market. SkinnyTaste.com, where this recipe comes from, is filled with recipes that are healthy, delicious and lower calories. 

Ingredients: (3-4 servings)

• 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, washed and dried (or a few small ones)
• 1/2 lb lean ground beef 
• 1 tsp seasoned salt, such as Montreal Steak (or pinch of each: paprika, ground coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes)
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots, small
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 tbsp chopped red bell pepper
• 1 clover garlic, minced 
• 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz can tomato sauce 
• 2 tsp tomato paste (I freeze leftovers in tbsp portions)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 chopped green onion, for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook the sweet potatoes by poking holes all over with a fork, then cook in oven at 425F for about 45-60 minutes, or until tender. You can even pre-cook the sweet potatoes. 
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and seasoning to the pan and cook, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 4-5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, paste and water to the skillet, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. 
3. To serve, cut sweet potatoes open, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top each with 1/2 cup of meat and green onions for garnish. 

Enjoy! Remember to let me know what you think. 

Are you looking to get on track with your diet this year? Come visit me for the healthy way to cleanse. :)

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen

My Daily Detox Habits

Happy New Year!! Well, the first few days of 2017 have been pretty beautiful here in Nova Scotia with the sun shining and good vibes flowing! I hope everyone had a wondering holiday and looking forward to the year to come.

As I am sure I am not alone, I did do a little indulging over the holidays. I can never turn down my Mom’s christmas cookies and champagne with my family. However, I did not have any food guilt about these choices as I made sure to do some daily detox rituals while on vacation, then amped them up after the holidays were over, especially on January 1st. These detox habits are part of my daily routine, are not time consuming and make me feel my best! I wanted to share the mains ones with you to start you off on the right foot for 2017! I will be doing a talk downtown on February 1st, at the Four Points Sheraton, on my daily detox habits so be sure to look for more information about that coming soon.  

My Daily Detox Habits:

1. Drink Lots of Water - Every morning I drink a full glass of water as soon as I wake up, followed by a mug of warm water with lemon before breakfast. Water is vital to every cell in our body. We are even made of 60% water. Without it we can feel dehydrated, dry, fatigued and possibly leave us with a headache or other aches and pains. Water helps to turn on our digestive juices in the morning, especially with added lemon or apple cider vinegar, cleanse us of stagnant toxins accumulated over the day and ultimately wake up our skin and body. I probably drink about 3 litres in a day, but don’t necessary keep track. There are apps now to help remind you to drink water, including growing a garden for yourself if you are drinking enough :)

2. Eat something green - It is now just habit to eat something green everyday. I usually have lots of fresh leafy greens in my fridge or already prepped to eat in a mixed salad or stew. On New Years Day I amped it up and had a tropical green smoothie as well as a delicious kale salad with beets and carrots. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, arugula, swiss chard and cruciferous veggies, such as cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli, are full of detoxing enzymes and nutrients to support your liver and kidney. Broccoli sprouts are a super food when it comes to liver health and are so easy to grow yourself.

3. Exercise - I try to do some kind of exercise everyday to get my blood moving and me sweating. Both of these bodily functions are vital to detoxification. It could be a 20 minute walk, an at home workout, or a hot yoga class - my favourite! You can start small, but I promise you will feel the benefits very quickly. Try out apps such as Nike+ Training, MapMyRun or YogaStudio for at home workouts or programs with YogaWithAdriene, Evolve Fitness or Shanti Hot Yoga. 

4. Breathing - Breathing is another innate detoxification function of our lungs and something I am mindful of everyday. Meditating every morning with my Calm app gets me in the groove to continue to take deep breaths throughout the day. I recommend setting out at least 5 minutes 2x/day to focus on your breath and be thankful for this detoxification process of your lungs!

5. Dry skin brushing - Before I jump in the shower I use by handy dry skin brush to stimulate lymphatic flow, a system that helps rid the body of toxins and waste, and slough off dead skin. Brushing towards the heart in a circular motion is key as this is the direction of lymph flow. It takes me an extra two minutes while waiting for the shower to warm up. You can find dry skin brushes at most health stores or online. 

Bonus Habit!

• Sauna’s - I just recently heard of Sauna Nova Scotia, which is a mobile wood fired sauna set up on Windsor St at the moment for your detox pleasure. I will be trying it out on Wednesday and likely making it a new habit. I will keep you posted via Social Media. 

There you have it, my daily detox rituals, which are easy, make me feel my best and can do the same for you!

Looking for more tips on how to feel your best in 2017? I offer free 15 minute consults for new patients to discover how Naturopathic Medicine and I can best help you (check out your Naturopathic Visit to see all the conditions I address in my practice). Also be sure to check out my Detox Talk on February 1st downtown (more info to come).

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen 

ps. Some popular posts in the past that might peak your interest - 3 Natural Ways to Improve Digestion, Anxiety - 6 Ways to Conquer Your Mind

The Five Love Languages - How do you express love

As the holidays draw nearer there has been a lot of talk with my friends and family about gift giving. I've found that we all have different opinions about gift giving, whether it be the amount of gifts, the type of gift or the meaning behind it. These discussions have got me thinking about the variety of ways people show love and receive love. There are actually five love languages and gift giving is one of them. Have you heard of the five languages of love? By understanding these different love languages, you will better understand how your family, friends or partner receives love and how they give it and are able to better explain how you give and receive affection as well, ultimately improving those relationships. This holiday season this will translate to less stress around family and more love. And don't we all want more love :) 

The Five Love Languages:

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Words of Affirmation - Words like "I love you," "You look beautiful," "You did a great job," mean a lot to people whose love language is words. Perhaps send a little note in their lunchbox or remember to compliment them on a job well done, perhaps with the christmas cookies or decorations. 

Physical Touch - Do you know someone that wraps themselves around you as soon as they see you? I know a few! Their language of love is definitely physical touch. Be sure to give them a big hug when you see them or are saying goodbye, or a hand on the back when passing by at a holiday party to let them know you are thinking about them. 

Receiving Gifts - Flowers anyone? What a great simple way to say I care for you for these people. Perhaps your partner is always bringing home a small token after a trip. This shows they are thinking of you in their own way. The gift giving time is a highlight over the holidays for them. They have probably put a lot of thought into what they got you! 

Quality Time - Does your grandfather or father love to be in the room with you but not have much to say? Does your partner want you to go to bed with them even though you aren't tired? They appreciate quality time, in any form. For these people, undistracted quality time is appreciated, whether it be a nice lunch to catch up, making dinner together or watching your favourite show together. Why not go for a nice long walk with family over the holidays with those you love to show you care. 

Acts of Service - Just helping with the dishes does really go a long way for some people who language of love is acts of service. Do you know someone who is always helping out in the kitchen, or making you cookies, or making sure your car is clean? Return the favour for them and they will know you care. 

What is your love language?

You can even take a quiz online to learn what your dominant love language is. Before taking the quiz, I assumed mine was acts of service but I was wrong. Instead my primary love language is quality time, followed by physical touch - which I now completely understand as the holidays for me are a lot about spending quality time with my family! 

What is yours? How can you incorporate that into this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below. 

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers

Most of the time I do a lot of batch cooking on the weekends, as I am at work late or have activities to get to, leaving me little time to cook a nice dinner during the week. However, having quick easy meals for weeknight dinners that taste delicious and are healthy, really come in handy! Lucky for me (and you!) I came across this wonderful family friendly meal from my favourite nutritionist from Nourishing Meals.  The ingredients may seem a little unusual if you aren't used to gluten free cooking, but they are easy to find and come in handy for future baking. You can find arrowroot powder and coconut flour in the health food section at grocery stores or Bulk Barn. I had everything on hand and the whole meal only took me 15 minutes to prepare (and about 5 minutes to devour!). This dish obviously has a coconut flavour to it, which adds a little sweetness to the dish. I served mine with homemade honey dijon mustard, some sweet potato, and cabbage and brussels sprouts salad with a lemon-tahini dressing. Yum! I would advise eating these all at once, as the crispness is no longer there with leftovers, unless you sautéed again. Alternately you can bake these, creating a little less mess. They won’t be quite a browned but they are better for leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound organic chicken breast, pounded

• coconut oil, for cooking

Bowl #1:

• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

• 2 tbsp coconut flour

• 1/2 tsp Herbamare, or sea salt

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram (or extra thyme or other spice of choice)

• 1/2 cup water

Bowl #2:

• 1/2-3/4 cup finely shredded coconut

• herbamare (or sea salt) and finely ground pepper)

Directions:

Pound the chicken breasts with the smooth end of a meat pounder to tenderize them. Then slice into strips. Whisk together everything for bowl #1 in a shallow, wide bowl. Place the shredding coconut into another bowl with a pinch of sea salt and pepper, and stir. 

Place half of the chicken strips into bowl #1 and coat well. Then toss each into the shredding coconut. Place onto a plate then repeat with remaining chicken strips. 

Heat a cast iron skillet for approximately 5 minutes on medium heat (wonderful tool to have in your kitchen - I ordered mine off Amazon but you can even find them at yard sales.). Add a couple tbsp of coconut oil to the skillet. Place some of the chicken strips into the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. Be sure not to overcrowd the chicken to ensure they cook properly and crisp up. Place cooled chicken strips onto a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining uncooked chicken, adding more coconut oil in between batches. Serve immediately with a dip of your choice and enjoy! 

*Alternatively, preheat oven to 400F. Lay chicken strips once coated on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through, until cooked through and slightly browned.

Let me know what you think. 

In health & happiness, 

Dr. Karen