You have heard it from me time and time again that the gut has a huge influence on the rest of our body, especially our immunity, our hormones, our mental health and skin health. Many common symptoms that I see in my practice start in the gut. Whether you have an issue with depression, eczema, an autoimmune condition or simply been diagnosed with IBS, this system to treat the gut is a great place to start.
Food Friday: 3pm Hangry Peanut Butter Bites
Hangry anyone? I definitely was before writing this which prompted me to share one of my favourite go-to snacks. When life is a little busier around here it is important for me to have healthy snacks on hand to keep my blood sugar up and my sugar intake down. These peanut butter energy bites fits the bill perfectly. What is great about these is they have protein, fat and fibre in them to balance blood sugar and you can still tweak them to your liking.
Food Friday: Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato
Food Friday: Colourful Broccoli Salad
Why buy pre-made "salads" coated in calories when you can made your own with delicious ingredients that are oh so good for you and that is very easy to make! I love this salad for lunch as a side dish with salmon salad, roast chicken or really anything. I aim to get at least one serving of greens a day and this easily covers me. Try mixing up the recipe to your liking with different nuts like roasted cashews, shallots instead of red onion or even a little shredded cheese if your stomach permits. However, even my broccoli hating guy was pleasantly surprised how good this version was.
Broccoli is chalk full of nutrients with so many health benefits! This is a powerful cruciferous vegetable, meaning it contains I3C which aids in liver detoxification. It is anti-inflammatory from its sulphoraphanes and omega 3s and has shown in studies to decrease the blood inflammatory market CRP. It is an antioxidant with the plethora of vitamins, nutrients and phytonutrients. With all that in mind, broccoli is a unique food in terms of cancer prevention, with a recommendation of 1/2 cup a day. Finally, with a high fibre content broccoli is helpful for most digestive concerns. What's not to love! So what are you waiting for? Get mixing :)
Ingredients:
- 1 Head broccoli, chopped in bite sized pieces
- Handful of shredded carrots (I prefer pre-shredded in this recipe as they can be thicker strands)
- 1-2 tbsp raisins
- 1/4 or so diced red onion
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
- 1.5 tbsp avocado mayo (more if needed for desired consistency)
- Drizzle of olive oil
- 1/2 tsp or so of honey (optional)
- Salt to taste
Directions:
Pretty simple! Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Add more mayo or olive oil to create consistency you like. Enjoy!
In health & happiness,
Dr. Karen