Healthy Napa

THE HEALTHY JUNKIE

2010-10-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

HEALTHY NAPA

is now

THE HEALTHY JUNKIE!!!

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Red Pepper Smoothie

2010-09-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Since peppers are now in season – finally. I thought I’d try a little different smoothie action in the blender this morning. I used one full red bell pepper and the result was pure deliciousness. My husband exclaimed, “Oh this tastes amazing, like mouthwash for your insides.” Now granted he’s fully drank the kool-aid and is onboard the health train, I still consider him a good solid guinea pig.

Red Pepper Smoothie – Yummy and oh so healthy!
(the recipe is for two people)
put the following ingredients in a blender...bottoms up...
2 bananas
about 10 strawberries (I used frozen)
enough blueberries (I used frozen)
1 red bell pepper
One third of a bunch of cilantro
just a little water - start with a ¼ cup and add more if necessary to blend (add ice instead if your berries are not frozen)

I love eating vegetables this way (in the blender) because they're raw. It’s not often I sit down and eat half a bell pepper and loads of cilantro. It’s super easy to increase our intake of fresh veggies, when we throw them in the blender. You can try any variety of them, maybe just not mustard greens. Take my word for it, mustard greens taste horrible in a smoothie – wasabi shooter smoothie – no thank-you.

Kale Green Smoothie

2010-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Join the Green Smoothie Revolution
(double it for two people)
put the following ingredients in a blender...bottoms up...

1 banana
about 5 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
enough blueberries (fresh or frozen)
4-6 pieces of kale (stalks and leaves)
1/4 of a bunch of parsley
water to blend (you can add some ice too)
I like to add 1/2 an avocado every once in awhile - it makes the texture creamier
You can also add a high quality protein powder. Recently, I've been eating a handful of almonds with my green smoothie for protein. You can always throw the almonds right into the blender.

note: don't wimp out on the greens and you can always add more...

Kale is high in vitamin K. Studies have shown vitamin K to protect the body against cancer.
Vitamin K is also an important nutrient for bone density. It acts as the "glue" that binds calcium to make strong bones.
Vitamin K is known to help in hardening of the arteries, it promotes good heart health.
Kale is also very high in vitamin A and C, among many other nutrients.

*As always, try to buy organic fruits and veggies.

Gott's Garden

2010-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

So here we go…my first blog posting. You might wonder why my first post is about a burger joint. What do burgers have to do with health, you ask? I’ll answer that question soon, but first the story…

Last night I was invited to a bloggers dinner to check out Gott’s Roadside’s new local garden in St. Helena. The invitation was somewhat unexpected since last night I didn’t have a blog. But I am in the process of writing a book and the fabulous ladies from my book club have been encouraging me to start a blog for months now. Since only current bloggers were invited to this delicious soiree, I am now forced to start blogging. I'm forced mainly out of politeness to “pay” for my dinner; imagine the embarrassment if I didn’t blog about my experience after accepting the “bloggers only” invitation.

Digression complete…Gott’s, formerly known as Taylor’s Refresher is sprouting a two-mile garden. Executive Chef, Rick Robinson uses this fresh, naturally grown produce (meaning organic without the certification) in delicious additions to the menu. Our dinner was bursting with tomatoes, from gazpacho to scalloped tomatoes, picked that day; delicious and nutritious. In the past few weeks Gott’s has offered sides including a beet salad and a Szechuan green been salad. With summer finally here in Napa, Garden Manager, Christopher Landercasper will certainly have his gardening gloves full in the next month.

I’m a big fan of the garden idea because increasing locally grown, pesticide free veggies on your plate when eating burgers is always a good idea. Here’s the lowdown on burgers (real beef burgers that is). Red meat when raised without the use of antibiotics or added growth hormones, grass fed and aloud to graze outside in fresh air is healthy, in moderation of course. Red meat is high in iron, zinc and B-vitamins, including B12.

However, most Americans are over-indulgers, n’est-ce pas? So a burger a day, even if organically grown, will most likely not keep the doctor away. Consuming large amounts of red meat is known to increase the risk of certain cancers including colon, breast, prostate and stomach. The large amounts of saturated fats are also known to promote cardiovascular diseases. For me, moderation is red meat once a week tops. With the adjunct of the local, naturally grown garden at Gott’s Roadside choosing healthy veggies – to accompany a meat or veggie burger, chicken sandwich or salad – is a snap.