Wild Salmon and Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 Slice Salmon (whatever your portion)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
2 Broccoli Stalks

How to Make it: Place coconut oil in a skillet on high heat. Prep the salmon (skin still on) with salt; rub the skin side with salt to get that crispy texture. Cook on for 3 1/2 minutes on each side. While the salmon is cooking, Cut the broccoli (stalks included). Place in a microwave safe bowl and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place a lid over the top and microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Plate the both and serve.

Blueberry Protein Pudding

Ingredients:
1 Package ProDesert Pudding
2/3 cup water
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Almond Oil
Dash Cinnamon
1 cup Blueberries

How to Make it: Add all the ingredients except the blueberries in a bowl. Add more water if need be. Once this is all blended then add in the blueberries and serve. Makes one portion.

Fruit Compote

Ingredients:
2 cups Strawberries
2 cups Blueberries
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup Splenda (optional)
Dash Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Cornstarch

How to Make it: Wash the fruit (you can add whatever fruit you like this is just what I used). Place all the ingredients (about half of the berries) in a blender and blend. Place this is a sauce pan on low to medium heat. Add in whole berries now and cook for 30 minutes. Makes a large batch so grab your portion size.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
Diced Onions
Diced Bell Peppers
Garlic Cloves
2 Small Cans Tomato Paste
2-3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cups Water (or Vegetable Stock)

How to Make it: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them along with the peppers, onions, and garlic in a rectangular pan. Drizzle Balsalmic and some olive oil over the top. Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove after 40 minutes and let cool for a second. While they're cooling get out a sauce pan and add tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Place the roasted veggies in a blender and blend. Add this to the sauce pan. Add salt and pepper. Let cook on stove top for 10-15 minutes.

Fruit Crepe

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
2 TBSP Water
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup Strawberries
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to make it: Lightly spray a large skillet on medium heat on the stove top. In a bowl place 2 whole eggs and one white with the coconut flour and water. Mix with a fork and then place in the large skillet and cover. In another skillet place the berries (feel free to use whatever fruit you want: cherries or plums could work too). Add a pinch of salt and the olive oil. Cook on medium heat. Let the egg cool once it is cooked thoroughly. Carefully remove from the skillet. Once the fruit is 'softened' then place it on one end of the egg and role. Drizzle some juice on top if you like.

Cauliflower Rice with Beef Tips

Ingredients:
1 Cauliflower Head
Top Round Steak (whatever your portion)
Beef Gravy.
1 tsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Basil

How to make it: For the cauliflower rice; chop up the cauliflower and put it in the microwave for 90 seconds. Remove and then send it through a food processor. Place coconut oil in a skillet on high heat. Cut steak into cubes (tips) and place in the skillet. Place the cauliflower rice in a bowl (1-2 cups) and add the beef when it is cooked to your liking. Drizzle with beef gravy and serve.

Mexican Burger with Avocado

Ingredients:
Ground round or Grass-fed meat (whatever your portion)
Diced Onion
Diced Peppers
1 TBSP Mexican Seasoning
Avocado
Taco Sauce

How to Make it: Turn stove top on a medium heat. Lightly spray a skillet. In a bowl mix the ground meat with onions, peppers, and Mexican seasoning. Shape into a burger and place in the pan. While that is cooking cut an avocado in half. Remove the core and then dice it into pieces while it is still in the shell. Scoop out and place on a plate, lightly salt and pepper. Once the hamburger is done to your liking place it on the plate and pile the avocado on top to serve.

Chicken Goulash

Ingredients:
1 cup diced onions
1 cup peppers
1 large tomato (cubed)
Garlic cloves
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken (whatever your portion size)

How to Make it: cook chicken ahead of time or begin to cook before the vegetables. Place the onions, peppers, and the garlic cloves (broken down) into a skillet to sweat down. Add olive oil and tomatoes. Once the chicken is done cut it into cubes and add at the very end. Add hot sauce and serve.

Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken (whatever your portion size)
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Flour or less
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Country Bob's Seasoning

How to make it: In a skillet put the olive oil. In a bowl put flour with the seasonings and mix with a fork. Dry the chicken and lightly coat or dust the chicken with the flour. Shake off on the side of the bowl. Place in the skillet and cook on both sides until it is no longer pink in the middle. Here we have it served with tomato soup.

Balsalmic Vinegarette

Ingredients:
1/4 cup 10 Year Old Balsalmic
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Ground Pepper
Finely Ground Ginger (optional)

How to Make it: Add one part balsamic to one part olive oil in a blender. Cut lemon in half and then squeeze both halves into the blender. Add the mustard (or you could use an egg yolk), ground pepper, and the ginger if you want. Blend and then store for use.

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cilantro
Leeks
Salt
Ground Pepper

How to make it: in a blender put one part vinegar to one part olive oil and whole cilantro bushel. Blend. Cut the tops and roots off the leek. Chop the remaining part into pieces and add to the blender. Add salt and pepper. Blend completely and serve with whatever you like, pictured we have it with chicken.

Featured Food: Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a tall leafy green with a thick stalk that comes in white, red, or yellow. It belongs to the same family as beets and spinach. What's so great about this leafy green? It is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. In addition it is a good source of calcium, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, phosphorus, folate, zinc, biotin, niacin, and pathogenic acid. As we discussed yesterday, the vitamin K is beneficial for bone health. Its helps prevent extra osteoclasts and breakdown of the bone. Swiss chard has 716% of the daily recommended allowance. The magnesium regulates muscle tone by balancing calcium. The vitamin C and vitamin E act as antioxidants that are essential for anti-inflammation. they help prevent cardiovascular disease by preventing free radicals to oxidize cholesterol. Vitamin A is important for eye and lung health, and Swiss chard provides 110% of the RDA! Potassium is essential for steady blood pressure and heart function. The iron provided helps oxygen distribution and keeps the immune system healthy. High fiber content reduces cholesterol and lowers blood sugar levels. The fiber in combination with the phytonutrients have been shown in studies to be effective in preventing digestive tract cancers. The Fiber combined with magnesium and potassium has been correlated to a reduced risk for stroke in men.

Swiss chard is great for the brain too! People who consume as little as 2.8 servings of vegetables have 40% less decrease in cognition. Put them in a salad or try them in an omelet; they're colorful and fun, in addition to being packed with benefits!

Vitamin K

Since it's green week, I felt it was appropriate to cover a vitamin found in leafy greens. Vitamin K is important because it allows for:
* blood clotting
* protects bones from fractures
* prevents postmenopausal bone loss
* prevents artery calcification (hardening)
*protects against liver and prostate cancer.
Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. Clotting is what is needed to close wounds and prevent excessive bleeding on such things as a simple cut. Vitamin K keeps blood clotting ability at the exact right level. Research is currently going on to determines vitamin K's roles in: protection against oxidative damage, proper regulation inflammatory response, and support of brain and nervous system structures. Most of our dietary vitamin K comes in the form of phylloquinoes from plant foods (90% dietary vitamin come in this form and over half from vegetables; especially green leafy vegetables).  Excellent sources of vitamin K include: spinach, Brussels sprouts, swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, and kale. Vitamin K- another reason to eat a leafy green salad!

Get Outside! Green Exercise

Now and coming up in the fall is the perfect time to start incorporating some green exercise. What is green exercise? Well it's quite simple: exercise outside. Anything goes from walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding, hiking, or farming. We've already discussed the benefits of low aerobic activity, plus you can incorporate play and soak up some vitamin D. All of this just by going outside and doing as little as walking. Studies in England have shown that as little as five minutes of green exercise can improve mood and personal well-being. A study of 1,252 people in the UK showed that activity in natural areas decreases risk of mental illness and improves sense of well-being. What's even better is that a blue (water) and green environment seems to be even better help, so go to a lake and walk around, jump on a kayak, or jump in the water and swim. Think about it, don't you usually feel a little better after a little time outside? I find it calming and relaxing. Sure it's hot right now, but try going out earlier in the day or later in the evening. I hike Monday and Thursday mornings starting at seven in the morning, so that I am done before it's scorching outside. The options are limitless, it's easy- just step outside, and it takes as little as five minutes to get benefits. Check out some of the ways me and my family get green exercise. the first is my wife practicing her kettlebells on the beach. Next are my employees on our staff hiking trip in July. Lastly there is my wife Susan and I on a hike behind our home in New Goshen.

Green Eating

Most people today seem to be in support of the Green movement, or at least are conscience of it. Most try to recycle and such, but do we think of ways to eat green? Today I'll look at some ways for greener eating habits. Following these guidelines will decrease landfills, pesticide use, overfishing and consumption of fossil fuels, improve welfare of worker, encourage humane treatment of livestock, and reduce toxic chemicals at home. I found this list and decided to incorporate the ones I found most useful:

1. Boil once, cook twice: reuse boiling water to poach shrimp
2. Fill your freezer: empty freezers use more energy
3. Make a bison burger: ironically a rise in consumption need has helped the bison population from 1,00 in the late 1800's to 450,000 today.
4. Ask your farmer questions: are your products certified organic? Do you use organic practices? Do you use non-synthetic pesticides?
5. Don't open that door: opening the oven loses 25-50 degrees every time.
6. Buy a side of beef: purchase grass-fed beef straight from the farmer. You'll support local farmers with an interest in taking care of the environment. But it also requires no fossil fuel for transport and regrowth of the grazed grass removes cabon monoxide from the air.
7. Cook more ofter: Avoid packaging and preservatives from processed foods.
8. Roast a whole chicken: less processing and less packaging= less waste. Use the bones to make your own stock.
9. Become a human food processor: less electricity.

10. Eat wild Alaskan salmon-takes care salmon stocks in a truly sustainable way. Also wild is purer and contains more omega-3's.
11. Savor Sardines: give tuna a break, try sardines. They aren't in danger of being overfished and they have lower mercury levels than tuna.
12. Get a scoop: bulk in bin sections (nuts) free of excessive packaging and minimally processed (less manipulated by fossil fuels).
13. Plant heirloom vegetable garden: non-hybrid traditional vegetables that have not been genetically modified.
14. Be your own barista: save on budget and landfill waste. Buy fair-trade organic, use French press coffee maker, and a portable mug.
15. Treasure your trash: recycle take-out containers.
16. Make stock: whatever vegetables you have leftover.
17. Join a CSA: Community Supported Agriculture. Get boxes of fresh fruits, veggies, meat, and eggs from a local farms delivered to your pickup location.

18. Text 30644 and enter FISH, then name the fish you want to buy. Receive a text telling you if the variety is good for you and the world.
19. Veg out: requires less energy and water to grow and produce no greenhouse gases.
20. Turn off the light: when you leave the kitchen!
21. Clean green: cut landfill production by 2/3 by putting vegetable scraps in a composter.
22. Eat grass-fed beef: cows are meant to graze on grass. This solves waste-management problem and improve the fertility of the soil.
23. Eat sustainable shrimp: farm raised shrimp are pumped with artificial feed and antibiotics and raised in ponds that pollute the water.
24. Eat sustainable sushi: seafoodwatch.org
25. Become a locavore: eat only food grown or produced near home. This supports the community and lowers your carbon footprint.
26. Bike to the market.
27. Support local green restaurant: find neighboorhood restaurants, butchers, and markets that serve fresh, sustainable organic food (eatwellguide.org).
28. Go bento: stainless steel lunch box.
29. Use your diswasher: when full and organized it is more water efficient.
30. Bag it: any old bag will do.
31. Take the leftovers

32. Pack your own lunch: reduce consumption of take-out and processed foods.

Green Week: Thermogenesis

The more and more I read the more convinced I am that I am on the right path with my eating. Stop eating grains, starches and sugars and load up on vegetables, lean proteins, and low-glycemic fruits. I've incorporated thermogenic foods into my program for awhile, so I figured today as part of Green Week that we'd cover thermogenesis. What is thermogenesis? One of the biggest energy expenditures in humans is thermic, or heat energy. So thermogenesis is the creation of heat. We can do this through exercise (warm muscles work more effectively than cold muscles). We also thermo-regulate. The body does this by shivering (done by the muscles to create heat) or non-shivering (diet induced). When we're cold or eat lots of food the hypothalamus gland triggers the sympathetic nervous system (which controls things like heartbeat and breathing) to release neuroepinephrine from the synapse. This turns up thermogenesis (or think of it as turning up a thermostat) so less energy is used for work and storage and less goes to fat. This increase in thermostat causes less appetite (same as with exercise, it increases metabolism and you feel more energized). This is all important because you want to eat foods with higher thermogenic foods. Heat producing foods help burn stored fat and increases energy levels. They take calories to consume! Take for example broccoli (which already has few total calories) but in terms of thermogenesis has even fewer actual calories. This means you should try to consume carbohydrate foods with a higher thermogenic per unit of carbohydrate, which means you can consume more food! In addition eating these food correlate to a better metabolic rate and satiety. So basically you're eating MORE, food volume is important for appetite regulation. In addition thermogenic foods tend to be lower in carbohydrate total because you subtract fiber from carbohydrate total to determine "active carbs". Carbohydrate dense foods are nutrient sparse and carbohydrate sparse foods (thermogenic) tend to be nutrient dense. What foods are good at providing thermogenesis? The best thermogenic fruits are: apples, apricot, blueberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, pears, and grapes. Lean proteins are also a great source, which use 30% of the calories they contain just for digestion and processing. Usually when I talk about thermogenesis I look at vegetables. The following vegetables don't even count toward a daily carb limit (eat unlimited quantities): asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, lettuce, cabbage, mushroom, radish, radicchio, and spinach. Bottom-line consuming lean proteins and large amounts of thermogenic vegetables is the way to go. You won't starve- you can eat UNLIMITED amounts of the vegetables. You eat more while consuming less carbs and calories, but get more nutrients!