-- Simple Smart Nutrition

Arugula and Shaved Fennel Salad

Once you try this salad, you may become totally hooked on it like I did. This simple salad has been a hit with everyone who has eaten it! I tried it once and then made it a few dozen more times—it is so good! It’s just a little bit different from your average salad. I really enjoy its interesting taste and texture and could have this several times a week without ever tiring of it.

Fennel is an intriguing vegetable. Looking a little like celery with a bulging bottom, fennel is a delicious, crunchy, slightly sweet vegetable with a slight taste of licorice. It is a refreshing and interesting addition to salads and other dishes. Fennel actually has medicinal properties and is known for its unique ingredient, anethole. This volatile oil contains powerful phytochemicals that reduce inflammation and fight cancer. Fennel oil also helps protect the liver from toxic chemical injury—so if you or someone you know is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, fennel can be very beneficial.

Fennel also contains large amounts of vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Enjoy its sweet, crunchy (slightly licorice-y) flavor in salads or by itself as something different to munch on.

Arugula, like the other cruciferous vegetables in its family tree, also has powerful cancer fighting compounds in it. Arugula contains a group of anti-cancer compounds known as glucosinolates. These compounds are highly active antioxidants and they stimulate natural detoxifying enzymes in the body.

Similar to other dark green leafy vegetables, arugula is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium and potassium that help lower blood pressure and keep bones healthy. It’s a good source of iron for healthy red blood cells, and contains plenty of other important phytochemicals such as carotenes and chlorophyll, making it an excellent source of antioxidants as well. For milder tasting arugula, buy the baby arugula, or for more pungent flavor, buy the larger, mature leaves.

The thin, shaved slices of fennel are easiest to do on a good mandoline, or you can use a good, sharp chef’s knife to cut very, very thin slices. Variations on this recipe are delicious, too. I made this the first time without the zucchini and added in some delightful, nutty flavored, raw Swiss Gruyere (Whole Foods carries this) cheese and it was incredible!

Ingredients

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, green parts trimmed off, and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup loosely chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, give or take1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, adjust if desired

Freshly ground sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey (optional)
½ cup sliced or chopped almonds, walnuts or pine nuts

Parmigiana Reggiano, or raw Gruyere, shaved

Directions

Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Set aside for 20 minutes or more, to allow flavors to mingle with the veggies.

Put arugula in a large bowl. Dump the zucchini, fennel, dill and dressing on the arugula, and toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if desired. If the dressing tastes too sour to you, add a drizzle of honey into the salad mixture. Serve topped with your choice of nuts and cheese. Serves 4.

Till next time,

Stay Healthy and Lean!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled “The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation” that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.

Curried Red Lentil Stew with Pumpkin Seeds

This hearty stew will warm up your insides with ultra, power-packed, disease-fighting nutrition that includes pumpkin seeds, red lentils, garlic, ginger, turmeric and cilantro.

There’s about a foot of fresh snow on the ground, and more is still falling–even in Boulder, Colorado, things are pretty shut down today. It’s an official ‘snow day’ here! Seems like a good day to make a hot, piping bowl of red lentil stew, if you ask me. I love this stew! The curry and spice add a touch of heat and the lentils are deliciously filling.

Red lentils actually start out orange, and are much smaller than the more common green or brown lentils, which are larger and tend to get more mushy. I love the lighter taste of red lentils and how quickly they cook. Lentils contain lots of healthy fiber, making them slower to digest, which helps blood sugar stability. They are high in protein, hearty and satisfying. I added toasted pumpkin seeds for a little bit of crunchy, nutty texture, extra protein, and minerals. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of immune-boosting zinc, manganese, phosphorus, copper and iron. Pumpkin seeds also contain a wide variety of antioxidant phytonutrients, and trytophan, an important precursor to serotonin, the ‘happiness’ brain chemical. This time of the year, with the shorter days, and holiday stress descending upon us, a little help with our serotonin production is just what the doctor (or diet/health fanatic) ordered!

I added in fresh turmeric from the produce section instead of the powdered kind you find in the spice aisle, because the fresh root (which looks a bit like an orangish ginger root) is even more potent with its powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, brain-protective, heart disease-preventing power. There is virtually no body system that does not benefit from turmeric, so use it liberally!

Curried Red Lentil Stew

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils, rinsed thoroughly

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

2-3 carrots, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

handful cilantro, chopped

1 medium sized tumeric root, minced

1 Tbsp (I didnt measure) fresh ginger root, minced

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper or cayenne, more or less to taste

sea salt and black pepper

Directions

In a medium saucepan add lentils, and about double the water–adjust to how thick or thin you’d like it to be. Rinse a couple of times until water is not foamy or bubbly. Put over med-high heat and bring to boil. Meanwhile in a frying pan on med-high, add a tablespoon of olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, carrots, celery, and spices. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender. Be careful not to burn the spices.

In small frying pan, add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds with a small amount of olive oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring often–being careful they don’t burn. (I added a lid to the pan, as pumpkin seeds often puff up as they cook and can pop right out of the pan!)

Add to lentils and continue to cook, 20 minutes or so, until lentils are soft and and ingredients are fully cooked. Add chopped cilantro, and fresh lemon juice, and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!! Serves 2-4

A Votre Sante!

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, (working on MSN/PH) is an international health, wellness and longevity expert. In addition to her advanced degree in nursing, she has spent the last 30 years studying sustainable diets, health and nutrition all over the world. She also has 4 books including the worldwide best-seller, “The Fat Burning Kitchen,” “The Top 101 Foods That Fight Aging”, and “The Superfoods Diabetes Reversal Diet”, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help create a healthier planet and healthier people.

Cat’s Global Green Kitchen

Three Interesting Ways Cherries Improve Your Workouts

I love cherries in smoothies, in pies (yes once in a great while, a little pie won’t kill you), or just out of a bowl for an awesome healthy snack.

They are full of healthy antioxidants and are an excellent fat burning food.

But did you know that cherries can actually help your workout?

Cherries, especially tart cherries, have actually been proven to get rid of the aches and muscle soreness that come from an intense workout. And, cherries are also extremely effective for arthritis pain, gout, hemorrhoids, allergies, and helping you sleep better.

These little red powerhouses contain phytochemicals called “anthocyanins” that give them their deep red color. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University found that the powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins in tart cherries were as effective at decreasing inflammation as anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin and Tylenol.

And inflammation is what makes your muscles ache after working out.

Cherries also help you sleep more soundly because they are one of the only foods that contain a natural substance called ‘melatonin’. Melatonin is a hormone in the body that regulates sleep cycles.

Tart cherries contain high levels of melatonin.

Just two tablespoons of concentrated tart cherry juice has been found to promote good quality, deep sleep necessary for healing and repair of the body.

Did you know a good night’s sleep is proven to help you burn fat better too? And melatonin contains powerful antioxidants that helps reverse aging as well.

Cherries also help you burn fat, since they are full of antioxidants and high in fiber, as well as chock full of vitamins and minerals. Because they are a filling and satisfying snack they will fill you up and reduce cravings.

So there you have it—three GOOD reasons to make cherries a part of your everyday diet.

While sweet cherries are effective, tart cherries contain even more of the powerful antioxidants that burn fat, help with muscle aches and soreness and help you sleep more soundly. Enjoy cherries in your next smoothie, on top of your breakfast oatmeal, or just plain for a sweet, satisfying snack! One of my favorite snacks is frozen organic cherries mixed with raw almonds, and sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon.

Give it a try!

Till next time,

Stay healthy, lean and energetic!

See more great healthy, fat burning foods in The Fat Burning Kitchen. And look for the Fat Burning Kitchen Superfood Recipes coming in July!

[note this link takes you to my co-author's page where you can order the book–plus free bonus videos.]

Catherine (Cat) Ebeling RN BSN, is a back to basics diet and nutrition specialist.

In addition to her advanced degree in nursing from a major medical school, she has spent the last 30 years intensely studying diet, health and nutrition. She also has a book titled "The Fat Burning Kitchen, Your 24 Hour Diet Transformation" that has sold over 60,000 copies worldwide, and has helped thousands of people transform their lives, lose weight and improve their health.

Her mission is to help others prevent disease and live their best life ever.

Nutrition made Easy. Simple.Smart.Nutrition.