Experience Nutrition

Tag: Food

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Healthy Plant-Based Recipes by Melanie Albert: Spring Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabouli

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Healthy Plant-Based Recipes by Melanie Albert: Spring Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabouli

    by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    This week during our Whole Food SOUL (Seasonal Organic Unprocessed Local) cooking class at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, our focus was on whole grains and the students prepared Quinoa Salad and Hempseed Tabouli.

    It had been awhile since I’ve used fresh mint in my dishes, and I loved both the fresh quinoa salad and hemp seed tabouli, that I very intuitively prepared a tabouli with the mint, hemp seeds, and quinoa.

    I guide people to cook intuitively very often. The key is to know a few simple culinary skills, and then cook with what’s available at your farmers market or kitchen. Plus, with intuitive cooking, we listen to our body for foods we might be craving and also notice what foods we’re attracted to, with color, textures, and aromas.

    Today’s tabouli was intuitive in several ways:

    • Listening to my body: My body was looking forward to a grounding grain and I had about a cup of the tri-color quinoa in my pantry.
    • Aromatherapy: The fresh aromatherapy and bright tasting mint.
    • Looking for a variety of color and textures: Red tomatoes, yellow pepper, green onion.
    • Spring garlic: Just love the cross between garlic and onion, when spring garlic is in season.

    a-img_4390.jpg

    Two Simple Culinary Techniques

    • Cook Whole Grains: Cook quinoa with 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups previously-made veggie stock. Bring to boil on stove, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Rest the quinoa. Fluff with a fork. Use in recipe.
    • 3-Ingredient Salad Dressing: 1 part lemon, 2 parts organic extra virgin olive oil, pinch salt.

    HEMP SEED QUINOA TABOULI

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 2 cups veggie stock
    • ½ cup hemp seeds
    • Several tomatoes, rough chopped
    • Orange pepper, rough chopped
    • 1 green onion, rough chopped
    • 1 lemon, juice and zest
    • Organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Handful mint, minced
    • Handful parsley, minced
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Handful pea sprouts

    SIMPLE STEPS

    • Cook quinoa with veggie stock
    • Rough chop all veggies
    • Gently toss all ingredients
    • Plate with sprouts
    • Enjoy
    A-IMG_4391
    Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabouli: Rough Chop Veggies

     

    a-img_4394-e1524933061256.jpg
    Gently toss all ingredients in large bowl.
    A-IMG_4397
    Enjoy your Spring Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabouli

    I have recently created the Simple Plant-Based Eating Group on Facebook, where I share daily tips around plant-based eating, and the community shares ideas. Please join us: www.facebook.com/groups/DailyPlantBasedEatingTips/

    Interested in addtional simple culinary techniques and recipes with real whole foods, Melanie Albert’s book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” is available.

    A-NewViewofHealthyEatingBook-IMG_3587

    A-IMG_4414

  • 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author and Speaker, Certified Health Coach

    Kale is the rage with raw salads, kale chips and smoothies. But, what about collard greens? I’m taking a Professional Plant-based Culinary Certification Course with Rouxbe, where we experimented with different ways to prepare kale. As an option, I decided to use some of the same techniques with collard greens.

    On top of that, Reed avocados were available at Whole Foods Market this week, so I decided to try one. About 90% of the avocados are grown in California and about 90% of those are Hass avocados. The Reed avocado variety generally grows later in the season, are larger and rounder than Hass avocados, have a thick skin, and contain more monounsaturated fat and thus are creamier than Hass avocados.

    Scroll down for the 9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens, Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers
    9 Ways 90 Days Recipe: Organic Collard Greens, Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers

    Organic Collard Greens with Reed Avocados & Lemon Cucumbers Recipe
    This recipe was inspired by the lemon cucumbers from this week’s farmers market in Ahwatukee Arizona, the Reed avocado and collard greens.

    Ingredients
    • 3-4 large collard greens leaves, chopped
    • 1 Reed avocado
    • 1 lemon cucumber
    • 4 small heirloom tomatoes
    • ½ red pepper
    • 3-4 green onions
    • 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
    • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
    • Fresh lemon basil, to taste
    • Fresh lemon thyme, to taste
    • Sea salt

    Simple Steps
    • Chop all the vegetables
    • Squeeze the avocado into a bowl
    • Add collard greens, lemon juice and sea salt to the avocado
    • Massage the collard greens for about 3 minutes
    • Add the fresh garlic, lemon cucumber, red pepper, green onions and gently toss
    • Add the fresh lemon basil and lemon thyme and gently toss
    • Enjoy this delicious & refreshing salad

    Come on over to our Facebook page, and post your avocado & collard greens creations: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days

  • 9 Ways 90 Days: 6 Reasons Why Dark Chocolate is a Good for You Superfood

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert, Author, Speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group

     Excerpt from book, “Enjoy Food & Life. 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living.”

    BOOK PRE-SALE NOW   www.9ways90days.com

    9 Way 90 Days: Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You

     Why Dark Chocolate is Good for You

    1. Good for Your Heart

    • Studies show that eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure.
    • Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots.
    • Eating dark chocolate may prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). 

    2. Good for Your Brain

    • Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps reduce risk of stroke.
    • Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which encourages your brain to release endorphins, as a result eating dark chocolate may make you feel happier.
    • Dark chocolate contains caffeine, a mild stimulant. However, dark chocolate contains much less caffeine than coffee. A 1.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate contains 27 mg of caffeine, compared to the 200 mg found in an eight ounce cup of coffee.

    3. Helps Control Blood Sugar

    • Dark chocolate helps keep your blood vessels healthy and your circulation unimpaired to protect against type 2 diabetes.
    • Flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance by helping your cells to function normally and regain the ability to use your body’s insulin efficiently.
    • Dark chocolate also has a low glycemic index and glycemic load, meaning it won’t cause huge spikes in blood sugar levels.

    4. Full of Antioxidants

    • Antioxidants help free your body of free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are implicated in the aging process and may be a cause of cancer, so eating antioxidant rich foods like dark chocolate can protect you from many types of cancer and slow the signs of aging.

    5. Contains Theobromine

    • Theobromine, which has been shown to harden tooth enamel.
    • That means that dark chocolate, unlike most other sweets, lowers your risk of getting cavities if you practice proper dental hygiene.

    6. Dark Chocolate is High in Vitamins and Minerals

    • The copper and potassium in dark chocolate help prevent against stroke and cardiovascular ailments.
    •  Iron in chocolate protects against iron deficiency anemia
    •  Magnesium in chocolate helps prevent type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

    ACTION: Eat some good organic dark chocolate with 72% cocao. If dark chocolate is new to you, try it with 55%.

  • Get Clear on Organic

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition expert & author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

    How much organic do you eat?
    How much organic do you eat?

    I’ve been eating organic food for decades, way before it became trendy and in the news. In my mind it made intuitive sense to eliminate pesticides from my body. At times it was challenging to shop for organic food; I was shopping at very small co-ops which did not have a large organic variety. I’m glad that there are so many places to buy organic in Phoenix, where I live and that farmer’s markets, many which grow without pesticides and herbicides, have grown so much across our country. I love supporting local farmers and eating delicious, local, in-season produce.

    How much of your food is organic? Come over to Facebook and share.

     

    What does organic mean?

    The important aspects of organic, as defined by the USDA National Organic Program are:

    •      No synthetic chemicals or fertilizers

    •      Not genetically engineered

    •      Not sterilized by irradiation

    •      Not fertilized by sewage sludge

  • Our Country is Sick & Confused About Food

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition & Food Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

    America is Sick & Confused about What to Eat
    America is Sick & Confused about What to Eat

    America is Sick & Confused about Food. Our country is sick with epidemic levels of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes and many live in pain. An estimated 45 million people are on diets each year. The food in our country has changed dramatically with processed food and fast food over the last 50 years. Many in our country today do not eat at home and do not know how to cook. People are also confused about what to eat. There are so many different food pyramids and 100s of different dietary theories in the media.

    Status of Health in America Today. There are huge problems in our country today. Our country is sick with epidemic levels of obesity, heart disease and diabetes with many people living in pain. An estimated 45% of people are on diets, which do not work.  Even professional athletes experience many of the same health concerns as the general public.

    Growth of Processed Foods. The food in the U.S. has changed dramatically with the consumption of processed foods and fast foods negatively affecting the health of our nation. McDonald’s opened in the U.S. in 1955 and today one-fourth of the population of our country eats fast food every day. Furthermore, Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries.

    Changed Eating Habits. In addition to the food eaten in the U.S., people’s eating habits have changed dramatically. Today, people are eating while watching television, driving or working and many do not know the basics of eating at home.

     Confusion About Shopping and Preparing Food. People are so accustomed to eating out, eating on the run, grabbing quick processed foods or microwaving a meal, that we have lost our skill of shopping for and preparing real food.

  • Enjoy Food & Life: 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living, by nutrition and food expert, Melanie Albert, featuring former NFL players.

    NEW BOOK: January 2014

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living
    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living

    9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan is based on the successful program which positively affects the health and nutrition of former NFL players and their families. The book offers nutrition education with a simple step-by-step action plan to integrate good nutrition with a healthy lifestyle into life. The program is designed to help you achieve good nutrition and health to reach your personal goals, including reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, weight loss, reducing joint pain, increasing energy and reducing stress. 

    Our country is sick and people are confused. They are confused about what to eat, how to shop and how to prepare healthy food. The 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan, created from sound science and a variety of nutrition theories with hands-on interactive learning and cooking experiences, is a solution to these problems. It also includes simple ways to prepare easy meals with recipes, nutritionrecommendations, and the 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan to incorporate learning into life.