Raw Red Hummus

Raw Red Hummus
Prep Time
20 minutes
Number of Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • [q:1/3] cup hulled tahini, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup peeled and roughly chopped zucchini (about 1 medium)
  • 1 cup ribbed, seeded, and roughly chopped red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
  • [q:1/4] cup drained, dried, and roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove), plus more to taste
  • [q:1/8] tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos, gluten-free soy sauce, or tamari, plus more to taste
  • [q:3/4] tsp natural salt, plus more to taste
  • Optional Boosters
    • [q:1/4] tsp smoked paprika
    • [q:1/8] tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
    • 1 tsp raw sesame seeds
Directions
  1. Throw all ingredients, including optional smoked paprika and red pepper flake boosters (not raw sesame seeds), into a blender and blast on high for about 1 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
  2. Tweak tahini, garlic, liquid aminos, salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.
  3. Chill in fridge for a few hours to thicken. Serve garnished with optional sesame seed booster.
Nutrition Info
185 Calories, 5 g Protein, 11 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 15 g Total fat (2 g sat), 245 mg Sodium, [nutrition:5]  Vitamin C, [nutrition:2] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Phosphorus, [nutrition:1] Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6, Calcium, Folate, Iron, Zinc

Vegan Sloppy Joes

Vegan Sloppy Joes
Number of Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients

  • Sloppy Joe Mixture

    • 2 tablespoons preferred Olive Oil
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • [q:1/2] red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
    • 1 pound tempeh, roughly crumbled
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • [q:3/4] cup ketchup
    • [q:3/4] cup beer, vegetable broth, or water
    • [q:1/2] teaspoon black pepper

  • Coleslaw

    • 1 large avocado, pitted and diced
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice
    • [q:1/2] teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
    • [q:1/2] cup chopped cilantro

  • To Serve

Directions
  1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tempeh and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in ketchup, beer, broth, or water, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a food processor or blender combine avocado, lime juice, salt, garlic, and [q:1/4] cup water. Process or blend until completely smooth. If needed, add more water to reach a smooth consistency. In a large bowl combine cabbage, cilantro, and avocado dressing.
  3. To serve, divide tempeh mixture between buns and top with slaw.
Nutrition Info
Made with low-sodium vegetable broth: 636 Calories, 30 g Protein, 0 mg Cholesterol, 70 g Carbohydrates, 19 g Total sugars (4 g Added sugars), 7 g Fiber, 33 g Total fat (5 g sat), 1,044 mg Sodium, [nut:5] Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Phosphorus, [nut:4] Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), [nut:3] Vitamin B3 (niacin), Magnesium, [nut:2] Vitamin E, Calcium, Folate, Iron, Potassium, [nut:1] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Zinc

Sweet Potato Sport Dressing for Power Bowls

Sweet Potato Sport Dressing for Power Bowls
Ingredients
  • 1 small sweet potato (or half of a medium sweet potato)(1)
  • [q:1/2] cup raw cashews, soaked at least 3 hours in filtered water
  • [q:1/2] cup filtered water
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp Flora Omega Sport+ Oil(2)
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos
  • [q:1/2] tsp sea salt
  • Pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Cook the Sweet Potato
    1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
    2. Pierce a small sweet potato with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 30-40 minutes until tender.
    3. Remove the sweet potato from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly.
  2. Carefully peel off the skin and add the skinless sweet potato to a blender.
  3. Add pre-soaked cashews, [q:1/2] cup fresh filtered water, garlic, Flora Omega Sport oil, and coconut aminos to the blender. Blend on high until everything is very creamy. Taste and add salt, then add your desired amount of pepper.
  4. Keep extra dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

Take Time for Your Ticker: Heart Healthy Tips

Take Time for Your Ticker: Heart Healthy Tips
Jes Gallagher
Red heart of hawthorn berries on a wooden background.

Your cardiovascular system (your heart and blood vessels) serves as an essential transport system for oxygen, hormones, and nutrients. The symbolic center of life, vitality, and emotion, your ticker demands TLC. Heart disease is both common and deadly, accounting for one in every four deaths in the United States. A healthy diet, good lifestyle habits, and key medicinal herbs and functional foods can help keep everything flowing smoothly.

Heart-Healthy Diet & Lifestyle

You can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease with a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, and not smoking. A Mediterranean diet high in vegetables, fish and seafood, fruit, fiber-rich whole foods like beans, nuts, and whole grains, and healthy fats including olive oil and avocados helps decrease oxidative damage and inflammation in the cardiovascular system while providing important fats, minerals, and phytochemicals. Limit sodium (especially from processed, restaurant, and fast foods) and use animal products as flavor-enhancing condiments rather than a meal’s mainstay, opting for grass-fed, pasture-raised alternatives. Do your best to keep your blood sugar and body weight in check. Consider herbs. 

Herbs for a Healthy Heart

The following can be useful tonics for overall heart health and circulation. However, they may interact with some medications. Consult your healthcare practitioner.

  • Hawthorn

    Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) berries, leaves, and flowers act as a heart tonic when consumed in regular doses over time. Hawthorn decreases oxidative damage and inflammation, reduces blood pressure, modestly reduces cholesterol, dilates blood vessels, improves oxygen utilization, strengthens the structure and function of the heart, and reduces blood stickiness (also known as platelet aggregation). It also helps with healing from cardiovascular events, improves heart rhythm, reduces chest pain and angina, strengthens the heart in congestive heart failure, and helps achieve and maintain smooth blood vessel lining. Try it as a solid extract, standardized capsule, liquid extract, tea, or low/no-sugar jam.

  • Gotu kola

    Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) leaf improves circulation as well as the integrity of blood vessel lining. Several studies support its ability to allay chronic venous insufficiency. Gotu kola also acts as an adaptogen, reducing the effects of stress, calming anxiety, and improving cognition and brain function. Look for organic products in pill, tea, liquid extract, juice, or food form.

  • Garlic

    Garlic (Allium sativum) bulb modestly reduces blood pressure and cholesterol while acting as a general cardiovascular tonic. A classic “blood mover,” it helps reduce inflammation and increase circulation by thinning the blood and decreasing plaque formation and blood stickiness, clots, and coagulation. Eat one or more cloves daily or take it in pill form. If you detest garlic breath, you may want to try aged garlic extract or other odor-free forms.

  • Blue-Red Pigments

    Blue-Red Pigments such as anthocyanidins, phenols, and flavonoids from berries, dark purple grapes (including juice and red wine), pomegranate, and hibiscus flower calyxes have a broad tonic effect on the cardiovascular system, fighting both inflammation and oxidative stress while improving the integrity and flexibility of the blood vessel lining. In studies, consuming several cups of hibiscus tea (using 10 to 20 grams of dried herb daily) lowered blood pressure as well as several common pharmaceuticals. Consume blue-red pigments regularly as food, pure juice (check ingredients to avoid sugary filler juices), tea, or supplements.

Sources

“A systematic review of the efficacy of Centella asiatica for improvement of the signs and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency” by N.J. Chong and Z. Aziz, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

“Effect of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) on arterial hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials” by C. Serban et al., Journal of Hypertension

“Effects of . . . Hibiscus sabdariffa on . . . mild to moderate essential hypertension: A comparative study with lisinopril” by D. Chukwu Nwachukwu et al., Indian Journal of Pharmacology

“Heart disease facts,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.CDC.gov

“Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia . . .” by A.L. Hopkins et al., Fitoterapia

“Molecular mechanism and health role of functional ingredients in blueberry for chronic disease in human beings” by L. Ma et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 9/18

“Pomegranate consumption and blood pressure . . .” by S. Asgary et al., Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2017

“Preventing heart disease,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, www.hsph.harvard.edu

“TECA (titrated extract of Centella asiatica): New microcirculatory, biomolecular, and vascular application in preventive and clinical medicine . . .” by G. Belcaro et al., Panminerva Medica

“An umbrella review of garlic intake and risk of cardiovascular disease” by L. Schwingschakl et al., Phytomedicine, 10/15/16

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Contributor
Maria Noël Groves, RH (AHG)
Tags
heart health
natural remedies
lifestyle
gotu kola
garlic
hawthorn
circulation

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Café Gratitude Garlic Tahini Sauce

Café Gratitude Garlic Tahini Sauce
Prep Time
10 minutes prep time
Number of Servings
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
  • [q:2/3] cup tahini
  • [q:1/3] cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • [q:1/3] cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
  • [q:2/3] cup olive oil
Directions
  1. Purée tahini, water, salt, and garlic in a blender. Scrape down sides of blender with a spatula and add lemon juice and parsley.
  2. With motor running, slowly drizzle in oil. Don’t overblend—make sure flecks of parsley are still visible in dressing.
  3. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Info
Per serving (1/4 cup): 284 Calories, 4 g Protein, 6 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Fiber, 29 g Total fat (4 g sat), 154 mg Sodium, [nutrition:5]  Vitamin K, [nutrition:2]  Vitamin C, Phosphorus, [nutrition:1] Vitamin B1 (thiamine),  E, Calcium, Iron

Tuscan Vinaigrette

Tuscan Vinaigrette
Prep Time
10 minutes
Number of Servings
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
  • [q:1/4] cup red wine vinegar
  • [q:3/4] cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Whisk together vinegar and oil.
  2. Add shallot, garlic, and basil. Mix to combine.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Using Garlic Medicinally

Using Garlic Medicinally
Mark Wallace

Garlic in all of its many forms—raw or cooked in the diet, dried and powdered in capsules, or prepared in tinctures, syrups, or even topical—provides benefits.

You can use the form that suits your tastes and lifestyle and know that your body will appreciate it.

Forms of Garlic for Medicinal Use

What’s the best way to incorporate garlic medicinally into your life?

Kirsten Carle, ND, a naturopath at The Stram Center for Integrative Medicine in Delmar, NY, shares a few tips.

  • Fight Infections

    If you’re looking to fight infections, then garlic is at its best in raw form, meaning the crushed, fresh cloves.

  • Boost Immunity

    As a general immune booster, add garlic liberally to foods every day.

    Additionally, take as a supplement in tincture, capsule, or syrup form at first sign of cold or flu.

  • Disease Prevention

    For heart protection and anticancer benefits, daily intake in capsule or tincture form is recommended; although raw or cooked garlic will still provide some benefit.

Sources

Personal communication: Kirsten Carle, 5/17

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Contributor
Victoria Dolby Toews, MPH
Tags
garlic
immunity
heart health
cancer

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Cassoulet (White Bean Casserole)

Cassoulet (White Bean Casserole)
Prep Time
Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Number of Servings
6
Ingredients

Bread Crumb Topping

  • 1 Tbsp EDEN Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 slices baguette, sliced [q:1 1/2]" thick
  • 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté garlic, onion, carrot and potatoes for 5 minutes.
  3. Add salt, pepper and herbs, and sauté 1 minute.
  4. Add bay leaf, beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Mix and pour into a lightly oiled casserole dish.
  5. Bake 30 minutes uncovered.
  6. Place all ingredients for topping in a food processor or blender, and pulse until finely crumbled.
  7. Remove the casserole from the oven and mix in one-half of the bread crumbs.
  8. Bake another 20 to 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs on top of the casserole and bake another 15 minutes until slightly brown.
  10. Remove and serve.
Nutrition Info
Per serving - 263 calories, 9 gram fat (29% calories from fat), 10 gram protein, 38 gram carbohydrate, 8 gram fiber, 0 milligram cholesterol, 420 milligram sodium​

Apple Mulligatawny Soup

Apple Mulligatawny Soup
Prep Time
45 minutes
Number of Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery
  • 1 Tbsp minced ginger root    
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp curry paste
  • [q:1/2] tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2 cup cubed butternut squash
  • 4 cup diced Washington Granny Smith apples
  • 2 cup diced cooked chicken
  • [q:1/4] cup chopped fresh coriander
Directions
  1. In deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in ginger root, garlic, curry paste, salt, and pepper and cook one minute.
  3. Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
  4. Add squash and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Add apple and chicken and cook just until apples are tender but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes more.
  6. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with warm bread or cooked basmati rice.
Nutrition Info
437 Calories, 28 g Protein, 44 g Carbohydrates, 8 g Fiber, 19 g Total fat (12 g sat, 3 g mono, 3 g poly), 295 mg Sodium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B6, Manganese, Vitamin C, Pantothenic acid, Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B12, Biotin, E, Folate, K, Calcium, Iron, Molybdenum, Zinc

Homemade Lemon Hummus

Homemade Lemon Hummus
for satisfying snacking!
Prep Time
15 minutes
Number of Servings
4 cups
Ingredients
  • 4 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)*
  • [q:1/2] cup sesame tahini
  • [q:1/4] cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • [q:1/3] cup water
  • Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Add beans, tahini, oil, water, lemon juice to taste, garlic, spices, and salt and pepper to taste in the bowl of a food processor or container of a high-speed blender.
  2. Process until smooth and creamy, pausing, if necessary, to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
  3. Transfer mixture to a storage container. Chill until ready to serve.
Nutrition Info
143 Calories, 5 g Protein, 13 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 9 g Total Fat; [nutrition:2] Molybdenum, Copper, Manganese
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