wellness forum health smoothie
Since I am asked often about my daily smoothie, I wanted to share it with you. This health promoting smoothie mix contains spirulina, beet, spinach, wheatgrass, tomato, carrot powders, and Stevia. I order without Stevia (upon request). I pre-grind the whole flax seeds and it's the finest food grade organic flax seeds you can buy! Larger, flatter, softer and tastier than other flax seeds. The Brewers Yeast contains B vitamins and trace minerals. The green tea is optional as well. This food-grade tea is grown in a remote area of China. Each leaf is hand-picked and packaged to preserve nutrient density.
The super foods smoothie gets me going in the morning with lots of energy to do my morning workout.
Ingredients
- 8 oz plant milk
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 2 tablespoons smoothie mix
- 2 tablespoons raw oatmeal (optional, but it makes it creamier)
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon Brewer's Yeast (optional)
- 1 tablespoon green tea (optional)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender!
I always have smoothie mix for $26 for a 1 lb bag (includes shipping) in stock to bring to events, as well as the other dry ingredients and other products such as soup mixes, probiotics and Elderberry Syrup.
These are some of the products that I keep on stock:
Smoothie mix $26 1 lb bag
Brewers Yeast $6.75 1 lb bag
Flax seeds $6.00 1 lb bag
Date & Almond Granola $8.70
Chocolate Oatmeal Bar mix $9.25
To view all of the products and to order directly, click on Foods and Products - Wellness Forum Health. Prices listed on the Wellness Forum Health website do not include shipping, however, shipping is free on orders over $250. To order directly, call 614-841-7700 and tell Kelly that I sent you!
shepherd's pie
Comfort food at its finest! This plant-based Shepherd's Pie can be modified by adding some lean, organic ground beef. I have found that using Yukon Golds for the mashed potatoes is best as they are creamier. The nutritional yeast is a dairy free way to add a cheesy flavory to the mashed potatoes. You can make this dish heartier by adding 1 cup of cooked lentils.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups veggie broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lb portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted under warm water
- 1 cup frozen corn, defrosted under warm water
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour (for gluten free, use oat flour)
- 1 teaspoon each: sage, thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Clean and cube potatoes and place in a pot with cold water and the bay leaves. Boil til tender, drain, remove bay leaves. Add the nutritional yeast and about 1/2 cup of the veggie broth (or almond milk if desired). You can add a bit of plant-based butter as well. Mash until creamy, adding more broth until you achieve your desired consistency. Set aside and let cool.
While your potatoes are boiling, sauté the mushrooms until browned and set aside. In a hot frying pan, sauté the onions until translucent, add the garlic, stirring to prevent sticking. Add the carrots and 2 cups of the broth. Bring to a simmer, add the flour and stir, simmering for 2-3 minutes, stirring so that your gravy will not stick to the pan. Add the peas and corn, salt, pepper and herbs. When the gravy is to your liking, add the mushrooms. Carefully place the vegetable mixture into a 8x8 casserole dish. Top with the cooled mashed potatoes and spread them out evenly with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, keeping an eye on it as it might bubble over. I usually place aluminum foil under the dish. Remove from oven and let sit about 10 minutes.
Your Wellness Lifestyle Starts Here
What you eat has a profound impact on your health and your diet is one of the most controllable aspects of your health status. You can decide what you are going to eat every day. The average adult human consumes one ton of food every year – an astounding amount – and it is impossible to make the argument that this amount of food does not have an impact on your health. The effect can be either positive or negative depending on the choices you make.
New research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center shows that a phytochemical in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables called sulforaphane can have a powerful effect on fighting viruses like the common cold and COVID-19.
Giving 30 mg of sulforaphane per kg of body weight to mice before infecting them with SARS-CoV-2 decreased the loss of body weight typically experienced by COVID-19 patients. Pre-treatment with sulforaphane also decreased viral load in the lungs and upper respiratory tract and resulted in a 29% decrease in injury to lung tissue as compared to mice who were not given the phytochemical. Additionally, sulforaphane decreased inflammation in the lungs and protected cells against the hyperactive immune response that has proven to be both common and fatal for many patients.
Sulforaphane has already been proven to have powerful anti-cancer properties, so these results are not surprising.
While you might be tempted to purchase a sulforaphane supplement, I’ve always advised that it’s best to eat the whole plant food because whole foods are more powerful. For example, cruciferous vegetables, which include not only broccoli but also arugula, Bok choy, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and cauliflower, contain lots of powerful nutrients such as carotenoids, indoles, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates.
The same is true of all other plant foods – they are packed with protective nutrients that will not only reduce the risk of colds and flu – but also the risk of heart disease and cancer, which remain the leading killers.
You might have heard me say it before, but it is the whole of your diet and lifestyle, it is the breadth of what you eat and do on a daily basis. One note does not make a symphony. The temptation is to take a multitude of supplements because you are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Supplements have role, but on a needed basis, such as Elderberry syrup if you feel a cold coming on, or a good probiotic for gut health. "Nutrient supplements do not prevent disease because when isolated from their whole food context, their biological properties may be substantially different or even opposite than expected." (T. Colin Campbell, PhD.) I will be having a class on supplement use in the future.
Diet quality is based on the foods you eat, not transient nutrient levels which usually have little to do with health status.
During the holiday season, we all express gratitude for our blessings, family and friends. Let's also place value on and be grateful for our health and take care of our bodies. Remember – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Eat your vegetables!
If you are local, I hope to see you on Thursday, December 14 at the Epochary Inn. I will have Elderberry Syrup, probiotics, and the Wellness Forum Health smoothie mix available for purchase.
New recipes have been added on the recipe blog, so check them out!
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
Wellness Forum Health
roasted butternut squash bisque
This Butternut Squash Bisque is thick and creamy, thanks to the addition of cashews. If you don't want the added fat of the cashews (12 grams of fat per ounce), you can skip them. The key is to soak them in hot water for at least an hour. I used 2 medium sized squash for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut or honeynut squash
- 1 onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained.
- 1/2 cup soaked cashews
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. Cut the onion into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole. Place the squash cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. If I have fresh thyme and rosemary, I usually place a few stems under the squash. It makes the kitchen smell delicious. Place the onions and garlic alongside the squash and roast together until the squash is fork tender. Usually around 30-40 minutes. Remove the squash and let cool until it's comfortable to the touch. Scoop out the squash into a high-speed blender, add the roasted onions and garlic, cashews and cannellini beans. Add about 3/4 cup of the veggie broth. Puree on high until the mixture is thick and creamy. If it is too thick for your taste, add more vegetable broth. Once the mixture is pureed, pour into a sauce pot, add the herbs, salt and pepper, and more broth if needed. Heat and stir for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Should yield about 4-5 servings. Top with pumpkin or sunflower seeds!
P.S. I had a little left over the next day and added it to some rice. It was delicious!
Mushroom Stew
Here is a hearty stew to warm you during the colder months.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 lb potatoes, cubed
- 1 cup split red lentils, uncooked
- 1 (15 oz can) tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- parsley for garnish (optional
Heat stock pot and add onions, carrot, celery and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook 8 minutes, stirring frequently. No need to add oil as the onion will add moisture. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, oregano and sage. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, cook and stir for 1 minute. Deglaze with the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Add potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, broth and bay leaves. Cook to just below boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves. Makes 6 servings.
Want to make it heartier? Serve with a dollop of mashed potatoes! Comfort food at its best!
Recipe courtesy of Midwest Foodie Blog
