PREGNANCY CRAVINGS AND ANCHOVIES :o)

A common question that I have been getting, especially from my clients, is if I am having any pregnancy cravings. And the answer is, not often. There has only been a few times where I really feel like eating a particular food. The great thing is that the cravings that I have been having are healthy and nourishing my growing baby.
One food that has had me wanting more during my pregnancy is anchovies. Not by themselves......I would really have a hard time eating them whole. They look kinda disgusting if you ask me. But I am loving salad dressings with the amazing taste and nutritional power of anchovies. Not only do they add an amazing flavour, they also pack a whack of amazing health benefits for me and my little one....who is kicking up a storm by the way :O)

Here are some of the nutritional highlights of my friend the anchovy;

• Omega 3's - many of us have heard about the importance of omega 3's but did you know that it is essential for brain development. When women are not getting enough omega 3's during pregnancy the baby will rob you of your stores and can set up the stage for postpartum. Taking omega 3's and eating omega 3 rich foods during pregnancy is one of the most powerful things that a mom can do during pregnancy for her health and the health of baby!Click here for some more info on omega 3's and pregancy
• Low mercury and PCB's - another thing that we pregnant women have to worry about is environmental toxins in the fish that we consume. With fish being the best source of omega 3's that can make it difficult to get adequate amounts of this critical fat. Anchovies are very low in these environmental contaminants making them a great choice for pregnant women. I also recommend that all pregnant women talk to their health care providers about taking a high quality fish oil during pregnancy.
• Selenium - this critical trace mineral is a bit hard to find in our diets. Selenium is a critical mineral for cancer prevention.
• Calcium - I think we all know and understand the importance of calcium for bone health. Calcium, along with magnesium, is also essential for our muscles to contract and is key nutrient for our nervous systems.
• Protein - anchovies are an excellent source of high quality protein. Five anchovies have nine grams of protein and only fifty-five calories

Now that we all understand the health benefits of anchovies, let getting eating them.
My favorite way to enjoy these nutritional powerhouses is in a salad dressing. Here is a simple salad dressing that I adapted from Gweneth Paltrow's new cookbook My Father's Daughter. This cookbook has some great recipes that are healthful and delicious. Who new that Gweneth Paltrow could cook??? 

Two Minute Anchovy Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 6 anchovies packed in olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard (I use Dijon from the health food store without sulfates)
• 2 tbsp champagne vinegar (could also use lemon juice or another vinegar)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the anchovies, mustard and vinegar in a small food processor. Make sure the anchovies are completely pureed. Add the olive oil and pulse a few more times until well combined.
Serve over seasonal mixed greens! Enjoy!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This soup not only tastes amazing, it is also a nutritional powerhouse. Broccoli is an amazing food for our health and should be a staple in our kitchens. It sure is in my house. This creamy soup is my new favourite way to enjoy broccoli.



The following are some interesting facts on my favourite super powered vegetable Broccoli;
• Broccoli is extremely low in calories (1 cup of chopped broccoli contains about 35 calories) yet one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Therefore you get the most bang for your nutritional buck without impacting your waist line.
• Sulforaphane and Indole-3-Carbinols are two very important phyto-nutrients in broccoli that are known for their ability to prevent many types of cancers including breast and prostate cancer.
• Great source of dietary fibre.
• High in vitamin C, K and A as well as folic acid (critical for pregnant ladies like myself)
• Broccoli is also a great source of lutein which is an important phytonutrient that is helpful in preventing age-related macular degeneration

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp tamari
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp nutmeg
Enough water to cover veggies
2 tbsp of almond butter
1-2 tbsp of miso paste (to taste)
1/2 lemon, juiced


Sauté onions in olive oil until softened. Add broccoli, thyme, nutmeg. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Add enough water to cover the veggies. Bring to a boil and then simmer until broccoli is softened.


Transfer into a blender. Add almond butter, miso paste and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.


Enjoy!

Mango and Goji Berry Smoothie

I first would like to thank you all for your kind words through email, facebook and my blog. I have the best clients and blog followers ever. I look forward to keeping you updated through one of the most important times of my life. As I said in my previous post, I am truly thrilled (and truthfully a bit nervous....but more excited) about being a Mom.

My partner Todd and I felt the baby kicking for the 1st time on Friday night. What an amazing experience!

Now back to food;


This smoothie has it all; it is a great source of antioxidants, protein and tastes good too. Mangos, goji berries and acai berries are full of antioxidants that keep our bodies healthy.

Goji berries in particular are nutritional powerhouses; containing 21 or more trace minerals (including zinc, iron, copper, calcium, geranium and selenium to name a few) as well as vitamins B1, B2, B6, and vitamin E. Many of us know blueberries are a great source of antioxidants and they are, however goji berries contain 2-4 times the antioxidants as blueberries. Enjoy this amazingly tasty smoothie and your cells will thank you!

 Ingredients

• 1 cup mango (I used frozen)
• 2 tbsp dried goji berries
• 1 tsp acai berry powder (totally optional)
• 1 tsp of chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk (homemade or Blue Diamond Vanilla Unsweetened)
• 1 serving of high quality vanilla protein powder


Place mango, goji berries, acai powder, chia seeds and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Stop blender and add protein powder and pulse to combine! Enjoy!

SHARE WITH ME!

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients that  are not that common??

EXCITING NEWS!

Good morning to all of my amazing blog followers. I am writing this post to share some exciting news with all of you! I AM PREGNANT!! I will be 19 weeks tomorrow. My partner Todd and I are super excited!

This is from my 1st ultrasound at about 11 weeks. I will be going for my 2nd one this Friday. Am very excited to see my growing baby again :O)

Seeing the heartbeat was probably the most exciting moment so far!

Has anyone had any experience with Hypnobirthing?? I am thinking about signing up for the course and would love feedback from anyone who has experience with it.

Raw sushi

I love sushi. However, not just any sushi. I love my homemade sushi. I often boil up some short grain rice (that becomes sticky when cooked; like sushi rice) and season it with some rice vinegar, a touch of honey or agave syrup and some tamari, then roll it up with some of my favorite veggies and a slice of avocado of course. I love the fact that I can be so creative with it and add whatever I have on hand. I also like that I can adjust the seasoning to how I like it.
This sushi recipe is a much different take on traditional sushi but still a personal favorite. It has such great flavour and interesting textures. Enjoy!

All ingredients are optional, use what you have on hand;
Carrots, julienne sliced
Red peppers, julienne sliced
Cucumber, julienne sliced
Green onions, julienne sliced
2 nori wraps
½ cup or so of the veggie pate or hummus or any other bean (although it would not longer be raw) or nut dip
Other ideas include; grated beets, avocados, asparagus, etc.

1. Spread a couple spoonfuls of the pate on the nori sheet, leaving about ¾ inch at the edges closest and furthest from you.

2. Place a small amount of the veggies in a line close to the bottom of the sheet.
3. Using a sushi mat, or by hand, roll the sushi from the bottom edge. Try to keep it as tight as even as possible. Moisten the edge of the nori to seal, if needed
4. Cut each roll about 2cm think with a serrated knife (or a sushi knife if you have one....what a great tool).
5. Enjoy! Serve with all the fixens you normally like with sushi such as soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger, etc.

Veggie Pate

Slightly adapted from Caroline Duponts, Enlightened Eating

1 cup of sunflower seeds, soaked overnight and then rinsed

1 medium carrot
1 medium celery stalk
½ lemon, juiced + zest
1 tbsp mellow miso
1 garlic clove
Handful of fresh basil

Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. You will need to stop a few times and scrape down sides with a spatula.
This pate is great for raw sushi, served with whole grain crackers or raw veggies.

Share with me!

What are your favorite sushi ingredients or toppings???

Winging it Soup Style

Well, it is Thursday afternoon and let me tell ya, I have been cooking up a storm today. I have many recipes to come, so stay tuned :O) Since the weather is pretty chilly out there I will share my warming soup today.

First I have to fill you in on what inspired this lovely soup. Last week I headed off to St Lucia on a yoga/wellness retreat hosted by the lovely Meghan Telpner. It was a trip I will never forget. I went by myself knowing that there would be 10 other like minded people there to meet. It was wonderful. The host Meghan, is a delightful and passionate colleague of mine, the guests were a bunch of strong dynamic women, the place was beautiful, the weather was hot and the food was amazing......and healthy too. Having food allergies it can make eating a bit of a challenge on vacation. This was the first vacation that I have been on where food was a non-issue and I enjoyed every bite of everything that past my lips. For more information on the retreat go to www.meghantelpner.com. If you are looking to nourish yourself in every way, you might was to consider this for next year.

Beautful picture of one of the many beaches we went to.
Now back to the soup.....

Here is what I started out with. I didn't end up putting the shittake mushrooms in the soup.

There are really only 2 vegetables that I can say I don’t enjoy that much. I will still eat them but they are just not my favourite. They are mustard greens and okra. While enjoying a beautiful dinner with the amazing ladies in St Lucia, we were served a soup with the main star being okra and guess what....It was delicious. I loved it. And I was not the only lady around the table who was not in love with this nourishing vegetable to begin with but loved the soup.

So now I have been back in town for a few days now and I decided I had to take a stab at making a soup with okra. Not having a recipe, I was winging it soup style this morning. So here is what I came up with;


1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots
3 celery stalks
1 cup of chopped okra
½ large or 1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves
1-2 tbsp of tamari
1 tsp sage
1 cup of green lentils
8 cups of H2O
3-4 handfuls of spinach
½ cup coconut milk (optional)
1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
1-2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (optional)


Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add in carrots, celery, okra, sweet potato, garlic, tamari green lentils and sage. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Then add H2O.
Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes or so. Until lentils and vegetables are softened.
Before serving add spinach, coconut milk, fish sauce and lemon juice. Turn heat off and cover for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

NOTE: the coconut milk, fish sauce and lemon juice are 100% optional. The soup tasted great before the additions. These ingredients just add a bit more depth to the broth.


Here are a few of the amazing health benefits of okra:


• Great source of vitamin C, a well known antioxidant. Critical for a healthy immune system.


• The fiber in okra aids in blood sugar regulation by slowing down sugar absorption. Keeping your energy levels high and consistent.


• If you have ever cooked with okra you see how slimy it is. Well guess what?? That slimy part is great for the digestive system. It promotes healthy bowel movements.


• Okra is a superstar vegetable for those who need to reduce cholesterol levels. The fiber in okra binds to cholesterol and pulls it out your body via your stools.

• The unique fiber in okra promotes healthy bacteria in your gut. The healthy bacteria in your gut is important for a healthy immune system, is responsible for the production of important vitamins and keeps our digestive system happy.
 

P.S. Still working on the mustard greens. Any ideas??

Share with me....

What are your least favourite veggies?? And have you found ways to prepare them that makes you like them??

The coconut milk gives the broth a slightly odd color but it sure does make it taste great.

Super Easy Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

So, last post I promised to share my delicious cookie recipe that I made with my nephew on the weekend. Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter (organic of course) Cookies. Let me be the first to tell ya, they were delish and super easy to make. My nephew was a huge fan.
I don't often have my nephew over for sleepovers, so when I do I like to get cooking with him. It is so much fun to get his little hands involved. And the best part is that he really enjoys it.
These cookies are the easiest cookies I have ever made. Here is the super easy recipe;

1 cup of Maranatha Organic Peanut Butter
1 cup of organic coconut sugar (can now be found at the Bulk Barn, I purchased mine from the health food store)
1 organic or free range omega 3 egg 
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 dark chocolate bar with 80% cacao

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place first four ingredients into a bowl. Mix well......or get your 5 year old nephew to mix well :O)
Then mix in the chopped up chocolate
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a tbsp measurement, place the cookie dough on the cookie sheet. I used a fork to press down...totally optional, just makes them look the way I always remember peanut butter cookies. 
Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until done. 
Let cool and enjoy with a nice cup of tea, almond milk or any other milk you like to enjoy!