Fight With Salsa! flavor without calories! (ok a couple)

I love salsa, like eat it with a spoon love it!

I love that there's a variety of types too so you don't get bored.

I love to make homemade salsa but keep jar salsa in the pantry because people in this house get upset when there are lonely chips in the pantry and no salsa for them.

Today I got free salsa! It can't get better. Now I know what you're thinking... This is a lot of work for free salsa but "It's summertime and the livin's easy." Plus I wanted to tell you about salsa plans anyway.

Tostidos Hint of Lime Salsa

Our favorite lime chips in a salsa! & Free too! Let me test more Kroger!

(They apparently don't suggest eating this lime salsa with their awesome lime tortilla chips because they sent these plain ORGANIC! chips. Maybe the universe will implode with too much lime.)

Chips arrived like they were ready for Mardi Gras!

Riddle me this... Free lime salsa from Kroger only available at our Walmart.

I'm done rambling about free salsa and I'll get to why I love salsa so much.

Chips

First of all the chips are not so good for you.  They are high calorie and high fat. You must buy organic, otherwise you're eating Monsanto corn still riddled with pesticides.

Having said that tortilla chips do tend to be one of my caves. Just eat intentionally, like not a bag.

How we add excitement

In our foods we tend to add flavor with fat. It's a mistake. 

One- because it doesn't really taste that great and 

Two-  when you heat fats they lose many of their valuable nutrients. (So save that grass fed butter for slathering on soaked grain toast instead. Or drizzle cold Extra Virgin Olive Oil on pasta.)

Instead we should be adding flavor with spices and vegetables.

India is the king at this.  Just hit up your local Indian Restaurant and you'll see the spices!

Spices preserve meat and are such valuable compounds for humans too!

Spices

My new favorite spice shop is www.savoryspiceshop.com 

Find one near you and go taste hundreds of spices to top your grill, oven, yogurt dips, dressings...

This is my current favorite spice mix.  Despite what it's called, we put it in hamburgers.  We're rebels like that.

Chimichurri Steak Dressing & Marinade

https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/chimichurri-marinade-steak-seasoning

Salsa

Vegetables get their great color from all their valuable nutrients. You probably knew that already.  

The reason I like salsa is because it mixes great spices with powerful vegetables.

You can make salsa out of so many things but let's look at basic powerhouse items. 

(This by the way is a recipe from a very good friend for one of my favorite homemade salsas!)

1 Can Tomatoes

Half Lemon- juiced

2-3 Dried Arbol Peppers

1 Garlic Clove

1/4 Small Onion

-blend-

Add a half a bunch of Cilantro

-blend again-

Tomatoes... 

Tomatoes are full of vitamins A and C and folic acid.They are high in antioxidants- which protect and heal your cells.

They are high in carotene- a "flavonoid compound, beta carotene has powerful antioxidant functions, helps the body scavenge free radicals, thereby limiting the damage to cell membranes, DNA and protein structures in the cell."1.

They pack a cancer fightin' Lycopene punch. Especially protective against prostate cancer.

They contain alpha-lipoic acid can aid in blood glucose control, improve vasodilation and protect against retinopathy in diabetic patients and may even help preserve brain and nerve tissue.2

Tomatoes are high in fiber which helps both heart disease and diabetes.

Lemons...

Are loaded with Phytonutrients- "benefits of phytonutrients are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Phytonutrients may also enhance immunity and intercellular communication, repair DNA damage from exposure to toxins, detoxify carcinogens and alter estrogen metabolism."2 Bring on the lemons!

They are high in vitamin C-  It neutralizes free radicals and boost your immune system. (It's done wonders for my asthma by the way ;) They fought scurvy, they can help you. 

Lemons contain hesperidin, a molecule which preserves capilary blood vessel integrity.3 Anti-cancer! 

Lemons are also anti-inflammatory. Which we always need.  We are constantly bombarded by things which make us susceptible to many (or maybe most) of our modern day diseases.

Peppers...

Peppers contain vitamins A and C, potassium, folic acid, and fiber, all in one little spicy package. 

They also contain capsaicin, which boosts your metabolism and suppresses your appetite too!

Bell peppers also contain B6 which boosts your mood by helping your body produce serotonin and norepinephrine.5.

Garlic & Onions...

This one is my favorites.

Compounds in garlic may help attack and kill tumor cells! Seriously.

Garlic fights something called Nitrosamines which are formed in our intestines and caused by food additives and cured meats.  This reduces the mutations in the DNA of your cells and protects them from damage, preventing cancer.

Several compounds in garlic stop carcinogens from becoming active and flush them from your system. (The cabbage family is good at this too.)

Allicin (another antioxidant) can protect and heal your heart, lowering blood pressure levels and lowering your LDL.  Plus, less inflammation is always great for your heart.

Phytochemicals in garlic (and onions) may prevent the onset or progression of some cancers. (especially stomach and esophageal.) Perhaps because it protects and heals your digestive system.

Cilantro...
High in vitamin K. (Not one you hear of much, eh?) This important vitamin stores in your fatty tissue until it's needed and then helps your body coagulate blood.6 (Plus it makes your rice taste yummy)

In case you needed reasons to chow down on loads of salsa: on your chicken, in your rice bowl, on your burritos, to make you feel better about those fatty chips... You now have tacit permission.  Go nuts. 

Sources

1. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27

2. https://www.livescience.com/52541-phytonutrients.html

3.Foods to Fight Cancer by: Richard Beliveau

4. http://www.webmd.com/diet/peppers-health-benefits#1

5. http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-of-bell-peppers/

6.http://www.livestrong.com/article/500746-what-does-cilantro-do-for-the-body/

Amazing Flax Meal

Flaxseed

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century

• Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
• new research also suggests significant blood pressure-lowering effects of flaxseed.
• maintaining the heart’s natural rhythm, they may be useful in treating arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure- normalizing the heartbeat.
• Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.  up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods. inhibited tumor incidence, growth and spread
• Lignans, diets rich in flaxseed omega-3s help prevent hardening of the arteries and keep plaque from being deposited in the arteries partly by keeping white blood cells from sticking to the blood vessels’ inner linings- reduced by 75%
• Lignans may also have anticarcinogenic activities-protect against cancer  
• Antioxidants- chemicals that can prevent or slow cell damage
• Anti-inflammatory action and illnesses such as Parkinson's disease, asthma, heart attack and stroke by helping block the release of certain pro-inflammatory agents.
• Lower LDL- Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
• May improve blood sugar and protect against diabetes.
• 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed into cereal, or yogurt twice a day cut hot flashes in half & intensity of their hot flashes dropped by 57%

Use & Storage

Ground only- whole passed through your system undigested.

I keep mine in freezer to protect nutrients longer.

Sprinkle on oatmeal, smoothies, soup, yogurt, toast, pasta, or add ¼ c to muffins or bread.

1 Tablespoon=30 calories

Nutty mild taste

I don’t buy flaxseed oil, it goes rancid quickly.

Flax seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, which happen to be very good for us in their raw, unprocessed form. Unfortunately, the chemical nature of omega 3s render them extremely sensitive to heat, light and air. http://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-of-flaxseed?page=1

Super Bowl Foods You Can't Live Without...

Meets Whole Foods, Healthy Foods

I know what you need to watch the Super Bowl...

Something smothered in Franks Hot Sauce.

Worry not, we've got you covered.

Now put the chicken wing down and run away.

Photo: Jess

Our New Addiction...Buffalo Cauliflower with homemade Blue Cheese DressingThere are a lot of versions going around out there.  Please be careful what ingredients you use.  This is just as good with good for you ingredients.Photo: Nick SaltmarshIngredients 2 heads cauliflower (florets chopped off & rest composted)1/2 to 1 Cup Franks Hot Sauce1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees place a jelly roll sheet in oven to heat
Pour Cauliflower florets into large bowldrizzle olive oil over & tossdrizzle franks over and toss.Pour on jelly tray in single layer and cook for ~45 minutes.(Stir every 10 minutes and cook until your desired doneness.  We like them with crunchy little edges, but less cooking at a high temp is better to reduce carcinogens, so stop when it's acceptable to you.)

Blue Cheese Dressing

Photo: cookbookman

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz blue cheese crumbled (we know you wanna add more, just go for it!)

3T Buttermilk (cheater alert... add 1t lemon juice to your milk and let it curdle for a minute)

5T Full fat organic plain yogurt

2t white wine vinegar

1/4 t honey

1/8 t garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all.  Adjust to taste.

Now try not to eat them all before your guests arrive.

Enjoy the game!

Inflammation- Food and Lifestyle Ways to Fight.

Inflammation has been on the forefront lately as the culprit of many health problems and diseases.

We need inflammation in our bodies to heal but too much causes loads of problems.

What can you do to help your body function properly?

Food-

• Go organic! It will remove loads of pesticides from your diet. (plus it provides micro-nutrients not found in conventionally grown produce.)
• Stay away from GMO's, they wreck havoc on your system because they are unknown proteins that your body is not sure how to handle and is thus constantly battling.
• Eat only whole grains and mostly nut, coconut and gluten free flours and grains- like buckwheat, oat, quinoa, and brown rice
• Limit red meat and eat only grass fed to lessen artery inflammation
• Limit alcohol. 1 per day women and 2 per day men. and better to have red wine.  1 helps, more swells.
• Step away from the fast food! The fat and additives are terrible for you.  Make it at home instead if you're craving it.
• Eat whole unprocessed foods.  Those lucky charms are definitely not lucky. The chemicals and partitioned foods (like corn starch, corn meal, corn syrup and such) are taxing on your system.  Not to mention loaded with pesticides and GMO's usually.

Lifestyle-

• Clean with all natural products and remove the dangerous chemicals from your home.
• Give your office or school cleaning crew a gift of natural cleaning supplies and recipes.  They'll save money and protect their health and yours.
• Garden and Lawn care organically.  Pesticides and dangerous fertilizers should be far away from your home.  You're there the most!
• Stay away from smoke. Quit and stay far away from second hand smoke.  This is a huge stress on your organs.
• Sleep!
• Relax, do yoga, meditate, go for a walk, sit quietly.  Stress causes inflammation.  Control what you can and drop the rest.
• Exercise.  Pick something you like and do it at least 3 times per week.  
• Control your weight. Those excess pounds stress out your system even more than they stress out your jeans.
• Watch your textiles.  Don't go tearing into that old couch to reupholster it.  Don't get that super cheap carpet.  You'll breathe that stuff in everyday.  Pick carefully.
• Keep it dry! Mold causes your system minor to major problems, depending on your sensitivity.
• Heat electrically not with gas if you can.
• Try to minimize your exposure to car exhaust, industrial exhaust and the like.  This one is hard but whenever possible limit and distance.

hungry for more?
The Inflammation Syndrome, by Jack Challem