Optimum Wellness King Soopers Spring 2018

A handful of ingredients, a few quick steps and this reinvented potato salad will have you wondering why the rest of life isn’t this easy. And delicious. Grab some yellow potatoes from the produce department and get the Grilled Potato Salad with Feta Dressing recipe, plus hundreds more, at PotatoGoodne .com /easypotatosalad

Diet Dilemma

Idon’t know about you, but I often feel a bit overwhelmed when it comes to trying to eat healthy. I call it my “diet dilemma.”

At a recent local film festival, my husband and I saw a new documentary called “The Game Changers” about one man’s quest to understand whether meat is necessary for protein, strength and optimal health. A Special Forces trainer and winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” James Wilks (who in the film was recovering from a debilitating injury and considering changing his diet) meets with elite athletes—from a track runner to an ultrarunner, UFC fighters, bodybuilders, a number of NFL players, even the strongest man in the world—along with special ops soldiers, scientists and a group of New York City firefighters, to discuss the benefits of following a vegan diet.

The film was eye-opening. As it interspersed scientific research with real-life stories of people feeling healthier and stronger—and performing better—on a vegan diet, I pondered whether I could—and should—go vegan. In the film, even Wilks started to feel better as he increasingly ate more vegan. I’m far from being an elite athlete, but I’m active and always on the lookout for the best foods to feel my best. My husband was thinking the same.

I consider myself a “flexitarian,” eating mainly vegetarian with a bit of meat or fish here and there. My husband is a vegetarian. After the film, we challenged each other to go vegan. Meat hasn’t been a problem for me to give up; the stickler is dairy, and both of us LOVE cheese. Luckily, we live in a day and age when plant-based “meat” and nondairy cheese, milk and yogurt options abound.

We had a fun outing to our local King Soopers, where we spent the bulk of our time at the “plantbased case,” with all kinds of vegan options, including cashew milk yogurt; a mozzarella made from coconut oil, cashews and tapioca that melts and browns just like the dairy version; and a mini wheat-gluten-based “roast” stuffed with squash, apples and mushrooms. All were yummy!

I confess that I haven’t gone 100 percent vegan (it’s the dairy-cheese weakness), but I’m trying. I have become more aware of what I eat and how I plan our weekly menus. I’ve been referencing some

Kale Salad recipe with Tahini Dijon Dressing.

Speaking of Mark, we are excited to partner with him on a Vegan Recipe Contest. He and food-show personality and writer Ellie Krieger will be the judges, with a top prize of $1,000 for their favorite recipe, along with multiple runner-up prizes. I encourage you to enter at livenaturallymagazine. com/recipecontest

As our new tagline says, “Your healthy life starts here.” We want to be one of your go-to resources for natural, healthy eating and living. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, so if you’re having a diet dilemma, reach out with questions. We’re here to help!

Rebecca Heaton, Editor editor@livenaturallymagazine.com

5 17

CONTENTS

$ 1,000!

BEGIN

The Clean Protein Revolution

PLUS How to shop for protein bars, liver health in spring, sustainable living and a different way to detox.

KITCHEN

Plant-Based Milks and Chips

PLUS New cookbooks, fun kitchen gadgets, sprucing up veggies and foods with probiotics.

44 feature THE BEAUTY OF SLEEP

If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, there’s help to be had. And given the health consequences of not sleeping, doctors say it’s worth fighting for.

BY NANCY COULTER-PARKER

EAT

Dish It Up

One of the world’s most versatile vegetables, carrots can be served savory to sweet. Try them in our medley of recipes, courtesy of the budding chefs at Johnson & Wales University.

Fast & Flavorful

Broaden your noodle repertoire with four flavor-filled, Asian-inspired dishes that are a cinch to prepare—and some are gluten-free, too.

BY GENEVIEVE DOLL

Healthy Kitchen

Who needs breakfast or lunch when you can have brunch? We’ve come up with easy-breezy ideas, each with a fun accompanying cocktail!

BY KIMBERLY LORD STEWART

BOOST

Dill

A popular herb with a potent health pedigree.

BY KELLEE KATAGI

Stress-Busting

Supplements

Natural remedies to help kick stress to the curb.

BY KAREN MORSE

TRY

Candy-Apple Granola Bars

Date syrup is the binder in these yummy, easyto-make bars.

BY DINA DELEASA-GONSAR

recipe index

Asian Salad with Carrot Greens, Grilled Tofu and Carrot-Sesame Dressing 32

Candy-Apple Granola Bars 56

Carrot and Kasha Kugel 32 Carrot Oatmeal Cookies 32

Chicken Chorizo Bowl with White Bean and Pumpkin Seed Pesto 42

Coconut-Ginger Fizz 43

Date Syrup 56

Gluten-Free Brownie Tahini Waffles with Chocolate Tahini Sauce 40

Ramen with Steak and Shiitake Mushrooms 37

Rice Noodles with Baked Tofu and Broccoli 38

Roasted Carrot Baba Ghanoush with Pita Chips 32

Soba Noodle and Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing 36

Tea-Thyme Cider 40

Tropical Morning Muffins 41

Turkish Cardamom Coffee Mocktail 41

Udon Noodles with Chicken, Bok Choy and Almond Sauce 35

Virgin Paloma 42

ENTER YOUR BEST VEGAN RECIPE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $ 1,000!

Submit your best vegan/plant-based recipe for a chance to win $1,000, as well as runner-up prizes. Recipes that qualify as “vegan” or “plant-based” do not contain meat, fish, poultry or any animal products, such as dairy or eggs.

Part of the Live Naturally family of Kroger magazines

SPRING 2018 optimumwellnessmagazine.com

CO-FOUNDERS

Drs. James and Debra Rouse

V.P./GROUP PUBLISHER

Deborah Juris EDITOR

Rebecca Heaton

ART DIRECTOR

MEET OUR JUDGES

A 2017 inductee into the Vegetarian Hall of Fame, Mark is a multiaward-winning vegan chef and author of eight cookbooks, including the best-selling 30 Minute Vegan series and his latest book, Healing the Vegan Way. Mark has more than 20 years of experience preparing creative vegan and raw cuisine. Through his Vegan Fusion company, he offers consulting services, vegan and raw cooking workshops, a plantbased chef certification program, and chef trainings internationally. More at veganfusion.com.

Recipes must use 10 ingredients or fewer and incorporate a product from Kroger’s Simple Truth® line. Visit SimpleTruth.com for product ideas. Visit

Ellie is host and executive producer of Ellie’s Real Good Food on Public Television and of the Food Network’s hit show Healthy Appetite. A registered dietitian and weekly columnist for The Washington Post, Ellie is also a New York Times best-selling, James Beard Foundation and IACP awardwinning author of five cookbooks. Her most recent book is You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy Do-Ahead Meals. Learn more about her at elliekrieger.com.

HOW TO ENTER

RUNNER-UP PRIZES FROM THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:

Lindsay Burke

DESIGNER/DIGITAL

Shannon Moore

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Kellee Katagi

DIGITAL EDITOR

Jennifer Davis-Flynn

COPY EDITOR

Julie Van Keuren

MARKETING OPERATIONS MANAGER

Susan Humphrey

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Nancy Coulter-Parker, Dina Deleasa-Gonsar, Genevieve Doll, Kellee Katagi, Karen Morse, Suja Natarajan, Debra Rouse, James Rouse, Kimberly Lord Stewart

CONTRIBUTING ARTIST AND STYLISTS

Aaron Colussi, Eric Leskovar, Nicole Dominic

ADVERTISING SALES

Deborah Juris, Tracy McIlroy

PUBLISHED BY www.hungryeyemedia.com 800.852.0857

PRESIDENT

Brendan Harrington

MARK REINFELD

ELLIE KRIEGER

The Clean-Protein REVOLUTION

In their new book, Kathy Freston and Bruce Friedrich bust myths about protein and give readers a roadmap showing how and why to kick-start a clean-protein lifestyle.

BY REBECCA HEATON

Protein is the building block of life. Every part of our body uses it to develop, grow and function properly. For many Americans, though, protein simply means meat. In Clean Protein: The Revolution That Will Reshape Your Body, Boost Your Energy—and Save Our Planet (Hachette, 2018) Kathy Freston, a best-selling author and wellness expert, and Bruce Friedrich, cofounder and executive director of The Good Food Institute, examine what kinds of proteins are best and why.

Why did you decide to write this book together?

KF: For the past eight years, I’ve been delving more deeply into the food I was consuming, where it comes from, and how it affects the body and environment. Over a meal, Bruce and I were discussing clean protein. I told him he should write a book, and he asked, “Why don’t you do it with me?”

BF: I’ve been eating entirely plant-based for more than 30 years. There are so many false understandings about protein. This has been a personal passion of mine, and it animates many of the conversations I have with Kathy. So we decided to turn our conversations into book form.

What are some of the top myths about protein?

KF: The number-one myth is that most people think meat is protein and protein is meat. But it’s not the only source, and it’s not necessarily the cleanest. This goes for dairy and eggs, too. Another myth is

that meat alternatives aren’t real food; in reality, they are very clean and full of protein and fiber, with very little fat and zero cholesterol.

BF: We know that 97 percent of Americans are getting plenty of daily protein; even vegetarians get 70 percent more than they need. But we also know that 98 percent of Americans are not getting the recommended daily amount of fiber. If more people consumed clean protein from plants, they would also be getting a lot of that needed fiber.

How would you define “clean protein”?

BF: It is protein that is clean for our bodies and clean for consciences.

Basically, animal proteins are linked to

heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. They are also often contaminated with bacteria, like salmonella. According to the Centers for Disease Control, tens of millions of people get sick from contaminated meat every single year, and tens of thousands end up in the hospital. Clean protein avoids all of that; it’s beans, whole grains, nuts and plant-based meat alternatives predominantly.

Your book title highlights saving our planet. How does our diet affect the environment?

BF: According to the United Nations, animal agriculture is contributing to the most serious environmental problems, generating more global-warming gases than all transportation globally combined. So, shifting some

of our diet away from animal-based protein to clean, plant-based protein packs a real power punch on behalf of a host of environmental concerns.

What are your favorite forms of clean protein?

KF: I’m a big fan of beans. They are inexpensive, versatile and delicious. They’re high in protein, fiber, iron and antioxidants, with no saturated fats or toxins. They’re associated with lowering cholesterol and aiding digestion. I’m also a big fan of nuts and nut butters, which are packed with fiber and complex carbs.

BF: Nuts certainly resonate with me. I enjoy tossing a half-cup of nuts like walnuts into smoothies, as well as flaxseed. I always travel with deluxe mixed nuts. I also enjoy a number of plant-based “meats,” such as Beyond Meat, Gardein, Tofurky and Lightlife products.

AUTHORS BRUCE FRIEDRICH & KATHY FRESTON

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY WATER?

It’s a widespread trend in Japan—and it’s making its way stateside: hydrogen water. Numerous studies—mostly in Japan thus far—suggest that hydrogen may work as an antioxidant and reduce inflammation. A study with elite athletes revealed that drinking hydrogen water reduced lactic-acid buildup and decreased muscle fatigue.

According to Cody Cook, Ph.D., president and chief medical scientist of HTWO Hydrogen Water, continued research is also indicating that molecular hydrogen gas (in hydrogen water) may slow the progression of aging disorders, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. “Since molecular hydrogen gas can generally and quickly reach all the cells of the human body, the benefits of hydrogen-infused water can be observed for a wide array of tissues and organs,” he says. Read more about it at htwo.com.

Not OK on K?

Vitamin K doesn’t get much press—especially compared with the buzz around vitamins C, D and the B’s—but perhaps it should. A 2017 Dutch study published in Nutrients found that nearly one-third of the general Dutch population was low in functional vitamin K. What’s more, 50 percent of those studied who were elderly or who had conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease were vitamin K deficient. More studies are needed to know if low K levels helped cause the diseases, but an association was clear, researchers concluded.

Part of the problem might be the tricky nature of vitamin K. There are two kinds of K found in food: K1 and K2 (K3 is a synthetic form). But the dietary guidelines are based on K1, which is more prevalent—it’s abundant in many vegetables, especially leafy and cruciferous ones like kale, chard, brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus—and enables blood to clot. But scientists think K2 is more important than K1 for functions like bone metabolism and preventing hardened blood vessels. The catch: K2 is found almost exclusively in animal products—such as most meat (especially animal livers, but also poultry, pork and beef), cheese and egg yolks. The only plant source of K2 is natto, a fermented soybean dish popular in Japan. —Kellee Katagi

DID YOU KNOW?

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient necessary for responding to injuries. Why? It regulates normal blood clotting for healing.

Get Savvy with SmartLabel

Want to learn more about what’s in a product? See if it has a SmartLabel. Launched in 2016, the program is gaining traction, with more than 40 major companies—including Unilever, General Mills, Barilla, Blue Diamond and Kellogg’s—using the technology on 22,000-plus food, beverage, household, pet care and personal care products. If you find a SmartLabel QR code on a package, scan it with your smartphone or visit smartlabel.org and use the SmartLabel Product Search to access detailed product information that won’t fit on a product’s packaging. Possible info includes: nutritional specs, allergens, third-party certifications, social-compliance programs and company/brand details. Find out more at smartlabel.org.

Organic Instant Tea? You Bet

On any given day, more than 159 million Americans are drinking tea, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. One of those people is Jim Lamancusa, the founder of Cusa Tea in Boulder.

“I fell in love with tea and the Asian culture while studying abroad in Hong Kong,” Lamancusa says. An avid outdoorsman, he got the idea for Cusa Tea while on a backpacking trip when friends were breaking out instant coffee packets while he was dealing with soggy tea bags.

Dehydrated tea existed, but it didn’t taste like a fresh-brewed cup of tea, says Lamancusa. He set out on a journey that would take many months and hundreds of tests with a team of botanical scientists to develop a unique cold-steep technology and vacuum crystallization process that produces a great-tasting, instantly dissolvable tea.

Launched in May 2017, Cusa (Lamancusa’s nickname) Tea uses premium USDA-certified organic teas and fruits with no additives, fillers or sugar for its variety of teas that dissolve in either hot or cold water. One packet makes a 12–14-ounce cup.

“I get so many great comments at demos; the number one reaction is that people cannot believe this is instant tea,” says Lamancusa. “I’m proud to share with them that this is the world’s first organic instant tea.” He is also proud of Cusa Tea winning two silver medals in the 2017 Global Tea Championship. Well done! More at cusatea.com.

Granola with Benefits

When she started her holistic nutrition business in 2009, Elizabeth Stein of Boulder-based Purely Elizabeth wasn’t thinking about making granola. Muffins were her forte. “Many of my clients were gluten-free, and I wasn’t seeing healthy options for baked goods to recommend. So, I started to make my own,” she says. Her first recipe was a blueberry muffin mix.

After a broader audience, as well as local media, discovered the muffins at her tent at a local triathlon—“More people were interested in my muffins than my nutrition services,” she laughs—Stein jumped into the muffin and pancake mix business.

Fast-forward to 2011, when she was inspired to make a batch of granola. “My mom was visiting, and she’s a granola connoisseur,” says Stein. “When she tried my blend, she declared, ‘Oh my god, this is the best ever! This needs to be your next product’. ” That Original Ancient Grain Granola blend continues to be a best-seller.

Today, Purely Elizabeth is focused solely on making nutrition-rich granolas, oatmeal and new grain-free superfood bars. “It’s all about creating better food for more people,” says Stein. Visit purelyelizabeth. com to learn more. Also check out Stein’s cookbook, Eating Purely (Skyhorse, 2015).

Go Green

SUPPORT GOOD COMPANIES

USE NATURAL CLEANERS.

Vinegar, baking soda and water can clean most surfaces. You can also buy environmentally friendly cleaners from brands such as Boulder Clean, Seventh Generation, ECOS and Simple Truth, all of which use naturally derived, nontoxic and biodegradable ingredients. Visit livenaturallymagazine.com for cleaning tips from Boulder Clean and other companies.

DITCH THE PLASTIC.

For 2018, Earth Day Network, the organization that leads Earth Day worldwide, is rallying the world to End Plastic Pollution. Join the charge by switching to a reusable, insulated bottle instead of buying bottled water. Bring reusable bags when shopping. And skip using straws—every day Americans use a whopping 500 million straws, which end up in landfills and the ocean.

GREEN YOUR HOME.

Improve energy efficiency in your home by turning down the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees; replace lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lights; and clean or replace filters in your furnace, air conditioner and heat pump.

Visit energy.gov/eere/ femp/home-energy-checklist for more tips.

REDUCE FOOD WASTE.

It’s shocking: 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. is thrown away, half of which happens at home. Action points: Take leftovers for lunch, or incorporate leftovers into a future meal, such as frittatas, soups or casseroles. Reuse food scraps in broths. Store food properly (visit stilltasty.com for tips).

Recycle food scraps into compost.

PLANT A TREE.

Trees filter the air, producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide, which in turn cools the atmosphere and improves air quality. Don’t have a place to plant? Donate to the U.S. Forest Service’s Plant-A-Tree program to have a tree planted on national forestland in your name.

It’s nice to know when companies are doing good things for people and the planet. Here are just a few of many wonderful examples, big and small.

KASHI. The company sources certified transitional ingredients, which supports farmers across 4,200 acres as they convert their land from conventional to organic certification. The latest product: Cinnamon French Toast cereal.

KROGER. This year, the grocer is adding 10 new Fair Trade Certified products to its Simple Truth line. It already presently carries nearly 300 Fair Trade Certified products representing 60 brands.

ANNIE’S HOMEGROWN. Partnering with farmers in Montana to produce an edition of Organic Mac & Cheese and Organic Bunny Grahams made with certified organic ingredients grown using regenerative farming practices.

UNILEVER. The company—with natural lines including Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry’s, Knorr and Pure Leaf—follows the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, a blueprint for all brands to reduce the company’s overall environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact. For the seventh year in a row, Unilever ranked number one on the GlobeScan SustainAbility survey as a global leader on sustainability.

1908 BRANDS. Representing seven natural product brands—including Boulder Clean and Schultz’s sauces—the company donates 1 percent of annual sales to support 1% for the Planet, which benefits nonprofit environmental organizations.

Every April, people around the world celebrate Earth Day as an annual reminder of our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. Here are five ways you can be greener and friendlier to the planet year-round.

A DIFFERENT WAY TO DETOX

How to nurture your body, mind and spirit to flush anxiety and be brilliant.

BY DR. JAMES ROUSE

Afriend recently shared that she was leaving Facebook. She didn’t have the strength or desire to read the daily barrage of posts any more. I understand where she’s coming from: I recently read a study that said that for many in the U.S., the new normal is a moderate grade of constant anxious feelings from a variety of elements.

If you’re one of these people, how can you best deal with anxiety? By trying a different kind of detox for your body, mind and spirit.

Look at detoxing your body as a form of spring cleaning. Start with food and what you put in your body. Think about what you put on your weekly shopping list. Take a scan of what’s in your refrigerator; look at your fridge as a medicine cabinet and ask: What is the ROI—return on ingestion and intention—I’m getting from its contents?

Ingestion: Are you satisfied with the taste of the contents? Are the contents natural and healthy versus unhealthy and processed, giving you the ability to cleanse and detoxify?

Intention: When you’re done eating the contents, do you feel more powerful?

Everything you put through your teeth and across your tongue is a hormonal experience waiting to happen. Food impacts your neurochemistry and your physiology; there is a cause and effect. This spring, consider changing (detoxifying) your food consumption to give you a better ROI and foster greater vitality and courage.

It can be difficult to find a place where you are not being met with toxicity, judgment, ideology and politics. You experience toxicity from media, from people, from your environment. What can you do for peace of mind? You must decide that you truly want to detoxify these negative things from your life by standing guard against the system of power and surround yourself with what you want to become. Remove any elements that bring toxicity to your mind. Tell yourself: “I’m going to stay off social media today. I’m not going to watch the news. I’m not going to engage with that person who pushes my buttons.” Focus your brain on positive elements to begin reaching peace and personal confidence. Research supports that by jotting down five things you are grateful for at the end of each day, you will be more apt to follow through on good intentions for self-care, build a positive and healthy neurochemistry, and enjoy deeper and better sleep.

Optimism is a spiritual practice. Feeling positive and inspired is one of the most powerful tools to fight inflammation and to make you feel stronger and live longer. Are you meeting every day with optimism? This is the real work. Your spirit is intertwined with your body and mind. When you follow through on good intentions to care for your body and mind, your optimism and spirit will thrive and flourish. It’s the ultimate detoxifying and empowering practice.

The cofounder of Optimum Wellness, Dr. James Rouse has a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. He is an inspirational speaker, personal coach, author and the cofounder of Skoop, a line of powdered superfoods.

SHUTTERSTOCK

MIND

SPIRIT

WHAT IS COLDPRESSED BABY FOOD?

Once Upon a Farm uses highpressure processing (HPP), a technique that kills pathogens like listeria, salmonella, E. coli and other deadly bacteria, while maintaining nutritional value, flavors, aromas, colors and textures of the fresh ingredients, as well as extending shelf life. No chemicals. No heat. No additives.

A Fresh Start to Happily Ever After

In time for Mother’s Day, Once Upon a Farm is launching a yummy line of farm-fresh, cold-pressed, organic baby food at your local King Soopers store.

Calling new moms and dads: Who doesn’t want their baby to eat delicious and nutritious food? Once Upon a Farm is here to help.

“Parents make an inherent promise to their baby when they’re born,” says company cofounder Jennifer Garner, a mother of three, as well as a child advocate and award-winning actress. When you have a newborn, “it’s hard to fit everything in and hard to find a balance—it doesn’t exist. In the middle of that, you are asking, ‘How am I going to make fresh, healthy food for my baby?’ Once Upon a Farm’s goal is to help moms and dads keep their promise.”

So, what’s special about this product? Unlike most shelf-stable baby food in jars and pouches on grocery-store shelves, Once Upon a Farm’s certified-organic fruit and veggie blends and applesauce are cold-processed to preserve flavor and nutrition. “Our products are never heated, never messed with, so vitamins and nutrients in the ingredients are as fresh as when you pick them from a tree or harvest them,” says Garner.

Flavors range from one-ingredient pouches for ages 5 months and older, to blends for kids 7-months-plus, 9-months-plus and 18-months-plus that include

BY REBECCA HEATON

nutrient-dense ingredients, such as avocado, coconut oil and hemp seed to support optimum nutrition for a child’s every stage of development. And every pouch is BPA-free, can be recycled via TerraCycle and features a clear window, so you can see what’s inside.

Find these fun flavors at King Soopers in the yogurt section:

Green Kale & Apples

Mama Bear Blueberry

Wild Rumpus Avocado

“My mom grew up on a farm, and during my years growing up in West Virginia [where the family shopped at Kroger!] with my two sisters, my mom was always connecting us to what she was growing in the garden,” shares Garner. “She wanted to make sure we ate well, and she made everything we ate.” Now Garner is carrying on the tradition through Once Upon a Farm, which sources the bulk of its ingredients from organic farms across the U.S., plus a few abroad.

“I am looking forward to helping moms pass along food as close to homemade as possible,” she says.

OhMyMega Veggie

Sun-Shiny

Strawberry Patch

All flavors are USDA-certified organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and kosher.

Bar Exam

What to look for in a protein bar. »

BY REBECCA HEATON

Protein

“I wouldn’t go lower than 4 grams of protein in a bar; closer to 6 is better,” says Taub-Dix. “I like to use the reference that 1 ounce of chicken, or about a half-cup of beans or a slice of cheese, contain 6 to 7 grams of protein.” Check the quality of the protein source, too. “Meat should be grass-fed or cage-free,” she says, adding that nuts are her top preferred protein source.

Sugar

“Sugar is not always listed as s-u-g-a-r on labels,” says Taub-Dix. “Look at the ingredient list: There could be dextrose, maltose, rice syrup or organic cane juice. ‘Organic’ may sound healthy, but it is still just sugar.” She notes that some companies are ahead of the curve in updating their labels to new standards, in which natural and added sugars are differentiated.

“KIND bars are a great example, as they delineate between natural sugar from fruit and then added sugar,” she says.

Protein bars—they’re everywhere. So how do you know which are the healthiest options? We asked Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of betterthandieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It (CreateSpace, 2017), about how to decide.

“A lot of people look for one nutrient over another in a bar versus looking for something that is balanced,” says Taub-Dix. She stresses choosing a bar with a balance of high-quality nutrients. “Do your homework. Read labels closely, and look for ingredients that are as recognizable as possible,” she says.

Fiber

“I like to see at least 3 to 5 grams of fiber in a bar, in particular coming from nuts,” says Taub-Dix, adding that some bars can have up to 12 grams of fiber. “If you choose a bar that’s higher in fiber, be sure to drink a lot of water or fluids to help your body digest it.”

Calories

If you’re trying to watch your weight, Taub-Dix recommends sticking to a bar with 100 to 200 calories. If you’re athletic and work out, 250 to 350 calories is acceptable. “If you’re eating a bar before a workout, I recommend eating it at least 30 minutes ahead,” she says.

Sodium

According to Taub-Dix, the recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,300 mg. “Considering that so many foods we eat are processed, keep an eye on sodium in a bar versus what else you’re having during the day.” 3 BARS

EPIC Bar

Made with 100 percent humanely raised meat, poultry and fish, these bars (with 7 to 15 grams of protein, depending on flavor) are also host to wholesome fruit, nuts and seeds for added nutrition and taste. Glutenfree and low in sugar, too. epicbar.com

RX Bar

Each whole-food bar is made with a few simple ingredients—egg whites, fruits and nuts—all listed right on front of the label. With 12 grams of protein plus natural flavors and spices, bars are also gluten-, dairy- and soy-free. rxbar.com

KIND Protein From Real Food

The bulk of the protein (12 grams) in each of these nutrient-dense bars comes from either almonds or peanuts, with more goodness from seeds, whole grains and fruit. Other pluses: high in fiber, low in sodium and gluten-free. kindsnacks.com

VEGETABLES

“Cruciferous vegetables are good sources of fermentable fiber and polyphenols necessary for gut health, which in turn reduces one of the primary sources of liver inflammation,” says Barry Sears, Ph.D., president of the Inflammation Research Foundation and author of The Zone Diet series (zonediet.com).

Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are high in fiber, and studies show that beets contain beneficial compounds that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to liver disease. Beta-carotene-packed carrots also remove toxins and heavy metals from the liver, says Rebecca Lee, R.N., whose website, remediesforme.com, provides natural and holistic health remedies.

Love Your Liver

Recharge this workhorse organ with a clean and nourishing diet.

BY SUJA NATARAJAN

The liver may be the body’s most underrated organ. It’s the dedicated manager of up to 500 tasks, including nutrient storage, metabolism upkeep, immunity and digestion. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is thought to regulate the smooth flow of qi, or the vital energy necessary for health and well-being, and spring is considered the season when the liver’s energy reaches its full height. That means it’s an ideal time to nourish and cleanse it with natural, detoxifying foods.

FRUITS

Numerous types of fruit are rich in antioxidants that nourish the liver. Lee recommends lemons, because they contain especially high levels of vitamin C, which elevates the body’s glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that, among its many functions, activates detoxifying enzymes in the liver. Lemons also decrease inflammation and help flush out uric acid and other buildups, Lee says. Dr. Sears suggests berries, particularly blueberries, because they contain the highest levels of antioxidant-like polyphenols and a minimal amount of natural sugar, supporting liver health.

HEALTHY FATS

Excess fat in the body exhausts the liver and impedes its performance. According to a study published in Gastroenterology Research and Practice, omega-3 fatty acids reduced liver fat in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Reduction of saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids will decrease the production of proinflammatory compounds, suggests Sears. Mackerel, salmon fish oil, walnuts, flaxseed, olive oil and avocado are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

HERBS

Lee says you can also support your liver with herbs, including milk thistle, which several studies suggest may protect the liver from toxins, and dandelion root, a natural diuretic that helps flush toxins from organs, including the liver. The antioxidant properties of garlic keep toxic substances filtered by your liver from reaching other organs, and research has shown that turmeric can boost the liver’s protective and regenerative properties.

SULFUR-RICH FOODS

The fermentable fiber in sulfur-rich foods provides gut microbiota nutrients to assist in repair of a leaky gut, thereby reducing liver inflammation, says Sears. Sulfur also facilitates conversion of water-soluble toxins for rapid elimination through bile or urine. Onion, garlic, artichokes, leeks and shallots are a few sulfur-rich foods.

DID YOU KNOW? .

With the help of vitamin K, the liver produces proteins that are important in blood clotting. It is also one of the organs that break down old or damaged blood cells. The liver plays a central role in all metabolic processes in the body. In fat metabolism, the liver cells break down fats and produce energy.

Embrace the Second Spring

Experiencing menopause symptoms? Here are healthy ways to navigate this life change with grace.

BY DR. DEBRA ROUSE

Spring signifies a time of transition. We often shift our diets from heavier roots and starches into lighter greens and berries emerging from their winter slumber. We begin to plan for warmer weather by storing away heavy coats and sweaters and bringing out lighter wear.

Springtime is a lot like menopause. There can be frequent temperature changes: We’re hot, we’re cold, it’s sunny, it’s snowing. The season, like menopause, is a time of reflection, rejuvenation and liberation. It’s no wonder that Chinese culture refers to menopause as the “Second Spring.”

The Second Spring

A celebration of life experience and wisdom, the Second Spring is a time to pursue self-discovery and new beginnings. Many of us spend the first part of our lives in service to our body’s cycles. Some of us feel a call and even a sense of biological and social obligation to motherhood. Menopause marks this beginning of midlife where opportunities shift—maybe we’re empty nesters or we’re reinventing ourselves. It’s a time to remember our purpose and empower our pursuits of self-discovery.

Navigating Menopause

Without getting into a complex discussion about the pros and cons of hormone therapy (HT) during menopause, there are some key factors to consider when you talk to your doctor about the best options to treat your particular symptoms.

MOST WOMEN EXPERIENCE MENOPAUSE AFTER AGE 40 AND SPEND A THIRD OF THEIR LIVES IN THIS PHASE.

But that can be challenging when we’re distracted by fluctuating hormones, which alter our physiology. Night sweats and sleep disruption, weight gain, memory decline, dry skin, hair loss, decreased sex drive, vaginal dryness and hot flashes because of variable hormones can interfere with the celebration of wisdom, creativity and freedom of the Second Spring.

Thankfully, there are natural (and pharmaceutical) strategies that can help you weather this time with ease and grace.

To start, ask your doctor to prescribe a proper laboratory evaluation to rule out possible deficiencies or excesses. Request a full (blood) thyroid panel (including antibodies), a comprehensive metabolic panel and complete blood count (CBC), as well as numbers for vitamin D, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and (salivary) cortisol. Your results will help you and your doctor choose the best course of action.

The primary (but not the only) reasons to consider HT at perimenopause and/or menopause include: protecting your bones, connective tissues and brain; alleviating moderate to severe symptoms; and replacing deficiencies. However, if you have a personal or family history of breast, ovarian or endometrial cancer; smoking; stroke; or blood clots, you

usually are not a good candidate for HT.

If you’re not bothered by symptoms of menopause or are not a candidate for HT, there are other ways to protect your body and brain, including daily moderately vigorous exercise, a clean and healthy diet that includes at least seven servings daily of fresh fruits and vegetables and phytonutrients like turmeric for age-related oxidative stress, meditation, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, and herbal and dietary supplements.

Depending on what symptoms are bothering you the most, determining the underlying cause of those symptoms will dictate the direction of your treatment. While you work with your doctor on options, ease symptoms like hot flashes by consuming more phytoestrogen (plantbased) foods, including fermented red clover; fermented, organic soy (tempeh, miso); oats; flaxseed; cherries; and garbanzo beans. For better sleep, try melatonin, magnolia or passionflower.

Dr. Debra Rouse is a registered naturopathic doctor and member of the Institute for Functional Medicine. She is also cofounder of Optimum Wellness . drdebrarouse.com

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Our pick

Why we like it

KITCHEN

HEALTHY CHIPS P22 // KITCHEN GADGETS P24 // NEW COOKBOOKS P25

Plant-Powered Milks

Dive into the ever-deepening pool of nondairy options.

BY KELLEE KATAGI

More millennials consume dairy alternatives than any other generation (double those in Gen X!), suggests recent research from Comax Flavors, a world leader in flavor technology. That means the trend toward plant-based milks is only bound to grow, with options becoming tastier, healthier and more creative. Already, you’ll find base ingredients, such as pea and quinoa, that weren’t available even a few years ago. Here are some of our favorites.

SO GREEN.

The new So Delicious line of Organic Almondmilk with Cashew is available in recyclablecustom-designed, bottles that are at least 80 plant-based.percent

RICE

Ripple Original

This smooth, pea-based beverage is nutritionally fairly similar to dairy milk. Peas are naturally high in protein, so each cup delivers 8 grams. Plus, it’s fortified with 45% of your RDA of calcium and 30% RDA of vitamin D per serving. The flavor is mildly sweet (6 grams of sugar), with just the faintest hint of peas.

Using a mere 3 grams of sugar per serving, this milk offers just the right amount of sweet to complement its slightly nutty taste. It’s also fortified with 50% more calcium than you’ll find in a serving of cow’s milk. Bonus: Its package is BPA-free.

Dream

With an impressive 50% RDA of vitamin B12, 35% of vitamin E and 30% of calcium, this beverage delivers key nutrients for plantbased eaters. Its 7 grams of sugar per serving provides a pleasantly sweet flavor without too much guilt.

Silk Unsweetened Soymilk

Soy milk is a longtimefavorite dairy alternative, because soy is one of the few non-animal sources of complete proteins. This drink contains 7 grams of heart-healthy soy protein per serving, along with 50% of your daily B12 needs and 45% of calcium. Best of all, it has none of the aftertaste that you get with some soy milks.

So

Unsweetened

A coconut-cream base backs up the “delicious” claim of this 100% organic milk, while fortifications of 50% RDA of vitamin B12, 30% of vitamin D and 10% of magnesium makes it nutritious as well. Your taste buds will enjoy it, too.

Our tasters say Also try

“Creamy, not chalky.”

Bonus points for

“Very subtle almond flavor.”

“Earthy, subtly nutty.”

GF K NG O

Bolthouse Farms Original

Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almond

“Agreeable and mild flavor; smooth.”

“Just a touch of the tropics—yum!”

Pacific Original Ultra Soy

Silk Original Coconut

Although we call dairy alternatives “milk,” most don’t naturally have much in common nutritionally with cows’ milk. If you use milk as a protein source, pea or soy beverages are a good bet. For calcium or vitamin D, look for fortified products. Some brands, such as Silk, are even adding prebiotics to select products. You may want to opt for unsweetened varieties to minimize added sugars, but the resulting flavors are often bland.

Rice Dream Organic Original Enriched Rice Drink

Blends Original Rice and Quinoa

Califia Farms Vanilla Almondmilk

Delicious Organic Coconut Milk

Good for Your Gut

Four fermented foods with plentiful probiotics to keep your tummy happy.

The number is remarkable: In an average lifetime, more than 132,000 pounds of food pass through the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, along with an abundance of microorganisms that can negatively affect your gut health, according to an article in Gut, a journal of the British Society of Gastroenterology. Fortunately, research also shows that you can counter those harmful bacteria with the beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods, which aid digestion and immune function. Here are four fermented foods you should be eating more to enhance gut health.

Kefir

A fermented milk drink—it tastes a bit like drinkable yogurt—kefir is full of protein, calcium and probiotics. Because it’s fermented, most people who are lactose-intolerant can drink kefir.

TRY Lifeway Strawberry Lowfat

Organic Kefir: This USDA Organic kefir contains 12 probiotic cultures, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, which helps you absorb nutrients, and Bifidobacterium longum, which breaks down carbohydrates and neutralizes toxins.

Yogurt

Most yogurt brands in the U.S. contain probiotics. Those labeled with a Live & Active Culture (LAC) seal contain at least 100 million probiotic cultures per gram (about 17 billion cultures in a 6-ounce cup) at manufacturing time.

TRY Chobani

A Hint of Gili Cherry: Protein-rich Greek yogurt, blended with a bit of sugar and natural fruits and flavors. Contains live and active cultures and three probiotics, including L. acidophilus.

Tempeh

Made from naturally fermented soybeans, tempeh has a slightly nutty flavor and is a good source of probiotics, as well as protein and essential amino acids. A 2013 study found that soy tempeh stimulates growth of Bifidobacterium, a probiotic strain that produces lactic acid, which in turn enhances cells that naturally protect the intestinal-wall lining.

TRY Lightlife Three Grain

Organic Tempeh: Made with a blend of brown rice, barley and millet, plus probiotic-laden cultured soybeans. This USDA Organic meat substitute is great baked, steamed or in stir-fries.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a tangy, effervescent tea made from a SCOBY (bacteria and yeast), sugar, tea and water, and often flavored with herbs or fruit. Along with B vitamins and natural acids, kombucha contains numerous strains of probiotics, such as Acetobacter, which produces acids to aid digestion, and Lactobacillus, which produces lactic acid. Because ingredients vary, not all kombucha will contain the same strains.

TRY Simple Truth Organic Blueberry

Grape Kombucha: Fermented over four months per batch, this blend may remind you of drinking a healthy grape soda. One billion CFUs of probiotics are added to each USDA Organic bottle.

Oh Boy, Bok Choy!

TIP:

Don’t let the unusual name intimidate you. Bok choy is a mild-tasting, leafy veggie that is simple to make and ridiculously good for you. In fact, it ranks number six out of all foods as having the most nutrients per calorie.

What’s in It?

Bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable, which means some of its more common cousins include kale, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. In taste, it’s most similar to mustard greens (another fellow crucifer), although it’s much milder, with almost a sweet taste to it. In the produce aisle, you’ll also find baby bok choy, which is a less mature (and much cuter!) version of the regular variety with slightly more tender leaves.

What’s inside?

One cup of bok choy delivers 63 percent of your daily vitamin A needs, 52 percent of vitamin C and 40 percent of vitamin K. It packs potassium, lutein, folate and 70 antioxidants, which makes it a candidate for cancer prevention, according to research. Bok choy loses a smidge of its nutrients when it’s cooked, but it’s also easier to eat more cooked than raw, so you’ll probably come out about even.

What do you do with tt?

Eat it raw: Bok choy makes an excellent salad base or shell for lettuce wraps.

Don’t be afraid to eat the stalks—even raw. They’re tender, refreshing and way less stringy than those on most leafy greens.

Stir-fry it: Its Asian heritage means it’s a natural fit for stir-fries. Or try it as a side dish, lightly sautéed with a bit of oil, garlic and ginger.

Add it in: Stir it into any soup that can accommodate leafy greens (don’t forget the stalks!), or sprinkle torn pieces of bok choy into your scrambled eggs in the last few moments of cooking. The mild flavor makes it a good choice for a smoothie mix-in, too.

Grill it: Leave whole or cut in half lengthwise. Brush or toss with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt, and grill to desired charred-ness, 3–6 minutes per side. Or place in a grill basket and toss halfway through.

I SAY BOK CHOY; YOU SAY PAKCHOI

Its Cantonese name means “white cabbage,” but the English spelling of bok choy can take many forms, including “bok choi,” “pakchoi,” “buk choy” and “pok choi.” It’s also known as Chinese white cabbage, celery cabbage, Chinese mustard and white celery mustard. It’s a close relative of napa cabbage, which, unlike bok choy, grows in a compact head.

Among the top 10 most nutrientdense foods on the planet, this Chinese favorite is easy to prepare. Oh, and it tastes great, too.

BY KELLEE KATAGI

AWAY Chips

The chip aisle harbors a rainbow of options using a variety of ingredients, oils and cooking styles to suit all tastes. Crunch down on some of our favorites.

Popchips

Popchips are made via an oil-free method of heating the potatoes in a pressurized chamber until they “pop.” Chips are then coated with oleic oils, which various studies have shown support cardiovascular health, ease inflammation and help reduce appetite.

FLAVOR PICK

Barbeque

Terra Real Vegetable Chips Made with Avocado Oil

The sweetness of sweet potato combines with the rich, buttery taste of avocado in these savory chips. While not as well-known as more traditional cooking oils, avocado oil is rich in antioxidants and healthy fats.

FLAVOR PICK

Sweet Chipotle

Kettle Brand Potato Chips Cooked in 100% Almond Oil

These are the first potato chips to be cooked in 100 percent almond oil. A healthy alternative to many other cooking oils, almond oil has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in men and women, according to a University of California Davis study.

FLAVOR PICK

Wood Smoked Sea Salt

Garden of Eatin’ Blue Corn Chips

These always-dippable chips come from consciously sourced organic blue corn. They are made with expeller-pressed oils in a chemical-free process that can enhance flavor because the oil isn’t heated to a high temperature.

FLAVOR PICK

Red Hot Blues

Rhythm Superfoods Beet Chips

Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber for digestion and potassium for healthy nerve and muscle function. And they’re so much more fun to eat in a crunchy dehydrated (not fried) chip form.

FLAVOR PICK Sea Salt

Food Should Taste Good

Tortilla Chips

This line is a healthy, taste bud-pleasing spin on traditional tortilla chips. Sturdy for dipping in salsa, guacamole or hummus, they’re also flavorful enough to munch on their own.

FLAVOR PICK

Multigrain

Boulder Canyon

Olive Oil Kettle Cooked

Potato Chips

If you like the rich, aromatic taste of olive oil, with its healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, try these chips. They’re made the kettle-cooked way, in smaller batches, which results in a thicker chip with a slightly caramelized flavor.

FLAVOR PICK

Sea Salt

No Sticking

There’s a new nonstick cookware in town: HexClad. Each pan, from 8-inch to wok size, features a tri-ply layer of stainless steel, aluminum and stainless steel, coated with a patented hexagon-patterned, nonstick surface on both the inside and outside of the pan for easier cleaning. The PFOA-free combo offers durability and faster, even heat conductivity. And unlike other nonstick pans, you can use metal utensils on the surface. Starts at $89.99 for 8-inch pan. hexclad.com

Speedy Salads

Kitchen Toys

Instant Pot

It’s a rice cooker, it’s a slow cooker, it’s a sauté pan, it’s a steamer, it’s a yogurt maker, and—perhaps most interestingly—it’s a pressure cooker, which means it can cut cooking times dramatically (30-minute baked potatoes, anyone?). The Instant Pot can revolutionize the way you cook. That said, it does demand a learning curve. Shorten that curve with How to Instant Pot (Workman, 2017) by Daniel Shumski, which also includes 100 Instant Pot recipes. Units start at $79.95. instantpot.com

Perfect Pizza

Cooking and entertaining are more fun with cool kitchen tools.

The simple yet smart Websun Salad Cutter Bowl is a combo colander and cutting board that allows you to wash and chop your salad quickly, using just one dish. A bonus for kids and others still developing knife skills: The design makes it very hard to cut yourself as you chop. As for the directions on the box… let’s just say English may not be the first language of the person who wrote them, but fortunately the bowl is simple enough that directions aren’t really needed. $12.99, amazon.com

Craving some restaurantquality homemade pizza? The T-fal Airbake Nonstick 16-inch Copper Pizza Pan can help. Made from durable carbon steel for even heating and a copper nonstick coating to prevent burning, the pan is perforated to evenly release moisture for that perfect pie. For a crispier crust, roll out and bake dough solo 8 to 10 minutes before adding toppings. Pan is oven-safe up to 450 degrees. $14.99, t-falusa.com

Belgian-Style Waffles

You’ll be a hit at breakfast or brunch with the Krups 4 Slice Belgian Waffle Maker. The unit features five adjustable browning settings, from light to dark, to suit your preferences. While you entertain guests, red and green indicator lights and audible beeps let you know when the waffle maker is on, when it’s ready to bake and when waffles are ready. Removable nonstick die-cast plates make cleaning easy. $59.99, krupsusa.com

VERSATILE PESTO

In her latest release, The Pesto Cookbook (Storey, 2018), Olwen Woodier, author of multiple cookbooks and owner of the Glenfiddich Farm Cookery School in Virginia, proves there’s more to pesto than just basil. Woodier shares 49 diverse and delicious pesto and sauce recipes using a range of fresh ingredients with flavors from around the globe, like Brazilian Tempero Puree; Peanut-Sesame Pesto; and Sweet Pepper, Almond and Chive Romesco. She also includes 67 creative recipes for cooking with pesto—in salads, snacks, entrées and even some desserts—to show the versatility of these simple sauces.

WHAT’S COOKING?

NURTURE YOUR BRAIN

For 20 years, Delia McCabe has been researching how food influences brain function. In Feed Your Brain: The Cookbook (Exisle, 2017), she provides a collection of 100 quick, easy and delicious recipes to keep the brain in tip-top shape. “Your brain is your primary survival organ; therefore it is also the hungriest and most nutrient-demanding organ that you possess,” she writes. Recipes include top brain foods, such as nuts and legumes (Pecan and Bean Burgers), colorful fruits and vegetables (Green and White Salad), and even dark chocolate (Chocolate Clusters).

RESTORE HORMONAL BALANCE

Millions of women suffer from symptoms caused by hormone imbalance, such as digestive issues, weight gain, anxiety and mood swings. In her new book Cooking for Hormone Balance (HarperOne, 2018), certified health coach and founder of Hormones & Balance (hormonesbalance.com)

Magdalena Wszelaki provides a research-backed guide with detailed meal plans and 125 recipes full of hormone-supporting superfoods. Healing recipes include Zucchini Olive Muffins, Sweet Potato and Sage Pancakes, and a Decadent Chocolate Cherry Smoothie.

FEED THE FAMILY

Food blogger and Today food contributor Siri Daly knows how hard it is to prepare healthy meals for a family. In her new cookbook, Siriously Delicious (Oxmoor House, 2018), the busy mother of three has created 100 easy-to-follow recipes with accessible ingredients and simple cooking tips to make recipes both kid- and parent-friendly. Notables include lighter, healthier Chicken Parmigiana Burgers, Greek Nachos and a family favorite, Bacon Pizzadillas. There’s even an adults-only, happy hourinspired section of fun mixed drinks.

The Picky-Eater Cure

Tempt foodies and veggie-phobes alike with these tasty ways to serve vegetables that are anything but garden variety.

BY KRISTA CRABTREE

The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults and kids (ages 8 and up) consume 2½ cups daily of a variety of vegetables. But a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report revealed that fewer than 10 percent of Americans achieve this. According to the CDC, a plant-heavy diet has been shown to reduce the risk of everything from type 2 diabetes and obesity to cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. So how can you get your family to eat more veggies? Try these ideas to infuse your vegetable offerings with fun, flavor and flair.

Brussels sprouts

For full flavor, Fischer recommends cooking brussels sprouts the way his mom did: Roast sprouts until tender; then finish in a pan with butter or olive oil and Parmesan. For more umami, add bacon or crushed, toasted hazelnuts.

Brocollini

Its long, thin stalks and small florets lend themselves well to roasting. For crispy broccolini, spread out stalks on a sheet pan, sprinkle with olive oil and salt, and roast until slightly brown.

Kale

Aside from roasting crispy kale chips, Fischer’s favorite cooking method is to sauté the greens with butter, onions and garlic. At the end, add salt and pepper, plus a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to broaden the flavor profile.

Artichokes

A tasty, hands-on treat. Steam artichokes for an hour, or until tender. Serve in a bowl, pull off leaves, and dip in melted, salted butter or mayo. Bite down on a leaf, and pull it through your closed teeth to remove the flesh. After you’ve finished the leaves, scrape off the choke, or the fuzzy part, to get to the heart.

Fries

Polenta fries are a good french-fry alternative, says Fischer. Add milk or stock to finely ground cornmeal in a pot, and stir until thickened. Spread mixture on a sheet pan, and cool in the fridge. Cut into shapes, sprinkle with cornmeal, and fry in avocado oil. Serve with a roasted red pepper aioli, made by blending roasted red pepper, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Spaghetti Squash

Swap out noodles for vegetables with spaghetti squash. Roast a spaghetti squash, scoop out the middle, and serve like a taco with beans, sautéed vegetables and cheese, or with a marinara sauce and fresh basil.

When cooking veggies, remember the flavor balance of sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami [savory],” says David Fischer, a career sous chef and protégé of James Beard award-winning chef Colby Garrelts. “If you hit three out of the five flavor profiles, your mouth will water.

An Eye on Carrots

Slice ’em. Grate ’em. Julienne ’em. Sauté ’em. Bake ’em. Carrots are one of the world’s most versatile vegetables.

HISTORY

Carrots are a member of the Apiaceae family, which also includes celery, parsnip, dill, fennel, coriander and cilantro. Carrots can be loosely divided into two types: Eastern and Western.

Eastern carrots are closer to the original carrot domesticated in Persia more than 1,000 years ago and are usually purple or yellow.

Western carrots first appeared in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The story goes that Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch royal family. Western types are generally classified by their root shapes into Chantenay, Danvers, Imperator and Nantes varieties.

Although most carrots sold in the U.S. are orange, other colors such as white, red, yellow or purple can occasionally be found.

WHAT'S INSIDE

Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, a carotenoid that gives the vegetable its orange color. Once ingested, beta-carotene converts to vitamin A, which supports vision, the immune system and reproduction. One cup of carrots contains 428 percent (21,383 IU) of the recommended daily value (DV). Beta-carotene also acts as an antioxidant to protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, which can cause chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

OTHER NUTRIENTS IN 1 CUP OF CARROTS:

Vitamin K 21% DV 16.9 mcg

Vitamin C 13% DV 7.6 mg

Potassium 12% DV 410 mg

Fiber 14% DV 3.6 grams

DID YOU KNOW?

Carrots are popular in the food-coloring industry—they are one of the raw materials used by GNT, a global manufacturer of natural food colorings made exclusively from fruits, vegetables and other plants. The main carrotderived colors are orange and red, but they are often mixed with other raw materials for color variations.

Get Creative with Carrots

From savory to sweet, these fresh carrot recipes show innovative ways to prepare this healthy root veggie.

THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CONSUMES 8.3 POUNDS OF CARROTS EACH YEAR. (VEGETABLE AND MELON OUTLOOK, 2016)

CARROTOATMEAL BREAKFAST BISCUITS

DID YOU KNOW?

California produces more than 85 percent of all carrots grown in the United States. Michigan and Texas are other prolific carrotproducing states.

“Baby carrots” are actually very young carrots harvested while the vegetables are still quite tiny. Baby-cut carrot products are among the most popular items in the produce section.

ASIANSALADWITHCARROTGREENS

STORAGE

Carrots can be stored for one to two weeks. Store them in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel to reduce condensation. Keep them away from apples, pears, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables that produce ethylene gas; it will cause them to become bitter.

Don’t store on the counter at room temperature.

ROASTED CARROT BABA GHANOUSH WITH PITA CHIPS

BROWN SUGAR CARROT BLINTZES WITH BERRY SAUCE

Roasted Carrot Baba Ghanoush

SERVES 6-8

Olive oil, for grilling and garnish

2 large eggplants

3 large carrots, peeled

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

4 tablespoons tahini

3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

4 cloves garlic

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped pistachios, for garnish

Smoked paprika, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to medium high and oil.

2. Lightly coat eggplants and carrots with olive oil. Grill covered, about 10 minutes. Turn vegetables; then continue to roast another 12–15 minutes, turning both eggplants and carrots every few minutes.*

3. Once veggies are charred and beginning to soften, remove from grill and place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam 15 minutes.

4. Remove skin from eggplants; squeeze a bit of water out of eggplants. Place eggplants and carrots in a food processor along with remaining ingredients, except garnishes. Pulse until smooth; season to taste.

Asian Salad with Carrot Greens, Grilled Tofu and Carrot-Sesame Dressing

SERVES 6-8

TOFU

1 (14-ounce) package firm or extra-firm tofu

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

¼ cup tamari

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

CARROT-SESAME DRESSING

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon white miso paste

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1⁄8 cup peeled, finely grated carrot

ASIAN SALAD

1 bunch carrots, with greens on

1 bunch lacinato kale

1 small head napa cabbage

1 medium-sized zucchini

1 large watermelon radish

2 tablespoons toasted white and black sesame seeds, for garnish

Brown Sugar

Carrot Blintzes with Berry Sauce

Find online at optimumwellnessmagazine.com

5. Place dip in a shallow bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped pistachios and a dusting of smoked paprika. Serve with pita chips and fresh veggies.

PER SERVING: 260 CAL; 9G PROTEIN; 13G FAT; 34G CARB (7G SUGARS); 320MG SODIUM; 5G FIBER

*If no grill is available, place rack in middle of oven, and turn broiler on high. Line baking sheet with foil. Pierce eggplants and place on baking sheet with carrots; broil 2 minutes on all sides, until skins darken. Turn off broiler; turn oven to 375˚, and roast veggies until very soft: carrots 15–20 minutes, eggplants 25–30. Allow to cool. Proceed with step 4.

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice tofu into ½-inch slices.

2. Whisk remaining tofu ingredients in a bowl.

3. Cover tofu with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

4. For dressing, place all ingredients in a sealable container and shake vigorously.

5. Preheat grill to medium high. If no grill, preheat broiler on medium heat with rack 6 inches from the top.

6. For salad, remove greens from carrots; chop greens into small, bite-sized pieces. Chop kale and cabbage into ¼-inch shreds. Place all greens in a mixing bowl.

7. Peel carrots. Use a spiralizer to spiral-cut carrots and zucchini. Add to mixing bowl with greens.

8. Using a chef's knife or a slicing blade on a food processor, slice radish paper-thin. Place in salad bowl with greens and vegetables.

9. Grill tofu, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Cut into thinner slices or cubes. If no grill, place tofu in a 9x13-inch baking dish and broil, flipping once, until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes.

10. Toss greens and vegetables with dressing; disperse among 6–8 salad bowls. Top with tofu; garnish with sesame seeds.

PER SERVING: 190 CAL; 9G PROTEIN; 11G FAT; 16G CARB (8G SUGARS); 590MG SODIUM; 3G FIBER

Carrot and Kasha Kugel

SERVES 6-8

6 large eggs, divided

1 cup kasha

2 cups vegetable stock

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 pound carrots, peeled

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

¼ teaspoon salt

Plain Greek yogurt, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°; lightly grease cupcake tin. Bring stock to a simmer on stove.

2. Meanwhile, beat one egg in a small bowl. Add kasha, and stir until well-coated.

3. Place egg and kasha mix in a saucepan over medium heat; stir constantly with a wooden spoon until egg begins to dry.

4. Pour stock over kasha, and stir thoroughly. Cover and cook over low heat 10–15 minutes, or until kasha has absorbed all liquid. Remove from heat, fluff, and season with salt and pepper.

5. Shred carrots in a food processor or with a cheese grater.

6. In a small frying pan, heat oil over medium-high, and sauté onion until translucent and fragrant.

7. In a large mixing bowl, beat remaining five eggs. Mix with kasha, shredded carrots, onions and salt, until well combined.

8. Fill cupcake tins ¾ full, and bake until firm and golden brown, 35–40 minutes. Remove from tins, and serve warm with yogurt.

PER SERVING: 170 CAL; 8G PROTEIN; 5G FAT; 24G CARB (5G SUGARS); 260MG SODIUM; 4G FIBER

Carrot Oatmeal

Breakfast Biscuits

MAKES 16 COOKIES

1 cup instant oats

¾ cup whole-wheat flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Earth Balance

Spread (or unsalted butter), melted and cooled slightly

1 large egg white, room temp

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons almond or soy milk, room temp

1 medium carrot, peeled, grated

1⁄8 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Brown sugar, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325°; line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together butter, egg white, honey and vanilla. Stir in milk. Add in flour mixture. Gently fold in carrots and pumpkin seeds. Chill dough in refrigerator 30 minutes.

4. Place scoops of cookie dough onto sheet; flatten with a spatula. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake 10–13 minutes. Cool on pan before transferring to a wire rack.

PER SERVING: 160 CAL; 4G PROTEIN; 5G FAT; 27G CARB (10G SUGARS); 110MG SODIUM; 3G FIBER

Optimum Wellness is excited to partner with Johnson & Wales University. Natavia Cook, Chloe Rothschild and Chef Adam Sacks (l to r) developed these recipes. Known as a recognized leader in culinary education, JWU is changing the way the world eats. For info, visit jwu.edu/denver.

First Cereal to Contain Amazing

Grain Berry Onyx® Sorghum™; an ancient grain that provides more natural plant fiber, more powerful antioxidants to protect your body from harmful free radicals and helps slow sugar absorption into the bloodstream. A healthy cereal that doesn’t sacrifice flavor!

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ORDERED BY : JANA FREIDMAN

P.O. NUMBER : SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET JA INVOICE NO. : 1546289

P.O. NUMBER : SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET JA

INVOICE NO. : 1546289

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NOTICE: This DigiCode™ file is considered original artwork. It must be inspected by the purchaser. Use of this file confirms acceptance. Any modification of this or distortion is prohibited. See back of the Symbology invoice for Limitation of Warranty.

Brain. Power.

Ultimate Omega is one smart supplement. It offers powerful support for brain health and cognition in just two daily soft gels—high-value omega-3s in a smaller serving.* No wonder it’s the #1 omega-3 fish oil in the U.S.†

Noodles from the East

Broaden your noodle repertoire with these four flavor-filled, Asian-inspired dishes that are a cinch to prepare—and some are gluten-free, too! BY GENEVIEVE DOLL

Udon Noodles with Chicken, Bok Choy and Almond Sauce

Soft and chewy, udon is a Japanese wheat noodle, neutral in flavor. It makes an excellent blank canvas to showcase this rich, umami almond sauce. SERVES 4

SAUCE

¾ cup almond butter

¼ cup tamari

¼ cup lime juice

¼ cup water

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup sesame oil

1 (13-ounce) bag udon noodles

1½ tablespoons coconut oil

1 pound boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced (about ¼ inch)

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound baby bok choy, 1-inch slices

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients with exception of ¼ cup sesame oil, until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in sesame oil to emulsify. Season to taste.

2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add udon noodles; stir to separate. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, until tender.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt coconut oil. Add chicken and salt; sauté 5–7 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through. Add bok choy, and sauté about 4 minutes, until softened.

4. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

5. Serve chicken and bok choy over a mound of noodles; drizzle generously with almond sauce.

Soba Noodle and Edamame Salad with Miso Dressing

Soba noodles are made with buckwheat, which is gluten-free, but they also often include wheat, so be sure to check the package if you don’t eat gluten. For optimal texture, soba noodles are best served immediately after cooking.

SERVES 6

1 pound frozen, shelled edamame

1 (13-ounce) bag soba noodles

1⁄3 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons yellow miso

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons honey

1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne

¼ cup sesame oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 medium cucumber, medium dice

2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into ribbons with a peeler

½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped Sesame seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a medium pot; add edamame. Return water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 2–3 minutes, until beans are hot. Strain, and rinse with cold water. Transfer edamame to a large bowl.

2. Fill the same pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add noodles, return water to a boil, stirring to separate noodles. Reduce heat to low, and simmer about 3 minutes, until tender. Strain, and rinse with cold water. Add to bowl with edamame.

3. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, miso, ginger, honey and cayenne. Drizzle in sesame oils, and whisk to emulsify.

4. Add to noodles, along with cucumber, carrots and cilantro. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds.

NOODLES MAY BE WRAPPED WITH THIN PAPER TAPE WITHIN PACKAGING. DOUBLE-CHECK BEFORE PLACING IN WATER.

How to poach an egg

In a shallow saucepan over medium heat, bring a couple of inches of water and 1 teaspoon white vinegar to a simmer. Crack an egg into a small dish. Carefully swirl water to create a vortex, and pour egg into center of pan.

Cook undisturbed for

3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place in soup.

SIMMER AROMATICS SUCH AS FRESH GINGER, GARLIC AND LEMONGRASS IN BROTH TO INFUSE ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF FLAVOR.

Ramen with Steak and Shiitake Mushrooms

Ramen is a Japanese dish of noodles and flavorful broth. This recipe features steak and shiitake mushrooms, though the variations are endless. Top with a poached egg for added flavor and sophistication. SERVES 6

2 tablespoons coconut oil

3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon ground ginger

10 cups unsalted vegetable stock

2 blocks ramen rice noodles

8 ounces sirloin steak, very thinly sliced (about 1⁄8 inch)

2 medium carrots, shredded

¼ cup tamari

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons salt

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal; for garnish

Red pepper flakes, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cabbage, onion, mushrooms, red pepper and a pinch of salt. Sauté about 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in ginger.

2. Add vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

3. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add noodles, and cook for 1 minute. When noodles begin to unfold, separate with a fork and reduce heat to a low boil. Simmer 3–4 minutes, until soft. Strain, and rinse with cold water.

4. Add noodles to soup, and stir in steak, carrots, tamari, lime juice and salt. Cook steak about 2 minutes, until no longer pink. Season to taste. Garnish with scallions and red pepper flakes.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Press tofu by placing on a paper towel–lined plate. Lay another paper towel over tofu; cover with a plate and an object such as a can, for weight.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup sesame oil, tamari, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, garlic, lime juice and ginger.

USE CRUNCHY INTERIOR OF BROCCOLI STALKS IN ADDITION TO FLORETS BY SIMPLY STANDING STALKS ON END AND SLICING DOWN TO REMOVE FIBROUS OUTER LAYER.

Rice Noodles with Baked Tofu and Broccoli

Tofu is a versatile ingredient easily transformed from bland to flavorful. Pressing tofu releases excess water, resulting in a crispier final product. Wait to cook noodles until tofu and broccoli are almost finished; they typically cook in 2–3 minutes.

SERVES 4

14 ounces extra-firm tofu

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided 3 tablespoons tamari, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, divided 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1½ pounds broccoli

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) box rice noodles

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Lime wedges, for garnish

Red pepper flakes, optional

4. Remove tofu from press, and dry one last time with paper towel. Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes. Add to bowl with marinade; stir to coat.

5. Slice broccoli into florets. Add to tofu, and stir to combine. Transfer to baking sheet. Roast about 20 minutes, until tofu and broccoli begin to crisp.

6. While tofu and broccoli are roasting, in a small bowl whisk together remaining tablespoon sesame oil, remaining teaspoon toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and salt.

7. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, and add rice noodles; cook 2–3 minutes, until soft. Drain, and rinse briefly with cold water. Return to pot, and stir in sesame oil dressing.

8. Serve tofu and broccoli over a bed of noodles, and garnish with sesame seeds and a lime wedge. Serve with additional tamari and red pepper flakes on the side.

SODIUM; 7G FIBER NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT NUTRITIONDATA.SELF.COM

brunch time

Avoid

BY KIMBERLY LORD STEWART

Brownie Tahini Waffles with Chocolate Tahini Sauce

Even sleepyheads will come out from under the covers for these dark-chocolate waffles with a nutty richness from tahini, a Middle Eastern paste made from ground sesame seeds. SERVES 2–4*

1½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

2 tablespoons cocoa

1⁄3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 ounces 85% dark baking chocolate

6 tablespoons tahini

DIRECTIONS

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk or milk substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla

Oil for waffle iron

SAUCE:

4 ounces 85% dark baking chocolate

2 tablespoons tahini

1. Place flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well.

2. Melt 3 ounces chocolate and 6 tablespoons tahini in the microwave for 30 seconds, then in 10-second intervals if needed. Stir well each time.

3. Whisk eggs with milk and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Add chocolate and tahini, and stir well.

4. Oil waffle iron well; heat iron to medium. Spoon up to 1 cup of batter on waffle iron (will depend on size). Cook until done. Do not overcook; waffles should be crisp just on the outside edges. Keep warm, and continue in batches until done.

5. Melt 4 ounces chocolate and 2 tablespoons tahini in microwave for 30 seconds, then in 10-second intervals if needed. Stir well each time.

6. Top warm waffles with whipped cream, chocolate tahini sauce and shaved chocolate.

*Serves 2–4, depending on waffle iron (consider doubling the recipe for larger appliances).

PER SERVING: 732 CAL; 17G PROTEIN; 32G FAT; 95G CARB (44G SUGARS); 936MG SODIUM; 8G FIBER

GARNISH:

1 cup whipping cream,

1 tablespoon sugar; whipped together

Shaved chocolate (optional)

Tea-Thyme Cider

Place 6 sprigs of fresh thyme in a pitcher. Pour 12 ounces freshly brewed hot black tea over the herbs. Let steep 15 minutes. Cool, and remove sprigs. Fill each glass with ice. Add one-third tea, onethird apple cider, one-third soda water. Garnish with lemon and apple slice. (Want a spirit? Add 1 shot of bourbon.)

the weekend wait times—and keep your slippers and pajamas on—with these better-than-restaurant recipes.

Tropical Morning Muffins

A coconut trilogy adds high fiber and an intense tropical vibe to these pineapple–macadamia nut muffins. SERVES 8

½ cup palm coconut shortening, or softened butter (such as Nutiva)

¼ cup honey

1 cup mashed bananas (2–3 ripened bananas)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup white wholewheat flour

¼ cup coconut flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1⁄3 cup shredded coconut

¼ cup macadamia nuts, chopped

½ cup dried pineapple, diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Cream shortening or butter with honey, bananas, egg and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft and well-blended.

3. Add flours, baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Mix in coconut, nuts and pineapple.

4. Fill muffin liners ¾ full with batter. Bake 15 minutes, until tester toothpick comes out clean.

PER SERVING: 300 CAL; 5G PROTEIN; 16G FAT; 38G CARB (19G SUGARS); 184MG SODIUM; 5G FIBER

Turkish Cardamom Coffee Mocktail

Place 5 heaping tablespoons strong ground coffee and ½ teaspoon ground cardamom in a French press or drip coffee maker filter. Add hot or cold water accordingly—5 cups boiling water if using a French press, 5 cups cold if using a drip coffee maker. Allow to sit 5 minutes in French press before pushing plunger down.

If hot: Serve with warm vanilla almond milk and sweetener, if desired. If desired, add coffee liquor to taste. If serving cold: pour coffee over ice halfway up a tall glass. Add one ounce of coffee liquor, if desired. Top with soda water and serve with lemon.

Nondairy creamers and coffee drinks have come a long way as well. TRY So Delicious French Vanilla Coconutmilk Coffee Creamer, Ripple Half-and-Half or Califia Double Espresso Cold Coffee.

SERVE HOT OR COLD, WITH OR WITHOUT ALCOHOL.

AARON COLUSSI; FOOD STYLING: ERIC LESKOVAR; PROP STYLING: NICOLE DOMINIC

Chicken Chorizo Bowl with White Bean and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

To take the stress off your morning, all but the poached eggs in this pictureperfect dish can be made ahead of time. Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off; most of it is blended in the food processor. SERVES 4

CHORIZO:

1 pound antibiotic-free ground chicken or turkey

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Hefty pinch cayenne (optional)

2–4 tablespoons olive oil (may need more if poultry is lean)

PESTO:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 scallions, sliced with half the green stems

1 clove garlic, minced

½ bunch cilantro

½ bunch Italian parsley

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained

4–8 eggs (1 or 2 per person)

2 avocados, mashed (or prepared guacamole)

1 cup prepared salsa

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

Ground cumin, for garnish

Salt and pepper

4 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed

DIRECTIONS

1. Place all chorizo ingredients, except oil, in a food processor. Pulse until completely mixed.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add poultry mixture, and sauté until well-browned. Add more oil if it sticks to pan.

3. While chorizo is cooking, prepare white bean pesto. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat in a small skillet; add scallions and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until soft.

4. Wash out food processor well. Add in all pesto ingredients, except beans, with onion-garlic mixture. Pulse in short bursts, until finely chopped. Place beans in a bowl, add pesto, and stir. Set aside.

5. Prepare poached eggs to your liking (3 minutes for soft yolks, 4 minutes for medium, 5 minutes for hard).

6. In shallow individual serving bowls, spoon warm chorizo, white bean pesto, mashed avocado, salsa and tomatoes in a circular pattern. Repeat for each serving bowl. Top each bowl with poached egg(s). Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Serve with tortillas. PER SERVING: 962

Virgin Paloma

Rim a glass with salt, and fill with ice. Pour over ice ½ ounce lime juice and 6 ounces grapefruit soda. Garnish with grapefruit slice. (Want a spirit? Add 1 shot of tequila.)

No-Fail Spinach and Swiss Soufflé

This no-fail soufflé recipe means you won’t have to tiptoe around the kitchen. The bread cubes give it enough structure that you can even open the oven for a peek as it bakes. SERVES 6

Soufflé dish, 8-to-10-cup size

10 ounces baby spinach

6 cups ½-inch artisan

whole-grain bread cubes

8 ounces semi-skim Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese, grated

6 eggs, divided

3½ cups milk or milk substitute

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease soufflé dish well.

2. Place spinach in a large skillet with ¼ cup water. Steam until spinach is wilted. Drain, and chop finely. Set aside.

3. Toss bread cubes and cheese in a large bowl.

4. Divide 2 eggs into whites and yolks. Whisk the 2 yolks with 4 whole eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and spinach. Pour over bread, and let sit 30 minutes.

5. When a half-hour has passed, gently stir bread and egg mixture. Whip 2 egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.

6. Fold in 1⁄3 of egg whites into bread mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until all whites are incorporated.

7. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake 1 hour, plus 10–15 minutes until the center is just set. If top browns too much, cover with a loose foil tent.

8. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 430 CAL; 30G PROTEIN; 19G FAT; 35G CARB (12G SUGARS); 1,052MG SODIUM; 5G FIBER NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT NUTRITIONDATA.SELF.COM

Coconut-Ginger Fizz

In a jar or shaker, add ½ cup coconut water, ½ cup nonalcoholic ginger beer, ½ cup soda water. Shake, and strain over crushed ice. Add fresh mint. (Want a spirit? Add 1 shot of St-Germain.)

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP, THERE’S HELP TO BE HAD. AND GIVEN THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF NOT SLEEPING, DOCTORS SAY IT’S WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

BY NANCY COULTER-PARKER

Sleep. It’s one of the three pillars of health—along with exercise and diet—that we crave to get more of. Yet when it comes to priorities, we seem to constantly shortchange getting our Zzs. When we do finally pay attention, some find that sleep doesn’t come as easily as we would like it to. Like any relationship in life, it’s one that needs nurturing.

WE NEED SLEEP

Why is sleep so important? The first thing to know is that when we sleep, our brains don’t. Parts of the brain are in fact very active, even more so than while we are awake. “Sleep is not a uniform state. Sleep is an umbrella term for the cycles of stages of sleep that occur throughout the night,” says Michael Scullin, Ph.D., director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University.

To get a good night’s sleep, we cycle through stages. The first four are non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The first two of these are quite light, lulling us into deeper sleep. If you were to take a nap, ideally you would take one for 30 minutes and wake up before you hit stage three of non-REM sleep. Stages three and four take you into deeper, more restorative sleep. This is when your body gets to work repairing muscles and tissues, boosting your immune function, building up energy and, in kids and teenagers, stimulating growth and development.

The final stage of the sleep cycle is REM sleep. This is when you dream. It’s also when your brain gets more active and memories consolidate, as your brain processes information from the day. It’s in this stage that your brain decides what to discard and what to store as memory. More recently, this phase has also been associated with clearing our brains of metabolites, a buildup of which has recently been associated with Alzheimer’s, says Scullin.

“During the day, our brain engine is running, and as an engine runs it gives off exhaust and needs maintenance. Non-REM sleep is important to that maintenance. As neurons fire during the day, we put off metabolites, but if left unchecked, they can make us really ill,” explains Scullin.

Alzheimer’s isn’t the only possible health consequence of poor sleep. People who don’t sleep enough put themselves at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and diminished cognitive function. Not to mention sleep deprivation, which can speed up the aging process, shortening our lives. In fact, if we didn’t sleep, we would very quickly die.

There’s a lot to this sleep thing. Although it has

often been in vogue to brag about how little sleep you could survive on, the reality is that not getting enough sleep can take an immense toll on your health. You think this would be enough to get us to bed, but still the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that we are experiencing a sleep crisis, with one-third of U.S. adults getting less than the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. Sleep experts recommend on average that adults get between seven to nine hours each night. Our adherence to this affects our creativity, emotional control and ability to learn, among other things.

One of the problems, says sleep expert Mathias Basner, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Division of Sleep and Chronobiology, is that our bodies adjust to sleep deprivation and even feeling bad. “We habituate to feeling sleepy,” he says. “It becomes the new normal, and that could be one reason our society is chronically sleep-depriving itself. We don’t know how well we could feel if we did sleep.”

The good news: Regardless of how you’ve shunned sleep in the past, you can benefit from embracing sleep now.

“What if I said today is the first day you had ever heard that aerobic exercise is good for you, and you have this opportunity to engage beginning today in aerobic exercise? It’s the same with sleep. Just because we only recently discovered how important it is across our life span, it doesn’t mean we can’t change things moving forward and benefit from it.”

Time to get sleeping.

FOR BETTER SLEEP

There are basic things we can do to sleep better, says Mathias Basner of the University of Pennsylvania. In analyzing sleep habits from 2003 to 2016, he and his colleagues recently discovered that we are in fact sleeping incrementally longer each night than in years past. He chalks this up to people becoming more aware of the importance of sleep and possibly to having more time, thanks to being able to order groceries or bank online. Although the changes he and his colleagues noted don’t seem like much—an extra 17 minutes more sleep per night for the average American—that equates to a full four days more sleep per year. That adds up.

Referred to as sleep hygiene, this list of practices to get a good night’s sleep is straightforward— but can be surprisingly hard to follow.

1

ESTABLISH A BEDTIME RITUAL

Establish a routine—reading, stretching or meditating—and a regular bedtime that signals to your body that it’s time to sleep.

2 MINIMIZE LIGHT EXPOSURE

If you expose yourself to bright light before bedtime, it will signal to your body that it’s still early in the day. The blue light emitted from screens, such as computers and phones, is a particular culprit. “Try not to expose yourself to bright blue light in the evening. Start switching off lights in the house, and don’t take your phone or computer to bed,” says Basner. He notes that some cell phones can now change the screen color to a more reddish spectrum composition at night. Even so, experts suggest buying an alarm clock and checking your cell phone and computer at the bedroom door.

3 KEEP THE HOUSE COOL, BUT NOT TOO

COOL

“As you fall asleep, the body dumps a lot of heat. If the room is too warm, it is harder for the body to do this,” says Basner. Consider a room temperature of approximately 60 to 67 degrees.

4 EXERCISE DURING THE DAY

Exercise has been tied to a better night’s sleep. However, do it earlier in the day, not too close to bedtime, or you may be too revved up to sleep.

5 TIME MANAGEMENT

Try working your schedule around getting enough sleep. “We have to manage our time better during the day. And what people find is if they get better sleep, they are more efficient the next day, and this feeds back into a positive cycle rather than a negative one,” says Michael Scullin of Baylor University.

6 LIMIT CAFFEINE

It’s OK to drink coffee, but cut it off at least six hours before bedtime for a good night’s sleep.

FOR SLEEP

Hungry before bed? Have a snack, but don’t eat too much too close to bedtime or digestion will interfere with your sleep. “Don’t go to bed full or famished, because being hungry will throw off blood sugar and cause you to wake,” says sleep psychologist Rubin Naiman, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at The University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. If you must snack, focus on complex carbs with a little protein and a little fat.

SLEEP SHOPPING LIST Complex carbohydrates

Think vegetables, legumes or whole grains, like brown rice or quinoa. Avoid refined or processed carbs, such as bagels, white bread or rice, which will spike your blood sugar.

Healthy fats

Salmon, avocados, eggs, dairy and nuts all contain healthy or unsaturated fats, as well as a good dose of protein.

L-tryptophan

Wild-caught seafood, grass-fed beef, seeds and nuts, whole grains, dairy and legumes all contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which synthesizes the sleep-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin.

SLEEP

“There is an interesting culture-wide presumption that you can swallow sleep— that somehow sleep can secretly be contained in a supplement or medication or turkey drumstick and a glass of milk,” says University of Arizona’s Rubin Naiman. Although he suggests sleep aids to patients, he emphasizes, “By no way do we want to convey to people that a supplement can displace their sleep. People should think about supplements as an appetizer. It can remind them of the taste of sleep, and that can be positive.”

Sleeping pills, says Naiman, actually damage REM sleep and suppress deep sleep. “Sleeping pills cause counterfeit sleep. It looks like sleep, but it’s not. There is no known medication that replicates normal sleep.

“To sleep well, it is important to have good health. It’s fine to use supplements intelligently, but always couple the use with a behavioral- or lifestyle-change program. You don’t want to be patching something up without addressing the original cause.” Naiman adds that it’s important not to undermine sleep self-efficacy and have people lose faith in themselves that they can’t sleep. “Everyone can sleep.”

MELATONIN

Although we naturally produce this hormone, which is involved in the sleep cycle, we tend to take it to help us fall asleep and feel rested when waking. But, Naiman says, too often people take too high of a dose. “Generally, less is more. Smaller doses are actually more effective.” He also suggests taking a time-released formulation. “Melatonin normally rises very slowly in the blood and peaks out in the last third of the night. When you take a large, regular dose, you get a release pattern that is opposite of what nature does.” Naiman recommends taking 1/2 milligram to 1 milligram from a reputable brand. “Good quality, low dose, time release.”

VALERIAN

In small doses, valerian is used to reduce anxiety; in larger doses it is used for sleep, says Naiman. “Studies show that in contrast to sleeping pills, it does not suppress REM sleep, nor does it suppress deep sleep.” The catch, he says, is that it can take a week or two for it to take effect, but once it does, it will keep working.

Naiman recommends trying 500 milligrams of the whole ground root to reduce anxiety. For sleep, you can take up to 800 to 1,200 milligrams. This, he says, can also help people come off other medications. Yet he suggests using this for only a short time, until your body gets the hang of sleeping again. Then use it only occasionally, as needed.

L-THEANINE

Like tryptophan, L-theanine is an amino acid, which can offset anxiety before bed. Sometimes fending off anxiety is all people need to sleep, says Naiman. He recommends 150 to 200 milligrams, and a maximum of 300 milligrams, before bed.

Be sure to consulta specialistsleep or a physician before taking any medications.sleep

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BOOST Dill

Science suggests it might fight cancer and lower blood sugar. But even if it doesn’t, it’s been used for centuries to squelch flatulence, which may be reason enough to try it.

BY KELLEE KATAGI

WHAT IS IT?.

This tasty herb from the celery family is native to Western Africa, southern Russia and the Mediterranean region. Its seeds and spidery leaves are widely used for culinary purposes in these areas and beyond, especially Scandinavia. It’s also long been valued for various medicinal purposes—for example, Hippocrates employed it in a mouthwash recipe, and Charlemagne reportedly served the seeds at his banquet tables as a flatulence antidote for those who ate too much.

USE IT FOR.

Easing digestive issues, reducing gas, neutralizing carcinogens, managing blood sugar, encouraging menstruation, improving sleep

THE SCIENCE.

A study published in Phytotherapy Research found that 12 weeks of dill supplementation balanced participants’ cholesterol levels and lowered their triglycerides, but didn’t significantly improve overall metabolic-syndrome markers. Another study, in The Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, found that dill supplements improved insulin sensitivity and improved cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes patients. Various animal and in vitro studies have shown dill to regulate menstruation, inhibit cancer cells, and act as an antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent.

HOW TO TAKE IT.

Dill comes in capsules, tablets, powders and teas. It’s also available as an extract and essential oil, and is sometimes used as a skin-care ingredient.

CAUTION IN MEDICINAL DOSES

(NOT IN FOOD), DILL MAY BE UNSAFE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN, BECAUSE IT COULD TRIGGER MENSTRUATION, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A MISCARRIAGE.

Stress-Busting Supplements

Kick stress to the curb with these natural remedies.

BY KAREN MORSE, M.P.H.

Stressors such as money and work keep more than 60 percent of Americans up at night, according to the 2017 Stress in America survey conducted by the American Psychological Association. The survey also revealed a new source of significant stress: 63 percent of respondents worried about the future of the nation. Survey participants also reported anxiety, anger and fatigue as common stress symptoms.

Experts at the National Institute of Mental Health caution that long-term stress can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. Lifestyle changes, such as incorporating practices such as yoga and meditation or bouts of exercise to get the endorphins flowing, can help you de-stress and boost your well-being, as can optimizing your nutrition and including supplements. Here’s the scoop on several supplements known for their stress-busting abilities.

L-THEANINE

Research has shown that L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea leaves, increases alpha wave activity in the brain, relaxing your body and mind without creating drowsiness.

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that L-theanine reduced symptoms of anxiety and lowered blood pressure in adults with high stress levels.

This natural stress reducer reportedly begins to work in as little as 30 minutes. Experts recommend between 50–200 milligrams daily; effective doses vary from person to person.

STRESS IS NOT ALWAYS HARMFUL. STUDIES SHOW THAT INCREASED STRESS RESULTS IN INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY.

HERBAL REMEDIES

Ashwagandha

This natural herb has been well-documented in several clinical studies for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. A study published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine found that ashwagandha root extract improved stress resistance when taken in doses of 300 milligrams twice daily.

Echinacea

angustifolia

This extract, from one of the species of the Echinacea plant, has been noted for its stress-reducing properties. Several studies, including one published in Phytotherapy Research, have shown that use of this herbal ingredient can reduce anxiety, a common stress symptom.

Ocimum

sanctum

Also known as holy basil, this adaptogenic herb is heralded for its ability to relieve stress symptoms and support adrenal gland health. Experts at the University of Maryland Medical Center who produce the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide recommend 400 milligrams daily to diminish stress symptoms. If you use a blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor before taking holy basil.

B-COMPLEX VITAMINS

The eight B vitamins in a B-complex work with one another to support a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is one of these essential B vitamins used to produce energy and synthesize neurotransmitters needed for normal brain functioning.

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin are linked to mood, and research has shown that higher levels of vitamin B6 status can lead to improved mood.

Folate, or folic acid, is another B vitamin linked to mood. People with low folate levels often experience depression and irritability, which can increase stress.

A good B-complex vitamin contains these and all the essential water-soluble B vitamins your body needs for a healthy brain and improved mental health. Look for a B-complex that includes at least 400 micrograms of folate and 50 milligrams of B6.

MAGNESIUM

According to a Gallup survey, four out of five American adults aren’t consuming the recommended dietary allowance of magnesium.

A magnesium deficiency can lead to low serotonin levels, which can depress your mood. Increased magnesium levels, on the other hand, have been linked to improved relaxation levels and fewer stress symptoms.

The National Institutes of Health recommend a magnesium intake of 400–420 milligrams daily for adult men and 310–320 milligrams daily for adult women.

PROBIOTICS

The latest research on probiotics shows that in addition to optimizing gut health, a daily probiotic enhances immune system health, reduces the body’s inflammatory response and even impacts mood.

In a review and meta-analysis of clinical trials studying the effect of probiotics on depression published in Nutrients, researchers found supporting evidence that taking probiotics could reduce the risk of depression and its symptoms, such as anxiety and irritability.

In another study out of the University of Missouri, researchers concluded that the common probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum could decrease stress-related behavior and anxiety.

Although this study was not conducted on humans, the research corroborates other evidence of links between a healthy gut and a healthy central nervous system.

Experts recommend taking a probiotic with 1 billion–15 billion CFUs daily to encourage gut health.

Essential Oils for Stress

Certain scents can powerfully affect our minds and bodies. The practice of aromatherapy employs the healing powers of scents from essential oils to enhance well-being.

Lavender essential oil is well known for its ability to promote relaxation through inhalation and when used in massage. A study published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand found that subjects who inhaled the scent of lavender oil had decreased blood pressure and heart rate, indicators of a more relaxed state.

A study published in Phytotherapy Research found that the sweet, floral scent of ylang-ylang oil calmed the nervous system by reducing heart rate and blood pressure.

Sweeten the Deal with Dates

Date syrup is a great natural-sugar alternative in these yummy, easy-to-make granola bars.

BY DINA DELEASA-GONSAR

Turn healthy dates into a sweetener. Date syrup is easy to make, and is a great binder for granola bars. It contains about 33 percent less sugar than table sugar, and adds a caramel flavor to recipes.

TRY

FOR BAKING, USE 2⁄3 CUP DATE SYRUP FOR EVERY 1 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR, AND REDUCE LIQUID IN RECIPE.

Date Syrup

MAKES 2 CUPS

2 pounds dried dates, pitted 8 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop dates using kitchen shears. Place dates and water in a saucepan, simmer 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cool, and then transfer to blender or food processor; blend until smooth.

3. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Pour date puree through. Pull sides of cheesecloth together, and twist to press out as much liquid as possible.

4. Put liquid back into saucepan, and simmer until it thickens, about 20 minutes. Cool before using. Date syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks.

Candy-Apple Granola Bars

SERVES 12–15

2 cups old-fashioned oats

¾ cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds

¼ cup ground flaxseed

4 tablespoons coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

¼ cup honey

1½ cups date syrup

½ cup dried apples, chopped (use kitchen shears to cut into pieces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving excess hanging over sides for easy removal later. Also line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Spread oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and flaxseed on baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, or until oats begin to brown. Remove from oven, let cool, and add to a large mixing bowl.

3. In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, honey and date syrup. Simmer 2–4 minutes. Let mixture cool.

4. Add apples, goji berries, cinnamon and salt to mixing bowl with oats. Stir ingredients together.

¼ cup dried goji berries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup almond butter

Add almond butter and date-syrup mixture. Stir until everything is well-coated. You may need to get your hands in there!

5. Press into prepared baking dish. Use another piece of parchment paper on top to pack mixture down, and press it into the corners.

6. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before removing from baking dish to cut into bars.

PER BAR: 260 CAL; 6G PROTEIN; 13G FAT; 34G CARB (15G SUGARS); 81MG SODIUM; 5G FIBER NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT NUTRITIONDATA.SELF.COM

Dina Deleasa-Gonsar loves to create recipes and, in particular, experiment with ingredients. See more of her creations at dishitgirl.com.