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FROM THE EDITOR

Your Healthy New Year

ow, 2020. What a year—I’m glad it’s behind us! I hope you and your loved ones have been able to make the best of a very challenging time. We’re slowly coming out of the woods, and what’s most important now as we launch into this new year is to focus on staying happy and healthy. Cooking yummy, nutrient-laden food and improving my cooking skills have been and will continue to be a priority for me. I’ve been mixing up my recipe repertoire by poring over old and new cookbooks for ideas, along with scanning favorite food blogs. I save the most labor- and ingredient-intensive recipes for weekends, when I have the leisure of more time. It’s a culinary adventure for sure. Speaking of culinary adventures, I recently had the pleasure of joining a fabulous chef, Lorenzo Boni of Barilla USA, on an Instagram Live, where we prepared a delicious recipe together: Spicy Rigatoni with Mushrooms and Sausage. You can find it on our website or watch the video on Instagram @livenaturallymagazine. As one who loves pasta dishes, I was excited to learn a few cooking tricks from Chef Lorenzo. One tip is starting with a cold versus hot skillet when sautéing chopped onions, so they slowly “sweat” out their flavor versus cooking too quickly or burning. Another tip—one of the most important when making a sauce, according to Lorenzo—is adding broth to the sauce to deglaze the bottom of the pan and melt the caramelization of ingredients in the skillet, putting that flavor back into the sauce. It was wonderful to banter back and forth with Chef Lorenzo, and we’ve committed to one day getting together in person to cook. I also look forward to when I can travel once again with my husband to places like Italy and enjoy its culinary delights. If you enjoy travel and experiencing different countries and their cuisines, we have a number of

fun “armchair travel” stories on our website about different destinations—Thailand, Japan, Morocco and more—and regional recipes to try. As with every issue, we have a great selection of recipes in the following pages. In our new Chef It Up section, we chat with a fabulous chef and then feature recipes from one of their cookbooks. This issue we speak with Meera Sodha, author of East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing (pg. 27−29). We also have meals to make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot (pg. 30−33), plus a selection of warm soups for chilly nights (pg. 34−37). Here’s to living happy and healthy in 2021!

Rebecca Heaton, Editor editor@livenaturallymagazine.com

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CONTENTS WINTER 2021

recipe index Brussels Sprout Nasi Goreng 29

EAT 27 Chef It Up A mash-up of Asianinspired dishes by Chef Meera Sodha.

05 BEGIN How to Get Off Sugar PLUS The healthiest diet to follow, fabulous farmers and how to arrange your fridge like a pro.

30 Healthy Kitchen Delicious dinners using a slow cooker or Instant Pot.

14 KITCHEN Flex Your Eating PLUS A bevy of butters, cold-brew coffees, healthy cereals and the best oils for cooking.

38 Around the World The cuisine of Vietnam, a balance of aromatics.

34 Fast & Flavorful Warm and healthy soups for chilly nights.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

BOOST 42 How Inflammation Affects Immunity Vitamins and minerals to keep these systems in balance.

Chicken-Parm Zucchini Boats 31 Golden Healing Power Soup 35 Korean-Inspired Beef Wraps 32 Mushroom Bao 28

44 Take Heart Six supplements to support a strong heart.

Noodle Broth with Oyster Mushrooms 34

46 Mysteries of Mitochondria Natural ways to support the powerhouses of your cells.

Peanut Butter and Broccolini Pad Thai 28

48 Bergamot Battle high cholesterol and balance blood sugar with this citrus superstar. AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE MAY VARY BY STORE LOCATION.

Not-Too-Spicy Tikka Masala 33

Red Curry Shrimp with Basil and Lime 30 Streetside Corn and Chile 39 Sweet Potato Gnocchi 11 Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu 37 Vegetarian Chili with Poblanos and Hominy 36

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FITNESS MEAL GUIDE E-BOOK

MAKING SOUPS

EDITOR Rebecca Heaton

KNITTING BY A FIRE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lindsay Burke

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DESIGNER/DIGITAL Shannon Moore

SNOWSHOEING

ASSISTANT EDITOR Kellee Katagi

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DIGITAL EDITOR Lauren Yeates READING WITH HOT TEA

COPY EDITOR Julie Van Keuren DIRECTOR MARKETING OPERATIONS Susan Humphrey

CRAFTING FROM PINTEREST

DIRECTOR BUSINESS OPERATIONS Devin Steinberg

WATCHING MY KIDS PLAY IN THE SNOW

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lisa A. Beach, Nancy Coulter-Parker, Molly Hembree, Kellee Katagi, Kathryn Leavitt, Sophia McDonald, Rebecca Treon ADVERTISING SALES CHRISTMAS Deborah Juris, Susan Tauster, Dan Vincent SITTING BY A COZY FIRE

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when you subscribe to our email list www.hungryeyemedia.com 800.852.0857 NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. The Sweepstakes begins at 12:00 A.M. MST on January 1, 2021 and ends at 11:59 P.M. MST on March 31, 2021. A random drawing for two (2) potential winners will take place on April 1, 2021. The Prize Winners will be notified by email on or about April 8, 2021. Winners required to respond by April 15, 2021, or will new winner will be redrawn. Winners will be posted online at livenaturallymagazine.com/winners-2021 and will be printed in the Summer 2021 issue. Must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the USA to participate. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. For a final list of Winners and complete Official Rules, please visit livenaturallymagazine.com/rules-regs. For the private policy visit livenaturallymagazine.com/privacy-policy.

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BEGIN

How to Get Off Sugar

In his new book, Dr. Daryl Gioffre shares techniques on how to beat sugar addiction and transition from stress eating to strength eating. B Y R E B E C C A H E AT O N

t’s one of the most common New Year’s resolutions: eating better and consuming less sugar. In his book Get Off Your Sugar: Burn the Fat, Crush Your Cravings, and Go From Stress Eating to Strength Eating (Hachette Go, 2021), Daryl Gioffre, a board-certified chiropractor, raw-food chef, ultramarathoner and former sugar addict, offers techniques on understanding and kicking a sugar addiction and transitioning to healthier habits. We caught up with him to learn more.

SHUTTERSTOCK

What inspired you to write this book? I was massively addicted to sugar my entire life. In my late 20s, I started growing out of my pants, so I bought bigger sizes. My energy was depleted by the end of each day, and I realized that I was a walking contradiction: I would tell my patients to reduce their sugar, and then I’d go into my office and wolf down a candy bar. I was 42 pounds heavier than I am today. One day I was adjusting a patient and my

pants ripped down the backside. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Right around that time, I learned about the alkaline diet and the “add versus take away” approach to eating. When I tried to simply deprive myself of sugar, it didn’t work. I started adding green juices and salads and boosting my mineral intake, along with more exercise. Within three weeks, my cravings were gone—no joke! And within four months, I lost the 42

pounds. It gave me a new lease on life.

Why is it so difficult to beat a sugar craving with willpower alone? Sugar is powerful: Research proves it is more addictive than cocaine. Americans eat more sugar than any other country in the world—an average of 130 pounds each year or 38 teaspoons per day! The World Health Organization recommends 6 to 9 teaspoons. The big problem is that sugar is hiding in “health” foods, like dairy,

grains and processed foods; in your average U.S. grocery store, 74 percent of products contain sugar or a sweetener. Many of us set a New Year’s resolution to kick sugar. Willpower gets you started, but there are deeper reasons that need to be addressed for you to be successful—like nutrient deficiencies that can cause sugar cravings, as well as really understanding your motivation. Good health is 20 percent strategy, 80 percent psychology. If you have a powerful purpose, you can crush the craving.

Please define the phrase “strength eating” from your book title. Even before the pandemic, stress eating was a regular part of many people’s lifestyle. Stress creates acidity in the body and kick-starts a lot of cravings. But there is an alternative. As we start to add more healthy “strength” foods to our diet, we crowd out the bad, acidic options like sugar, the most acidic thing you can put in your body. It’s not about deprivation but about adding good to outweigh the bad. With strength eating, you want to fill your body with three good-for-you meals a day, with a goal of no snacking in between. This will help your insulin and sugar levels drop, allowing the body to use the preferred source of energy: fat. In turn, this can help you lose weight. If you do need a snack, turn to something healthy, like a celery stick with almond butter and hemp seeds. LIVENATURALLYMAGAZINE.COM

BEGI N | D ID YO U KN OW ?

Honey to the Rescue

oughing? Help may be as close as your pantry, according to a meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal. In a review of 14 studies, honey was found to alleviate a cough and other symptoms of upper-respiratory infections more effectively than placebos and common over-thecounter remedies. The studies showed that honey reduced the frequency and severity of coughs and relieved congestion, but it didn’t seem to shorten the duration of the cold itself. The results were the same for both children and adults. The report didn’t recommend a specific dose or way to ingest the honey, but when used to ease a cold, it’s commonly either dissolved in tea or eaten by the spoonful. —Kellee Katagi

Go GABA

KETO. ATKINS. VEGAN. DASH. PALEO. Popular diets come and go, leaving us wondering what’s the best approach to healthy eating. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says the answer is—drumroll, please—a fish-centric Mediterranean Diet, with elements of intermittent fasting. The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, extra-virgin olive oil, fish and seafood, and fermented dairy products. It doesn’t strictly prohibit HOVER YOUR SMART PHONE foods (in fact, doing so often backfires, CAMERA OVER the scientists found), but it minimizes THIS CODE TO TRY OUR red meat, processed meat (such as MEDITERRANEAN pepperoni, bacon and sausage), sugar, MEAL PLAN fried foods and refined grains (versus whole grains). The researchers also advised restricting all daily food consumption to an eight- to 12-hour window. A U.S. News & World Report analysis of 35 diet approaches confirmed these findings, listing the Mediterranean Diet as the best overall eating strategy. In second place was the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which is strikingly similar to the Med. —KK

TIP:. Before you buy a GABA supplement, do your research to make sure it’s a high-quality product that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. —KK

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THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO EAT

To improve memory and spatial cognition, a regular dose of GABA (gammaAminobutyric acid) supplements could be the ticket, suggests two new studies out of Japan. GABA is a neurotransmitter that the brain naturally produces but that may decline with age. Higher GABA levels in the brain are linked to better sleep and relaxation, less depression and anxiety, improved muscle building and recovery, and—as the Japanese research indicates—sharper thinking skills. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, healthy adults ages 40-plus who took either 100 mg or 200 mg of GABA for 12 weeks improved their results on cognitive tests, with even better results for the 200 mg group.

BEGIN |

CLEAR CONTAINERS. In this Marie Kondo style of tidying up, knowing what you have on hand can make all the difference in pinpointing what you make and what you eat. Clear plastic or glass food containers show you more easily how many pieces of leftover veggie pizza, cups of chili or spring rolls are still hanging out in the fridge, so you don’t accidentally make something new.

No More Forgotten Foods How to arrange your fridge like a pro to reduce food waste. BY M O L LY H E M B R E E , M . S . , R . D, L . D.

ost food consumption takes place in our homes, and what food is available in our refrigerators and pantries usually determines what we end up eating. According to a 2019 study by The Food Industry Association (FMI, formerly Food Marketing Institute), Americans spend an average of $113.50 every week on groceries per household, spread among 1.6 weekly grocery shopping trips. A separate 2020 FMI study found that 91 percent of people in the U.S. feel they eat healthier at home than when dining out. That accounts for a lot of food. Unfortunately, just over 30 percent of this food can go to waste, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. One of the reasons for spoilage is that we simply forget certain things are in the refrigerator. Here are tips to help you organize your fridge and save those forgotten foods from ending up as food waste.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

1 GET THE SMALLEST SIZE YOU NEED. You’d like to add maraschino cherries to a homemade sundae? The 6-ounce jar should do the trick, rather than the 16-ounce. Need only enough soy milk to get through the week? Opt for the 32-ounce size rather than 64-ounce (half-gallon). This will lessen the temptation to “just go ahead and finish” what’s left in a larger container if you really don’t need it.

3 FIFO. This is food-service lingo for “First In, First Out,” which means that the product you’ve had longest in your refrigerator is in front while your most recent purchases are in the back. This constant-rotating method of using what goes first in your fridge and putting off using the last food added can effortlessly establish a routine of minimizing food waste.

4 PAIR UP THE FAVES. Make the perfect snack a no-brainer by stashing goodies that you eat together next to each another in the fridge. Store hummus next to baby carrots, apples next to light caramel dip and celery next to low-fat ranch dressing.

5 BREADS GO HERE, TOO. The refrigerator isn’t just for perishables anymore. Put your favorite burger buns, sliced bread or bagels in the fridge to promote a longer shelf life for those wholesome grains.

6 SLICE AND DICE WHEN YOU CAN. It’s normal human behavior to default to what’s easiest when making decisions, and that includes food decisions. Put in the time—preferably when you are full after a meal—to chop up some fruits and vegetables so you’re ready when hunger strikes.

7 KEEP CERTAIN FRUITS APART. Did you know some fruits give off a ripening gas called ethylene? This explains why bananas turn brown in mere days (or hours) after purchase. Other fruits like apples, avocados, cantaloupe and peaches are also ethylene-producing and should be kept away from ethylenesensitive items like cauliflower, lettuce and sweet potatoes, so they don’t go bad as quickly.

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WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

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BEST TIME TO TAKE COLLAGEN? Whenever it’s easiest to fit into your daily wellness routine!

THIS RECIPE IS MADE WITH COLLAGEN!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi What makes this recipe special? The addition of better-for-you ingredients, including almond flour, tapioca starch and Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. BY CHRISTINA ANANIA @ E V O LV E W I T H T E E

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Easy Ways to Get Your Daily Collagen from Vital Proteins

2 sweet potatoes (peeled, cubed) 2 cups water (boiled) 3 cups almond flour 1 cup tapioca starch (divided)

2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides 3 Tbsp olive oil (for drizzle) Toppings: Salt, pepper, chili flakes, fresh thyme, parsley

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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4. Sprinkle the additional tapioca starch over a flat surface. Roll the dough into 3-4 small balls and roll each ball out into long rolls. Cut each roll into 1-inch pieces and pierce with the flat surface of a fork. 5. Add gnocchi pieces to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. 6. Remove from oven and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. Enjoy! PER GNOCCHI: 70 CAL; 1 G PROTEIN; 1 G FAT; 4 G CARB (0 G SUGARS); 5 MG SODIUM; 0 G FIBER NUTRITIONALS CALCULATED AT HAPPYFORKS.COM/ANALYZER

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MEET.

Meet farmers in California and Montana who bring organic grains and more from their farms to your table. B Y N A N C Y C O U LT E R - P A R K E R

In 1937, Albert and Frances Lundberg left their cattle and grain farm in Nebraska and headed west to California. The Dust Bowl had ravaged the American prairies, and like many of their neighbors, they left to find a better place to farm and raise their four boys. In California, they set roots in Richvale and began to farm rice, a crop that had been grown in the region since 1912. But what differentiated them from their new neighbors was an understanding of the importance of soil health.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

GRANT LUNDBERG “My grandparnow their children. LUNDBERG FAMILY ents, my dad and his Following these values, FARMS brothers came out of he says, gave the ensuRichvale, Calif. the Dust Bowl experiing Lundberg generaence seeing the value of tions, who now farm the soil and what can happen land and run the company, when it’s not taken care of. It the confidence to stand up for made them think it’s important to what they believe in. “In good or take care of the soil for the future, and if bad times, it has given us a sense of you don’t tend or sustain it, it can be dewhat is important,” he says. pleted or fall apart,” says Grant Lundberg, Today, soil health is proving to be more CEO of Lundberg Family Farms. His faimportant than ever. As awareness grows ther, Eldon, was the eldest of Albert and around organic farming’s potential to Frances’s four boys. offset climate change by pulling harmful The chemical-free methods and carbon dioxide out of the air and into the soil-supporting practices Albert and soil, keeping it healthy, more consumers Frances employed placed them on a are looking for organic products. “That path to organic farming long before it idea is winning over consumers. Once was a thing. When they were asked to people understand the positive impact it produce organic brown rice in the late has on the planet and health, they want ’60s, they were able to do so, solidifying to make that purchase,” Lundberg says. the trajectory of the company’s future, The pandemic, too, has also helped which is now known for its rice products drive awareness. “The pandemic has the world over. “Our neighbors thought reinforced the value of healthy food. More we were crazy, because we didn’t burn people are spending time cooking and the crop residue or use pesticides. My seeing the importance of their food supgrandparents were following values and ply. That reinforces the idea that this is convictions that were counter to what really essential to our society. It’s a great their neighbors thought was the way to opportunity to get people to prioritize farm,” explains Lundberg, who grew up what is important in their lives, and food on the farm helping his dad irrigate and is one of those pieces,” says Lundberg, drive a tractor. whose hope is that more awareness Lundberg saw his grandparents’ values and more organic purchases translates and their focus on farming that is good to more organic acreage being farmed for people and the planet being passed across the country, which will continue down to his parents, uncles and aunts the cycle of healthy soil, healthy planet and ultimately to him, his cousins and and healthy people.

COURTESY LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS; TANNER HOUSELOG

Where Your Food Comes From

(L TO R): BRYCE LUNDBERG, JESSICA LUNDBERG, MARK LUNDBERG, GRANT LUNDBERG, TIM SCHULTZ AND ANDERS LUNDBERG.

M E E T T H E FA R M E R S | B E G I N

MEET.

NATE POWELL-PALM ORGANIC FARMER & RANCHER Bozeman, Mont.

Nate Powell-Palm is not your ordinary farmer. At age 29, he falls well below the average farmer age of 62. “I’m a statistical anomaly for sure. I’m doing my best to pull that number down,” he says from his home in Bozeman, Mont. But you could also consider Powell-Palm a wise soul, older than his years. Although he grew up on a 10-acre parcel where his family had chickens and horses, they were not farmers so to speak. But that environment gave him the opportunity to dream about farming. And dream he did. When he was 9, he and his 7-yearold brother raised a steer for 4-H. At age 12, he applied for and received a junior agriculture loan from the Montana Department of Agriculture. With that money, he bought three pregnant cows and a trailer—even though he wasn’t old enough to drive yet. He also drew up a business plan and realized that you can’t make a living off of three cows. But he was undeterred. Powell-Palm found mentors and, at age 16, became the nation’s youngest farmer to be certified organic. “I have always wanted to be a farmer. And there is something about the social and community aspect, as well as the outdoor and environmental work,” he says. “You live and die by the weather, but it is this genuine and close-knit community. That is a world I would like to see us all in one day, and my pathway to that is through agriculture.” If Powell-Palm sounds enthusiastic, he is. Although he didn’t inherit a farm, he knocked on the doors of neighbors in the Gallatin Valley (near Bozeman) to see if anyone was willing to lease him land. He got 12 bites to start, which pieced together about 100 acres. Today, Powell-Palm leases more than 1,000 acres. He uses approximately 300 as cropland, and the rest is pasture for cattle. He now has 60 cows and has graduated from growing hay to grains, including durum wheat and yellow

peas—two crops that work together to create a balanced system and diversity in the soil—for Annie’s Homegrown. “The wheat pulls from the soil and legumes give back to the soil. Peas fix enough nitrogen in the roots to feed the next year’s wheat crop,” he explains. Acknowledging that the connection between farmer economic stability and land stewardship sometimes gets missed, Powell-Palm explains that the Annie’s project has been a beautiful example of that connection, on a small scale, because every ingredient in a box of mac and cheese comes from one or two farms. Although that is harder to scale, he says, “If we work hand in glove, farmer to food processor, there should be no economic anxiety on the part of the farmer, except for weather.”

To this end, he notes, “In a supply chain, you need to honor the farmers and the workers and everyone involved with fair compensation, as a means to giving them the tools to be the best possible land stewards they can be.” The organic seal, he says, helps accomplish that, which is a key reason why he has focused on being an organic farmer. “It’s not as necessary for the consumer to know the face of the farmer as much as it is important for them to have confidence to know there is a system that we guarantee traceability that is organic. It is a voluntary program that fixes so many of the environmental problems we have— clean soil, water and animal welfare. It is the rising tide that can lift all boats. It’s a supply chain that is really treating the planet right.”

NATE POWELL-PALM AT HIS FARM IN BOZEMAN, MONTANA.

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KITCHEN | DIET

Flex Your Eating

P FLEXITA UT A RIAN TW IST ON AMPED THESE “Shredd UP NACHOS: ed be delic chicken would iou add to th s and easy to is re Dana an cipe,” say d Lori.

Incorporating more plants in your diet is a good thing. Dana and Lori Pollan, co-authors of Mostly Plants, share why and how to try eating flexitarian.

What Is Flexitarian “Flexitarian is semi-vegetarian, with a focus on eating mostly vegetarian meals, using meat in moderation or for flavoring,” says Lori Pollan, co-author with her sisters Dana and Tracy and mom, Corky, of Mostly Plants (HarperCollins, 2019). “It’s all-inclusive and nonrestrictive,” Dana adds. “When people hear the word ‘diet,’ they immediately think ‘taking things away.’ But the beauty of flexitarian is that you eat everything. If you love meat, instead of eating it five nights a week, you cut down to two or three.”

AMPED UP NACHOS

HOVER YOUR SMART PHONE CAMERA OVER THIS CODE TO SHOP THIS RECIPE ONLINE.

Why Eat Flexitarian DANA: We get so many nutri-

LORI: Eating flexitarian helps

reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes. It improves mental health and supports weight loss. It’s also a budget-friendly way to eat; legumes, beans and whole grains are cheaper than meat.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

How to Eat Flexitarian DANA: We are big proponents

of Meatless Mondays, not eating meat one night a week. LORI: Use meat as a flavoring

instead of a main ingredient. For example, in a stir-fry, cut back meat by one-third and add more vegetables. You’re still getting the meat flavor. DANA: Buy grass-fed beef, lo-

cal and organic (if available), with no antibiotics. Budgetwise, grass-fed might be

more expensive, but if you are eating meat less, then you can splurge on buying better quality.

Mostly Plants (HarperCollins, 2019) features 175 flexitarian recipes−like Amped Up Nachos−with a focus on plants.

DANA: Maintain a well-

@ POLLANFAMILYTABLE

stocked pantry and freezer. Keep beans, boxes of pasta, legumes and grains. Buy root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots—they last a long time. Store bags or containers of vegetables like spinach in the freezer; then pull out as needed.

LORI: In many dishes, you

can swap in protein-laden lentils, chickpeas or beans for meat. There are also a number of whole grains, like quinoa, with protein.

NICOLE FRANZEN

ents—vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—from plants that we won’t get from meat. It’s also a very sustainable way of eating; by cutting down meat consumption, we reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and save water.

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K I T C H E N | C O M PA R E

r e t t u B Up

g slatherin o t g in k ba r oking to fo r b u t t e From co st, the options nd the o n t o a o w n w ay b e yo o u t have gr d stick. Check iry s t a n d a r n d s fo r b o t h d a a these br airy-free lovers. and d

dairy There’s nothing more delicious and decadent than creamy dairy butter. But if you’re overwhelmed or confused by the options in the dairy case, fear not: We break it down and include some of our favorites to buy.

TRY.

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter This creamy butter is made with milk from grass-fed cows that are nurtured on small, family-run dairy farms in Ireland, where the temperate climate allows herds to graze almost year-round. Hormone- and antibiotic-free, Kerrygold has a rich flavor and golden color, which comes from naturally occurring beta-carotene in the grass.

PASTURERAISED

Animals feed in a pasture on grass but can also be fed grain.

TRY.

ORGANIC

Animals are raised on land that is certified organic and are fed only organic material.

TRY.

Vital Farms PastureRaised Butter

Horizon Organic Butter

Dubbed “their grazing girls,” Vital Farms’ dairy cows are pasture-raised in small herds at farms around the southeastern U.S., with no hormones or antibiotics added to their diet. The butter from their milk is slow-churned, resulting in a rich and creamy spread with 85 percent butterfat for great flavor.

Hailing from pasture-raised cows at organic farms around the U.S., Horizon’s butter is USDA-certified organic and non-GMO, with no antibiotics or added hormones. This butter does have a bit of lactic acid as a preservative, but the flavor is still rich and creamy.

AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS FEATURED MAY VARY BY STORE LOCATION.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY OF BRANDS

GRASS-FED

Animals eat nothing but their mother’s milk and grass from birth. Grass is fresh grass or grass-type hay (when climate turns cold).

plant-based Love butter but don’t do dairy? No problem. Options abound.

TRY.

CALIFIA FARMS PLANT BUTTER ALTERNATIVE For those in search of a dairy-free butter, Califia Farms has developed two plantbased spreads from olive oil and avocado oil that you can spread, melt and bake with. Other healthy ingredients include cashews, tiger nuts and nutritional yeast. Both butters are vegan, kosher, glutenfree and non-GMO. TRY.

MIYOKO’S CREAMERY ORGANIC CULTURED VEGAN BUTTER

GHEE

USDA-certified organic, non-GMO, and free of lactose, gluten and soy, this spread is yummy on everything from your morning toast to corn on the cob, or baked into cookies and pastries. Use it 1:1 instead of dairy butter. Made with plant-based ingredients, including coconut and sunflower oils and cashews. There’s also a version made with oat milk.

TRY.

COUNTRY CROCK PLANT BUTTER Clarified butter, a.k.a. butter that has been simmered and strained to remove all water, giving it a higher smoke point (465°) than butter (350°). The clarifying process also removes casein and lactose, making ghee suitable for the dairy sensitive.

Known for its buttery spreads, Country Crock’s line of plant butters are dairy-free, gluten-free and certified plant-based by the Plant Based Foods Association. Made with plant-based oils from olives, avocados and almonds, they can be used for everything from cooking to baking to spreading.

TRY.

Simple Truth Organic Ghee with Pink Himalayan Salt Delicious on toast, ghee is also good for sautéing, searing or frying because of its high smoke point. Simple Truth’s version is made with clarified butter from grass-fed, organically raised cows in India and is non-GMO and lactose- and gluten-free. Added pink Himalayan salt contains calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.

TRY.

MELT ORGANIC BUTTER Free of gluten, soy and nuts, this USDAcertified organic plant-based spread is made with a blend of oils: Fair Trade USA Certified coconut and palm fruit, canola, high-oleic sunflower and flaxseed. Ingredients are also non-GMO, kosher and Rainforest Alliance Certified.

SHOP THESE PRODUCTS ONLINE!

Search for these tasty butters at a store near you on LIVENATURALLYMAGAZINE.COM

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K I T C H E N | H E A LT H Y E AT S

Super Cereals

Convenient and satisfying, cereal and granola are breakfast staples for many. Jump-start your day with these good-for-you options.

MOM’S BEST CEREALS

KASHI GO

Granola

Keto diet followers rejoice: Kashi GO has two new keto-friendly cereals that are grain-free and super-low in sugar. Made with plants including lentils, chickpea flour and pea protein, these crispy O’s deliver 12 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar and 18 grams of carbs per serving.

GRAIN BERRY

Flavors: Cinnamon Vanilla and Dark Cocoa

HOT CEREAL

Onyx sorghum is the star ingredient in these whole-grain breakfast cereals. It is loaded with antioxidants that protect your cells against diseaseinducing free radicals that can cause heart disease and some types of cancer. Cereals are all free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.

With a simple ingredient list, this crunchy granola is great for breakfast or snacking—or both. One serving delivers nearly 28 grams of whole grains and 3 grams of fiber. Free of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and preservatives, all flavors are non-GMO, kosher and wholegrain certified. Flavors: Four flavors, including French Vanilla

Flavors: Cinnamon Frosted Shredded Wheat and Multi-Bran Flakes

Vegan, paleo-friendly and gluten-free, Nature’s Path’s new hot cereals blend plant-based watermelon-seed protein with chia and pumpkin seeds—full of fiber, protein, antioxidants and other nutrients—with other flavors. The cereals are USDA-certified organic and non-GMO. Flavors: Cinnamon Apple Crisp and Maple Almond Crunch AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS FEATURED MAY VARY BY STORE LOCATION.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

KIND CEREAL Best known for its fruit and nut bars, KIND has created cereals inspired by its bar ingredients. The cereals are full of super-grains, including sorghum, quinoa and amaranth, plus dried fruits, nuts or seeds, depending on the flavor. They’re all gluten-free with 5 to 6 grams of protein per serving. Flavors: Four flavors, including Cranberry Almond

SIMPLE TRUTH Granola

Always free from more than 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients, USDA-certified organic and non-GMO, Simple Truth granolas are a better-for-you breakfast option. Some of the latest flavors include Grain Free Original that’s paleo friendly and Prebiotic Almond Agave to support gut health. Flavors: More than 10 flavors to choose from

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NATURE’S PATH ORGANIC

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On any ONE (1) package of Grain Berry® Cereal ANY VARIET Y

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KITCHEN | GOOD FOODS

Bitter Is Better Why you may not like bitter foods—and why you should eat them anyway. B Y K E L L E E K ATA G I

The Science of Bitter

DID YOU. KNOW?. If at first you don’t like the bitter…try, try again. A 2019 University of Buffalo study found that people tend to like bitter foods more—or at least dislike them less—the more they eat them.

It’s no fluke that we tend to react negatively to bitter tastes, says Paul Breslin, Ph.D., professor of nutritional sciences at Rutgers and a Monell Chemical Senses Center researcher. “Most bitter compounds we encounter in the world are toxins,” he explains. “If you taste something that’s extremely bitter, it’s a safe bet there’s probably a lot of toxin in there.” According to Breslin, our bodies contain 25 bitter-taste receptors, designed to act as alarm bells to warn us if we’re ingesting something toxic. But here’s the catch: Toxins aren’t necessarily bad for us; in fact, they can be very good. “A lot of toxins are also medicines, or another way of putting it is: All medicines are also toxins,” Breslin says. That’s why medicine by itself is unpalatable. And it’s one reason why mildly to moderately bitter foods tend to be nutritious. “Low-level bitter compounds in our foods are good for us,” Breslin says. “They’re little bits of medicine we’re taking all the time.”

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

Beyond the Mouth

Our bodies’ alarm-bell reaction to bitter tastes may also trigger digestive benefits, studies show. Taste receptors exist not just in our mouths but throughout our whole digestive system—in our nose, lungs, intestines, pancreas, thyroid, liver and more. A lot is still unknown about the roles of the various receptors, but one function is to activate our systems to process what’s coming in. Bitter herbs have been used before meals since ancient times to improve digestion and maintain blood sugar balance, and researchers are just starting to discover scientific evidence behind that practice. For example, a study published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition found significant digestive benefits in many bitter foods. Multiple other studies show that stimulating the gut’s bitter-taste receptors can reduce appetite and subsequent calorie intake.

It’s Personal

To complicate matters more, the experience of bitter is not the same for everyone. For each receptor, we have different genetic sensitivities to how bitter a compound tastes, and different compounds activate different combinations of receptors. That’s why broccoli may taste bitter to one person and not at all to another. What we don’t know, Breslin says, is whether the digestive benefits of bitter foods diminish when we don’t taste them as acutely. Regardless, bitter foods tend to be loaded with fiber and other nutrients with benefits that outlast any momentary displeasure we might experience.

BITTERS TO BUY For a nutritional upgrade, add these bitter foods to your next shopping list. Leafy greens: kale, mustard greens, chard, collard greens, arugula and more Cruciferous veggies: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower Artichokes

Eggplant Chicory Grapefruit and other citrus fruits Dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa Coffee Tea

SHUTTERSTOCK

n our culture, bitter gets a bad rap. Case in point: the saying “That’s a bitter pill to swallow.” When it comes to food, we tend to avoid or mask bitter tastes. But should we? The answer—as we talked to experts and waded through studies—is complicated, but, in general, we would do well to embrace the bitter.

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12/1/20 9:18 AM

KITCHEN | TIPS

Cooking Oils Explained The world of cooking oils can be confusing. We break down the best options.

ou might stock your kitchen with a variety of oils to use in marinades and salad dressings, for sautéing and searing, even for baking. While flavor and nutritional value play a role in choosing the right oil, so does cooking technique. Which oils are the best for cooking? We reached out to celebrity nutritionist Haylie Pomroy, author of The Fast Metabolism Diet (Harmony, 2012), who offered these recommendations.

BY LISA A. BEACH

SESAME OIL SMOKE POINT: 410º

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AVOCADO OIL SMOKE POINT: 520º Rich in monounsaturated fat, avocado oil has a high smoke point, which means it’s perfect for cooking at a much higher heat. “It’s ideal for searing meats or fish or for grilling over a high flame,” Pomroy says. “It can make any dressing have a creamy feel. And, when baking, it makes the product stretchier and moister.”

COCONUT OIL SMOKE POINT: 350º Solid at room temperature, coconut oil is ideal for baking but not for salad dressing. “I use coconut oil for making chocolates or cacao-dipped strawberries or almonds,” Pomroy says, noting how it solidifies nicely in the fridge. It’s also good for moderate-heat roasting, giving off a tropical scent when heated.

CANOLA OIL SMOKE POINT: 400º Pressed from rapeseed, canola oil contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It boasts a neutral flavor and has a high smoke point, making it a good choice for high-heat cooking. Pomroy notes that the vast majority of canola plants have been genetically modified, so she avoids using this oil for that reason.

GRAPESEED OIL SMOKE POINT: 420º

TRY Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

With its clean taste and high smoke point, grapeseed oil is an all-around great choice. “I use it when cooking at high heat, like when searing a roast before putting it in the slow cooker or pan-frying veggies,” notes Pomroy. It also allows other flavors (like herbs) to shine, making it a good fit for salad dressings.

SAFFLOWER OIL SMOKE POINT: 450º A mild flavor renders safflower oil a good choice anytime you don’t want an additional flavor, whether that’s in cooking or when making a salad dressing. Pomroy points out that safflower oil can also help regulate blood glucose levels.

OLIVE OIL SMOKE POINT:

varies from 325º–400º Lighter in flavor (but not calories), light olive oil has a higher smoke point of 470°, which makes it great for highheat cooking. However, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) delivers a more robust flavor and lower smoke point (325°), so it’s better suited for vinaigrettes.

SUNFLOWER OIL SMOKE POINT: 450º Pomroy notes that sunflower oil is low in saturated fat and high in goodfor-you unsaturated fat. “It’s another neutral-flavored oil that’s suitable for cooking and for greasing baking pans,” she says.

SHUTTERSTOCK (2)

IS A WHATPOINT? t, E oin SMOKs a smoke p it stops

With a distinct flavor (especially toasted sesame oil), this oil should be a pantry staple, especially for roasting and sautéing. “Use sesame oil for stir-fries to give them a kick, or drizzle it over buckwheat noodles,” Pomroy suggests.

KITCHEN | SMART SHOPPER

Some Like It Cold

Chilled coffee innovation is booming—and it may be just the refresher you need. B Y K E L L E E K ATA G I

KITU SUPER COFFEE

CALIFIA FARMS Cold Brew

Lots of flavor, no added sugar and keto friendly. Super Coffee, Super Cold Brew and Super Espresso replace sugar with monk fruit, which delivers a just-right amount of sweet and prevents blood-sugar spikes. And for an even bigger health and energy boost, most of the offerings include nutrients such as protein, L-theanine or MCT oil.

These beverages tick all the boxes: dairy-free, 100 percent Arabica beans, direct-trade and low in sugar. Sweetened varieties use a bit of cane sugar, plus monk fruit juice, and the creamy options employ almond milk or oat milk to complement the coffee; pure-black offerings are available as well.

CREATIVE CREAMERS Perhaps your coffee add-ins could use a makeover as well. We recommend these smart-choice options.

STŌK

WANDERING BEAR Cold Brew

SIMPLE TRUTH ORGANIC Cold Brew

ST K cold brews get our vote for sustainable (they’re UTZcertified, a worldwide label for sustainable farming) and smooth (steeped for 10 hours, with a final filtering to remove any bitterness). Sweetened varieties use cane sugar, and all of the options use Arabica beans.

If you like your coffee with a bit of oomph, check out Wandering Bear Extra Strong Cold Brew. It has zero sugar, is 100 percent organic and provides twice the caffeine of regular java. Plus, it’s smooth and delicious. Bonus: The packaging is made from recycled materials.

Made from nonGMO, organic, fair-trade-certified Arabica coffee beans, these brews taste as pure and smooth as they sound. You can find them in straightup black or in flavors such as Mocha with Almondmilk sweetened with a blend of organic cane sugar, organic erythritol and monk fruit extract.

Cold Brew

Nutpods

Super Creamer

With zero dairy or sugar, Nutpods creamers are surprisingly rich and yummy. Their base is almond and coconut (as well as a few oat varieties), but you wouldn’t know it—the taste is very neutral. Options include Original, French Vanilla, Caramel, Hazelnut and more, all of which use natural flavorings to achieve great tastes—no sweetener necessary.

As with Super Coffee, this creamer has no added sugar, instead relying on monk fruit to add a touch of sweet. It also contains protein and MCT oil for an extra nutritional pop.

AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS FEATURED MAY VARY BY STORE LOCATION.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

COURTESY OF BRANDS

offee routines can easily become ho-hum—the same ol’ cup of joe each morning. But peruse the ready-to-drink options in your favorite grocery store, and you’re bound to find a compelling reason to give your java regimen a welcome jolt. Here are a few of our favorites.

PASTURE-RAISED BUTTER Our girls enjoy outdoor access year-round ON FAMILY FARMS

More to Pour.

$ 1 OFF

Zero-sugar plant-based creamer. Available in a larger size starting in January!

Any one nutpods dairy-free creamer ®

MANUFACTURER’S COUPON EXPIRES 4/30/21 Limit one (1) coupon per purchase of specified product and quantity stated. Not to be combined with any other coupon(s), limit of two (2) identical coupons in same shopping trip. Void if expired, reproduced, altered, copied, sold, purchased, transferred, or exchanged to any person, firm, or group prior to store redemption, or where prohibited or restricted by law. Any other use constitutes fraud. Consumer: You pay any sales tax. Retailer: Green Grass Foods will reimburse you the face value of this coupon plus 8 cents handling if submitted in accordance with Green Grass Foods Coupon Redemption Policy (available upon request). Mail coupons to: Inmar Dept #60521, Green Grass Foods, 1 Fawcett Drive, Del Rio, TX 78840. Cash value 1/100 cents. No cash back if coupon value exceeds selling price. Valid only in the USA.

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12/1/20 9:21 AM

INVITE A NEW FLAVOR TO DINNER THIS SUMMER Give your favorite dishes an added boost of Italian flavor

SURPRISE YOUR PASTA. *Barilla® pesto is made in Italy

ONE CHEF :: THREE RECIPES | E AT

CHEF IT UP Asian Cuisines with Meera Sodha In her latest cookbook, Sodha travels through India, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, by way of China, Thailand and Vietnam, with a delicious collection of fuss-free vegan and vegetarian recipes.

TURN THE PAGE FOR THREE DELICIOUS RECIPES FROM SODHA’S COOKBOOK

BY R E B ECC A H E ATO N

eera Sodha is a voracious home cook, a best-selling cookbook author and the vegan columnist for The Guardian daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. In her new cookbook East: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing (Flatiron, 2020), Sodha shares plant-forward recipes made from easy-to-find ingredients.

Inspirations when developing recipes

Recipe-development philosophy

My mum, aunts and grandma are my greatest inspiration. I try to keep them in mind when I write new recipes, because every day they cook fabulous and wholesome meals, using ingredients mostly from the cupboard with fresh and in-season vegetables.

I write recipes as a home cook in service of other home cooks—so I’ll always try to write them with empathy. That might mean a quick or easy recipe, but it could just mean being clear with each step or up-front about equipment, so that no one feels ambushed mid-recipe.

FAVORITE INGREDIENTS I love cooking with miso, gochujang and kimchi, three staple ingredients that add an enormous amount of flavor in an instant.

3 tips for people who want to eat more plant-based Open up to new flavors. There are many cuisines, cultures and communities that have put plants at the center of their tables for centuries with delicious results, like India, for example.

DAVID LOFTUS

Buy the best vegetables you can afford and those that are in season. You can really taste the difference, and it feels like a total joy eating something when nature says it’s right.

Buy the ingredients I’ve suggested above—miso, gochujang and kimchi—to play around with; they can transform vegetables into meals very easily.

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CHEF IT UP

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE RECIPES FROM MEERA SODHA’S COOKBOOK

Mushroom Bao MAKES 10 BAO

FOR THE BAO BUNS 3 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp instant yeast 2 Tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt 1¼ tsp baking powder 1 cup warm water Canola oil FOR PICKLED CUCUMBER 1 ⁄3 cup rice vinegar ½ cucumber, halved, deseeded, and thinly sliced FOR MUSHROOM FILLING 1 ⁄3 cup soy sauce ¼ cup creamy peanut butter 2½ Tbsp rice vinegar 4 cloves garlic, crushed 4 tsp toasted sesame oil 2 Tbsp canola oil 1½ lbs oyster and shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced Handful of salted peanuts, ground or finely chopped

PAD THAI is best eaten with as many garnishes as possible.

SERVES 4

FOR PAD THAI SAUCE 1 ⁄3 cup crunchy peanut butter 2 Tbsp tamarind paste 3 Tbsp agave syrup ¼ cup soy sauce 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (from approx. 2 limes) FOR TOFU AND BROCCOLINI 1 lb broccolini 3 cloves of garlic, crushed ½ inch ginger, peeled and grated 2 bird’s-eye chiles, finely chopped

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

8 oz firm tofu, drained and cubed 9 oz flat folded rice noodles Canola oil 6 green onions, finely chopped Handful of sesame seeds Toasted sesame oil Handful of fresh Thai basil leaves, shredded Handful of fresh mint leaves, shredded 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges DIRECTIONS 1. First, make sauce by put-

ting peanut butter, tamarind paste and agave syrup into a bowl, then slowly mix in soy sauce, lime juice and ¼ cup of water.

2. Next, trim broccolini and put florets into a bowl. Chop stalks and leaves into ½-inch pieces. Place garlic, ginger, chiles and tofu in little piles within easy reach of the stovetop. Cook noodles according to package instructions, rinse under cold water, drain, then drizzle with a tablespoon of canola oil and toss gently with your hands. 3. In a large non-stick frying

pan with a lid, heat 2 Tbsp canola oil on medium-high, then fry tofu for 5 minutes, turning every minute, until pale gold. Add garlic, ginger and chiles, cook 2 minutes, then add broccolini stalks and ¼ cup of water, cover

pan, and steam for 2 minutes, until broccolini is tender. Add broccolini florets, sauce and green onions (reserve a handful for garnish), stir to combine, then cover again and leave for 2 minutes. 4. Turn heat down to a whisper, add noodles handful by handful, gently mixing in until coated in sauce, then turn off heat. Distribute noodles between four plates and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and reserved green onions. Drizzle each portion with sesame oil, scatter herbs, add a generous squeeze of lime and serve immediately. PER SERVING: 422 CAL; 22 G PROTEIN; 65 G CARB (33 G SUGAR); 1,280 MG SODIUM; 9 G FIBER

DAVID LOFTUS (3)

Peanut Butter and Broccolini Pad Thai

ONE CHEF :: THREE RECIPES | E AT

DIRECTIONS 1. Start by making the dough. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add water little by little and bring dough together using your hands; you should have a sticky ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 5 minutes, until smooth and bouncy, then place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place to double in size for 1 to 1½ hours. 2. Meanwhile, put vinegar for pickled cucumber into a small saucepan with 3 Tbsp water. Bring to a simmer, then pour into a bowl, add cucumber, and leave to cool. 3. Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead for 1 minute to knock out air, then divide into 10 equal pieces. Take one piece, flatten into a ½-inch-thick disc, then brush one half with a little oil. Fold bun into a half-moon and place on a small square of parchment paper on

MUSHROOM BAO A staple of Taiwanese street-food stalls, this little bun is ergonomically designed for eating.

a tray. Repeat with remaining dough, then loosely cover tray with a kitchen towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes more.

BRUSSELS SPROUT NASI GORENG Marinated Brussels sprouts add crunch and zing to this fried rice-inspired dish.

4. For filling, in a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, garlic and sesame oil. Heat canola oil in a frying pan on high, then fry mushrooms 6 minutes, until soft and browning at the edges. Stir in sauce to coat, then turn heat to medium and cook, stirring regularly, 5 minutes, until sauce reduces and darkens. 5. To cook the bao, set a steamer over a pan of simmering water. Put the bao, still on their parchment-paper mats, into the steamer in batches, making sure they don’t touch. Cover and steam 8 minutes. 6. Once done, fill each bao with a generous tablespoon of mushrooms, 3 or 4 slices of cucumber and, for a little crunch, some peanuts. PER SERVING: 477 CAL; 16 G PROTEIN; 89 G CARB (6 G SUGAR); 1768 MG SODIUM; 10 G FIBER

Brussels Sprout Nasi Goreng SERVES 4

1¾ cups jasmine rice 3 Tbsp canola oil 1 medium red onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 3 bird’s-eye chiles, very finely chopped 1¾ lbs brussels sprouts, very finely sliced 2 Tbsp tomato paste 2 Tbsp kecap manis 1¼ tsp salt, plus extra to taste 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp sugar DIRECTIONS 1. Place rice in a sieve and rinse under a cold tap until water runs clear. Tip rice into a pan, add 2½ cups boiled water, and bring to a boil. Place lid on, then turn heat down to a whisper and cook 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to steam with lid on. 2. To cook the nasi goreng base, heat canola oil in a large frying pan on medium and fry the onion, stirring, 5 minutes. Add garlic and two-thirds of the chopped chiles, cook 2 minutes

more, then add all but two large handfuls of brussels sprouts. Fry 8 minutes, leaving them undisturbed for a couple of minutes at a time, so they get some color. Then stir in tomato paste, kecap manis, salt, and a tablespoon each of soy sauce and vinegar. Cook another 5 minutes, then take off the heat. 3. To make marinated brussels sprouts, put remaining raw sliced brussels sprouts into a bowl with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and remaining chopped chiles. Mix well and set aside. 4. To finish the nasi goreng, put the Brussels sprouts and onion pan on medium heat and gently scoop in the steamed rice, folding in until well-mixed. Heat through, stirring gently, 5 minutes, until rice is nice and hot, and season with salt to taste. Transfer to a big platter, scatter the marinated brussels sprouts over the top, and serve. PER SERVING: 359 CAL; 16 G PROTEIN; 54 G CARB (11 G SUGAR); 909 MG SODIUM; 20 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM EAST: 120 VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN RECIPES FROM BANGALORE TO BEIJING © 2019 BY MEERA SODHA. PUBLISHED BY FLATIRON BOOKS. NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT HAPPYFORKS.COM/ANALYZER

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E A T | H E A LT H Y K I T C H E N

In stant

DISHES It’s amazing what you can make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot! Here are fun ideas from some of our favorite chefs.

INSTANT POT

SLOW COOKER

RED CURRY SHRIMP WITH BASIL AND LIME BY SA RA H CO P E L AN D

Coconut milk and red curry paste work quick magic on shrimp (or chicken, tofu or cauliflower). SERVES 4 TO 6

1½ lbs peeled and deveined medium shrimp 1 tsp fine sea salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil 1 red chile, such as red serrano or Fresno, thinly sliced 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into coins 2 Tbsp red curry paste

1 (13.5-oz) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) 1 tsp fish sauce (optional) FOR SERVING Cooked jasmine or other long-grain white rice 2 packed cups fresh basil, cilantro, or a combination Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS 1. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. 2. Put coconut oil in the inner pot of the pressure cooker and set to Sauté. Add chile and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add curry paste (careful—it may splatter) and stir to brown slightly, about 1 minute. Add coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce (if using) and add shrimp, stirring to coat. 3. Lock on lid and Pressure Cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Release pressure manually and open lid.

NOTE: If using a slow cooker, best to use chicken as shrimp will overcook. Reserve fish and soy sauces until the end. Cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours. Stir in fish and soy sauces just before serving. PER SERVING WITH SHRIMP: 636 CAL; 36 G PROTEIN; 24 G FAT; 68 G CARB (1 G SUGARS); 1,957 MG SODIUM; 4 G FIBER

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

PHOTO CREDIT CHRISTOPHER TESTANI

4. Spoon curry over warm jasmine rice and garnish with herbs. Offer plenty of lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

X X X X X X X X | E AT

CASHEW PARMESEAN ½ CUP

CHICKEN PARM ZUCCHINI BOATS

BY BRITTA N Y W I L L I A M S

This lightened-up version of chicken parm is easy to make and stuffed with yummy chicken and herbs.

PHOTO CREDIT GHAZALLE BADIOZAMANI

SERVES 4

1 cup water 4 medium zucchini 1 Tbsp extravirgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 lb lean ground chicken ½ tsp fine sea salt ½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground black pepper ¼ tsp dried basil ¼ tsp dried thyme ¼ tsp dried oregano 1 cup sugarfree marinara sauce ½ cup grated fresh Parmesan

DIRECTIONS 1. Pour water into an electric pressure cooker and place a trivet in the cooker. Arrange the whole zucchini on the trivet, angling as needed to fit. 2. Place lid on the cooker and make sure the vent valve is in the Sealing position. Using the display panel, select the Manual/ Pressure Cook function and High Pressure. Use the +/− buttons until the display reads 4 minutes. 3. While zucchini cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan has preheated, add olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, basil, thyme

and oregano. Break up the chicken and cook another 5 minutes. 4. Stir in marinara sauce and reduce the heat to low. 5. When the cooker beeps, switch the vent valve from the Sealing to the Venting position, administering a quick release. Use caution while the steam escapes. 6. Carefully transfer zucchini from the cooker to a cutting board. Once cool, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, leaving a ¼-inch shell.

In a food processor, combine ½ cup raw cashews, 1 Tbsp unfortified nutritional yeast, ¼ tsp fine sea salt, and 1/8 tsp garlic powder. Pulse until cashews are finely ground and resemble grated Parmesan cheese. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

7. Scoop a few tablespoons of chicken mixture into each boat and sprinkle with the parmesan. PER SERVING: 259 CAL; 25 G PROTEIN; 13 G FAT; 11 G CARB (4 G SUGARS); 484 MG SODIUM; 2 G FIBER

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KOREANINSPIRED BEEF WRAPS BY LAUREN KEATI N G

Kimchi and sliced fresh cucumber add flavor and crunch. Serve inside a lettuce leaf or whole-wheat tortilla. SERVES 6

1½ cups kimchi, divided 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger ¼ cup sesame oil 2 Tbsp chili paste (optional) 1½ Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 2 lbs sirloin steak 1 cup instant brown rice 6 romaine lettuce leaves or wholewheat tortillas 1 cucumber, sliced 2 tsp sesame seeds (optional) 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional) DIRECTIONS 1. In your slow cooker, stir together ½ cup of kimchi, garlic, ginger, oil, chili paste (if using), and soy sauce. Add sirloin and turn to coat. 2. Cover slow cooker and cook on Low heat for 8 hours, or High heat for 3 hours. 3. Using a heavy spoon, stir beef, coaxing it into shreds. 4. Stir brown rice into your slow cooker. Re-cover slow cooker and cook on High heat for 10 minutes more, or until rice is soft. 5. Refrigerate individual portions of rice and beef, the remaining 1 cup of kimchi, the cucumber slices, sesame seeds (if using), and cilantro (if using), all in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months. Keep lettuce or tortillas separate until ready to serve.

PER SERVING (WITH ROMAINE LEAF): 364 CAL; 38 G PROTEIN; 19 G FAT; 17 G CARB (2 G SUGARS); 438 MG SODIUM; 2 G FIBER; PER SERVING (WITH 1 TORTILLA): 503 CAL; 40 G PROTEIN; 19 G FAT; 40 G CARB (2 G SUGARS); 1089 MG SODIUM; 6 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM HEALTHY MEAL PREP SLOW COOKER COOKBOOK: NUTRITIOUS RECIPES TO PREP AHEAD AND ENJOY ALL WEEK © 2020 BY LAUREN KEATING. PUBLISHED BY ROCKRIDGE PRESS.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

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ANTONIS ACHILLEOS

6. To serve, divide rice and beef among lettuce or tortillas and top with remaining kimchi, cucumber slices, sesame seeds (if using), and cilantro (if using). Roll up the wrap like a burrito.

X X X X X X X X | E AT H E A LT H Y K I T C H E N | E A T

NOT-TOOSPICY TIKKA MASALA BY S TEV EN R G UN D RY, M.D.

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the most popular dishes in Indian restaurants, and for good reason: It’s delicious. SERVES 4

EVI ABELER

1 lb boneless, skinless pastured chicken thighs or jackfruit 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter or olive oil 1 small yellow onion, minced 1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger 4 cloves garlic, minced 1½ Tbsp garam masala 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional for heat) 2 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp turmeric 1 Tbsp tomato paste 1 cup plain tomato puree 2 13.6 oz cans full-fat coconut milk 1 cup cauliflower florets 1 cup coconut or goat’s milk yogurt Juice of 1 lemon Cauliflower rice or cooked basmati rice, for serving

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DIRECTIONS 1. Cut chicken into bite-sized chunks, and season with ½ tsp kosher salt. Set aside. 2. Add butter or oil to the Instant Pot, set to Sauté, and heat oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cayenne, cumin and turmeric.

5. Add chicken, and sauté until just browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. 6. Add tomato puree, then open cans of coconut milk. Carefully spoon out the thick cream, and set it aside.

3. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft and mixture is very fragrant.

7. Add ¾ cup of the thinner, watery “milk” from the coconut milk to the Instant Pot, as well as the remaining salt.

4. Add tomato paste, and cook an additional minute, stirring until well-combined.

8. Cover, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes, then release pressure with a quick release.

9. Uncover, and stir in the coconut cream set aside earlier, and cauliflower florets, then turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. PER SERVING WITH WHITE RICE: 986 CAL; 30 G PROTEIN; 63 G FAT; 80 G CARB (7 G SUGARS); 1,021 MG SODIUM; 7 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM THE PLANT PARADOX FAMILY COOKBOOK: 80 ONE-POT RECIPES TO NOURISH YOUR FAMILY USING YOUR INSTANT POT, SLOW COOKER OR SHEET PAN © 2019 BY STEVEN R. GUNDRY, M.D. © 2020 PUBLISHED BY HARPER WAVE.

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SOUPED

E A T | FA S T & F L AV O R F U L

Soups are the perfect easy, satisfying, no-frills dinner. Give these four a try.

NOODLE BROTH WITH OYSTER MUSHROOMS BY KAROLINE JÖ NSSO N

3½ oz oyster mushrooms 1 brown onion or 2 shallots, sliced Vegetable oil 1 garlic clove, grated 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ½ red chile, chopped 2 Tbsp tamari

3½ oz edamame 1 handful snow peas 5½ oz wheat or rice noodles or 11 oz fresh udon noodles 1–2 spring onions (scallions), sliced 1 large handful fresh coriander (cilantro) Salt and Sichuan pepper

DIRECTIONS 1. Clean the mushrooms and tear into pieces. Fry the mushrooms and onion in a little oil until the mushrooms have started to color. Add the garlic, ginger and chile and fry for another minute. Add 2½ cups water, the tamari, edamame and mangetout and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and Sichuan pepper to taste.

2. Meanwhile, boil the noodles in a separate pan. Drain in a colander and rinse them in cold water. 3. Divide the noodles between two serving bowls, ladle over the broth and top with spring onion and coriander. PER SERVING: 407 CAL; 16 G PROTEIN; 10 G FAT; 71 G CARB (6 G SUGARS); 1,050 MG SODIUM; 12 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM HAPPY VEGAN COMFORT FOOD © 2019 BY KAROLINE JÖNSSON. PUBLISHED BY PAVILION.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

TOM REGESTER KAROLINE JÖNSSON

This broth takes only 10 to 15 minutes to prepare. You can try it with different mushrooms, too. SERVES 2

GOLDEN HEALING POWER SOUP

FA S T & F L AV O R F U L | E A T

This soup is a blend of healing ingredients, including turmeric, coconut milk and garlic. BY ANDREA HANNEM A N N SERVES 6

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ white onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 small head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets Pinch cayenne pepper (optional) 1 Tbsp ground turmeric 4 to 5 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste 1 Tbsp lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper ½ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped Curried Chickpea Croutons Roasted cauliflower for garnishing (optional) Coconut milk for garnishing (optional)

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic, cauliflower, cayenne, if using, and turmeric. Cook 10 minutes, or until fragrant. 2. Add half of the coconut milk and 1 tsp of salt, bring to a simmer, and simmer until cauliflower softens, about 10 minutes.

CURRIED CHICKPEA CROUTONS

3. Transfer soup to a blender and blend to a creamy consistency. (I blend in my Vitamix on high speed for 1 minute.)

1 (15-oz) can chickpeas 2 Tbsp red curry paste or 1 Tbsp curry powder 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce Pinch sea salt

4. Return to the soup pot over medium heat and gradually add more coconut milk until you reach your desired consistency. Simmer 3 to 5 more minutes.

PETRINA TINSLAY

5. Add lemon juice and additional salt and black pepper to taste and serve garnished with the basil, chickpea croutons, roasted cauliflower and a swirl of coconut milk, if using. PER SERVING, MINUS CROUTONS: 413 CAL; 5 G PROTEIN; 42 G FAT; 10 G CARB (1 G SUGARS); 426 MG SODIUM; 1 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM PLANT OVER PROCESSED: 75 SIMPLE & DELICIOUS PLANT-BASED RECIPES © 2020 BY ANDREA HANNEMANN. PUBLISHED BY DEY STREET.

Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, curry paste or curry powder, olive oil, tamari and salt. Toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on prepared baking sheet and roast 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the chickpeas look toasted.

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E A T | FA S T & F L AV O R F U L

VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH POBLANOS AND HOMINY BY L I N DSAY M A I T L A N D HUN T

Charred poblanos, canned chiles and hominy give this chili some Tex-Mex flavor. SERVES 4 3 poblano peppers 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 large onions, chopped 5 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp ground cumin 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed 1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed ¼ cup tomato paste 2 (4-oz) cans chopped green chiles

6 cups broth 3 cups hominy (from one 25-oz can), drained and rinsed 2 (15.5-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tbsp lime juice TOPPINGS Ripe avocado Cultured sour cream or kefir Pickled hot peppers or jalapeños Fresh cilantro Lime wedges Flaky sea salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS 1. Use tongs to char poblanos over a gas flame until blistered and black, 8 to 10 minutes. (Or preheat broiler to high and char peppers on a baking sheet.) Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam 5 minutes. Slip skins off, halve peppers, discard seeds and chop. 2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onions, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. 3. Stir in tomato paste and chiles and cook, stirring continuously and scraping any caramelized spices off bottom of pot, until any excess moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes. 4. Stir in broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Add hominy, beans, and remaining salt and black pepper. Cook until heated through, about 30 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season with salt and black pepper.

PER SERVING, MINUS TOPPINGS: 339 CAL; 10 G PROTEIN; 12 G FAT; 53 G CARB (15 G SUGARS); 2,878 MG SODIUM; 9 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM HELP YOURSELF : A GUIDE TO GUT HEALTH FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE DELICIOUS FOOD © 2020 BY LINDSAY MAITLAND HUNT. PUBLISHED BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT.

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

LINDA PUGLIESE

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5. Serve topped with avocado, sour cream, pickled peppers and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime juice and some sea salt.

FA S T & F L AV O R F U L | E A T

THAI COCONUT SOUP WITH TOFU BY AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN EDITO R S

Velvety and rich, this soup's coconut flavor is balanced by aromatic heat and fresh add-ins. SERVES 8

1 Tbsp vegetable oil 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into ½‑inch pieces 1–2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed to bottom 6 inches and minced (3 Tbsp) 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger 1 garlic clove, minced 4 tsp Thai red curry paste 6 cups vegetable broth 3 Tbsp fish sauce substitute (recipe on right)

1 Tbsp organic sugar 2 (14‑oz) cans coconut milk 14 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into ½‑inch pieces 6 oz snow peas, strings removed, cut into ½‑inch pieces 3 Tbsp lime juice (2 limes) Salt and pepper ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves 3 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin on bias Lime wedges

VEGAN FISH SAUCE SUBSTITUTE MAKES 1¼ CUPS

3 cups water 3 Tbsp salt 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 oz dried sliced shiitake mushrooms Simmer all ingredients in large saucepan over medium heat until mixture is reduced by half, 20 to 30 minutes. Strain liquid through finemesh strainer and let cool completely. (Fish sauce substitute can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)

DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, lemon grass, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add curry paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk ½ cup broth into pot, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. 2. Stir in remaining 5½ cups broth, fish sauce substitute, and sugar and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

3. Stir in coconut milk, tofu, snow peas, and lime juice and bring to simmer. Cook until tofu is warmed through and snow peas are just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with cilantro, scallions and lime wedges. PER SERVING: 255 CAL; 11 G PROTEIN; 19 G FAT; 14 G CARB (5 G SUGARS); 1,254 MG SODIUM; 3 G FIBER EXCERPTED FROM VEGAN FOR EVERYBODY: FOOLPROOF PLANT-BASED RECIPES FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, AND IN-BETWEEN © 2017 BY AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN. PUBLISHED BY AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN. NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT HAPPYFORKS.COM/ANALYZER

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THE FLAVORS OF

VIETNAM It’s all about the yin and yang— the sweet and the salty, the cooling and the warming, the fresh and the fermented. BY REBECCA TREON

he coast of Vietnam snakes in an “S” shape from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south, by the South China Sea. Bordering China, Laos and Cambodia, Vietnam draws its culinary influences from countries around the globe, among them neighboring China and Thailand, as well as France, whose era of colonization spanned parts of the 19th and 20th centuries. Bright, light, fresh flavors characterize the cuisine, which often features a base of rice or noodles topped with seafood, meat, fresh herbs and fish sauce. According to Andrea Nguyen, author of Vietnamese Food Any Day (Ten Speed, 2019) and several other award-winning

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

cookbooks, Vietnamese food is different from other cuisines because it is layered with sweetness, saltiness, spicy heat and cooling fresh herbs—a “fusion of cultures” resulting from a long history of interactions with other nations. Nguyen notes that in some parts of the country, Roman coins have been found (one theory is that Vietnamese fish sauce originated with the Roman fish sauce known as garum), and there has been influence from the Japanese, who occupied the country after the French, and from the American presence during the Vietnam War. “People think that making Vietnamese food, if it’s not familiar to them, is going to be really difficult,” Nguyen says. “But all that they really need to start off with is fish sauce and rice.” One of the best features of Vietnamese food is that

SHUTTERSTOCK (4); CORN: AUBRIE PICK

(INSET): A CITY ON VIETNAM’S CENTRAL COAST, HOI AN IS KNOWN FOR ITS WELL-PRESERVED ANCIENT TOWN AND DIVERSE FOOD; (ABOVE) A TERRACED RICE FIELD IN NORTH VIETNAM.

AROUND THE WORLD | E AT

Streetside Corn and Chile

RICE PAPER ROLLS IN VIETNAM ARE ALSO CALLED FRESH SPRING ROLLS (GÒI CUÔN).

One of the best ways to eat corn, a beloved food in Vietnam, is as a spoon-able street food. This is a Viet version of esquites (Mexican corn salad). BY ANDREA NGUYEN

SERVES 4

1½ Tbsp unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil 2 cups fresh corn kernels 1 seeded and chopped fresh chile, such as Fresno or jalapeno A POPULAR VIETNAMESE SOUP, PHO CONSISTS OF BROTH, RICE NOODLES, HERBS AND MEAT.

it is customizable to an eater’s personal distinctively Vietnamese fillings, tastes; what you put into your roll, soup including grilled pork, pickled daikon or sandwich can vary based on your radish and shredded carrot, plus fresh preference of meat, vegetables and cilantro and jalapeno slices. garnishes. There are three “gateway In her latest book, Nguyen breaks foods,” as Nguyen calls them, for down Vietnamese cooking so that it’s newbies to easily make and try: easily understood. She starts with a rice-paper rolls, pho (pronounced fuh) detailed guide of essential, readily and banh mi sandwiches. available ingredients. “I want VietnamRice-paper rolls are made with a thin ese cooking to be a weekday thing, not a rice-paper wrapper and weekend project,” can be filled with rice Nguyen says. “I want you noodles; slices of pork, to know you can do it any shrimp or tofu; and herbs day, and all of the and served with a peanut ingredients, like lettuce, dipping sauce. Pho is a cucumber, herbs, flour, rice-noodle soup, made sugar and butter, are with a rich broth, plus a available in a typical selection of meats, and American pantry or topped with fresh herbs, supermarket.” Her hope RECIPE EXCERPTED FROM VIETNAMESE FOOD ANY DAY: jalapenos and lime juice. is that some Vietnamese SIMPLE RECIPES FOR TRUE, FRESH FLAVORS © 2019 BY A banh mi sandwich is favorites will become ANDREA NGUYEN. PUBLISHED made using a French part of every home cook’s BY TEN SPEED PRESS. bread–style roll with regular meal roster.

2½ tsp fish sauce, or 1½ tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or Maggi Seasoning sauce plus ¼ tsp fine sea salt Rounded ¼ tsp smoked paprika 1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced and separated into rings 1½ tsp furikake; 3 pieces Korean toasted seaweed, crumbled; or ½ sheet sushi nori, toasted and crumbled DIRECTIONS 1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add corn and chile and cook about 2 minutes, until heated through. Add fish sauce and smoked paprika and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes longer, until corn has cooked through and developed a spicy and savory flavor. (In my carbon-steel skillet, when a couple of kernels jump and pop, it’s time to move on.) 2. Remove pan from heat, add green onion, and stir until softened. Let cool 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and top with furikake. 3. Serve with spoons for each diner to mix things up, scoop and eat. PER SERVING: 114 CAL; 2 G PROTEIN; 6 G FAT; 14 G CARB (2 G SUGARS); 300 MG SODIUM; 2 G FIBER NUTRITIONAL VALUES CALCULATED AT HAPPYFORKS.COM/ANALYZER

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nonGMO

gluten free

WE MAKE BREAD SIMPLY DELICIOUS. Product selection varies by store.

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BOOST

NEW

YOUR GUIDE TO NATUR AL SUPPLE ME NT HEALTH

Stronger & Smarter A natural supplement routine can bolster whole-body health

LIVE NATURALLY. SHOP WISELY.

IMMUNITY & INFLAMMATION

How to keep these systems in balance

TAKE HEART:

5 supps to keep this organ beating strong

MYSTERIES OF MITOCHONDRIA:

Natural ways to support your mitochondria

Balancing Immunity & Inflammation Like many systems in the body, inflammation and the immune system have a delicate relationship. Keep these supplements in mind to manage inflammation and support your overall health. B Y N A N C Y C O U LT E R - P A R K E R

Yet when we understand how these interactions—such as inflammation and immunity—work to help the body look after itself, we can strive to keep them in balance. “Inflammation is an important way that the immune system helps the body to heal,” explains Ashley Boudet, N.D., co-founder of the Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy in Boulder, Colo. “Inflammation is really important, even though most of the time it seems bad.”

DEFENSE MECHANISM A key role of inflammation is to defend the immune system by acting

WINTER 2021 | OPTIMUM WELLNESS

as a biological response to harmful stimuli such as bacteria, toxins and pathogens coming into the body through food or the environment. It is also a response to trauma and damaged cells. Ultimately, inflammation is the immune system’s mechanism to handle these threats and help the body return to a state of homeostasis. But if your body continually encounters threats, inflammation can become chronic and lead to a number of diseases. “We live in a challenged environment with pollution in the air, a level of stress, and foods processed in a way that can be perceived in some

bodies as a threat. When we are exposed to such threats, our body sends a 911 response,” Boudet says. In the case of an injury, the body sends blood and white blood cells to the area needing repair. But when there are constant threats, the body is having to send more immune cells to the rescue, which creates a state of stressful response and inflammation. Hormones such as cortisol are meant to be anti-inflammatory, but they lose their effect when they are on overdrive. “Cortisol is the fightor-flight hormone. When our body is stimulated to make a lot of that, it keeps us going through the day, but it’s the opposite of being able to heal,” says Boudet, adding that when we oversecrete cortisol, it can lead to chronic inflammation.

REACHING A PARASYMPATHETIC STATE To heal, Boudet explains, we have to move away from the inflammatory response, from a sympathetic state that produces cortisol to a parasympathetic state, in which we can be calm and composed. In this state, the body is working at its best.

SHUTTERSTOCK

f there is one thing that became clear in 2020, it’s how interconnected every aspect of our health is. Poor sleep habits can increase stress, and stress can lead to poor sleep. Our diet and gut health are interwoven with our nervous system, mood and mental well-being. And inflammation directly relates to how our immune system functions. Left unchecked, these seemingly small interactions can lead to more-chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. In the case of COVID-19, those living with such conditions or comorbidities do not typically fare well.

S U P P L E M E N TA L H E A LT H C A R E | B O O S T

KEEP INFLAMMATION IN CHECK . Vitamin C A large body of research attests to the importance of having enough vitamin C in the body to support a balanced immune system. It has been shown to quell inflammation and lessen the duration of a cold. “Vitamin C is huge for the immune system. It works on the cellular level. It is an antioxidant that protects against damage from toxins and oxidative stress and can help us heal when there is damage,” Boudet says.

Vitamin D

The brain can learn, food is fully digested, and our immune system works as it should. Although we continually cycle through sympathetic and parasympathetic states, we are more often than not in a sympathetic state, Boudet says, because in today’s world, there is almost always something our body is responding to. “When we are constantly reacting, there is less energy in the body to confront a viral or bacterial infection. The body just can’t heal, because it is preoccupied with continuous inflammation,” she says. Although we often focus on strengthening the immune system, Boudet says the priority should be to reduce inflammation or lessen the toxic load that is causing the body to react so constantly. Boudet stresses the importance of eating a healthy, nutrient-rich diet and getting enough sleep and exercise. “Get out in nature, laugh, get rest, and take downtime seriously. Move a little,” she says. In addition, Boudet recommends the following natural supplements to keep inflammation in check.

More than 40 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. Studies have linked a variety of inflammatory diseases to low vitamin D; conversely, supplementation can reduce inflammation and ramp up your immune system. Although vitamin D can be obtained through exposure to sun and certain foods such as fish, it’s not always easy to get enough through these means. “The way we absorb it depends on our skin tone and the health of our kidneys and liver,” Boudet explains. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means you need to make sure you are eating enough healthy fats to absorb it.

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Magnesium This essential mineral assists in calming spasms in the body resulting from inflammation and supports healthy nerve and enzyme function. Magnesium relaxes larger muscles that can be spasming and can reduce the need to take a pain reliever, Boudet says. She suggests getting magnesium through a bath with Epsom salts. “This is mainly because Epsom salts bring in an element of self-care. You’re absorbing it through the skin, and your muscles relax and notice it right away,” she says. There are also many powders you can take that have magnesium citrate.

Zinc This mineral is necessary to maintain healthy immune function. “It’s important in repairing and restoring process in the immune system,” Boudet says. Zinc works on a cellular level to stop viruses from replicating. Low levels of zinc have been associated with decreased function of T cells, vital white blood cells that fight pathogens and infections.

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MegaFood Daily Immune Support

Omega-3 fatty acids Healthy fats or omega-3 fatty acids help to regulate inflammation and support the immune system. A number of studies have correlated an increased intake of omega-3s with a decrease in inflammation. For this reason, the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3s are sometimes used to manage inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including heart disease. Omega-3s are also key to absorbing fat-soluble vitamins, such as D, A, E and K.

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True to Your Heart Five natural supplements to support cardiovascular health. BY SOPHIA MCDONALD

ebruary is American Heart Month, and there’s no better time to think about keeping this vital organ beating strong. For most people, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, refraining from smoking and maintaining low stress is enough to keep their ticker in tip-top shape. But people with high blood pressure or a family history of heart problems may want to do more to protect their heart. Natural supplements such as the following may be good options. Remember to consult a health-care professional before starting a new supplement routine.

MAGNESIUM

“Magnesium can be crucial when it comes to heart health,” says Piper Gibson, doctor of advanced holistic nutrition and traditional naturopathy, and founder of Regenerating Health in Las Cruces, N.M. “It is vital for muscle function, as well as helping to regulate blood pressure. Magnesium assists calcium in making sure we have a healthy heartbeat. While calcium stimulates heart muscles, magnesium relaxes them.”

PYCNOGENOL

Steven Lamm, M.D., medical director at the NYU Langone Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health, often recommends patients take pycnogenol, also known as pine bark extract. “Pycnogenol is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory benefits that has been studied extensively for over 40 years and is shown to provide multiple benefits for heart health,” he says. “Several studies have shown that supplementing with Pycnogenol can help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, strengthen the vascular system, and reduce inflammation in the body.”

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VITAMIN K2

This vitamin is important for the heart because it helps calcium get into the bones, not into the arteries where it can cause calcification or hardening, says Nicole Avena, Ph.D., and author of Why Diets Fail (Ten Speed, 2013). “Vitamin K2 is found in some foods like egg yolks and other organ meats, but most people don’t eat enough of those foods to get enough K2. This is why taking a supplement may be necessary.”

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Mushrooms contain compounds called beta-glucans that provide a number of benefits, including supporting lower cholesterol and better heart health. “Try to avoid buying mushroom formulas that contain or use mycelium,” says Loretta T. Friedman, a chiropractic doctor and founder of Synergy Health Associates in New York City. “You want the fruiting body in the formula. This refers to the whole mushroom cap and stem being used. Also, stay away from powders listed as part of the ingredients. You want extracts. They are much better absorbed in our bodies.”

“Taurine is an herbal supplement that has been used as a cardioprotective supplement and treatment for cardiovascular diseases,” says Lisa Richards, certified nutritional consultant and creator of the Candida Diet. “Taurine has a cardioprotective response by decreasing the amount of resistance of blood flow in blood vessels. This characteristic helps to reduce blood pressure and, thereby, protect the heart.”

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CELL SERVICE

Natural ways to support mitochondria—the powerhouses of your cells—to slow aging and disease. B Y K AT H R Y N L E AV I T T

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Coenzyme Q10 (coQ10)

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that your body produces naturally, and your cells use it for growth and maintenance. But as we age, levels decrease, so supplementation can be beneficial. In an article in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, Pizzorno writes that coQ10 deficiency “means not only decreased ATP production but also increased electron loss, causing oxidative damage, [and] research has shown a strong correlation between a species’ ability to produce coQ10 and their longevity.”

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B Vitamins

Because B vitamins are cofactors (needed to make chemical reactions happen) in cellular energy production, it’s important to ensure they are available in abundance so that ATP production can occur with ease, Tindall says. It’s well-established that B vitamins are crucial for energy in general, and multiple recent studies show that they directly regulate the metabolism of mitochondria.

Magnesium

Magnesium is critical for a multitude of biochemical processes, including normal cellular and mitochondrial function, so supplementing with it can be helpful for mitochondria, which are considered magnesium “stores,” Tindall says. Up to 50 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in magnesium, and deficiency has been linked with diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and high blood pressure.

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Alpha-Lipoic (α-Lipoic) Acid & AcetylL-Carnitine Studies show that these supplements reduce oxidative stress, and they also, Pizzorno writes, increase ATP production. One study found benefits of these supplements in subjects with heart disease, and ongoing studies with the National Institutes of Health are looking at their neuroprotective effects and how they improve cognition in patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia.

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hen it comes to aging, research finds that most people fear issues such as losing physical function, experiencing memory loss or getting a chronic disease. Although the market is rife with strategies to slow down aging and restore the fountain of youth—with most products taking aim at physical appearance—researchers say healthy aging actually comes down to something much more cellular. Enter mitochondria, the little batteries inside each cell of our bodies that generate more than 90 percent of our cells’ energy needs. “They are organelles in the cells responsible for producing energy” in the form of adenosine triphosphate or ATP, says Joseph E. Pizzorno, Jr., N.D., and founding president of Bastyr University, the first fully accredited, multidisciplinary university of natural medicine. If mitochondria stop working, he adds, the cells start dying within a few minutes. Mitochondria are hands down the best measure of physiological age, according to Pizzorno, and also of disease resistance, because they are now linked with major illnesses, including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mood disorders. “[Diseases] have as one of their principal defects loss of mitochondrial function, so anything that can maintain or restore mitochondrial function can reduce the severity of many of the symptoms of these diseases,” says Garth Nicolson, Ph.D., a mitochondria researcher. Besides aging and disease, exposure to chemicals and toxicants like pollution and certain pharmaceuticals can also negatively impact mitochondria, says TRY IT. Sarah Tindall, N.D., a resident at the National University of Natural Medicine. On the flip side, the following nutrients can provide essential support.

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Bergamot Battle high cholesterol and balance blood sugar with this citrus superstar. B Y K E L L E E K ATA G I

WHAT IS IT?

THE SCIENCE

Grown primarily in southern Italy, bergamot oranges are a sour citrus fruit containing compounds found in no other citrus plant. Bergamot, an aromatic extract or essential oil derived from the fruit, gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor and can be used in aromatherapy. When used as a supplement, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often called citrus bergamot, appears in capsule form and is thought to combat metabolic syndrome.

A study published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that bergamot reduced cholesterol levels better than a leading statin drug. The best results occurred in participants who took bergamot along with half the recommended dose of the statin drug. Other research, Earl Grey tea in Frontiers in owes its unique flavor Pharmacology, to bergamot oil, but there found that over six likely isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough in the tea months, bergamot to reduce cholesterol levels. supplements For therapeutic benefits, reduced LDL opt for bergamot cholesterol, increased supplements. HDL cholesterol and lowered triglyceride levels in participants, all of whom had moderately high cholesterol levels to start.

USE IT FOR Bergamot is most commonly used to reduce LDL cholesterol, which is linked to cardiovascular disease. It may also increase healthy HDL cholesterol, improve blood-sugar levels and diminish fatty deposits in the liver.

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HOW TO TAKE IT Capsules are the most common form of bergamot supplements, but some studies used a liquid extract instead. Doses between 500 and 1,000 milligrams daily seem to be effective, with higher doses yielding better results.

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