Get Healthy with Fall Foods

Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean you need to avoid the produce section. This is a great time of year to up the nutritional value of your meals while enjoying some of the great foods that are in season. Here are our favorites!

Apples

Of course you can eat apples raw. Many people like apple slices with a little peanut butter on them (we prefer Raw Almond Butter). Add diced apples to fruit salads and green salads. Sliced apples and cheese are a European favorite for dessert. You can also cook apples, and not just in desserts. Gravenstein, Pippin, and Granny Smith apples retain their texture the best during cooking. Try braising a chopped apple with red cabbage. To prevent apple slices from browning, simply put them into a bowl of cold water with a spoonful of lemon juice added. To use apple slices in future recipes, freeze them in plastic bags or containers. Whole apples retain a large percentage of their nutritional value for many months if they are stored in the refrigerator.
Try to eat at least three or four apples per week. Some of the healthiest people I know eat one or two apples every day. Now, after all we have learned, we plan to follow their example.

It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption. ~Edward Bunyard

Pear Smoothie

2 ripe pears

The juice of 1 medium sized lime

3 kiwi fruits
Blend in Vita Mix until smooth.

Fresh Pumpkin Soup

8 cups chopped fresh pumpkin (about 3 pounds)

4 cups chicken broth

3 small tart apples, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook on low for …read

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Vegan Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 (15 oz) can Light Coconut Milk

2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans (or other white bean – like great northern or navy), drained and rinsed

3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree or 2 (15 oz) cans

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1/2 T garam masala

1/2 Tablespoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

For Preparation go to www.thebellyfitclub.com

Lasagna

Typical: White pasta, tons of cheese, lots of fatty meat.

Twist: Two ways. If you must use pasta, try whole wheat or brown rice. If you don’t need the pasta (which will save you hundreds of calories), use long strips of zucchini in its place. Start layering as usual, but try using raw cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella and goat. A little goes a long way. Then pack in veggies like spinach, squash, eggplant, peppers, etc. If using the zucchini strips, it will be harder to serve up, but well worth it.

Sweet Butternut Heaven

3 cups butternut squash

1-2 packets stevia

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons organic butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients well and then place them evenly distributed in a baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 35 minutes or until they are soft and brown on the edges.

We love to eat this for breakfast when the weather is cooler. 🙂

There’s always room for salad!

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt — and one of the simplest.

Pumpkin Pie in a Bowl

1 avocado

2 cups cooked pumpkin or fresh carrot juice warmed

2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice

2 squirts stevia

Mix in blender

Pour into bowl and you have a delicious fall soup.

Pomegranate

Here are 3 fabulous reasons to eat a pomegranate today:

1. Low in calories, high in nutrition
Enjoy a medium-sized pomegranate for 105 nutrient-packed calories.

You’ll also get a hefty dose of blood pressure-lowering potassium, virtually no sodium, one gram of fiber and about 10% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.

2. Improves heart health
One study found that drinking a little more than 8 ounces of pomegranate juice every day for three months improved blood flow to the heart in people with coronary heart disease.

Forty-five participants drank either the juice or a placebo beverage that looked and tasted like pomegranate juice. On average, blood flow to the heart improved 17% in the pomegranate group, but declined 18% in the placebo group in merely three months.

Other studies suggest that pomegranate juice might help prevent atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and even clear clogged arteries.

With atherosclerosis, plaque builds up in the arteries and reduces blood flow, potentially causing heart attack, stroke, or numbness and pain in the arms and legs.

3. Cancer fighter
Could a glass a day keep prostate cancer away? Researchers at University of California-Los Angeles tested the theory that pomegranate juice could keep prostate cancer from returning.

Forty-six men who had been treated for prostate cancer drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily. The scientists measured the men’s blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate health and prostate cancer. The faster these levels double, the sooner a man is likely to see his prostate cancer return. The men’s overall PSA doubling time was nearly four times slower after they began drinking the juice. Research is continuing.

The fruit also shows promise in shielding against other cancers.

Laboratory studies have shown that various components of the pomegranate suppress the growth of human breast cancer cells. Studies with mice suggest that pomegranates could reduce the spread of lung cancer.

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.

Raw Tomato Soup with Shredded Raw Goat Cheese

5 Roma or Holland tomatoes, dices

4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked in warm water until soft and dices

¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 clove garlic, diced

2 tbs. fresh oregano, finely chopped

½ cup raw goat cheese (alta dena brand is my favorite)

Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the goat cheese. Distribute evenly into two soup bowls and top with the shredded goat cheese. Serve slightly warmed.