Total Health Counseling

Garlicky Kale Chips

May 18, 2013/in Beneficial Foods, Recipe /by phiggins

Kale chips seem to be everywhere these days. I’ve seen a lot of recipes online and decided to start making them myself. I’m on my third batch of the week, yes they are that good!

These babies come together fairly quickly and go well with grilled fish or your favorite protein.

Krispy and Delish!

Kale is a highly nutritious bitter green vegetable. It’s got Vitamin A, C, K and several essential nutrients. Kale is also a great non-dairy source of Calcium! Bitter greens are beneficial to eat especially in the Spring time when people tend to get congestion and sinus infections. This will help keep your lungs clear so you can breath easier. Keep kale on your menu to help prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease!!

Recipe – Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

half bunch of kale (5 stems full of leaves)

1-2 T. olive oil

pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Remove kale leaves from stems and wash thoroughly. You can chop or tear leaves off stem.

3. Shake water off as best you can. Place paper towel on baking sheet and put kale on top. Put more paper towels on top of kale and dry kale. Discard wet paper towels.

4. Drizzle olive oil on kale and sprinkle on spices. Using your clean hands, mix the oil and spices evenly until kale is well coated.

5. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven, turn over kale leaves and bake another 8-10 minutes.

6. Allow to cool a few minutes then serve.

7. Enjoy!

Yummy meal idea: serve with grilled fish.

Simple Steps To A Healthier You!

May 7, 2013/4 Comments/in Tips /by phiggins

Do you want to eat healthier but think it’s too complicated or means only eating salads? There are so many simple steps you can take to enhance your health. It starts by taking action today and jumping in for the challenge! You are worth it and wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel great and look fabulous, and have a healthy?

Top 10 Tips to a Healthier You:

Add creamy avocado slices to your burgers and sandwiches instead of mayo or fancy aioli (i.e. mayo) spreads.
Skip the deep-fried french fries and order baked sweet potato instead or grilled veggies.
Start the day with a big glass of water and squeeze a whole lemon or lime in the glass, this will hydrate and alkalize your body instantly! You’ll hydrate and get a boost of energy first thing in the morning.
Make quinoa instead of white rice, they both take 20 minutes to cook. Quinoa is a superfood and contains more protein, fiber, and healthy nutrients than white rice. It’s absorbed slower in your body for sustained energy too.
Upgrade your peanut butter to one made with just peanuts and salt, skip the ones with added sugars and oils. Try almond butter too.
Switch from conventional milk to Organic milk or yogurt. Organic dairy tastes better and it’s not full of antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, or added hormones.
Shred carrot or zucchini into your favorite pasta sauce. It will thicken it up and add tons of nutrients!
Make kale chips for a snack instead of fried potato chips. Check out Michelle’s of www.FindYourBalanceHealth.com tasty kale chips tips and recipe: http://findyourbalancehealth.com/2012/08/how-to-make-the-perfect-kale-chip/ Kick up the flavor with chili-lime kale chips: http://findyourbalancehealth.com/2010/07/chili-lime-kale-chips/
Skip the coffee and drink green tea. Why you ask? Green tea is chock full of antioxidants and is an alkalizing drink, coffee is highly acidic and can disrupt digestion, cause jitters and keep you up late. Green tea contains far less caffeine so you get a milder lift. Choose decaf green tea or herbal tea later in the day so it won’t interrupt your sleep cycle.
Eat organic apples! They are on the dirty dozen list rated for higher pesticides than other produce. Check out the EWG (Environmental Working Group) list for the full dirty dozen list: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php to be in the know of produce is highly recommended to purchase organic. Also, check out the clean fifteen list on the same page that reveals the 15 fruits and veggies with the least amount of pesticides so you can skip organic.

Join me for my Realfood Challenge!! E-mail me at: totalhealthcounseling@gmail.com for more info.

Those are my top 10 ways to a healthier you! What are your best tips to get healthy? Please share Smile

Market 17 Hits The Mark With High Quality Local And Gourmet Dining

April 29, 2013/in Local, Restaurant, Review /by phiggins

On Saturday night, my husband and I decided to venture out on the town a little further from home. Typically we dine anywhere that’s within a 10 minute drive. We decided to head down to Fort Lauderdale to see what was new and good. We consulted with Yelp.com of course and Google maps. After reading some reviews of places we wanted to try I read about Market 17 that someone mentioned in their Yelp review of another restaurant. I yelped Market 17 then jumped over to their website, they had me at local, organic, and farm-to-table(!!). They also have an outstanding happy hour 4:30-7pm seven days a week, so my husband was willing to check it out.

We arrived around 6pm and there was one other couple at the bar. That worried us a little, but we decided to at least stay for a drink and appetizer, why not for half off! Creative cocktails and a beautiful ambiance set the mood for a wonderful evening, we ended up staying a few hours Smile . By the time we left around 9pm, there restaurant was quite full! We were surprised more people did not arrive early for their outstanding happy hour specials.

Here’s a photo of the mostly devoured charcuterie we ordered. You can get 3 items for $15, 5 for $25 and 7 for $32. It was absolutely delicious, almost forgot to take a picture! We ordered the chicken pear sausage (my favorite), andouille sausage (Heman’s favorite), and chocolate stout cheddar (Heman really like this one, no cheese for me). The chicken pear sausage was juicy, sweet, and a little crispy on the outside, I loved it! My husband preferred the andouille sausage, it was flavorful but not too spicy as sometimes andouille can be. He really liked the cheese as well, the chocolate stout was different but the flavor combination was delicious. Drink pictured below is the Partridge in a Pear tree made with pear vodka and pear nectar, I asked them to hold the fennel syrup. We also sampled the M-17 (a take on an Old-Fashioned), and Prickly Passion Martini, fruity but not too sweet.

On the side of the menu, you can see where your food comes from…veggies, meats, cheeses, eggs, seafood, it’s all there!! This aspect of Market 17 had me jumping up and down. To top it off, the meal was amazing with kind and generous service. Very impressed and happy we ventured down to Fort Lauderdale to check this place out!

Menu with starters, salads, charcuterie, entrees (petite and regular portions, which I love), and sides/snacks.

The menu changes often, check out their website for the latest and greatest: http://www.market17.net/menus.htm

Gorgeous ambience at Market 17. We dined at the bar, there are high top tables in the bar area as well. Dining available outside and, indoors next to glass doors so you can feel like you’re outside. They have another dining area as well away from the windows with dim lighting. This restaurant is fairly large so they can accommodate larger parties. Decorations are beautifully done!

Complimentary bread served with dinner. Butter with garlic and chives.

My husband ordered the Pan Roasted Guinea Hen (regular portion) with aged cheddar grits, rainbow carrots, heirloom tomatoes, and kale. Heman loves grits and said the meat was tender and perfectly cooked, and he said the tomatoes were very flavorful as well. Typically he only like pasta sauce or salsa, so the tomatoes were definitely tasty enough for my picky eater.

I enjoyed the Grilled Grassfed Beef Striploin (petite portion – 4 ounces meat) with braised greens instead of the yukon mashed potatoes (since they contain milk and butter) along with roasted cauliflower and sauteed kale. This dish was incredibly good, I love a high quality piece of meat with greens – my favorite! They had me at grassfed beef and it was quite tender and perfectly medium rare as requested.

We finished the evening with espresso and then headed home having fully enjoyed this dining adventure.

If you are really adventurous, they have a food event called Dining in the Dark. You can call to reserve and the concept is exactly that, dining in the dark. You tell them your likes and dislikes and notify them of any food allergies. They create the menu and you dine in the dark, not knowing what is on the menu. It’s a way to expand your palette safely in a gourmet meal. This method is to heighten your other senses while eating, rather than just eating with your eyes. Smell, taste, texture play a bigger role when dining in the dark. Call 954.835.5507 to make your reservations.

Good Bye and Good Night Market 17, we will be seeing you again soon!

Market 17

1850 SE 17th Street

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Located on the SW corner of the 17th St. Bridge, parking next to the Convention Center.

Healthy Tips From Vitacost: Organic Shopping 101

April 6, 2013/4 Comments/in Beneficial Foods, Guest Post, Resources, Tips, Vitacost, Vitacost /by phiggins

We hear about Organic foods a lot these days and it can be confusing when to spend a little extra and what you are really getting for your hard earned cash. Vitacost.com sent me an excellent guest post to share with you the 411 on how to decipher organics when you’re filling your cart to feed yourself and family. Thank you Vitacost!!

By: +Elizabeth Lotts writer for Vitacost.com

The organic versus non-organic decision is still a cart-stopper in the grocery store. Which fruits are healthier when grown organically? Which vegetables? What about that box of crackers? Trying to pick the cream of the crop becomes a chore within a chore when you don’t know the ”why” and “what” factors. All you need is a quick, Organic Shopping 101 course to narrow the selection and get you to the check-out line in record time.

First, determine why you are shopping organic so your selection doesn’t feel so fruitless. If you need to justify (to yourself or your budget-conscious significant other) why you’re spending a little more on certain items, then consider these reasons:

Organic means farmers use no antibiotics and no growth hormones, grow produce within sanitary and spacious facilities and use the fewest conventional pesticides
No GMOs– organic foods are not genetically modified in any way
A smaller carbon footprint–organic farms use the most sustainable methods to promote biodiversity and a healthy eco-system
Cleaner water, soil and air–pesticides from conventional farming can intoxicate the water supply, wildlife and the atmosphere

If these reasons don’t inspire you to go organic for every single purchase, consider that it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. Just keep in mind that certain conventional fruits and veggies are produced with a high number of pesticides– these, you should buy organic.

Fruit:

– Apples

– Any berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

– Nectarines

– Peaches

– Pears

– Cherries

– Grapes (imported variety)

Veggies:

– Leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce)

– Bell peppers

– Carrots

– Celery

Meat, eggs and dairy: The organic options ensure animals are provided healthy living conditions, organic feed and adequate treatment for injuries or illness. When buying organic in the refrigerated aisles, select “all of the above.”

Crackers, cookies, cereals, coffee and anything else in a box or bag: This is an open-ended question, which means you can pick and choose which of these are better organic based on your preferences of taste, brand, price and/or variety. The same rules apply, though: organic cereals must contain all organic ingredients. If your mixed berry granola claims it’s organic, then it was made with organic berries. (Hint: buy only as much as you need. Packaged goods usually find a place in the pantry for many months, but organic versions have a shorter shelf-life due to their lack of artificial preservatives.)

Your final exam: Make your shopping list and match the items on it with the groceries above. If you study the organic foods and brands you prefer, then you won’t second-guess yourself!

This article has been provided by the folks at Vitacost.com who has been selling discount vitamins since 1994. They have grown into one of the biggest online marketplaces for healthy living essentials-with vitamins and supplements being just one of their many helpful categories! They sell everything from Coq10 to Raspberry Ketones. Vitacost.com’s customers mean the world to them, and it’s their goal to provide you with the best nutritional supplements, health foods and sports nutrition toarticles on the benefits of probiotics. Be sure to check out Vitacost Coupons for discounts. Vitacost.com is not affiliated with this blog, and isn’t responsible for content outside of this article.

Sunshine Chicken Dinner

March 23, 2013/1 Comment/in Recipe /by phiggins

This meal makes me think of sunshine, probably because of the way I arranged the sweet potatoes and the natural light pouring onto the plate. It put a smile on my face and it was ready in minutes since I cooked the chicken and potatoes the day before.

Baked sweet potato, baked chicken drumsticks, dandelion greens rubbed with olive oil and pink sea salt.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

1# chicken drumsticks (organic, antibiotic free, no hormones added)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/8 teaspoon each (or to taste) pink sea salt, black pepper, turmeric, basil, oregano

Method:

1. Measure out and combine vinegar, oil, and spices. Toss in a resealable 1 gallon plastic bag.

2. Add chicken to bag, seal, shake to combine. Let chicken sit in marinade for 20 minutes on counter (this is a short enough duration to not cause food spoilage). If you choose to marinate overnight or for more than 30 minutes, place chicken in fridge.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken and marinade in baking pan.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.

5. Once chicken is fully cooked, set oven to broil and cook another 3-4 minutes to brown chicken skin.

6. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes then serve with sliced baked sweet potato and dandelion greens.