Category Archives: plant food

Recipe: Sauteed Callaloo

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

I developed a love for callaloo while I was in Jamaica. It has to be one of the tastiest green veggies around and it is so easy to eat a good volume of it. I have found it here in Toronto at Caribbean Corner in Kensington Market, so look for it at a Caribbean grocer near you.

There is some technique to handling this plant once you have it in your hands. Separate the leaves and the stems throughout. Use a paring knife to remove the fibrous outer coating from the stems.

Sauteed Callalloo

1 bunch of callaloo, stems and leaves separated

1 clove garlic, slivered

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to your taste

Cut the stems and leaves of callaloo into small pieces. See below for a visual:

In a large pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add cut callaloo, saute for 2-3 minutes or until leaves start to wilt. Cover pan and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper or any other seasoning to your taste. Enjoy!

 

 

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, healthy recipe, plant food, Recipe, Recommendation, Vegan, Veggies, Vivian Law

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Fat Loss Tip: Eat More Greens

Posted on August 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

All of us need to eat more greens, including me. For those who are looking to lose some fat, eating more greens is an excellent way to increase your intake of nutrients, which helps with fat loss. In fact, eating greens is a healthy habit to try to incorporate into daily life to maintain optimal health.

Eating more greens can help a person to shed fat, because it can help a person to eat fewer calories by inadvertently displacing higher calorie foods. You feel more full eating when you eat more greens, so you eat less starchy foods without even noticing. Greens in general provide a range of phytochemicals and antioxidants, which the body uses in the process to build and repair tissue. These are processes that are important in maintaining optimal health and supporting fat loss.

Here are some green ideas to try anytime:

Try adding 1/2-1 cup, cooked, of the veggies listed below on a daily basis for health improvement and fat loss.

Callaloo

Kale

Collard Greens

Bok Choy

Chard

Beet, Dandelion, Mustard greens

Rapini

Watercress

Cabbage

Spinach

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Greens, Healthy food, plant food

Book Inspiration: Everything Coconut Diet Cookbook

Posted on June 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Everything Coconut Diet Cookbook was brought to my attention just before Christmas 2011 by a family member who came across it at Indigo books. The diet and the recipes sounded interesting, so I got a copy and read it. I had read another book on coconut and health in 2010 called Coconut Cures by Bruce Fife, which I quite enjoyed as well.  Bruce Fife is quoted as a coconut authority in the Everything Coconut Diet Cookbook.

This book covers the details on how coconut can be used effectively in many ways to help a person improve their health and appearance. Organic, virgin coconut oil being the coconut product that delivers the most health benefits from increasing insulin sensitivity to improving the appearance of skin and hair. Many of the ideas are small changes that many people could implement. I found the book to be an easy, interesting read. The health booster beverage, warm water with lemon and coconut oil http://www.vivianlaw.ca/health-booster-lemon-water-with-coconut-oil/was inspired by this book and Coconut Cures.

A very interesting part of the book is the fairly large list of recipes that incorporate coconut products into many different everyday foods.  I have tried a few recipes so far and have found them to be quite tasty. For example, I love strawberry shortcake and there is a coconut version in this book, and is also gluten free.

The medium chain fatty acids found in coconut are a healthy fat, so this book is a great source of information on how to use this healthy fat for many different health benefits, much like Coconut Cures. However, the Everything Coconut Diet Cookbook provides even more practical applications and interesting recipes. I do not recommend diets at all, but this book is an interesting source of health improvement ideas to try.

 

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Posted in Healthy food, plant food, Review, Trainer's pick, Vivian Law

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Eat Your Greens

Posted on June 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Most of us would like to lose fat from our bodies in select areas (see hormone fat loss post). I generally find it far too difficult to deprive myself of any food or drink, so I look for other solutions, such as making small changes. The most positive and easy to accomplish is adding more variety of foods or drinks that I consume. One of our favourite fat loss tips that we suggest to our clients is to try eating at least one cup of cooked greens everyday. Cooked green vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, collard greens, kale, cabbage, spinach, rapini, swiss chard, asparagus, dandelion greens, watercress, callaloo, the list goes on.
Most of us including myself need to work at eating a variety of foods to obtain an adequate variety of nutrients. This point is very important especially with plant foods as they all have slightly different phytochemicals and antioxidants that are highly beneficial to our health. I have looked to professional chefs for inspiration with different ways to prepare and enjoy veggies, as they are the experts at making food taste and look good. I have shared a few sources of veggie inspiration in previous posts and I will continue to look for inspiration and encourage veggie consumption.
I was out for dinner twice this weekend and came across restaurants that had great tasting greens on their menu. I would not have eaten that amount of greens if I had not ordered these items. I was at Foxley (a perennial favourite Toronto restaurant) with a friend and we ordered both the green mango seaweed salad and the kale salad. Both were absolutely delicious and a substantial amount of greens. My friend and I both commented that we would not know how to prepare seaweed or kale in such a delicious way, but we were happy to eat it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was also surprised to find great greens at Lil Baci last night. Their tuscan kale salad is exceptionally seasoned and their fresh fava and greens were well prepared and tasty. Again, items I would not have made myself, but I certainly enjoyed eating once on a plate before me. Look on the menu the next time you are out for a meal and see if there is a veggie you are willing to try. You may be surprised that it tastes good and you’re willing to try it again.

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Posted in fat loss, Healthy food, plant food, Recommendation, Toronto, Vivian Law

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Veggie Inspiration: Callaloo

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 1 comment

Callaloo was a most delicious green veggie I tried while I was in Jamaica in March. I was told it was like spinach, but a bit milder. I first had it in a mixed vegetable curry, which I quite enjoyed. I had it again for breakfast in a dish of poached eggs and steamed callaloo.

Callaloo provides vitamin C, folic acid, iron and calcium. I found it to be delicious just steamed, so I highly recommend it as a green veggie to have regularly-it tastes good! Having more greens is a tried and true strategy for better health and fat loss. This concept gets much easier when there is a green that is this tasty.

A Jakes employee showed me callaloo growing wild by the side of the road. This is unlikely here in Canada, but be sure to try callaloo if you have the opportunity to do so in the Caribbean. Or at a West Indian restaurant in Toronto. Or try to buy some at a specialty market-I will do so and report back.

June 16, 2012

I got my hands on some callaloo at a Caribbean store in Kensington market. It was imported from Jamaica, but it was definitely a fresh cut plant. I cooked it with the help of a good friend yesterday and it was delicious!

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, plant food, Recommendation, Vegan, Veggies

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5 Everyday Antioxidant Foods

Posted on April 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Eating foods rich in antioxidants can help prevent illness and slow the aging process. The question what is oxidation, is one I am asked frequently. An easy visual example is imagine cutting an apple in half. What happens in half an hour? The apple starts to turn brown and maybe dry up a bit. This is due to exposure to oxygen and the chemical reaction that occurs in the presence of oxygen (the chemical reaction is oxidation).

We need to eat foods with antioxidants to counteract the environmental stressors our bodies are exposed to such as, alcohol, sun, smoke, pollution, and various other forms stress we experience.
There are various ways to measure antioxidant content in foods, but vitamin C, vitamin E, betacarotene, and selenium are the main nutrients to look for.Here are 5 everyday foods that are high in antioxidants:

1. Oats-are a source of selenium, vitamin E and soluble fibre, which also helps lower blood cholesterol.

2. Berries-blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries are rich sources of vitamin C and many other  beneficial phytochemicals. They are a fruit that is lower in sugar and easy to eat.

3. Broccoli-is rich in vitamin C and indole-3-carbinol, a cancer fighting phytochemical. Try pre-cut broccoli slaw mixed in with your regular salad. If you will not eat broccoli, try other dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, watercress, bok choy.

4. Carrots-are a food that most people like to eat raw, so enjoy regularly for its betacarotene, precursor to vitamin A content. If you do not like carrots, try fresh carrot apple juice.

5. Dark chocolate-(try one with a lower sugar content, less than 5 grams of sugar per serving) is fun to eat and contains vitamin C and is a great source of flavinoids, another type antioxidant compound.

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Posted in antioxidant, Healthy food, plant food

Recipe: Acai Bowl

Posted on April 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

So it was not too difficult at all to create an acai bowl at home. I went to a health food store, Evergreen Natural Foods and purchased some Sambazon frozen organic acai berry puree (smoothie packs). Printed on the package was directions on how to make an acai bowl! Here is my version:

One package of Sambazon frozen acai puree
1/4 cup Coconut Dream or other non dairy milk
1/2 banana, sliced
1/4 cup granola
1/2 cup mixed berries of your choice
1 tsp honey or more to your taste

Blend acai puree and milk in blender until thick and pour or scoop into a bowl. Drizzle with honey. Top with granola, sliced banana and berries-enjoy!
Enjoy as a light breakfast, healthy snack or dessert.

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Veggie Inspiration: Sea Asparagus and Endive, approved by Dr. Oz

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Sea asparagus and endive are two veggies that I consumed this week, and coincidentally, both have a Dr. Oz connection. I first tasted sea asparagus at the Tate Modern restaurant last May in a light curry sauce that accompanied cod. The crunchy texture and salty taste was delicious and intriguing, definitely a taste highlight of 2011. I started buying it for $14.99 a pound from Fiesta Farm last summer and steamed it lightly to accompany various barbecue dishes as a veggie (it is technically a succulent herb). After a few months of no sea asparagus, I found little jars of pesto and salsa verde made from sea asparagus at a farmer’s market on Oahu. I bought the little jars and brought them all the way home! The sea asparagus is grown close to the North Shore of Oahu in salty water. I was told by the farmer that Dr Oz had declared it to be an anti-aging food, how interesting, I just fell for the taste and texture! Sea asparagus is grown in Canada as well, in British Columbia. Try it next summer, it is tasty!

On another veggie note, I came across some organic endive at the local Loblaws and figured it would be a good veggie for the avocado, white bean and cilantro spread chef Melissa Saunders made this week. It sure was a great combination. Then, I was told by a client that endive had been featured on Dr. Oz as a food that helps to fight ovarian cancer. Eating 7-9 servings of veggies and fruit a day is helpful in cancer prevention. Having a variety of veggies and fruit is key as they all have different nutritional properties. Endive contains kaempferol, a powerful antioxidant which has been found to slow growth of cancer. Endive is also very low calorie. Try having it with dip or in salads.

 

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Posted in antioxidant, Greens, Healthy food, plant food, Veggies

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Recipe: Red Lentil Soup

Posted on January 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here is an easy soup to make that is tasty, simple and nutritious. Lentil soup is a great way to start adding more legumes to your diet. They are a little easier to digest than beans, so it is a good way to get your body used to having more legumes with a minimal risk of gas. It is seasoned with tumeric (also gives the soup the yellow colour) and cumin, both of which have numerous health benefits, so use liberally to your taste. The soup is perfect with half a sandwich or a substantial salad as lunch or as a starter for dinner. Studies have shown that having soup aids in weight loss, because soup is satisfying to eat, but can be low in calories. Try this soup!

Red Lentil Soup
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
I tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 plum tomato, finely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
In a strainer, rinse lentils until water runs clear or foaming stops.
In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium high and saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and tomato until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils, then broth, water, spices and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, and simmer until lentils are soft about 25 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Blend with an immersion blender if desired.

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Posted in gluten free, healthy recipe, plant food, Vivian Law

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