28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 23

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Shop Intelligently! Avoid All Processed Foods!

Let me be direct with you; if the list of ingredients on a label is long and you can’t pronounce the names, then there are most definitely a lot of bullshit chemical additives in the product (probably ‘preservatives’ to make the crap last longer on the shelf) and you're definitely risking your health by eating it. Be sure to read the ingredients even when purchasing foods from a health food store or when the rest of the packaging is trying to convince you that the food is healthy. ESPECIALLY if the packaging says it’s ‘healthy!

If the food you’re buying comes in a box, bag, or jar, it is probably processed and contains a lot of chemicals that you wouldn’t ordinarily eat. If someone offered you a nice spoonful of BHA (Butylated hydroxytoluene, a preservative), would you eat it? Of course not! But you’ll eat it when it’s listed as part of some packaged crap food that you buy in your supermarket and feed to your kids…that just doesn’t make any sense. Hell, jet fuel, rubber and embalming fluid contain BHA! This is something that you definitely don’t want to eat. Think about it. The goal here at the Heart Smart Gourmet is to buy as little food as possible that has a label at all! You want to eat fresh ingredients as much as possible. Instead of buying instant oatmeal with added sugar, salt, cinnamon, raisins, etc., buy the plain old rolled oats and add those individual ingredients yourself…your body will thank you for with longevity!

You want to avoid foods whose first few ingredients contain any type of sugar (corn syrup) and salt (sodium) especially. Ingredients are listed on the label according to quantity, in descending order based on weight (from most to least) so the ingredient listed first is more prevalent than any other in the food you’re buying. Unfortunately the FDA is waaaaay behind schedule when it comes to what is and what isn’t really healthy food and so, when it comes to eating, the only one to take care of you is you. So, if you do buy packaged foods READ THE LABEL! Get ‘edumacated’ people!

Sugar is listed with these alternative names:

·  Corn sweetener

·  Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids

·  Dehydrated Cane Juice

·  Dextrin

·  Dextrose

·  Fructose

·  Fruit juice concentrate

·  Glucose

·  High-fructose corn syrup (one of the most popular sugar alternatives)

·  Honey

·  Invert sugar

·  Lactose

·  Maltodextrin

·  Malt syrup

Salt is listed with these alternative names:

• sodium
• rock salt
• monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• sea salt

Your Action Plan: Become an investigative reporter when you go food shopping. A Quick Guide to Reading Labels:

• Food labels list ingredients in descending order -- what’s first on the ingredient list is present in the highest quantity.
• Do not purchase foods that contain salt or sweeteners in the first four ingredients or that contain any hydrogenated or trans-fats, or chemical additives.
• Avoid foods that have more then 200 mg sodium per serving and then only eat that serving amount! It doesn’t make sense to buy something that only has 50 mgs of sodium per serving just to sit down and eat 10 servings worth!

Breakfast

Green Smoothie

Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 apple, cut into fourths
• 1 banana
• 1/2 avocado
• 4 pitted dates
• 2 ounces spinach

Directions
Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and enjoy!

Lunch

• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Vegetable Stew* (Leftover from Day 22 dinner)
• Mixed Berries

Greek Garbanzo Salad

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chick peas), no or low salt
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 boiled potato, peeled and chopped in chunks
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped brazil nuts or almonds
• 3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
• 10 ounces mixed salad greens

Directions
Mix all ingredients, except salad greens. Serve on bed of mixed salad greens.

Vegetable Stew

 (Leftover from Day 22 dinner) 

Dinner

• Indian Mango Salad
• Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry
• Sliced pineapple

Indian Mango Salad

Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced
• 2 firm tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 1 pinch chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry 

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds

Sauce

• 6 tablespoons apricot natural fruit spread or preserves
• 4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped ginger root
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 teaspoons Mrs. Dash
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Vegetables

• 1/8 cup water
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 4 cups broccoli florets, small
• 2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/3 inch slices
• 4 medium red bell peppers, cut in 1" squares
• 1 cup cooked beans (Optional)
• 1 cup snow peas
• 2 cups Bok Choy, cut in bite-sized pieces
• 3 cups shiitake mushrooms or a mushroom mix, stems removed and sliced
• 16 ounces fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup raw peanut pieces
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded

Directions

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions.
2. SAUCE - Place sauce ingredients, along with rest of red pepper flakes, in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
3. VEGETABLES - In a large pan, sauté onions, broccoli, carrots, red peppers, and snap peas in water over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Toss while cooking, adding more water as necessary to keep from scorching.
4. After 5 minutes, add Bok Choy, and mushrooms and cover. Simmer until vegetables are just tender. Remove cover and cook off most water.
5. Add spinach and toss until wilted.
6. Add apricot sauce and stir until all vegetables are glazed and sauce is bubbly hot.
7. Mix in cashews
8. Serve over warmed shredded romaine lettuce, and brown rice.

*Lightly toast peanut pieces in a pan over medium heat for three minutes, shaking pan frequently.

28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 22

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Smoothies, Soups and Stews

A very efficient way to ensure you receive more of those anti-cancer nutrients is using a blender to puree raw, leafy greens. The blending process breaks down the cell walls guaranteeing that a higher percentage of micronutrients will be absorbed into your bloodstream. Try a smoothie with fruits and greens for breakfast.
Cooking tasty soups and stews is also an excellent and convenient way to eat. When vegetables are simmered in soup, all the nutrients are retained in the liquid. Soups and Stews are cooked at about 212 F, the boiling point of water. This is low temperature cooking that it is healthy because no harmful chemical agents are produced, like acrylamides. Acrylamides are cancer-causing agents formed when foods are browned, fried, baked, roasted or grilled. That crust on grilled meats tastes good but contains carcinogens.

Another healthy option is to steam or sauté using water instead of cooking with oil. Water sautéing is simple and great for stir-fries, sauces and many other dishes. To water sauté, heat a skillet on high heat. When water sputters when dropped on the pan, you are ready to water sauté. Use small amounts of water in the hot skillet, wok, or pan, covering occasionally and adding more water when necessary until vegetables are tender. You can even add a small amount of oil if you like by drizzling a bit of extra-virgin olive oil on the veggies when they are cooked. This way you add flavor with the smallest amount of oil.


Your Action Plan: Embrace the art and fun of healthy cooking:

• First and foremost, chew your food completely, especially when you eat salads.
• Add some blended salads (such as green smoothies), or some fresh vegetable juice into your diet.
• Incorporate soups and stews into your diet. They can prepared in advance on the weekends and be the centerpiece of your lunch or dinner for the entire week.
• Try water sautéing so you reduce calories from oil in your diet.

Breakfast

• Banana-Blueberry Oatmeal

Banana-Blueberry Oatmeal 

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup pomegranate juice (or low-fat milk)
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons almonds
• 2 bananas, sliced

Directions

1. In cereal bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Heat in microwave for 3 minutes.

Lunch

• Raw vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and red pepper)
• Italian Dressing or Balsamic Vinaigrette (for dipping)
• Black Bean Lettuce Bundles
• Melon

Mediterranean Black Bean Lettuce Wraps

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked or canned black beans, no salt
• 1/2 large avocado, mashed
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup mild salsa, low sodium
• 8 large romaine lettuce leaves

Directions

1. Mash beans and avocado together with fork.
2. Mix with all remaining ingredients except lettuce.
3. Place approximately 1/4 cup of filling in center of lettuce leaf and roll like a tortilla.

Dinner

• Quinoa Bean Salad
• Vegetable Stew (Save leftover for Day Twenty-three lunch.)
• Apple Surprise (or fresh fruit)

Mediterranean Couscous and Bean Salad

 Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked couscous
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped fine
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped fine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder

This is even better when refrigerated overnight to allow the flavors to blend. 

Directions

1. Sauté all veggies with a little water for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add 1 ½ cups water and bring to just a boil.
3. Add couscous and remove from heat and cover for 2-3 minutes, until all water is absorbed by couscous.
4. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

DRESSING

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of plainyogurt
• Hot chili flakes to taste (optional)

 Mix to combine.

Vegetable Stew

 Serves: 8 — Prep Time: 45 minutes

(Save the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!)

Ingredients:

·        28 ounces of tomato puree

·        8 ounces carrot juice (or water)

·        2 cups navy beans, rinsed

·        2 cups white kidney beans, rinsed

·        6 potatoes, peeled and chopped

·        8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·        4 stalks celery, sliced

·        2 onions, chopped

·        2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

·        1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

·        1/4 teaspoon salt

·        4 garlic cloves, minced

·        2 bay leaves

·        2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes

Directions:
In a 6 quart soup pot, bring tomato puree and carrot juice to a boil. Add all ingredients, cover and cook on low-heat setting for 2-3 hours, adding liquid if needed. Remove bay leaves from stew and serve.

Mediterranean Apple Dessert

 See recipe HERE

28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 21

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Trust What Your Body is Telling You

My recent heart surgery began with the day I went to the emergency room. I went to the emergency room because I knew that something wasn’t right in my body. That something turned out to be a quadruple blockage resulting in quadruple bypass surgery in order to save my life. If I had not listened to what my body was telling me, the doctors said that I would have had a ‘major event’ within a few weeks that probably would have killed me. I had been feeling symptoms for three weeks before I finally took action to face whatever it was that was causing what I was feeling. Lesson learned: Listen to your body!

It’s a medical fact that the body can change its eating habits in as little as fourteen days. As you consume larger and larger portions of health-promoting foods, your appetite for low-nutrient foods decreases and you gradually lose your addiction to fats, salt and sugar.

At this point, you’ve been at this diet for 21 days…so congratulations, you have kicked the habit of bad eating already!

Your Action Plan: Celebrate the progress and commitment you have made to the program and know that this is not a diet. Once you start eating this way, it will become a way of life and your body’s cravings and food preferences will change naturally. Your body is here to serve you – feed it right and it will take care of you!

Breakfast

• Sprouted grain bread, toasted with raw peanut butter
• Juice

Lunch

• Greens and Berries Salad with Cashew Currant Dressing
• Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup (Leftover from Day Twenty dinner)

Greens and Berries Salad with Blackberry Vinaigrette 

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients – Blackberry Vinaigrette Dressing

• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoon blackberry preserves
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Ingredients - Salad

• 1 head (about 6 cups) romaine lettuce
• 5 ounces (about 5 cups) organic baby spinach
• 1 12-ounce bag frozen strawberries, defrosted and sliced in half

Directions

1. Boil vinegar and blackberry preserves in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour vinegar into large bowl.
2. Combine water with no salt seasoning. Whisk into vinegar, along with mustard, marjoram and garlic.
3. Pile the lettuce and spinach leaves on a plate and lay the strawberries and blueberries on top. Pour the juice from the strawberries over the greens.
4. Drizzle dressing over the greens and berries.

Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup

 

(Leftover from Day 20 Dinner)

Dinner

• Crazy-About-Carrot Salad
• Pasta with Shrimp and Artichokes (Vegetarian substitute—Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie)
• Healthy Chocolate Pudding (or fresh fruit)

Carrot and Radish Salad

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 cup medium carrots, shredded
• 1 cup radish, julienned
• 2-3 green onion, chopped fine
• 1 shallot, diced
• Italian Dressing

Directions

1. Combine carrots, radish onion and shallot in a bowl.
2. Add a little Italian dressing, toss and let marinade for 10-15 minutes before serving, tossing every couple of minutes.

Linguine with Shrimp and Artichokes

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 4 teaspoons dried
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt
• 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound whole grain spaghetti
• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. Heat oil/water in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, dried red pepper, and garlic powder and stir 1 minute.
2. Add canned and fresh diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and lemon juice and simmer until sauce thickens slightly and artichokes are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
4. Meanwhile, bring sauce to a simmer. Stir in shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
5. Add spaghetti to sauce and toss to coat. Add reserved cooking liquid as necessary if pasta is too dry.

Vegetable Shepherd's Pie 

 Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 medium leek, chopped
• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" squares
• 1 15 oz. can of sweet green peas, low or no salt (Lesueur is great) 
• 8 oz Portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon herb de Provence (dried French herbs)
• 4 tablespoons Mrs. Dash or no salt veggie soup base
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot juice
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bake sweet potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. When potatoes are tender, remove to a bowl and mash.
3. Add broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, carrots, bell pepper, herb de Provence, and Mrs. Dash to a large sauté pan along with 2 cups of water.
4. Simmer until almost tender (about 10 minutes). Add spinach and toss.
5. Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil
6. Add mushroom, onion and garlic to pot of veggies and drain , reserving liquid in pot.
7. Whisk cornstarch into carrot juice and whisk into boiling vegetable liquid until it thickens.
8. Add vegetables to sauce and toss to combine.
9. Divide mixture into two 8-inch pie pans. If desired, top with 1/2 cup nuts.
10. Spread sweet potatoes over the top and if desired, sprinkle with remaining nuts.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until hot and hazelnuts are light brown. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Healthy Chocolate Pudding 

 Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 small beet, peeled and quartered
• 2 ounces spinach
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped dates
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 15 dates, pitted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk or low-fat milk
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

Directions

1. In a covered large pot, simmer the kale, beet, Mrs. Dash, raisins and dates with 4 cups water for about 45 minutes until vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Separate beets and place in separate bowl.
3. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the cooked vegetables. Place in high powered blender and blend until very smooth. Add remaining ingredients (except the beets) and blend to a smooth and creamy pudding consistency.
4. Add beets 1/4 at a time and blend until mixture reaches desired "chocolate" color.
5. Pour into custard cups and chill.

Note: Chocolate Pudding needs to be made ahead of time and chilled.

28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 20

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Good health comes from the food that you eat, not from a bottle of supplements!

Natural foods are highly complex -- so complex that the exact structure and the majority of compounds they contain are not precisely known. A tomato, for example, contains over 10,000 different phytochemicals which are essential for human health and well-being.

Scientists cannot formulate into pills nutrients that have not yet been discovered. If the pills did contain sufficient amounts of all the phyto-nutrients and other essential substances, we would have to consume a soup bowl full of pills and powders. To date, researchers have discovered over 10,000 phytochemicals. No supplements can contain the magnitude and diversity of substances in sufficient amounts. Thankfully, you can get all these nutrients today by eating a wide variety of plant-based foods.

CAUTION: Phytochemicals in freshly harvested plant foods may be destroyed or removed by modern processing techniques, possibly including cooking, so eat as many raw veggies as possible.

Your Action Plan: Don’t rely on pills and supplements to get your primary nutrition. Instead, eat properly and follow the advice on the pages of this blog,  fruits, veggies, nuts, some grains, fish, chicken and fresh, uncooked greens are the healthiest foods that you can consume, with the bulk being from fruits and vegetables.

Breakfast

• Creamy Green Smoothie
• 1⁄4 cup almonds

Green Smoothie

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 apple, cut into fourths
• 1 banana
• 1/2 avocado
• 4 pitted dates
• 2 ounces spinach

Directions
Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and enjoy!

Lunch

• Southern-Style Mixed Greens
• Brussels Sprouts Polonaise
• Pear

Southern-Style Mixed Greens

 Serves: 2 — Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 15-ounce can black eyed peas or white beans (no or low salt), drained
• 1 cup chopped yellow peppers
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/8 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing
• 10 ounces (about 7 cups) mixed salad greens

Directions

1. Combine water, garlic, and black pepper in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add black eyed peas; cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, combine black eyed peas with yellow peppers and next four ingredients. Cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.
3. Serve over salad greens.

*If you can't find low or no salt black eyed peas, use low or no salt small white beans instead.

Brussels Sprouts Polonaise 

 Serves: 3 — Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients

• 6 cups Brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons natural brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash or other no-salt seasoning
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk or fat-free milk

Directions

1. Cut large sprouts in half. Steam for 8 minutes or until tender.
2. Blend lemon juice, sugar, garlic, Mrs. Dash, 1/4 cup parsley, and milk in blender and pour over sprouts.
3. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Dinner

• Tossed green salad with avocado slices and Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup (Save leftover for Day 21 lunch.)
• Banana Date Ice Cream

Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup

 Serves: 8 — Prep Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms (button, shiitake, cremini), sliced 1/4" thick
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 teaspoons herb de Provence (Blend of savory, fennel, basil, thyme)
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery, chopped
• 3 leeks, cut into 1⁄2inch rounds
• 4 tablespoons Mrs. Dash
• 5 cups carrot juice
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cans white beans, northern, navy, or cannellini (no salt)
• 5-oz bag spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat 1/8 cup water in large sauté pan. Water sauté the fresh mushrooms, garlic and dried herbs until tender and fragrant. Set aside.
2. In large soup pot, bring carrot juice, water, carrots, celery, leeks and Mrs. Dash to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
4. Puree 1/2 vegetable soup in high powered blender; add cashews, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Add pureed soup back to soup pot along with mushrooms, beans, and spinach.
6. Heat until spinach is wilted.
7. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Banana-Date Ice Cream 

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 6 minutes 

Ingredients

• 12 dates
• 4 ripe bananas, frozen*
• 5 tablespoons low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons natural brown sugar (Optional)

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until creamy.

*Freeze ripe bananas 24 hrs in advance. To freeze bananas, peel, cut in thirds and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

28 Day Diet Challenge - Day 19

(Sponsored by Whole Foods Market)

Since fish is generally low in saturated fat and high in beneficial omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA,), it is an essential part of any healthy diet, and especially the Mediterranean diet that this website is mostly concerned with. However, you still have to be careful eating certain kinds of fish, because it is becoming one of the polluted food sources that we eat. In addition to industrial and fossil fuel pollution, nearly all fish and shellfish contain some degree of mercury. Larger fish that have lived longer have the highest levels of mercury because they've had more time to accumulate it. They also build up mercury from all the smaller fish they have eaten, similar to the way we store mercury in our tissues from the fish we eat.

When we eat fish we have to choose the species that are cleaner and have less mercury, preferably farm raised or domestically caught fresh or canned fish (i.e. tuna)


Your Action Plan: While fish is healthy, too much can be moderately un-healthy. Therefore, don't have fish more than three times a week.

• If you do have fish, choose from the lower-fat, lowest mercury types, such as flounder, haddock, salmon, sardines, scallops, sole, tilapia and trout.
• Avoid high mercury fish, such as bluefish, mackerel, marlin, sea bass, shark, swordfish, tilefish and tuna.
• Be aware of the place where it was caught and what type of fish it is. I would never accept recreationally caught fish from ANY waters and never eat high-mercury-content fish. It simply isn't worth the risk.

Breakfast

• Sprouted grain bread with raw peanut butter
• Banana, alone or sliced on top of the bread
• Juice

Lunch

• Asparagus with Blackberry Vinaigrette
• Super Soup (Leftover from Day 18 dinner!)
• Blueberries

Asparagus with Almonds and Blackberry Vinaigrette

 Serves: 4 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Blackberry infused vinegar (or Balsamic vinegar with blackberry preserves, see below)*
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon finely crushed almond
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium ketchup
• 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed then cut on the bias (diagonal) into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped**

*If using any vinegar other than Blackberry infused vinegar: Boil 1-2 tablespoons of blackberry preserves with the 1/3 cup of whatever vinegar, for 3 minutes, cool to room temperature and serve.

Directions

1. Boil vinegar (or vinegar and blackberry preserves) in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Pour vinegar into large bowl.
2. Combine water with no salt seasoning. Whisk into vinegar, along with mustard, marjoram, garlic, almond butter and ketchup. Set dressing aside.
3. Sauté asparagus in small amount of water, not covering the asparagus, stirring over high heat for 3 minutes, then cover and steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
4. In same pan, sauté bell peppers in a small amount of water for 2 minutes.
5. Add asparagus and bell peppers to dressing; toss to blend well.
6. Sprinkle with pecans.

**Lightly toast almonds in a 200 degree oven for 3 minutes. 

Super Soup

 Leftover from Day 18 Dinner, found HERE!

Dinner

• Tossed green salad (Your choice)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Fresh Baked Fish 
• Eggplant Roulades
• "Banerry" Pie

Balsamic Vinaigrette

 Serves: 5 — Prep Time: 8 minutes 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons roasted garlic infused vinegar
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or less)
• 4 tablespoons raisins
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Blend or whisk all ingredients together.

Yields: 1 1/3 cups 

Baked Tilapia

 
Ingredients (For 4)

• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 Onion, sliced thin
• 4 fresh tilapia fillets
• 2 lemons, 1 quartered, 1 halved
• Italian herb mix

Directions

1. Season fish with Italian herbs and juice of 1 of the lemons
2. Bake fish in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
3. Sauté onion and carrot in water until tender.
4. Garnish fish with carrot and onion and serve!

Eggplant Roulades

 Serves: 6 — Prep Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise
• 2 medium red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 ounces spinach
• 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash
• 2 cups pasta sauce, no or low salt
• 6 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paper towel moistened with olive oil, lightly oil a non-stick baking pan. Arrange eggplant in a single layer.
2. Bake about 20 minutes or until the eggplant is flexible enough to easily roll. Set aside.
3. In 1/8 cup water, sauté the bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic until just tender, adding more water if needed. Add spinach and Mrs. Dash. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons of pasta sauce and shredded soy cheese.
4. In a baking pan, spread about 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Place some of the vegetable mixture on each eggplant slice, roll and place in baking pan on top of sauce.
5. Pour remaining tomato sauce over eggplant rolls. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

“Banerry” Pie 

 Serves: 8 — Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients - Crust

• 4 dates
• 1 1/2 muesli cereal
• 2 tablespoons coconut

Ingredients - Filling

• 10 ounces frozen strawberries
• 10 pitted dates, chopped
• 5 bananas
• 1/2 Haas avocado
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon natural brown sugar
• 6-8 fresh strawberries, for garnish (optional)

Directions 

For crust:

In a bowl, thoroughly blend the dates, coconut and muesli. Transfer mixture to pie plate, pressing down to make pie crust.

For filling:

1. Blend all filling ingredients, except for coconut and fresh strawberries, until smooth.
2. Pour into the pie crust. Sprinkle with coconut.
3. Cover and freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.
4. Top the pie with slice fresh strawberries and serve