The Fruits and Vegetables of Spring 2012

Posted on March 27, 2012 by daniellekrupa

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Spring has officially arrived, and with warmer weather and longer days comes a bright new crop of fresh fruits and vegetables. So why not ‘spring clean’ your diet, lose the heavy fare of fall and winter, and load up with the deliciously light bounty of spring. Shopping the best of what’s in-season will not only provide the most nutritional value, it will also provide the best flavor and value. Here’s what to look for on the produce aisle or at the local farmers’ market. Continue reading →

Recipe: Apple-Walnut Kale Salad

Posted on March 15, 2012 by daniellekrupa

A healthier version of the classic Waldorf salad, here I’ve swapped out lettuce for nutrient-dense kale and created a creamy dressing without mayonnaise, oil, or dairy by using apple and walnuts as the base. This salad is sweet, crunchy, filling, and will convert even the greatest of kale non-believers. Packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and healthy unsaturated fats, it’s perfect for lunch, brunch, or a light dinner. Continue reading →

Food Labeling Misconception #3: High in Fiber

Posted on March 12, 2012 by daniellekrupa

Not all fiber is created equal. And unfortunately the popular terms High in Fiber or A Good Source of Fiber don’t have much meaning as, with many other misleading front-of-package claims, there is no regulation of the term. To boost the fiber content of many packaged foods, manufacturers will add fiber-substances with names such as inulin (chicory extract), maltodextrin and polydextrose. While these do count toward a food’s total fiber, they aren’t nearly as healthy and haven’t been proven to offer the same benefits as naturally occurring fiber. Not to mention, inulin can cause gastrointestinal discomfort; and who wants that? To tell whether a product contains the above-mentioned substandard forms of fiber, Continue reading →

Ch, Ch, Ch, Chia…..

Posted on February 22, 2012 by daniellekrupa

Anyone who was alive in the 80’s has had the catchphrase “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia” ring through his or her head at least once. And though nostalgic to many, chia seeds are actually a nutrition powerhouse. Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico. The Aztecs prized these miniature seeds more than gold and not only were they a main component of the Aztec and Mayan diets for survival, they were also used medicinally to stimulate saliva flow and to relieve joint pain and sore skin. Today, you can Continue reading →

Recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon-Raspberry Tart

Posted on February 18, 2012 by daniellekrupa

My husband and I both love desserts – what we don’t love is that sticky sweet, overly full feeling we get after we’ve just indulged in one, often two. At least not during the week, we save that for weekends… So to celebrate Valentine’s Day this past week I created an extremely healthy, gluten-free, lemon-raspberry tart that allowed us to gorge on a Tuesday night and not feel one ounce of guilt afterwards. And by gorge, I mean continued with it the next morning for breakfast and polished it off that evening after dinner. Continue reading →

Cooking Tip Thursdays: The Blanched Almond

Posted on February 16, 2012 by daniellekrupa

Cooking Tip Thursdays is dedicated to making time in the kitchen quicker, easier, and just plain better…

Blanched almonds are almonds without the skins. Simple as that. So it amazes me how much more a store will charge you for already blanched almonds versus “regular” almonds. Removing the skins is so quick, easy, and fun, that it really is worthwhile to save yourself a couple bucks and buy un-blanched almonds, and then blanch them yourself. Continue reading →

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Graham Cracker Bread

Posted on February 9, 2012 by daniellekrupa

Looking for a little weekend brunch inspiration? This dark chocolate graham cracker bread is your answer. Imagine the smell of this coming out of the oven first thing Saturday morning. Even more so, imagine nibbling on it for the rest of the weekend. It takes no time at all to make and many of the ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. What’s more, its delicious taste is actually really good for you. It’s full of fiber and antioxidants, it’s not full of refined flours or sugars, and it’s easily made vegan*. And just in case you feel the need to make it extra decadent, give it a good toasting and spread with cream cheese…. Continue reading →

Food Labeling Misconception #2: Multigrain

Posted on February 6, 2012 by daniellekrupa

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in the food labeling misconceptions #1 post, many people believe that if something has a healthy buzzword on the label, it is automatically considered a healthy food. This is not always the case.

A growing number of products from bread to potato chips to cereal to crackers proudly proclaim themselves to be “multigrain.” While this may appear to be a synonym for Continue reading →

Cooking Tip Thursdays: The Cast Iron Pan

Posted on February 2, 2012 by daniellekrupa

Cooking Tip Thursdays is dedicated to making time in the kitchen quicker, easier, and just plain better…

Durable, won’t break the bank, versatile, and essentially nonstick; a cast iron pan is the ultimate kitchen workhorse. Whether for searing, sautéing, frying, grilling, baking, or even scrambling, this kitchen essential conducts, holds, and distributes heat remarkably well. What’s more, cooking in cast iron increases the iron content of food. The longer the food is in contact with the pan, the more it absorbs. I have a skillet and a grill pan, and both are on the list of kitchen staples I’m emotionally attached to. And like wine, cast iron gets Continue reading →

Healing Mood by Healing Digestion

Posted on January 27, 2012 by daniellekrupa

The body is made up of a variety of systems that are inter-connected, so it’s no surprise that when one system is off balance it can trigger a domino effect, potentially creating a surge of severe health complications. A perfect example of this is the relationship between digestion and the mind. The digestive system houses immunity, fights off harmful invaders, maintains overall health and is home to the largest concentration of mood-altering neurotransmitters. None of which would be possible without good bacteria in the gut.

One strain of good bacteria is probiotics. Probiotics provide live strains of Continue reading →

Wellness Made Natural