Food Balance Your Body Type Archives - Page 5 of 43

Fasting For Gut Detox

Fasting (temporarily) is a way to do gut detox without green juices. And then appreciate preferred foods like a berry smoothie… with beet that (for me) can’t be beat.

Fasting is a practice that I’m proud of.

…I no longer freak out when I haven’t eaten. I look at not eating differently than my younger self would have.

I now know it’s healthy detox.

So now it’s my choice to fast occasionally.

And fasting is a form of empowerment.

(…And it can be for you too if you choose).

It’s a smart move.

Because living today, we are exposed to so many daily toxins like microplastics, bacteria, and pesticides.

And they end up in our gut and food.

That wreaks havoc on our gut health and how we daily feel.

So an easy way to at-home detox is to simply fast: to not eat temporarily and occasionally.

Fasting is countercultural to western world upbringings where we eat, eat, eat. And snack, snack, snack.

…Which never gives our bodies a break.

But fasting once a week or even once a month does a world of good for the body.

If you choose a day to stop eating at a certain time like 4 pm (like I do) and then resume back at 9 am the next day in time for breakfast (to break the fast), you’ll have turned your body into a healthy cleaning machine.

And it’s really not that difficult from a discipline perspective since you’re sleeping (and not eating anyway) for most the time.

It’s more about breaking old habits and mindsets.

You probably (surprisingly!) won’t even be hungry in the AM… and could even go to the afternoon or 24 hours if you had a reason.

Those additional hours of fasting reaps even more healthy body benefits.

But I find that a 16-17 hour fast is the sweet spot, doing wonders, and doesn’t disrupt my life.

Around that 17th hour mark (that’s more or less for some people), the body switches energy sources from glucose (blood sugar) to fat.

You may have heard of this process (ketosis) from the Keto Diet. But fasting is not about a Diet (with a capital “d”). Because in fasting, you’re simply not eating, temporarily.

Then when you start eating again, it’s about resuming regular eating… hopefully with healthy foods like in an anti-inflammatory food diet.

…Where the type of healthy food matters most (when eating)… much more than counting fat and protein calories, and avoiding high carbs that can cause a yo-yo diet effect.

You lose weight from not eating at all temporarily (when fasting) and not because you’re eating less carbs and calories.

And while fasting is helpful for losing weight, I don’t fast to lose weight… I do it for the healthy benefits.

It’s good for anyone.

Even thinner people (aka Vatas) like me.

…It’s like doing some cardio is good for anyone with a beating heart.

And fasting is part of a healthy lifestyle.

…And one that’s changed my life.

I no longer freak out when I haven’t eaten for some hours on a day I choose to fast.

I look at not eating totally different than I was taught growing up.

And if I have low blood sugar during the day when I’m not fasting, but because I don’t have anything in my stomach or I forgot to pack a snack, I know I’ll be fine.

…Because I know I do the same thing when I purposefully fast.

I’m not eating in both cases.

But the body doesn’t know if I’m choosing to be hungry for fasting healthy reasons or if I forgot to pack a snack.

But my calmed mind does. And I do.

As long as my mind and I know, that’s all that matters. And my body is happy with me.

I’m letting it do its full reset and cleaning job, uninterrupted.

Then the next morning, my body rewards me.

I wake up feeling refreshed… like I’d slept for days.

That’s when I’m humbly reminded of how it feels to have energy without needing cups of coffee to get going!

Without missing a beat, I’m never more excited to taste a beet smoothie 🫜and start my day.

And I know I’m not the only one. 😊

Cabbage Wrap – Light Chicken Salad with Healthy Spices

Cabbage wrap and chicken salad is a delicious light food pairing. Great for anytime of year for losing weight, and gaining protein and fiber. And you can make your own tasty version with mustard that lasts in your lunch bag.

A cabbage wrap is great option for lunch, dinner, brunch, or an afternoon snack.

You can get a bite of sweet, savory, and crunchy in the recipe below. 🥬

Boy, I wish I knew how to make my own chicken salad when I was younger and hungry ravenous for something to eat before dinner.

It’s a snack that can be made very inexpensively and fast. Often you find grocery rotisserie chickens that are already cooked. So all you have to do is assemble. Or you can cook your own chicken breasts and even make chicken nuggets.

To shred the chicken, work along the grain pulling apart longer pieces. Then to make smaller and shorter pieces, with a sharper knife cut the long pieces straight across. Or pull the long pieces into even smaller pieces. You decide.

And you decide what goes in your chicken salad. Celery is a good pairing. And if you don’t have celery on had, lettuce pieces are also a great filler add in.

Onions and grapes are also good and healthy together in synergy. You can think of it as a superfood anti-inflammatory pairing. 🍇+🧅

Grapes bring sweetness to the chicken (or you can sub fish) cabbage wrap.

You can use red or green grapes but usually if you use red grapes, then red onion is good and green grapes with white or yellow onions for color effects.

But you do you deciding how to slice and dice up your onions and grapes.

I like the red onions because they’re more mild. If you cut the pieces small, they will not stand out …and for more fine, you can use a grater or a zester tool.

Then for seasoning I add salt and pepper. And to complement, I add a little anti-inflammatory turmeric powder.

Turmeric and black pepper together are another powerful anti-inflammatory healthy duo. 🎉 Tip: great for pain in joints!

And for tastes to further elevate the chicken salad: you can give it a lemony taste vibe with coriander. You wouldn’t want to use lemon juice here because it would be too sour and add to much liquid, and you wouldn’t want to use lemon zest because then it’s too lemony and overpowering the other tastes.

Coriander is a good dry compromise.

I like to use coriander seeds that I crush with my fingers and eat give a burst of bright lemony flavor when you bite into.

And to to give a French bistro vibe, I add tarragon from spice.

And that goes well with the mustard tastes where you have choices.

I like to lean into my Ayurvedic needs that show up in food preferences that I let decide the choice.

You can use a honey mustard for a sweeter chicken salad or a Dijon mustard to go with the French bistro tastes. Or a plain yellow mustard.

And to give a nice texture crunch 🤩, slivered almonds (or crumbled cashews) complement best with crunchy cabbage! You can also substitute with other nuts and seeds but slivered almonds crush (and in your mouth)! 🧡

Because of the vinegar acid in most mustards, it’s a practical condiment choice because it won’t go bad in room temps. Although after opened, it is better refrigerated to preserve taste.

So whatcha waitin’ for?

You can prep your chicken salad, and then put your salad to (cabbage) bed rest for tomorrow’s lunch (?). 😋

Cabbage Wrap with Healthy Lemony Spices Chicken Salad

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

6 oz cooked chicken, finely shredded
cabbage (Napa, red, Italian, or Bok Choy)
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp grapes, quartered in size
1 tbsp onions, minced
turmeric powder
salt and pepper
1 tsp coriander or lemon pepper
tarragon (optional)
slivered almonds

Instructions

Finely shred chicken and mix in remaining ingredeints.

Easy Shrimp and Grits – 15 Minutes Healthy Spice Recipe

Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite Southern dishes. And it’s healthy! It’s a fast meal to prepare and have on the tasty food table too, anytime of day.

Because 5-minute grits cook fast (7-10 minutes on medium-high heat). You can also go for the Old Fashioned version that’s less processed and takes about 15 minutes on higher heat.

Either way, grits are a healthy corn grain and are easy to digest. They are considered good on a low FODMAP diet (like rice).

And you can’t mess up cooking grits. They are dry to begin with, so as long as there’s enough water in the skillet for cooking, you’re good to go! And even if you run low on water, you can revive your grits easier than say rice.

And you can even microwave grits without worry about texture consistency.

And shrimp and grits is a dish you can get your flavor and spices in. Grits are a great base because grits are mildly tasteless.

So, Old Bay spice blend is a great addition with paprika, celery salt and pepper already built-in as some base notes.

I douse Old Bay on anything seafood! It’s a no-brainer for me. 😊

And coriander is a good way to bring in lemony-summery notes, especially if you’re feeling summer nostalgic or your summer flew by and you wanted an endless summer. It’s a good way to preserve the enjoyable feelings.

You can also substitute with lemon pepper if coriander isn’t one you have in your stash.

I also add tarragon on the shrimp for French bistro vibes. And I add either white pepper or a mushroom spice blend for umami tasting vibes. I’m never shy on the flavors.

Tip: Keep in mind if you use spice blends, they usually have salt in them to optimize flavor, so you may not need to add any more salt. And you may have added salt in the grits while cooking.

You can add the Holy Trinity (pepper, onions, and celery) like in Cajun or Creole-style cooking for a healthy trifecta. But if you want to do less chopping and spend less time preparing this meal (like 15 minutes total), you can find diced pimento peppers (sweet) already cut like in this bowl:

If someone handed me a bowl like this and said, “enjoy” or “bless your heart,” I’d be grinning from ear-to-ear saying, “thank you and yes, ma’am.” 😋

And if you like this shrimp and grits bowl idea, you may like a 20-minute paella you can make with lobster or shrimp seafood that’s low in calories and high in protein and Omega-3 anti-inflammatory goodness. 🧡

Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients

1 cup grits, cooked
4 cups water
10-12 large shrimp
spices: tarragon, coriander, Old Bay, white pepper
coriander seeds (or lemon pepper)
Old Bay spice blend
fresh onions and peppers
cayenne (optional) for heat

Instructions

Prepare grits. Follow instructions on the package (or 1 cup of dry grits to 4 cups of water).
Add spices in grits. Spices is tasty art work so add the amount you would like.
Cook shrimp separately (or about 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat)
Arrange shrimp ontop of grits. Add more spices and fresh onions and peppers (if adding). If you're serving for others, keep some spices on the side so they can add to their tastes.

Salmon Salad – No Mayonnaise (Lunch Idea)

Salmon salad is something you can enjoy anytime on bread or by itself. And it can be made deliciously without mayonnaise, in case you’re not a fan. Or if you want to try a different healthy way like this version on an open face toast… toast to that!

And any way you prefer, it’s a great protein snack or meal. Especially for lunch for all ages. As salmon salad is universal and can be eaten anywhere unlike an egg salad (…where I still remember a classmate’s bag lunch).

Cooked salmon has no fish aroma that your companions next to you can detect, (and that can make you feel self-conscious about your lunch).

It also has a more subtle fish taste. So it could be the new tuna salad sandwich… if it isn’t already on your menu!

…This also reminds me of my days as a teen working in a deli where it was all about the scoops. But the scoop wasn’t an ice cream scoop… it was tuna, chicken, or shrimp salad… and served like this salmon salad one on the plate that fits in a 4 oz cup (recipe below 👇).

In the deli, it was served on the side of a bed of lettuce or grapes, or on a sandwich.

And you can smear this salmon salad like butter.

But without butter. I personally like my dinner salmon with a béarnaise sauce, with a French Mediterranean vibe (no butter).

And this version for lunch.

For variety and fresh healthy ways, you can also serve your salmon salad with or without mustard, like Dijon mustard.

And if mustard is what you’re craving, you can substitute the horseradish or add ontop of the salmon salad.

It’s also delicious with crackers, multigrain, rye bread, or sourdough.

And what makes this one different is the lightness. Unlike heavy duty mayo (as in full fat), this version is salad light.

It uses yogurt, so you can hold the mayo. And no eggs.

But you could make an egg salad layer (if you want) for a Smorgastorta effect, or sandwich cake to go with your salmon salad.

That goes hand-in-hand with these 2 Swedish concepts I can get behind:

Lagom is a way to balance and moderation.

Fika is a Swedish concept for a coffee break with pastries and while you’re on yours, you can enjoy a Swedish finger sandwich or smorgastorta. This concept is kinda like afternoon English tea or an American brunching on the weekend (one of my fun things to do!).

And a salmon salad is perfect fit for a brunch. It’s light and protein-full. And if you want to give it a building-an-autumn-fire tasting vibe 🍁, you can add fiery orange color turmeric-spice that has ember burning smokey flavors… in case you didn’t know what the turmeric taste is like.

Black pepper and turmeric are a healthy spice combo so it makes sense too.

You can also substitute with Spanish smoked paprika that’s sometimes harder to find. Now that you have some good ideas, maybe it’s time to make your salmon salad sandwich! 🥪 You can make it today and eat tomorrow.

I bake the salmon and then decide!

A good tip is to decide what you will do with the salmon when it is still warm cooked or baked 🐟 . Because it will finely crumble easier when it’s warm and soft.

Drizzled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, on 350°F/180°C it’s to my baked doneness liking in 3o-40 minutes depending on the fish filet thickness.

You can also cook on the stovetop if that’s your preference. But don’t add too much EVOO if you plan to make it into a salad, as it leaves the salmon more oily. Vs. baking that will dry out and soak in the oil quicker.

But no worries, you can’t go wrong…and all who love salmon will love. 😋

Salmon Salad - Yogurt (No Mayonnaise)

A healthy salmon salad that can be added to a sandwich.

Course brunch, fika, lunch

Cuisine American, swedish

Servings 4 oz

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

2 oz salmon, cooked
1 oz Greek yogurt (use both liquid and thick portions)
1 tsp fresh dill (or spice form)
1/4 tsp black pepper and salt, or lemon pepper
3/4 tsp fresh horseradish
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

Instructions

Crumble salmon in a bowl into fine pieces.
Make the yogurt mixture: Mix yogurt, dill, horseradish, and other dry ingredients to a separate bowl.
Mix in salmon with yogurt mixture. Add to your sandwich bread or enjoy as a scoop on a plate or green salad.

Notes

Tip: Crumble the salmon for salmon salad when it is still warm. Let cool and then make the salad.

Healthy Paella Seafood Dish – (Quick 20 Minute Recipe)

Paella is a great way to end the summer. It’s an endless summer feeling good food… and a healthy seafood dish you can cook up all-year round to spark happy ocean beach memories.

Like this vibrant paella dish you can make in a flash in 20 minutes…

Where added in is Langostino lobster, a Chilean seafood that looks like shrimp or prawns… but has more of a sweet lob-stah taste and softer texture. And is more wallet-friendly. It’s around the cost of shrimp.

It’s found in the frozen sections of some grocery stores, and convenient if you’re not anytime soon going for the local lobster catch, like flying up to Maine… or going to the beach, seaside, shore, OBX… or coast. …so interesting how we have many names for the beach. 🏖️

And around the world’s oceans and seas, there are so many more types of lobster.🦞

But catching them is not an easy feat… even for a lobsterman. It’s a game that requires skill and luck. But that makes lobster even more valuable when caught.

True lobster for cooking is still hard for grocery shoppers to find without importing or individually shipping in… or visiting seafood counters during prime lobster season (in the last half of the year).

When I orchestrated parties at a Spanish restaurant, they had many paella dishes to choose from including a lobster one where the orange creature sat ontop. There was also a gigantic weekly happy hour paella pan that drew in crowds as a popular dish.

For a lobster paella dish, looking for prized lobster ingredient is worth the trouble. When you add lobster to a dish, it adds another wow factor. Lobster eyes light up 🤩 on the feast that you don’t get with more common seafood.

…Even if you’re the type to see food (any seafood) and that makes you happy… like it does for me.

Seafood is healthy and has Omega-3 healthy fat, and some vitamins and needed body minerals. Shrimp, crab, mussels, and lobster also have anti-inflammatory vitamins.

You can think of paella as a healthy way to fondue with your spoon with seafood and rice as the food stars (versus not-as-healthy cheese and bread).

And when you add in spices, you get more of the healthy. You also get delicious food taste pairings like tarragon and lobster… that’s Côte d’Azur Mediterranean diet healthy.

Paella Spices:

Spices are the cherry on top. And you could theme blend yours in your paella based on your Ayurvedic needs (and your sharing eating party needs).

If you’re feeling Mid-Atlantic beach summer nostalgic, then Old Bay seasoning is a favorite.

It was heavily doused on crabs and seafood in my old Ocean City, MD beach stomping ground. You can smell 3 things in Ocean City: cotton candy by the amusement park, salty ocean air, and Old Bay spice that’s a blend of 18 herbs and spices including celery salt, mustard seed, and paprika that gives an end-of-fiery-summer burnt orange red color…

And if you don’t have Old Bay blended seasoning on hand, but want the seafood seasoning vibes… add a douse of paprika that will spruce up the dish.

That’s what we did in party family style dishes to brighten up hummus and rice.

…And if you’re feeling Mediterranean Sea wanderlust, then deep red saffron is a must. It’s slightly licorice tasting and very unforgettable with seafood.

Saffron red strands remind me of Spanish paella, and sumac spice reminds me of other family-style dishes from my Lebanese planning party days.

Sumac is a tart spice (that are purplish color specks) you can add to paella and dazzle with contrasting yellow lemon wedges. Then adding in bright veggies like sweet bell peppers, you get vibrant healthy eat-from-the-rainbow foods and colors. 🌈

And for the paella dish, don’t forget to add a dash of green herbs. You can do fresh sprigs, and/or you can add parsley herb spice.

Cooking the rice:

Ah, but first you gotta cook the rice!

And at that starting stage, it’s smart to stay close by to watch the cooking.

Arborio rice drinks water fast, so to avoid rice sticking (and absorbing into the rice that sticks to the skillet pan), use a wooden spoon to stir the bottom often. And add enough water as needed. A little olive oil will help prevent some of the sticking.

And if you cook faster on a higher heat, you can be done in 20 minutes.

Because you have a time choice and you can make this dish in 20-30 minutes depending on how much paella you’re cooking, how high your heat is, and how many burners you’re using.

You can cook the lobster and veggies separately on a different pan (or pans) that will only take a fraction of the arborio rice cooking time.

Tip: I like to microwave my veggies like peas with a little water (no salt) so each veggie looks full of life. Mushy peas are a different dish.

Then add the lobster and veggies ontop.

You can also save time by serving your paella from the pan you cook the rice in. It gives an authentic presentation. Tie a pretty towel to the handle… and voila!

Oh, and finally add dashes of spices for zhughing. You can see how the textures of tarragon long grass, saffron strands, sumac specks, and pepper dots play together.

They give party drama… and everything is tasty and healthy!

If you’re got beachy seafoods on the mind, for your party feast table spread you can add a healthy, no-ketchup cocktail sauce dip. And maybe you like an Old Bay bay scallop bowl (say that 10 times!) or a 15-minute mussels quinoa pan.

Lobster Paella Rice with Old Bay Beachside Seasonings

Lobster paella is easy to make and fun to share.

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine seafood

Prep Time 30

Servings 3 people

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

12 oz arborio rice
12 oz Langostino lobsters (shrimp size)
spices (coriander, saffron, Old Bay, black and white pepper)
bell peppers, chopped
Paprika or Old Bay seasoning
pinch of salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
lemon wedges (optional)

Instructions

In a skillet pan, heat rice and water covering the rice. Cook arborio rice according to package instructions. Add spices and olive oil. Keep adding water as needed. You can add in white wine and/or chicken/vegetable broth if you like.
Cook de-thawed lobster separately as instructed. Langostino lobster is like cooking shrimp that's about 6 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip to cook both sides and don't overcook to avoid rubbery texture. Since the lobster will not take as long to cook, time accordingly.
Prepare and cook veggies separately..
Add cooked lobster and cooked veggies to cooked rice. Add additional spices and lemon wedges, if adding. To serve; tie a festive towel bow on the pan and set out on table. Set out spoons and plates, and let the food party begin!