Healthy – Page 5 – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving! Recipes & things from me to you

In the spirit of gratitude, I wanted to thank all of my readers with a Top 10 List of my favorite MOARfit recipes:

You may have also noticed that my website has changed a bit. Now that I’ve decided to take the plunge into full-time wellness work, I thought it was time MOARfit got a face-lift. You’ll still find all the recipes you love, but now you’ve also got all my articles, videos, teaching schedule, and information on current and down-the-road offerings at your fingertips.

Other than my recipes (I kid), what are you most grateful for this holiday season?

I’m grateful that I get to spend today with my big sis and her cute-as-heck boys, and that we all have love in our hearts and health in our bodies. Oh, and lest I forget to mention, THE FOOD. I worked extra hard in my yoga classes (abs for days) so that I can go for seconds on my favorite fixing (stuffing).

The other thing I’m really thankful for, today and every day? You! I really can’t thank you enough for taking time to read my ramblings, try my recipes, and show your support.

As a special thanks to all of you who are helping me live the life I have imagined, you can take 30% off all full-price items in my online store–including my New Year, New You 10-Day Detox which is now on sale–from now through December 15th with promo code THANKYA30.

And finally, a universal blessing:

May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where
there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessing, challenges, truth,
and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your soul-love.

~John O’Donohue, “A Friendship Blessing”

November 5, 2014

Sweet Potato Spice Smoothie

Happy October! This month is characterized by crisp air, cooling temps, changing colors and happy hearts. It also marks the beginning of peak apple picking season and, lest we forget, pumpkin spice everything!

Always a bit of a rebel, I’m skipping the pumpkin patch and going tuber on all of you who are craving fall flavors and sweet treats but hoping to stay as healthy as possible before the holidays set in. Sweet potatoes, my favorite tuber, are a root vegetable which swells underground to store more nutrients to survive the cold, dry winter months and to provide energy for regrowth. Sweet potatoes literally swell with nutrients like beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A (retinol) and give these tubers their orange hue. We need vitamin A for healthy skin and eyes and to reinforce our immune system. Sweet potatoes are also loaded with vitamin C–a boost we all need this flu season–and several B vitamins.

Go on now, put down the pumpkin spice latte and try this fun Sweet Potato Spice Smoothie, bursting with fall flavors and the fuel you need to fortify your body before hibernation season hits.

Sweet Potato Spice Smoothie

{serves 2}

What You’ll Need:

¾ cup sweet potato purée (canned)
¼ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
8 oz unsweetened almond milk (or use hemp, coconut or rice milk)
4 oz apple cider
1 Tbs maple syrup (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp (or “a dash”) ground cloves
1” fresh ginger, peeled
½ tspn vanilla extract
½ cup ice
2 Tbs chia seeds

How to Make It:

Blend all ingredients except the chia seeds in a high speed blender until smooth.
Add more ice to thicken, or almond milk to thin out as desired.
Split into two portions and stir one tablespoon of chia seeds into each glass.

If you love this, try using the more conventional smoothie ingredient, pumpkin purée, or the less conventional but still delicious ingredient, butternut squash purée, instead. It’ll change the taste a touch but still be packed with immunity-boosting vitamins A and C. Bon apetit!

{Originally published on the Relay Foods blog, October 19, 2014.}

October 15, 2014

Autumn Spice Granola

There is pretty much nothing I like more than a breakfast of greek yogurt, fresh fruit (apple season, hooray!), cinnamon and granola. The problem is whenever I go to the grocery store to try and pick up a bag I can never bring myself to buy one–not because they’re too expensive (though they often are) but because they’re almost all loaded with sugar and/or something the label calls “other carbohydrates,” whatever that means. Call me crazy but I like to know exactly what’s in my food.

Whenever I can, I like to pick up Greenheart Granola or Ahimsa Foods raw granola from my local farmers’ market, but I’ve found it’s most cost-effective to make a big batch of my own.

Last fall, I made a Pumpkin Spice Granola that was super yummy. This time around, I thought I’d give sweet potato a try. I mean, I love it just about every other way–made into a burger, spread on a pizza crust instead of tomato sauce, as a creamy soup, and the list goes on and on!

Sweet potatoes, like all orange veggies, contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer, and beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Almost all orange whole fruits and veggies may also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is great news for all my runners and high-intesity athletes out there whose fitness takes a toll on their joints.

Give it a go! This recipe is pretty easy to make–you just need to hang around since you leave the oven cooking for a while–and economical.

Autumn Spice Granola

What You’ll Need:
-5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
-1 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/2 cup coconut oil or butter (or combo), melted
-3/4 cup (or half a 15 ounce can) sweet potato puree
-3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
-1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-Optional: 1 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and/or 1/2 cup cacao nibs

How to Make It:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, raw sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In a blender, blend together the coconut oil/butter, sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated
5. Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
6. Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula halfway through. Flip in sections so that you’re sure to keep some tasty clumps. Also make sure you move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through cooking so that it cooks evenly.
7. After an hour, turn the oven down to 300°F and cook another 15 -25 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
If you’re adding dried fruit, coconut or cacao nibs, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

September 16, 2014

Chocolate Zucchini Bread (gluten-free)

A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. Am I right birthday girl (shout out to my sweet mama on her birthday!!)?

A lotta bit of zucchini plus a little bit of chocolate makes for one heck of a tasty/healthy gluten-free bread intended for breakfast but worthy of dessert status.

The nutrient-dense additions and ingredient swaps I’ve made to this Chocolate Zucchini Bread means you’re in charge of when you want to eat it–morning, noon or night–sans guilt!

Zucchini is a great seasonal food this time of year and it’s mild sweetness and high water content ensure this bread will melt in your mouth.

Though I’m a huge flavor skeptic when it comes to gluten-free desserts, this healthy treat delivers with a big chocolate nose and no beany or chalky finish (yes, I used wine terminology right there).

Tip: I like to double up on the recipe and freeze one loaf. It’s a great thing to have on hand when friends and family come to town!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

{makes one loaf, 12 servings}

Adapted from The Joy of Baking.

What You’ll Need:

1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill mix)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 banana
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium zucchini shredded
1/4 cup dark chocolate or carob chips (optional)
1/4 cup dried, tart cherries, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 350 F placing a rack in the center. Grease or spray a 9″ long loaf pan and set aside.
Grate the zucchini, using a medium sized grater. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
In another large bowl or standing mixer, whisk the eggs, oil, sugar, banana and vanilla extract until well blended.
Fold in the flour mixture. Then fold in the grated zucchini. Stir in the chocolate chips, cherry pieces and slivered almonds (remember, all are optional!).
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (approx. 45 min). Place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

This bread can be stored at room temperature for several days, in the fridge for up to 10, or it can be frozen.

September 10, 2014

Curried Hummus

Washington, D.C. is bursting with countless fabulous tapas restaurants. The 14th street corridor alone hosts Barcelona, Estadio and Masa 14. While these places are all delicious and buzzing with energy, sometimes it’s nice to have the small plate experience–you know the kind where you can eat lots of different things and not feel stuffed–in your own home.

One of the easiest and healthiest tapas you can make is hummus. For me, hummus is never boring, but if a traditional blend is too bland for you my recommendation is to spice it up. I don’t just mean the spicy pepper, make-your-upper-lip-sweat kind of spice, I mean any spice(s) you love.

Topping my most loved list are, turmeric, cumin and curry–in no particular order. When I discovered the west Indian spice blend Muchi curry powder at Whole Foods, it was a game changer. Muchi is a spicier version of curry powder cut with a blend of turmeric, cardamon and other aromatic spices. I look for as many ways to use this spice combo as possible and my latest creation is this Curried Hummus.

Since you’re making this hummus from scratch there are no preservatives just whole, healthy, real foods. Garbanzo beans serve as the foundation, both in terms of consistency and nutrient density. Like all beans, garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) are an excellent source of immune-boosting and figure-friendly dietary fiber.

And as long as you have a food processor, this recipe could not be easier. Just drop all ingredients inside, blender, scrape into an air-tight container and, voila, you have a healthy tapas or mid-afternoon snack (carrots not included) for up to a week when stored in the refrigerator.

Curried Hummus

{makes 8 servings}

what you’ll need.

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs Muchi Curry Powder (available at Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp salt
2 small cloves of garlic
Juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs sherry vinegar

how to make it.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Add a little water if it’s too thick for your liking.
Enjoy! (yes, it’s that easy)

Originally published on The DC Ladies blog September 3, 2014.

August 12, 2014

How to Make Pickles

Everyone loves pickles. And if you are one of the few who don’t you’re really missing out. Pickles help fight disease (see below) and are shockingly easy to make. I don’t know why it took me so long to get on the homemade pickle bandwagon. Read on for how to make refrigerator pickles in a snap at home.

Pickling has become all the rage these days, as has canning, but both of these fads are methods of food preservation that go way back. In fact, pickles played an important role in Colombus’s discovery of America in 1492. You may recall that scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, used to be a mighty big problem for sailors. Luckily, Colombus’s ship stocker had plenty of vitamin C-rich pickles on board to help prevent scurvy outbreaks on the historic voyage across the Atlantic. How’s that for a fun pickle fact?

There are hundreds of recipes you could follow, but here are some basic guidelines to get you started:

Use fresh produce, avoiding waxy produce found in many supermarkets.
Select the most uniform, unbruised produce for prettier pickles.
Scrub well and trim about 1/4 inch down from the blossom end of fresh cucumbers. Blossoms contain an enzyme that causes limp pickles–nobody likes a limp pickle.
Use salt with no additives. Iodized salt makes the brine cloudy and may change the color and texture of the vegetables.
Use white distilled or apple cider vinegars.
For crisper pickles, put the vegetables (whole or sliced) into a wide bowl and spread a layer of pickling salt on top. Cover and let sit overnight in a cool place. Discard the liquid, then rinse and dry the vegetables before pickling or canning as usual. This is the same idea behind prepping your eggplant before cooking.
For refridgerator pickles (like the ones in this post) wait at least 3 days before crunching. For canned pickles (using sterilized jars, a hot water bath, etc) wait at least 3 weeks before using to allow pickles to mellow.

Adapted from The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

{Makes 2 pint jars}

What You’ll Need:

1 1/2 lbs baby cucumbers (about 8-10 of the small guys)
1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs kosher or pickling salt
2 tsp sugar
1 fresh sprig of dill for each jar
1 Tbs mustard seed, whole
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic, smashed

Equipment:

Chefs knife
Cutting board
2 wide-mouth pint jars with lids
Funnel
Large lidded pot

How to Make Them:

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber, which contains enzymes that can lead to limp pickles. Leave the pickles whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins.
Divide spices and herbs (dill, mustard seed, garlic, turmeric and red pepper flakes) evenly between both jars.
Pack the pickles into the jars. Trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers.
Combine the vinegar, water, lemon juice, salt and sugar in a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar until 1/2-inch from the top.
Gently tap the jars against the counter to settle their contents and remove all air bubbles. Top off with more pickling brine if need be.
Tightly close your jars with their lids.
Wait at least one, but ideally 3 days before eating. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

For long-term storage, follow the hot water bath canning method.

August 6, 2014

Fennel Frond and Basil Pesto

I don’t know about you but I hate wasting food. I’ll eat the same thing day in and day out just to avoid tossing anything in the trash. According to NPR, Americans waste 33 million tons of food each year. Worse yet, a new study from Harvard Law School and the Natural Resources Defense Council, found that 22 percent of food waste comes from fruit and vegetables—often the most nutrient-dense and expensive components of our daily diets. Of the fruit and vegetables we buy, we discard 52 percent of them and only consume 48 percent. Yikes!

Understandably, not everyone wants to be a human garbage disposal in the name of saving food from the dumpster. We can, however, all learn to cook in a way that minimizes food waste and helps you get the most out of your vegetables. Deemed “compost cooking” by some, root-to-stalk cooking might just save you money, diversify your nutrient intake and draw out your culinary creativity.

My creativity was recently challenged when I received a few fennel bulbs in my weekly From the Farmer delivery with a head of fronds that looked like a chia pet on miracle grow. Dedicated to using every ounce of seasonal, local food I receive each week I developed this yummy recipe for Fennel Frond and Basil Pesto. Give it a try and you’ll quickly see how easy and rewarding it is to make use of the parts of vegetables that typically get thrown away. Hopefully this will inspire you to give those dark and dreamy beet greens and silky broccoli and cauliflower leaves a second look before ditching them in the disposal.

Fennel Frond and Basil Pesto

What You’ll Need:

4 cups firmly packed fennel fronds
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves
3/4 cup manchego cheese, grated
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup olive oil
4 oz pine nuts, toasted*
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

To toast pine nuts, lay them out in a single layer on a baking tray and bake in a 350 F oven for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients—adding the oil and lemon first—and blend until smooth.
Adjust for seasoning and serve over fresh pasta or sautéed Portobello mushrooms baked chicken if you’re avoiding gluten.

Tasty Tidbit: If you’re not a huge fan of the spiciness (or stinkiness) of raw garlic, you can roast the cloves or lightly sauté them prior to blending.

{This post originally appeared on The DC Ladies Blog, July 30, 2014}

July 31, 2014

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 3

For the past two weeks, I’ve been talking about how to fuel your body for optimal athletic performance. If you’re following along, I’m sure you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for this final installment: post-workout/race nutrition. So far we’ve covered pre-race nutrition and what to eat to keep you going during a long training workout or endurance event. It’s time we talk recovery. For post-workout/race nutrition it’s not as important to experiment beforehand. What’s most important is giving your body the calories and nutrients (macro and micro) it needs, while giving your soul a well-deserved but not over-the-top reward for all your hard work.

How to FUEL your body for optimal athletic performance: Part 3 – What to eat post-workout/endurance event

(Adapted from The Thrive Diet, by Brendan Frazier)

1. Respect the fuel window. In the 15-60 minutes immediately following a workout or endurance event, your muscles are primed and ready to receive fuel to start the repair process. Eat (or drink) your recovery meal right away, ideally within the first half hour after the workout is complete. If you’re not hungry, opt for something liquid as it’ll be easier to gulp down. Even the classic chocolate milk will do in a pinch.

2. Make it easy to digest. Your muscles need blood to deliver nutrients to them. The more of that blood that’s tied up in digesting, the less that gets to your muscles. Ideally, you should get your immediate post-workout fix in liquid form.

3. Consume .75 g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight and include at least 10 g of protein. Your carbohydrates should include high-glycemic index carbs, like glucose (dates are a good way to get it), and some slower-release, fibrous, carbs as well – think whole grains, fruits and veggies. Include about half as many grams of healthy fat as you do protein. Try avocado, or flaxseed or coconut oils.

4. Get out of the acid state with greens or other vegetables and fruits. Intense exercise creates an acidic environment in your body. Bitter greens (kale, chard, mustard, etc), vegetables, and certain fruits like lemons and limes have a neutralizing effect on your body. Animal protein is acid-forming, as are heavily-processed protein powders. This is one of several reasons I suggest using minimally-processed hemp protein powder.

5. Drink 2 cups of water per pound of body weight lost during exercise and replace lost electrolytes. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, the little conductors that transmit electrical impulses throughout your body. Some good sources of electrolytes are fruit or a few pinches of sea salt. You can also proactively replace electrolytes during an endurance event with S!Caps or another capsule that provides sodium, potassium and other minerals. These can be taken every 45 min in hot weather, or 60 min in temperate weather (depending on your rate of sweat), Just tape them to your race bib (on the outside) and you’ll be good to go!

**Check back next week for what to eat during a long training workout or endurance event.**

July 28, 2014

Seasonal 10 Day Detox

Summer’s now in full swing and so is my seasonal 10-Day Detox with 10 brave and awesome Wellness Warriors! My guided system reset isn’t a starve yourself detox that makes food the enemy, it’s a program to help people redefine their relationship with food. Over the course of 10 days participants learn to listen to their body, strip away the junk and walk away revitalized and more in control of their cravings. It’s a healthy dose of empowerment!

Interested in a future detox? Whether you live nearby in D.C. or across the ocean, shoot me an email at [email protected] for more information.

July 8, 2014

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Sugar is not the devil, but it’s no secret that most of us overindulge in it – sometimes without even realizing. In moderation, sugar can (and likely will) be included in a healthy diet. The problem is that most of us get our sugar from processed foods like candies, cookies and soda. True, homemade treats aren’t necessarily as convenient as store-bought, but 9 times out of 10 they’re better for you and your family. These Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies take it to the ‘alternative’ extreme of gluten-free and vegan, but even a homemade batch of buttery chocolate chip cookies is a healthier options than Chips Ahoy. Take baby steps first if you’re kicking a processed sugar habit before making your way to the wild side of chia seeds and raw coconut sugar in your baked goods. For those of you that are already on the natural foods path, these cookies are a tasty treat that you can get away with eating for breakfast every now and again. That’s right, chocolate for breakfast.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

{makes 12 cookies}

What You’ll Need:

1 medium banana (really ripe)
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 Tbs almond butter
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 oz 100% cocoa dark baking chocolate
2 Tbs coconut palm sugar (or 1 Tbs raw cane sugar)
2 Tbs chia seeds
2 Tbs dried, unsweetened cherries (optional)
2 Tbs unsweetened, finely shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt

How to Make Them:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
In a large bowl, add wet ingredients and mix until smooth. In the same bowl (no need to make two messy for this one), add your dry ingredients and mix until well-combined.
Roll 1 Tbs of the mixture into 1″ balls and place onto prepared baking sheet, using your finger to press down the center of each one. Make sure there’s at least 1″ of space between each cookie.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container counter-top for up to a week, in the fridge for up to two, or in the freezer for up to three months.