The Best Tuna Salad Ever

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Today I had the best tuna salad sandwich I’ve ever tasted. It didn’t come from a can and it didn’t come from a restaurant; it cam from my own kitchen.

A few days ago my neighbor gave me wild caught albacore tuna steaks from Trader Joes. I had never had tuna in any form other than canned tuna salad so this was different for me. I decided to marinate it in olive oil, pink salt and freshly ground pepper for only about 15 minutes then grilled it over medium until it just changed color to white. I squeezed fresh lemon on each steak immediately and let it rest while I whipped up a simple wasabi sauce which consisted of wasabi, low sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil-I didn’t measure so I can’t really share an absolute recipe; I will mention that it only made about 1/4 cup that we split in small dipping bowls.

As I tasted the tuna I was delightlfully surprised that it wasn’t fishy and strong tasting. Instead it was light and meaty. I dipped each bite into the wasabi sauce for a little kick-and what a sinus-clearing kick it was!

I had lots of vegetables and some roasted tiny new potatoes so my tuna steak turned out to be my side dish as most of my meals are, yes, less meat for me is best as I do indeed practice what I teach.

I was left with half a tuna steak and my thoughts of freshly made tuna salad for lunch the next day! I put the leftover tuna in a sealable bowl and added a bit of the wasabi sauce for that slightly spicy kick and then into the refrigerator to keep.

Fast forward to the next day’s lunch time. I chopped a stick of celery and a fresh from the farm sweet onion and added it to the tuna with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise. I used one of my favorite breads-seedy rye, and spread my tuna salad atop along with a few crispy leaves of dark green lettuce.

First bite, amazing!  There was no fishy taste, no metal taste, no shelf-life taste; just smooth, sweet tasting tuna. It was absolutely the best tuna salad I have ever eaten and I believe I have been converted and will NEVER go back to canned!

If you come across fresh (or frozen) albacore tuna steaks, buy one even if all you plan to do with it is make tuna salad. I guarantee you will love it like no other!

My How the Garden Grows!

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Come on in a sit a spell, talk to me while I pull weeds. Feel the sunshine on your face as I wipe the sweat from my brow.

My garden is growing in leaps and bounds! I’ve gotten a few goodies from it so far though my harvest will be late due to late planting after preparing the garden spot.

This year is certainly my learning year and next year’s crop will prove my experience. I’ve learned where not to put vine plants and where to put short plants too. Next year’s crop will be better!

In today’s garden I have tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, summer squashes, winter squashes, tiny cauliflower and tiny broccoli, green and hot peppers, cute, colorful eggplant, still a good bit of kale each week, and plenty of garden herbs.

I am enjoying picking my home grown greens and when I do, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot!

Come on in and browse around…tell me what you think!

      

Silky Berry Smoothie

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One morning after walking the typical 3 mile hike with my next door neighbor, we decided to put our resources together and share our lunch time. Sharon came over with a blender carafe full of this oh so silky, healthy smoothie…she was kind enough to share the recipe with me and I hope she doesn’t mind if I too pass it along to you.

Here’s how it goes:

1 banana

6 ox. silken tofu (1.2 container)

1-1.5 cups milk (cow’s, soymilk, rice milk or almond milk)

1 cup fresh or frozen berries (if using fresh you can freeze them first for a cold smoothie)

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. ground flax seed

2-3 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and silky.

Enjoy!

Peach-Blueberry Trifle

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32 0z container Greek vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup honey or Agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-Mix all with a whisk until light and creamy

1 loaf pound cake, sliced or 1-2 pkgs. Lady Fingers
Peach Schnapps- enough to sprinkle on cake for soaking
-Lay pound cake/lady fingers in cookie pan and pour Schnapps over and allow to soak

8-12 peaches-sliced thinly
1 cup blueberries
1-2 sprigs of mint for garnish, (chocolate, apple, lemon or any favorite variety)

-Layer pound cake/Lady fingers on bottom of bowl-top with peaches and sprinkle blueberries sparingly-spread yogurt mixture and repeat layers ending with yogurt. Sprinkle slivered almonds, any remaining cake/fingers and blueberries add a sliced peach and sprig of mint-I used apple mint. Chill.

Tip: to slice peaches, run a knife down to the pit around the whole peach, do the same thing across the center opposite way. Next, take small wedges with knife down to the pit and the chunks will come off fairly easily.Image

Adrenal Fatigue

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Headaches, Tired, Craving Salty or Sweets, Feeling Overwhelmed, Dizziness, No Energy, Excess Thirst?

You might have Adrenal Fatigue

If you feel overstressed, overwhelmed, no energy or feel like you have more energy after 6pm than you do all day maybe your adrenals are fatigued. Your adrenals are your stress receptors and if you’re constantly under stress your adrenals get overworked and end up not knowing if it’s a true stress situation or if it’s  regular daily stress. This causes them to work overtime and become drained.

Causes for adrenal fatigue are stress, overwhelm, too much responsibility and no time to unwind, slow down or relax.

Here are 5 things you can do to help your adrenals. You can feel better especially if you continue these healthy habits every day.

1 – Eat meals and healthy snacks throughout the day including breakfast even if you’re not hungry in the morning. You don’t need to eat a huge breakfast; a piece of fruit, Greek yogurt and a handful of nuts is healthy, light and quick.

2 – Caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks and foods drain your adrenals.

Omit caffeine and if you feel that you can’t do that just yet at least limit it. You can cut back slowly by omitting one caffeinated drink a day and try not to have caffeine after 3pm.

Limit or omit alcohol and energy drinks.

4 – Foods that restore your adrenal function are ginseng, herbal teas like chamomile, valerian, passion flower, lemon balm, mint teas and vegetable juices like V-8 or organic or freshly blended homemade vegetable juice with pink Himalayan salt or table salt with iodine.

Additional therapies to boost your adrenal system is through supplements such as Ashwagandha, licorice root, extra B vitamins and more. You can find 7 specific supplements at

http://initiatewellness.healthylivingshop.com/Store/Search?Terms=adrenal+support

5 – In addition to eating and drinking properly it’s vital that you find ways to de-stress.

A health coach can help you in all areas in ways that are a prefect fit for your lifestyle, schedule and particular circumstance. I’m happy to help. Please feel free to contact me at Dawn@InitiateWellness.com or at 508-243-4523 to find out how I can help you on the road to better health, more energy and peaceful joy in your everyday life.

Magnesium Deficiency

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Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body following calcium, phosphorus and potassium and it is essential to good health. 50-60% of the body’s magnesium is found in the bones and teeth, 30-49% in the muscles and cells and only 1% is found in the blood; the body works hard to keep that 1% constant.

The role magnesium plays in the body is maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, support s a healthy immune system and strong bones. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and supports energy & protein metabolism, it helps regulate calcium, copper, potassium, vitamin D and zinc levels. Magnesium is also believed to play a role in preventing and managing such disorders as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Some common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, poor appetite, numbness/tingling, poor nail growth, muscle spasm, cramping and weakness, insomnia and other sleep disorders, restless legs, irritability/agitation/anxiety, confusion, nausea/vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, and low blood pressure.

If you feel you have one or many of the listed symptoms you can begin to correct it through foods you eat and safe, simple supplements. Some of the foods that are rich in magnesium include leafy greens and other green vegetables, 100% bran from wheat & oats, brown rice, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, molasses, banana, a variety of beans like black beans, kidney, pinto, lentils, blackeye peas, soy beans-potatoes, dark chocolate and fish.

To support your magnesium uptake you can supplement with magnesium citrate capsules or other magnesium combination supplements. If you’re not sure where to find good quality supplements you can shop here:

http://initiatewellness.healthylivingshop.com/ and please don’t hesitate to email me if you would like help in deciding which supplement(s) are right for you.

Broccoli-Bulgur Salad

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This salad is simple to make and it offers lots of nutrition from the deep green broccoli which is vitamin, mineral and fiber filled to the bulgur wheat which is also a high fiber, filling food. Cranberries add an extra value of antioxidants and vitamin C and the nuts add more crunch and Omega 3’s.

This would make a nice filling lunch or alongside a light fish or chicken breast for a lighter dinner meal. Always make extra for leftovers, lunches or healthy snacks. I rarely measure so amounts are only rough estimates; when preparing meals, get creative and less exact as long as the ingredients are healthy whole foods. Have fun when you cook!

ok, here’s the recipe:

2-3 large crowns of broccoli-cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup bulgur wheat soaked for an hour in 1 cup hot water

1 small sweet onion

1/2 to 1 cup dried cranberries (cherries would be tasty too)

1/2 to 1 cup walnuts, pecans or almond slices or a combination of all

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar-or your favorite such as balsamic or red wine vinegar

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

a drizzle of Agave nectar for taste

Pink Himalayan  Salt – it’s the best with 84 essential minerals!

Freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients, toss well to coat with oil, vinegar and spices and serve or chill in refrigerator and serve cold.

Wild Salmon w/Garlic Scapes Pesto and Cucumber-Spring Pea Salad

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Wild salmon-amount depends on servings needed

Garlic Scapes Pesto

8-10 fresh garlic scapes cut into 3″ lengths

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

Put garlic scapes, nuts, lemon juice and salt into a food processor and blend, drizzle olive oil in and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Cucumber-Spring Pea Salad

8 oz. plain Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup parsley

small bunch of fresh dill

4-6 large basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound fresh peas (frozen if fresh aren’t available)

2 English cucumbers halved length-wise and sliced thin cross-wise

Whisk first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Blanch peas for 1 minute then plunge into a bowl of cold water or rinse in a colander with cold water to stop cooking and allow cooling. Combine dressing, peas and cucumber, toss well to mix and let chill in refrigerator while salmon cooks.

Cook salmon on grill or in pan on stove top. Coat both sides of salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook skin side up first and when it looks cooked halfway up the edges gently turn and continue cooking until cooked through. When it’s properly cooked the meat will easily lift off of the skin, leaving the skin in the pan or grill for discarding.

While salmon is cooking, put enough pesto on serving plate to set each fish portion onto, then when portions are put in plate, spread a thin but generous layer of pesto on top side. Serve over or along side Cucumber-Spring Pea Salad.

If you desire you can use your favorite fish in place of salmon as this works well with most dishes.

 

Eat Healthy at Work

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If you find yourself dreading lunchtime because of the same old boring foods, lack of places to order from, or if you feel unsatisfied and still hungry after eating lunch, you’re not alone.

Lunch at work doesn’t have to be a chore. It doesn’t have to be boring and un-fullfilling either.

It’s simple to pack a healthy, hearty lunch from home; it doesn’t even require a lot of time. In the small amount of time that it takes to clean up the kitchen after dinner, you can have your lunch packed and ready to go too.
Ok, so now you might be thinking, “oh no, leftovers, yuk!” Leftovers aren’t bad at all when you eat the right foods at dinner time. Whole grains are an important part of every meal, yes, all three meals a day. Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, whole grain couscous, Farro, barley and wheat berries make the base for a terrifically healthy and filling lunch. When you prepare these grains for dinner be sure to prepare extra for a few more meals, mainly lunch. To add a fresh quality to this meal all you have to do is toss in fresh vegetables, a variety of beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, thinly sliced leftover chicken, chunks of tuna, or any other favorite lean meat; a little bit goes a long way.

Even if you followed this plan 3-4 out of 5 days a week you will reap the benefits. When you do this, make a mental mote of how you feel each day you eat foods from home and foods from take-out.

In order to help your desire for snacking while at work, bring things like nuts, apples, grapes, cherries, celery, carrot and pepper strips, sugar snap peas, a low-fat cheese stick, plain yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon or with your favorite fresh fruit and nuts added. and of course, drink water.

If you would like more information or would like to know how I can help you get on the right track with your nutrition and lifestyle habits, email me at: Dawn@InitiateWellness.com         I would love to help you live a happier, healthier life!

 

The Garden is Growing!

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The seeds and plants are in the ground and I’ve actually harvested lettuce and baby spinach so far. I suppose for those who grow a vegetable garden regularly that’s not such a big deal but for me, well, I was jumping with joy!

With the warm and sometimes hot and sticky weather upon us it was necessary to pull the weedy looking roots of the lettuces and spinach and decide what to plant next. In this decision I chose to give my 5-year-old neighbor several squares in my square foot gardening beds. He was quite happy since he had tomato plants he had grown from seed indoors that were ready for transplanting. He helped dig out old lettuce roots, turned the dirt and planted his tomatoes. He also chose a few different seeds that I had and is looking forward to watching them develop into green beans, cucumbers and corn!

I have planted squashes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, green beans and peas and herbs. I have roughly 12 square feet to plant something else too since pulling the baby spinach roots.

This year is definitely a trial and error year for my gardening skills but it’s a fun adventure to be involved in! I’ll keep you posted on my achievements and failures with my endeavor. I invite you to share your gardening experiences too!

Whole food eating is an important part of healthy living. When you know what foods benefit your type, you can achieve energy, improved sleep and a healthy weight. If you struggle with this, I can guide you and support you on your way to better health through an improved diet. Contact me today: Dawn@InitiateWellness.com or visit my website: www.InitiateWellness.com