Recipes
Best-of-Summer Salad Recipes
When you live in a colder climate, extended summer weather is like a lovely dream you don’t want to wake from. Some years you get lucky, and that eternal green feeling of summer lingers for weeks. I try to keep it alive and on my dinner table as much as possible… with healthy, colorful salads. These best-of-summer salad recipes use a handful of fresh ingredients you can easily find teeming in your garden or piled high on grocery store shelves in late summer, so you can get dinner on the table without a lot of planning and preparation. They’ll also... Continue Reading
Better-For-You Olive Oil Cakes And Cookies
As a cardiologist and anti-aging doc, I’m not too keen on processed baked desserts like cookies and cakes. But, I’m also not a fan of deprivation – life’s too short to never eat cake or cookies. So, my rules of thumb when indulging a sweet tooth are to practice strict moderation and to make healthier ingredient substitutions whenever possible.
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Healthy Summer Salad Recipes Packed with Vibrant Flavors
Without a doubt, summer is one of my favorite times of year…Not only do I get to spend more time outdoors with bare feet; farmer’s markets and farm stands are everywhere. With such a huge variety of ultra-fresh produce to choose from, I feel like a kid in nature’s candy store!
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Bold And Bright Fennel Orange Salad
It starts with the colors…vibrant orange, cool greens, liquid gold. Then brilliant, zesty citrus notes hit your nose as a variety of tantalizing flavors and juicy, crunchy textures dance across your tongue. Meals that delight your senses, like this fennel and orange salad, are the ones you remember long after the plates are cleared.
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Strawberry Lemon Granita
There is nothing quite like a refreshing frozen granita on a hot summer day! A favorite among kids and adults alike, granita is a sorbet-like dessert made with any fruit that you love. In this granita recipe, I use fresh strawberries...Not only do they provide a delightfully sweet flavor base, strawberries are packed with powerful health-promoting antioxidants! A perfect mid-day snack, end-cap to a light summer meal, or a frosty way to start your morning, a granita can be enjoyed any time of the day. Pair it with a little bit of healthy fat and protein to keep your blood... Continue Reading
The Unhealthy Side of Organic
As an anti-aging physician, I have frequently scratched my head wondering exactly why people continue to debate whether organic food is truly healthier than its conventional counterpart. After all, is there really any question whether food produced without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, preventative antibiotics, artificial hormones, and GMOs is actually better for you than food that is?
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Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil Oil and Balsamic
A refreshing afternoon snack or lighter side for off-the-grill favorites, this watermelon salad with feta brings zingy summer sweetness to the picnic table and is also good for you. Not only is it a low-calorie hydrating fruit, watermelon is a good source of antioxidant vitamins C and A (as carotenoids), some B vitamins, and minerals like potassium and magnesium, all of which help your body function at its best. Watermelon also contains the same powerhouse phytochemical as tomatoes, lycopene, best known for supporting lung, heart, prostate and breast health – the redder the watermelon, the better! Onions are another one... Continue Reading
Super Easy, Healthy Stir Fry Recipes
I love a good, healthy stir fry because it’s such a quick and easy way to get a rainbow of tender-crisp, delicious veggies on your plate. Combined with a whole grain and protein, it’s a complete dinner you can have on the table in barely any time, so it’s great for busy families or if you’re just cooking for one.
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Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Pastas
You might be surprised that, as a cardiologist, I don’t vilify saturated fats and even think organic, grass-fed butter and cream in your diet is fine in moderation. But I far prefer my favorite superfood, olive oil, to lend healthy fats and delicious flavor to a meal. So when I was recently asked to make chicken broccoli ziti with Alfredo sauce for a family function, I didn’t cringe at the idea of it. I just knew I could make a healthier version with olive oil. My chicken broccoli pasta is still as satiating and comforting as the original, but packed with... Continue Reading
Healthy, Easy Hummus Recipes
Isn’t it awesome when healthy food tastes delicious, and it’s a snap to choose nutritious options over heavily processed ones…Especially when you need a quick bite? Hummus is just one of those spot-hitters. The earliest known recipe for hummus was recorded in a 13th century cookbook in Cairo, Egypt, and was said to have been eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don’t think I could eat hummus for every meal, but I do sure do enjoy this ancient Middle Eastern dip pretty often as a snack or light meal.
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