Recipes
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
What comes to mind when you think of the holidays? For me, it’s the delicious smell of familiar foods and seeing faces I love around the table. As kids, we couldn’t get enough of those butter-soaked mashed potatoes or sugar-laden candied yams, but as adults, we know those dishes aren’t doing our health any favors! So I decided to reinvent a few holiday favorites and created some healthy Thanksgiving recipes you can enjoy year-round. They’re simple to make, packed with flavor and so good for you. Skip directly to Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes > Vervana Blood Orange Olive Oil Turkey as... Continue Reading
Love Brussels Sprouts with these Scrumptious Recipes
It’s probably a gut reaction held over from childhood, but when most people hear “Brussels sprouts” it’s an immediate turn-off. Folks, this doesn’t have to be the case! Odds are, if you think you don’t like Brussels sprouts, the ones you’ve tried have just been cooked the wrong way. Boiling them too long, for example, can bring out unpleasant, bitter flavors and odors, making them seem unappetizing at best. Quickly sautéing, lightly steaming, or roasting Brussels sprouts in the oven until they’re golden brown and caramelized are much better ways to prepare them, and also to preserve nutrients that are... Continue Reading
Easy, Healthy Fish Tacos
There are so many reasons to love tacos…among them, the fun, the flavors, and the fact that you can get a healthy meal on the table in the time it takes to get a pizza delivered. These easy fish taco recipes – like all recipes near and dear to my heart – start with a handful of simple, whole food ingredients that are bursting with freshness and color: wild-caught white fish, crunchy purple cabbage, juicy red and yellow tomatoes, and of course that liquid gold, olive oil. Topped with piquant red onion and creamy avocado slices, they’re a feast for…
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Why I Love Apples
We’ve all heard mom say, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but did you know there’s science to back this adage? Not only do apples make a delicious, wholesome snack, but they can also reduce your risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. For a healthy dessert or snack, here’s my Balsamic Apples Recipe > Apple Nutrition and Health Benefits What about apples is so good for us? To start, Apples are rich in flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds with powerful antioxidant activity to help protect the body against harmful free radicals. Apple peels, in particular, are high... Continue Reading
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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