SuperFoods to the Rescue

Nobody does it better than Mother Nature.  Makes me feel sad for the rest.

What is a superfood?  Great question.

Wikipedia defines a Superfood as the following:  Superfood is a term used by various people in a wide variety of manners and contexts. For example, it is sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result. 


Another common definition is that a superfood is one which has high concentrations of essential nutrients with proven health benefits, with few properties generally considered to be negative (such as being high in saturated fats or artificial ingredients, food additives or contaminants). 


An often-cited example of a superfood (or superfruit) is blueberries. They contain high concentrations of various antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber, they have a compound, pterostilbene, which acts to protect the heart in the same way as cholesterol-lowering drugs, are low in calories and are most often organically grown.


So, in an nutshell, superfoods pack the most amounts of nutrients per calorie.  


What superfoods should you buy?  Are you going to have to spend a fortune?  You might be surprised to learn that traditional, well-known foods known to be quite healthy, may be the best of the "superfoods" after all - and are generally cheaper and more widely available. Gogi berries are one of the frequent members of many "superfoods lists" online - and are hard to find and quite expensive.  However, goji berries do not contain anything not found in blueberries, while carrots are even more healthy than gojis. 

British researchers stress that it is as healthy to eat apples and oranges as expensive, exotic foodstuffs often cited as being superfoods.  One can get more nutrients from broccoli or spinach than from a shot of wheatgrass. 

So what do we like?  Our list for the CLARIFY Top 10 Superfoods are:

Salmon

Green Tea

Berries

Almonds

Spiniach

Plain Greek Strained Yogurt

Edemame

Tomatoes

Oranges

Chickpeas

Keep these nutrient dense, low calorie options in mind when filling your shopping cart at your next trip to the grocery market. 

Lessons Learned

Liz and I seem to be thinking in tandum these days.  Her last blog Lessons Learned had some excellent points that everyone trying this program needs to read.

This is NOT about deprivation, starvation, denial, or misery - if you feel any of these on the plan, then email me immediately.  This is about health, energy, sleep, peace and finding a better "happy place" with food and drink.

Even with planning, in 21 days, it is likely you are not going to be able to follow the plan exactly as prescribed.  If life gets in the way, just do the best you can and think ahead for future challenges.

My biggest challenge is when I am on call.  I have not figured out how to take a blender to work - AND our night time choices are limited in the Cafeteria at the hospital.  Also, my duty hours on call are very unpredictable.  I have found myself at night staring at the vending machine choosing the lesser of 37 evils.  That being said, I have gotten better at packing healthy, nutrient rich snacks to have for emergencies - fruit, nuts, kale chips, and lots of water.

And Liz, I am with you sister - after Clairify, white bread makes me gag!

Eggs, Dairy, and Batting 1000

Um.  Wow.

We have had 1,000 page views since we started the blog.

I stand humbled and amazed and so happy to be helping so many people.

Enough about that......

Thank you to everyone for the support and the feedback we have gotten.  I have a couple of changes to announce, and likely more to come.  Remember, Clairify is a work in progress and we remain committed to finding the best formula for the most people.

A word about dairy and eggs.  When we initially designed the plan we worried about weight loss and decided to eliminate these products from the plan, and then, over time, found ways to add them back in.

I myself am using 1% organic milk in my shakes - 1/2 cup per shake, and 0% fat greek strained yogurt as well - one heaping tablespoon per shake.  I love the flavor and it is working well for me.  Use dairy in moderation.  Don't let it be a main source of calories for your meal.  As a flavor enhancer (feta sprinkled on a salad, parmaesan dusted on kale chips) it should be fine, but limit dairy as a main ingredient in any meal.  Go for the non processed varities and low fat options as well.

Eggs - I have had no trouble eliminating them from the plan.  Other people, not so much.  I excluded them due to the high sulfur content adding to any gastrointestinal source and for the very high cholesterol rates.  That being said, egg WHITES would still be high in protein and low in fat.  If you must, feel free to use egg whites in your recipes.

Please keep the comments coming.

NOT the Brazillian Butt Lift

My girls Liz and Erin - keeping it real.

Love the Infomercial!!!!

Click on the Link HERE.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Yield: 4 to 5 servings

Serving Size: 10 cabbage rolls 

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 medium head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage
• 1 pound ground turkey or very lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces fresh tomato sauce or preservative free if need to buy sauce already made; if you have the time and the gumption, make your own using this recipe (in bulk, but you can freeze for later)
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch pan with cooking spray or oil.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.

In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, cooled onion, cooked rice, and salt. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place a scant 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Climbing Back on the Wagon

So a few good friends have started Clairify during the Lenten season.  A couple of them are even writing a blog about it.  I myself have restarted Clairify this week for Lent with my husband.

A mutual friend (and patient) was had a baby shower on Saturday.  I walked in fashionably late and the fantastic party was in full force.  I looked across the room and was happy to see a few of my "cleansers" there as I was dying to hear about their experiences of the week.  They looked a little sheepish and were holding beautiful, delicious glasses of champagne.

I laughed.

This was a baby shower for a good friend.  What a wonderful time to and celebrate.  Enjoy.  Savor.  Just restart the plan the next day.

Clairify is not about punishing yourself or withholding pleasure.  It is about kickstarting a healthier and more energetic you.  It is about examining your relationship with food and drink.  It is a gift you give yourself.  A challenge to see how good you can feel.  How well you can sleep.  How clear you can think.

Ahem.  That being said I have to come clean.  Last night was one of my best friends birthday party celebrations.  We surprised her with a limousine and went up to big old Houston for the evening.  We had a ball.  I danced, laughed, sang, and had a beautiful time with my girlfriends.  I had a few drinks - but was mindful not to overindulge.  I drank liters of water all night long.

By tradition, we ended up at WhatABurger in the wee hours and I got my standard #8.  I enjoyed.  I savored.  I gobbled up every last crumb.  I woke up still laughing about the funny stories from the night before with no hangover.  Happy and excited I whipped out my blender and jumped right back on the plan.  No regrets.

Happy Birthday Heidi!!!!!!!!!

Perfectly Grilled Radicchio

Perfectly Grilled Radicchio

Since the roasted kale was such a hit, I decided to add another favorite of mine - grilled radicchio.  The first time I had a variation of this was at Kuletto's in San Francisco and could not believe how wonderful grilled lettuce could be.  I decided to add a CLARIFY friendly recipe to our armamentarium.  This stuff is really good tasting, good for you, and addictive!  

Ingredients

4 heads radicchio

12 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cut the radicchio in quarters lengthwise, being sure to keep some of the stem attached to each quarter. Trim off any dark bits of stem. Submerge the radicchio quarters in ice water for 1 hour to remove some bitterness. Put a plate on top of the radicchio to keep them under water.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.

Prepare a hot fire in your grill, or heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat.

Drain the radicchio and place them on paper towels to absorb remaining water. Open up the leaves and spoon the olive oil mixture inside. Place the radicchio quarters on a baking sheet and pour the remaining marinade mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Grill the radicchio until browned on the outside but still raw in the center, 5 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Be careful, as the oil mixture may flame up.

Drizzle any leftover dressing over the top of the grilled radicchio and serve warm.