Parsley is one of those herbs that we rarely acknowledge and push aside when it presents itself as a garnish on our plates.  It is used again and again as a lively garnish for so many foods, so why are we constantly limiting this amazing herb to nothing more than a culinary decoration?  Parsley is a delicious addition to countless recipes and has some natural healing powers that few of us even know about.  Today’s blog post is a tribute to parsley, the underappreciated but highly useful herb.   

First of all, parsley contains over 80 nutrients with the major ones being vitamins K, C and A. Vitamin K is needed to help with blood clotting and to also for the maintenance of strong and healthy bones. Vitamin C helps to fight infection and boost the immune system while vitamin A is needed to maintain healthy eye function and immune system. Parsley is also a powerful antioxidant meaning that it can help to protect your cells against the oxidative damage that can cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. 

If you’re interested in trying any kind of detox or cleanse this Spring, the addition of parsley to your detox routine would be a great idea! If you’re feeling bloated or retaining water, parsley is a great natural diuretic since it helps with the stimulation of kidneys and the excretion of sodium and water. Parsley is especially great for the cleansing of the liver and kidneys since it helps to remove toxins from these organs to be eliminated from the body. For those who suffer from kidney stones, a good dose of parsley on a regular basis can help to prevent and even remove painful kidney stones! Plus if you’re trying to remove sugars and artificial sweeteners from your diet but are missing your breath freshening stick of gum, parsley is naturally high in chlorophyll which is a wonderful way to freshen your breath. 

Probably the most frequent concerns that clients talk about in the office are problems with heart-burn and indigestion. Parsley is known to help with these common ailments because it is high in specific enzymes which help with the break-down and absorption of foods. It can help to relieve excess gas and indigestion while stimulating the bowels and urinary tract to remove toxins and waste products. 

So now you know a few of the numerous benefits of adding parsley to your daily meal plan.  Toss a big handful of it into your salads or pot of soup or stew for added nutrition and colour.  If you make your own raw juices, parsley would make a great addition to your juicer. Here are some inspirational parsley recipes to kick-start your new love affair with our featured herb.

Refreshing Parsley Juice
-    a handful of parsley
-    4 carrots
-    ½  cucumber
-    2 stalks celery
-    1 lemon
-    Small knob of fresh ginger
Method: Peel the lemon. Add all ingredients in a juicer and drink up! 

Don’t have a juicer? Try this Watermelon Parsley Smoothie recipe with your kitchen blender
-    Handful of fresh parsley
-    Juice of 1-2 lemons
-    As much watermelon as the blender can hold
-    1 cucumber, peeled
Method: Toss everything into the blender and blend until smooth.

Chickpea Tabouleh Salad
-    1 cup medium or coarse bulgur wheat (or can use quinoa)
-    1 can drained and rinsed chickpeas
-    1 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
-    1 cup diced cucumber
-    1 cup finely chopped parsley (can put in food processor to chop finely)
-    ½ cup sliced green onion
-    ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint (toss it in with the parsley in the fp)
Dressing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      -    ¼ cup lemon juice
-    2 tbsp olive oil
-    2 cloves garlic, minced
-    ½ tsp both salt and pepper                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Directions
1)    Cook to bulgur wheat or quinoa as package directions indicate. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
2)    Add all of the salad ingredients to the bulgur/quinoa and mix well
3)    In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients . Pour over the salad and toss to combine.  Enjoy!

So you’re not a morning person, I get it. And you’d rather eat a banana in the car during rush hour traffic then take the time to chomp down cereal. But an hour after the banana you realize that your stomach is talking, growling so loud at your desk that your co-workers take notice. By 10:00 am break you’re ravenous and scarf down any carbohydrate in sight, usually a cafeteria muffin. Have you ever wondered what this is doing to your waist line?

These poor eating habits hurt your metabolism BIG TIME. Food is fuel, so loading up on a filling breakfast is crucial for energy production. Your body needs a healthy combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates each meal to satisfy appetite and fuel energy reserves. Remember you are what you eat (and who wants to be a banana anyway?).

Lately I’ve been preparing this simple and tasty breakfast using RuthsFoods chia goodness cereal. Here’s my overnight recipe. It’s plump and ready to eat first thing in the morning. My online SeeResults weight loss clients also love to start the day with this meal!

Chia Goddess Breakfast Bowl

¼ cup organic kamut flakes
¼ cup frozen berries
2 TBSP Ruths Foods Chia Goodness apple cinnamon cereal
½ cup almond milk
A generous sprinkle of cinnamon

Method 

Before you go to bed place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and place in refrigerator overnight. In the morning simply eat. Delish and no cooking required. This one pot breakfast can easily be transported to work or enjoyed while reading the morning paper at your kitchen table.

Healthy eating can be simple and fit into even the busiest of lifestyles. This Goddess bowl is packed full of protein, healthy Omega 3 fats, iron, calcium, B vitamins and magnesium. It leaves you full for hours. No more 10am stomach growling. Instead go to work feeling like a goddess.

To find more chia recipes, check out RuthsFoods website. 

It’s a snow day on PEI which for me means; time to get cooking!  The cupboards are a little bare but I always have ingredients  for this simple vegetarian dish.  It’s tasty, nutritious and so cheap to prepare. Trust me it will be a hit in your home too. Try some today and happy snow day!

EASY Lentil Vegetable Soup

2 cups carrots, sliced 

1 cup stalk celery, diced 

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp ground cumin 

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

3 cups filtered water 

1 can diced tomatoes (14oz) or 2 cups chopped

1 cup red lentils

1 TBSP curry powder

Salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, soften the vegetables with the cumin in the oil. Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils and curry.  Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

This soup tastes great for supper with a salad on the side. It freezes well so be sure to keep these key ingredients on hand.  When you tally it up, I bet a bowl cost under $1.

Variations- To increase greens try adding baby spinach, kale or bok choy  while simmering.  Transfer into a blender and puree, adding more water if necessary for a more filling soup. Also swap curry for Italian seasoning or fresh ginger.  Yes, so many spice possibilities.

Hey blog readers do you have a simple, affordable vegetarian recipe to share with other blog readers? Send them to me and I’ll test it out! Did you try this recipe? Please rate it! 

Yes you do deserve a treat today. Think of it as a reward for saying no to cake at the office staff party. Or perhaps when you ordered salad over fries at the pub earlier this week. You won’t even feel guilty while indulging in this tasty treat. Packed full of protein with a chocolate peanut butter twist.  What’s the secret ingredient you ask? Well it’s PGX.

PGX is a non-starch polysaccharide (fibre) with a very high water-absorbing capacity. When consumed with meals, PGX lowers the glycemic index of food eaten while decreasing appetite. PGX mixes instantly in water or juice but can also be sprinkled onto any moist food, yogurt, fruit salad, oatmeal, soup, any low-calorie beverage or meal replacement.  I’ve been sampling some of the Bioclinic Naturals products and especially enjoyed the meal replacement shakes which kept me full for hours.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite guiltless sweet treat. Better then a Reese peanut butter cup. You’ll love it!

Chocolate Nut Butter - PGX Protein Pudding

2/3 cup plain 0% MF Greek yogurt, organic
½ scoop FitSmart chocolate dream protein powder
2 tsp nut peanut butter, organic
1 serving of PGX powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well until blended. 

This pudding contains 175 calories, 24 grams of protein, 9 grams carbogydrates, 8 grams fibre. The perfect post workout snack or enjoy as a quick breakfast on the go. It even tastes great frozen.  Sometimes I omit the nut butter and add I/2 cup diced frozen raspberries or banana.  Trust me I know you'll enjoy eating this!

Do you have a yummy post workout snack you'd like to share? Email it to rachelle@rachellewood.ca 

If there’s one vegetable my parents can grow well its zucchini.  As a child I can remember selling these oversized slightly sweet green giants at the end of our farmhouse driveway.  (Guess you could say I was destined to be an entrepreneur.)  The 2011 harvest has been plentiful so this afternoon I’ve decided to dedicate my day to testing out a few new fun fall recipes!

Zucchini makes a great vegetable choice for weight loss because of its low calorie and high water content. This means that you can eat alot of zucchini, but not take in that many calories. It's loaded with magnesium, Vit A and C, low in calories (only 25 calories per 100 grams), saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and is a great source of dietary fiber. Did you know a zucchini has more potassium than a banana?!

Enjoy these tried and tested recipes.I’ve recently added them to the online weight loss program See Results. The muffins are great for breakfast and the pizza will satisfy your cravings for something rich, perhaps on Friday night. ENJOY

Zucchini, Banana, and Flaxseed Muffins

**Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free**  

1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup almond milk
1 large egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. In large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients, and then add zucchini and banana and stir till combined. In a small bowl whisk together wet ingredients. Add liquid to the dry ingredients and stir till combined. Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake until toothpick come cleanly out of the center of the muffin, about 20 – 25 minutes. Cool, makes 12 yummy muffins!These freeze well and are great for work lunches.

Zucchini Crust Pizza

3 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup flour
Salt to taste
2 1/2 cups shredded light mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped black olives
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
Jalapeno pepper rings, as desired
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 to 4 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Generously butter a 9x13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 450°. Put grated zucchini in a colandar and press out as much excess liquid as possible. Put zucchini in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, flour and salt. Mix well and spread in buttered pan. Bake in a 450° oven for 8 minutes. Remove pan and reduce oven temperature to 350°. Cover the zucchini base with cheese. Combine olives, onion and artichoke hearts. Spread over cheese. Arrange jalapeno pepper rings over top. Arrange tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Do you have a healthy Fall recipe to share with other blog readers? If so email it to us.