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It’s Thanksgiving Week! Today I offer a super simple and healthy substitute for one of those traditional Thanksgiving foods, cranberry sauce. If you’ve only tried cranberry sauce out of a can, you are in for a treat! This raw cranberry relish is delicious and comes together in minutes. Make it the day before you serve it, so it can chill and the flavors can combine.
This recipe comes to you by way of Anthony William, aka the Medical Medium! His book containing the recipe is at the end of the post.
Raw Cranberry Relish
Cranberries are a powerful food. That power comes from the cranberry’s ability to fight the streptococcus bacteria and other infections.
Most of the world’s cranberries are grown in the US, Canada and Chile. And the majority of those cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Christmas dinners in the United Kingdom, and at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners in the United States and Canada.
Canned cranberry sauce was my introduction to this tart fruit. It has been a joy to create my own cranberry relish for the holidays, and find other uses for fresh cranberries.
Raw Cranberry Relish
This simple recipe uses fresh ingredients to create a traditional favorite.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until roughly combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with mint if desired. Makes 6 servings.
Keyword Raw Cranberry Relish
This raw cranberry relish is amazing.
Enjoy Your Raw Cranberry Relish
This is such a simple recipe and the results are amazing. I love serving raw cranberry relish alongside a big chopped salad and stuffed acorn squash. Add it to your feast, whether you are plant based or not, and enjoy the flavors and the health benefits that cranberries provide.
May you have a blessed Thanksgiving this week. And among your gratitudes, may health and wellbeing be at the top of your list!
Pick up Life Changing Foods below, by clicking on photo.
Find Raw Cranberry Relish and other wonderful recipes in Life Changing Foods by Anthony William.
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Unbelievably, we’ve officially entered the holiday shopping season, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday quickly approaching. This year, why not encourage someone on their healing journey, or gift yourself with items that support a healthy lifestyle.
The poet Virgil wrote,
“The greatest wealth is health.”
I’ve come to appreciate the deep truth in those words. Who among your family or your circle of friends could most benefit from a change in health?
Check out these gift ideas for a healthy lifestyle. And simply click on the photos for more info or to order.
Gift Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle – Kitchen
Juicer
A juicer starts the day off perfectly, with fresh celery juice or fresh apple juice. And it quickly turns vegetables and fruits into health boosting juices.
Blender
I use one every day. For breakfast I create fruit smoothies. Sauces and banana nice dream blend in this helpful machine. And celery juice and other juices can even be prepared in a blender, if you don’t have a juicer. I love my Ninja Blender!
Food Processor
This powerful kitchen appliance is great for creating your own almond milk, nut butters and gluten free flours. Or quickly chop up veggies for a colorful salad. I’ll be using mine in a few days to make fresh cranberry relish.
Spiralizer
This fun gadget creates mounds of fresh “noodles” from zucchini, cucumbers, carrots and other veggies. It’s a great way to use that garden produce in the summer!
Electric Tea Kettle
I discovered the joys of using an electric tea kettle in Edinburgh, Scotland this year. Hot water is ready in a couple of minutes, for a pot or a cup of tea. I use mine every day.
Herbal Teas
A favorite health booster for me…herbal teas. There are so many to choose from. Here are a few options.
Gift Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle – Books
Cookbooks
I enjoy trying new, healthy recipes weekly. Try one of these to discover that healthy eating does not mean bland food.
Medical Medium Books
These are the books that completely changed my health…and my life. I can’t think of a better gift for someone who is sick and tired, of feeling sick and tired.
Gift Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle – Fitness
Metal Water Bottle
I carry one everywhere, even on international trips. In my quest to stay hydrated and eliminate plastic use, metal water bottles help me do both.
Yoga Mat
I confess that I do yoga on my bed, mostly, or standing next to my bed! Perhaps I need to gift myself with a mat.
Gym Bag
Great for carrying a change of clothes to the gym or toting gear to the park or for a weekend getaway.
Hand Weights
Weights help with toning, flexibility, strengthening and building muscle.
Gift Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle – Clothes
What would we do without leggings? I practically live in them, especially when I’m working at home, which is almost every day!
Get a Head Start on 2020
This isn’t a complete list of gift ideas for a healthy lifestyle, however, I hope it gets you started on the path of wellness.
For yourself, for a loved one, for a friend, give the gift of health this holiday season. And get a head start on 2020. May next year be the year that health becomes a priority!
Check out these posts, for additional health related gift ideas:
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As we enter cold and flu season, I love having an arsenal of health boosting soups that I can prepare quickly and easily. Nothing soothes a scratchy throat or comforts an achy body quite like a bowl of steaming hot soup. That old standby, chicken noodle soup, is no longer a suitable choice for me. However, I wondered if I could find a plant based option.
I did.
This easy vegetable noodle soup is nourishing and soothing. And, using an instant pot, it’s ready in under 30 minutes.
Plant Based and Gluten Free
This recipe is adapted from one in Vegan Pressure Cooking. I changed the seasonings and used gluten free Pad Thai noodles made from brown rice. You can use sobo noodles or regular Pad Thai noodles, if you are not gluten sensitive.
This hearty soup is full of veggies and made using my DIY vegetable broth, which I absolutely love. You can substitute store bought vegetable broth if desired.
Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup
This hearty soup is packed with veggies and gluten free noodles for a healthy alternative to chicken and noodle soup.
2cupsgreen beans, fresh or frozen, cut into piecesmay substitute organic canned green beans
1bay leaf
1tspHerbs de Provence
1/2tspdried sage
1cupdried brown or green lentils
4ouncesnoodles, pad Thai or sobo
4cupsvegetable broth
1 1/2cupswater
Instructions
In uncovered pressure cooker, saute onions, garlic, carrots, green beans and celery for 3 minutes. Add seasonings and stir and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add lentils, noodles, vegetable broth and water to pressure cooker. Lock on lid. Cook for 8 minutes. Use a quick release. Remove lid.
Test noodles and lentils. If not quite done, simmer in uncovered pressure cooker until done, adding more water if necessary. If using canned green beans, add at this time. Remove bay leaf and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Keyword vegetable noodle soup, vegetable soup
Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup
This wonderfully fragrant soup cooked in minutes. And the added brown rice pad Thai noodles created a meal that’s perfect for a chilly evening or comforting when combating the sniffles.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can prepare the easy vegetable noodle soup on the stove top. Saute veggies then combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the noodles during the last five minutes of cooking time.
This soup inspires me to see if gluten free ramen noodles exist. If so, watch for an easy and healthy ramen soup you can make yourself.
And I used these Pad Thai noodles. Amazon sells them in packages of six.
Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.
I grew up eating peanut butter sandwiches. And honestly, I still love the stuff. Oh, I don’t eat bread now, so no more sandwiches. However, one of my favorite healthy snacks is a dollop of organic peanut butter and a cut up apple. Paired with a cup of hot herbal tea, this snack is perfect once or twice a week.
I’ve also enjoyed almond butter and cashew butter. Those jars of nut butters can get pricey though. And it’s important to read the labels, to make sure the ingredients are nuts and sea salt and nothing more.
Recently I’ve wanted to try making my own nut butters. It turns out, the process couldn’t be easier. Check out my first attempt…DIY creamy cashew butter.
Advantages of Making DIY Cashew Butter
The primary advantage to making your own nut butter is knowing exactly what’s in it. I purchased raw, organic, non GMO cashews from Natural Grocers. Although I intended to create almond butter first, the cashews appealed to me! I left the store with a 16 ounce package of cashews.
The nut butter is easily customized with healthy additions such as honey, vanilla beans, cocoa or sea salt. Finally, making your own nut butter saves money, especially when nuts are bought in bulk. And you can make a small amount or a larger amount, depending on your needs.
Raw organic nuts for DIY Creamy Cashew Cream
Creating DIY Creamy Cashew Cream
Cashews have a creamy texture, making them perfect for creating nut butter. They are an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. Cashews also provide antioxidant properties. Check out the five healthiest nuts in this post.
I felt like the soft texture of the cashews would easily transform into creamy nut butter. And I was right. Using the food processor creates heat, which helps to quickly break the nuts down into a smooth butter.
The process is so simple.
Step 1
Add two cups of cashews, or nuts of choice, to a food processor. That’s it. For DIY creamy cashew butter there is one ingredient…cashews. I chose raw, unsalted cashews, however experiment with salted and roasted and see which suits you best.
Process on high. The nuts immediately become coarsely chopped and then become a fine powder. Stop the food processor occasionally, to scrape down sides.
Step 1 – Coarsely ground
Step 2
Continuing processing cashews. As they heat up the nuts release oils. The coarse pieces begin to stick together, forming a paste. Pause again to scrape down sides.
Step 2 – Paste forms
Step 3
Let cashew paste continue to process, until a smooth butter forms. The entire process took about seven minutes for me, stopping twice to scrape down sides…and take photos. Almonds might take a little longer to process.
Stop processor and scrape cashew butter into a glass container. Seal and store in the refrigerator. DIY creamy cashew butter, or any other homemade nut butters, will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. I don’t think mine will last that long!
Step 3 – Creamy butter
Enjoying My Healthy Snack
The DIY creamy cashew butter was so easy to make. I don’t know why I haven’t tried this before. Warm from the processor, I enjoyed a spoonful of cashew butter with a cut up gala apple. Perfection! I didn’t add honey, yet the taste was slightly sweet and the butter so creamy. Cashew butter is excellent with sliced apples or pears, on gluten free crackers or bread and used in baking.
I’m excited to make almond butter and perhaps something more exotic, like pistachio butter. I’ll let you know how that turns out!
Creamy Cashew Butter and Apple Slices
Use these links to purchase raw organic cashews and almonds.
This is the food processor I use. Click on photo for more info or to order.
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As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, some people find that their moods darken as well. It’s not uncommon, during fall and winter, to feel sluggish, however those winter blues can become a depression that lasts for months.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that begins in fall and peaks mid winter. By spring, when longer days bring more sunshine, the symptoms ease.
Up to 20% of the population experience varying degrees of SAD. However, help is available…in the kitchen. Check out the following foods that ease seasonal affective disorder, naturally.
What Causes SAD?
Doctors believe that the long dark nights of winter disrupt brain chemicals, such as melatonin and serotonin, that affect mood. Days and days of overcast skies that limit sunlight contribute as well to feeling glum. So there appears to be a connection between lack of sunlight and seasonal affective disorder. Some experts also believe reduced sunlight lowers vitamin D levels in the body, which in turn can cause depression.
Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include weariness, anxiety, depression, craving carbohydrates, irritability, weight gain and avoidance of social situations.
Ten minutes of sunlight a day helps to ease SAD, by boosting vitamin D in the body. To improve symptoms even more, and for those days and days of gray skies, try adding the following foods to your diet.
Long winter nights are great for coziness. However they can disrupt chemicals in the brain.
Foods That Ease Seasonal Affective Disorder
Include these foods during fall and winter to combat SAD.
MangoesÂ
Mangoes support emotional health, uplift mood, alleviate depression and ease seasonal affective disorder. They also promote a good night’s sleep. Eat mangoes on their own, or add to smoothies and fruit salads.
Atlantic Sea VegetablesÂ
These gifts from the sea remove heavy metals from the body. They are rich with nutrients that balance the body, ease stress and ground the emotions. Add dried Atlantic sea vegetables to salads and soups or blend them up in smoothies.
Oranges and Tangerines
Oranges and tangerines are called liquid sunshine! High in vitamin C, oranges and tangerines brighten mood when we are feeling sun deprived. Enjoy freshly prepared orange juice or add the citrus fruit to salads and hot ciders. Strive to eat a couple of oranges or tangerines a day, to receive all the goodness that they offer.
Oranges, pictured here in Spiced Hot Cider, are a great way to ease SAD.Foods that ease seasonal affective disorder – bananas
Bananas
Bananas contain tryptophan, which calms the body. Their natural sugars and high potassium levels fuel the brain, while magnesium improves sleep and reduces anxiety. Add bananas to fruit smoothies, healthy breads and muffins, or eat them as a snack. For a special treat, blend frozen bananas into nice dream and top with berries.
Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens, high in folic acid, boost mood by creating serotonin. During the cold winter months, enjoy a big salad daily for lunch, with leafy greens as the foundation. Or add greens to smoothies and juices.
Berries
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are all powerful anti-inflammatories that help to prevent the release of the stress hormone, cortisol. Lowering stress eases the symptoms of SAD. Berries are wonderful added to smoothies, salads and herbal teas or piled on top of gluten free oatmeal.
Foods that ease seasonal affective disorder – berriesThe spice turmeric is an effective way to ease SAD.
Turmeric
This powerful anti-inflammatory increases blood circulation and boosts the brain and mood. Use turmeric in curry recipes or add a spoonful to warm coconut milk, to create a soothing nighttime drink. Or take a daily supplement in capsule form.
Walnuts and Flaxseeds
High in Omega-3s, walnuts and flaxseeds provide essential nutrients that help to boost mood and lessen depression. Add flaxseeds to smoothies or baking recipes. Eat a small amount of walnuts daily or add to gluten free banana bread and salads.
Avoid This Food
In the list of foods that ease seasonal affective disorder, there is one food to avoid. Refined sugar negatively impacts the brain and slows it down. Limit sugar during the winter months, or avoid it entirely. Your body and your mood will benefit.
Frequently including the foods listed above, and ten minutes of sun bathing on bright sunny days, can greatly reduce or eliminate seasonal affective disorder. I know. I’m one who feels a bit blue when the sun disappears for days behind a mass of gray clouds. To feel my best, and avoid going into hibernation mode, I need sunlight and these natural mood boosters.
Are you SAD during winter? Talk to me about it, in the comments below.
Soaking up the sunshine.
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I love soups, stews and chilis any time of year. However, during fall, as the nights grow longer and the temperatures cooler, I could live on them. Soups are not only comforting, they are full of flavor and healthy nutrients.
This quick bean chili comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for those evenings when the day has been full and busy. Having recipes available that can provide a hot meal in a few minutes lessens the likelihood of grabbing fast food on the way home.
Quick Bean Chili Recipe
This recipe comes together quickly due to using canned goods, instead of dried beans. I chose to use great northern beans, however any canned beans works. This is a moderately spicy chili. Adjust the heat level by adding or reducing the cayenne pepper. Use a small vegetable chopper to make quick work of prepping veggies.
1/4 tspcayenne pepper (add more or less, as desired)
214 oz cansdiced tomatoes
2tbsptomato paste
2cupsvegetable broth
1cupwater
1 cannon GMO corn
2cansgreat northern beans (or beans of choice)
1tspsea salt
Instructions
In uncovered pressure cooker, heat coconut oil on medium heat. I use the meat setting. Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Saute for 3 minutes, until veggies soften.
Add bell peppers. Cook for another minute.
Add green chilies, spices, canned tomatoes, canned beans, canned corn, tomato paste, broth and water.
Cover and lock on lid. Bring to pressure and cook for 8 minutes. Allow natural release.
Remove lid, stir and add sea salt. Makes 6 - 8 servings.
Keyword Bean Chili, Quick
Meal in Minutes
I love using the pressure cooker for healthy meals. In minutes this quick bean chili was ready. And it was oh…so…good! The blend of beans, fresh veggies and seasonings was perfect.
The chili offered even more flavor the next day. And it thickened up to more of a chunky chili consistency.
I’m always looking for a great soup, stew or chili recipe, plant based of course! If you have a favorite recipe, please provide a link in the comments below. I’ll be doing a plant based soup, stew and chili roundup in the near future. I’d love to include yours.
Quick Bean Chili, ready in under 20 minutes.
Check out these helpful products from Amazon:
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I use mine every day.
