I often hear, "salads are so boring".
I get it. The Standard American Diet (SAD) salad is boring. Its components include iceberg lettuce, a dried out tomato, some pre-shredded carrots that have been sitting in the fridge for hours, the possibility of a cucumber slice, some croutons and a pound of cheese and dressing that make all the other ingredients completely unnoticeable.
They are often a side dish or a starter. And nobody would ever consider them a meal.
Unfortunately, this is what most people think of when they hear the word salad.
But, news flash!
Salads can be a beautifully, nutritious meal when stacked with the right ingredients.
They are also extremely versatile. Tired of an ingredient? Don't have it? Skip it or move on to something new. Salads are easy to make, filled with antioxidants (which keep you alive!) and everything can be prepped at the beginning of the week to save time!
In times of illness, this is my go-to salad recipe.
I highly encourage you to read on after the recipe to find out why I choose these ingredients and why it is so important to fuel our bodies with healthy, antioxidant rich foods like these during a health pandemic, flu season or when we are feeling ill.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups greens, chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/3 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 cup peppers, diced
1/2 apple, shredded
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tahini (or 1/4 of an avocado, smashed)
1 sweet potato, baked
2 tablespoons raw sauerkraut, optional
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Slice you potatoes in half and place cut side down on a baking tray covered in parchment paper or a
silpat mat. Bake for 35 minutes.
3. While the potatoes are roasting: chop, slice, dice and shred all your ingredients and add to a large
mixing bowl.
4. Add garlic powder and flaxseed meal and toss to mix.
5. Combine lemon, maple syrup and tahini in a small bowl and mix. Pour over salad. Toss to combine.
6. Transfer your salad to a clean bowl, top with the baked sweet potato and sauerkraut. ENJOY!
NOTES
- I love silpat mats because they caramelize the potatoes.
- This is a massive salad. It will not fit in a regular sized cereal bowl.
- It is a lot of food. If you can't finish it all, put it back in the fridge and eat as your afternoon snack.
- Tahini can be bitter to some which is why I included the avocado alternative.
GREENS
I love kale, romaine and green leaf lettuce. Use your favorite!
- Kale is a powerhouse. A regenerative force. It aids inflamed tissues due to a viral load, destroys viruses
and promotes new healthy cell growth.
- Leafy greens kill unproductive bacteria and expel toxins out of the lymphatic system.
CARROTS
- High in Vitamin C which aids the body in fighting disease.
PARSLEY
- High in mineral salts which keep you hydrated. Major pathogen fighter.
CILANTRO
- Also high in mineral salts and excellent and expelling toxins (specifically heavy metals) and viral loads.
CUCUMBER
- Provides the deepest cell hydration there is keeping your cells plush and working properly.
CABBAGE
- A major disease fighter, cabbage will help stimulate new healthy cell growth. Excellent cancer fighter.
PEPPERS
- Incredible source of Vitamin C which aids in tissue repair.
APPLES
- A major colon cleanser. Collects viruses, bacteria, yeast and mold and removes it from the bowels.
FLAXSEED MEAL
- This Omega 3 plant source inhibits the growth of cancer cells and viruses.
GARLIC (POWDER)
- A powerful immune booster that will fight colds, flus, strep, pneumonia-causing bacteria and viral loads.
SWEET POTATOES
- Promote productive bacteria and starve out unproductive bacteria.
LEMONS & LIMES
- Extremely hydrating, replenishes your electrolytes and mineral salts keeping your cells optimally
hydrated. Incredible mucus expellers.
MAPLE SYRUP
- High in zinc which strengthens the immune system.
TAHINI
- Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
RAW SAUERKRAUT
- Great at replenishing good gut bacteria so we have the ability to fight off pathogens.
AVOCADO
- Great source of glutathione which helps boost the immune system and slow the aging process.
Every food listed contains abundant amounts of antioxidants.
Oxidation is a chemical reaction that causes free radicals causing cell damage.
An antioxidant prevents this from happening.
You want LOTS of antioxidants in your life.
Antioxidants keep you alive.
Antioxidants = life ---> remember that!
Plant foods average 64 times the amount of antioxidants then animal foods.
I like to limit the amount of fat/protein I consume when trying to fight off a viral or bacterial infection. Or when I am trying to keep my immune system healthy during a pandemic or flu and cold season. (Which is why you will see the potatoes are not baked in oil and the only fat source is the tahini or avocado.)
Our cells run off of ATP; which is fueled by glucose.
When we eat a lot of fat or protein along with healthy carbohydrates, the body starts digesting the fat/protein first because it takes longer.
The glucose gets wasted and expelled through our urine and feces.
Our cells take up the fatty acids and protein from the meal and have to work harder to break them down to produce energy for the cell.
The main goal of the body is to heal.
Overloading the system like this and giving it more tasks to perform will result in a longer healing time. Keeping your fat and protein intake down during illness will allow the cells a break from digestion to be able to use that energy to fight the infection. Limit your fat/protein intake and don't be afraid of good carbohydrates: vegetables, fruit, oats, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, rice.
