Wendy

Helpful Tips for Gas and Bloating

July 11, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

In this episode, we’re getting real with the good, the bad, and the bloated. Gas and bloating might be a subject most people don’t want to breach. But as RDs and people who have personally experienced digestive issues, we want to open that vault. In this episode, we’re talking about why gas and bloating may be happening for you, and what you can do about it.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

Causes of gas and bloating
How to identify what is causing your symptoms
Our top pieces of advice for gas and bloating relief

Resources:

Beano

Can you do us a huge favor?

If you enjoyed this episode, please do us a huge favor and leave us a review on iTunes ….right now. The more reviews we get, the higher we are ranked in iTunes, which means we reach more people!

Become a podcast sponsor:

Our podcast reaches thousands of engaged listeners each week. If you are a brand interested in becoming a sponsor, contact us to learn more about our affordable rates.

Connect with us online:

Instagram @foodheaven
Twitter @foodheavenshow
Facebook @foodheavenmadeeasy
Pinterest @foodheavenmadeeasy

Our podcast is released every week. In each episode, we cover tips and tricks for making lifelong sustainable healthy living changes to upgrade your diet and health. We also interview leading experts in the field of health and nutrition. We hope you enjoyed this episode, and we’ll catch you next time!

Loaded Summer Vegan Nachos

July 10, 2018 by Wendy 5 Comments

Perfect summer days call for these perfect Loaded Summer Vegan Nachos. We were feeling for some delicious appetizers to share with friends and family during those summer get togethers. Nachos with homemade cashew sour cream and fresh veggies sounded like a winner.

We are switching up the traditional sour cream, by making this delicious plant-based cashew sour cream. How many of you have had or even heard of cashew sour cream? It’s the perfect vegan friendly alternative that will add that creamy flavor, plus healthy fats and fiber.

We whipped these up with some jalapeño, red onion, and avocado. There’s also a spicy kick from the chipotle peppers, which we blended with black beans. Black beans are one of our favorite plant-based proteins and also add fiber, B vitamins, potassium, iron, and other minerals.

Enough with the chit chat, let’s get these Loaded Summer Vegan Nachos started.

Let’s start by making our sour cream. Once the cashews are soaked, drain the water, rinse off the cashews, and blend with fresh water, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice. Add salt, to taste, and set aside. Line a small tray with the nachos and set aside. Add the black beans, chipotle pepper, and water to a food processor. Pulse until you get a paste-like consistency. Salt, to taste

Scoop the black bean paste evenly onto the nacho chips. Now comes all of our toppings. Add the jalapeño, tomato, red onion, avocado, and radish on top. Then drizzle the sour cream onto the nachos, and finish with a splash of lime juice. Finishing touch? Add cumin, paprika, and chili powder, to taste. Enjoy!

Nachos just got a gorgeous, plant-based makeover with these Loaded Summer Vegan Nachos! We’re thinking this is a great appetizer to bring to that next cookout. What types of veggies do you like to add to your nachos? What other healthy swaps do you make for your nachos? Drop us some thoughts below! xo

Loaded Summer Vegan Nachos

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Vegan Sour Cream

1/2 cup cashews soaked in water for 2-3 hours
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt to taste

Loaded Summer Nachos

Nacho chips, we used ~4 cups
2 cups cooked black beans
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 jalapeno, deseeded and sliced
1 cup tomato, cubed
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 small avocado, sliced
1 radish, thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lime
Cumin, paprika, and chili powder, to taste

Instructions

Let's start by making our sour cream. Once the cashews are soaked, drain the water, rinse off the cashews, and blend with fresh water, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice. Add salt, to taste, and set aside
Line a small tray with the nachos and set aside
Add the black beans, chipotle pepper, and water to a food processor. Pulse until you get a paste-like consistency. Salt, to taste
Scoop the black bean paste evenly onto the nacho chips
Now comes all of our toppings. Add the jalapeño, tomato, red onion, avocado, and radish on top
Now drizzle the sour cream onto the nachos, and finish with a splash of lime juice
Finishing touch? add cumin, paprika, and chili powder, to taste. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Best when enjoyed immediately

Refreshing Watercress Cucumber Margarita

July 3, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by B&W Quality Growers, the world’s largest grower and marketer of watercress. Thank you for supporting our work here at Food Heaven!

We been drankin….we been drankin…

Fortunately, we’ve been drankin AND staying hydrated with this Refreshing Watercress Cucumber Margarita. (#keepingitclassy)

You know all we love our Kale & Spinach & Collards & Chard. Well, today we are adding a new leafy green to the lineup.

Say hello to watercress.

It is one of the most nutrient dense foods of all time, as measured by the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index. In fact, consuming 1 serving of watercress will provide you with more than 18 essential vitamins and minerals, including iron and vitamins A, C, & K. It’s basically a multivitamin.

Many people don’t realize this, but watercress is a cruciferous veggie (in the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts). This family of vegetables are generally known as cancer-fighters due to their high levels of phytochemicals known as isothiocyanates.

But enough about the health benefits. Let’s talk flavor. And a heads up…this margarita recipe is all flavor.

It’s simple and light, and you can really taste the flavors of each ingredient coming together to make magic.

You ready to make this at your next gathering and impress all your friends? Here’s what you do.

Start by adding the watercress, cucumber, basil, maple syrup, water, and the juice of two limes to a blender. Blend until all ingredients are processed, and then strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or jar.

Assemble your serving glasses, and then add a shot of tequila to each glass. Next, pour the strained mixture into the 2 glasses.

Add ice cubes, and garnish with cucumber slices or lime and enjoy!

Now it’s your turn. Have you tried watercress before? What are your favorite ways to use this leafy green? Let us know in the comments below!

Refreshing Cucumber Watercress Margarita

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup watercress
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
Juice of 2 small limes
5 basil leaves
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups water
3 ounces white tequila

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients except the tequila, to a blender.
Blend until all ingredients are processed, and then strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or jar
Assemble your serving glasses, add a shot of tequila to each glass, and then pour the strained mixture into the 2 glasses. Add ice cubes, and garnish with cucumber slices or lime. Enjoy!

Should You Start A Business With A Friend?

June 27, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

You hear it all the time… never do business with a friend. Well, we’re here to tell you that it can be done. It’s not for everyone though, and we wanted to share some of the lessons learned in the past 7 years of having our business together!

In this episode, we’re talking about:

How our business began
Pros & cons of running a business with a friend
How to decide if you should start a business with a friend
Some Food Heaven words of advice

Podcast Sponsor:

Can you do us a huge favor?

If you enjoyed this episode, please do us a huge favor and leave us a review on iTunes ….right now. The more reviews we get, the higher we are ranked in iTunes, which means we reach more people!

Connect with us online:

Instagram @foodheaven
Twitter @foodheavenshow
Facebook @foodheavenmadeeasy
Pinterest @foodheavenmadeeasy

How to Eat Intuitively w/ Rachael Hartley

June 20, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

When we first learned about intuitive eating, we have to admit, we were a bit skeptical.

It sounded a little bit woo-woo, and to be frank, we didn’t think it was a practical style of eating that worked for everyone.

After countless hours of training in intuitive eating, however, we learned to embrace this nutrition philosophy. Research shows that most people who diet to lose weight gain it back (most of them gaining more than they originally lost). Research also supports intuitive eating as a way to make peace with food and even improve your health in the process.

Since learning more, we have incorporated intuitive eating into our nutrition counseling and it’s led to better outcomes for our patients. We’ve shifted our focus to improving peoples thoughts and behaviors around food, without desperately trying to manipulate their body size.

This week on the podcast, we brought in intuitive eating expert Rachael Hartley. She’s a registered dietitian rockstar and will leave you with so much knowledge on how to use intuitive eating to change your life.

Rachael Hartley, RD, LD, CDE, CLT is a Columbia, SC-based private practice nutrition therapist and blogger at The Joy of Eating. After completing her dietetic internship at Emory University, she worked as a clinical dietitian and, later, as the outpatient dietitian for a large medical center where she provided individual nutrition counseling and led multidisciplinary disease management programs.

In 2014, Rachael opened her private practice, where she specializes in intuitive eating, disordered eating, and digestive disorders. She is active in her field, currently serving as the president-elect for her local dietetics association and as the newsletter editor for the Nutrition Entrepreneurs dietetic practice group.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

What exactly is intuitive eating and how it can help you live your best life
How intuitive eating differs from the diet mentality and why it’s not crystals and incense
Common myths and misconceptions about intuitive eating (& how it’s not just eating donuts and Cheetos)
Barriers when adapting intuitive eating and how to overcome them
How to honor your hunger and fullness cues
3 things you can do to become more of an intuitive eater today

Resources:

Intuitive Eating Book
Intuitive Eating Workbook
Rachael’s Website here
Rachael’s Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page

Can you do us a huge favor?

If you enjoyed this episode, please do us a huge favor and leave us a review on iTunes ….right now. The more reviews we get, the higher we are ranked in iTunes, which means we reach more people!

Connect with us online:

Instagram @foodheaven
Twitter @foodheavenshow
Facebook @foodheavenmadeeasy
Pinterest @foodheavenmadeeasy

Blueberry Basil Piraguas

June 19, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post was made in partnership with the US Highbush Blueberry Council. Thank you for supporting the work we’re doing at Food Heaven!

Summer is HERE (!!!) and we thought it would be appropriate to highlight a refreshing and hydrating recipe that has a lot of personal value to us. For those of you who are thinking, piragua who? Piraguas are those upside down cone-shaped, shaved ice treats that vendors sell on the streets of New York City during the hot summer months. This cooling treat is a staple in Caribbean islands like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

In fact, my grandfather (Wendy speaking) sold piraguas when he first immigrated to the United States decades ago. If you have ever traveled to Puerto Rico before, there is a high probability that you have encountered a colorful cart selling Piraguas during your trip. Wanna see piraguas in action? Check out this video from Jess’ trip to Puerto Rico 10 years ago (within 5 minutes of landing, a Piragua cart was spotted).

The word piragua is derived from combining the words pirámide (pyramid) and agua (water). Traditionally, the ice is hand-shaved with an instrument called a cepillo, which means “a brush” in Spanish. After shaving the ice, it’s covered with a flavored syrup and then given to the customer to either start eating right away or sip out of a small straw. Typical flavors include coco (coconut), limón (lemon), and melón (watermelon).

We added our own twist to this beloved treat by using blueberries as the primary ingredient. Instead of an artificial syrup, we created our own flavors using whole foods like lime, mango, basil, and maple syrup. We also made it ridiculously easy to recreate this recipe in your own kitchen, because most people don’t have a cepillo (brush) and ice machine on deck.

Aside from the taste, our favorite part about this recipe is it’s gorgeous blue color. This comes from anthocyanins, a water-soluble pigment that imparts colors ranging from blue and purple to shades of red in fruits and vegetables. We used frozen blueberries for this recipes because they are a convenient and cost-effective way to help you eat nutritiously. In fact, one cup of blueberries provides a good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C.

Let’s get this piragua party started! Add the fresh or frozen blueberries and lime juice to a small pot, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. Make sure to mash the blueberries with a large spoon or pestle as they’re cooking to help release their juices. Once done, allow to cool, and add the cooked blueberries to a blender with the basil, mango, maple syrup, and water. Blend well into a smooth, consistent syrup. Set aside.

Add the ice cubes to a food processor, and pulse for 15-20 seconds, or until the ice is grounded into fine ice. Scoop the shaved ice into two small bowls or cups/jars that are at least 8oz+. Don’t pack the ice tightly into your serving cup. You want to make sure there’s enough space for the syrup to penetrate. Add the homemade blueberry syrup onto the shaved ice, and let it drizzle all the way to the bottom and let it fill its way up to the rim. Enjoy immediately with a spoon or straw!

If you try this recipe, make sure to let us know how you liked it in the comments below and tag us in your creation on instagram (@foodheaven). Catch you next time! xo

Blueberry Basil Piraguas

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Juice of 1 lime
4 basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh mango, chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup water
14-16 ice cubes

Instructions

Add the frozen blueberries and lime juice to a small pot, and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. Make sure to mash the blueberries with a large spoon or pestle as they're cooking to help release its juices.
Once done, allow to cool, and add the cooked blueberries to a blender with the basil, mango, maple syrup, and water. Blend well into a smooth, consistent syrup. Set aside.
Add the ice cubes to a food processor, and pulse for 15-20 seconds, or until the ice is grounded into fine ice.
Scoop the shaved ice into two small bowls or cups/jars that are at least 8oz+. Don't pack the ice tightly into your serving cup. You want to make sure there's enough space for the syrup to penetrate.
Add the homemade blueberry syrup onto the shaved ice, and let it drizzle all the way to the bottom and let it fill its way up to the rim. Enjoy immediately with a spoon or straw!