The DoctorsTV and Oz: Spring’s Healthy Foods that Sprung from Nature
The DoctorsTV is ‘getting the message’ and sharing some ideas about healthy foods which are going to take you from one season to the next in better condition than if you just keep driving through the Fast Food line in your car. These healthy whole foods that even Doctor Oz endorses regularly on his television show have sprung from Nature and are USUALLY available in your grocery stores and food co-ops or farmer’s markets. Some of these are NOT in season yet, and you might want to consider purchasing dried fruit until the ‘real deal’ is ready for harvest in the later summer or fall.
Just DO NOT eat canned foods during spring or any other season. Frozen foods may not be the ideal choice, but they are much better than anything in a can…lifeless and at a loss for nutrients that are at their peak following picking when ripe. Dehydrated and dried fruit is preferable to frozen choices most of the time. You cannot beat fresh organic whole foods right out of the garden, field, or greenhouse. Although, if you want to grow your own herbs and salad greens, there is a delightful contraption that you can keep in your kitchen which will do the trick. If it’s impossible to locate fresh produce; then settle for some of these delicious sauces for your spring greens and whole foods.
Doctors are evolving to the point of being able to say that whole foods are your best option for getting and staying healthy. Spring is a great time to begin to nourish your body with darling miniature greens and veggies which are tender, but still remarkably fresh and filled with chlorophyll and nutrients which will support your good health and your hunger for fresh produce after a long winter.
My top whole food of the ten that the doctors described on their program is:
Spinach
Spinach is going to be the little baby miniature greens for awhile as the garden grows and the leaves open to the spring sunshine and gentle rains. We love to juice our spinach and add it to carrot, beet, celery, apple, and ginger root with a little lemon juice in our vegetable Smoothies. You can add more greens to your juices to enhance their nutritional value. The apple and carrot will sweeten the vegetable juice and the ginger and lemon will heighten the flavor.
Spinach is easily mixed into other fresh greens to add more flair to your salads. A variety of greens is the ideal way to go with salad ingredients which need to be dressed with natural dressing from healthy oils and herbs and spices. Olive oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, and flaxseed oil make great bases for your dressings. Sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground pepper into your favorite vinegar, add a tablespoon of organic mustard, generously add garlic and grated ginger root with some chopped scallions, torn parsley and cilantro, and then emulsify the dressing by gradually stirring in your favorite organic olive oil or any other healthy oil until the taste suits you.
The second best whole food for spring can be added to your salads:
Avocado
The price on these priceless gems has gone much higher, but they are still one of the best foods that you can eat regularly. Whether you slice them into your salads or sandwiches or blend them into a spicy guacamole, be sure they are ripe but not mushy. You might take some pointers from your grocer or chef to learn what ‘ripe’ is for avocado. We like to make a dish with avocado, bacon, and onion with cilantro and sea salt topping off the mixture. If you want to add salmon or shrimp, then you will have lunch or dinner, instead of a healthy snack.
Speaking of salmon…it’s our next favorite whole food for spring:
Salmon which is sustainably caught using righteous fishing practices, NOT farmed salmon is the healthy food which comes from the sea. If you know any members of the Nisqually tribe; then you will be invited to join them when they fish during the run later in the year, but for the time-being; it is imperative that you purchase your wild salmon from VitalChoice online. Really, you’ll never be disappointed and you will be assured of getting the healthiest salmon on the planet.
VitalChoice Wild Salmon, Lox, and Blueberries
Salmon recipes abound, but my favorite is to steam the salmon and add it to penne made from rice, add some sauteed onions, and seasoned with garlic cloves, scallions, sea salt, and a dollop of soy-based substitute that tastes just like sour cream. We also like to bake salmon in the oven on a cedar plank with lemon wedges and olive oil with a dash of sea salt. Lox in the off-season is acceptable, but there’s nothing quite as delicious as fresh salmon from the ocean or from the rivers of Washington state.
The other whole foods that will see your through spring and summer like blueberries, ginger root, broccoli, celery, and greens are great and loaded with nutrients necessary for an active lifestyle. Dandelions …well, not an ideal spring food in my book, but dandelion root as a nutritional supplement for detoxification might put more spring in your step. Dandelion greens are bitter, so you have to know your way around flavoring them with spices and herbs or else you’ll be disappointed and repelled. You can steam the greens with other greens to reduce the bitterness. You also need to be sure that they are grown without pesticides, insecticides, or other toxic agricultural chemicals. Don’t weed your garden and think it’s OK…
Sunshine is going to support your body’s production of vitamin D and make you feel alive after a long winter, so enjoy being outdoors and getting the full spectrum of light. If you didn’t pay attention to my previous posts about using full-spectrum light bulbs in your home and office; well then your body will be relieved to finally get some ‘blue’ for balance once you get out into the sun. If you utterly fail to spend time out in the sun due to the pressures and demands of your work, then get some Light Therapy this way!
Flax Seed is good year around and instead of getting your jalapenos from a can…eat real peppers or get a fresh salsa and jazz up many foods. We heartily encourage you to find a thousand uses for flaxseeds and chia seeds. We also know that you might not have a clue, so use Barlean’s to supplement your diet if this is the case.
Spring is not only a time for cleansing, but a great opportunity for renewal and regeneration, so my top whole food for spring is:
Pearl
Pearl Powder is the jewel of the ocean which offers humans the opportunity for regeneration and renewal in spring by supplying signal proteins, trace minerals, and other nutrients which the body will use to replenish every cell in y our body.
Spring has sprung and this is the time to bounce into the healthiest time of your life! Do it with whole foods and flair…
