Photo: Glenn Fay, Jr.

It’s always important to pay attention to what we put inside our bodies, but in winter the impact of food on how we feel – both physically and internally – is particularly powerful.

During the darker half of the year, reduced sunlight means many people suffer from reduced levels of serotonin. This can lead to depression, weakened immune system, disturbed sleeping patterns, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, increased stress levels and cravings for carbohydrates and sweet foods.

Of course not everyone suffers from full-blown Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but many people do experience some of these symptoms to at least some degree.

The good news? Whether it’s a minor case of winter blues, or full on SAD, what you eat can have a massive impact on how you feel.

Boost your serotonin

Since serotonin deficiency is where the problem begins, it makes sense to boost your levels back up. You can do this by choosing foods high in tryptophan, a type of amino acid from which serotonin is made. Tryptophan-rich foods include nuts, avocados, bananas, milk, eggs, fish and white meats such as turkey and chicken. (Of course if you go for free range, organic, ethically sourced options, you’ll get the added feel-good boost of looking after the environment as well.)

Get juicing

Pomegranate juice has been shown to balance out glucose levels, which helps to avoid energy and mood slumps. It’s also full of antioxidants, which combat harmful free radicals – the chemicals that cause aging, illness and reduced mental functioning. Cranberry juice, orange juice, purple grape juice and blueberry juice are similarly packed with rejuvenating antioxidants. (Fruit juices also tend to be high in sugars though, so just a small glass is enough.) For extra freshness, flavour and feel-good factor, invest in a juicer and give yourself the added kick of making your own.

Slow burners are best

Simple carbohydrates like white bread and white rice make blood sugar and insulin levels shoot up – giving you a quick boost but then dropping you back down in the dumps. Instead, go for carbs with a low glycemic index, which release glucose into the bloodstream slowly. Low GI options include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran (such as porridge, All-bran and natural muesli), wholegrain bread and brown rice. Legumes are also great for slow energy release, as are (yep, you guessed it) most fruits and vegetables.

The usual (fishy) suspects

Again, no surprises here – oily fish is another of those foods that seems to come up in almost every article or study published about nutrition. The key in this case is that it contains lots of Vitamin D. Some studies suggest that SAD symptoms may be partly caused by reduced levels of this antioxidant, which we get naturally from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel can help to top up Vitamin D levels. Other sources include eggs, fortified breakfast cereals and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Feed your inner Popeye (but not just with spinach)

If you’re feeling low on energy, it may be that you need more iron in your diet. Iron deficiency has been linked to fatigue and low mood. Good sources include beans, nuts, dried fruit and most leafy green vegetables. Among these is spinach, the properties of which were notoriously grossly over-egged when a German scientist accidentally multiplied his findings tenfold in his 1870 study of iron content. Though not quite the almighty superfood Popeye would have us believe, spinach does have a high iron content, but also contains (like tea and coffee) a substance that makes it more difficult to absorb iron. That’s not to say you should avoid spinach – it’s still very good for you – but also include green veg like brocolli, curly cale, watercress and peas.

Get the most out of your sleep

Finally, to stay healthy and happy we need proper sleep. Reduced serotonin levels lead to disruptions in the production of melatonin, the chemical that tells the body to switch off and rest. Again, stocking up on tryptophan-rich foods helps. To maximise their effectiveness, eat a carbohydrate-based meal before bed, as this facilitates the absorption of tryptophan. Calcium and magnesium have also been shown to promote good rest, and deficiency in both or either is a common cause of restlessness and nighttime awakening. Good sources of magnesium include grains, nuts, seeds and spinach. Everyone knows calcium is found in milk, but it’s actually best absorbed from foods that are also high in Vitamin D, such as tofu and green veg.

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Izzy Woods is a fun-loving freelance writer and poet. When she’s not in a hammock in the garden or lounging on some sectional sofas, she writes for a variety of travel blogs and children’s nutrition journals.

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Be sure to check out our healthy food recipes and our green gift ideas!

Your summer gets a whole lot healthier when you cook veggie burgers instead of meat. Photo: Glenn Fay Nothing says Independence Day like a back yard cookout. And nothing says healthy back yard cookout like veggie burgers! Vegetarians are heroes, because veggie burgers use less energy than meat, they are less expensive and they are much healthier than eating meat. But lately I have been getting tired of the frozen varieties we find in our local health food store. And healthy food should never be boring. Voila! Veggie burgers that are actually good for you. In the past I have scored home runs with my romantic vegetarian Mediterranean pasta but these veggie burgers are just as good and they are as American on the Fourth of July. We whipped up four veggie burgers in just a few minutes, and quicker than you could say “fireworks,” they were on the grill. The cool thing is they don’t really need a long grill time, since they have no meat and only good-for-you vegetables. They only need light time on the grill to lightly brown and warm up and season through and through. I tend to like my veggie burgers with ketchup but I tried mustard this time and it was delicious! A down-to Earth, nutty, clean taste, with plenty of room for other seasonings if you wish. And no gastronomical after-effects like you get from dark bean dishes either! They would be sensational with salsa or a slice of Spanish or sweet onion! This recipe was inspired by the chickpea cutlets recipe in Veganomicon. Let me know how yours turn out! Happy summer! Here is the simple quick recipe: Chickpea Veggie Burger Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 medium burgers Ingredients 1 cup cooked chickpeas (I used canned ones, which worked fine. Extra credit for fresh organic! 2 TB olive oil 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water 2 TB Braggs Amino Soy 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp dried sage Directions In mixing bowl, mash chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. Now comes forming into patties. I divided the mix into 4 equal parts, kneaded a little in my hands, then formed into 4 half-inch patties, brushed both sides with a little olive oil, and grilled for 5-10 minutes on each side on a medium grill. Or you can bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until brown on each side. To pan fry, you should divide dough into 4 pieces. Knead a little in your hands first, then flatten and stretch each one into rectangular cutlet shape. Add a thin layer of olive oil into pan and cook each side 6-7 minutes. Cook until lightly browned and firm to touch. Did you know? Home grown chickpeas have been found at 9,000 year old French archaeological sites. The Romans grew several varieties and many recipes have been discovered for broths, roasted snacks, rice dishes and even chickpea desserts throughout ancient Europe. The pea (also known as a garbanzo bean or chana from India) are a type of pulse with several peas in a pod and they grow in subtropical or tropical climates with lots of rain.

Like this recipe? Be sure and check out our Foodies Recipe Category! We support cold and hungry people!

Pesticides Kill and Stunt Growth!

First, we have published some really healthy potato recipes here before and recommend that you use organic potatoes because they are healthier, tastier, safer and better for the environment.  We have also highlighted research that shows children are more vulnerable to pesticides.

Potatoes are one of the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticides and are potentially hazardous to your health. Recently, this little girl, Elise did a video named “My Potato Project” that shows her research on growing organic and non-organic sweet potatoes and highlights the use of one chemical in particular, chlorpropham. I guarantee once you watch “My Potato Project”  you will be searching out organic fuits and veggies! Go ahead, watch it, I dare ya!

Farmer’s Market from Dayzed Productions on Vimeo.

Picture found on Chubby Muffin fan page

Do you need a home-baked goodie for breakfast, a hearty sandwich for lunch, a sweet snack during study break or a shot of espresso just to keep going mid-afternoon?  Then head out of the Old North End where Benjy and Jonny Adler, the co-owners of The Skinny Pancake, opened up a hip, cozy coffee shop called The Chubby Muffin.  Located at 88 Oak Street, the storefront is situated in an old building emanating with charm from the worn surfaces of the tin ceiling, the patina of recycled furniture, and the spunky menu written daily on the chalkboard.  Adler et al continue their social commitment to using local foods and establishing a “community kitchen” bringing together farmers, non-profits and the public at large.

With “Eat local” as its mantra and the continued partnership with local farmers and vendors, the muffin shop brings the best of Burlington and surrounding Vermont villages to its clientele.  Fresh berries are used daily for pastries with the overage fruit frozen for muffin baking in the winter months or for ice cream production in the upcoming summer. Social activism continues with community share: “we will be opening up the kitchen part time as a community kitchen, sharing this great resource with a number of non-profits, some farmers and the greater community”.  Check out the happenings at the Chubby Muffin during Eat Local Week, where jam making lessons, open to the pubic, is but one of the ways the Adlers give back to their community.

Don’t let the name fool you, the Chubby Muffin offers much more than breakfast.  All the sandwiches and burgers (meat or bean based) are made from local meat, cheese and veggies.  Prices are reasonable; usually around $5.00 per sandwich/burger.  Drop in later in the afternoon, after the lunch hour but before the three o’clock closing, and you can pick up two muffins for the price of one.  I can personally attest to the freshness of the blueberry muffins or the sweet kick of the cinnamon bun chubbies.

Picture found on Chubby Muffin fan page

Store hours are Monday thru Friday, 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM with weekend hours being 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday.  For more information, log onto their Facebook fan page where specials are posted and promotional deals are offered daily.

Healthy Easy Recipes: Carrot Bread

Who doesn’t like carrot bread? Wholesome vegetarian cooking at its best. Delicious tasting with lots of fiber, phytonutrients and not a speck of bad stuff. This bread is easy to make, and a slice with your favorite spread or plain, heated up or at room temperature, as a healthy dessert or a mid-day snack instead of a sugary granola bar, it will stick to your ribs.

The Recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom or nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt2 cups shredded carrots

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and up sides of loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, stir gotehter flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, soda and salt.  In another bows combine carrots, eggs, milk and oil; add dry ingredients.  Stir just until moistened.
3. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes,or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and cool completely.

ike this recipe? Be sure to check out our other healthy easy recipes!

A Healthy Easy Vegan Recipe

Every once in awhile you prepare a dish that makes you glad you aren’t eating processed food. This roasted asparagus potato soup is a good example since by comparison, mass-produced soup of any brand is, well, yucky. Spring time is when we find asparagus patches growing like weeds beside the road, and hopefully in your garden space. This soup has a rich, full-bodied earthy flavor and holds up on its own as a main course or as an appetizer for sandwiches. It is absolutely delicious. Maybe it’s just spring! No, it’s the soup.

The Recipe:

6 cloves garlic

1 pound or so of asparagus, bottoms trimmed, cut into 1 in pieces (about 3 cups)

2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1 medium sweet onion, cut into 6 wedges

1 Tb olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups vegetable broth

6 ounces soy yogurt or greek yogurt

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Heat oven to 425. Place garlic on square of foil and sprinkle with 1 tsp water. Fold foil into packet. set aside.
combine asparagus, potatoes, onion, oil, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat. Spread over large rimmed baking sheet. Place packet of garlic on one corner.  Roast, stirring occasionally, unitl asparagus soft and potatoes tender, about 35-40 minutes.
When vegetables are roasted, empty garlic onto baking sheet with vegetables and cool for 5 minutes.

Blend veggies with broth in batches in blender til desired smoothness.  Warm soup over medium heat. Whisk in yogurt, lemon juice, more salt and pepper if needed.

Hmmmmmmmm. Roasted asparagus potato soup improves with age! Be sure to check out our other healthy easy recipes!

It’s Girl Scout time! The “cookie” initiative is one of the girls’ biggest fundraisers and the profits allow these girls (from Brownies to Senior Scouts) to engage in activities and experiences to help build courage, to instill confidence and to make the world a better place.

Thin Mints are the number one cookie sold comprising 25% of all sales nationwide. No wonder as mint, a well- liked flavoring, has been tied to culinary applications and medicinal purposes for centuries. There are many varieties of mint.  Spearmint flavors are found in jelly, tea, bubble gum, and those famous juleps made in Kentucky.  Peppermint flavoring is used in candy, ice cream, baked goods, and toothpaste.  Research shows that the aroma of peppermint enhances memory while products such as soap and shampoo containing mint help with insomnia.

My mom ordered cookies for me (Thin Mints & Samoas—my faves) and the delivery usually coincides with that time of the academic year when papers and projects are due.  Cookies and tea keep me afloat.  While waiting for the delivery this year, I stumbled upon a  delicious recipe for a mint cookie on www.bakingbites.com. I made the cookies last weekend and was surprised with the results as they were crisp and minty just like the originals!  Please support the Girl Scouts by buying cookies or giving a cash donation (the girls send cookies to servicemen as one of their service initiatives) and when your stash is down bake some of these to tide you over until next March.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup milk (any kind)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp peppermint extract

Steps:

1. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt together in a small bowl.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl on low speed. Slowly incorporate the milk and extracts – the mixture will begin to look curdled.

3.Little by little add in the flour mixture.

4. Mold the dough into two logs 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter (this recipe makes 3 1/2-4 dozen cookies depending on how thick you slice the logs)  I found it best to roll out the logs in cling wrap. Freeze the dough roughly 1-2 hours until its hardened.

5. Preheat oven to 375F.
6.Cut the dough into rounds no larger than 1/4 inches thick.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper  and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are firm at the edges.

7.Cool the cookies for roughly 20-30 minutes before dipping them into the chocolate finish.

Dark Chocolate Coating:

• 10-oz dark or semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

8.  Microwave the butter and chocolate for 45-60 seconds on high heat until the consistency is between a syrup and fudge.

9. Dip both sides of each cookie in the sauce, then transfer it to a piece of parchmment paper and let them sit for 30 minutes or more until the chocolate has solidified.

*I suggest using the excess coating on strawberries, pretzels, bananas, or any other snack food.

Bon appetite!

A lot of people are interested in vegan food and even more want to eat anti-cancer food and cancer-fighting recipes. This wonderful soup is both really good for you and great tasting as well. This soup is LOADED with antioxidants to fight cancer and cauliflower and carrots are well-known to fight cancer. Healthy home made soup is good for the body and good for the soul. This is a thick, hearty but light soup. Because of the light flavors of the carrots, cauliflower and potatoes, if you like big flavor, you should simply add spices to liven it up. Personally, I like it with a bit of sea salt, ground pepper and stone ground wheat thins. I goes great with any kind of sandwiches too.

The Recipe:

1 medium cauliflower-broken into flowerets

3 medium/large carrots-peeled, sliced

2 small potatoes-peeled, cut up

(or any ratio of vegetables preferred)

Combine all in sauce pan and just cover with vegetable broth. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes or so). Puree all in blender until desired smoothness. Return to sauce pan and season with some fresh or dried dill, salt and pepper. For a Nonvegan version, add some grated cheddar after soup has been pureed.

Be sure to check out our other healthy food recipes, which include many vegan and vegetarian meals.