Butternut Squash Soup

Looking for a great way to warm up this winter? Try this fabulous recipe for homemade butternut squash soup. Not only will this soup leave you feeling warm, it'll also leave you feeling full because it is filled with so many nutrients. Butternut squash is high in antioxidants and fiber and is low in calories and fat. Butternut squash has also been shown to lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, lower blood pressure, prevent birth defects, level out blood sugar, relieve pain and more.

Ingredients

• 3 cups of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 large red apple, quartered (skins okay)
• 1 tablespoon of high quality butter of ghee
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of brown rice flour (gluten free)
• 1/4 teaspoon of thyme (and a little extra for garnish)
• palm full of pink himalayan crystal salt
• palm full of black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups of organic chicken broth 
• Optional ingredients: add some cinnamon, cloves, ginger and/or a jalapeno to spice it up a bit! 

Directions

Steam the butternut squash and apple until soft. While the squash is steaming, saute the onion and garlic in butter until the onion appears clear. Add the remaining ingredients into a high powered blender (i.e. the Vitamix) and blend for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Add squash, apple and sauteed onion & garlic into the blender. Add in any of the optional ingredients as well. Blend until smooth. 

Side note: if you do not have a high powered blender that will heat the soup up for you, transfer the ingredients (once pureed) into a pot and warm it up on the stove. 

ENJOY!

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave your comments below and let me know what you think!

Until next time...stay rooted!
Joelle

Finding the Balance: Omega 3 & Omega 6

Salmon is a great source of
Omega 3's - an essential fatty acid

Do you know just how essential the Omega 3 & Omega 6 balance is for you and the health of your unborn baby? Due to our SAD (Standard American Diet) habits, most Americans have extremely high levels of Omega 6's and very low levels of Omega 3's.

So, I'm deficient in Omega 3's and drowning in Omega 6's....what next? Look at your diet!


Omega 6's are heavily present in our diets today in the form of vegetable oils and seed oils (soybean, corn, grapeseed, etc.) which we get from fast food, eating out at {most} restaurants, and packaged and processed foods.

Omega 3's are found in flaxseed oils, chia seeds, some leafy green vegetables, and in oily, cold-water fish such as herring, tuna, salmon, and algae.

What is an Essential Fatty Acid anyhow?

Essential Fatty Acids are fats that are essential for human health and cannot be constructed within the body: they must be obtained from food or supplementation. They are a principle source of energy and structure our cell membranes. Each of the 60-90 TRILLION cells in the human body is encased and protected by Essential Fatty Acids!

Do both men and women need these Essential Fatty Acids?
 

Yes! The Omega 3 & Omega 6 balance is important for men and women both. With that said, it is especially important for females.                               

 

Why?

 "A female child must store this DHA at the same time that she requires substantial amounts of DHA to support her own growth and development. Because she must allocate some of her {limited dietary} Omega 3's to storing DHA for her future children, there is competition between her need for DHA for her own body and brain now and her need to store DHA for future reproduction." In addtion, "stored maternal fat is selectively used to support the development of the fetal and infant brain – via the placenta and breast milk – females must prepare for these demands by storing DHA in fat at a much higher rate than males during their childhood and adolescence while their brain and bodies are still growing."

In summary: We need more Omega 3's - which we get through food or supplements - and less Omega 6's. The amount of DHA that moms have stored up will - without a doubt - dictate the development of their baby.

 

Looking for a great way to supplement and ensure your body finds balance? Check out www.nordicnaturals.com. They have products for men, women, children and babies and their products are top quality!

Questions? Head to my website www.yinRoot.com and connect with me.
 

 

Until next time....stay rooted!  

Joelle

Sources:
http://www.nordicnaturals.com

No Bake Breakfast Bars

Thanks to my dear friends over at Indy Vegan Family, Wade and Jenny Wingler, the hubs and I can enjoy some yummy - and quite healthy - breakfast bars that are SUPER easy to make. These are a great on-the-go breakfast bar and are a great alternative to snack on when you have a serious sweet tooth! 

Side note: we've tweaked the original Indy Vegan Family recipe just slightly to better suit the needs of our {taste} buds. 

Oh, and sorry for the terrible photos. I just snapped these real quick with my iphone camera so they're not the best quality. 

Ingredients needed:

• 2 cups of uncooked quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups of puffed rice 
• 2 tablespoons of milled flax seeds 
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons of pink himalayan crystal salt 
• 1/2 cup of organic agave syrup
• 2 teaspoons of locally produced honey 
• 1 cup of peanut butter 
• 2 tablespoons of almond butter
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 
• 1/2 cup of MCT oil (coconut oil) 
• 1/2 cup of organic dark chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Mix dry ingredients together first (oats, puffed rice, flax seeds, chia seeds, salt and chocolate chips) . Then, add in the remaining ingredients and stir until sticky and starting to form in a clump. 

Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan (it makes it easier to get the mixture out of the pan to cut) and press evenly filling half or three-fourths of the pan. Freeze for 2 hours. When frozen, remove from pan, cut into  squares and wrap in foil or place in glass storage containers and put back into freezer until ready to eat. 

FYI...If the bars sit out for too long, they will become mushy. 

Enjoy, friends! 

Until next time....stay rooted!

Joelle