Here are a couple of great recipes for the winter.  The soup is just an awesome nourishing meal alone or as a side dish.  The BBQ sauce has become one of our staples.  My husband loves it more than any bottle brand at the grocery store.  It's amazing over some shredded pork.  Enjoy!

For more information about Pure and Simple Wellness, visit www.pureandsimplewellness.com.

CARROT, TOMATO & COCONUT SOUP

Prep 20 mins. Cooking 20 mins. Servings 4-6

Notes: If you don’t have an immersion blender, just put the soup in your regular blender in batches.  It takes a little bit more effort, but will still yield great results.

INGREDIENTS

·         1 T Cold pressed coconut or olive oil

·         1 onion, chopped

·         2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped

·         1 t ground turmeric

·         10 medium sized carrots, sliced

·         5 fresh plum tomatoes, chopped

·         Water, enough to cover

·         Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

·         1 can full fat coconut milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1.       Heat oil in a pot.  Add onions, garlic, and turmeric, and saute until soft and fragrant.

2.       Add carrots and tomatoes, and cook for a minute or so while stirring.

3.       Add water, sea salt and pepper, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until carrots are tender.

4.       When soup is ready, use and immersion blender to puree until smooth.   

5.       Stir in the coconut milk and adjust the flavors with more salt and pepper if needed.

Recipe courtesy of: www.greenkitchenstories.com

Sugar Free BBQ Sauce

Makes about 1 cup of sauce

1 C Tomato Sauce (make sure to pick a brand that doesn’t have added sugar)

1/3 C unsweetened apple sauce

2 T cider vinegar

2 T coconut aminos

1 T dijon mustard

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

¼ t. black pepper

½ T clarified butter (ghee) or coconut oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. chili powder

½ t. paprika

Pinch of cloves

1.       In a medium bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, apple sauce, vinegar, coconut aminos, mustard, hot-pepper sauce, and black pepper until combined.

2.       Heat the clarified butter or coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the garlic, chili powder, paprika, and cloves, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3.       Whisk in the sauce and bring to a boil.  Simmer gently uncovered, 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful. 

4.       Cool to room temperature before using and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  Can also be frozen and thawed in fridge.

Recipe courtesy of: “It Starts With Food” by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

How To Stay Healthy (and skinny) Through The Holidays 

We all dread the bulge of the winter season.  You know what I’m talking about; those extra pounds that creep on during the holidays.  Not only do those extra pounds and cause our clothes to feel too small, but they actually make us sick.  That’s right… sick.  If vanity doesn’t persuade you to improve your food behavior during the winter, then the desire to be and stay healthy should.  How can excess weight make you sick you might be asking?  Sugar!

1. Sugar is the #1 killer in the United States.  The reason for that is because over consumption has been linked to not only the dreaded disease Diabetes, but also Cancer, Heart Disease, and hundreds of Auto Immune Diseases.  The problem is that our food supply is bombarded with hidden sugars.  Most people don’t read the ingredient list this article.
on labels.  But even if they did, the food companies use lots of fancy sounding names (like Agave Nectar, Malt Syrup, etc.) to hide the fact that there is added sugar.  For more information about hidden sugar, read

2. Sugar (not fat) is also the #1 cause of obesity.  Any food that raises your blood sugar, like bread (even whole wheat) pasta, candy, baked goods, alcohol, etc. is going to cause an insulin spike.  Insulin is the hormone secreted to take sugar out of your blood stream, convert it to fat, and store it in your fat cells.  That is why insulin is named “the fat storing hormone.”

3. Sugar causes heart disease.  Excess carbohydrates (sugar) in our bodies convert to triglycerides.  High levels of triglycerides are a coronary heart disease warning sign to your doctor. Especially in women.

4. Sugar wreaks havoc in your gut, which lowers your immune system.  70 – 80% of your immune system is in your gut.  If your gut is out of whack from eating too much sugar, your immune system is not going to be able to work properly.

Signs of too much sugar in the diet are…
Weight gain
Fatigue
Acne or skin rashes
Carb cravings
Anxiety/Depression
Frequent Illness

To get through holidays and winter season without weight gain and chronic illness, try to minimize your intake of sugar, alcohol and starchy foods.  Just remember that the more sugar, alcohol, and starchy foods you consume, the more you will crave them.  It’s a vicious cycle.  The reason for that is because sugar is more addictive than cocaine.  I know that sounds shocking, but it’s true.  Imagine a cocaine addict coming out of rehab and having to see cocaine in 80% of the food in the grocery store, at the gas station, check-out lines at Target, etc.  It’s everywhere.  If you have a hard time avoiding sugary food, you are probably a sugar addict.  I am.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but something to be aware of.  Your health and longevity depend on taking control of that addiction and doing something about it.  If you think you have a problem with sugar, contact me for a free health consultation.  As someone who has been there, I know how hard it is to give it up, but life is so much sweeter without it!