Herbed Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Potatoes sometimes get a bad wrap due to their high carb content. In truth when they are prepared well (e.g. not french fries) they are a great source of antioxidants and gut-supporting, prebiotic resistant starch. Resistant starch, like it sounds, resists human digestion in our gut. This starch acts like soluble fiber which can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, promote a healthy gut microbiome and help control appetite. The trick to making resistant starch from potatoes is to allow your cooked potatoes to cool. The cooling process allows the digestible starch to convert to resistant starch by retrogradation.

Try this Herbed Vinaigrette recipe for a healthy dose of prebiotic fiber. 

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Herbed Vinegrette Potato Salad

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Pounds small red potatoes

• 1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1.5 Tablespoon seedy mustard

• 1/4 Cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)

• 2-3 Tablespoons diced shallot

• 1/2 Cup chopped parsley (about 1/2 bunch)

• 2 Tablespoons chopped tarragon or dill

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a pot or water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender but still able to hold their shape.

2. While the potatoes are boiling, add the oil, vinegar and mustard to a mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture together until it is well emulsified. Add the celery, shallot and herbs to the mixture.

3. Cut the warm potatoes into bite size pieces and add to the herb vinaigrette. Stir well to coat each potato in the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

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Looking for other great picnic recipes? Give these a try:
NUTS FOR KALE SALAD
SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
BEET AND LENTIL HERB SALAD
MODERN EDAMAME SUCCOTASH

Modern Edamame Succotash

Succotash is a classic culinary dish often made with lima beans and sweet corn. While I enjoy the traditional dish, I’ve given this recipe a model twist by incorporating shelled edamame in place of the lima beans and creamy ripe avocado instead of the traditional butter or lard. The result is a nutrient-dense, flavor-packed salad that is perfect for your summer picnic.

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Edemame Succotash

Author: Erica Leazenby, MD
Servings: 4-6 (makes approximately 6 cups)
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen wukimame (AKA shelled edamame)
2 cups frozen organic sweet corn 
1 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 diced red or orange bell pepper
1 ripe avocado, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green portions
1/4 cups roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons rice wine or champagne vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 handfuls of parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Boil the wukimame for five minutes. During the last minute, add the frozen sweet corn. Drain well and rinse with cold water.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cool wukimame and corn with the remaining ingredients. Stir well.  

3. Serve chilled.  The salad is best if made several hours in advance.

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Looking for other great picnic recipes? Give these a try:
NUTS FOR KALE SALAD
SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
BEET AND LENTIL HERB SALAD
HERBED VINAIGRETTE POTATO SALAD

Should you be taking a probiotic?

What is a probiotic?

The benefits of probiotics in food sources have been known for generations. Recently, new technologies have allowed them to be included in just about everything from drinks to cereal to skincare. They are defined as a microorganism that when consumed, maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to our digestive tract. Each of us have an extensive ecosystem of bacteria and fungi that live in our gut. These organisms, also collectively known as our microbiome, help us digest foods, regulate our immunity and even produce some nutrients among other essential functions. Things like high sugar diets, processed foods, lack of sleep and exposure to certain chemicals or medications can have a detrimental effect on this delicate balance, which can lead to digestive distress, altered mood  and the onset of illness.

When should probiotics be used?

Using probiotics for health benefits is not a new concept. Over a century ago, IIya Metchnikoff, a Nobel prize winner and member of the Pasteur Institute in France, hypothesized that ingesting good bacteria, such as those found in yogurt, could have a positive impact on human health. In 1899, Bifidobacterium in breast milk was linked to fewer diarrheal episodes in infants and in 1907, strains of Escherichia coli (E coli nissle 1917) were used to treat patients with shigellosis outbreaks. Today, we recognize that probiotics have multiple beneficial effects, including :

• Treatment and prevention of traveler’s diarrhea

• Treatment of infectious diarrhea in infants and children

• Treatment and prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea including clostridium difficile

• Management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

• Treatment and prevention of atopic dermatitis 

• Other potential benefits still being studied: cholesterol balance, blood sugar control, reduced tooth decay, and management of inflammatory autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. 

How to pick a probiotic?

While fermented foods and other food sources can be found, pills are the most common form of supplementing with probiotics. Choosing which one is best for you should be done in consultation with an experienced health care provider. There are hundreds of types of bacteria that have been classified as probiotics. Different strains can have varying effects. Some medical studies suggest that specific strains can be used for different purposes, but in most cases scientists don’t know enough about that yet to make meaningful recommendations. Current research suggests that using multiple strains simultaneously may promote synergistic benefits by stimulating different cellular actions and biochemical pathways.

The most studied, recognized and utilized probiotics come from the genus Lactobacillus, genus Bifidobacterium or yeast strain Saccharomyces boulardii. Dosing of probiotic varies widely. Generally, 1-20 billion colony forming units (CFUs) is considered beneficial for everyday use in healthy people looking to optimize their gastrointestinal (GI) health. Higher doses (>100 billion CFUs) are often recommended for conditions like ulcerative colitis or other inflammatory bowel diseases. When looking for a probiotic, I recommend choosing a brand that includes a variety of Lactobaccillus and Bifidobacerimwith with a target dose 10-20 billion CFUs (or dose recommended by your healthcare provider). Depending on the manufacturing technique, probiotics may need to be refrigerated. However, high quality probiotics can be found in and out of the cooler section of health food stores. 

(If pills are not for you, read more about food sources of probiotics in this earlier post here.)

When to avoid probiotics?

Probiotics are generally considered safe. However, people with compromised immune systems or serious illness need to discuss the use of probiotics with their health care provider, as some may be harmful under rare circumstances. It is always best to consult with your doctor prior to starting probiotics or any new nutritional supplements. 

Talk with Relish Health for a personalized plan.

Use your Fork to Improve your Feelings

Our brain is both our greatest asset and the home to the hungriest cells in our body. Remarkably, this 2-pound organ has energy needs similar to our body’s muscles. The complex electrical connections that occur in our brain are responsible for not only our heart beat and sensations, but also our memories and mood. The nourishment we consume at each meal provides the energy and building blocks that create the connections that constitute our brain. No matter your current state of mental health, your genetics, background or situation, the core of your personal wellness is your food.

While we may think about how to feed our muscles to maintain strength or build mass, we don’t often give much thought to what our brain may need. Below are a few guidelines that may help you nourish this underappreciate organ.

1. Your brain needs a steady source of energy. The standard American diet is known for a high sugar content. Sometimes the source of sugar is obvious like a glass of soda, but sometimes the source is less obvious like pasta or bagels. These refined foods cause your blood sugar to increase quickly. Your body responds by rapidly releasing insulin. The insulin lowers the blood sugar, but can also trigger your blood sugar crash. This process, called reactive hypoglycemia, is responsible for carb and sugar cravings which lead to anxiety, headaches, irritability, and ultimately depression. A case of the “hangries.” Cravings are your brain’s way of reminding you it needs steady fuel to function.

High blood sugar causes also inflammation, which is one of them most significant risk factors for depression. Balancing blood sugar is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety.

2. Your brain needs nutrients. Eat real food. Processed food is made from ingredients that have been stripped of their nutrients. Filling up on package lunchables or low-quality granola bars means we are missing out on many nutrients. Refined flours and sugars lack the vitamins and minerals that are contained in their whole forms. Our brain needs basic building blocks like Omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and key minerals like magnesium and zinc to perform its basic function. Your mood is the first casually when there are insufficient levels of these nutrients. Your mental health suffers even before your physical health begins to deteriorate. A nourished brain is a resilient brain.

3. You have a second brain and it needs nourishment too. Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria. These bacteria help us absorb our nutrients, make some of our vitamins and directly communicate with our own cells to impact our immune system and mental health. Our intestinal wall is one of our borders with the outside world. The food we eat directly affects this community of organisms that have a direct connection to our brain (ever felt butterflies in your stomach or had a “gut feeling”?). A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber favors the growth of bacteria that are beneficial to our overall health, while a low-fiber, high-fat diet favors the growth of less helpful species. Eating a diet rich in produce helps ensure that you get adequate nutrients and maintain this delicate and important bacterial community. Just as emotions can sent messages to your gut, food can send messages to your brain.

Delicious Treatment For Your Mood

Good Mood Food

7 Steps to Fight Reflux and Bloating

Reflux and bloating are common complaints that I hear frequently in the office. If you struggle with these symptoms as well, know you are not alone. It is estimated that 44% of Americans have heartburn once a month and as many as 10 million people have daily symptoms. 

Food is medicine and can be part of the trigger or the healing of these common complaints. Food plays many roles in our lives. It is delicious, comforting and linked to our identity and social connectedness, but is also the fuel and building blocks for health. It is information for your cells and gene expression. You eat approximately one ton of food each year and can change your body chemistry every time you eat.

Listed below are seven steps that may help you identify and address potential triggers for reflux and bloating. At a recent workshop event, we discussed these in more detail and sampled foods that can aid digestion. Look for future sessions like this on the Event page. 

1: Eat mindfully at the table (and your desk and steering wheel are not tables). Mindfulness can promote the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for the “rest and digest” function of the body. Eating slowly and paying attention to your food and how your body is responding can improve your overall digestion.

2: Get your digestive juices going. Bitter flavors can promote digestive juices. Consider adding bitter greens (eg. arugula, endive, radicchio, mustard greens, chard, parsley, cilantro, broccoli rabe or vinegars, etc.) to your plate.

3: Tend your inner garden. Our gut is home to a host of bacteria. Add fermented foods or probiotics to your diet to encouraged friendly flora. Make sauerkraut, kimchi, sour pickles and/or kefir regular condiments on your plate. Consume adequate fiber to keep the good bacteria happy and thriving and avoid processed, refined foods. 

4: Some foods can actually aid digestion. Consider adding ginger, fennel seeds and bitter flavors to your diet. Be aware of foods that may trigger reflux symptoms. They may include: fried and fatty foods, spicy foods, citrus, tomato-based foods, processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. 

5: Consider eliminating and re-introducing foods that commonly trigger sensitivities. Start with eliminating gluten and dairy for 2-4 weeks then reintroducing and monitoring for symptoms. If bloating is still an issue, there are other diets to consider that are known to improve symptoms, including the FODMAP diet. 

6: Stay active and get your beauty rest. Movement promotes gastrointestinal motility and helps maintain ideal weight while sleep is important for overall health. Avoid going to bed with a full stomach by eating at least 2-3 hours prior to going to bed. Elevate the head of the bed to minimized night time reflux.

7: Seek help. While these interventions are generally safe for everyone, frequent or daily gastroentestinal symptoms, weight loss, blood in your stool, black tarry stools or a family history of gastrointestinal problems may siginfy more significant problems and need to be further evaluated. If you need more help identifying your particular triggers, come see me at Relish Health and we'll work on an individual treatment program designed for you.