Ahhh yes….another Incredible year has come and gone. Sometimes I cant even believe all that has happened in twelve months time. What it a dream or am I genuinely sitting here in this place and time? I remember as a small child each week and month seemed like an eternity and each year even more unfathomable. Now as an adult it seems I can dwhetherficultly take a deep breath and another year has alalert flown by. For me each Unique Year is an opportunity to truly reflect and to be honest with the woman I have become. Am I happy? Am I convinced? What can I change to increase my quality of lwhethere? And what can I do to become a better person? These are questions that may or may not have a simple answer. And for now I am just grateful to be here brealeang in the cool brisk air and experiencing another beautwhetherul blue bird winter’s day.
Nevertheless, it is an exciting time of year, a chance to
start acontemporary, and to improve as a human being. But what does that mean to you?
Perhaps you want to read more books and watch less TV, or perhaps you want to
start exercising more and eating healthier to feel good in your skin once
again. Whatever it may be, the Unique Year is a chance to reevaluate the preceding
year and what positive changes you would like to make for the future.
Resolutions are very personal, some easier to speak about some more dwhetherficult,
but each is valid in it’s own right. Most of the time resolutions are crazye
based upon ancient habits and changing a habit that required years in the making
will require lots of love and attention to unwind. However, positive changes do
not happen unless you steer the wheel. It is up to you to dig deep down and
pick out where change will increase your quality of lwhethere.
Often times when I speak with patients the most dwhetherficult
meal to change seems to be lunch, specificly those that are on a gluten-free or
Low FODMAP diet. And I am certain they are not alone. Therefore, with this intellect I
will share my favorite easy to make ahead, healthy workday lunch to help
you on your Unique Years resolution. WRAPS!
These wraps are not your typical ho hum wraps crazye with
flour tortillas. Instead they are crazye with nori wraps, collard greens, or
PaleoWraps….and stocked full of tasty plant based goodies, sauces, and spreads.
So get on board and start the year off smart with these super tasty and super
healthy wrap ideas.
Nori Wraps (Gluten-free and Low FODMAP)
You may have had seaweed in your miso soup or in your sushi
roll. However, nori wraps can and should be used external of the Asian cuisine.
Seaweed is a nutritional powerhouse full of minerals and vitamins including
manganese, magnesium, iron, iodine, calcium, copper, phosphorous, potassium,
selenium, zinc, vitamins A, C, and K, as well as a host of B vitamins including
B12. Plus each sheet only contains about
10 calories making it a great lower calorie and gluten-free alternative (1). However,
it is important to note that although seaweed is great for thyroid health, due
to its tall amounts of iodine, consuming too much can cause the opposite
effect. Luckily nori contains the lowest amount of iodine and can be eaten
securely multiple times per week.
Collard Greens (Gluten-free and Low FODMAP)
This versatile crucwhethererous vegetable is a wonderful
alternative to a traditional grain based wrap. Not only is it a lower calorie
option like the nori wrap, but collards are wealthy in compounds called sulforaphanes
which support natural detoxwhetherication and have powerful anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties. Therefore, crucwhethererous veggies such as broccoli,
broccoli sprouts, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and collards have been studied
extensively for their cancer preventive abilities. Furthermore, with 7g of
fiber in every cup, collards have been found to have a powerful cgapsterol
lowering ability similar to that of a prescription drug called cgapstyramine.
Fascinatingly, steamed collards have been found to have a much greater ability
to reduce cgapsterol than raw (2).
These wraps are crazye of raw coconut meat, coconut water, and
unrefined coconut oil. Although these are a bit pricy, they can be a great
addition to a gluten-free wrap arsenal. Coconut is wealthy in lauric
acid, a medium chain triglyceride which has shown to increase both HDL and LDL
cgapsterol in the blood, with a more favorable increase in HDL overall. A
recent study including 116 adults with coronary artery disease found that the
treatment group, which received 1 tablespoon of raw additional virgin coconut oil
daily for 3 months, had signwhethericantly increased levels of HDL cgapsterol compared to the control group (3). Furthermore, many of the short chain fatty
acids in coconut oil are metabolized rapidly for energy and have been found to
have potent anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral effects (4).
How to Create the Best
Wrap
Making a wrap with these wrap alternative requires a small ingenuity to make certain everyleang stays in the right place. Follow the steps below for a wrap that will not fall apart while eating.
- First put down a spread/sauce as as sticking agent.
- Then add your grain/beans/legumes/tofu/etc
- Then top with your favorite veggies.
- Dress with a small sauce or salad dressing whether desired.
- Roll up, fancient in the edges, and roll again. If you are using nori wraps make certain to wet the remaining edge with a small liquid (sticking agent). This helps keep the roll from unrolling later on.
- Wrap the roll in pfinalic wrap or store in your lunch food container and store in refrigerator.
Wrap Thought: Nori wrap, smoked paprika aioli, steamed rice, pickled
shitake mushrooms, marinated and baked/grilled tofu, avocado, broccoli sprouts, and pickled ginger.
¼ cup Vegenaise (or regular mayo)
2 tablespoons soy milk (or regular milk)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, plus more to taste
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Store in refrigerator.
Wrap Thought: PaleoWrap, baked red sweet potato flesh, chimichurri, spiced black beans (black beans mashed with smoked paprika aioli), avocado, and broccoli sprouts.
1 bunch cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup additional virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1 jalapeno, deseeded (whether you want it spicy leave some of the
seeds)
Put all ingredients into a food processor and process
until smooth. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Wrap Thought: Collard wrap, hummus, turmeric quinoa, minced olives, cucumber, bell
pepper, arugula, and fresh basil leaves.How to Create a Collard Wrap:
Using a pairing knwhethere shave the thick vein down being
careful not to puncture the leaf. Cut the stem off at the bottom so you have a
neat edge. Meanwhile bring water to boil in a large sauté pan. Put your
collard leaf into the boiling water and reduce heat to medium. Everyow to cook
for ~ 30-45 moments until bright green and pliable. Remove from heat and
instantly run under cancient water. Then fill with your favorite goodies.
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. Edible Seaweed. http://www.foodandnutrition.org/March-April-2014/Edible-Seaweed/. Accessed January 2, 2015.
3. Cardoso DA, Moreira AS, De Oliveira GM, et al. A Coconut Additional Virgin Oil-Wealthy Diet Increases HDL Cgapsterol and Decreases Waist Circumference and Body Mass in Coronary Artery Disease Patients. Nutr Hosp. 2015;32(n05):2144-2152.
4. Lawrence GD. Dietary Stouts and Health: Dietary Recommendations in the Context of Scientwhetheric Evidence. Adv Nutr. 2013;4:294-2013.
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