The Ultimate Salad System: Concept Three

Our third and final approach to building a salad is based around the shredded coleslaw idea.  But because we’re bringing in a greater variety of colored veggies, I like to call this approach Rainbow Slaw.

I use the shred cone on my Saladmaster unit to shred all the veggies slaw-style.  But you could also use several other shredding tools or, if convenience is paramount, look for many of the following ingredients in prepackaged, shredded “coleslaw” blends.

Rainbow Slaw

(All of the following should be shredded and mixed together)

• 1/2 a head of regular cabbage
• 1/2 a head of purple cabbage
• Several broccoli crowns
• 2 or 3 beet roots (shredded canned beets should be a last resort)
• 1 or 2 yellow squash
• 2 carrots

You can build an entire meal around Rainbow Slaw by adding a half or full can of garbanzo and/or kidney beans.  But I prefer it as a large side to a protein-rich feature like Gardenburger Riblets, Tofurkey sausage or a Boca patty.

Remember, with any of these three salad concepts we discussed, you simply can’t eat too much salad.  Try to enjoy at least one of these varieties everyday.  Just avoid the temptation to drench your salads in oil-based dressings.

The Ultimate Salad System: Concept Two

Last time, we talked about the traditional approach to building a salad with the Basic Greens-Plus concept. This time, let’s look at an approach where we actually skip the leafy greens. Of course, leafy green veggies are among the most nutrient-dense foods you could ever eat. But the idea here is to focus on other multicolored veggies so we can enjoy some variety and reap the benefits of their array of various nutrients. (On days when you enjoy this salad, try to get your greens another way…)

Chopped Veggie Deluxe

(All of the following should be chopped up and mixed together)

• 5 or 6 Roma tomatoes
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper OR 2 carrots
• 1 yellow bell pepper OR 1/2 bag of frozen corn (thawed)
• 1/2 head of purple cabbage
• 2 handfuls of cauliflower
• 1/2 or full can of garbanzo beans

(Optional) For additional flavor and nutrients, consider one or all of the following:

• 2 celery stalks
• onion (to taste)
• avocado (added to the portion you are about to eat)
• 1 or two boiled potatoes (you would chop these up, as well)

A variety of vegan dressings will work well, as will a simple olive oil with lemon or lime combo.

Next time; Rainbow Slaw!

The Ultimate Salad System: Concept One

Large daily salads that feature multi-colored veggies should be the cornerstone of your diet. But, if we always make them the same way, they will get old in a hurry. So here are three different approaches to salads, each of which offers a lot of variation. Rotate these approaches as you wish and don’t be afraid to mix it up and try different combos.

And remember, each of the following recipes will make one big-ass salad! It will feed a bunch of folks at once, or last one or two people three or four days when kept in the fridge.

(Feel free to adjust ratios as you desire.)

The Basic Greens-Plus

• 1 head of romaine lettuce (torn by hand) OR one bag of a pre-packaged salad blend (like Ready-Pac’s Santa Barbara blend)
• 3 or 4 large handfuls of spinach (torn by hand), OR 1/2 bag of pre-packaged spinach
• 1/2 a head of purple cabbage
• 2 or 3 large broccoli crowns
• 2 or 3 large carrots (chopped or shredded)
• 2 yellow squash (chopped or shredded)
• 1 or 2 red bell peppers
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn (thawed)

(Optional) For additional flavor and nutrients, consider one or all of the following:

• 1 small can of sliced black olives
• 1 can/jar of mandarin oranges
• 1 can/jar of artichoke hearts
• 3 to 5 sliced radishes

Now, if you want a salad that eats like a full meal, add one or more of the following (to the portions you are about to eat):

• 1 package of Light Life (or similar) veggie chicken strips
• 1 or 2 sliced avocados
• 1 can of garbanzo or kidney beans

Thoroughly mix it all together, find your favorite vegan dressing, then get ready for one serious salad.

Next time, we’ll cover the Chopped Veggie Deluxe approach

Oxygen: The Ultimate “Nutrient” – Part Two

Last time, we talked about the importance of getting optimal amounts of oxygen and the “50 Deep Breaths” solution. In part two, let’s talk about the best way to take in your daily deep breaths.

To really get the full, Rock-Solid benefit out of your deep breathing, try to adhere to the following four guidelines whenever possible:

1. Always try to breathe in through your nose. This has many advantages, including:

∑ The hairs, mucous membranes and glands in the nose filter out many of the dust particles, bacteria and other impurities that we inadvertently breathe in
∑ According to many in the yoga tradition, it is widely believed that you can better absorb prana (vital life force energy) from the air via your nose than through your mouth
∑ The nose passageway warms exceedingly cool air

2. Focus on the air going down deep into your belly. Your diaphragm should actually rise and fall as you breathe this way.

3. Breathe slowly and deliberately, taking five to ten seconds to inhale, holding your breath for a few seconds, then taking five to ten seconds to exhale.

4. Exhale through your mouth, slow and steady, as if you were gently blowing out a candle.

That’s all there is to it. Try integrating this into your regimen and feel the difference.

Oxygen: The Ultimate “Nutrient” – Part One

While it might be a bit unusual to think of the air that we breathe as a nutrient, there’s no denying its invaluable function in superior health.  To some degree, of course, this goes without saying, because none of us can go more than a matter of minutes without oxygen.  But just like its other critical counterpart, water, most everyone has just enough of it to survive, but not enough of it to thrive.  And if you have a high-fat diet, then you’re compromised even further in the oxygen department.  Research has shown that when you test the blood of a patient before and after a high fat meal, there is 20% drop in oxygen content in the blood!

50 Deep Breaths a Day

Inadequate amounts of oxygen throughout the body is a major contributor to many diseases, lack of energy and general ill health.  And while the low-fat, anti-inflammatory, pro-circulation and increased cardio components of the lifestyle philosophy that I promote will help, we will also want to take in more pure oxygen everyday, as well.  Here’s where your 50 deep breaths a day comes into play.

By taking in a number of conscious, slow, relaxed, deep breaths everyday, a number of surprising benefits can take place:

∑ Helps to cleanse the blood through increased oxygenation and by stimulating the lymph system
∑ Ensures the brain gets enough oxygen, as it requires three times more than the rest of the body
∑ Rejuvenates the pituitary, pineal, and other glands
∑ Promotes healthy lungs and even increases the elasticity of the lungs and rib cage, which creates a residual benefit of increased breathing capacity throughout the day…not just when you’re doing your conscious deep breathing
∑ Aids in the digestion and assimilation of your food
∑ Increases circulation to your abdominal region as the movements of the diaphragm create a “massage” effect for your stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine, etc.
∑ Decreases the workload of the heart since it doesn’t have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to your tissues
∑ Helps to burn excess fat more efficiently
∑ Reduces stress and anxiety as it promotes deep relaxation in the body

The list goes on from here but, believe me, this notion is nothing new.  For many centuries, yogis have been shouting the praises of deep breathing as it’s become such an integral part of any yoga practice.  For our purposes here, though, it’s a matter of shooting for at least 50 total deep breaths throughout the day.

Getting Started

As for the how to breathe, the basic premise is supremely simple.  Just slowly take a full breath of air deep into your belly (via your nose or mouth), hold it for a few seconds, then exhale slowly.  Do it whenever you think about it.  And you can do this virtually anytime, anywhere, whether it’s in the car, waiting in line, or wherever else strikes you.  But just do it as often as you can, shooting for around 50 deep breaths per day.

By the way, do any of us really keep track of how many of these breaths we actually take?  Not really.  But 50 gives you a rough idea of how often you want to do it throughout the day.

Do this now!  You’ll really begin to feel the difference as you work this into your daily lifestyle.

Next time, we’ll talk about the optimal way to breathe deep…