TUPELO – Sooner or later about seven years in the past, Jennifer Calhoun was standing within the checkout line on the grocery retailer when she seen a Nationwide Geographic journal article in regards to the “actual” fountain of youth.
“It was about blue zones, completely different elements of the world the place individuals weren’t solely residing longer, however residing wholesome longer,” Calhoun mentioned. “I grabbed that journal and skim it, and from then on, I turned fascinated by what these populations had been consuming. That is after I went full-organic.”
Calhoun, who grew in Kingsport, Tennessee, and performed golf at Ole Miss, was a lifelong athlete and ballet dancer. She’d all the time eaten with an eye fixed towards well being and moderation, however now, she was on a mission.
“I simply needed to coach myself and assist my kids,” mentioned Calhoun, who has three youngsters – Anna, Boatner and Hudson. She and her husband, Bo, reside in Tupelo.
When Anna took an curiosity in wholesome consuming round 2016, that solely stoked Calhoun’s motivation.
“That made it a lot simpler for me, when she obtained concerned about it,” she mentioned. “My husband is a heart specialist, so he already knew the advantages of extremely nutritious meals.”
Calhoun, a licensed Pilates and barre teacher at Haven Studio, has three guidelines she lives by for optimum well being.
First, as a substitute of specializing in what she will’t have, she focuses on nutrient-dense meals she will eat.
“I problem myself every week to eat 30 completely different fruit and veggies,” she mentioned. “Selection is super-important to the general well being of your intestine, which is the first heart for immunity.”
Second, she thinks in regards to the phrase “you might be what you eat” however she takes it a step additional – you are additionally what your meals has eaten.
“I purchase 95% of what we eat from both Native Son Farm or Entire Household Vitamin & Market,” she mentioned. “Whenever you style the distinction between domestically grown recent produce and what you get within the retailer – it was like a lightbulb went off.”
And third, she minimizes sugar and has eradicated processed meals.
“I attempt to not purchase something out of a bundle, and I do not use industrial oils, like soybean and canola,” she mentioned. “My philosophy is that meals is medication. You’ll be able to pay a bit of extra for high-quality meals now or pay for well being points and medication later.”
Calhoun’s Prime 10 meals are darkish leafy greens; broccoli; blueberries; pasture-raised eggs; wild-caught salmon; avocados; 100% grass-fed beef; extra-virgin olive oil; almonds; and darkish chocolate.
“I’ve a few of these each single day, however I positively eat all of them each single week,” she mentioned. “I really like meals and I eat a variety of meals. I am not a calorie-counter or a macro-counter. I simply attempt to eat quite a lot of entire high-fiber plant-based meals and many wholesome fat. It is not nearly residing longer – it is about residing wholesome longer.”
DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Ship your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Prepare dinner of the Week, P.O. Field 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you may name (662) 678-1581 or e-mail them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.
CHICKEN TACOS
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can pinto, black or kidney beans, drained
8 corn or almond flour tortillas
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sliced purple cabbage
Warmth 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium warmth. Add rooster and stir till completely cooked. Scrape meat to at least one aspect of the pan. Add garlic and saute for two to 4 minutes. Add onion and saute for two to 4 minutes. Stir in oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir rooster into the onion combination to mix.
Drain beans and warmth in a separate skillet.
In a separate skillet, warmth 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Warmth every tortilla 3 to 4 minutes per aspect, or till the tortilla is noticeably puffier, including further oil as wanted. Plate the recent tortillas.
Fill every tortilla with a small quantity of meat. Add a small quantity of beans after which high with cilantro, salsa and a pair of to three slices of avocado. Prime every taco with sliced cabbage and a little bit of feta cheese. Serves 4.
LEMON-WINE CHICKEN
2/3 cups all-purpose flour or Einkorn flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup recent lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped recent parsley
Wash rooster and pat dry. Mix flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a ziptop bag. Place rooster in bag and shake till evenly coated.
Warmth butter and olive oil in a big skillet over medium-high warmth. Prepare dinner rooster 3 to 4 minutes per aspect or till achieved. Take away rooster to a plate and put aside to maintain heat.
Within the skillet, mix wine and lemon juice and whisk for two to three minutes over medium-high warmth, gently scraping browned bits off the underside of the pan. Proceed whisking 3 to 4 minutes.
Place rooster again in pan and canopy with sauce. Serve rooster and sauce over buttered egg noodles with a aspect salad.
SPINACH AND ARUGULA SALAD WITH TOASTED PINE NUTS
Place pine nuts in a skillet over medium-low warmth. Season with salt. Stir nuts round till evenly golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Regulate them as a result of they will burn simply.
To serve, place spinach and arugula in a big serving bowl. Mix olive oil and lemon juice and drizzle over salad, tossing the greens to coat. Prime with grated Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.
COLLARD GREENS
2 bunches collard greens, washed
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon purple pepper flakes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
In a high-sided skillet, prepare dinner the bacon over medium warmth till brown, about 5 minutes. In the identical pan, add the onions and saute till translucent, about 5 minutes.
Strip the leaves from the robust stems of the collard greens. Stack the leaves, roll them up and lower them into skinny strips.
To the skillet with the bacon and onions, add the garlic, purple pepper flakes, brown sugar, cider vinegar and salt and pepper to style. Add the greens, stir and canopy the skillet. Prepare dinner for quarter-hour, stirring midway by means of. Take away from warmth to a serving bowl.
STIR-FRY SALMON
1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 cup chopped bell pepper, any coloration
1 pound wild-caught salmon, skinned and cubed
1 tablespoon finely chopped recent ginger
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped recent mushrooms
1 head broccoli, chopped and blanched
In a big skillet over medium warmth, mix coconut aminos, vinegar, sesame oil, bell pepper and onion. Prepare dinner till peppers and onion are translucent.
Add salmon and coat with the combination. Add coconut oil, ginger, sesame seeds, garlic, mushrooms and broccoli and stir. Proceed to prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, for 10 minutes or till the salmon is cooked by means of. Serve heat. Serves 2.
IKARIA’S LONGEVITY WILD GREENS
8 cups leafy greens, chopped and stemmed*
3 tablespoons recent lemon juice
Rinse greens in operating water. Fill a clear sink or massive bowl with chilly water. Submerge and agitate greens to take away any grit or sand. Let float for 10 minutes. Take away greens from bowl; discard water.
Deliver a big pot of water to a boil. Add greens and blanch them for 1 minute. They’ll change into vivid in coloration. Drain greens in a colander.
Switch to a serving platter. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to style.
* Any kind of greens can be utilized, comparable to dandelion greens, Swiss chard, mustard, collard, turnip, escarole or beet greens.
HEALTHY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
1 massive yellow onion, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
32 ounces natural bone broth
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 boneless, skinless rooster breast halves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 to 2 teaspoons floor cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons floor coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Crimson pepper flakes, to style
1 can black beans or white beans (optionally available)
1 can white corn, drained (optionally available)
Chopped cilantro, bitter cream, cheese, avocado, tortilla chips and lime wedges
In a big pot, warmth oil over medium warmth. Add onion, celery and carrot and prepare dinner till tender, 4 to five minutes.
Add garlic and prepare dinner 1 minute. Add bone broth, tomatoes, rooster, jalapeño and seasonings. Add beans and corn, if utilizing. Deliver to a boil and switch down warmth to a simmer. Prepare dinner 15 to twenty minutes.
To serve, place soup in a bowl and high with cilantro, bitter cream, cheese, diced avocado and tortilla chips. Serve with lime wedges.
PROTEIN BALLS
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
Coconut flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds (optionally available)
Mix peanut butter, honey, oats and chocolate chips. Add coconut flakes, chia seeds and/or or flax seeds, if desired. Roll into balls in regards to the dimension of a ping pong ball. Refrigerate.
SALAD DRESSING 365
1/2 cup good balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Gray Poupon mustard
Mix all substances in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake properly. Will final for 2 weeks within the fridge.