MEATLESS MONDAYS

               Protect Your Ticker


February is National Heart Health Month. If you don't want to to totally overhaul your diet, making even a few small changes can help ward off heart disease. Here are a few examples:

• Skip sugary drinks:  According to the American Heart Association women who drink two or more sugary drinks a day are four times as likely to develop high triglycerides, putting them at risk for diabetes and weight gain around their waists, all of which can lead to heart disease. Swap sugary sodas for more healthful, calorie free fruity seltzers or better yet, water.
•  Cut back on processed meat:  Cold cuts contain nitrites, preservatives that increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Consider choosing nitrite free deli meats or filling up on protein rich foods that don't contain preservatives, such as chicken, fish and beans.
• Eat more whole grains:  This food group contains a wide variety of heart healthy nutrients, including potassium ( which lowers blood pressure ) and magnesium ( which helps lower blood sugar ). Whole grains also can give you an advantage in preventing heart disease.
• Serve up some fish:  Fatty fish, like salmon and albacore tuna, are good sources of omega-3s, which decrease artery clogging triglycerides as well as your risk of an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to a heart attack.

Meatless Monday Recipe: Eggplant With Buttermilk Sauce (courtesy of  Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, Plenty )

Ingredients

• 2 large and long eggplants
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves (regular thyme will do), plus a few whole sprigs to garnish
• Maldon sea salt and black pepper
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 teaspoon za'atar*

Sauce

• 9 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 pinch salt

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped pattern.
• Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil—keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• While the eggplants are in the oven, cut the pomegranate into two horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally and falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all are there, sift through the seeds and remove any bits of white skin or membrane.
• To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keel cold until needed.
• To serve, spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy and serves four as a starter or side1
  
  
  *Za'atar is a Middle East spice mixture. Za'atar is generally prepared using ground dried thyme, oregano, majoram or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, sea salt and pepper, though other spices such as sumac might also be added.
  
  
  Weekly Healthy Motivator: 
  
  
  Small steps that lead us to achievement
  There are natural consequences that accompany every choice we make in life. Some opportunities inevitably pass us by, but we can take advantage of others. Many people feel powerless, but this is rarely the case--some opportunities just require a little thinking outside the box. Today, reflect on the doors you are opening in your world and which ones are closing. You have the power to create the life you want if you are willing to set goals and take steps toward them. Rarely does fulfilling our hopes and dreams happen overnight, but you can take one tiny move towards them each day. 
  
  
  
  
  Have a great week and be kind to your heart by going meatless at least once a week!
  Share your favorite meatless recipes with me and if you have any questions regarding how you can reach optimal wellness call or email me.
  
  
  Eat Well, Eat Healthy, Enjoy Life!
  Wishing you wellness from the inside out,
  Lisa
  Professional Wellness Coach
  lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
  973-383-0955
  
  
  "The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." ~ Flora Whittemore ~