8 Tips to Look GREAT in 8
We all want to look great and we all want it right now! These are some healthy tips to make you look as great as you can in 8 days.
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Smoothie Basics
Use a rice, hemp or pea protein as a base aim for 15 – 20 grams of protein. Use ½ cup of a ‘milk’ try unsweetened almond milk, rice
milk or coconut milk. Add 1 cup of organic berries. Don’t forget the fat (yes, fat. You NEED fat) ½ tablespoon of coconut oil, flax seed oil or 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal. Mix, blend and add water or ice to get it to the thickness that you desire. Add variety as much as you can in the 5 days that you are doing the jump start program.
Menu Plan
Breakfast: Smoothie
1st Lunch
- Open faced turkey sandwich (3-4 oz nitrate free turkey breast on rice bread or hemp tortilla with lettuce, tomato and mustard)
- Left over Crock Pot Chicken* (4 oz) on a bed of greens with Gazpacho*
- Black bean tortilla roll-up* with Carrot Slaw*
- Mexican Salad Bowl*
- Tuna salad* in brown rice tortilla with side salad and vinaigrette*
- Another Mexican Salad –salad greens, 3 oz seasoned organic chicken (Simply Organic seasoning packet), ¼ cup guacamole, ½ cup black beans, and fresh salsa
- Salmon burger (Whole Foods Market Salmon Burger, Whole Catch in the freezer) with ½ tbsp. mustard, 2 slices of tomato on a bed (2 cups) of greens with ½ cup garbanzo bean salad on the side
2nd Lunch: Smoothie
Dinner
- 3-4 oz Baked Fish* and Roasted Veggies*
- 3-4 oz of Easy Crock Pot Roast Beef (Grass-fed)* with Warm Red Cabbage Salad*
- Easy Crock Pot Chicken* (3-4 oz) with Carrot Salad*
- Salmon with Black Lentils and Artichokes*
- Snapper Mexicana* with ½ cup Mexican Quinoa and Spinach* with side salad
- Lamb Stew* with side salad and 1 tbsp of vinaigrette or Wilted Spinach Salad*
- Fish Tacos – Healthy Hemp or Brown Rice with seasoned fish (use Simply Organic Fish Taco Seasoning mix) shredded cabbage, cilantro, fresh
squeezed lime, ¼ cup guacamole and fresh salsa
Recipes
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp + 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Whisk all ingredients together.
Options: Add whatever herbs you have on hand to taste. Add a clove of minced garlic and some fresh basil.
Flax Dressing
Serves 6, serving size 2 tbsp
¼ cup organic flax oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp water
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1-3 cloves fresh crushed garlic
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Add any herbs of your liking fresh or dried
In a jar that has a secure lid, add vinegar, water, mustard, and shake well to thoroughly dissolve mustard. Then add oil, and remaining ingredients, and shake well again. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week and let stand a couple of minutes before using if it has hardened.
Apple Flax Vinaigrette
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ cup flax seed oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup apple cider
2 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
In medium bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, mustard, coriander, and pepper. Gradually whisk in both oils until well blended and emulsified (so the vinegar and oil do not separate). Whisk in cider and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos until well combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.
Garbanzo Vinaigrette
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth; or place ingredients in a jar with a tight–fitting lid and shake vigorously until well blended. Taste, and adjust seasoning.
Carrot Salad Dressing
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients together.
Carrot Salad
1 pound shredded carrots
1 fennel bulb (stalk and core removed), cut into thing strips, lengthwise
½ cup diced raw walnuts
½ cup finely chopped parsley
Carrot Salad Dressing (above)
Combine carrots, fennel, walnuts and parsley. Toss with Carrot Salad Dressing and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour before serving.
Cider Slaw
Serves 4-6
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (available at Whole Foods or Willy Street)
1 tbsp raw honey
Lettuce leaves
In a large bowl, toss cabbage, and apples to combine. Use about 3 tbsps of the cider to make a smooth paste with arrowroot powder. In a sauce pan, heat the remainder of the cider to boiling, add honey, stir in arrowroot paste, and cook until tender and clear. Cool and pour over the cabbage and apples. Mix well and serve on lettuce leaves.
Warm Red Cabbage Salad
(Serves 4-6)
1 head of red cabbage
1 small red onion, sliced
½ cup sweet peas
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ume plum vinegar or sea salt to taste
½ cup roasted walnuts (optional)
Cut cabbage into quarters, and then slice into 1/3 inch strips. In a large sauce pan, steam until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. In a skillet, sauté onion until limp and transparent and add to cabbage together with peas. Combine olive oil, rice vinegar and ume plum or salt and toss with cabbage. Sprinkle roasted walnuts on top and serve warm.
Garbanzo Bean Salad
Makes 4 servings
1 can organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup chopped red onions
1 cup diced celery stalks
1 cup diced carrot
½ cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup seeded and diced cucumber
1 cup diced red bell pepper
Garbanzo Vinaigrette (find recipe above)
In a large bowl, toss all ingredients with Garbanzo Vinaigrette.
Wilted Spinach Salad
(Serves 4-6)
3 bunches spinach (about 12 cups), cleaned, dried, coarsely chopped
1 red onion, sliced into rings
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt to taste
½ cup roasted walnut pieces (optional)
Place spinach in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and stir until limp; it should be bright green. Combine with onion rings and pepper, and toss with oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Sprinkle with walnut pieces on top and serve warm.
Mexican Salad Bowl
Serves 4-6
Dressing:
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp mustard
1 tbsp ume plum vinegar (or apple cider vinegar and sea salt) or to taste
3 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp water
2 heads of butter lettuce or other green lettuce, shredded
2 green onions, sliced fined
1 cucumber, grated
4 cups cooked black beans
2 tbsp minced cilantro or tsp ground coriander (optimal)
In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, tahini and water together to make the dressing. (For a more Mexican dressing, use 3 tablespoon salsa, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and ½ tsp sea salt.) Assemble all other ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with dressing.
Roasted Veggies (any in season)
squash
asparagus
bell peppers
green beans
Cut squash into 1 inch chunks; leave asparagus whole, slice bell peppers into strips, leave green beans whole. Spray veggies with olive oil mist. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast squash on olive oil misted pan for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and roast another 10 minutes or until done to your liking. Season with black pepper and herbs to your taste. (Note: Roasted Halibut can share the last 8-10 minutes of cooking with the veggies)
Gazpacho
Serves 4
1 cup celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
½ cup red onion, chopped
5 whole tomatoes, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
Tomato Juice
Juice of 2 limes
Tabasco or cayenne pepper to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste
In a blender, puree the vegetables and cilantro, adding enough tomato juice to keep it moving in the blender. Leave it coarse; it should have some texture. Pour into a mixing bowl. Thin to desired consistency with more tomato juice. Season with lime juice, Tabasco or cayenne, and salt and pepper. Chill and serve cold.
Crock Pot Lentil Soup
Serves 2-3
2 cups dry lentils
4 cups water
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
Stir together all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. This a great recipe to throw together before bed and enjoy when you wake up or even take it for lunch in a thermos.
Mexican Quinoa with Spinach
Serves 4-6
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced without seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cup quinoa
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups of vegetable stock or water
Sea salt to taste
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper with the cumin and coriander, until onion is translucent and garlic is slightly golden. Add quinoa, bell pepper, stock, and salt; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach, cover, and simmer 5-10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasoning as desired, stir in parsley, and serve.
Black Bean Tortilla Roll-Up
1 Hemp or Brown Rice tortilla
½ cup black beans (hot or cold)
Fresh salsa
¼ cup guacamole
1 c mixed salad greens
Place all ingredients in the tortilla – roll and enjoy.
Tuna Salad
1 can (6oz) chunk light tuna – no salt added
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 stalks celery chopped
¼ cup onion diced
Dash of pepper
Combine all ingredients and enjoy.
Snapper Mexicana
Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium snapper fillets or 2 large fillets cut in half
Sea salt to taste
2 cups of salsa
Heat oil in a sauce pan and sauté snapper for a few minutes on each side. Season with sea salt. Pour salsa over fillets and cover. Allow to simmer a few more minutes, and serve.
Roasted Halibut
6 oz halibut fillets
lemon
dried herbs
Sear the halibut fillets in pan with a little olive oil. Transfer to baking pan, sprinkle with your choice of herbs (Italian Herb Blend, oregano, basil, etc) and squeeze lemon juice over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 8 minutes. Check for doneness by flaking with a fork.
Grilled Salmon on a Bed of Black Lentils with Baby Artichokes
1 tbsp olive oil
½ onion peeled and chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 cup black lentils, rinsed
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Vegetable stock or water
Sea salt and pepper
½ cup peeled and diced tomato
12 baby artichokes, washed
1 lemon halved
1 small onion, julienned (cut into long thin strips)
1 roasted red pepper, julienned
4 salmon fillets (6-7 oz) each
In a large saucepan, heat ½ tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, lentils, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to the sauce pan and add enough vegetable stock to cover. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender but not mushy. Add more liquid during cooking if necessary. Drain the lentils, if any liquid is left over, when they are cooked. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool. Fold in the tomato.
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim the tough outer leaves from the outside of the artichokes and cut the tops off, leaving flat top. Rub with lemon. Cook artichokes in the water until tender (pierce with fork). Drain and set aside. Heat ½ tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft. Add red peppers and artichokes in pan and sauté lightly. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Season the salmon fillets with sea salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes per side in a heavy skillet over high heat until desired doneness. To serve, put a bed of black lentils in center of the plate. Arrange 3 artichokes per plate, and place some of the onions and red peppers around the edge of the plate. Place salmon on top and garnish with lentils.
Crock Pot Chicken with Herb Rub
One 3-4 pound roasting chicken
Herb Rub: 1 tsp of the following herbs mixed together: thyme, rosemary, oregano, seasoning salt (msg free) and sea salt.
Rinse chicken under cold water, remove any giblets and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl combine herb rub ingredients. Rub the mixture on the top and bottom of the chicken. Place in roaster or crock pot for 3-4 hours at 225º F. Bones can be saved by freezing to make a bone broth at a later date.
Mushroom Avocado Italian Sausage Scramble
Serves 3
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup diced onion
2 cups sliced brown or white mushrooms
2 small diced zucchini
1 package of Apple Gate Farms Organic Sweet Italian Poultry Sausage (4 links)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh basil or 2 teaspoon dried basil
1 diced ripe avocado
Heat olive oil over medium heat in skillet. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and zucchini. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add sausage, black pepper, and basil and sauté until heated through, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Garnish with avocado and serve hot.
Lamb Stew
1 pound of lamb stew meat (grass-fed from farmer’s market is best)
5 small red potatoes, chunked
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced (one inch long pieces)
Season with herb rub: 1 tsp of the following herbs mixed together: thyme, rosemary, oregano, seasoning salt (msg free) and sea salt.
Combine all ingredients and make sure the herb rub is mixed in well. Place in a crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours until meat is cooked through and potatoes are soft.
Super Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast (Grass-Fed)
3 lb frozen grass-fed beef chuck or arm roast
3 cups burgundy wine
1 thinly sliced onion
1 beef or vegetable bullion
1 tbsp Worchester sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
Toss all the ingredients including the frozen grass fed beef chuck in a crock pot set on low and cook all day (about 8 hours or more). Enjoy with a side salad.
