Get your day off to a healthy start with an easy Wild Oats Start Your Day Smoothie that is perfect for busy days. This delicious smoothie will give you a quick boost to get you off on the right track!

Total Time: 10 min

Serves: One

Two frozen bananas without peels
Two heaping spoonfuls of Almond Butter
One handful of Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Whole Flax Seed
2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Instructions Step By Step

1. Combine all ingredients in a large blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve in large glass.

Umami is most recently added fifth taste sensation in the mouth. There are different ways we taste; our tongues can detect salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami in the foods we eat.

Not only is it fun to say the word “umami”, to me, it’s the most tantalizing taste sensation. Foods rich in umami are not healthier than foods in the other taste categories; it’s just personal preference. There are nutritious foods in all of the categories, but because umami foods are my favorite, I feel most satisfied when I eat them as opposed to sweet, salty, and bitter foods. And, I tend to eat less when I choose umami foods because I feel satisfied after just a few bites. You may feel more satisfied eating foods in other taste categories.

What is “umami” you ask? Here’s a rundown:

-It forms “pleasant savory taste” in the mouth

-Glutamate is an amino acid that creates umami taste. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, so naturally protein foods produce the umami sensation.

-Some common, nutritious umami sensation foods are: Parmesan cheese, proteins like chicken, beef, pork and seafood, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and seaweed.

For more information, please visit the Umami Information Center.

Fiber, fiber, fiber… We’re told to get as much as we can into our diet. We’re told it’s good for our heart, will help control our weight and might even help prevent disease. But what is it, where do I get it and exactly how much do I need?! Are you confused about fiber, too?

Well, this is what I’ve found out about this not-so-mysterious dietary necessity. Dietary fiber is the indigestible material in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and most whole grains. Unlike vitamins, minerals, protein, fats, and other carbohydrates found in food, fiber is not broken down and absorbed by the body, but passes through the digestive system unchanged, and helps the body eliminate waste products.

Fiber is great if you’re dieting because it can help you feel fuller, longer. But, fiber is essential, whether you’re dieting or not. Because of the way it is used by the body, fiber is helpful for controlling blood sugar levels, which can help manage diabetes. Fiber is also the substance that helps move food through your gut. Without it, you get constipated, which is not only uncomfortable, but down right dangerous! (If you doubt this, just read about how Elvis died!)

There are two types of fiber. Soluble and insoluble. They are both necessary for proper digestion, and can come from the same source, but don’t always come from the same source. Kinda like a little dietary puzzle for you to solve on a daily basis.

The best explanation I’ve ever heard of how to tell the difference betweens soluble and insoluble fiber is (drum roll please!) —an apple. Yup, that old adage about eating an apple a day is spot on. An apple contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, so it is the perfect example of what to eat.

The skin or peel of an apple contains insoluble fiber, which doesn’t get fully digested when eaten. Insoluble fiber is found in the tough skins of foods like potatoes, apples, brans and seeds. It is important because insoluble fiber helps to keep things moving along in your digestive tract, preventing constipation.

The sweet, juicy flesh of an apple contains soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is a gummy substance that attracts water in the intestine and swells, becoming dense. It slows the passage of food through the digestive tract and actually helps to soak up LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which can help control heart disease and stroke risk, as well as control blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber is found in foods like oat bran, whole grains, fruits and veggies.

These two types of fiber work together to keep your digestion running smoothly (Haha pun fully intended!) So it’s important to get enough of each type of fiber each day. The best strategy for getting enough fiber is to eat a variety of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

Although fiber can be found in supplements, it’s best to try to get most of your daily requirement of 20-35 grams from whole foods.

Some good fiber-rich food choices are:

Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas

Fruits and vegetables

Brown rice

Dried beans

Oatmeal

Popcorn

Getting more fiber is definitely the healthy choice, but don’t suddenly jump on the fiber bandwagon and ramp up your intake all at once. Go slowly, gradually increasing your fiber each day to prevent side effects like diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and gas.

Adding fiber to your diet is a good idea. It can help you feel full, regulate your digestion and help prevent disease. So, now that you know all the fiber facts, there’s no reason to be confused. You can start reaping all the health benefits of fiber today.

Swiss chard has long been a European thing. It is a mainstay of most Mediterranean diets. However, in America, it has found a modest following at best, despite its unique and appealing flavor, along with remarkable health benefits that rate behind only the mighty spinach.

Found in the leafy-green produce section, Swiss chard’s large leaves can present themselves as seemingly tough to deal with in the kitchen. In reality, it is a quick cut-and-cook vegetable item of the highest order, lending itself to speedy, high-impact meals.

Lightly blanched in salted olive oil, topped with butter and a sprinkling of vinegar is all it takes to plate chard in just a few minutes. It can also be served raw; cut into smaller pieces. Raw chard presents well with a few twists of ground pepper, a small pinch of salt and a mild raspberry vinaigrette.

The phytonutrient load in chard is reflected in its often vibrant coloration, ranging from various shades of greens on the leafy part to an array of reds, purples and yellows in the stalk and veins. The more colorful the chard, the higher its nutrient content. When selecting, look for Swiss chard that is firm and vibrantly colored. Avoid leaves that are wilted or drably colored.

The phytonutrients in Swiss chard are just about off the charts. World’s Healthiest Foods website (www.whfoods.com) list Swiss chard bennies as blood sugar regulation, antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory properties and even bone health.

On the vitamin front, a single cup of Swiss chard provides over 700% of your daily needs for vitamin K and over 200% of daily vitamin A needs.

Flavorwise, chard has been duly likened to a toss-up between celery and spinach, though chard’s taste elements rate as moderate to strong. For this reason it is often cut into small pieces for serving. The entire leaves can be stuffed and wrapped around the likes of herbed rice.

Its strong taste presence also makes chard an excellent addition to soups and, in Cajun country, gumbos. When used as such, the wide-chopped chard is often cooked for much longer periods than in fast-preps. While chard readily adapts to longer, slower cooking, its flavor then becomes instilled in the soup; the chard itself assumes a far more passive taste role.

As a way to get more Swiss chard into one’s daily diet, medicalnewstoday.com suggests:

• Add a handful of fresh Swiss chard to an omelet or scrambled eggs
• Throw a handful of Swiss chard into a fresh juice or smoothie before you blend
• Sauté Swiss chard in a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Eat as a side dish or as a topping on your baked potato
• Add Swiss chard to your salad, wrap, sandwich or flatbread.

This Easter weekend, I’m fortunate enough to have family in town, which means an opportunity for holiday traditions to come to the fore. Together, we spent a day concocting natural dyes and bejeweling eggs for a new twist on an old favorite. If you are a fan of all that glitters, check out these tips to bring some bling to your DIY.

What You’ll Need:

• Raw Eggs (as many as you want, and then a few to spare in case of breakage)
• Drying Rack (check out this how-to to make your own)
• Paper towels
• Tongs or a Slotted Spoon
• White Vinegar
• Measuring Cup
• Plastic Bowls (1 per dye)
• Pots (1 per dye)
• 1 head of red cabbage
• 3-6 red onions, for skin
• 2 tbsp. Wild Oats Organic Ground Turmeric
• Jewel decals, beads, faux pearls of your choice (available at any craft store)
• Either a hot glue gun & glue, or craft glue and q-tips

If you prefer blown eggs to boiled, you will also need a needle and patience (or a drill and a baby aspirator, according to these tips & tricks). The benefit of this extra step is an objet d’art that you can keep long term.

To Make the Dyes:

First: Protect your workspace! These natural dyes are just as potent as their chemical counterparts, and you will be glad of some surface protection should you happen to splash some turmeric on your tile or spill cabbage dye on your wood counter.

Light Blue:

• ½ head purple cabbage, chopped
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

Bring water to a boil, add cabbage. Let simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Strain liquid, add vinegar. Let cool to room temperature before using.

Lavender or Green (depending on soak time):

• Skins from 3-6 red onions
• 3-4 cups water
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

Place skins in pot, add water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain liquid, add vinegar. Let cool before use.

Yellow:

• 4 tbsp. Wild Oats Organic Ground Turmeric
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

Boil water, add turmeric. Let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain, add vinegar, stir. Let cool before use.

Once your dyes and eggs have cooled, it’s time to soak your eggs. The blue eggs benefit from longer soak times, which deliver a richer color. This is also true for the yellow eggs, which deepen over time. For green eggs, short soaks (check after 10 minutes) in the onion-skin dye do the trick; leave them longer and they will turn lavender.

Once your eggs have turned the desired shade, move them to the drying rack. Let them dry completely. Set up your crafting station- glue, gems, and anything else that suits your fancy. When your eggs are dry, use the glue gun or a q-tip topped with craft glue to apply the gem decals in the design of your choice. From Fabergé to fabulous, and even feathered-there is no shortage of design inspiration available.