RECIPE: HEALTHY CHILI

After being spoiled by quite a few days of warm weather, it looks like we have a chilly upcoming week in New York, and what's better than an excuse to make one last chili (no pun intended) batch of the season? I have been adjusting this recipe for years, and here is my current incarnation. The great thing about chili is that you can throw nearly anything in there--or omit anything, for that matter--and it still feels like an indulgent comfort food. That includes the turkey, so just omit for a vegan/vegetarian version. I love this opportunity to use lots of healthy, antioxidant rich veggies and spices. With the rainbow of peppers, squash and tomatoes, it looks pretty damn beautiful in the bowl. This makes a huge pot, I usually freeze half and have about 6-8 bowls worth of the unfrozen half. The leftovers definitely get even better over time. No worries if you're missing a few of the ingredients, or if you're a terrible cook--it's hard to screw this one up. All ingredients are organic and can be found at Whole Foods.

  • 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
  • 1 large green pepper, diced
  • 1 large red pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 orange pepper, diced
  • 1 zucchini squash, diced
  • 1 yellow squash, diced
  • 3 tablespoons pickled jalepeno, minced
  • 2-3 tablespoons finely grated fresh turmeric root (optional)
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground organic, pasture-raised turkey  
  • 2 tbsp granulated onion
  • 2 tbsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tbsp chili powder (omit if you don't like it spicy, or add another for extra heat)
  • 2 tbsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2-3 tablespoons jalapeno juice from jar (leave out for mild chili)
  • ½ cup chicken or beef stock
  • 2 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, with juice
  • 2 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, with juice
  • ½ cup red wine 
  • 1 avocado

In large stock pot over high heat, heat oil. Add peppers, squash, jalapeno, onion and grated turmeric (if using) and cook until onions caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add turkey and stir gently. Cook until turkey is slightly browned and cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cacao, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in wine, juice and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2-4 hours. Add 1 additional tbsp tomato paste if soupy (though it will thicken when refrigerated), or more broth if too thick. If desired, stir in several more tablespoons of wine and 1 additional tablespoon cacao/cocoa several minutes before serving, and add sliced avocado on top if desired.

 

HEALTHY EATING WHILE TRAVELING

One of the most important ways to stay healthy when traveling is bringing food along with you. To be very clear: I under no circumstances advocate missing a once in a lifetime meal, whether it's a gluttonous churrascaria in Rio or elaborate tasting menu in Paris. And please don't bring a packet of organic chia seeds to add to your Michelin star dinner. You're traveling, and experiencing incredible food is an invaluable way to experience a culture. 

That being said: you're going to feel like crap eating bacon and pain au chocolat for a week straight in place of a nutritious breakfast. I find breakfast the easiest place to have a healthy meal while traveling, as you can make sure to get a good meal in before you even leave your hotel. A favorite combo of mine that's easy to bring along is oatmeal, almond butter, and chia seeds---all you need is hot water, some local fruit and maybe some scavenged granola and you're set with an amazing power breakfast. You can even do this on the plane! I love theJustin's Almond Butter because it comes in a one time use package and a variety of amazing flavors (maple is perfection). Nature's Path Flax Plus oatmeal is low in sugar and has added flaxseed for omega-3's and fiber, and The Chia Company has the option of a travel-friendly sized package. Another great find (thanks Thrive Market) is the powdered Native Forest Coconut Milk Powder pictured above--add to water to elevate oatmeal or coffee. I also like to bring along some green tea bags, which is a great, nourishing replacement for a daily cup of coffee--the love notes on Yogi Tea bags are kind of the grownup equivalent of a note from mom in your lunchbox. 

Another important area for improvement is snacking. I like to stick a few organic apples in both my carry-on and checked bag, as they are a hearty fruit that can take some luggage-jostling. In the packaged food category, these Cacao Goji Power Snacks from Navitas are absolutely amazing. I actually have to ration them from Jeremy, unsupervised he will go through a bag in 10 minutes. Runner up is the Go Raw Sweet Spirulina Bites. Both snacks are packed with antioxidants and a very healthy, nourishing ingredient list. Trail mix and goji berries are also easy to bring along, and almonds and pistachios are usually available at a local market if you need something in a pinch. I'm usually not an advocate of nutrition bars, but these Boundless Nutrition Oatmega bars are great for someone who doesn't eat much meat (note: they have fish sources of omegas and are not vegetarian). These can be very helpful as a supplement if you're picky about your animal protein. It can certainly be hard to find trustworthy/reliable animal protein sources while traveling, and these are packed with protein and omega-3s--essential for keeping your glow.

 

RECIPE: MIXED BERRY PARFAIT

This is an antioxidant and omega-3 packed recipe inspired by the decadent parfait at Butcher's Daughter. The coconut yogurt includes the same amazing probiotics as regular yogurt, without the dairy infamous for causing inflammation and adult hormonal acne.

Ingredients 6 oz. plain, dairy free coconut yogurt (such as SO Delicious) / 1/3 cup gluten free granola (Purely Elizabeth blueberry hemp is my granola of choice) / 2 tbsp ground flax / 2 tbsp chia seeds / 1-2 diced dried apricot / 2 tbsp goji berries / 1/2 cup mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, because...no slicing necessary) 

Instructions Simple: layer the granola on top of the yogurt, and sprinkle with flax, chia, apricots and goji. Top with berries. Perfect for breakfast or a snack at any time of day. Enjoy!

 

THE PILLARS OF NUTRITION FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Luckily, eating for pretty skin is also incredible for your overall health. After a lot of research, I am in the midst of a skin detox and through the years have learned quite a few ways to eat for clear and glowy skin. The basic principles of this are upping your intake of water, omega-3's, and antioxidants, and lessening your intake of inflammatories such as sugars, refined carbohydrates, dairy and red meat. Here's a bit on what you SHOULD eat.

Omega-3's Omega-3's help build and maintain your skin's cell membranes, which helps fight against both short-term and long-term skin damage (dullness and wrinkles, respectively). By doing so, they also improve the water retention of the cells, making your skin more plump and (duh) glowy. The best sources are fish--wild salmon, arctic char, oysters, caviar/roe, tuna, and mackerel are all spectacular choices. Oily, cold water fish have the highest omega-3 content, and it is the same types of omega-3s naturally produced by our bodies (DHA and EPA). Alternatively, ALA sources of omega-3's--the type produced by plants and seeds--include chia seeds, flaxseed, avocado, walnuts, almonds, coconut oil, and omega-3 fortified eggs. Both are great building blocks to a glowy diet--no need to get worked up if you don't eat fish.

Antioxidants Free radicals cause your skin to oxidize--think of the browning of an apple or avocado when it's insides are left to the elements. Antioxidants lessen the rate of oxidation--similar to how coating a cut apple with lemon juice prevents or lessens this browning process. Similar to the apple, a buildup of oxidants on our skin leads to dullness and wrinkles. Let's try and slow their roll. Great sources of antioxidants include green tea (matcha heaven), berries (straw, blue, rasp, black, goji, mul, golden), citrus fruits, pomegranate, dark leafy greens, red wine and dark chocolate (in moderation, of course...). In the powdered-astronaut-food category, spirulina, lucuma, cacao, camu camu and maca are powerful superfoods that are easy to blend into smoothies.

Water We're all sick of being told to drink more water. But when we are dehydrated, it means our epidermal cells are dehydrated too. Try this: drink a gallon of water through the day (16 eight ounce glasses) and look at your skin when you wake up the next day. Your lips will be plumper, fine lines smoother. "Challenge accepted!" --B. Stinson. You will be making more bathroom runs than is socially acceptable, but you and your bladder will, to an extent, get used to it. It's a muscle after all. Set a reasonable goal--mine is two of the comically large (1.5 liter) Smart Water bottles, plus two cups of green tea and/or an almond matcha latte. Yes, tea and almond milk count! 14 eight ounce glasses. Any more is a bonus, and I try to beat that number every day so I feel like I'm winning. Huzzah! The ideal way to kick off your day is with 16 oz of hot water with a squeeze of fresh lemon and maybe a pinch of cayenne (admittedly, I am really bad about this). A glass water bottle is also best, if you're a perfectionist. Use a tracker app on your phone--I like Daily Water. Happy hydrating!