Sauteed Broccoli with Sundried Tomatoes

(Makes 3-4 Servings)

• 4 sundried tomatoes
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into florets
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Sea salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

MARINATE YOUR SUNDRIED TOMATOES. Chop your sundried tomatoes and place them into a small bowl. Juice large lemon and add to the sundried tomatoes. Allow the sundried tomatoes to marinate for 10-15 minutes to allow them to soften and absorb the lemon.

PREPARE YOUR BROCCOLI AND GARLIC. Chop your broccoli into bite-sized florets. Wash thoroughly in a colander. Set to the side. Mince your garlic.

SAUTÉ THE GARLIC AND BROCCOLI. Add 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a pan and allow it to heat up over low heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic. Allow the garlic to slowly cook in the warm oil for 2 to 3 minutes. When the garlic is fragrant and translucent, add the broccoli florets. Toss broccoli in the garlic and oil until fully coated.

ADD THE SUNDRIED TOMATO MIXTURE. Once the broccoli is coated in the garlic and oil, add the sundried tomato mixture, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss. Allow the broccoli to steam for 2 to 3 minutes, but be sure to leave al dente (firm and nearly raw to retain vital nutrients). At the end, I love to squeeze a little extra lemon over top! So delicious! Buon Appetito Sauteed Broccoli with Sundried Tomatoes! 

Makes 2 servings

FOR THE SPRING VEGETABLE NORI WRAPS:

• 4 nori sheets
• Pumpkin seed pate
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 cup fermented purple cabbage
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1/4 cup sprouts
• 1 small cucumber, sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1-inch of ginger, shredded
• hot pepper, chopped (optional)

For the LEMON GINGER DIPPING SAUCE:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1TBSP ginger, finely grated
• Sea salt to taste Black pepper to taste

PREPARE YOUR DRESSING:

Add Dijon mustard, liquid sweetener, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk until well incorporated. Set Aside.

ASSEMBLE YOUR WRAPS. Lay out a nori sheet on a clean, dry surface. Layer the pate and vegetables about 1 inch away from one of the sides. ROLL THE WRAPS. Take the 1-inch side and roll the nori sheet towards the opposite end. Try to roll it as tight as possible without tearing the nori sheet. When you roll the nori sheet to the end,  place a drop of water on the end tips to keep it closed. Slice the wraps into one-inch pieces. Serve with lemon mustard dressing… and BUON APPETITO!!

What is the lymphatic system and why should you care?

Do you experience chronic illness? Do you struggle with unexplainable acute symptoms rising at times? Is your immune system weakened? Do you feel sluggish, toxic?

Though often overlooked and misunderstood, many consider the lymphatic system to be even 2x more important than even our arterial blood supply system. Why? In your body you have 3x more lymphatic fluid than blood, and this lymphatic fluid is in charge of eliminating cellular wastes from your body. The lymphatic system works closely with the immune system to remove toxins, wastes, pathogens and even rogue cancer cells from the body. Healthy lymphatic drainage then is not only paramount during a detox program, it’s important for overall health and well-being.

Your lymphatic system does not have it’s own pump. Your lymphatic system requires you to move, it requires you to cause muscle contraction to move the lymph. This is why physical activity is essential for creating great health. Walking, running, biking, swimming are all great options, but the one considered the best fitness activities for supporting the lymphatic and immune systems is rebounding. Many health enthusiasts, including success guru Anthony Robbins rebounds everyday.

A rebounder—a mini-trampoline, is revered as best because it moves the lymph through the G-Force pull (the pull away from gravity) on every cell and tissue in the body, including the cerebral spinal fluid. By bouncing up and down on a rebounder, you literally pump the flow of lymph through what are normally one-way channels. This action produces a powerful detoxifying benefit beyond any other “horizontal” fitness practice you can do because of the vertical, force-flow of lymph fluid.  Rebounders are available at most sports stores, but the premier one to note is Bellicon, which is only available at their website.

7 Tips to Move Your Lymph:

1. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water everyday
2. Add citrus, preferably lemon or lime to your water or to dress your salad
3. Add ginger and turmeric root to your teas, your smoothies and juices
4. Include lots of leafy greens
5. Experiment with different adaptogenic herbs, like rhodiola, Fo Ti Tieng, and Siberian Maral Root
6. Add sea vegetables to all your meals
7. And my favorite personal care practice to support healthy lymphatic drainage: Dry brushing. Dry brushing not only removes dead skin cells from our body, it reduces cellulite and activates waste removal by releasing toxins via our lymph nodes.

Take action to produce results. If we do not take action, our goals are just dreams. To harness your power, get off of the bleachers and onto the court of your life, and begin with at least one action. Darren Hardy of Success Magazine calls this the compound effect. Lao Tzu, the ancient Taoist philosopher and author of one of the oldest Sacred texts, the Tao Te Ching, said it best, “Every journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.” One small step leads to two, to three and so on and before you know it, you’ve made progress in an area of life that is very important to you, an area that was likely once only a dream.
I offer up a very simple but powerful “Anthony Robbins exercise” to get you started. As soon as you wake up in the morning, jump out of bed, put your sneakers on and head out for an early morning walk. As you briskly walk, repeat with conviction and excitement, “All I need is within me now… All I need is within me now.”

Develop on this in a way that empowers you, like “All the love I need is within me now,” or “All the strength I need is within me now,” etc. Say it. Sing it. Scream it! The act of moving and saying these words repetitively and with conviction, feel it in your bones as you repeat these phrases, has a powerful effect on our subconscious mind. This simple exercise is a straight up state changer and will shift your energy and mood on a dime! This one simple exercise, by shifting your state, can set the stage for many other life-changing decisions. Repeat your incantation with an 8 count breath over and over, and if your anything like me, your words may soon turn sing-song, because your adrenaline will start really pumping!  Playfulness alone alters our state, and adds yet another whole level of freedom and fun! … All I need is within me NOW! ALL I need is within me now! ALL I need is within me now! Play with it. Have fun to CREATE your life!

“It is in moments of decision that destiny is shaped.” ~Anthony Robbins