The SENSA Challenge is ON!

During a recent interview with “The Insider,” Millionaire Matchmaker, Patti Stanger challenged Kevin Frazier, host of the popular entertainment news show, to use SENSA and “turn his one pack into a 6-pack by summer” and Kevin accepted her challenge.  He’s not the only one stepping up to sprinkle away the pounds!  Co-Executive Producer, Linda Fuller and her daughter, along with Producers Jama Suchomel (who has already lost over 11lbs!), Chris Clark and Whitney and Ben Wallace all signed up for the challenge and started blogging about their SENSA experiences on TheInsider.com.  Their blog posts show their dedication and determination to get beach ready by Summer!

Patti Stanger was the motivation behind Kevin and the Insider crew trying SENSA.  The former “curvy girl” has gone from a size 8 to a size 2, losing 30 pounds with SENSA and she loves to shout it from the rooftops!  Check out this video of Patti Stanger and Kevin Frazier as Patti explains how SENSA works and how it has forever changed her life!

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Before SENSA, my lifetime was filled with many diet plans and hopes for a life free of counting calories, weighting food, depriving myself of food I enjoy and hiding in the closet to make sure I ate without looking as bad as I felt about the failure I had become through dieting.  At 175 pounds, wearing a size 14, my health was suffering everyday.  This wasn’t just about me anymore; I was a wife of 45 years and a grandmother rearing her three grandchildren. I needed not only my weight off but energy and good health to keep up with this wonderful family I had in my care.

After using SENSA for 7 months, I have lost 45 pounds and maintained that weight-loss for over 2 years now!  My cravings are completely gone, my appetite has been cut in half, and I have learned portion control.

Since SENSA took my weight off, my body has stopped hurting and my energy level is running at top speed. SENSA has become a helpful tool to give me the power and ability to control how much I eat but eat what I want. SENSA took my desire for unhealthy eating and replaced it with an insatiable hunger for healthy food.

My life has changed, my spirit has lifted and I am grateful to SENSA for giving me my life back. I can now enjoy buying clothes, looking at myself in the mirror, playing with my family and being a role model for my grandchildren in healthy eating and carrying myself with pride. I also have been given the opportunity to reach out to others and point them toward SENSA through the Coach Miriam program and by appearing on ShopNBC to spread the SENSA love.   My life has become a walking testimony!  SENSA continues to be my bridge to a more fulfilling life!

If you have also found SENSA has changed your life and you have met your weight loss goal, the SENSA team would love to hear from you!  Email me at  coachmiriam@sensa.com and tell me about your SENSAtional journey!  I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Hi Sensa Family!  My name is Wendy and I have lost 118 lbs since Feb 2009 with SENSA and I am maintaining smoothly now!  I get asked a lot about tips for starting SENSA, so here are my top 10 favorites.  I hope they help you!

1. Cut back on sodas slowly but faithfully. Not cold turkey, just make the effort to have fewer and try to get to 1 or none in a few weeks. Also keep alcohol, fancy coffees and energy drinks in their place. It is ok to have them from time to time, but realize they are high calorie and have no nutrients to speak of, so they are the truly empty calories. If you going to have them, remember to drink extra water before and after them.

2. Drink all the water you can and try to keep track of it as best you can to see if you can get 64+ oz a day. I generally shoot for 80 or oz. (please note 64 oz of water is 4lbs, so expect minor fluctuations in weight and do not fret over minor gains, you can’t always use ever drop of that water every day.)

3. Read labels. Not for general nutrition info at first, just serving sizes. Even junk food has serving size… and if you are going to eat it, then try to eat only a serving size and put Sensa on it and then see if you really need more or if just having some of it is enough.

4. Eat the healthiest foods you LIKE! Not ones you don’t like. And try to convert some favorite recipes to healthier ones. I didn’t make too much effort in this area at first, but I do now. Also try to keep the sodium down, salty foods will cause you to retain water the next day or two even.

5. Pick and choose your splurges carefully and always keep the ending goal in sight. Just a few splurging meals back to back can set you back a week, (or more) and are they really worth that… it is just food.

6. Take body measurements and pictures along with your start weight and recheck them regularly, especially if the scale doesn’t seem to be moving all the time and it won’t at times, but that doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made. I lost 70 lbs the 1st 12 Months of Sensa, I lost less than 25 lbs the 2nd 12 Months, but during the same time frame - I lost 2 dress sizes and gained muscle tone, so progress isn’t only defined by the scale!

7. If you WANT to start exercising, start slow and easy. Don’t hurt yourself or your self esteem by trying something outside your skill set. Walking and getting in more steps per day is the easiest way to start for most people.

8. Use smaller plates at home and cut restaurant meals in half when dining out (put in a To-Go box before eating). You don’t have to order the healthiest thing on the menu. Pick your favorite main dish item and try to pick a healthier side maybe or cut back drastically on the appetizers and desserts. You want to enjoy some of your favorite foods if dining out, just make smaller splurges.

9. Try to eat your evening meal as early in the evening as possible. It helps with your sleep and weight-loss. If you have to eat late, make the effort to eat “light” at that meal. I don’t buy into “eating late causes weight gain”, but the weight of the food at a late meal will most likely still be with you come morning, because the body hasn’t fully used the meal either. An 8 oz steak is half a pound… before you add your sides and drink weight/volume, so being up .5 a pound the next day isn’t “fat weight” you have gained overnight, it can just be food you haven’t digested fully or (eliminated from your system…sorry, TMI, I know.)

 10. Last but certainly not least use your SENSA on everything!!!! Even small portions or fixed amounts of food should still be sprinkled, to help you feel satisfied until the next meal!

I hope you find these tips helpful.

Good Luck!

Wendy

If I knew how fierce I was going to be 35 pounds ago, I would’ve found SENSA sooner!  Seriously, so many doors have opened for me since I’ve lost weight!  I’m feeling the healthiest I’ve ever felt, plus I can rock couture dresses without feeling self-conscious.  I’m lookin’ good and feeling good!

Recently, I got a chance to show off my SENSAtional figure and meet my awesome fans at the GNC store at Santa Monica Place.  Talk about some good shopping!  I got to hang out with the SENSA crew, along with their sexy SENSAFit Trainers…HOT!!  

I think people would think that my fans were young, single women in their early to late 20′s, but I was pleasantly surprised to find men and women, young and not so young, in line waiting to shake my hand and take a picture with me…..who knew!

Not only did I get a chance to meet some of my fans, I got to tell them how I lost over 30 pounds with SENSA!  The first 250 fans got a free 2 month starter kit, plus they got to sample it on  yummy mini-cupcakes courtesy of Lady Mason, a Little Bake Shop.

I want to thank SENSA for helping me reach my weight loss goals and connecting me with my fans…I love you all!

XOXO,

Patti Stanger

 SENSA user Sam is on vacation in Italy, a country known for its great food. After losing 20 lbs he’s now using SENSA to maintain his weight, but can he do it when he’s surrounded by pizza and pasta?!

“Mangia, mangia!” ["Eat, eat!"]

These are words commonly heard upon entering any Italian household. And when you hear them, grab a fork and brace yourself.

I quickly learned eating is more of a command than a casual offering here in Italy.  Not that I’m complaining.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I was excited to dig into whatever was thrown at me – and in most cases, it quite nearly is thrown. My first night was a blur of pasta, meatballs, cheese, bread and wine. It would have kept coming too had I not learned to say “Basta!”  [“Enough!”] to what would have been my third serving of meatballs.

It was a food lover’s dream!

But I was quickly brought back to reality when I felt my stomach pressing against my noticeably tighter belt. That’s when I realized I had forgotten to sprinkle my SENSA!

Turns out my body was saying “Basta!” way before I managed to spit it out. I knew if I kept eating this much at every meal, the 20 lbs I lost over the last 2 years would make an ugly comeback.

I asked my Italian friend what their secret was to weight maintenance. His response: “Have a bite of everything, a tiny bit. Then while still delighted you’ll find all the energies to live fully.  Add plenty of delicious vegetable dishes as well.”

Turns out they eat what they want; they just know how to balance it all out.

Sam sprinkling his gelato

Something I’ve noticed is that both American and Italian cultures love food, but in different ways.  Italians have a true passion for creating and sharing their food while Americans are more food-obsessed. For example, I have yet to see a fast-food commercial on Italian TV, whereas I can’t escape the Hardee’s and McDonald’s commercials on American television.  We are inundated with images of delicious ready-made meals day in and day out, so who can blame us for wanting food so cheap and convenient?

Thankfully I brought SENSA with me so that I can mangia now without regretting it later.

Like my Italian friend said, the best way to live is with a bite of everything

Linda won 3rd place in the Community Guest Blogger Contest for her inspiring story!  Read on to find out how SENSA has changed her life…

My name is Linda and I am 61 years old. I have a daughter 40 and a son 36. They have no memory of having a slim, healthy mother. I have shown them pictures, but they can’t believe what they have never known. Last year I heard my grand daughter telling a friend of her mother’s that if you don’t exercise then you look like Grandma. Wow, what a wakeup call! I have tried so many diet programs that said I had to eat less and not eat this thing or that thing and lost a little weight with most of them, but when I couldn’t sustain it and started eating whatever again, I always gained it all back plus extra.

I had despaired that I would ever lose weight and keep it off, but I could choose to move more than I was. Then I kept seeing these ads for SENSA on TV.  I thought that this was a product that couldn’t possibly work.  Just sprinkle your food and lose weight?  Yeah, right. Still I thought, what did I have to lose?  Ok so the money was a big deal, but getting healthy out-weighed (no pun intended) that for me.  So I took a big deep breath and took the plunge and ordered.
The first day when I sprinkled the first meal, a bowl of cereal, and found that I could not finish it, I was amazed. The next thing I noticed was that my sweet tooth was diminished a lot. On a normal day, I would have had a candy bar and maybe a cookie or two. Suddenly, I just didn’t need that all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I still have them, sprinkled of course, but they aren’t a consuming need anymore. After about 3 or 4 days, I suddenly decided to exercise and have been doing that most days ever since.

I have been using SENSA for three and a half months and have lost 14 pounds and 10 inches so far. With the support that I receive in the forums on MySensa, I get answers to my questions from other people who have met their goals as well as those who have just started. Whatever my issue is, there is sure to be someone who has had the same issue and can share what they tried that helped them. The tools on the site are a great help too. As I started to use the meal planning tool, I found out that I almost never ate more than 900 calories a day. No wonder I wasn’t losing weight!  This has been the biggest hurdle for me and is why, I think, that I am losing a slower rate than many others. I think I forgot to mention that I have a Thyroid condition and had even been told by more than one doctor that I was never going to be able to lose weight and should just adjust to the idea that I was going to be fat forever.

I joined the SENSA Beach Challenge and used the SENSA Slimmer to get an idea of what I would look like at my goal weight.  This is great motivation!

Thank goodness SENSA came into my life! Now I can see a future where I can be slim and fit again. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore, but I do have a goal that I am working towards and know that if things keep going the way they have been that I will reach my goal in 2012. What a feeling!

To carb or not to carb?  That’s one of the questions that baffles many people trying to lose weight.  With all of the conflicting nutrition info out there, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. In honor of National Nutrition Month, we spoke with board-certified internist Dr. Nancy Zamora – a SENSA® medical advisory board member – to get the truth behind some common nutrition myths.

1) “Carbs cause weight gain.”
Carbs themselves do not cause weight gain. In fact, “your diet should be about 50% carbs, but that should come from complex carbs like whole-wheat pasta, fruit and brown rice, as opposed to simple carbs like sugar, cake and candy,” says Dr. Zamora. “Carbs are digested rapidly and ultimately changed to glucose for energy use.”

That said, Dr. Zamora notes that the glucose you do not use is stored as fat in your body. So if you eat a lot of carbs, you will ultimately store more fat if you don’t burn them off. Ultimately, the key to eating carbs comes down to moderating how much you eat, making sure you go  for the complex carbs, and making sure you at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3-4 times a week.

2) “It’s better to snack throughout the day than have three main meals.”
Contrary to popular belief, snacking throughout the day is not necessarily superior. “There’s no evidence that snacking throughout the day helps you lose more weight than having three main meals,” says Dr. Zamora. Unfortunately, there is no magic number of meals or snacks you should eat per day. It really comes down to your individual eating habits.

On the one hand, if you choose to eat three meals a day, Dr. Zamora notes that waiting too long between meals can cause you to overeat. But so long as you space your meals accordingly, “you can keep your glucose and insulin balanced, as well as your metabolism,” explains Dr. Zamora. Meanwhile, if you prefer to eat five or six smaller meals a day, make sure your meals have no more than 300 or 350 calories, and beware of the tendency to graze mindlessly.

3) “Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.”
Rest assured: It does not matter when you eat but how much you eat. “There are no conclusive studies that indicate that eating late causes weight gain,” says Dr. Zamora. “However, if people eat when they are tired, they sometimes end up eating more and choosing the wrong foods.”

So as long as you keep an eye on nutrition and portion sizes (or use SENSA® to help you do it), you can enjoy a late-night meal or snack without wreaking havoc on your waistline.

4) “Red meat is bad for you.”
According to a recent study that’s been generating lots of buzz, we should all give up red meat entirely. But Dr. Zamora says that you don’t need to cut out all red meat from your diet. “There is an undeniable correlation between red meat and cardiovascular disease, as well as colorectal cancer,” notes Dr. Zamora. “But I do believe that red meat does have some nutritional benefits such as iron, protein and vitamins when it is eaten in moderation.” She recommends consuming a limited amount of red meat, in conjunction with a diet that is balanced with fiber, fruits and vegetables.  Make sure you check with your physician regarding the amount of red meat you are allowed per week.  Overall, if eaten, it should be on a very limited basis.

5) “Fasting can help you lose weight quickly.”
Ignore all of the hype: Fasting is not an effective way to lose weight. Although the number on your scale may slightly go down from it, this is only due to the fact that you’re losing water weight, explains Dr. Zamora. Further, fasting can even slow down your metabolism, so that once you go back to your normal eating habits, you’ll put on weight faster.

Another misconception about fasting is that it cleanses your body of toxins. “Your organs rid your body of toxins and, as long as you take care of your body, your body will take care of you,” says Dr. Zamora. If you eat nutritious foods like vegetables and fruits with phytochemicals, your body will have the ability to do this daily.”

Bottom line: Don’t believe everything you hear! When it comes to weight loss, remember that it all boils down to the age-old mantra of calories in vs. calories out. As with everything in life, moderation is key!  SENSA is a great tool to help you recognize when you need to stop eating, so don’t forget to sprinkle!

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Zamora, M.D., Board Certified Internist

Once you’ve broken through the four to six weeks it takes to form exercise as a habit hopefully you begin to have fun with your workouts and it feels like a natural part of your lifestyle. The next step is maximizing the results of all those sweat sessions.   Most of us know that getting enough sleep is essential and we do what we can to catch those z’s, but we often overlook that the body repairs and strengthens itself between workouts.  These rest and recovery days can also help maintain a better life balance in the home, work and fitness-juggling act.  I always take a minimum of one rest day each week and sometimes up to three.

Here are some of my tips on how to maximize your fitness results through recovery:

Warm Up & Cool Down

I know warming up and cooling down adds a little time to your workout routine but the benefits are worthwhile. Warming up will help prepare your body for activity by increasing blood flow to your muscles and raise your body temperature which can help prevent injuries like muscle pulls.  Conversely cooling down can help reduce the temperature of your muscles and reduce chances of injury and soreness.

How to Warm Up: Start your workout at a reduced pace (for example if you are running start by walking) for five minutes followed by a brisker pace for another five minutes.

How to Cool Down:  Cooling down is similar to warming up except reverse the effort level, for five minutes slow your pace to about half the activity intensity, followed by an easy-easy pace for the second five minutes.

Hydration

Losing too much fluid during exercise will negatively effect performance and hinder the minds ability to focus.  Sweating is necessary to help cool the body, but replacing the fluid, minerals and electrolytes lost through perspiration is essential in performance as well as recovery.  Just plain water is sufficient in short durations of exercise (under 45-60 minutes).  Aim to consume a cup every 15-20 minutes.  Drink early and often, if you wait until you are thirsty it’s too late!  Keep in mind it is possible consume too much water and throw off your bodies’ sodium levels, it’s a condition called Hyponatremia and can be read more about here.

Electrolytes

The body sweats out a lot more than just water!  Electrolyte minerals sodium, potassium and magnesium are needed for a variety of processes in the body from nerve transmission to nutrient transport.  During longer workouts (an hour or more) I highly recommend using a sports drink that contains these electrolytes to replenish the body by counteracting the effects of sweating.  Unfortunately it is difficult to restore fluid and electrolytes as rapidly as they are lost during exercise so it is necessary to continue drinking after your workouts. One of my favorite electrolyte drinks and a natural option is ice cold coconut water.

Post Workout Recovery Nutrition

After exercise, the sooner you can begin to replenish muscle glycogen the better.  Immediately following exercise the muscle cells are much more receptive to insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting glucose through the body.  The body can synthesize glycogen two to three times faster post exercise than other times.  An ideal nutrition combination to consume after a workout is a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein/amino acids ratio to aid muscle proteins to rebuild with efficiency.  For example a 160-lb person would consume 160 grams of carbohydrate and 40 grams of protein after a tough workout.  I realize most of us are not hungry right after a workout, so consider a recovery sports drink.

Stretching

The benefits of stretching have mixed results, some studies show it helps improve athletic performance and decrease risk of injury and others show that stretching has little to no benefit.  I have found that as long as my body is warmed up and I begin each stretch gradually it improves my flexibility and decreases injuries.

Myofascial Release & Massage

Massages are amazing, but generally not something we can get often.   Self myofascial release therapy like massage is a way to reduce pain, unlock tightness and rehabilitate a range of injuries.  Click here for instructions on self myofascial release exercises. You will need a foam roller which can be found at sports medicine or physical therapy supply stores.  I also love the Trigger Point line of products.

Icing & Ice baths

Icing areas that are sore/painful or taking the plunge into an ice water bath for 12 to 15 minutes is a way to recover faster, reduce muscle pain and soreness after an intense workout.  The theory behind it is that tough workouts cause microtrauma (tiny tears) in the muscle fiber, which stimulates cell activity and puts the body in repair mode making it stronger.  Ice baths constrict blood vessels, flush waste products and reduce swelling and tissue breakdown.  After icing when the body is rushing to warm itself up the blood flow in sped up and in turn improves the healing process.  Basically the more blood flow the better!

Hot Epsom Salt Baths

Epsom salt is a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate.  Studies have shown both of these minerals are easily absorbed through the skin, hence the hot bath.  Magnesium helps reduce inflammation helping muscle and nerve function.  Sulfate improves the absorption of nutrients and flush toxins.  The best part is Epsom Salt is super affordable and can be found at any drug store.   To use fill up your bathtub as hot as you can handle and add two cups of Epsom Salt, stir to dissolve, relax for 15 minutes, hydrate during and after.  You should definitely be sweating!

Active Recovery

After a hard workout it seems like complete rest is the best way to promote recovery, however active recovery (low-intensity exercise done in the days following an intense workout) is shown to assist blood circulation and speed muscle recovery.  Keep in mind ‘LOW’ intensity when actively recovering!

Always listen to your body’s signals and consult your physician prior to trying any new exercises.

Building recovery time into your training program is important because this is the time your body adapts to the stress of exercise.  Your body replenishes energy stores and repairs damaged tissues.  I know ‘damaged tissues’ sounds horrible, but it’s actually the process of how your body gets stronger.  Physical work breaks down muscle tissue, depletes glycogen stores and causes fluid loss.  Through rest and recovery is when our bodies get stronger, so get out there and workout hard so you can enjoy those days off even more!

Yours in Health,

Kardio Kate

Hi Sprinklers!

Eating healthy isn’t always easy nor is it cheap, which is why many Americans don’t.  The convenience of fast food along with the cheap prices lure many into unhealthy habits and thus obesity.  I’m no exception, but I’m trying to be better.  My quest for more natural food led me to  a new, innovative food subscription service called Healthysurprise.com .  I was looking for healthy snacks at my neighborhood store, but noticed that the selection was limited and the products pretty expensive.  So, I went online to try to find inexpensive, yet tasty healthy snacks and came across Healthysurprise.com.  Needless to say, I was impressed by not only the price, but the concept.  Healthysurprise.com is a monthly subscription for gluten-free, vegan, natural snacks from all over the world.  Each box comes with a variety of snacks, much like a gift basket….a very healthy gift basket, full of snacks that seem to be plucked straight from Mother Nature.   Eating “clean” and natural food is something we have to do consciously.  With so much junk out there disguised as healthy food, it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes, but Healthysurprise.com takes the guess work out of the equation, so the only decision you have to make is what to eat first.

Every snack that Healthysurprise.com offers is gluten-free, vegan, and all natural.   Nothing is processed.  There are no additives, preservatives, or unnatural added sugars.  ”Each box comes with a variety of snacks. You can expect to get products made with fruits (dried, dehydrated, freeze dried & “fruit leathers”), nuts (clusters, trail mixes), bars (all kinds), crackers, chocolates (raw, things covered like espresso beans, cacao nibs), kale chips (plain, salt and vinegar, etc) and other new innovative products like Skinny Crisps!”  I was very interested in not only the concept, but I also wanted to try the products.  I mean, let’s face it…healthy, unprocessed food has a reputation for not being the most palatable, some downright gross.  Although I can’t say I loved everything in my box, the majority of the snacks were surprisingly tasty.  My favorites are the “That’s It” fruit bar and “Mrs. May’s” freeze-dried fruit chips.  From savory to sweet, there was a variety of snacks to choose from so I was never bored, plus, since they are right here at my desk, I had no excuses to eat poorly.   That’s the best thing about having a monthly subscription, the convenience of it helps keep me accountable.  Healthysurprise.com offers four different kinds of memberships based on serving size.  The Starter box is $33 and has 16-22 servings to accomodate 1-3 people.  That’s awesome considering you’ll usually pay between $2.00 and $5.00 for one snack at a health food store.

Now, a bit of warning…

Most of us are so used to artificial flavorings and chemical additives that our taste buds reject anything else.  The more junk we eat, the more our brains think that that’s how food is supposed to taste.  You may get your first box of Healthy Surprise, take that first bite of a gluten-free oat bar sweetened with brown rice syrup, and frown at the taste.  It isn’t that the oat bar isn’t good, it’s that you’re used to a much sweeter version what you thought was healthy.  Joe Winke, the brains behind Healthysurprise.com offered this advice for healthy eating…

“…Think of eating healthy as a muscle. Its really hard to just ‘switch over’ to eating ‘all healthy’.  You have to work your way towards a cleaner diet and get your discipline and palate stronger.  Tastes actually change and people come to crave healthier foods and dislike unhealthier foods. I like to tell people who ask that the first step is to just start eating “food”. Only eat things where you can name everything in your meal, and you can mentally visualize each ingredient. If you do that, you’re ahead of 95% of the people in this country. Counting calories and carbohydrates are a distraction. Its a way of getting people to think its OK to eat processed garbage, as long as they use a certain system for meting out how much garbage they are allowed to eat.”

Keep in mind that not all healthy snacks are low in calories or fat either.  All calories are not made equal, so it’s better to pay attention to the ingredients and the quality of food you’re eating.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!  Don’t try to jump from eating Mc Donald’s everyday to eating all-natural.  You have to ween yourself off artificial foods gradually by making small changes, like subscribing to Healthysurprise.com.  Not only will you save money, you will save time since all your natural snacking needs will be delivered to your door every month.

Want to win some Healthy Surprise goodies?   Just tell us how you’re making healthy choices with SENSA and you’ll be entered to win a Starter Box chock full of all natural snacks.  The winner will be chosen randomly Thursday, March 15 at 11am, PST.  *****CONTEST OVER****

Find out more information about Healthy Surprise by logging onto http://healthysurprise.com/.  You can also follow Healthysurprise on Twitter and “Like” them on Facebook.

Hi Sprinklers!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  The Irish know what they are doing when it comes to a balanced meal.  Take the infamous meal corned beef and cabbage for example. It’s full of flavor and nutrition.  Boiled potatoes, cabbage, green beans, carrots, and corned beef couldn’t be healthier and it’s delicious.

Lets talk about the benefits of cabbage.   Not only does it have the least amount of calories and fat out of any other vegetable, cabbage also has a ton of nutrients, and comes in a million different varieties other than the plain green cabbage most of us grew up eating.   A few varieties are: Brussels sprouts, Napa cabbage, red cabbage, green cabbage, and bock Choy. You can find these in most grocery stores.

Cabbage used to be considered the poor mans drug, because of all of the health benefits it has to offer like: relieving headaches, helping with digestion, and working as an anti-inflammatory, you can also drink cabbage juice to cure ulcers.   Plus the delicious HEALTHY recipes that you can make using cabbage are endless.  Try these Irish inspired dishes for St. Patrick’s Day and not only will you increase your luck, you’ll increase your health.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad:

1 pound Brussels sprouts trimmed and blanched

1 shallot finely chopped                         1 T honey

3 T apple cider vinegar                           1 T Dijon mustard

¼ olive oil                                                    2 T chopped cilantro

½ cup toasted chopped pecans          Salt and Pepper to taste

Thinly shave the Brussels on a mandolin or with a knife, mix remaining ingredients to make dressing. Toss salad so all sprouts are coated with dressing, let rest 15-30 minutes enjoy cold or at room temperature!

 Caramelized Onion Red Vinegar Cabbage:

 1 head red cabbage, washed and thinly sliced                1 large red onion diced

2 cloves minced garlic                                                               1 T cumin seeds toasted

2 T olive oil                                                                                     1-cup chicken broth

½ cup red wine vinegar

 Heat oil in large pan, add onion; sauté on medium low heat about 20 minutes until caramelized, add garlic and cabbage;  sauté another 5 minutes add salt, pepper, cumin seeds, broth, and vinegar. Simmer 20 minutes until cabbage is completely wilted and translucent. Serve as a side with steamed or grilled fish.

Corned Beef Cabbage Dinner:

  1 Large corned beef with spices               1 head green cabbage cut into 6 wedges

6 new potatoes                                                  4 carrots halved

Handful fresh green beans

In a large pot or slow cooker place the corned beef and cover with water. Simmer for 6-8 hours. 1 hour before you serve add all of the vegetables to the pot and continue cooking.  Remove the corned beef and cut into slices, serve on a plate with boiled vegetables, and yellow mustard for dipping.You can use all of those veggies and substitute turkey kielbasa instead of the traditional corned beef to make a healthy delicious meal also.  Boiling the meat with vegetables adds a ton of flavor to the entire dish and it’s really good for you to eat.

Other simple ways to eat cabbage:

Sautee shredded green cabbage with a pad of butter, salt, and pepper. It’s so tasty and simple.

Wrap your favorite fish in a cabbage leaf, then steam, and top with a squeeze of lemon and you have a totally delicious and simple dinner.

So now you know all the great ways to use cabbage, one last tip…. don’t eat cabbage on a first date, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about! Happy St. Patty’s day to you…. sprinkle away!!!

Xo,

Chef Kelsey