Eating with Purpose

Not just stuffing my face!
I've been trying to eat with purpose these days and recently read about the science behind extracting the exact nutrients from the foods we have available to us for medicines and to fight disease.  My sister-in-law sent me this delicious recipe that we ate up by the bowls full.  Full of vitamins and nutrients, you have to give this simple salad a try, it's delicious!

Black Bean Salad from SimpleBites.Net

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper
• 3/4 cup diced fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/3 cup diced English cucumber
• 3 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon canola or grapeseed oil
• 2 – 3 dashes cumin
• 2 – 3 dashes coriander
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the beans, bell pepper, tomato, corn, cucumber, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir until ingredients are well distributed.
2. In another bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture, tossing to combine. Chill until serving time.

Here are some other great recipes that I'm going to be trying soon.
Cancer-fighting salad: Featuring foods rich in antioxidants and fiber.
2 cups (or more) Mixed dark leafy greens
½ cup kidney beans
½ cup chopped broccoli heads
2-3 ounces mandarin oranges (about ¼ water packed can, drained)
½ cup grape tomatoes sliced in halves
½ cup shredded carrots
1 Tbsp. toasted almond slivers
1-2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil based ginger dressing
Combat heart disease: Featuring foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats, folic acid, and fiber.
2 cups (or more) spinach
3 ounces baked or canned wild salmon
½ cup lentils
¼ avocado sliced
¼ ounce coarsely chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar + extra-virgin olive oil dressing (1:1)
Managing menopause: Featuring cool foods rich in magnesium and calcium.
1 medium cucumber peeled and diced
1 plum tomato diced
½ cup garbanzo beans
Mix for dressing:1/8 cup parsley
2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. lemon juice
a hint of salt and pepper to taste
Source - Lori Mosca, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. a professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of Preventive Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Mosca developed the above combinations.   
So hit up your Farmer's Market this week and give one of these a try - this is the perfect time to try it!  The fresher, the better!