“Warming Moroccan Winter Salad” | mymindbodybaby
Mama’s to -be, listen up!
What if I told you that this recipe could help positively affect your ovulation potential and hormone production?
Now that I’ve got your attention…
You may have heard that inflammation can “affect ovulation and hormone production as well as be associated with endometriosis.”? (1) But, did you know that the foods you eat can help either increase or decrease inflammatory markers in the body?
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a biological response to injury; it’s an immune defense mechanism in the body. In the short term, inflammation is helpful and necessary, but “an increasing body of evidence shows that chronic inflammation causes and advances many common diseases.” Yikes, right! (2)
What Causes Inflammation?
- Physical injury
- Sugary foods and refined carbohydrates
- Hydrogenated oils
- Poor quality oils like safflower, peanut, sunflower oils and margarine
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Poor sleep hygiene
- Stress
- Environmental toxins
…plus many more
Why This Is Important To You?
As a woman who is potentially trying to conceive doing all you can do to reduce and eliminate inflammation in your body to create the most optimal environment for baby making is key.
We know now that inflammation can have a negative effect on fertility, but let’s explore foods to help support the natural detox pathways of our body to reduce inflammation plus other simple ways to avoid it in the first place!
Warming Moroccan Winter Salad
- 1 head frisee lettuce (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup black beans (rinsed)
- 1 head cauliflower (broken into small florets)
- 1 tbsp uncooked quinoa
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup dried currants (no sugar added)
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- ¼ cucumber (sliced)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Spices for cauliflower:
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- sea salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp grainy mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- pinch of sea salt and pepper
- Note: There is no right or wrong way to assemble this salad (feel free to add more or less or any ingredient)
- Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In large bowl combine cauliflower florets, lime juice, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric, sea salt and pepper. Mix well until cauliflower is well coated in spices.
- Place mixture on baking tray and into the oven.
- Cook until fork tender and golden brown. Continue to toss cauliflower every 15 minutes to avoid burning.
3 Key Colours That Reduce Inflammation
Multi-Coloured
Can you guess what I’m referring to here? If you guessed spices then you are absolutely correct! All the beautiful colours of spices contain potent antioxidants that are a powerhouse of anti-inflammatory protection. Use them liberally and often and in as much variety as possible. Add to salad dressings and smoothies (yep, you read that right), add clove and cinnamon to your oatmeal, include in soups, sprinkled over veggies – the list is endless.
In this Warming Moroccan Winter Salad, the turmeric, cumin and paprika provide a warming heat without creating too much spice – perfect for warming our bones on chilly Canadian nights!
Greens
Saying that green food helps lower inflammation might be very obvious to some but it’s the WHY that is important.
It’s imperative to understand that your liver is hugely responsible for removing toxins, excess hormones, inflammation and other nasty byproducts from our body.
Green veggies and your liver are basically besties.
So load up on kale and broccoli, spinach and sprouts!
Your liver will thank you.
Struggle to choke down those greens? Roasting veggies are often much tastier than steaming or boiling. Or throw a handful of spinach in your next smoothie – you won’t even taste it! See recipe below!
Purples
Think blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, grapes, plums, beets, eggplant…you get the point! EAT THEM and LOVE them!
Purple, blue and red hued foods have this beautiful shade due to a particular type of antioxidant called Anthocyanins. These help to protect our cells. Healthy cells=healthy(ier) fertility potential.
In one study “A low intake of antioxidant nutrients was associated with a poor semen quality” (3) and “Sufficient intake of antioxidants also promotes female reproductive functions”. (4)
So why do our cells need protecting you ask?
Antioxidants found in all the beautiful colours of our foods help to protect our cells (don’t forget this includes our reproductive system’s cells) against free radical damage. Think of this damage sorta like internal rusting.
Unfortunately, this rusting or free radicals “adversely alter lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger a number of human diseases”…enter infertility. Now, not to say that the #1in6 couples who are having fertility issues aren’t eating enough purple veggies, but enough research is pointing to antioxidants as a potential culprit or a part of a bigger problem. In the very least, upping your antioxidants is a step towards helping create an optimal fertile environment in that body of yours! (5)
Top 3 Ways I Love To Use Purple Foods
- Red cabbage in my salads for added crunch
- Roasted beets in the fall and winter months
- Blueberry Spinach Smoothie (have the recipe sent to your inbox today!) 17]
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