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Who says we have to suffer...to live a healthy happy vibrant life?

Red wine and dark chocolate... might seem decadent...but these guilty pleasures also might help us live longer...and healthier lives. Red wine and dark chocolate definitely improve an evening..but they also contain resveratrol..which lowers blood sugar. Red wine is a great source of catechins..which boost protective HDL cholesterol. Green tea? Protects your brain..helps you live longer..and soothes your spirit.

Food for Thought, the blog, is about living the good life...a life we create with our thoughts and our choices...and having fun the whole while!

I say lets make the thoughts good ones..and let the choices be healthy...exciting...and delicious! Bon Appetit!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

A salad that can help stabilize your blood sugar.

Grapefruit and Cranberry Salad

Grapefruits are loaded with vitamin C but they also have an antioxidant, naringenin that appears to cut the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Spinach is a great source of magnesium which helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and relaxes your muscles.

Ingredients
  • 2 red grapefruit
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced scallions
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 cups torn butter lettuce
  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • 1 14 oz can hearts of palm drained and chopped
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts*



12 servings

Remove the skin and the pith from the grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Cut the grapefruit segments in half and place them in a large salad bowl.

Squeeze the membranes and the peel over a small glass bowl to collect at least 2 oz grapefruit juice.  Add to that juice the oil, scallions, vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk them together to form a grapefruit vinaigrette.

Add the lettuce, spinach and hearts of palm to the salad bowl with the grapefuit segments. Just before serving toss the greens with the vinaigrette until evenly coated and garnish with the cranberries and pine nuts.
*toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low to medium heat until light golden brown...watch them closely they burn rather easily.


** Caution Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can cause elevated levels of certain medications. If you take prescription medications check to see if you can safely have grapefruit. Cholesterol medications and blood pressure medication cannot be taken with grapefruits or grapefruit juice. Also you must be careful mixing grapefruit with some psychiatric drugs.


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