Warm Kale, Brussels Sprout and Blueberry Salad

In full transparency this year has been a rough start. My mind and body started to work AGAINST each other instead of work TOGETHER and I had to take a pause to figure out why. I’ve been working diligently to take extra care of myself, reconnect my mind and body, while also learning as much as I can about inflammation and anti-inflammatory foods/wellbeing.

As you know, I’m a huge believer you should intuitively listen to your body and not punish yourself for enjoying your favorite foods while embracing what feels good for you each and every day, but I also believe (and know) that to stay in tune with your body’s need you need to fill it with foods and nourishing things that allow your body to communicate clearly and effectively with you in order to flourish.

So you can say, I’ve been working on my communication with my body and clearing some miscommunication up!

I love trying out new recipes, workouts, wellness products and more to see what works for me and doesn’t. I embrace a trial and error attitude because this really is the only way you will know what works best for you.

One of the things I have been playing around with in the kitchen is how can I add more leafy greens and fiber filled foods into my everyday meals to help reduce some inflammation I have in my body.

Basically, anti-inflammatory foods help to mitigate excessive oxidative stress in your body to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is linked to a number of diseases so it’s super important to manage and reduce inflammation before this occurs.

For example, blueberries are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Per research, blueberries improve cardiovascular support, improve insulin sensitivity, enhance cognitive function. How amazing is that?!

(I’ve been heads down researching functional medicine and following a few functional medicine dr’s to help educate me.)

So this week I got creative in the kitchen and whipped this super delicious salad up that was warm and filled with so much goodness. It was so much better than I ever expected and reminded me how important it is to always challenge myself to step outside my own food comfort zone and spice things up.

Here is what I did:

Warm Kale, Brussels Sprout and Blueberry Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup kale, massages (helps soften it)

• 2 large Brussels sprouts, finely shredded, cooked to warm and soften

• 1/4 cup shaved almonds, lightly toasted

• homemade dressing of:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • lemon zest

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

  • 1 tbsp mustard

  • 1 clove minced garlic

  • Pinch of salt

• Handful blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

• Toast the almonds.

• Shave and warm up the Brussels sprouts.

• Tear up the kale and massage.

• Mix the salad dressing.

• Mix it all into a bowl.

• Add blueberries on top.

The warm Brussels are key and the toasted almonds add a nice crunch factor.

Also, add a protein (chicken or salmon) to make it extra filling. Avocado would be a nice addition too! Oh, and no blueberries on hand? Use a different berry!

Enjoy!