Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Thyme, a Fast Easy Way to Eat Healthy

Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Thyme, a Fast Easy Way to Eat Healthy

In the last six months I’ve become much more interested in eating raw vegetables. I noticed that my body feels happier eating raw rather than cooked vegetables. Raw vegetables keep me feeling full longer. They give me more energy, snd help me maintain my weight easier. One day I was walking around my kitchen thinking “Wow, raw vegetables are amazing! I wonder who has thought about eating raw vegetables???” Oh, um, maybe that’s what people mean by a “raw” diet. Silly me. Now I get it!

However, I realized I am terribly resentful of lettuce. Really. At times I love it, but other times I need something different. Something crunchy. So I started exploring other raw vegetable meal ideas which are FAST and EASY.

Even though I am on good treatment for hypothyroidism, I still get tired and need quick healthy meal inspiration during the week. Here is a great raw veggie base which can be added to any kind of meal — eggs, burritos, served with ground beef, and more. It takes about 10 minutes to throw together and keeps for a week or more.

A Cuisinart or other shredding device makes the prep fast and easy. Otherwise, shredding by hand is possible but more involved.

Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Thyme

• 3 Golden Beets (more or less)

• 5 Carrots (more or less)

• 6 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or dried)

• 2-3 TBS Vinegar (White, or Cider Vinegar)

Real Sea Salt®

• Pepper

Makes about 12 cups.

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the beets and carrots. Shred. Toss with vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Refridgerate and use.

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Peel raw beets

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Peel carrots

Add fresh thyme

Add fresh thyme

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper

Toss with vinegar, salt and pepper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shredded Carrots and Beets with Scrambled Eggs

Here is a fast breakfast with the shredded carrot and beet salad. Just top with scrambled eggs (Organic Omega 3 taste really really good!). I might add some lettuce, scallions and avocado if I am feeling inspired. Viola!

Top with scrambled eggs and scallions

Top with scrambled eggs and scallions

 

Miss LizzyShredded Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Thyme, a Fast Easy Way to Eat Healthy
Salt Cravings Could be a Sign of Adrenal Fatigue

Salt Cravings Could be a Sign of Adrenal Fatigue

Understand the Salt Craving

Recently someone asked about how to handle cravings for foods like pizza, mac and cheese, and nachos. Being hypothyroid and often inflammation many patients have difficulty eating simple carbohydrates and flour. Consequently when we have cravings meals can be especially challenging if we haven’t prepared in advance.

Maybe what you didn’t know is that cravings for foods likes pizza, french friends and nachos can actually be a craving for salt.  Craving salt can actually be indicator of adrenal stress. According to James L. Wilson, Adrenal Fatigue, some people are able to assess their adrenal strength simply by their salt cravings. For people with adrenal fatigue, like me, salt is good for us. Learn more about salt. However its important to use good salt.

Curb the Salt Craving Before Reaching for Salty Foods

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When I am craving salty foods I can quickly curb the craving, while also eating healthy, by having a cup of chicken broth or drinking a glass of lightly salted water. As James L. Wilson suggets, salted water can help boost energy in the morning and before the mid-afternoon energy crash which is caused by low cortisol. Typically when I make salted water I used 1/4 tsp, or to taste of good salt like Redmond’s Real Salt.

If the salted water tastes bad, or makes you nauseated, Wilson explains this reaction is a good indicator you don’t need the salt or just need less salt. But if the salted water tastes good that’s how you know you need the salt.

Another solution for salt cravings is to make a cup of chicken broth. This is a low calorie snack  that is filling, satisfies the salt cravings and also can help support adrenal strength.

 

 

Chicken Broth Can Satisfy The Salt Craving

product-31For chicken broth, I use a product called Better Than Bouillon which I learned about in a cooking class.

The instructor said Better Than Bouillion was a great alternative to homemage chicken broth because its made with real ingrediants and doesn’t have MSG. Plus tastes amazing.

Better Than Bouillion is condensed, so I mix about a teaspon into hot water for an afternoon or after dinner snack that’s filling and satisfying.

Better Than Bouillon is more expensive the other chicken broth however the taste difference is worth to cost of about $5.95. A little jar lasts a long time and its much less expensive than ordering a pizza.

Next time you find yourself craving salty foods, see if these tricks help curb the craving.

Miss LizzySalt Cravings Could be a Sign of Adrenal Fatigue
Salad with Fried Eggs, Ham and Dried Cranberries

Salad with Fried Eggs, Ham and Dried Cranberries

Being hypothyroid means meals have to be fast and easy, and also a good mix of protein and vegetables so I don’t get hypoclycemic. For these reasons, salads are a big part of my diet (even for breakfast).

Here is a salad recipe which takes about 5-7 minutes, with minimal prep and cleanup. Best of all it gives me energy for hours. The recipe can modified in many ways. I don’t worry about exact measurements, I just estimate how much I want.

Ingredients

  • Salad Greens (pre-washed, in the square plastic box)
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Shredded Carrots (optional)
  • 2 Eggs
  • Butter for frying
  • Ham
  • Dried Cranberries (or raisins)
  • Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

3Directions

In a sauté pan, heat butter on medium heat until the foam subsides. Fry eggs in pan (cover if you like the top of the eggs cooked). Meanwhile, put salad greens and tomatoes. Shred some carrot on top with a hand shredder, if you like. When the eggs are done put them on the salad. Add a little more butter to the sauté pan and fry the ham until brown. Put the ham on top of the salad. Add more cranberries, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Miss LizzySalad with Fried Eggs, Ham and Dried Cranberries
Fast, Easy Tricks for Everyday Salads

Fast, Easy Tricks for Everyday Salads

Even with proper treatment for hypothyroidism, I still get tired and uninspired to cook. Sometimes I just can’t cope with making a meal. When I am tired it’s so easy to reach for junk food. So I need to make sure I have healthy foods on-hand, which are fast and easy to prepare.

For breakfast and lunch, often I have a salad with protein. I avoid grains and sugar, especially at breakfast and lunch, because they make me hypoglycemic. A meal of vegetables and protein gives me stable energy and helps my brain stay clear and focused. To make healthy salads quickly, I always keep these items in kitchen:

ingredients_photoOlivia’s Organics

At the supermarket, I’ve been buying the salad greens in the clear plastic box, like Olivia’s Organics. The plastic means more recycling which isn’t great, but hands-down the box is the best way for me to keep salad greens. When I buy regular lettuce, it usually wilts in my fridge because the idea of washing and spinning lettuce is way to much effort.

The pre-washed salad in a bag seems good, but invariably the bag gets crushed and the lettuce goes to waste. So while salad greens in a clear box might cost more than regular lettuce, it makes my life and eating healthy so much easier.

Cherry Tomatoes

I love foods that require low to no labor, so cherry tomatoes are a great staple to keep in the house. Wash them and toss on a salad. Easy.

Real Salt

For many of us with adrenal problems, salt can be important for our diets. The quality of salt is important though. Regular table salt tastes terrible. But Real Sea Salt or Celtic Sea Salt taste great. For me, good salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, are all the seasoning I need for a salad. Again, easy.

Eggs & Protein

To make sure I have plenty of energy I eat a good amount of protein in a salad. This usually means eggs and some kind of meat. For eggs, I prefer cage-free organic eggs, especially from a local farm, because they taste so good! Eggs with Omega 3 are even better because most of us need more Omega 3 in our diets.

For the eggs, usually, I fry them in butter and then put ontop of the salad. For protein, I use any leftover meat from dinner the night before. It might be ground beef, ham, chicken, pork or bacon — and fry in the pan after the eggs. This means one pan to wash.

 

Miss LizzyFast, Easy Tricks for Everyday Salads
Foods for Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Fatigue

Foods for Hypothyroidism and Adrenal Fatigue

Eating healthy with hypothyroidism can be a challenge. Many people have inflammation which means food allergies or sensitivities to gluten, carbohydrates and sugar. In addition, people with hypothyroidism are advised to avoid cruciferous vegetables because they can inhibit thyroid function and iodine uptake 1. Here are the food items I like to keep in my fridge and pantry or buy for special meals.

Fruits

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Peaches
  • Lemons
  • Limes

Vegetables

  • Green Beans
  • Corn (Frozen is okay)
  • Peas (Frozen is okay)
  • Red Peppers
  • Green Peppers
  • Zucchini
  • Summer Squash
  • Asparagus (seasonally)
  • Artichokes (seasonally)
  • Lettuce
  • White or Sweet Potatoes
  • Onion

Herbs (Fresh are better)

  • Chives or Scallions
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Garlic

Canned or Jar Goods

  • Jelly sweetened with Fruit Juice
  • Natural Peanut Butter
  • Canned Tomotoes (crushed or whole plum)
  • Tomato Paste
  • Sundried Tomatoes
  • Fresh Olives
  • Kidney Beans
  • Red Beans
  • Black Beans

Meat

  • 85% Ground Chuck Hamburger
  • Ground Buffalo (mixed with the 85% for flavor with less fat)
  • Ham (Thick Cut for Chunks)
  • Italian Sausage
  • Bacon
  • Chicken Breast (Note: Try buying split breasts and debone yourself. It’s easy to debone and costs half the price of boneless)

Dairy

  • Whole Milk Yogurt
  • Whole Milk Sour Cream
  • Whole Milk, or Raw Milk if you can find it
  • Half and Half
  • Heavy Cream
  • Kerrygold Butter
  • Omega 3 Eggs or Farm Raised Local Eggs
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Harvarti
  • Any speciality cheese that’s on sale and looks great

Nuts & Dried Fruit

  • Sliced Almonds
  • Roasted and Salted Cashews
  • Dried Dates
  • Raisins

Other

  • Redmond’s Real Salt
  • Kal’s Liquid Stevia
  • Truvia
  • Cinnamon
  • Better than Bouillon Chicken Stock

Image source: http://www.portagewibid.org/farmers-market/