Alina Z
  • ABOUT
    • Bio
    • Events
  • Self-Study Course
  • Work with me
    • One-On-One Coaching
    • Corporate Consulting
    • Private Chef Services
    • Group Classes
    • Testimonials
  • VIDEOS
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Media
  • BLOG
  • Contact

"ASK ALINA" BLOG

Have Your Kale and Love It Too - Discover The Glamour Of Greens

2/23/2011

1 Comment

 
Even though Kale is one more of the most nutritious products in the grocery store,  it often has a pretty boring rep. As a Nutrition Designer, I know the benefits this dark leafy vegetable offers, and as a Parsons School of Design graduate, I show my clients how to make greens glamorous. So, to spice up this great-for-me leaf into baby-you-are-fabulous, here are a few simple tricks.

First, let's take a look at why Kale is so fabulous: 

1. It has the highest ANDI score, meaning that it gives you the most nutrition for the least amount of calories. Compare it to spinach for example - Kale gets 1000 and Spinach gets 739

2. It is high in chlorophyll that helps purify your blood 

3. It is anti-inflammatory and can help fight again auto-immune disorders as well as aiments that end on "itis" such as arthritis.

4. It is high in vitamin K that helps prevent blood clotting

5. It is high in calcium, helping you build stronger bones

6. It is high in antioxidants that fight free radicals and help you prevent cancer and slow down the aging process

7. It's high fiber content helps you clean our your digestive system and aids in detox. 


How do we use Kale? I prefer to eat raw Kale because when you heat up your veggies vital digestive enzymes and vitamins can be destroyed. So, use your kale raw or put it into dehydrator for the maximum of 105 degrees. That way you will get 100% benefits from this superfood. Why settle for less?

Protect Your Manicure. Forget about cutting knifes, use your food processor to shred your kale! Roll up the leaves and push them down the processor to be cut with the Julienne Disk. It will take about 1 minute to get your kale shredded to perfection. I am all about easy and quick recipes.

Dress up your Kale. Think of Kale as a simple cotton t-shirt. It looks and feels great, but it is pretty boring. Use fancy accessories, a silk skirt and a fabulous pair of heels, and voila, you are ready for a party. Same with food. Dress up your kale with fun ingredients and then serve them in unexpected ways, such as Margarita glasses, Ice-cream glasses or a fine china. 

And finally, here are some of my favorite recipes and a video. You can Sip Kale, Slurp or Savor it. The choice is yours! 

Watch this video for a simple Kale Chip Recipe done in 2 minutes!

Picture
SipYour Kale-tini

3 Kale Leafs
2 Celery Stalks
1/4 Apple
1/2 Cucumber
1/2 lemon, squeezed by hand
2-3 leafs of dandelion greens

Juice all of the ingredients, shake with ice in a martini shaker, pour in an ice-cold martini glass and enjoy

Picture
Slurp Your Kale-Smoothie (Great for kids)
2 Kale Leafs
1 Banana
1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries (organic is best)
2 Teaspoons Ground Golden Flax Seeds (to keep smoothie from separating)
1/2 Teaspoon of Maca Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Chlorella
Water to taste
Ice 


Blend all the ingredients in the Vitamix, put in your favorite glass and enjoy.

Picture
Savor Your Decadent Kale Salad

4 Cups of  Kale, Shredded in a food processor
8 Halves of Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 Clove of Garlic (Pressed in a garlic press)
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
Olive Oil to Taste


Toss all of the ingredients, put in an ice-cream dish and enjoy
1 Comment
Vicky
3/7/2011 11:35:52 pm

Love your recipes!! Going to try them all. Thanks :)

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    ASK ALINA

    Why ask me?

    - After many challenges and different crazy life experiences I am living my dream life and since my friends say I am pretty wisdomous  and I think I am a little bit funny too, I want to share my life approach with you so you can live the life you love as well.

    Here is a little bit about me: 

    - I am a creator of #1 Best Diet as selected by Harpers Baazar Magazine

    - I started my career in the corporate world and didn't even know how to peel a shallot

    - I have been a chef for celebrities for over 10 years 

    - I have a realistic approach to food and life

    - I have a great relationship with food and can even let chocolate go bad because I simply forget I have it at home (something I wasn't able to do 10 years ago)

    - I eat carbs whenever I feel like it without any guilt

    - I used to hate to cook and now absolutely love  being a private chef and a food relationship coach

    - I wear whatever clothes I desire no matter what everyone is wearing or thinking

    - I am in good shape and my body’s biological age is 13 years younger than the one in my passport

    -  I have experience being super poor, super wealthy and in between

    - I’ve worked in corporate world and am now an entrepreneur

    - I was married and divorced

    - I used to cry going to work because I was so miserable with my boss

    -  I’ve had an emotional eating disorder

    - I moved from Russia to USA alone at the age of 15

    - I’ve lived in Russia, Europe and on both coasts of USA

    - I have been super skinny and overweight

    - I have been insecure and unhappy with reasons and secure and happy for no reason

    - I used to wear glasses and healed my eyes with the power of thought and exercises

    - I created "Couture Nutrition®" so you can have tailor-made solutions for your body and soul

    - My brain usually comes up with jokes to soften stressful situations

    - I think color coordination, sparkles and rainbows are underused

    RSS Feed

    Sign Up To Receive These Blogs Via Email!
    For Email Marketing you can trust

      Got a question?  Ask Alina here:

    Submit
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

Contact ALINA

    Subscribe TO NEWSLETTER:

Submit
*Disclaimer: The information provided in this program is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Please consult a healthcare professional before starting any new exercise, diet, or other health-related program, as there may be underlying medical conditions or other factors that could affect your ability to safely engage in such activities. The creator of this program and its affiliates are not medical professionals and are not responsible for any injuries or health problems that may arise from the use of the information provided in this program. 
  • ABOUT
    • Bio
    • Events
  • Self-Study Course
  • Work with me
    • One-On-One Coaching
    • Corporate Consulting
    • Private Chef Services
    • Group Classes
    • Testimonials
  • VIDEOS
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Media
  • BLOG
  • Contact