As I’ve said on many occasions, I love the Complete Idiot books. Like most people, I’m pretty busy and want my information given to me in a plain, quick and easy to digest, straight-forward manner. I don’t want to dig through book after book looking for the information I need or search online for 3 days looking for the recipes I want to make.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide books always give me just what I want – the information I need and nothing extra. No clicks and whistles – just priceless information and, in the case of many books, great recipes.
The book you see here, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to DASH Diet Cooking
Suffice to say, I’ll hang onto whatever this lady has to say about eating healthy.
While Rawlings specializes in stress disorders, she works with people in treating a variety of health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, hormonal imbalances, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and Crohn’s Disease.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to DASH Diet Cooking
These recipes are excellent for heart health, as well as for the prevention of obesity and a multitude of other ills.
Many patients, after having health scares, are told (by their doctors and dieticians) to begin eating more foods from the DASH Diet. What experts, such as Deidre Rawlings, are trying to make us realize is that many of these health scares can be avoided if we were to eat right to begin with – BEFORE someone has to tell us to do so.
From the Back Cover:
The goal of the DASH diet is to prevent and control high blood pressure by eating whole, natural, nutrient-dense foods. This heart-healthy eating plan also reduces cholesterol levels, aids with weight loss, helps control diabetes, and so much more.
Loaded with 160 delicious and nutritious recipes, this helpful guide gives you everything you need to know to prepare DASH diet meals that lower your blood pressure and boost your overall health. In it, you get:
- A primer on how the DASH diet works, plus the key nutrients involved and what foods contain them.
- Structured meal plans to help you transition to the DASH diet and choose the best foods in the right portion sizes.
- Nourishing breakfast recipes to energize and sustain you until lunchtime.
- Mouthwatering soups, salads, sandwiches, and snacks to power you through your workday.
- Delicious dinners and super sides chock-full of vegetables and other good-for-your-heart ingredients.
- Delectable all-natural, low-fat, healthful desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth.
In addition to the great information and recipes that sound as delicious as they are healthy, I love, love, love the expert advice and tips! As you read along, it’s like having your own personal nutritionist tap on your shoulder while whispering tidbits that’ll help you live a longer, healthier life.
How are you going to beat that?!
Recipes include:
- White Bean Kale Soup
- Crispy Nuts Trail Mix
- DASH Roast Chicken
- Spicy Sesame Chicken Wings
- Dashing Fish Cakes
- Artichoke Pesto Tempeh
- Veggie-Packed Penne Pasta
- Simple Stir-Fry with Fresh Herbs
- Shiitake and Asparagus Risotto
- Home-Style Baked Beans
- Herbed Brown Pilaf
- Basmati Almond Rice
- Mighty Mushroom Risotto with Herbs
- Green Beans Almondine
- Zesty Broccoli with Garlic and Ginger
- Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes
- Baked Cauliflower with Miso
- Garlic Kale with Pine Nuts
- Scalloped Sweet Potatoes (perfect for holidays!)
- Oriental Vegetables
- Collards with Brown Rice and Tamari
- DASH-Perfect Pesto
- Lemon Tahini Sauce (serve with pita chips or crackers)
- Poached Chicken Breast in Spicy Broth
- Baked Halibut or Salmon
- Grilled Shrimp Southern Style
- Banana Raisin Nut Muffins
- Chocolate Cherry Nut Loaf
- Banana Berry Nut Bread (recipe below!)
- Herbed Yogurt Bread
- Heart-Healthy Cookies
- Many, many more.
As you can see, eating and cooking healthy doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless. In fact, there is no more flavorful dish than one with natural ingredients. Real tastes better than artificial – every single time. I hope you’ll click through one of the links and read more about this wonderful book. More importantly, I hope you’ll buy your own copy and fall in love with food the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Banana Nut Berry Bread
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/8 cup coconut oil (warm to liquid consistency)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup molasses, unsulphured
2 medium ripe bananas
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 9x4x3 inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix butter, coconut oil, eggs, and molasses.
- In a blender or by hand, puree bananas and add butter mixture.
- Gradually add baking soda, walnuts, and flour. Mix until smooth.
- Blend in raspberries
- Pour mixture into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes; reduce the oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 40 – 45 more minutes.
Health Tip: Bananas are loaded with vitamin B6 and potassium, which are both for calming to the central nervous system. Potassium is an essential mineral for helping to maintain normal blood pressure and heart function.
Recipe and tip from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to DASH Diet Cooking
