Here at Integrative Nutrition, we think it’s important to go green all year long. Keep yesterday’s Earth Day celebration going by finding ways to nourish your body in an eco-friendly way. This vegan, gluten-free recipe for Kale Pesto from IIN student Abby Hughes is so simple, yet delicious and healthy! It’s a perfect accompaniment to a grain salad or mixed vegetables. Now hit the farmer’s market for a fresh bunch of kale, and in case you missed it, be sure to check out our list of 60 ways to go green for some extra inspiration!

It's getting down to the Best of the Best in our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, which means we're only one vote away from our ultimate four-ingredient smoothie!

Last week, we had an Epic Vote in which we pitted sixteen popular smoothie ingredients against each other to determine YOUR favorites. Here are our winners...

• Bases: Coconut Water v. Almond Milk. Winner: Coconut Water!
• Bases: Fruit Juice v. Yogurt. Winner: Yogurt!
  
• Vegetables: Spinach v. Cucumber. Winner: Spinach!
• Vegetables: Seaweed v Carrot. Winner: Carrot!
  
• Add-ins: Flax Seeds v. Chia Seeds. Winner: Chia Seeds!
• Add-ins: Maca v. Cacao. Winner: Cacao!
  
• Fruits: Mango v. Banana. Winner: Banana!
• Fruits: Avocado v. Berries. Winner: Berries!

Hooray for the winners of Round Four of our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, and here they are!

• Bases: Fruit Juice v. Ice Cream. Winner: Fruit Juice!
• Vegetables: Seaweed v Kale. Winner: Seaweed!
• Add-ins: Ginger v Maca. Winner: Maca!
• Fruits: Pear v Avocado. Winner: Avocado!

Here's our updated bracket:

It's time to announce the winners from Round Two of our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, and to present our next round of smoothie ingredient face-offs!

First, the winners:

• Bases: Almond Milk v. Soy Milk. Winner: Almond Milk!
• Vegetables: Celery v. Cucumber. Winner: Cucumber!
• Add-ins: Chia Seeds v. Hemp Seeds. Winner: Chia Seeds!
• Fruits: Banana v. Pineapple. Winner: Banana!

Here's our updated bracket:

If you caught Round One of our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, then you'll be interested in our first round winners!

• Bases: Coconut Water v. Water. Winner: Coconut Water!
• Vegetables: Spinach v. Broccoli. Winner: Spinach! (And by a HUGE margin)
• Add-ins: Spirulina v. Flax Seeds. Winner: Flax Seeds!
• Fruits: Orange v. Mango. Winner: Mango!

Here's our updated bracket:

Hi there! I’m Christy Goldfeder, IIN Class of 2006, and head coach at Delicious Life Health Coaching. Join me on IIN’s virtual Health Food Store Tour, where I’ll give you weekly tips on how to shop healthfully. Come back each week as we stroll through the aisles to discover which foods are the healthiest.

Vegetables

This is usually my first stop on a Health Food Store Tour because I don’t know anyone who gets enough vegetables in their diet.

The first thing I show clients is the range of leafy greens available–most are amazed to see the kale, collards, and chard. (They’ve always been there, but my clients don’t notice them.)

What should you look for when shopping?

Puppy Bowl VIII, I mean, Super Bowl XLVI Sunday is upon us! Whether you are cheering for New York or New England (or even if you’re just in it for the commercials) there is one thing that we can all agree on: good snacks are an absolute must. 

It may seem like a daunting task to whip up healthy snacks that will satisfy a houseful of hungry football fans, but rest assured, it is possible! We’ve put together this list of healthy Super Bowl recipes that are great alternatives to all of your favorite game day snacks and are guaranteed crowd pleasers!

If you like BBQ wings, try….

Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders

If you like French fries, try…

Butternut Squash Fries

If you like sliders, try…

Green Chili Turkey Burgers

If you like chili, try…

Tofu Chili with Black Beans

If you like potato chips, try…

Kale Chips

If you like vegetables with ranch dip, try…

Yogurt Dill Dip with Vegetables

If you like hummus, try…

Cumin Hummus

If you like pizza, try…

Deep-Dish Polenta Pizza

If you like trail mix, try…

Home Touch Trail Mix

If you like 7 layer dip, try…

Black Bean Salad

If you like artichoke dip, try…

Roasted Garlic Spread

If you like nachos, try…

Loaded Healthy Nachos

If you like chips and guacamole, try…

Guacamole with Jicama Sticks

If you like chocolate chip cookies, try…

Peanutty, Chocolately, Coconutty, Popcorny, Sweet and Salty Cookies

If you like brownies, try…

Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Chip Blondies

Now that you’re armed with snacks, you’re all ready to host a healthy Super Bowl for all your favorite football fans! 

This was a hot week for nutrition news. IIN faculty members Deepak Chopra and David Katz offer their insights on health and wellness. Kale is a buzz word thanks to a Vermont t-shirt maker. EWG put out a report on sugar cereal that has Kellogg's scrambling to defend their products. And Monsanto's corn is for the bugs. Plus, more hot topics we collected here in one spot for you to easily digest. 

Can positive thinking make you well?
By IIN faculty Deepak Chopra
CNN
Observers may have noticed recently that mainstream medicine is taking a harder line against positive thinking. Surveys of the leading research in the field conclude that recovery rates from cancer, for example, are not higher among patients who take a positive attitude about fighting their disease. Studies that show the reverse have been small and, according to their critics, flawed in serious ways. Read more.

Reimbursement for Obesity Counseling: So What?
By IIN faculty member David Katz, MD

This Mother’s Day, we challenged you to come up with a healthy makeover of your favorite comfort food. Our four winning recipes look delicious and we can’t wait to try them out!

Spinach, Pear and Gorgonzola Salad with Pecans
By Linda Davis

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 teaspoon brown sugar (or agave nectar)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup apple juice
2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (about 1/2 cup) or goat cheese if preferred

What comes to mind when you hear "leafy green vegetables?" Kale? Bok choy? Or, does iceberg lettuce count? Any which way you cut it, leafy greens are lacking in the American diet. Sure, they can be a bit intimidating at first, but once you learn how to prepare and cook them, you’ll find it easier to incorporate them into your daily meals.

Greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins A, C, E and K. They’re great sources of fiber and filled with folic acid, chlorophyll and other nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and strong. Looking to boost your immunity for cold and flu season? Greens strengthen our circulatory and respiratory system. You can improve your body’s resistance naturally by piling your plate with greens.

The next time you’re in your local farmer’s market or the produce section of your grocery store, pick out a new green for the week. Mix spinach or arugula into salads, toss some collards or cabbage into soups, steam kale or broccoli for a tasty side-dish and add bok choy to your favorite stir-fry.

Here are some tips for making your green veggies more exciting and flavorful.

• After cooking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil or toasted sesame oil to every 2 cups of veggies

• Add 2 bay leaves or 1 teaspoon cumin seeds to the cooking water

• Sprinkle cooked veggies with toasted pumpkin, sesame, flax or sunflower seeds

• Sprinkled greens with fresh herbs: mint, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro or scallion

• Use tamari soy sauce or umeboshi vinegar to add extra flavor

• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over steamed veggies

• Stir-fry veggies with a pinch of sea salt, olive oil and garlic

What green will you try this week? Need help getting started? Check out this week’s recipe on Facebook.