Holistic in a Heartbeat

14/08/2025

Where do you get your protein?
This is one of the questions I most often hear and people frequently worry about when switching to a whole food plant-based diet. The simple answer is that as long as you're eating enough calories and eating the right foods (whole foods, not processed) then you will get enough protein.

Here are some great videos to help answer this question:
Where do you get your protein? Neal Barnard, MD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_mfPEKkJTY
Does Increasing protein intake slow age-related muscle mass loss? Dr. Greger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKLkHbDy8rc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB3yCSjTyjc

Purchase PLANTSTRONG now - https://amzn.to/3o7mnFPIn the full episode (https://apple.co/3rmZmAE), Jess and Mason sit down with Rip Esselstyn, a former firefi...

13/08/2025

A healthy dessert on these hot days! I made pina colada ice cream. Guilt free and delicious.

Rough amounts:
1 cup cashews soaked or boiled to soften
2 cups almond milk coconut milk blend (I used almond breeze unsweetened) - this is a lot less fat than a full coconut milk
Blend cashews and milk together until smooth
In a food processor add blended cashews and milk, juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 bag frozen pineapple (4-6 cups)
Blend until smooth and thick
Add to a loaf pan and freeze for 1-2 hours
Enjoy!

Once frozen thoroughly it gets very hard and is easier to take it out 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to eating.

12/08/2025

I was feeling creative and made a broccoli salad with onion, chopped almonds, edamame, tempeh bacon mixed with a sauce of peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and maple syrup. A protein packed delicious meal. Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring! This is a great dish to bring to picnics!

09/08/2025

Looking for a healthy, refreshing drink? Try adding some flavored balsamic vinegar to sparkling water! Had a ton of fun at sampling the different flavors. My favorite was the strawberry and it is amazing mixed in water! Did you know that aged balsamic vinegar is actually fermented, providing some great health benefits!

07/08/2025

Peanut butter powder!
Peanut butter powder is a dehydrated form of peanut butter made by roasting peanuts, pressing them to remove most of the oil and fat, and grinding them into a fine powder. But, you have to be careful when purchasing as they are not all healthy! Most will have added salt and sugar. One without added salt and sugar is PB2 pure. I use it in my smoothies and in baking for that peanut butter flavor.

04/08/2025

Great for these hot summer days is a chickpea salad wrap. Chickpeas are such an amazing food! They are nutrient dense, support muscle and bone health, are heart healthy, and help with weight management. There are several different variations to the recipe and I'll give you some healthier options as well!

1 can chickpeas
1 TBS vegan mayo (can sub hummus)
1 TBS Italian dressing (can sub Bragg's oil free vinaigrette)
1/2 cucumber diced
1/4 white onion diced
Italian seasoning
Kirkland salt free seasoning

03/08/2025

Corn on the cob!
It's that time of year when corn is plentiful. I love to eat it just plain and really enjoy the sweetness. It's amazing once you take away processed foods how much you enjoy the natural flavors. What's your favorite healthy flavoring?

I've also heard of several different ways to prepare corn- boiling, baking, grilling, etc. What's your favorite way?

01/07/2025

Creating a grain bowl! This can be something fun, easy, and a great way to use leftovers in your fridge. Start with a green (I used mixed spring greens, kale and spinach are good too!) top with a grain of your choice (I used Farro- adding the grain warm will lightly wilt your greens), then add a bean, tempeh, or tofu (I used chickpeas seasoned with za'atar. Add whatever veggies you have on hand (I had fresh veggies from the farm stand - onion, tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, pea shoots, and sugar snap peas). Top with a yummy sauce. I made a tahini dressing. What's your favorite bowl combo?

24/06/2025

When it's hot out I tend to eat a little lighter. I went to the farmers market yesterday so I made a big bowl of tabbouleh with parsley, onion, tomato, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice, bulgar and a little drizzle of olive oil. I also made some hummus to go with it and ate it with some wheat pita. I threw together a beautiful salad with some of my farm market finds with onion, turnip, cucumber, pea shoots, and shelling peas. Light and refreshing!

10/06/2025

Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard! Potatoes are a filling healthy carbohydrate. You can microwave these right in the bag and they're done in under 10 minutes! I added garlic powder, a little salt, and dill w**d. You can also add beans, salsa, or a WFPB cheeze sauce. What makes a potato unhealthy is the butter, oil, cheese, and sour cream that often end up as toppers. I cooked up the yellow potatoes but they also come in sweet potatoes too! What are your favorite healthy potato toppings?

10/06/2025

My stack of air fried corn tortillas. Sometimes instead of making chips, I find it easier to air fry a whole tortilla all at once. It only takes about 6 minutes. I put the air fryer on air crisp, which I believe is around 390 degrees. You can store them in a Ziploc bag and they will stay crispy. I just break them apart as I use them to dip in hummus! Oil free and delicious! You can also do this in the oven.

24/04/2025

Not quite sure what to call this creation. I had eaten at a Mediterranean restaurant and ordered tourlou for the first time. It was so delicious that I wanted to make it at home. When I looked into several tourlou recipes they were nothing like what I had tried. So this is my attempt at recreating the recipe. It's sauteed eggplant until it becomes tender and broken down. I added herbs de provence, salt, chickpeas and marinara sauce. Cook until well combined, almost like a thick stew. I served it with brown rice. It was delicious!