Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto

     Today, I am going to attempt to make butternut squash risotto! As usual when cooking with me, there were multiple learning experiences and I actually forgot to add an ingredient this time. However, the good news is that this dish turned out fantastic! The recipe used was found on grubhub. 


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp ghee
2 large onions, diced
2 tsp salt
2 butternut squashes, peeled, sliced, and cubed
1/4 quarter cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1-2 cups chicken broth


Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil and ghee in a large pot over low-medium heat. Add the onions and salt. Cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. 

2. Peel, slice, and cube the butternut squash. (This was my first time actually cutting up butternut squash. I cut the bulb off of the bottom and just used the top part of the butternut squash, so I may have had less than 2 butternut squashes.)

3. Meanwhile, working in batches, place the squash in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a rice-like consistency. (I only had a small food processor and it broke about 3/4 of the way through. I would strongly recommend a full-sized food processor if you're going to attempt putting butternut squash in it.)

4. Add the squash to the pan once the onions are caramelized and saute for 3-4 minutes. Then add the vinegar, parsley, and broth. (The vinegar is the ingredient that I forgot. Oh well, next time! Also, I only put in 1 cup of broth rather than 2 due to the fact that after leaving out the squash bulbs and destroying the food processor about half way through, I now only had about 1 butternut squash all together.)

5. Cover and cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely tender. Add more broth if necessary and salt to taste. 

All in all, I thought this recipe turned out fantastic. The most difficult part was cutting and processing the butternut squash, but other than that, it was a very easy recipe. It also turned out delicious. Everyone in the family liked it, with only one person thinking that it could use a little more seasoning. Next time, I will remember the white wine vinegar and probably add in 2 Tbsp of parsley. Good luck and enjoy!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's health goal: Practice balancing for 2 minutes every day!

This week's health goal: Practice balancing for 2 minutes every day!

One very important part of determining how well we move and how coordinated we are is our vestibular system. It tells us where our head is in space. Are we laying down or standing? Are we rotating to the right or bending over? 

Another important aspect of balance is proprioception. Proprioception is able to sense movement within a joint and knowing joint position. Is our our foot pointed or flexed? Are our arms straight up or slightly in a "Y" shape. 

If we don't continuously train these systems, we begin to lose the ability to sense how we are moving and where our body parts are in space. Luckily, by leading an active lifestyle, you are continuously training these two systems. Simply by walking, we are inputting some information into these two systems and keeping them from deteriorating. 

However, it doesn't hurt to up the training a bit! Our vestibular and proprioceptive systems are important for preventing injury and avoiding falls. The more we train, the less likely we are to get hurt. All it takes is a few minutes a day! Read below to find some excellent training exercises for both systems!



Exercises

1) One Legged Stand Variations

     Begin standing with feet together and near a wall or something to grab onto if you begin losing balance. With your eyes open, slowly lift your right foot off the ground and bring it to your knee or as high as it can get. Hold this pose for 20 seconds. Do the same with the left. Repeat on each side 5 times. Once you feel comfortable, lift your leg up and then slowly turn your head to the right and left while continuing to hold the position. Finally, try to hold the pose again while keeping your arms perfectly at your sides, then at 90 degrees, and finally with your arms raised above your head. As you begin to balance easier in this position, work your way from 20 seconds to 30 seconds. After mastering the exercise above, try going up on your toes. Keep both feet on the ground at first. For the truly masterful, you can begin doing the exercises on your toes with only one foot at a time!

2) Heel to Toe Walk

     Place your right foot down and then place your left heel right up against the front of your right foot. Continue in this manner, and walk in a line for at least 12 steps and then turn around and come back.

3) Tape Walk

     Using tape, mark spots on the carpet in a circle about a step width apart. Now walk in a circle trying to step only on the spots you marked. Then switch and go the other way. If this seems too easy, go around your house and collect your cushions and pillows, try to get at least 8. Set them up in a circle spaced about a foot or two apart. Now walk in a circle only on the pillows. Switch and go the other way. You can also place the pillows in a line or a zigzag pattern and follow that!

4) Tennis Ball Toss 

     This exercise will require a tennis ball. Face a flat wall holding a tennis ball, standing about 3-6 feet away. Start by throwing the ball at the wall with the left hand and catching with the right hand. Then throw the ball at the wall with the right hand and catch with the left hand. You can also practice throwing with the right and catching with the right, and vice versa. If you get really good, try throwing two balls at once!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This Week's Goal: Go To Bed At A Reasonable Time

This Week's Goal: Go to bed 
at a reasonable time.

Whether it's because of a tv show, a good book, a game on the phone, or something else, most of us are up much later than we should be. Our bodies need sleep, about 7.5-9 hours of sleep in fact, to be well rested. While sleeping, our brain gets de-cluttered and memories are cemented, growth hormone (used for repair) is secreted, and you also decrease the hormones responsible for hunger! If we don't get enough sleep, all of these activities dramatically decrease. 

This week, pick a time that you are going to lay down in bed and stick with it. If you're someone that has trouble falling asleep in the first place, you might have to put a little extra work in during morning hours as well. The next two paragraphs are for you!

Immediately upon waking, spend two minutes working out as hard as you can. The difficulty will change for everybody, but I recommend jumping jacks, high knees, push-ups, or air punches to get the blood flowing. Then, don't eat or drink anything but water for 45 minutes, not even coffee! 

Many people who have trouble waking up in the morning and falling asleep at night have reversed cortisol patterns. Cortisol is our stress hormone, but it is also very important to our sleep cycle. By doing the work-out and not eating, we increase the amount of cortisol we pump out in the morning, and decrease the amount that's available to pump out at night. Effectively, this helps us wake up easier and go to sleep more quickly. After about 1-2 weeks of this, you should notice a difference!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's goal: Be one with nature!

This week's goal: Be one with nature!

There's no doubt about it anymore, being outside is good for your health. Multiple studies have shown that people who do outdoor activities on a regular basis not only feel healthier, they also have more self-esteem, less anxiety, sleep better, and are happier! The good news for the busy worker bee side that many of us have is that we don't have to be out all day. In order to start improving these various aspects of people's live, people only had to spend 20 minutes outside each day. 

Therefore, our goal this week is to spend at least 20 minutes outside everyday. This can be accomplished by taking a walk or bike riding, going stargazing, just sitting outside and enjoying the day, or anything else you can think of! Now go enjoy the fresh air!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt dc

This Week's Goal: Read 15 Minutes A Day!

This week's goal: Read 15 minutes a day!

Most of us probably wish we had a little more time to read. Whether it's a good back, a magazine, a newspaper, or anything else, reading helps keep the mind sharp while also expanding our knowledge. This week's goal will be to set aside 15 minutes every day for reading. Some early birds might have better luck reading first thing in the morning, while night owls will be more successful reading at night. It doesn't matter when you decide to read, just have something put aside for this week so that you're ready to go!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt

This week's goal: Prep meals for the week!

This week's goal: Prep meals for the week!

Trying to eat healthy throughout the week can be difficult enough without all of the constant cutting and cooking. It's much easier to make everything all at once! Meal prepping can have a lot of variation between meals or none at all depending on your need for variety. The link below is a great site that shows some easy chicken recipes to make for the week. 

21 Chicken Breast Recipes Made for Meal Prep

Sometimes I will eat the same exact meal a few times in a week, but often I change the recipes up just a little. I'll add in different vegetables, different sauces, or even different spices in each container. This tends to change the taste enough so that nothing gets boring! Experiment and have fun!

yours in health,

dr samantha boldt dc

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Today we are looking at Paleo Grub's Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Click on the link here:Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Recipe to see the full recipe and article in all of its original glory.

1. Ingredients needed:
2. 
   

1. 1 cup almond butter

1. 2 eggs

1. 1/4 cup maple syrup

1. 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pinch of salt

1. 2 tbsp coconut flour

1. 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder

1. 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1. 1/2 tsp baking soda

1. 1 cup shredded zucchini

1. 1-2 tbsp paleo approved dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2 (optional): Peel the zucchini. Some recipes I take the skin off the zucchini, sometimes I keep it on. It just depends on your mood!

Step 3: Shred the zucchini and squeeze any extra moisture out. I grabbed the zucchini, held it over the sink, and just squeezed it like a sponge. It worked beautifully. 

Step 4: Mix in the almond butter, eggs, syrup, vanilla, and salt. (It looks a little strange.....if you know what I mean.)

Step 5: It's all right, we fix that with step 5. Add in the coconut flour, cocoa powder, vinegar, and baking soda. Then fold in the zucchini. I had no idea what that meant, so I just very slowly added the zucchini and switched to a spoon to slowly stir it, rather than the whisk. 

Step 6: Line a muffin tray with cups. Add about a 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. This is where the directions can be interpreted differently. Are they saying to pour the batter in until the muffin cup is a 1/4 full, or are they saying to place a literal 1/4 of a cup of batter into the muffin cup? I went with the latter. I believe that was the correct choice.

Step 7: Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. (I really hope someone comments on why it was necessary to put it at 375 degrees in the first place.) Bake for 20-25 minutes. They are wonderful warm, but just as good cold!

These were absolutely delicious and everybody loved them! Between the almond butter and maple syrup, the sugar count and carb count get a little higher than I would like, so the next time I make them, I might try taking out the maple syrup, adding in a little extra water, and see if they still hold together. Nonetheless, they were very yummy and overall healthier than any chocolate muffin you will find in the store. Good luck!

yours in health

dr samantha boldt