Did you know that January is National Soup Month?
I love soups and I eat them year round, but at this time of year, they truly warmthe belly and the soul.
Homemade soups are actually easy to make and way more tasty and nutritious than canned soups. Soups can help
boost your immune system (use chicken broth),
lower inflammation and
help with digestive issues.
They are also a great way to more vegetables into your diet.
Vegetable soup has been shown to fight cell damage (oxidative stress). In the study, volunteers eating gazpacho soup twice a day had lower amounts of stress-related molecules in their blood after just 7 days. This was in part due to an increase of vitamin C that was available in the soup, but researchers also noted that there are synergistic effects from the other nutrients that likely played a role. In other words, it take a village of nutrients, not just one to keep your body healthy.
To help you keep the cold and flu at bay this year, I've assembled some recipes below from friends for you to try. All of them are gluten and dairy free.
These should help you stay warm and healthy all winter long! Enjoy!
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This recipe I whipped up one day with some leftover leeks and an onion. My husband still raves about it!
Easy Leek Soup Serves 2
Gluten and Dairy free
Ingredients
1/2 tsp of coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium Leeks (or 1 large), white part cut into rounds (save the green part for broth making!)
32 oz of broth of choice (or filtered water)
1tsp of garlic salt
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a stock pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and reduce heat to low, stirring occassionally
until onions are soft, about 5- 7 minutes.
3. Add leeks, broth and garlic salt.
4. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat once boiling and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Add salt and pepper.
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Curried Carrot Soup
I've always enjoyed carrot soup to warm me up and this one does the trick! With curry and ginger, this soup adds spice to your day.
http://bit.ly/2i1sg7r
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SIBO-friendly Beef Chili
This is a great crock pot soup that is easy and delicious. You can substitute a variety of meats and veggies to mix it up.
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Chicken Coconut Lime Soup
This is a delicious soup that will having you coming back for more! Full of antioxidants and healthy fats, this soup will sustain you all afternoon.
If you are short on time, consider using left overs or a rotisserie chicken from the store.
http://bit.ly/2j3uWON
* Note: SIBO stands for small intestional bacterial overgrowth and is a disorder where large numbers of bacteria are present in the small intestine. These bacteria can cause significant and painful gas and bloating. If you think you may have SIBO, check out my friend Kristy's site http://vitalfoodtherapeutics.com/sibo-basics/ or contact me to discuss.
Sources:
Rennard BO, Ertl RF, Gossman GL, Robbins RA, Rennard SI. Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro. Chest. 2000;118(4):1150-1157. doi:10.1378/chest.118.4.1150.
Cardile V. Gelatin tannate reduces the proinflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharide in human intestinal epithelial cells. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology. May 2012:61. doi:10.2147/ceg.s28792.
Parsell D. Vegetable Soup Fights Cell Damage. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/food-thought/vegetable-soup-fights-cell-damage. Published October 28, 2014. Accessed January 6, 2017.