With summer comes the joy of plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables to choose from.  Watermelon is top on the list for summer snack enjoyment and our produce pick for this month.  It’s very hydrating (90-92% of it is water!), which provides electrolytes such as potassium. It’s simple to serve, easy to digest, and most people enjoy its flavor.

The beautiful color of watermelon comes from lycopene, an antioxidant.  Watermelon has more of this wonderful nutrient than any other fruit or vegetable, even tomatoes. The brighter red the better.

Choline is another antioxidant that occurs in watermelon. It contributes to muscle movement, learning and memory, maintaining the structure of cell membranes, the transmission of nerve impulses, and early brain development. We love brain-boosting foods at BWC for Horse Lovers!

Watermelon is also rich in an amino acid called citrulline that may help move blood through your body and can help lower your blood pressure. It...

July equals summer and summer equals a colorful harvest of warm-weather produce. Zucchinis are now in season, and we’re loving it!  If the overabundance of zucchini produced by your garden may cause you to lose interest in this vegetable-like fruit (yes, technically botanically classified as a fruit!), take a deep breath.  We’re here to help you fall back in love with this nutrition powerhouse, so let’s dig into a bit of the nutritional benefits of zucchini, a squash in fact.

Squashes are mainly autumn harvest ‘vegetables’.  Many squashes need to be cooked by baking or steaming, although the popular zucchini and yellow crookneck (both summer squashes) can be sliced and eaten raw in salads or with dips.  Most of the squashes are high in carbohydrates, mainly as starch, with a high fiber content.  Many are high in Vitamin A, especially the orange or yellow squashes.  Vitamin C and potassium are...

As you may have noticed by now, we at BWC For Horse Lovers love consuming and preparing local and seasonal produce.  Radishes are currently being pulled from many gardens and local farms, so it’s a great time to share some information (and of course a recipe you can all enjoy at home!). 

I often come across clients who have never tried radishes, or who simply don’t know how to prepare them, so now may be the perfect time to experiment.  Don’t let them be an afterthought. The more we can eat the rainbow and try new foods, the more nourishment we can take in from all of the amazing fresh produce that is available to us.  

A radish is a root of a plant from the brassica family.  Close relatives to the radish include broccoli, mustard greens, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and turnips. Radishes range in flavour from peppery hot to mild and sweet, depending on the age and variety of the plant, and they also come in many shapes and colors. Radishes...

Leek and Fennel Soup!

by Health Coach Melanie Rathbun FMCA

It’s that time of year when leeks are springing up around us! If you’ve never tried leeks, this may be your time to adopt something new into your diet.  Leeks are similar in appearance (and nutrition) to green onions, just much larger so they are easy to spot at your local farmers market or grocery store.  They come from the same family as onions and garlic (allium family) with a distinct flavor, and they offer similar health benefits. The health benefits to eating leeks are plenty, one of them being that they are high in prebiotic inulin fiber (up to 16%).  Prebiotics are types of dietary fibre that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut and help in the breakdown of fat.   This helps the gut bacteria produce nutrients for your colon cells and leads to a healthier digestive system. They are high in flavonoids, which supports your body’s response to oxidative stress....

I am very excited to share with everyone the story of a historic, uncompromising, international award-winning, superlative olive oil company – Berkeley Olive Grove 1913!

Most people by now have heard of the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and how eating such a diet seems to be very beneficial for health. One of the most recognized healthy foods within the MD is high-quality olive oil. High-quality olive oil is now recognized as one of the essential cornerstones to good health for most people and is now known to help prevent many chronic degenerative diseases when used in conjunction with other healthy dietary and lifestyle factors (1).

I have been trying to learn more about what really is high-quality olive oil and where can I find it. My research over the last few months led me on an interesting journey through various Mediterranean countries, but in the end I discovered that one of the very BEST olive oils is actually grown and produced right here in the United States of America!...

By Health Coach Melanie Rathbun FMCHC

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow ~ Proverb.

The first day of spring has come and we’re well on our way to longer days filled with sunshine, flowers, new hopes, and new beginnings! What is your favorite part about spring?

We’ve been busy in the Horse Lover’s Kitchen preparing some traditional selections, including vegetables, that celebrate the harvest this time of year.  With Easter just around the corner, we’ve included a few extra recipes this month that could make for a well-balanced meal to share with loved ones. There is a recipe for dill carrots, steamed asparagus as well as a lovely braised lamb shank (with some garlic of course!).

In moderation, lamb is an excellent source of protein along with nutrients like iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12. When selecting your lamb meat, it would be wise to pay attention to how it has been raised.  Feeding animals a grass-fed diet means that...

In my constant search to further my understanding of human health, a while back I was focusing on lectins as taught by Dr. Grundy, MD.

Dr. Grundy advises that by pressure cooking lectin-rich plant foods such as beans, one can mitigate the negative effects of lectins (1). Lectins are essentially plant defense compounds that when eaten by humans can act as anti-nutrients which may block absorption of vital nutrients in our gut and also can increase intestinal wall permeability which is known as Leaky Gut (2).

That got me thinking about how a long time ago I had an old-fashioned yet well-made pressure cooker that I used often. But, I do not have that cooking pot anymore.

So, I decided to search for a new pressure cooker and low and behold I found a true gem of a pressure cooker! And, an excellent company to buy it from as well! That is what I would like to share with you in this article.

I discovered the company, Culinary Habana, which is owned by Kimberly Batarse and located in...

By Health Coach Melanie Rathbun FMCHC

Often overlooked, the rutabaga is a root vegetable that can be mistaken for a turnip.  Purple and white turnips are usually two or three inches in diameter, but a rutabaga with its brownish white color is twice that size.  Have you tried this wonderful vegetable?

If you haven’t yet tried consuming this healthy alternative, now may be a good time.  It’s high in fiber, which we know is great for digestion and gut health. Some of us may not be getting enough fiber in our system these days.  It’s a good source of potassium and calcium, both important mineral for our bodies, plus it’s full of antioxidants.  The rutabaga is a member of the cruciferous family, so it’s full of glucosinolates, sulfur containing compounds which are known to prevent cancer.  It’s higher in protein and lower in calories and carbohydrates so a wonderful choice for feeling fuller, longer. Learn how to grow your...

By Health Coach Melanie Rathbun FMCHC

Have you heard of fat bombs?  I know many folks hear those words and feel the inclination to shy away. I mean aren’t we lead to believe that fat is bad?  I will answer that with a resounding, no!  Quality healthy fats are our friend, and our bodies feel best when we fuel ourselves with clean sources of energy in whole form. 

Fat bombs are low carb, keto and vegan friendly no-bake treats!  They’re typically made with ingredients such as nut butters, coconut oil, cocoa powder and only a little sweetener in pure form.  We at BWC for Horse Lovers prefer natural sweeteners such as honey, and do our best to avoid refined sugar, so we’ve included a recipe below for you to try at home.  Many of you have been making healthier choices this year, and we want to ensure we always continue to support you in your goals for long lasting change. 

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and we all know...

By Health Coach Melanie Rathbun, FMCHC

This month, our expert-in-the-kitchen Health Coach, Melanie Rathbun, shares great fresh Smoothie recipes to cleanse your body! 

Whether you binged a little over the holidays, are interested in boosting your immune system, lose a little weight, or just want to eat healthier, smoothies are the easiest way to pack a ton of nutrition into your meals. You can make smoothies in less than 10 minutes and the best part is you don’t even need to turn on the oven.  Another added bonus is there is minimal clean up.

As we move into January, our thoughts may turn to what we can do to make 2021 a healthier year, with strong and resilient immune systems.  If we can first turn to what we are consuming and the food choices we are making, we’ve got a solid head start on our overall health and wellness.

Smoothies are an efficient way to significantly increase your intake of nutrients and antioxidants.  These are great for...