On April 17th, 2020, I had the pleasure of sharing some of my secrets to Eating More Food to Lose More Weight with Helen Raptis on KATU-TV AM Northwest in Portland, Oregon, and I did it by sharing some strategic recipes from my newest book, "Cooking for a Fast Metabolism."

Helen was curious how it’s possible to lose weight eating more food, which of course is all about how you prepare it, how you eat it, and how to use it strategically.

I explained how the right foods are like “kindling” for the metabolism—igniting it and increasing the rate of burn—while sharing my super-simple recipe for roasted chickpeas (which you can snack on anytime, even during a cleanse). Just shake them up to coat them with various herbs and spices, put them on a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake for 30 minutes. You can make them sweet, you can make them savory, you can make them spicy with cracked red pepper!

You want to keep that kindling going while incorporating meals that have a nice, lean protein with enough vegetables and complex carbs to feed the pathways of the metabolism. So I also shared another recipe in my new book, my Lentil Veggie Power Bowl. 

It’s got onions, bell peppers, lentils for the protein, but it’s all those herbs and spices that help you burn through the complex carbs and turn those into energy as opposed to store it on the body in pockets of fat!

I recommend making extra for your freezer, since we want foods you package, rather than packaged foods. Just pop it out and warm it up. It’s delicious. 

I also shared one of my newest favorite recipes, my Chicken Piccata, made with my own gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. You want gluten-free to be sure you’re reducing inflammation! And adding things like lemons and capers packs a lot of power in keeping your pH stabilized. A stable PH is anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, antiviral, and antibacterial. 

Lemon also helps with digestion; so do capers, cilantro and parsley, because it’s not only what you eat; it’s what you can metabolize, or what you do with those nutrients to build a healthier body. 

Every time you step away from the table, I want you to be healthier because of that meal! My Tropical Frittata with pineapple was a great example for that. (It looks so fancy, but it’s so easy to make!) 

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder when I was younger, so for me, my kitchen is my pharmacy. I had to turn towards food to change my health. Not only do the enzymes in the pineapple help break down the protein in eggs, but also the lecithin in whole eggs helps with hormone balance, which is so critical right now. 

And the red bell peppers coupled with mushrooms have a “thermogenic” effect, meaning they actually increase your rate of burn just by eating them.

Pleasure stimulates the metabolism, so you want to enjoy your food, but it should be easy, too, right? This is like five minute prep, you bake it for 30 minutes, and it tastes delicious.

Here are some helpful takeaways from today’s segment: 

• The right foods are like “kindling” for the metabolism

• Pile on the veggies to feed your metabolic pathways

• Herbs and spices can help break down your food and turn it into energy instead of fat

• Make extra when you’re cooking and freeze it for a convenient meal at a later time. 

• Steer clear of inflammatory foods like gluten

• Lemon can help stabilize your pH

• Enhance digestion with lemon, capers, cilantro, parsley and pineapple

• Boost your rate of burn using the thermogenic effects of foods like bell peppers and mushrooms

• Pleasure stimulates the metabolism, so enjoy cooking AND eating your food!

Lentil Veggie Power Bowl

Cleanse Day 8-10, Phase 3 | Serves 6
Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 packed cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, for serving

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils in a strainer and put them in a medium saucepan. Add the broth. cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through but still chewy. Drain them in a strainer, then put them in a large bowl.
   
   
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the bell pepper and saute for 8 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, then transfer the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the lentils. When the mixture is still hot, add the spinach, parsley, salt, and black pepper and toss to combine everything.
   
   
3. Make the dressing: in a blender, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth.
   
   
4. Drizzle the dressing over the lentil mixture. Toss to coat everything in the dressing. Top with the scallions and serve warm or cold.