3 Meals to Help With Time Change
This week, most Americans will have to set their clocks backwards by an hour as part of Daylight Savings Time. This has many ramifications for your health, including fatigue and a reduced immune system. Help your body and mind adjust to the new time change faster — and support your health and wellness — with these three delicious recipes.
1. Energizing Green Goddess Smoothie
While you might feel groggy and tired, studies show that getting up early leads to a more productive day and a higher level of energy — ideal when you’re adjusting to a time change! Rising early instead of sleeping in also helps you maximize your exposure to daylight, and research shows that natural light helps reset your circadian rhythm and get you onto the “new” time faster.
This green smoothie takes just seconds to make, and it’s full of energizing antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to boost your morning routine and help you feel full of vitality as soon as you wake up. It’s also very high in immune-boosting nutrients, such as vitamin C, to help you ward off any sickness during this cold and flu season.
2 cups spinach (ideally frozen)
2 cups oat milk
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana
2 tbsp chia seeds
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. Enjoy!
2. Low-Carb Cobb Salad
When we’re sleep deprived, we tend to crave more sugary snacks and foods. While sugar can give us a temporary boost in energy, it’s also linked to long-term health concerns, including a suppressed immune system and difficulty sleeping. The latter can exacerbate the sleep quality issues many of us already face during the time change!
Help re-train your mind and detox from sugar this fall with this healthy, filling keto-inspired lunch. It will fill you up with energizing protein and healthy fats, while being nearly sugar free (a serving of this salad has only five grams of carbohydrates, total!).
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp full-fat unsweetened Greek or Skyr yogurt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
8 hard-boiled eggs, cut into slices
1 avocado, sliced or cubed
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese
1/2 c cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives
Make the dressing by whisking together the mayo, yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Add all the other ingredients to a salad bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss lightly. Enjoy!
3. Miso Ginger Baked Salmon
There’s nothing fishy about these health benefits: An analysis of more than two dozen different published research studies found that people who ate more fish are less likely to experience mood disorders like depression. Researchers theorize that this is due to the high omega-3 levels in fish, and that omega-3s help improve most markers of mental health.
Plus, salmon can help you sleep when you’re adjusting to a time change. It contains nutrients that help raise your levels of tryptophan, the hormone linked with sleep.
Wild salmon from sustainable fisheries is one of the best whole food sources of omega-3s in your diet. Other great options include walnuts, flax, the purslane herb, and sardines.
This delicious mood booster dinner seasons fresh salmon with miso. Miso is a fermented soybean paste popular in Asian cuisine that is both salty and sweet. Because it’s fermented, it’s also great for your gut and thus brings additional mental health benefits for you.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tbsp white or red miso paste
2 tbsp Japanese rice wine (also known as “mirin”)
1 tbsp tamari sauce
1-inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1-1/4 lb salmon fillet, cut into four individual steaks
2 tbsp scallions, sliced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
Line a baking pan with parchment paper or greased foil.
Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil. Coat
Saute the sesame seeds in a frying pan (dry, no oil needed) for a few minutes until toasted and fragrant.
In a mixing bowl, combine the miso, rice wine, tamari and ginger until well-mixed.
Brush the marinade on all sides of your salmon and place on your baking pan. If your salmon fillet still has skin on it, position it skin facing down.
Broil the salmon on the top rack of your oven for 5-8 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and garnish with the sesame seeds, cilantro and scallions. Enjoy!