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Bean & barley soup

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Low-fat, vegetarian and super-healthy, this filling one-pot lunch or dinner is packed with chickpeas, butter beans and pearl barley.

Bean & barley soup

Low-fat, vegetarian and super-healthy, this filling one-pot lunch or dinner is packed with chickpeas, butter beans and pearl barley
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb quartered, cored and sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves crushed
  • 400 g can chickpea drained and rinsed
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 600 ml vegetable stock
  • 250 g pearl barley
  • 215 g can butter beans drained and rinsed
  • 100 g pack baby spinach leaves
  • grated parmesan to serve

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, fennel and garlic, and cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 10-12 mins.
  • Mash half the chickpeas and add to the pan with the tomatoes, stock and barley. Top up with a can of water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 mins or until the barley is tender. Add another can of water if the liquid has significantly reduced.
  • Add the remaining chickpeas and the butter beans to the soup. After a few mins, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 min. Season and serve scattered with Parmesan.

Creamy chicken & asparagus braise

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This delightfully summery, low-calorie, low-fat dish packs in plenty of greens and has a yogurt, tarragon and garlic sauce

Creamy chicken & asparagus braise

This delightfully summery, low-calorie, low-fat dish packs in plenty of greens and has a yogurt, tarragon and garlic sauce.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 skinless chicken breasts about 150g each
  • 10 medium asparagus spears each cut into 3
  • 1 large or 2 small leeks well washed and thickly sliced
  • 3 celery sticks sliced
  • 200 ml reduced-salt vegetable bouillon
  • 140 g frozen peas
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 4 tbsp natural bio yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated
  • ⅓ small pack fresh tarragon chopped
  • new potatoes to serve (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken for 5 mins, turning to brown both sides.
  • Add the asparagus (reserve the tips), leeks and celery, pour in the bouillon and simmer for 10 mins. Add the asparagus tips and peas, and cook for 5 mins more.
  • Meanwhile, stir the egg yolk with the yogurt and garlic. Stir the yogurt mixture into the vegetables and add the tarragon. Divide between two warm plates, then place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Serve with new potatoes, if you like.

Notes

Adapted from bbcgoodfood.com

 

Smoked paprika paella with cod & peas

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Cod is a great source of stress-busting B vitamins and magnesium, so why not enjoy this easy peasy paella that’s also packed with three of your five-a-day, iron, folate and fibre.

Smoked paprika paella with cod & peas

Cod is a great source of stress-busting B vitamins and magnesium, so why not enjoy this easy peasy paella that's also packed with three of your five-a-day, iron, folate and fibre
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 100 g brown basmati rice
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 500 ml reduced-salt vegetable bouillon
  • 1 large red pepper deseeded and chopped
  • 1 large courgette diced
  • 125 g frozen peas
  • 300 g pack skinless Atlantic cod loins cut into large chunks
  • ⅓ small pack parsley chopped½ lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the onion and garlic for a couple of mins to soften. Add the rice and spices, stir briefly, then pour in the bouillon and add the pepper. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 20 mins. Stir in the courgette, cover and cook for 10 mins more.
  • Add the peas and cod, cover the pan and cook for 10 mins more until the rice is cooked and the liquid has been absorbed. Toss with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Notes

Adapted from bbcgoodfood.com

Cleanse for Life: An Ingredient Breakdown

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What’s your favorite Cleanse for Life® ingredient? For some, it might be aloe gel or peppermint for their digestive-soothing benefits, B vitamins for metabolism support, or turmeric and ashwagandha for their help with natural detoxification.

Because of its ingredient composition, Cleanse for Life is a versatile product that provides a variety of benefits depending on how you consume it. When taken each morning or at nighttime, it provides daily antioxidant protection. For those seeking weight loss or detoxification support, it’s a fundamental component of Cleanse Days. With Cleanse for Life’s demonstrated benefits in mind, its ingredients are worthy of a closer look.

Nourishing B Vitamins

Among the B vitamins in Cleanse for Life are niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. These vitamins are essential nutrients because of their roles in normal metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and converting food into energy.

However, they also play a role in supporting the body’s normal antioxidant and detoxification systems. Niacin and B6, for example, are essential for the regeneration of cellular antioxidant and detoxification components (1). Vitamin B12 is also involved in the detoxification of homocysteine to help maintain cardiovascular health (2).

Choline and inositol, also ingredients in Cleanse for Life, are closely related to B vitamins and function by supporting normal metabolic and liver function (3, 4).

Biologically Active Botanicals

Cleanse for Life also features a variety of botanical ingredients with benefits that range from soothing the digestive system to providing detoxification support. Working in synergy, the combination of these ingredients is designed for proper nourishment on Cleanse Days as well as for daily use.

Aloe vera inner-leaf gel is an ingredient that shouldn’t be confused with aloe latex found in the outer part of the plant and known for being a laxative (5). In fact, the gel used in Cleanse for Life is charcoal processed to ensure no trace of any laxative component from aloe latex remain. The gel itself, however, contains polysaccharides associated with digestive support and in improving nutrient bioavailability (6,7).

Turmeric is another Cleanse for Life ingredient that contains a wide number of phytochemicals, but the primary component that’s attracted worldwide scientific inquiry is curcumin (8-10). Curcumin’s influence on metabolic pathways are numerous and complex. These include supporting detoxification, decreasing markers of oxidative stress in overweight and middle-aged adults, and supporting blood vessels and lipid metabolism, effects that contribute to brain and cardiovascular health (8-10).

Ashwagandha, an ancient Ayurvedic herb, is an adaptogen with many traditional and modern uses. Its chief biologically active components are withanolides found in the plant’s roots (11, 12). Eleuthero and rhodiola, alsotraditional adaptogenic herbs, are used in Russia and Scandinavia to strengthen the body’s resistance to stress and improve energy levels (12, 13). Scientific evidence suggests that the phytochemicals in these adaptogens work as key mediators in helping the body maintain homeostasis during stress (12, 13). Through this mechanism adaptogens also offer beneficial effects on the immune system and mental health.

Functional Flavors and Colors

Bilberry, raspberry, and purple carrot are notable for imparting color and flavor while also providing a source of polyphenols, most prominently, anthocyanins (14, 15). These anthocyanins have been investigated scientifically for a variety of positive effects on metabolic processes particularly in middle-aged and overweight adults (15).

Peppermint and fennel also add hints of flavor while, along with suma (or Brazilian ginseng), also providing soothing support for the gastrointestinal tract (16, 17). In combination with aloe gel, these ingredients make Cleanse for Life helpful for supporting gut health during all-day use on Cleanse Days.

The Science of Synergy

Collectively, these ingredients as components of Cleanse for Life demonstrated significant antioxidant protection while promoting the expression of key detoxification enzymes in a cellular model of oxidative stress and toxicity (18). The cells in the study not only lived longer but also exhibited signs of thriving with less signs of cellular stress (18).

Moreover, the use of Cleanse for Life and IsaLean® Shake was further studied in research that evaluated the release of toxins into the bloodstream during a weight loss regimen (19). The study found that nourishment from the products on Cleanse Days and Shake Days was associated with a concomitant reduction of oxidative stress and improved antioxidant status (19).

Getting to know each of Cleanse for Life’s ingredients can help guide how to best to use the product, such as whether to consume it daily or as part of Cleanse Days. It can also provide you a better understanding of why Cleanse for Life is one of the most original and popular Isagenix products.