Food is powerful medicine for anti-aging and disease prevention because it directly influences cellular pathways that regulate health and longevity. Nutrient-dense foods provide bioactive compounds that reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction—key drivers of aging. Polyphenols, omega-3s, and amino acids activate sirtuins and AMPK, enhancing cellular repair and autophagy. Phytonutrients also combat DNA damage and epigenetic aging, helping to extend both lifespan and healthspan while reducing the risk of chronic disease.

What is one way to decrease inflammation, improve gut health, upregulate detoxification, and increase insulin sensitivity? It is to consume more brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily! Sometimes the busyness of life prevents us from adding in the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables we need each day. That's where smoothies come in. Adding everything to a high-powered blender makes it much easier to consume what you need in a delicious way! This red antioxidant smoothie is something I make several times per week. The smoothie contains raw red cabbage, several different types of low-glycemic frozen berries, avocado, citrus, and a red polyphenol powder to help boost the overall phytonutrient content.

Roasted root vegetables make the most quintessential side dish to a holiday meal, however, with the addition of a brightly flavored, antioxidant-rich parsley-basil pesto, the root vegetables are elevated to the next level! Celeriac (celery root), carrots, parsnips, and yellow potatoes form the base of this recipe. After they are cooked, the roasted vegetables are tossed with a flavorful dairy-free pesto. Did you know that by consuming flavonoid-rich herbs, such as parsley and basil, you help to regulate your blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and balance your immune system? Fresh herbs, such as parsley, are concentrated sources of powerful flavonoids. Flavonoids are a class of potent phytonutrients (phyto = plant).

Looking for an easy, nutrient-dense meal you can make at the end of a long day? This simple sheet pan meal uses garden vegetables and wild salmon, and it can be prepped and cooked in under 30 minutes! Salmon is a rich source of a carotenoid called astaxanthin. This potent compound is also found in crab, shrimp, lobster, krill, and salmon eggs (roe), however, wild salmon contains the highest concentration of this potent anti-inflammatory compound.

This immunity shot recipe can be easily whipped up in a blender—no juicer required! Ginger contains antiviral and antioxidant compounds that can help fight viruses; the citrus fruits provide vitamin C, which balances the inflammatory response, and bioflavonoids, which have antiviral and antioxidant functions. Curcumin, an active compound in turmeric, can inhibit viral replication, as well as reduce the oxidative stress caused by viruses. Make a double batch of these immunity shots, pour them into small mason jars, cover with a lid, and keep in your fridge for a few days and drink as needed to support your immune system during cold and flu season!

A "detoxification diet" is actually something you can do everyday by incorporating certain foods into your diet. Think of it as an inclusion diet where the focus is to bring in a variety of detoxification-supporting foods each day. Kohlrabi is an excellent food to support detoxification! It is a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli, cabbage, radishes, and kale, and it's part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables.

Learn how to make the most delicious, anti-inflammatory turmeric-ginger broth! I love adding chopped fresh turmeric to chicken soup, but this recipe takes the turmeric content and bioavailability to a whole new level.

If you are looking for an extremely easy and super nutritious cranberry sauce recipe, then I have just the thing! I've been making this raw cranberry sauce recipe for a few years and I've shared it on Instagram and Facebook, but never seem to get around to getting it up on my blog....until now!

Sometimes when the weather cools it is easy to get into the habit of eating more dense, cooked foods. For some people this is just what they need. But for others, a balance between raw and cooked is best. We each are unique, and so should be our diets.

Even though it may be winter, you can still eat the colors of the rainbow and give yourself a hearty dose of powerful phytonutrients! Consuming these deep red, magenta, and orange colors you see in this salad means that you are flooding your body with plant chemicals that prevent DNA damage, stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, block substances we ingest from becoming carcinogens, and of course mop up free radicals. If you haven't worked with fennel before then you are in for a treat. This delicious vegetable adds complex flavors to this salad. I love eating it raw but it's also delicious braised or roasted!