​Powerhouse Ingredients to start your day right! 

Each of the ingredients in the recipe offer a variety of whole foods based minerals, micronutrients, and macronutrients that will help your body function at its highest capacity. Check out just a sampling of the amazing ways in which these high energy, low-glycemic ingredients support your body’s systems:
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• Almond flour. This low-carb, gluten-free flour is an excellent source of potassium, which can help to regulate blood sugar.
• Coconut flour. Coconut flour is a great source of medium chain fatty acids, or MCFAs, a type of energy-boosting fat that can speed up your metabolism and stabilize your blood sugar levels.
• Rolled oats. Oats are the only source of a unique type of antioxidants called avenanthramides, which are believed to protect against heart disease. Purchase certified gluten free oats to ensure the oats did not become cross contaminated when grown and manufactured. Gluten-free oats are guaranteed to be grown on fields that aren’t used to grow gluten crops, shipped in gluten-free trucks and processed on gluten-free equipment.  Commercially sold oats can sometimes be contaminated with gluten if they are mixed with grains like wheat, barley and rye during the manufacturing process.
• Cranberries are an amazingly synergistic superfood, known to protect against cancer and a variety of infections.
• Maple syrup. Maple syrup is a mineral-loaded, all natural sweetener that provides 18% of the recommended daily value of zinc, which plays an important role in immune function. It offers so much more nutrition than refined, ‘empty calorie’ sweeteners like white sugar.
• Alternative options. Also listed are dairy free and egg free options.

Say goodbye to snow and hello to beautiful blooms now that spring has finally officially arrived. With it comes a variety of peak produce such as strawberries, artichokes and dandelion greens. (Be sure to also check out our list of six foods to eat this spring.) At Integrative Nutrition we LOVE the concept of eating in season to keep your body in balance with the earth. It also means you’ll be eating more flavorful produce that’s at its peak freshness with its highest nutritional value! As this new season begins, we’ve rounded up some recipes that feature a variety of spring fruits and veggies:
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Baked chicken with artichokes (via Kitchn)
This dish combines a medley of spices including paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add preserved lemon, chicken and spring-fresh artichokes, and you have one savory dinner. Although this recipe calls for a package of frozen artichokes, you can also use fresh artichoke for peak-season benefits. Better Homes & Gardens has some handy tips for how to use a cooked artichoke in a recipe.

Spinach and mango salad (via Epicurious)
Mango is ripest in spring, and it pairs particularly well with spinach—another seasonal favorite. For a quick salad, mix balsamic vinegar with spinach and thinly sliced mango, and top with nuts for protein. This recipe from Epicurious calls for candied pecans, but you can always add plain pecans instead to minimize your sugar intake. This Wellness Today video offers tips on how to cut a mango.

Avocado toast with a twist (via Bon Appetit)
This new take on a favorite features avocado alongside cucumber and lime juice. While cucumber is typically a summer produce, you can swap in other springtime favorites like carrots and fennel.

Dandelion greens with toasted garlic (via Eating Well)
These greens make a delicious side dish in spring. Sautee them and mix with garlic, scallions and sliced almonds. Just 25 minutes and it’s on the table!

Salmon with strawberry basil relish (via Taste of Home)
This simple salmon dish is topped with a “relish” of strawberries, basil and honey. We think the topping would be tasty on a variety of fish or meat such as chicken. Wild salmon is always a good choice because it’s low in mercury but high in omega-3s, and the strawberry mix adds a dose of vitamin C. Be sure to buy organic berries to reduce your pesticide exposure.