A Happy, Healthy 4th Made Easy

June 30, 2017
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Celebrate with health in mind.

The 4th of July is a favorite holiday for many of us. That’s quite understandable since it centers around some of the best things in life—celebrating our nation’s birthday, spending time with loved ones, and kicking our feet back for a long weekend of pure relaxation and fun. However, the one holiday hang up is that fireworks and fried and/or fattening food seem to be synonymous.

You want to look back on the long weekend feeling healthy, energized, and happy about the choices you made—and I’m here to help you do just that! I’ve put together a healthy—and of course delicious—holiday menu for you. You can prepare the whole list for a large party or select a choice or two if you’re bringing a side dish as an attendee.

I hope you enjoy and have a marvelous Fat Flush-friendly 4th!

Zesty, Festive Lemon Chicken
—Phase 3; Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
• 8 chicken thighs, skinless
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Marinade
• 3 tablespoons yacon syrup
• 2 garlic cloves, mashed
• 2 scallions, sliced
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• Salt to taste
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne or to taste
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

Directions
1. Prepare the grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.
3. Pour the marinade into a plastic bag with a zipper closure.
4. Add the thighs to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight, shaking the bag occasionally to evenly distribute the marinade.
5. Place the thighs on the preheated grill.
6. Grill the thighs for 20 minutes, brushing periodically with the marinade until the thighs are thoroughly cooked and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.
7. Sprinkle with the parsley, cilantro, and lemon zest.
8. Garnish with the lemon slices.

★ ★ ★

Celebration Kabobs
—Phase 1; Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ cup All-Purpose Seasoning
• 2 cups zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups yellow squash, cubed
• 2 cups red pepper, cubed
• 2½ cups button mushroom
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions
1. Lightly coat chicken in seasoning mix.
2. Alternate chicken and vegetables on skewers.
3. Grill for about 15 to 20 minutes (on a low flame or coals), turning at least once, until chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove from grill and place onto a serving platter.
5. Garnish with lemon and serve.

★ ★ ★

Uncle Sam’s Coleslaw
—Phase 3; Makes 8-10 Servings
Ingredients
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and seeded (leave skin on)
• 3-4 large carrots, peeled
• 1 medium jicama, peeled
• 1 small daikon radish, peeled
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup unsweetened organic coconut (optional)
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup Marvelous Mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons natural honey (optional)

Directions
1. Using a food processor with a shredding disk, shred the apples, carrots, jicama and daikon radish.
2. Place the veggies in a large bowl and toss with green onions, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, coconut (if using) and lime juice.
3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. (For a creamier consistency, use a blender or food processor.)
4. Mix together veggies and dressing.
5. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. (Mixed salad is best served the same day.)
6. Dressing may be made up to 2 days ahead; keep separate, cover and refrigerate.

★ ★ ★

Patriotic “Potato” Salad
—Phase 1; Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced and diced
• 2 steamed sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), diced
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1-2 slices red bell pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Marvelous Mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients well.
2. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. (Salad can be made 1 day ahead.)

★ ★ ★

Fireworks Fruit Kabobs
—Phase 3; Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
• ½ banana
• ½ cup cantaloupe chunks
• ½ cup pineapple chunks
• 1 cup strawberries or kiwis
• 4 skewers

Directions
1. Preheat grill to medium high and coat racks with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make kabobs by alternating banana with cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries on the skewers.
3. Place kabob on the grill rack and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side or until golden.

★ ★ ★

Red, White, and Blueberry Custard
—Phase 1; Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients
• 2 eggs
• 1 packet of SweetLeaf Stevia or Lakanto Monkfruit
• 2 scoops Fat Flush Vanilla Whey
• 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash
• 1 cup frozen blueberries or berries of your choice

Directions
1. Blend eggs, stevia, whey protein and spaghetti squash until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a baking dish and top with blueberries.
3. Bake in a 350F oven for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.
4. Cool for about 25 minutes.

★ ★ ★

Stars, Stripes, and Grilled Peaches
—Phase 1; Makes 1 Serving
Ingredients
• 1 apple or peach, cored/pitted and cut into rings
• Dash of cloves

Directions
1. Preheat the grill to medium high, coating the racks with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Season the apple rings with cloves and place directly on the grill racks.
3. Turn the fruit until it is hot and browned from the grill; about 5-7 minutes.

Phase 3 Variation
Try grilling pineapple, honeydew or cantaloupe— reduce the grilling time to about 3 minutes. You may also cut the fruit in halves and place on the grill; grill time may need to be adjusted or extended for larger pieces of fruit.

★ ★ ★

For more fabulous, festive recipes that will delight your loved ones, pick up your copy of The NEW Fat Flush Cookbook. An electronic version is available in case you need it STAT for this weekend. ?

As for me, I’m so looking forward to hosting our annual July 4th extravaganza. Friends, associates, and staff will gather to enjoy fully catered organic Italian and barbecue cuisine—plus a fireworks show to cap off the evening. May each of you enjoy a fantastic holiday weekend enjoying the freedoms we’re so lucky to have.

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

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