Enjoy this creamy delight with some of your favorite chopped veggies, as a spread or even in a fresh salad.

Start to finish: 20 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients (choose organic ingredients if possible)

• 1½ cups cooked garbanzo beans
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, except the oil, and blend until combined.
2. With the food processor still running, add the olive oil little by little, until well combined and smooth.

Didn’t think it was that easy to make your own healthy hummus, did you?

Will you be making this recipe? Post a photo of your Heavenly Hummus using the hashtag #MAMRecipe

“White coat hypertension” is when your blood pressure reads normal at home but high in your doctor’s office, and although the cause is still somewhat of a mystery, new research suggests that it is not a benign condition. Doctors believe that for some people, feeling anxious might be a cause, but others may have fluctuating blood pressure due to an underlying condition. Click here to read more about white coat hypertension.

Eating a lot of high-calorie foods can be bad for your overall health. But according to research conducted by Professor Herbert Herzog, Head of the Eating Disorders laboratory at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, high-calorie intake during times of stress is even worse for the body and can lead to increased weight gain. Click here to read more about why eating comfort food when you feel stressed is bad for your health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis showed that both excessively long and short periods of sleep duration are risk factors for high blood pressure. Click here to read more about the connection between sleep and hypertension.

These muffins will soothe your sweet tooth and leave you feeling satisfied and ready to take on the day. Keep in mind that in order to keep insulin levels low, it is best to avoid anything that is sweet at all. However, it is good to occasionally give in to your cravings.

Total time: 27 mins

Serves: 36 Muffins

Ingredients (use organic ingredients if possible)

• 1½ cups oat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup apple sauce (try making your own apple sauce using organic apples – that way you’ll know exactly what is in it!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 ripe banana – mashed
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• ⅓ cup coconut oil – melted

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix together.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly and mix to combined.
4. Grease a mini muffin pan with coconut oil and fill until ¾ way full. Place in the oven and bake for 10 –12 minutes. Voila! Easy-peasy banana squeezy.

Will you be making this recipe? Post a photo of your muffins using the hashtag #MAMRecipe

How can you fit eight hours of sleep into five hours? The simple answer is you can’t. Trading in those precious hours in bed for more time at work or more time in front of the TV is not uncommon, but according to a study published in the journal Sleep Health, sleeping five hours or less can have adverse health consequences. Click here to smash some more sleep myths.

The Keto diet is not just another fad diet making the rounds in the health industry. A large body of scientific research supports the use of this high-fat dietary approach for various health issues, including type 2 diabetes, migraine and lymphatic disorders, metabolic syndrome and associated comorbidities, and diverse neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Click here and read more about Keto facts.

Everyone is different – some gain weight after every indulgence, and some can eat like a growing teenager without putting on a single pound. It is true that metabolism is in some way determined by genetics; it is, however, a myth that the body’s metabolic rate can’t change. According to “eatright,” you can give your metabolism the necessary boost by increasing lean muscle mass. So, pick up those weights and build some lean muscle this summer. Click here to bust more metabolism myths.

Supercharge your brain with an easy superfood salad for lunch or dinner.

Serves 2

 Ingredients

Ginger and honey salad dressing:

• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled (reduces inflammation)
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup avocado oil (promotes healthy blood flow to the brain)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water

For the salad:

• 2 salmon filets, cooked (Omega-3s help build brain and nerve cells)
• 4 cups fresh kale (brain-boosting vitamin K)
• 1 avocado (promotes healthy blood flow to the brain)
• 1/2 cup blueberries (rich in antioxidants)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (also high in antioxidants to fight free radicals)
• 1/4 cup walnuts (brain-boosting antioxidants, Omega fats and vitamin E)
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds (high in antioxidants, Omega-3s and vitamin E)
• 1 cup cooked beets (natural nitrates that promote blood flow to the brain)

Directions

1. Place apple cider vinegar, honey, ginger, Dijon mustard, avocado oil, salt and water in blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Place spinach, avocado, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, beets and hemp seeds in large bowl. Drizzle with the honey ginger dressing.
3. Arrange salad on plates and top with cooked salmon. Delicious!

Will you be making this recipe? Post a photo of your marinated kale salad using the hashtag #MAMRecipe

A new study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology have found a link between short sleep duration, poor sleep quality and increased risk for subclinical atherosclerosis. While previous research has shown associations between sleep deprivation and obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, the new study conducted in Spain also found that people who received less than 6 hours a night were 34% more likely to have atherosclerosis than those who slept well. To read more, click here.