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Eating healthy with Camp Canopy

Published:Thursday | April 23, 2020 | 12:00 AM

With COVID-19 altering everyone’s lifestyle, one of the questions on everyone’s mind is, “How can I protect myself from this virus?” While we know to wash our hands, wear masks, social distance and stay home, we can protect ourselves even further by boosting our immune systems with nutritious foods and exercise.

While isolating at home protects us from the virus, during these stressing times we may find ourselves tempted to indulge in our favourite comfort foods, which can not only jeopardise our waistlines but also our health.

To make it easier for Jamaicans to take control of their wellness during this difficult time, Canopy Health Insurance recently launched Camp Canopy, an online wellness platform led by certified Health and Fitness Coach Kamila McDonald, which offers fitness, meditation, health coaching and has over 100 recipes to help you stay healthy while staying home. The platform is available free for all Jamaicans for the next 60 days at www.camp-canopy.com.

Here are some recipes from Camp Canopy with immune-boosting ingredients to help keep COVID-19 at bay.

SPLIT TO PERFECTION PEAS SOUP

Peas are rich in vitamin C, which makes it one of the best immunity-building foods. A single serving of peas supplies half your daily needs of vitamin C.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 scallion, diced

1 thyme

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 Scotch bonnet pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups carrots, diced

2 cups sweet potato, diced

½ cup yam or sweet potato, diced

1½ cups diced pumpkin

6 seeds of pimento

1 cup dried split green peas, rinsed

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Pinch of sea salt

 

PREPARATION

1. Add coconut oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add scallion, onions, garlic, oregano, salt, Scotch bonnet pepper and sauté for 2 minutes, until the onions are soft.

2. Add the carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, split peas, yam and vegetable broth, pimento seeds, thyme and let it cook for 45 minutes, stirring regularly until the peas are soft.

3. Place 2 cups of soup in a high-speed blender, puree and return to pot. Let it cook for 5 more minutes.

4. Serve hot and enjoy!

JAH 9’S FEEL GOOD MOSS SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS

Moss

Water

Irish moss

 

Smoothie

6 dates –10 medjool dates

2tbsp maca powder

2tbsp hemp seeds

3tbsp chia seeds

2tsp black molasses (or your choice of sweetener)

2 cups almond milk

1/2tsp nutmeg

 

PREPARATION FOR MOSS

1. Mix everything together in a high-speed blender and enjoy!

2. Add a little more apple if you need it sweeter. If your mission is to lose weight, please stick to one apple, your taste buds will soon adjust.

 

PREPARATION FOR SMOOTHIE

1. Clean Irish moss thoroughly in lukewarm water to get rid of salt and anything else that may be stuck to the moss from the sea.

2. Boil for 30 minutes to one hour. Then let it cool for 10 minutes.

3. You can either use right away in a smoothie or soup, or store in the fridge or freezer for use later. You can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks and in the freezer for two months.