As I may have mentioned, I live at the beach in Southern California. One of my favorite restaurants here at the beach is called The Chart House. They serve great fresh fish as well as delicious steaks. They also offer one of my favorite salads: a chopped spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.

I love the texture and complexity of chopped salads. But I have always been put off by the amount of tedious work required to prepare a chopped salad at home.

Recently I was exploring the internet for salad bowls and choppers when I stumbled on an amazing tool. OXO who produces quality kitchen utensils makes an incredibly effective tool called an OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper and Bowl. I found it on Amazon for under $40.

Why am I sharing this story with you? If you recall, one of the Joe Dillon Essentials for Optimal Health is #4: Leafy Greens. Leafy greens are nutrient-dense, low glycemic load carbohydrates. Leafy greens: 1) are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (powerful plant nutrients that have anti-oxidants properties, strengthen our immune system, and help prevent cancer and heart disease – among other benefits; 2) are effective pre-biotics to feed and keep healthy the gut bacteria of your biome; 3) are a rich source of fiber for an easy bowel movement at least once every 24 hours.

Gut Health

One of the most important aspects of gut health is a wide diversity of dark leafy green vegetables and green non-starchy vegetables.

As you know by now, one aspect of the Joe Dillon Difference Lifestyle are healthy rituals. Rituals are habits with a deeper meaning.

A classic example of a healthy ritual is your Joe Dillon shake. Hopefully, by now, JDD shakes are a daily habit in your and your family’s way of life. There is no better way for you and your family to start your day than with a JDD shake. And there is no more effective way to kick-start your recovery process after your workout than with a JDD shake.

Over time, your daily habit of starting your and your family’s day with a JDD shake and kick-starting your recovery with a JDD shake evolves into a ritual.

You slowly acquire your own individual way of making a JDD shake that is perfect for you. Vanilla. Chocolate. Or, a mix. Unsweetened coconut milk. Whole milk. Half and half. Or, heavy whipping cream. Fresh or frozen unsweetened fruit. Which kind of berries do you prefer? Ice or no ice? How much salt do you add until it is exactly how you like it?

Rituals for Health

Your JDD shake, over time, acquires deeper ritualistic meanings and values. Not only is a JDD shake one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense meals you can put into your body and your family’s bodies, it also embodies a set of values: Optimal Health, Peak Performance, Maximum Health Span, abundant energy, mental acuity, a super sharp memory, love of your family and your commitment to their well-being.

Emblems of your daily healthy rituals are jars of Joe Dillon protein and your Vitamix variable speed blender.

Now on my kitchen counter near my jars of Joe Dillon protein and my Vitamix blender, are an OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper and Bowl.

I am having fun creating and experimenting with new and different combinations of leafy green vegetables, dark leafy green vegetables, green non-starchy vegetables, and other salad components.

I shop for my greens at Whole Foods Market. They have 2 blends of greens which the foundation of all my salads: Organic 50/50 Blend: Baby Spinach and Spring Mix; and Organic Super Greens. There is some over lap but they are such a great mix together. Ingredients in Organic 50/50 Blend: (all are organic) Baby Spinach, Green Leaf, Mizuna, Tango, Crisp Lettuce, Green Oak Leaf, Red Oak Leaf, Red Chard, Green Chard, Arugula, Frisee, Red Leaf, Lolla Rosa, Radicchio, Baby Butter Lettuce, and Kale. The organic ingredients in Super Greens: Baby Red Chard, Baby Bok Choy, Baby Tatsoi, Baby Spinach, Baby Green Swiss Chard, Mizuna, and Baby Arugula.  

In addition, I might add other organic ingredients such as : green bell pepper, celery, cucumber and/or raw asparagus.

Other healthy ingredients might include: left over steak; left over pork chop; bacon; crumbled blue cheese; grated parmesan; left over rotisserie chick including white meat, dark meat and skin; avocado; fried egg.

I throw all the ingredients that I have chosen that day for this particular salad into the big OXO salad bowl. Then I chop (or roll round twin blades – please see attached images) until I get it to the particle size and texture I prefer. Then I add extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, salt and other herbs or spices. Then I thoroughly toss it. The chopping / rolling process has already pretty well tossed my salad.  

Then I sit down and enjoy a fantastically interesting and stunningly delicious salad. It is also an extraordinarily healthy and nutrient-dense meal.

My new OXO Good Grips Salad Chopper and Bowl has joined my Vitamix blender in an arsenal of healthy tools. Healthy tools with which to build healthy rituals.

One of my Inner Circle coaching clients is a dentist who lives and practices in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I recently shared my enthusiasm for my new chopper and bowl. When I spoke to him during our next week’s coaching session, he shared a quick story. He and his wife could never get their oldest son (he’s 17) to touch a green thing. Now he can’t get enough of the new chopped salads. We never know what catalyst might get our kids on a healthier path.

Quality of life. We are all in this evolving process called life. We human beings are social animals. We are good at collective learning and sharing what we have learned. We human beings have our issues but we are the most extraordinary species that has ever existed.

Thank you for your ongoing support.
I appreciate you.

Joe