Did you know that if you finish your shower with a blast of ice-cold water in the dead of winter you will actually stay warmer through out the day?
It’s true.
The cold water signals your pores to close so that your body will retain heat which results in you (or me) staying warmer all day long.
Now don’t get me wrong, I have NEVER had the desire to test this theory
(just the idea of ice cold water in my shower in the dead of winter makes me shudder) but when I was studying at “
The Institute of Integrative Nutrition“ I knew many brave souls who put this theory to the test!
The same is true of the opposing theory.
While I do not recommend blasting scalding water in your shower during the middle of summer, drinking or eating something hot on a hot day will signal your pores to open in order to release excess heat which will ultimately keep you cooler!
Who knew??
So the next time you want to cool off on a hot summer day skip the lemonade and sit down to a nice big bowl of soup. Perhaps some Chard and Chicken Soup if you are looking for something fresh, light, quick, and easy to whip up!
While doing a little Chard recipe hunting, I found what may just be my new favorite blog,
Summer Tomato. If you want some
great tips, recipes, and ideas highlighting local, seasonal foods you have to be sure and stop by.
Darya speaks my language. She takes the often confusing and misguiding literature of nutritional science and breaks it down into easy to understand, bite-sized, take-away, nuggets that we are all desperately in need of! She keeps it
simple, factual, and to the point and
her blog is ooozing with a wealth of valuable information.I gave it a bit of a Mexican spin my skipping the thyme, parsley, and lemon and adding a big bunch of cilantro and some fresh squeezed lime juice! I also took a short cut and used an organic rotisserie chicken rather than cooking the entire chicken myself.
The results?
A super quick and nutritious soup that is light, refreshing, and the perfect way to cool down on a warm day!
Try adding some scallions and avocado right before you eat this soup to add a bit of extra flavor and texture. So good!!
Do you guys like to eat soup during the warmer weather? Do you have any warm weather favorites?
Chard and Chicken Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion, diced up
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
and diced
1 28-oz can of diced
tomatoes
4 cups (1 box) low sodium
chicken broth
2 cups of water
16 oz of white meat rotisserie
chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
1 large bunch of chard,
stemmed and sliced into ribbons
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
The juice of one lime
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
Heat olive oil in a 5-qt,
non-stick stockpot and add in onions, garlic and jalapeno. Cook for about ten minutes or until
your onions are translucent and the veggies are nice and tender. Be careful not to brown them!
Add in tomatoes, broth,
water, and chicken and bring to a boil.
One you have your boil, bring it down to a simmer and add chard. Cook soup for another five minutes or
until the chard has wilted.
Finish it off by stirring in
the cilantro, lime juice, and scallions.
Makes 6 – 1.5 cup servings.
Nutritional Analysis
Calories: 209; Total Fat: 5.1g; Saturated Fat:
1.2; Cholesterol: 60mg; Sodium: 427mg; Carbohydrate: 14.6g; Dietary Fiber:
1.9g; Sugars: 3.2g; Protein: 26.3g
More from Clean & Delicious...
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Video: Chard "101"
Lentil Veggie Soup w/ Collards
Mexican Cabbage Soup
Video: How-To Make a Basic Baked Chicken Breast
Naked Chicken Parmesan
I’m so craving for some chicken soup at the moment! This looks good and just right for this winter!
This sounds delicious! The chard at the grocery store looked sad so I am hoping for a better selection later on or I will have to wait until my garden starts producing to make this. Thanks!
What a perfect coincidence – I happened to pick up rainbow chard this weekend and I made a mammoth batch of chicken stock. This looks wonderful and so nourishing. I can’t wait to try it!
I LOVE chard, but, never thought of using it in soup. Great idea Dani….and I LOVE that you made it spicy. I might have to try this when it’s not as hot here
Making this tonight!
Is there an alternative to use other than chard? I’m having trouble finding it and I really want to try this soup!
Amy B. – It’s good in the Spring too:)
Gretchen – I hope you like it!
Jaya – It is! Would love to know what you think of it.
Danica – I love spicy and chard… I think we would make really good eating partners:).
Maddy – You could use spinach, beet greens, or even some dandelion greens.