Purely Elizabeth isn't just any plain old granola. Their products are all gluten-free, including baking mixes + granola cereal loaded with numerous health benefits and made of nutritious whole grains and superfood seeds, free of dairy, sugar, wheat and gluten. Visit their website for more information: http://www.purelyelizabeth.com/

This Fall, they have gotten creative with how they enjoy their granola.  There are so many ways it can be incorporated into all kinds of meals and snacks. Today, they shared 10 of their favorite fall-inspired recipes using their ancient grain granolas!

Share this recipe card with friends + tell them how you get creative with granola on their Facebook page for a chance to win a case of granola so that you can start experimenting in the kitchen!

Healthy wishes and enjoy!!

Chicken with apricots sounds an unusual combination, but it tastes delicious and provides the body with valuable nutrients. Apricots are high in beta-carotene (vitamin A), which is an immune-boosting antioxidant, and chickpeas are a great source of fiber! This is a great post-workout meal providing a great source of complex carbohydrate and lean protein!

Serves 2



Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 oz. dried, ready-to-eat apricots
6 oz. water
14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok or fry pan.
2. Stir-fry onion, ginger, garlic and chicken for about 4 minutes.
3. Add apricots, water and chickpeas. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Serve with boiled brown/wild rice or quinoa (1/2 cup per dish) and sauteed green vegetables such as sugar snap peas, broccoli and spinach.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 475
Fat: 10g
Carbohydrate: 48g
Fiber: 12g
Protein: 45g

Feeling tired during your day? Are you fighting fatigue or feeling weaker than usual? Are your energy levels less than desirable? Many of us find ourselves dragging at various points during our day and look for something to boost our energy and/or strength in response. Here's the latest research on the top foods and drinks that will naturally give you what you need.



Spinach - The Strength Booster
Turns out Popeye was on to something. Spinach contains nitrates, compounds that past research shows can improve running performance by delivering more oxygen and nutrients to muscles. In a new study from the National Council of Research in Italy, scientists gave participants two cups of nitrate-rich spinach juice or a placebo for six days. The spinach juice group performed better on a series of strength tests and reported less fatigue.

Action plan: Eat spinach–or drink the juice–regularly. If the juice's potent flavor is too strong, try blending it in smoothies.


Tart Cherries -  Improve Sleep & Reduce Inflammation
Tart cherry juice is rich in melatonin, a phytonutrient that can improve sleep (and you need quality sleep to keep your immune system strong and speed recovery postrun). In a study at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, subjects drank an ounce of tart cherry juice twice a day for a week. Those who drank the juice fell asleep faster, slept longer, and reported feeling more rested than those who had a placebo. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in tart cherries also help to reduce inflammation

Action plan: Add tart cherry juice to sparkling water, stir the dried fruit into oatmeal, or toss it in your trail mix.


Raisins - Pack A Punch and Boost Energy
Participants in a study by the University of California at Davis ran for 80 minutes and then completed a 5-K time trial while consuming water, or water and carb-based chews, or water and raisins. Researchers assumed the fiber in raisins might cause stomach distress. But runners who had raisins ran equally well as those who had energy chews–and both groups ran faster than those who only drank water.

Action plan: During long runs, have 1/4 cup of raisins, which supplies 33 grams of carbs, with water every hour you run.


Yeast - Wards Off Colds
Hard exercise lowers your immunity, but beta glucan (a carb in baker's yeast) may help. Runners in the 2011 Austin Marathon who took a beta glucan supplement for four weeks were sick fewer days postrace than a placebo group. Researchers from Western Kentucky University think it stimulates immune cells in mucous layers, creating a barrier against bugs.

Action plan: If you get sick during hard training, take a daily 250-milligram baker's yeast beta glucan supplement. Eating oats and mushrooms (two sources of less potent beta glucan) may also help.