One of my favorite juices comes from the beautiful Kris Carr and her Crazy Sexy Diet book. Her Make Juice, Not War Green Juice is delightful. She starts her morning with it every day, and this recipe makes 32 ounces. My only problem is that I hate cucumber – can’t get past that. Also am not really a pear fan. So here is my change up for this juice:

2 medium zucchini’s (peeled if you can’t find organic)

4 – 5 kale stalks

4 – 5 romaine leaves

4 celery stalks

1 – 2 big broccoli stems

1 – 2 apples

1″ piece (or less) of gingerroot
Juice all of the ingredients. You can also add spinach, parsley, broccoli sprouts, etc.

Drink and enjoy!

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, quick meal

The YACON is a perennial plant grown in the Andes for its crisp, sweet-tasting tuberous root. The texture and flavor have been described as a cross between a fresh apple and watermelon which is why it is sometimes referred to as the apple of the earth. The root is composed mostly of water and fructo-oligosaccharides. It has recently been introduced into farmer’s markets and natural food stores in the US.

Although sometimes confused with jicama, YACON is actually a close relative of the sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke. The plants produce two types of roots: propagation roots and storage roots. Propagation roots grow just under the soil surface and produce new growing points that will become next year’s aerial parts. These roots resemble Jerusalem artichokes. Storage roots are large and edible.

These edible roots contain inulin, an indigestible sugar, which means that although they have a sweet flavor, the roots contain fewer calories than would be expected.

The inulin and oligofructose are isolated from natural plant sources. They can be classified so as dietary fiber. They have beneficial effects on intestinal transit. The beneficial effects to health which has its consumption can be summarized as follows:

• They reduce the risk of atherosclerosis associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia (especially with hypertriglyceridemia), which as we know is associated with way power hipercalóricos and based mainly on Carbohydrates. Experimental data show that the oligofructose inhibits lipogénesis liver and consequently have an effect hipotrigliceridémico.
• They reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which improve the bioavailability of calcium. It has been shown that both increases bone mineral density and bone mass.
• The YACON has been used for sick patients with diabetes

There are just so many reasons why this ingredient will one day be so important to so many. And it is just one of the ingredients in Shakeology. You can also find Yacon Syrup and Powdered Yacon at Navitas Naturals.

Technorati Tags: Shakeology, wellness

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, shakeology, wellness

I recently had a visit to my fitness blog from a 56 year old Grandma with a bad knee who was looking for a natural alternative to try to help her knee without surgery, since she really wasn’t completely to the point of needed in. I wanted to share my response to her with all of you, because I know that knee pain is something many of us deal with, myself included, but only when I’ve let my nutrition slide, or stopped stretching after my workout. So why is that?

The best thing besides a good plant based Glucosamine supplement is phytonutrients and antioxidants! What that means is fruit and vegetable nutrition which is a powerful fuel for the body to fight the sick cells that turn into the the not so great things including knee pain. The best fruits to choose would be cranberries, blueberries, bilberries as well as raspberries to name a few. Unfortunately it can be hard to get all of those servings you really need in through a day to help your knee. Shakeology has many of these powerful phytonutrients in them – and if you mix it with blueberries and raspberries and kale or spinach and hemp milk you are getting far more phytonutrients, antioxidants and omega-3′s to reduce your inflammation – I mean Shakeology alone provides you with more nutrients and vitamins than 40 servings of fruits and vegetables. Who could eat that in one day. Then you can use the RealFood Organics vitamins which will give you another 2 servings of fruits and vegetables and strong antioxidants and phytonutrients just in vitamin form which is actually absorbed unlike many of the other vitamins on the market.  So you’re heading into your day with far more nutrition than you could ever believe you could have in one day.

Next you need to add into your daily activity some good old fashioned stretches that are just for your knee. The only way to release the lubrication for your knee is to stretch. It’s sad that they never teach that to us. Is it just that they want out money to continue to come back to the doctor’s office, or to get all of that money for surgery? I don’t know but it really annoys me.

Now the Glucosamine supplement that I use is the GS-500. This is the original glucosamine sulfate product in the United States. It is up to 98% absorbable, which means it is readily available for your body to use. I have a lot of allergies, and I really love that this brand doesn’t contain any sugar, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, dairy, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring or preservatives. It’s all natural. This supplement will also help to build and support joint cartilage – which is essential to keep you out of surgery and out running in the yard with your grandkids.

Try to remember that there are connections to the upper and lower muscles (the inner and outer thighs and the calves) so you need to work those muscles. And never do the weighted leg extensions. According to many physical therapists and fitness trainers say that those are the worst thing you can ever do for a bad knee, and can cause a bad knee for those that aren’t hurt yet. My husband was in a bad motorcycle accident several years ago, and so I know what bad knees are all about. He couldn’t walk for six months and had to do a long stretch in PT and still has bad days. Don’t feel bad about the knee brace. Sometimes my husband still has to wear his, like when we’re walking about the zoo with our own daughter all day. All of these things, however, have helped him greatly. Good luck with this, and I hope that I have helped any of you with knee pain out.

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health

You hear the term “superfood” an awful lot these days. Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result. For example, blueberries are often considered a superfood due to the significant amounts of antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber that they contain. But if you look at the top lists of superfoods, I wonder if you even knew that they were superfoods to begin with.

WebMD lists their top list of superfoods as being:

• Beans (soaked and sprouted to digest easier)
• Blueberries (organic)
• Broccoli (organic)
• Oats (Gluten free and steel cut is best)
• Oranges (organic if you don’t want any dyes and pesticides)
• Pumpkin (organic)
• Salmon (wild caught)
• Soy (I say only fermented and ONLY organic please!)
• Spinach (organic… and I would have to say Kale as well should be here)
• Tea (green or black)
• Tomatoes (organic and in season or organic in a box or can)
• Turkey (cage free pastured, of course)
• Walnuts
• Yogurt (whole Greek style or make your own)

Take a look at that list and think of the meals you could create out of them, and the money you could save off your grocery bill. I hear people say all of the time how eating healthy is expensive. It’s not expensive. If you eat a lot of processed organic foods, then yes, it is going to be expensive. But it you buy the healthy super staples, not only are you going to reduce your food costs, but I bet you’ll reduce your waist line.

What meal comes to mind looking at this list? I could make my Turkey Kale Lasagna with many of the items on this list. I can make a yogurt parfait, I can make a big yummy salad with salmon, I could make all of my meals and use mainly just these foods. Couldn’t you?

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health

I have read so many articles lately about the toxic conditions of our world. If you have taken my Holistic Food Basics free course you know all about the toxic foods in our diets. But you may not have stopped to think about the toxic conditions of your home or workplace. And that is just as important. Part of the organic lifestyle is to eliminate the toxins not just from your foods, but from your entire life.

First this last week I read an article by a nurse in the Seattle area. Five years ago Karen Bowman was invited to take part in the local Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition’s test of 10 Washingtonians to determine how many  everyday chemicals showed up in their bodies. Bowman tested and they found 35 in hers including flame retardants, mercury, lead, arsenic, DDT and the highest level of phthalates in the study. Phthalates are chemicals added to plastics to increase their flexibility and durability. All of these toxins have been found to contribute to learning disabilities, organ damage, cancer, harm to the reproductive system and the nervous system.

Now I’ve just read an article from ABC News on how household chemicals are sending women in to menopause early. And if you’ve worked with me as a woman you know that these are the things that are also making us more overweight in our 30′s than we ever have been.  And if this is causing us to enter menopause earlier, it’s causing our daughters to develop at an earlier age as well. This cycle needs to be stopped.

So what can you do? Brenda Watson, author of the New York Times bestselling book “The Fiber35 Diet“, has now released a new book called, “The Detox Strategy – Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps“. This really is a must for all of us to learn how to release these toxins from our bodies, and how to change our lives to keep the amount of toxins to as small of an amount as possible.  Win the war that is being waged against you. This toxic assault really is a war. When you detox your body you will feel younger, healthier, you’ll have more energy and I bet you’ll end up in the best health of your life. So start with the Holistic Food Basics course (which is 100% free) and learn about how toxic your foods are, and then buy The Detox Strategy and really change your environment to change your life.

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health

My little Laweenie (Labrador Weener Dog) has just been miserable. He started with a little tummy-ache, and it just continued into things I just can’t even write about. So I wanted to talk to all of you about the foods that can assist your doggies when they aren’t feeling well.

So the first thing is probiotics. I gave our dog, Oscar, a little pepto mixed with some organic yogurt. That started the process. A little more yogurt later on in the day offers him a great deal of tummy help. This can be very helpful because it contains those “good” bacteria, which can aid in digestion and help keep his digestive system clean and functioning properly.

Once we got the digestive issues tamed, I knew exactly what I had to do – and it was almost dinner time. So I got out the rice cooker and started with some Jasmine Brown Rice. Then I got out the organic pastured chicken breast and poached it for 30 minutes. To do this you want to place it in water just covered and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a bare simmer so that only an occasional bubble breaks the surface. Let your chicken cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken breast and rice is perfect for your dog to get his or her system back on track. It’s a great meal (about the same size of food your would normally feed your dog) for a day or two. But for you and your family, you may want a little more flavor, so I had to make a Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce for our dinner.

Sauce Ingredients:

2 tbsp Sorghum Molasses

1 tsp of organic brown sugar

1 tbsp of organic ketchup (with no corn syrup)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup of fresh pineapple, diced

Directions:

1. Heat up small saute pan. Add sorghum molasses and stir until it breaks down.

2. Add ketchup, brown sugar and garlic powder and stir. Let cook about 1 minute.

3. Add pineapple and cook another 45 minutes.

4. Add chicken breast and pour over rice to serve.

Another thing you can do to help your dog along is to add a tbsp of pure pumpkin to their food over a number of days while your dog is getting back to normal. Once back to normal make sure you are feeding your dog the proper foods. Most regular store bought kibble contains lots of fillers that are just not good for your dog. The Honest Kitchen, Sojo Foods and Wellness Pet foods are some that I really like.

Now on a personal note – our thoughts and prayers are with those in Japan that are suffering from the earthquake and tsunami; both person and pet. For each like, Dog Bless You will donate $1 to help the rescue efforts for dogs in Japan (up to $100,000). They need 5,500 more likes to meet their goal. Please like, and share! Click and learn more.

http://mashable.com/2011/03/12/quake-rescue/

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, Recipe

Who doesn’t like to get a little more health into their diet when it’s this darn good! This Citrus Scallops recipe over spinach does just the trick on a night when you need a little protein, but don’t want to do beans or other meats. The season for fresh sea scallops and bay scallops runs from October through March, while fresh calico scallops are available from December through May. Sea scallops and frozen scallops are available year-round. Scallops are actually a very good source of a very important nutrient for cardiovascular health, vitamin B12, and you get a third of your daily value of it in just four ounces of scallops. Scallops are a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of magnesium and potassium as well. A recent study in Greece found that eating at least 10 ounces of omega-3-rich fish each week improves the electrical properties of heart cells, protecting against fatal abnormal heart rhythms. So with my heart murmur, and my husband’s family history with irregular heart beats, it’s essential for us to get our omega-3′s in each week! And what a better way then with this delightful dish!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2/3 tsp of beef broth or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp of chili oil
1/2 tsp of molasses
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 cups of raw scallops (if they are the big guys cut them in half)
5 cups of raw organic spinach
1 tbsp of fresh cilantro, diced

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine the first four ingredients. Mix well and let stand
2. Over medium heat put canola oil into a non-stick skillet.
3. Add garlic and stir for about 20 seconds.
4. Add scallops, molasses and 2 tbsp of the sauce. Saute for about 4 – 6 minutes until the scallops are opaque all of the way through.
5. Remove scallops and sauce and cover.
6. Add spinach and any remaining sauce into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until wilted.
7. Put spinach on plates, top with scallops and cilantro. Enjoy!

This recipe serves 2 – in my house technically 3, but the third is only 5. I like to add some quinoa to this and you have a wonderful meal. If you are vegan you could probably make this with a non-gmo tofu (My recommendation is Mori-Nu Tofu) as well and get a great meal.

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, quick meal, Recipe

More than just a meat substitute, beans are so nutritious that the latest dietary guidelines recommend we triple our current intake from 1 to 3 cups per week. They are so much more than you think – however. And the specialists in the field have some great things to say about them. Beans are comparable to meat when it comes to calories, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Institute in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. But they really shine in terms of fiber and water content, two ingredients that make you feel fuller, faster. Adding beans to your diet helps cut calories without feeling deprived.

Most of us only get about 1/2 of the fiber that we need in our day, and that number gets smaller for men than it does for women. So what does this mean when we use beans in place of meat? Well – beans digest slower, and you feel fuller for longer… and you can’t do much to change the nutrition of your meat other than to make sure you are eating grass-fed pastured animal proteins. So what about your beans. You may be amazed to find out that sprouting beans is really the easiest way to acquire incredible nutritional value such as proteins, vitamin A, C & B-6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and more. Beans can be easy to cook with and you can eat them raw. The process of sprouting beans is where the seeds are soaked, drained, and then rinsed in constant intervals till they pullulate, sprout or shoot depending on the terminology you’ve been taught. And it’s an easy process.

How to Sprout Beans:
1. Before we begin sprouting beans, take out the beans from the (hopefully) reusable bag and clean them. Rinse the beans properly under cold running water at least 2 – 3 times.
2. Take a large bowl and keep the beans in it. Pour warm water to soak the beans and keep 2 inches above it. Soak the beans overnight.
3. In a bowl, pour the beans in and cover the bowl with a muslin cloth and fasten a rubber band around it. Or if you are lucky you can find in your natural store a sprouting jar like I have to do the trick. Rinse the beans twice a day by refilling the jar with fresh water and drain it completely.
4. In 3 to 4 days, you should find sprouting beans in the bowl. Keep them in the sun for couple of hours when you start seeing one inch long shoots. The seeds that did not sprout should be discarded.

Then what to do with them? Use them how you would your regular beans. My favorite quick meal with beans is a Kale Garlic Chili.

Ingredients:

2 cups of sprouted garbanzo beans (or 1 small can)
4 cups of sprouted kidney beans (or 1 large can)
1 cup of fresh organic kale, rolled and diced
2 cups of fresh organic vine ripened tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 organic walla walla onion, diced
1 tsp of chili seasoning (I like the organic seasoning I get from Frontier Co-op)
Sea Salt and pepper to season

1. Put the top seven ingredients into a large saute pan and cook on low for about 5 minutes to let the flavors mingle

2. Turn up heat to med-high for 15 minutes, stirring often

3. Season and serve.

One way that I like to turn up the flavor is to top it with a dollop of creme fraiche and add a salad and sourdough roll to create a complete meal.

Want even more reasons to eat beans?? Beans are low in sugar, which prevents insulin in the bloodstream from spiking. Beans are full of phytochemicals, compounds found only in plants, and are rich in antioxidants. According to WebMD, in a U.S. Department of Agriculture study, researchers measured the antioxidant capacities of more than 100 common foods. Three types of beans made the top four: small red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans. And three others — black beans, navy beans, and black-eyed peas — achieved top-40 status. And on WebMD you can find another favorite bean recipe of mine, Tuscan Vegetable Soup. Get out there and research more ways to enjoy this healthy superfood, and give sprouting a try today!

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, quick meal, Recipe

Looking for a healthy meal that sticks with you this winter? I want you to know that it can be had, and it’s not as bad to eat your grains as you think. But it depends on the kind of grain you are eating. Most people that I encounter would never want to give up their grains even though they are so bad for them. But I’m not going to tell you to just go give it up. There are options. And you can be true to yourself, and still eat healthy and fresh. Some of you may believe that since wheat was in the bible, it’s fine to eat. Remember that they didn’t do to wheat then, what we do to wheat now. The wheat you are eating far too much of today is hardly ever sprouted or fermented, but is simply ground up at high temperatures after a long process that involves the use of chemicals, pesticides, and hormones. The end product is not only toxic, but is also stripped of most of the nutrients it might have held.

Good health is seeded in whole grains. Whole grains are incredibly power-packed with protein, vitamins, and essential fats because a whole grain is a seed that is meant to germinate and grow into an entire plant. When we started to refine flour it traveled far better and was able to last, but did nothing for the health of the people. Oat groats, brown rice, barley, quinoa and bulger – these are kinds of healthy whole foods you want when looking for whole grains. Quinoa is one of my favorite. It contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods It is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), native to Peru, is much like wheat. Its subtle nutty flavor pairs well with a wide range of seasonings. To serve this dish as a main course, double the portions. So when I found a recipe recently on the Mayo Clinic’s website I was very excited. I am always looking for a new recipe. Yet, if you know me, I’m going to change it up. Of course I am!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 organic sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
2 1/4 cups organic vegetable broth
2 cups chopped, stemmed kale
1 small carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup grated organic 365 Asiago cheese
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and quinoa and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the garlic brown.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite but slightly hard in the center, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be brothy. Stir in the kale, carrot and mushrooms and simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about 2 minutes longer.

Stir in the cheese and season with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health, Recipe

I am constantly trying to talk my friends that are still eating soy (I mean non-fermented and non organic) about just getting rid of it. Soy is toxic, and if you’ve gone through my FREE Holistic Food Basics program you know just how much I dislike soy, and many of the reasons why. So if you don’t eat meats, or drink any dairy, how are you going to get your protein in? There are many options but you have choices. And in the realm of protein powders I like two – a brown rice powder, a hemp powder or a pea powder. Pea Powder? (you say) Well yes – it’s good stuff.

One of the great things about peas is that they are naturally healthy and cholesterol-free, and make for a healthy nutrient-rich snack. Pea protein used as a supplement  is great for muscle growth. It can also help you prevent hypertension and kidney failure.  My vegan friends will benefit from having a protein source they can eat. Peas have many important nutrients and vitamins making this a super food that should be a steady part of everyone’s diet. Source Naturals Pea Protein Power is is a natural vegetable protein made from yellow peas (Pisum sativum). It is a highly bioavailable, easily digestible, concentrated protein source, perfect for vegans and vegetarians or anyone who wants a healthy alternative to other protein products. Easy to use it is great to blend into smoothies, and this natural legume protein also boosts and completes the protein content of other dishes. Try adding it to soups or stews or sprinkling it on pasta dishes instead of parmesan cheese. You may also add it to rice, oatmeal or other grains, or any vegetable dishes. It has a neutral taste and good solubility. It is also important to note that it is non-GMO, 100% gluten- and cholesterol-free, highly digestible, and hypo-allergenic. So it’s a really great option.

I am sure that most of you when you think about brown rice, you probably think of a low-glycemic carb source that makes a good side dish to a huge chicken breast or next to your sechzuan chicken. But they use a specialized process to treats brown rice with enzymes to separate the carbs and protein when they produce a brown-rice protein powder. It ends up being about 70% protein and Brown Rice powder contains more arginine than any other protein powder (four times more than whey). Since arginine is readily converted to nitric oxide in the body, taking brown-rice protein can help enhance blood flow for better delivery of nutrients, a bigger pump during workouts and better recovery after training. Brown-rice protein is also rich in the amino acid glutamine, which promotes muscle growth and immune function, as well as reduces muscle fatigue during workouts.

I recently read about a study where rats given brown-rice protein for 50 days while on a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. The research showed that the rats didn’t experience the insulin resistance and elevated cholesterol and fat levels that rats receiving casein protein did. What does the research mean? Adding brown-rice protein to your protein shakes could help you lose bodyfat, gain muscle and lower cholesterol. My choice is Rice Protein Vegan Vanilla by Nutribiotic because it’s made from non-genetically modified California grown brown rice. It’s also very easy to digest and chemical processing is avoided by using a purified water and natural enzyme procedure. It’s not chalky and you’ll be able to easily use for recipes. You’ve got to try it.

Finally – there is the hemp powder. I love hemp for it’s good omega’s and complete protein. In fact hemp nut butter and jelly is a favorite at our house. But my favorite hemp milk is the Living Harvest Tempt Unsweetened Vanilla. And I’m thrilled that they have a protein powder that is just as wonderful. Living Harvest Organic Hemp Protein Powder is the perfect high-performance plant-based whole food. This Hemp Protein is 100% certified organic, raw, gluten-free, and vegan. It contains all 10 Essential Amino Acids, with 45%-50% protein per serving, a well-balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 Essential Fatty Acids, and GLA. Living Harvest was the first to bring an organic Hemp Protein to market in 2002, with their cold, vacuum-milled processing. A rich, raw, nutty taste using only the finest, purest hemp seeds around. To use, mix two scoops or more with fresh juices or your favorite smoothie or shake recipe, for a convenient meal. Also great in soups, cereals or any of your favorite recipes. It’s a taste you have to get used to because it is so healthy tasting, and so you could easily add it to some Almond milk, or use it in your favorite berry smoothie.

Share/Bookmark

Technorati Tags: Health