Happiness Over a Blender

When you are a Health Coach, some of the most unusual things can make you giddy. Like finding zucchini blossoms at the farmer’s market…or finding a place that makes a smoothie with hemp seeds and maca…or, as was the case for me this weekend, coming across a Vitamix demonstration at my Whole Foods Market. I love to see what the demonstrator is going to make (it’s always delicious!) and get new ideas of what I can buy and blend. There is just something about a Vitamix that one does not quite understand or appreciate until there is one in your kitchen and you witness, first-hand, its amazing abilities.  Want to pulverize kale? Make dairy free ‘ice cream’?  Make hot soups and nut milks? I can tell you, the one Cuisinart and two Ninja blenders I’ve gone through couldn’t compare to what my Vitamix can do. (I am told that the BlendTec is a highly regarded competitor, and that may be the case, I’d love to hear if you have compared the two.)  I could go on and on about how much I love my Vitamix, but I will skip to the fun stuff and share a few great recipes for you to try.  If you don’t have a powerful blender, you might find that the kale and spinach don’t break down quite as much, but the taste will not be affected.  Happy Blending!

Dairy Free Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

1 Frozen Banana (cut in half)

1 TBSP raw cacao powder

dash of cinnamon

¼ cup vanilla almond milk

Put all items in blender and blend until smooth.

Drink Your Greens *

1 cup (or more) spinach

1/3 bunch of parsley

1 banana

1 kiwi

1 cup almond milk

 Put all items in the blender and blend until smooth. Option:  add 4-5 ice cubes for a frothier, colder smoothie.

Can’t See the Green Smoothie *

1 cup spinach or kale

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 banana

1cup coconut water (more or less, to desired consistency)

Put all items in the blender and blend until smooth.  Adjust coconut water to your desired consistency. 

*add a scoop of non-soy protein powder to make this a great breakfast drink.

Homemade Jam...that's healthy!

In an earlier post I talked about the benefits of chia seeds.  I hope you’ve been sprinkling them on your yogurt and adding them to your smoothies!  I recently came across a jam recipe that incorporates chia seeds.  You get a lot of ‘bang’  out of this one… fiber and antioxidants in the raspberries, omega 3’s, protein and added fiber from the chia seeds and a hit of added sweetness from the maple syrup.  

This simple recipe is courtesy of Pamela Salzman’s blog.  It is simple, healthy and delicious! Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Raspberry Chia Jam

1 package of frozen, organic raspberries

2 TBSP + 2 tsp Chia Seeds

1 TBSP 100% real maple syrup or organic raw honey

Defrost raspberries, then put in a bowl and mash lightly. Add chia seeds and syrup, mix to combine well.  Refrigerate 6 hours (or overnight). Stir ingredients and the jam is ready to serve. 

Try as a topping on Greek yogurt, ice cream or on toasted sprouted grain bread, or even with almond butter for a tasty sandwich.  Enjoy!

Meatless Monday - What's on Your Plate?

When I first heard about the “Meatless Monday” movement, I thought it sounded like an easy way to remember to eat more fish and try some new recipes.  Then I became a Health Coach and learned how much impact one less day of eating meat can have on our health and on our planet.  While going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic illness (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity), it also reduces your carbon footprint.  According to the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, livestock production accounts for 18% of global greenhouse emissions.  Who would have thought cows are contributing to global warming?

But one day a week, you can make a difference in your health and in healing our planet by not eating meat.

Meatless Monday doesn’t always have to be about eating fish, although eating fish is a good place to start. Here’s how my Meatless Monday sometimes looks:  Smoothie for breakfast (mixed berries, protein powder, kale and coconut water); Lunchtime is a smashed avocado on toasted sprouted grain bread topped with spinach (pears on the side) and for snack, a handful of homemade trail mix. Dinner brings fresh grilled fish and veggies with quinoa. There are lots of recipes that don’t have beef, chicken or pork as their focus.  Check out the Meatless Monday website for new meatless recipes: www.meatlessmonday.com.

How will your Meatless Monday look? Experiment and have fun with your meals… you might find a new favorite dish in the process, and you can be sure your body and your planet will thank you.

Eat Clean, Live Green!

Improve Your Water Delivery System

The Healthy Way to Drink Water

Want to live a greener lifestyle? Start by drinking water more healthily. That sounds strange, I realize, but with more people choosing water to quench their thirst (over sugary drinks, which have major health consequences and pitfalls of their own) single serving water bottles are more available than ever before, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best method for consumption. You can buy a bottle of water at nearly every fast food chain, sporting events, movie theaters, airports, even coffee shops… but it will cost you and our planet.

Let’s talk about water for a moment. More than 60% of our body is comprised of water and staying hydrated is critical to our health and overall well-being.  It turns on digestion, helps keep hunger in check, controls thirst, keeps muscle function working properly, helps your kidneys, keeps your bowels moving, aids in weight loss…well, you get the picture. 

Water should be your number one drink of choice. Every day. All daylong.  How much to drink? A lot of guidelines say half your body weight in ounces, but the easiest guide is what your urine looks like… the darker it is, the more water you need, but strive for 48 oz./day.

Let’s get back to the first point - drinking water in a healthy way for you and our planet.

The healthiest way to drink water is from a BPA (Bisphenol-A) Free, reusable water bottle.  BPA is the commonly used designation for bisphenol A, a chemical found in many rigid plastic products, food and formula can linings, dental sealants, and on the shiny side of paper cashier receipts (to stabilize the ink). Exposure to this chemical has health consequences (see below). 

The simple step of choosing a BPA free water bottle packs a lot of punch:

It’s good for our planet. Less plastic manufacturing, less trash in our landfills, less environmental impact from water companies pumping water from springs and recycling plastics and less consumption of oil from the manufacturing of the plastic bottles. The Ocean Conservancy reported that 1.1 million pounds of plastic beverage bottles were collected in 2012 from coastal cleanup initiatives… so much for recycling.

It will save you money! If you drank the equivalent of eight glasses of water a day in plastic bottles, you’d spend about $1400/year.  The cost of a good quality, re-usable water bottle averages $15. Plus they come in all sizes so you can carry more water with you. Just think what you could do with that extra $1385!

It’s good for your health. Both the consumption of water and staying away from BPA mean a healthier body. The structure of BPA resembles estrogen, and as a result, exposure to it can affect how estrogen and other hormones act in the body, by mimicking or blocking them. This can disrupt the body’s hormonal balance. Many women choose to limit their exposure to BPA and other estrogen-like chemicals because it is known that estrogen can make hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer develop and grow. Some experts have expressed concern that BPA exposure in early life may lead to an increased breast cancer risk later in life. (facts from www.breastcancer.org)

And it can brighten your day.  There are so many variations on reusable water bottles that you can find a style to fit your mood, match your exercise clothes and even go with the time of year.  Most have a wide opening to make it easier to add ice and a large wedge of lemon. 

If you haven’t already made the switch to water as your primary hydration choice, make that your goal this week… and treat yourself to a fun, new reusable water bottle to celebrate a step toward better health for you and a healthier planet for all of us.

Got Greens?

Dark Green

Clothing color trends come and go, but when it comes to good nutrition, one color is always in style… Dark Green.  I’m sure you’ve heard the mantra “eat your greens” since you were a child, and mom was right. Dark leafy greens provide an abdance of nutrients to our cells to keep them healthy and happy and help fight off disease and illness. Just what’s so great about the one food group that kids turn away from without even the smallest bite making it to their mouth? Everything is the short answer. The long answer goes something like this:

Traditionally greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K.  They are loaded with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll, and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Some of the possible benefits of consuming dark leafy vegetables are: blood purification, cancer prevention,improved circulation, strengthened immune system, promotion of healthy intestinal flora, improved gall bladder, kidney and liver function.

There is a wide variety of greens to choose from, broccoli being one of the most popular (and full of calcium!). Others to consider include bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collard greens, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, arugula and darker leaf lettuces.  Spinach, swiss chard and beet greens are best eaten in moderation as they are high in oxalic acid which inhibits calcium absorption. Choose organic whenever possible, but eating non-organic greens is better than not eating them at all.

Greens strengthen the blood and respiratory system. Leafy greens are high-alkaline foods which may be beneficial to people exposed to higher amounts of pollution in urban areas. Green vegetables will help to replenish our alkaline mineral stores and continue to filter out pollutants. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.

Keep Dark Greens on your plate and you’ll be in style any time of the year.  Your body will thank you.

What's a Chia Seed?

Powerfood Profile:  Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are tiny, nutritional dynamos – in fact, they’re the single richest source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids you can buy. They are loaded with antioxidants, protein and minerals, plus soluble and insoluble fiber to help keep your digestion moving in the right direction. What’s more, chia seeds have an unusual property – they swell to more than 5 times their weight in liquid, so adding a spoonful or two to meals will help you feel fuller faster. How to eat ‘em? They’re virtually tasteless, so you can drop a spoonful or two into just about anything, including smoothies, sauces, soups and salads. 

My favorite way to eat them?  I like to sprinkle them on my Greek yogurt.