Candy Bar Smoothie for Hormone Health

A smoothie that's a sweet treat for your taste buds & your hormones!

(Makes 1 smoothie)

Ingredients:

1 frozen ripe banana 

1 teaspoon unsweetened shredded coconut 

2 tablespoons almond butter 

1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs 

1 tablespoon maca powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond or coconut milk 

Directions:

In a blender, place the banana, coconut, almond butter, maca, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cover with almond (or coconut) milk and blend until smooth, adding more to achieve your desired consistency.  YUM.

Benefits of Maca:  Maca is a root vegetable grown in high altitudes in Peru.  You can find it in powder form in any health food store, or online.  Maca is classified as an adaptogen, which would explain why it would be helpful at balancing hormones.  Maca is generally safe, but if you’re on any hormone-related medication be sure to talk to your doctor before enjoying maca.  I personally enjoy it because I'm hypothyroid and it stimulates my under-active thyroid, which is a great thing!  

Beach Day Watermelon Juice

My beach day drink = Watermelon Juice!

Throw about a handful of watermelon chunks into blender with about a cup of coconut water, a mint sprig and 2-3 ice cubes.  Blend and pour into a bottle for the beach.  Sip on the shore and ENJOY!

Cantaloupe Juice for Digestion

This is a simple and delicious drink for anyone who loves cantaloupes, and needs to give their belly some extra love.  Cantaloupe and cardamom are two foods to aid in digestion and soothe your stomach.  Cantaloupes are an outstanding source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B1, B5, B6, potassium, folate acid, and niacin.  

1/2 fresh ripe cantaloupe

1/2 cup water
thin wedge of a lime

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Squeeze lime and blend cantaloupe, water and cardamom together well in a blender and sip slowly.  Enjoy.

Coconut Milk Cubes

Ahh, coconut milk.  You decadent, luscious nectar.

I keep cans of full-fat BPA-free coconut milk in my pantry, but I never seem to get through the whole can.  TRICK: Open the can. Do what you need to with it and then with any extra pour into an empty ice cube tray.  Freeze.  After they've froze, pop em' out and store them in your freezer for when you need just a bit of coconut milk.  

I grab them for:

morning SHAKES

dinner sauces

homemade ICE CREAM

Sweet Beets Shake

Juicer schmuicer - who needs one when this thing does it all and you still get all the fiber?  Greens, ginger, carrot, beet, banana, almond butter, hemp seeds, coconut water, lemon.  Poured into a nice big wine glass to enjoy, of course.  

Summer Morning Shake

Just one of the amazing bunches of greens in my share this month!

After our first drop off from this season's CSA, my fridge was bursting with beautiful bunches of fresh and glorious greens!  I'm doing everything and anything to make use of them, and created this totally yummy shake for my commute to work.  

Summer Morning Shake

1 stalk of kale

handful of spinach

juice of half a lemon

1/2 an apple

coconut water

tablespoon of almond butter

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil 

1/4 teaspoon raw/local honey

sprinkle of hemp seeds

Blend well and add more coconut water (or water) to desired shake-texture.  
This makes one mason jar shake.  Enjoy the fresh taste of summer!

Green Juice = Glass of Sunshine!

When I get a whiff of those bitter greens at my
local health food store my mouth actually starts to water.
I love, love, love fresh green juice!

Everyone is always so shocked to hear me say this, but I totally refuse to buy a juicer.  They're expensive, BIG, a pain to clean and require tons of fresh produce in my fridge to juice when I'm ready.  No thanks.  I'll keep things simple and snag a juice during my usual trip to my health food store or while strolling through town.  It's an expensive habit, but to me not having the hassle is worth it. 

I also feel that even though juicing is SO great, it's important to make shakes in your blender as well.  I dig fiber and enjoy blending whole (intact) foods into a shake.  As with most things, it's all about finding a balance.  I flip flop between juices and shakes all week long, allowing my body to let me know what it's feeling like that day.  Now, with either of these, the whole chewing process is eliminated.  To be sure that you're not completely confusing your body (which sometimes can result in cravings later in the day), try to enjoy something crunchy with your shake or juice like some sliced apple chunks or nuts.  You can even sprinkle coconut flakes and raw cacao nibs on top of your shake to add some crunch while enjoying, too. 

Green Juice

When I purchase a green juice it's loaded with greens and only greens.  I always ask for extra kale and a dash of cayenne pepper.  ZING!  Juices with fruits can get high in sugar dangerously fast.  This is NOT good.  If you're having a "fruit" juice, be sure to add plenty of greens (such as spinach because it won't effect the taste) and make it only on special occasions.  You want to flood your cells with nutrients, not sugar!  They are best consumed fresh, but you can keep them only for a day at the most in the fridge.

Green Shake

When I blend my morning shakes no matter what I'm throwing in it, it always turns out green.  Spirulina is a staple in every shake, and I throw whatever greens in my fridge in as well (kale, spinach).    Be mindful of the sugar in your shakes as well.  These can come from an overload of fruits, powdered protein substitutes (with additives as well, ick), or whatever juice or milk you're adding to the shake.  

Why is there such a green juice craze?

Green juices are power-packed with nutrition. Green vegetables have the ability to transform sunshine into the food that all creatures consume. True to their nature, greens produce chlorophyll, which oxygenate your body. This enables us to release stored toxins in the body. Greens improve blood circulation and give your body a boost of energy.  Chlorophyll foods also act as a form of 'stored sunshine', to regulate calcium and Vitamin D deficiency. So if you get no sunshine, then increase the greens in your diet.  Drink up and feel the amazing benefits!  

How I kicked the flu...naturally.

Just last week I wrote about a Sick Day.  I thought a good day or two of taking it slow and feeding myself the right things would make everything ok...but I had NO idea that I was up against the flu!  The evil flu that's been taking down everyone finally got me.  I blame no one but myself.  I was careless for weeks during the holidays allowing myself permission to skip workouts, miss yoga, eat too many goodies, drink alcohol, etc.  What did I expect?

After a few days of just not feeling right, having a heaviness in my chest and god-awful pain up my spine and neck, I finally surrendered to the virus when I realized I had a 101.2 fever.  It was time to use food as medicine to let the flu run it's course and get the hell outta me.  It was interesting how everyday I would feel a little different.  The nastiness began in my chest and each day made its way further up until finally I was just blowing my nose constantly, tissues everywhere!

Garlic. The ultimate boyfriend repellant, but killer flu-fighter!
I consumed a good 4-5 bulbs of these suckers while sick with my flu. 

My flu medicine:

Bulbs Of Garlic

Ginger

Ezekial Bread

Eggs

Miso Paste

Carrots

Celery

Onion

Spinach

Parsley

Lemon

Coconut Oil

Raw Honey

Turmeric Powder

Sea Salt

Cayenne Pepper Powder

Water

Other goodies that helped me get better:

Breathe Easy tea

Bedtime tea

ZAND Elderberry Zinc Lozenges

Probiotics (morning and night)

Epsom salts (for when I needed a bath to ease my aching body)

Phone calls/texts from friends and family

Cracking a window

Each day I would do (roughly) the same routine.  It goes a little something like below.  If you get sick and need some guidance as far as doing it on your own, check it out:

Sleep as late as you need to with an eye mask so that the light won't wake you up.  

Drink HUGE glass of water.  Take probiotic.  Take temperature.

Have hot water with 1/2 lemon, 2-3 dashes turmeric, dash of cayenne pepper.  This boosts immunity and aids in relieving congestion.  While in kitchen, thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic and muddle them with a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil. Cover and save for later.  

Back to bed to rest, water at bedside.  Read.

Make a shake:  Spinach, water, 1/2 lemon, ginger, parsley, coconut oil, raw honey, hemp protein powder, 1/2 banana.  Not the tastiest, but certainly good for you.  It floods your system with green power, protein (from the hemp), healthy fat from the coconut oil, water for hydration, honey for a sore throat or cough.  

Back to bed to rest, water at bedside.  Take bath if needed.  Nap.  Take temperature.

Afternoon soup:  A cup or two of water on the stove.  Add a pinch of sea salt and while the water is heating thinly slice a few cloves of garlic and add to water.  When water comes to a low boil, crack an egg and whisk it well into saucepan.  Cook for a minute or two (you'll notice when egg is cooked).  Turn off stove, add a dash of turmeric and add in a tablespoon of miso paste (stir until dissolved).  Eat while warm.  While sick you want to stay as hydrated as possible which is why soups are always best when sick.  

Back to bed to rest, water at bedside.  Zinc lozenge.  Watch the tube, catch up on movies!

Dinner soup if hungry:  A cup or two of water on the stove.  Add a pinch of sea salt and while the water is heating thinly slice a few cloves of garlic and about an inch of ginger and add to water.  Chop carrots, celery, onion and add to water.  Allow this to boil for a minute or two until veggies are soft.  After they're cooked lower heat and add in some spinach and some parsley.  You can whisk in an egg if you liked the afternoon soup above.  Turn off stove, add a dash of turmeric and add in a tablespoon of miso paste (stir until dissolved).  Eat while warm.  Eating some more soup is another way to get liquid in while easing congestion.  This soup is also packed with helpful nutrients to feed your body with the good stuff it needs as it fights this virus. 

Have hot water with 1/2 lemon, a teaspoon of raw honey, 2-3 dashes turmeric, dash of cayenne pepper.  This helps ease body aches and soothes the throat and cough.  

Garlic toast:  Throw a piece of Ezekiel toast into the toaster and pull that muddled garlic and EVO out.  Spread the mixture onto toast (whole pieces of garlic and all).  Sprinkle just a pinch of sea salt and pepper on top of toast.  It's intense, but worth it.  I actually don't encourage eating dry, bready, cracker-type foods during this time since you want to just keep replenishing your fluids, but a piece or two of this toast each day is all good.  Garlic acts as a natural antibiotic.  It will make you wreak but it's worth it in the end.  

Back to bed to rest, water at bedside.  Check out Facebook and how many other people are going through what you are.  Take temperature.

Night cap:  A hot cup of Bedtime/Breathe Easy tea (just put both bags into your mug).  This will help you breathe easier through the night and help with sleep if you're restless.  

Take probiotic and prop pillows up in bed so that your upper body is on a 45 degree angle.  As hard as this may be, try to breathe through your nose.  This will hopefully keep your nasal passages flowing, rather than congesting them by lying horizontal.  

Sick Day

Yesterday I woke up feeling not-so-right.  I took it slow, made sure to eat only nutritious foods and got to bed super early.  However, this morning was a challenge getting out of bed.  As I sit and write this sipping on my "breathe easy" tea I'm trying to get work done in my office but I'm tired, fog-headed, achey and not feelin' hot.   Instead of powering through it and just exacerbating whatever illness is happening in my bod, I'm going to stand up in my comfy PJs and bed-head hair and say,

"I don't think so."

Hey sickness, I'm going to kick your ass by:

1.  Resting.  This is a hard concept for most of us to grasp, especially when we have tons to take care of.  I'm going to finish this post, heat up some hot water (to break my congestion in my face and chest), get comfy cozy in bed, turn on Netflix and catch a few movies that I can nap in and out of.  I'm going to bring my planner with me so that in between naps/movies I can at least make a few phone calls to get a few things off of my check list for the day.

My sick breakfast includes a green shake made a little different
than usual, but quite good:  Handful of kale & spinach, 1/2 banana, 2 dates,
3/4 tsp spirulina, 1 tsp hemp seeds, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup water,
1/2 the juice of a lemon, 1 tbsp almond butter, inch of ginger, & 1/2 tsp coconut oil.

2.  Eating only nutritious foods.  This means going light on foods for the next few days, but making sure that the ones I consume are going to nourish me where it counts.  I'm going to enjoy a little lentil soup for lunch and then treat myself to a nice bowl of miso soup for dinner.  Miso soup is my go-to feel-good meal whenever I'm not feeling well.  I hearty mine up to make it extra yummy.  Umm, this is usually the time where I'd include the recipe or at least the link to my recipe but I have to put it together (since it's just in my head).  I'm going to have to take a raincheck on that though...because I'm sick.  Sugar cravings while sick believe it or not can still creep up, so I'm drinking loads of water, herbal tea and broth to hydrate and kick those cravings.  I do suck on a few Manuka honey (extremely powerful and healing honey)/ginger lozenges though.  They are super yummy and also contain some echinachea.    I'm also upping my daily dose of probiotics (healthy gut bacteria), eating lots of garlic, taking colloidal silver, taking vitamin D and still eating my greens.

3.  Practicing yoga.  I'm practicing my yoga in a few ways.  Number one, I'm following Ahimsa (non-violence), by honoring my body and taking the time to step back, rest and restore when it needs some extra love and care.  Number two, gentle heart opening stretches and side bends will not only open my congested chest, but they'll further help the lymphatic system to drain.  Number three, practicing pranayama (breath work) helps to kick out the stale air in my lungs.  I like to do a few lion's breaths or bastrika pranayama while feeling this way.  (Again, this is where I'd insert directions on how to do it or at least a link...some other time!).

Hopefully the next time I'm blogging I'm restored back to health and this funkiness is long gone.  

I'm confident it will be.  In the meantime, stay healthy!

What do you do when you're feeling under the weather?  Any tips and tricks you can share?

JG's "Shake What Ya Mama Gave You" Recipe

Lammer drinking his "Shake What Your Mama Gave You" before a late

morning surf session outside of our place in Nicaragua.

Before Lammer & I headed to the house we rented in Nicaragua for the week (this past spring), we loaded a cart full of delicious, ripe, colorful fruit and veggies.  Thank heavens there was a blender where we were staying to blend cold shakes on the hot, hot days.  This was one of the shakes Lammer threw together in between surf sessions.  The beauty with shakes is that there is no right or wrong  of whatever you're putting in it (just be mindful of how much sugar is going into it).  You can always taste test while throwing something together and add more of something when you need it.  He used lots of already chopped up fruit just sitting in the fridge for this one.  It came out so refreshing!  Keep in mind, this shake is loaded with sugar...and I only splurged on it because we were on vacation.  However, if he made this while at home, I would have froze them for smaller portions of ice pops!  Moral of this blog post - experiment on your own!

Ingredients:
juice of some oranges (slice in half and squeeze juice into blender)
banana
apple (with skin)
pineapple
watermelon
mango
lime
ice cubes

Directions:
Blend until smooth.  Pour into glass and enjoy!
*Tip:  If you end up making a little too much, freeze the rest in freezer pops for a yummy treat later!

Please note, this shake above is more of a refreshing and fun shake.  If you needed to make more of a meal out of this, add some protein and healthy fat like hemp powder, a teaspoon of your favorite nut butter, or just nosh on a handful of nuts/seeds to compliment this drink.  An easy way to add healthy fat to a shake (beyond the good fat from the nuts/seeds) is to add a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon coconut oil, a squirt of flax oil (or ground flax or chia seeds), or a sliver of some avocado.  Remember, spirulina powder (blue green algae) is an excellent source of vegetable protein that may turn your shake green, but sure does vamp it up.  Highly recommended!

Still at a loss for shake ideas?  Check out IIN's 47 Smoothies for Summer post (featuring another one of my shake recipes under "fortify" Lauren's #1 Green Shake) for more healthy and delicious inspiration!

Super Chocolate Banana Milkshake

My chocolate banana milkshake is packed with protein and calcium from the almond butter and milk, while loaded with fiber and omega-3's from the chia seeds and flaxseeds. The organic raw cacao powder, which is a superfood, contains a rich supply of antioxidants, fiber, magnesium and iron, all while having a rich, chocolaty taste! The bananas provide potassium while helping to normalize the movement through your digestive tract (your elimination, teehee!). So, this frozen treat is not only ridiculously yummy, but totally nutritious as well! If cow’s milk is present in your diet and you’d like to use it in this recipe, go for it (as long as it’s organic, raw is always best). You can also experiment with other types of dairy-free milks such as hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc., and of course make your own!

Ingredients:
1/2 banana
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp almond butter
1 - 2 tbsp organic raw cacao powder (go easy if it's your first time with just 1 tbsp)
1 tsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds
few drops of vanilla extract

I love adding a teaspoon of spirulina to this shake to make it "green" and more nutritious. This of course gives it a little difference in color, but if you're cool with that then I'd say go for it.

Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!!

Benefits of Cacao Powder:

Cacao powder is one of the most vital super food to have in your home. A sweet and dense powder, it can be added as an ingredient to many recipes ranging from homemade cakes to milkshakes. It is a remarkable source of essential vitamins like vitamin A, B, C and D additionally it is comprised of various minerals such as magnesium, sodium and zinc. Cacao also positively effects the production of phenylethylamine, a chemical that is produced when a person experiences feelings of love. It is an awesome source of anti-oxidants, compounds called flavonols that help the body to produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper heart function.

#1 Green Shakes for All!

My favorite breakfast shake is a pint of this yummy concoction. After I emerge from my yoga/meditation practice and/or a good workout, I float to the kitchen and throw the ingredients into my blender then sip this healthy goodness as I prepare for the rest of my day!

Lauren's #1 Green Shake

It's #1 because those are the rough measurements for everything in this recipe, along with how much it totally rocks as far as taste goes!

Ingredients:

1 half of a banana

1 half of an apple

1 handful frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon spirulina

1 heaping teaspoon almond butter

1 cup coconut water (or filtered water)

1 small handful goji berries

Directions:

Blend in blender until smooth. If you don't have the above ingredients, improvise with other things that you have in the house! My shake is NEVER the same day to day. I switch it up using peanut or hemp butter (in place of almond butter), flaxseeds in place of (or along with) chia seeds, filtered water or no-sugar added juice (in place of coconut water)...etc. Have fun with your shakes and get creative. If I have kale or spinach in the house I'll always add some leaves of it to this recipe for extra green power!

My favorite little guy, Charlie, (to the right), loves his green shakes, as you can clearly see on his face. He enjoys them each morning with peanut butter (in place of the almond butter). He and his Mom have been blending up my green shake every morning and they both can't get enough!

FYI: Chia seeds, goji berries and spirulina are all safe and totally amazing for little ones. It warms my heart that Charlie's on such healthy shakes at such a young age!!