SAD Meal Turned Kinda Healthy!

At first glance of this meal most of us would frown upon it saying we know it's not something that we should eat. SAD stands for the "Standard American Diet" if you didn't get that in the title of this blog. However, this is the perfect example of purchasing higher quality foods that we really enjoy!  Tonight, it's organic Applegate hot dogs, organic low-sodium baked beans, Bubbie's sauerkraut, organic ketchup and mustard with a watered down glass of organic lemonade. 

Certainly not the healthiest meal in the world, but a great example of how you can still enjoy the foods that you love at a higher quality!  

There are so many tips and tricks to do this with other meals or recipes. I love helping my clients do this!  Contact me for more information. 

Red Foods for Lymphatic Flow

Did you know that RED foods help support healthy lymphatic flow? 

 Berries, cherries & juicy plums like this are what do it this time of year! 

Pomegranates are the lymph movers for the fall & beets & cranberries in the winter. 

The lymphatic system drains the waste, debris & toxins out of the body, so we want to do whatever we can to promote this process. When the lymphatic system is congested you may feel tired, stiffness in the morning, have skin breakouts, food sensitivities, bloating around the belly...to name a few. Moral if this story - eat RED foods! 

Ginger Carrots

Fermented foods, they're great for your health. I spend like, LOTS of money on them and I'm totally tired of it. I started making my own. Here is the simple recipe:

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrots, tightly packed

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons sea salt

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices.

2. Place in a quart-sized, wide mouth mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices cover the carrots.

3. The top of the carrots should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.

4. Cover with cloth secured with rubber band and leave at room temperature for about 3-4 days before transferring to cold storage.

Meal Planning Makes Life Easy (& Delicious!)

This morning I slept in but I have a busy afternoon/night ahead of me. Luckily I meal planned earlier in the week so I was ready to throw together an uber-nutritious meal within a few minutes. I had some cooked lentils and quinoa in the fridge that I heated up with a few cubes of frozen homemade bone broth. I scrambled 2 eggs and threw it all together over a bed of arugala with a cup of tulsi tea. 

How are your meal planning skills?  This is something that I love to help my clients out with. Contact me to set up a health consultation so that we can get to it!  

Post-It Note Wisdom: Talk about your blessings...

Starting this week off right with this little gem. 

DIY Almond Milk

There's a lot of bull honkey in our food. Even in the so-called "healthy foods" at the health food store. It's not cool.  Almond milk is one of those sneaky places where companies add harmful chemicals and preservatives...and that basically takes the "health" right out of it.

No worries though, making your own almond milk is actually super simple. No one ever believes me when I say that, but I promise!  Here is my super simple, really quick recipe. Brace yourself...

DIY Almond Milk

1 cup raw, organic almonds (soaked overnight)

5 cups filtered water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Blend altogether and strain through cheesecloth or a nut milk bag into a large mason jar. Almond milk will keep in the fridge for 5-6 days. 

There you have it.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 cup organic frozen strawberries

1 cup almond or coconut milk

½ frozen banana

handful of cashews

splash of vanilla extract

3-4 ice cubes

1 square of dark chocolate

Directions:

Blend all ingredients well (except dark chocolate) in a NutriBullet, food processor or high quality blender.  Add a splash of water if you’re looking more for a shake-texture (or eliminate the ice above).  Carefully using a knife, finely chop the square of dark chocolate and sprinkle on top (optional).  This makes one large serving of homemade “soft serve” style of ice cream, or you can split it with someone to both enjoy!

Benefits of Strawberries:

Strawberries are a unique combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients. It’s why they’re great for cardiovascular support and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, improved regulation of blood sugar, with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, and prevention of certain cancer types including breast, cervical, colon, and esophageal cancer. They’re a gorgeous seasonal superfood rich with vitamin C!   *Always buy organic strawberries.