Cacao Corruption Smoothie

Cacao Corruption Smoothie

YIELD: ABOUT 2 ½ CUPS

2 frozen ripe bananas, broken into chunks

1 ¼ cups Almond Milk

¼ cup cacao nibs

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon golden flax powder

1 tablespoon cacao powder

1 tablespoon coconut flakes

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 pitted dates

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add a few ice cubes and blend again if a colder smoothie or thicker texture is desired.

Serve immediately

Happy Valentine's Day! Celebrate With The Power Of Cacao!

Good Morning everyone, and Happy Valentine's Day!
This is a day to treat yourself well, and indulge in some healthy scrumptious sweets! I started off my day with a blast of nutrition provided by this Cacao Corruption Smoothie. It is so delicious, and can be enjoyed any time of day, especially as an afternoon snack! Recipe is below.

Green Chia Smoothie to Keep You Energized Through the Snowstorm!

Happy Thursday morning! It is going to be a snowy day today, so I am starting my day off with a vibrant Green Chia Smoothie. Ingredients are all organic and raw. Pear, mango, spinach, cucumber, chia seeds and coconut water. Adding chia seeds to a smoothie boosts the protein and healthy fat content, which helps stabilize blood sugar, and makes it feel more like a meal with actual staying power. The coconut water in this smoothie makes it a great pre or post workout drink. Coconut water is very high in potassium, but if you need to replace electrolytes post workout, be sure to add a pinch of sea salt to each serving to replace sodium. Recipe and description taken from the 'Nourishing Meals' cookbook

A Healthy Lunch Idea!

Happy Friday! It's lunchtime! I am just whipping up a healthy meal. Aren't the ingredients beautiful? We have  lightly steamed organic broccoli with sliced organic heirloom cherry tomatoes, to which I will be adding some organic extra virgin olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of himalayan salt. The organic brown rice pasta is still cooking... will be ready in a minute. Remember to always buy organic broccoli and tomatoes to ensure that your produce is not laden with unhealthy chemicals. Top it off with some nutritional yeast to make it cheesy, and get an important dose of Vitamin B12 at the same time.
Vitamin B-12 is essential for a healthy nervous system, proper food metabolism, and the construction and regeneration of red blood cells. 
Buon Appetito!

Gluten Free and Vegan Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

10 cups vegetable stock

8 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar or coconut vinegar

4 tablespoons wheat-free tamari or coconut aminos

1 to 3 tablespoons hot pepper sesame oil

3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

1 bunch green onions, sliced into rounds

1 cup chopped cilantro

Herbamare or sea salt

Pour the stock into a 4-quart pot. Add the mushrooms, carrots and garlic. Cover pot, bing it to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until carrots and mushrooms are tender

Then add the vinegar, tamari, or coconut aminos, hot pepper sesame oil, cabbage, green onions, and cilantro. Simmer another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add a little Herbamare or sea salt if necessary

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Cure that Cold or Bronchitis Through Your Kitchen!

Does anyone have a favorite food that they crave when they aren't feeling well? I am just getting over a bout of bronchitis, and can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am that I was able to get myself better without the use of prescription drugs. I tend to crave hot and spicy things when I have a lot of congestion, so I made a super large batch of asian hot and sour soup. This recipe has a few all-stars in it, such as garlic, cabbage, cilantro and hot pepper sesame oil.
Check out the recipe below. This version is not only healthier than a restaurant option, it is also incredibly delicious.
One tip many people may not be aware of...sesame has been used for centuries to get rid of congestion  :)

Recipe is below!

Functional Food Tip #1 : Acai Berries!

Functional Food tip #1
Acai Berries!

Acai Berry - The açaí berry is a small, round, black-purple fruit similar in appearance to a blueberry. It grows in branched panicles of 500 to 900 fruits on açaí palm trees in Brazil, Belize and Peru. Since the 1990s, açaí juice, freeze-dried açaí and açaí extracts have been marketed globally for use in juice blends, smoothies and other beverages and as a dietary supplement. The açaí berry is high in nutrients important for optimal health.

The açaí fruit offers the highest phytochemical content of any fruit or vegetable. According to an article published in "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research" in February 2010, phytochemicals are plant compounds that offer disease-fighting properties and may benefit health in other ways. Powdered, freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin is rich in two classes of phytochemcials: anthocyanins and phenolics.

A 50-gram serving of powdered, freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp offers about 26 g of dietary fiber, which is nearly 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Value (DV). Fiber comes from plant foods, is essential for a healthy digestive system and, according to a review published in "Current Atherosclerosis Reports" in December 2008, helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of coronary artery disease. Foods rich in dietary fiber enhance satiety and help keep you feeling fuller longer, which assists in weight control.

Add these beautiful berries in whatever form you like to smoothies, cereal, snacks, sweets, and desserts!