RECIPES Archives • Page 29 of 68 • New Nostalgia

My New Super Favorite Superfood Breakfast Cereal

It is not often that a health food makes me giddy & excited, but boy oh boy this cereal has got me excited! It is called Qi’a (pronounced KEE-ah) & it is full of nutritious super seeds! It is a trio of seeds full of plant-based Protein, Fiber & ALA Omegas. You only have to eat 2 Tbsp for a serving, yet it kept me full clear up to lunch time.

How? Well, the 3 super seeds are chia, buckwheat groats & hemp seeds. These seeds are full of protein & fiber, and the chia seeds expand once you add milk, so 2 Tbsp turns into much more, in time, once in your belly! It is only 130 calories and organic!

I got the Apple Cinnamon kind. Here is the ingredient list:
~organic chia seeds
~organic buckwheat groats
~organic hemp seeds
~organic raisins
~organic freeze-dried apples
~organic cinnamon

There are a couple other flavors:
Original
Cranberry Vanilla
Apple Cinnamon

Each 2 Tbsp serving contains:
6 g protein,
4 g fiber
2.2 g ALA Omega-3s!

You eat it just like you would eat any other cereal, except a much smaller portion size. Mix 2 Tbsp cereal to 4-5 Tbsp of milk or milk substitute. Stir. Wait 5 minutes for the chia seeds to soak, then enjoy!

This was a unique breakfast experience that I just loved. It was a nice change from my typical steel cut oats, and is just as nutritious, if not more! It also has made a good, filling late night snack. The buckwheat groats add a really great crunch, and the raisins and apples add sweetness. I did add about 1/2 Tbsp of coconut sugar (can use regular sugar.) I needed just a touch more sweetness but adding just a bit made this taste like a treat and super enjoyable to eat!

I found mine at our local health food store, but it is a new product so it may be harder to find. You can also order it here at Amazon. If you use this link, I will get a small percentage of your purchase, and anything else you decide to purchase while there, which really rocks.

Let me know if you try this! Does it sound like something you would like?

Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

A Peak Inside Our Refrigerator + What We Ate That Week

*This is part 2 of a series. To read part one “A Peek Inside our Refrigerator + ….

When I posted the above pic of a peek inside our refrigerator on Instagram, a friend of mine asked if I could tell her what I would make from what she saw in my refrigerator – as far as meals go.

I understood where she was coming from, looking at this makes it seem like all we eat is raw plants, and although a big chunk of our diet is plants, and at least half our dinner plate is salad, we do have cooked meals. I made some notes of what we planned on eating that week and will share it with you today!

In this second post I will share:

What else is in the refrigerator that you may not be able to see.
How foods in pantry and freezer are key to creating well-rounded meals.
How only buying what you need for the week is key to an organized refrigerator.
Meals we ate that week
Snacks we ate that week
Lunches we ate that week
Breakfasts we ate that week

1. What You Can’t See

In the above pic, there is a bag of shredded cheese and some eggs. I go very easy on the cheese, using only about 1/3 of what most recipes call for, so one bag can often last 2 weeks. I do this for health reasons, not cost…but it does help the food budget to eliminate most animal products.

Our eggs are also local and organic. There is hummus from Trader Joes, we use it to dip pretzels, veggies and to top salads in place of salad dressing. There are a couple little containers of food from our local organic deli. I am the only one that eats these, usually for lunch.

There is almond milk behind that bottle of Kombucha, and our water filter pitcher. The only thing you can’t see is what is in our door, which really is just condiments + strawberry freezer jam, some date paste + some earth balance (butter substitute).

date paste

2. Foods In My Pantry

What you don’t see are my freezer and my pantry, and the foods in there are the key to making meals out of what you see in my refrigerator. Example, I have mason jars of cooked beans (made a large batch of Crockpot Refried Beans) in the freezer, and whole grain pasta in the pantry.

3. Only Buy What Is Needed

The week I took the picture, we only needed 5 meals, as 2 of the days I did not need to cook since we would not be home. Because I plan my meals out and write my grocery list according to those recipes and what we already have, I didn’t have anything in my refrigerator that we wouldn’t be eating within the week, other than condiments.

4. Meals for the week:

~My Go To Chili Recipe

~Crockpot Refried Bean Burritos

~Spaghetti (no meat)

~Breakfast for dinner (French Toast & Eggs & fruit salad)

~Garlic Veggie Pasta

French Toast

I serve every dinner we have with a green salad loaded with veggies. I often make a cooked veggie side, too. I love to roast veggies, especially at the end of the week I love to throw any leftover cut up veggies onto a pan, and roast away. Click here for my post on everything you need to know about Roasting Vegetables.

5. Snacks For The Week

~pretzel thins dipped in hummus

~veggies dipped in hummus

~nuts

~Raw Raspberry Bliss Bars

~Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

~Smoothies

~baked potato (my oldest loves coming home from school and popping one in the microwave)

~popcorn

~wheat thin type crackers

Raw Raspberry Bliss Bars

streusel topped whole wheat blueberry muffins

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Smoothies

6. Lunches For The Week

~I pack my girls’ lunch every week–it is the typical sandwich, fruit, vegetable, granola bar, crackers. It is usually a nut butter sandwich.

~I try to make my Todd a batch of soup at the beginning of each week, store in mason jars and freeze. These are his lunches for the week at work. French Lentil Soup is a favorite of ours.

~There is usually enough soup for me, too, or I visit the local health food store deli—I admit—way too often! They have the most beautiful pasta salads, quinoa salads & vegetable salads. Mmmmmmm.

~When we are all home together, my girls like to boil whole wheat pasta & melt some earth balance on it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

granola bar

7. Breakfasts For The Week

~oatmeal (these Freezer Steel Cut Oat Pucks make it very easy!)

~Chia Oats

~cereal (bran flakes, crispy rice)

~whole wheat English muffins & honey

~ Toad in a Hole 🙂

Toad in a Hole

Chia Oats

Freezer Steel Cut Oat Pucks

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So there is a pretty typical week of food/eating in our home. I hope this gives you some good ideas on how to get your family to eat more plant food. It really is so much easier when a little bit of thought goes into what ends up in our grocery cart, and how it is displayed & stored once we get home. You all know how passionate I am about staying healthy, and an organized refrigerator really has been key to reaching that goal!

Healthy Eating/ HOME/ How-Tos/ Organizing/ RECIPES

A Peek Inside Our Refrigerator & Using Mason Jars To Make It Pretty & Organized

glass bowls and mason jars holding fruit and vegetables inside a refrigerator

I posted this picture on New Nostalgia’s Facebook & Instagram, and it got quite a bit of attention! Who knew that an organized refrigerator using mason jars would be so interesting?! promised a post that talked more about the picture and instead of ONE post, I will be writing TWO!

In this first post, I will talk about:

1. How a pretty & organized refrigerator helps keep waste to a minimal
2. How I keep the refrigerator looking this way on a weekly basis
3. How glass is the key, so you can SEE!
4. How Mason jars are a great alternative to plastic
5. How I cut my veggies for successful consumption
6. How jars keep fruits and veggies fresher, longer
7. How jars keep my kids munching on veggies

In the second post I will share:

A. What else is in the refrigerator that you may not be able to see.

B. What we eat. How foods in the pantry and freezer are key to creating well-rounded meals.

C. How only buying what you need for the week is key to an organized refrigerator.

D. Meals we ate that week

E. Snacks we ate that week

F. Lunches we ate that week

G. Breakfasts we ate that week

So, on to points 1-7:

1. First, this is a new goal of mine…to have a pretty & organized refrigerator. It has been well worth the extra thought and effort. Since I started using glass bowls and mason jars, it has been so much easier to see what is in there & find what we need. We do not waste food like we used to, and I don’t buy things that I already have! Most importantly, I know my family is eating nourishing plant foods!

2. I have been trying to do my grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday. Even before I leave to grocery shop, I do a quick clean out of our refrigerator, taking note of what we have and what we need. This way the refrigerator gets cleaned out once a week and never gets too bad. It really only takes minutes, and is so well worth it! It also only takes minutes to take fruit out of their bags once you get back from the store and put them into bowls. The kids can do this for you! Yes, slicing veggies and putting them in the jars takes more time, but not as much as you would think.

3. The glass bowls you see in there stay in there. Most weeks they contain the same fruit, but the mango bowl sometimes has grapefruit instead. The apple bowl sometimes has pears instead. It all depends on the seasons, and what is on sale. Glass is the key. It allows the fruit to look like the art that it is and be on display! I find what is on display gets eaten, so it works well.

4. Mason jars are a long time favorite of mine. We do not have any disposable plastic storage containers, and my goal is to use all glass for food storage. I have a cabinet shelf that holds all 3 sizes of mason jars, and I keep their lids and rims all in a big bowl in a place that is easy to grab and reach. We use them for dry food storage too, so I have quite a few of them. They are so much better than stained plastic, and I love that they can go straight from the refrigerator to freezer, and from the freezer to the microwave (lid removed) to defrost if needed. The small 4oz jars are great for single servings of soup or chili.

5. As you can see in the picture, I chop most of the veggies up ahead of time, at the beginning of the week. I am known for taking my big bamboo cutting board and sitting on the floor in front of the TV to do my chopping. Oh yes! The floor!! My cutting board is big enough to keep all food on it, so it works for me! Most weeks I get to this.

If it is an extra busy week, I still make sure to take fruits out of their bags and display in bowls. Then the next time I make a salad (we eat them daily), I take an extra few minutes to slice the veggies we use on the salad to store in the jars. I use a mandolin for cucumbers, peppers, and carrots. It is one of my most used kitchen tools. It makes great thin slices for topping salads.

I also like to have carrot sticks and red pepper sticks to dip in hummus or put into lunch boxes, so I will save some to cut into sticks and put in a separate jar. If I buy a bunch of onions, I will use my food processor to cut them into a dice size, store them in 1 cup jars, keep one out for the week to use in recipes and freeze the rest. There are certain veggies I do not slice up. These are usually ones I am planning on using in recipes, like squash. I buy bags of broccoli already cut up into florets, and keep them in the bag, but if you buy it whole, mason jars are great for storing these, too.

6. I have been very surprised at how long our veggies stay fresh in mason jars. Even up to a week they do not get slimy. I do sometimes add a splash of water to sit at the bottom of the jars if the veggies start looking dried out at all. I will give it a little shimmy shake after adding the water, and they are good to go all week.

7. There is nothing better than finding an empty jar and knowing one of my girls were busy munching on cucumbers or carrot sticks. Oh, how that makes this Mama happy! Now, the key to my girls munching on vegetables is not having a bunch of junk food snacks sitting around.

If healthy vegetables, fruits, and snacks are all you have in the house, they will eventually eat them. But if you have cakes, cookies and cupcakes, they will be much less likely to grab plant food snacks.

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Make sure you look at part 2.

Do you have any tips for me?

What thoughts did this post spur on in your head?

I would love to know if you care to share!

GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

12 Favorite Plant Sources Of Protein + 39 Plant Based Recipes

A question I get asked often as a plant- based eater, is “Where do you get your protein?” Thanks to the meat and dairy industry, we Americans have it drilled into our brains that we need huge amounts of protein, so getting enough protein the first thing on every one’s mind when considering eating less animal foods.

I will answer that question in this post and with the help of Dr. Fuhrman’s words below.

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From Dr. Fuhrman

In North America, about 70 percent of dietary protein comes from animal foods. Worldwide, plant foods provide 84 percent of calories. The first scientific studies to determine human protein requirements were conducted in the 1950s. These studies demonstrated that adults require 20-35 grams of protein per day.[1] Today, the average American consumes 100-120 grams of protein per day, mostly in the form of animal products. People who eat a vegetable- based diet (vegan) have been found to consume 60-80 grams of protein per day,well above the minimum requirement.[2] More importantly, eating more plant protein is the key to increasing our micronutrient intake.

It is interesting to note that foods such as peas, green vegetables, and beans have more protein per calorie than meat. But what is not generally considered is that the foods richest in plant protein also are the foods richest in micronutrients-vitamins, minerals, fibers, bioflavonoids, & antioxidants. By eating more of these high-nutrient, low-calorie foods, you get plenty of protein and your body gets flooded with protective micronutrients at the same time. Animal protein does not contain antioxidants or phytochemicals and is filled with saturated fat – the most dangerous type of fat. Even a professional bodybuilder desiring to build half a pound of extra muscle per week only needs about seven extra grams of protein per day over normal intake. No complicated formulas or protein supplements are needed to get sufficient protein for growth, even in the serious athlete. Since exercise results in increased hunger, athletes consume more food (calories), which provides more protein.

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I love the idea of eating foods with the MOST micronutrients. This is why my husband and I have really jived with the Nutritarian lifestyle. What is a Nutritarian? It is a person who chooses their foods based on micronutrient content.

Let’s go through the above foods and I will share with you how we incorporate them into our diet.

1. Almonds

This one is easy. I love buying them sliced thin to use on salads. Trader Joes has amazing Honey Roasted sliced almonds that make a salad taste like a treat. We will eat whole, raw & unsalted, just plain as a snack, or grind them into almond butter in the food processor. I use them in our Raw Taco “Meat” and will throw them into the base of Raw Raspberry Bliss Bars along with the walnuts. Trader Joes also has Dark Chocolate & Salted Covered Almonds. I eat a couple of these. At night. In bed. While reading. It makes me VERY happy!

More recipes from NN that use almonds:

Raw Cookie Dough Bites
Lemon “Larabar” Balls
Homemade Pesto
No Bake, No Sugar Chocolate “Larabar” Truffles
Delicious Strawberry-Kiwi Spinach Dump Salad
Fruit Pie With Apricot-Nut Crust
Chewy No Bake Granola Bars
Orange-Almond Polenta Cake With Strawberries

2. Avocados

Guacamole of course. These are great thrown in smoothies instead of yogurt. It makes the most creamy smoothies ever! They are amazing in my Chocolate-Avocado Mousse with Raspberries recipe. They are good sliced thin on toast or thrown onto a sandwich or salad.

{Chocolate-Avodaco Mousse with Raspberries}

More recipes on NN that use avocado:

Black Bean, Corn, Avocado & Hominy Salad
5 Minute Creamy Avocado Dip
Chocolate-Avocado Mousse with Raspberries
Green Smoothie Popsicles
5 Minute Lemon Basil Guacamole Dip

3. Black Beans

Oh I love my black beans! I eat some sort of bean daily and black beans are one of my favs. They are great in wraps, on nachos, on salads. I love them simply seasoned and on top of brown rice.

More recipes on NN that use black beans:

Go-To Easy Black Bean Soup
Quinoa & Black Bean Salad
Black Bean, Corn, Avocado & Hominy Salad
Bean & Corn Salsa With Rice, Cheese & Chips to Dip
My Go-To Chili Recipe
Mom’s Taco Salad

4. Broccoli

We eat our broccoli raw, steamed and roasted. Raw broccoli dipped in hummus is a double- whammy for protein. I love to steam it and season with salt, pepper & finely grated lemon peel. Roasted is also a delicious way to eat broccoli.

{Cream Of Broccoli Soup-No Dairy!}

5. Hummus

Hummus makes me happy. I’ve been using it as a salad dressing. Make a big green salad, add veggies, apples, dried cranberries & slivered almonds. Top with a big blob of hummus. YUM! Hummus is great as a sandwich spread. I use it to make my most favorite Hummus Sandwich Heaven. Trader Joes has flat pretzel chips that go great with hummus. Also makes a very healthy veggie dip.

{Hummus Sandwich Heaven}

6. Lentils.

I have yet to post one of my favorite lentil recipes here on the blog–coming soon! Another favorite lentil recipe of ours is French Lentil Soup. I could eat this soup almost daily, it is THAT good. I make it every couple weeks. Lentils are a quick cooking bean, and super easy to make! We use them to make Red Lentil Sloppy Joes. Mmmm…

{Red Lentil Sloppy Joes}

7. Oatmeal.

You all know I’m a HUGE fan of oatmeal. I eat it everyday. Here are the ways:

More recipes from NN that use oatmeal:

Strawberry Banana Raw Breakfast Oats

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Best Recipe I Ever Messed Up Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

5 Ingredient Soft Granola Bar Bites

Overnight Breakfast Chia Oats

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Oatmeal

8. Peanut Butter

We use it as a dip for apples. We use on sandwiches, toast, or a dip for dark chocolate. We often top our bananas with it–slice banana lengthwise and smear with peanut butter–this is great way to add some protein to breakfast!

More recipes from NN that use peanut butter:

Peanut Butter Chia Seed Roll Ups

Peanut Butter Clouds
Fudgy Buttons

9. Pumpkin Seeds

I need to experiment more with these. I have used them in this granola recipe and it was yummy. I also like them thrown on a spinach salad with along with chickpeas. Spinach, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds all contain protein so it is a great way to put protein on your salad without meat. What are ways YOU use pumpkin seeds?

{A Salad Full Of Plant Protein}

10. Quinoa

If you can make rice, you can make quinoa. It is one part water to one part grain, just like rice. Quinoa is a STAPLE in our home. It is a grain that is full of protein. You can eat it hot or cold. It has a bit of a nutty flavor, and takes on whatever flavor you add to it. I love making cold quinoa vegetable salads in the summer, and eating it like you would a warm bowl of oats in the winter.

{Quinoa & Black Bean Salad}

11. Tempah

Tempah is a soy product, and with my breast cancer history I stay away from soy, so we do not eat much of it. Honestly, I don’t trust many of the soy products in the United States since a huge percentage of it is GM. BUT, if I do choose to eat soy, organic tempah is a product that I feel most comfortable with as it goes through a fermentation process which makes it extra healthy. Tempah is a great way to add the “texture” of meat in dishes like vegetarian chili. My local health food store makes an amazing Jamaican Jerked Tempah, and served over rice it gives on the feel of eating meat. They also do a BBQ Tempah, and when slapped on a bun, even my meat-eating friends love it & comment that it feels and tasted like a BBQ beef sandwich.

12. Tofu

Not a fan, due to the reasons above. I don’t buy it and I don’t use it.

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Also from Dr. Fuhrman

{to learn more, see Dr. Fuhrman‘s Eat To Live book. One of my favorites!}

In the chart below, an equal caloric amount (100 calories) of porterhouse steak is compared to broccoli, romaine lettuce and kale. Broccoli provides the greatest amount of protein per calorie.

Green vegetables are all rich in protein, and relatively low in calories. They provide generous amounts of most micronutrients with no cholesterol and virtually no fat. Meat on the other hand, is relatively low in micronutrients. Remember whole grains, beans and seeds are also high in protein and should be utilized to achieve adequate protein on a diet with no or minimal animal products. But the point in this example was to illustrate how weight-loss favorable green vegetables are and that no matter how many green vegetables you eat, you still cannot take in too many calories. If you fill up on greens, they will reduce your desire and ability to overeat.

	Broccoli, frozen, chopped boiled	Romaine Lettuce	Kale, cooked	Beef Short Loin, Porterhouse Steak, separable lean & fat, 1/8 “ fat, broiled	Beef short Loin, Porterhouse Steak, separable lean & fat, 1/4” fat, broiled
Calories	100	100	100	100	100
Weight (g)	357 (12.6oz)	588 (20.7oz)	358 (12.6oz)	34 (1.2oz)	30 (1.0oz)
Protein (g)	11.1	7.2	6.8	8.0	6.5
Fat (g)	0.4	1.8	1.4	7.4	7.7
Carbohydrate (g)	19.2	19.4	20.2	0	0
Fiber	10.8	12.4	7.2	0	0
Cholesterol	0	0	0	24.1	21.6
Calcium (mg)	118	194	258	2.7	2.4
Iron (mg)	2.2	5.7	3.2	0.9	0.8
Magnesium (mg)	46	82	64.4	7.8	6.0
Potassium (mg)	507	1453	816.2	109	76.5
Vitamin C (mg)	143	23.5	146.8	0	0
Thiamin (mg)	0.2	0.4	0.2	0	0
Riboflavin (mg)	0.3	0.4	0.3	0	0
Niacin (mg)	1.6	1.8	1.8	1.4	1.2
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.1	0.1
Folate (mcg)	200	800	46.5	2.4	2.1
Vitamin A (IU)	3609	51253	48763	0	0
Vitamin K (mcg)	315	603	2924	0	0

Source: Data was obtained from Nutritionist Pro Nutritional Analysis Software, Version 4.7, Axxya Systems , Stafford TX, 2012.

Please note that 100 calories of steak is only about one ounce, which is not much meat to fill you up. More typically, 4 – 8 ounces is eaten, supplying too many calories and too much animal protein without the lifespan enhancing micronutrients. Bottom line—eat more greens and less meat to get more micronutrient bang per caloric buck and to suppress your calorie intake.

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The video below is one of the catchiest tunes about getting protein from plants. BEWARE if you watch it once, you will be singing it forever. My kids and I have fun with this one, singing “Where do you get your iron? PLANTS! Where do you get your calcium? PLANTS!” It is cute and fun.

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Last but not least, both my daughter and I had some blood work done recently. I was very curious how her iron, B-12, calcium etc levels were since she is eating Nutritarian.

Both of our levels came back perfect, and BOTH of us were high in calcium, despite the fact that we eat very, VERY little dairy.

1. Rose W. The amino acid requirements of adult man.

Nutritional Abstracts and Reviews 1957;27:631. 2. Hardage M. Nutritional studies of vegetarians. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1966;48:25.

GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

6 Vegan Recipes I Want To Make This Week

1. Quinoa & Apple Salad with Curry Dressing @ Martha Stewart

My local health food store makes a recipe similar to this that I love. The apple and curry go together so well, surprisingly! Eager to see how this tastes.

2. Snicker Doodle Blondies @ Chocolate Covered Katie

Vegan Snickerdoodle Blondies! Gooey, cinnamon-y, and made healthy by adding 1 1/2 cups of beans!

3. Superfood Bliss Bowl @ Healthy Happy Life

I’m intrigued by this recipe. The cacao cream sounds delicious and the brown rice would make it a very filling after school snack for my girls.

4. Brownie Bites With a Surprise Ingredient @ New Nostalgia

I have a can of pumpkin I need to use and I have not made these in awhile. They are moist and delish.

5. Spicy Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos @ Tali’s Tomatoes

Another item I frequently buy at my local health food deli. I love the combo of black beans and sweet potatoes. Time to save money and make my own!

6. Lowfat Vegan Nacho “Cheese” @ Happy Herbivore

She calls it the best nacho cheese on the planet. It is made creamy by pureeing cashews. We shall see!

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I know my kids will eat #2, #3 (minus the nuts) #4 & #6.

Keeping my fingers crossed with #1 & #5.

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I found all of these recipes on my Vegan Pinterest Board. Click here to see more!

Drinks/ FUN/DIY/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

My New Favorite Way To Drink Lemon Water – The Aqua Zinger

If you have read my post, 5 Reasons To Drink Lemon Water In The Morning, you will know I’m a HUGE fan of lemon water. I feel like I can’t function well in the morning without hydrating with lemon water, and I always have it before my cup of coffee in the morning.

Now that I know about this awesome water bottle called AquaZinger, I have been drinking lemon water all day long!

This is really the coolest thing. It is a water bottle that has a built in grinder in the bottom. It also has a filter, so seeds and chunks stay at the bottom.

You simply start by cutting a lemon in half. I’ve learned that by cutting off the very end of the lemon, it makes grinding a whole lot easier! When I first purchased my water bottle, I felt frustrated at how much muscle it took to do the grinding. Now that I watched the below “tips” video and know the tricks, it is easy and I love it!

You then take the filter piece and push it down into the fruit.

Like so…

…then you take the water bottle part and twist it on. The twisting action is what grinds the fruit.

See? Isn’t that so nifty? It really is easy.

Here is a view inside the AquaZinger bottle. That filter keeps all the seeds and chunks of fruit from going down your throat!

Add cold, filtered water. Then give it a little shake.

I refill it all throughout the day, and usually only use one lemon half a day, sometimes two if I am extra thirsty and find myself filling it up more often.

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5 Reasons To Drink Lemon Water Every Morning

Number 1

It balances pH–Lemon is an acidic food, but once metabolized, it becomes alkaline. I work very hard at keeping my body alkaline. Why?

To put it most simply, alkalies help keep the oxygen in our blood at a safe pH level, and this helps our body heal itself, assimilate nutrients and fight off unwanted sickness.

-Nicole Bennet

Number 2

It keeps skin clear and glowing! I have noticed this. Hydration from drinking lemon water is great for moisturizing our skin from the inside out. Lemon also contains lots of Vitamin C, which helps with wrinkles and blemishes.

Number 3

It kick starts the digestive system–a big glass of lemon water is a great way to start the day. It encourages the liver to produce bile which in turn aids in digestion. It increases urination which helps purify it. It also helps with heartburn and constipation.

Number 4

It helps with weight loss–I have read that keeping the body in an alkaline state helps people lose weight faster. Lemons are high in fiber pectin, which helps keep one full, longer. They also have a diuretic effect, which helps with water weight gain.

Number 5

It helps control the coffee habit–I will drink coffee sometimes, but only if I have had my entire glass of lemon water. Many days I feel like the lemon water wakes me up more than coffee does…

…which brings me to bonus Number 6:

It helps kick the pop habit--I have found that adding lemon to sparkling water and adding a whole lot of ice satisfies any soda craving I might have. I gave up soda pop the minute I was diagnosed a year ago, and I really don’t miss it. I don’t think I could stand the sweetness of it now, but I DO miss the fizz, so my “Lemon Spritzer”–lemon +sparkling water+ice–is the perfect solution!

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My sister-in-law has the Citrus Zinger and loves it. I may eventually get one of these, too, but I have really grown to love my Aqua Zinger. I like that it grinds the lemon peel up, too, so the lemon flavor is extra strong and I get the benefits of the essential oils in the peel. If you watch the video below, you will see that the Aqua Grinder is not just for lemons, but for any type of fruit. I have not experimented much with other types of fruit, but when I do I will let you know!

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To purchase the Aqua Zinger & Citrus Zinger – Click here.

To purchase the Aqua Zinger- Click here.

To purchase the Citrus Zinger – Click here.

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Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Blended Mango Spinach Salad

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to eat some form of greens everyday. The more I read on the health benefits of greens, the more I realize how important it is to consume them daily and in large amounts. I am devouring the book Eat To Live Eat To Live by Dr. Fuhrman. It is by far one of my most favorite books on nutrition, second only to The China Study. This recipe is taken from that book.

Here is what he says about greens:

“Dark green leafy vegetables –kale, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, romaine, mustard greens, collard greens & watercress–get the very highest score in highest nutrient density foods. They contain the very most phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals of all foods. They are rich in all necessary amino acids. They are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients that protect us from a variety of threatening illnesses.”

Greens rock!

I love a good salad, and it is a good thing since I eat them most days for lunch AND as a side to dinner. I also love green smoothies. But sometimes, I just want to get my greens in quick and not have to think about it the rest of the day.

This Blended Mango Spinach Salad is an awesome way to do just that. It only makes about 4 1/2 ounces, so to gulp it down takes just minutes. Most of my green smoothie recipes make 2 cups of smoothie which takes a chunk of time to finish. This blended salad recipe is the same idea of a smoothie, and uses the same amount of greens as a green smoothie (3 cups!) but it is more concentrated.

The mango adds a nice creaminess and sweetness. It tastes very fresh and quite green. I like it, quite a lot, but I’m also used to the taste of green smoothies and greens. I could not drink 2 cups of it at once, but as a quick “shot” of nutrition, it is perfect. I will be making it often.

Beautiful greens!

Only 3 simple, super healthy ingredients.

Cut your mango and do your best not to eat it just like this!

Mango art!

Slice mango chunks off of skin right into blender.

Blend mango & spinach.

Check out that beautiful color!

Add greens and milk.

Blend again, and you are done!

Now chug it, slurp it, drink it up! Your body will thank you for this extra shot of energy and goodness!

…………………

Blended Mango Spinach Salad
2 cups spinach
1/2-1 cup romaine or other greens (I used a mix of baby chard, kale & watercress)
1 cup fresh mango
1/8 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Peel and chop the mango and place in a food processor or high powered blender. Add the spinach. Blend until combined. Add the greens and milk. Blend until creamy.

………………..

Check out the nutrition facts in that green shot of goodness!

759 g potassium

5 g fiber

3.4 g protein

Almost 200% of your Vitamin A

Over 100% of your Vitamin C

Great source of iron, magnesium & calcium!

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories		128.0

Total Fat		0.8 g

	Saturated Fat	0.2 g

	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g

	Monounsaturated Fat	0.2 g

Cholesterol		0.0 mg

Sodium		74.4 mg

Potassium		759.6 mg

Total Carbohydrate		31.3 g

	Dietary Fiber	5.0 g

	Sugars	24.8 g

Protein		3.4 g


Vitamin A	194.0 %

Vitamin B-12	0.0 %

Vitamin B-6	19.8 %

Vitamin C	118.3 %

Vitamin D	0.0 %

Vitamin E	17.7 %

Calcium	10.6 %

Copper	14.9 %

Folate	49.4 %

Iron	14.7 %

Magnesium	21.5 %

Manganese	42.6 %

Niacin	8.1 %

Pantothenic Acid	3.2 %

Phosphorus	6.2 %

Riboflavin	15.5 %

Selenium	2.7 %

Thiamin	11.1 %

Zinc	3.6 %

…………………

What do you think?
Do you think you could handle a nice, sweet, fresh shot of greens?
Let me know if you try it and what you think.

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