Home Made Almond Milk

1/2 cup Almonds
1/4- 1/2 cup Pitted dates (or equal amounts of maple syrup)
1 Tbs vanilla bean
5 cups of water

Put everything in the blender and blend till smooth. Run through a cheese cloth or a fine strainer and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

The dates produce a creamier date which is great if you have the milk on your own. If you use the milk for cereals, you can use a lot less sugar as the sugar in the cereal will be enough to sweeten the meal.
This tastes great in teas too!

Drink Your Greens

1 banana

2 dates

2 cups kale 

2 Tbl almond butter

3/4 cup water

Blend.

No kitty, it's my smoothie!

Eggnog: Naturally Sweetened & Dairy Free

1/2 cup almonds
3 medjool dates (or 1/4 cup dates)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 Tbs maple syrup
3 cups water
1 cheese cloth
optional - for the alcoholic version add rum and brandy to taste.

In your blender, blend almonds, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and water. Blend until the almonds and dates are chopped as fine as possible.

In a bowl whisk the eggs and add maple syrup.
Pour the liquid from the blender through a cheese cloth into the bowl with the eggs.
Whisk the eggnog and add alcohol if you wish.
Place it in the fridge to cool until it thickens.

For a lighter vegan version, this blended mixture tastes great without the eggs.

(If you are using a powerful blender such as a Vitamix, most of the almonds and dates will have liquified anyway so the cheese cloth is not as important.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Breakfast

This morning's breakfast was inspired by my friend's pint of Ben and Jerry's that was in the freezer. My favorite thing as a kid was not the cake, but the batter!

1/2 cup quick/ rolled oats
1/4 cup raw cashews (or almonds)
1 Tbs maca powder
1 date
1/2 medium banana (1/3 cup)
2 Tbs flax meal
3 Tbs dried shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup water/ almond milk/ coconut water
2 Tbs cocoa nibs (or grain-sweetened-chocolate-chips)
Optional: for more sweetness, add coconut nectar, agave, or maple syrup.

Blend all ingredients except for the cocoa nibs/ chips in a powerful blender (Vitamix works best!) until smooth. Then mix the cocoa nibs into the batter.

I kind of had my fix from licking the mixer clean with a spatula (to be 5y/o again!), I might save the "batter" for a mid morning snack...

Click Here to learn more about Maca and other Superfoods.... 

Green Smoothies

I love a green smoothie for breakfast. Actually, I love vegetables for breakfast! Green smoothies give me a long lasting energy boost and are very satisfying when I am craving something sweet.


To make a green smoothies:

1. Choose your base: water or non dairy milk (if you have a Vitamix, throw a handful of nuts in with some water and your milk will be made along with your shake.) 
2. Choose your green: I love using kale but it is a little bitter so I would suggest starting with spinach or romaine lettuce. (The darker the green leaf, the better.)
3. Choose your fruit: bananas almost always have a starring role, but avocados, mangos, fresh dates, pineapples, berries, apples, and pears are tasty too. 
4. Optional superfoods*: a tsp of maca, spirulina, other seaweeds (like dulse), hemp powder for protein, cacao powder or nibs, goji berries, or bee pollen.
5. If you need some added sweetness: add raw honey, maple syrup or agave.

The average ratio in a green smoothie is about 60% fruit to 40% leafy greens but you can start with more fruit and work your way up. 


* View this related article explaining superfoods

Summer Coolers

The heat of summer can have us reaching for the cold and creamy... commonly in the form of ice cream.

To satisfy the craving in other ways, keep cold apple sauce or your favorite yogurt in the refrigerator. Often a serving of these moist cooling foods will meet your needs. For a cooling crunch, freeze fresh blueberries and eat them right out of the freezer. This is also the perfect time to get creative with smoothies.

Blueberry Smoothie

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

3 cups of water

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 pitted dates

1 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

In a blender, blend 2 cups of water with berries, nuts, dates and vanilla until smooth. Add last cup of water and blend again.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge

Mango Smoothie

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

3 cups of water

2 mangoes, peeled & cubed

1/4 cup almonds

1/2 cup pitted dates

1 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

In a blender, blend 2 cups of water with mango, nuts, dates and vanilla until smooth. Add last cup of water and blend again.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge.

Creamy Coconut Pudding

recipe from: Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

2 cups cashews

1.5 cups water

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup shredded dried coconut

Blend water and cashews until smooth. Add coconut and dates and blend again until smooth.

Will keep for 3 days in fridge.

Banana Ice Cream

4 ripe large bananas

2 Tbls. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Peel & cut bananas into chunks. Spread chunks on a plate and freeze for 1 hour. Place in food processor/ blender with vanilla and cinnamon. At first, process in "burst mode" until bananas soften and then process continuously until creamy smooth.

Top with either chopped walnuts, tahini paste, or maple syrup.

Serve immediately.

Variations: add cacao powder and agave nectar, add berries, or add spirulina.


Chunky Monkey variation:
2 frozen bananas 
1 tsp vanilla extract
Handful of walnuts
1 tsp cocoa nibs (or 4-5 squares of dark chocolate.) 


Blend in blender until creamy. Voila! Ice cream on a hot day.

Soy Products and Their Controversy

Soy can lower cholesterol, reduce menopausal side effects such as hot flashes, help prevent breast and prostate cancer, aid weight loss, and help ward off osteoporosis. Some of these benefits have been attributed to soy’s unique characteristic of high concentrations of isoflavones, a type of plant-made estrogen (phytoestrogen).

On the other hand most soy products are highly processed and many people have an undetected intolerance to soy. Soy is listed among the top five foods that Americans are most allergic to.

Soymilks and tofu can be great transitional foods for protein and dairy but I wouldn’t recommend using them on a regular basis for long periods of time. If you are substituting meat for soy based “meat-like” products, begin exploring with some of the products listed below. If you’ve been enjoying soymilk for quite a while, explore rice milk or almond milk as a new alternative.  Keep it rotating.

Since soy is the hardest to digest of all beans, it is helpful that it has been processed into more digestible products. Even so, these are highly processed foods. Soy products that have been minimally processed and naturally fermented for easier digestion include tempeh, natto, miso, or edamame.

 

Miso: Known for it ability to reduce toxins—including those from second-hand smoke—and act as an anti-carcinogen and digestive aid (hence, in Japanese culture, a small cup of miso soup before most meals). The darker the color, the more potent the medicinal value. Try brown rice, barley, or chickpea miso.

Natto: A potent digestive aid. Considered to aid in the regrowth of body tissue, it also helps to regulate blood sugar, contains no salt, and is an excellent source of protein. It has a sticky, viscous coating with a cheesy texture. In Asian countries, natto is traditionally served as a topping for rice, in miso soups or with vegetables.

Tempeh: An easily assimilated protein and energy-building food, it contains the important omega-3 fatty acids. This process also creates a natural antibiotic, which supports the immune system. With it’s smoky nutty flavor, tempeh can be marinated and grilled, baked, fried, added to soups, casseroles, stir-fry or chili.

Tofu: Supports the colon and the lung system, and is a cooling food for those who feel too hot or have high blood pressure. It is a great source of high-quality protein when consumed with whole grains, and also contains calcium, iron and potassium. Tofu easily absorbs the flavors of other ingredients with which it is cooked. Firm tofu is dense and solid and can be cubed and served in soups, stir-fried or grilled. It is higher in protein, fat and calcium than other forms of tofu. Soft tofu is good for recipes that call for blended tofu. Silken tofu is a creamy product and can be used as a replacement for sour cream in many dip recipes. 

Edamame: Young soybeans that can be eaten hot or cold, as a snack or appetizer, or added to any dish, salad or stir-fry. It is a quick and easy protein option since it takes only about 5 minutes to prepare—just boil, drain and drizzle with a touch of toasted sesame oil, or eat plain with a sprinkle of sea salt. Edamame is easy to digest and is exceptionally high in fiber, to help increase regularity.

Soy Protein Shakes and Power bars:

Shakes and bars made of soy-protein-isolates should be avoided. Many milks and tofu-based ice creams are from SPI (soy protein isolate). SPI is a cheap way for companies to add protein to energy bars to make them seem healthy. It is the left over byproduct of creating soy oil so instead of throwing it away, it gets added to processed foods to add protein. This process is done through a high temperature chemical process.

For protein shakes; use protein powder made of Hemp, Pea, or Brown Rice. All these are high protein powders that are minimally processed. For a boost, add a tablespoon of an all natural almond, peanut, sesame or sunflower butter into your shake. 

Are You For Real?.... Discovering Superfoods!

Choosing a healthy diet means choosing a natural diet. Natural foods come in various forms: raw, cooked, fermented, or dried. Foods stop being natural when processed with chemicals or preservatives. Some foods which may look natural are not if they have been raised or grown with hormones or through genetic engineering.

We fill our shopping carts with substitutes for real food. We grab animal byproducts like cold cuts, hot dogs and processed cheeses. We’ve been told that soy sausage or fake bacon are “health foods” when in fact they are highly processed products made from soy byproducts.
Health food is real food as nature created it. Our focus on healthy eating is usually limited to the type of food we are eating. We commonly overlook the importance of the quality of food. If we cease to pump our animals with antibiotics and hormones and stop processing the food with nitrates and preservatives, there would be no need to substitute it with other highly processed “healthier choices” like a soy burger. You can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that created it.

If you do eat these types of food, eat them in moderation and choose real meat products from real, grass-fed, naturally raised animals, free of all chemicals and preservatives. Furthermore, be sure to balance your diet with plenty of vegetables, especially the green leafy ones.

Superfoods:
If we only ate grains, fruit and vegetables from soil rich in natural nutrients, and meat from animals fed natural food, we would maintain a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals.
But let’s be honest; that’s not easy to do even if we planted and raised everything ourselves.

Super-foods are naturally nutrient dense. Unlike many dietary supplements, super-foods contain many nutrients that support each other and prevent the kind of imbalances that often occur when taking only vitamins.

Here are some of the major super-foods:

1. Goji Berries: Goji berries are a complete protein filled with antioxidants and trace minerals. These berries can improve eyesight and boost production of growth hormones. Add to your trail mix or top off a breakfast cereal with it.

2. Raw Chocolate (aka cacao): Contains more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai and goji berries combined. Full of magnesium to help the body stay alkaline, an amazing source of iron, and it contains tryptophan, a mood-enhancing nutrient. Keep in mind that raw cacao - raw chocolate that has not been cooked (as opposed to most chocolate bars) - retains more nutrients. You can find raw cacao as powder, nibs, or whole beans.

3. Maca Root: Enhances libido, rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium, and silicon (for bone strength). It supports the endrocine system and thyroid in accurate hormone production. Maca is great for rebuilding the adrenal gland, which is our body’s center for handling stress. It counteracts the damage caffeine causes to our adrenals.

4. Bee Pollen: Contains all twenty-two essential amino acids, increases endurance, improves muscle growth and definition, and is packed with B vitamins to bolster against stress.
* it is important to start with a small amount of bee pollen (1/4 tsp) to ensure that you are not allergic to it (signs of allergy include light swelling as well as moderate difficulty in breathing).

5. Spirulina: Contains 65% protein, supplements B12, builds the blood with its high chlorophyll content, and is full of beta-carotene.
*This algae is cooling and wet: if you are prone to feeling cold avoid using large amounts

6. Hemp Seed: contains all essential amino acids, has brain-building and liver-supporting lecithin, is rich in vitamin E, and contains essential fatty acids to protect the skin from sun exposure.


Workout Shake (1-2 servings)
Put away your soy protein shakes and start making your shakes with hemp powder. Enjoy the flax and hemp for their essential fatty acids, the banana for potassium, the spirulina for cellular regeneration.

2 Tbs hemp seed protein powder
1 tsp maca root powder
1 tsp spirulina (or less when first getting used to the taste)
2 Tbs flax
2 Tbs raw cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bee pollen
1 banana
Handful of almonds
1 cup of water
optional- natural sweetener of choice- maple/ raw honey/ agave (I don't find I need more sweetness. If using raw honey, omit the bee pollen from the recipe)

Mix all the ingredients in blender until smooth.