It’s Springtime, YAY!  

The sun is finally coming out from behind the clouds, the air feels warmer, and I actually saw some green grass & purple buds of a flower coming up this week.

It’s a wonderful time to let go of some of the habits that have crept in over the winter & take charge of your health again by making some changes to how you are eating.  Many people ask me about a detox about this time of the year, and I always say it is a great time to do it (as long as you are healthy, and you either know how to detox or you are working with someone who does).  There are wonderful Springtime detox foods that can help, lots of delicious recipes & with change in the air your body will thank you after.

Where do you start?  An easy way is to start GREENING it up.  Yep Green Smoothies.  I said it.  Many people are afraid of them, or think they sound awful.  Guess what?  They can be so delicious if you open up to the idea.  It won’t hurt, I promise!  :)

Try to have 1 each day.  The chlorophyll from the leaves feeds your blood and helps your body achieve balance.  Booting the toxins from your body will become easier and you will feel lighter & more energetic.

Here is a great recipe to start you off.  Experiment. Have fun.  Enjoy it!

Green Spring Smoothie

Day 4 as we count green veggies on our way to St. Patty’s Day tomorrow is Brussels Sprouts!

Brussels Sprouts – I’m sure there are many of you out there cringing just reading the name.

As kids you rarely love them, as adults you rarely love them – but you should!  They really are one of my most favorite vegetables, and my kids feel the same way.  Yep, they really do!

What’s so great about them?

They help protect us from cancer! 
Many studies have proven that brussels sprouts fight against and even prevent various cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer.

Digestion and weight maintenance 
One cup of Brussels sprouts contains four grams of dietary fiber, which can aid in digestion, prevent constipation, maintain low blood sugar and reduce overeating. Another big bonus – they also protect our stomach lining by obstructing the overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that can lead to gastric cancer.

Vitamin C 
One cup of brussels sprouts contains over 161% of the RDA for vitamin C which ensures a healthy immune system, wards against hyper tension, lowers blood pressure, fights lead toxicity, combats cataracts, and serves as a powerful antioxidant that prevents aging and many diseases.

So, how do you make brussels sprouts edible?

Try this super-easy, very delicious recipe – it’s a great way to start loving this wonderful green veggie!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

GREEN day #3 is Pesto!

Some people don’t know what pesto is.  Let me tell you – it is D E L I C I O U S, and one of my most favorite green foods!

There are literally dozens of different pesto recipes using a variety of different ingredients.  There are just as many different ways to use pesto.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• As a dip
• As a salad dressing
• As a pizza base (instead of tomato sauce)
• As a pasta sauce
• As a spread on your wrap or sandwich
• On bruschetta
• Drizzle it on any cooked meat or veggie

Now recipe time.  Basil pesto made with sunflower seeds – simple, nut-free, and yummy.  Try it out and see what you think!

Sunflower Seed Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves lightly packed
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (roasted and shelled)
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 to 1 tsp lemon juice or to taste (to prevent browning of the pesto)
• 1/4 cup olive oil or more if necessary

Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor.  Pulse food processor while adding a steady stream of olive oil.  Scrap sides and pulse until well blended.  Taste and correct your seasonings.  Use immediately or store (covered) in refrigerator up to 24 hours.  Makes about 1 cup.

That’s it!  Easy peasy!

Now – be cautious when using pesto in your recipes.  The mix of quite strong flavors CAN be a little overpowering– it’s easy to overdo it and ruin your dish.  Start with a little and keep adding in until you reach your perfect mix.

Day 2 of GREENING it up as we count down to St. Patrick’s Day is Kale Day.

I love Kale.  I hope you do too, but if you haven’t found a way to love it yet, I have just the recipe for you!

But first…

Why kale?  Glad you asked!

Kale:

• is high in Iron
• is high in vitamin C
• is a great source of Calcium
• is high in vitamin K
• boosts your immune system
• increases your energy
• reduces inflammation
• is great for getting rid of toxins
• increases your metabolism
• aids your digestion
• helps fight heart disease, cancer, bone disease & more!

Here is the perfect recipe for you to become a kale-lover if you aren’t already.  Try it out and thank me later

Asian Orange Sesame Kale

• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale (about 3/4 lb.), tough stems removed & leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 tsp. Tamari Sauce (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp. fresh orange juice
• 2 tsp. sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add kale and stir until coated with oil. Stir in soy sauce and orange juice; cover and cook for 3 minutes, or until kale is softened.
2. Stir in sesame seeds and serve.

Are you afraid of avocados?  Many people I meet ARE!  That’s just because they haven’t had a chance to get to know this wonderful fruit (yep it’s a fruit).  So, in case you are one of the people,  let me introduce you to your avocado:

Yes, avocados are relatively high in fat and calories (138 calories and 14.1g fat in half a medium-sized avocado). But they’re also one of the best foods you can eat, packed with nutrients and heart-healthy compounds. 

Your avocado is loaded with good-for-you monounsaturated fats, and these amazing green babies can improve your heart health by boosting your HDL (good) cholesterol without raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol, and by providing a hefty dose of potassium and fiber.

In addition to be a heart-helper your new fried can help you lose weight!  Half an avocado contains 3.4 grams of fiber, including soluble and insoluble, both of which your body needs to keep the digestive system running smoothly. Plus, soluble fiber slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your body, helping you feel full for longer.  They also contain oleic acid, a fat that activates the part of your brain that says “I’m Full” – so you eat less.  

Your new friend is also a great source of lutein, a carotenoid that works as an antioxidant and helps protect your beautiful eyes.

For anyone who has worked with me at all, you already know how much I love avocados for your hormones.  Full of hormone-building good fats that reduce inflammation (an absolute necessity when it comes to balancing hormones) as well as the fiber that boots out nasty hormone-hindering toxins avocados are truly a hormone-super-food!  

Now, on to the recipes.

First up – an Avocado Popsicle.  I know, sounds awful, but it’s so darn delicious you won’t be able to believe it!  Ask my 6-year-old!  If this recipe doesn’t sound so great to you, take baby steps.  Here’s how:

• Make your favorite smoothie
• Add 1/4 avocado to it
• Drink as is or pour into Popsicle molds and freeze
• Be amazed.  It will shock you how creamy & yummy this is

Avocado Lime Popsicles

Makes 6 to 12 popsicles – so you can share (if you want to!)

1 cup water

2 very ripe bananas

2 avocados (your new best friend)

Juice and zest of 1 lime

Dash sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to Popsicle molds.

2. Freeze for at least 24 hours before serving.

AND  Just because I have you itching to use more avocados – a bonus recipe!

Avocado Stuffed Sweet Potato

Serves1

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 c avocado, cubed
• 2 TBS red onion, diced
• 2 TBS lime juice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 TBS fresh cilantro – chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
2. Bake sweet potato for 45 minutes to one hour, or until cooked through and soft.
3. Meanwhile, combine diced peppers, avocado, and onion in a small bowl.
4. Dress with lime juice, cumin, and garlic. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Cut sweet potato in half and remove the insides with a spoon.
6. Mix the avocado filling with the sweet potato filling.
7. Stuff back into sweet potato skin and garnish with cilantro.

To make this a main dish, you could add a source of protein like black beans or grilled chicken. Feel free to let your imagination run wild!

Have fun with your new friend!

Happy International Women’s Day to all the beautiful women out there!

I’m so grateful that I have such an amazing job & that I am able to work with wonderful women just like YOU!

To celebrate, I would like to introduce you to chocolate.  Ok, yes – I’m sure you know it all too well already, but do you know how GOOD it is for you?  Yes, GOOD!

Eat more chocolate to:

1. Have beautiful skin & hair  - Cacao (the secret behind chocolate’s healthy boost)  is potentially one of the single-most concentrated food sources of antioxidants, containing as much as 10% antioxidant compounds by weight.  Antioxidants give you radiant skin & shiny hair!
2. Have a Happy Heart – Thanks to  flavonoids (those wonderful antioxidants!) that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries, your heart will beat stronger for chocolate too.
3. Lose the muscle aches, sleep better & boost your moods - Magnesium is the secret here.  Being deficient in this important mineral is a pain in the body – literally.  Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include leg cramps, migraines, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, nausea and vomiting. On average a dark chocolate bar can deliver nearly 12 percent of your daily magnesium requirement.

There you go – proof that chocolate CAN be good for you!

BUT

Enter milk, sugar, and butter—good for your taste buds, not always good for your health. Besides adding calories to your chocolate goodness, these can dilute the benefits of cacao.

So snack smart:   Stick to healthy chocolate with at least 70 percent cacao (or cocoa, which is cacao in its roasted, ground form).  By doing this you get to have all the benefits of chocolate without the problems that come with the other stuff.

Here is another one of my  favorite chocolate recipes for you to try – This has gotten me through some rough chocolate-craving days.  Make them, freeze them, and have them ready for the moments you could use a re-charge.  :)

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Nutbutter  Cups

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup high quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt coconut oil.  Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.  Pour into paper-lined muffin tin cups or silicon muffin cups and fill half-inch full.  Makes 10.   Chill for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes.  When firm, remove.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.  Mmm-mm!

Happy Valentines Day!

I am a HUGE chocolate fan so today I am going to indulge a little.  :)

Here is one of my favorites -

Almond Coconut Joy Bars

Makes 25-35 depending on size

½ – ¾ cup Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup pure honey

1 ½ cups dried unsweetened coconut

1 ½ cups almond flour meal

¾ cup chocolate chips

Note:  Almond ‘flour meal’ can be purchased commercially in the natural foods section of your grocery store, or made in a food processor with blanched almonds using the ‘S’ blade.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed or parchment paper.  Coarsely chop the Brazil nuts by hand or in the food processor, pulsing a few times.

In a large saucepan heat honey over medium heat.  Reduce heat to simmer for approx.. 3-4 minutes, until thickened.  Add the coconut, almond flour meal and chopped nuts.

Remove from heat and spread onto a 9×11” lined baking sheet – approximately ½” thick.  Smooth out batter with wet fingers.  Sprinkle immediately with chocolate chips, allowing them to begin to melt on the warm mixture.

After several minutes smooth the melted chocolate with the back of a spoon or spatula to spread out.  Allow to cool in fridge, and cut into small squares or bars.

**Replace Brazil nuts with chopped almonds for a variation.

**Don’t miss out on THIS delicious chocolate recipe too!  DEEEELICIOUS!

Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner, and I’m no exception – neither are my kids.  :)

In honor or Shrove Tuesday (or pancake day as many people call it), here is one of our most favorite pancake recipes, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip pancakes.  Yep, chocolate chips – because everything is better with a few dark chocolate chips!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon stevia (or preferred sweetener- try coconut sugar too)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups almond milk

1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the vanilla and one cup of almond milk. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until just mixed. Add the remaining almond milk, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Drop onto a pre-heated/pre-greased (with coconut oil) griddle and cook until bubbles start to form, just one or two minutes. Watch closely! Then flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so.
• Enjoy!

BULGING BELLY WARNING: 
This recipe makes a lot!  So, if you’re only cooking for one, or don’t want any leftovers, you might want to cut the recipe in half. If you don’t mind leftovers, your extra pancakes will keep well in the fridge (in an airtight container, o’ course) and can be quickly reheated in a warmed skillet or toaster oven.

Do you ever have one of those days where eating healthy is just hard?  I get it.  It CAN be hard sometimes.

Like those days where you just want a cookie – maybe even NEED a cookie?!  You see your friends eating them, you see your family eating them, you see the stranger at the coffee shop eating them – why can’t you?!

Well, you CAN!

I found out early on as I was making healthier choices that the reality of it all is that I do still want to feel like I have treats.  We all do.  All it takes is a little digging to find healthy AND yummy treats, and some moderation – don’t eat the whole batch, one will do….

Do your own baking.  I know, I know – that takes time, and who has that.  But if you are serious about feeling more energetic, and healthy again it takes time.  But it doesn’t have to take all day.

Here is one of my go-to cookie recipes.  It’s a favorite for everyone, including my 6-year-old (and my teenagers).  That says a lot.  :)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of organic butter (softened) or coconut oil/butter
1/2 cup of sucanat sugar or palm sugar*
3/4 cup PURE maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ea. ground cinnamon & cloves (I usually leave the cloves out)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (get the real stuff, not the artificial kind)
1 and 3/4 cup spelt flour (spelt has more nutrients and is less processed than wheat flour)
2 cups of rolled oats
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, maple syrup, baking soda/powder, cinnamon and cloves. Once combined, beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in the flour slowly. Once combined, stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

2. Drop a small spoonful of dough onto greased cookie sheets and flatten with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes max. Watch the first batch very closely to make sure they don’t burn. Cook just until the edges are golden. Cool on a cookie sheet. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

These cookies freeze really well, are perfect for a mid-afternoon snack and are a hit at holiday parties.

ENJOY!

*Palm sugar is also called coconut sugar.  This sugar can be used 1 for 1 to replace regular sugar in recipes, but is so much better for you.  It has a lower Glycemic index rating which means it doesn’t affect your blood sugar levels like sugar does, and has more nutrients for you.  You can find it usually at the Bulk Barn, or in the Natural Foods section of your grocery store.

One of my favorite winter meals is delicious, nutritious, body-warming soup!

Here are 3 reasons soup is a great addition to your health eating habits:

1. It can suppress your appetite:   Whether you are at a restaurant or home – have a cup of soup before your dinner — the low-calorie appetizer will help fill you up instead of having a big portion of the main course.
2. It can help you lose weight:  Having chunky soup (home-made preferably!) stuffed with veggies & lean protein boosts your nutrient & water intake and helps increase your metabolism & weight loss.  Perfect!
3. Quick & Easy: Busy nights can mean it can be hard to stay healthy. Instead of binging on mac’&cheese, or fast food, make a big batch of soup on Sunday evening and have it waiting for you when you get home. Not only will you have a one-stop, low-calorie meal ready to beat those hunger pangs, but you’ll also save calories by substituting a large bowl of soup for a huge calorie-filled meal.   Win/win for you!

Now, here is one of my favorite soup recipes for you to try.  You won’t regret it!

Warming Chili Soup

Makes many servings in a large stock pot

• 1 lb bag of Thompson’s Ultimate 15-Bean Mix*
• 4 cups cold water
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1.5 cups carrots, diced
• 1.5 cups celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
• 4-5 drops Tabasco sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 x 796 mL can No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
• 1 x 1 lb extra lean ground turkey

Soak beans overnight (3 cups water for every 1 cup of dried beans). In a stock pot, add soaked beans to fresh cold water and soup stock. Heat to boiling then reduce and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are nearly tender. In a pan, brown meat, drain, then add to beans. Fry onions, celery, carrots, pepper and garlic until tender. Add to beans along with other remaining ingredients. Simmer until tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.

* Thompson’s Ultimate 15-Bean Mix contains: white pea beans, black beans, green lentils, pinto beans, yellow eye beans, light red kidney bean, dark red kidney beans, pink beans, green split peas, yellow split peas, baby lima beans, black eye peas, pearl barley, cranberry beans and chickpeas.

Serve with a green salad and you have the perfect meal!