Smoothies for Optimal Health

One of the hardest things to do is get kids turned on to healthy foods.  After all, you’re competing with cookies and other sugary sweets, not to mention the in crowd which can easily turn a child off their favorite healthy foods.

Imagine my delight when I discovered a new raw food cookbook aimed at kids.  I just picked up a copy and it’s absolutely beautiful.  The book truly is aimed at kids.  Not only with fun recipes that are easy to make and sure to delight the pickiest eater but also inspire them to get creative and have fun with their food.

Introducing…

Monkey Mike’s Raw Food Kitchen! The First Ever Un-Cookbook for Kids!

I know from years of experience, that the best way to get kids to eat healthy food is to inspire them and make eating fun. I smile when I think of all the fun I’ve had in the kitchen with my nephews and step-daughter. They love helping me in the kitchen and I love the time we get to enjoy together, creating memories that will last a lifetime!

So be sure to grab your copy of Monkey Mike’s Un-Cookbook For Kids today!

Are you looking for some quick, healthy and deliciously raw-friendly goodies to munch on this Easter? Then look no further!

Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach, has come up with some super-scrumptious sweet treats in her bestselling eBook, 50 Quick, Easy, Healthy and Delicious Raw Food Recipes … treats such as

• Chocolate Milk
• Chocolate Pudding
• Date Candies
• Banana Split

to name just a few! All these recipes are guaranteed to keep your sweet tooth smiling while everyone around you is gorging on the rather less healthy commercial alternatives over the next few days (plus you won’t be feeling sick at the end of it!).

Get your copy of Karen’s bestselling eBook recipe here
This has to be the perfect recipe for the best Easter ever!

Happy Easter!

It’s been a while since I posted a smoothie recipe.  I enjoy them daily and lately it’s been my main meal for breakfast and dinner so I’ve been rotating through my collection of recipes.  Today I gave this one a try and it was delish!  I just had to share.  As featured in the February Raw Food Mentor menu planner available this month in Frederic Patenaude’s Raw Vegan Mentor Club.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup water (optional)
1/2 whole pineapple, golden and ripe
1 whole mango, peeled and cubed (fresh or frozen)
6-7 whole leaves mint
2-3 cups of frisee lettuce (I used spinach)

METHOD:

Blend pineapple and mango together. Use water if desired.  Use the ripest pineapple you can find.  Add mint leaves, lettuce, and blend until smooth.

Frederic Patenaude is the publisher of the Green for Life Program.  He is currently giving away free subscription to his online mini-course on the benefits of greens. Visit this website while charter subscriptions last.  Just click here

According to many survey results, less than 5% of people on a “healthy diet” eat sufficient quantities of green leafy vegetables (greens).

I have a confession: I belonged to that category for a very long time!  Even though I knew greens were good for me, I just didn’t eat enough of them (and didn’t realize it!).

We know greens are good.  We’ve heard we need to eat more of them.  But we don’t do it.  And here’s what’s even more amazing: those who *think* they eat enough greens, rarely do!

So today, I’m going to give you my:  Top-5 Ways to Eat More Greens

1- *Make Green Smoothies*

I’ve talked about it a lot before.  Green smoothies are great!  Blend fruit and greens for a surprising result.

Here are some recipes from my book Instant Raw Sensations.  (To order the book and get more green smoothie recipes, click here)

Basic Winter Green Smoothie

1 apple
1 pear
2 bananas
1 and 1/2 cups kale
1 stalk celery
Water

Dice the fruit or cut in big chunks.  Blend all ingredients together with about half a cup (up to 1 full cup) of water.

Romans Gone Mad

4 bananas
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups water
2 cups romaine lettuce

Blend bananas with water.  Add romaine lettuce progressively.  Blend until smooth.

2- *Make Blended Salad - Tasty!*

Once you’ve experimented with green smoothies on a daily basis, you can “graduate” to making blended salads.

Brand new blended salad recipes will be found in my book, “Green Power Recipe Guide” which comes with the “Green for Life Program” (for more information, click here).

Here is one recipe from my book, “Raw Soups, Salads & Smoothies.”

Keep in mind that blended salads are NOT for raw-food beginners.  If you want to get started eating more greens, start with Green Smoothies.

*Blended Salad*

2-3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 ribs of celery
4 leaves lettuce (big)
1 big handful spinach
1 green onion
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup parsley
2 Tbs. dulse flakes
1 Tbs. nori flakes (optional)
Water if needed

Blend the tomatoes together, and add the rest of the ingredients progressively.  Use water only if you need to.  A blended salad should be quite thick.

3- *Find One Good Healthy Salad Dressing*

At some point, you might enjoy a plain salad without dressing.  But I know the first question people ask me when they find out olive oil isn’t as healthy as they thought, is “how do you make a good salad dressing?”

Here’s one recipe to get you started.

2 tomatoes or cucumbers
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup fresh dill
4 Tbs. tahini (or 1 small avocado)

Blend tomatoes and add other ingredients progressively.  Blend until smoothie.  Add other seasonings if desired.  Use more water if necessary.

4- *Don’t Force Yourself*

Don’t force yourself to eat more greens if you don’t like them!  You’ll get sick easily.  Instead, let your innate hunger for greens come back naturally, by slowly incorporating more greens in your diet in the form of green smoothies, blended salads, etc.

5- *Know the Reasons Why*

Unless you know *why* you need more greens, understand their benefits, and have a clearer idea of things like; what greens to eat, which greens are the best, in what quantities should I eat greens, etc., all this talk about greens may not convince you to modify your diet.

Learning more about the “green side” of the raw food diet will inspire you to include more greens in your diet!  Reaping the benefits of having done so, will reinforce your enthusiasm to take your health to the next level.

I just heard about a wonderful new book that I think you’ll like.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, raw food enthusiast, food allergy sufferer or just someone who wants to eat more healthfully and manage your weight, this is a challenging time of year. Food temptations abound, as does pressure from often well meaning friends and family members who want to be sure you’re enjoying the bounty.

You want to keep your commitment to your healthy diet and lifestyle, yet you want to fit in, and enjoy the celebration with everyone else.  Maybe you’ve tried adapting traditional recipes, but haven’t been impressed with the results.  Or perhaps you’ve experimented with recipes from magazines or newspaper articles, but your friends and family members weren’t particularly impressed.  Or maybe you’re new to eating fresh whole foods, and you don’t have a clue about how to begin.

Well now there is an e-book where you can learn to make a fantastically delicious meal that leaves you feeling alive and energetic.  The e-book is called “Fresh ‘n Fun Thanksgiving Feast”  by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.  The author is one of my colleagues. She’s dedicated her life to helping people heal themselves from illness and become strong, energetic and healthy.

The book is 100% guaranteed.  If you don’t find it valuable and worth more than the very reasonable investment she’s asking, she’ll refund your money…no hassles, no quibbles.. for up to a year!  So it’s really a no risk proposition.  And, the book is an e-book, which means that you get to download it immediately on your computer.  You don’t have to wait for it to be mailed to you!
 
I’d love you to check it out:
 
http://tinyurl.com/5z7q56
 
How would it feel to leave the table on Thanksgiving feeling vibrant and filled with energy and appreciation after enjoying a delicious, satisfying and nutritionally sound meal?  There’s no need to deprive yourself and eat “rabbit food”  in order to feel healthy and energized.  There’s no need to indulge in the heavy, nutritionally depleted family favorites in order to fit in.

Make your holidays healthier and your taste buds happier.  Prepare a full course meal of your old favorites in new and healthy ways!

To order the book, go to 
 
http://tinyurl.com/5z7q56
 
Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Deborah

The scariest part about Halloween is not the witches and ghosts and goblins, but the ingredients in the treats your kids bring home to Eat!

I just heard about a wonderful new book that I think you’ll like.

I don’t know about you, but after all I’ve been learning about how much food effects my health, and all the dangers of processed food, bad fats and artificial colors and ingredients, it scares me to think about how much candy and processed food everyone consumes on Halloween. 

If you’re serious about being healthy and keeping yourself from serious illness, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes, then check out this new e-book.  It has alternatives to Halloween candy that taste amazing and make you healthier at the same time.  The e-book is called “Healthy Halloween Treats”  by Dr. Ritamarie Loscalzo.  The author is one of my colleagues.  She’s dedicated her life to helping people heal themselves from illness and become strong, energetic and healthy.

The book is 100% guaranteed.  If you don’t find it valuable and worth more than the very reasonable investment she’s asking, she’ll refund your money…no hassles, no quibbles.. for up to a year!  So it’s really a no risk proposition.  And, the book is an e-book, which means that you get to download it immediately on your computer.  You don’t have to wait for it to be mailed to you!

I’d love you to check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/5kwz3f

I find it scary to think about all those kids walking door to door collecting all that sugary, artificially colored candy.   When Dr. Ritamarie, explained to me that our T cells, the part of our immune systems that protect us from disease, become half as effective for up to 6 hours after eating a couple of teaspoons of sugar, I was shocked.  I got scared when I thought about how paralyzed our immune systems will be on Halloween and throughout the week afterwards if we eat all that candy again.

To order the book, go to 

http://tinyurl.com/5kwz3f

I hope you sign up!  I think the book is awesome.

~ Deborah

In my circle of friends, I’m known for drinking some of the healthiest prepared smoothies.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed on dessert after dinner to slurp down a simple green smoothie.  In an effort to swing my friends (particularly my honey man with whom I want to spend a lifetime of Sundays) over to the green side, I’ve been mixing up some healthy tasting smoothie recipes that remind them of some their favorite desserts.  My pumpkin smoothie tastes like pie in a glass.  Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (or you can make your own if pumpkins are in season)
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon allspice

METHOD:
Whip all ingredients together in a blender.  Pour into a tall glass and enjoy with your Turkey Dinner this Thanksgiving.  Yum!

Many of my favorite recipes come from the Kitchen of Frederic Patenaude.  Here is one that I created based on a recipe from his The Top 70 Healthy Salad Dressings recipe eBook: Mango Salad Dressing.  He has a special cleanse starting next week.  If you need to get back on track with your diet and fitness program or want to get rid of your cravings for unhealthy foods then sign up for Frederic’s Fall Cleanse.

Mango Salad Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
3 whole peeled & chopped mangoes
1/4 cup organic rice vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint
1 teaspoon finely chopped scallions 
 
METHOD:
Take 1/2 cup of the chopped mangoes and add to a food processor. Reserve the rest of the mangoes to add to the salad later. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Whiz away until smooth.  Serve over mixed baby greens.

One of the first healthy cookbooks to enter my family home was one compiled by Joseph & Bernie Piscatella.  It may have even been this book which has been updated with a new cover so that I do not recognize it.  My mum “discovered” healthy eating in her mid-forties.  Like many others, she was already experiencing health issues.  Like many others, she did not do much to change her habits.  It’s not easy to change, especially if you are trying to implement changes without the support of your spouse or a network of like-minded individuals.  That’s where The Raw Divas can help!  Even if you’re not raw, they have built an amazing supportive community and they’re passionate about helping you live your best life. 

Joseph C. Piscatella’s five ground-breaking books on eating and health have sold nearly 2 million copies collectively. At long last, he has combined his hundreds of diverse, easy-to-follow and good-for-you recipes into this one new volume. And as a smart cook is a well informed one, this generous collection includes nutritional information with every recipe, plus an extensive nutritional guide featuring fat grams, calories, and other information about the widest array of foods and ingredients.

This mammoth cookbook has mouthwatering surprises on every page, and is a great step toward a longer, healthier, and happier life.

It’s date night tonight.  Once a week, my honey and I spend the afternoon going to the grocery store, picking out fresh produce and ingredients for our dinner.  We’ll sometimes decide before we leave what we’re making and sometimes just let our tastebuds decide when we get to the grocery store.  Then we head home, open a bottle of wine and spend an hour dicing and slicing and making our meal.  It’s by far my favorite time of the week - just the two of us laughing and talking as we mix up an extra special batch of our secret ingredient: love. :-)  Our starter course will be a Spinach Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing - who said garlic can’t be part of date night - as long as you both indulge, you’ll be fine.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

METHOD:
To make the garlic vinaigrette, shake the vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper together and taste.  The flavor should blend together nicely with no one flavor dominating the other.  Adjust if necessary.  Now add garlic.  Be sure to use fresh garlic but you can substitute garlic powder in a pinch.  And be sure to experiment with the different types of garlic.  If you’re looking for a more mellow taste, try Spanish Roja.  Want more kick?  Then try Leningrad garlic or just add more cloves!  Note: you may wish to adjust the amount of oil used in the vinaigrette recipe when using it with this particular spinach salad recipe to offset the richness of the other ingredients.

To make the salad, start by reserve some egg slices.  Toss the rest of the ingredients of the salad as well as the salad dressing until the egg yolks begin to incorporate with the salad dressing.  Garnish with egg slices and parmesan flakes when plating.