The Golden Healing spice: Turmeric

Turmeric has been used in Indian & Chinese recipes for centuries, as well as, in Ayurvedic medicine - holistic (“whole-body”) healing approach.  

Recently it has become a “buzz word” in the media/wellness arena. It’s a beautiful color and strong warming taste makes it easy to use in soups, stews, add to almost any meat or vegetable dishes. Almost every evening I make myself a turmeric latte (the traditional name is golden milk), the recipe is below. It’s so comforting at bedtime and when you are not feeling well, or anytime you want a healthy warm drink.

Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, a strong antioxidant, & is good for the heart and helps prevent /slows cancer.

You easily find turmeric in powder form in grocery store spice sections ( larger quantities/less expensive on amazon, health food store.) Buy organic. Fresh turmeric is available in some grocery stores now and in most farmer’s markets. Please note the absorption of turmeric is enhanced by adding black pepper.

Remember, when eating out and considering products, just because something says turmeric doesn’t automatically make it healthy (same with any superfood ingredient). A turmeric latte loaded with sugar syrup defeats the purpose, a matcha muffin is still a muffin :)

Golden Milk ( turmeric latte)

1. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder & ginger small piece, peeled, grated (or ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground ginger)

2. black pepper pinch, cinnamon

3. honey 1 teaspoon ( I do not add any sweetener, but this is up to your taste)

4. unsweetened nut milk (fill to the line on the latte frother machine ( if using a saucepan, about 8 oz milk. )

5. If using a frother machine, add a bit of hot water to your mug.

6. ENJOY!

Fruit Crumbles are one of the JOYS of summer.

Crumble is healthy and delicious dessert/snack/breakfast. Summer fruits are naturally sweet with all the added benefits of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants! This crumble has so many great memories for my family. Our street has many wild raspberries bushes on it , and the neighborhood kids would race to get enough berries for crumble or jam! Food is so much part of life, have fun making special memories with REAL food.

Ingredients

• 5 cups (frozen/ fresh) blueberries or mixed berries/peaches

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

  Topping

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1 cup–old fashioned oats

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or pure maple syrup ( I personally use no sugar at all )

• 2 tbsp hemp seeds (can sub pecans/walnuts/almonds)

• 2 tbsp chia seeds & ground flax seeds (can sub pecans/walnuts/almonds)

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon ( more if desired)

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/4 cup coconut oil

• Instructions

1. 350F.

2. Place berries in an 8x8in baking dish. Mix first 2tbsp Chia seeds in with berries.

3. In a large bowl, mix almond flour, oats, (sugar), hemp seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, and sea salt. Add coconut oil and use your hands to combine until crumbly.

4. Top fruit with crumble. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned

5. ENJOY!!!!!

Withdrawal from processed foods & sugar is real. Why?

When these toxic addictive foods and drinks are eliminated your body will go through a withdrawal process just like drugs & alcohol. Why? Because sugar and processed foods & drinks are toxic and addicting, The big food companies have scientist that create these these “foods” to make them addicting. They are garbage fuel for our bodies. In fact, in lab studies with mice, the mice prefer the sugar to cocaine!!!

When eliminated you will have some initial uncomfortable feelings but these symptoms will be short lived. In the end your body will be clean. You will no longer be fueling inflammation and disease. The initial discomfort is SO well worth how you will feel & look once you start down the road of a healthy lifestyle of life giving, anti- inflammatory foods.

Be sure to eat healthy fats such as nuts/seeds and fatty fish & avocados. These will give you energy and reduce the craving for the sugar and processed foods

Once you switch to real whole foods, you will surprise how much less you will eat, just naturally. Why? Because our bodies don’t recognize processed foods as nutrition, the hormones that tell us we are full aren’t triggered so we keep eating this crap! With real whole foods our bodies will feel full because we are feeding ourselves real nutrition.

Start today. Remember, small steps every day. Any progress is better than no progress.

Have you tried Matcha?

I am a green tea LOVER!   I used to drink coffee but when I hit my 30’s I could no longer handle the caffeine effects. I LOVE the taste and smell of coffee, but once you switch to tea, the feeling is so different. I am  very fussy about my green tea. One of my big pet peeves and rants, is when an “upscale” restaurant serves cheap tea. There is such a big difference between the tea leftovers that they use in the paper tea bag and real whole tea leaves. 

But this post is about Matcha!! With matcha you aren’t seeping tea leaves you are actually drinking the young whole leaves in powdered form. Traditionally it is made by mixing about a teaspoon of matcha powder with a third cup of hot water (heated to less than a boil), which is then whisked with a bamboo brush until it froths.

There are a variety of matcha grades. Simplified there is culinary matcha ( used in recipes) and ceremonial grades ( used to make tea with just water). Matcha does have caffeine and it gives me SO much energy all day without a stomach ache or jitters. it helps me be more focused, doesn’t interfere with my sleep ( I drink it before 4 pm) Think of it like ground green tea ( which is high in antioxidants) but with 120 times more anti-oxidants!! 

Matcha provides you with the same burst of energy as coffee, but it contains L-theanine ( an amino acid) which provided a calm/mellow energy. Matcha is considered a superfood, which means it is packed with awesome health benefits.   As I said not all matcha is the same; the type with the highest concentration of nutrients is ceremonial grade from Japan. It’s bursting with Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin C and Selenium to form an absolute anti-aging powerhouse.  When drinking matcha at a restaurant, ask if they are using ceremonial grade. The culinary grade will work in a match latte but not in a plain tea. If you are ordering a matcha latte be sure they aren’t using a mix that comes with sugar and other additives! 

 Here are some great health benefits of drinking matcha: 

1. ANTIOXIDANTS AND CANCER FIGHTING PROPERTIES

EGCG and other green tea antioxidants have been found to stop cancer cells from growing, kill cancer cells altogether, and prevent the formation and growth of new blood vessels in tumors. Specifically, green tea polyphenols known as catechins are believed to be responsible for many of the health benefits of green tea. 

2. BURNS FAT AND BOOSTS METABOLISM​
Matcha tea is practically calorie-free, and it works to both boost your metabolism and improve your efficiency for burning fat. Best of all, matcha won’t tax your body, as it doesn’t raise your blood pressure or heart rate in the same way that coffee does. A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that matcha helped your body increase thermogenesis (its natural rate of calorie burning) from 10 percent of daily calories to up to 43 percent. 

3. CALMS THE MIND AND RELAXES THE BODY

Matcha contains theanine – an amino acid known to help calm an anxious mind and increase focus.

 ​4. PROVIDES VITAMIN C, SELENIUM, CHROMIUM, ZINC AND MAGNESIUM

Also rich in B complex, a lot of the daily vitamins you should have everyday.

5. ENHANCES MOOD AND AIDS IN CONCENTRATION
This soothing effect helped the Buddhist monks in maintaining deep concentration during their meditation sessions and was the main reason behind its popularity.

​6. FORTIFIES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Catechins, a natural disease-fighting antioxidant found in plant-based foods, are the main key to matcha’s health benefits. Catechins in matcha green tea contain antibiotic properties, leading to an increase in overall health.

7. INCREASES ENERGY LEVELS AND ENDURANCE

Matcha contains caffeine in a healthier form — not to be mistaken with the caffeine in coffee. The caffeine in matcha, known as theophylline, works to sustain energy levels for up to six hours, without the unwanted side effects.

Tip:

It makes a great ice “cream” flavor (see my previous post) Just add the matcha to the frozen banana chunks!

One ingredient + food processor = Delicious ice "cream" ( REALLY)

One ingredient & a food processor = amazing ice “cream” ?? YES

The magical ingredient is bananas. They can be blended into a rich and decadent tasting ice “cream” because of their high pectin content.

This very simple non-dairy, no added sugar ice "cream” is delicious. If you haven’t tired this you will be SO surprised how good it is. Depending on the flavor you want, the ingredients can be as simple as ONE ingredient!
Banana ice cream. Simple cut ripe banana into evenly sized pieces and freeze. Put chucks into food processor with a tiny bit of water or unsweetened almond or cashew milk. Blend, scrape down sides, blend, First it will look crumbly, keep pulsing,

It takes a few minutes until it finally all comes together and blends into an ice “cream” . You could use a very high power blender ( such as a vitamix) instead of the food processor.

For crunch, add in raw sliced almonds, high quality dark chocolate chips, raw unsweetened coconut flakes/shavings, tiny pieces of raw ginger,

Eat it immediately for custard ice “cream” or if you make a big batch, put into a freezer container and freeze.

For Chocolate: same frozen banana chunks + unsweetened cocoa or even better raw cacao powder. Same process. For Mexican chocolate add cinnamon and nutmeg!

For mango: add frozen mango chunks with the frozen banana chunks.

For Berry : add frozen berries.

For Peanut Butter - just add tablespoon of unsweetened PB.

For Chocolate chip mint: add mint extract, a handful of spinach (for green color) and tiny dark chocolate chips.

For a fun light blue ice “cream” ( kids love it) - add blue spirulina powder!!

Ok, I think you must have the idea by now. Get creative! Enjoy!! It is a dream come true :)

It is a perfect dessert!!

Latest Buzz: Intermittent Fasting. Yes or No?

I’ve had several people inquire about the intermittent fasting diet. Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it is a way of eating that does have benefits when done occasionally and not obsessively. It is a eating schedule where you will have a long period of time between meals ( overnight). You will still eat the same amount of food but in a smaller time frame. The most common timeframes are:

16 hrs fasting overnight / 8 hrs of eating

14 hrs fasting overnight / 10 hrs eating

Studies have shown that women do better on the 14/10 timeframe due to hormone balance. Please remember this is NOT about restricting food. You need to consume the same healthy amount of food but in a shorter period of time.

My Take:

Once in a while I might try to do the 14/10 ,but it’s rare. If my day’s social / work activities allow, I generally eat a larger meal at lunch and try to eat dinner early. My objective is to have 3-4 hours of not eating anything before I go to sleep. I find this is best for my digestion. It improves my sleep dramatically because my body is at rest instead of still working to digest a meal.

If you would like to try one of the fasting timeframes I mentioned above to kickstart weight reduction, or to just see how your body responds to this, I suggest trying it 3times a week.

Below are the pros and cons of this eating method.

Pros:

Fat loss - Food is energy, when you remove food for a longer period of time than usual, your body will begin to burn fat to obtain the energy it needs.

Improved Clarity :-Fasting improves clarity, many people have “brain fog” and fasting can help to eliminate this.

Improved Hormonal Profile - Fasting helps to improve the growth hormone that helps your brain and preserves lean muscle.

Reduces Inflammation - Helps to reduce inflammation in the body. All chronic disease are a result of excess long term inflammation. This can help to keep illness away!

Reduce bloating -If you suffer from digestive pain or bloating, fasting gives the body the time it need to digest food.

Cons:

Hunger Pains - When starting expect to experience hunger pains. This will improve as your body adjusts and becomes accustom to this new way of digesting.

*Eating Disorders - IF can lead to too much thinking about food. For some, this could lead to a potential eating disorder. If you are prove to becoming obsessive, or a perfectionist, please do not try Intermittent fasting.

*Stress- If you feel stressed or have a tendency to stress easily, then IF is not for you. Going longer without food will put too much added stress on your body.

*these are very important to consider!!

Please remember the overall all goal for our wellness ( health and weight) is a lifestyle shift to healthy eating. Eating whole foods, incorporating more vegetables and fruits, more water. Trying to eliminate sugars from processed foods. That’s our goal, keep the focus, stay the course. :)

Sarah

The distance between reaching your goal and now is called Action

Frequently we make a plan or set a goal, only to be frozen in non-action.

Why? It is because you don’t have a set plan of action. Share your goal with someone, get over the fear and set a plan into action. Verbally expressing your goal and writing down the steps needed to obtain it. Set small attainable goals. Be realistic so you will be successful.

The best project you will ever work on is YOU!

You're Either Feeding Disease or FIGHTING IT!

Every time you eat or drink you are either feeding disease or FIGHTING IT! Netflix has some really good documentaries on this. I just watched “forksoverknives”. It’s a bit long (just FF through some of the more technical stuff) . Overall the information in it is so amazing. People that were give just months to live, completely healed themselves with a complete lifestyle makeover! Inspirational!! 

The Most Important Fruits & Vegetables To Buy Organic

Basically, anything you eat the skin of! Otherwise, we are eating pesticides even if we wash them.

Strawberries

Spinach

Kale

Nectarines

Apples

Grapes

Peaches

Apples

Grapes

Peaches

Cherries

Pears

Tomatoes

Celery

Potatoes

When you don’t eat the skin (if budget is an issue) you can buy conventional. Always try to buy local if possible.

Avocados, bananas, mango, etc.

Nature Has Created The Perfect Snacks

Nature has created perfect snacks for us. Most are portable too. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips, crackers, packaged cookies. Try a apple or banana with nut butter( unsweetened), a whole avocado (you will be full for hours!), raw nuts (never travel without these!), an orange, homemade Kale Chips, Mushroom chips!!

For Kale chips: Cut kale into small pieces, toss with EVOO and salt & pepper (add any other spices you want like) Bake 350-375 until crispy about 20 mins.

Mushroom chips:  Start with sliced mushrooms ( shitake are the best but any will do) toss with EVOO, salt & pepper. Bake 375  until very crispy.