Raw Edibles: June 2013

Thursday 27 June 2013

Creamy Guacamole

Guacamole is a great way to incorporate heart-healthy avocado into your diet! The benefits of avocado are endless, such as:

- Antioxidant booster: contain the master antioxidant "glutathione" which boosts your body's immune system and keeps your nervous system healthy

- Protects your eyes: avocado's are rich in lutein which is necessary to keep your eyes healthy and prevent age-related macular degeneration

- Cardiovascular health: avocado's contain oleic acid which improves cardiovascular health. Vitamin B6 and folic acid control homocysteine levels which are linked to increased risk of heart disease

- High fiber content: avocados contain more natural fiber than any other fruit! This high fiber content aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar

- Helps absorb nutrients: eating avocados with other vegetables helps your body absorb 3-5 times more carotenoid antioxidant molecules in those foods!

Sunday 23 June 2013

Juices For Cellular Regeneration

"Chlorophyll will be the principle protein for the coming light bearing age. When freshly made in a drink, it contains synthesized sunshine, plus the electric current necessary for the revitalization of the body, and it will open areas of the brain that man yet known nothing about."-Dr. Ann Wigmore, 'Let There Be Light'

The fresh juice of plants is very much like the juice of our cells. Drinking the juice of fresh greens be it herbs or foods is like drinking the nectar of the rejuvenation of youth. The essential elements that may be lacking in your body cells- particularly the live enzymes, bioactive vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and other unknown factors that- can be easily assimilated through daily green sunlight transfusion of fresh green juices that are often destroyed by processing.

Use organic produce as much as possible, and drink immediately after extracting. Be sure to drink slowly and swish around in your mouth for around 30 seconds to activate the enzymes in your mouth and prevent bloating and digestive upset. Be creative with these recipes and use whatever greens and produce you have in your garden and what's in season. When juicing greens balance them with pleasant sweet tasting vegetables such as: carrot, beets, squash, celery or a few apples to give it that familiar taste you are familiar with.

Lemon Water:
Drink lemon water in the morning to help flush out toxins. Squeeze 1 lemon into 1 litre of water to do a full-body flush.

Orange Juice:
A little later in the morning prepare 4 large freshly pressed oranges and 1 cup young thai coconut water (don't drink pasturized orange juice! This is heated to high temperatures so the enzymes are destroyed). Oranges are great for pulling out toxins from our cells and the natural sugars help feed our glucose-hungry brain. Coconut is great for replenishing electrolytes we require throughout the day.

Green Juice:
The chlorophyll molecule closely resembles hemin (a component of hemoglobin), the pigment that combines with protein to form hemoglobin. The latter is present in the red corpuscles of the blood and by carrying oxygen to the tissues makes the production of energy and life possible. The major difference between chlorophyll and hemin is that chlorophyll contains magnesium while hemin contains iron as its central atom.

Fresh green juices used without any additional dietary changes have a great effect on a wide range of diseases. The human being dies from over 250 known diseases, whereas grass-eating animals in the wild, such as the horse, deer, steer or elephant are prone to only five or ten diseases. The only explanation that scientists have been able to come up with is that these animals are living on a diet that is fresh and grown naturally by the earth without the use of chemicals.

You may choose any of the green juices from this blog (or whatever you can come up with). Include some kind of sweeter root vegetable or apple for some sweetness, and at least 1 lemon and ginger or turmeric to add a full-body detox kick. Add a bunch of leafy greens (either kale, romaine, or some other leafy green), and neutral vegetables like celery, cucumber and fennel.

Beet Juice:
Beet juice helps to replenish our blood cells and prevent anemia. There are plenty of juice recipes on this blog that feature beets. Typically, a great beet juice recipe includes 3-4 beets, a handful of carrots, 3-4 inches ginger, 1 lemon and 5-6 stalks celery.

Monday 17 June 2013

Raw Creamy Basil Salad Dressing

Why not add some basil into your life with this raw, creamy basil salad dressing? It is 100% raw and 100% vegan! It also tastes like heaven.

Sunday 16 June 2013

Cholesterol Lowering Mango Smoothie

Fruit pectin is a great way to help lower your cholesterol levels. It is a natural, soluble fibre in fruit that reduces the amount of bile reabsorbed in the intestines. When fiber interferes with absorption of bile in the intestines, the bile is excreted in the feces. To make up for this loss of bile, the liver makes more bile salts. The body uses cholesterol to make bile salts. So in order to obtain the cholesterol necessary to make more bile salts, the liver increases its production of LDL receptors.

These receptors pull cholesterol out of LDL molecules in the bloodstream, and thus, more bile salts are made from the liver and more LDL cholesterol is pulled from the blood. It is also possible that one of the short-chain fatty acids produced by the fermentation of soluble fibre in the large intestines may inhibit the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.

Ginger, too, has great effects on cardiovascular health, including the prevention of atherosclerosis, lowering cholesterol levels and preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Saturday 15 June 2013

Heartburn Elimination Juice

Heartburn can be a very uncomfortable condition, and many individuals deal with it day to day. A major cause for heartburn is eating fatty greasy foods - eliminating these foods will help to reduce the occurrence of heartburn and acid reflux. Combining foods properly is also key to helping prevent heartburn.

If you are currently suffering from this condition I would suggest working at reducing the amount of fatty processed foods you consume and work towards eating a more whole foods diet. In the mean time, here is a juice that will help ease your symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn. Aloe vera juice is very alkaline which helps remove excess acid from the body. It is also helpful at detoxifying the body and works as an anti-inflammatory agent. These properties help repair damage to the esophagus that occur when someone experiences acid reflux or heartburn.

Cucumber is also very cooling, and alkaline, and buffers the acid in the stomach. Fennel, too, is a great food for acid reflux and actually seems to improve stomach function.

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Ingredients:
- 4 oz. organic, raw aloe vera juice (can be bought at any health food store like whole foods)
- 1 cucumber
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 knob of ginger (I use 4 inches or so)
- 1-2 lemons

Juice the above ingredients (except for the aloe), and add aloe to your freshly pressed juice. Mix & serve!

Friday 14 June 2013

How To Build The Perfect Salad

Follow these steps on your next attempt at building the perfect salad:

Step #1: Pick a base
The base of your salad is the lettuce - this lettuce can range from kale, red/green leaf lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, iceberg, romaine, baby greens, mustard greens, or a combination of them all! When I make a salad, I make it an entire meal, so I eat around 1.5 - 2 pounds of greens in a sitting.

Step #2: Add some herbs & sprouts
Herbs and sprouts are loaded with life force energy and contain powerful body-healing elements. You can add sprouts like sunflower, alfalfa, broccoli, radish, or mixed. Herbs range from anything like arugula, dill, chives, basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, watercress, rosemary, sage, the list goes on! Switch it up every day!

Step #3: Add some healthy fats
Fats, particularly avocado, help your body absorb the vitamins and minerals in the salad. I normally add a whole avocado to my salads, as my body doesn't digest seeds all that well. If you do choose to use nuts or seeds make sure they are FRESH (a lot of the nuts and seeds in stores have been sitting there forever and go rancid, even though they are considered safe for consumption). Also, if you use nuts and seeds, make sure to soak them before consuming (for an hour or two), and that they are raw (cooked nuts and seeds turn those healthy fats into bad fats). Nuts and seeds range from almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds (and many more).

Step #4: Add some colour!
Add some colour to your salads for added antioxidants and vitamins & minerals. Shred in some carrots or purple cabbage, or cut up a tomato and some bell peppers. The list of colourful vegetables you can add to your salads is endless - vary it from day to day!

Step #5: Include healthy extras
This really includes anything extra, like organic raisins, dulse (a seaweed), apples, radishes, cucumbers, celery, you name it! Be creative and switch it up from day to day!

Step #6: Optional --> Dress it up!
Sometimes I don't put salad dressings on my salads, because I truly enjoy the simplicity of the vegetables, but everyone is different. Choosing a high quality raw, cold-pressed oil for your salad is where you should first start (hemp, olive, walnut, macadamia, etc.) and then from here, add a little bit of lemon and garlic, some fresh cracked pepper and you have yourself a very simple yet tasty salad dressing. You can also add some spices like cumin, cayenne, or anything else you have on hand. Be creative! If you choose not to add oil, you can simply squeeze some fresh lemon or lime onto your salad, or some freshly squeezed orange.

Thursday 13 June 2013

Fruit Layered Ice Pops

What better than to cool down on a hot summers day with some fruit ice pops! Below is an easy recipe that takes only a few minutes to whip up :)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups kiwi
- 2 cups mango
- 2 cups strawberry

Take each of the above fruits and blend them with a little bit of water (1/4 cup each about), until you have a "fruit paste". Next, take your ice pop moulds and layer each fruit, starting with kiwi, then mango, then strawberry, or in whichever combination you please!

Let the ice pops sit in the freezer for an hour or two and serve!

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Build Your Own Juice

There are three main reasons why you will want to consider incorporating vegetable juicing into your optimal health program:

1) Juicing helps you absorb virtually all phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and fruit you juice, which you otherwise may not absorb through simple chewing. Juicing breaks down the tough cell walls that contain precious phytonutrients, something our teeth and stomachs cannot break down themselves

2) Juicing allows you to consume large quantities of vegetables that you might not otherwise eat. You should be eating around one pound of vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight per day (and when you think about it, not many people eat even an eighth of this requirement per day)

3) Juicing allows you to add nutrient variety to your diet, because you can juice a wide variety of vegetables. Variety is important when you are eating because each vegetable has its own nutrient profile which is completely different from the next. Variety ensures your body is loaded with all the right vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Here are four easy steps to building a super power juice in under a few minutes:

Step #1: Pick one item from the "Sweeten up" column

This includes vegetables and fruit like apples, pears, beets, carrots and sweet potato. These items are moderately sweet, and combine well with leafy greens and herbs. If you want a sweet hint to your juices, be sure to add one of these items (to your desired sweetness).

Step #2: Pick one item from the "Alkalize" column

Keeping the body in an alkaline state helps ward off disease and illness. Leafy greens and celery and cucumbers are excellent alkalizers. Chlorophyll helps to oxygenate our body, and viruses and bacteria dislike a highly oxygenated body. Red peppers also help keep our body in a state of alkalinity. (note: technically, those items in "healing herbs" and "detox" are also great at achieving alkalinity inside the body)

Step #3: Pick one item from the "Detox" column

Pretty much every fruit and vegetable will help detox the body, but there are a certain few vegetables that I consider to fully detox the body. Dandelion greens help detox the liver, while garlic proves an all-around, full-body detox (it is a powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and antiseptic). Lemons are packed with vitamin C and help pull out toxins from our cells whereas broccoli contains the almighty sulforophane compounds which fight off free radicals and help prevent various forms of cancer. Ginger and turmeric are wonderful at reducing inflammation and like garlic, provide an all over full-body detox.

Step #4: Pick one item from the "Healing Herbs" column

All herbs are incredibly healing, and this list is not limited to those mentioned in the infographic. Cilantro draws out and removes heavy metals from our cells, and parsley and mint are powerful cleansers and deodorizers. Watercress helps keep our skin beautifully radiant and has more vitamin C than oranges, and dill fights off free radicals and proves a wonderful digestive aid (find out more about dill HERE)

Tuesday 11 June 2013

Anti-inflammatory Ginger Peach Smoothie

Peach season is coming up, so what could possibly taste better than some fresh peaches? They have such a wonderful flavour I almost feel spoiled eating them. You can even freeze the peaches before hand if you please and make this smoothie have a colder touch to it.

Peaches are rich in many vital minerals such as potassium, fluoride and iron. Iron is required for red blood cell formation. Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth and is essential for prevention of dental caries. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.

Pineapples contain bromelain enzyme which is a powerful anti-inflammatory (read all about it HERE). This famous pain relieving enzyme has been synthesized and isolated into supplements to treat inflammation and pain naturally. Ginger contains very powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly.

Homemade Kale Chip Recipe

Why go to the store and buy $5 bags of kale chips when you can make double that for half the price, right in the comfort of your own home? This recipe is simple, fast, and deliciously amazing. It also contains all the ridiculous health benefits of kale which range from its anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, Vitamins K, C, A and minerals like potassium, calcium and iron. In fact, per calorie, kale has more iron than beef, more calcium than milk, and 10x more vitamin C than spinach!

Kale "chips" are a wonderful substitute for regular potato chips which are packed with unhealthy cooked fats and loaded with sodium. Read on to find out how you can make your own healthy kale chips with just 3 ingredients, and 3 simple steps!

Ingredients:

- 1 bundle organic kale

- cold-pressed coconut oil (preferably raw, organic), or other cold-pressed oil like hemp or olive oil (you could even use avocado here!

- herbs & spices (whichever you please: salt, pepper, cayenne, dill, thyme, rosemary, garlic etc.)

- 1 lemon (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove kale leaves from the thick inner stem and break leaves into bite-size pieces (doesn't need to be perfect). Place in a large bowl.

2. Add 1 tbsp. oil, or 1/2 avocado to the leaves, as well as whatever spices you choose to add. I like my kale chips simple, so I normally just add 1/2 avocado and some lemon and garlic. Massage and evenly coat the kale leaves with whatever you have decided to add. If you aren't so fond of adding oils and fats, you can simply leave this out, and just coat the kale with lemon juice and spices/herbs.

3. If you have a dehydrator - use it! It will ensure that your snack is 100% raw. If you don't have a dehydrator, that is okay, because you can use the lowest setting of your oven to lightly dehydrate the kale leaves (this will take much shorter than a dehydrator). If you have a dehydrator, put the kale onto a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115ºF for 4-6 hours or until crisp. If you are using an oven, put your oven onto its lowest setting and bake for 35 minutes or until crisp.

Monday 10 June 2013

Raw Pina Colada Smoothie

This smoothie is wonderful for summer because of it's lush tropical flavours. It has energy-replenishing electrolytes that are lost through sweat throughout the day, and contains bromelain enzyme from the pineapple (you can read all about the amazing health benefits of bromelain HERE).

This smoothie will help reduce inflammation in individuals suffering from arthritis, sinusitis, inflammatory bowel disease, sports injuries, trauma, burns, prostatitis, and swelling and bruising after surgery. It is effective in suppressing the growth of cancer cells, including melanoma and aids in heart and circulatory health and improves breathing conditions like asthma!

Build Your Own Nutritious Smoothie!

It is really easy to build your own nutritious smoothie. I use this as a main basis for most of my smoothie recipes, and now you can too!

If you want an amazing blender, I highly suggest you purchase a vitamix! It makes the smoothest, most creamiest smoothies, raw soups and sauces I have ever experienced! If you purchase a vitamix through Live Love Fruit, you will get FREE shipping and handling! Click HERE to purchase.

1. Choose A Base
The base will mostly be the liquid of your smoothie. You can add plain water if you please, or coconut milk or water, nut milk (hemp, almond, sunflower, etc.), or fruit juice of some sort (apple, orange, pineapple, etc.). Add 1 cup to start, and once you have blended your smoothie, you can add more if you would like it more thin.

2. Add Fruit
You may add as much fruit as you please to your smoothie, just be sure you combine your fruit properly (acid with acid, acid with sub-acid, and sweet with sub-acid but never with acid). Some of my favourite fruit additions are banana (frozen or fresh - make sure they are spotty ripe to facilitate optimal digestion), pear, apple, berries, mango and pineapple.

3. Add Greens
Greens are a great way to get in some extra chlorophyll in your diet, and to help alkalize and keep the body calm. You can add a rib or two of celery, a few slices of cucumber, or 1-2 cups of tender greens (spinach, dandelion greens, swiss chard, romaine, green/red leaf lettuce or herbs like parsley, cilantro, arugula) or 1-2 cups of dense greens (like kale and collards)

4. Thicken up (optional)
If you want to thicken up your smoothie a little bit you can add some nut butters (like almond or peanut), or some coconut meat or chia seeds. If you choose to add chia seeds, make sure you soak them beforehand. Soak 1 tbsp. chia seeds in 250ml (1 cup) of water and let stand for 1 hour before using.

5. Power up! (optional)
If you want to power up a little bit, you can also use some of these so-called "superfoods" (although I consider all fruit and vegetables to be super, depending on growing conditions). These foods include goji berries, golden berries, mulberries (add around 1/4 of each berry), hemp protein (1 tbsp), hemp seeds (1 tbsp), flax seeds (1 tbsp), spirulina powder (1 tbsp) or maca powder (1 tsp).

Sunday 9 June 2013

Blueberry Brain Booster Smoothie

Emerging research suggests that compounds in blueberries known as flavonoids may improve memory, learning and general cognitive function, including reasoning skills, decision making, verbal comprehension and numerical ability.

People who drank a blueberry smoothie in the morning were better at concentrating later in the day. A study at Surrey University in Guildford found just this. The first day of the experiment, individuals were given a breakfast of toast and marmalade, followed by a mid-morning smoothie made from 200g of blueberries. An hour after the study they carried out 45-minutes of computer based mental tasks that measured their short-term working memory and concentration. The tests were again repeated five hours later.

Two weeks later, the volunteers performed the same experiment, however they drank a "control" smoothie without any blueberries (but contained the same amount of sugar and calories). The results were no different for the test performed one hour later, but the test that came five hours later showed significantly reduced performance. However, those volunteers who consumed a blueberry drink saw no decline in mental powers. So, as the day wore on, those individuals who did not drink the blueberry smoothie had reduced performance and concentration, whereas those individuals who did drink a blueberry smoothie were performing extremely well.

Flavonoids in berries activate an enzyme in the body called Enos which increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Without this boost, our brains become weak and un-concentrated later in the day, and we often find it hard to concentrate. Blueberries are not only rich in antioxidants (including anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol and tannins), but are also thought to protect against cancer and heart disease and may even prevent dementia!

- 1 cup organic* blueberries

- 1 ripe banana

- 1 cup almond milk, or young thai coconut water, or regular water (whichever is on hand)

- 1 cup leafy greens of your choice (click HERE for a list of easy-to-use greens!)

Put all the above ingredients in a blender, and pulse blend for 15-30 seconds! Enjoy!

*Note: always buy organic berries - conventional berries are one of the most highly sprayed produce on the market!

Saturday 8 June 2013

Rainforest Acai Smoothie

Take your senses to the rainforest with this rainforest acai smoothie! The tropical flavours will burst through your mouth and make you feel refreshed, energized and vibrant. Acai berries have numerous benefits, with the main one being youthful, radiant, vibrant looking skin (the healthy omega-3's in this somewhat fatty fruit maintain the structure and fluidity of of cell membranes, facilitating the inflow of nutrients and the out-flow of waste products - this means smoother, blemish free skin!)

Not only that, but the acai berries help improve the functioning of your cardiovascular system, ward off unwanted weight, helps with digestive upset, has amazing anti-aging effects and wards off certain types of cancer. The mango, too, has beneficial enzymes that keep our skin radiant and healthy!

Friday 7 June 2013

Raw Superfood Smoothie

I love green smoothies! This smoothie in particular is a great way to incorporate a lot of greens into your diet. Greens are, calorie for calorie, the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet! They contain high-quality, easily assimilated amino acids which help build protein that supports the muscle mass in our bodies (similar to gorillas!).

Sprouts are an amazing food to include into your diet because they contain high quality enzymes which improve digestibility and overall well-being. Sprouts have actually been found to improve cardiovascular health, prevent heart disease and stroke, improve bone mineral density, protect DNA against free radicals and even help to treat diabetes, Parkinson's disease and Arthritis.

Get your greens on, and start with this amazing, detoxing, cleansing, body-energizing smoothie!

Thursday 6 June 2013

Kidney Tonic

This juice is great for your kidneys and blood! Burdock is known for it's blood purifying abilities, making it an excellent metabolic tonic, improving the functioning of the liver and kidneys, digestion, lymphatic and endocrine systems. It is highly regarded for its action in the urinary tract, being of benefit to the kidneys and bladder infections, inflammations and kidney stones.

Cucumber's are also known for their amazing kidney cleansing benefits. This is because they help to wash the kidneys and bladder of debris and stones. Studies have shown that eating cucumbers regularly helps to regulate uric acid in the body, thereby preventing certain kidney and bladder stones.

Celery promotes healthy and normal kidney function by aiding elimination of toxins from the body! In fact, Hippocrates considered celery a medicine and recommended it for its kidney cleansing benefits.

- 1 cucumber

- 6 celery stalks

- 1 large piece burdock root (ruler length - 12 inches)

- 1 bundle cilantro

- 1 lemon

Juice the above ingredients in a juicer, and drink your kidneys to health!

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

This pudding isn't like regular pudding! It is free of chemicals, preservatives, colours, refined sugar and is 100% raw, dairy-free, and full of vegan goodness. Next time your chocolate tooth is calling out, look no further - this recipe will satisfy all your chocolate cravings.

This pudding doesn't put your body in a state of dis-ease either! It actually helps nourish the body! The ingredients help burn fat and reduce weight, helps prevent and assist with arthritis, reduces the risk of heart disease, some cancers and diabetes, and reduces signs of aging.

- 1 organic, ripe avocado

- 2 tbsp. raw carob powder

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean (or vanilla bean powder - raw)

- 1 large date, pitted and soaked in water for 20 minutes

Instructions:

1. Put avocado, carob powder, vanilla, and the date (take date out of soak water, discard soak water) into a food processor or high speed blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. You could also just mash the ingredients together if you prefer. If you want it sweeter, add another date!

Tuesday 4 June 2013

The Best Post-Workout Recovery Smoothie

When you workout, your fuel stores are depleted, and your body turns slightly acidic from the major lactic acid build-up from moving your muscles. You have around 45 minutes to meet the metabolic window to refill these fuel stores. Muscles can store more fuel immediately after exercising than any other time!

This smoothie is packed with the proper carbohydrates, amino acids, antioxidants, electrolytes and fatty acids to completely re-nourish and prep your body for its next sweat session! The bananas are great for replenishing glycogen stores whereas the berries pack the smoothie with immune boosting antioxidants. The coconut water replenishes crucial electrolytes lost during sweating and the chia seeds and greens repair muscle with their amino-acid dense profile. Chia seeds are also packed full of heart healthy omega fatty acids!

Ingredients:

- 2 bananas

- 1 cup organic berries of your choice

- 1 cup young thai coconut water

- 1-2 cups of leafy greens (spinach, baby greens, romaine, kale, whichever you have on hand)

- 1 tbsp. chia seeds (make sure you soak your chia seeds before adding: 1 tbsp. chia seeds soaked in 1 cup water; from this, take 1 tbsp. chia seed)

Monday 3 June 2013

Mango Orange Key Lime Smoothie!

This smoothie is great if you are in a hurry and need to make something quick and easy (and incredibly healthy too!). The sweet, golden flavour of the mango paired with orange is wildly vibrant, and the key lime takes it up a notch to help revitalize and charge your cells!

This smoothie is not only delicious, but it is the perfect amount of citrus and tang to get me going through the day, and prevents me from starving in the morning if I am short on time. I like to eat nutrient-dense foods, so that the signals in my brain telling my stomach I am hungry will shut off (when you eat empty-calorie foods, these signals rarely, if ever, shut off, because they are stripped of nutrients that your body needs and requires).

Benefits of consuming mango and orange:

- Prevents cancer (colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers)

- Lowers cholesterol (high in pectin, fiber and vitamin C to lower serum cholesterol levels)

- Clears the skin (clears clogged pores & eliminates pimples)

- Improves eye health (rich in vitamin A for nourishing the eyes & preventing night blindness)

- Alkalizes the whole body (maintains alkali reserve of the body)

- Improved digestion (enzymes and fiber rich)

- Boosts immune system (vitamins C, A, and 25 different carotenoids to keep immune strength high)

Sunday 2 June 2013

Instant Energy Green Juice

Instead of reaching for a coffee, try a green juice instead! Green plants contain a molecule called chlorophyll which helps oxygenate the blood, creating increased brain function and physical energy. Not only that, but ginger helps to open the cardiovascular system, and the combination of the two (greens & ginger) enables our bodies to release stored toxins, elevating your hemoglobin, resulting in improved blood circulation and an increase in life energy.

Including ginger in your juices is a great way to get the most out of your juice! It improves nutrient uptake from the other ingredients and helps to illuminate and revitalize your cells! When your body receives the nutrients it needs, it can function at a higher level, and improve your ability to think clearer, and work faster - all without the jittery nervous side effects that coffee often leaves us with.

As Dara Dubinet would say "Get your greens on!"

- 1 cucumber

- 5 leaves kale

- 1 bundle cilantro

- 2 green apples

- 1 bunch spinach (2-3 cups)

- 2-4 inches ginger

- 2 lemons

Juice the above ingredients & Enjoy!

Saturday 1 June 2013

Thyroid Tonic

Your thyroid is a set of multiple glands that work to keep your body running smoothly. They deliver messages (hormones) between themselves and other body parts so that all of those tiny cells are regulated and functioning at the proper levels. The hormones produced by the thyroid (T3 and T4) are essential for life and have many effects on metabolism, growth and development.

Thyroid health is important, because if your thyroid isn't functioning properly it can lead to developmental defects or weight gain. Food is our medicine, so consuming the proper foods will help support your thyroid to ensure it remains in tip top shape. Carrots contain ample amounts of beta-carotene which is the precursor for vitamin A in the body. If you are low on vitamin A, your ability to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is limited. This vitamin is required by the body to convert T4 to T3.

B-complex vitamins are required for good thyroid function. Cucumbers contain B vitamins, so they are a good choice when trying to nourish the thyroid glands. Without B vitamins the thyroid and adrenal glands fail to secrete their hormones, and won't be able to utilize its iodine raw material efficiently to make hormones. B vitamins are especially useful in individuals with an overactive thyroid.

- 1 cucumber

- 5 stalks celery

- 5 carrots

- 1 cup young thai coconut water

- 1 lemon

Juice the above ingredients, and add coconut water last! Enjoy!