Mood Enhancing Blueberry Smoothie

The foods you eat can make you feel a whole lot better - or a whole lot worse! Food has a major impact on our emotional wellness, and if we aren't eating properly, we can slip into bouts of depression, grogginess and fatigue. If you feel you need a little mood boost, why not reach for this incredibly easy to prepare smoothie? It will help you say goodbye to your lonesome blues!

What is so special about these ingredients?

Swiss Chard - packed with the essential mineral magnesium. A large majority of individuals lack this essential mineral, which plays an important part in the biochemical reactions in our brain related to boosting energy levels and making us feel awesome! Why are we lacking? Depleted soil nutrients, stress and unhealthy eating habits. Consuming alcohol actually lowers the availability of magnesium to our cells and drinking fluoridated water prevents magnesium from binding to the cells in our body. 

Bananas - proven to be rich in mood boosting magnesium! It is also very high in potassium, which helps improve our energy levels, as well as vitamin B6 which is necessary for the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin (the happy brain chemicals!)

Blueberries - these little guys contain anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that help protect our neurons and fight off inflammation that might otherwise make us feel "blue" (pardon the pun!). Blueberries help ease stress, reduce depression and improve our short-term memory!

Ingredients:
- 2 cups organic blueberries
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 cups packed swiss chard
- 1 inch ginger root
- 1 cup water or young thai coconut water if available

Blend the above ingredients in a blender such as the Vitamix and enjoy!

3 Kidney Cleansing Juice Tonics

Want to improve the functioning of your kidneys? Want clearer skin and heightened immunity? Cleanse your kidneys with these three juices! Your kidneys need special attention because they are exposed to highly toxic chemicals in the blood that filters through them. When fat and toxicant deposits accumulate in the kidneys, they don't function as well as they should. 

In addition to these juices it is important to limit or completely avoid foods that put a lot of stress on our kidneys. Namely, animal products, refined salt, caffeine and refined sugary junk foods are just a few of the foods which you should try and avoid. 

Foods you should try to consume more of, and which are featured in these three juices are:

Beets - the blood-red beet is a wonderful cleanser of the blood, helping to pre-filter the blood before it reaches the kidneys (and thus reduces stress on the kidneys). 

Burdock - 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. 

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. 

Cilantro - helps to reduce the damaging effects of lead on the kidneys. Cilantro is also useful for removing mercury, a toxic metal that decreases the kidneys' ability to filter and increases risk for kidney disease. 

Carrots - carrots are rich in vitamin A, an essential ingredient for proper kidney function. 

Cucumber - 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.

Bell Pepper - provide roughage from the fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin A and folic acid, as well as the antioxidant lycopene which helps to cleanse the kidneys. 

Juice #1: Ravishing Beet Cleanser
- 2 beets, peeled
- 2 apples
- 3 inches ginger root
- 1 lemon

Juice #2: Burdock Elixir
- 5-6 inches burdock root
- 5 stalks celery
- 1 cucumber
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 lemon

Juice #3: Carrot Zinger
- 7 large carrots
- 1 apple
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 inches ginger root
- 1 lemon

For each of these juices, use a juicer such as the Omega 8006 (highly recommended), and serve immediately!

Lean Mean Vitamin Green Juice

Infuse your body with the vitamins and minerals it craves with this lean mean green juice! This green juice is delicious and it is the perfect thing to start (or end) your day! The addition of apple, pineapple & fennel will help ease the bitterness of greens, and if you choose to add lemon, you can cut that "green" taste even more.

Consuming plenty of greens throughout the day is essential to help filter and cleanse the blood, as well as deodorize the body and leave you feeling fresh. Chlorophyll (the stuff that makes green produce green) is molecularly similar to the hemoglobin in our blood, despite the central molecule which differs in each (magnesium in chlorophyll and iron in hemoglobin). Because of structural similarity, when you consume a green juice it is essentially like giving yourself a blood transfusion! 

Kick start your day with this vitamin juice and set wonderful intentions for the rest of your day!

Ingredients:
- 4 kale leaves
- 1 cucumber
- 5 stalks celery
- 1/2 bulb fennel
- 3 green apples
- 2 cups pineapple
- 3 inches ginger root
- 1 lemon (optional)

Juice the above ingredients in a juicer (such as the Omega 8006) and serve fresh!

Dairy-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

This dairy-free cream of mushroom soup is raw, vegan, and gluten-free too! It also tastes exactly like the real thing, if not better (the flavour is incredible!). Mushrooms contain vitamin D, so this soup is great, especially in the winter when most of us stay huddled away from the sun for a good 7 months or so (especially if you live in Manitoba like me).

You might not think that a soup can be raw - but oh yes it can! You can stick your soup into a dehydrator before eating it and warm it up, or you can blend it for awhile in a blender such as the Vitamix which will help heat it up and turn it into a cozy comfort food creation just waiting to be jumped into. 

Shittake mushrooms are quite the incredible food too - the benefits of these mushrooms are endless, and I will list them all below:

1. Shiitake mushrooms contain a compound called lentinan, which is believed to stop or slow tumour growth. They also contain an activated hexose-containing compound which reduces tumour activity and reduces the side effects of cancer treatment. 

2. These mushrooms contain a compound called eritadenine, which is thought to lower cholesterol by blocking the way cholesterol is absorbed into the bloodstream. 

3. Prevents thrombosis (a health condition that produces blood clots in the veins, leading to restricted blood flow) by preventing platelets from aggregating.

4. Strengthens the immune system - again, lentinan comes to the rescue by enabling your immune system to fight diseases and infections more effectively. These mushrooms are even more effective than some prescription drugs!

5. Incredibly rich in iron, helping to prevent anemia and other blood-related disorders. 

6. Aids in weight loss due to high fibre content - keeping you fuller longer, and helping you to not over eat. 

Ingredients:
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup shittake mushrooms
- 2 green onions (scallions)
- 1 small zucchini, peeled (so it doesn't turn the soup green - if you don't care about aesthetic appearance then go ahead and leave the peel on!)
- 1-2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1/2 - 1 cup water (depending on how thick you want it)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tbsp. hemp seeds
- *Optional: little bit of dulse (a type of seaweed)

Instructions:
1. Add everything to a high speed blender such as the Vitamix, except for the avocado and hemp seeds.   Add 1/2 cup water first, and then wait until the avocado and hemp seeds have been added until you add more water.
2. Blend everything together (except for avocado and hemp seeds), and once this has been blended, then you add the avocado and hemp seeds (I don't know why the soup works out better this way - it just does!). Blend at high speed until the soup becomes slightly warmed.
3. Pour your soup into a bowl, add a little bit of scallions on top and some hemp seeds and cracked black pepper if you please! Bon Appetit!

Lung Rejuvenator Juice

Rejuvenate your lungs with this lung rejuvenator juice! If you suffer from a stuffy nose, phlegm (mucus), persistent cough, sleep apnea, asthma, shortness of breath, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, bronchitis or emphysema, your lungs could definitely use the wonderful benefits of this juice!

When consumed, watercress releases a compound called phenethyl isothicyanate which helps block lung cancer progression. It also helps soothe swollen breathing passages and lubricates the lungs, helping to ease coughs, sore throats and upper respiratory inflammation!

Turnips and carrots are also loaded with vitamin A which helps support the health of our lungs. In addition, vitamin C from lemon helps clear lung passageways and provides us with immune boosting antioxidants, as well as garlic which is a natural antibiotic, antiviral and antibacterial. 

Ingredients:

- 1 bunch watercress

- 1 cucumber

- 1 turnip

- 3 large carrots

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 lemon

Juice the ingredients above in a juicer such as the Omega 8006, and serve! Enjoy this throughout the day, once or twice. This recipe is for 1 serving. 

Allergy Relief Juice

Do you suffer from allergies? Many allergies are connected to digestive ill-health. Many individuals with digestive issues suffer from something called "leaky gut", which is associated with many health problems (allergies, delayed food sensitivities, fibromyalgia, inflammation, chronic fatigue, skin issues...the list goes on!) - improving the health of our gut is one key step to helping ease allergy symptoms. 

Just a couple years of raw veganism cleared up my digestive tract, and I literally got rid of two of my nut allergies - coconut and almond. These allergies were incredibly severe to the point of anaphylaxis. Creating a healthy environment in our gut is important! 

This juice features turmeric, a wonderful healing root that has anti-inflammatory effects to help activate the cells of our immune system against allergic responses. Parsley is also a great herb which inhibits the release of histamine (the main player in allergic reactions), and thus acts as a natural antihistamine. Vitamin C is another anti-oxidant which acts as an antihistamine, and parsley, apples and lemons are loaded with vitamin C! 

Ingredients:
- 2 organic green apples
- 1 bunch organic parsley
- 5 stalks organic celery
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 inches turmeric root (or 2 tsp. turmeric powder)
- 1 lemon

Juice the above ingredients in a juicer such as the Omega 8006, and serve! If you are experiencing allergies or allergy symptoms, drink this twice daily.

Raw, Gluten-Free, Buckwheat Granola!

Want a healthy spin on your typical fat-laden granola? Most typical granola brands contain ingredients like sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, nuts (which have gone rancid, and are not properly prepared by soaking), and dried fruits (often prepared with preservatives like sulphites). In addition, other chemical additives are typically squeezed in to prolong shelf-life and make it taste better than it actually is. 

This raw granola recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and features healthy ingredients like hemp, chia and pumpkin seeds, immune-boosting goji berries and cranberries as well as raisins. Making a lot of this granola ahead of time, and storing it in the fridge will ensure you always have some on hand. 

You can Taylor-make your own granola too - just because I added something or didn't add something doesn't mean you can't omit or add something else you think might taste good! If you like some other kind of dried fruit, go ahead and add it!

You can enjoy this raw granola recipe by itself as a healthy snack, or with some raw almond milk if you please! (Click HERE for a raw almond milk recipe)

Ingredients:
- *2 cups raw sprouted buckwheat (get the non-roasted buckwheat, so you can sprout it)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight (8 hours)
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup dried organic cranberries (unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup dried organic raisins
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tbsp. spirulina powder
- 10 medjool dates, pitted and chopped into tiny cubes
- Spices: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean pinch cumin and pinch cayenne pepper

*To sprout buckwheat, simply soak it in some water overnight, then drain the water and let it sit in a cloth bag or a jar with a sprouting lid for 10-24 hours, or until little tails start to come out of the buckwheat

Directions:
1. Remove soak water from the pumpkin seeds and roughly chop
2. Put all ingredients into a large bowl (except for the bananas) and mix around until well incorporated
3. Add in the mashed bananas and mix well into the granola mixture
4. Spread out onto Teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 8-12 hours at 115 degrees F. Flip your granola over onto the mesh tray, remove Teflex sheets and dehydrate for another 8-12 hours or until dry and crisp. Once cool, break up granola into tiny pieces and store in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

***If you do not have a dehydrator simply put this mixture onto a cookie sheet, and lightly dehydrate in the oven on the lowest temperature with the oven door open (to avoid the inside of the oven getting too hot). The heat in an oven will be much hotter than that in a dehydrator, so that means that it would take much less time to dehydrate, and may not be as raw as you would want. If this is not a problem for you, then go ahead with this method.

Pineapple Pear Detox Smoothie with Cilantro & Coconut

Want to help your body cleanse itself? Start with this smoothie! It helps a wide range of issues, by preventing illnesses and strengthening the organs in our body. See the list below for how this smoothie can steer your body on the road to vibrant health!

1. It works at targeting and healing the liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas and can heal ulcers

2. Infuses your body with phytonutrients like antioxidants, anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and anti-cancer phytonutrients like cinnamic acid

3. Reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes (due to flavonoid compounds found in pears)

4. Bromelain compounds in pineapple induce selective cytotoxicity to cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells alone

5.  Improves and opens blood pathways, and can thus reduce high blood pressure and help prevent heart attacks

6. Chelates (detoxes) heavy metals from the body in relatively short periods of time (cilantro!) - we acquire heavy metals from everywhere (non-organic food, vaccines, deodorants, over-the-counter drugs, silver fillings, pollution, and many more)

7. Excellent for the eyes, eliminating red and tired or dry eyes

8. Helps eliminate constipation and/or diarrhea, and assists in making bowel movements more regular. Thus, it will help repair the skin and give you a healthy glow (great for eliminating acne)

9. Excellent anti-inflammatory, helping relieve pain, sore muscles, and relief from arthritis and gout

10. It cleans from the inside out, so it clears bad body odour and improves bad breath

Ingredients: (1 serving)

- 2 cups fresh ripe pineapple

- 2 ripe pears

- 1 bunch organic cilantro (about 2 cups worth)

- 2 pitted medjool dates

- 1 young thai coconut, water and coconut meat included (you can use 1 cup young thai coconut water from a bottle if that is all you have access to, and opt out from the coconut meat)

Blend the above ingredients in a blender such as the Vitamix, and serve immediately! 

Low Fat Raw Vegan Mac & Cheese with Bonus Raw Ketchup Recipe!

Who loved Mac n’ Cheese as a kid? I know I did! The little round noodles with the creamy cheesy sauce. I haven’t eaten it in years due to the gluten, dairy, and over processed nature of the dish. But now I can indulge again, and you can too with this low fat, raw vegan Mac n' Cheeze recipe! Yay!

I was inspired to create a raw Mac n’ Cheeze recipe after seeing an ad for Kat Green’s eBook which featured Mac and Cheese, with noodles that I had never seen before. They looked like macaroni! I knew I could replicate the macaroni noodle style with my spiralizer and I already had the perfect cheese sauce in mind. I’ve made it a few times and even tested it out on my love Chris Kendall. He exclaimed, “This is the best thing I’ve ever ate!” That's quite the compliment coming from a very talented, well-known raw vegan chef!

Best of all, this recipe is raw, vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, processed sugar-free, yeast-free, oil and salt-free, and you can make it overt fat free too! It won’t leave you feeling sluggish with a bellyache and packs a ton of nutrition in the fresh fruit and veggie ingredients. It's my new fav raw comfort food! So yummy on a cold winter day here in Saskatchewan, Canada. You’re going to love it! 

The NOODLES:

To make mac and cheeze noodles you need 2 fresh zucchini a spiralizer. I have a Paderno Vegetable Slicer from Amazon.ca that works great. It has three blades and I use the larger noodle blade for making macaroni noodles.

*You can also make spaghetti-like noodles using a julienne peeler, or, you can use a cheese grater to make small "macaroni" shaped noodles similar to the way orzo pasta looks when cooked. 

Directions:

1. Peel the green skin off the zucchini noodles and cut them in half.

2. Use the spiralizer to make the large noodles (or your julienne peeler)

3. Cut them into smaller pieces so they look like macaroni noodles.

4. Set noodles aside while you make your sauce.

** You can also score the edges lengthwise before running it through the spiralizer to make your noodles, but be careful not to cut too far into the center.

***I save the ends and center zucchini bits and throw them in the sauce!

The CHEEZE:

I make the cheese sauce right before I want to eat. You can prep all the ingredients and have them ready to blend if you have a Vitamix - I blend it until it’s hot!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of fresh organic corn

- ½ of a fresh red pepper

- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes

- 3 green onion stems

- ½ lemon juiced

- 1 jalapeno

- 1 clove garlic

- 1-2 sticks celery

- 1 tsp chili powder

- the ends and zucchini center bits leftover from spiralizing

Optional: 2 tbsp raw hemp seeds!

***When fresh organic corn is not available I use frozen organic corn. Organic frozen corn is blanched before freezing. 

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, and HOT!

2. Pour generously over your noodles and stir in. 

3. I added broccoli florets too! Mmmm Broccoli and Chedda' with KETCHUP! (You can soak your broccoli in hot water for an hour beforehand to soften it up a bit)

4. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper if you dare. ;) 

Bonus Recipe: RAW KETCHUP

If you're like me and always had ketchup on everything as a child, including your Mac and Cheese, then you’ll want some ketchup to go with this recipe. I think it adds so much to the dish. But I don’t mix it in; I serve it on the side and use it like a dip! The best part is that it’s fresh, oil free and salt free!

Ketchup

Ingredients:

- 2 tomatoes

- ½ c sun dried tomatoes (soaked)

- ½ lemon juiced

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 stem green onion (or 1 tsp onion powder)

- 3-4 pieces of dried mango

 Directions:

1. Juice ½ lemon and chop the tomatoes. Place in blender.

2. Place remaining ingredients in your blender.

3. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Lots of Love and Fresh Squeezed Hugs!

xo

Ashley Clark

Holistic Health Coach

Naturally Ashley Nutrition

Ashley Clark is a Health Coach, Artist, Photographer and the owner/operator of Naturally Ashley Nutrition. “I am bananas about holistic health and nutrition!" I want to help you create a happy, healthy lifestyle in way that is flexible, fun and lasting. It's not about cutting out the ‘bad’ foods; it's about adding in the good – more FRUITS and VEGETABLES! Healthy living isn’t just about the food you eat  – Primary ‘Food’ is important too, like finding a career you love, relationships, and connecting to your spirituality. Love your Life, Love your Food, Love YOU!

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Email: naturallyashleynutrition@gmail.com

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