a few meal inspirations

Hello fellow detoxers!  I can’t believe how  many people have decided to join me on the 21 day detox. I am so thrilled to have you with me on this journey with me to vibrant health and new beginnings.

YAY! You made it through the first few days. Pat yourself on the back, they really are the hardest.  It’s like the minute you tell yourself you aren’t eating gluten you want that bagel staring at you on your co-workers desk…even if you usually don’t even eat bagels. Humans are strange creatures.  I promise though, those cravings will quiet everyday until they are gone completely. Sugar and caffeine seem to be the hardest part for people, especially eliminating them if you are used to having them daily.

If you are having headaches due to caffeine withdrawal, have some green tea. You can even buy flavored green tea that may help with a sweet tooth. If that sweet tooth will not give up, have a small piece of fruit or a green smoothie with 1/2 a banana or green apple and some coconut oil and unsweetened almond milk.

I swear they will soon start tasting like milkshakes to you (once your taste buds adjust to the natural flavors). I make this smoothie for my husband when he is having a sweet craving and he wouldn’t swap this for his favorite milkshake now, would you Mike? 😉

hi Mike! came across this pic in my phone

A clean treat that is loaded with protein, fiber, antioxidants and other vitamins.

ChocoBanana Protein Smoothie
1 cup spinach
1/2 frozen banana
1 Tbs almond butter
1-2 Tbs raw cacao powder
1.5 tsp coconut oil (organic, cold-pressed)
1 Tbs hemp protein powder
3/4 cup unsweentened almond milk
1/2 cup ice
1 tsp honey or maple syrup(optional)
Additional add-ins : ground flaxseed, chia seed, raw cacao nibs (add after for choc chip pieces)

Blend until smooth.

Sorry, I went off on a smoothie tangent.  Anyway, I am really enjoying all of the emails about your progress so far- mentally and physically. It has only been a few days but I am seeing that a lot of you are already noticing positive affects. Whether it’s a noticeable change in energy levels, moods, stress, bloat, or any other digestive health issues, I am beyond excited hear all of your feedback! It only keeps getting better from here.

I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about menu and meal ideas. Instead of sending each of you different recipes and ideas, I’ve decided to compile some of my favorite recipes and dishes from friends and fellow bloggers.

Many of these are dinner ideas – but can easily be stored and made into lunch the next day. Switch it up by adding a few more spices or vegetables to it, or even throw it in a saute pan in the morning, crack and egg on it and you’ve got a delicious and easy breakfast.

Be creative and switch out different ingredients and spices to your liking. Most of them are gluten and dairy free, however if one of the items happens to be just swap it out or just nix it. Enjoy!

Recipes:

Cauliflower Lentil Taco Salad,  Food Babe

Quinoa Fried Rice with Pork , The Queen of Quinoa
I substitute with organic chicken, beef or egg. Most of the time I  eliminate meat all together – as quinoa is very high in protein

Kale Rice Bowl , 101cookbooks
Can substitute yogurt with coconut milk yogurt or add avocado for creaminess. Great for breakfast or dinner. 

Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Sage Skillet Quinoa , Recipes to Nourish 

Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa and Creamy Coconut Millet, Inspired Edibles

Quinoa Crusted Sole in a Chili-Lime Glaze, Inspired Edibles

25 Soups and Stews, With Food + Love
All Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg + Meat Free

Here are two recipes I’ve made this past week:

Spiced Salmon with mustard sauce
(I halved for 2 people and still had leftovers) 

Ingredients
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Directions
Preheat broiler.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a fork. Rub mustard mixture evenly over each fillet. Place fillets, skin side down, on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

I know some of you were asking about substituting  breads/wraps for lunch, especially when packing a lunch for work. If you are not going 100% Gluten Free (which is okay, as long as you are eating the right kinds of grains) As I mentioned before, this should be tailored and manageable for your life. Don’t make too drastic of changes unless you know you can plan on maintaining. It’s better to set realistic goals for the detox and be in it for the long haul, then to cut it short or give up.

Creamy Kale + Basil Sauce
Great on any dish. Try it on chicken, fish, quinoa/rice bowls. I even put it on sautéed spinach and eggs for breakfast.

Ingredients
4-5 kale leaves
1 small bunch basil
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic
sea salt and pepper to taste
approx. 1/2 cup olive oil
optional: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (great for vegetarian dishes and adds a cheesy flavor) 

Directions: Place all ingredients in a vitamix/food processor. Blend until well incorporated. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until creamy and well emulsified.

This is so flavorful and adds a nutritional punch to any of your favorite dishes. It’s full of vitamins, fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, and healthy fats.

The other night we made lettuce wraps with our left over salmon. We shredded the salmon on large Boston lettuce leaves, added avocado, cucumber, radishes, chives and fresh dill. Drizzled them with this sauce and it was so good!

You can make the sauce in large batches and store in the fridge. (Mix well before using, you may also have to add a little more olive oil if consistency thickened).

I am posting my Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Casserole tomorrow, as well as a vegan Shamrock Shake we made this weekend, just in time for St. Patty’s Day (think spinach, fresh mint and vanilla bean, yum!)

Final Day of our Fall Detox!

I can’t believe we are on the final day of our Fall Detox! I hope everyone is feeling energized and grounded after nourishing our bodies and releasing those unwanted toxins. Do you feel a difference in your energy level? Your mood? Your cravings? I would love to hear your feedback.  I really enjoyed seeing everyone and working together this past week. It’s always great to have support during a cleanse or any kind of health goal you are trying to achieve.

Today’s smoothie is especially appropriate for the noticeably colder weather today. It is grounding and filling, packed with antioxidants, fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamins and other nourishing components. It is also creamy and delicious, and the warming spices are especially comforting.  It contains three different parts of the coconut, which in my opinion is one of the most underrated foods for all of its various health benefits. In sanskrit, coconut is referred to as kalpa vriksha, which is literally translated to ““the tree that supplies all that is needed to live.”

Coconut Chai -Chia Smoothie (say that 3 times) 

1/4 cup organic shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup coconut cream, (canned or homemade)
1-2 T Tbs cashew or almond butter
1 tsp chia gel (soaked chia seeds in water overnight)
1 scoop of ice
1/4 c filtered water
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg and allspice
1/2-1 tsp ginger (depending on how spicy you like it)
thin slice of fresh ginger
*make sure to blend on high

Health Benefits

Chia Seeds are tiny, yet mighty. They are loaded with omega 3s, which are essential for optimal health, specifically in healthy brain functioning. Chia also help to slow digestion, preventing blood sugar from spiking. Chia’s stabilizing effect on blood sugar may also fights insulin resistance which can be associated with excess belly fat. They also contain a high dose of fiber (11 g in 1 oz serving), aiding digestion and helping to keep fuller longer. They pack in a healthy dose of protein, calcium, phosphorous and manganese.

Coconut – the flesh of coconut contains essential fatty acids (the medium chain), fiber, manganese (helps stabilize blood sugar and aid in a healthy immune and nervous system function. It also contains copper, which promotes healthy red cell production and potassium, which maintains proper level of water in the cells and helps regulate water retention.  The coconut cream is just the water of the coconut blended with the coconut meat (usually found in a can, or you can make your own).  Coconut water is very hydrating and restores and balances electrolytes. Although coconut oil isn’t added into this smoothie, it definitely can be. I already went over the benefits of coconut oil here. Coconut is also known to speed your metabolism while regulating blood sugar and keeping you full. Although it is often looked down upon because of its high saturated fat content, I believe it should be included in a healthy diet. As I mentioned in my previous post, the fat comes from Medium Chain Fatty Acids, which have healthy benefits, unlike the Long Chain Fatty Acids.

Cinnamon not only adds flavor to any meal, it has many notable health properties. Cinnamon is known to increase energy, vitality, and circulation. It is also known to level blood sugar levels and also have anti-inflammatory properties.

I hope you enjoyed the smoothies and your week of mindful eating and cleansing. Remember to slowly ease off of your cleanse and try not to indulge too much too soon! You don’t want to overload your body with sugars, caffeine, alcohol, or meats if you have been totally eliminating. You may experience some digestive discomfort if so. Just introduce foods you were cutting out gradually. It is a great idea to just avoid processed and high sugar foods all together  😉

Be sure to check back on my blog for healthy tips and some yummy recipes! Please be in touch and let me know any health questions or concerns you may have.

Day 3 + half way through our detox!

Mango, Ginger + Coconut with Aloe Vera Juice

This smoothie has all sorts of goodness in it. Get ready to wake up your tastebuds, body, and mind with its refreshing and invigorating ingredients.

1/2 cup mango
1/4 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled
2 tsp coconut oil
2 oz natural aloe vera juice, unsweetened
1 Tbs ground flaxseed (can reduce)
1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup pure/filtered water

Mango is rich in vitamins, minerals, pre-biotic dietary fiber, and antioxidants. It is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids beta-carotene, alpha-carotene,and beta-cryptoxanthin. It is high in Vitamin C, which helps neutralize harmful oxygen-free radicals and contains potassium which is essential in maintaining healthy blood pressure and fluid balance.  Compared to most fruits, mango is fairly low on the glycemic index chart (41-60),  so enjoying mango occasionally will not spike your blood sugar levels.

Aloe Vera is an incredible plant that has many health benefits and medicinal uses. It contains loads of  health benefits and components such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, polysaccharide, and fatty acids.  Some vitamins include, folic acid, choline, Vitamins A, C + E, B vitamins, including B12 which is rarely found in plants. Minerals include calcium, magnesium, as well as selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, and manganese. Aloe vera also contains all 8 essential amino acids, as well as fatty acids which help lower fat in the blood cells and help reduce allergy symptoms as well as acid indigestion.

Aside from all of the vitamins and minerals aloe vera juice is extremely beneficial in the detoxification process. It also helps to soothe the digestion track, and regulates the digestive system. Because aloe vera is a gelatinous plant, when digested,  the gel moves through the intestines and absorbs any toxins and unwanted waste, helping to eliminate and flush out of the body. Aloe vera is alkalizing, which helps balance the pH in your body, as well as an anti-inflammatory and immune booster.

Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory and immune booster. It helps to also improve digestion, absorb and assimilate essential nutrients throughout the body, ease muscle or joint discomfort, clears ‘microcirculatory channels’  (including sinus cavities),  and helps to clear nose and throat congestion. 

Flax seeds – these tiny little seeds are nutritional power houses. First, they are a great source of fiber, helping to regulate digestion and aid in the detoxification process. Flax is a great plant source of the essential fatty acid, Omega 3. Theses little seeds also contain potassium for a healthy heart and muscles, as well as iron and zinc to boost your immunity. They contain trace minerals such as riboflavin and niacin, thiamin, and B vitamins (all which help to turn food into energy). They must be ground in order to gain all of the benefits they have to offer. When consumed whole they pass right through and are not digested fully.

Coconut oil is an amazing superfood filled with so many health benefits and nutrients. Coconut oil contains antioxidants, helps to absorb nutrients and vitamins, has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. It is made up of mostly  Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs), which unlike Long Chain Fatty Acids, are sent straight to the liver for energy production. It kills candida growth,  corrects many skin conditions, helps with hypothyroidism, and helps speed metabolism.