One of my favorite shakes lately (and during my cleansing fast) has been a Chocolate MACA Protein shake.
If you have never heard of "Maca" before...you are in for a nutty/malty treat! I categorize Maca in the superfoods group along with other natural superfoods like cacao and goji berries.
Maca powder has many benefits for our bodies, including stipulating the endocrine system in the production of good hormones, increased libido, and much more! It is kind of expensive, and goes for about $11 at health food stores, or you can buy it online too. I always like to get it from Mother's so I know what I am getting.
It is SUPER easy to make. The only problem is, I don't think I can have it anymore because it contains bananas, which do not fit in squarely with my "No-starch" AS diet. (To relieve symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis)
But it is only a banana, so we'll see...
To make:
1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 frozen banana
1 scoop MRM Veggie Protein Powder, Chocolate
1 tbsp. Raw Maca Powder
5 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients in blender and enjoy with a straw!
I sometimes change it up a bit by using RAW Protein powder and a tbsp. of almond butter.
It gives it a nice nutty flavor. You can also try putting a tbsp. of raw cacao powder in for a super rich and creamy delight!!!!
And speaking of cleansing, tonight, after having a very tough day...I felt like breaking the fast on something bad and all I could think about was pizza. I know I have one more day left but I couldn't fathom drinking another dinner (whether it be hot soup or a juice/smoothie) so I cracked and had a bowl of artichoke hearts steamed in water with seasonings. I ate half the bowl and was full. Then I had some organic unsweetened applesauce. I am still full 2 hours later. I guess the cleanse really does work. I am actually excited to get back on it tomorrow. Still going strong, feeling energized more than ever, and haven't taken an Aleve in 7 days. :)
Read more...
Peanut Butter bought in the supermarket is full of preservatives and can do more harm than good for our bodies. I read in Dr. Peter D'Adamo'sEat Right For Your Type (I am Type A blood) that peanuts, peanut butter, and pumpkin seeds are the best kind of nuts and seeds for Type A's to process in their bodies because they do not contain harmful lectins that our bodies recognize as foreign invaders.
So I thought why not make my own peanut butter! I ground up about a cup of RAW peanuts in the Vita and made my own warm, creamy peanut butter that was tasty and flavorful, and I won't go back to store bought, ever!
Do you ever have those days, or days that turn into the nights, where you just canNOT seem to do anything right? Or is it just me? Ok, well, allow me to explain why the past two nights, my sweet husband has taken it upon himself to be the chef for our eveing meals.
Let me lay out the procedural history first, as any lawyer would when briefing the Court or Client:
It all started Monday morning; I had a doctor appointment in the AM which didn't go that well - and what I mean but that is, it is never a good sign when your mother actually gets up and leaves the room mid-visit, and then, the doctor actually leaves the room promising to return, but then never does. True story.
Then I drove 50+ miles to work, 40+ miles to Trader Joe's after work to pick up items that are way too expensive to get at Mother's (side note: don't you just love how you have to go to at least THREE grocery stores to get all the damn food for two people to eat healthy for a week?)
After TJ's I sped home, exhausted. I lugges the bags up the stairs, unpacked all the groceries and put them in the fridge, and then began cooking right away. When I had last left B, it was after the doctor appointment where he said he would be home for dinner around 8:30pm. So I had about an hour. I was excited to get going on a tasty meal that he could come home to. I decided on flavorful quinoa and a raw veggie mix. I also thought I'd heat up the breast of chicken leftover in the ziplock baggie in the fridge from, oh I don't know, about a week ago for B.
I boiled 2 cups organic chicken broth on the stove, poured a cup of quinoa in it, along with some chopped onions, minced garlic cloves, and let it cook. To my utter glee, when I lifted the pan lid, I saw beautiful fluffy quinoa flakes, light and steamy. I was so excited because this was the first time I had ever successfully cooked quinoa (despite numerous previous attempts which shall remain a mystery). I ground some Himalayan salt into the pan and fluffed.
As for the raw veggie mix, I chopped cucombers, mushrooms, and added 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. fresh salsa, ground pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
The chicken, I must admit, was a bit of an afterthought, hence the plastic looking overlay of over-broiled and then cooled cheese shown in Exhibit A to the right.
See, 8:30 came and went, and before I knew it, I had eaten the quinoa and veggies, nearly fallen asleep 3 times on the couch, and around 9:45 B walked in. I told him his dinner was warming in the oven - and had been for an hour. He said it smelled good. I was grateful for that compliment. THen he sat down, ate one, maybe two bites, and started packing up his plate in a leftover container.
I put my hand on my hip and said, "Um - exauuuuuuse me? What are you doing? You don't like it?"
Response: Is this the chicken from a week ago?
"Yea."
Is it still good?
"I don't knowww! Why arent you eating the dinner I slaved over for you?! I am so tired! Why do I even bother trying to cook if you aren't even going to eat it!
I'm not hungry! I had a few beers. I love it though babe and I'll have it for lunch tomorrow (sans chicken which was now face down in the trash)
"I'm glad you had a nice barley and hops nutritional and well -balanced meal!" I proceeded to slump off to the bathroom for a bath to calm my fuming nerves.
It only took 2 days later for me to get the truth. The next day, when I got home from work I discovered the container of quinoa still in the fridge. I looked at B and asked him point blank - what did you have for lunch today, and then darted between him, container, him, container, until he finally confessed "Ok I didn't like it!"
And therein lies the story for why B has been cooking the past two nights. And can I just say, what a fantastic cook that little gipper is? I will post his fantastic RAW and gluten free Vegan meals tomorrow.
And on another note, I have been recently hearing and reading a lot about the benefits of Himalayan salt. Also, the girl at the supplement counter at Mother's Market tonight was going on and on about how important the acidity and alkalinity in our bodies is and how it can affect inflammation . I stood there trying to determine what cold water fish variety I wanted (Cod Liver, Krill, Salmon, etc) and half listened to her probing me for answers about whether I had ever tested my pH.
However, in my ever persistent and cyclical jounrey to achieve balance and wellness in an anti-inlammatory body, I listened to her advice and pointers regarding supplements and vowed to go home and research. Turns out, my pink Himalayan salt I just started using can have an affect on acidity and alkalinity! AH - my mind hurts at all this supplemental crap!
Watch this video if you want to learn more about acid/alkaline balance in the body, and this guy has plenty more on YouTube if you fancy him.
What's all the hype about, eh? I found myself reading "The kind diet" as I was in Barnes and Noble the other night, and also researching and learning about the people who have tried Raw diets, the people who rave about them, and understanding the break down of the different Raw - food lingo! See below....
"I DO EAT healthily – mostly RAW and VEGAN food with no dairy," says Fox.
Other known Actors who follow variations of Raw food diets:
Woody Harrelson;
Lisa Bonet;
Robin Williams;
Alicia Silverstone;
Charlie Trotter;
Uma Thurman;
Nathalie Porman.
Singers:
Sting;
Beyonce;
David Bowie.
Other:
Donna Karan (Designer);
Charlie Trotter (Chicaco Based Celebrity Chef;
Jack Lalanne (The famous 90 fitness trainer and juicer) ;
Carol Alt (Elite Top Model);
Steve Jobs (Apple CEO
De-coding "RAW SPEAK": Beegan: My personal favorite: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains, legumes, and honey!
Raw foodism
Food from all food groups, heated to temps below 120 degrees
Raw veganism
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes
I couldn't resist making the decadently rich Cacao RAW + VEGAN Pudding again, this time, using actual Raw Cacao Powder instead of Unsweetened Natural Cocoa powder. Trader Joe's only has Cocoa powder, Mother's sells Raw Cacao powder....but get ready to unleash your wallet for a few ounces of the good stuff - this "superfood" as they call it, in the same family as Goji berries, is not cheap! But man is it tasty and rich, and fantastic in this pudding!
This time, I added a 1/2 tsp. of Organic Bourbon Vanilla Extract (maybe not Raw?) and no water. The avocados I used (organic) were very ripe and the texture just whipped up perfectly!
I added a bit of natural "cool whip" substitute and sliced banana, topped with sprinkled cinnamon! B loved it! This is definitely a favorite around here....I'm gonna get burned out on it though soon if I keep downing it like I have been. It's maybe time for me to try a new Raw, Vegan Delicious Dessert Recipe!
So I bought this book on Amazon last week. I have been attempting to "go Raw," which entails much more effort than I could have ever have imagined in my worst nightmares.
I read through the entire guide/"how to" this weekend, and with each flip of the shiny picture filled pages, I grew more and more weary and painfully aware of my stark inadequacies in the kitchen.
Bryan and I had planned a trip to Mother's Market this weekend since the Grand Opening near our place just occurred. Before heading out, he said he wanted to help me make a grocery list. Wise plan, I thought. So, I sat Going Raw down in front of him as he was perched on the edge of the couch, sporting full on chargers jersey attire, watching the game.
I continued to buzz around the house, randomly glimpsing over at the book and my husband, to see if he was actually reading the book, or at least looking at the pictures, hoping he would find something, anything in there he could get excited about. At each commercial, I saw him act interested for a second here and there. And then, at the next break, I heard him say, "You've gotta be kidding me!" You gotta prepare to prepare to prepare this food!" I laugh, but inside I know he's right.
Dehydrating fruits, soaking nuts, straining milk through cheese clothes, it all seems a bit much for me. And fact of the matter is, before we got married, both B and I ate out most of the time: Grabbing coffee on the go, out to eat for lunch, and take out most nights.
Getting married and attempting to master domestication has been a challenge in and of itself. But now, adding a complete new "non-cooking" element to the mix is almost too much pressure for my little blissfully wedded heart to take on!
I am taking it day by day, and not putting too much pressure on the whole Raw thing though.
Most days end up like today, work, head to the grocery store for fresh fruits and veggies and items I forgot or have been requested by the Hubs, drive home, unload groceries, start cooking dinner, wash dishes, and by the time I get to eating the dinner, I'm almost too tired to care.
I think the key is "preparing" on the weekends, setting side some time to get things going for the week. And what I would REALLY love is to meet Miss Judita for a one-on-one Raw Session!
I am a woman of her word. I posted yesterday about how excited I was that Mother's Market & Kitchen is opening near our neighborhood. Mother's has this amazing Raw Chocolate Pudding from their deli that I was blessed to experience because my sweet friend "K" brought it over the other night along with other raw veggies and food:
The bottom line: this pudding is the richest, creamiest chocolate pudding you've ever tasted! And you would never guess the ingredients!
Ingredients:
4 avocados
1 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
1 c. Raw Organic Agave Nectar
Pinch sea salt
Water (not that much, about a tbsp or 2 - depending on what consistency you desire)
Most recipes say online to blend together ingredients in a blender. About halfway through that catastrophe, I beg to differ. B looked at me, covered in cocoa powder and said, why don't you just use the beaters? That's why I married this man!
So I transferred all the half blended ingredients from the blender to a bowl, and used the beaters on high speed until everthing was perfectly blended. Then I folded in some Carob chips to add texture.
Read more...
Don't get me wrong, juicing is fun and all, but between my outdated and overworked blender and the juicer, they have their limits. It seems the possibilities are endless with the Vita - magic machine - but the price tag is holding me back. I have heard the Ninja is a very suitable alternative.
For all you Vita-groopies out there - what do you think? Is it worth the purchase?
For anyone who has tried the Ninja...your reviews and/or comments are much appreciated!
I am so excited to have a new Mother's Market opening in 5 days near me! YAY!
On that note, Mother's has the BEST RAW Chocolate Pudding from their deli.
The ingredients include:
Avocados, RAW cacao powder, RAW agave nectar, sea salt, and water. I e-mailed their customer service for the exact recipe and once I receive it (fingers crossed) I will make it and post pictures!
Can't wait!!
I walked past this disturbing sight outside of our local favorite past-time and felt a little bit better about not only saving $50-60 per month on Yogurtland dates. This also made me slightly repulsed (this post is not intended to have the same effect on all readers). But for sugar addicts like myself, anything that decreases (however slight) the exorbitant desire within me for sugar is another step forward!
On another note, Juicing fresh Orange, apple, carrot, ginger, and red cabbage is a nice sweet treat OR if I don't feel like tacking the mound of dishes that accrues daily, I will opt for a easier clean-up option such as:
Perky's crunchy flax cereal with Hemp/Rice/Coconut Milk are my new post-dinner snacks (Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, sugar free, not 100% raw though, but still a decent snack!)
This is my beautiful friend whom I will refer to as "K," who also has a blog called Journey to Conquer, where you can read about her story here.
She has inspired me through my gluten free conversion as I see her improving her health through her journey of juicing, cleansing, eating 80% RAW, dairy free, sugar free, alcohol free....and I have to admit, I have been reticent to get on board with her system due to plain old stubborn habits and a general selfish unwillingness to fully commit. I struggle, as any woman I think does, with cutting out sugar and soda, so I rationalize sugar free dark chocolates, diet sodas, gluten free cupcakes - when in reality - those foods are not doing me any good.
K knows me, and she also knows from experience how juicing has helped her. And sometimes when you don't want to hear the truth, you need a good pep-talk from your true friends who will tell it to you like is, no sugar-coating (pun intended). And that is exactly what K did - she told me this past weekend that if I was going to really give this holistic health thing a go, I need to commit, not half-a** it like I feel I have been doing.
And what I mean by that is I have been slowly converting to purchasing organic fruits, adding supplements like Krill oil and Probiotics, cutting out gluten, trimming back soda and candy...and to give myself some credit- these are good changes!
But if I am honest with myself...I have not made the full on conversion, because IT IS NOT FUN! What else is not fun, however, is waking up feeling like you got hit by a big rig, or someone replaced your 28 year old bones with a geriatric skeleton. See, I have been operating on caffeine since law school, and placating aches and pains from an old high school volleyball injury with NSAIDS (Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). And, I have this bull-like drive within me that I will keep pushing and running on nothing but adrenaline until I drop.
Switching from artificial stimulants that exist in altered foods and drinks (read: Monster energy) to obtaining all natural energy from live fruit, minerals, vitamins and enzymes is a full-blown culture shock for my cells. I was slowly sampling juice blends from Robek's or Mother's as I would grocery shop, or replace a lunch or breakfast here and there with an all-fruit smoothie, but I started to wonder, how much good can those antioxidant and nutrient boosts do me if I am not 100% consistent?
I figured now is as good a time as any to jump into juicing - So I trekked to Costco and purchased our very first Home Juicer! (see below). B and I read all about it and watched the introductory video, and juiced our first oranges last night! Then I made my first juice cocktail with an apple, ginger root, an orange, and two carrots, poured over ice because I enjoy cold juice much more than room temp - it was fantastic. I am excited and hopeful for my body to start feeling the effects of juicing. And though 80% Raw is not exactly convenient or cheap to implement, I am giving it a shot. 80% raw means most food comes from pure organic raw ingredients, as you find them in nature, in their original state. (i.e. NON processed)
The other 20% comes from the occasional cooked Quinoa, meats such as chicken, turkey, steak and fish. I also spread Valencia Peanut Butter with Flax Seeds over sprouted grain bread (not gluten free, I will switch to Udi's when I run out of the Ezekiel bread in my fridge)...the point is, you have to make it work for you, but be honest with yourself and give it a good shot. I will be updating and reporting on how the progress is coming along!
