I’m busy, so I eat simple food most of the time.
This week, between phone calls, I cut open an avocado, filled it with leftover gigante beans (aren’t they gigantic!?), and a light olive oil vinaigrette.
Boom. Done.
Delicious.
(And YES, I ate both halves of the avocado filled with beans – I was HUNGRY!)
This is the kind of simple, delicious food I share with my Cravings Cure members – want to check it out?
I’m doing it.
I’m going sugar-free until Thanksgiving.
My body tells me every once in a while that it needs a break from the sweetness I’ve been enjoying.
Now it’s that time again!
Day 1 was fine:
Minor sweet cravings after lunch were easily handled with herbal tea “latte” made at home with unsweetened Almond Breeze Coconut-Almond milk.
Day 2 was annoying:
Got my period.
Just the time I allow myself to normally indulge in extra chocolate.
Day 3 was a little more inconvenient:
I got a cold!
My son is almost 6 years old and I get a few colds a year from just being a parent.
So normally I would have some raw honey in a cup of ginger tea, but instead I’m enjoying Yogi Tea blends that have some stevia leaf in them.
I stopped by one of my favorite local cafe’s, Sun in Bloom here in Brooklyn, and met up with Chef Aimee Follette to get inspired by her sugar-free journey. Here’s what Aimee and I share about going sugar free:
Super Size Me hit the food and health world upside the head 8 years ago – and my book The Great American Detox Diet explained how I healed Morgan’s body after his fast-food fiasco.
The book has been published in 4 languages and continues to inspire people around the world to choose foods that support and heal rather than destroy their bodies.
I’ve been really fortunate to get many chances to share this story and share my experience with detox with the world.
I’ll be shooting a segment for a TV show later this week, and one of the questions the producer wants me to answer is:
“WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DETOXING AND WHAT YOU HEAR AND READ ABOUT IT NOW?”
Here’s my answer:
A: Detoxing can be done “wrong” if people aren’t careful. The major pitfalls are that people think they can go from S.A.D to detox overnight, but that can bring on symptoms that are too strong and kick them back to the foods they were relying on like sugar and caffeine.
Another pitfall is relying on a service or product to do the work for you. There’s nothing wrong with done-for-you juice cleanses where organic juices are delivered to you for a week or more, but people end their juice cleanse or detox and then don’t have the skills to maintain the healthy juicing or program on their own.So you have to take responsibility and learn how to incorporate these detox tricks throughout your lifestyle.
Finally, many people go from junk food diet to detox and back to junk food diet again. The benefits won’t last if you go back to eating how you were before, so you have to look at the detox as a springboard to a higher level of living and eating.
If you’re curious about detoxing and changing the way you eat and feel…
You may be worried that you don’t know how to do it “right.”
That’s where I come in.
Learn about my 360 Life Detox group program, starting 9/20 here:
Here are some testimonials from my recent detox members:
“I have more energy, more energy, more energy! The energy part is huge. I use up a ton of emotional and physical energy in my job and rarely have anything left for myself. In the past few weeks, I’ve been getting up and going to the gym at 6am, something which would have really felt impossible before the program.
I’m feeling great in my body. I feel like weight has been lifted off my stomach and digestive system. Instead of that heavy and twisted up feeling, I feel lighter and stronger there.
I really didn’t know where to start changing my diet. I love that through this program, you walk us through those beginning steps. I needed that help.” ~
Melissa, Lima, Peru
“I feel happier, less anxious, more confident, and at peace in my relationship with food.
I am really grateful for this simple, affordable program. I think everyone on the planet could benefit from the lessons, distinctions, and suggestions you gave us. I also appreciate that you acknowledged the emotional and spiritual side of making healthy changes related to food. I highly recommend you as a 1-1 coach and teleclass teacher. Thank You!” ~
CB, New York City
Learn more or sign up for the 360 Life Detox here – only 19 spots are left open:
Oh! It’s 1 o’clock, I’m hungry, and I need to keep my energy up to tackle my to-do list!
Most of my clients and Reboot & Refresh members are super busy, mostly moms with a ton on their plates, and they want healthy recipes that give them energy while being easy and delicious. That’s my speciality!
I’ve created the perfect lunch that’s filled with foods for energy, takes 5 minutes to make, and helps keep my tummy in a happy state (read: no gluten bloating, protein rich, and filled with gut-supportive greens):
Ingredients:
2 big collard leaves
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons olive paste (or chopped kalamata olives)
2 tablespoons raw sauerkraut
2 teaspoons hemp seed oil
Directions:
Wash and dry the collard leaves. Remove the thick stem sticking out below the leaf.
With the shiny, “front side” of the leaf facing up, spread half the hummus on the center of each leaf.
Top with the remaining ingredients and wrap, burrito style.
Serve and eat raw ~
If you saw my natural energy drink “Chia Fresca” recipe video, you’ll know I’ve been lovin’ my Chia Seeds for a while now.
Used for centuries by native Central Americans, Chia seeds were considered a powerful energy food and provide excellent nutrition.
Filled with detox-supportive fiber, chia seeds, which look like little grey, tan or black poppy seeds, provide the best plant source of those fabulous Omega-3s that protect your heart,brain, skin and joint health.
Plus, all that fiber is GREAT for diabetics who need to stabilize their blood sugar and lose weight. Do you think Paula Deen knows about chia seeds? If you know her, send her this recipe – I’d love to be on her show!
(*The extra cinnamon in this recipe helps balance blood sugar levels even more – one of those super ingredients diabetics and border-line diabetics should be using!)
Soak these seeds in liquid for 15+ minutes, and they begin to gel and soften, providing an excellent slow-moving fiber and protein, which helps you feel full and reduces appetite.
Chia also contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, antioxidants, niacin, and zinc.
Now you can enjoy these ancient seeds as a delicious dessert any time - and this recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make!
Chia Seed Pudding with Coconut & Vanilla
2 cups coconut, rice, or hemp milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup
pinch sea salt
¼ cup chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
- Heat the milk over medium in a small saucepan.
- Whisk in the vanilla, brown rice syrup and sea salt.
- Once the milk is almost to a simmer, whisk in the chia seeds and cinnamon. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes, or until the mixture gels up to a tapioca consistency.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool in the refrigerator. Serves 2-3.
According to the Five Element system, autumn is the season of the Metal element, governed by the lungs and large intestine. This sets up the conditions for flu or head cold, which comes from your body trying to expel excess mucus, toxins, and inferior fats.
Foods with a sour taste help with this detoxification process, and can be included daily as we enter into autumn. These foods include unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, lemons, limes, grapes, raw sauerkraut and pickles, and whole grain sourdough breads.
Pungent foods such as spices, ginger, and black pepper support the Metal element. These stimulate the digestion and help with the assimilation of food. Include pungent taste with seasonal fall foods such as apples, grapes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, grapes, kale, pears, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, and yams.
This soup has a lot of great autumn ingredients and will help keep your body strong and centered throughout the season:
4 cups water or low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
1 small sweet potato, peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 bunch fresh kale, washed and stems removed
1 teaspoon Mellow white miso, per cup
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Directions:
1. In a saucepan combine the water/broth, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop the kale into bite size pieces and add to the soup.
4. Cook until tender, another 8 minutes.
5. Dissolve a teaspoon of light miso in a bowl with a small amount of broth.
6. Ladle in the soup and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Yield: 6 servings
I just got home from Rochester, New York where I gave a cooking demonstration at the Greentopia Festival.
The festival was a smash hit, and the cooking demo was geared
towards families who want to improve their nutrition with healthy, local ingredients.
Thanks to Rochester’s Child Care Council for co-sponsoring the event, and providing excellent green resources to local families.
Alexandra Jamieson and members of Rochester's Child Care Council at Greentopia
The demo was great, and I wanted to share the plant-protein rich recipes here:
*Download the recipes here: Powerful Plant-Protein Dishes for Healthy Minded Parents
By the way, next time you’re in Rochester, take a yoga class at Open Sky, grab a delicious vegan lunch or dinner at Natural Oasis, and get some snacks at Abundance natural foods co-op!
This mildly seasoned sauce is popular with kids and adults. The garbanzo flour adds great protein, and the sauce is hiding a couple of powerful, and yummy, vegetables. It’s great on noodles, as seen here, potatoes, poured over steamed broccoli or mixed into grains or beans.
I used Eden’s Kamut Elbows, as they have a nice nutty flavor and add some great grain protein. If your family is gluten free, just use any of the amazing gluten-free elbows or noodles made by Tinkyada!
Yield: 3 cups
½ cup chopped carrots, sweet potato or winter squash
1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
2 ¼ cups plain unsweetened soy, rice, hemp or almond milk
¾ cup nutritional yeast flakes
¼ cup garbanzo bean flour
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 teaspoons white or yellow miso paste
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
Eden's Kamut Elbows are a great source of flavor and plant-based protein
Healthy meals can be simple, quick and filling – here’s a 2 minute recipe great for a girl (or guy) on the go:
2 romaine lettuce leaves
1 avocado, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
¼ cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup sliced olives (I like the greek or italian ones, pitted of course)
¼ cup fresh sprouts
drizzle of olive oil and ½ lime
Directions:
Lay romaine leaves on a plate. Add avocado, cucumbers, hemp seeds, carrots, olives and sprouts to a bowl. Drizzle oil and lime juice over the veggies and mix thoroughly. Place veggie mixture inside the romaine leaves and serve.
Mac and Cheeze Surprise Sauce
