10 Important Things to Know About Sugar! And a Sugar-Free Libido-Boosting, Chocolate-Tonic-Latte Recipes.
How would you feel having all the energy you need? - in the body you want? The, when-you-close-your-eyes body, it’s what you see because you know it’s meant to be yours. The body you maybe once had? The body that is you, you, you!
Food is the universal intersection for all human beings. Real Food; meaning plant food is the entry point for transformation. A plant-based, whole food way of life is not the destination, but the gateway to cutting a clear path to personal growth, self-awareness, self-confidence, self honor, self respect, and self-love. Changing my lifestyle to a plant based, whole food diet was the journey to becoming my healthiest self. Plant food was the starting point, finally, living up my potential.
One of the most important things I did was giving up refined sugar.
Here are 10 things you should know about sugar.
Sugar and refined carbs feed your fat cels.
Our body cannot burn it’s own body fat for energy when we eat sugar or simple carbs. The body is unable to use any excess body fat stored in our belly (that’s me) or thighs, as energy. The body will only use the energy from outside sources of sugar and simple carbs and we will never burn the stored body fat. Period. Our stored body fat is like rocket fuel waiting to be used, so if you quit sugar and bready things ( My weakness is bready things) and you body will jump into action burning all your excess body fat.Fat cells, themselves, crave sugar.
This explains why people with larger amounts of body fat often experience stronger sugar cravings than those with less body fat. The more body fat, the stronger the cravings. Fat cells want to be fed sugar and our human willpower is not enough to control the craving from our addicted fat cells. Giving in to sugar cravings is not your fault. You’re not weak. Sugar addiction is real. Like any other addiction. It takes about 3 months to fully get beyond the cravings. it’s truly one day at a time.How to stop sugar cravings.
Letting your body feed on it’s own stored body fat for energy is the best way to conquer sugar cravings by swapping for healthy organic lean proteins and good fats; like legumes, veggies and fruits.Sugar is false energy.
Yes, we get a sugar rush, but we crash so quickly and need to find more energy again and more sugar is usually the first thing we grab. Then it’s a roller coaster ride. A day that begins with sugar will keep you addicted all day long.Sugar causes inflammation in the body.
And Inflammation causes obesity, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and most age related diseases. It’s a fact.Sugar makes us hungier.
It’s not the amount of calories that we eat that determines our body weight.
It’s the type of calories. The calories from sugar and carbs which turn into sugar make us gain body fat and we keep the fat if we continue to consume sugar and carbs, unless you’re an ultra athlete and can burn an unusually high amount of energy.Sugar zaps our energy.
If you want to perform better at work and have the energy to make a healthy dinner for your family, go to the gym, be sociable in the evening, or go on date; quit sugar. It takes real energy to be a good parent or be present in a relationship, let alone feel beautiful and sexy. Ultimately, sugar makes us fatigued, depressed, and grouchy.The cycle of the sugar-rush and sugar-crash puts us in reactive mode.
The sugar roller coaster puts stress on the body creating exhaustion. Exhaustion can makes us lack focus and patience. And the lethargy created by the sugar crash robs us of the ability to be in the present moment and enjoy the simple things because we’re distracted by not feeling well. Sugar robs us of our core strength. The only way to get ahead of this cycle is to eliminate your unhealthy addiction to sugar.It gets easier.
As we reduce our belly fat, the sugar cravings loosen the grip so it becomes much easier to avoid sugar as we lose the fat. You will notice the body burning fat quite quickly with the absence of sugar..
So, try to eliminate sugar and simple carbs 90% of the time. That way your head’s not thinking about whether you’re going to eat a cookie at 4pm, because you’re not, because you don’t eat sugar. It’s simple. Instead when you’re craving sugar, choose a healthy protein, good carb or a healthy fat.
What should we eat when sugar cravings kick in? Grab a high quality organic protein like a lentil salad or bean soup and healthy good fats like half an avocado with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt. Snack on a handful of sprouted nuts and seeds, an organic egg, crudite’ with avocado mash or hummus, or plant based non diary yogurt ( 4 grams sugar or less) with blueberries. And if you eat animal protein, go for sushi or sashimi, a piece of wild caught salmon.
All that said, we’re human and we should all feel empowered to “be bad” on ocassion and eat whatever sugary-carb thing we desire. Just do so knowing it’s a slipper slope to being sugar and carb addicted for a few days. And then, when we don’t feel light and happy anymore, we just pick ourslves up and get back to the low-sugar way of life because we know how good that feels! And once you know what you know, who wants to go back to being sick and tired, of feeling sick and tired.
Here’s my secret (until now) recipe for my Libido boosting, sugar-free latte tonic. It’s a delicious chocolate-y latte that will give your energy and libido a boost for hours.
MIX THESE POWDERS
2 Tbs cacao powder
3 Tbs powdered coconut milk
1/2 tsp maca powder
1/2 tsp macuna powder
1/4 tsp wild vanilla powder
1/2 tsp chaga powder
1/2 tsp shatavari powder
1 tsp monkfruit sweetener
1/4 tsp stevia powder
STIR IN 1 CUP VERY WARM WATER. (BUT NOT BOILING)
STIR UNTIL DISSOLVED.
DRINK & ENJOY
Why I Launched a New Website with a New Name and New Look.
Plus, My Newest Recipe for Oatmeal Cookie-Blueberry Muffins.
I’m super excited to launch my new website with a new look and a new name; nicollekate.com
BLOG PAGE
This new website focuses on my 3 synergistic passions. Health coaching,, home styling, and wardrobe editing. This site is more informational, more colorful, and easier to navigate. I”ll also have more services for a total Inside-Out lifestyle approach. And hopefully some new products in the near future. PLUS, you’ll get my recipe / health coaching E-book FREE for signing up to the blog/newsletter. So enjoy the free ebook and monthly recipe / wellness blogs. Go check it out.
Oatmeal Raisin - Blueberry Muffins
My Favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin and my favorite muffin is blueberry so why not combine these two flavorful lovelies into one amazing bite? Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s old school; doesn’t require any kitchen electrical appliances - just one large bowl, one fork and one spoon. That’s easy clean up!
Oatmeal Cookie-Blueberry Muffins
Wet Ingeredients:
1 banana, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C maple syrup
1 C almond milk
PROCESS:
1. In a large bowl use a fork to mash the banana and use a spoon to mix all wet ingredients until smooth.
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 C gluten free oats or steel cut oats
1/4 C almond meal or almomd flour
1/4 C flax seeds
1/4 C chia seeds
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/4 C coconut flakes
2 Tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2-3/4 C golden raisins
1/2 -3/4 C currents
2 figs, chopped
Enough almond butter to put a 1/2 teaspoon in the middle of each muffin - see directions below
1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries
PROCESS:
1. With a spoon slowly stir all dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients.
2. After incorporated, taste the batter for spice level.
3. Spray a muffin tin with coconut oil spray.
4. Spoon in the batter 1/2 way up each muffin cup.
5. Spoon in about one tsp of almond butter in each muffin.
6. Drop a few blue berries in each muffin.
7. Cover each muffin with the remaining batter.
8. Top with 4-5 blueberries and press the berries down a little so they stay put in the muffin.
** The batter will not be super firm and these muffins will not rise much.
**This is an easy recipe to adjust so get creative and add nuts, or other spices and other dried or fresh fruit to taste.
These muffins freeze well and defrost in minutes.
Enjoy and take care out there! xxnk
10 Foods for Healthy Cells: Why You Should Know which Foods Provide healthy Information on a cellular level
Why should I choose a 100 calorie organic apple instead of a package of 100 calorie Oreo cookie bites? Food is information and function for our cells. The science of epigenetics shows that different types of calories behave differently inside the body. Food is the information that tells our cells how they should be expressed. The apple communicates a message to our cells to have healthy function, while the Oreo cookies tells our cells to get sick.
Food communicates on a cellular level and our bodies take that information and behave accordingly. So no matter what genes we’re born with we can take steps to control our gene expression.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2861525/) (http://drlwilson.com/Articles/METHYLATION.htm)
10 Foods to Eat for Healthy Cells
Beets
Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens)
Good fats (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil)
Wild caught salmon
Seeds and Nuts
Cruciferous vegetables (brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower)
Berries (blueberries, goji berries, mulberries, raspberries)
Beans (black, kidney, white)
Mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, maitake, chaga, reishi)
Seaweed (nori, arame, kombu)
Beet, kidney bean and mushroom burger, on a lettuce bun, topped with a piece of eggplant bacon, pickles, tomato, and avocado.
Here’s an un-beet-able recipe that contains some of the most nutritionally dense foods; beets, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, spinach and red beans. Beets are loaded with vitamins and minerals, benefitting the heart, blood, bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas to name a few. Mushrooms have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and promote immune system function. Kidney beans are high in fiber, calcium, iron, and a great source of protein.
Beet & Bean Burgers
Cooked on the stove top.! Now for the creative part. Add a bun, go bunny-style or totally bun-less. Then add all the toppings you love!
These beet burgers are as satisfying as meat burgers! Give this recipe a try because it’s nutritiously delicious, and if you do, you’re going to make yourself and three other people very happy! Yields 4 burgers.
Ingredients
1 large red beet, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C portobello or crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 C broccoli, rough chopped
12 C carrot, rough chopped
½ C baby spinach leaves
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp chia seed flour
½ tsp. salt and pepper, each
1 Tbs. dried mixed Italian herbs or a small handful of minced fresh herbs of your choice.
Red or spiral beets are good for this recipe.
Process
Place chia seeds in a coffee bean grinder or blender. Blend until seeds become a fine powder.
Mix chopped beets in the food processor until the beets break down into the size of rice.
Remove beets from the food processor and measure 1 cup of beet-rice.
Add the 1 cup of beet rice back into the food processor. Add the kidney beans, mushrooms, broccoli, carrot, and spinach to the food processor. Pulse on and off until all inredients are well combined but still rice like, not baby food smooth.
Remove the burger mixture and place it into a laarge bowl. Add chia flour and mix with a large spoon until incorporated. Sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper to taste. and gently mix again.
Divide the mixture into four large beet-balls. Form burgers by pressingdown on the balls gently by hand.
Place burgers in a non stick pan.
Over med-high heat, brown the burgers for about 7 minutes per side or until they firm up. Then lower heat to medium-low and let cook through for another 10 minutes.
Serve on iceberg lettuce (bun-ny style) toppeed with tomato and avocado.
Place chopped beets, like these, in food processor and mix until the beets are the size of rice. Then remove from processor and measure 1 cup.
Rough chop veggies and add to food processor.
Add black beans to the vegetables in food processor and mix well.
Add beet-"rice into processed mixture and pulse to combine beets. This is what the mixture should look like after it's been processed.
Form the mixture into four patties. Now, they're ready to cook.
Find Out Which High Glycemic Foods to Avoid and Which Low Glycemic Foods to Add In
When They Go High, We Go Low.
Have you ever gone from one sugar rush to another carb high to keep your blood sugar from crashing? When I worked in the retail fashion biz, bagels were a staple at morning meetings. I thought it was ok to dive into a big, plump, vegan pumpernickel bagel from time to time. But I quickly learned that starting my day with a high glycemic index (GI) food like a bagel, spiked my blood sugar up, only to crash just as quickly, leaving me needing more sugar. The high glycemic start to my day was a slippery slope to a high GI food addiction for the rest of the day.
The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100. Foods with a high GI number (over 60 out of 100) are those foods which are rapidly digested and result in higher blood sugar spikes. Low GI foods (under 50 out of 100) are more slowly digested and absorbed, resulting in gradual rises in blood sugar. Low Glycemic foods have proven health benefits such as maintaining optimal body weight because they help control appetite and delay hunger.
Swap these high glycemic foods for Low glycemic foods!
HIGH GI FOODS
Bagel (72)
White Potatoes(85)
Cookies (79)
Doughnuts (75)
French Bread (95)
Pretzels (81)
Chips (72)
White Rice (72)
Graham Crackers (74)
Fruit Roll Ups (99)
LOW GI FOODS
Cashews (22)
Apple (36)
Peanuts (15)
Grapefruit (25)
Sweet Potatoes (54)
Black Beans (30)
Green Vegetables (15)
Lentils (28)
Hummus (6)
Avocado (15)
It’s important to learn which foods are going to keep your blood sugar stable and which ones will send you on a blood-sugar-roller-coaster-ride. Take a glance at 10 popular high GI foods and which low GI foods make good substitutions.
Seed Crackers. These crackers are great atop soup or with any spread you can think up. I love to spread raw organic almond butter and chia raspberry jam on top.
Seeded crackers with avocado spread.
Enjoy this low carb recipe that's easy and nutritious. I love these crackers because they're easy to make, high in protein, and a great substitute for high GI bread.
Avocado Spread on Seed Crackers
Ingredients
1 avocado, mashed with a fork
Pinch salt and pepper
10 Seed Crackers
½ C pumpkin seeds
¼ C sunflower seeds
¼ C chia seeds
¼ C flax seed
¼ C black or white sesame seeds
¼ C hemp seeds
¼ C fennel seeds
¼ C poppy seeds
¼ C caraway seeds
¼ C sesame seeds
¼ tsp. Salt
¾ C filtered water
Avocado Cracker Toppings
Sliced radishes and sprouts.
Sliced almonds and cranberries.
Grated cabbage and carrot slaw.
Process
Combine all cracker ingredients in a bowl and allow to soak for one hour.
Spread the seed mixture evenly on a non stick baking sheet to about 1/8 in thick
If the mixture is spread to 1/4 inch thick, it will be softer, like bread.
Use a knife to perforate into crackers-size rectangles.
Line a baking tray with parchment and spray parchment with coconut oil or grapeseed oil spray
Bake at 375 degrees for 60 mins, but remove from oven after 30 minutes and gently turn each crackers over and bake another 30 minutes. (I use a spatula to turn them) The crackers should be crispy on both sides.
Scoop out avocado meat into a bowl, mash with a fork, and season with salt and pepper.
Spread mashed avocado onto cooled crackers and top with suggested toppings or toppings of your choice.
My other favorite topping is organic raw almond butter with raspberry fruit spread (jam) and another cracker on top. Yum!
One Healthy Smoothie Recipe with the Flavors of a Traditional Thanksgiving Dessert
This smoothie tastes like pumpkin pie, apple pie and cranberry-orange sauce all rolled into one. Thanksgiving breakfast may never be the same again after you make this delicious smoothie! It’s a rich blend of apple, fresh cranberry, and pumpkin flavors all infused with pumpkin-pie spices for a party in your mouth. The surprise is that there is no pumpkin in it. The carrots are the substitue for the pumpkin. It makes me happy just writing about this recipe because I can’t get enough of these flavors this time of year. I promise, it’s worthwhile to make this recipe for yourself or share it with your family. Start a new Thanksgiving tradition with this epic smoothie.
Organic ingredients are always best for the Cranberry, Pumpkin & Apple Smoothie.
Cranberry, Pumpkin & Apple Smoothie
Makes 1 large or 2 small portions
Ingredients
2 C organic fresh cranberries
3 large organic carrots
1/2 organic honey crisp apple
1 banana, frozen
1 Tbs hemp seeds
3 Tbs. carrot pulp, from the juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Medjool dates
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
5 ice cubes
Process
Juice the cranberries and carrots in a juicer.
Place juice at the bottom of a high speed blender, like a Vitamin.
Take 3 tablespoons of the carrot pulp and add to blender.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender.
Blend on low speed at first until the ingredients are incorporated and then on high speed for a smooth texture.
Get in the healthy holiday mood.
Top The Carrot, Cranberry, Apple "Pumpkin Pie" Smoothie with pumpkin pie spice and hemp seeds.
Raw Vegan Green Ice Cream with Tonic Herbs and Superfoods
At mid-life, what I need to receive more than anything, is nutritionally dense food. I'm conscious to make every calorie deliver a powerful superfood punch. This tonic herb ice cream is a delicious and creamy delivery-vehicle for kale, spinach, broccoli, blue-green algae and spirulina. These green superfoods contain protein, calcium, chlorophyll, enzymes, omega 3's and a host of vitamins and minerals to cleanse, energize, and combat fatigue. The tonic herbs' bitter flavors are disguised in this sweet delicious ice cream.
I make tonic teas and tonic smoothies daily to help me to adapt to life's daily stresses. They help me look and feel younger. My goal is to fuel my body like an athlete to help me race through busy days. This should probably be called super energy ice cream. I just call it super delicious.
Superfood Green Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
Liquid Base
1 C any flavor kombucha or coconut water
Core
2 C ice
1 tsp. coconut oil, melted to liquid
1 tsp. spirulina
1 E3-Live (blue green algae) ice cube*
2 C spinach
1 C kale
¼ C broccoli
½ - 1 frozen banana, sliced
2 C frozen mango, sliced
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp.. cinnamon
1/2 -1 full dropper butterscotch stevia
Pinch Salt
Tonic Herbs Add-Ins
1 dropper "Dragon Herbs" Astragalus
1 dropper "Dragon Herbs" Wild Reishi Mushroom
1 dropper "Dragon Herbs" Schizandra-Goji tincture
2 Tbs."Dragon Herbs" Tonic Alchemy powder
1 Tbs "Dragon Herbs", Brazilian magic powder
Garnish Ingredients
Handful of goji berries, white mulberries, sprinkle of bee pollen or hemp seeds.
Proces
Kale, spinach, broccoli, blue-green algae and spirulina are the super foods that make this delicious green ice cream. The Vitamix blender is the best tool to make this green ice cream smooth and creamy!
The only difference between an ice cream and a smoothie is the amount of frozen component (ice) that goes in the blender. Any soothie can become a ice cream for a smoothie bowl. A Vitamix blender is necessary for this type of ice cream because it's essential to tamper the ice cream constantly while it's blending.
Blend the ingredients slowly to incorporate, then gradually increase the blender speed to finish on high speed.
Continuously plunge the tamper with quick firm motions until the ice cream becomes thick and creamy. Scoop into a bowl or glass halfway, sprinkle with a handful of goji berries, scoop remainder to the top. Sprinkle with bee pollen, goji berries, dried white mulberries or langon berries.
Notes
I like to use kombucha as a base to my Juice Bar recipes. Save money and make your own kombucha at home! I show you how to make easy and delicious, homemade kombucha in the e-books. Get the best kombucha recipe in Book 3.
E3-Live blue green algea liquid comes frozen at whole foods. Defrost frozen E3-Live liquid and pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Use 1 cube per smoothie or ice cream. See below to shop this recipe.
Shop the Recipe
HERBS: An amazing resource for high quality, pure and ethically-sourced herbs that I love is www.dragonherbs.com.
ALGEA: This is the premier source of blue green algea (E3LIVE) from Lake Klamath in Oregon. I like to support American resources because it has a lower carbon footprint.
Goji berries make a healthy chewy topping on the green superfood ice cream.
Eggplant is the New Bacon! Try This Delicious Eggplant, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich
Are you a bacon and egg fan? This bac-un recipe is a staple for plant-based eating because it satisfies the hankering for those chewy-crispy-smoky strips of deliciousness. This bac-un makes an epic ELT sandwich. And what's a (tofu) scramble without strips of bac-un alongside? It's hard to imagine a healthy bacon... until now.
I recently moved to New York from LA. My love lives near the big apple and it was time for us to be under one roof and further the strong foundation we built for a lifetime together.
I embarked on my journey out east with the fullest commitment and enthusiasm. I feel fortunate to get the chance to experience life on each coast and discover the best of what each lifestyle has to offer.
I just paid a visit to my beloved Los Angeles for the first time since my move. I spent time at many of my favorite old haunts. It’s comforting to find that nothing much has changed. The ocean is still as powerful. My friends’ are just as loving. My favorite food is delicious and readily available. The beauty of California still draws me close, in it's mesmerizing way.
When I lived in LA, I spent a lot of time developing raw and vegan recipes. One of the recipes I tested was a hearty and delicious eggplant bac-un. This bac-un is so unbelievably crispy, smoky and bacon-like, that I have never missed the animal version.
I made it again recently in New York as I was feeling the fall weather approaching. It was comforting to make something warm and satisfying that reminded me of my old LA life. This recipe is a staple for plant-based eating because it satisfies the hankering for a hearty sandwich. This bac-un makes an epic ELT sandwich! And what's a (tofu) scramble without strips of chewy-salty-smokiness alongside? It’s definitely the kind of comfort food that makes me feel at home anywhere.
Eggplant Bac-un
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
Sea salt
Marinade
4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour, drained, and finely chopped
½ C sun dried tomato water
½ C maple syrup
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs tamari or coconut aminos
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
Process
Slice the eggplant in ¼ inch thin slices using a mandolin. Do not use the outer pieces that are mostly skin.
Line two cookie sheet trays with parchment paper.
Place each piece of sliced eggplant on the tray. Do not overlap slices.
Sprinkle each slice generously with sea salt.
Let the salted eggplant slices rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
After 2 hours of the salted eggplant resting, liquid will be released.
In a blender, combine all marinade ingredients and set aside.
Over a large bowl, brush off any excess salt and squeeze each piece of eggplant to wring out all the remaining liquid.
Place the squeezed eggplant pieces on a baking dish with 2 inch sides or a large bowl.
Pour the marinade over the squeezed, dry, eggplant pieces.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Lay each piece of marinated eggplant on either a teflex sheet and dehydrating for 24 hours at 115 degrees OR lay each piece of marinated eggplanton 2 large baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning after the first 15 minutes. Make sure the bac-un is crispy enough to your liking.
For the ELT sandwich I used my almond/hazelnut meal bread (recipe on my next blog coming soon), veganaise, lettuce and tomato.
One Ingredient that Makes a Whole Delicious Salad
The beauty of beets is that the roots and shoots are all you need to make an amazingly delicious and nutritious colorful bountiful salad. How many one ingredient meals can you thinks of?
I was the beneficiary of a huge bagful of beautiful red beets from a friend’s organic garden. The beetroot plant is so abundant that I wanted to use every part of the plant including the greens. I decided to use the big leafy beet greens as the salad base instead of other lettuce for a yummy and nutritious twist. Beet greens are the leafy foliage that grows just above the beetroot and they’re not just edible, they’re delicious and really good for you.
Beetroot boasts so many health benefits. The red color of beets are called betalain pigments and the pigment is the most nutritious part of the vegetable. Betanin provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. Beets also benefit our heart and blood health and are also an excellent source of folate, manganese, potassium, copper. magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6. Beet greens are dense in vitamins C, A and E.
Beets are wonderful roasted for a sweet, caramelized flavor or eaten raw, for a fresh, crunchy bite. Beet greens can be enjoyed raw or cooked too. However just know that the longer vegetables cook, the more the nutrients diminish.
Beet Salad
Beets fresh from the garden
Salad Ingredients
1 red beet with leaves attached
1 golden beet with leaves attached
1 red and white striped beet with leaves attached
Sprinkle of hemp seeds
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Mustard Vinaigrette
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp. dried Italian herb mix
Salt & pepper to taste
You never quite know which beets are which until you slice them open. these beets still need to be peeled and washed.
Process
Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together until emulsified and set aside.
Cut the beet leaves off the root at the base of the root
Choose the best looking beet leaves, wash well and set aside to dry.
Peel and wash the beets.
Cut the red and yellow beets in medium sized cubes.
Place cubed beets on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast cubed beets in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until tender.
With a mandoline or sharp knife, slice red and white spiral beet in very thin slices.
Cut pinwheels in half.
Assembly
Cut or break leaves in small bite size pieces.
Toss leaves with vinaigrette in a large bowl and adjust seasoning to taste.
Add cooled roasted beets and raw pinwheel beets in the salad.
Sprinkle with hemp seeds.
3 Laborless Salads that Leave You with Free Time for Your Labor Day Festivities!
Want three new quick and delicious salad ideas? Here are three that are undeniably EASY. The secret to making it quick is using very few, but quality organic ingredients to let the flavor of local and seasonal vegetables shine through!
I love this time of year. It's still warm and sunny without the humidity, but I'm savoring what I know, are the last bastions of summer. The farm stands are over flowing with so many colorful vegetables. The bright local and seasonal produce easily led to these salads for my labor day family barbecue. Here are the three super easy, super fresh and delicious salads that I made yesterday to share with you for your labor day, or any day, without the labor!
So by the way, what’s the big deal with heirloom vegetables?
Heirloom seeds are "pure bred" seeds unlike the seeds of hybridized plants. Heirloom produce is more flavorful, sweet, nutritious, and colorful. Not only do these original seeds cost less that hybrid seeds, but they are not genetically engineered, and you can save your own seeds from year to year. That’s the deal.
Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad
Mise en Place of Heirloom Tomatoes and Watermelon
Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
1 red, yellow & orange heirloom tomatoes, each
1 C watermelon, cubed
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbs minced fresh basil
Salt & pepper
Process
Cut tomatoes in wedges, and then in half again.
Add cubed watermelon.
squeeze lime juice on top.
Toss gently with fresh basil.
Season with salt & pepper and serve.
Organic Sweet Corn & Avocado Salad
Mise en Place of Corn and Avocado
Organic Sweet Corn and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
2 ears of organic corn
1 avocado, cubed
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint leaves
Process
Cut corn kernals off the cob.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and squeeze lime on top.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Heirloom Cauliflower Rice & Pea Salad
Mise en Place of Heirloom Cauliflower and Peas
Heirloom Cauliflower Rice and Pea Salad
Ingredients
1/2 head heirloom cauliflower, can mix two or three different color cauliflowers for a confetti effect.
1 C peas, fresh or frozen
5 sundried tomaotes, chopped
2 Tbs hemp seeds
1/2 lemon
1/2 lime
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp dried italian herbs
Large pinch salt & pepper
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
1 drizzle white truffle oil
Process
In a food processor, blend the cauliflower until it's the size of rice.
In a large bowl add riced cauliflower, peas, hemp seeds and chopped sundried tomatoes.
Add lemon & lime juice, coconut oil, spices, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste.
Drizle with white truffle oil over the top
Taste and season to your preference and serve.
PS: For more recipes like these sign up for my blog and check out my recipe and nutrition guide eBooks on my shop page!
Happy Labor Day and thanks for joining the Rawception!
xx nk
Use nutrition as ammunition against obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimers
How would you feel if your life was in balance and you felt energy and aliveness every day? Nutrition plays a major role in balancing energy, weight, and wellbeing. Nutrition is the medicine we need to protect against physical and emotional imbalance, fatigue and all age related diseases. Nutrition is the ammunition we need for sustained peek health and longevity.
I’m so excited that the third in my Energy Diet eBook series is available on my website.
Module 3 incorporates the nutrition of super herbs to boost energy, achieve balance, elevate immunity against disease and alleviate stress and achieve your health and life goals.
Chinese tonic herbalism has been a natural modality of health and healing for more than two thousand years in many regions of the world to increase your ability to handle stress and to adapt to all the changes taking place around you.
Module 3 explains the known benefits of the top 10 super herbs such as, ginseng, astragalus, chaga mushroom, shizandra berry and more. Some of these tonic healing herbs have been incorporated in the 10 quick and delicious recipes provided.
The top 10 super herbs described in the Energy Diet: Modlue 3, contain anti-aging characteristics, help balance our emotional and psychic energy, provide profound health-promoting actions, have no negative side-effects and must aid in the attainment of a long life.
Here’s a sample of a recipe included in Module 3. Module 3 can be used in combination with the information and recipes from the Energy Diet Module 1and Module 2.
All super herbs can be purchased online at www.dragonherbs.com and www.longevitywarehouse.com
Matcha Latte Tonic
1/1/2 C. warm spring water
1 Tbsp. organic matcha powder
2 Tbsp raw shelled hemp seeds
Tonic herbs
½ dropper. he shou wu powder
½ dropper astragalus root.
½ dropper duanwood reishi
½ dropper marine phytoplankton
½ dropper immunity mushroom
2 tsp. honey or 1/2 dropper butterscotch stevia
Super Foods
1 Tbsp. vita-mineral green powder
1 Tsp. maca
1 Tsp. lucuma
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
Process
Place all ingredients in a blender in order of appearance and process on low speed until everything is integrated. Then process high speed two or three minutes until hemp seeds are milky and foamy! Enjoy and feel the energy!
Join the Rawception and be your healthiest you!
XX NK
Hit the Pause Button on Aging: Book 2 of the Rawception Energy Recipe Series
Would you like to turn back the clock on your biological age? Adding in super foods will super charge your immunity and boost your energy providing you with the health and stamina to achieve your goals and dreams.
Superfoods are nutritionally dense plant foods, such as goji berries, acai, cacao (raw chocolate), maca, spirulina, bee products, and more. As powerful sources of clean protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, good fats and oils, essential fatty and amino acids, and other nutrients, superfoods represent a uniquely promising piece of the nutritional puzzle.
The second in the Energy Diet series, Module 2 provides profiles of each superfood in detail, accompanied by 10 easy and delicious recipes. This accessible guide and easy to follow 7-day diet plan highlights the pivotal role of superfoods in promoting energy production, nutritional excellence, health, and beauty enhancement.
I’m so excited to share The Energy Diet: Module 2 with you. Module 2 is now available on the Raweception website. It will transform your skin, mood and weight, while you build the momentum of lasting energy and health. Module 2 will guide you to generate your core energy, balance your weight, alleviate stress, elevate mood and create confidence to become your best you!
Here’s a sample of a recipe from Module 2 of the Energy Diet series. Enjoy these delicious nutritious superfood bars.
Super Squares
Super food bars with goji berries and cacao drizzle.
Ingredients
¾ C. date paste
2 Tbsp agave (optional)
--------
1 ¼ C. almond meal
1 C. cashew meal
¼ C. hemp seeds
1/8 C. chia seeds
¼ C. pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. coconut butter
1 Tbsp. maca powder
1 Tbsp. lucuma powder
1 Tbsp. mesquite powder
¼ C. goji berries
¼ C. golden berries
¼ C. dried mulberries
¼ C. cacao nibs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Chocolate Syrup
¼ C. Cacao powder
2 Tbsp. date syrup, maple syrup or agave
1 Tbsp. coconut oil melted
Process
1. Mix all chocolate syrup ingredients in a vitamin. Set aside.
2. Add 1 C. dates and 1/3 C. water in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Add extra sweetener of choice if desired. Set aside.
3. Process raw almonds and raw cashews (separately) into a flour consistency, but stop before the oils break down into butter.
4. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add date paste mixture and combine by hand.
5. Spread onto a teflex sheet and dehydrate for 6-8 hours.
6. Remove and cut into squares. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and dehydrate another 24 hours.
7. Or for a cooked version, bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Let cool and drizzle with chocolate syrup and refrigerate.
8. These stay fresh in the fridge for a couple weeks!
Eat well and be your healthiest you!
Xx Nicolle
Why is a Fermented Sauerkraut, Pickle, & Mustard Veggie Wrap So Good For My Digestion?
Fermented foods are very beneficial to our gut and digestion. The process of fermentation preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.
Pickle, sauerkraut and mustard are all fermented and fortunately in my quest to eat more food with probiotics I get to enjoy the things I actually love most about Jewish deli sandwiches; the sauerkraut, pickles and mustard. So I regularly incorporate these three of my favorite things into delicious healthy wraps with whatever fresh veggies I have in the fridge. It tastes just like a deli sandwich even sans the bread, brisket and cheese! Give it a try. It's like a healthy trip to the deli.
In my quest to eat more fermented food to improve my digestion, I hark back to my upbringing and my passion for Jewish deli food. I love everything about Jewish deli sandwiches loaded with sauerkraut, pickles and mustard. Only now, it’s sans the bread, brisket and cheese, leaving the most flavorful and healthy parts; the sauerkraut, pickles and mustard! So I regularly incorporate these three of my favorite things into delicious healthy wraps with whatever fresh veggies I have in the fridge. When I eat this wrap I’m transported back to Katz’s deli in lower Manhattan surrounded by my siblings, parents and grandparents. Happy memories!
Ingredients
2 gluten free rice flour wrap, raw coconut wrappers or collard green leaves.
1 C sauerkraut
2 Tbs. brown mustard
2 dill pickles, julienned
¼ C jicama, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
½ C enoki mushrooms
Handful of green leafy lettuce of choice
Process
Spread mustard on entire bottom of wrap.
Layer all ingredients, but not too much or the wrap will break.
Fold end in and roll.
Add extra mustard as glue the wrap shut.
Slice in half diagonally.
The 12 most mind-bending, life-altering, eye-opening, podcasts I’ve listened to, Plus a recipe for Blue Majik & Blueberry Smoothie
After 57 years on this planet, I thought I knew a thing or two, but my mind has expanded so much from listening to these pods. I love Albert Einstein’s famous quote “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.”
I've fallen down the rabbit hole of these fascinating and informative conversations by experts in the fields of health, business, psychology, and nutrition. I find the podcast medium to be a very accessible way to consume information while power walking, doing errands, riding the subway or cleaning the kitchen.
The stories are full of inspiration, transformation and liberation. My picks are in no particular order. Four of them are from the same podcast host, because well, they’re just that good. I hope you take the time to listen and enjoy, as much as I have. I truly believe that important conversations like these make the world a better place.
We don’t know what we don’t know.
— Unknown
1. Rich Roll. Host: Rich Roll
Episode: Dr. Zach Bush “Glyphosate, GMO’s and Healing the Gut”
2. Rich Roll. Host: Rich Roll
Episode: Bruce Friedrich, “Innovating the Future of Clean Meat”
3. GOOP. Host: Elise Loehnan
Episode: Marianne Williamson “Who are You in Crisis?”
4. PodShip Earth. Host: Jarod Blumenfeld
Episode: “Everybody’s Plastic” “Fasting Mimicking Diet”
5. Super Soul. Host: Oprah Winfrey
Episode: Carolyn Myss: “Discovering your Life’s Purpose”
6. Marie Forleo. Host: Marie Forleo
Episode: Brene Brown “Braving the Wilderness”
7. School of Style. Host: Luke Story
Episode: Daniel Vitalis “Water Wars / Unlocking the Mysteries of Nature’s Greatest Gift”
8. Good Life Project. Host: Jonathan Fields
Episode: Geneen Roth “You Don’t Need to Be Fixed”
9. Finding Mastery. Host: Michael Gervais
Episode Satya Nadella “Microsoft CEO”
10. Rich Roll. Host: Rich Roll
Episode: Ray Cronise & Julieanna Hever. “Nutrition and Oxidative Priority”
11. Rich Roll. Host: Rich Roll
Episode: Dr. Valter Longo. Episode: Fasting Mimicking Diet"
12. GOOP. Host: Elise Loehnan
Episode: Michaela Boehm “Creating Sexual Tension”
I promise you'll love this quick and delicious smoothie bowl, especially if the taste of bitter greens is not your thing. This blue-ness is rich, sweet and satisfying.
BLUE MAJIK & BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE
Blue is a hard food color to find when eating the rainbow. The blue color itself is the most nutritious part of the food. The phytonutrients which naturally occur in blue food, called anthocyanin, catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol, are powerful antioxidants for our bodies. This blue smoothie is just so pretty -- and tastes so damn good.
Ingredients
1/2 C coconut water kefir
1 C plain coconut yogurt
1 frozen banana
1/2 C frozen blueberries
1/2 C steamed & frozen cauliflower and zucchini, each
1 tsp Blue Majik spirulina
1 Tbs pea protein powder
1/2 tsp maca, mesquite, lucuma, each
1/2 C spring water - add as needed.
Process
In a high-speed blender, add ingredients in order as listed.
Blend all ingredients using the tamper to help mix.
Add water, one tablespoon at a time, if it’s too thick to blend.
Top with frozen blueberries, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, and shredded coconut flakes.
Enjoy and feel good about taking the time for self care!
xxNK
Drink up! The Top 15 Reasons You Should Drink Water Every Day
This is how I start most mornings...
Hot Water & Lemon.
... even so, I struggle to drink enough water every day which can result in feeling the effects of dehydration from time to time. So I'm working on increasing my water consumption especially in the summer.
How are your habits around hydration? Do you ever experience constipation, chapped lips or dry skin? If so, you might want to take stock in how much H2O you're putting in you body. Luckily consuming watery foods like green juice, watermelon, grapefruit, apples, lettuce, and cucumbers all count toward the 3-5 tall glasses of water we should drink every day.
As a culture, we don’t drink enough water, and no fluid is more important to us than pure water. About seventy five percent of the human body is water. So understandably, drinking plenty of fluids to maintain and replenish water levels is vital for things like muscle function, joint and brain protection, immune health, digestion, and even mood.
Here are some of the benefits of staying hydrated.
Weight loss
Healthy bowel function
Muscle efficiency
Balanced mood
Body temperature control
Improved memory function
Joint lubrication
Efficient digestion
Immune healthFlushes out toxins
Staves off hunger
Increases energy
Relieves fatigue
Reduces headaches
Regular urination
Cleanses the body
Here are some mild to moderate dehydration symptoms.
Dry, sticky mouth
Sleepiness
Lethargy
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Thirst
Decreased urine
Few or no tears when crying
Dry skin
Headache
Constipation
As you start to become dehydrated, you may not immediately notice it. You get a little thirsty and develop chapped lips or dry skin. You may develop headaches as it may begin to affect your mood. Long term, dehydration can lead to ailments, joint issues, elevated blood pressure, and extra wear and tear on your organs. Chronic dehydration causes the body to operate in a much less than optimal way.v
In the words of W.H. Auden, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”
Below are recipes for two quick, delicious and very hydrating beverages.
Infused Water
Ingredients
6 Strawberies
1/4 Cucumbers
1/2 Lemon
Process
Place all produce in one large jar of cold spring water.
Let soak for 2 hours in the fridge.
Drink Lots of it!
The Rawception Rawsmopolitan
Ingredients
1 C fermented coconut water kefir
1 Tbs. unsweetened organic cranberry juice
1 Tbs. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 twist of lemon rind
Process for the coconut kefir
In a glass jar, empty the water from one coconut.
Add kefir grains and let ferment overnight for 24-36 hours.
Strain out grains.
Process
Mix all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.
Shake well and pour into a martini glass.
Cheers!
Rawsmopolitan
For more hydrating beverages, juices, smoothes see my Energy Diet: Module 1 on my ebook page!
Food For Thought; Rawception’s Top 6 Diet Philosophies, Plus a Recipe for Quick Homemade Hemp Milk
1. Eat the Rainbow
Is your dinner plate mostly brown? And your energy mostly down? Get the energy you wish with more colors in your dish! yeah, I just wrote that :/ Seriously, eating all the colors of the rainbow is an easy way to know we’re getting a good nutrient balance. The phytonutrients that comprise the color of the food itself, is the most nutritious part of the food. Each color provides a different healing property that the body needs every day. It’s nature’s way of color-coding our food to help us find balance on our plate, as well as in our life.
2. Food is Information
Are all calories created equal? The science of epigenetics clearly shows that all food is information and function for our cells. Each type of calorie behaves very differently inside the body. Why should I choose a 100 calorie organic apple over of a package of 100 calorie Oreo bites? Food is the direct communication that tells our cells how they should behave. The apple tells our cells to have healthy function while the cookies tells our cells to get sick. Food communicates on a cellular level and the body acts in response to the information it receives.
3. Adding In
Adding good things into our life is always a smart choice. The first step to balancing weight and gaining energy is to add in as many vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins, as possible without subtracting anything from your current lifestyle. By adding in naturally low calorie, high fiber, nutrient dense foods, your body will crowd out cravings for unhealthy fats, bad carbs, and processed, sugary foods. Just begin to add in, and let your body do the work for you.
4. Soul Food
There are two kinds of food. Soul Food is primary to the food that we eat. Soul food is how we nourish ourselves around emotions, exercise, personal relationships, career, creative outlets and mindfulness. Healthy food alone, cannot make us whole, no matter how much broccolli we eat. Soul food is vital to our overall health and happiness. The circle of health is the answer.
5. Mood Food
Organic plant-based, whole food can help lift our spirits by triggering our serotonin and dopamine levels giving us with a sense of happiness. Berries, apples, bananas, beets, artichokes, avocado, almonds, walnuts, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and many more contain natural serotonin stimulants. Processed food contains gmo's, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides and can leave us with heavy emotions. Self care is our responsibility. It's our right. Every conscious choice we make to improve our health makes a difference..
6. Bio-Individuality
Diet and nutritional needs are very individual and unique just like you and me. In addition, nutritional needs are ever changing throughout different chapters of life. What works for one person, effects the next person differently. Empirical evidence is information acquired by observation and experimentation; it’s our own personal scientific data. Each individual needs to experiment with diet and lifestyle and closely observe how the body and mind reacts. This experiment can lead us become our healthiest self.
Hemp milk is my mainstay milk because I always have hemp seeds in the fridge and because it's a no-strain milk, it's super quick to make. I add hemp seeds and water to my matcha in the blender and voila, I get a beautiful, milky, foamy, delicious result every time.
Hemp Milk Recipe
Hemp Milk is one of the easiest and quickest non dairy milks to make.
Hemp seeds are a complete protein - rich in magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. They're also a good source of ALA Omega 3, fatty acids.
Only 2 little Ingredients, people!
1/2 C raw hemp seeds
1 1/2 C spring water
_
Optional
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract & 1/2 tsp. coconut oil
Process
Blend hemp seeds in a high speed blender, on low speed at first, and then blend on high speed until all seeds are dissolved and the milk is white and foamy. About 60 seconds. No need to strain. (Add optional ingredients of desired) That's it! So easy and quick.
xx nk
10 Symptoms of Chronic Stress and 15 Ways to Turn On Your Relaxation Response; Including Eating Brownies
Do you love chocolate? Cacao is actually a superfood which helps reduce stress and balance hormones . Here's how and why you should enjoy this gooey chocolatey treat that's actually good for your mind and body.
What is your relationship to stress? For many of us stress is a part of our daily lives, which raises the questions, how do we react to it and how do we relieve it?
If we can’t immediately remove the root cause of our stress, then discovering ways to relax is important because chronic stress causes many negative affects on the body. It causes our main stress hormone, cortisol to rise. Cortisol is created by our adrenal glands. Most of the cells in our body have cortisol receptors, which is why cortisol affects so many bodily functions.
Cortisol is the fight or flight stress hormone, which gives us the strength to out run a predator and keeps us from dying of famine. Cortisol dramatically increases energy production at the expense of other bodily functions that are not required for immediate survival. Trouble is, relentless stress can keep this survival mechanism constantly turned on high, damaging the body. When cortisol levels are chronically elevated the immune system is compromised, weight loss is virtually impossible and risks for chronic diseases are increased.
Cortisol also plays an important role in our nutrition, regulating energy by selecting the right type and amounts of carbohydrates, fats, or proteins the body needs to meet its physiological demands. Cortisol is a key component in the body’s effort to carry out its processes and maintain homeostasis.
When cortisol spikes from stress, it tells the body to eat something high in calories, which is great for survival if you need energy to flee a lion in the jungle, but it’s not so great if you're fretting over the demands of daily life, like juggling work, family and paying the bills.
Are your cortisol levels elevated? Symptoms of high cortisol levels are
Stubborn weight gain, especially belly fat
High blood sugar
High blood pressure
Muscle weakness
Depression, anxiety and irritability
Lack of sex drive
Irregular periods in women.
A round puffy face
Increased thirst and frequent urination
Skin changes and bruising.
So how can we balance the fight or flight response with the rest and repair mechanism? Fortunately there are many relaxation responses to lower high cortisol levels.
Eat dark Chocolate! (See my sweet potato brownie recipe below)
Pound a pound of vegetables every day.
Eat sweet potatoes.
Eat 3-5 smaller meals per day, so your adrenals know you’re not starving of famine.
Say "Om" and meditate - in whatever way works for you.
Listen to music you love.
Get 8 hours of sleep.
Sip green tea.
Hang out with someone who makes you laugh.
Get a massage.
Do something spiritual- like a walk in nature's temple- in the woods or on the beach.
Breath deeply in and out of your nose for a few breaths.
Have an orgasm. It raises oxytocin (love hormone) 500 times. An instant stress reliever!
Open a page from any book by Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jiddu Krishnamurti, or Paramahansa Yogananda and read an excerpt.
Eat sweet potato brownies.
These delicious and healthy chocolate treats have been given a thumbs-up from some very discerning taste testers in my family.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes or about 4 C roasted (or steamed) sweet potatoes
10-12 medjool dates
1 Tbs. vanilla
¼ chia seeds
¾ C water
1 Tbs. flax meal
1 C raw cacao powder
1 C raw cacao nibs
2 Tbs. sweetener (coconut sugar, coconut syrup, brown rice syrup, date sugar, maple sugar or maple syrup)
Process
Bake the sweet potatoes until they are soft and caramely.
Combine chia and water and let stand until thick about 20 minutes.
Remove pits from the dates and cut in half
Add dates to food processor and mix until a ball if formed.
Peel sweet potatoes and add to dates in food processor.
Process dates and potatoes until smooth.
Add vanilla and process again.
Pour the three ingredients from food processor into a large bowl.
Add melted cacao butter and stir to fully incorporate.
Add sweetener of choice.
Add ½ C of the chia mixture.
Add flax meal
Add cacao powder and mix gently.
Add cacao nibs and fold in.
Taste batter and add more vanilla, sweetener or cacao powder to preference. (this batter is so delicious that you want to eat it all raw)
Line baking pan with parchment paper
Pour batter in pan evenly.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes
Test with a knife or toothpick for doneness. Do not over-bake because the cacao oil will hold everything solidly together once the brownies cool.
After baking, cool at room temp, and then refrigerate to set before slicing.
These babies last a good week in the fridge (if you don’t eat them all before then) and about three weeks in the freezer.
Thanks for joining the rawception!
4 Easy Ways to Cook Oil Free and 3 Important Reasons Why
Why cook oil free?
1. Oil is the most calorie-dense of all foods.
Oil is 100% pure fat. Two tablespoons of olive oil has 240 calories which is calorically equal to two pounds of green vegetables (broccoli, string beans, brussle sprouts or asparagus)
2. Oil is nutritionally devoid.
Oil comes from nutritious plants but when it’s processed into oil, all the nutrients, phytochemicals, fiber and antioxidants are diminished. We do need healthy fat in our diets so instead of consuming olive oil, coconut oil, avocado or sesame oil, instead eat olives, coconut meat, avocados, seeds, and nuts.
3. Oil is a highly processed food.
Since many brands use different procedures, you have to read labels. If you are going to buy oil, make sure to purchase raw and cold-pressed oils because they aren’t heated to high temperatures during the extraction process. This means they are able to preserve more of the nutrients, making it a higher quality option.
High oleic sunflower and safflower oil is the new “healthy” oil of choice used in “healthy food” packaged chips, cookies, and crackers. These oils were created because they have no flavor and contain no trans fats which is good BUT these oils are highly processed from hybrid plants that are not created with traditional methods, instead radiation and toxic chemicals are used to speed up the growing process. since they’re new on the market there has been no testing for the long term effects on humans. So for me moderation at best is key.
When we cook at home we can control our oil consumption but restaurant food is always laden with oil - unless we remember to request steamed vegetables.
4 Easy Ways To Cook Oil Free.
1. Use vegetable broth or water to sauté veggies. It works perfectly and you wont miss the oil, ever!
2. Slow and Low. Bake on low oven temperature (300 degrees for one hour will make your veggies crispy) and use parchment paper for non stick action.
3. Cookware that enables oil free cooking; air fryer, panini maker, pressure cooker, slow cooker. I personally don't own any of the aforementioned because I'm old school and just use a simple sauté pan or bake in the oven, but if you're into that, I hear they're super time saving.
4. Bake with oil replacers. Substitute oil with banana, apple sauce, sweet potato or black beans.
The goal isn’t to be 100% oil free. Try the 80/20 rule. Try being oil free 80% of the time and enjoy the yumminess of oil 20% of the time! Enjoy this oil-free hearty stuffed potato recipe below.
Oil Free Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
Filling
1 onion
10 asparagus stalks, chopped on the bias into small pieces.
1 C broccoli, chopped in small pieces
1 large carrot, diced small
½ zucchini, diced small
(mushrooms or any other veggies you like)
¼ C water
Cream Sauce
1 avocado
½ zucchini
⅓ cucumber, peeled
juice of ½ large lemon
Sprinkle garlic powder
Sprinkle dried coriander,
Pinch sea salt and black pepper
Season to taste
Process
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Poke sweet potato with a fork a few times.
Place in oven about 45 minutes or until it’s soft.
Remove and let cool
In the meantime, chop onion in rings and then cut rings in half.
Heat skillet with 1-2 tablespoon of water until bubbly and steam/sauté onions on medium heat until softened with the lid on the pan. Occasionally lift lid and add more water, one tablespoon at a time, so onions stay moistened and don’t stick to the pan while they caramelizing. Then remove lid and sauté until browned.
In another skillet, add 2 tbs. water and steam/sauté other veggies. Same method as onions.For Sauce: In a blender add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Check for thickness and add more cucumber if it’s too thick and season to taste.
Assembly
With a fork, pull the soft potato meat away from the skin and mash it a bit with the fork. Top with sautéed veggies and spoon on sauce. Serve while warm.
* Can substitute sweet potato with a white Idaho potato.
How To Live The Sweet life Every Day
Do you lack the energy to get through your busy day and fulfill your highest and truest potential? If you need more energy, then you’ll want to read this.
Six years ago, I faced several life changes all at once. I needed to change my diet and lifestyle to generate surplus energy to create a new life for myself and get through my busy workday.
As a plant based chef and certified holistic health coach, I originally developed nutrient dense recipes for myself as an experiment in my test kitchen. I worked with a variety of organic whole food and super foods to perfect the Energy Diet recipes. The recipes helped transform my sluggishness into lasting energy and sustainable weight loss.
After I experienced the results, I perfected the recipes and began to share this system in my health coach practice. I live the Energy Diet way and I'm excited to share my first Energy Diet eBook: Module 1, with you, without the cost of my health coaching programs.
This eBook will guide you to generate your core energy. Energy that’s instant and lasts all day! I promise, you’ll never want to feel any other way. And think of what you can achieve with renewed energy.
Included are 10 easy and delicious recipes, important nutrition information, energy food concepts such as "adding in", "crowding out" "soul food", "mood food", and "eating the rainbow". Module 1 of the energy diet also provides a 7-day meal plan with a comprehensive grocery list, and a guide to set up your new healthy pantry and fridge. Plus, tips for eating for energy while away form your kitchen.
Generating real energy is multifaceted, but core energy stems from our digestion. Energy food establishes a healthy gut and aids in digestion. Whole food contains living enzymes, phytonutrients, and high fiber, which cleanse and detoxify our gut on a cellular level. A healthy gut balances hormones, builds a strong immune system, reduces inflammation, efficiently extracts energy and nutrients from food, and allows healthy bacteria to make B and K vitamins, all of which provide powerful energy. The body needs energy to heal itself and cleanse itself from toxins. A healthy gut is the key to energy production and overall wellness.
Here’s a quick and yummy energy diet recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth without the bad carbs and refined sugar. After all, who doesn't crave sweet things? Sweet words, sweet gestures, sweet relationships, and sweet treats. But all sweets should be healthy and healing.
Chocolate & Strawberry Torte
Ingredients
8 strawberries, sliced thin
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch circles, or shape of your choice
Almond Chocolate Spread
2 Tbs. almond butter
1 ½ Tbs. coconut butter
1 Tbs. raw organic honey (use maple syrup for vegan)
1 ½ Tbs. raw cacao powder
½ tsp. chia seeds
Process
Chocolate Spread
Mix all ingredients by hand with a spoon
Add extra cacao powder if the consistency is not thick enough.
Torte
Using a round cookie cutter, cut out the peeled apple rounds into six uniform pieces.
On a round dessert plate, begin building layers with an apple layer at the bottom.
Spread a generous amount of cacao spread on apple slice.
Top with 3 slices of strawberry.
And so on until the torte is 6 layers tall.
Add three extra strawberry slices to the very top to decorate.
Share with your sweetie.
Sweet Success
Having a few tools of the trade is well worth the investment in your health. I suggest three kitchen tools to help you successfully uncover your core energy. A high speed blender, a food processor and a sharp chef knife.
Vitamix:
I recommend the Vitamix Pro750 high-speed blender. It has been the best investment in my health. I bought one for each of my kids too. You can purchase it at Williams Sonoma or Amazon.com
BlendTec:
I have experience with this BlendTec brand and I like their unique functions. You can shop at blendtec.com or amazon.com
The Magic Bullet:
The Bullet is a good starter-blender for about a hundred bucks. It’s an efficient little machine but won’t have the variable functions or lifespan of the bigger blenders. You can buy one at bed bath &beyond or amazon.com
Cuisinart Food Processor:
A 10-14 cup size food processor is great. I use the Cuisinart brand and love it. You can shop at Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, or amazon.com
A Chef Knife:
If you can only invest in one good knife make it the “Shun" classic 8", chef knife. The Shun knife creates beautiful cuts and lasts for years. You can purchase it online at Williams Sonoma, cuttleryandmore.com and amazon.com
For setting up your fridge and pantry for success see my Energy Diet eBook 1. Organizing your pantry is like cleaning out your closet, garage or attic. Getting rid of old belongings that no longer suit you or your lifestyle. Creating an organized and clean closet makes getting dressed more efficient and fun; it’s the same idea with food. Your pantry, fridge, and freezer are your food closets. Purging all the unhealthy, expired and processed foods that no longer serve you is empowering and sets you up to succeed.
Thanks for joining the Rawception.
A Delicious Anti-Inflammatory Drink that Combats Hunger and Fights Any Pro-inflammatory foods that you might (accidentally) Eat
Golden milk is a delicious, anti-inflammatory, milky turmeric drink that's easy to whip up and so nutritious. I find this healthy, non caffeinated coffee replacement, warm and comforting at the beginning, middle or end of my day. And even more importantly it contains a healthy dose of turmeric, which contains the compound curcumin, one of the top anti-inflammatory foods. Science based evidence shows that excess cellular inflammation in the body is an epidemic in our country and the root cause of almost all diseases, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol and obesity. This drink can combat hunger and any pro-inflammatory foods that you might (accidentally) consume. Use this list of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory foods as a reference to keep inflammation and it's many systemic symptoms at bay.
Anti-inflammatory foods to eat regularly
Green Leafy Vegetables (spinach, kale, swiss chard)
Bok Choy
Celery
Beets
Broccoli
Blueberries
Pineapple
Salmon (wild caught, Alaskan)
Walnuts
Coconut oil
Chia seeds
Flaxseeds
Turmeric
Ginger
Exercise
Pro-inflammatory foods to avoid!
Trans Fats (bad fats found in all processed, prepackaged foods)
Soda Pop
Refined Sugar (white sugar, candy, cake)
Refined Carbohydrates (bread, petzels, pasta)
Corn-Fed Beef
Below is the Rawception recipe for golden milk, but first we have to make a turmeric paste.
GOLDEN PASTE
½ cup turmeric powder
1 cup spring water (+ a little extra if too thick)
1.5 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbs. coconut oil (optional)
PROCESS
Mix water (1 cup) with turmeric powder in a pan and slowly heat it up and stir for 6-10 minutes until you get a thick paste (add the additional water if necessary).
Add black pepper (for better absorption of the turmeric) and coconut oil and continue stirring until all the ingredients are fully mixed in together.
Allow the paste to cool. Store in the refrigerator in a jar for up to 2-3 weeks.
GOLDEN MILK
1 heaping teaspoon turmeric paste
1/2 C almond milk
1/2 C hot water
1 tsp. organic, raw, unfiltered honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
PROCESS
Mix all the ingredients together over medium heat, except the honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
Do not allow the liquid to boil, just warm.
Pour in a mug and add honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
Mix well and drink as soon as it is cool enough.
I hope you enjoy this yummy drink as much as I do! It's one of my favorites drinks and on high rotation at my house.
Eat well and be your healthiest you! xx
3 Easy Steps to Cleanse your Body, Burn your Fat and Build your Energy
Over the last five years I've had a mindset shift. I stopped thinking about 3 meals a day and instead I focus on 3 steps a day. 1. Cleanse my body, 2. Burn my fat, and 3. Build my energy. It’s what I do every day that gives me the energy I need in the body that I want. Plus the mental clarity I require to get closer to the relationships I want and deserve.
It’s not a diet or a detox plan. There’s nothing to remember or think about. It’s just 3 simple steps a day. The reason it works is because it’s the same, simple, three things, every day. It’s a way of life. And f you’re consistent, it does the work for you. In my health coach training, I’ve studied over 100 different dietary theories. And the evidence shows that anyone can sustain a diet plan for a short time, but it’s human nature to slowly fall back into the old patterns. Behavior modification and real change take time and only work with consistency. A consistent way of life.
STEP 1. CLEANSE YOUR BODY
Detoxification and elimination are the foundations of health. It’s important to cleanse and detoxify your body first thing each morning. That means drinking two cleansing drinks before consuming anything else. When we begin each day with cleansing liquids, we give our body the hydration it needs to eliminate regularly and detox the bad bacteria out of the gut. For example; hot water with lemon and a green juice.
STEP 2. BURN THE FAT
Burning the fat is more about what foods to embrace and which foods to eliminate.
ELIMINATE these 2 non nutrutritive categories
1. Processed sugar such as candy, ice cream, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, pastries, muffins, sugary breakfast cereal, and desserts.
2. Simple carbohydrates. such as wheat products, breads, crackers, pretzels, bagels, pasta, and white potatoes.
EMBRACE these 4 delicious categories of whole foods.
1. High quality organic protein. Such as lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, sea algae, organic tofu or tempeh. (if you are consuming animal products choose “certified human” free range chicken and eggs, wild caught fish, high quality, organic pastured meat, and *
2. High quality fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter, coconut oil)
3. Vegetables. Eat every vegetables known to man except white potatoes
4. Fruit: especially low sugar fruits (such as berries, cantaloupe, and honeydew)
Note: I choose not to eat land animals or dairy products, but do what works for your body and taste buds. It’s important to know that every human body is different, so listen to what your body tells you it needs. Most of all, Eat until you feel FED, not FULL.
STEP 3. BUILD YOUR ENERGY
Here’s the good news - the hard part is already done. Give the first two steps their due because they do part of step 3, for you. Cleansing the body and burning the fat actually begin to build the foundation of core energy by cleansing the bad bacteria out of your gut and repopulating good bacteria back into your micro-biome (your biological home). By doing these two steps your body produces B vitamins and vitamin K, which are all critical energy building vitamins.
After producing natural core energy through your new healthier gut, there’s only one important thing left to do. Move. We must move our body a minimum of 30 minutes a day to produce real sustainable energy. So choose any exercise that you love and get out there and move!
xx NK