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!
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)
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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
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
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.
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
What is a Health Coach? And How is a Health Coach Different from a Nutritionist, a Therapist, or a Doctor?
You may have heard of the field of health coaching, but many people may not know what a health coach is and how they differ from other healthcare providers.
A nutritionist or dietitian gives you a list of foods to eat and a list of what not to eat. Then you’re on your own to make it happen. A doctor prescribes meds for your symptoms, but probably does not treat the root cause. A therapist has no timeline for your goals, so there is no end in sight. A therapist might ask about your childhood; a health coach will ask what you had for breakfast and how you nourish yourself.
Health coaching is a transformational process between coach and client. The health coach holds a safe space for you - almost meditative - so you can express, experience greater self-rawareness, share authentically and manifest your intentions. A health coach is a nutritionist, a spiritual advisor, and a life coach, all in one.
Health is not a goal; it’s a vehicle to get you where you want to be.
— Nicolle Kate
What’s the value of working with a health coach?
Health coaching is a proven program. A program with a timeline for achieving your specific individual goals. It's a 6 month program that works. Why six months? Because six months is a proven time frame for experiencing your health transformation. And just about anything that can happen, happens, in a six month period. You might get sick, your mother-in-law visits, the holidays happen, work is stressful, and relationships ebb and flow. A health coach will support you and keep you accountable through it all. Working with a coach twice a month helps you stick with it. When times get tough, your coach pulls you back up onto the health train. After the six month program you will have the confidence and the know-how to get back on the train -- yourself.
Investing in yourself is the most valuable investment you can make.
— Nicolle kate
A health coach helps you create the vision you have for your life. To get the best results from health coaching, you must be committed to show up for the transformational program. Just like showing up for your a therapist appointment, your physical therapy or doctor appointment. You have to be dedicated to yourself. You have to be open. You have to be present and you have to follow through. But there is nothing more worth investing in, than you!
So what do you have to gain by working with a health coach? And what do you have to lose?
You will gain:
Balanced Weight
Youthful Energy
Better Sleep
Fitting Your Clothes
Newfound Confidence
Feel Fed, Not Full.
Tools to Transform
Cooking Skills
Nutrition Knowledge
Happiness
You will lose, Buh-bye:
Extra Weight
Sugar Cravings
food addictions
Stress from Feeling Powerless
Brain Fog
Food Comas
Guilt about junk food
Burdening Anxiety
Uncomfortable Digestion
Irregular Elimination
I specialize in women's health, particularly women at midlife, who struggle with finding balance with weight, energy, sugar cravings, stress, anxiety, and hormones. We work together to move you out of your old stories, limiting beliefs, and unhealthy patterns.
I offer a complimentary 45 minute health history. The health history is a phone consultation to get acquainted and to review your health wishes, issues, and goals. It helps us to evaluate what’s been working for you and what’s not. The health history form is an opportunity for you to determine if working with me is a good fit for you, and it’s also a benchmark for later review.
For more information on my health coaching programs see my services page where you'll find an short version of the my health history form to fill out and submit to get started! I would be honored to be with you on your health journey.
Is Food Addiction Real? Or is it Lack of Willpower That Drives People to Overeat?
70% of people in this country are overweight or obese and 40% of those people are kids. So why are people struggling with weight gain? Is 70% of the population gluttonous, weak, and lacking moral fortitude? I think, not. Science clearly shows that obesity is not about psychology, but about biology.
One of the most significant findings in the last 30 years is that obesity is not driven by calories, or lack of exercise, but by the dietary composition of food we eat. It’s all about the type of calories, not the amount of calories. I used to think maintaining an optimal weight was a math equation; calories in, calories out. But that’s an antiquated theory and science proves otherwise. It’s the kind of food we choose that matters.
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, big food companies have “taste institutes” who hire “craving experts” to find the “bliss point” of foods to process and package to create more “stomach share” and get “heavy users”. These are actual internal terminologies. So much of packaged food, is addictive by design. Big food companies say they’re just giving customers what they want.
So if certain types of foods are biologically addictive and make us gain weight, then what do we do? Avoid processed foods, sugar, carbohydrates, and fast food. Sugar and carbohydrates are what is driving the fat accumulation. Sugar comes in many forms from processed food like and fast food to pasta, bread, pretzels, breakfast cereal, and desserts.
Think about how much time we spend talking about and agonizing over ways to lose weight and gain energy. Cutting down on bad carbs and processed food is one of the quickest way to achieve results. Now you’re freed up to think about other things!
— Nicolle Kate
Instead of eating those types of calories, go for healthy fats, (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, salmon) lean proteins, (only high-quality, free-range meats) plant based proteins, ( lentils, beans) and healthy carbs (leafy green vegetables)
We shouldn’t have to work so hard for our health, we should work at getting rid of the things that are blocking it.
— Nicolle Kate
Here’s a healthy low carb, no sugar recipe that’s quick and delicious. I try to share easy recipes without a lot of ingredients and easy to substitute ingredients, because if healthy eating gets complicated, we won’t do it.
Chick Pea Salad Tacos
Ingredients
4 organic corn tortillas, or 4 collard green leaves
Salad
2 C mixed greens
1 avocado, 1/2 avocado sliced in long slices for garnish, and cube the remainder
1 can organic chickpeas, smash half the can with a fork
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbs red onion, chopped
mushrooms, sliced; raw or sautéed
1 hard boiled egg, sliced or other high quality protein (optional)
Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Italian dried spices
Pinch salt & pepper
1 tsp lime zest
Process
Add all salad ingredients in a bowl
Combine dressing ingredients and whisk (or if you’re lazy like me simply combine dressing directly into salad) and toss well.
Top with slices of avocado, squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
Fold and eat!
Island Inspired
I had the good fortune of being invited on a girls trip with some of my dearest friends to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I love the camaraderie of being with amazing and dynamic women of substance who know how to sustain true friendships spanning many years and many of life's changes.
These ladies are the brain trust of the last five years of my life. That said, we still carry on like young girls calling each other our long standing nicknames; Scoobie, Scule, Speeda and Scrappy.
Scoobie, has a beautiful zen house on Pine Cay; an exquisite, pristine and practically deserted island with a spattering of homes and one small hotel. It's the perfect serene spot to gather thoughts, process life and just be. Which we all did, along with long, beach power walks, long, beach power talks and lots of good food and bubbly. How can you go wrong?
One of the most fun things was when one of the hotel staff scaled up the side of a palm tree and cut down young green coconuts for us to drink fresh coconut water. Iit was amazingly delicious!
Coconut water is possibly the most nutritious drink offered up by Mother nature. Here are the TOP 10 coconut water health benefits you might not know.
Low in calories (40 cal in 8oz.)
Cholesterol and fat free
Four times more potassium than bananas by weight
Aids in appetite suppression
Moisturizes the skin
Contains five essential electrolytes that are in the body
High in fiber / aids digestion
Reduces the occurrence of acid reflux
Reduces blood pressure
Perfectly hydrates the body because it's isotonic (the same pressure) as our human blood, plasma, tears, lymph and other body fluids. Okay, one more! Rich in nutrients
RAW B46
When I fuel my body before 6PM with raw energy food and receive all the living enzymes, vitamins, minerals, super foods and super herbs, I can choose a warm evening meal with confidence that my energy will remain high.
Try the Raw Before Six Diet for added energy all day long!
When I'm traveling and eating in restaurants morning and night, I opt for the RAW B46 plan. Cooked food in the evening is easier and more sociable. Not to mention more satisfying in the winter months. When I fuel my body before 6PM with raw energy food and receive all the living enzymes, vitamins, minerals, super foods and super herbs, I can choose a warm evening meal with confidence that my energy will remain high. Even if you're not traveling, the RAW B46 plan is an easy and realistic lifestyle!
Sample Menu
Morning
Matcha tea, green juice (click on Juice bar for recipes)
Breakfast
Chia seed pudding with organic berries.
(see Cheerful Chia post or click on "The Cafe")
Lunch
Zucchini noodles or Kelp noodles with a sauce of choice, lots of veggies and topped with avocado and hemp seeds. (click on "The Cafe" for recipes)
Snack 1
Green smoothie
Snack 2
Spouted nuts and seeds. Fresh fruit.
Try a raw B46 delicious and filling MACRO BOWL like this one with kelp noodles, kale. zucchini. avocado. peaches and tofu.
My "Energy Food" recipe and nutrition guides, can get you started, organized and enthusiastic.
RAW B46 is the easiest way to establish your living food diet! Go to my "shop" to see my three ebook modules series.
A New Years Eve Appetizer That Will Get 2017 Off To A Healthy Start
As we prepare to release and let go of 2016, we can embrace the new year with a fresh start and all its possibilities. The new year is a good time to let go of old stories and step into new intentions for the future with hopefulness and enthusiasm.
Many of us set resolutions around diet and health. Just one healthy meal and we feel different, right? A week of healthy meals and we feel remarkably different. Imagine one year of eating well. Imagine one year of eating poorly, and we go in two very different directions.
I asked myself today, what are 2 or 3 things I could do in the new year to improve my diet and lifestyle. I came up with a few thing immediately. No one needs to tell us to drink more water, get more sleep, move a little more and eat more fruits and vegetables. We instinctively know how to care for ourselves.
I just created this recipe yesterday for a festive and delicious way to celebrate the incoming year with a healthy start! I wanted to share it with all of you! Wishing everyone more self care, self honor and self love in 2017! xx nk
Blini with Creme Fraiche and Black Truffle Mushroom Caviar
Blini ingredients
1/2 C coconut milk or almond milk
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
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2 Tbs flax seeds
3/4 C plus 2 Tbs warm water
1 Tbs date sugar
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3/4 C buckwheat flour
1/2 C quinoa flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. raw honey, optional
Process
In a small bowl, combine coconut milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for one hour at room temp.
In another small bowl, combine water, flax seeds, and date sugar. Set aside for one hour at room temp.
For flours: if you use sprouted buckwheat groats and sprouted quinoa seeds, grind into flour in a coffee / spice grinder until powdered into a fine flour.
Pour the water/flax seed mixture into a blender and blend until the flax seeds are liquified.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well/birds nest.
Add all remaining wet ingredients, including the milk mixture and the water mixture in the well.
With a large spoon, mix batter gently until it's a thin pancake batter consistency.
Place a large non stick skillet on medium heat and spray pan with olive oil.
Using a teaspoon or mini ice cream scooper, portion a quarter size amount of batter on the pan. Do not flip the mini pancakes until they are a bit bubbly and golden brown.
Makes about 100 blinis. I watched sex and the city (the movie) to keep me company while I cooked all these blinis.
Cashew Creme Fraiche
1 C raw cashews, soaked in water for one hour and rinse well in a strainer
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 C plus 2 Tbs spring water
1/2 tsp salt
1 probiotic capsule,
Process
In a blender combine the rinsed and soaked cashews and only 1/4 C of the water, plus all other ingredients except probiotic pill.
Open the probiotic capsule and pour the powder in the blender
Blend all ingredients. If it's too dry, which it probably will be, add the other 2 Tbs water. The mixture should be the consistency of smooth sour cream.
Taste and add more lemon or salt if necessary.
Refrigerate and it will thicken a bit.
Black Truffle and Mushroom Sauce
I bought a jar of this "caviar" replacement at a gourmet grocery called Graces in New York. There were a few different brands but some contained dairy/parmesan cheese and this brand (Delicious & Sons) did not. I think this sauce is meant for pasta but it repurposes perfectly as caviar.
Assembly
Lay the blinis on a platter
Dot with creme fraiche
Top with a good plunk of truffle mushroom sauce.
Sprinkle sea salt and a few turns of black pepper over the platter.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!
A Healthy Holiday Cookie That Will Generate Your Energy Without The Sugar Crash
I love cookies at the holidays. But I don’t love the sugar high and inevitable slump. The recipe I’m sharing below is a vegan version of an almond crescent cookie my Czech grandmother always made at the holidays. My sister now carries on her tradition every year. I love the taste of my grandmother's cookies which are made from just butter, sugar, flour and almonds. In my recipe I substituted almond butter for the dairy butter, powdered raw coconut sugar for the white table sugar and a little coconut flour for the white flour. These cookies are delicious without any carbs but lots of good fat and protein. Because they're not particularly sweet, I love to pair them with a cup of tea or coffee. I liken them to a biscotti. Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Almond Crescent Cookies
½ C almond butter
¼ C plus 2 Tbs. almond milk
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2 3/4 C finely ground almonds
1/4 C coconut flour
1/2 C powdered coconut sugar, plus an extra ¾ C powdered coconut sugar for topping
Process
In a vitamix or coffee/spice grinder, finely powder about 1 C coconut sugar.
In a vitamix or coffee/spice grinder, finely powder 2 3/4 C raw almonds
In a large bowl, with a spoon mix all dry ingredients and make a well in the middle.
Add all wet ingredients in the well.
With a spoon, incorporate all ingredients by hand, until you can form a large ball of dough.
If the dough is dry or crumbly, add more almond milk, one tablespoon at a time.
Cut the ball in quarters, and then each quarter in four pieces again, then cut each piece in half. This should be about the right amount of dough for each cookie.
Roll the small amount of dough between your palms until a small tube is formed.
Bend it into a crescent shape.
Place all crescent cookies onto a parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes on the middle rack.
Dredge all cookies in powdered coconut sugar one at a time.
3 Easy Steps to Meet 3 Important Health Goals; Generate Youthful Energy, Balance your Weight and Create Mental Clarity
I'm so happy to share the Rawception Energy Food Ebooks with you. I have put my heart and soul into this 3 E-book series full of colorful pictures, deliciously easy recipes, an easy to follow 7-day elimination diet guide, and the 7-day food plan and grocery lists. But there's so much more than that. You'll find out how to organize your kitchen, pantry and fridge for success. You'll learn how to navigate restaurant menus and how to eat on-the-go. Included are important nutrition information, food philosophies, and lots of wellness wisdom. The E-books series will guide you to create core energy that’s instant and lasts all day! You’ll never want to feel any other way. Think of what can be achieved with renewed energy.
The Truth Behind My Book Series
I had to find a way to use food as medicine and nutrition as ammunition for strength, energy and vitality.
The Old Me
Eight years ago I struggled to find enough energy to get through my busy work day in the fashion industry and make dinner for my family in the evenings.
What did I do?
I developed a series of nutritional recipes in my kitchen for me and my family as an experiment. I worked with a variety of organic whole foods and superfoods to create the original Energy Diet Recipes.
The New Me
The recipes helped me transform my sluggishness to lasting energy, my anxiousness to positive vibes and my fluctuating weight to stable, balanced weight.
A peek inside Book 1: “The Basics of Energy Food”
After I Experienced the Initial Results
I left my fashion career and followed my passion. I attended a plant-based culinary academy in Los Angeles and a health coaching school in New York. I gained all the knowledge I needed to perfect my system and further my passion for health and wellness as a profession. As a certified plant-based chef and professional health coach, I guide people to achieve their health goals. All the recipes are delicious and free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, processed sugar, trans fats and animal products.
I Never Want to Feel any Other Way
I wrote the recipe books to share my recipes and nutrition information with each of my health coach clients with great success. I live the Energy Diet way and appreciate my youthful energy every day.
I Truly Care About the State of Peoples' Health on Every Level
I have put all my health and diet tips and tricks and nutrition and culinary knowledge into this 3 e-book series. Each one is full of colorful pictures, deliciously easy recipes, an easy to follow 7-day elimination diet guide, and the 7-day food plan and grocery lists.
And There's so Much More Than That
You'll find out how to organize your kitchen, pantry and fridge for success. You'll learn how to navigate restaurant menus and how to eat on-the-go. Included are food philosophies, important nutrition information and wellness wisdom for every body.
A Peek inside Book 2: “Use Nutrition as Ammunition” adds in superfoods.
The Rawception Ebooks were created for everyone
I’m so excited to offer my three e-Books without the cost of my health coaching programs. The Energy e-books show you how easy it is to make nutritious food, dine out and eat on the go, the energy diet way.
The 3 steps to 3 health important goals
The energy diet is a 3 e-book series. Each step builds upon the next step. Step one builds the foundation of youthful energy. Step 2 balances your weight and step 3 creates mental clarity.
A peek inside Book 3: “Hit the Pause Button on Aging”, show’s how-to make fermented food and add in super-herbs.
Look and feel your best
The e-books will guide you to create core energy that’s instant and lasts all day! You’ll never want to feel any other way. Think of what can be achieved with renewed energy.
The Rawception Energy Food E-Books Series
Guide to Hack a Junk Food Store
What's the best way to hack a junk food store? What do you do when you're hungry and want something healthy but there's nothing around except convenient stores? Read labels! Amongst all the really unhealthy food lurking around convenient stores with loads of sugar or trans fats, there are some healthy-ish choices even at 7-Eleven. Here's what to look for.
I was in Miami with my boyfriend watching his son run the Miami half marathon. It was a uncharacteristic Miami day. It was windy, raining, and cold, around 40 degrees. After the race we called an uber to drive us back to our hotel in South Beach. The roads were blocked and the traffic was gridlock so we had to wait about 45 minutes for the uber to get to us.
We took refuge in a 7-Eleven convenience store to get out of the wind and cold while we waited. I was cold and hungry and needed something warm to drink. I made it a challenge to hack this junk food store for something healthy. I was searching for the most nutritious snack I could find, not necessarily the tastiest, but the vegan cookie I settled on, was indeed tasty.
How to choose the best snack in a 7-Eleven convenience store.
Healthy-ish packaged Snacks at 7-Eleven.
Lenny & Larry's Complete Vegan Lemon Cookie. This lemon cookie is not too sweet and the texture is nice. It does contain processed sugar but no animal products. The calories were reasonable for the portion. This is what I would recommend in a pinch at a convenience store.
Luna Lemon Zest Bar. This lemon zest Luna bar is a healthy choice. It's low in calories and high in protein.
Nuts and Dried Fruit packs. This shelf at 7-Eleven holds the healthiest options. The puffed pea chips near the bottom are another good choice.
Detour Bar. Another option for high protein.
Go Smart Sprouted Chips. These chips contain healthy plant protein and some nutrients from seeds and sprouts.
Unhealthy packaged snacks to avoid at 7-Eleven.
Doritos. These contain high sodium and high carb plus lots of ingredients I can't pronounce and artificial food coloring.
Cracker Jacks. An old favorite from my childhood but high sugar and high carbs.
Pop Tarts. These are very unhealthy. Trans fats, high sugar and high carbs.
Packaged Cookie Shelf. All are but high sugar and high carbs.
Pretzels. High sugar and high carbs.
Freezer Section. These all contain trans fats, high sugar and high carbs
Dips and Chips. The dips are all very high in calories and contain trans fats and sugar. The chips are all Doritos (see above)
Break the unhealthy Junk food cycle.
If you want to break your junk food junkie habit, check out this article about healthy snacks by Dr. Frank Lipman, a top functional medicine doctor in NYC.
The Rawception Book 1, 7-day diet plan for lots of deliciously, simple recipes to build a healthy lifestyle.
Energy Bar Superfood Squares
The Ultimate Snack Recipe to Travel with.
Energy Bar Superfood Squares
My favorite snack to bring when I am on the go and traveling are these Super Energy Squares.
I always carry these in my purse everywhere I go.