Chai Tea

Lately, I have been loving the sweet and spicy taste of chai tea lattes! Since this little cup is filled with sugar is definitely an occasional treat. That being said I was on a mission to find an option that I could make at home and contained less sugar.

While in whole foods I found Oregon Chai, they have a few options but the slightly sweet was perfect for me. Mix 1/2 cup of chai with 1/2 cup of almond milk and you have the best morning/bedtime sweet treat! 

Why Organic Tea?

Did you know that conventional tea is never washed before it hits our cups? YUCK! So that means like all other conventional produce these plants are treated with a wide range of chemicals that can be harmful to not only the environment but also us. Many teas are air-dried without being washed initially which means the FIRST time tea ever touches water, is when it is placed in our mug, right before we drink it. Any harmful chemicals that were used when the crop was farmed, are released in our mugs along with the tea.  This reason alone is a great reason to choose organic teas.

Speaking of teas, I caught the tail end of the Dr. Oz show today and he mentioned a tea called Pu-erh that will shrink your fat cells.....ummm did I hear that right?!?! A tea that will shrink fat cells, where do I sign up? So I started some research on this tea and am very intrigued. This tea is usually shipped in flat round discs like shown about and is most beneficial when drank in the morning in place of coffee.

So when I went to Whole Food this evening to pick up ingredients for an Acai Bowl (recipe to come), I wandered over to the tea aisle and found Numi's chocolate Pu-erh Tea. This tea also has more antioxidants then green tea and it tastes like chocolate= WIN! It is low in caffeine, and has such a smooth, velvety taste that no sweetener is needed. I would recommend this is a must try on your next shopping excursion.

Cauli Mash and Mint Pineapple juice for dessert

Last night I was craving mashed potatoes and opted to make mashed cauliflower instead (can you believe I have never made this before?!).

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

1 Wash and chop a head of cauliflower into medium sized florets
2. Steam cauliflower for 10-12 minutes until soft
3. Place in a food processor but remove the fill tube to allow steam to escape
4. Once the cauliflower is mashed add desired ingredients- I added earth balance butter, chopped parsley, minced garlic, sea salt and cracked pepper.
5. Serve and enjoy! You can also make a half and half side dish to slowly transition your family into healthy eating. Half cauliflower and half potatoes are great mashed together.


Pineapple Mint Juice

When I was on my juice cleanses last year I enjoyed a pineapple mint juice that was incredible and wanted to remake this treat.

Serves 2
1. Slice two pineapples removing the rind into long strips
2. Place pineapple into a juicer
3. Take two glasses and muddle a handful of mint into the bottom (its ok to use a lot)
4. Pour pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake
5. Pour chilled juice into glasses and add 1/8 cup of water and stir
6. Enjoy with a glass straw

Juice vs. Blending- Which is right for you?

Recipes for green juices and smoothies are popping up all over the place and these beverages are slowly becoming a more mainstream approach to healthy eating and detoxing. One thing is for sure – green juices and smoothies are good for you. But is one better than the other? Here is a short comparison to help you learn the ins-and-outs of green beverages. Hopefully this will help you pick which is right for you!


Green Juice
What you need: Juicer, 1 to 2 pounds of your favorite green vegetables

Advantages: Juicing is great because it extracts all of the water and nutrients from vegetables, leaving behind only the plant fibers. This means your body is better able to absorb the nutrients without having to digest the dense bulk of the plant. Plus, you can fit an incredible quantity of vegetables into a single glass of green juice, leaving you with simple, smooth and delicious drink that packs an incredible nutritional punch!

Disadvantages: Juicers can be very expensive and hard to take care of. They need to be thoroughly cleaned after every use to prevent rusting. Stocking enough fresh, organic vegetables to make daily juices can also be somewhat expensive. Although they are very high in nutrients and vitamins, juices can’t keep you full for long because your body processes the liquid so quickly. Finally, it’s worth noting that though green juices typically are usually low in sugar, several store bought juices can have a very high glycemic load and may cause blood sugar imbalances.

Try this recipe: Green Juice

Green Smoothie
What you need: Blender, ½ to 1 pound of your favorite green vegetables, 1 cup of ice.

Advantages: The biggest advantage to making smoothies is that the only equipment you need is relatively inexpensive – a blender. Smoothies also tend to be a little bit more filling since the plant fibers are present (but still easy to digest, compared to raw whole vegetables.)

Disadvantages: Compared to digesting juice, your body will have to work a bit harder to digest a smoothie and absorb the nutrients. Also, because it’s difficult to pack in the same volume of vegetables into a blender, your smoothie won’t be as nutrient-dense as your green juice. Using a high quality blender, such as a Vitamix, will lead to smoother, more enjoyable smoothies, but the price is comparable to a juicer.

Try this recipe: Green Monster Smoothie

The bottom line is when it comes to green beverages, whether you prefer smoothies or juices, it’s hard to go wrong. Just pick your favorite vegetables, and blend or juice away. Your body will thank you!

Article writen by Integrative Nutrition

Buy a bottle- Save a bee!

I met this company at the Natural Products Expo that I attended last weekend and they had me from "save a bee". As you remember I posted a blog a while back about the vanishing bee population and it is a scary thing as bees pollinate over 1/3 of the foods that we eat! One of my absolute favorite things about this product is that its tea with a tablespoon of honey, thats it, there are no refined or artifical sweeteners! I tried the lemon ginger and its fantastic!!! For every bottle you buy, Honey Drop donates proceeds to local beekeepers across the country to help build new hives, increase awareness, and fight against CCD.

Look for this product in your local health food stores.

Green Monster

In the past I have attempted making a green monster smoothie but the pieces of spinach left gave the drink a chewy texture compared to the liquid I was hoping for. That being said I went back to my true love my juicer for my morning green juices.

Well yesterday I decided to give green monsters another chance and I am so glad I did, it was *delicious*

I filled my blender 3/4 of the way full with organic baby spinach
1 cup of frozen organic blueberries
1 cup of frozen organic mango
1.5 cups of cold water
.5 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 TB of chia seeds for an added dose of Omega 3's

Blend together using the liquify button or blend for at least 5 minutes. Feel free to use 2 cups of water instead of almond milk and play with the fruit and veggie combinations. Anything will work!

Now how to sneak some spinach into Jason's next smoothie without him knowing :)

Healthy take on Mexican Cinnamon Rice Milk

Sorry for the dark photo, I took this using my phone

So a few weeks ago I had my first sip of Mexican Cinnamon Rice Milk,  it was definitely more like a dessert that was ice cold and sweet.  Last night my husband and I needed something light but sweet after dinner so I was inspired to recreate a healthy version of this drink.

Ingredients:
2 cups of original almond milk (or homemade)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-5 drops of liquid stevia to taste

Mix together and pour over ice in beautiful martini glasses! Serves 2

This is a great summer drink to replace hot chocolate. It would probably make an awesome smoothie as well blended with ice.

The best organic coffee

Below is a list of some of the best organic coffee brands, where the entire product line of the brand is organic in nature.


Marques de Paiva ®
•Brazilian coffee house established in 1895
•Organic certification by the USDA and Fair Trade certified
•Roasting plants produce zero carbon dioxide emissions
•100% pure Arabica beans are used
•Comes in family sized 40 ounce bags or smaller 12 ounce and 10 ounce packets
•Roast types include: Lighter Roasted/Medium/Dark/Decaffeinated
•Average product price range between $15 and $25

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
•Coffee from 3 different continents - the Americas, Africa and Asia (Indonesia)
•100% pure Arabica beans used
•Fair Trade Certified products
•The company that developed the ecotainer™ - alternative natural material cup as opposed to paper cups
•Select from 5 different grind types like Turkish/Infusion/Espresso
•Organic coffees also available in K-Cups, single or in packs of 24 cups
•Choose from a wide variety of flavors like Country Blend/Wild Mountain Blueberry/Sumatran Reserve among others
•Average product price between $9 and $20

Rogers Family Organic Coffee Co.
•100% Arabica bean coffee
•Fair Trade certified coffee
•Company buys from other farms and has 6 organic farms of its own
•Different varieties of coffees, from custom blends to single origin to decaf and flavored
•Special "Rainforest Blend" combines coffees from Mexico, Guetemala, Colombia and Indonesia and comes in a 3 lbs bag
•Coffee comes in 12 ounce or 2 pound sized packages
•Average product price range between $5 to $26

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee
•USDA certified organic coffee of German production
•Made from 100% pure Arabica beans
•Instant coffee also available in decaf blend
•Available in 3.5 ounce bottles or single serve sticks of 1.76 ounce
•Approx 1 jar yields 60 cups of coffee
•Price range between $20 and $50

Equal Exchange
•100% Arabica beans used
•Comes in 10, 12 ounces, 1 and 2 pounds sized packages
•Coffee types include Origin/Flavored/Decaf/Espresso/Blends
•Flavors include: Toffee Caramel, Sumatran, Peru French, Mexican, French Vanilla and lots more
•Product range includes organic teas, sugar, chocolate and cocoa
•Price range between $30 and $50

Caffe Ibis®
•USDA certified, QAI (Quality Assurance International) certified and Fair Trade certified
•Coffee available in 12 ounce and 5 pound sized packets
•Coffee flavors include: Highland Sumatra/Logan Canyon Blend/Decaf Organic French Roast/Organic Aztec Dark/Organic Café Femenino
•Average price range is between $10 to $ 15

Ethical Bean Coffee
•Canadian coffee manufacturer
•Certified as organic by the QAI
•Fair Trade certified
•Flavors include: rocket fuel/lush/mellow/decaf/exotic/bold/classic/sweet espresso
•Comes in 12 ounce packets
•Price range between $10 and $25

CUNDI COFFEE
•Organic certified by the USDA and Fair Trade certified
•100% Arabica coffee beans used
•Comes in 1, 2 and 4 pound sized packets
•Dark and medium roast available
•Price range between $12 to $50

From the above best organic coffee brands, you can see the reasonable price and diverse range of flavors and blend types available. Choosing an organic coffee brand counts as a step towards helping the environment, helping those less fortunate and helping your health in the long run. The search for organic brands may be difficult but with above round-up of the best organic coffee brands, it just became a whole lot easier. So get brewing!

Source buzzle.com

Strawberry Cucumber Juice

Are you tired of the same glass of orange juice morning after morning? Here is a great new juice recipe that is full of vitamin C and cleansing nutrients. It’s will also provide a boost in energy. Don't forget to purchase organic strawberries. Enjoy!

  

Makes 1 glass

• 3/4 C strawberries
• 3 oz. honeydew melon 
• 1/2 small cucumber
• ice cubes

Hull the strawberries. Remove the skin and the seeds from the melon and chop the flesh into chunks. Juice the fruit with the cucumber. Pour the juice over ice in a tall glass and serve.

Smoothies and Juices (2008). Octopus Publishing Group. London.

Green Tea

Next time you are in the mood for something warm, choose green tea!! This little drink packs a powerful punch of health benefits and is reputed to be helpful with-

•cancer


•rheumatoid arthritis

•high cholesterol levels

•cariovascular disease

•infection

•impaired immune function


Research is also showing that this drink can help dieters burn more calories and help prevent tooth decay.
Just add a few drops of liquid stevia and you have a delicious drink!!

Green Tea Lemonade

Happy April Fool's Day everyone!!! Here is a great drink to "fool" yourself into thinking your enjoying a sweet treat but at only 14 calories per serving drink up! Plus its loaded with antioxidants.

Just pour 1 cup of brewed green tea over a glass of ice, add a splash of fresh lemonade and garnish with a mint sprig.

Skinny Girl- Bethenny Frankel

Hangover Cure

So I am sure we can all relate to a holiday hangover as it seems the parties are endless. My best friend and I were just talking out this topic this morning as the older we get the worse we feel the following day. Dr. Oz has the ultimate cure, 2TB of honey on each cracker... that's it! The fructose in the honey helps you get rid of the alcohol in your system, and make sure to drink plenty of water to rehydrate your brain.

Rethink Holiday Coffees

Holiday coffee choices are all around us, but next time you are in the mood for a sweet treat to warm you up, rethink your decision.

• Starbucks venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk and whip (my husbands favorite) is over 700 calories and equivalent to an entire beef tenderloin dinner.

• Dunkin Donuts large Gingerbread Latte has over 440 calories and the sugar equivalent to 4.5 sprinkle the cheer donuts.
• Panera Breads Peppermint Hot Cocoa is 610 calories and equivalent to 2 slices of pumpkin pie
• McDonald's large Frappe Carmel is 680 calories and equivalent to 31 Carmel/chocolate candies
• Starbucks venti Eggnog Latte with whole milk is 630 calories and equivalent to 16 candy canes