Give your heart a healthy boost this Valentine’s Day

Red-Velvet-Green-Smoothie

Valentine’s day is just around this corner, so it’s the perfect time to start treating your heart right! 

Give your heart a healthy boost with this superfood green (though it looks red) smoothie recipe made with raw cacao and other heart-healthy ingredients that your heart will LOOOVE! 

RED VELVET GREEN SMOOTHIE


Serve it in a fancy glass with two straws so you and your loved one can enjoy it together!  // serves 2

INGREDIENTS


 Always recommended to use organic ingredients.

2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
2 cups strawberries
4 dates, pitted
¼ cup diced raw or cooked beets
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Coconut whipped cream on top (optional)

DIRECTIONS


1. Blend spinach and coconut milk until smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

*Use frozen fruit to make smoothie cold.

Red Velvet Green Smoothie

For more yummy green smoothie recipes check out https://simplegreensmoothies.com

This kale salad is the perfect way to start the weekend off right and will give you the kick start you need to stay focused on your fitness goals… and it’s delicious too!

Weekend Glow Kale Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 large head of kale (about 4-6 cups)
  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrot (2 small carrots)
  • 1 English cucumber (2 cups chopped halves)
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 & 1/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes (or other variety)
  • 1/2 cup mixed raisins and Goji berries
  • 1/4 cup hemp seed
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

  • 1 batch of Lighten Up Tahini Dressing
  • Your desired fresh or dried herbs

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and mix in a large mixing bowl. Reserve hemp seed and walnuts for sprinkling on top.

2. Make your Lightened Up tahini-Lemon Dressing in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Tear the leaves off of the kale and rip into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry kale leaves.

4. Mix the vegetables, kale leaves, and full batch of dressing (3/4-1 cup) in large bowl until thoroughly combined.

5. Place in fridge to ‘marinate’ for 10-15 minutes. Serves 4. Keeps in fridge in a sealed container for 1 day.

FOR THE LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING:
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Prepare the Lemon-Tahini Dressing: Mince the garlic in a mini food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

3 tips for preparing raw kale:

1. Remove the stems when you plan on eating it raw (and some people remove the stems for cooking too-it’s personal preference). The stems are the bitter part of the plant. I used to always use the stems and wonder why my kale salads tasted ridiculously bitter. Now I just use the leaves and it always turns out wonderful to the palate.

2. Massage the dressing into the leaves and let it ‘marinate’ for at least 10-15 minutes. A kale salad tastes best when the dressing has had a chance to soak into the leaves. This also helps soften the leaves which is especially important if you are using the curly variety. You don’t want it scratching your throat!

3. If you really don’t like curly kale, try Dinosaur (Lacinato) kale as it is less

Enjoy!!!

-Danielle

For more amazingly glowing recipes check out https://ohsheglows.com/

photo credit ohsheglows.com

Green Smoothies: Why and How?

Green-smoothie

Downing a glass of green pulpy stuff has been the craze for a while now… But green smoothies are not just a trend, they’re here to stay and here’s why!Screen Shot 2016-03-24 at 6.01.29 PM

What is a green smoothie?

It is very simple actually, a green smoothie is just that, a smoothie with a base of leafy greens, fruit to cut the bitterness and help with digestion and liquid.

Here are some of the reasons why I love green smoothies:

Not only do green smoothies actually taste good they are also a wonderful way to get nutrient dense raw leafy greens into your daily diet.

Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients, green smoothies not only give your body the best defenses for disease, but you are ingesting a variety of natural substances that are essential for optimum health, fitness and wellbeing.

These whole foods when blended provide a power pack boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients without bogging down your digestive system. The best natural energy booster out there!

Drinking green smoothies is a great way to get all your greens in. Many of us do not consume enough greens. By drinking two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough greens for the day to nourish your body, and all of the beneficial nutrients will be well assimilated.

Do green smoothies taste like grass?

No, the good news is, if made properly, a green smoothie tastes just as good as a smoothie of another color! The greens may add plenty of color to your recipe, but they shouldn’t alter the taste much at all. If you do make one that is slightly bitter for your liking, just add more fruit. Some greens are hidden (in terms of flavor) better than others. Spinach for example, is fairly neutral in taste, while kale has a stronger, more bitter flavor. 

Summary of Sexy Fit Vegan’s ebook, How to Make Your Own Superfood Protein Shakes:

1. Choose your base. There are many different liquids you can choose from to use as the “base” of your green smoothie. First, there are many store-bought milk substitutes. It’s best to choose one that is “unsweetened” so you can create a smoothie that is free of any added sugars. Second, you have the option of making your own nut milk. It’s actually much easier than you may think. My favorite nut milk recipe can be found at www.sexyfitvegan.com/nutmilk. A third option is using coconut water, which will create great flavor with less creaminess. Coconut water also has plenty of health benefits including providing us with valuable electrolytes for hydration.

2. Seeds are a staple for your super food green smoothie. The three super food seeds that SFV recommends adding are hemp, chia, and flax seeds. All three are high in protein and fiber, and hemp seeds are among the few plant foods that are a complete protein.

3. Use Popeye Power to make it a Green smoothie. Popeye was smarter than he looked! Dark leafy greens are, calorie per calorie, the most nutritious foods on the planet! 

4. Choose a thickener. Depending on how thick you like your shake, either banana or, believe it or not, avocado, can be added if it needs to be thickened.

5. Fruit Favorite. Now that we have the base ingredients set, it’s time to decide if you want to go with a fruity flavor, or go a different route (Ella gives you some great ideas!)

6. Super food add-ons. Depending on your individual health considerations, there may be additional supplemental foods that would be appropriate additions to your smoothies. Learn about the benefits of amla and maca powders in the book.

7. For the fitness freaks. If you are extremely active, do high-intensity workouts, and/or are looking to gain muscle mass, you may want to consider a few ways to get the extra energy and protein you need. Ella gives some great tips for making your green smoothie especially helpful to make gains.

8. Va Va Va Vitamix. A high-speed blender is a key component in successful shake and green smoothie creations. Many of the ingredients SVF suggests simply require a quality piece of equipment to fully breakdown and blend together.

**As always we recommend keep an open mind,and only use fresh, local, organic ingredients to receive optimal benefits

Enjoy incorporating more green smoothies into your daily routine! Find more awesome smoothie recipes in The Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan as well 🙂

-Dani

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mint Chip Banana Nice Cream

mint-vegan-ice-cream

Mint Chip Banana Nice Cream… Say Goodbye to Dairy and Guilt!

For all you ice cream lovers out there, its time to jump on the banana nice cream train. Simple, smooth and creamy, this healthy vegan, low fat dessert can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Using bananas as the base, other fruits, super foods and essential oils can be blended in for a completely different flavor and texture. This is the ultimate “guilt-free” treat that everyone must try…Finally it’s ok to have ice cream for breakfast. 

Yield: 2 cups, 2 servings
Time: 15 minutes
Prepare ahead: freeze bananas
Equipment: high-power juicer or blender

Optional: Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil (YLEO): PeppermintMintChip NanaCream

Ingredients:

  • 4 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen  
  • 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
  • 1 teaspoon spirulina powder 
  • 1 drops Peppermint YLEO

Directions:

Push frozen bananas through a high-power juicer fitted with the blank plate to homogenize the fruit. It will be the consistency of soft serve ice cream. 

Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Alternatively, use a high-power blender with the tamper, or a food processor, adding liquid as needed for blending. 

Serve with toppings such as chopped nuts, fruit, shredded coconut, cacao nibs, or chocolate sauce. 

Using bananas as the base, other frozen fruits can be added in such as mangoes or berries.

Recipe Gratitude to Amy Bacheller.
For more of Amy’s amazing raw recipes check out www.scentfromheaven-sb.com
Instagram: @amybbacheller

Omega 3 Triple Power Pudding

breakfast-chia-pudding

 Chia pudding packs a powerful omega 3 punch and is a great way to start your day off right!

Known for increasing strength and stamina, chia seeds are an easy source of the all important omega 3 essential fats. Boost it even more by
adding flax and hemp seeds, well-documented plant sources of omega 3, beneficial for the health of our joints, heart, brain and hormonal balance. Who knew eating healthy could taste so good?!
 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup liquid (coconut water, nut milk, or water)
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds, ground
  • 1 tablespoon flax seeds, ground
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds

 Directions:
  1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Allow the pudding to sit for ten minutes.
  3. Add berries, nuts, superfoods, sweetener and essential oils of choice.
 

 Comments:copyright amy bacheller
 
 The pudding in this photo has raspberries, pine nuts, and kelp powder, with Fennel and Spruce essential oils from Young Living (the best, purest and safest for culinary use).
 Sweetened with a few drops of Stevia extract from Young Living.
 
Recipe Gratitude to Amy Bacheller.
For more of Amy’s amazing raw recipes check out www.scentfromheaven-sb.com
Instagram: @amybbacheller

Copyright FullyRaw Kristina 

Ever thought you couldn’t adopt a raw vegan diet because you couldn’t give up pizza?

Happy Friday everyone. Today I want to share with you a recipe that is guilt free, vegan, low lat, oil-free and even salt free! Yes, I’m talking about Guilt Free FullyRaw Pizza from FullyRaw by Kristina. These mini pizza’s are so delicious and are the perfect finger food for a fun time with friends. Pizza Night Anyone?
 
This recipe calls for local organic ingredients, if available. 

Guilt Free FullyRaw Pizza

Recipe for the Sundried Tomato Crust:

  • 2 medium sized zucchinis
  • 1 cup sundried tomatoes
  • 1 cup raw mushrooms
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • handful fresh spinach or kale

Recipe for the Cauliflower Zucchini Thyme Crust:

  • 2-3 small zucchinis
  • Half of 1 large cauliflower
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • After blending, sprinkle in some freshly picked thyme or rosemary

Pick which crust you would like to make and put all ingredients in a high powered blender. Once blended into a creamy consistency, place on your teflon sheet and tray, in the shape of a pizza crust. Smooth out and place in the dehydrator.  Dehydrate these crusts at 112 degrees for 10 hours.

Don’t own a dehydrator? No problem! Turn your oven on to the lowest setting until desired consistency. Time may vary. 

Recipe for the FullyRaw Marinara:

  • 1 cup soaked and rinsed sundried tomatoes
  • 1 cup red cherry tomatoes
  • handful fresh basil
  • sprinkle of fresh rosemary, thyme, or other herb of choice
  • Optional: slice of jalapeño

Blend all ingredients in high power blender until desired consistency.

Recipe for the FullyRaw Pesto:

  • 2 medium sized zucchinis
  • 4 tablespoons of raw pine nuts
  • Juice of one lemon or lime
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 large handful of basil
  • 1 large handful of fresh spinach

Blend all ingredients in high power blender until nice and creamy

Spread your FullyRaw Pesto and Marinara on your pizza crust. Add any toppings you desire like tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, jalapeño, red onion, green onion, and more! Enjoy.

Posted with permission by FullyRaw by Kristina. Check out FullyRaw by Kristina for more  tips, trick and recipes https://www.fullyraw.com/