Hello all
Thought I would update you on my blog and why it looks different. Simply put : I am a little techno un- savvy on this ol’ internet! I am working on getting it back to the way it was ( or better ). Until then please enjoy the current format.
New post should be off the press on tuesday!
Shalom,
I hope you all enjoyed the last post. And I also hope that the two videos urged you to look further into the subject of agave.
I will admit – I was pretty taken with agave. How awesome it was! You mean there is a sweetener out there that has a low impact on your body- and comes from a natural source?! Sign me up!! Thats pretty much how my thoughts went the first heard I of agave. But just to let you know I am not posting this article to point out what you are doing wrong in your diet. I think that you are the maker of the decisions in your own life. But – I do want everyone to be able to have the knowledge and choice to know what you are putting in your body.
I have come to a conclusion this week. And it’s its a conclusion that I didn’t really want to come to completely. I realized that the health industry may be just be as guilty of false advertising as the generic food industry- and yes I always “knew” this but I don’t think I fully believed it. I think I had a general trust. That brands I bought at my local health food store were there to keep me healthy. Nah uh… not so fast. Why do we need agave? Why do we need “chocolate” energy bars?
We need these things because we are so entangled with the SAD ( standard amercian diet ) way of eating. Even if we do have the intentions to eat purely we reach for the “healthy” versions of junk food we used to like. Now if you think I am telling you not to eat chocolate or other sweets – I am not. What am I saying? We need to refocus what healthy eating is. I just don’t believe that eating healthy is to merely consume “healthy” versions of SAD products. Why do I reach for the raw chocolate and not the plump persimmons or grapes? Because I have foundations in the SAD. I need to break those foundations. Get back to the pure basics of fruits and veggies – and taste them for what they are. Not add sweetener to everything I eat. I want to taste the pureness of my fruits and veggies.
So do I think that Agave is bad? I don’t really know – I am not scientist and no expert- Will I keep buying it? Simply put – no. . I want to use sweeteners less. Not omit them, but enjoy the natural sweetness of an apple or strawberries. Getting back to natural is my goal and sadly Agave is not “natural” – it doesn’t come in the form of a syrup in nature. It is made to be that way through many many processes. There are not too many nutrients in Agave. Look on the nutritional information. That will tell you the story.
I can’t say that I will never consume a sweetener like agave again. I think that is too bold of a statement. I think it may be on the side of wisdom to put my money into more nutrient dense foods.
what are your thoughts?
Cheers,
Lindsay
I have been seeing more and more articles and videos concerning agave and whether it is good or not. Since I am no expert on the matter I thought I would post some videos and see what you think. Agave has become a very popular sweeteners for the health conscience – especially in the raw community
I am not going say whether it is good or bad for you to consume – and I will tell you my personal decision in part 2 of this blog post. For now I want you to form your own opinion based on what the pro’s say.
Why am I posting about this?
I tend to think it is important for everyone to have access to these matters and have the choice to decide to consume or not. It seems to me that there are some respected professionals out there who are on the side of taking agave out our diets. I am really interested in what you think. I do not want to leave the facts up to the company selling you something. We need to open up the discussion to people who have our best interest at heart !
Another “it’s bad for you” issue? Sometimes I feel like we are being told something is healthy – only to be told a year later ‘it’s bad for you!! don’t eat it’ . It can get a little frustrating to be completely honest. Sometimes we have a company see the potential in a product – then market it to make money – and the healthy industry is no different. We would all like to believe that ‘healthy companies’ had our best interest at heart – but this is not always the case. So what is the best way to not get scammed? In my opinion: sticking to the most fruits and veggies possible – filling our diet with foods that are the LEAST processed. I think we would be surprised at how processed some ‘healthy’ food really is. Our goal is to be eating food that is as pure as possible.
Take a look at these opinions – let me know what you think by posting a comment below!
Cheers,
Hello all!
I hope you are all having a great holiday season – and that you have been trying to bake some healthy treats 
I have for you a movie … and if you feel so inclined you can purchase this movie as it will not be available for free for long. So don’t be surprised if this link bites the dust 
This movie is about Dr. Burzynski – a man who has made significant advances in the treatment of cancer.Want to read more on Dr. Burzynski? read here. You can order the movie here .
Feel free to leave a comment below… what do you think about Dr. Burzynski ?
Cheers,
I really like coconut oil. A lot. And I am pretty sure that this will not be the last post on it – but I thought I would shoot some videos your way. If you’re in the market for some coconut oil these videos will give you some good tips on which one to pick. And if you aren’t convinced yet – this video might also help you! Coconut oil is awesome. And best of all it is good for more than food 
In our house we eat a lot of coconut products. They are just so dang delicious – and good for you!
Video source : Dr. Mercola
Video source : Psyche Truth
Hope you are all well!
Cheers,
* featured image courtesy of infobarrel
I just finished a book entitled – “healthy at 100″. Written by John Robbins ( the son of the famous baskin-robbins ) we are taken on a journey to some of the longest living people on this planet- or – so they claim. The Hunza, Okinawa, Abkhasia, and the Vilcabambas. All claim to exceed the age of 100 – some claiming to live well into 120 plus! This sounds pretty incredible. Our culture is enamoured with the thought of immortality – living forever – never growing old. And what I like about Robbins’ book is his approach to these thoughts. He begs the question – is ageing a bad thing? Is it something we need to avoid? Or be ashamed of?
One thing Robbins points out about these long living cultures is that other than their near perfect diet and nearly chemical free land their age could be attributed to more than just that. Perhaps they live long because they embrace age – they don’t let it slow them down.
Here in North America we have this idea that when we age we should start to sit down more – and take it “easy” because we “earned” it. So much of our healthcare is spent keeping us “alive” – while we don’t really get the chance to actually live!
It was interesting to hear the diets of these different cultures. They were almost the same. Even being so far apart geographically. Mostly based on plants their diets are fully cultivated by their own hands. Sown and reaped – and eating. What a way to live!
I encourage you to go to the library and pick up a copy of healthy at 100 – or buy one
If you would like a more in depth review click here
I have been going through some ideas for some holiday treats. I think I have a good one. I am going to make it very soon and post it. You will have to tell me what you think by giving it a try. I have been dealing with a stubborn wisdom tooth. It hurts to say the least. I was hoping I would not have to get it taken out – but it looks as though its coming out. 
ugh. I was hoping my c section would have been the last surgery for a while. Wrong!
Here is a recipe to keep you busy. This will be apart of my upcoming holiday treat!
Recipe author: Marisa’s healthy kitchen
Yummy Protein Goo Ball Bites
Chocolate Version
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (as I mentioned above – I love Brendan Brazier’s products from Vega and his Shake & Go Smoothie Chocolate is amazing!!!!)
2 tablespoons Artisana coconut butter (this is the best stuff ever!)
2 teaspoons honey or agave
1 heaping teaspoon organic peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/4 cup light coconut milk
Vanilla Version
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (my absolute favorite vanilla powder - Life Time Lifes Basics Plant Protein)
2 tablespoons Artisana coconut butter
2 teaspoons honey or agave
1 heaping teaspoon organic peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/4 cup light coconut milk
Combine all ingredients. You might need a little more protein powder or coconut if too wet or some coconut milk if too dry. Roll into balls in your hands.
Optional add ons:
Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip the bites in the bowl. Then sprinkle coconut over and freeze until firm.
* you can use whichever protein powder you like. Or you can omit it and replace with two tablespoons of ground nuts or seeds – try brazil nuts!
Blog you later!
Around Christmas every year we see the flood gates open to let ‘delicious’ eggnog onto the market. If you are like me and don’t drink milk then you are out of luck- and since I don’t drink soy milk either I don’t have too many options left. I am not even sure how much I would drink eggnog if I could
I have to admit when I first glanced at this recipe, I was a little bit disgusted. But then again I am not always the best judge of a delicious sounding recipe ! This recipe for ‘carrot egg nog’ is definitely my FAVOURITE drink I have ever had. I don’t want to hype it up too much – but its true. I really really like it. Plus it is much better for the ol’ body than egg nog. Have you ever read the ingredients on one of those suckers? ick!
I am going to give you a couple different variations. One of them I have tried and really like – the other I have not tried. So I don’t know if I like it ! But I am assuming I would – anything with coconut
Carrot nog – recipe author: Mimi Kirk [ this is the one I really like ]
Blend well – ENJOY
Carrot Nog – recipe author : Vegweb
For some of you this will not replace traditional egg nog – and that’s understandable. This is one thing to keep in mind when trying plant based variations of ‘traditional’ dishes or drinks. They don’t always taste exactly the same. Don’t let this scare you the first time. I know when I have tried variations I didn’t like them because I had in my mind what was familiar.
Hope you’re having a great week!
cheers,
Well well! Number 5. The last smoothie for the week. I hope you have enjoyed a smoothie this week – whether it was one of mine or your own creation!
We are going to finish of this week with a great smoothie. This smoothie is packed with nutrition. I picked up the recipe from a book I picked up called ‘ Live Raw: raw food recipes for good health and timeless beauty’. It has a great smoothie collection- and I thought I would give this one a go. If you looked at the ls of ingredients and noticed kale – and thought that was weird – don’t fret! Kale is really good for you The vitamin profile of kale is CRRAAZZZAAY … take a look . It is one heck of a powerhouse 
. You can eat kale in a dozen ways too – so its not limited to smoothies.
Ingredients
1 Thai baby coconut – just the water ( scoop out the meat and put it in the freezer for later use
2 peaches, plums or nectarines
cup of berries ( whichever you like )
6 organic kale leaves, stems removed.
Ice ( to your liking )
2 medjool dates if you would like it sweeter
Blend well – ENJOY!!
image belongs to simplyvintagegirl.
Cheers,
We have all heard that calcium is important – and well – it is! But I think that what we have been told about calcium by mainstream “health advocates” may be deceiving and misleading. We have all been told that dairy products are the best place to get our calcium and vitamin D and this is turning out to be clever marketing.
This may surprise you but milk may actually inhibit the absorption of calcium ! Want to read more? I encourage you to research this topic for yourself! It is very important to educate ourselves on these matters!
I thought since we have been bombarded with the idea that milk is best – I would come up with a beverage that uses whole foods to obtain your calcium! Not only does this smoothie contain calcium- but brings with it the other minerals and vitamins necessary to absorb calcium. The whole package here ladies and gentlemen.
I wouldn’t recommend this for a ‘breakfast’ smoothie in its own – unless you are a very light eater.
Ingredients
1/4 ground sesame seeds
2 frozen bananas
.5 cups of chai tea concentrate. ( make by steeping 1 chai tea bag in .5 cups of water. steep according to how strong you like it )
1 +/- cup of coconut water ( form young thai coconut preferably )
ice ( to your liking )
1 tsp of honey or clear agave
1 tsp dash of cinnamon
greens are optional! I put some in to my smoothies as it adds a more nutrients.
Cheers,
The information provided above is intended for educational purposes only. It is not meant to either directly or indirectly give medical advice or prescribe treatment. Unless specifically referenced, the information has not been scientifically validated or approved by any government or regulatory agency. Please consult with your physician or other licensed health care professional for medical diagnosis, prescription, and treatment.
Buckwheat – for those of you who cannot tolerate gluten/wheat products. Its a goodie. Packed with protein, magnesium, B6, copper and maganese. Full of fibre -and heart healthy! You can do a ton of things with buckwheat – baking being the most popular. If you would like to read more on buckwheat click this.
Today I decided to put this little fruit seed in a smoothie. Just as a reminder – it is best to soak buckwheat groats before ingesting — this helps your ability to digest it. Make it even more nutritious and sprout it!
You ask – ‘ I thought this was about ‘super’ foods? Why buckwheat? It doesn’t grow high up in the mountains – or on the wings of a pegasus! ‘. haha! In my opinion natural food is all pretty super and has something valuable for our bodies – ( with the exception of personal allergies ) We don’t need to eat the latest superfood craze to be healthy. Thats for certain.
I hope you enjoy this one.
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk ( or whatever ‘milk’ you use )
1 cup soaked or sprouted buckwheat groats
ice ( to your liking )
3 tbs cocoa nibs or 2 tbs cocoa powder ( or if you like carob )
1 tbs mesquite powder
1.5 frozen bananas
pinch of cinnimon
*You can sweeten this if you like – we tried it sweetened and I found it maybe too sweet. So I might go with only 2 tsp of honey or your choice of sweetener. Bananas manage to sweeten on their own.
Blend it well – ENJOY!
Tell me what you think of buckwheat!
Cheers,