Lift your spirits juice

Feeling a little low lately due to the cold weather and some personal stuff I'm trying to work though. A simple juice that makes me more light hearted is a combo of oranges, lemon, ginger and strawberries. I've been doing some reading and it turns out citrus smells have been studied and are proven to lighten your spirits. "Citrus is shown to help patients affected by hysteria and depression... Pleasant smells lower the heart rate and reduce stress, and that in itself makes you feel better," according to Dr Charles Spence Dr. Charles Spence is an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford. He is the head of the Crossmodal Research group which specializes in the research about the integration of information across different sensory modalities.
..... Click the link for more information. at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University.

Lift Your Spirits Juice

• 2 Medium Oranges (rub the skin between your fingers to get the smell of the essential oils from the peel on your hands and breathe it in:)
• 1/2 a Medium Lemon
• 2C Organic Strawberries
• 1 sm knot of ginger

Juice through a standard juicer breathing in the smells as you go :)

Orange

David Wolfe on Thyroid Health

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Coconut Fruit Bars

Chewy sweet very tasty...

Base:
3C shredded coconut
4 dates soaked and pitted
4T honey (if you don't like honey use maple syrup)

Blend dates and honey until smooth mix with coconut and press flat on to a non stick surface (like a cookie sheet).

Topping
1C Dried chopped cherries
1/2 Dried chopped Cranberries
1/2 C walnuts in pieces
1/4c Orange Juice
4T Honey
1T lemon/orange or lime zest
2 Dates soaked pitted and chopped

(if it is too runny ad more fruit) mix honey oj and zest let sit for an hour (to let flavours mix) then mix with chopped fruits and walnuts spread mix on top of coconut base place in fridge or freezer until firm and cut into squares

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Peanut Butter Chocolate

If you aren't a fan of peanuts try almonds or cashews. I roll these in a ball and make them like a thumprint cookie.

Nuts for Chocolate Cookies

• 2c peanuts or (almonds or cashews - soaked)
• 1/4 c melted coconut oil
• 1/2 rolled oats
• 2T maple syrup
• 1/4c cacao
• 2 dates soaked and pitted

blend 1 1/2 c of nuts with oil until almost smooth (if you have a vitamix use this instead of your food processor) add dates, maple syrup and blend a little more. Crush remaining nuts into biggish pieces and stir these in with 1/2 rolled oats - roll into balls and flatten out with a fork.

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Carrot Cake Balls

This is a great one if you juice regularly save your carrot pulp to make these.

• 1/2 Cup Cashews
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 2 Cups Carrot pulp (or shredded carrots about 3 medium carrots)
• 1/2 C Raisins
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1/2tsp grated ginger
• 2 soaked and pitted dates
• 1tsp maple syrup
• 3T grated coconut
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of cinnamon

Grind nuts and spices together in food processor or blender, add the rest (except coconut) and blend together until sticky roll in balls then roll in coconut. Super Yummy --- again photos to come!

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Oatmeal Cranberry

Another cookie recipe w/o a photo (for now sorry guys - I'll post some after the Christmas crazies are over!)

Oatmeal Cranberry

• 2 cups ground raw cashews
• 1 cup ground raw oats
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Blend all in a high speed blender or food processor until resembles cookie dough stir in
1C of dried cranberries. These can be rolled in coconut and served doughnut hole style or flattened out and cut into shapes

Too much Holiday Cheer? - 2 Juices

I had too much cheer at my office party last night. I don't drink often or much so a few glasses of wine went a long way. This morning after the obligatory why did I do this to myself thoughts I made a few glasses of Day after juice (full of vitamin C).

Day After Juice

• 2 Oranges
• Ice
• 1 Pomegranate

3 Days After Juice

• Beet with top (small)
• 4 Carrots
• 1 Medium Apple
• 2 Handfuls of Spinach (Kale or dandelion greens)

Wash well and juice in a juicer. If your juicer doesn't handle greens well try blending them in a blender with a little water and straining through a nut mylk bag (or any strainer) then whisk in with the juicer juice. If you have fresh Dandelion Greens you can use them instead of Spinach (excellent for the liver).

3 Day after Juice will "push" your liver and will probably make you feel more ill if you try to drink it the day after an alcohol binge so save it until you aren't feeling the effects of abusing yourself so much.

Beets, especially the beet roots, are excellent for healing the liver after abuse from alcohol and other toxins. Beet tops are even higher in nutrition than the root, but both are high in important vitamins and minerals. The vitamins that beet roots are especially high in are vitamin C, niacin, thiamine, and iron.
Carrots are extremely high in carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other B vitamins. Carotene is important because it helps rebuild white blood cells that have been ravaged and depleted with drinking. White blood cells are critical for a healthy immune system.
Apples are here mainly to make the juice tasty but, they provide vitamin A, vitamin C, and is a good source of carbohydrates to help with the sugar metabolism of people trying to detox from alchohol. Juice the apples with the skin on for maximum nutritional benefits.
Dandelion root and greens are a superfood for the detoxing the liver. Juicing this vegetable will provide more nutrients than many other vegetables, and even more vitamin A than carrots. "Dandelion root is regarded as one of the finest liver remedies, both as food and medicine. Dandelion root improves the flow of bile, improving ... liver congestion..." (Micheal T. Murray, N.D.) 

Kale is a powerful green to include in the juicing recipe for recovering alcoholics because of its high iron content, high calcium content (a cup of kale or collard green juice has more calcium than a cup of milk), and is high in potassium, an essential mineral. The thiamine content in kale is greater than in beets, as well. Spinach is high in iron, but also has high amounts of the B vitamins.

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Minty Cookies

• 5 soaked pitted dates
  1/2C mint leaves
• 1C soaked almonds
• 1T cacao powder

Blend dates, mint and soaked almonds in food processor or vitamix roll in balls and then roll in cacao powder (no dehydrating needed!)

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Apricot Biscotti

Another repost... buttery yummy Apricot Biscotti (spice cookies for tomorrow taking a bit longer to dehydrate than I thought!)
 
Moons of the faithful Biscotti

• 1 1/2 C Dried Apricots (soaked for .5/hr to soften)
• 2C Almonds
• 3 Large Pitted Dates
• 2T Raw Almond Butter
• 1t Cinnamon
• 1T Vanilla
• 1/4C Soak Water (reserved from Apricots and Dates)

Soak almonds in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Soak the Apricots and Dates in water for around .5 hour to soften. Drain set aside soak water. In a food processor, chop almonds until fine. Add dates, apricots, almond butter, cinnamon, and vanilla blend drizzle in water until a dough like paste is formed (will be a little chunky). To form roll all dough into a large loaf shape cut into biscotti. . Dehydrate at 110 for 20hrs flip off non stick sheets and return to dehydrator for 4-8 hrs.
Stores well in plastic bags in the freezer.

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Lemon Coconut Moons

The photo doesn't do these little cookies justice - they are really delicious (actually that photo is going to drive me nuts so I'll probably have to post a better one soon!). I think next time I'll make them more like a thumbprint cookie with maybe a curl of lemon zest on top of each one...

Lemon Coconut Moons

• 2C Cashews
• Juice from 2 Lemons (medium to large sized)
• Zest from one of the lemons (about 4T)
• 1C Hemp Hearts 
• 2C Shredded Coconut
• 4 large soaked and pitted medjool dates

Blend or Food process cashews into a powder add remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture resembles a raw cookie dough. Shape into moons or rounds and flatten dehydrate over night at 115 degrees flip and dehydrate another 3 to 4 hours (tasty w/o drying as well - but the dehydrator makes them a little crispy on the outside which is nice)

12 Days of Raw Cookies - Sweet Pecan Cookies

Silly me forgetting that I have to dehydrate my next few cookies before I can take photos sooo another repost of a favourite for day 3 - I promise next cookies will be new recipes!


Crumbly Sweet Pecan Cookies - delicious with cold almond milk!

• 2C Pecans
• 1/2C Pitted Dates
• 3T Maple Syrup
• 1t vanilla
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 15-20 Pecan halves for garnish

Soak Pecans in water for a few hours (2 should be enough). Drain and rinse. Soak dates in water for 15-20minutes until soft - drain. In a food processor chop pecans until finely ground. Add dates, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon - blend until smooth. If not sticky enough add a little of the date soak water.

Use a tablespoon to scoop out mixture roll into ball using your hands. Place balls on non-stick dehydrator sheets press out balls with the palm of your hand to 1/4 inch thickness. Dehydrate at 115 to taste (around 20 hours if you like them quite dry). Flip cookies to dry the underside and return to dehydrator for 2-5 hours. These store really well in baggies in the freezer or refridgerator.

12 Days of Raw Cookies! Devilish Delight Rum Balls

The first cookie is a repost of my Devilish Delight Chocolate Balls because they are my favourite (the cherries and real raw chocolate give them a rummy taste - well I think it does - try them and judge for yourself)

Devilish Delights

• 3C Walnuts (soaked and drained at least 20 mins)
• 1C Almonds (soaked and drained - a few hours is best)
• 2C Dried Cherries
• 1C Pitted Dates (soaked for 20minutes - reserve soak water)
• 2.5C Shredded Coconut
• 2.5T Cacao Powder
• 4T Cacao Nibs (if you have fine without)
• 1/2C Raisins or Dried Cranberries
• 3T Maple Syrup
• 1/2T Basalmic Vinegar (brings out the taste in the cacao - I'm not sure why but it works)
  

Pulse Walnuts, Almonds, Cherries, Pitted Dates, Cacao, Cacao Nibs, Maple Syrup and Vinegar in food processor until goopy (if it is too dry add reserved soak water from dates 1T at a time until the consistency is similar to peanut butter). Stir in Shredded Coconut and Raisins mix well with spoon. Scoop out with a tablespoon and roll into balls in the palm of your hand. Use a small bowl of shredded coconut to roll the ball in to coat. Put balls on a plate lined with parchment paper and stick them in the fridge or freezer until firm until. I've been told these taste like they have alchohol in them due to the cacao nibs. I think they would be excellent at Christmas instead of rum balls.

Puffy Face Juice

So today a small post on a recipe for "Puffy Face Juice" - think Vince Vaughn - I saw his photo the other day - and thought that man needs a good food detox and some Puffy Face Juice. I tend to carry "puff" in my face as well - with me I think it is mostly due to allergies and the lymphs in my neck not draining properly - probably my liver struggling too - not sure. About 6 months ago I started drinking what I call "Puffy Face Juice" and doing self lymphatic massage on my jawline neck. I've had people comment that my face/neck look slimmer so something must be working...

Puffy Face Juice

• 1c blueberries (anti-oxidants)
• 1c pineapple (diuretic)
• 1/4 of small beet (helps to stimulate the liver and get bile flowing)
• 1 medium piece of ginger (warming)
• 1 medium apple (helps body clear out toxins)
• 1/2 medium cucumber (electrolyte-restoring) OR 1c watermelon - I switch it up depending on what I can find.

Run all through your juicer and drink as soon as possible after you make it so you don't lose any of the nutrients.

Lymphatic Face Massage
Just under the jawline (where your doctor feels to see if you have swollen glands - there) press firmly but not hard on both sides hold for 4-6 seconds then stroke upwards towards the face lightly - and that's it. Once a day in the shower in the morning or before bed.

More things I love... So Delicious Coconut Milk

 

I don't usually push products but, I'm loving this stuff so much I wanted to share.

I've been adding it to my smoothies and hot cocoa for about a month now. I'm noticing a difference in my waistline and my energy level. This coconut milk isn't like the kind in the cans - it has about 5g of fat  per cup and it needs to be refrigerated. I've only tried the unsweetened (which is delicious), it is also available in vanilla and sweetened. I had to order it through an organic food co-op locally and have it shipped north because it isn't available at any of the stores here - I'm starting to get antsy about running out before I can place another order for it in a few months...

• Dairy Free / Lactose Free
• Soy Free
• Gluten Free
• Rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids
• Excellent Source of Vitamin B12 (vegetarian friendly)
• Formulated for Maximum Calcium Absorption
• Cholesterol Free
• No Trans Fats
• Certified Vegan

 

 

Coconut Milk Hot Cocoa

• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• 1tsp Organic Cocoa Powder
• 1tsp (to taste) Maple Syrup
• .5 tsp cinnamon

Heat milk on low/medium until hot on stove top, whisk in cocoa powder, cinnamon and add maple syrup to taste. (if you are a raw foodie - you can warm your milk to 115 - make a paste with a little of the milk the cocoa/maple syrup/cinnamon then stir it in to the rest of the milk - just as yummy as the hot stuff)

For more info on coconuts:
 http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

Detoxing without fasting - basics.

A bit of a ramble about detoxing....
Anyone who knows me knows I'm in to fasting. I've posted a few times about why I choose to fast and why I think it works for me. Fasting isn't everyone's cup of tea however - I remember several years ago talking my mother into doing a short fast with me and it was far and away NOT her thing. After the first day she was suffering terrible headaches and nausea. I wasn't as aware back then about how important it is for people who eat a regular diet to detox and clean up their systems before taking on a fast - for some people - a lot of people - doing a week or two of clean eating without going on a fast is a great gentler way to detox than taking on a full on fast.

If you are stressed or feel like you are missing vital nutrients in your diet (or aren't absorbing the nutrients you are putting into your body properly), eating more simply will give your body a break. If you can get past the initial discomfort while your body cleans out the junk and are willing to battle your brain while it is telling you "I need my coffee" or "I'm sad/angry I want a cookie - I deserve a cookie!" or what have you. The end result - is worth the effort (in my humble opinion).

What does detoxing do?

"Detox is a naturally occurring physiological process wherein the body rids itself of toxic substances through sweat, urine, and feces, Dorfman says. These toxins typically include air and water pollutants and processed food chemicals. "The body first eliminates these toxins through the gut; whatever the gut can't catch gets into the bloodstream and passes through the liver, which flushes them out. sometimes toxins don't leave our body - they hang around in our lymph and digestive systems.
Detoxing provides your body with a nutritional break so that it can become a better waste dumper and nutrient absorber. A proper detox lasts about a week and involves eating a nutritious, well-balanced diet that's high in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, drinking plenty of water and clear fruit juices, and getting enough rest. You can also incorporate moderate exercise into your routine.

When?

I tend to go on fasts or cleanses when I'm going through changes in my life - when I need to centre myself or gain more clarity. Some people like to do it in the spring or at the start of the new year.

What to put in...

Start your mornings off with an 8-ounce glasses of warm water with  half a lemon squeezed into the water - lemon wakes up your digestive juices. (try to drink between 8-10 glasses of water a day - I count my herbal teas in with this)

During the day eat a variety of fresh fruit, whole grains (quinoa is an excellent one and loaded with protein), and lightly steamed veggies. I'll also use coconut oil to about 4tblsp for fat. Smoothies and fruit and veggie juices are also great...

With one of my glasses of water during the day I'll mix in a powdered vitamin c supplement (I use a brand called Emergen-C) - This aids in neutralizing free radicals produced by your body as you begin to detox, from things like sugar and caffeine. Another thing that helps if you are feeling sick to your stomach is ginger or mint tea. 

What to cut out...

• Sugar, (so this means sodas, chocolates, candies, cough drops - anything that has sugar in it is out)
• Caffeine
• Vinegar
• Corn 
• Mushrooms
  
• Dairy (if you consume it - creates excess mucus in the body).
• Anything processed

In addition to the food things to think about:

• Take hot baths with epsom salts (contains magnesium that can be absorbed through the skin)
• Dry body brushing (helps the body eliminate toxins more quickly)
• Yoga or Walking daily - anything to help keep your blood moving and allow your lymphs to sweat out toxins.
• Neti Potting - sometimes I'll get stuffy while I'm detoxing 
• Turn off the news - take a mental break - allow yourself to avoid negative emotional stuff coming at you through your tv or computer.

Make sure you are regular while all this is going on - if you aren't going #2 at least once a day. Munch on prunes or try drinking laxative tea.


What you'll have to put up with....
You'll probably be tired for awhile, have a headache or two, be hungry and grumpy - for the first 2 or three days after that it usually goes away.

When you go back to eating a more regular diet - be as my friend calls it a "petite eater" ... chew things carefully  - introduce foods you haven't been eating back one at a time...

If you have health concerns - talk to you doctor before radically changing your diet. You are trying to be nice to yourself not throw your body into shock.