Cool Treats For Hot Temps

⭐️ Eating smart, eating healthy isn’t bland and it isn’t boring.  In fact, it can be sinfully delicious!  These star shaped ice pops are ALL healthy and completely nutritious for you!

⭐️First layer:
🔸1/2 avocado
🔸1 ripe banana
🔸1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
🔸Food process or mash until smooth
🔸Place this bottom layer into molds and freeze

⭐️Middle layer:
🔸Freshly ground organic almond butter or use brand of choice. I love Artisana or MaraNatha
🔸Spread over chocolate layer and place back on freezer to harden

⭐️Last layer (top in molds and bottom in picture)
🔸Homemade coconut milk, but you can use store bought
🔸Pour into molds and place back in freezer

⭐️I placed the bamboo sticks in after putting the almond butter layer in and gently twisted them into the chocolate layer

🍦It’s getting hot out there and what better to eat than ice cream! Of course, this is figure flattering, clean eating, healthy ice cream made with TWO ingredients! Ready?!…

🍦2 frozen bananas
🍦As much cacao chips as you want

🍦Slice frozen bananas, blend or food process until creamy
🍦Place in bowl and throw on cacao chips

That’s it! You can even make this into ice pops 😋💖

Aaaaaand the easiest of all is fresh, organic fruit on a stick! That’s it, no directions required.

💗Enjoy being healthy, nourished and happy!😘

Children and Obesity – A Great App That Helps!

Nowadays, childhood obesity and poor eating habits is a growing global problem. This is due to global economic collapse, rising unemployment, government cutbacks, and strapped household budgets, families simply can’t afford healthy food options. Globally, an estimated 43 million preschool children (under age 5) were overweight or obese in 2010, a 60 percent increase since 1990. This problem affects countries rich and poor. From a global standpoint, 43 million overweight and obese preschoolers, 35 million live in developing countries. By 2020, a 9 percent of all preschoolers will be overweight or obese making it nearly 60 million children. Here in the U.S., as well as Brazil and China, the problem is growing more rapidly in children than the adult population! Why must this situation be brought under control? Aside from the emotional and social damages that comes from it; obesity harms nearly every part of a child’s body, from heart and lungs to muscles and bones to kidneys and digestive tract, and the hormones that control blood sugar and puberty. The odds are increased for an overweight or obese child having weight problems in adulthood, making them at risk for disease and disability later in life. What can be done to help control this crisis and teach our children to be conscious of the ramifications from poor eating habits? Well, it all starts from the home environment. Children see what the adults eat and will mimic the behavior, whether good or bad.  Educating children from the very start of eating about what is nutritious and helpful to their bodies as opposed to what is destructive and sickly. Awareness is a big factor as is understanding the good and bad foods.  Simply break it down to do you want to feel good/heathy or bad/sick?  A child DOES understand this. Nowadays, there are some great tools to help young children, teens and families along. Kurbo Helath is founded by Joanna Strober who herself struggled to find helpful tools to help her 13 year old son lose weight.  She took matters into her own hands and launched Kurbo, modeled after a pediatric weight management program at Stanford.  

Kurbo allows a child to have help with his or her nutrition throughout the day.  Kurbo uses a traffic light method that teaches what foods are healthy and nutritious, rather than counting calories which is not effective for children.  Foods are categorized by their nutrition value – red light is simple carbs and sugars, green light is vegetables and fruits, etc… This app focuses on children learning healthy habits to be carried through their adulthood. There are even coaches available to be assigned to each child, meeting via Skype or FaceTime; providing text, email and phone support; and just helping them feel good about themselves. This app makes it fun for a child to learn about healthy habits and reinforcing a healthy lifestyle through games, videos. and appealing images.

This program has proven to be successful with children using Kurbo, losing an average of a half a pound to one pound per week.  It’s also important to always have the parents involved, this just makes for a stronger success story with a child in all aspects of their life.  So, check out more details about the Kurbo Program!   Kurbo was kind enough to offer all of you a great promotion of 20%!  Enter code: TakeActionNow.

Stay happy, healthy and conscious of what foods you put into your body!

Homemade Chocolate! No Guilt!

🌟🌟🌟Ready!?!? Homemade chocolate in less than 30minutes! YES!!! 😋
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🍫 All ingredients organic
🍫 1/2 cup raw cacao powder (brand I used here is Navitas)
🍫 1/2 cup raw coconut oil (Brand Artisana)
🍫 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
🍫Optional toppings: chopped almonds, hemp hearts and whatever you like
🌟Directions:
🍫Add all ingredients into a food processor and mix until smooth

🍫Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or you can use silicone molds
🍫Pour onto parchment paper or into molds
🍫Sprinkle toppings across chocolate

🍫Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes and remove
🍫Gently cut into the desired size & shape if using a baking sheet. I cut the chocolate into 1-2 inch squares
🍫Place back into fridge for another 10-15 minutes and eat

🍫You can store this in the fridge or freezer depending how hard you want the chocolate to become

🍫Three year old approved! 👍

…And for all those celebrating July 4th…

⭐️Happy 4th to those in the U.S, and Happy weekend to everyone! 💗 Keeping things simple, especially on holidays and weekends helps keep a healthy lifestyle on track. If it’s simple, then there’s no excuses to make like not having time or not wanting to make the effort. Each one of us is worth the time & effort! 😚

This star shaped ice pop is made of two ingredients. Yes, just TWO! .
⭐️2 cups coconut milk (homemade or store bought)
⭐️1 cup fresh raspberries
⭐️Blend and pour into molds with stick in middle
⭐️Place in freezer until frozen

⭐️Simple, healthy, tasty! 😋

Enjoy your day! 💕💕💕
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Almonds! Almonds! Almonds!

🌺Almonds! Almonds! Almonds!  I think most are Nuts about nuts, right?! I know I eat nuts in some form everyday; from loose raw nuts to nuts milks to nut butters of all kinds.  I do Love my almond butter though ☺️   Soooo, why all the hype about almonds?  Well, let’s take a look and see below:

🌱Lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) levels of cholesterol and raises HDL (good cholesterol)

🌱High in monounsaturated fats – the same type of health promoting fats found in olive oil

🌱Reduce risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis

🌱Great source of magnesium which helps relax arteries and veins improving blood flow, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body

🌱A quarter cup contains 162 grams pot potassium. This important electrolyte helps with nerve transmission, contractions of muscles like the heart, essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heat function

🌱Good source of manganese, copper and riboflavin (B2), which all help with energy production on a cellular level

🌱Reduce the rise in blood sugar surge in after meals which occurs often, protecting against diabetes. So throw some almonds in to your meals to help regulate blood sugar – pretty simple!

🌱Contain over twenty potent antioxidant flavonoids in the skin alone, protecting us from free radical damage

🌱The combination of the almond skin’s antioxidants and flavanoids with the vitamin E found in the meat of the almond, combines a double protection for our bodies. So eat almonds with the skin!

🌱Help prevent gallstones and gallbladder disease

🌱They have even been shown to reduce BMI (Body Mass Index), meaning they help you lose weight! Studies show that people who eat nuts at least twice a week are less likely to grain weight than those who never ate nuts.  Eat these amazing foods any time of the day; breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks too!  I bet many will eat these babies for this reason alone 😉

〰 Almonds can be used in an array of forms from milks replacing dairy to milks being added to protein shakes and smoothies

🍶🍼Almond Milk Recipe

▪️1 cups organic almonds soaked overnight
▪️2 Organic Medjool dates soaked overnight
▪️1 teaspoon organic cinnamon

▪️Drain water from nuts and dates
▪️Place all ingredients into blender
▪️Add 4-5 cups of water into blender
▪️Blend at high speed for 2 minutes
▪️Strain through nut bag or cheesecloth
▪️Store in glass container and refrigerate

〰 to flour for breads, baked goods, and even pizza crust!

💖 Almond Flour Recipe

▪️Add 1-2 cups of organic raw almonds to food processor or high speed blender (Vitamix, Ninja, etc) or proccessor
** Do not blend more than 2 cups at a time because it will create too much oil from nut
▪️Pulse 3 times for 20 seconds each time
▪️Pour 1/2 cup into stainless steal sifter and sift out flour into a clean bowl and repeat until done
▪️Store flour in glass container- mason jars are great
▪️Remaining little almonds can be tossed or used for baking. They won’t blend to flour because of oil on them
▪️Store in glass container in a cool place or refrigerate

〰 to beloved almond butter (ahhh, this is love) that is used for snacks, spreads in wraps, dips, smoothies, nana-icecream

😍Almond Butter Recipe or I use this amazing one above

▪️Preheat oven to 300F
▪️Place 3 cups of organic almonds in the oven for about 7 minutes (helps release oils faster)
▪️Place almonds into a food processor with S blade
▪️Snap lid on and start the blending
▪️This will take around 25 minutes or so and you will stop to scrape the sides every now and then
▪️At the10-15 minute mark, you should see a change and oils should be releasing
▪️At 20 minutes, you should have a grainy texture
▪️At 25 minutes, you should have smooth almond butter
▪️Store in glass jar and refrigerate

〰 to super easy bliss balls or energy bites to snack on for that sweet tooth

💥Almond Energy Bites Recipe

▪️1 cup organic raw almonds
▪️10 Medjool dates soaked for 2 hours in warm water and pitted
▪️1 1/2 tablespoons raw organic cacao powder
▪️1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
▪️1/4 cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes – pour onto plate

▪️Place almonds in food processor and blend into small bits
▪️Add cacao powder and cinnamon to processor and blend
▪️Add pitted dates into processor and blend until dough forms
▪️Take a tablespoon of dough and roll into ball, repeat
▪️Coat balls in coconut flakes
▪️Store in glass storage container and place in freezer overnight. Store in fridge for softer consistency

〰 to tasty snacks for kids and adults

👍EASY Snacks

▪️Sweet potato sticks with raw almond butter
▪️Frozen banana circles topped with raw almond butter and cacao chips
▪️Sprouted bread with raw almond butter and sliced banana with cinnamon

〰 Aaaaaand the “slam dunk” to win the game or to ultimately convince you that not only are almonds packed with powerful nutrients, almonds can be sinfully delicious to eat!

🍫YES! CHOCOLATE with ALMONDS 👌

▪️Sooooo, this recipe you will have to hang on for the next blog post 😉
▪️This homemade, raw chocolate will be worth the wait. ONLY 3 ingredients!

🌟🌟🌟Enjoy your healthy fats and remember to grabs these on the go nuts at any time of the day or night.  Don’t worry about calories because I did mention that eating these beauties will help shed some pounds, not gain! 👍

💗 Never forget to be healthy, make you a priority, be happy, and be the best you 💋

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Healthy & Clean!

I believe it’s so important to involve children in the preparation process of any type of food, whether it be a treat, a snack or a full meal.  They learn to see different foods and will eventually learn to eat them or at least try them; exposing their palate to a variety of different tastes.  The more they are exposed to variety, the more likely to eat a wide array of foods.  Don’t forget that these little ones watch our every move and will mimic our eating habits, good and bad.  I hear parents, especially moms, complain that their children only eat certain foods and nothing else… Well, I think the parent (especially, the mother) has to look at themselves and their own eating behavior because their child is learning directly from them.  If a parent does not eat or eats very little around their child, then that child is probably not going to eat very well.  If that parent only eats 3 types of food, then that child will probably do the same.  It’s all about exposure and habit.  I try to show my daughter, Luna, the healthy lifestyle and explain how different foods affect our bodies – achy belly with processed foods, feeling energized with whole foods… As young as Luna is, she understands and asks why others eat bad food when she sees that out in public… Teaching, giving examples, communicating, exposure, goes a long way – it’s never too late or too early to start incorporating a healthy lifestyle.

Here’s a clean, healthy recipe for yummy, simple, and quick oatmeal cookies!

🌟Oatmeal cookies🌟

🍪All ingredients organic
🍪1/2 cup rolled oats
🍪1/4 cup oat bran
🍪1 egg white
🍪2 tbsp coconut sugar
🍪1 tbsp melted butter or melted coconut oil
🍪2 tbsp cashew milk or other nut milk on hand
🍪1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
🍪1/4 cup Bittersweet Cacao chips or more

🍪Preheat oven to 325F
🍪Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor
🍪Fold in chocolate chips
🍪Place about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie on baking sheet
🍪Bake for about 15 minutes
🍪Let cool before removing

💖Enjoy! Be Healthy, Be Happy! 😘

Tempura! The Deliciously Healthy Way

Quickie addition to any dinner! Takes 15 minutes- that’s it! I normally use baby zucchini and tonight I added yams. So delicious and the best part is my little three year old gobbled it all up! 👌👍😍

🍠All ingredients organic
🍠1 yam
🍠1 egg white
🍠1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (you can substitute GF ones if needed)
🍠1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
🍠1/4 teaspoon onion powder
🍠Preheat oven to 400F
🍠Place egg white in one dish
🍠Place bread crumbs, garlic powder and onion powder in another dish; mix
🍠Slice yam into circles about 4cm thick
🍠Dip yam circles into egg white, let excess drip off and coat with bread crumbs
🍠Place on an aluminum tray or foil
🍠Bake for 15 minutes

🍠If using zucchini too, then simply cut in half lengthwise and cut the halves in half and dip into egg white and then bread crumbs

🍠EAT UP AND ENJOY BEING HEALTHY! 

Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

🍌These banana chocolate chip muffins are free of any sugar – no sweetener necessary! Great for a snack on the go for you or for children.  This can even be breakfast, just add a few egg whites (me I have 5!) and it can also be a pre-workout meal.  I hope you enjoy these any way you eat eat them! 

🍌All ingredients organic
🍌Serves 6
🍌2 bananas
🍌2 eggs
🍌2 tablespoons butter melted or coconut oil
🍌1/4 cup almond butter or nut butter of choice
🍌1/4 cup coconut flour
🍌1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
🍌1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
🍌1/2 teaspoon baking soda
🍌1/2 teaspoon baking powder
🍌Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
🍌Bittersweet cacao chips (I used 1/4 cup)

🍌Directions:
🍌Preheat oven to 350F
🍌Mix all ingredients in a food processor, except chips
🍌Fold in chips
🍌Line muffin tins with 6 baking cups or grease them with coconut oil
🍌Distribute batter evenly into 6 tins
🍌Place in oven for about 25-30 minutes
🍌Remove and let cool

Enjoy!

Healthy Frozen Bites For Warmer Weather

I know it’s been a while!  I have literally been out of commission for almost a month.  I have been going through some crazy side effects from a low dose of predisone I was prescribed for 3 days.  Now mind you, I NEVER take ANY medications, so my body is sensitive to anything because it’s so clean.  Side effects still going on after 3 weeks!  Horrible stuff, little did I know!  Insane and frightening, but getting better and back to normal day by day…  

Spring has sprung and summer is around the corner!  Here’s a great frozen treat that’s healthy and refreshing!

Enjoy!

🍒Berry Bars🍒

Ingredients:
🌸All ingredients organic
🌸2 cups coconut butter
🌸1 cup cherries
🌸1/4 cup raspberries
🌸1/4 cup blueberries
🌸1/2 cup raw agave
🌸1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
🌸1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon

Directions:
🌸Melt coconut butter over low heat until smooth
🌸Turn off heat and set aside to cool 
🌸In a food processor, mix coconut butter with all ingredients
🌸Pour into a glass container. I used glass storage container
🌸Place in freezer for 30 minutes or until bars are firm, then cut bars into squares so they’re easy to separate when frozen
🌸Return bars to freezer to harden and eat as desired

Happy and healthy!

DIY Easter Egg Colors – Non-Toxic & Safe For Children!

🐰🌸Easter is around the corner, making it time for us to color eggs.  I love getting creative while maintaining a toxic free environment for my child.  It’s not as difficult as you may think.  The egg dyes above are all made with spices, fruits, and vegetables.  Yep, doesn’t get easier than that.

Orange: I used one tablespoon of paprika and the peel of one orange.  You can also use carrots or two cups of yellow onion peeled

Yellow: I used one tablespoon of turmeric plus 1 cup of water.  You can also use lemon peels, chamomile tea, ground cumin or saffron

Green: I used juiced wheatgrass and 1 1/2 cups of water.  You can also use fresh basil leaves, spinach leaves or chlorophyll

Pink: I used one cup of diced beets plus 1 1/2 cups of water.  You can also use raspberries or grape juice

Blue: I used 1/2 cup of blueberries and 1 1/2 cups of water.  You can also use shredded purple cabbage

Rusty Red: I used paprika mixed with juiced beets & carrots plus 1 1/2 cups water.  You can also use 2-3 cups red onion peels, pomegranate juice or rose hips

 

Directions For Boiling Eggs:
🌷Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with water
🌷Bring water to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes
🌷Turn heat off and let sit covered for another 5 minutes
🌷Drain and gently rub eggs with soapy water to remove any oils. The oils will make the dye difficult to stick to eggs.

 

Directions For Colors:
🌻Use about ½ to ¾ cup of the natural dye ingredient per one cup of water.  Spices, you will only need 1 – 2 tablespoons.  The water should come to  about one inch above your dye material.
🌻Bring dye ingredients and water to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and keep covered for 30 minutes or until desired color is reached
🌻Remove and let cool
🌻Strain dyes into mason jars and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for each cup of dye
🌻Add boiled eggs and close container
🌻Place in fridge for anywhere from 6-12 hours or until desired color is reached. I kept eggs in for about 12 hours

🌻Note: If you’re using juice, just add vinegar.  No boiling needed

 

💖Stay tuned for pics of colored eggs when they’re ready 

 

CUPCAKES – Kid Approved And Clean & Healthy!

🌸Luna and I went to a three year old’s birthday party this week.  It was a pizza and cupcake party – yes, I cringed 😝.  I managed to keep Luna on track for the most part by bringing a cooked Amy’s Pizza that is organic flour & tomatoes.  Luna did lick some of the frosting of a cupcake and said she was done- pheew!  So, all in all not bad and instilling healthy values at a young age is paying off 😄👍.  I’ve been brainstorming how to make these kids parties healthier and here’s a clean cupcake recipe we made yesterday.  Yes, frosting too is clean!

 

My little helper enjoys the entire process from beginning to end!  Here’s the recipe!

🌸All ingredients ORGANIC
🌸1/4 cup coconut flour
🌸3 eggs
🌸1/4 cup ghee or butter
🌸1/4 teaspoon baking soda
🌸1 tablespoon vanilla extract
🌸1 tablespoon raw agave
🌸1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
🌸1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

 
🌸Preheat oven 350F
🌸In a food processor, mix coconut flour, baking soda, salt
🌸Mix in egg, ghee, agave, honey, vanilla
🌸Pulse until smooth and creamy
🌸Line a cupcake pan with 6 liners
🌸Scoop about 1/4 cup of mixture in each
🌸Bake for 20 minutes
🌸Let cool for 1 hour

 
🌸FROSTING

🌸2 cans of coconut cream placed in fridge overnight to condense
🌸Scoop out condensed content into blender
🌸Add 2 tablespoons agave or 2 soaked Medjool dates
🌸Blend until smooth. You may have to add a tablespoon of the coconut milk left over in container if it’s too chunky
🌸Add 1-2 drops of India Tree vegetable color – I used red – and mix in and frost.

🌸Chocolate frosting: add 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder to above.

🌸OR Chocolate frosting this method:
🌸In a sauce pan, melt 1 cup cacao chips or semi sweet vegan chips with 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Mix
🌸Place in fridge for 30 minutes to thicken
🌸Remove and whip with blender and frost

 
🌸SPRINKLES
🌸I grated cacao chips over each cupcake

💖💖All healthy, well a little fattening, but good fats, tasty and safe for all! Enjoy, be happy, be healthy! 💖💖