All posts tagged healthy recipe

Bulletproof Coffee

From the time I was a little girl, really little (like 3 or 4 years old), I remember begging my mother for a little of her coffee poured into my milk.  Maybe it was the delicious aroma I smelled every day as my mom perked a pot of coffee in the morning, or how special it seemed to the adults around me.   My Mom called it my coffee, as in  “I can’t function until I have my coffee.”  That’s important stuff!  So it’s not surprising that I love coffee.

As I got older, and I was finally allowed to drink coffee, I realized I didn’t feel so good when I had it.  I became all shaky and felt weird from the caffeine.  So I had decaf coffee.  Later on in my late twenties, as I was getting more and more into healthy eating and lifestyle, I gave up drinking coffee.  I learned how it was acidifying, and that it was like drinking pesticide juice because of how the beans are commercially grown and processed.

I discovered grain coffee, a coffee-like drink made from barley and chicory.  It was okay, but nowhere near the taste and smell of real coffee. If you are a real coffee lover, it’s not gonna bring it home for you.   Twenty-five years I settled for walking into Starbucks, getting an unsweetened iced tea and watching my husband drink his delicious latte.  At least I got to smell it!

Then a great thing happened. I started reading about something called Bulletproof coffee.  All over the Paleo community, people were talking about it.  Healthy coffee? I couldn’t believe it.  I heard it from all the experts.  Mark Sisson was drinking it, but it was hard for me to believe because even the best organic coffee gave me terrible headaches and stomach aches.  Then I went on the Bulletproof website, Upgradedself.com, and I heard the greatest pitch ever from Dave Asprey, the Bulletproof executive.  He claimed that the micotoxins, mold, and pesticides found in commercial coffee are responsible for making people sick from coffee and not the coffee itself.  If you tell me there is a possibility that I can drink coffee, well you know I am going to try!  So I ordered the purest, best Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee and put it to the test.

I am having my freshly ground and perked coffee most mornings, bulletproof style, blended with 1 tbsp. grass-fed butter and 1 tbsp. MCT oil (concentrated coconut oil).  So delicious!  Full of antioxidants and good nutrition.  Yum, and I didn’t get the least bit sick!  No headaches, no stomach aches.  They claim that the good fats mixed together with the coffee slow down the absorption of the caffeine, as well.

Of course, my family caught on to this amazing coffee and two of my kids claim that I ruined any other coffee for them.  Since they’ve been drinking Bulletproof coffee, they actually taste the pesticides in all other coffees and they can’t drink it.  This makes me so happy!

I always say I am a human science project; I test everything on myself first.  Let me know if you try it and what your experience is. It is one thing you can change that will make your life a whole lot healthier.  I love to start my day with coffee; there is something nostalgic and cozy about it, my coffee.

 

 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florettes

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

4 cups of water

himalayan salt and black pepper to taste

-sautee onion and celery in coconut oil until wilted

-add cauliflower, salt and pepper, and water

-Bring to a boil and then simmer for approx 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft

– puree the soup

– Enjoy!

*You can substitute bone broth for the water for an even hardier, healthier soup 😉

Is Butter Secretly Ruining Your Health?

Is Butter Secretly Ruining Your Health?

By 

 Growing up, butter was an absolute staple in my household. We thankfully never got into the margarine craze because my mother believed that butter was good for the brain. Turns out, she was right about that and scientists have now concluded that butter is actually good for you in other areas too. It’s high in a compound call CLA that protects you from tumor growth and cancer, is not inflammatory like man-made oils from corn, canola or soy, and provides a nice dose of Omega 3 fatty acids, if you get it from the right source. But finding the right source can be tricky given all the buzz words and fancy marketing these days. Choosing the wrong type of butter can secretly ruin your health without you even knowing it! Here’s a look at what’s really going on and how to choose the healthiest butter for you and your family.

Beware of Monsanto Butter

 

MonsantoButter 

 

I call conventional butter “Monsanto Butter,” because it comes from cows fed almost entirely genetically engineered or GMO grains and Monsanto is the largest producer of GMOs.

Conventionally raised cows are most commonly fed GMO corn and soy, however, some farmers fatten up their feed with additional sugar from GMO sugar beets and cottonseed. Cotton is the most toxic crop because it isn’t treated as a food crop but as a textile (it has less regulation.) And then conventional dairy cow feed is sometimes fortified with additional protein, Omega 3 fatty acids and CLA from GMO rapeseed (canola) because the cows are not getting these nutrients naturally from the grass. GMO alfalfa hay is also commonly fed to cows. So basically, conventionally raised cows are almost entirely getting their food from GMOs – food that was created in a laboratory, that hasn’t been tested long term, but has produced horrific results in several alarming animals studies.

Over 49% of all GMO corn is fed to animals or livestock. Only 2% of the GMO soybeans grown are actually fed to humans, the other 98% get fed to animals. Those figures are pretty scary once you consider the astronomical amounts of herbicides being sprayed on these GMO crops and what they are doing to the increase cancer rates, harm the environment and ourselves.

Land O’Lakes = Monsanto Butter

Land O’ Lakes was a staple in my household growing up. We’d use the whipped butter like it was nobody’s business – my mom would use it on her infamous parathas (Indian stuffed flat bread), in countless desserts and to make homemade ghee. Once I found out what was really happening at Land O’Lakes, my Mom and I had a little chat. I explained to her that Land O’Lakes is owned by a pro-GMO company called Dean Foods. Land O’Lakes co-developed genetically engineered alfalfa, directly contributing to the GMO animal feed supply. I also explained that Land O’Lakes contributed nearly $100,000 to the “No on I-522 Lobby” – the bill to label GMOs in Washington State. This is all on top of the fact that Land O’Lakes is not organic, raises their cows with growth hormones linked to cancer, antibiotics and harmful pesticide ridden GMO feed. I told my Mom she has to stop buying Land O’Lakes if we are going to change this world!

Knowing all these facts, plus the health risks of consuming GMOs, my Mom finally asked “what butter can I buy?” Well there are many brands out there that are light years ahead of Land O’Lakes. Here’s a Butter Buying Guide that will help you (and my Mama) navigate the butter aisle next time you hit the market:

 

ButterChoices 

How to Choose The Most Nutritious Butter

  1. Organic – First and foremost, look for organic butter. This will ensure there are no growth hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides and GMOs being fed to the cows. Growth hormone or rbGH that is used to raise cows conventionally is linked to cancer and often accumulates in highest concentration in animal fat. One organic brand I’m suspicious of however, is Horizon, they are owned by Dean Foods (the same company that owns Land O’Lakes). The Cornucopia Institute has filed complaints for labeling their product organic while maintaining factory farm production methods. I won’t buy Horizon organic for that reason.
  2. Grass-fed – Grass-fed or pastured raised cows are going to be more nutritious than cows raised with grains. Remember, the highest amounts of the most beneficial CLA and Omega 3 fatty acids naturally come from grass-fed cows. Also grass-fed cows produce butter with 50 percent more vitamin A and E and 400 percent more beta carotene (which gives the grass-fed butter a deeper yellow color).
  3. Ghee – Ghee is clarified butter where all the proteins, milk solids and lactose is removed. This makes the butter more digestible, concentrated with nutrients and really great for immunity building. Ghee does not need to be refrigerated, it can stay on the counter for a few months without going bad. People with dairy allergies or sensitives often do ok consuming this type of butter. Pure Indian FoodsPurity Farms  and Ancient Organics have the best offerings in that they are both high quality, organic and grass-fed.
  4. In an ideal world, you would be able to find butter that is both organic, grass-fed and no additives like Organic Valley (in the green foil wrapper) , but sometimes that’s just not the case. In that circumstance, I would go for either an organic butter or grass-fed butter like Kerrygold (please note – Kerrygold uses some grains that could be GMOs a couple of months out of the year because grass doesn’t grow year round in Ireland – they admit that 3% of their feed could contain GMOs). Choosing regular organic butter will lessen your exposure to pesticides but will also provide less nutrition since the cows will mostly be fed organic grains vs. grass. Regardless, these choices are superior choices over conventional butter and both options (in light green on the chart above) will lessen your exposure to GMOs.
  5. Beware of butter mixes with labels like “with olive oil” – 9 times out of 10, these butters will have one or more GMO ingredients like soybean, corn or canola oil. These mixes may have questionable additives in them too – check the ingredient list just to be sure!
  6. Don’t Eat Butter? Here are some Vegan Substitutes – If you are vegan, skip all the “butter like” or fake butter spreads like Smart Balance that contain GMO oils, artificial ingredients made from petroleum and unnecessary preservatives. Instead, choose 100% coconut oil, olive oil, red palm oil (that is sustainably harvested from Ecuador and does not hurt the rainforest) or hemp oil instead. Also coconut manna, or butter works well too, when slightly heated it spreads just like butter. (These are also much healthier than organic spreads like Earth Balance that are usually a combo of inflammation causing oils).

 

butter substitutes 

Sharing the truth is the first step in changing the food system. If you know someone who is buying Monsanto butter, please share this information with them. Our choices can really change the marketplace, make us healthier  and change companies decisions to use these unhealthy ingredients.

Much Love,

Food Babe

Best Paleo Birthday Cake

1 cup coconut flour, sifted

1tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

12 eggs

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup raw honey

1 tbsp vanilla extract

-combine coconut flour, salt, and baking soda

-in a separate bowl blend together eggs, coconut oil, raw honey and vanilla

-mix wet ingredients into dry and blend with a mixer or hand blender until smooth

-Pour batter into 4 well greased and floured (w coconut flour) pie or cake pans (to create 4 even layers)

-bake at 350 for 20 minutes

-cool completely

-frost and serve

 

Best fudge frosting

-1 cup almond milk

-2 cups good quality chocolate chips

Heat almond milk to boiling, close the fire. Put chocolate chips into hot almond milk and let sit a few minutes until chips are melted . stir well to blend.

When cooled frost each layer of the cake and the top and sides. Dust with almond flour or decorate with sliced almonds.

let cool completely.

Enjoy!!

pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients for Smoothie:

  •        ½ cup pure organic pumpkin
  •        1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  •        ½ frozen banana
  •        ½ tablespoons maple syrup (or Raw honey)
  •        ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  •        ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (+ more to sprinkle on top)
  •        1/8 teaspoon ginger
  •        1/8 teaspoon nutme
  •        1/8 teaspoon allspice
  •        1/2 cup  of ice more or less depending on thickness you like.

 

Put all ingredients into the blender and blend on high speed until smooth.

*you can add 2 tbsp of Paleo Zip protein powder to add to nutrition and insulin balance.

 

Just Say Yes!

When clients ask me what they shouldn’t eat, my answer usually goes something like this;

“You know what you shouldn’t eat, my job is to tell you what you should eat.”

 

Some how with old and young alike the minute you say no to something, that’s the very thing they want, and they want it bad!!

My advice to parents, husbands and wives is to accentuate the positive. Instead of telling your loved ones to put down the cookies and chips, offer up their favorite veggies and fruits.

I actually learned this lesson the hard way.  Back in the day, I freaked out when I saw my kids, or any kids for that matter eating sugar, high fructose corn syrup, blue ices, and other chemically laden things.

My reactions backfired big time.  My children told me, as they got older, about how they used to stuff themselves with sugar (and everything else I said not to eat) when the opportunity came up.

It is so much more effective to focus on what you can say yes to, in a positive non-reactive way.

A little bit of psychology goes a long way. Instead of saying “I am not buying sugar cereal it’s poisonous!”  You can say “Oh we ran out of that, try this…..”

If a child asks for something you do not want them to have, you can firmly say ” That is not one of our choices today. You can choose A or B.” Let them choose from 2 or 3 healthy options that they like.

I also want to suggest good old bribery to get your kids to try new vegetables and healthy foods they’re not used to. It takes 3 times for a child to be exposed to a new food and for them to like it. So write down each time they try something new. After 15 times of trying new foods, buy them an agreed upon gift. It can be inexpensive and small.

 

I’ve been seeing amazing things happen with these simple guidelines. Children who only ate chicken nuggets and noodles are now eating broccoli, string beans and asparagus, and they love it!

Do you have any good ways to coax a picky eater? Share with us in the comments below.

 

Paleo Egg Muffins

 Paleo Egg Muffins

These delicious muffins can be used for a convenient breakfast on the go, lunch or a delicious snack. Each time you make them you can try different vegetable/meat combos or different herbs and spices and never get bored. Get creative and Enjoy!

Ingredients

▪   1 lb ground sausage (pasture-raised, organic if possible)

–      or 2 cups of chopped vegetables.(broccoli, onions, mushrooms, peppers, or any veggies you like)

–      or a combo of meat and veggies.

▪   1 dozen eggs

▪   ghee, coconut oil or other fat of choice

▪   salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Slice or crumble and brown the sausage in a frying pan
  3. In a medium/large bowl scramble one dozen large eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Grease the cups of one muffin pan with oil.
  5. Place equal amounts of browned sausage in the bottoms of the muffin pan.
  6. Pour the scrambled eggs evenly on top of the sausage. The mixture will come almost to the top of the tin.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
  8. Use a knife to loosen the egg muffin from the sides of the pan.

 

Delicious Paleo Slider Buns

3 organic eggs

1 cup raw almond butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp  baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 beaten egg to brush tops of buns

sesame seeds

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

-Mix together eggs and lemon juice until whipped and frothy

-add the almond butter and coconut oil. Mix well.

-add baking soda and salt. Mix well

-spoon batter onto parchment lined tray so it makes slider buns, 1-1.5 ” wide.(They get bigger)

-Brush each with egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

-Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

These buns are so light and delicious!! Enjoy!!

10 Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds

Ch Ch Ch Chia! Do you remember Chia Pets?  Those tacky fluffy animals?  Little did we know back in the day, that those little seeds were undercover super foods waiting to be discovered!

 

Now we know.  Chia seeds are making a comeback.  This time they can be found in health food stores and on websites galore for about $1 per ounce. They really are “super” food.

In the Aztec and Mayan cultures, Chia was used as a high-energy endurance food. It was great nourishment used before battle and long distance marches.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds

 

1)   Provides long lasting energy:  Chia seeds form a gel when mixed with liquid because of the soluble fiber that coats the seed.  Researchers believe that this gel-forming action also takes place in the stomach, helping to slow the conversion of carbs to sugar.  This gives your body a steady stream of energy instead of a quick spike and crash.

2)   Soothing to the colon:  The swelling action of chia seeds helps to clean and sooth the colon.  It absorbs toxins while lubricating and strengthening peristaltic action.

3)   A complete protein:  Chia seeds are a source of complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids.

4)   Rich in omega 3s:  Chia seeds are the richest vegetable source of omega 3 fatty acids.  They have the perfect balance of omega 3 to omega 6.

5)   Rich source of calcium:  Chia seeds are rich in calcium.  They also have magnesium and boron, which aid in the absorption of calcium.

6)   High in age-defying antioxidants:  That means they fight free radicals.  It also gives them a long shelf life (over 2 years). This shelf stability is not found in flax seeds or sesame seeds.

7)   Helps curb your nighttime snack attack:  Eaten as a pudding after dinner, chia can help us from getting hungry late at night.

8)   Weight loss aid:  Chia seeds prevent the absorption of some of the food and calories that we eat, they keep you full for hours.

9)   Cuts Cravings: Being deficient in minerals can create a craving for foods.  For example if you’re low on calcium you may feel compelled to eat lots of cheese and ice cream. You can add calcium to your food by sprinkling on the chia!  By balancing your minerals with chia, you can curb cravings that might tempt you.

10)   Reduces inflammation:  High levels of essential fatty acids in chia have anti-inflammatory properties on the body.  By aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and reducing C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker.  Omega-3s reduce joint stiffness and pain.  Studies have shown that reduced inflammation lowers the risk for heart disease, arthritis and certain types of cancer.

Check out the recipe for Chia Seed Pudding.

Chia seed pudding

This is a delicious pudding that helps curb your appetite.  It is a great weight loss aid because Chia seeds help prevent the absorption of some of the calories we eat.

Chia seed are also very nutritious. Read 10 Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds.

I am presenting 2 variations, but change it up and have fun!

1) Chocolate

1/4 cup raw organic chia seeds

1 cup  unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp raw cacao powder

stevia to sweeten

– Mix almond milk, cacao and stevia.

-stir in chia seeds

-let stand for 10-15 minutes

-mix again

-enjoy!

 

2) vanilla

1/4 cup raw organic chia seeds

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract (gluten free)

1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

stevia to sweeten

-mix all ingredients except chia seeds

-stir in chia seeds

-let stand 10-15 minutes

-mix again

-enjoy!!