This past spring I have been exploring how to incorporate whole plant based spring liver loving foods like bitter dark greens into the everyday. Spring is the time for liver cleansing. A healthy liver means we can GLOW on the inside out with healthy looking skin and by feeling good through our ability to detoxify. Click here for more info about all the benefits from loving your liver!

Many of us may know about all the amazing benefits to eating a whole foods diet and lots of greens. Sounds great in theory, but how can we actually we make a seasonal whole foods lifestyle practical and delicious?

So I set out to see if the "impossible" could be possible :-) This is the kind of challenge that I LOVE! Using the 5 Secrets to Everyday Health, I explored ways to make whole plant-based spring cuisine convenient, easy, quick, affordable and delicious.

Above: Produce Items from the Spring Produce Shopping List. Photo compliments of Richard Giordano Photography

After much experiment, delicious successes, and some disasters ~ these are a necessary part of any creative process ~ I have developed quick and delicious recipes for your everyday from the Everyday Pantry Shopping List and Spring Produce Shopping List. Over the next few days, I will share with you my top three tips for making spring into summer cuisine practical and delicious to give you a GLOW on the inside and out. The first LOVE is red lentils.

Red Lentils Give you GLOW

Why? Red Lentils cook in 20 minutes or sometimes less, and are easy to make delicious. This means that when all else fails ~ aka you have no meals planned, you are starving, don't feel like cooking, yet want to enjoy a delicious whole foods meal to maintain your GLOW ~ red lentils will save the day. Red lentils can be made delicious very quickly with the help of a high quality soup stock, herbs or spices from the Everyday Pantry Shopping List. Voila! You have yourself a quick and delicious tasting meal without any hassle.   

Not only are red lentils practical, they also give you that inner GLOW. Red lentils are high in an amino acid (building blocks for protein) called tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin ~ the happy neurotransmitter. In order to feel good we need to get the nutritional building blocks from food so that our physical bodies can feel positive emotions.  

To celebrate the coming of warm weather, red lentils got spring makeover with the addition of affordable organic canned tomatoes, fresh ginger, cumin and Swiss chard. Ginger is a powerful herb for cleansing liver and boosting immune system. Cumin is one of my favourite versatile spices that helps your body to properly digest legumes to give you optimal energy.  

Recipe for Spring Red Lentil Delicious Soup

Red lentils LOVE...ginger and Swiss chard
(Remember ginger and Swiss chard also LOVE each other in green smoothies) Learning what flavours pair well together will help you learn the secrets of making everyday health delicious!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup red lentils
5 cups filtered water
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated and minced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander (optional)
3 - 4 garlic cloves
1 can organic tomatoes (pssst.. these are affordable!)
2 cubes high quality vegetarian soup stock (my favourite is New Harvest Organic Soup Stock)
3 1/2 cups Swiss chard, minced (do not skimp on this ingredient! ;-)
sea salt to taste

Garnish: freshly squeezed lemon juice, cold pressed olive oil, nutritional yeast and freshly ground black pepper

Method

(1)  Grate ginger and mince garlic before you begin.
(2)  Heat pot on medium and add coconut oil.
(3)  When oil melts, gently saute ginger, garlic and spices until well blended with a bit of sun dried sea salt.
(4)  Add red lentils and mix them well into the spice mixture.
(5)  Add water, tomatoes and soup broth and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until cooked.
(6)  Add Swiss chard and let sit on low for 2 – 3 minutes.
(7)  Garnish with lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, nutritional yeast and black pepper. Enjoy

Stay tuned for tip #2 and tip #1 :-)

Bon Appétit!

Julie Beyer is a Holistic Chef and Educator in Vancouver, BC. She is the creator of the GLOW Collection a line of organic, dairy, sugar & gluten free snacks that bring out your natural GLOW. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

3 Minutes...and you have an Everyday Healthy Dessert

Step #1 ~ Gather and Measure all Ingredients
Start with 1/4 avocado, 1 tbsp carob powder, 1 tsp raw organic honey* and1 tbsp coconut oil.
* For health and environmental reasons, it is very important that if you use honey, it is raw, organic and local. If you do not eat honey you can replace it with a dark maple syrup.

Step #2 ~ Mix all ingredients together with a spoon. Do a taste test, and adjust flavours as needed. You may be inspired to add some vanilla extract or cinnamon and experience how that tastes. Notice your personal preference.
This is an everyday dessert that’s so yummy; it can stand on its own. You are welcome to add a few more everyday delicious toppings to your preference. I promise, it is very easy :-)

Your Everyday Cuisine LOVES...Affordable Shredded Coconut

For example, you can use one of my affordable favourites: organic shredded coconut.

Coconut LOVES...Carob or Raw Chocolate

Step #3 ~ Scoop your chocolaty mousse into a wine glass and top with shredded coconut.

Dehydrated Sprouted Buckwheat ~ a Versatile Everyday Staple

Step #4 ~ I had some dehydrated sprouted "buckwheaties" that I had on hand. So I added it to my "crunchy mix" along with the shredded coconut.
Like dehydrated sprouted sunflower seeds, dehydrated sprouted buckwheat are one of those things that are worth it to make ahead of time. Prepared in big batches, it easily stores well in the fridge in a glass container. Buckweaties are worth it is because they are so versatile and affordable. I was originally inspired to make these after reading Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen. She uses buckwheaties as a base for many of her sweet and savory recipes like cereal, salads and more!

Delicious LOVES...Parfait Layers

It's always nice to split your mousse in two so you can layer your dessert.

Fresh Mint

Step #5 ~ I quickly steamed some raspberries to make a warm berry coulis. 
I always have some frozen berries on hand in my freezer. It is best to pick fresh berries in the summer and store in your freezer for affordable healthy deliciousness all year long :-)

Step #6 ~ Top with fresh mint

One of the flavours I have chosen to focus on in my spring cuisine is fresh mint. Why? This refreshing herb pairs well with spring flavours like asparagus, peas, Swiss chard, dandelion leaves and everyday affordable veggies like beets and carrots. You are welcome to follow the link to check out my first-go at creating an Everyday Produce Shopping List for Spring Cuisine that offers a wide variety of dishes within a group of ingredients. This is Secret #1 to make everyday healthy convenient.

Voila! There you have it, a healthy and quick dessert in less than 10 minutes. It’s just another example of where practical meets deliciousness on par with French cuisine. You are welcome to check out my bio to find out why I am passionate about bringing the French passion for delicious food into healthy everyday cuisine :-)

Bon Appétit!

Julie Beyer is a Holistic Chef and Educator in Vancouver, BC. She is the creator of the GLOW Collection a line of organic, dairy, sugar & gluten free snacks that bring out your natural GLOW. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

In case you have just joined me, I am exploring different ways to incorporate Swiss chard into my every day. Learning more than one use for an ingredient is the secret for easy everyday healthy meals. :-) Feel free to check out Swiss Chard Adventure #1 and Swiss Chard Adventure #2 for other ideas of how to use this seasonal green in your everyday cuisine.

Today’s recipe was inspired by at The Vegan Project. When I asked for Swiss chard inspiration on Facebook, she was the first one to respond with an idea. She suggested using dark leafy greens to wrap a quinoa dish topped with a peanut butter sauce. Continue reading to see where I took her inspiration.

For my addition, I created a spring Asian quinoa dish featuring spring flavours like ginger, carrots and peas into Swiss chard wraps. I then added avocado and fresh basil. Fresh basil is one of the herbs on my Everyday Spring Shopping List that I am experimenting with using different ways throughout the week. That way my fresh herbs do not go to waste :-)  Check out my previous blog post here to see how you can use basil, Swiss chard and carrots deliciously in a salad

Miso LOVES...Your Everyday Cuisine ~ All Year Round!

I then made some yummy sesame ginger miso sauce. I always have miso on-hand because you can easily add this enzyme and protein rich paste into sauces, dressing, spreads and soups. Plus, miso is a fresh ingredient that lasts a long time.

Versatile sauces are worth the time and investment to make: they can spice up any plain whole grain or vegetable to give that instant good taste all week long :-)

Dandelion Greens LOVE...Your Liver

I was feeling brave and decided I would add some dandelion greens, another liver loving bitter veggie I am learning to incorporate more into my everyday :-)
 

Ta Da!!! Another Day of Making Positive Change Very Delicious
I served my delicious everyday meal, made in 30 min or less, with a side of simple steamed green beans that were instantly made delicious with the sesame ginger miso sauce and sesame seeds.  Again the dandelion greens were made palatable thanks to the fresh basil. This combination was also used together in the Everyday Spring Salad

Here's to your health, your liver and the planet.

As always, I love to hear from you. Feel free to share your recipes, tips and comments.

Bon Appétit!

Julie Beyer is a Holistic Chef and Educator in Vancouver, BC. She is the creator of the GLOW Collection a line of organic, dairy, sugar & gluten free snacks that bring out your natural GLOW. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

One of the secrets to making everyday health easy, is to be able to look at one ingredient and have several ideas come to mind for how to use it. Right now, as part of my exploration to incorporate spring liver loving foods into my every day, I am experimenting with Swiss chard. I have included chard on my Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring West coast Cuisine. Psst, I like to re-use the same shopping lists to make everyday health more convenient. 

Swiss chard Adventure #1 ~ Everyday Smoothies

Last week I used Swiss chard to make a surprisingly delicious apple ginger green smoothie, with everyday pantry ingredients I usually have on hand. Having at least one delicious idea for Swiss chard come to mind makes buying this green veggie somewhat less daunting. Yet, to get really comfortable with this new ingredient, I am inspired to discover more everyday delicious uses.

Swiss chard Adventure #2 ~ Everyday Salads

When I asked for your suggestions on Facebook, someone mentioned that Swiss chard tastes good in salads if the leaves are finely chopped. So I put the tip to the test in a spring version of my “Everyday Salad.”

The Ingredients for an Affordable Everyday Salad

I always see people making big salads with the most expensive organic produce like chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, probably because they don’t know what else to use, yet these ingredients will make your grocery bills add up. To save money, make your everyday salads using affordable carrots and beets! Not only are these colourful roots less expensive than their salad counterparts, they store a long time in the fridge. So if you do not get around to using your veggies right away they will still be alive 1 or sometimes 2 weeks later. :-)

Shredded Tastes Better

In my books, grated carrots and beets are the tastiest way to use these veg. I do not have the time to grate them every day, so I shred a big batch using my food processor. I shred enough to last 2 - 3 days by storing in an air tight glass container. :-)

Making Bitter Delicious....
Not only am I being brave by adding Swiss chard to my salad, I am also going to add bitter dandelion greens ~ one of the ultimate liver lovin' superfoods. Click here to read about the benefits, including lots of bitter greens into your spring-time cuisine. By the way - I have not tried this myself, but you can eat the leaves from the dandelion weeds that grow in your garden (just make sure no dogs have been nearby); you can't get much more affordable and local than that.

One of the secrets to making everyday food delicious, is the addition of fresh herbs. One of my favourite choices is basil. Some people avoid buying fresh herbs because they use them once then go to waste. However, if you plan your weekly grocery list with flavours that complement one another, fresh herbs can easily be used throughout the week. This is part of learning the “Art of Everyday Health.” Yes it takes a bit of practice, but it is possible. My Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring West coast Cuisine, has been, in part designed so that the flavours of the vegetables and herbs compliment one another. If you follow the link, it is available to download for free :-)

Swiss chard LOVES...Mint and Basil
In the end, I created a delicious “Everyday Salad” with a base of green lettuce, a few dandelion greens (not too many, otherwise they will overpower the taste), finely chopped Swiss chard, fresh basil & fresh mint all roughly chopped and tossed together for a healthy delicious salad. I topped my creation with affordable shredded carrots, beets, and superfood sunflower seed sprouts. The large pieces of fresh basil and mint LOVED the carrots, beets, and made the bitter dandelion and the Swiss chard delicious!

Spring Greens LOVE....Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
I paired the salad with a lemon thyme dressing. Thyme is one of the most versatile herbs. That is why I have included it as one of the five herb "must-haves" on my Everyday Pantry Shopping List. Did I mention that thyme LOVES lemon ~ a fruit that is one of the more potent liver detoxifiers.

I was sure to make a large amount of dressing so that I could use it all week long to help make everyday healthy meals quick. The best part of making your own dressing (besides the fact that it is WAY healthier than the store bought stuff), is that as the week progresses, the flavours blend together, and the vinaigrette becomes more delicious.

So voila! Another example where healthy meets practical, meets affordable, meets delish! Enjoy.

As always, I love to hear from you! Please be in touch to share your recipes, tips and feedback.

Bon Appétit,

Julie Beyer is a Holistic Chef and Educator in Vancouver, BC. She is the creator of the GLOW Collection a line of organic, dairy, sugar & gluten free snacks that bring out your natural GLOW. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

 To learn the art of making everyday health easy, it is helpful to be able to look at an ingredient and have several ideas come to mind for how to use it. Right now as part of my exploration to incorporate spring liver loving foods into my everyday, I am experimenting with Swiss chard. I have included chard on my Produce Shopping List for Everyday Spring West Coast Cuisine as I try to use the same shopping lists to make everyday healthy and  convenient. Despite the fact that as much as I like greens, I have never really liked Swiss chard; I think it tastes like soap. I’m much more of a kale type woman, but when I saw Swiss chard on sale at Whole Foods for $0.99/bunch, I was inspired to learn to LOVE this veggie. 
 

  I added my everyday ingredients into my blender with some filtered water and flax seeds. If you’re in Vancouver you can get a great deal on organic flax seeds at Drive Organics on Commercial Drive for around 1.79/lb.

To complete this smoothie I added a dash of dulse flakes to bring out all the flavours - if you don’t have dulse you can replace it with sea salt. You could also try adding some hemp seeds or adding a tsp or two of flax oil to get more omega-3s.

Voila! In less than 5 minutes, the perfect breakfast ~ alkalizing, full of chlorophyll, omega-3s, antioxidants to neutralize free radicals ~ with ingredients to cleanser your liver.

Cinnamon LOVES…Apples & Ginger
Right before I drank my green smoothie, I remembered that Cinnamon LOVES Ginger and Apples. Cinnamon is a spice I always have on hand because it is so versatile. (Psst, I have included this on my Everyday Pantry Shopping List). I decided to add a dash, but I accidentally poured out a lot :-). The best part was...it was delish! I loved the cinnamon flavour; my smoothie did not taste like soap. I am now inspired to explore variations of the Swiss chard Smoothie. Perhaps if I replaced the apple with some frozen blueberries or strawberries that I have leftover from last year’s harvest, or added a bit of fresh mint, (which I have included on my Spring West Coast Cuisine Produce Shopping List as I know apples and berries LOVE fresh mint). There are never ending options for spontaneous, healthy, deliciousness, once you learn the art of whole food flavour combining.

May you be inspired to enjoy healthy spring greens deliciously! And thank you again to Fateh for the inspiration. I look forward to continuing to share my exploration of Everyday Spring Cuisine.
 
As always, I love to hear from you. Feel free to share your recipes, tips and comments.

Bon Appétit,

Julie Beyer is a Holistic Chef and Educator in Vancouver, BC. She is the creator of the GLOW Collection a line of organic, dairy, sugar & gluten free snacks that bring out your natural GLOW. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.

Julie is on a  journey to discover how to apply the 5 Secrets for Convenient, Quick,Easy, Delicious and Affordable
of Everyday Healthy and Get the GLOW!
 

How do you know when it is time to cleanse?

Do you notice that your tongue has a white coating in the morning when you wake up? Or maybe you yawn after a main meal and just want to curl up and snooze. Perhaps you experience abdominal bloating and gas, especially after a main meal, or you feel "spaced out" and your mind is cloudy.

Though most people experience this at some point in their life, these are all common symptoms of what is known as ama in Ayurveda, and it's simply a sign that our bodies needs balancing.

In Ayurvedic philosophy, it is said that our bodies can build up something called "ama". Loosely translated, ama is a term for the toxic substances that are left behind in our digestive tract from undigested foods. Ama build-up can happen as a result of improper digestion from eating non-organic and processed foods, eating when stressed, overeating, eating a meal before the previous one has digested and so forth. Ama build-up compromises proper digestion, assimilation of nutrients, clogs our energy channels, provides a fertile environment for critters like yeast overgrowth to grow and overwhelms our liver.

Cleansing, can help our bodies remove toxins or ama build up and make us feel rejuvenated so we can GLOW from the inside and out.

Very Important Note re Cleansing

There are many different types of cleanses. Cleansing can include The Master Cleanse, juice fasting, simply removing sugar and processed food, using detoxifying herbs, and more. Not all cleanses are good for everyone, in some cases they can do more harm than good. For some people, cleansing may not be appropriate given their current state of health. If you would like to consider doing a cleanse I recommend you first consult with a qualified holistic health care practitioner.

Whether or not you do a cleanse, it is beneficial to incorporate plenty of spring's detoxifying foods into our everyday life to bring our bodies and minds into balance, and give our overworked livers some love to help bring out our inner GLOW.

Liver Loving Lifestyle for the Everyday

Hopefully by now your mouth is watering at the thought of bitter dandelion greens and kale, ok...perhaps that is a bit of stretch. ;-) Whatever your reason for being inspired to incorporate Mother Nature's spring gifts, the very important question for everyone is: how do we actually incorporate whole spring cleansing foods into our everyday lives deliciously and practically?

This is the kind of challenge I LOVE!

While I do have lots of experience with whole foods lifestyle, I am still learning. Spring Cuisine is somewhat new to me, and I am inspired to incorporate more seasonal liver loving produce into my every day. To begin my journey, I am going to use my 5 Secrets Strategy for guidance. Check out my homepage for more info on the 5 Secrets :-) I have also created Spring West Coast Cuisine Shopping Produce List to use in conjunction with my Everyday Pantry Shopping List. My plan is to come up with as many recipes as possible using ingredients from this list so I can make a whole foods lifestyle more convenient. By choosing a handful of ingredients to focus on learning, I will be able to get a good feel for them so my Everyday Spring Cuisine becomes easy.
 
To make everyday delicious, I am going to explore spring whole food flavour combinations with foods like dandelion greens and Swiss chard (that to be honest I’m not a huge fan of, but I’m hoping that will change). I am going to use my creativity to create dishes and spreads that can be used 2 + times a week with variety so I can make healthy meals quick; to start I plan on using my dehydrated sunflower sprouts from last week :-). I will also try to focus on affordable ingredients to save money

Bon Appetit,

Eating Seasonally for Wellness

By consuming food that’s in season, it becomes healing for Mother Earth and for our bodies. In-season produce can often be sourced locally, thus helping to reduce our carbon footprint. Since it is available in abundance during its peak season, it is rich in nutrients and natural occurring flavours. Another advantage is, that it’s often less expensive or on sale :-)

Seasonal foods also help provide the right type of fuel for our bodies to maintain balance, like grounding warming foods in the winter and lighter cooling foods in the summer. So what do our bodies need in the spring during the in-between time from the transition of cold to warm?

‘Tis the Season for Greens and Cleansing. YUM!

In holistic health philosophies, like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, it is said that spring is when the snow melts and the grounds thaws out, much like the fluids in our bodies as they undergo a similar process of movement for detoxification. Conveniently, Mother Nature provides us with an abundance of detoxifying foods in the spring to support our liver, one of our main detoxifying organs. Bitter foods (a taste our liver loves) such as dandelion, mustard greens and kale, are plentiful in the spring as well as other liver loving foods like asparagus, spinach, beets, radishes, spring onions and Swiss chard to name a few.

Being Good to our Liver is well Worth It! 

Our liver is responsible for hundreds of functions, including the neutralizing of toxins, like free-radicals, and the recycling of hormones. The liver, however, can only work so hard. When the liver gets overloaded with detoxification duties, toxins spill over from the liver into our blood and cause havoc in our body. Toxins can be anything that we ingest from processed foods, pesticides, additives, herbicides, pollutants, prescription drugs, alcohol and smoke, to even stress. The effects toxins have can result to symptoms of lethargy, low immunity, acne, premature aging and more.

Liver duties, like recycling hormones, get put on hold because detoxification is priority, and as a result our hormones fall out of balance. Hormones are responsible for regulating many systems in our body including our metabolism (aka our weight), sexual vitality, mood, digestion and more. When we are unable to recycle hormones we can experience a wide range of symptoms like PMS, difficulty losing weight (this is very common), mood swings and more. A toxic liver means it is more difficult to ignite our GLOW inside and out.

Eating more seasonal liver loving foods this spring will help to bring out your natural GLOW - on the inside and out.

Bon Appétit!

3 Ways for Health Conscious Women to Lose Weight and Satisfy Cravings for Chocolate, Sugar, Chips & Cookies 

It's not as hard as you might think to give up sugar, chocolate, cookies, chips, and other addictive foods that add extra weight, and take away from your GLOWing energy   Here are three easy and delicious solutions to satisfy your cravings & assist you with weight loss.


Left: Mint Coconut Chocolate Chip GLOWnola Parfait with Cashew Creme
  

Satisfy your cravings & GLOW!

(1) Enjoy Nutrient Dense Versions of Your Favourite Treats    When you replace empty calorie (aka no vitamins or minerals) ingredients commonly found in foods we crave such as white flour, white/brown sugar, white salt with nutrient dense (aka highly concentrated in minerals and vitamins) alternatives such as sprouted almond flour, maple syrup and sea salt - it becomes easier to be in-tune with the authentic needs of your body and maintain a healthy weight without dieting.

Click here to read more why it is easier to let go of calorie counting when you enjoy more nutrient dense whole foods. 

(2) Replace Sugar with Delicious Lower Glycemic Sweeteners   Often times, cravings arise as a result of an uncontrollable physical response due to a crash in blood sugar levels. Maintaining a slow and steady release of blood sugar is a critical function that your body will maintain at any cost (including gorging on sugary treats) because your brain needs a steady level of glucose to function. Click here to read more about the sugar cravings energy crash cycle that may be preventing you from losing weight.   When you enjoy sweeteners lower on the glycemic scale such as green stevia - an all natural zero calorie sweetener, yacon syrup and coconut sugar, your body will be better able to maintain energy, stay satiated for longer periods of time. It then becomes easier to maintain a healthy weight without wasting time calorie counting.   

(3) Enjoy Healthy Fats    Most treats like muffins, cookies, chocolates and chips all contain adulterated fats such as canola oil, hydrogenated fats, saturated fats from conventionally raised animals from sources such as milk and eggs.   Because these fats are unnatural, your body cannot use them as building blocks, instead they are stored as fat and become free radicals (aka toxins). When you have a high level of free radical in your body either from rancid fats, preservatives or even white sugar, flour and salt - your body will retain extra fat. Why? Fat is protective and is your body will store extra fat around your organs to prevent damage from free radical toxins.  

So not only do unhealthy fats found in processed foods, baked goods (even ones marketed as 'healthy') are easily stored as extra weight they also cause your body to retain extra weight on top of the calories they provide.   Natural organic healthy fats like flax and hemp seeds and coconut oil - are designed by nature - so your body to use them as building blocks to form cell membranes, hormones, brain cells and more - so less fat is stored as fat. And you have the nutritional building blocks your body needs for a healthy brain, skin and more. Healthy fats also slow the release of sugars into your blood so you can be satiated with less food and have more energy.  

Click here to read more how healthy fats help you to be more in-tune with the authentic needs of your body and enjoy life.

My GLOW Collection of organic, gluten, dairy and sugar free snacks are takes into account all three of solutions to assist you with weight loss without dieting or compromising taste.   Follow links below to discover what foods can satisfy your cravings for...   chips
cookies
chocolate
& more  
Psst...I have a new product - the GLOW Spot raw chocolate that is currently not yet on my website. It is made with the highest quality raw chocolate, low-glycemic sweeteners to curb chocolate cravings deliciously and is available in the following flavours: hazelnut cinnamon, orange, mint and cayenne cinnamon.

You are Invited to a GLOW Collection Open House  
To help you stay on-track, with your New Years resolutions I am offering 10% off orders for those who attend my upcoming open house for a FREE sampling of the GLOW Collection on Saturday January 14th. Please note that open house is by appointment only. Spaces are filling up fast, please email me at julie@loveoffood.ca to reserve your spot. Click here for more information.


For those who would like emotional support and more information on how to manage sugar cravings, I recommend Sweeetness for Life support group, hosted by my ND, Dr.Alexina Mehta. Group starts Monday January 16th. For more information contact Dr. Mehta at dralexinamehta@gmail.com. 

Bon Appétit,

Julie is on a  journey to discover how to apply the 5 Secrets for Convenient, Quick,Easy, Delicious and Affordable
of Everyday Healthy and Get the GLOW!
 

In the spirit of giving during the holiday season and winter soltice, I am sharing one of my favourite holiday recipes with you. This article is a follow-up to my previous blog post ~ Three Reasons to Deliciously Replace Sugar This Holiday Season & Ideas for Healthy Sweetener Alternatives, to offer you some ideas for how to use healthy sweeteners during the holidays.

Almond Nog uses nutrient dense and high in fiber Medjool dates, no calorie and all natural green stevia and an option to include a banana for extra kreamy-ness. While this is a very healthy alternative to traditional eggnog, almond nog is still a treat so please consume in moderation ;-)

You can try using cashews, macadamia nuts or coconut mylk to replace the almonds.

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic non-irradiated almonds, soaked overnight or for 8 hours in filtered water
1 1/2 cup filtered water
2-3 Medjool dates*
1/4 tsp green stevia (I recommend Suede Hills Organic Green Stevia)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch sea salt

*If you are not using Medjool dates, I recommend to pre-soak in filtered water to soften to they blend easier.
 
Optional for more Creamy and Rich Treat

1 ripe banana (preferably over ripe) + extra 1/4 tsp nutmeg
and/or
2 – 3 tbsp coconut butter (expensive and not necessary – if you add some you won’t regret it)

Optional for more Colour and Spice

1/4 tsp turmeric (optional to give drink a yellowish egg like colour)
pinch clove (optional

Optional for Almond Nog Chia Pudding

1 tbsp chia seeds

Garnish: Cinnamon and/or Nutmeg

Method

(1)  Soak 1 cup almonds for 8 – 12 hours or ovenight in filtered water.
(2)  Rinse almonds well and combine in blender with 1 1/2 cups filtered water. Blend for 1 –2 minutes until well mixed.
(3) To separate nut grounds from the mylk, strain almond mylk mixture into a large bowl using a cheese cloth, fine mesh produce bag or fine mesh strainer.
(5)  Pour almond mylk into blender with Medjool dates, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, green stevia and sea salt. Optional to add banana, coconut butter, turmeric and clove. Blend until smooth.
(6)  Optional to now add 1 tbsp of chia seeds to create an Almond Nog Chia Pudding. Let chia seeds soak in mixture until they become a tapioca-like consistency.

Finish with a garnish of nutmeg and/or cinnamon.

Bon Appetit!

Sugars are essential to life. We need glucose from whole food sources like fruit, whole grains, and starchy vegetables for vital body functions like  fueling our brain cells. However, sugar in its refined and processed form, can cause us to feel down, gain weight and is harmful to the planet. During the holiday season, when we celebrate peace and joy - there is no better time than now to enjoy delicious alternatives to sugar that are good for you and the planet.


Above: Julie's Healthy Raw Vegan Cheezecake with Chocolate Hemp Sauce

#1: Refined Sugars are Free Radicals & Cause Premature Aging

Processed sugar (white AND brown) are bleached with sulfur dioxide and then filtered to remove all of raw cane sugar's vitamins and minerals. Without these micro nutrients, our body cannot recognize sugar as food, and the sugar becomes a free radical in our body. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that damage cell DNA and membranes so they cannot hold skin together causing wrinkles and making us more susceptible to disease.
 
#2: Sugar Consumption Leads to Weight Gain

In an attempt to use "mineral and vitamin - less"  sugar, our bodies will extract vitamins and minerals from our bones and tissues that we need for normal human functioning. As a result, our body cannot work properly and we experience more health challenges. When we eat foods that rob our body of nutrients, we will feel hungry when we are physically full in an effort to get the micronutrients we need for survival. We are then more susceptible to weight gain. Click here to read more.

Both processed and raw sugar contain no fiber so the glucose is quickly absorbed into your blood stream causing high levels of blood sugar. This means your body needs to release large amounts of the insulin hormone to maintain balanced blood sugar. High levels of insulin in the blood means you gain weight more easily and your immunity is lowered.

#3. Sugar Production Harms the Environment 

Not only does processed sugar disrupt the internal environment in our bodies, its production negatively impacts the natural world. The effluent and waste that sugar mills create are a source of major pollution for local environments. Large amounts of pesticides and herbicides are also applied to sugar canes and contaminate surrounding ares. And even more harm is done when sugar cane is harvested with fire and increases emissions of carbon dioxide into the air.

The good news is that we all have the choice to positively contribute to our own health and the environment and Get the GLOW when we say YES to delicious healthy sweetener alternatives. Here are 5 delicious sugar alternatives to bring joy to your holiday season and contribute to a healthier peaceful planet.

Left: Mint Coconut Chocolate Chip GLOWnola sweetened with Coconut Sugar and Green Stevia. Layered with a cashew cream to create a parfait.

(1) Coconut Sugar

If you are baking, choose organic nutrient dense raw cane sugar (also called Suacanat) or better yet - coconut sugar (also called coconut sap). Coconut sugar is low-glycemic and packed with vitamins and minerals that will help you absorb the glucose and provide your body with the nutrient building blocks it needs to function normally - so you will be satiated with less food. Click here to read more about how nutrient dense foods can help you maintain a healthy weight without dieting.

(2) Dates

Dates are high in fiber so the glucose is slowly released into your blood stream for sustained energy. The fiber also gives you feelings of satiety to prevent overeating. This middle eastern fruit is high in stress reducing B vitamins, iron and other important trace minerals. Dates make for great sweeteners in raw vegan desserts like cashew cream. To create simply blend soaked cashews, dates, water and some vanilla in blender.

(3) Dark Maple Syrup

Dark grade 3 maple syrup is dense in nutrients to aid your body in the proper utilization of glucose. This sweetener is especially high in the beauty mineral zinc. Maple syrup makes for delicious sweeteners in raw chocolates, muffins and more.

(2) Yacon Syrup

While more expensive than other sweeteners, this superfood is one of the lowest-glycemic sweeteners available. Most of the sugars in yacon syrup are in the form of a complex carbohydrate called a fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS). FOS sugars cannot be metabolized aka absorbed by your body and feed the friendly bacteria in your digestive system. This means that very little of the glucose is absorbed into your blood stream. Yacon syrup is also high in GLOW giving vitamins and minerals. For more information, click here to visit Organic Lives' website.

(1) Green Stevia

Green stevia is my favourite sweetener of all. I highly recommend Suede Hills' organic green stevia - grown in BC with lots of love and care for your health and the environment. Green stevia is simply a herb that has a naturally sweet taste and contains no calories - it is the equivalent of eating parsley. Some people do not like to use green stevia because it has a bitter or medicinal aftertaste. If you use small amounts of green stevia and combine with strong flavours like raw chocolate  - it is possible to add sweetness using stevia deliciously. You can use green stevia in combination with other healthy sweeteners like dates and maple syrup to decrease the bitter taste of stevia and you will not need to use as much of the glucose sweeteners like dates, coconut sugar and maple syrup. While these sweeteners are much healthier than sugar - they are still a concentrated form of glucose and are best to be consumed in moderation.

Stay tuned for healthy holiday dessert recipes for raw vegan eggnog and a raw vegan pomegranate cheezecake blog posts that I will share over the next two days.

Bon Appetit!