Delicious Blueberry kisses!

Fresh hand-picked blueberries! Yummo! Photo by: thecolleyhouse.org

If you're anything like I was as a kid...I hated blueberries! They were weird, tasted funny and were too mushy. Nowadays...you'd have to tie my hands to keep from eating them right off the stand! (and even then I'll still sneak in a few handfuls!)

I super love blueberries, but I understand that our tastes change as we change, and our preferences evolve as we evolve...thus...we must be ever vigilant and patience with ourselves and others...and our food choices.

Back to these little blue nuggets of wonder...

Whole body antioxidant support! Get you some! Photo by: health.usnews.com

You know the name of the game: "Raw or nothing at all!" and blueberries carefully fit the bill around here! They are actually best eaten raw as that is when they taste yummiest AND provide the highest nutritional value to your growing (and changing) body.

Berry berry delicious! Photo by: erasedisease.com

Where else can one find cognitive, cardiovascular, blood sugar, anti-cancer, and eye support all in one superfood?! At only 84 calories per 1 cup serving...how much better can it get!

Known for high antioxidant properties, we can thank Anthocyanins for their rich red, blue and even purple color. Many of the phytonutrients we find in blueberries explain this fruit's instant claim to fame among top superstar foods. We see this in the ways blueberries keep free radicals in the blood stream at bay and function as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in the body.

Don't they just look like little sunshines? Love! Photo by: breakingmuscle.com

These tiny tots pack loads of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Manganese, and Fiber!

The truth is one should readily consume at least three (3) cups of fruit EVERYDAY and blueberries should certainly be welcomed at the party 3-4 times per week or every single day. Also nice to know is most studies suggest that, though best eaten fresh and raw, blueberries are one of the few fruits that do NOT lose a significant amount of nutritional value when frozen! You know what that means!

I fall berry hard for these tasty treats! Photo by: rollingout.com 

Stock up and enjoy them all year round!

BONUS: Raw Blueberry Smoothie Recipe!

1/2 banana
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach leaves
Blend, add a bit of water if too thick or more berries if too thin! Enjoy!
More superb recipes here!

As a transitioning raw vegan I LOVE easy foods, rich in nutrients and even simpler to prepare! Pick up some blueberries in your neighborhood today!

Live. Love. Well.
~h

Zip-Zap-SMOOTHIE!

The wonderful carrot-filled rainbow! Photo by: blog.bountifulbaskets.org

While in transition to a raw vegan diet or even just thinking about it...there are alot of easy meal ideas you can use that will be beneficial for your mind and body.


Here is are some great starter recipes to get you on the move! Photo courtesy of  http://douladivinity.tumblr.com/, one of my FAVORITE tumblr page's of all time. :-) Show her some love.

 One of the easiest and dare I say, most nutritious meals a human can feed it's body is JUICE!

Baby's love it, grandparents love it! IT'S EASY TO DIGEST AND GOES DOWN SMOOTH. Great for moms and dads and kids on the GO! I mean, seriously who doesn't like a nice refreshing juice at almost anytime of the day!

Baby's love GREEN SMOOTHIES! Photo by: www.greensmoothiegal.com

What I love about these recipes is they are properly combined for best absorbtion and digestion (yes, your body "digests" juice) and they really taste great.

I have a very basic juicer myself and have been able to enjoy many of the amazingly tasty benefits of juicing and make AT LEAST ONE MEAL A DAY a smoothie or juice feast meal.
*NOTE: This is one of my tips on how to lose 20 pounds in 3 months...stay tuned!

Vitamin A-Z can be found in these suckers! I love eating fruits! Photo by: mr-ginseng.com

As a natural vegan it is IMPERATIVE that I get certain minerals, vitamins and live ingredients in my diet at as many meals as I can. Smoothies/juices do it all.

Love. Love. Yum. Photo by: www.plantpoweredliving.com  

APPLE SNAP
3-4 apples (any sweet or tart variety), 7-8 carrots, 1-2 inches of ginger, 1-2 whole lemons = light sweet JUICE with a little KNUDGE! :-)

If you don't have the time/resources or interest in juicing...start small. Use your blender and try some of these recipes:

A little seedy, tart and summer time sweet! Photo by: www.thedevilwearsparsley.com

BERRY BERRY TASTY SMOOTHIE
1 cup strawberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup orange juice, 1 banana, 2 tbsp ground flax seed, 1 cup ice (or use frozen fruits) =- YUMM!

Ingredients: Banana, mango, pineapple, spinach. Photo by: dontwastethecrumbs.com

HAPPY GREEN MACHINE SMOOTHIE
1 large banana, 1 can of pineapple with juice (or 1/2 live pineapple sliced), 1 handful of raw spinach, 1-2 large mangoes (to your taste) = my favorite GREEN SMOOTHIE

Ingredients: Kale, almonds, banana. Simple and easy living! Photo by: blog.vellumandvogue.com

ALMOND JOYFUL SMOOTHIE
1 cup almond milk (or coconut or goat's or rice milk whatever you like), 1 banana, 1 handful of kale = TASTY STARTER smoothie

Ahh yes...a staple on the run go to smoothie. Great trusted brand! Photo by: www.tumblr.com

Last but not least...when I'm on the super-go-go and I know I need to get my smoothie or juice in for the day...I breakdown and buy it. I know this may seem not that awesome...but honestly I pay around $6-10 for the average "meal" on the go...so why not spend $5.99 on a 64 oz. Bolthouse Green Goodness smoothie and still have some change to spare for an extra 20 oz juice? Savin' dollars and livin' easy. :-)

I hope you will be inspired to add a smoothie to your day today! Post your very own smoothie/juice recipes below! Good health CAN BE YOURS!

Live. Love. Well.

~h


Detoxing...the smart way!

Talk about someone who would eat anything...and I mean anything. Losing weight was the toughest! Until I learned these easy tricks...Photo by: www.ommynoms.com

So the title is a bit catchy and by no means an absolute...HOWEVER...due to the volume of questions I have received about my detoxification process this year I will start a short series detailing my goals, initiatives and findings and HOW I LOST 20 POUNDS IN 3 MONTHS safely and securely.

Vegan lunches! Photo by: www.veganmotherhubbard.com

So...first thing's first you should know that I am a transitioning raw vegan. I was not born this way and have been on this journey for quite sometime. More recently, say within the last few years, I have been feeling an even stronger pull away from mainstream lifestyle habits and a calling towards rediscovering who I am and what defines me...food choices included.

A typical look into my cart any given autumn. Photo by: www.myrecipes.com

I desire to live long and to live well and thus I embarked on a journey to find what exactly that means to me. In this series I hope to share with you what I have learned in the process of un-doing years of behaviors and habits and the freedom we all have to make choices for our lives.


I have no intentions of "converting" you to choose my lifestyle but simply hope to share and present my personal findings to encourage or inspire others.
Thank you for joining me on this journey!

~h

Why women are like artichokes

Good Morning all!

I have been on a recent artichoke binge of sorts...at 4 for $1.99 (shout out to Trader Joe's) you really cant beat it. Each one is like a meal in my life so it works well for both my budget and my health.

This has been a part of my "1-bowl meals" experiment which hypothesizes that digestion is made easier on the body by sticking to one food per meal. Some say it is an extreme personification of food combining by over simplified eating. I like to keep things simple...so to avoid toying with all the nuances of alkalinity and acidity for my meal prep, I simply eat one food (or group of foods) at each meal. This way of life makes me feel better after eating, keeps me light on my feet and allows my body a chance to worker smarter, not harder.

Purchase Fresh Artichokes at your local Trader Joe's store! Photo by www.flickr.com

SO on to the artichokes...

I love this quote from Kris Wetherbee of www.vegetablegardener.com:

"The artichoke is a gold mine of rich, earthy, hearty flavor, a vegetable with a taste and texture like no other."

I realize many people do not know much about artichokes nor have any particular interest in eating them, which I find curious. Below I will outline why I have grown to love them so very much.

As someone experimenting and transitioning through the various ways of eating and living (from paleo to pescatarian to wholistic faster to vegetarian to vegan to raw foodie and back again) I have settled on the life of what I call "simple eating." Is it a mixture of pieces of the above lifestyles combined to provide what I deem to be best for my body and lifestyle. More on that later!

As a result of my mostly raw vegan lifestyle I thoroughly enjoy getting unsuspecting vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies and that many have forgotten about! I believe the artichoke is one of the secret gems.

ONE ARTICHOKE CONTAINS:

Nutrition Facts

ArtichokesArtichokes, boiledArtichokes

Amount Per 100 grams1 artichoke, medium (128 g)1 artichoke, large (162 g)1 artichoke, medium (128 g)

Calories 60

% Daily Value*

Total fat 0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat 0 g	0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 120 mg	5%
Potassium 474 mg	13%
Total Carbohydrate 13 g	4%
Dietary fiber 7 g	28%
Sugar 1.3 g
Protein 4.2 g	8%
Caffeine

Vitamin A	0%	Vitamin C	25%
Calcium	5%	Iron	8%
Vitamin B-6	5%	Vitamin B-12	0%
Magnesium	19%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. That's not bad for one vegetable. I love when I can get Iron and Magnesium, Calcium, Fiber and Protein all in one deal. Especially as a woman it is very important to stay up on my calcium and iron and magnesium. Many of the aches and pains we experience are due to low levels of these minerals. Yummo! Photo by happyhealthybelly.blogspot.com So now that you see how awesome artichokes are ...maybe you will test them out in your kitchen soon! As a vegan this is one of my favorite things to cook for the week and munch on for a late dinner or lunch meal! Why women are like artichokes...the answer: if you have ever had to prep one you'll know why; a bit tough and prickly on the outside, sometimes a lot of work, but if you have patience you will reach our heart...and it will be oh so worth it! Live. Love. Well. ~h