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Showing posts with label sugar-free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sugar-free. Show all posts
9.09.2013
Rad Recipe: Warming Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad
Fall is almost here! And while I'm near devastation that hot sunny days will soon come to an end, I'm looking forward to warming myself up with some sweater-n-jeans lovin' and delectable fall foods, like my all time favorite tuber: sweet potato!
In this power house salad, the fiber-rich lentils help lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, increase your energy, and even aid in elimination (*ahem* poop - my fave topic. But probably shouldn't talk about it in a recipe...).
Our darling sweet potatoes are vitamin packed and help balance blood sugar. How sweet of them. Spinach, rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, protects against inflammation (boo), oxidative stress (double boo), and cancer (ugh).
Bonus! Cook once, eat twice! A dish like this is perfect for refrigerating to be used later in the week, or brought to work for lunch.
Ingredients
½ cup green lentils
1 large sweet potato
¼ cup raw or sprouted walnuts
¼ cup raw dates, chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
Dash of sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Dash of cinnamon
2 cups baby spinach
Directions
1. Cook lentils in a pot until tender using a 4:1 water to lentils ratio. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes on low.
2. Meanwhile, dice sweet potato, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper, and bake cubes at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
3. Fill a bowl with baby spinach, and toss in lentils and sweet potato when done; add in walnuts and dates as well.
4. Combine mustard, vinegar and maple in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over salad.
5. Enjoy!
6.18.2013
A Rad Recipe from Summer Sizzle Detox!
Who says detox recipes have to be bland and boring? NOT THIS GIRL. Since I'm a choco-holic, I had to share the love with you all. Enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Cherry
1 cup water, unsweetened coconut milk, hemp milk, or rice milk½ avocado
¾ cup of frozen cherries
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 tablespoon ground chia
1 tablespoon raw cacao
½ dropper of stevia
3-4 ice cubes (optional)
Throw all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend baby blend. Enjoy with a cherry on top :)
5.22.2013
Powerin' Up with Gopal's Power Wraps
Powerin' Up with Gopal's Power Wraps
Love these bad boys!
These wraps are like the healthy organic vegan version of a slim jim. They're smaller than nun-chucks and pack just as mean of a punch.
The Gopal Power Wraps come in 6 different yummy flavors like curry, italian, mexican and japanese. They're a great source of plant protein and minerals, with sprouted sunflower seeds and fun flavors wrapped in high grade, fish-free nori. Dehydrated to maintain raw goodness, they can easily be taken on a plane, train, and automobile.
My faves so far are masala and japanese... and Gopal's got some other snacks I'm eye'n. So next time, try snappin' into one of these guys when you're on the go.
4.09.2013
Give it to me Raw: Cacao!
Above is a pic of sundried raw cacao nibs and the cacao fruit! Yes, it looks a little alien-ish, but in a strangely yummy way. Raw cacao is actually the seed of the cacao fruit - roasted and made into a powder, these lovely seeds are used to make cocoa powder and chocolate.
Didjya know...
Cacao has been treasured for ages - used both in a ritual beverage and a major currency system in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations! Cha-ching. Today we know that cacao has one of the highest counts of antioxidants (the less processed the better!)
There are around 300 identified compounds in cacao - including magnesium, calcium and sulfur. As some of us know, chocolate affects the brain by causing the release of certain neurotransmitters which can trigger emotions, one of which is euphoria. Hello! That's because it has various "bliss" chemicals that tickle our fancy, but can also be addictive (duh).
As a self-confessed chocolate addict, I choose to go raw or pick a really dark organic chocolate with no added sugar to indulge in. Throw the nibs in your trail mix or raw cacao powder in your almond milk latte to perk you up in all the right ways!
Didjya know...
Cacao has been treasured for ages - used both in a ritual beverage and a major currency system in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations! Cha-ching. Today we know that cacao has one of the highest counts of antioxidants (the less processed the better!)
There are around 300 identified compounds in cacao - including magnesium, calcium and sulfur. As some of us know, chocolate affects the brain by causing the release of certain neurotransmitters which can trigger emotions, one of which is euphoria. Hello! That's because it has various "bliss" chemicals that tickle our fancy, but can also be addictive (duh).
As a self-confessed chocolate addict, I choose to go raw or pick a really dark organic chocolate with no added sugar to indulge in. Throw the nibs in your trail mix or raw cacao powder in your almond milk latte to perk you up in all the right ways!
3.08.2013
Stevia Wonder: Organic and Green
If you're trying to stay off sugar or just want to add a bit more sweetness in your life (without all the bad), then organic green stevia is your saving grace. Stevia is derived from the leaves of a species of plants in the sunflower family and in extract form is 300x more sweet than regular sugar! Das sweet.
The cool thing about stevia is that is doesn't really have an effect on your blood sugar like any other sweetener. It's a great low-carb, low-sugar alternative that's WAY better than any artificial sweetener. I prefer to use the organic green powder variety because it's less processed than its white powder or liquid versions. Use it in your smoothies, desserts or anything else you want with a sweet touch.
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