Missed You!

I have been craving to write again.  I feel like I need to reintroduce myself!  So much has been going on, and actually the reason why so much has been going on is the same reason why my blogging came to an abrupt halt.

Brian proposed.

SCREAMING!  He proposed on April 17th, his birthday, in Chicago.  We spent the day off of work together in the city, eating awesome food, meeting a really cool homeless guy, going to the art museum and just having fun with each other.  We like to spoil each other on our birthdays.  Life is more fun that way to us.  So, you can imagine my surprise when the spoiling turned my way.

Wanna hear the story?!  We were walking down the street after Brian did a great job at lying to me about why we were walking that way, when he turned on the charm and the lovely words.  Brian is one with words.  Never meaningless words, just genuine words of kindness and love.  As he started expressing his love for me in the simplest and most beautiful verbage when I got terribly distracted by a real pretty horse down the street.  I ran to the horse and started introducing myself and petting it and talking to it - all very normal.  After no more than a minute Brian arrives, gently turns me towards him, and finishes what he started twenty feet earlier.  He asks me to be his, forever.  It was a dream.

I literally screamed so much and then realized my parents were right behind us the whole time, filming it and taking pictures.  So fun!!  It didn't feel real, in the best of ways.  I just kept asking, "Is this a dream??"  So, after saying yes, duh, Brian put a rock on my finger that I can't believe I get to wear the rest of my life.  Two of the diamonds were my grandma's too, so it is beyond special and sentimental.  Perfection.

So oh my goodness have I been a busy little bee.  We all have around this house.  It's been awesome.  I can't wait to share it all as the process continues! 

Hope everyone has been great.  Feels good to be back.

BS Cookies.

This past week my grandpa passed away.  He was a wonderful 85-year-old man who was a devoted husband, father of 10, and grandfather of 21.  He loved to work hard and to have fun experiences and to really live up life.  He had a deep, rich voice and a strong stature that could make anyone feel safe.  He also loved food and especially sweets.  After my grandma cooked for their large family of 12 for many years, my grandpa took his place in the kitchen and became the head chef for him and my grandma.  Soon he was famous for his baking skills and thumbprint cookies at Christmastime.

For the funeral, many of our friends made delectable dessert goodies.  When it was all said and done I think we had culminated right around 8 dozen cookies for the entire crowd.  Can you imagine the temptation???!!!

Even though I have seen evidence of my palette successfully changing and my cravings for processed sugars has decreased greatly (yay!) I still succumb to a brownie here and there.

So, because I knew I would want something sweet at the end of the lovely luncheon, I decided to prepare by making some raw cookies the night before!  Especially with Brian's (boyfriend) help, these were some of the easiest little gems I have ever put together.  And they were pretty awesome.

A mix of lemon and coconut, the recipe that I originally started with needed a bit of altering.  I like my desserts pretty sweet and decadent.  I also, at least right now, like my raw desserts to taste as much like baked desserts as possible.  I added a stevia and lemon juice mixture to the top of the cookies for added sweet/tartness.  So, here it is friends!  They are named in honor of my grandpa, Bill Snellgrove.

BS Lemon Cookies 

Ingredients:

1 c. raw cashews, unsoaked (get the "pieces" - they are cheaper)*

1 T. organic maple syrup

3/4 c. raw unsweetened coconut flakes

Juice of 1 1/2 medium lemons

2 t. stevia (powder, or equivalent amount of liquid)

What To Do:

Put cashews in the food processor until completely ground up.  They will resemble flour.

Add coconut flakes and stevia until all is well blended.  This may take about 8-10 seconds.

Add syrup and lemon juice.  It will all combine into a thick, dough-like consistency.

Roll out onto wax paper.  (I did not use a rolling pin, but instead just used my hands and fingers, which I think is easier and less mess.)  Make sure the dough is no thicker than 1/4 inch.  You can make them thinner if you want them to dehydrate faster, be crunchier, and more like a thin, sweet cracker or cookie. 

Use a cookie cutter or whatever you'd like to cut out the cookie shapes. Mine were 1-inch circles.

Place in dehydrator for approximately 8 hours.  Yes, 8 hours.

Other Options:

Omit stevia and juice of 1/2 a lemon and make a paste with the ingredients.  After 7 hours of dehydration, brush the paste (mix the stevia and juice right before application) onto the top of the cookies.  Let dehydrate last hour.

Swap half the amount of cashews for macadamia nuts.  I have not tried this yet but I bet it's yummy! 

*If you buy too many cashews, remember to freeze them!  Don't keep them in the pantry, because you may forget about them and then they may go bad.  Which is what happened to me once.

My grandpa will always reign supreme as the chief baker, but I think he would have loved these.

I hope you do too!

Tune Your Ears.

There is a grocery store by my work called Mariano's.  It is seriously a gift from God to my body and my lunch hour.  

The salad bar in it is jam packed with all organic, fresh delicacies.  Vegetables like crazy and a choice of 5 different lettuces, including KALE.  What a DREAM.

So, I get a salad every day for lunch.  My co-workers ask me if I eat anything else, which just means they don't see me outside of work. :)  But something interesting happened today during my salad experience.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I literally thought the words, Get mushrooms every day.  You love them.  They are hearty like meat and just goooood.  Don't forget this and get them every day.

Then I smiled and went on enjoying my shrooms.

But TODAY I literally thought, Mushrooms do not taste good in salads.  Remember you don't like them in here, and as good as they look every time your creating your masterpiece of greens, don't get them.

What the heck?  I am weird and indecisive, yes.  But it also made me think of another great health concept that I want to stick to more and more the older I get:

Listen to your body.

This can be taken in the wrong way, giving yourself an excuse to eat crap.  That's not what this means!!  What this does mean is if you're full, stop eating.  If you're hungry, eat some more.  If you want something dense and hearty, eat an avocado (not steak. hehe.).  If you want something light, grab some watermelon or make a salad with lemon juices as dressing and cucumbers.  The more you do this, the better you get at it.  What this does is it gives your body authority over your mind, or, dare I say, heart.

Emotional eating is listening to your head.

This is listening to your body.

Your body will tell you what it needs and when.  How brilliant is that?  And nice of it, if you ask me.

And I can tell you, I probably won't be eating mushrooms in my salad for awhile.  And they won't be missed, for whatever reason?

But, when they are, I'll give them a real quick shout out.

Now smile, put your hands on your stomach, and say,

Thank you, Body, for being better at communicating than

a mannequin.

:)

Our World.

Click!  Get educated!  This stuff is real and not too far away.  Our world really is a beautiful place with some much great potential. :)

Hold Up.

Real quick, before you start trying to follow the principle laid out here yesterday about eating fruit on an empty stomach, I want to give you a few things that could be considered exceptions.  In other words, these are things that I said, "Wait a minute..." about at one point or another after deciding to always eat fruit on an empty stomach. There is reason behind all of them as well, so I'll explain:

Bananas can be eaten with more dense foods, such as nuts, grains, or proteins.  This is because, as you can feel when you eat it, bananas are more dense themselves.  They have a lower water content.  You also do not need to wait as long after eating them before eating other food.  

Fruit can be eaten with raw vegetables.  Veggies are high in water content and therefore digest easily, like fruit.  A green smoothie is a perfect example of this.  In it, greens and fruit blend perfectly to give huge amounts of fiber for cleansing and detoxing.

Frozen acai packets can be eaten with proteins and denser foods because it is a fatty fruit.  This means it digests slower and doesn't mind digesting at the rate of protein.  These little packets, unsweetened, can be found at Whole Foods in the freezer section!  Try only using half at a time to conserve them. :)

Here's a recipe that I LOVE to use after I work out.  It's awesome.  And it uses these concepts so I get some added fruit for sweetness and alkalinity!

gingerandlemon Simple Protein Packer

1 1/2 c. almond or coconut milk

1 scoop hemp protein (no wheys or soys in da house)

1 T. chia seeds

1 very ripe banana

4 ice cubes

Cinnamon to taste

Stevia to taste

Blend all in order in Vitamix.  Enjoy thoroughly.

Fruit First.

Health and nutrition should spring forth from the learned facts about your body and its natural functions.

This concept works for me.  It seems totally simple and easy-going.  When you learn something about how your body works and the properties of food and how they blend together most harmoniously, all you have to do is start following that principle.  The result is more energy, less extra weight, much less fat and less diseases.  Eventually, too, your ideal weight.

That's how I felt when I learned this little snippet about fruit:  

Fruit should always be eaten first or on an empty stomach.

Why?  Because the facts about fruit are:  

It is filled with water.

It rots in hot temperatures.

 AND..

Facts about your body:

It digests fruit very quickly because of the naturally high water content.

It is about 98.6 degrees. Hot.

So, if you eat fruit with other foods that are more dense, the fruit has to hang out and wait in a long line before it gets a turn to be digested.  Think the line at the grocery store on Thanksgiving morning or the Lululemon checkout line on its warehouse sale day.  In that amount of time (2-3 hours for proteins, starches, and longer for a mixture of both) it begins to rot and ferment, changing it from its fresh, super nutritious, raw state to a toxic pile of rotted waste.  Gross. :(  It also causes bloating.

BUT, if fruit is eaten on an empty stomach and at least a half an hour before other food, it will have time to digest very quickly and very well and provide your body with all of its wonderful benefits. Yay!

These pieces of information are SO VERY important to keep a ton of toxins out of your body, keep away from bloating, and stop premature aging.  Especially when you believe you are eating something good for you, you want to know you are actually reaping the benefits of your intentions!

Happy Monday and Happy Eating!

Math + Food = No Good.

I hate counting calories.  It's such a burden.  I love food way too much to think about the mathematical calculation of what I eat.

There are a few major troubles with counting calories as a means of losing weight:

1)  Calories are a bit controversial.  Unless you have a nutritional label, it may be very difficult to know for sure how many calories are in a certain food, leaving you out of luck with your only measure of health.

2)  The consideration of calories keeps your focus off of the most important thing that needs to be considered: what your body actually needs.  Calories themselves do not consider vitamins and nutrients.  They also neglect to consider amount of fat, sugar, and processed, fake ingredients that are poisonous to our insides.  And what happens when you neglect to consider putting poison into your body?  Zapped energy, proper organ function, anti-aging power, and overall beauty.  Calories don't care that an avocado could make your skin look moisturized and young.  If you are at your daily calorie max, they tell you to eat a sugary popsicle with 40 calories and tons of crap instead of that avocado or almond milk and chia seeds.

 

3)  Losing track of calories is easy.  Don't have a guide book with you all the time with the exact calculations of every food you could ever eat in the world and a pen and paper to record it every minute of every day?  You're out of luck.

 

4)  To keep calories in check, food manufacturers will typically turn to food fillers or sugar to make something taste good but not add extra calories (diet pop).  So, you're swapping real food for poorly altered food.  This has short-term effects such as loss of energy and long-term effects such as disease and aging.

When one commits to a plant-based diet and focuses his or her energy on fresh, natural, nourishing foods, the need to count calories (and use multiple anti-aging products and various medications) diminishes.  Sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly.  Then, once he or she is used to eating these kinds of foods and ditches the need to count calories, they will no longer have a set of rules to follow.  His or her body will literally adjust to the correct balances of nutrition and acidity and knowing what to eat will be as easy and eating what feels right to the body.  How natural and easy and awesome does THAT sound?  It really is a harmonic and beautiful and easy thing.

 

So, what to look for in foods if not looking for calorie amount?  Here is a simple list with two main answers:

Processed vs. Unprocessed: canned, bottled, fast foods and packaged foods are all processed in some way. Be careful of these and only buy when necessary.  Especially fast food, of course.

Sugar: always something to keep at an absolute minimum. If you're like me, this is a tough one.  Use stevia, a natural sweetener literally from a plant, to sweeten foods! This has helped me a lot. :)  It comes in liquid and powder for and I think I would recommend buying liquid first, if only buying one.

Fat: good fats, such as omega-3's and omega-6's, are essential to a diet. Yet, when trying to lose weight, keep them in check.  For example, eat half an avocado a day instead of a whole one.

Variety: no need to get carried away with this, simple eating is most beneficial to your body. But if you eat the same thing every day you may be missing out on nutrients provided by other foods. Experiment with a different lettuce or fruit, have fun with it!

I hope this brings some relaxation and enjoyment into your relationship with food.  Be thankful for what food has the ability to provide, and eat what you know is good for your body.  All the rest will fall into place - or just fall of as you lose weight in a natural way! :)

Digestive Enzymes.

Happy Friday!

I have gotten a couple questions recently from people inquiring  about the importance of digestive enzymes.  In short, they are very important and beneficial!  I learned about them after having some difficulty digesting any kind of food for about 5 years. (I would regurgitate my food sometimes - kind of like acid reflux - not pretty and I'll stop explaining now.)

So, I think it may be best to do a basic Q&A forum to explain these little tablets.

Q:  What is a digestive enzyme?  

A:  It is an enzyme that breaks up our food to ensure proper digestion and optimal absorption of the vitamins and minerals that are in the foods we eat.

Q:  Why do I need DE's?

A:  A digestive enzyme is necessary for your body to digest its food properly.  Without them, your body may not be able to receive the nutrients from your food because the minerals and vitamins do not get broken down far enough.  This could sequentially result in gas, acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, slowed metabolism, and toxin build-up.

Q:  But can't I receive them naturally, in my body and in my food?

A:  Yes!  DE's are found in any living organism.  They produce them on their own.  But, they can be destroyed easily with high heat.  When a live (raw) food is cooked, it says see ya to its natural enzymes.  Therefore, DE's are extremely important to ingest when eating anything cooked.  This is especially true for food that is extremely difficult for our bodies to digest anyways, such as meat.  Likewise, unless a fruit or vegetable are organic, it is possible that the poor food underwent high heat to kill bacteria and grow the food and the enzymes were killed in the process, before it even gets to a grocery store shelf.  Your stomach has digestive enzymes naturally, but they aren't enough.

Q:  Wait...Why don't we have enough in our body?

A:  Life.  Stress kills our enzymes.  Environmental pollution requires the use of our enzymes, thus using them up.  Our dietary habits are poor and require tons more enzymes than our bodies were meant to use in a normal meal.  Basically, our bodies sadly cannot keep up with our lives and the world.  Additionally, time results in the loss of enzymes.  As our bodies get older, they don't produce as many enzymes (and not just digestive, but in the entire body).  Symptoms of a lack of digestive enzymes as one gets older can be tiredness, sluggishness, lack of mental focus and ability to concentrate, muscle soreness, bloating and indigestion, or low blood sugar.  

In a nutshell, our bodies need help!

Q:  Where can I buy some? :)

A:  Well, I originally purchased some from the marvelous Whole Foods.  I was advised there as to the amount we all need (which can be a bit confusing in itself, and controversial).  But, I have a bit of a distant relative who is an incredible chiropractor in Seattle at Country Clinics.  Now I take a digestive enzyme/probiotic tablet from there.  I am not sure where else to get any that are potent enough.  I found out the amount I really needed from buying others that were, although live and good, not nearly strong enough.  Anyone can order from Country Clinics! And I would recommend it!  A month's supply is roughly $20.

Your body will graciously thank you for DE's help by giving you lots more energy, a flatter stomach, a calmer stomach, clearer skin, a clearer mind, and nutrients like crazy.  And for many, many more years.

Tea Time and Tea Parties.

I really think tea has healing powers.

Just saying it makes me want to sigh deeply.

It makes me want to get all cozy and listen to soft music and read a good book. By a fireplace.

Tea was actually the inspiration for the name of this thing we've got going on here, this little meeting spot where knowledge can be shared and where we can maybe help each other make our own small spaces in the world a bit brighter and lighter. :) Gingerandlemon comes from tea that you can make with those two ingredients: ginger and lemon.

Ginger truly does have healing properties. It is a perennial that harbors almost all of its benefits in its rhizomes, or the root of the ginger. Ginger has the power in its rhizomes to:
Aid in digestion (especially of foods heavy on fat).
Treat nausea and morningsickness.
Alleviate high blood pressure.
Lower LDL cholesterol.

Ginger is relaxing and I think it has a sort of spicy taste, too, so it has a great delicate pungency. When choosing mature ginger at a grocery store, look for firm skin without any mold and very little to no bumps. Also, although it looks cool, the less twists of the ginger root the better. Ginger should be smooth and fresh to ensure its softer middle and good taste.

AND for the lemon. Lemon is FULL of enzymes that also:
Aid in digestion.
Purify the blood.
Detoxifies the body.

Woo!  Giving the tea that sweetness to counteract the slight spice of ginger, the lemon is essential for so many reasons. BUT. Lemon hates being burned! If the lemon juice gets added when the tea is not yet able to be sipped, it will kill the enzymes. So just doing a little sip test will keep the lemon benefits in tact. Ginger, on the other hand, with steep in the hot water like it's in a jacuzzi. Add it when the water is still hot, hot, hot.  Then sip, knowing you're keeping away from illness and detoxifying your blood and body.  What a brilliant liquid!

Simple Tea
from
gingerandlemon

1 cup (8 oz.) of filtered water
 3/4 inch organic ginger, with skin cut off and sliced into pieces (not too small)
1/2-1 organic lemon juice
Optional add ins:
1 shake cayenne pepper (more if you're brave)
1/2 teaspoon organic, local honey 
1/2 organic lime juice
Stevia for some sweetness

Heat water in teapot or on stove.  Add ginger pieces.
Let steep until water is sip-able.  Add lemon juice or other ingredients.

Enjoy.

Pocket Books and Tupperware.

Okay, so I never have nor will I ever write about anything more important than this when it comes to health.

Behold, I have surely discovered the secret to a consistently healthy, flourishing lifestyle.

Here it is:

PLAN.

Plan ahead. Plan plan plan plan plan and plan again and again and over and over again every single day of your life.

I'm sorry, that was annoying and repetitive.  But I am serious and I know how serious I am from experience. You can learn everything there is to know about your body, food nutrients, digestive functions and exercise regimens but you will never put one ounce of that precious and valuable knowledge to use unless you plan your food intake each day.  And plan as ahead as possible!

I have to confess why this is on my mind.  As of right now, I am a tiny bit uninterested, jaded, tired (all synonyms for the word "bored") at work.  I did not plan my breakfast smoothie ahead of time and so was left to eat only 1 grapefruit that the boyfriend Brian (thank you again, by the way) so generously gave me, probably to stop my whining this morning about how I didn't make anything for breakfast.  So, the grapefruit at 10 a.m. was delicious!  Sweet, fresh, juicy.  But, as expected, about an hour later my body had done a great job at digesting the fruit and then it was like, "GIVE ME MORE!"  Very demanding.

If I had planned for this moment at any point before actually being on my way to work, I would have lasted well into lunchtime with a smoothie.  BUT I didn't. And so, the results of my lack of planning follow predictably:  even though I know the in's and out's of why prepackaged chips with a "Hint of Lime" and that are "Now Crispier Than Ever" will do nothing but reek havoc on my body and do nothing for the beautifying of my hair, skin, nails and energy level, I grabbed the bag someone had devilishly left on our office fridge and shamefully started munching.

..Yikes.

This scenario proves two things:

1) A light, fiber-filled and nutritious breakfast is your only key to true energy and satisfaction in the morning.  It also gives you the added bonus of being good for your entire body as well and getting you off to a great start!

2) Knowledge CAN be power when it is possible to use.  This morning, my knowledge wasn't even possible to be used as power. I had not planned well at all and so reacted out of a weak physical state and will be paying for it.

So yes, maybe I'll add a few extra sit ups tomorrow but I more importantly I missed out on a breakfast that could have benefited me harmoniously from my head down to my toes.  Shoot!

So, are you:

Going out with some friends?  Bring your digestive enzymes with you in a bag to aid in your digestion.

Going to be gone all day?  Pack a bag of cucumber slices, celery stick, carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, or even chlorella tablets that are basically power nutrients in a little tablet.  Genius.

Work in an office?  Store snacks in a refrigerator or cabinet for when you are in a bind (not chips obviously).  

 Going for drinks?  Decide ahead of time to drink wine, especially of the red variety, over all other heavy alcohol and mixers that are literally depressing to your body and loaded with fake stuff.

Know you'll want dessert after a meal?  Make some raw cookies out of nuts and raw cocoa powder to keep on hand, carry gum, steep peppermint tea, dress up water with mint or lemon or orange or have a small piece of dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa.

Cheers.

Loving what you eat is the best!  Plan ahead so that you can make sure this will happen every single day. :)

Co-co-nut.

Coconuts come in two ways, just as boys do: young or mature. :)

Just kidding of course. But these are the two ways your local grocery store or health food store containing produce will give you to buy these amazing drupes.

In case you weren't sure, like I wasn't at first, a drupe is, by definition, a fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central stone containing the seed.

Mature. I literally banged the top of that thing with a hammer. Much more challenging than opening a young guy.

A young coconut has a thick, all white outer skin with a hard shell underneath that will contain about a cup of fresh coconut water and a soft, white, meaty flesh that is smooth and delicious. A mature coconut is the traditional variety, with a thick outer shell that can be used as a luau top and will contain the harder meat that can be scraped out in pretty little pieces and used to top desserts, go in raw cookies, etc.

Young. I have since upgraded to a Vitamix! Wonderful money spent. We'll get to that another time. :)

I've learned that almost always you will be looking to purchase young coconuts - they contain the highest amount of nutrition - and you really should because they are incredible additions to your everyday diet.  Everyday, how exciting! I've also learned that with incredible amounts of electrolytes (more than, let's just say, a Gatorade), blood purifying potential as a result of it being identical to human blood plasma, and providing enough hydration to get one over a hangover, the coconut is something that will literally improve your body long term and short term.

For anywhere between $1-$2.50 or so, I've discovered that young coconuts can be bought at Whole Foods without a doubt, almost all Asian markets without a doubt, local grocery stores sometimes, local health food stores sometimes. I am always on a bargain, so I have shopped around and fortunately and unfortunately noticed there isn't much difference price-wise. I prefer Whole Foods because they always seem to look the best! They also can be bought online and shipped right to your doorstep by the carton.  This sounds ideal but I have found it is naturally more expensive.

And lastly, just for fun:

That song could get anyone moving their hips!

Warm N Green.

Today is undeniably beautiful out here in Chicago which can only mean that it's most likely undeniably beautiful out everywhere else in the United States. Chicago is usually last at getting the great forecasts. :)

But with the warmer temperatures excitedly peaking around the corner, I cannot keep my mindful wheels from turning about one subject: breakfast.

Warmer temperatures mean fun, exotic fruits here in the Midwest. Papaya, mango, coconut, all the vibrant colors that turn a morning smoothie into a wannabe frozen cocktail on white sand beaches.  For your body's sake, breakfast should be kept light. Your body will naturally be cleansing itself in the morning, much like what one would do when they shower. It gets you ready for a day of nourishment by removing what toxic waste (yes, exactly what you're thinking of) it can so that it can just eat up vitamins and minerals throughout the day. So, when you wake up and when you get hungry (which is your body's way of telling you its ready), you want to think:

BLENDED! = easy digestion.

LIGHT! = easy digestion and won't drag you down.

FRESH! = leafy green, fruit.

SIMPLE! = easy digestion, water-based, most efficient.

Get playful with this too! Throw in some fun stuff! Mix and match with what you've got and see what you like the most. Always include:

GREENS! = 70% of entire smoothie, spinach, kale, romaine, could add watercress as a spicy/tangy addition.

FRUIT! = just for sweetness.

LEMON or LIME! = juice of half or 1 whole, the digestive enzymes in these tart little wonders will be of great assistance to your body when its working to take in all of those nutrients most efficiently.

So, here's to waking up and to sunshine. Happy Wednesday!

The Bottom Line

Health is so simple. It is simple because it is only one step at a time. Simply put, there is no other way to get to healthy but by taking one step and one step towards it. And you're always moving in health! Just like your body, your health just never rests. Health is even so kind that it only asks for one step at a time.  Simple and possible, each step gives health the ability to reward greatly.

Thanks, Health! Haha.

Calling All Creatives.

I think being creative is a great thing. It makes me, for one, feel alive and a little more unique than I actually am in this big, beautiful world.

I am on a JOURNEY. I have no idea when it all started, but for a couple years now I have had the hottest fire under my you-know-what to just get out there and create. Stop reading good recipes, make them. Stop buying things other people make and make them myself. Get out there and DO and love every minute of it.

So that's what I have been doing! I am a passionate, health-inspired sweet-toothed craft-making fashion-icon-wannabe who loves to love and to live life until it comes bubbling over the rims like fresh popcorn. Now, let's learn and have some fun.