Tag: healthy living

Warming Lemon Ginger Detox Drink

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Tempeh Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sammies (4)

4 months is a LONG time for a hiatus from a blog and for this I truly apologize. Winter for me was really a time of hibernation, self discovery and reevaluation. And sometimes we (am I alone here?) get stuck in a food rut. Yea. It’s the truth. It happened to me. I got stuck in the red lentil soup, pasta, quesadilla for dinner rotation for most of the winter because I was pretty tired. I work outside most days of the week and it was COLD in NYC. I really focused on ramping up my rest and self care, which ended up looking like: Netflix and chillin’ on the couch with hubs and lots AND lots of sleep.

The creative juices were a little on pause but the last few weeks have given birth to something new. To be honest (wait, when am I not!?), I really needed a mental break. But a piece of me was DEFINITELY missing. When I am not in constant creation mode, I don’t really feel like ME. This was a much needed pause so I can come back with a bang 😉

I am trying to step more fully into my cooking and try NEW things or even experiment with things I have tried outside that I want to GiMix (thanks to my friend David for this term, it’s da bomb).

I don’t know about you but this winter just made me feel puffy (compensating for the cold with a little extra puff?). I’m not big on doing smoothies in the winter (that’s just cray to me-cold in the cold?!) so I suck down hot bev’s like nobodies business. I frequented Le Pain Quotidien on some work days to grab their Honey lemon ginger tea. It’s sour, sweet, warm and just so damn cozy. But $5 for a small!? NOPE. I can make it at home for a fraction of the cost and drink it allllll day long.

The best part?

It’s delicious and the combo of lemon + ginger helps improve the metabolism, balance blood sugar, boosts the immune system while maintaining an alkaline state in the body (too much acid is no bueno).

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You can make a big batch of this stuff and store in the fridge for sipping throughout the day or week. Oh and it can either be served warm or cold. I prefer it warm of course 😉

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Farmers Market Goddess Salad

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Summer is in full swing the moment you start to see peaches. Last year we suffered a bit over here in NYC. There were some Jersey peaches but New York State did not get blessed with the juiciness of peaches. It almost felt like it wasn’t quite summer but I didn’t really notice, I was in the midst of wedding planning. This summer I’m giddy and just full blown ecstatic about the arrival of peaches, plums and nectarines. And my friends, they are juicy and ready for your salads and salsas.

I haven’t really gotten creative in the kitchen lately. I’ve been fine with making similar things over and over – if it can be made into a taco I’m going to have it (Siete foods has an amazing Almond Flour tortilla, gluten free AND vegan).   But the emergence of peaches inspires me to experiment a bit  I’m trying to push the envelope with food combos.

Peach and corn are an awesome combo, same with peach and blueberry, peach and tomato even, but I really haven’t gone beyond until this amazing salad.

I kid you not my husband Matt practically inhaled this salad- I even got the happy grumble in between each bite (if that’s what we’re calling it).  I’d call that WINNING!

This salad has everything the farmers market has to offer in the summer: heirloom tomatoes, blueberries, micro greens, fresh peaches, cucumbers, fresh sheeps milk feta. I, of course, add in a few extra things to make it a filling, nourishing salad.

So, what are you waiting for? Get off your butt, go to the farmers market and eat this salad for days and feel awesome!

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Overnight Super Matcha Chia Pudding

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I love breakfast foods but I don’t have a HUGE desire to change things up all the time. I could probably eat one of two things every day for breakfast and be perfectly okay with that. Avocado toast and granola with yogurt. I used to be big on oatmeal but that really changed after a few years of eating that almost everyday (as an alternative to cereal).

I’m at a point where if I’m not hungry after drinking a hot cup of chai with almond milk or some type of crazy a** elixir I make in the morning, I just could go without breakfast altogether. Then there are mornings where I wake up famished wondering if I ran out of my millet bread for avocado toast or if I should pop open a new bag of granola.

I’ve had a pretty serious matcha obsession since giving up coffee in January and I’m always looking for new ways to make it even better besides whizzing it with almond milk, butter, and coconut oil. I mean, it’s a pretty badass way to consume it and it’s rather flawless. If it’s not broke don’t fix it 😉 But a wave of inspiration led me to give this recipe a try.

Matcha, is actually powdered green tea (the green tea leaves are dried then ground into a sexy powder). This super powered powder is loaded with L-Theanine, an amino acid that helps balance the caffeine content. L-Theanine is known to provide a sense of calm (I can dig that). It’s a great source of antioxidants, improve focuses and concentration while also supporting sexy skin.

When combined with chia (a superpowered superfood all by its bad self) you get a happy, healthy dose of Omega 3’s, high fiber, protein and is a natural mood booster (hello glow) throughout your cycle (if you’re a lady). I’m all about them good mood foods and the combination of calm and clear, matcha with mood-boosting chia is a match made in breakfast heaven.

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The best part of this recipe is you can make it overnight and just grab and go in the morning. Well, I like to add a few things as toppings to make it a little more exciting 😉

Overnight Super Matcha Chia Pudding

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Total time: 1-8 hours (the longer you leave it the better)
Serves 1 hungry human

What you need:

  • 1 heaping teaspoon of matcha powder
  • 1/2 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
  • 1/2 cup almond/macadamia/rice/soy/cashew milk (your choice)
  • For sweetness: 1 teaspoon coconut nectar or 1 teaspoon of grade B maple syrup
  • Optional add-ins: maca, moringa powder (for an added green boost), coconut oil (best if warmed up and added in after being refrigerated)
  • Toppings: mixed berries, goji berries, coconut flakes, pepitas (the options are truly endless)

How you make it:

  1. Combine coconut milk and other nut milk of choice with matcha (and sweetener/add in’s) in a blender. Blend until incorporated and frothy.
  2. Whisk chia into your mixture and place in a container. Pop in your fridge and let the mixture get acquainted overnight.
  3. Before you indulge, stir your superpowered chia pudding and add a little more nut milk or coconut milk to achieve your desired texture. The sweet spot for me seems to be about 2-4 tablespoons 😉
  4. Top with a few of your favorite things and feel glorious and full.

How do you take your matcha?

Peace, love and NO Beef!

G

 

5 Ways to Kick Cold + Flu Season’s A** {When You’ve Done EVERYTHING + You’re FED UP}

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Okay seriously guys and gals, cold and flu season is here with a vengeance.

I don’t know whether me working with children OR working outside on Saturday’s at the farmer’s market is messing with my system, but homegirl is really feelin’ it. From the random 60 degree days to the re-damn-diculous 11 degree snowy, rainy shiz, my body is like HELLLOOO what is going on. Anyone else in the Northeast going through this right now?

This is the thing that pisses me off (and I mean this in the most self-loving and self-affirming way possible), I take really good care of myself.

So how in the heck do I manage to have my sinuses act the heck up, nose running, throat tickly with some serious body soreness (and I’m not talking about the kind following working out) after doing all the “right” things? I’m sure you know I’m big on not consuming sugar, gluten, I’ve drastically cut down caffeine and I am off of coffee. I supplement regularly, drink Kombucha, eat fermented things, load my body up with nourishing, delicious foods. So, WHAT DA HECK?!

I had a few moments catching myself feeling a bit disappointed or betrayed by my body. But really, my body knows exactly what it needs. And apparently, it needs lots of cozy time to make up for all the cold weather and lots of soups.

I refuse to take any over the counter stuff because let’s face it, it just masks the symptoms and I would have to do some major overhauling of my system to get it back to a loving and nourished place.

So to keep me sane and for you to hopefully share this goodness with yo fams and peeps, here are my 5 tips for kicking this cold and flu bullsh*t’s a** while giving your body some major TLC.

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Oh Snap, I’m on a Podcast

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Hello beautiful friends!

I am back from a much needed (and well-deserved) hiatus from social media, work and more. I don’t think we realize how much time is spent doing mindless things (aka scrolling on Instagram for hours…) and how much time is dedicated to our phones, gadgets, gizmos, etc. It’s a lot and when you’re running your own biz, you really spend more time on these things because I know if I didn’t I would feel I wasn’t making any progress. But after a week off, one thing rang true.

Simplicity is key.

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