by Joanna | Guest Post
The beginning of the day may feel the most rushed, but is also one of the most important times for your body and your health. As you wake up in the morning and continue to push the snooze button for that final five minutes of added sleep you may be sleeping away the most important meal of the day. Instead, you can start your day off right with super food smoothies as a healthy breakfast.
The benefits of a smoothie in the morning include:
- The benefit of having a balanced breakfast to jump start your day. For many people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does a good breakfast provide needed nutrition for your body, it can actually jump start it by increasing your energy level and increasing your metabolism to encourage it to work more effectively. Ironically, for those trying to lose weight skipping breakfast may be the most damaging thing they are doing. Studies show that having a quality meal at breakfast time can actually help to encourage weight loss. A super food smoothie for breakfast includes essential vitamins and mineral that will not only satisfy hunger but provide the needed elements to encourage your body’s systems to work efficiently.
- Super quick and easy to make. With the needed ingredients on hand you simply need to add them to a blender in the morning and within only a few minutes you’ll have a nutritious smoothie full of essential vitamins and minerals as well as full of flavor.
- In addition to being fast and easy to make, a smoothie is very portable. Simply pour the smoothie into a travel save mug or container and drink it on your way to work. For those who spend the last minutes of the morning sleeping you’ll find that smoothies are a great way to reclaim breakfast.
- Smoothies fill you up. Because super food smoothies have high quality ingredients you will find that beginning your morning with one will make you feel fuller longer. You’ll be providing your body with all of the nutrients it needs to have the energy to make it through the morning.
With the variety of super foods available it is quick and easy to start your day off right with a super food smoothie. Simply keep a supply of these fresh foods available, throw those you want each morning in the blender, and enjoy a quick and simple breakfast at home or on your way out the door. A super food smoothie will help to boost your metabolism, provide needed energy, and encourage a healthy weight. You’ll find that mornings start better with a delicious morning smoothie.
About the Author: For other healthy lifestyle tips, click here for more information.
by Joanna | Blender Reviews, Guest Post
The Vitamix blender has been known to be top in its class when it comes to being the essential tool for delicious smoothies and other finely processed foods. However, its price has been more than a little daunting for many.
I remember looking back for years hoping and waiting to finally find a Vitamix at a price I thought was reasonable and every year, I was left disappointed. Then finally, one year, luck was on my side.
Working for a computer company, I regularly attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Vitamix had this beautiful display featuring all of their wonderful blenders and giving samples of some of their best-tasting smoothies. When the show was over, I lingered around the displays longingly looking at the blenders, wishing I could finally get one.
I struck up a conversation with one of their team members and was able to ask them lots of great questions about the strength and durability of the blender. As you can imagine, this only made me want one more as it was even better than I had thought.
Then I asked the golden question –
“How can you get a Vitamix for a better price?”
He looked at me and a big smile came across his face. He said, “Look at these,” as he pointed to all of the blenders sitting on display next to him. He said that at the end of each of these kinds of demonstrations and shows, they take these display models, put them back in their boxes and sell them on the Vitamix website as “refurbished”. He said that they had never been used, but because they had been taken out of their original packaging that they could no longer sell them as new. Therefore, they were all perfectly good, yet sold for less!
Therefore, if you have been wanting to get your very own Vitamix, go to their website where they will regularly place their “refurbished” models which all come with a 5-year full guarantee.
I have now had my “refurbished” Vitamix for over four years and I have gotten such great use out of it. I use it to make the most wonderful smoothies for my family. One of our favorites is so simple, yet beyond nutritious – even my 7-year-old son loves it.
Simply add the following, blend and enjoy!
• 1 whole beet
• 3 apples
• 1 banana
• 1 cup of orange or apple juice (or you can use water)
• 6 carrots
• 1 large handful of spinach
This is a guest post by Vegan123 (http://www.vegan123.com), a simple resource for those who are already vegan or vegetarian or for those who are striving to reduce the amount of animal products in their diets.
So, if you’ve been thinking about getting a new blender and still hesitating whether or not to buy VitaMix – because of the price considerations – I say, DON’T. Consider it money well spent, and an investment in your family’s health (think about all the savings on doctor’s visits and medications).
For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. You may also want to read my post about the Best Blender.
I LOVE my VitaMix and highly recommend investing in one if you are ready to make serious changes to your diet. I have had mine for almost 5 years and use it daily!
If you decide to purchase Vitamix – be sure to use Promotional Code 06-004554 to get free shipping.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
by Joanna | Guest Post
(Guest Post) For some parents it’s a nightmare to get their kids to eat vegetables. When my daughter came along, I realized for the first time just how much of a pain I must have been to my blessed mother with my instant rejection of anything that remotely resembled any form of vegetables. However, my trick of coaxing my daughter to suspend the vendetta against vegetables became much easier when I discovered this recipe.
In fact, she ended up liking it so much that I made it conditional for her to have some vegetables twice a week if she wanted this soup on weekends. The arrangement has been happily working so far with no complaints on either side. I hope you will achieve similar or better success with this dish!
Now, whenever we talk of vegetable soup, the first thing that comes to mind are broccoli soup and tomato soup, but they tend to taste quite insipid to taste buds habituated in having them with a generous dose of butter and cream. A truly healthy easy vegetable soup recipe must try to replace those ingredients with healthier options. That is why at Recipezi.com we have tried to present you with an easy vegetable soup recipe that is filled to the brim with nutritious vegetables that supplies you with that much needed daily dosage of fiber and proteins. Besides they are super tasty and will make you forget your craving for meat in no time!
So without further ado, here is your easy vegetable soup recipe!
Ingredients
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
3 finely chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup florets of cauliflower
3 finely chopped green chillies
1/2 cup potatoes diced
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
White oil
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
bits of asafoetida
Procedure
- Stew the carrots, potato, tomatoes cauliflower and garlic enough to make them a little softened. Set aside.
- Once it has cooled down, transfer the entire contents to the mixer and blend them till they are smoothened out.
- Take a medium sized pan and add oil.
- Once it has warmed up a little, add in mustard and cumin seeds.
- Once the seeds start to make crackling sounds, add the asafoetida and saute for 8-10 seconds.
- Now add in everything else. That would include the green chillies, vegetable mixture etc. Add salt to taste and keep stirring.
- Let the vegetable soup boil for a few minutes.
- Serve the soup hot with bread or add in a dollop of cashew cream if you want. Keep an eye on the calorie counter though!
by Joanna | Guest Post
If you or someone in your family has been recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance, it can be quite difficult to know what you can or cannot eat. Is that chocolate cake okay? Can I still add cashews when preparing a coconut curry dish? It may seem confusing at first but trust me; it does get easier as you get acquainted with what you cannot use and their substitutes. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Use the Right Wheat Substitutes
You know you cannot use wheat but that does not have to mean the end of all baking; there are several substitutes you can use. White rice or brown rice flour is closest to wheat in composition, so they are most likely to give you a texture and taste like wheat. Make your cupcakes with these flours and see what happens——if you need more texture, try adding in some ground almonds. For soups, use amaranth and for pancakes, try buckwheat. Yes, give yourself time to adjust to the new taste as well as to digesting these new fibers.
Mix-n-Match Flours
Using one type of flour as a wheat substitute may make for a blander taste; instead, check some blogs on gluten-free cooking for advice on flour blends. I’ve noticed quite a few people with gluten intolerance swear by a mixture of tapioca flour, sorghum flour and potato starch. Make sure you carry out an initial trial to find the right proportion of water you need to add. Generally, gluten-free batters tend to absorb more water on baking and so, it is good to use more water and less flour blend.
Avoid Rice Flour in Baking
If you are making food that needs to be thick, there is no beating the grittiness of rice crumble. However, this very quality works against it when you use the batter for baking. So, if you are preparing a soup or gravy, rice crumble is good; not if you are baking cakes.
Pay Attention to What You Use
Many people I know use a cream prepared by blending cashews to thicken their gravies. If you do this too, make sure you use raw cashews—not the one’s which have been salted or otherwise processed. This is important because the ingredients that go into the processing may contain a source of gluten and using such nuts may very well mess up your gluten-free cooking.
These are just a few of the tips: there are several other ways you can follow for a gluten-free diet, without compromising on taste and the variety of food. Invest in a gluten-free cookbook, or bookmark and visit a few gluten-free cooking blogs and you are sure to find inspiration for many interesting meals.
by Joanna | Guest Post
Colonoscopy is a procedure I heard a lot about, but never tried myself. I know that many people in the health niche highly recommend it, but I’m still a bit skeptical. If you’re thinking about it, here is a guest article on how to get ready.
There are a many things that scare people stiff when it comes to matters dealing with their health. Top of that list is needles. Needles keep a lot of people from hospitals as some of them are mortified by the thought of them entering the skin. That aside, blood is also another thing that can drive people insane. It is not rare to hear that someone fainted after seeing blood. If you are afraid of blood, then do not even think of medicine as a profession.
There are several other things in this list including the use of certain medication and the smell of hospital in general. However, the list can not be complete without including procedures such as colonoscopy. Many people just find it intrusive and even imagine it to be the most painful procedure on earth. You might find that you are scheduled for one at least once in a lifetime. So, how do you go about it so as to be prepared for it?
a) Getting prepared
Unfortunately, you cannot just wake and get this bowel checking procedure done without prior preparation. Here are a few tips on what you should do. The main aim of these tips is to clear your bowels so that the doctor can see your insides clearly.
A few hours to the procedure, you should take clear liquids only. This includes things like tea, coffee and broth. They are to help in cleansing your system.
Several man made chemicals can also be used as instructed by your physician. These include things like Polyethylene Glycol and oral sodium phosphates. Laxatives can also be added in this category. The main aim is to help clean your system and these substances make sure that all the waste in your body comes out. They should be taken the night before the procedure.
b) Additional tips
Just like any medical procedure, there are some few pointers that could make this particular procedure more pleasant and bearable.
As stated earlier, this procedure does not happen on a moment’s notice.Therefore, you need to go to your doctor’s in good time and make sure you receive the necessary instructions in good time. Some could recommend a week to cleanse your system and others a day. Whichever the case, just know you will require medicated wipes and tissues as you are bound to spend a considerable amount of time in the bathroom
You should consider wearing loose clothing. This is easier to manage when you get the urge to go to the bathroom. Another very important thing is to ensure that you are in close proximity to a bathroom or otherwise you might end up soiling yourself.
Variety is the spice of life. Having said this, just because you have been told to drink clear liquids does not mean you drink water alone. Get a variety of clear drinks such as broth and coffee.
by Joanna | Desserts, Guest Post
Although the pumpkin and cinnamon flavorings are generally associated with autumn, they made for an excellent two-day muffin party in February. Last week, I created a batch of these delicious, healthy treats for my house… and they disappeared shortly thereafter.
Filled with cholesterol-reducing organic oats (I bought as organic as possible to get the best results), the multifaceted superfood flax, and mixed with almond milk, containing plenty of calcium and vitamin E, these were an amazing combination. They also contain cinnamon, which has its own benefits on top of being tasty, like regulating blood flow and circulation.
They tasted perfect, were extremely moist, and were an ideal meeting of a few of my favorite qualities in food: sweetness (but not too sweet) and nourishment.
This recipe makes 12 muffins, and you can play around and add or subtract or modify as you see fit. I made mine on the thicker side, with more oats for texture, but you can use the recommended amount below if you like a lighter muffin.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins Recipe: Simply Delicious and Oh-So-Good-For-You
Ingredients
-
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
-
- 1/2 cup old fashion oats (more for topping)
-
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
-
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
-
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
-
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
-
- 1 flax egg-replacement (1 tablespoon flax meal, 2 1/2 tablespoons water)
-
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-
- 1 cup almond milk
-
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Fold a paper towel and add a drop of oil, then prime the muffin pan. Warm oven to 375F.
- Mix the flax egg in a large bowl. Combine almond milk, pumpkin, oil, vanilla extract, and raw sugar to the same bowl.
- Delicately combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a sifter and add to wet ingredients, then whisk together until well blended.
- Spoon batter into muffin pan until each cup is filled to the top. (Go just above if you want larger muffins.) Add oats to the tops if desired.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on oven power and batter thickness - mine took 25) or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool and store in air-tight glass or plastic.
3.1
https://greenreset.com/vegan-cinnamon-pumpkin-muffins/
Although the pumpkin and cinnamon flavorings are generally associated with autumn, they made for an excellent two-day muffin party in February.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins: Simply Delicious
This guest post is provided by echealthinsurance.com/wellness/eat-well/recipes/. Visit their website to absorb some more healthy, organic and delectable food ideas you can make at home.