Chocolate Lover’s Smoothie

Posted on June 15, 2013 by HolisticMel

I’m a huge chocolate lover. In terms of any dessert, if I have a choice between chocolate, vanilla, caramel…you name it, it’s always going to be chocolate for me. Most of the ‘mainstream’ chocolate that’s out there is completely refined and processed, made with lots of sugar and milk products.

This smoothie does not lack that rich, chocolatey flavour, but it’s definitely free of all the excess sugars and refinement. The stevia that is used provides a natural, plant-based sweetener that doesn’t raise any blood sugar levels. Another special ingredient used in this smoothie is raw cacao nibs. Raw cacao is chocolate in it’s most purest and rawest form. It’s super bitter, so a little goes a long way. It’s filled with nutrients, as it’s a rich source of antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and iron. Cacao is considered a superfood, since it’s so nutritionally dense. Many of the ingredients in this smoothie are actually immune-boosters, and every ingredient here is actually good for you in it’s own distinct way. So instead of opting for that high in fat, high in sugar chocolate milkshake, make your own chocolate smoothie!

Rich Chocolate Smoothie

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
4-5 frozen strawberries
1/2 teaspoon maca powder
1/2 teaspoon cocao powder
1 teaspoon raw cacao nibs
1.5 teaspoons coconut oil
4-5 drops stevia

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes. Ready to serve!

Notes

* You can substitute with other nut milks of choice

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Amazing Aloe – A Medicinal Plant Like No Other

Posted on May 23, 2013 by HolisticMel

There is a special plant I want to talk about today, that is astounding in medicinal benefits. I’m talking about Aloe Vera. The restorative properties that Aloe has is incomparable to any other plant so far. Basically, Aloe is magnificent for both external and internal use. It heals, nourishes, disinfects, detoxifies and helps deter many digestive diseases and problems.

Using Aloe Vera to help heal wounds or burns is ideal, as it’s known to immediately soothe the area and helps to heal. It’s just great for your skin in many different ways. It’s an amazing natural hydrator (Aloe is over 99% water), it moisturizes, nourishes and rejuvenates your skin! Most of you know Aloe Vera to be of great use for sunburns. You buy the Aloe gel and slather it on your freshly burnt skin, and it soothes and heals. However, Aloe also soothes and heals internally as well. The Aloe gel is highly alkaline, and when ingesting it, it helps to alkalize the body, bringing it back to a healthy PH environment. Many foods and dietary habits make our internal environment acidic, so Aloe helps to balance it out, all while providing our body with so many active components, including enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids and more. The antioxidant content within Aloe helps to boost our immune system as well.

An interesting fact about Aloe Vera, is that it is a natural antibiotic. Aloe prevents the growth of various bacteria and infectious microorganisms from forming within our body. It’s potency works to eliminate both internal and external infections. As previously mentioned, Aloe is also a detoxifier. It helps our natural elimination process, through our bowels, since it’s gelatinous properties help to move through our intestinal tract, absorbing toxins and helps to get our bowels moving.

My family always keeps a bottle of pure Aloe Vera juice in the fridge on hand. Whenever I have an upset stomach, I turn to this juice. It’s a great natural remedy for relieving problems associated with indigestion, acid reflux, IBS, ulcers, colitis and the list goes on. It is known that having a poor functioning digestive tract leads to many health problems, so it’s important to get your digestive system working back on track. I find that the way Aloe externally soothes our skin, it also soothes the internal walls of our stomach and intestinal tract as it moves through our body.

Due to it’s high level of potency, Aloe Vera should be used with caution. Ingesting too much Aloe can lead to a loss of electrolytes, it can interact with certain medications and can cause cramping and other adverse effects. So with any medicinal herb, use with moderation. If you’re wondering how raw, pure Aloe Vera juice/gel tastes, well the taste can be rather unpleasant. It has an oddly bitter taste, which is why it is best disguised in smoothies or other juices, however I usually just chug a small glass and get it over with. The health benefits definitely outweigh the cons in this case!

…yup that’s me beside a field of Aloe Vera in Mexico.

Mixed Berry Energizer Smoothie

Posted on May 15, 2013 by HolisticMel

Smoothies are amazing to start your day with, as they provide many beneficial nutrients all in one glass! Fruit is ideal early in the day since it provides vitamins, minerals and fibre, so incorporating a variety of fruit and other healthy ingredients, makes for a delicious and wholesome beverage.

In the morning it’s great to eat food that is going to give you fuel for the rest of your day. One special ingredient I like to throw into my morning or even for afternoon smoothies, for that extra kick, is maca root powder. This special powder is a superfood that is derived from Peru and grown in very high altitudes. It’s nutritionally dense, as it is rich in B vitamins and is a vegetarian source of vitamin B-12. It’s high in various phytonutrients, minerals, enzymes and amino acids as well. One particular benefit of maca root, is that it helps to balance out and regulate our hormones by stimulating our hormonal glands such as the pituitary gland. This powerful superfood is an excellent energizer, boosts immune system, stamina and endurance, which definitely helps to fight off fatigue. Basically, there are a profusion of health benefits by consuming maca root powder regularly, so that’s why it’s so important to incorporate maca root into your daily food regimen. Maca powder tastes somewhat nutty, so it’s great in smoothies, cereals and in raw energy bars. It’s best not to cook the powder to ensure the preservation of all the amazing nutritional content!

Matcha green tea is another gem that I love to add to smoothies. Matcha is actually the leaves of green tea ground up, so you are able to ingest the entire leaf. The leaves contain an array of nutrients including an immense amount of antioxidants that is unparalleled in comparison with regular green tea. This potent green powder is an antioxidant powerhouse, which is known to be 14 times the amount of most berries, especially blueberries, and it has 10 times the antioxidants of a glass of green tea. One special property of matcha that I want to share, is that it contains a high amount of a rare amino acid, called L-Theanine. This has been used as a supplement to promote calmness and a state of well-being, while providing alertness. Matcha has a strong taste, some like myself don’t mind it, but for those of you that dislike this vegetal, green tea taste, its best disguised in smoothies.

Ingredients:

1 cup mixed berries (I used frozen)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 – 4 ice cubes
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon maca root powder
1/4 teaspoon matcha green tea

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until desired consistency. I like to blend until every seed is pulverized, leaving you with a smooth and frosty smoothie.

A smoothie a day will help you maintain and achieve optimal health and longevity!

Make the Switch to Almond Milk

Posted on May 13, 2013 by HolisticMel

Growing up, most of us have been brought up to think that everyone needs milk in order to grow up to be strong and healthy, however many people don’t realize the downfalls of cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is high in fat, specifically saturated fat, calories and cholesterol, so whenever possible substitute with almond milk. You can drink it straight or add it to smoothies, coffee, tea, and it makes an amazing substitute for milk when used in baking.

Almond milk is probably the best substitute, as it contains a sufficient amount of vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin D and high in vitamin E. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, helping to enhance our immunity and to ward off free radicals, protecting our body from any tissue or cellular damage. Almond milk provides many nutrients including fibre, which provides for healthy digestion and elimination. Surprisingly, almond milk is rich in calcium, as it contains an equivalent amount of calcium as regular cow’s milk. One cup of almond milk is known to contain 300mg of calcium which is 30% of the daily nutritional value. So, it’s beneficial to consume almond milk on the regular to ensure an adequate intake of calcium. Almond milk is free of any saturated fats and also gluten, lactose, casein and cholesterol free, making it a healthy choice for those individuals with certain intolerances.

Those who are diabetic will really benefit from consuming almond milk because it only contains 40 calories per cup and actually helps to lower blood-sugar levels, as it’s low in glycemic nature. Homemade or unsweetened almond milk is ideal and is especially great for children with diabetes, because of the low sugar content and friendly blood-sugar properties. Although almond milk is a healthier choice than cow’s milk, it is lower in protein, as it has 1g of protein per cup, in comparison with 8g of protein in one cup of cow’s milk. However, cow’s milk is higher in calories and contains simple sugars that just store as fat within our body, so for diabetics it’s definitely a healthier and smarter choice for a milky beverage.

Be sure to read labels when purchasing processed almond milk, as there may contain various unwanted sweeteners or additives. Fortunately, almond milk is actually so easy to make, so whenever possible choose to make your own homemade milk. I made two types of almond milk, because I like to keep a sweetened milk and a non-sweetened milk in the fridge for variety. I chose to flavour the unsweetened milk with vanilla for some extra taste. That’s the beauty of making your own milk, since you have complete control over what goes into your milk to sweeten or flavour it. Homemade almond milk is free of any preservatives, artificial sweeteners and other unwanted additives. This is important in ensuring natural, good quality ingredients.

Unsweetened Almond Milk Ingredients:

1 cup of soaked almonds
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sweetened Almond Milk Ingredients:

1 cup of soaked almonds
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

In a high-powered blender combine ingredients and blend for 4-5 minutes. Strain milk to remove excess almond particles. Double strain for a silkier consistency. Store in the fridge and enjoy.

It’s that easy.

Tip: Try and soak the almonds overnight in water for better results.

Revitalizing and Detoxifying – Juicing with Beets

Posted on May 3, 2013 by HolisticMel

Juicing is incredibly stimulating and detoxifying, since you are able to ingest literally a bowls worth of fruits and vegetables in just one glass. The abundance of vitamins and phytonutrients that you are able to consume through one glass of juice is so beneficial for our bodies. Whether you are in need of a good detox, or just need a good healthful boost, juicing is ideal.

Beets contain an incredible amount of antioxidants, which is vital for cell detoxification and to help reverse any oxidative damage. One important group of antioxidants that gives beets their deep, blood-red pigment are the betalains. These betalains are known to significantly reduce various inflammations due to external and internal stresses, and also aid in overall detoxification. The nutrients within beets are so powerful that they even exhibit certain anti-cancer properties. Consuming more raw beets is also beneficial for your liver, as beets help to detox and help rid of any fatty build-ups. This super-root clearly contains many essential elements for our health, namely which include Vitamin C, iron, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B6 and magnesium just to name a few. By consuming more raw beets, you will be gaining an amazing amount of different vitamins and nutrients. Not only will this boost your immune system by helping to fight off infection, but it will help produce new blood cells by stimulating re-oxygenation of our cells. This is such a crucial aspect of vitality and longevity!

It’s important to mainly consume beets in their raw and purest form, since the powerful betalains are diminished during the cooking process. Like betalain, vitamin C is also water soluble, meaning it is dissolved in water, so by cooking foods that contain water soluble vitamins, like beets, the vitamins will literally seep out of the vegetable and into the water.

Beetroot juice is so powerful that it is used to heal serious conditions like cancer and heart disease. The juice is probably the most beneficial way of ingesting beets, since it’s in its raw state and you are able to consume a few beetroots in each glass! The taste of pure beetroot juice is rather strong so to lessen the intensity it’s great to juice other fruits and vegetables along with it.

My favourite juice recipe consists of:

4 small beets
2 inches ginger
Half of a lemon, skinned
1 – 2 apples (natural sweetener)
5 whole kale leaves

This juice is spicy (from the ginger) and very intense in flavour, which is why I dilute it with water. For less spiciness, I highly suggest using only 1 inch of ginger.

Feel refreshed and revitalized after drinking this amazing detoxifying juice!

Super Salad with Creamy Tahini Inspired Dressing

Posted on May 3, 2013 by HolisticMel

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups kale, washed and chopped
1 beet, peeled and julienned
1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
Small handful of sprouts

Salad Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
5-6 brazil nuts
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small food processor and process until creamy. Add to salad ingredients, toss well and serve.

For The Love Of Wraps

Posted on April 29, 2013 by HolisticMel

Wraps are so appetizing, filling and full of nutrients! Wraps, like sandwiches are very versatile, but I find them to be lighter since you’re ingesting more of the good stuff (what’s inside), instead of filling yourself up with heavy bread. I like to stuff my wraps with an assortment of grilled vegetables, mixed greens, sprouts, avocado, some cheese and a homemade, flavourful dressing for extra taste. The great thing about wraps is that you can literally throw in a bunch of different ingredients (within moderation of course), and put together a unique and tasty wrap.

One special ingredient that I would like to mention are sprouts. Whenever I make a wrap, I always try to throw in a bunch of sprouts because they are just so nourishing. When I think of sprouts, it’s hard to believe that these tiny, stringy, plant entities contain an abundance of nutrients, but surprisingly they have many health benefits. Sprouts are high in protein, are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and are easy to digest! Most of the enzymes in foods are lost in the cooking process which makes it so important to always eat your sprouts in their fresh and raw form. Enzymes are beneficial for proper digestion, since they are types of proteins that act as catalysts that promote various biochemical reactions within our body. Adding sprouts to salads, sandwiches, and of course wraps, is ideal for extra nutrition and taste.

I was utterly inspired to make my very own custom veggie wrap, after devouring one from Cultures, a food joint in the mall (it’s definitely the healthiest option to choose from at the mall). I loved my wrap from Cultures so much that I tried to duplicate it, with a couple modifications. Anyhow, my wrap was delicious, easy to make and much cheaper.

Cayenne Pepper – A Super Spice

Posted on March 31, 2013 by HolisticMel

Cayenne pepper is noted to be one of the most useful of the red peppers, as it’s spiciness adds great flavour to foods, and the health benefits are extensive as it has been used to treat many ailments.

Cayenne’s natural heating properties act as a stimulant for boosting metabolism and energy, which supports weight loss by aiding the body to burn excess fats. The heat felt when ingesting cayenne does not burn or irritate the body, instead it contributes to an array of health benefits. Cayenne initiates blood flow to various areas of our body, such as our brain and digestive system. This can help reduce blood pressure, bringing it back to normal levels, and promote circulation. It also helps lower the blood fat levels, when one consumes a diet high in fat. The heat of the pepper stimulates the production and flow of saliva which greatly improves digestion and even neutralizes acidity, as it increases enzyme production and the flow of gastric juices. It also stimulates intestinal motion which aids in both assimilation and elimination.

Ingesting cayenne during times of cold and flu is ideal as it helps to alleviate sore throats, breaks up the congested mucus and provides relief. Cayenne acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and is also known to be a counter-irritant, as it helps brings blood to the surface to help rid of toxins. The main ingredient in cayenne called capsaicin, has a profound effect on destroying certain cancer cells, such as prostate, lungs and pancreas. Since cayenne can cause us to sweat, it also aids in detoxification. There is a known cleanse used in total body detoxing, that consists of drinking a drink made up of filtered water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.

Ingesting cayenne in a drink preferably 1 teaspoon mixed in some warm water, has been known to help people experiencing a heart attack within 30 seconds! This cayenne pepper drink improves heart health dramatically when taken regularly, as it reduces the chance of heart attacks and strokes.

Cayenne can be used ground or chopped and added to stir-fries, soups, sauces or dips, and is also great for marinating meat and fish. Ground cayenne is favoured amongst the mediterranean, mexican and american cooking, whereas the fresh, raw form is popular in many parts of South Asia.

I normally add literally a pinch of ground cayenne to stir-fries, and it adds the perfect amount of heat. I find that less is more with this pungent pepper. Be sure to figure out what your desired level of heat tolerance is, and start incorporating this super spice to your diet.

Hello Again…

Posted on March 31, 2013 by HolisticMel

I realized I haven’t posted for well over a month now, so I apologize for the absence of new content, but I can attribute that to a good reason. I’m inclined to share that I have been studying holistic nutrition with the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and that has surely consumed most of my free time. You know you’re passionate about something when you are entirely consumed with what you’re reading that it doesn’t even feel like school. I find myself completely absorbed in the material that is natural health. During my first few lessons I already learned so much about vitamins, minerals, supplements, toxins, water, and natural remedies (just to name a few). So I’m excited to share some of this information on my website to help educate others. Reading about nutrients and how exactly they are needed by our bodies is incredibly illuminating. We only have one body, so it’s imperative that we take care of it to the fullest of our ability.

“Staying Healthy with Nutrition,” one of the books in the above picture, teaches the fundamentals of nutrition and how various vitamins and minerals from food play a vital role in maintaining health. It’s important to use nutrition as a means of staying healthy and preventing future illnesses or conditions from developing. Preventative nutrition is key to living a long and healthy life. I am excited to learn and understand how our body functions and what it needs in order to heal.

Passion for food, tastefulness, and wellbeing.

Tag Archives: health

Amazing Aloe – A Medicinal Plant Like No Other

Cayenne Pepper – A Super Spice

Hello Again…