New Yummy Juice

Goodness I need to get back to posting in here. This year has been full of  family moving, new babies on their way and simply trying to keep moving forward and not backwards.

My sister has recently started to add juice to her diet and she asked me for some recipes that don't included watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes.

So here is the first one I designed for her. You can make it as a juice or add some frozen fruit in the end to make a smoothie.

8 carrots
2 cups strawberries
3 oranges
1 cup raspberries
1 cup black grapes
1 zucchini squash (yep)
6 key limes or 1 large lime
Juice all above. If you want a juice smoothie you can freeze some into cubes and blend in a blender or you can add some of the juice to a blender and add frozen strawberries and raspberries.

How much does it make? 
well it filled up my husbands\'s big beer stein.

Love to hear how you like this juice!

Great Breakfast Smoothie!

This is one of our favorite go to Smoothies in our home that not only tastes wonderful it also holds you over from hours and hours. Throw everything into the high speed blender and give it a whip. We make the recipe up the night before minus the frozen bananas and leave it in the Ninja container inside the fridge overnight. Pull it out, add the frozen bananas and more almond milk if you need to thin it out some and hit the ON BUTTON. Instant healthy breakfast on the go!

This is Dr Fuhrman's Chocolate Smoothie recipe from his Eat to Live Plan

Great way to start the day and get your greens in too without anyone knowing...Wink Wink

Fresh Bountiful Basket Produce Makes Wonder Soup!

Almost every week on Monday I place an order with the Bountiful Basket Co Op for amazing produce...I say almost because 1 week a month (yikes 2 in August), he has to work so that Saturday afternoon we always hit the farmers market in Dallas. If you have never experienced Bountiful Basket Co Op check and see if it is offered in your area. We get top rate produce for a remarkable price. Anyways on with my story.... This is what I create for us to eat on this week based on my BB Basket 2 Saturdays ago (yes it is still fresh...AMAZING!) and a few items from the Farmer's Market this past weekend.

Cabbage soup

1 head of cabbage chopped

1 half head of Napa Cabbage chopped

8 nice size roma tomatoes chopped

1 white or yellow onion chopped

6 carrots chopped into bite size disc

2 carrots to be finally chopped

1 hatch or bell pepper chopped

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped (want more heat add 2)

1 head of garlic minced

½ head of cauliflower flowers chopped

Sea salt to taste

2 teaspoons pepper

Put all the above into a large of water except for the 2 carrots and ¼ of the cabbage head.

Bring to a boil and turn down to medium.

Last... chop the 2 carrots along with the ¼ head of lettuce.( I use my Ninja on pulse to do this.)

Add the finely chopped carrots and cabbage to the boil and continue to cook.  The soup is done when the cauliflower is soft. It usually takes about a hour to hour and half on medium heat. Make sure the water doesn't go down.

This makes a HUGE pot of soup that we eat on all week long. If you eat quinoa, cook some in water or veggie stock and add to a bowl topping with the soup. This makes a wonderful and healthy  meal all year long.

Mangoes are all the Rage this Summer

Mangoes Here ...Mangoes There ...Mangoes, Mangoes Everywhere..

I love Mangoes and today I made up a Mango Black Bean Salsa for dinner. The recipe can be found at our sister blog Recipes 4 Shweet Living.
******************************************************************************

Mangos taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!  Discover how the “king of fruits” can help you, plus fascinating trivia and a few mango cautions and concerns.

Health Benefits:

1.  Prevents Cancer: Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.

2.  Lowers Cholesterol: The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)

3.  Clears the Skin: Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. (Read more on page 5.)

4.  Eye Health: One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

5.  Alkalizes the Whole Body: The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

6. Helps in Diabetes: Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood.  The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

7. Improved Sex: Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.

8. Improves Digestion: Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.

9. Remedy for Heat Stroke: Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body. From an ayurvedic viewpoint, the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body, particularly the muscles.  The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins from this process. ****Use Coconut water with Mango to balance without having to add a sweetener. ****

10. Boosts Immune system The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.

Info from an Article by Diana Herrington

Lots of Good Things This Week... Come take a Peek.

This has been the first positive week in about 4 months. Some of you know my legs have been swollen since Mid March of this year.Traditional doctors and medicines just could not find out why or get the swelling to go down. I visited every doctor on my list and everyone ran tests and simply told me to rough it out. 
By accident Marty and I met a wonderful doctor and his wife one Saturday about 5 maybe 6 weeks ago and found out about the Wellness Institute in Frisco. We went to visit and talk with Dr. Ferrell and after bloodwork and other testing we decided to give Non Traditional medicine a try. Let me rephrase the we know this is the way to go and I started treatment there. It's a really cool place and I feel like I am among friends.

I have been going once a week and doing some PT there and having adjustments. That in itself was wonderful. Last week I started on natural supplements. It is amazing how different I feel. I looked at my left swollen leg/foot and realized that although it is still swollen it is not as painful and doesn't look like a balloon.

Am I still just juicing? Well no. I am juicing, drinking smoothies made from kale and other veggies with a small amount of fruits as well as adding in other protein like Quinoa to my diet during the week. No milk products, processed food at all.

If you live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and you want to move your live in the right direction I would highly recommend visiting the Wellness Institute in Frisco. eMail me if you want to meet Dr Ferrell for one of his informational dinners.

BEFORE I CLOSE HERE IS THE RECIPE FOR TODAY'S LUNCH . 

For More Healthy Recipes check out Recipes 4 Sheweet Living.

Til tomorrow...Stay Healthy
Shweet SANDI

Summer Dairy Free Dessert

I received peaches and bananas in my bountiful basket this past week and since I am Rebooting I decided to create a healthy easy dessert. It is so simple and easy to make...and of so delicious. 

Take 2 peaches that are cut in half and pitted..Freeze them.

Cut 2 banana into slices. Freeze them.

Place your frozen peaches and bananas into a strong blender ,Vitamix or Ninja.

Pulse. If your "Ice Cream" is to thick add a small amount of Almond, Rice or Soy Milk.

Don't over pulse or your "Ice Cream" will become to thin.

Scoop and enjoy.

This made 4 servings for me...it all depends on the size of your fruit.

Nice Health and Oh So Easy Summertime Treat.

Wonderful Saturday Morning!! Fresh Food and A Promising Outlook

This was a wonderful way to start the weekend. We got up early and went to pick up our Bountiful Basket.
What is a Bountiful Basket you ask?
BBFC is a group of people who work together for mutual benefit. This is a grassroots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative. Since there are no employees at Bountiful Baskets, we as a group pay rock bottom prices on your food. This also means the co-op would not happen without volunteers. If you are interested in the co-op continuing, please volunteer occasionally. All it takes is a little time, energy and a smile. Volunteer opportunities include helping prepare the baskets, breaking down boxes, assisting with the distribution, and packing up. To help out, simply arrive an hour early dressed and ready to work with water to drink.<br>
To find out more about Bountiful Baskets in your community check out their website.

This was our first time to but it certainly won't be the last. This is what we got....

 We ordered the Bountiful Basket  plus Tropical add box on contained 1 box of mushrooms, 5 red apples, 5 bananas,5 yellow bell peppers, 8 bags of carrots ( got more because we helped out and there were left over’s), 34 Bussell sprouts, 7 nectarines, 1 big bag of green grapes, 2 avocados, 1 cabana melon, 1 coconut, 6 yellow mangoes, 5 limes, 1 butter lettuce, 1 plantain and 4 vanilla beans. Might have forgotten something but it was a lot of stuff. 

After we left the place were we picked up our baskets and volunteered, we decided to visit the Heart of Texas Show in Plano. Boy was I so happy we stopped in. We ran into Dr Ferrell and his wife from The Wellness Institute in Frisco. After talking to them he offered to have me come to the Institute so they can see if they can find the cause of all my problems. Also after talking to them Marty and I realized the chiropractor we were going to was really just doing PT. I am very excited. Got good food and positive outlook for maybe get a handle on this pain and illness.

Well off to watch my God Daughters' graduate via live feed and hopefully make it to Sat Mass. We have a new priest starting today and can't wait to see if I can read his lips. 

Check the recipe blog tomorrow for a new  juice recipe.

Stay healthy and Juice ON

Fourteen Months and Getting Healthier.... What is Your WHY?

WOW Hard to believe it has now been 14 months since I juiced my very first bunch of kale, oranges, apples, beets, radishes. I am so happy Linda told me to watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead by Joe Cross (you can catch it on Join The Reboot.) Marty and I started juicing. I have lowered my medicines from 22 to 8... Gone from a size 24 holding at a size 18. Marty has gone down 4 clothing sizes and lost over 45 pounds. The most important thing was 1 year ago he was told he needed to get complete dentures and we have been on the dental college waiting list for that part of the classes. Last Friday when he went to the college to have his teeth and gyms checked they told him whatever he has been doing keep it up, it appears he has saved his back teeth. JUICING WORKS!!!

 A lot of people asked me why I still juice all the time? Is it to loss weight? Is it to get healthy? What is my reason, MY WHY?  Mine is very simple and very precious This is My WHY. 

ZOE BUG

I want to be able to play on the floor with her. Chase her around the park, simply go to the Zoo. I want to know that  I am doing everything in my power to be here when she graduates high school and college. To watch her get married and see her children play with the dolls I make.

Both of my parents passed away young. My daddy at 53 from a heart attack and my mom at 73 from Chronic Heart Failure. Get the drift? In 2 days I will be 54 years old. I will have reached a live span longer than my daddy did. Now I will be reaching to a much longer life and much fuller one too.

Before I close today I wanted to just put out there to the universe....

1. If you have not watched the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

take some time and watch it.

2. Consider cutting out processed foods from your diet. If you can't say what is it it, should you be eating it?

3. Add fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet each day. 

You can do it simple by eating raw or steamed food.

 Juicing a tasting and very energizing way to get  your veggies/fruits quickly and tastes good too.

(Yes I can give you recipes, Click Here for my Recipe Blog.) 

4. Cut back of if possible OUT meat. 

I know here I am in Texas and talking about not eating meat. 

You will get all the protein your body needs from the healthy produce you eat and drink.

5. Last Smile, Laugh and Everyday tell at least one person how Special they are.

With texting and social media in most everyone's life you can easily make someone's day day special

 and in doing so you bring an added peace to your own life.        

Til Tomorrow Stay Healty

Shweet Sandi                                                  

Produce That Speed UP Your Metabolism

In one of my groups we were talking about what produce for juicing that we should eat and juice, that would speed up our sludgy metabolism. After doing some research and asking a couple of my doctors I have come up with the following list. It is not gospel by far but simple a suggestion from what I have told, experienced and heard. Remember never add anything to your diet without checking with your own doctors first.

 

 

Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

Hot Peppers-Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a compound that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.

Broccoli -High in calcium (a known weight-reducer), broccoli is also extraordinarily high in vitamins C, K and A. One serving of broccoli will also provide you with plenty of foliate and dietary fiber, plus a variety of antioxidants. Broccoli is also one of the best detox  foods you can add to your diet.

Apples and Pears- Studies show that these two fruits help boost metabolism and speed up weight loss. Research performed by the State University of Rio de Janeiro found that women eating three small apples or pears daily lost more weight than women who did not. Organic apples are one of the most widely available organic fruits and pears aren’t too hard to find either, great news!

Citrus Fruits-Fruits like grapefruit have been shown to help us burn fat and keep our metabolism high. This could be related to the fruits’ high amount of vitamin C, a helpful and healthful component that reduces insulin spikes.

Produce High in Calcium Like Leafy Greens- A study done at the University of Tennessee found that people who consumed 1,200-1,300 milligrams of calcium a day lost almost double the amount of weight as those who were not getting enough calcium in their diet. To help boost your metabolism, eat plenty of foods high in calcium. Some examples are spinach and kale. Getting our calcium from dark, green, leafy vegetables is a an excellent health choice. Spinach ranks very high in calcium, with 56mg of calcium per cup. A 100g serving of collards packs a 145 mg calcium punch. One cup of steamed bok choy has around 158 mg of the mineral. Kale ranks in with 139mg of calcium and the spicy mustard green has 103mg of calcium per 100g serving. You can also get your calcium from that wonderful tasting round sunny orange. One cup of freshly-squeezed organic orange juice offers approximately 72 mg of calcium. Not to mention plenty of vitamin C, which will significantly improve the amount of calcium your body absorbs. Besides vitamin C and calcium, oranges are also a great source of potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene.

 Foods High in Omega-3′s-Eating foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to boost your metabolism. These acids reduce the production of a hormone called leptin, a natural chemical that lowers your metabolism. (When you are not 100% juicing eat a handful of walnuts, add flax seeds or beans to your diet.)

Other foods that will speed up your body’s Metabolism are grapes, prunes, plums and berries. If you juice these are great fruits to add into your green juice drinks to sweeten up the taste.

Which Produce Do You Need to Eat or Juice Organic

As many of you know a little over a year ago I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead by Joe Cross and started on my journey of a new physical life. I juice many of my meals and even at times go months on end with only juice and water as my daily food. I have often wondered if I can afford it should I be using all Organic produce in my meals. I set about doing some reading and studying on this subject and have come to the conclusion for myself, there are some items I must juice and eat organic....others I am fine non organic as long as I know they are not GMO ( food derived from genetically modified organisms.)

Dirty Dozen Plus (Produce you need to eat Organic)
Apples Celery, Sweet Bell Peppers, Peaches, Strawberries, Nectarines (imported), Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries (domestic), Potatoes, Greens/ Kale, Green Beans

Clean 15 (lowest in pesticides)
Onions, Sweet Corn (note: Many corns are produced from GMO seeds and not marked at store so if you are worried about GMO buy Organic Sweet Corn),
Pineapples, avocado, cabbage, sweet pea, asparagus, mangoes, egg plants, kiwi, cantaloupes (domestic), sweet potatoes, grapefruits, watermelons and mushrooms.

I know last summer, a study was released that said there was little nutritional difference in Organic and non Organic but one has to remember that there are folks behind these studies. Also it is not simply the nutrition and vitamins that are driving us to eat organic but also no drugs, chemicals and pesticides. I personally find that I can tell the difference in Organic and No Organic produce (yes we did a blind taste several times).

To help cut down on the high cost of Organic try to shop at your local farmer's market or search online for an Organic Farmer in the area. Many of these farmers WILL SELL DIRECTLY to us little folks. It never hurts to ask...all they can say is No. Most will actually say YES as they want to get their produce into the hands of everyone.

Til Tomorrow
Stay Healthy and Juice On!

Herbs Can Do a Body Good!

I read this recent article written by Ema Salmon of Ema’s Herbs, located in Ventura, California,in an online magazine or ezine called OUR VOICES.

I would highly recommend going by and reading the free copy she offers. Many different authors from health, to family life, spiritual health and government. Many different authors and much fine reading! 

This is part of a recent article from Ema Salmon on herbs . While I am  juicing now and don't do smoothies, this is a smoothie I will add to my diet in April. I do juice basil and it tastes wonderful!

While we don’t usually think of herbs as being an ingredient in a smoothie, we are overlooking an easy way to get these type of healthy herbs in our diet…without cooking a lengthy meal. Blending herbs in your smoothie is a quick way to ingest them and receive any curative or preventive powers they may have and basil has plenty.

Some of the highlights of basil include: It provides anti-inflammatory relief which stems from eugenol, a volatile oil in basil that blocks enzymes in the body that cause swelling, making basil an ideal treatment for people with arthritis.

Basil is known to have antioxidants that protect the body from premature aging and age-related problems and even types of cancer. Basil contains the flavonoids orientin and vicenin, which are plant pigments that block your cell structures from oxygen and radiation damage. Basil can help with constipation, stomach cramps and indigestion. It can also be used to give relief from the common cold, flu, asthma, bronchitis and sinus infections.

So what are you waiting for? Try this smoothie and let us know what you think! Is basil a good smoothie an ingredient or should we just add more strawberries next time?

Smoothie Ingredients:
2 bananas
10 Basil leaves (fresh is better)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup water

Instructions:
Place all smoothie ingredients in your blender and blend until the basil leaves are minced into tiny pieces and enjoy.

About Ema -Ema’s Herbs perspective embraces both modern and folk medicinal approaches; after all, herbs were the first medicine used by people to detoxify, cleanse, nourish, calm and ease their discomforts.

My Journey through Lent with Juice

I decided that for Lent this year I would do something different. I decided to juice my way from Ash Wed to Easter Sunday. I know you are thinking well she has been doing this for 11 months now why is this something special for Lent.

This past year has been a journey for me. One to better health, family life and most importantly Spiritual health. Last Feb I watched Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and started on my journey. March 21 was the first day of my first ever juice cleanse. I never thought I would last a day much less 96 days (which was the length of my first feast). During this time after much prayer I decided it was time to discover the Church I had been "auditing" for 25 years. So in August I began my journey to become a member of the Catholic Church.

After my first 96 days of juice cleanse or feast as I now call it, I visited my many doctors and they were shocked and surprised at the change in me. My weight was down, my medicines were not  needed as much. My brain fog and left over issues from 3 strokes in 2011 were much improved. Since my first Juice Feast I have followed with a 40 day cleanse and several 2 week cleanses. I have added juice to my daily diet by juicing 2 of my meals and also my snacks. The food I eat is all natural, no processed or meats.

For Lent I pledged to add the nutrients to my body as well as my spirit. Of my daily juices I do less sugars and more of the greens to help my body cleanse. My morning juices have to be less green because of medicines so below is one of my morning juices.

12 oz cranberries (fresh)

5 Sweet Potatoes Peeled and cubed

3 Granny Smith Apples

2 Oranges

1 lime

Juice all items in the order listed. Serve cold or slightly warm less than 110 degrees, 

so all the nutrients remain.

I invite you to follow along here on my blog. Share with me any of your experiences. If you have question please feel free to drop me a note at shweetpotatodolls@gmail.com. I am not an expert by any means but I would love to share what I have learned these past 11 months. 

Til tomorrow

Stay Juicy

Sandi

Juicing and Eating a Rainbow

Juice a Rainbow.... Eat a Rainbow. Whichever way you choose to do it everyday get your fruits and vegetables in as a rainbow.... What does it mean?  It means to make sure that you get a variety of produce in your diet. I am juicing for the month of January so I happen to be making up new recipes that are juicing rainbows.

My newest juice is Popeye's Blueberry Juice. You can find the Complete Recipe on my Sister Recipe Blog Recipes 4 Shweet Living or by clicking HERE.

Til tomorrow

Keep Healthy and Juice On

Shweet Sandi

Trip to the Farmer's Market

Yesterday my Shweetheart and I took a trip to the Farmer's Market here in Dallas. It was cold but we had a nice time. We started our day in the enclosed area looking through the shoppes that are mainly Jewelry, Handmade Soaps, Candles, Baked Goods, and Yes my favorites the Hand sewn and painted creations.
I found this shoppe where everything is from Mexico that we go into every time we visit the marketplace. I usually marvel at the Día de los Muertos art the shoppe has but this visit the prints were what grabbed my attention right away.

 This is the print we came home with.... YES, It is a print. Hard to believe it is not a painting...I thought it was I was. In fact I still keep walking over and softy run my handover the surface to check.
Then as we were walking to the stalls to shoppe for our produce what do I see but a beautiful mural that I would love to have in my home.

Yes we went on to purchase a trunk load of produce. I could not believe we actually picked up 15 pounds of shweet potatoes for $5.00 yes count them l $5.00.

Then we went on to pick up strawberries, oranges,lemons,limes and grapefruit from South Texas. 

Just seeing the second picture makes one want to grab a big cold glass of juice doesn't it.

Well, time to do some Santa sewing. (Yes, you read that right.)

So til tomorrow.
Stay Healthy

Shweet Santa

First Day January Juicing Went Great

Sorry I did not get in here yesterday to post my beginning "shot" and weight but I was kinda busy with Zoe Bug all day long and into the evening. Wanted to re-cap Day 1 of January Juicing and share with you my Riff of Joe Cross's Mean Green Recipe I had for dinner last night and made enough for breakfast and some juicing today.

So here is my beginning shot for January 1, 2013.... Of course I am with my Zoe Bug, she's 15 months 3 weeks. My beginning weight 232 pounds. Pant size 18. Shirt Size 14/16 (some 18 if the sleeves are tight).
Tomorrow I will tell you my illnesses and medicines that I have beginning this year so you know where I am beginning this New ERA. I'll let you know Doctors updates throughout the year and other ups and downs as they happen.

Last night I made up 2 litters of my favorite Juice just to get a head start on Tuesday. Also, I knew that I would be home "alone" today and wanted juice on hand so  I would not be tempted to grab a bite of fruit while making up juice if I got hungry.

This is one of my Zoe Bug's favorite juices and mine too. This is a riff of Joe Cross's Mean Green from "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" movie.

2 bundles of kale 

( clean kale, remove kale leaves from the thick ribs to keep juice from being bitter)

1/2 bundle of spinach or 2 cups baby spinach (cleaned)

4 granny smith apples (large)

2 Macintosh apples

1 bundle of celery

3 large cucumbers peeled

4 oranges peeled (large)

2 large lemons peeled

(you can add ginger if you like ginger about 1/4 inch would be good...add it before the cucumbers)

Juice all the produce in the order they are shown. 

~~Hints~~

Remove the thick ribs from kale, chard, spinach to take away bitterness from juice.

Wrap leaves around apple slices before adding to the slot to juice. This will get more juice from your leafy greens.

Peel cucumbers esp if they are not organic... most cucumbers are waxed, so you do not want that in your juices.

Lemon juice is wonderful and I like to juice the peel as well. It is an acquired taste, so add a small amount of peel at a time and work your way up to the whole lemon. Again organic lemons are best for juicing the rind.

The reason I juice in the order I do is so that the produce with the most liquid will "wash" out any sludge or reside. That way you are not loosing  any of your vitamins and nutrients.

Last but not least, the most important thing...

Taste as you go. Add if you need too. If you don't like it remember for the next time and adjust... if you do like it...write it down. I personally use my cell phone and snap pictures of the produce I am juicing. If I like the juice I keep the pictures. That way i know what was in the juice.

Remember try to keep it 80% Vegetable to 20% fruit and have fun!

Til Later 

I am off to send some recipes to folks

Shweet Sandi

JANUARY 1 2013 START OF A THE NEW ERA IN OUR HOME

Many people many New Year resolutions that some are lucky if they last 1 maybe two weeks into the year before they break them. Not my husband and I. We are beginning a new ERA the ERA of Healthy Living.
Last year in March we watched Joe Cross's movie  Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, joined his community Join The Reboot and I went in search of facebook friends who also might be interested in helping me learn about this journey in Juicing to Better Health.

As many of you know, I juiced a good number of days and lost a good amount of weight. Most importantly I went from 22 medicines down to 6 yes count them ~6~! I am so excited! I am no where close to where I need to be weight or health wise BUT considering where I was 8 months ago when I started this journey I am way ahead of the curve.

Our New ERA
1.So Marty and I committed to no processed foods in our home.
2.Only fresh foods.
3. We cook our own foods or if we eat out it is some place we know it is made from 100% fresh or  Fresh/Raw.
4. Month of January Sandi will be taking part in a Juice Feast. That means I will only eat/drink fresh juices or water.
 I do not do this to loose weight quickly but to reboot my body. This give my organs a much needed rest. While they rest I am taking in high concentrations of vitamins and nutrients from the fresh juices. It is like getting a blood transfusion only this is a nutrient/vitamin transfusion.

I will be posting on here as the days go by and also adding some of my recipes to my recipe blog.
I weighed in this morning so I know where I am starting 232 pounds... gotta find the tape measure and will post that too.
 So if anyone is starting a Juice Cleanse or Feast as we call it on Jan 1 and plan to do to for the whole 31 days, join NOW on Facebook.
Hope you will follow me this year...Share with me your experience in getting healthy both in body as well as spirit too.
Til tomorrow when we start our Journey into our new ERA or Life!
Stay Healthy
Shweet Sandi

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Gluten Free and Healthy

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie
Gluten Free, Vegan and oh so Healthy for YOU...
Better Yet Tastes Great too!

This is a recipe I made up from about 4 different ones I found on the internet. I add my own twist to make it Gluten Free and because I love chocolate and I thought adding coco nibs or chocolate chips would make that nice rich touch to this classic holiday dessert.

Crust
1 1/2 cups Oats
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup cashews
3 Tablespoons Date Syrup or Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup Apple or Pear Sauce.(unsweetened)

**Note on Date Syrup: I made my own. I placed 6 big dates in a sauce pan and added 1 1/2 cup water and brought to a boil. Let it boil about 5 minutes.Then take it off the burner and let it cool down. Place the soften dates and water into blender and blend. This syrup can be used to sweeten baked goods. Whatever is left place in the fridge.

** NOTES on THE NUTS: The nuts in this crust can be toasted. You can use any type of nut you like, pecan, walnut, cashew or a mix. Experiment and find the combo you like best. If toasting do it lightly and don't add salt.

Now on to making this crust. Place the oats, cinnamon and nuts into a food processor and pulse until course. Place this mixture into a large bowl and add  the syrup and sauce of your choice. Sir until all is mixed well. Press into a pie plate.... along the bottom and work the crust slightly up the sides.

BAKE in an oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Take out of oven and cool completely.

Filling
1 1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Maple or Date Syrup
1 Cup Almond Milk
1/4 Cup Arrow Starch ( can use corn starch if you don't have this)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger (can use dried if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon fresh Nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
**1/4 cup coco nibs or chocolate chips***

Combine the milk,  and arrow root starch... add the rest of the ingredients  (except for the chocolate chips or coco nubs) and mix well. This makes a custard like pie so it will look kinda like a pudding. Fold in 1/4 cup of coco nibs or chocolate chips. Pour this mixture into the pie crust.
Bake in Oven at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. You will know it is baked when the outer edges are set.

Let cool and cut. OMG this is So good. You can also make this pie up without the chocolate if you want or mix up the spices. I plan to make this up with Shweet Potato, Cranberries and lime for Christmas.

Cranberry Shweet Potato Juice

Today I started on juices and sauces for Thanksgiving. Here is one of the juices I made up today that came out really good.

Cranberry Sweet Potato Juice

2 Cups fresh Cranberries
2 Gala Apples
1 Garnet Sweet Potato medium
1 Orange
Juice in order listed. This will rock your world for Thanksgiving!

Til tomorrow
Sandi

Fennel, Beet, Prickly Pear Pick Me Up Juice Recipe

Now if the title of this new recipe has not scared you away I would love to share with you this Smooth Morning Juice I came up with today. Let's go back to my last visit to the Farmer's Market. While we were there I decided to pick up at least 2 items I have never juiced before and create a new recipe. So the two new items are Fennel and Prickly Pears or cactus.  I brought them home and started my journey of creating a new recipe not only for good taste but also for the healing properties.

Health Benefits

What can Fennel can do for you... It's main aid is on your digestion. It will help to regulate you as well as in reliving nausea, indigestion, constipation and flatulence. You can also use fennel to detox your body as it works as a natural tonic for your kidneys, liver and spleen. It has a very sweet licorice taste which can be controlled by the amount of fennel you use and also by the other produce you juice along side it.

Prickly Pear,  Cactus, Nopales different name for the same plant. This fruit of a cactus plant, really interests me as I have high cholesterol and have worked long and hard to lower it with proper diet and without the use of medicines. Cactus has polysaccharides fibers which help to lower LDL Cholesterol (the bad kind) and triglycerides (fat cells). It also high antioxidants which is always a good thing.

So now that I know about my two new produce and the benefits so next the big thing...

HOW DO THEY TASTE?

Both the Fennel which tastes like licorice and the Nopales or Prickly Pear which really has no taste maybe a slight vanilla taste will work well in many combos. The Nopales when juiced is slightly thick....I thought it might be slimy but I was pleasantly surprised to find when I juiced the green cactus the juice was clear, slightly thick and lightly flavored. I decided to add it to one of my morning juice recipes and                                          see how it taste. I was not disappointed  Oh let me say I do NOT like licorice AT ALL. BUT the fennel juice is not overly sweet and when added to the right combo of other juices it accents and did not over power.

Fennel, Beet, Prickly Pear 

Pick Me Up Morning Juice

1 Cup Cranberries
6 Large Strawberries

2 Bartlett Pears

1 Large Beet

1 Prickly Pear (Cactus)

1 Fennel Bulb

1 Large Gala Apple
1 Large Granny Smith Apple

8 Carrots

Juice in the Order Shown Above. Drink over Ice or Cold.

Til Tomorrow

Eat and Stay Healthy

Sandi~

My Eat 2 Live Lunch

I've been reading Dr Fuhrman's,  Eat To Live Book and have been really studying it closely. Each day I take one of his ideas and add it to my juicing regimental.  Since I had juice for breakfast today I decided to have a nice filling salad for lunch.

I started with a large mixing bowl and I added the following and mixed them well.
2 handfuls of baby spinach
4 handfuls of Spring Mix (i buy the premixed and I wash it.)
(It includes baby lettuce, baby greens, endives and radicchio)
6 baby bella mushrooms cleaned and chopped
2 roma tomatoes chopped or 1 beefsteak
1/2 of a large cucumber sliced and chopped
1 Cup mixed beans (I use Kroger's Organic brand of Three Bean mix) Rinsed and drained

Then I made up the dressing below and added it to my salad and lightly stired it around until it is all coated.
DRESSING
1/8 of a sweet onion chopped well
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 orange juiced
1 lime juiced
black pepper

Notice I did not add salt and did not feel like I needed it at all! Yeah! The taste buds have changed and do not crave it now! I started with a large bowl of this and placed the remainder in the fridge. I ate as much as I wanted and guess what this is actually love calorie and very good for you. I adding a large glass of ice cold water and I have been full all afternoon.
Til tomorrow
Eat Healthy Today
Sandi