Category Archives: Uncategorized

Smoothie Shopping List

I realized today when I was shopping at Trader Joe’s that I have a mental smoothie shopping list that I use. I keep foods from this list in my kitchen so that my family can have a variety of smoothie options available to them. So I’ve decided to put MY list down on “paper” and share it with you! With smoothies, I encourage you to be creative! Some are better than others, but soon you will find combinations you LOVE! This happens to be my list, so feel free to add other foods to your list.

FRUITS

bananas

apples

oranges

strawberries

rasberries

blueberries

blackberries

pineapple

mango

papaya

kiwi

dates

*If possible, choose ORGANIC and SEASONAL fruit. If not, consider frozen fruit. Also remember that fruit has a lot of sugar, so go easy and leave room for your green friends I list next!

GREENS

kale

spinach

parsley

cucumber

PROTEIN SOURCE

high quality time-release chocolate protein powder

organic greek plain yogurt

almond butter

oatmeal

LIQUID

water

almond milk (we don’t have much dairy around here)

orange juice

coconut milk/water

and yes, coffee and herbal tea

EXTRA GOODIES

coconut oil – click HERE to check out the best coconut oil! If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you!
honey

bee pollen

flax seeds

hemp seeds

spirulina

mint leaves

cinnamon

ginger

agave nectar

stevia

WHY I’M A FAN OF SMOOTHIES:

Blending food takes care of the first step in digestion: chewing! Food breaks down faster in the stomach. It’s like a mini-vacation for your digestive system 🙂
Smoothies offer a chance to “eat” food you usually wouldn’t eat. For instance, I dislike Kale… a lot! I’ve tried it different ways, it’s just gross to me. One day I got brave and put a small amount in a smoothie. Surprisingly I didn’t hate it! In fact, I kinda liked it. Slowly I began adding more and more kale. Now I’m to the point where I crave it. Yes, I’ve gone there!
Smoothies offer a chance to sneak food to your kids body that they would NEVER imagine eating! THIS REALLY WORKS! At first my kids had no idea what they were “eating”, but by this point, they know I put all sorts of stuff in. Both of my kids like their smoothie different ways, and I adjust them according to their preference.
They are easy.
They are fast.
They are yum.

These are some of my favorite smoothies:

CHOCOLATE COCONUT POST-WORKOUT SMOOTHIE

BERRY GOOD SMOOTHIE

POST-WORKOUT CHOCOLATE ALMOND SMOOTHIE

SUPER HEALTHY TROPICAL SMOOTHIE

SPINACH BANANA SMOOTHIE

Please share the foods you add to your smoothies!

HEALTHY FATS that reduce BODY FAT

1 Reply

This is a list that

Women’s Health

put out on foods that contain healthy fats that can

“quell your appetite, cutting the number of calories you eat in a day, while improving your heart health and stoking your metabolism.”

Grass-Fed Beef naturally leaner, fewer calories, and higher omega 3’s compared to conventional meat

Olive Oil breaks down fats in the body

Coconut battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores

Dark Chocolate “contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. Milk chocolate’s cocoa butter content, on the other hand, is tempered with added butter fat and, as a result, passes more quickly through your GI tract. Because dark chocolate takes more time to process, it staves off hunger and helps you lose weight.”

Almond Butter contain a compound that limits the amount of fat absorbed by the body

I would also like to add:
Avocados and Flaxseeds

EAT UP.
IT’S GOOD FOR YOU.

DIY – REFRESH YOUR SKIN

Leave a reply

I found this article

RECIPE TO REFRESH: DIY, NATURAL SKIN

written by Express contributor Megan Zatko

and think I might try some of these ideas out.

source

AVOCADO FOOT SCRUB

… Why It Works: A ground avocado pit is abrasive enough to break down calluses, while the fruit’s rich flesh contains essential oils that nourish the skin.

… You’ve Been Warned: This recipe takes time to prepare, but the results are worth it.

…What You’ll Need:

2 avocados (one for pit, and one ripe one for fruit)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp sea salt

…What to Do: Dry out an avocado pit for a few days, then break it into several pieces with a hammer or cooking mallet. In a spice mill, coffee grinder or food processor, grind down the pit to make a gritty meal.

Scoop out second avocado and place skin aside. Mash the avocado fruit with the cornmeal, 1/4 cup of ground avocado pit and sea salt.

Gently message the mixture into your feet in a circular motion, starting with the toes and working up to the ankles. Rinse with warm water.

Finally, take the inside of the avocado skin and rub the heel and any other callused areas. Your skin will look green at first (don’t worry, it won’t stain). Keep messaging for five to 10 minutes or until it no longer feels abrasive. Do not rinse off until your next shower.

LEMON HONEY MASK

… Why It Works: Lemon’s citric acid closes pores and keeps skin’s PH levels in check, while honey’s enzymes and nutrients add an antibacterial factor to zap zits and moisturize.

…You’ve Been Warned: There’s a serious sticky factor, so make sure your hair is tightly pulled back.

…What You’ll Need:

1 tbsp organic honey
1 fresh lemon

…What to Do: Squeeze the juice from the lemon and remove any seeds. Mix in honey and apply to damp face. Message into skin for several minutes, then rinse with warm water.

QUICK FIXES:

De-Puff Eyes: Put two thick raw potato slices over eyes for 10 minutes. The potato’s potassium and vitamin c should zap under-eye circles.
Smooth Dry Hands: Mix 1/4 tsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp of sugar and massage into the back of hands. The oil will soften skin, while the sugar will slough off dead, scaly cells.
Body Scrub: Mix equal parts honey and brown sugar. Brown sugar is gentler than granulated sugar.

If you try any of these ideas, PLEASE let me know what you think!

Share your DIY beauty tips with me.

Crock Pot Chili

1 Reply

This is a great healthy meal for a busy family.

Get up a 15 minutes earlier in the morning, throw the food in the crock pot, and thank yourself at dinner time!

This recipe is inspired by the Ultimate Chili recipe.

What I used:

1 lb organic ground beef
1 onion
salt and pepper
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans
3 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can of corn
2 celery stocks
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 dash worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine

STEP 1

Rinse the beans

STEP 2

Cook the onion and ground beef in a skillet.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

STEP 3

While meat is cooking, chop up celery and bell pepper.

Combine all the ingredients into the crock pot- except the red wine. Add the red wine in the last 2 hours. Cook it on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

This is hard to mess up and you can BE CREATIVE with it!

LET ME KNOW HOW YOU CHANGE IT UP!

BONUS: I doubled my recipe and had plenty of leftovers!

Ladder of Success

Leave a reply

Today.

1 Reply

source

WHAT DOES THE SHAPE OF OUR FOOD TELL US?

1 Reply

Ok, so think about this…

TOMATO :: Like our heart it has 4 chambers and is the color red. It also contains lycopene which nourishes the heart and blood.

source

KIDNEY BEANs :: are shaped like our kidneys. They heal and maintain kidney function.

source

ONIONS :: The appearance resembles cells in the body. They clean out waste material from all cells, i.e. detoxification.

source

SWEET POTATOES :: They look like the pancreas. They release sugars gradually into the bloodstream, which is easy on the organ, and helps regulate blood sugar levels. They are high in antioxidants (beta-carotene) that protects all tissue in the body- including the pancreas- from cancer and aging.

source

CELERY. RHUBARB. BOK-CHOY:: These look like bones. They specifically target bone strength. Bones are thought to be 23% sodium… these foods contain 23% sodium! If you become sodium deficient, your body will pull sodium from the bones!

source

CARROTS :: sliced they look like our eye. Carrots enhance blood flow to the eyes. The beta-carotene in carrots reduce the risk of developing cataracts & protects against macular degeneration

souce

WALNUTS :: look like the brain. Scientists claim they help development of over 3 dozen neurotransmitters in the brain… this aids in brain function. They help ward off dementia and break down plaque associated with Alzheimer’s

source

GRAPES :: look like the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs where oxygen is passed into the blood. Grapes are found to reduce the risk of lung cancer & emphysema. The chemical – proanthocyanidin – in grapes is thought to reduce severity of allergy induces asthma

source

GINGER :: looks like our stomach. Helps digest food; calms the stomach; cures nausea and motion sickness. It also slows down the growth rate of bowel tumors

source

Involved in reproductive health:

AVOCADO :: looks like the uterus, improves health & function of the uterus. Helps balance hormones and is thought to prevent cervical cancer. FACT: It takes avocados 9 months to grow into maturity. Sound familiar?

source

FIGS :: are full of seeds and hang in twos. They resemble testicles – studies have shown that figs increase the motility of sperm & increase sperm count