Smoothies

Healing Chronic Inflammation & 3 Healthy Treats (Strawberry Smoothie, Banana Swirl Ice Cream & Healthy Mocha Frappuccino)

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Hello friends!  I’ve been working on some behind the scenes organizational things here at Nourished for Life and I have some really exciting things planned for the year that I can’t wait to share with you!

In February and March we have 4 workshops (2 individual workshops & 2 different workshop series) scheduled. Please check out the Specials and Upcoming Events for all of the details. Sign up for one or all of these opportunities and bring a friend or two with you! They are all going to be so much fun and packed full of amazing info to help you wherever you are in your health journey!

If you follow me here or on Facebook, you know I’ve been “shredding” this month and I have to tell you I LOVE this program and I love how great I feel. Shred 10  is a ten day program to help you detox and jump start your health. We use tons of whole food nutrition, avoid harmful & inflammatory foods, drink plenty of water, eat your last meal by 6 pm to allow your body time to digest and really rest and rejuvenate during the night, get at least 8 hours of sleep and 20-30 minutes of movement every day. Most of our participants feel so great that they stick with it well beyond the ten days.

Healing Chronic Inflammation

I am gluten and dairy free and eat real, whole unprocessed foods and avoid sugar and caffeine most of the time. But even I found myself having a few too many cheats and treats over the holidays and in need of a detox program. It doesn’t take very much of these inflammatory foods for me to start seeing signs of chronic inflammation such as really dry, red & itchy skin, breaks outs and joint pain. I started having quite a bit of knee pain and at bedtime on New Years Eve was a bit horrified to see my knees were swollen and black and blue! I’m 41 and have 4 young kids. My youngest is 2 and I plan to be able to keep up with her and dance at her wedding. I also know these symptoms are big red warning flags telling me my body is in a state of chronic inflammation, which will lead to more serious health problems if I don’t do something about it. Chronic inflammation is at the root of so many health conditions and diseases.

So I started shredding January 2 and I’m thrilled that I’m back to feeling great! I even wore a dress that showed my knees and high heel boots to church on Sunday. It’s amazing how even a small amount of inflammatory foods can cause such havoc on our bodies! And amazing how quickly our bodies can heal when we nourish them properly with real whole foods and a healthy lifestyle.

Common signs of chronic inflammation include:

  • skin issues (eczema, psoriasis, red, blotchy or itchy skin, blemishes or break outs)
  • ongoing swelling, joint  or muscle pain
  • seasonal allergies and asthma
  • IBS or digestive problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea or constipation)
  • food allergies and sensitivities
  • fatigue or lethargy
  • high blood pressure
  • blood sugar problems

Please don’t make the mistake of thinking these symptoms are just part of life, or a normal part of aging! Many health conditions and diseases are associated with chronic inflammation, including things like heart disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Please pay attention to your body and take steps to eliminate chronic inflammation.

If you suffer from any of these signs of chronic inflammation, a whole food, plant based diet and healthful lifestyle changes can help. If you want to reduce your risk of disease, feel bettter, have more energy or achieve your ideal weight, the Shred 10 is a great way to get started and see a big difference in your health in a short period of time. The program includes a terrific guidebook with a wealth of info and recipes, private health coaching from yours truly and a private Facebook group for added support, encouragement and accountability. Our last group was amazing and I’m so excited for our new group starting February 6. Please contact me if you’d like to be included or learn more! You won’t be sorry!

A 3 month private health coaching package is also a great option if you need help fighting chronic inflammation through diet and lifestyle changes. Contact me to schedule your Initial Wellness Consultation and take advantage of my January coaching special.

I start almost every day with a green smoothie and since I’ve been shredding, smoothies and shakes have been a big part of my life the past few weeks! You can find my favorite green smoothies here. Today I’m sharing three of our other favorites.

Strawberry Smoothie, Banana Swirl Ice Cream & Healthy Mocha Frappuccino

Strawberry smoothies are my oldest daughter’s favorite.

Banana Swirl is in honor of my youngest daughter, who LOVES Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. In one episode Daniel tries some new healthy foods and finds out he likes them! He and his mom make a banana smoothie in the blender for dessert and Mom Tiger calls it “Banana Swirl”. So if you have a toddler, find that episode on Amazon Prime and whip up some Banana Swirl together!  Use ripe, already frozen bananas and it can be a smoothie or ice cream, depending on how much milk you add.

My current favorite is my copy cat Healthy Mocha Frappucino. Save your pocket book and your health and make this at home instead of going through the drive thru at Starbucks!  If you use protein shakes, I love and recommend Juice Plus Complete, which is a whole food, plant based protein powder that will keep you full, stabilize  your energy and help control cravings.

So that’s my smoothie round-up for today. Try them all and let me know in the comments which one is your favorite!

Print Recipe

Strawberry Smoothie, Banana Swirl & Healthy Mocha Frappuccino

Ingredients

Strawberry Smoothie

  • 1 c. Almond milk
  • 1 very ripe banana peeled and frozen
  • 2-3 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 scoop vanilla
  • Juice Plus Complete
  • plant based protein powder optional

Banana Swirl

  • 1-2 cups
  • full fat canned coconut milk
  • 3 very ripe bananas peeled and frozen

Healthy Mocha Frappuccino

  • 1 c. Almond milk
  • 1 scoop chocolate
  • Juice Plus Complete plant based protein powder
  • 1-2 cups ice
  • Optional -- add 1 shot of decaff espresso or a drop of peppermint extract

Instructions

  • When your bananas get very ripe on your counter (partially brown and super sweet) peel and freeze in a gallon size zip lock baggie for smoothies or muffins.
    Place all ingredients in a high powered blender, like a [Vitamix| http://amzn.to/2jeVVWv], in the order listed. Make sure liquid is in the bottom of the blender. Add additional milk as needed, to get the desired consistency or thickness.
    We like to eat Banana Swirl as an ice cream, so I tend to use less milk. If you want a smoothie consistency, use more milk.
    When using canned, full fat coconut milk, shake the can well before opening. If it is cool in your home, the cream will separate from the coconut water and will be at the top of your can. Stir well and use equal amounts of cream and water, or add more of the water for a thinner smoothie. Save the remaining coconut water and/or cream for another use!  

XOXO,

Kristi

Watermelon Lime Slushy

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Happy National Watermelon Day!!

Watermelon Lime Slushy

This morning I packed up my four littles and we headed to the farm (Seton Harvest–our CSA–is one of our absolute favorite places) to put in some volunteer hours. Even at 8:30 this morning it was HOT!  I knew after an hour or two of weeding we would all need a cool treat. So in honor of National Watermelon Day, I put some watermelon in the freezer before we left home.

Watermelon Lime Slushy

Watermelon is a summer classic for good reason. There is nothing quite as refreshing on a hot summer day. Not only is it delicious, but it is great for hydrating and detoxifying the body. Watermelon is high in Viatmins A and C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It contains fiber, a bit of protein (protein! who knew?) and a number of antioxidants including lycopene and lutein.

It has been found to improve the immune system, reduce inflammation, strengthen vision, aid in weight loss and reduce depression. Research indicates it may also help prevent heart disease.

What’s not to love?

Watermelon Lime Slushy

This quick and easy slushy is one of my favorite summer drinks. It’s a fun and refreshing way to add watermelon to my family’s diet and the perfect way to celebrate National Watermelon Day. It sure beats instant lemonade or one of those gas station freezes from a health and taste perspective! Because watermelon already contains so much water, you don’t even need a juicer. Just put the cubed, frozen watermelon into your VitaMix or any high powered blender and blend until it’s smooth. The lime juice and zest really brighten the flavor. Even my child who doesn’t like watermelon (crazy!!) loves this. He says it tastes like lemonade.

Watermelon Lime Slushy

A quick note about kitchen equipment:  I’m not big on single use appliances and gadgets. But one thing that is absolutely essential in my kitchen is my VitaMix blender. It never leaves the counter. If you want to make smoothies, slushes, healthy dips, sauces or soups, homemade mousse or pudding or Popsicles …  it is absolutely essential and worth every penny!

Print Recipe

Watermelon Lime Slushy

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium size seedless watermelon approx 8 cups, cubed
  • zest and juice of one lime

Instructions

  • Make sure you have a good ripe watermelon! Cut the watermelon into 1-2 inch cubes. Put the watermelon cubes in a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 hours.
  • When the watermelon is frozen, put the cubes into your [Vitamix|http://amzn.to/2avPUDC] or any high powered blender.
  • Add the lime juice and zest. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.
  • Enjoy immediately while its chilled and slushy!
  • !Note: If you would rather not take time to freeze your watermelon, this still makes a yummy juice! Just blend, pour over ice and enjoy.

Start Your Day Right Smoothies

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Green Smoothies Good morning, friends!  I thought today I’d let you in on one of my favorite “secrets” to improving your health and feeling great all day–green smoothies.

I can’t even tell you what a difference it makes in my whole day when I begin it with a green smoothie. I’m happier, I have more energy, my mind is focused and clear and I’m far less likely to make poor food choices throughout the rest of day. If I don’t take time to have a smoothie with breakfast or AS my breakfast, it’s bad news for the rest of the day. I’m more likely to be tired and crabby, I have less energy, I’m more prone to brain fog and I’m much more likely to give in to cravings and snack on unhealthy food choices which make me feel even worse. It starts a bad downward spiral for the day.

How, you might be asking, can one tiny little habit like a morning green smoothie do ALL of this?

Smoothies are packed with nutrients. Most nutrition experts currently recommend that we eat at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which isn’t always easy.  I work hard at it and I don’t always achieve this. Unless I start my day with a green smoothie that gets in 4-6 servings right off the bat. These phytonutrients, especially first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, go straight into your blood stream and fuel every single cell in your body. Your body will say: “Yes!  Thank you!!  THIS is the fuel I need to perform my very best and feel great today.”  No really, it will. You can almost hear it.

Imagine what would happen if I filled my car up with Diet Coke or Gatorade instead of gasoline. You would look at me and think, “You idiot. No wonder your car won’t start.” And yet that’s exactly what we do with our bodies. We try to fuel our bodies with sugar and processed junk and then we wonder why they don’t run well.  Why we don’t feel good and why we, as individuals and as a society, are getting sicker and sicker.

A recent study validated my own personal green smoothie experience, finding that in addition to all of the other amazing short and long term health benefits, people who eat more fruits and vegetables are actually happier and have greater psychological well-being!

Smoothies are high in fiber, but partially-digested (the blender does some of the work for you) so it’s easy on your digestive system. And all of this fiber keeps things moving. Did you know you should have at least 2 bowel movements per day?  (Sorry, but it’s really important!)  This helps you avoid bloating, gas and constipation, which gives you a flat tummy and helps you feel great. And when your elimination system is working properly, it is promptly removing toxins that make you feel bad and cause inflammation and harm to your health. This is a critical part of your body’s detoxification, or “garbage removal” system.  Smoothies literally help move toxic waste from your waist.

I always add 2 tablespoons of good fat to my smoothies. Coconut oil, flax oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado or a nut butter. It’s a great way to get in those brain-boosting and oh-so-important Omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats are essential because every single cell in our body uses them for energy. Your body doesn’t store good fats, a healthy balanced body burns good fats for energy. (Sugar and simple carbs are actually what your body primarily stores as fat.) Healthy fats are released slowly into your bloodstream, giving you sustained energy. And healthy fats make our foods taste better and more satisfying.  If you’re trying to loose weight, sipping on a smoothie for breakfast and throughout the morning as a snack is a great way to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs without a lot of calories.

So, here are my favorite Start Your Day Out Right Smoothies. These are the recipes I recommend for green smoothie beginners because they’re mild tasting, delicious and kid-friendly. If you already love green smoothies, or as you acquire a taste for them, you should up the nutritional value even more by adding stronger greens like chard, kale, collards and dandelion greens and using more vegetables and less fruit.

Try it every day for a week and see if it revolutionizes your day!  I’d love to hear what you think if you do!  And if you have a favorite green smoothie recipe please share in the comments!

Print Recipe

Start Your Day Right Smoothies

Ingredients

Tropical Green Smoothie

  • 10 oz. package of spinach leaves or any dark leafy green
  • 2 T Coconut oil
  • 1 c. Water
  • 1 Frozen banana
  • 2 c. Frozen mixed yellow and orange fruit I like a blend of pinespple, mango and peaches

Banana Peanut Butter Green Smoothie

  • 10 oz. package of spinach leaves or any dark leafy green
  • 2 T Peanut butter all natural/no sugar added, use organic where possible( or substitute all natural almond butter)
  • 1 c. Water or Almond milk
  • 2 Frozen bananas
  • *Use organic greens and peanut butter when possible. Most leafy greens are on the EWG's Dirty Dozen list of produce with the highest levels of pesticide residue and peanuts are also one of the most heavily sprayed crops.

Instructions

  • Add the greens, oil or nut butter and liquid to your blender first and blend on high until the greens are completely puréed. Then add the frozen fruit and blend until smooth. You may want to add more or less liquid or some ice, depending on how thick and creamy you like your smoothies. I like to be able to drink mine with a straw, so I make them fairly thin.
  • These recipes make approximately 2-4 small servings for a family for breakfast or one larger smoothie for one person for breakfast and to sip throughout the morning, Enjoy your new morning habit and see how great you feel!