16

Jan

Grapefruit smoothie

Ever seen this documentary?

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a documentary by a guy who’s never done a film. He is overweight, has a skin disorder because of his cheeseburger and french fry diet, feels sluggish and knows that his lifestyle of fast food and long work hours will lead to an unhappy death eventually. SO…he does something many will find extreme. Joe the Aussie goes on a 60-day juice fast, eating only fruits and vegetables that he prepares through his juicer. He spends the first month in NYC and the second month driving around the U.S. to find out how people eat and if they’d be willing to try a 10 day juice fast to “jumpstart” their bodies.

I really enjoyed this film. 1) It was free on Netflix.  2) It reiterated to me the importance of eating fruits and veggies and the foods that are unprocessed. Joe’s physician monitored him the entire time, and it was fascinating to see his weight drop, skin glow and clear, energy increase, prescriptions decrease and then stop altogether, and his sickness go in remission. Joe met a lady on his travels that was willing to try the juice fast (although apparently this “fast” is really filling) for 10 days, and it really decreased her migraines to the point where she had none at all. She continued to do the 10 day fast once every 3 months, to “reboot” her body, as Joe called it. Joe also helped a guy with the same health condition he had, except the truck driver he met was about 450 pounds. The film took you through the incredible life-changing of this man as he got healthier, found a way to help others get healthy, and he was able to play baseball with his young son for the first time. So neat!

I am not at all a fan of fad diets, but fasting is so deeply rooted in the history of nearly every culture and religion that it is worth taking a look at this, if fasting is not already a part of your life. Juice fasting gives you all of the nutrients that you need (hence Joe’s being able to juice fast for 60 days) and reverses many of the side effects that our American processed foods diet enables. If you’re interested in learning more about this film or fasting, check out the website, where there are some good resources.

Now let’s get to the food! I tossed all of this in a blender and sipped while watching…of course, it’s inspired by the film!

Grapefruit Green Smoothie
1/2 ruby red grapefruit, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 cups fresh spinach, rinsed
1 apple, cored (I used honey crisp)
1/4 cup berries, optional
1/3 cup fruit juice (1 used 1/2 peeled orange)
1 TB ground flaxseed
Handful of ice, optional


Toss all ingredients into the blender. Blend and drink. Mmm.


Grapefruit is not my favorite fruit…oh, how I wish I could eat it without a boatload of sugar on top. Wait, now I can! This smoothie is a bit sweet and has the taste of grapefruit without the bitter face. Hope you enjoy. 

Happy juicing!

Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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03

Oct

Nutty Ginger Peach Oatmeal

This is tasty. The inspiration is from Americanized Indian foods that combine the ginger-peach flavors–chicken dishes, hot teas, desserts. Why not roll it into breakfast?

Nutty Ginger Peach Oatmeal
serves 1 but easily double, tripled
1/2 cup oats
1 cup water or unsweetened vanilla soy milk
1 TB ground flaxseed
1/2 peach, bite-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon candied ginger, sliced into tiny bits
1 t. brown sugar


Pour each ingredient, in order, into a ceramic bowl.


Microwave for 3 minutes (or on the stove for 5 minutes, covered). 



Once cooked, stir gently. Serve piping hot.
The flaxseed gives the oats a nuttiness, the peaches bring comfort and sweet tang, and the candied ginger adds zest and a spice out of this world. I like my oatmeal a bit sweet so the brown sugar balances everything. Yummm. This should fill you up for 3-5 hours.

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL 3 Comments

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16

Aug

Quickest smoothie ever

Ever need a quick breakfast, but a granola bar isn’t enough? Grab this.

Quickest Smoothie Ever
Serves one in a hurry
1/2 cup orange juice
1 frozen banana
1/2 frozen peach
3 frozen strawberries
1 TB ground flax

Blend all together. Gulp down immediately while running out the door.

Have we talked about flax seed yet?
I suppose it’s time.

FLAX SEED is a superfood. This WebMD article summarizes a lot of it.

FACTS:

  • Can be traced back to Babylon as early as 3000 BC, and King Charlemagne thought so highly of the food that he passed laws to command his people to eat it.
  • Omega-3 essential fatty acids, “good” fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.
  • Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75-800 times more lignans than other plant foods.
  • Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.
  • It is linked to preventing cardiovascular and lung diseases, as well as preventing certain types of cancers (lung, breast, colon).
  • The omega-3s in flax seed can reduce atherosclerotic plaque buildup (in the arteries) by up to 75%.
  • Daily intake of flax seed can regulate your cholesterol levels and even your blood sugar, for current and potential diabetics. (This is so huge.)
  • And, for middle aged ladies, 2 TB of ground flax seed in your yogurt or on fruit twice a day is believed to reduce hot flashes by 50%.
    Golden and dark flax seed are equal in nutritional value

Okay, if that hasn’t convinced you, just try it. Flax seed in inexpensive (bought in the bulk bins at the grocery store or in bags in the healthy living/vitamin departments at the stores). It’s cheaper to buy whole flax seeds and then go home and ground them in your coffee grinder or food processor. I keep a little jar of them on the kitchen counter, right next to the sea salt. It’s easy to sprinkle on yogurt, fruit, in smoothies, oatmeal, in baking breads and cakes, in pasta, soups, taco meat, anything really! Doctors recommend 1-2 tablespoons a day, and consuming ground flax seed is absorbed much better than the whole seeds. It has a bit of a nutty flavor when eaten alone, but it virtually tasteless when mixed into foods.

Ground flax seed

 And now for something random…
This is what my summer has looked like.

No, do not fear, my husband and I are doing really well. I’ve been taking a Premarital Counseling class so I can be certified to counsel couples as they prepare for marriage. It involves a LOT of reading, including books like this that make for interesting conversations (or sympathetic stares) in the dentist office waiting room. Ha, that’s okay, just another (humbling) sacrifice for a minister’s calling, right? Hope your day is wonderful, fabulous and FLAXulous. 🙂

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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