Avocado for Breakfast?

Okay, so you may think I'm nuts but really this is our favorite breakfast. We started cutting up Avocados for snacks and eating them with salt & pepper....one of my husband's favorites!!!  Today I ate Avocado and Cantaloupe with crushed black pepper and salt for breakfast and it was SO satisfying and delicious!  This has a mild yet sweet taste and Oh so good for you!   Avocado's benefit you in many ways:


1. Promote Heart Health
2. Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
3. Optimized Absorption of Carotenoids
4. Supports Cardiovascular Health
5. Promotes Blood Sugar Regulation
6. Anti-Cancer Benefits

So What about all that FAT you ask?  Well, many do think Avocados are high in fat but it's good beneficial fats!!  I encourage you to read the following article to get details on the benefits listed above.  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5

And my final tip, always peel your avocado to get the best benefits.  The dark green closest to the skin provides the richest carotenoid antioxidants similar to carrots and tomatoes. 

Enjoy your breakfast and the health benefits from this wonderful fruit!

Why Say No To Gluten

So my son and I recently went Gluten Free.  He was complaining of leg cramps, tummy problems, brain fog, trouble sleeping, you name it he was always feeling sick and he's only 11. He use to run home from school every day and his knees were hurting so bad he didn't run anymore.  He also said his back hurt and he was always sick after eating!  I have always had digestive problems but could never put my finger on it.  I decided he and I would go gluten free and see if we noticed a difference and WOW what a dramatic change in the way we feel.  He no longer complains about feeling bad and is running again.  I feel SO much better and have more energy. Gluten free for us is a healthy alternative to feeling bad and possibly avoiding trips to the doctor for illnesses created by gluten. 

To see if "Gluten free" could help you, read the following two articles.  Everyone has a different threshold for how much gluten they can tolerate, maybe it's time you try it to see if you notice a difference in the way you feel. :)

http://www.therawfoodfamily.com/7-reasons-why-gluten-is-bad-for-you-and-your-kids/ 

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/11-ways-gluten-and-wheat-can-damage-your-health/

8 Additives From The US That Are Banned In Other Countries!!

I follow many blogs and one of my favorites is Food Matters.  They have several interesting movies out too.  If you ever want to know the truth about our foods, watch their movies.  However, today they posted one of my favorite articles, "8 Additives From The US That Are Banned In Other Countries".  I've stayed away from many of these since I joined the Feingold group in 2007 but I'm so glad they're bringing more awareness to it.  It's a quick read with pictures, so easy to scan.
http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/8-additives-from-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries

Happy Eating!!

Crockpot - Grass Fed Beef Roast, Potatoes and Mushrooms

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying your Summer!  We are staying busy and need fast, healthy dinners.  

Yesterday we had one of those very busy days.  I decided to put a Roast in the crockpot for dinner, Yes Red Meat but Grass Fed Beef with lots of health benefits!  (I've listed the benefits and an article at the end of this blog.)  Anyway, we LOVED it; I hope you give it a try on one of your busy Summer days.

1 Grass Fed Beef Roast (2 pounds)
2 cups Organic Low Sodium Beef Broth
1 cup of Water
3 Cloves of Garlic minced
2 T. Coconut Liquid Aminos
Sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning - gives it a little kick!
2 t. salt
Lots of fresh ground pepper
2 t. garlic powder
Cook in a large crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours

After the roast has cooked for 4 hours, add several peeled potatoes cut into big chunks.  I sprinkled these with Salt and pepper and made sure they were down in the juice. Leave crockpot on HIGH

After the potatoes had cooked for an hour, I added a full bag of organic pre-cleaned mushrooms I purchased at Spouts.  I left the crockpot on HIGH and let everything cook for another 1 1/2 hours.  The mushrooms seemed to disappear into the juice, YUM!

We usually have leftovers but not this time, every bit of the roast, potatoes and mushrooms were gone!

I served fresh fruit along side the yummy dish. ENJOY!!

Grass Fed Beef Benefits:

1. Because grassfed meat is so lean, it is also lower in calories. 

2. A 6-ounce steak from a grass-finished steer has almost 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grainfed steer.

3. Extra Omega-3s

The CLA Bonus:   The meat and milk from grassfed ruminants are the richest known source of another type of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA.  When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture alone, their milk and meat contain as much as five times more CLA than products from animals fed conventional diets. 

CLA may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer.

To see more on Grass Fed Beef, Visit  http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp 

The Best Green Breakfast Smoothie!!!

Well now that school's out, I can refocus my attention on foods and healthy eating again, Yippee for Summer! 

So I was in Whole Foods about a year ago and I ordered their Green Smoothie thinking, "how can this taste good, but I've got to try it?" I have to say it was delicious!!!  I now make my own version of it.  My husband and I love it but I have to sneak the green leaves into my son's. ;)

Coconut water helps cut the acidity of the orange juice and it's low in calories, naturally fat- and cholesterol free, more potassium than four bananas, and super hydrating, so give it a try.  

Mix all in blender:
1 c. Pure Natural Coconut Water
Splash of orange juice
1 banana
1 t. chia seeds
1 t. hemp protein
1/4 c. frozen blueberries
3 - 5 pieces of frozen pineapple
Handful of spinach leaves
Handful of Kale leaves

Blend well and enjoy! YUM!

 

Delicious Deviled Eggs with Vegenaise

For Memorial Day I made the traditional Deviled Eggs and used Vegenaise (Soy Free) for a GREAT taste and it's heart healthy. These eggs disappeared within 15 minutes and I made them twice for two different parties!!!

If you like Deviled Eggs but you don't want all the cholesterol from the mayo, try Vegenaise and select the brand that best fits your taste.  Here's a comparison chart to compare your mayo with Vegenaise:  http://followyourheart.com/are-you-ready-to-make-the-switch/  

Deviled Egg Recipe:
 

8 large eggs, hard boiled & peeled
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Miss Jenny's Bread & Butter pickle juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Salt and pepper, for taste
Paprika, for garnishing

Our favorite Flax Muffin

These are Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Flax Seed Muffins!  My 11 year old LOVES them for breakfast or a snack.  I buy them at Whole Foods or Sprouts and I bet Trader Joes would have them.  They cost about $6.99 for the 4 and I find them in a freezer near the bakery at Sprouts.  They have 4400 mg of Omega 3 per muffin AND 10 Grams of fiber, SO good for you!!! Microwave for 30 seconds or until the chocolate starts to melt....it's OH SO YUMMY!  Enjoy!