Savory Breakfast Oatmeal

Who says oatmeal has to be sweet? Sneak a handful or two of baby spinach into your morning oats for a savory breakfast and a head start on your daily greens.

Spinach is off the charts when it comes to Vitamin K (for bone health) and Vitamin A (for clear, blemish-free skin) and contains a wide variety of phytonutrients, which makes it a particularly potent anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer food.  

Savory Breakfast Oats 
Prep: less than 5 minutes // Cook: 5 minutes // Yield: 1 serving 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups filtered water

3/4 cups organic rolled oats

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1-2 cups baby spinach

1/4 cup walnuts, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil, then add in oats and tomatoes. 
2. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in spinach, and cook an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Adjust timing if using a slower cooking oatmeal. Spinach only needs 2-3 minutes to cook).
3. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with walnuts, and add salt and pepper to taste.   

Skin Glow Smoothie: Kiwi Lime

Breakfast that makes you more beautiful? Sign me up!

Try this Kiwi Lime Smoothie packed with skin-loving ingredients to give you a radiant glow and keep up a youthful appearance, thanks to its high Vitamin C content. 

Kiwi Lime Smoothie
5 minutes to make // Yield: 1 serving 

Ingredients:
Juice of half a lime
2 kiwis, peeled
2 frozen bananas*
1 cup baby spinach (a healthy handful) 
1 inch piece of fresh aloe gel (optional)
1 tsp. coconut oil (optional)  

Instructions: 
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender or Vitamix, and blend on high for at least 1 minute, or until completely smooth. Serve. 


*Instead of throwing away overripe bananas, peel, put in a freezer bag, and freeze overnight. Can be frozen for up to two months. These make the perfect creamy smoothie base. 

Oh, PS, I just have to share this video. Want proof that food has the power to age (or stop aging) you?

Check out this incredible video of a 70 year old woman, who looks, literally, half her age. Her secret? She eats lots of juicy, vitamin-packed plant food. 

What to Buy Organic

Wondering if organic is really worth it?

In a word, yes.

• Organic foods have been found to contain more vitamins and antioxidants than their "conventional" counterparts.
• Organic foods tend to taste better than "conventional" versions. Do a taste test with conventional and organic celery. Leave a comment below if you do.
• Organic foods support sustainable farming practices, that keep those same toxic chemicals out of your drinking water, too. 

In an ideal world everything you eat would be organic, but unless you live on an organic farm, I know it's not always economical or available.   

Enter the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 lists to make your grocery shopping easier on you and your wallet. 

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes the ranking of the fruit and vegetables with the most and least amount of pesticide residue. They use pesticide-testing data straight from US government scientists in the US Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. 

This year, they added a plus category for two items that didn't have the highest amount of pesticides, but rather had specific types of pesticides that are known to be particularly toxic: organophosphates (known neurotoxin that can affect children's IQ and brain development, even at low doses) and organochlorines (including DDT, which were mostly applied until the 1970's when they were phased out, due to causing human and wildlife toxicity, yet still remain in contaminated soils).

The EWG estimates consumers can lower their pesticide exposure by 80% just by purchasing the organic versions of the foods on the Dirty Dozen List. 

The Dirty Dozen + 2

(Always buy organic) 

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines (imported) 
9. Cucumbers
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry Tomatoes
12. Hot Peppers

PLUS (Always buy organic) 

1. Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Collard Greens)
2. Summer Squash and Zucchini 

The Clean 15

(OK to buy conventional) 

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cantaloupe
5. Sweet Corn 
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi
9. Mangoes
10. Mushrooms
11. Onions
12. Papaya
13. Pineapples
14. Sweet peas (frozen) 
15. Sweet Potatoes

NOTE: At the grocery store, organic food will always say it's organic, however, at farmers markets, it's best to ask each farm how they grow their crops. Becoming a certified organic farm is expensive, so some small farmers choose to grow their crops without spraying them, which makes them organic, but  they can't advertise as such. Simply ask! 

Any other tips for saving on your organic grocery bill? Comment below! 

South of the Border Salad w/ Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

Sweet Corn + Creamy Avocado + Juicy Tomatoes = A Match Made in Heaven.

I must admit, I've got Mexico on my mind, which is likely how I dreamed up this South of the Border Salad. 

In just two weeks I will be in beautiful and sunny Tulum, Mexico to scope out retreat locations. I'm very excited to spill the beans that I will eventually be doing week-long wellness retreats filled with nutrition advice, healthy cooking classes, and fun workouts, all set in a gorgeous, relaxing tropical location. Stay tuned for more information on that later this year!

In the meantime, enjoy the flavors of this Mexican-inspired salad to transport you to the white sands and crystal clear waters of the enchanting city of Tulum.

South of the Border Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
15 minutes to make // Yield: 1 serving salad, 2 servings dressing

Ingredients:

Salad
1/2 cup organic frozen sweet corn kernels
3 cups organic mesclun greens
10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup jicama, diced (if available)
1/2 an avocado, chopped
1/2 cup black beans
2 tbs. red onion, minced

Dressing
2 organic fire roasted peppers
3 tbs. raw pumpkin seeds
juice of 1 lime (about 1 tbs. + 1.5 tsp.)
1 tbs. minced fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. cumin
cayenne (for heat, use your judgement) OR if you really like it spicy, 1/2 inch piece of a jalapeno pepper
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Boil a small pot of water, and cook corn for 2-3 minutes, just until warmed through, then drain. 
2. Meanwhile, put mesclun greens in a large bowl, chop the rest of the salad ingredients and toss on top. Once corn is ready, add that in, too. 
3. For the dressing, simply throw all the ingredients in a high speed blender (a single serve blender like the Magic Bullet or Ninja would work perfectly here) and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. 
4. Pour half of the dressing on the salad, and cover the rest and refrigerate for use later in the week. 
5. Mix the salad well and serve.   

Leave a comment below once you try out this salad, or if you've been to Tulum and want to share your favorite things to do there! 

Know someone who would enjoy this salad? Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google + using one of the links below. 

Best Dairy-Free Ice Cream

If you've tried non-dairy ice cream, and you didn't like it, than you haven't tried this.  

I'll admit, soy-and rice-based ice creams tend to taste like chalky saw dust. Nut-based ice creams can be too heavy. And eating non-dairy ice cream in general can feel like buying a Canal Street knock off instead of a 5th Avenue original. 

After trying a less than stellar non-dairy ice cream, you may be tempted to go back to a dairy-based concoctions, but with all the dairy-dangers, that's not advisable. Even John Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins fortune and empire, completely shuns the stuff, after watching his uncle die of a heart attack at 54, which he believes was caused by eating too much of the family product. 

Doom and gloom aside, there is a rainbow at the end of this story. You can still enjoy rich, creamy, dreamy ice cream that's not dairy-derived. Plus, you have options: 

1. Make Your Own in Less than 5 Minutes

"Ice Cream" made with a frozen banana base is reason enough to buy a high speed blender or Vitamix. With no added sugar, yet perfectly sweet, the taste is divine, and you can eat it completely guilt-free. After all, it's just blended fruit! It's so easy to make it's ridiculous. 

Here are some of my favorite:

Ginger Banana Cream with Slivered Almonds 

Almond Chocolate 

Strawberry Mint

Blueberry

Try experimenting with your own flavors, like peanut butter and chocolate, mango, pineapple, watermelon, or banana chocolate chip. 

2. Buy Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

Hands down, the best-tasting commercially available non-dairy ice cream. Made from a coconut milk base and sweetened with agave nectar, if you're in a pinch and want something in a pint, reach for Luna & Larry's. Available in Whole Foods, health food stores, and even many more mainstream supermarkets.  

    

5 Foods for a Bikini Body

Did you know that certain foods that can flatten your tummy and get your skin glowing?

Well, there are, and I'm going to share 5 of them with you today, just in time to get ready for the start of bikini season:

Cucumber:

• Hydrating
• Fills you up without the calories
• Natural diuretic (relieving bloating due to water retention)

Eat cucumber slices on their own, or with your favorite dip, juice them, or add to a smoothie like this Honey Dew, Cucumber, & Basil Smoothie.

Cantaloupe: 

• Hydrating
• Promotes clear, blemish-free skin thanks to high Vitamin A
• Promotes firm, youthful looking skin thanks to high Vitamin C

Enjoy a mixed fruit salad of cubed cantaloupe, honey dew, and watermelon, or blend them into a refreshing smoothie like this Watermelon Cooler.

Pineapple: 

• Packed with Vitamin C to keep skin firm and youthful
• Anti-inflammatory (can help reduce size of blemishes)
• Aids digestion and prevents gas to keep your tummy flat 

Eat it on its own, or add to smoothies like this tasty Pineapple Mint Smoothie.

Mint: 

• Reduces bloating and indigestion while soothing the digestive tract

Try this delicious Strawberry Mint Salad, or add mint to lemonade and tea.   

Dark Leafy Greens: 

• Fills you up without the calories
• Packed with skin-loving vitamins and minerals (Vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, magnesium and iron, to name a few).

Skip the iceberg, and go for the dark stuff, like spinach, kale, broccoli, chard, or arugula. Eat them raw in salads (like this Arugula Fig Salad, Tropical Spinach Salad, and Complexion Perfection Salad) or lightly cooked.  Here are three simple ways to cook greens.

Warm Spinach, Quinoa, & Sun-dried Tomato Salad

Baby Spinach is one of my favorite dark leafy greens. You can eat it raw, but pouring steaming hot quinoa over the tender leaves cause them to slightly wilt and brings out their sweetness. 

This is a super easy and filling salad, packed with high quality protein. Add in some extra fiber with chickpeas or beans if you fancy. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (dry), rinsed

2 cups water

3 cups organic baby spinach

5-7 Kalamata olives

5 sundried tomatoes 

1/4 cup seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, or mixture of all 3)

¼ tsp. turmeric

¼ tsp. cumin

½ - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tbs. Olive oil

Pink Himalayan Salt, to taste

1-2 tsp. juice of fresh lemon (optional) 

Directions:

1. Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low, allowing to cook for 10 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the germ (which looks like tiny spirals) separate from the rest of the seed.
2. Meanwhile, while that’s cooking, soak the sundried tomatoes in a small bowl of filtered water and put to the side.
3.  Place spinach in a large bowl. 
4. When quinoa is done, divide it in half. Immediately pour one half over the spinach. Reserve the other half for later in the day/week by refrigerating.
5. Drain the sundried tomatoes, and toss those into the salad bowl along with the olives, seed mix, spices, and oil. 
6. Mix well, and the spinach should start to wilt a little from the hot quinoa. Enjoy while it's warm.