Did you know that according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Americans suffer 1 billion colds annually?    Will you be one of them or are you already and found this blog because you were searching on cold remedies?  If you knew how to reduce your chances, would you take the steps?  If so, then continue reading and I will share with you great timely information on cold remedies as well as how not to get one in the first place.

First, let’s focus on how not to get the cold so you don’t have to worry about any cold remedies.  A cold is a minor infection of the throat and nose. Although colds are usually mild, they are the leading cause of doctor visits and job and school absenteeism. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause symptoms of a cold, although rhinoviruses and coronaviruses cause the majority of colds. Cold symptoms usually last about 1-2 weeks but if you take advantage of the cold remedies that I suggest hear, it could make your life a little easier during that time.

As much as I hope you do not get a cold because I know how miserable that is, after I share with you some ways of preventing a cold, I will share with you some cold remedies because the odds are against you on not getting one because colds are extremely contagious. A cold is transmitted by droplets of fluid that contain the cold virus. These droplets become airborne when an infected person sneezes, coughs or speaks. You contaminate yourself by inhaling these droplets or touching a surface that the viruses have landed on and then touching your eyes or nose.  So that office buddy of yours who thinks they are so dedicated that they come into work with a cold – tell them to stay home and get better (in a nice way), and of course share with them the cold remedies recommended here.

To prevent getting a cold, take these simple precautions:

• Avoid close contact with people who have a cold – To the extent possible, avoid crowds, and try not to shake hands with people who obviously have a cold or flu.
• Wash your hands often – The largest contributor to infection by a trigger virus is unwashed hands. Equally as important as washing your hands is making sure they are completely dry. Then, use the disposable towel to open the door out of the washroom. Many ugly microbes lurk on door handles — usually from people who have not properly washed and dried their hands.
• Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth. This will help you avoid infecting yourself with germs you may have picked up.
• Disinfect surfaces that are shared by many people. For instance, the telephone brings you within kissing distance of hundreds or even thousands of people. Who knows what their hygiene habits were? In a typical day we may be exposed to germs from as many as 150 countries or more!

Seems simple enough, right?  Another way to prevent colds is to build up your system with the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness.  Click HERE to watch the video that explains more about these important essentials.

Now let’s say that despite your best efforts, you do come down with a cold.  Here are some suggested cold remedies.  The first important one is to make sure you have a cold, not the flu.  Antibiotics will not cure a cold. In fact, you cannot cure a cold. But, certain things can help you reduce your discomfort. Some of these cold remedies seem pretty basic but don’t ignore them.  These include:

• Drink at least eight glasses of water and juice a day. This will help keep you hydrated.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. These promote dehydration.
• Avoid smoke. It irritates an already sore throat and intensifies a cough.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Use a humidifier – an electric device that puts moisture into the air.

Another important factor when considering cold remedies or even preventing a cold is to consider how much stress you have in your life.  Chronic stress is like slow poison.  Current research shows that stress can suppress your immune system, perhaps opening the door to a number of infectious diseases. There is particularly compelling evidence linking stress to colds and the flu. Although we are continually exposed to such trigger viruses, our immune system normally neutralizes their impact. But when a person is under emotional distress, these defenses can fail.

Your immune system may begin to overreact or not react in time to stop an infection when you are under stress. The source of the stress really does not matter. For instance, time pressure and an injury may seem like entirely different stresses to your mind but they are treated exactly the same way by your body.

So to prevent a cold or great info for cold remedies are adaptogens.  Did you know that adaptogens build a strong defense against stress? Certain adaptogens such as Eleutherococcus have been proven to shorten the frequency, intensity and duration of trigger viruses that cause colds.  Now those are great cold remedies.  Where can you get Adaptogens?  See below for my recommendation.

What about vitamins?  Are they a good part of cold remedies?  Can vitamins shorten infections?
Vitamin C and Echinacea are favorites for protecting against and even treating rhino virus infections. Russell Jaffe, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, recommends a loading dose of Vitamin C: one teaspoon of Vitamin C crystals every 15 minutes until you “flush.” By this, he means a complete bowel evacuation. After the flush, he recommends a daily serving of Vitamin C (for one month) that is equivalent to 75% of the amount it took you to flush.

More cold remedies include Echinacea, which is used in a similar way. Significant medical research from Germany suggests that an hourly dose of Echinacea will reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of a virus infection.  So that’s another one to consider for cold remedies.  Taking a gram of Echinacea every hour for three days may even “abort” an infection that has already begun. Continue taking Echinacea three times daily for up to two weeks afterward to prevent a relapse.

When considering cold remedies, know that if you become infected, aggressive nutrition can restore balance to your immune system. Adaptogens and traditional remedies such as Vitamin C and Echinacea may shorten the course of an infection and provide quick relief.

So to recap, to take Control of Your Health

* Wash your hands every few hours and dry them thoroughly.
* Aggressively apply the 10 Essentials; most especially, get your sleep.
* Take a healthy foundation of nutrients:
o A multiple vitamin and mineral supplement
o An Omega-3 fatty acid supplement
o Sublingual Vitamin B-12
o Stress-busting adaptogens
* Use traditional remedies:
o Echinacea hourly for three days, then three times daily for two more weeks
o Vitamin C flush — 75% of “flush” amount daily for one month

I hope these suggestions for cold remedies have been helpful and even more important the suggestions to prevent colds.  And for any friend or co-worker that you come into close contact with who has a cold, of course, keep your distance <smile>, but let them know about these cold remedies.

Wishing you the best in health and wellness!

Kathy

As our Chief Science Officer, Brazos Minshew, has shared, when considering what has happened with our collective experiences with Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents, our concerns are valid and it’s important to understand what is radiation.  So what to do and what is radiation and what does it do to our body?
By reviewing this information,  we will be in a better place to see how we can minimize any potential damage.

What is radiation?
“Radiation” describes what happens when a wave or particle leaves a source and travels a distance away. Light, for example, leaves a light source like the sun or a light bulb and travels to an object. Then, light reflects off the object and travels to our eyes and we can see. Light can travel great distances.

Nuclear radiation in a power plant occurs when particles are emitted from a radiation source. This radiation may be harnessed to generate electricity. Most of these particles are contained inside a nuclear reactor. If they are released into the atmosphere, they continue to emit waves of energy. Unlike light, a radioactive particle is quite heavy and the energy it releases travels only a short distance away.

When considering what is radiation, another concern is how harmful is radiation?
This is a key question.  As many people are seeking to find out what is radiation, they are also trying to under how harmful it is.  A radioactive particle releases energy within a specific distance from the particle itself. The further away from the particle the energy goes, the weaker it gets. Think of a glowing ember from a fire: the further away from the ember you get, the less affected by the heat you will become. The damage caused by an ember blowing from a crackling campfire down the back of your shirt (ouch!) is far different from the effect of the same ember from a block away, a mile away or an ocean away.

Nuclear particles are like embers from a nuclear bonfire. If they blow into your lungs they will “cook” the delicate lung tissue around them. If they contaminate your food they will burn the delicate lining of your digestive system. These nuclear embers will smolder and cook any of your body tissues where they alight: from skin to thyroid, from bones to brain.
The fire in the tissues caused by nuclear radiation is fueled by imbalanced atoms, called “free radicals.” A free radical is an atom that is as unbalanced as a four-wheeled car with only three wheels. Free radicals create havoc wherever they go. Antioxidants are like well-stocked tire dealers: they “donate” an extra wheel to any imbalanced car (they donate an extra electron to any free radical). In the case of nuclear radiation, antioxidants limit the amount of smoldering fires and cooked tissues.

So what is radiation?  Now you know what radiation is and right away we can see that anti-inflammatory supplements such as Nopalea™ may help the body reduce the damage caused by radiation. Also, the extreme antioxidant power of Adaptogen 10 Plus® will donate millions of electrons to balance free radicals (Adaptogen 10 Plus is like a tire dealer with millions of wheels to donate to any imbalanced car). Adaptogen 10 Plus is a good remedy for daily radiation exposure.

Two other special nutrients are in Adaptogen 10 Plus: natural iodine and sodium alginate. Iodine does not stop radiation from getting inside your body, but it occupies many iodine receptors in your thyroid and other tissues. Iodine acts like customers in a restaurant: It “takes up all the seats” so radioactive iodine has no place to sit and smolder. The natural iodine in Adaptogen 10 Plus can fill many of the seats!

Sodium alginate is a seaweed fraction that attaches itself to radioactive particles that may contaminate your food. If a radiation particle falls on your food and you eat it, sodium alginate will grab that particle and surround it with a thick foam or mucous. Adaptogen 10 Plus contains several seaweed sources rich in sodium alginate.

Adaptogen 10 Plus contains healthy levels of potassium, which displaces radioactive cesium in much the same way that iodine protects against radioactive iodine. It also contains an abundance of natural calcium chloride which may work to displace radioactive strontium.

How much is enough?
There is no toxicity to Adaptogen 10 Plus; you can take more if you want. This may be a case where “more is better.” Let its iodine help protect your thyroid, its sodium alginate help protect your digestion, and the potassium and calcium help displace other potentially harmful elements. Brazos Minshew, TriVita’s Chief Science Officer recommends at least an ounce per meal as a way to neutralize free radicals and, especially, to supply sodium alginate for any potentially compromised foods. (Children can take it too and he recommends the same serving size for children as for adults.) Be sure to consult with your health care provider if you have any specific questions.

Adaptogen 10 Plus was designed to help the body offset the amount of free radical activity we all experience daily. It was not designed as a shield for nuclear fallout. Still, daily servings of Adaptogen 10  Plus can help protect us from an increase in free radical activity.

Take Control of Your Health

* Stay indoors where your air is filtered
* Drink pure water from outside a contamination zone
* When outside, wear long sleeves and a large hat
* Eat nutritiously from certified organic farms
o Peel all fruits and vegetables until contamination is resolved
* Increase antioxidants, organic iodine and sodium alginate

Wishing you the best in health and wellness,

Kathy

Katherine Smith
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13158176

For those of you not aware of BMI, it stands for Body Mass Index. Many people use the term but really don’t know the meaning of it, nor how to calculate BMI.  BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. It is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. That’s a lot of math! If you are seeking to learn how to calculate BMI, to make it easier, use TriVita’s online BMI calculator by clicking HERE.

• Once on the page, click on “Body Mass Index.”
• Enter your height (in feet and inches) and your weight (in pounds). The program will automatically calculate your BMI and explain the results.

It is considered by many health care professionals to be a reliable indicator of body fat for people. And, it’s also an inexpensive and easy-to-perform screening tool that may help indicate possible weight-related health problems.

Also, the relationship between the BMI number and body fat is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race and age.   When determining how to calculate BMI, Look for these variations:

• At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat then men
• At the same BMI, older people on average have more body fat than younger adults
• Highly trained athletes have a high BMI because of increased muscularity, instead of increased body fat.

Also, after you have figured out how to calculate BMI and your now know your number, If your BMI is between 25 and 30, you should seek ways to lower BMI using diet and exercise. A BMI reading over 30 indicates an unhealthy condition. You may be at risk for serious medical problems. A change in your diet and exercise program is strongly encouraged.

More and more people are seeking how to calculate BMI, and when wondering why this has started to become a problem, experts believe that rising rates of obesity among children and adults may be attributed to a combination of the following:

• Increasingly sedentary activities such as:

• Watching TV
• Using a computer
• Driving long distances (for example, commuting)
• Working long hours at sedentary jobs

• Conveniences which reduce physical activity (think “drive-through” banking)
• Lack of safe playgrounds for children
• Increased consumption of soft drinks and other “market-driven” factors that encourage overeating, such as:

• • Larger portion sizes in restaurants
  • Increased sizes of individual food items (such as soft drinks, candy bars, bagels)
  • Increased prevalence of vending machines
  • Greater number of food choices
  • Pervasive marketing of high-calorie foods
  • Marketing strategies that encourage ordering larger serving sizes

• Emotional overeating, triggered by increased stress

• Repeated dieting

• Greater acceptance of obesity in certain cultural groups

Although a number of complex cultural and environmental factors contribute to the obesity epidemic, in the majority of cases, the equation is basic: too many calories consumed and too few calories expended (too little activity) leads to obesity.

If you came to this page seeking how to calculate BMI and you discover that your numbers reflect the need to manage your weight, try TriVita’s Leanology® Weight Loss System is designed to encourage people to achieve and maintain a healthful body weight by development of habits known to produce lifetime weight control.

Moreover, Leanology creates the best possible opportunity for true wellness by confirming the benefits of nutrients and nurturing for weight management and all of life’s challenges.

Take Control of Your Health

* Plan a balance of calories and activity for lifetime weight control
* Eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables daily:
o 5 for children
o 7 for women
o 9 for men
* Plan aerobic activity most days
* Do resistance training 2 to 5 times per week
* Supplement with Leanology to support the four stages of weight loss:
o Energy and Metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories at rest.
o Cortisol and Stress Management: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body; cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat.
o Appetite Control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings.
o Blood Sugar Control: Leanology Nutritional Shakes help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

I hope that this information has been helpful and I think it’s great that the First Lady has brought this to our attention again, because it’s something that is important for us as we strive to live healthier lives.

To find out more about TriVita’s other products, you can go to www.trivita.com/13158176

Wishing you the best in health and wellness,

Kathy

Independent TriVita Affiliate Member Katherine Smith #13158176

During the holidays especially, there are plenty of opportunities for overindulgence: lavish dinners, tantalizing treats, etc. Sometimes the lure can be difficult to resist – resulting in making a new year’s resolution to find the best way to lose weight.

By implementing a realistic plan that is the best way to lose weight, losing those holiday pounds – and even lifetime weight control – can be well within your reach.

So what is a realistic plan?  It’s a plan that is within your reach, something you can see yourself doing on a day to day basis.  You need to give careful consideration that you would give to any serious endeavor.  Many of you I am sure have heard that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

When considering the best way to lose weight, you may prefer to start with an exercise program and then add in the dietary changes. Or you may want to do it the other way around. If you’re really motivated, you may want to start both the exercise and diet segments simultaneously.  Yes, that’s right.  Exercise.  That does go hand in had with the best way to lose weight.

The first challenge we face in diet selection is committing to the discipline of thinking ahead instead of eating impulsively. So, start with something small and attainable.

Many health experts recommend fresh fruits and vegetables daily for a healthy life:
o 5 servings for children
o 7 servings for women
o 9 servings for men
o Add high quality protein to your diet
o Drink plenty of water

These are easy steps that you can accomplish today!

Exercise is the key to weight control. There is no way around it. However, exercise does not have to be a punishment; it can really be pleasurable. The key is to find something you enjoy. I recommend that you start with three forms of activity to prevent exercise boredom.  Add more activities every month. Get in the habit of participating in at least 30 minutes of activity every day.

There are basically two types of exercise:

* Aerobic exercise is defined as any activity that increases your need for oxygen. Aerobics make you breathe harder.

* Progressive resistance training is defined as any exercise where the load to the muscle is increased by some mechanical means – weights, bands, springs and many other methods. The key is to progressively increase the weight or resistance over time. This results in more lean body mass and less fat mass.

You need both types of exercise every week.

I am sure at this point you are saying, yes I have heard this – diet and exercise but I am still not able to lose weight and that’s why I am searching for the best way to lose weight.

Well, I am very excited to share with you something else that can help you – the missing piece of the puzzle.  I have walked in your shoes and I also was not able to lose weight and then it was this one extra component that I added to my routine that was the “tipping point” for me.

The company I work with has supplements that are backed by science and more importantly, it worked for me.  They actually have a 3 step system depending on what you are trying to accomplish and you can pick and choose what’s best for you but combined with diet and exercise, it was the best way to lose weight for me and IT WORKED!

Supplements are important in a healthy weight loss strategy. In many people they represent the critical difference between success and failure. However, you must always remember that they are supplements; they supplement a diet and exercise program. Use them wisely as an important part of your total wellness program.

The supplements are called Leanology and it supports the four stages of weight loss:

• Energy and metabolism: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help increase metabolism and energy to support your body’s ability to burn more calories at rest. Leanology Nutritional Shakes provide low-calorie, high protein energy to support healthy metabolism.
• Cortisol and stress management: Cortisol is the stress-induced hormone that can lead to abdominal fat. Leanology Weight Loss Capsules help to limit cortisol production in your body. The focus here is to stop cortisol before it starts. Protein, such as those in Leanology Nutritional Shakes, can break the cortisol cycle once it starts – especially if taken first thing in the morning. Many physicians specializing in weight loss recommend a high-protein breakfast at 7 a.m. to regulate the cortisol cycle.
• Appetite control: Leanology Appetite Control Chews help reduce the natural hunger signals in your body to minimize cravings. Leanology Weight Loss Capsules contain glucomannan and other botanicals to send a “full” signal to your brain.
• Blood sugar control: Leanology Weight Loss Capsules focus more than half of their ingredients on blood sugar control. Leanology Nutritional Shakes taken between meals keep your blood sugar rock-solid. Leanology Shakes also help your body use the nutrients you eat as energy, rather than storing them as fat.

Finding the best way to lose weight is possible and within your reach. Follow these simple steps diligently – that’s the real key!  Also, take Leanology to “supplement” your weight loss program. And, don’t forget your supplements for foundational nutrition, because calorie restriction may often mean nutrient restriction. Weight loss is a metabolically intense journey and we need all the nutrients we can get to build healthy metabolism. Still, the goal is worthwhile and the progress is measurable day by day!

So if you’re interested in finding out more about what can help you for the best way to lose weight, go to:  www.leanology.com/13158176

Wishing you the best of health on your wellness journey.

Kathy

Katherine Smith
Independent TriVita Affiliate Member #13158176

Why should we be concerned with our LDL level? How did we get into such a deplorable state when it comes to managing our cholesterol? How can we use this information to improve our health?

What is LDL?
Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are often considered to be a “bad” form of cholesterol. But this is an extreme mischaracterization of a very beneficial fat in our blood. You see, your body makes important things out of LDL: brain cells and nerves are shielded with LDL cholesterol-based fats. And hormones in your bloodstream and inside your cells are made from LDL cholesterol. So, LDL is not really “bad,” just misunderstood!

The dark side of cholesterol metabolism occurs when a person over-produces LDL and when LDL particles become sticky, oxidized and inflamed. This is one cause of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which leads to heart attack and stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and other diseases of your blood vessels which is why people want to lower cholesterol and more people are seeking to lower cholesterol naturally.

Why cholesterol is “high”
We also make hormones from good cholesterol. Most doctors recommend over 1,200 milligrams of Omega-3 fats for building healthy hormones and reducing “bad” cholesterol. OmegaPrime® contains beneficial Omega-3 fats. You may find that you need more OmegaPrime every day to build cholesterol into trophic hormones.

Estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone are examples of trophic hormones. They are made of the same substance: cholesterol. If your body is unable to convert cholesterol into these hormones you may see your blood levels of cholesterol rise. You can bring your cholesterol down and your low hormones up by supporting cholesterol-to-hormone conversion. We can help support healthy hormone metabolism with supplements such as OmegaPrime, Vitamin E, Balanced Woman® and Prostate Health Formula so you can lower cholesterol naturally.

The most critical balance of hormones occurs between insulin and glucagon. When we sleep too little, when we are stressed too much and when we eat too much sugar – especially high fructose corn syrup – our insulin levels stay too high for too long and cause insulin resistance. High levels of insulin cause the liver to release high levels of cholesterol and LDL. Oxidized LDL inflames, gets sticky and clogs arteries.

Glucagon is a liver hormone that balances blood sugar and lowers cholesterol and LDL. We support glucagon metabolism with adaptogens for stress and Leanology® capsules to sustain healthy blood sugar. We assist with LDL “stickiness” by using robust levels of Vitamin C. We help your body reduce inflammation with Betalains found in Nopalea™.

Learning to listen
We should think of high cholesterol as a message from our body that something is wrong.  You want to lower cholesterol naturally but you should also learn to listen to your body by taking stock of your lifestyle in comparison to the 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness:

• Are you keeping the impact of stress on your body in control? You do this by daily exercise of 30 minutes or more, sunshine in the morning and deep breathing exercises for peaceful sleep at night.
• Do you drink enough water and eat up to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily?

We can balance our cholesterol and meet the new guidelines for LDL through vigorous application of the 10 Essentials, meticulous supplementation and appropriate medical care.

Distress can come from your environment, your body or your mind. Rather than being just a single event, stress accumulates over time from all three sources. It strangles the joy and pleasure from your days and nights. It makes you miserable, and then it makes you sick. Once you are sick, stress keeps you from responding as well to medical care. Yes, stress is a killer!

Nutrients to the rescue
The opposite of stress is homeostasis. So, while stress is constantly trying to pull you apart, homeostasis is constantly working to put you back together. Homeostasis is the priority process your body uses to combat stress.

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential for homeostasis. If we have the nutrients we need at the moment we need them, we will thrive! Conversely, if we do not have the proper nutrient base in our system every day we will suffer loss of energy, poor mental performance and an increased risk for disease.  That’s why you want to know more about Wellavoh!

Supplements
The word supplement means an addition to something to make up for a deficiency. All supplements are an important addition to a healthy diet. They make up for the deficiency we face because of poor nutrient density in our foods. They also help out when we miss the mark of diet perfection.

Supplements are no substitute for good dietary choices. We simply must commit ourselves to eating a healthy diet. As you review your food choices for the past week, ask yourself, “Did I eat the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day?”

* 5 servings for children
* 7 servings for women
* 9 servings for men

If you can say “yes” – congratulations! If you are like most people you did not reach that goal. And, if you are like most of us, you did not eat all of your fruits and vegetables from an organic source; so, the fruits and vegetables may have been of low nutrient value.

We need a multiple nutrient supplement every day to serve as a foundation for health and to combat the nutrient demands of a stressful life.

A new supplement – Wellavoh!
Staying on top of our nutrient reserve is important. Our body makes millions of new cells every day – heart cells, brain cells, bone and blood cells. Stress kills millions of vulnerable cells every day. Every time a cell dies it should be replaced. If you do not have the right amount of nutrients to construct a new cell, you will either make an incomplete cell or none at all. The outcome is bad in either case; so, we really need to keep all nutrients on board at all times. This is why TriVita created Sonoran Bloom™ Wellavoh™ (wel-lah voh), a new multi-nutrient complex for men and women.

The destructive forces of stress come from inside and outside your body. The nutrient complexes of Wellavoh can help you build a bulwark against stress as it tries to pull you apart. Wellavoh supports homeostasis as the innate wisdom of your body tries to keep you functioning at your peak.

One more reason…Danger Will Robinson!!!  Read this and see why you are not just effecting yourself but future generations!
Perhaps an even more important reason exists for maintaining a robust supply of nutrients in our system daily. According to a recent report, chemical switches on our DNA are activated by nutrients. If a single nutrient is missing at the critical moment it is needed, one of these chemical switches will fail. This results in a change in our DNA that promotes disease – for up to three generations of our children! So, it is vital that we and our children have our nutrients available every day to reduce the impact of stress while promoting vitality today, health tomorrow and a solid wellness foundation for generations to come!

Have a chocolate craving but still want something nutritious and delicious? Here is a healthy chocolate milkshake sure to fix your craving!

 Chia seeds soaking!

Recipe: Healthy Chocolate Chia Seed Milkshake

Serves: one

Allergen info: This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar free. Those with pollen allergies should avoid this recipe (or just skip the bee pollen in the recipe).

Ingredients:

• 1 Tb. of chia seeds (or the same amount of flaxseeds/linseeds)
• ~1- 1.5 C. water
• 1 tsp. bee pollen* (I used Eucaplytpus Bee Pollen from Raw Power) (optional)
• 1 tsp. lecithin granules (organic & non-gm) or 1 organic/pastured (i.e. grass fed) chicken’s egg yolk
• 1 tbs. almond butter
• 1/2 banana, sliced into rounds and frozen
• 1 heaped tsp. raw cacao powder (or choose naturally caffeine-free carob powder)
• ~1 tsp. raw organic honey (optional)
• cacao nibs (optional)

 How to:

1. Soak the chia seeds and bee pollen in the water and leave for ~ 1/2 hour to a few hours (or overnight). (Keep this covered in the fridge).
2. When ready to eat, blend the water/chia/bee pollen mixture together until the chia seeds and bee pollen has broken down in the water. Add the lecithin and blend again.
3. Add  the almond butter, frozen banana, cacao or carob powder, and honey (if using) and blend until the milkshake has completely blended together and is really smooth.
4. Top with cacao nibs if you like.

Enjoy!

Note: due to the caffeine in the cacao/cacao nibs it would be better to have this milkshake earlier in the day as the caffeine may distrupt your sleep.

*avoid if you have pollen/flower/asteraceae/compositae allergies.

If you would like to help sponsor this blog and get some goodies for yourself at the same time please click through to the link and purchase some fabulous raw foods for yourself (or as a gift for a friend) from Raw Power. Please note that I only link to products I personally use and recommend.

© Copyright: 2011 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com . See the disclaimer here.

This mango green smoothie has to be one of my favourite combinations so far!

Recipe: Mango Green Smoothie

Serves: two

Ingredients:

• 3 handfuls of leafy greens (I used baby spinach)
• water, enough to make a smoothie consistency that you like
• 1 mango, peeled, chopped and frozen (pit removed)
• optional extras: 1 tsp. of flax seed/flax seed oil & 1 tsp. lecithin granules (organic and non-gm is best)

How to:

1. First blend the water and greens until the greens have broken down.
2. Add the mango and blend until until smooth. Add the optional extras (if using) and blend again.
3. Enjoy!

More green smoothie recipes on healthfoodlover.com:

• Recipe: Pear, Mint and Ginger Green Smoothie
• Recipe: Zesty & Refreshing Green Smoothie
• Recipe: Strawberry Kale Smoothie

© Copyright: 2011 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com . See the disclaimer here.

Recipe: Seriously Good Curried Sprouted Chickpea Soup

Serves: 4 +

Ingredients:

• 3 C. of sprouted & cooked chickpeas (see note)
• a few tsp. of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped roughly
•  tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. of the powders of: cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala & 1/2 tsp. of turmeric
• 6 tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 jalapeño chillis, seeds removed
• 1 red chilli, seeds removed
• 1 tsp. ginger 
• 6 C. of vegetable stock (or even better bone broth- chicken bone broth would be really nice in this recipe)
• 1/2 C. Coconut milk
• water, extra
• cilantro/coriander, to serve

How to:

Note: This recipe requires you to start the recipe a day or two ahead of time to sprout the chickpeas. However if you do not have time you can just soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight or just use canned & cooked chickpeas which is a great time saver.

1. To sprout the chickpeas: two days before you plan to have this soup, overnight soak the chickpeas in double the amount of water as you have dried chickpeas. The next day strain off the water and rinse the chickpeas. Keep rinsing the chickpeas a few times throught the two days and the chickpeas should begin to slightly sprout.
2. When it gets to the cooking day: First, remove any excess water from the chickpeas and rinse them again.
3. Boil a pot of water and boil the chickpeas until they are very soft. As they were sprouted they should take a lot less time to cook (I found anyway). Remove the water and set the cooked chickpeas aside. 
4. Now we begin the soup: in a big pot, turn on the heat and cook the onion, with the 1 tsp. of salt and bay leaves. Cook until the onion is soft and almost transparent.
5. To the soft onion add the following: 1 tsp. of cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala & 1/2 tsp. of turmeric. Stir.
6. In a blender/food processor: process the 6 tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 jalapeno chillis, 1 red chili & the 1 tsp of ginger. Process this until a smooth mixture has formed. Now add this mixture to the pot. Stir this mixture into the onions.  
7. Now add 6 cups of stock/broth. Stir the broth into the soup mixture.
8. Add the cooked chickpeas (remembering to discard any of the water that you cooked the chickpeas in). Stir the mixture. Leave to simmer for a little while.
9. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until a smooth consistency forms and the chickpeas have disintegrated. Alternatively, blend the soup in batches in a food processor until a smooth consistency forms. 
10. Stir in the coconut milk.
11. Serve with cilantro/coriander on top.
12. Enjoy!

© Copyright: 2011 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com . See the disclaimer here.

Here is another green smoothie, this one is pear, mint and ginger flavoured. As with most green smoothies, even though they are vibrantly green, they actually do not taste like the greens within the smoothie, rather they have the flavour of the fruit in the drink. Not sure? Try it for yourself and see.

Recipe: Pear, Mint and Ginger Green Smoothie

Serves: two

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of green leafy veggies, such as spinach or kale (stalks removed)
• filtered water, enough to make a consistency you like*
• optional extras: 1 tsp. of whole flax seeds (or flax seed oil) and 1 tsp lecithin granules
• 1 pear, cut into 2, frozen and seeds removed
• 1 piece of fresh ginger ot to taste
• a few leaves of fresh mint or to taste

How to:

1. In a blender, blend the greens and the water till the greens have broken down and dissolved into the water.
2. Add the flax and lecithin (if using) into the green water and blend till they have broken down into the drink.
3. Now add the pear pieces, ginger and mint and blend until the drink has a smooth consistency.  
4. Enjoy!

*Note: I like green smoothies to have the consistency similar to a juice so I add quite a bit of water, but add as much or as little water as you like.

© Copyright: 2011 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com . See the disclaimer here.