Thirsty Thursday: Coffee talk

Bullet proof coffee has been the big thing lately in the nutrition world, especially in the Paleo community. Of course I had to try it and see what all the hype was about. Since then this is how I’ve made my coffee every morning. It’s a great way to get more gelatin and coconut oil in your diet, two super foods. If you haven’t tried coconut oil and started to incorporate it into your diet yet you need to get on that! Coconut oil deserves its own post but I want to share some of the major benefits of this healthy fat. Coconut oil can actually burn fat in the body. Farmers began giving coconut oil to their cows in hope that they would put on more fat, but instead the cows all became extremely lean. The same thing happens in us. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides that increase energy expenditure in the body. Coconut oil can also reduce your hunger. If I’m going to be working out first thing in the morning I drink my bulletproof as my pre work out and don’t need to eat until after my workout. 

Gelatin is also another one of my daily super foods. Since adding gelatin to my diet consistently over the past three months my nails and hair have grown so much. Gelatin is a great source of dietary collagen. Gelatin is great for skin, hair and nail growth and also great for joints in the body. I always recommend it to anyone who has arthritis. The standard American diet is limited in the two amino acids glycine and proline. Gelatin is a great source of both of these amino acids. These amino acids are anti-inflammatory, gut healing and help the body have optimal immune function, weight regulation, and help with sleep. I have other recipes that I plan to share on how to get more gelatin into your diet. This is my version of bullet proof coffee. I like using coconut oil but butter and ghee will work as well or a mixture of healthy fats. 

Ingredients:
10oz of hot brewed coffee
2 tbs grass-fed Great Lake's gelatin (only the green one will work in this recipe)
1 tbs coconut oil
stevia or maple syrup if needed

Directions:
1- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds

2- Pour into a coffee cup and enjoy 

  

  Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as I do! 

You can’t even tell there are avocados in this nutrient dense pudding that tastes amazing and is full of healthy fats and potassium. It is also free of the most common food allergens. 

Serves two

photo credit : Megan Theriault 

Grain-free, raw, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free

Ingredients:
2-3 avocados depending on size
One-fourth cup cocoa powder
2 tbs canned coconut milk
One-fourth cup grade B maple syrup

Directions:
1- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

2- Transfer to a dish and serve

  

  Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

Thirsty Thursday: Cucumber ginger juice

Hey everyone! Just wanted to pop in quick with a super simple Thirsty Thursday drink. I have been using my juicer a ton lately and this is one of the simple combinations I came up with. I love ginger and it has some amazing health benefits. Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory root and can bring relief to many inflammatory conditions. It is also great for gastrointestinal problems and provides immediate relief to nausea. Cucumbers are a great choice for beginner juicers because they do not have an overpowering taste like some of the greens do but provide a lot of liquid. 

photo credit: Megan Theriault 

Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers 
2 inches of fresh ginger root

Directions:
1- Put ingredients thru juicer and enjoy

Stay tuned for a new recipe coming on Tuesday!

                                      Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

Chicken Sausage and Peppers

Hi blog readers! Lisa and I started our last semester of our graduate program two weeks ago and have been very busy with our two new classes! We are taking Virtual Clinic and Botanical Medicine. We are learning so much but it is a lot of work to keep up with. We wanted to take a break from homework and share an amazing recipe. This recipe was inspired by these peppers that I found at the farmer's market and could not pass up. I have to give special photo credit to Michael Theriault who took these amazing photos that belong in a cookbook and Megan Theriault who helped him! 

Chicken Sausage and Peppers 

Photo credit Megan Theriault 

Ingredients:

2 Applegate farms chicken sausages

2 cups chopped bell peppers

1/2 cup cup chopped onions

3 tbs olive oil divided

salt 

pepper

Directions:

1- Brown sausage in 1 tbs of olive oil

2- Remove sausage from pan

3- Add 2 additional tablespoons of olive oil and the peppers and onions

4- Cook covered for around 20 minutes until peppers and onions are softened

5- Add back in sausage and heat through

                                                         Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

Thirsty Thursday: Beet Banana Smoothie

I have been obsessed with beets lately and here in Connecticut they are all over the farmer’s markets. The banana gives it the perfect sweetness and the beets make this smoothie a beautiful pink color. Beets are full of nutrients. They contain potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin A, folic acid, and Vitamin C. Beets help cleanse the body and are wonderful for the liver, purifying the blood, and can prevent you from developing cancer. Beets can be used in fresh juice, but roasting them in the oven is my favorite way to enjoy them. 

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted beets that are cooled
1 frozen banana
1 cup whole milk or nondairy milk

Directions:

1- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth! Enjoy 

                                                       Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

                                                                              

Blueberry Corn salad

This is a great salad to enjoy your fresh summer produce. Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant capacities of any produce. Berries in general are low glycemic, meaning they do not contain as much sugar as most fruits and do not raise your blood sugar as fast. Blueberries are a great source of vitamin K, manganese, vitamin C, fiber and copper. Corn is technically classified as a vegetable when you are eating the whole corn kernel off the cob but a grain if it is processed in any way (cornmeal, corn syrup, corn starch). Be careful when buying corn to choose organic because 90% of the corn crop in the United States is genetically modified. Corn is a great source of both fiber and potassium. 

Ingredients:

4 basil leaves

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups fresh corn off the cob (grilled or raw)

juice 1/2 of lime

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions: 

1- Chop basil leaves 

2- Mix together cumin, lime juice, evoo, salt, pepper and chopped basil

3 - Add blueberries and corn and stir

4- Store in refrigerator 

                                                    Yours in Health & Happiness, 

                                                             Lisa and Nichole

Natural Beauty Post - How to Wash Your Hair Naturally

The skin is our largest organ and absorbs 60% of the chemicals in products that we apply topically directly into the blood stream. The makeup, shampoo, conditioner, moisterizer, shaving cream, hair gel, deodorant, and sunscreen all count! In nutrition we always say to look at the ingredients list on food, but do you do the same for products? I didn’t until I got into the nutrition field and started researching some of the chemicals that were in the products I was putting on my skin. Let me just tell you, it’s scary. My theory was if I wouldn’t eat that chemical then I should not be putting it on my skin. I started buying more organic natural beauty products with more natural ingredients and learning to make my own. Buying beauty products from Whole Foods and the health food store is not cheap so I stick with making my own for the most part.  Today I am going to share with you the method I use for washing my hair. I have had great results making my own shampoo and conditioner. 

Shampoo - 1/4 cup baking soda mixed with 1.5 cups warm water (I do this in the shower)

Pour baking soda mix over head, massage into scalp. Rise the baking soda out of your hair.

- Or 2 tablespoons honey mixed with 1.5 cups water. I switch between these two methods. What works better for you may depend on your hair type. 

(source)

(source)

Conditioner -

Mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar plus 2 cups warm water

Pour mix over head and let sit for two minutes then rinse well

The vinegar smell will go away as your hair dries. You would think this technique would make your hair dry but it makes it shiny and super soft. I am down to washing my hair this way two times per week and have to do nothing in between. 

(source)

                                               Yours in Health & Happiness,

     

                                               Lisa and Nichole