Beautiful Berry Smoothie

That was my green smoothie today.  Lovely berry rich!

I started with a basic green base:

Romaine (I use almost half a head, but you may want to start smaller!)

1 apple

1 banana

juice of 1/2 lemon

Then decided to give it a kick:

1 cup spinach

1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen berry medley

Yum! 

Romaine is one of the top sources of the lovely mineral chromium, which is important for keeping healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  I have also read before that chromium is important for healthy color in your hair.  And I've had friends tell me after a while doing green smoothies every morning that their hair was losing some of the gray and getting back to their natural colors!  Hmmm.... ;-)  Sometime to chew on!  Er, uh, to sip on!  I'm hoping to research that more...

Spinach has all sorts of wonderful benefits - hooray Popeye!  Spinach is kickin' it in with TONS of Vitamin K, an abundance of Vitamin A, mega amounts of manganese, friendly folate, and so many other wonderful vitamins and minerals!  Spinach really is one kickin' health food! 

And berries.  Ah, beautiful berries!  Berries are an antioxidant explosion of goodness!  Good for vision, good for the brain, and full of minerals.

So mix up something fun :)  Have a great weekend!

~Katie

Radish Revisited

Since I found my raw Kelp flakes, I have been trying to find new fun ways to use them. (without going overboard! They are quite high in iodine!) And this time, I thought I'd spice up my Radish Salad a little more! Last time, I was going for quick and simple - so I just quartered my radishes and sliced the cucumber.

But, I am trying to work a little more with presentation - since that can be quite an important part of enjoying food! So, I actually ran my cucumber through my spiral slicer so I had cuke noodles :)

Then I did thin slicing of my radish. Top it all off with a dressing of olive oil, lemon, and kelp - and a scattering of Pine nuts for fun :) Then I added a few bits of Vitamin K-packed watercress for a little peppery kick! While watercress can be a flavor that takes some getting used to, it is something worth trying. One little handful of 10 springs will provide over 75% of your RDA for Vitamin K! It also has a good amount of Vitamins A and C, and a wide variety of minerals.

It still seems to be lacking a little something in the cold weather, but I think this is a wonderfully refreshing dish for when things start heating up again! But, I'll keep playing with it, and seeing how to tweak it just right!

Happy little watercress sprigs waving Hello!
(Yes, little springs... say hello to my digestive tract!)

So, like I did with my salad, I hope you'll continue to experiment and play with healthy tweaks to recipes. Keep playing, and you'll find a keeper eventually!

Watercress waves and Spiral Smiles!

~Katie

Simple Fruit Fruit-Bowl

Good morning!

Just popping in to share a quick pic of an easy, healthy breakfast! Admittedly, this is even better in the summer months when the fruit is more in season, and you can get ripe berries... but sometimes I just get a hankering for fruit in the morning, and so I enjoyed some this morning!

Simple Fruit Fruit-Bowl (makes 2)

Cantaloupe

Berries or other fruit

Toppings of choice

So simple! Just cut a cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds so that it doubles as a bowl! Then fill with your favorite other fruits! I just used some berries since that's what I had on hand. Then I drizzled some honey on top and sprinkled on a few macadamia nuts.

If you want something a little heartier, maybe a dollop of almond butter, or a base of cashew cream. Want a little more flavor kick? Sprinkle with ginger or clove. For a festive garnish, you could add some minced mint! Perhaps a squeeze of lime. The possibilities are endless :)

But this is a wonderfully refreshing start to a morning, without loading my system down with heavy foods. Up and at 'em!

Plus (well, c'mon, you know I've gotta talk about the healthy side of this dish!) cantaloupe is a low-calorie major dosing of that skin-lovin' combo: Vitamin A and Vitamin C with 1 cup providing over 100% of your RDA for each! They're also both good antioxidants, keeping those damaging free radicals at bay. Fight on, you lovely melon! This delight also provides a punch of potassium, B6, B3, fiber, and folate. The B vitamins are important for your body to be able to derive energy from food and actually use it. People who lack B vitamins sometimes suffer from more stress, depression, and fatigue (though, of course, those are multifaceted conditions.)

So start your morning off right! Healthy fruits and/or veggies are a good boost for my mornings!

~Katie

Super Sprout Salad

Happy Healthy Day, to you, my friends! And why is today Healthy Day?? ...Well, no specific reason. Really, hopefully EVERY day is a happy healthy day :)

How are those Resolutions going? Hopefully healthy and successful! But, if you've staggered, that's okay! Pick up today - RIGHT NOW, not tomorrow! - and choose to be healthier now! :)

I wanted to share a quick recipe for a salad that I have been craving lately. It just feels so healthy to eat it!! (Ok, hopefully that doesn't scare some of you off! "Ewww, 'healthy'?! Must not taste good..") Not true! This salad is rich in flavor, I will admit. So it can be quite potent if you're not used to the bursting goodness of dark greens. But if you've been doing green smoothies and other salads, then this will be another simple recipe to add to your arsenal!

Super Sprout Salad!

I did both Mung Sprouts and Broccoli Sprouts for this one :)

Salad:

Dinosaur Kale

Sprouts (Mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, etc)

1/4th Avocado, diced

1/2 Tomato, diced

Dressing:

Small Drizzle of Olive oil

Juice of one half lemon, or to taste

Dash of Sea salt (or Kelp Flakes)

Cayenne to taste

Wash and tear the kale into bite-size pieces and then add the oil, lemon, and salt. Massage it all into the leaves, as this helps soften the kale. Add the sprouts, avocado, and tomato. Mix. Sprinkle with cayenne.

This is a great salad to make in the morning and then take to work for lunch. As it sits, the flavors marinate together, and the lemon helps continue to soften the kale. Don't get me wrong, it's not MUSHY gross! Just a little more tender.

Kale, as I've said many times, is one heck of a healthy green! Great source of vitamins and minerals, and helps our natural detoxifying process. A rich source of antioxidants and cancer fighters! Avocado is rich with healthy fats, and will help you absorb even more of the goodness of the kale. Avocado is an anti-inflammatory food, which is a benefit of many produce items that I'll get into more another time :) And cayenne, an excellent source of Vitamin A, is believed to be a great spice for stimulating circulation and digestion, boosting immunity, and possibly preventing ulcers. And during these cold months, a little heat can be appreciated! Heck, maybe try mincing up some ginger or garlic, too! Enjoy playing with it :) Perhaps do half kale, half of your favorite green (Romaine? Spinach? What do YOU like!) I like to you kelp flakes to give that extra kick of iodine and a little salt flavor, but sea salt is good too!

Most types of sprouts are good to try to add to your diet. They offer a large 'bang for your buck' nutritionally! According The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods, a non-profit organization that looks at the science behind healthy eating, "In the life of a plant, sprouting is a moment of great vitality and energy. The seed, after having remained quiet for an often long period of time, becomes more and more active and begins its journey up through the topsoil and into the open air. When it sprouts, a healthy seed activates many different metabolic systems. It converts some of its sugar content into vitamin C, to act as an antioxidant in the new open air environment. It also begins to synthesize a variety of new enzymes, many of them necessary to handle oxygen metabolism in the world above the soil. On a gram for gram basis, sprouts are richer in vitamin C than the older, more mature plants they eventually become, because this moment in their lifecycle calls for a high level of vitality." (Bold mine)

So try out some sprouts! They're great to add to salads, sandwiches, any many other dishes! Happy Eating!

~Katie

HAPPY NATURAL NEW YEAR!!

It's time for a fresh new start! (pic)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


Welcome to 2011, my friends!! And what a wild ride 2010 has been! (And my New Years Eve was spent, among other things, making sock puppets... but that's it's own story! Haha!)

ADDN is now 1 year old (awww, happy birthday, little blog!) It was a great chance for me to work on some of my new years goals last year - to be healthier, to get back into writing, and to get more research done on food and nutrition. (Though, admittedly, I did slack more as the year progressed and work got busier.)

But what did 2010 have for you? What good things did you do that you want to build on? (Isn't that a more positive spin on the whole "I've been bad, and NOW I'll be good for the new year"?) Hopefully we've all made strides towards growth of one kind or another. Taken time to learn ourselves, to focus our lives, and hopefully love ourselves and those around us.

I know I have many non-food related goals for this upcoming year, but in the spirit of this blog, we'll still be sticking with natural health related topics, and aiming for a more natural, plant-based diet.

Rev those engines, it's time to GO! (pic)

So what's your reason for wanting to continue a wild ride on the health roller-coaster?

To age gracefully: be healthy enough to stick around for grandchildren, decrease risk of any numerous diseases or painful conditions, maybe even turn gray hairs back to their natural color?? (More about that in a future post!)

To be healthier now: to not be huffing and puffing after a simple flight of stairs? (Hey! I used to have that problem!), run a 5K, fit into a new pair of pants, have more mental and physical energy?

To help take care of the earth: promote agricultural animal care, support local farmers, cut out processed poisons, cut down on your pesticide intake, fight for a cause you believe in?)

To have more self confidence: improve the health of your hair and skin, drop some burdensome fat, smooth cellulite, be able to say "I DID IT!"?


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And what are the things that make that difficult to stick to your goal? Time? Convenience? Taste? Not knowing how to make new recipes? Lack of family support? Share your struggles - here or wherever you can! You have my constant support! (And understanding - In this fast-paced, Food Toxic society, it can be difficult to make the effort to change your eating and exercise habits. BUT IT'S WORTH IT!!)


What direction are your first steps taking you?

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Make a plan:
What do you want and by when?
What are the first three steps you can take on your journey?
What are the three biggest barriers to you meeting your goal?
What can you do to overcome those hurdles?
And if you trip, what are three ways to pull yourself back up quickly without getting completely trounced before so?

Think about it, write it down - maybe it's a s simple "First Step" goal such as walking daily, adding a green smoothie to your morning ritual; or more general (to be tweaked later) such as losing weight, running a 5K, deepening your self understanding - and share it! With us or whomever you are comfortable. Sharing your goals makes them more real to you (instead of a passing thought to be tossed aside at the first cookie!) PLUS, hopefully you'll start to gain support from your friends, and maybe someone who can help pull you up when you fall!

What future do you hold?

Make it happen! (pic)

And well, hey, if you're indecisive about a resolution, jump over to
http://moninavelarde.com/newyears/ and have fun playing with their pre-made resolutions ;-)

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Blessed renewals, and joyous journeys!

Sending love and prayers to everyone reading this :)

~Katie


P.S: all pics have a "pic" link to the original site where I found them