This is seriously so freaking good you would never know it was actually healthy. I had this for a desert last night. It tastes just like a real chocolate milkshake that I used to love so much as a child, without the nastiness of dairy and sugar. It’s a great way to use up a ripe avocado that will otherwise go bad. Avocados are a regular staple in my diet. I have one almost every day.
Glowing skin has always been something I longed to have my entire life. I’ve suffered from acne on and off for many years and it is absolutely devastating. Not to mention humiliating and tragic. Many years ago I was prescribed accutane for my acne. I didn’t realize then how toxic it was to the system. It cleared up my acne, but had serious side effects that were not very pleasant. If I had known then what I know now, I could have stopped it before it started. I still suffer from occasional flare ups that can really get me down. One of the main causes is hormonal changes. Others are stress (which messes with our hormones!),toxins, and poor diet.
I recently found this dressing on Gwyneth Paltrow’s website goop. She has some great recipes for detox that I like to make. This dressing is one of them. It’s really satisfying and healthy. I make it real quick in my mini food processor. I love it over mixed greens and avocado.
For salad:
I made this vegan alfredo last night for dinner and it was so amazing I had to share. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any inspiration to write about my healing adventures. Sometimes we go through periods in life that I like to call “The Void”. The void may enter our lives in many different degrees. We may feel generally down about life, feel depressed, and tell your friends things like “I feel so blah”, “Nothing is happening”. I think to myself a lot, “God I wish this waiting was over”. But what are we waiting for really? Isn’t it about what is unfolding for us in the moment? That’s where the real joy is. Being present in my life in ways I never was before.That’s what meditation does for me.
The void gives us an opportunity to end some part of our development, and to prepare the ground for some new growth. It is a period of death and regeneration.
In the meantime, enjoy some Vegan Alfredo!
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
1. In a blender, grind cashews and pine nuts into a fine powder. Add water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
2. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk as you bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes, whisking regularly. Stir in black pepper.
3. Serve over hot pasta and garnish with parsley and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Recipe created by Allison Rivers Samson, Maven of Mmmm… at www.AllisonsGourmet.com. Originally printed in her award-winning column, ‘Veganize It!’ in VegNews Magazine. Reprinted with permission.
I found the recipe from my favorite blog http://www.thekindlife.com
Note: the sauce seems a little thin at first, but it thickens as you whisk it and heat for 7 minutes. I think you can add a little less water and it would be thicker. It’s delicious the way it is though!
This pretty green nut milk was surprisingly sweet and tasty. It’s a great way to eat your greens! It’s also great on a cleanse. I had this for dessert and was very satisfied:)
Green Nut Milk
serves 2-3
1 2/3 cups water
1 cup cashews
2 soft pitted dates
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large handful of spinach
Put all ingredients in a blender and blitz until completely smooth
Photo credit -www.yummly.com
My picture didn’t look so pretty so I used this one. The green milk looked exactly the same!
I made these from the recipe from Brenda Brazier’s book Thrive. Even though I’m not vegan anymore I really love vegan cookbooks, and I especially love this book because it concentrates on whole food nutrition.
This recipe is so easy and delicious I make it at least once a week. It’s great on my cleanse too. It’s very filling and the pumpkin seeds add healthy protein. Here it is..
2 yams
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon oregano
11/2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon basil
Peel and cut up the yams. In a food processor chop the pumpkin seeds and garlic then mix with the oil and spices. Coat the yams with mixture and bake in the oven at 300 degrees. Bake 35 minutes. Enjoy!
February is a great time to do a cleanse. Over the holidays and winter months I’ve kinda fallen out of my healthy eating routine. One cheat leads to another and another and before you know it your diet has changed. I crave more rich cooked foods in the winter and not so much raw food. I also just feel more tired and want warming, nurturing foods. The good news is you can still cleanse and eat healthy cooked foods. I still like a balance of raw and cooked food. I think 50/50 is a good goal and easy to do if your juicing and doing your green smoothies every day. I am recently into Dr. Alejandro Junger’s program called Clean. I really like his program because you can still eat fish and chicken which is important for me because I need a lot of protein to get me through the day. I have a very physical job and I feel tired and worthless without high quality protein. If you are vegan then you can do it without the meat. Check out the blog Goop for some of the recipes.
and Dr. Oz has a great 30 day meal plan…
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/clean-program-30-day-meal-plan?page=2#copy
Dr. Alejandro Junger, a cardiologist who initially began the research that led to the development of the program because of his desire to get away from the toxic foods, drinks, and thoughts weighing on his own health. He found that modern medicine often takes a “band aid” approach to “fix” or cover up a health problem, but the key is really to nurture our body from the roots with the right foods and nutrients. And by creating the right conditions, our body will begin to naturally heal itself.
I’m starting today and I’m going to go for it for 21 days! The plan starts with a breakfast shake every morning and two meals from the clean recipes. i will share some of my recipes with you as I go along. Check out the book too!:)
