Decadent Chocolate Recipe

Home made Raw Chocolate

It is  no surprise that I love chocolate.  This is for sure my food weakness.  With Valentine's Day that just passed, chocolate was in an endless supply.  That said, chocolate itself is NOT the enemy, it is all of the processed sugars, oils, artificial colors and flavorings, and soy lechiten (used as an emulsifier and is a dangerous endocrine disruptor) that is. Once I discovered this, my relationship with chocolate took on a whole new level.  It went from unhealthy to healthy in just a matter of a few ingredients!

I've modified this recipe from one of my favorite raw food chefs, Ani Phyo.  Ani uses cacao butter as the base for her chocolate with raw cacao powder as the additive, however I find that using coconut oil works just as well (and is a more readily available ingredient in most grocery stores).  Raw cacao is a superfood, as described in detail in a previous post. Coconut oil, although a saturated fat, contains essential lauric acid which has been proven to speed up weight loss, reduces the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, and stimulates thyroid function.  If you'd like to learn more about the benefit of coconut oil, here is a link to a fantastic article that speaks more to this perfect food.

Raw Chocolate made with Coconut Oil

Easy Raw Chocolate Recipe:

1. Melt 1 cup unrefined coconut oil over low heat
2. Mix in 1/2 cup of cacao powder
3. Add in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
4. Whisk and remove from heat

That's it!!

There are so many options you can do with this raw, superfood chocolate.  You can spread it in a pan and make raw chocolate bark with raisins and nuts.  You can put it in little molds and make solid raw chocolates. Add a little coconut cream in the middle and you have a delicious coconut truffle!  Or you can dip with fruit and make chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, and the like. Whatever you decide, make sure you place your delicious chocolate concoction in the refrigerator to set, for at least one hour.

Voila - a delicious treat that not only avoids all of the chemicals, sugars, and preservatives, but is actually nourishing for your body.  The best part?  I can honestly say that after months of eating good quality chocolate, the cheap and processed stuff doesn't taste appealing any longer.  Win win!!

Raw Chocolate Bark

How do you think you will use this recipe?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

Soul Food

Let yourself be silently drawn by the silent pull of what you really love.
- Rumi


Soul Food

Think for a moment of a food from your past, of one that makes you feel great when you eat it for no specific reason. Maybe it is macaroni and cheese, slow-simmered tomato sauce, ice cream cones, or pancakes. For me it is my Mom's Parisien-stuffing served at Thanksgiving (read: not healthy!).  Eating comfort foods (every now and then) can be incredibly healing, even though your rational brain may not find it highly nutritious.   

Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can re-connect us to precious memories, like childhood play times, first dates, holidays, our grandmother's cooking, or of our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember food from the past on an emotional and cellular level. Eating this food connects us to our roots and has youth-ening and nurturing effects that go far beyond the food's biochemical make-up.

Acknowledging what different foods mean to us is an important part of cultivating a good relationship with food. This month, when we celebrate loves and relationships, it's important to notice that we each have a relationship with food - and that this relationship is often far from loving. Many of us restrict food attempting to control our weight. We treat food as the enemy. We often abuse food, substituting it for emotional well-being. Others ignore food, swallowing it whole before even tasting it. 

What would your life be like if you treated food and your body as you would treat your beloved - with gentleness, playfulness, communication, honesty, respect, and love? The next time you eat your soul food, do so with awareness and without guilt. Enjoy all the healing and nourishment it brings you.​

Food Focus: Beans

Beans

Beans, or legumes, including peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food, offering grounding and strengthening properties that promote endurance. They offer a highly usable, highly absorbable, source of calcium for the body. A very inexpensive source of high nutrition, beans can be rich, delicious, and satisfying.

Lack of sexual energy is often due to overtaxed adrenal glands and kidneys. Beans are known for strengthening these organs (ever notice the shape of a bean?) and can help restore vital energy as well as sexual energy.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but that is typically because they have been undercooked or not properly prepared. To help reduce gas-causing properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, increase cooking time, add spices like bay leaf, oregano or cumin, or add kombu (a sea vegetable) when cooking.   

Recipe of the Month: Easy Beans and Greens

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 - 3 servings

Ingredients:
1 can black beans (or pinto, red kidney - your choice)
1 bunch collard greens (or kale, spinach - your choice)
Your favorite toppings such as salsa, avocado, or guacamole and sour cream

 Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat drained beans.
2. Fill a separate medium saucepan with with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
3. Wash and chop greens (you can use the stem too) and add to boiling water.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until greens are bright green and tender. Drain water.
5. On a plate, arrange a portion of the greens, top with a portion of the beans and finish with a portion of the toppings of your choice.

​

What is your Soul Food???

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

True life is lived when tiny changes occur. 
- Leo Tolstoy

New Life New Hope

New Year, New You!

A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We've all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more, or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year's resolutions?   

Here are some ways you can make your resolutions a reality this year.  First, focus on intentions:

1. Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car.
2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to overeat? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don't tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much more difficult to accomplish your goal.
3. Be clear about what your life will look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick to your plan.
4. Share your intentions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.
5. Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound per week, pamper yourself with a massage. (do not reward yourself with food)

Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.  This is the premise of my teachings.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!​

Food Focus: Sea Vegetables

In traditional Chinese healing, sea vegetables correspond with the winter season and to the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder, and reproductive organs. The balancing and cleansing properties of sea vegetables are known to help these organs as well as the hair, nails, and skin. Sea vegetables (or seaweed) provide a variety of minerals and vitamins, including calcium, iron, and iodine, and can help balance hormones and thyroid levels in the body. Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty or sugary foods. Adding sea vegetables to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings.  

Recipe of the Month: Mighty Miso Soup

Prep time: 5 - 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 - 15 minutes

Yield: 4 - 5 servings

Ingredients:
4 - 5 cups spring water
1 - 2 inch strip wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water until softened

1 - 2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (I recommend onions, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and kale)
2 - 3 teaspoons barley miso
2 scallions, finely chopped

 Directions:

1. Chop soaked wakame.
2. Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
3. Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
4. Add root vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.
6. Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso in it.  Return it to the pot.
7. Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth.
8. Allow soup to cook for 2 -3 minutes.
9. Garnish with scallions and serve.

TIP:  For an added twist, try adding cooked brown rice or quinoa at the start of making the soup.  

What are some of your intentions for the New Year?  If you need accountability, I'd be honored to offer you that support.

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

​

Easy Healthy Twists to Holiday Favorites

Who says great tasting food can't be healthy?  The holidays are a time when family and friends come together to celebrate each other and appreciate what life has given them.  The focal point of the holidays are usually centered around food - unhealthy food - and people wind up feeling heavy and bloated.  I'm here to tell you, Holiday food CAN be tasty AND be healthy!!  Simply we need to replace bad, inflammation-promoting ingredients with good ones.  It can be easier than it sounds.  Naturally there are some traditional family recipes that you don't want to "mess with" for sentimental reasons and I totally get that.  Perhaps start with the other "fillers" and take it from there.


Ideas For Healthy Holiday Fare:

• Avocado-Deviled Eggs:  Eggs are good for the body and unlike popular belief, cholesterol doesn't raise cholesterol like conventional medicine states.  Our body needs cholesterol to function properly. That said, a healthier twist on deviled eggs this year can be avocado-deviled eggs. I like to use avocado because it adds a creamy consistency to the yolks without unhealthy, hydrogenated mayonnaise. Here's the recipe for a much cleaner version of the deviled eggs you are used to. 

• Peppermint Chocolate Oat Muffins: Yum. Nothing tastes more like the holidays, in my mind, than peppermint.  This recipe utilizes food-grade essential oils.  Add chocolate to that and it is heaven!  

Click here for full recipe.

• Nitrate-Free Ham:  Processed meats are preserved with sodium nitrate, a known carcinogen. Sodium nitrate helps increase the shelf-life of meats.  Beware of this and choose a nitrate-free ham (or meat of your choice) instead for your holiday fare.  To learn more about nitrates, please read this article by the Heatlh Ranger. http://www.naturalnews.com/043180_holiday_foods_toxic_ingredients_avoid.html

• Free Range Turkey:  Same reasons as number three, including you want to ensure that the turkey you eat for your holiday meal is free of antibiotics and hormones.  Applegate Farms makes a good turkey as well as Whole Foods.

• Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce:  Back in November I read a post by fellow Health Coach, Michelle Pfennighaus.  So many folks buy CANNED jelly cranberry sauce for their holiday meals rather than enjoying the true burst of flavor only found in whole cranberries.  The best part about this post, there's no added sugar to the recipe!  You can check it out HERE.

Remember, above all else it is about MODERATION, not DEPRIVATION.  Enjoy the holidays.  Enjoy your food.  Practice the art of mindful eating. Be aware of your surroundings and what you are consuming. Above all else, remember what the season is all about; it helps to put things in perspective.

What are some dishes you can swap with healthy ingredients this season?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

Love Yourself, Love Your Body

Don't compromise yourself.  You are all that you've got. 
- Janis Joplin

Beautiful Body Types

Almost all of us have a distorted image of our body, often due to the importance our culture places on outward appearance and the onslaught of media images of airbrushed models and celebrities.  (Dove is doing a great job on trying to change that with their 'Campaign for Real Beauty' initiative).  On a daily basis, we talk to ourselves in ways we would never speak to another. Imagine speaking to a child the way you speak to yourself about your body.  It would devastate and squelch a child.  It affects you similarly, causing stress and emotional pain in your body, which can make improving your health or losing weight even more difficult.   

The Power of Exercise!

Think about all of the intelligence, creativity, and time you spend on improving, altering, and judging your appearance.  Who would you be and what would you accomplish if your valuable resources weren't used this way?   Constant emphasis on the external makes us discount the great presence and intelligence that is housed by the body.  It makes us forget the magic of our internal rhythms and fail to acknowledge the beautiful bodies we have.

The body you have right now is incredible!  It never misses a heartbeat, it maintains homeostasis and miraculously digests whatever you put in it.  It is your instrument for expressing your creativity, intelligence, and love.  By focusing on the 1% you don't like or wish were different, you may be ignoring the remaining 99% about your body that is beautiful, unique, and delightful.

What would your life be like if you were simply at peace with the body that you have?  You may wish to make your body healthier and stronger, which is great, but could you do that out of love and respect for your body rather than the opposite? Could you begin to treat yourself with kindness, to limit the negative self-talk, and to reconnect with your inner wisdom?  Take a minute to imagine what that would be like.  It would mean celebrating your body rather than punishing it.  It would mean nourishing your body rather than depriving it.  It would mean a chance to watch your body flourish when treated with care and respect.

​

Food Focus: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes seem to be on everyone's minds this season (at least they are on mine!)  They go hand-in-hand with the holidays along with pumpkin and other sweet vegetables.  Fortunately, eating these and other sweet vegetables needn't be limited to this time of year.  Cravings for sweets can be greatly reduced by adding sweet vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, parsnips, squash, turnips, and rutabagas to your daily diet.  Sweet potatoes elevate blood sugar gently rather than with the jolt delivered by simple refined carbohydrates, so there is no energy crash after you eat them.  Much higher in nutrients than white potatoes and especially rich in Vitamin A, sweet potatoes offer a creamy consistency that is satisfying and soothing.  They are healing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs and help remove toxins from the body.  They can increase the quantity of milk in lactating women and can lessen cramps and premenstrual symptoms.  If you don't have any sweet potatoes in your kitchen, go out and buy some (local and organic if possible) and make the recipe below:

Sweet Potato - A Holiday Favorite

Recipe of the Month: Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro
This recipe is an eye-opener for those who find sweet potatoes too sweet or those who are tired of eating them smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar.  Japanese sweet potatoes, with their pale flesh and delicate flavor, are a treat if yo can find them.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Put the Lime in the Coconut! (sweet potato)

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro (1/4 bunch if you find them too strong)

2-3 limes
butter, ghee, or olive oil
sea salt

 Directions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes and bake them whole, in their skins, at 375 for about 30-40 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Wash and chop cilantro leaves.
3. When sweet potatoes are done, split open the skin and place on serving plate.  Season with sea salt and dots of butter or ghee, or drizzle with olive oil.  Squeeze fresh lime juice all over and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.
4. Serve over grains and greens.

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

​

3 Unique and Easy Gift Ideas Using Essential Oils

Winter Scene

Why Essential Oils?

What is old is new again!  Essential oils have been used throughout history - are even cited in the Bible (gifts of Frankincense and Myrhh) - as having powerful beneficial properties.  Essential oils originally go back as far as ancient Greek and Egyptian cultures. A high quality essential oil has so many applications; it can be ingested for numerous health benefits, applied topically for therapeutic effects, diffused aromatically to improve both air quality and breathing, and some also can be used as a natural cleaner.


What Exactly ARE Essential Oils??

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers and other parts of plants.  They are beautifully and powerfully fragrant; can lift a mood, calm the senses, and elicit powerful responses. In addition to their fragrant appeal, essential oils contain medicinal and therapeutic properties. They are naturally anti-microbial and pass directly through the skin for immediate response to topical application.  They are naturally safe and powerfully concentrated, but DO need to be used with care.  The key to using essential oils is to make sure that they are 100% pure.  My preferred brand of essential oil is doTERRA as doTERRA is free of any contaminants, such as pesticides and chemical residues.  They contain no fillers, no dyes or perfumes, and is one of the safest and most beneficial oils available in the world today. WORD OF CAUTION:  Never ingest an essential oil that is NOT 100% pure!



This Holiday Season, How About Giving the Gift of Health?

Lavender Fields

3 UNIQUE AND SIMPLE IDEAS FOR THE LOVED ONES IN YOUR LIFE:

1.  For Your Best Girl Friend:

BUBBLE BATH, LOTION, AND LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL

Nothing says "calm" like a beautiful spa package, complete with the most versatile and relaxing essential oil. Apply a few drops to a bath and your senses will instantly become transformed. Can also be applied topically behind ears for a restful night's sleep.  Add a few drops to a spray bottle and spray down bed linens and pillows for an extra relaxed state.


2.  For Your Colleague:

HOT COCOA (OR CACAO) WITH PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL

Hot Chocolate with Fresh Peppermint

Alongside your favorite brand of hot cocoa mix, include a bottle of peppermint oil in a little gift basket.  Add 1-2 drops of the peppermint for a refreshing cup of holiday cheer. Peppermint oil calms the digestive tract and eases tummy trouble; turn your hot cocoa treat into a health drink!  (peppermint can also be added to other chocolate concoctions such as this vegan chocolate pudding found HERE).  As a bonus, peppermint oil can be applied to the forehead and back of neck to calm a headache (which we sometimes get with too much holiday cheer!).


3.  For The Baker:

A WHISKING SET WITH LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL

Baking with Lemon Oil

Lemon is one of the most versatile oils.  Not only can it lift a mood, but it can freshen a kitchen, clean pots, improve your health, and add zip to your baking dishes.  Lemon also helps to alkalize your body and is especially beneficial to start the day with 2 drops of lemon essential oil in water.  For baking, here is a great recipe to try with a few drops of lemon essential oil:  http://www.mygutsy.com/gaps-lemon-bars/

To learn more about doTerra Essential Oils, click HERE.

What do you have planned this holiday season?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.

7 Surprising Health Benefits of Lemons

Health Benefits of Lemons

While you wouldn't grab a lemon and eat it whole as a snack, lemons are powerhouses for enhancing other foods, both in flavor, and in health benefits. Scientifically known as Citrus limon, this is the fruit most associated with happiness, sunshine, and hot summer days. It's commonly known that lemons are rich in Vitamin C, but there are other health benefits that are not so well-known.  

1. Lemons May Help Prevent Cancer - The human body is designed to be slightly alkaline at a pH of 7.4. (A pH of 7.0 is neutral).  Most foods consumed by Americans are very acidic which upsets our ideal pH balance. Lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods we can consume.  Although acidic outside of the body, once consumed the human body converts it to an alkalizing state.  Cancer cannot survive in an alkaline environment.   Eating more alkaline foods increases oxygen to our cells which starves off cancer.  Drinking filtered water with lemon daily is a great way to ensure we are getting that extra boost of protection in a toxic world.

2.  Reduces Inflammation - Fruits rich in Vitamin C help to reduce inflammation in two or more joints, as presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.  Low-level inflammation is the underlying cause of disease.  Adding lemon juice to your daily diet decreases the acidity in your body which is where disease states occur.  It reduces uric acid in the joints, therefore can help reduce and prevent certain forms of arthritis among other illnesses.

3.  Helps Improve and Eliminate Varicose Veins - Lemon oil has vessel-strengthening properties that help reduce both varicose veins and spider veins.  This can be applied topically with a pure essential oil as well as ingested.  For vessel-rejuvenating, the lemon oil can be applied to a warm bath.

4.  Reduces Hypertension - In addition to garlic and onions, lemons, being high in potassium, also add a powerful punch in reducing hypertension. Lemon juice acts as a blood thinner and prevents thinning of the capillaries, along with increasing levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

5. Can Fix Bad Breath - No one wants to be walking around with halitosis. Lemons can help freshen breath by ensuring that the salivation levels remain constant.  This can be done by either chewing on a lemon slice after every meal or rinsing several times a day with lemon juice and warm water.

6. Can Stimulate Digestion - Typically used in Ayurvedic medicine, lemon juice has been used to stimulate digestion and clear toxins that were accumulated and stored in the digestive tract overnight.  The flavonols in this citrus fruit is what stimulates this response, and can help improve the stomach's hydrochloric-acid strength, which assists in breaking down food more efficiently.   Being an anti-bacterial, it helps your stomach and intestines fight off infections and assists with elimination.  A bonus benefit is it helps to reduce symptoms of indigestion including gas and bloating.

7. Can Help Break a Fever - Lemons can help break a fever by increasing perspiration.  It's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties help move along the natural course of the fever more quickly.

Lemon Water

The easiest way to ensure you are getting enough lemon is to start your day by drinking a glass of lemon water.  A pure essential oil works just as well if not better as the oil is cold-pressed from the lemon rind itself (which actually has more vitamins and nutrients than the lemon juice).  Drinking a glass of lemon water daily is one of the most simple, effective, and sustainable changes you can make for a healthy lifestyle.  Keeping a stocked pantry of lemons for your food is then just icing on the cake!  

For more health benefits, check out this site:  http://www.care2.com/greenliving/16-health-benefits-of-lemons.html

What is your favorite  way to use lemons?

Be well,

Janelle

Interested in learning more?  Please visit my website.