Recipe: Healthy Eggnog without Eggs and Milk!

One thing I love about this time of year is eggnog, but I haven't had it in a really long time because it's so bad for you!! This is a great eggnog alternative if you love the flavor of the delicious drink, but don't love all the calories, fat and sugar!! According to the Today Show, you would have to do over 2,000 jumping jacks to burn off all the calories from an 8 oz. serving of traditional eggnog!

This alternative, all-natural eggnog is packed with nutrients! It's also dairy-free, egg-less, low-fat, and heart-healthy! You can even add a shot of rum to warm up on a cold evening!

Healthy Eggnog (1 serving)

1 cup vanilla, unsweetened almond milk (40 calories)

1 T. flax seeds, ground* (37 calories)

1/2 t. organic cinnamon (3 calories)

1/4 t. organic nutmeg (3 calories)

1/2 t. pure vanilla (6 calories)

1 scoop Vanilla Complete (110 calories)

1 t. honey (20 calories)

ice cubes

Optional Ingredients: Add a little baked sweet potato or pumpkin puree

Mix all ingredients in a blender or VitaMix and enjoy!!

*I grind my flax seeds in a coffee grinder, but if you are using a VitaMix, you don't have to grind them.

Cheers to your health!

Recipe: Homemade Protein-packed Gooey Granola Bars

I'm going to be honest...I was pretty hesitant to try this recipe, but I am SO glad I did because these granola bars were super easy to make and they are delicious! This is a "clean" recipe - meaning it contains all natural ingredients (nothing artificial, no refined sugars, and no hydrogenated oils). 

This whole batch contains 288 grams of protein from plant-based nutritional sources, which is about 12 grams per serving. These bars make a great on-the-go breakfast or mid morning snack. 

What I love most about this recipe is that it contains 2 cups of Juice Plus Complete powder which is all-natural, 100% plant based, whole-food nutrition. I normally use this whole-food drink mix with almond milk or added to smoothies, but I'm starting to think outside of the box with other ways to use it because it is packed with so much nutritional value...Check out the Nutrition Facts right off of the label:

 

OK...back to the recipe:

In a large bowl, mix together dry Ingredients: 

2 cups Vanilla or Chocolate Juice Plus+ Complete powder

4 cups Nature’s Path Organic Hemp Plus Granola (from Trader Joe’s)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Stir in wet ingredients:
2 cups organic maple syrup or agave (I used a mixture of both because I don't like a really strong maple flavor)
2 cups organic, creamy peanut butter or almond butter

I started out mixing this by hand, but it was super gooey and thick, so I quickly transferred the granola mixture to my kitchen aid!

Once it's all mixed, transfer it into a greased 9x13 and press it into the pan

Sprinkle sesame seeds or shredded coconut on top and press them into the surface.

Refrigerate!

Cut into bars when the mixture is solid. Keep the bars in the fridge between servings. 

Key To Healthy Aging

I love Dr. Sears' video on 9 steps to prime time health. When I saw this video a few years ago I had an "Ah-ha!" moment while I was watching this section on keeping your arteries clean. This video does such a great job of visually explaining how God created our bodies to heal themselves if we fuel it with the right food. Our bodies do SO much on the cellular and molecular level - it completely amazes me! 

This is a great reminder that with every bite we take, we are wither investing in our health our subsidizing our illness.

To avoid Disability, Disease, and Doctors in the future - focus on preventative health by eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables!

If you want to see the rest of the video (there are 8 more tips) - let me know!

Eat More Broccoli

A recent research publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry once again has showed that consuming cruciferous vegetables (in this case broccoli) is superior to ingesting a synthetic vitamin supplement. Isolated vitamin supplements lack all of the naturally occurring minerals, phytonutrients, and other elements that are only found in whole foods. 

Since these veggies are such a great source of phytonutrients that work together in synergy, increased consumption of them can reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

"One characteristic that sets cruciferous vegetables apart from other vegetables is their high glucosinolate content. Glucosinolate hydrolysis products could help prevent cancer by enhancing the elimination of carcinogens before they can damage DNA, or by altering cell-signaling pathways in ways that help prevent normal cells from being transformed into cancerous cells."

-Linus Pauling Institute (Micronutrient Research for Optimum Health)

It constantly amazes me how everything we eat affects our bodies on the cellular level. The Linus Pauling Institute has a great website that is always up to date with its information about the health benefits of consuming cruciferous veggies.

How many servings of these cruciferous veggies have you had this week?

Broccoli, Brussels Sprout, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Kale, Horseradish, Rutabaga, Turnip, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli Rabe, Daikon, Bok Choy, Radish, Kohlrabi 

If you're like most Americans...probably not enough!!

If you have a hard time consistently getting 9-13 servings of fruits and veggies in your diet EVERY DAY, you should consider adding Juice Plus to your diet! Juice Plus is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains. It has a nutrition label (not a supplement label), and has been reviewed by experts in FDA labeling laws and they concluded that it is appropriately labeled as a food product, not a supplement. It's a safe, convenient, and a simple way to add the nutrition from fruits and veggies into your diet every day! Heres to your health!

Who needs coffee when you can have this...

1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon Juice Plus Complete in Vanilla
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
A few spinach leaves or kale
1/2 cup frozen fruit (I like mixed berries)

My Complete!

I am super excited because my Juice Plus Complete came in the mail today! I have been really excited about this! :-) (It's the little things in life...)

Complete is an all-natural, non-dairy, whole food-based drink mix. By whole food based I mean the ingredients list includes things like chickpea powder, artichoke powder, dried fruit juices, pumpkin seed powder, carrot, kale, cabbage, and broccoli powder, oat powder, rice protein, spirulina and other seaweeds/algae that are rich in vitamins and minerals and the list goes on. It's sweetened with all natural fructose and contains no sucrose, caffeine, saturated fat, cholesterol and no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives, etc. etc.

It's a healthful snack, pre- or post-workout drink, or can be used for a great breakfast shake! Can't wait to add it to my smoothie tomorrow morning! :-)