B7DRC February 2014 - Day 6: I'm only human. Bad decisions happen.

Day 6 was a complete fail. Contrary to what you may believe, my diet is not perfect. I fall victim to cravings from time to time, especially at my most vulnerable moments when I’m busy and starving. I know there’s no excuse, and trust me, I’m not making any. All I’m saying is that I’m human. Like most, I fall off the path from time to time and instead of accepting failure, I look at it as a simple mistake from which I grow from. I learn my lesson, take it with me and move on. 

This morning I started the day off as normal with a warm tea; a green one with raw honey. An hour later I made and sipped on a Tropical Citrus Smoothie as we contemplated what we do today. We had promised our daughter we’d go ice skating sometime soon so we decided today was the perfect day to do so. 

On our way to the rink, my family grabbed some snacks to hold them over until we were done with our skating adventure. I, being me, decided I wasn’t hungry at the moment and ate nothing, but threw a raw bar into my purse for later. Bad idea all around. We locked my purse into a one-time use only locker and the smoothie that had me full and satisfied prior, was burned through within minutes of skating. By the time we were done I was exhausted and famished. I had no energy left. As a result I made a very bad diet decision.

On our way out we spotted an old favorite: Einstein’s Bagels. They had shut down all locations in our hometown when we were younger so seeing one here brought back old memories. As the starving individuals that we were, we made the decision to visit this old favorite. I figured I was already going to fail the challenge when I joined tomorrow’s birthday dinner, so why not. Bad idea, round two. I haven’t had a bagel in years because I normally avoid any and all gluten whenever possible, let alone a processed bagel. Even though it was full of raw veggies, it didn’t change the way It affected my body. 

Minutes later I was feeling groggy and fuzzy and my stomach, empty. It was like I hadn’t eaten anything. We came home, took a nap and when I awoke I still had a headache. My stomach felt icky and my head was aching. I already knew what was causing it and I’ve been beating myself up all night for the decision I made. It wasn’t worth it at all. The bagel wasn’t even that good and the way I feel now is far worse than the hour I could have spent feeling starved waiting to get home to eat. Lesson learned. Of course. But I’m sure it won’t be the last.

For the rest of the evening I drank lots of water, nibbled on my last jicama burger and had a few dates and raw nut butter for a snack. 

Overall my day was great. I took my baby girl ice skating for the first time. I enjoyed a wonderful day with my family. I feel on my butt a few times. And best of all, I learned another valuable lesson: Don’t let your stomach rule your head or your heart. Being hangry is just not fun; and neither is a headache. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

*Beth*

Tropical Citrus Smoothie

By Beth Mickens

• 1 orange, peeled
• 2 kiwi, peeled
• ½ cup mango, frozen
• ½ cup pineapple, frozen
• ½ cup berries
• ½ cup coconut water
• ½ cup raw almond milk

CHALLENGER'S RECIPES

 Simple Taco Wraps

By Lucia Morrison

1.  1 large lettuce leaf filled with 1/2 sliced avocado, 1/2 diced tomato, 1/2 tbsp diced onion, 1/2 Tbsp cilantro, squeeze of lime jice and squeeze of lemon!

Strawberry Banana Sorbet

By Nick Lassonde 

1. In a high speed blender, blend frozen strawberries and frozen chopped bananas with stevia and vanilla.
2. Blend until smooth texture is achieved. 

Indian  Spiced Pulp Crackers

By Kristin Lassonde

•  3 cups juice pulp
• 3 heaping tsp unsweetened almond pulp
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tomato
• 1 handful of fresh cilantro
• 1 heaping tsp cumin powder
• 1 heaping tsp coriander powder
• 1 heaping tsp curry leaf powder
• 1 heaping tsp turmeric powder

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor. You may need a little water.
2. Spread onto a dehydrator sheet and score into desired size/shape
3. Dehydrate for 24 hours.

 OTHER

http://www.choosingraw.com/the-only-raw-vegan-granola-recipe-youll-ever-need/

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 4 and Day 5: When busy, eat simple.

It’s Thursday!! One more day til Friday! Tomorrow I head to the ‘burg to watch Catching Fire balcony style with my hubby, my sister and brother-in-law. I’ll also be challenging myself to eat raw while we dine at a favorite local pub…no pickles, no beer, just salad. Eek! I can do it though!  It IS after all called a challenge! 

On another note, I realized today that my body prefers the new diet changes I have been making the last few days. Today I skipped my juice due to chaos yesterday evening and lack of time this morning and ended up feeling grossly full after my lunch. The gradual increase in foods in the morning and decrease in the evening has my body feeling pretty good. I think I’ll stick to it. No excuses. 

Okay so here we go on Day 4.

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm soothing lemon honey tea.

Juice

:(

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Mmm finally tried Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie from his upcoming book, Brad’s Raw Made Easy! It is super delish! My daughter and I had a smoothie morning and while she didn’t drink much of her smoothie, I’m glad to see the impact my healthy habits are having on her food choices. 

This green smoothie is probably the tastiest smoothie I have ever had that includes both apple and pears! Most smoothies I have with either an apple, or a pear, or both are gritty and unappetizing. This one however, was great! It had some chew to it but it was still smooth and easy to drink and the flavor combo rocks! And no I’m not being paid to praise Brad’s recipes or products…I truly do love it! 

Brad’s FAMOUS Green Smoothie

By Brad’s Raw Made Easy

Makes 16 ounces

My smoothie partner :)

• 1 cup kale
• 1 – ½ cups water
• ½ large apple
• ½ medium ripe pear
• 1 frozen banana

1. Simple! Blend and sip away! Whee!

Lunch +16 oz water

Again chaos last night meant little time to prep meals for us all so I went for a simple Mexican-inspired salad…we all know I have to have my Mexicano food at least once a week ;)

Simple and easy to prep: lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions, some red bell peppers, cilantro, a giant dollop of guacamole, a sprinkle of spicy sprouted sunflower seeds and a lime on the side. Mmm!

Snack +16 oz water

Since I skipped juice I had a snack. Again, simple and easy. Almond butter stuffed dates aka nature’s candy. Filling and energizing!

Dinner and LOTS of water!

No dinner just a kombucha and some fruit including mango and a persimmon. Lots of snacking today!

Day 5

Since I’ll be out practically all day and all night tomorrow, I wanted to go ahead and post tomorrow’s eats…or at least what I PLAN on eating!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Warm Lemon Tea!

Juice + 16 oz water

Yeah! Another recipe by Sunwarrior!! This is just as yummy as the other green juices! Refreshing!

Crazy for Kale

By Sunwarrior's Warrior Way in 30 Days

Makes 8 oz

• 2 leaves of kale
• Handful of parsley
• 2 stalks of celery
• ¼ lemon, peeled
• ¼ - ½ cup red grapes or ½ apple
• ½ cucumber, peeled
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger

1. Juice and enjoy!

Breakfast + 16 oz water

Sipping on another Sunwarrior Power Shake! See Recipe in Day 1’s post here!

Lunch + 16 oz water

I’ve been following Sunwarrior’s meal plans as part of the Warrior Way in 30 days challenge and I have been super satisfied so far with this challenge! Tomorrow’s dinner called for Pesto Pasta. Since I didn’t have any zucchini’s on hand I improvised and decided to make Pesto Cauli-CousCous. It’s just as tasty as the pasta version, just a different texture! I’m serving it on top of a bed of greens, surrounded by tomatoes, bell peppers and green onions and served with a lemon as an extra dressing if needed.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch!

Pesto Cauli-CousCous Salad

By Beth Mickens

Pesto by Sunwarrior

Serves 1

Pesto

• 1 large handful of basil
• 1 small kale leaf
• Sprinkle of oregano
• 1 small clove of garlic, mashed
• 2-3 Tbsp of nuts (I used a combo of cashews and walnuts)
• 1/2 Tbsp of white miso
• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of raw honey
• 2 Tbsp of cold pressed oil (olive oil preferably but hemp will work as well)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small personal blender, blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed.

Salad

• 2 cups of mixed greens or green leaf lettuce
• 2 cups of cauli rice (cauliflower simply processed til it resembles a course grain)
• 2 Tbsp of Manitoba’s hemp seeds
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 Tbsp of chopped red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp of sliced green onions
• ¼ lemon slice, as garnish

1. In a small bowl toss together the cauli rice and pesto until the cauli is well coated. It may seem to stick together, that’s fine I promise.
2. Toss in the hemp seeds.
3. On a plate or in a large bowl, add the mixed greens or lettuce.
4. Add the pesto cauli-couscous.
5. Top with tomatoes, red bell, and green onions.
6. Garnish with a sprig of basil and lemon wedge.
7. Serve.

Snack (if I’m even hungry!) + 16 oz water

Plan on nibbling on some Pomegranate seeds if I get hungry before dinner!

Dinner + 16 oz water

So for dinner we have plans to go to  a British Pub, our favorite British Pub, in the 'burg. Only problem is there's very little raw food to eat. Thankfully I've been there enough to know just what to do! Salad it will be but it's going to be a GOOD salad!

I'll update this post when I return tomorrow night!

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

*Beth*

B7DRC - November 2013: Day 3: Raw Caprese Tapas

I think Christmas Fever officially hit me this morning. I pulled out the Christmas CDs and I have been belting out songs like no one’s listening...because no one is listening! Don’t want to damage any ears :) 

With the Christmas Fever comes the anxiety. What to buy, what to cook, which cookies to make out of the list of 1,000,000, and worse, what if I gain weight? This time of year can mean overindulgence but proper planning and a routine workout can save you from holiday bloat and the continuous need for a New Year resolution solely focused on weight loss. Keep up with your healthy habits and come January 1^st you’ll be glowing with pride knowing you made it past the holiday’s bloat free. As for your resolution, it can finally be one that doesn’t involve fasting or excessive exercise.

Need a healthy quick start? Participate in Brad’s Challenge in December and you’ll be all prepped for healthy eating greatness!

So who’s ready for Day 3? It’s gorgeous outside and I’m feeling energized!

Early Morning + 16 oz water

Yummy a warm lemon tea!!

Juice +16 oz water

Almost forgot to post my juice! Another wonderful recipe by Sunwarrior and another keeper!

Celery Citrus Cooler

by Sunwarrior

Makes 8 oz

•  2 stalks of celery
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 apple
• 1 large handful of parsley
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Breakfast + 16 oz water

I saw this smoothie on Simple Green Smoothie’s site the other day and it immediately made my mouth water. The combination of beets, berries, fruits and almond milk made me think awesome pink milkshake that needed to be made asap. And so I did. I, of course, switched out the non-raw for raw ingredients and added 1 Tbsp of cacao since it tasted a tad too sweet for me. 

Overall delicious. The texture may throw some people off since it is a tad gritty and crunchy due to the pear, beets and berries seeds. I’m okay with texture as long as it tastes fabulous and this one definitely did!

Berry Beet Smoothie

Adapted from Simple Green Smoothies

Makes 16 ounces

• 1 handful of bok choy
• ½ cup raw almond milk
• ½ cup water
• ½ large ripe pear
• ½ banana
• ¼ cup frozen berries
• 1 heaping ¼ cup of raw shredded beets
• 1 Tbsp of raw almond butter
• 1 Tbsp of cacao (optional)

Blend, sip and enjoy!

Late Lunch + 16 oz water

This flavorful raw caprese tapas is inspired by Sunwarrior’s Warrior Way Challenge caprese salad as part of this week’s menu. The cheese is made from a blend of soaked sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice and salt. I thinly sliced a kohlrabi to serve as my “bread” and topped the cheese off with a simple salsa made with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper and tiny splash of balsamic. I topped each tapa with a sprinkle of green onions for a flavor boost.

The kohlrabi and salsa is both fresh and crisp while the cheese is fragrant, robust and creamy. A wonderful light dinner! Not sure if this can count as a “pauper” dinner do you? I mean light yes, but the dish is rich in flavor!

Raw Caprese Tapas

Adapted from Sunwarrior

Makes 1-2 servings

Raw Sunflower Cheese

• 1 cup sunflower seeds soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• ½ lemon juiced (about 1-2 Tbsp)
• 1-2 Tbsp of cold-pressed olive oil
• ½ Tbsp raw honey or agave
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Blend in a high-speed blender til creamy and smooth.

Tomato Basil Salsa

• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (preferably cherry or grape)
• 2-3 leaves of basil, sliced
• 1 tsp of cold-pressed olive oil
• Splash of balsamic
• Salt and pepper

1. Toss all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

To assemble:

• 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 green onion, sliced

1. Spread about 1-2 tsp of cheese onto one slice of kohlrabi.
2. Top with 1 tbsp of salsa.
3. Sprinkle with green onions
4. Serve immediately.

Dessert +16 oz water

I have been waiting 3 days to cut into this dessert! I finally made Healthy. Happy. Life. Blogger Kathy’s Raw Chocolate Almond Butter Cup Pie and am I GLAD I did! As you may know, I’m a nut butter addict. Add chocolate and I am in trouble. BIG trouble. Like a whole jar of Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter in 3 days trouble. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. I knew it would be perfection on a platter and mmmm is it! Chocolaty nutty buttery goodness with a blend of sweet and salty that will make any woman swoon. One bite and I literally leaped. It was foodgasmic. 

Here is the recipe. I quartered the recipe to fit into my mini pie pan which also required a few adjustments in order to get the consistency and flavor down for the chocolate layer. I have no doubt that if the recipe is used as is that it will be perfect. I always have to be difficult J Maybe that’s because I know if I make an entire pie of this I would eat the entire pie which is no good for my figure haha!

Now time to go meditate that pie off :)

*Beth*

B7DRC - August Edition: Cool down with this vibrant, bright Kendall Fire smoothie

It’s Day 5 and sadly my last day of being completely raw. I hate to break a challenge but unfortunately, I sort of had no choice. This stupid cold forced me to reschedule my cooking class from last Saturday to this Saturday. While I am very excited for this class, I’m also sad to have to end this challenge so soon. The good part is, the next challenge is only 4 weeks away. Yeah!

Yesterday evening I got into a bit of a “cooking” frenzy and trust me when I say my kitchen mess could have spoken for itself. It was insane! The good part is, I came out with some pretty yummy eats that I’m looking forward to sharing with you today.

Early Morning:

I went straight for the green tea. Not only was I oddly exhausted but my throat was a bit dry and sore from sleeping. I figured a warm green tea with a pinch of honey was exactly what I needed. Thankfully, it worked.

Breakfast:

Being that it’s Friday, we’re running pretty low on produce. Besides a few herbs, a peach and maybe some leftover root veggies, my fridge has been emptied of all fresh fruits and veggies. So instead of trying to stretch out a peach or risk making the mess that comes with eating a grapefruit, I decided to make a smoothie instead. This recipe comes from a little organic café that just opened in my new home’s “downtown” called Hidden Julles. They sell several different kinds of smoothies, but this one in particular caught my attention NOT by its ingredients but by its name, Kendall Fire. 

Inside is a beautiful blend of peaches, bananas, strawberries and fresh grapefruit juice that results in a vibrant, bright red orange smoothie that is deliciously tart and sweet. It had become a favorite of both me and my husband’s. So much so that I’m afraid to add greens to it in fear it may change the flavor!

Kendall Fire

Recipe from Hidden Julles Café

Makes 16 ounces

• ½ grapefruit, well peeled of all white, seeds removed
• 1 small peach
• 1 small banana
• ½ cup strawberries
• Splash of water

1. Blend and sip and seriously, enjoy!

Lunch:

I saw a salad on Cleanse America’s FB page yesterday afternoon that looked both beautiful and tasty. I figured since it was after all, leftover Friday and since I haven’t had a salad all week, that Friday would be the perfect day to enjoy a salad for lunch. The picture didn’t mention a dressing so I pulled up a simple sweet onion dressing to go along with it. It was a perfect combination.

Taste the Rainbow Salad

By Cleanse America
Dressing by Grounded Nutrition

• 2 cups of leafy greens, chopped
• ¼ cup corn off the cob
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup shredded beets
• ½ avocado, diced
• 2 Tbsp raisins
• 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
• Sweet Onion Dressing
• ¼ cup cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup sweet white onion
• 1 ½ Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 dates
• Pinch of salt and pepper

1. Add all the salad ingredients into a bowl and arrange as desired.
2. In a high speed blender, add the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

Snack/Dinner:

We all love hummus right? I mean, I’m addicted to it ALMOST as much as I am to peanut butter. Everything between the texture to the flavor to the versatility puts hummus on the top of my must-make list. It’s practically a staple in my home…except during the raw challenges. 

For some reason I just can NOT find a good raw food recipe for hummus that not only is similar in both taste and texture, but also doesn’t contain a butt load of fats. I’ve tried zucchini hummus, cucumber hummus and now I’m on to sunflower hummus. This one, I know, is loaded with healthy fats, but it’s also the closest I have gotten so far to the chickpea version. The texture is thick and slightly gritty and the taste, just like hummus. I’m actually pretty satisfied with this version of raw hummus and I definitely plan on making it again..at least until I find an even better recipe ;)

Sunflower Seed Hummus

Recipe by Beth Mickens

 Makes around 1/2 cup

• ¼ cup sunflower seeds, soaked for an hour or two then drained
• 1 Tbsp raw tahini
• ½ clove garlic
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Water as needed for consistency
• 2 leaves of fresh basil (optional)
• Salt to taste

1. In a small bullet-style blender, add the drained sunflower seeds, tahini, garlic, lemon and about ½ Tbsp of water to start. Blend until smooth adding water as needed. You’re looking for a thick, slightly chunky dip…nothing too smooth so add water sparingly.
2. Serve with raw veggies or raw chips.

Dinner:

I didn't eat my snack til real late so no dinner for me. I did sip on my husbands Kendall Fire as I sat and watched them down burgers at Hidden Julles. :) Gotta love those two, my daughter and hubby. They always keep me entertained.

Well, enjoy your Friday peeps! Super Foods Cooking class review coming tomorrow!!

*Beth*