Homemade fruit and veggie wash_Day 17 on Smoothies

Sorry folks I have been MIA (missing in action) for a while. I was out of town for the weekend and did pretty well sticking to my smoothies on Saturday. Then on Sunday and the following weekdays things didn't turn as expected and I just went on an eating spree. Sometimes when our mind is not in sync with the body, we end up making the wrong choices. Well,  I just did that! 

I was busy, stressed out, tired and out of groceries for the week. The only thing I could find in my pantry/refrigerator was a loaf of bread. So I had a piece of bread thinking eating some real carbs will actually elevate my mood. I did feel good for a while but that elevated mood didn't last very long. Only if I had all the ingredients for a smoothie I would have had one and felt great not just for a while but for hours. I was actually missing my grocery store and more so my farmers' market. 

Have you ever done your weekly grocery shopping from your local FARMERS' MARKET?

If you have then you will agree with me that shopping at farmers' market is not only a job you need to do every week to fill your grocery bag and your kitchen counter but it's an experience in itself. Farmers' market is a different world in itself; full of fun, excitement, greenery & freshness. I love the feel, the color, the smell and the taste of fruits and veggies that are plucked fresh from the farms and served to you. Most of the products available at farmers' market are organically grown which means:

1. 
   
   The products are grown locally and are not treated with harmful pesticides. This means organic foods avoid polluting water supplies, are healthier for the environment, and reduce human health risk.
2. 
   
   Nutrients are not lost during travel and storage.
3. 
   
   Local & organic produce does not need added wax or other preservatives
4. 
   
   Buying from local farmers' market you are helping your county's local farmers' and small businesses.
5. 
   
   Transporting food a few miles instead of thousands reduces fossil fuel emissions that contribute to global warming as well as affect final food prices and quality.

Environmentalists trying to protect our land have been warning us to eat organic for a long time but now science tells us that we need to eat organic to save ourselves. There is enough data that atrazine, a common weed killer used in non-organic foods is linked to disabilities in children, miscarriages, infertility, childhood obesity, ADHD, autism, asthma and diabetes to name a few. Maria Rodale, CEO of Rodale Inc. and author of the new book Organic Manifesto, points out, "the planet will be fine without us." We're the ones in trouble if things don't change. He clearly emphasizes the need to grow, buy and eat organic food.

By eating organic food your overall immunity and way of life will improve; thus you will save money by not going to the doctor and buying prescription medicine. In a nutshell it's a win-win situation.

If buying organic products is not always be possible due to availability, cost, or other factors, always always wash your fresh produce well with a simple solution that will help remove harmful pesticides from the surface of the food. I use this easy and simple recipe to wash my produce:

Fruit and Veggie Wash

• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1 cup of water

I usually combine all my ingredients in a large pan and then soak all the produce in the veggie wash for about five minutes. I then rinse my fruits and vegetables under running water for a while. The produce actually looks clean and is ready to use. If you like you can combine all the ingredients and store the wash in a spray bottle and spray it on vegetables and fruits before consuming. 

Back to Smoothie of the Day: 

I have been in an out of the house. When I am busy I like to go with my favorites like Kale, spinach, Pineapple, Apple and Strawberries with seeds like flax, chia and hemp. This combination tastes great and is easy to prepare without much cutting and chopping. 

On Sunday night my cousin invite me to her anniversary party at a very classy restaurant. The ambiance was great and the food looked awesome. I had a bit of the tofu and its was delish. The restaurant was generous enough to make me a smoothie. They converted one of their alcoholic beverages to a smoothie that I was able to enjoy. I don't recall all the ingredients but do know that it had mango and mint in it. A new combination for me but one I will be trying in my own kitchen.

A sort of healthy version of Mango Mojito

Confessions for the weekend and the week so far:

If I start writing my confessions for the last few days, I can actually write a book. So instead of going in the details I will just keep it simple and say that I made some mistakes and now I am just hoping that I don't repeat those mistakes for at least the next few days.

Gratitude for Day 17:

Earth Day was April 22nd.  Earth provides us with all our needs_food, water, air, land, space, produce, everything!We can never thank our Earth enough for all it has given us. But we can do our part in making sure that our Earth is a cleaner, safer place for us and our future generations. Reduce waste, Reuse, Replenish , and Recycle whatever you can. This is the only way we can show our gratitude to our beautiful Earth.

Prayers for Today:

I really need your prayers today. My dad is in the hospital and might have to be operated. His second brain surgery in less than 6 months. He is the main reason why I do what I do. Please pray that his surgery goes well and he recovers soon. If you think my blogs have helped you in the last few weeks then please keep me and my family in your prayers. I will be humbled and honored. 

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Superfood Seeds in Your Smoothies_Day 12 on Smoothies

I tried a new recipe for my smoothie yesterday. I was feeling little achy and stiff so thought of incorporating some anti-inflammatory foods in my smoothie.

Greens I used:

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup kale

2 stalks celery

Handful of parsley

1 leaf collard green

Roots I used:

About an inch of Ginger root

About half an inch of Turmeric root

Fruits I used:

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 Mango

3 chunks pineapple

3 pieces papaya

Seeds I used:

2 tbsp Hemp seeds

1 tbsp Flax seed

1 tbsp chia seed

My anti-inflammatory smoothie

The smoothie had a great taste of ginger. I couldn't taste the turmeric at all. I loved the flavor as it was not too sweet or pungent.

More about the ingredients:
Ginger is widely used for its immune boosting and stomach settling abilities. It is used to treat nausea, morning sickness, motion sickness and intestinal gas and indigestion. Ginger is a great treatment for occasional coughs and colds. It’s anti-inflammatory properties also help with pain, stiffness and inflammation in joints. Just like ginger turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide variety of conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic.

Curcumin the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric is the secret behind it’s properties. “In numerous studies, curcumin's anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to the potent drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin or turmeric produces no toxicity” ¹.

So instead of going for a pill for my achy body, I decided to include ginger and turmeric in my smoothie for the day.

By now you must have noticed that I use lot of seeds in my daily smoothies.

Why I do that? Simply, to turn my ordinary drink into a superfood drink.

Seeds contain vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats that can be added to smoothies.

Sesame seeds are one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium. Both chia and flax seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which studies have linked to a variety of health benefits. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also great choices as well as hemp seeds, which are high in protein.

Hemp: Hemp seeds are a powerful anti-inflammatory food source, keeping chronic disease, arthritis, heart disease, and muscle pain at bay. Hemp also strengthens immunity and provides the body with 9 essential amino acids, protein, trace minerals, and fiber.

Chia: Chia seeds are a wonderful source of magnesium, calcium, selenium, and zinc; minerals essential to good health. These mineral-laden, magic seeds provide a healthy burst of energy, making them popular with runners and athletes the world over.

Flax: Flax seeds are great sources of fiber, omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and vitamin B. Also known for their anti-inflammatory properties, flax is a great way to prevent chronic disease, arthritis, heart disease, and asthma.

Back to Smoothies:

After my workout at the gym I was ravenously hungry. So I ordered a smoothie from the gym cafe at Lifetime Fitness. I really like the one they call green machine. They normally make it with yogurt but I asked them to make it with just water.

I asked about the ingredients and this is what they told me:

Organic Pineapple
Organic Pineapple Juice
Veggie blend with 6 green veggies
Banana
Whey protein
Water/Ice

I think this is one of the best smoothies at lifetime as far as taste is concerned (no dairy).  They have other varieties that can be little bitter especially for someone new to smoothies.

So next time you go for a workout try a drink at your gym and do let me know if you enjoy what your gym offers.

Gratitude for the day:

Thanks to husbands/partners/caregivers/grandparents/friends who willing take the big responsibility of taking care of the little ones. I could actually drive without my son in the backseat. What a refreshing change listening to NPR and not to nursery rhymes while driving. 


Confessions for the Day:

I ate little beans on Thursday and did pretty good the rest of the day.

On Friday some of our close friends decided to visit us. So as I was preparing dinner for them I tasted the food I cooked for them. I cooked kidney beans, cottage cheese and boiled peas with rice. I watch too many cooking shows. My favorite being Sanjeev Kapoor (very popular Indian chef). I think I learnt most of my cooking watching him. One  of the advice he gives is never serve food to your guests without tasting. So yesterday I followed his advice like a sermon and tasted everything. My guests liked the food but obviously all that tasting threw me off my plans.

Prayers for Day 13 and on-wards:

I will be going out of town for the weekend. Praying that I am able to find my smoothies on the road. I am planning to stick to smoothies for a tleast two of my main meals, might eat dinner. Will keep you posted but do need your prayers.

Ginger & Turmeric, The World's healthiest Foods, Available Online at WhFoods.com
Jodi, "3 Seeds for Supercharged Smoothies", Sisterhoood of shrinking jeans, April 2013

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Do you need a Detox?_ Day 10 on smoothies

As I was scrolling my Facebook new feed this morning I came across an article titled "10 signs your body Is screaming at you for a detox. It's a great article and you can read it entirely on the link given in sources. In my blog today I am focusing on some of the key points from the same piece.

I am following the article because I do strongly believe that if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below than your body is overdue for a detox.

Low Energy/Fatigued 

If you wake up feeling sluggish in the morning, stay low energy throughout the day and rely on stimulants like caffeine to pick yourself up you should definitely consider a detox. 
 A detox can help you flush out the things that are preventing you from feeling energetic and recharged.

Constipation
Chronic constipation is a sign that something isn’t right in your digestive system. If you’ve tried increasing your fiber intake and adjusting your diet with limited results, it could be your body telling you that it needs a cleansing. Frequent Indigestion is also a common sign. 

Eat healthy foods like raw fruits and vegetables, and stop the intake of fried foods, and other unhealthy options so your body is getting a break, as well as getting the vitamins and minerals it so badly needs. 

Unable to Focus 
If you are unable to focus or stay alert in your normal waking hours then your body is definitely asking you for a detox. 

A detox helps get rid of the toxins that is preventing your brain from staying alert.

Feeling Depressed 
Detox can work wonders if you are feeling depressed (provided you are not clinically depressed). Eating foods that are low in nutrition and toxic can make you feel depressed. Eating nutrient dense foods not only nourishes your body but also your mind and lifts your mood. 

Trouble Losing Weight 

Over the years we accumulate so much junk in our bodies partly due to our eating habits and partly due to the environment and our lifestyle. If you find it difficult to lose weight even after all your attempts try detoxing your system.

Detox sets the body back on track. It not only helps you shed body waste and weight but also helps you to adopt to a healthier lifestyle.

But you have to be patient. Remember slow and steady always wins the race. Don't expect any magic numbers in a week. Give yourself and your body time to adopt to this new way of eating. 

Trouble Sleeping 

Melatonin, the sleep hormone signals the body for sleep but excess amount of toxins can reduce the amount of melatonin eventually disrupting your sleep.

Sleeping pills will make your body more toxic, prolong the problem and make you an addict to these aids. Try a detox before reaching out for that pill, it will help you restore your natural state.

After a detox you will be more apt to follow the patterns of the circadian rhythm, getting tired at appropriate times at night.

Headaches

If you suffer from regular headaches with no obvious reason or medical cause, it might be a good sign that there is some some type of toxic build up that needs elimination. 

A detox gets rid of impurities in the body that may be making you more prone to a headache. 

Unexplained Soreness/Stiffness 
Many of the food and beverages that we consume on a daily basis cause toxicity and inflammation. Excess inflammation leads to muscle soreness and stiffness.

A detox can help reduce excessive inflammation, which in turn helps to soothe the aches and pains brought on by too much inflammation in the body. 

Skin Problems/Allergic Reactions 
Our skin is our largest organ in the body. If we have a skin allergy or a reaction, topical treatments will not take care of the root cause. Detox is what your body really needs and not an expensive cream. 

"A detox works at the source of the problem, ridding the body of toxins that can lead to rashes, outbreaks, and allergic reactions on the skin, as well as sneezing, coughing, and asthmatic conditions.
One thing to keep in mind is that a side effect of doing a detox is often rashes and other skin problems, especially if many toxins are being released. These will subside by the time the process has finished, and should not be confused as a worsening of your problem."

In a nut shell our body is full of toxins. Our food, our environment, our lifestyle, pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, certain medications, the air we breathe and the water we drink can contribute to the build up of toxins in our system. Toxins lead to various symptoms that affect the quality of our life. A detox (if done correctly) can help us get rid of these toxins and live a healthier/happy life.

Please do consult your doctor before trying any detox plan especially if you are on medications.

Back to Smoothie of the day...

I have been doing pretty good with my smoothies for the last two days. Yesterday I made a delicious smoothie with

1 cup Kale

1 cup Spinach

1 Mango

3-4 chunks of pineapple

2 cups water

This is one of the best smoothies I have drank so far. I think this is the perfect combination of fruits and vegetables for a newbie. They will instantly fall in love with smoothies if they drink this.

The most delicious green smoothie

I also tried another weird combination

2 leaves raindow chard

1 cup watercress

3-4 chunks pineapple

1/2 mango

2 kiwis

2 cups water

This smoothie turned out little bitter. I guess I added way more greens. I still had it but wouldn't recommend it to someone who is not into green smoothies.

Confession for the Day Tuesday and Wednesday..

I am improving as far as my cheating is concerned. I believe as my body is getting rid of the toxins I am not getting cravings for the food I normally craved for. Lat week was tough, this week is better.

Since yesterday morning I had one cup of beans, 2-3 pieces of boiled potato, 1 bite of idli, 1 bite dosa, 2 spoons coconut chutney.

My husband also decided to go out for dinner. I had cooked his favorite beans but he wanted to eat dosa. So we went out to an Indian restaurant. I ordered a mango lassi and had about half glass. Not an ideal choice because of the dairy, added sugar and mango pulp (which is probably canned and not fresh). I should have just opted for water but no point crying over split milk.

Gratitude Day 9 & 10:

It's a beautiful season here in Arizona. My friends often post pictures of the flowers blooming in their backyards on their facebook page. It puts a smile on my face looking at these beautiful pictures. Thanks to all my friends for bringing that smile. Keep those pictures coming!

Prayers Requests for Day 11..

I have been very busy lately. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget to eat and more importantly I forget to write. Please keep those prayers coming so that I continue writing for my readers and also stay on my plan.

In my next few articles I will try to answer some of my reader's questions about detox, green smoothies, sugar substitutes, what seeds to use, etc. Stay tuned!

Sources:

Bembu, "10 Signs your body is screaming at you for a detox", Available online at Endo Riot, April 10 2014

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Health Benefits of a Green Smoothie! Day 8 on Smoothies

It's been one week since I have been on smoothies. I do some munching every now and then, so technically speaking I am not really on a detox. But considering my eating habits for the last few months the changes I have made in the last week are not bad. Now I really need to focus on filling the gaps to follow a true detox plan. 

Many of you have been following me in my smoothie adventure. I am sure by now most of you have committed to having at least one green smoothie a day. To further motivate you let me talk about some of the benefits of green smoothies today:

More energy: Green smoothies offer pure nutrition. The amount of vitamins you’ll get depends on the fruits and vegetables you choose for the smoothie. If you start the day with a green smoothie you will get all that nutrition in your system and notice a massive increase in the amount of energy you have. 

Weight loss: Green smoothies are low in calories but very filling. Because they contain high amounts of water and fiber, they’ll make you feel full.  Green smoothies will help you with your weight loss goals by helping fight hunger and cravings. 

Weight gain: If you are trying to gain weight, it is much easier to add a filling green smoothie (provided you use the right kind of vegetables) to your existing diet and drink your extra calories  to put on weight.

Easy to Digest: Green smoothies are easy to digest. Because they’re already blended and liquefied, the body no longer needs to work so hard to “break down” the food in order to extract the nutrients. People who suffer from indigestion after eating a heavy meal will also benefit, as smoothies are filling but light.

Mental clarity: Junk food, especially processed white flour and sugar can clog our minds making our brains feel cloudy.  Drinking green smoothies will clear your mind and make you more alert and creative. 

Crave less junk: When you increase the amount of healthy foods in your diet and decrease the unhealthy foods you will naturally stop craving junk food and crave more of the same healthy food.  

Improves skin; less wrinkles: Green smoothies will keep you hydrated. Although one should drink at least eight glasses of water a day, experts believe most people don’t drink even half that amount. . If you feel dehydrated or think you are not drinking enough water, simply add more water to the mix as you prepare your smoothie. You’ll be drinking more liquids without even noticing it. The increased fluids and power of natural foods in your diet will hydrate your skin and reduce your wrinkles making you look younger.

Improve your immunity; Reduce the risk of serious diseases:   It is well known that one way of preventing colds, flu, allergies and even the risk of certain cancer and heart disease is to increase the number of fruit and vegetables in your diet.  The more green smoothies you drink, the lower your risk.

Easy and Inexpensive:  Green smoothies are easy and quick to make. The only equipment you need is a blender. Homemade green smoothies are cheap. Buying smoothies at a juice bar can cost as much as $6 a glass but combining fruits and vegetables at home won’t cost you more than a few cents. Drinking a glass every day will provide you with all the vitamins you need, a much cheaper (and more natural) option than buying multivitamins. 

I bought my veggies for the smoothies this weekend. All of them are organic and most of them cost only $2.99 /pound at Fry's. Fresh and organic kale was only 99 cents/pound.

My stock of greens!

Great way to add greens to your kid's diet: Green smoothies can be a good way to get kids to “eat” their vegetables.Start with a higher proportion of fruit vs. vegetables (for example, 70/30 instead of the standard 60/40) until they get used to the flavor.

Back to Smoothie of the Day:

I decided to go on a water fast yesterday. I did pretty well except for eating few nuts till evening. Then in the evening I went to the Temple. I  try to go the temple every Sunday. Definitely need some spirituality to keep myself sane. The temple offers a great feast after the prayers. They had this awesome broccoli vegetable that I tried. It was so good I actually took the recipe from the Temple chef. 

Cutting a long story short on Sunday I ate few nuts, broccoli vegetable and water.  

I decided to take Monday as it goes without stressing too much about food or smoothies. 

I started the day with warm water and lemon and Matcha. I drank lots of water all day and ate about 1 cup of lentils and a handful of nuts along with couple of cups of tea (with milk). I didn't really feel like eating my smoothie so skipped it entirely.

Confessions:

I am still not able to get rid of my morning cup of tea, would seriously like to improve this area of my life. I also had some lentils, nuts and broccoli. It's like when I prepare food I just can't stop myself from tasting it. I need to improve on this too.

Gratitude Day 8:

This is the first time I have been able to stick to my plan for more than a week. I know there are many areas that I need to still improve. I would like to Thank GOD for giving me the strength to carry on my plans as intended. A big Thanks to all my friends and family who motivate me every day. 

Prayers for Day 9:

Today I would like to pray for all the people who want to make changes in their diet or lifestyle. I pray that you find the right resources and get the wisdom to decide the best plan for yourself and your family. 

Healthy Regards,

Parul

Hoping to get a good view of the lunar moon tonight. Fingers crossed. 

Sources:

Greenleaf H, "Top 10 Benefits of Green Smoothies", Available online at VegKitchen.com, March 2014

Natalia K, "Feeling tired? 12 Health transforming benefits of Green smoothies", Available Online at Green Thickies.com, October 2012

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Why EAT and just not DRINK your smoothie? Weekend on Smoothies!

So far so good.. The weekend was not as bad as I had expected it to be. My husband got a little creative and decided to make chickpeas and naan for breakfast. The meal smelled awesome! I had little bit of chickpeas but avoided the naan. 

I also attended a birthday party on Saturday afternoon and ate only 1 small piece of celery stick there. Didn't feel like eating the cake and passed it totally. Yippee!

Then in the evening while shopping for my groceries I felt really hungry. I saw a box of mixed nuts on one of the aisles and just grabbed it. Opened it immediately and ate couple of almonds. Then at night while I was chewing my smoothie for dinner I thought I should share why we need to chew our smoothies and not just gulp them down with a straw. 

Going back to Biology 101:

The process of digestion begins in the mouth. The mouth has the ability to reduce the size of food particles (with the help of teeth) by cutting and grinding. While the dimensions of food are being reduced another important function is going on simultaneously.

The salivary glands are secreting saliva, which is mixed with food. The combination of reduced food particles mixing with saliva is the beginning of digestion. Saliva contains an enzyme called Ptyalin which is an enzyme that helps to break the food down for the digestive process.  

But still why do we need to chew our smoothie?

If we skip chewing our smoothies or juices then we also skip giving our digestive system the enzyme that will help with digestion of these smoothies. This enzyme helps to digest carbohydrates and it begins that process in the mouth.

Chewing also helps the body decide the exact composition and amount of enzymes needed to digest the food. Chewing also raises the temperature of food to match the temperature of the body (ever experienced brain freeze while drinking ice cold drinks?) making the food more bio available for the body. In other words our body is able to use the nutrition form the food or smoothies better when it is chewed properly. "It’s like getting it on track in order for your body to use it".  

How much time would you give if you were to eat 1 cup spinach, 1 cup blueberries, 1 apple, 2 kiwis and 2-3 cups of water? May be an hour?  So give at least that much time to drink your smoothie. If you just gulp it down then you are not only missing the beneficial enzymes needed for digestion but also the nutritional benefits that go along with smoothies.

Back to Smoothie for the Day....

2 large leaves of collard greens

2 stalks celery

1 mango 

1 apple

3 kiwis

1 cup water

Love the taste! Relished this all day Saturday!

I liked the combination so much that I just doubled the amount and consumed it for all my meals. 

I think I ate little too much on Saturday, so Sunday morning I didn't feel like eating anything. Moreover, its good to give our system break once in a while so I decided to go on a water fast for Sunday. Just water and may be teas. It's almost 1 pm as I write this and so far I have stayed on my plan. I am hoping I will stay on this for the rest of the evening if I don't get too too hungry. Good Luck to me!

Confessions for the weekend:

Chickpeas, nuts, little salad and tea. I know I can do better than this. I know I will improve.

Gratitude Day 6 and 7:

Thank GOD and to that wise person who came up with the idea of weekends. It's so important for us  physically, mentally and spiritually to go on a break every now and then. Breaks help our bodies and mind to relax, rejuvenate and recuperate. Without a concept of weekends or vacations we would be turning into working machines.

Prayers for next week:

I am planning to take my journey one step ahead and start with juices. I can use all the prayers from my lovely readers.

Sources:
Benjamin D, "Are you chewing your smoothies", Available online at Healthy, Wild and Free, June 2013

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