Tag Archives: brunch

Health and Nutrition

Spooktacular Apple Pie Smoothie!

Apple Pie Smoothie

Earlier this year I went apple picking with my youngest son on his school field trip. I was most excited about overloading my bag with a variety of apples. When it comes to cooking, apples are actually very functional and can be used in a multitude of recipes.  As for ourselves we ate most, baked apple bread, made breakfast compote, and finished the batch with an apple pie.

An American classic that I have grown to love is warm apple pie with a bowl of vanilla ice cream! However, having apple pie and ice cream regularly is just not practical. Excited about Fall flavors, I decided to recreate the flavors of apple pie with ice cream into a smoothie. This smoothie is delicious and a little bit on the sweet side, so it can definitely help with anyone’s sweet tooth. Trust me!

Do not let the sweetness fool you, it is still a very nutritious smoothie. You know the saying “one apple a day keeps the doctor away”…. Apples do have wonderful health benefits. They are loaded with fiber and Vitamins C and B, thus making them a powerful antioxidant that also help to lower cholesterol and are beneficial to blood cells and the nervous system. Dates have been added to this recipe as a natural sweetener, they are also wonderful snack options to have in hand if you need a little natural sugar boost, they are my go to snacks to curb sweet cravings!

The cinnamon helps to control the sugar spikes, as it is a wonderful tool in controlling the sugar levels in blood cells. The ginger, nutmeg, and cloves are not only adding the beautiful fall aroma to this smoothie, but also aiding in the detoxification of the body. Nutmeg combined with cinnamon work specially well in combating bacteria.

So go ahead and indulge a little in this yummy smoothie and enjoy the beautiful flavors, aromas, and colors of the Fall Season!

Apple Pie Smoothie 2

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1 fuji apple (or any other apple of your choice)

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

1 cup of unfiltered apple juice

2 dates

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

Put all the ingredients in a blender, mix well and enjoy!

Receita em Portugues:

Ingredientes:

1 banana congelada

1 maçã fuji (ou qualquer outra tipo de sua escolha)

1 xícara de leite de amêndoa sem açúcar

1 xícara de suco de maçã não filtrado

2 tamaras

1/2 colher de chá de canela

1/4 colher de chá de gengibre

1/4 colher de chá de noz-moscada

1/8 colher de chá de cravo

Coloque todos os ingredientes no liquidificador , misture bem e aproveite!

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 57 31

http://www.facebook.com/blissbalancehealth

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Cooking, Health and Nutrition

It’s Pumpkin muffin time!

pumpkin muffin

Beautiful colors, aroma, and once a year flavors are all converging on my favorite season, Fall! Fall is absolutely my favorite season and I look forward to it every year! During this week’s grocery trip I was happily surprised to find that pumpkins were displayed beautifully at the market I shop at. Of course I grabbed a couple of them and was excited to use them right away!

Fall may not be my whole family’s favorite season, but pumpkin most certainly is a family favorite. My husband’s all time favorite dessert is pumpkin pie and my kids just love the pie and the muffins I usually make. After the kids brought home awesome progress reports, I decided that they earned this season’s first treat. Welcome back pumpkin muffins!

I am always looking for healthier alternatives my for children’s snacks as well as for myself, these muffins are exactly that! They are great for afternoon snacks and no one would tell the difference between these super natural and healthier muffins than the ones from the grocery store that are loaded with processed ingredients. As with most my recipes, these muffins are also free of animal products, making them a good choice for those who have removed milk ingredients from their diet. They are also gluten free.

So what is so nutritious about these muffins? Pumpkins are full of antioxidants, dietary fiber, and is one of the least caloric vegetables ( 3oz contains 26 calories and no saturated fat). Pumpkin is also a great source of complex B vitamins, and minerals such as copper, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. The combination of spices help to regulate blood sugar and boost digestion. The flaxseed, coconut oil, and chocolate provide a dose of healthy fats that are essential to the proper distribution of vitamins and minerals throughout the body. When you’re feeling a little adventurous, dark chocolate chips can be added to increase your healthy fats and increase distribution of vitamins and minerals throughout the body.  Today, I’m feeling adventurous!

Is your mouth watering already? Let’s find out how easy these are to make!

pumpkin muffin

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of brown rice flour (1 1/2 copo de farinha de arroz integral)

1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon ( 1 1/2 colher de chá de canela)

1 tsp ginger ( 1 colher de chá de gengibre em pó )

1/2 tsp of nutmeg (1/2 colher de chá de noz moscada)

1/8 tsp clover (1/8 colher de chá de cravo)

1 tsp baking soda (1 colher de chá de bicarbonato de sódio )

1/4 tsp of baking powder ( 1/4 colher de chá de fermento)

1/2 tsp salt (1/2 colher de chá de sal)

2 Tbs of flaxseed mixed with 6 Tbs of water (2 colheres de sopa de farinha de linhaça misturada com 6 colheres de sopa de água )

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil (1/2 copo de óleo de coco derretido)

1/2 cup of coconut sugar (1/2 copo de açúcar de coco ou mascavo)

1/2 tsp of vanilla (1/2 colher de chá de baunilha)

2 cups of pumpkin puree or 1 15 oz can of pure pumpkin (2 copos de pure de abóbora )

1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (1/4 copo de chocolate meio amargo)

1/4 cup walnuts (optional) (1/4 copo de nozes)

In a medium bowl mix the first 8 ingredients together. Make a well in the center and add the flaxseed mixture, oil, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. After mixing the wet ingredients in the center, mix them with the flour mixture. Add the nuts and chocolate chips if using and mix well. Fill muffins pans 3/4 of the way with dough and sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Em uma tigela média misture os 8 primeiros ingredientes juntos. Faça um buraco no centro e adicione a mistura de linhaça, óleo, açúcar, óleo de coco, baunilha e purê de abóbora. Depois de misturar os ingredientes no centro, misture-os com a mistura de farinha. Adicione as nozes e raspas de chocolate e misture bem. Preencha muffin pans três quartos do caminho com a massa e polvilhe algumas raspas de chocolate extras no topo. Asse por 15-18 minutos ou até que um palito inserido saia limpo. Aproveite!

Meditation – Yoga – Ayurveda

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 5731

http://www.facebook.com/blissbalancehealth

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Health and Nutrition

What else can I do with Avocado?

avocado

If you have spent the night at my house as a guest or been invited for brunch, you have probably had this recipe before. One morning I was inspired to make this when I was craving eggs and needed to satisfy a brunch time appetite. I have removed most animal products from my diet, but every now and then I allow myself to have an egg.

Lifestyle choices should be easy, relaxed and not one of guilt. Living Ayurveda allows me to make choices that are nourishing for me. I make choices based on what I need to balance in my life at that moment in time. In their simplest form, the choices are typically eating more or less of something, never forbidding me from any specific food item. I made the decision to be a vegetarian because I enjoy the natural “lightness” my body feels when avoiding meat. I avoid other animal products on a regular basis, but every once in a while allow myself to have what my body craves. Remember, Ayurveda is a lifestyle, NOT a set of rules that can’t be broken..

. Today my body craved an egg, so I paired it with items that were going to be nourishing for me. Looking to balance the VATA (Ayurvedic mind-body type) in my body, I needed items that were going to reduce my “dry and airy” nature. Avocado provides the healthy fat and oiliness that are perfect to reduce dryness. Topping off the dish, tomatoes are wonderful for cardiovascular health and also balancing to the VATA Dosha.

eggs

Let’s take a look into the benefits of adding eggs into your diet. Most people would agree that eggs are an excellent source of protein. The protein source is found mostly in the egg white portion of the egg. Amino acids found in eggs are easily digested and absorbed by the human body. The yolk portion of the egg has gotten a bad reputation for being high in cholesterol, however that are many benefits to enjoying the yolk. The egg yolk is loaded with B complex vitamin choline, which is associated with neurological functions and reduces inflammation. Choline is also associated with fetal brain development, excellent for expectant mothers. Egg yolk is also loaded with sulfur, an essential nutrient that helps with the absorption of vitamin B and liver function. A small recommendation, look for eggs that come from “happy” free range chickens.

So how do we integrate eggs, avocado and tomatoes?
.

 avocado egg breakfast

What do you need?

1 tsp coconut oil (1 colher de chá de óleo de coco)

Salt and black pepper (sal e pimenta do reino)

Half of an avocado (meio abacate)

5-6 cherry tomatoes or 1 tomato cubed ( 1 tomate em cubos ou 5-6 tomates cereja)

5-6 torn fresh basil leaves ( 5-6 folhas de manjericão fresco rasgadas)

1/2 lime (1/2 limão)

In a small egg pan melt the coconut oil. Saute both sides of the avocado sprinkled with salt and pepper. Remove and put it on a plate. Cook the egg sunny side up (small pinch of salt and pepper if desired), place the egg on top of the avocado. Now saute the tomatoes quickly, just enough to warm them up. Place the tomatoes on the plate with the avocado/egg. Also sprinkle it with some lime juice and tear the basil leaves on top. Enjoy!

Em uma frigideira pequena acrescente o óleo de coco. Adicione o abacate com um pouco de sal em pimenta e doure os dois lados. Retire o abacate e coloque em um prato. Frite o ovo com um pouco de sal e pimenta. Coloque o ovo em cima do abacate. Doure o tomate ligeiramente e depois acrescente ao prato com o ovo/abacate. Rasgue umas folhas de manjericão em cima mistura. Para o toque final o suco de meio limão! Aproveite!

Ayurveda Lifestyle and Primordial Sound Meditation Courses available in person or via Skype globally. Contact me to learn more!

http://www.blissbalancehealth.com

http://www.facebook.com/blissbalancehealth

armenia@blissbalancehealth.com

864 551 5731

 

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