Tag: gluten-free

Happy Star Wars Day! Yoda’s Youthful Green Smoothie

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 This Green Smoothie was created in honour of The Wise One’s special day!

It’s not guaranteed to bestow long life  – I think 900 years is pushing it a bit – and a wealth of wisdom, but a host of healthy anti-inflammatory nutrients including healthy fats, protein, B vitamins, electrolytes and Vitamin C, will nourish and hydrate your skin and body, while it’s omega oils will also feed the brain.

Due to it’s vegetable content, it’s perhaps more a lunchtime smoothie than a breakfast one.

All ingredients are organic except the live yogurt, but it has no sugar or additives.

Ingredients

Half a ripe Avocado, chopped

2″ of Cucumber, chopped

1 Apple, chopped

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Tbsp CoYo Plain Yogurt

2 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped

1 Glass Unsweetened Coconut Water

Blend and serve.

May the Fourth Be With You!

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Khaki Kiwi Coconut Smoothie!

This smoothie turned out a bit differently from how I’d envisaged, on one of those mornings when things don’t quite go to plan – read more about it in One of Those Days …

The bananas were still very green, despite having been on the windowsill for three days, so I decided to use avocado, kiwi fruit and some cocount milk left over from the previous night’s curry.  Some romaine lettuce and a little wheatgrass powder, would, I thought produce a vivid green smoothie vibrant with health and nutrition, begging to awaken my sleep-starved body. What could go wrong?

This happened:

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I got a little carried away, adding blueberries and açaì powder. It came out khaki and looked less than appetising! And so thick I could probably use a knife and fork to eat it!

It tasted much better than it looked, however – the ugly duckling turned out to be more like a swan, so smooth as it glided down my throat – so let’s start again and pretend I knew what I was doing!

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This brunch in a glass is brimming with antioxidants, minerals, protein and healthy fats. It came out very thick, so you may want to add more liquid.

Ingredients

Half a ripe Avocado

(you can freeze the other half if you remove the skin and stone and chop it up, useful for smoothies or guacamole). 

1 Kiwi fruit, peeled

2 large Romaine leaves, washed and chopped

1 Tbsp chopped Sweet Apricot Kernels* (you can use almonds)

2 Tbsps Shelled Hemp Seeds*

2 Tbsps Coconut Milk

1  or 2 pitted Medjool Dates

Handful of Blueberries

1 Tbsp Açaì Powder *

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder

Glass of fresh Apple Juice + a little filtered water

Blend and eat with a spoon – or a knife and fork!

The only video that could possibly illustrate this recipe is the great Danny Kaye’s The Ugly Duckling, however it’s been removed from YouTube due to copyright issues 😕

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Improvised Thai Vegetable Green Curry with Chickpeas

This recipe is Vegan and Gluten-Free.

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This came about when we had nothing planned for dinner – nothing new there then! – and found just over half a tin of chickpeas in the fridge that needed using, along with about a quarter of a cauliflower and the same of broccoli.

I don’t often have curry. My husband likes them quite strong and puts tomatoes in which I don’t eat, but this time my tastes prevailed and so was born a mild, creamy curry made with my favourite veg.

Chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans and gram – are a good source of protein, calcium, iron and fibre.

Most of the ingredients were organic, but not the Green Curry Paste – however, it was free from additives, refined sugar and gluten and was suitable for vegans, so passed muster for this curry.

All measurements are very approximate and timings, well, basically I’m guessing!

The curry was all cooked in a large frying pan, with the vegetables being stir-fried first. Everything was done within 40 minutes or so.

Serves 3 – on the basis that there were 2 of us and enough left over for a third if we didn’t have seconds.

We had it with brown Basmati rice – I know, clash of cultures, but that’s what we like and that’s all we had in.

Get everything prepared beforehand: rice measured, soaked for an hour and rinsed, water boiled for the rice, all veg washed and chopped into small pieces, cans opened.

Ingredients

Coconut oil for frying

1 large Onion, chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, crushed

large handful each of Cauliflower & Broccoli already chopped into small pieces

3/4 Cup Sweetcorn

3-4 Mushrooms, Sliced

1/2 to 2/3 can of Chickpeas

2/3 can Coconut Milk

1-2 Tbsps Gang Keow Wan Green Curry Paste

A Splash or two of Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

1 Dsp Coconut Palm Sugar*

Squeeze of Lime

Handful of fresh chopped Coriander

Optional: 1 chopped tomato added near the end, we also thought plain, unsalted peanuts or cashews would go well if liked, but we didn’t have any.

 Method

(Have the rice going when the onion has been stir-frying for a couple of minutes, have a hot dish ready to put it in in case it’s ready first).

Melt the oil until hot enough for the onion to sizzle but not smoking.

Stir-fry onion for a few minutes until shiny, add cauliflower, broccoli and crushed garlic, stir-fry for another few minutes, then add mushrooms and continue to cook until it all begins to give a little.

Add some of the coconut milk, the green curry paste and the tamari and stir, cooking until the paste is dissolved and well mixed.

Add the rest of the milk, chickpeas, sweetcorn, sugar and continue cooking for a few minutes on a low heat with a lid on, until the cauliflower and broccoli are cooked but with a little bite.

Add the nuts if used.

Before serving, add a squeeze of lime juice and some fresh chopped coriander, with more coriander for garnish (I forgot it for the photos!).

Serve on hot plates.

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Hope I didn’t miss anything out!

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Magnesium-Rich Hippy Hippy Shake

(It has hemp seeds in it – Hippy? Get it? 😉)

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This shake is like a medicine chest in a glass: rich in magnesium as well as calcium, potassium, omega oils, protein, vitamins and healthy bacteria. It tastes good too! 

Many people are very deficient in Magnesium, which can have serious effects on our bodies from insomnia to chronic fatigue, muscle cramps to migraines, palpitations to chronic inflammatory diseases. For more information on Magnesium Deficiency and Magnesium-rich Plant-based Foods, see my post Magnesium: Are You Getting Enough?

Coconut can help the body absorb Magnesium, Calcium and other Vitamins, thereby maintaining healthy teeth, as well as supporting thyroid function and speeding up the metabolism.

The cultured bacteria in live yogurts help balance the gut and intestinal micro-organisms to aid digestion and support the immune system.

All ingredients are Organic and Gluten-Free.

Ingredients

1 Small Ripe Banana

Handful of Blueberries

Handful of Cashews

1 Heaped Tbsp Gluten-Free Oats

Small to Medium Glass of Cashew Nut Milk (home-made if possible), depending how thick or thin you like it

1 Tbsp Coyo Coconut Yogurt

1 Tbsp Cashew Nut Butter 

1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds

2 Tbsps Raw Organic Shelled Hemp Seeds*

Optional: 2 Probiotic Capsules* (I open them up and sprinkle them in)

Blend and add a few blueberries on top.

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com

*http://www.juicemaster.com

These 1960’s Hippies seem to like it and are still going great guns! Have fun!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Results & Final Thoughts

Just a quick post to finish off the juice challenge.  Had a really busy day with my 85 year old mum, my son and my two year old fireball grand-daughter. We are all exhausted – my mum is unused to so much activity, my son is sleep-deprived from a teething baby and had driven the hour and a half to our house, my husband has been preparing house and food all week for the visits as well as driving Mum around,  while our grand-daughter was here, there and everywhere, chatting and playing, completely oblivious to our yawns! I must have read 7 books – most of them belonged to her dad and his sister, so have seen better days, but the oldies are the goodies, as they say…

Foodwise, family visits are never easy when you are doing a juice cleanse, but today was a breeze. My family are used to me juicing by now – my son and grand-daughter also juice regularly – and so I don’t get the pitying looks or the questions about my sanity when they are eating pizza and home-made chips with salad while I just have the salad with a juice.

The two year old is a joy to watch at mealtimes, she loves her food and eats a variety of vegetables, salad and fruit. Yes, she had pizza which she loves, but she also had raw veggies and hummus, delighting in everything she ate. This is because raw salad-stuff, veggies and fruit were introduced from the beginning when she started weaning, she has always chosen her foods and watched them being prepared and soon began helping. Likewise, my grandson used to eat red peppers like apples when he was two and would raid the fridge for raw broccoli!

Having had a blended juice for breakfast, I felt no temptation to eat pizza or chips for lunch. Juicing really does reset your taste buds. I was ready for solid food though, I really needed to chew, and I enjoyed the avocado salad immensely. We had also grown some mung bean sprouts in preparation for my first solid meal.

For ‘afters’ and snacks,  everyone was happy to eat raw treats that had been defrosted (they keep so well),  and both Mum – who doesn’t like anything non-traditional – and the two year old tucked in to Easter Coconut and Almond Truffles, Home-made Raw Chocolate Treats and Chilled Sweet Hemp Treats.

 (In case you were concerned, my husband, son and I managed to sneak the occasional look at the cycling Tour of the Basque country this afternoon! 😉).

But, to the business end of this cleanse: the results. My digestion is calmed, my tendency to snack – however healthily – is calmed,  I have more energy and my itchy skin has calmed down. Last year’s extensive rash has stayed away,* but occasionally I do have a tendency to itchy skin if I stray from what I know keeps me healthy. My left ear and sinus had been blocked for a few days before the cleanse but are completely clear now.

And yes, I lost 5 lbs. (Update: another 1lb gone next day!)

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I hope you gained the results you were looking for or that these posts have encouraged and inspired you to take a step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Celebrate your success and your resolve and Juice On!

*How I was Inspired to Juice My Skin Clear

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Which Path Will You Take?

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Congratulations! You’ve completed the 5 lbs in 5 Days Juice Challenge! How do you feel? Can you see the improvements in your hair, skin, eyes? Do you feel lighter, no bloating, flatter tummy? Are you sleeping better, do you have more energy? Are you more patient with those around you?

Reflect on how you feel for a few minutes and compare and contrast with how you felt before. Do you want to keep this spark, this sense of being really alive, of appreciation and gratitude; do you want to hold on to the pride you are now feeling, the self-esteem?

Well, then, you have a decision to make. Will you continue your plant-based regime, using whole fruits and veg, full of vitamins and minerals; wholegrains, nuts and seeds with their healthy oils, protein and B vitamins?

Will you continue to have at least one juice a day or perhaps have a couple of juice-only days a week?

Or will you travel down the slippery slope and find yourself back eating burgers or pizzas and processed sugary foods? Maybe your family don’t want you to continue? They may with good intentions be concerned about your protein or your calcium but sometimes, seeing you change can be unsettling for them. Perhaps you think you are being a spoilsport because your friends want you to go out for a drink and a takeaway? Or you’re not sure you have sufficient motivation on your own?

In my experience, no amount of talking, explaining or encouragement will win over the sceptics. What does win them over is leading by example.

People will look at you and think, wow, she is looking so healthy, her eyes sparkle, she is so much happier, how do I get to feel like that?

So how do you keep yourself on the path you have chosen? You may have just taken the first step or you may be rebooting after taking a detour. Try to surround yourself with like-minded friends. Keep following this or other plant-based blogs for reinforcement, tips and recipes. Maybe find a Facebook group or Twitter juicers/healthy eaters if your friends are not quite there yet.

Jason Vale* has several books and apps that provide motivation and recipes to help you keep on the straight and narrow. I have tried most of them and can recommend them. I use them often.

If possible, try to spend this weekend continuing to juice but have a large salad as your lunch or evening meal today.

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Sit at the table, eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Appreciate all the flavours and textures. On Sunday, still juice and perhaps have a light soup or something like Stir-fry Veg With Ginger and Avocado (but omit the nuts this time).

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If you eat fish, then steamed or baked salmon and steamed or baked veggies. Try not to over-eat, your eyes will probably be bigger than your stomach! Keep grains to a minimum to begin with, every other day, after the weekend. Ease back into eating wholefoods gradually, your digestion will appreciate it!

If you’re a parent of young children, just watching you juice every day will make it the norm and will go a long way in helping you to maintain your healthier lifestyle. Letting them choose the ingredients and help with the juicing will reap benefits in the long term. The 2 toddlers in our family are already avid juicers. (If they are very young, be sure to dilute it well). Introducing more fruit and veg by being creative or ingenious – or downright sneaky! – will provide more variety in their diet and keep them healthier. Spiralising is a great idea, such fun for kids to watch and test the results.

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Replacing sugary ice lollies or ice-cream with real fruit frozen smoothie lollies or banana, cacao or peanut butter nice-cream will help wean them off so much refined sugar. Or look at the raw treats recipes on this or other blogs.

L to R: Sweet potato brownies, Grab yourself a slice of energy, home-made raw chocolate, Spicy Orange Fruit Balls, Go-Go Berry Fudge. 

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For more help see I Feel Good- What Now?

You are Amazing! Keep it up!

*http://www.juicemaster.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Day 5 Feelgood Friday – Parsnips? You’ve Got To Be Kidding!

Ok, I’ll spare you the rant! Regular followers on here and on Twitter will be well-versed in my, ahem, relationship with this particular root vegetable – if you are one of the few not familiar with said relationship, I invite you to read Pears But No More Parsnips!

The reason I mention it again here is that Day 5 means Pear ‘n’ Parsnip juice – twice! But after trying several times in the past, I have given myself permission to forego this ‘delight’ and will be substituting with a juice from the Super Juice Me! app so that I can use some of the asparagus we inadvertently ordered in our veg box this week, forgetting about the juice cleanse.

It is ok to substitute occasionally, providing you still create a balance with your juices and don’t overdo the fruit or the root veg to make them sweeter.

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Nature’s Super Blend in my Grip and Go leakproof glass bottle.        Much healthier to use glass rather than plastic to store or drink juice from, both for us and the environment.

5 Day Friday

So, today is the final day of the cleanse. How is it going? Did you find it a breeze or a struggle? Did you ‘cheat’? How do you feel about ‘cheating’? Did you give up because you cheated? Do you feel a failure?

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As I said at the beginning of the week, this is not a test for you to pass or fail. One slip doesn’t mean juicing isn’t for you! You can start over: if circumstances precluded you doing a full cleanse, then have a juice a day until you can. Did you have support or were people commenting about protein/fibre/sugar etc? Or cooking food you don’t want to eat and ‘encouraging’ you to ‘just have a little mouthful, once won’t do any harm.’

You are trying to be the healthiest you can be.

That’s not for anyone else to comment on, only for you to feel proud about.

And if you’ve made it through the week, well done! But don’t give up yet – it’s 5 Days AND 5 nights! 

Saturday is transition day. You will still need to juice while gently introducing whole fruit and veg, in other words plant-based foods. Don’t be tempted by family or friends to go out and celebrate – well, not in the way that’s traditionally done! No alcohol or fatty, sugary processed foods. Believe me, you will regret it.

See Super Juicing! I Feel Good – What Now? for tips on how to proceed after a cleanse.

(Whispering now cos it’s not polite to use toilet talk in public: after the initial ‘elimination’ at the start of the cleanse, some people have problems restarting the system, shall we say, towards the end of the week. If this is the case, it is perfectly fine to add a spoonful of ground linseeds to your juice in the morning).

And with that thought, I’ll love you and leave you!

Oh, ps look what my mum brought with her!

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NB Please ask your doctor for advice if you’re thinking of extending your juice cleanse.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5lbs in 5 Days Juice Challenge

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On Monday 4th April, I will be taking part in Jason Vale’s Big Juice Challenge using his 5lbs in 5 Days juicing plan. I wondered if any of you would like to do it with me and perhaps I can offer some support if it’s your first time?

This is my favourite of Jason’s plans: the juices are tasty and satisfying and the plan is just long enough to feel you’re getting somewhere and to spur you on to clean up your diet and lifestyle more permanently.

It says 5lbs in 5 Days, but most people lose more. My first time – without exercising – I lost 8, some have lost as much as 11, it really depends how overweight you are and how much you exercise.

This is an excellent time to start cleaning up your diet as the weather improves and the days get longer; you can finally leave your winter cave and breathe some fresh air while walking/running/cycling, and feel inspired by the renewal of Nature all around you to renew your faith and investment in you and your amazing body!

Juicing feeds your body on a cellular level, giving it everything it needs, and once your body has eliminated and replaced all the rubbish you will feel alert, energised, positive and motivated to carry on. Your hormones will be reset, your digestive system calmed and you may even finally discover which foods are aggravating or make you bloated/sluggish when you begin slowly to reintroduce solid food.

For those of you concerned about living on liquids for a week, don’t worry there are some solids in there too! Some of the juices are blended with avocado, there are mixed seeds, berries, banana and yogurt too. The Berry Banana Crunch is something to look forward to on Day 3!

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Jason’s 5lbs in 5 Days app is fun, informative and inspiring. I recommend using it if you’ve never done this before, and if you can obtain a copy of the book all the better. It really helps if you understand the process and make a mental as well as physical commitment to your health.

The app contains a shopping list and all the recipes and coaching videos you need to keep motivated. You have a ginger shot and 4 juices every day (2 x 2 recipes so you can make some in advance by doubling the quantity) plus herb or fruit teas and water:

DON’T FORGET THE WATER!

For extra motivation, I recommend watching Super Juice Me! The Documentary which involves an experiment Jason conducted taking 8 people with 28 chronic and sometimes life-threatening illnesses, giving them specially-prepared juices for 28 days. You will be amazed, moved, inspired.

If you are interested or if you would like more information or if you’re not sure, take a look at my My First Juice Cleanse – Advice for Beginners (which has my before and after photos), Super Juicing Day 1: Tips & Tricks or any of the other juicing posts.

Finally, if you would like to join me, Rule Number 1 is Don’t Have A Final Blow-Out This Weekend! You will feel worse for it and stand a bigger chance of giving up before you get properly started.

If this is too short notice, then you could spend this week tapering off your usual diet ie cutting out sugar, processed foods, alcohol, coffee and begin properly next week. I will still be here if you need support.

Juice On!

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Juice Master

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Easter Coconut & Almond Truffles

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So good to have some sun again after weeks of rain!

These Raw Truffles were made from the pulp left over from the almond milk this morning. (See Almond Milk Recipe). The pulp was left wet and everything was done in the processor. Very quick and simple.

Ingredients

Leftover Pulp fom just under a Litre of Almond Milk

1/2 Cup Raisins

1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut

4 Dates

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Tbsp Raw Organic Coconut Oil

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Maple Syrup

For Dusting (Optional): Desiccated Coconut, Finely Chopped Almonds, Raw Cacao Powder*

Method

Process everything until it comes together and you can press it into balls. It doesn’t take long. Place in the fridge in an airtight container and they’ll keep well.

Some garden photos to celebrate Spring!

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Love the smell of hyacinths

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Nesting materials for the birds – we have a pair of robins, several blackbirds, goldfinches, sparrows, blue tits, great tits and a pair of wrens! Idea from Pioneering the Simple Life.

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*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

How To Make Almond Milk

Home-made almond milk is so much tastier than that bought in cartons and is easy to make, especially if you have a high-speed blender. We use the Optimum 9200 from Froothie easy to use, easy to clean. The Retro Super Blend can also cope well with nuts, but we tend to use that for smoothies and the Optimum for milk as it has a slightly larger capacity.

Almonds are the king of the nut world in terms of nutrients: they are alkaline and full of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, Calcium and Vitamin D.  1 oz or 28g (a small handful) contains about 6g of protein. Most of the fat content is the healthier mono-unsaturated type.

So, have a go at making your own, it is a very satisfying activity. Because it is a very hands-on exercise, do make sure you wash your hands and nails thoroughly before starting.

All ingredients are organic where possible. This recipe makes about 1 litre.

You will need something to strain the milk, we use a nut milk bag bought on Amazon and still going strong a year later. It is easy to rinse out afterwards, do it straightaway under running hot water and hang up to air dry.

Method

Soak 1 Cup Raw Almonds overnight in enough filtered water to cover them.

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They will look plump after soaking.

Drain and rinse. The rinse water removes phytates which bind to minerals in the body and prevent absorption.

Pour the soaked almonds into the blender with:

3 or 4 Cups Filtered Water, depending how creamy you like it

1 or 2 Pitted Medjool Dates, depending on how sweet you like it

A good pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

Optional: 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Blend on Fast for about 60 secs.

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Strain gently through a nut milk bag or muslin cloth into a large jug.

Let it run through first, then very gently begin to squeeze. Don’t be too enthusiastic about this or you’ll end up with more on you and the work surface than in the jug! Be patient. It’s worth it.

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It can keep up to 4 days in an airtight jug or glass bottle (see Grip & Go below) in the fridge, but I doubt you will manage to make it last that long! It’s too good.

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Ps You can dry the pulp on the lowest setting of the oven and use it as flour, in veggie burgers, or as it is in raw treats etc. See here for my Raw Pitch Dark Figgy Almond Slices.

Copyright: Chris McGowan