Category Archives: Smoothies

{healthy} chocolate ice cream

 

Life without a little chocolate is just not worth living.

Soulful and deep. Enveloping. Uplifting.

And healthy?

Yes.

But, before you dive head first into the bucket of Snickers and swimming in Starbucks Mocha’s for all of the health benefits, let’s talk this through.

True chocolate nibs from the cocoa bean are an ancient food, and very nutrient dense to say the least. Calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and intense flavanoids are plentiful.

However, because most of our tastebuds are dulled with so much salt, sugar and boosted flavor chemicals with the rest of our {processed} food and drink intake, the chocolate that we are most familiar with has been with the addition of intense doses of milk & sugar.

Which is great. And I love it too sometimes. Don’t get me wrong.

But, I wouldn’t eat it everyday or even a few times a week. That takes the joy & richness out of the experience of eating it.

And, it can wreck havoc on your energy, sleep and condition your body in a way that you crave and need sugar everyday. And there is no fun in that.

So, a solution to get the benefits of chocolate without any of the downfalls?

Oh.

So glad you asked.

Healthy chocolate ice cream is here. With just enough soul and chocolate flavor to deeply satisfy, without any added sugars, milk products or guilt {in case you ever had that in the first place}. In other words, a perfect weekday {or any day} treat.

{healthy} chocolate ice cream:

Ingredients:
1 banana
1/2 avocado
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
ice
 
Directions:
Add banana, cocoa powder and avocado in a blender with a few splashes of water. Blend. Add 2 handfuls of ice.
Serve immediately or stick in the freezer for 1-2 hrs for a frozen chocolate treat.
 
Optional to add natural peanut butter, coconut milk or cinnamon for variety & heavier consistency.

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Filed under All Recipes, Dessert, Smoothies

The {Superfood} Green Smoothie

It’s detox week next week around here.

That means lots of recipes testing this week.

You lucky ducks.

Amongst the few failures, a perfectly easy, delicious, true superfood (real food) smoothie emerged.

Never tried a green smoothie? They are a  great, easy way to get more of the good stuff in- whether you are detoxing or not. It’s the perfect go-to food, especially on busy days. I’m not talking smoothie shakes with fake, denatured protein powders, extra sugars, mixes or chemicals (many brands do, read your ingredient labels), but ones made of all real food.

Let’s be honest. We all need help eating extra veggies and nutrient dense food. So, a little sneak peak of one of next week’s recipes for the 5 day onvo detox if you’re doing it with me, or on it’s own.

For most, a detox means taking strange pills, starving yourself, or only drinking weird concoctions of liquids. Truly, a detox should be more like a vacation week for your body. Vacations are meant to rejuvenate and de-stress, so you can come back to your life even better, stronger, and more focused than before. We are good about this in society in taking our mental breaks. But what about your body? Your organs, your blood, and your tissues all need the same break, even if you try to do the best you can most of the time.

Eating real, nutrient dense whole foods is the best way to give your body all the good vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that it needs, in a form that your body can easily absorb. So, naturally, when doing a detox (or just trying to eat better, if you’re starting off more slowly), the best way to go about it is to use real foods over synthetic supplements or stimulants.

4 ingredients- excuse me- 4 of the healthiest real foods in terms of nutrient density per bite- and ice. Did I mention it tastes great too? Now you have no excuses. Oops. So sorry.

Maybe you’ll forgive me when you taste it.

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries- fresh or frozen

1/2 avocado

1/2 banana

3 (or more) large handfuls spinach

ice to blend

Directions: Add blueberries, banana and avocado with ice and some water. Add spinach once fruit is pureed and blend together. If you are a (clean) protein powder person, you can add 1/2 scoop as well with some more water.

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Filed under All Recipes, Smoothies, Vegetables