Matcha Mango Super Smoothie

If there really is such a thing as purchasing too much fruit, my roommate and I have accomplished it. Our freezer is filled with plastic bags containing the remains of pint-sized cartons of blueberries, strawberries, and entire pineapples. And then there are the bananas. We buy bananas with good intentions: they’re quick - an easy snack for those 5-in-the-morning shifts. That is, if we actually decide to eat one. Instead, they linger in the fruit bowl, over-ripening tomatoes and getting all speckled and mushy. We don’t like to waste food, so what do we do? Into the freezer they go. We will never not have bananas in our freezer. It has become a way of life for us.

The surplus of fruit in our freezer has only become problematic because soon we won’t be able to fit anything else in it. Ok, I’m exaggerating a little bit here, but the it is a very real possibility, especially because we keep buying fruit. One can only enjoy strawberry banana smoothies for so long, so I’ve been getting creative with my fruity, blended creations. Take for instance, today’s offering on the blog: my matcha mango super smoothie. This smoothie is full of trendy, healthy buzzwords in its name, and it is also full of trendy, healthy food items like matcha, chia seeds, and spinach – another staple goes-bad-way-too-quickly food of Struggletown. This is a green smoothie unlike any other you have had. It’s delicately sweetened, packed full of antioxidants, and is actually filling. I like to balance the fruits and vegetables I put in my smoothies so I’m not drinking a sugar bomb, and I like to think that this is the first smoothie that I’ve actually made to fit this balance successfully.

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 banana, frozen

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

1 cup ice

½ cup almond milk

1 ½ tsp matcha powder

1 tsp honey

½ tsp chia seeds

Splash lime or lemon juice

Add all of the ingredients except for the chia seeds to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. There shouldn’t really be any chunks or flecks of spinach. Add the chia seeds and pulse 2-3 times to incorporate them, but not pulverize them. If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, by all means leave them out, or add them to the blender with the other ingredients so they’re ground up with the rest of the smoothie.

“You Eat _____, Right?”

Vegan, gluten-free, Paleo. You could insert any one of those and more into the title and it would form a question I’m asked all too often: how do you eat, Emily?

And the answer to that would be… however I want to eat.

Since my blog is growing, I felt it was important to address this. People like to know what the person who’s giving them advice or sharing ideas with them believes and practices, and including it in my blog adds to the reality I strive for with Keeping it Real.

I don’t play hard and fast with rules when it comes to the way I eat. I allow myself to go out to restaurants to eat, and I don’t restrict any food groups in particular. If I absolutely had to define the way I eat at home, it would be a plant-based, high-fiber diet. How did I come to this conclusion? Well, let me tell you:

1. I love fruits and vegetables.

I believe that loving what you eat is one of the most important aspects of eating at all. Fortunately, I actually do enjoy eating kale in all of its forms, along with most every other vegetable. Plant foods are also convenient. I can take a banana or apple in my bag without worrying that it’ll be a breeding ground like meat would be. Granted, I do eat meat, but fruits and vegetables are my priority. My goal when I’m eating is first, to get all of the essential nutrients I need from my food, and second, to enjoy it.

2. It’s sustainable.

The process of growing plants is far more efficient than raising animals. Plants produce gases that are good for the environment, leave behind less waste, and if crops are rotated correctly, can replenish the soil they are grown in. While I know that me eating more plants doesn’t have a huge impact on the global aspect of sustainability, it certainly does for my personal financial aspect. While I do enjoy meat, it’s not the cheapest to buy. I do eat meat, but it’s far cheaper to make some beans and high protein (and fiber!) grains.

I can also practice sustainability at home by having my own garden. Space in an apartment complex is limited, but there are plenty of resources for container gardening, which is how I’m growing my chard plants.

3. The science.

Plant-based diets are naturally high in fiber. The potential health benefits of fiber are huge, and a lot of them are still unknown. To keep things simple, some of the less mainstream benefits include: an improved immune system (fiber feeds the healthy bacteria in your intestines and may also interact with immune cells), increased fat oxidation (using fat for energy. It does this by increasing the expression of genes that code for certain fat metabolizing enzymes), and it slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to prevent high blood sugar and insulin resistance.

I could go on about the benefits and wonderfulness of fiber, but the rest of the plant needs some recognition, as well!

As we all know, plant foods contain, in differing amounts, all of the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that we currently know the body needs. I subscribe to a “whole foods” system in this area, and believe that the best way to get all of the nutrients your body needs is from the diet first. If you absolutely can’t get enough of something, then take a vitamin supplement. Phytochemicals are also present in plant foods, and while their purpose and function are still mostly unclear, they have been observed to have great health benefits.

Now for the part where I present my opinion:

Though research tends to focus on single nutrients and their impact on a specific disease state, enzyme, or function, I do believe that eating a varied, plant-based diet provides benefits beyond those of supplements. For example, carrots don’t only have vitamin A; they also contain vitamin C, K, and a number of other nutrients, some of which may still be unknown.

4. It works for me.

I found a way of eating that promotes health that I enjoy. It provides me with the essential nutrients I need, it maintains my current weight, and I leave myself room to enjoy foods that aren’t strictly “whole” or “plant-based”.  I do not consider it a “diet”, in the modern use of the word; it is a lifestyle, and a lifestyle approach to eating and exercising is what I encourage. I’m not strictly vegetarian, vegan, or even organic. I purchase what I can afford, and I make it work. I eat eggs (yes, yolk included), fish, meat, and even ice cream and desserts, but I also enjoy tofu, almond milk, and sweet potato burgers.

Just remember, health is not and should not be a fad. I recommend talking to a registered dietitian before changing your diet, and research in-depth and independently of what blogs (mine included) tell you. No two people are the same, and no single way of eating is ideal for everyone. Eating and activity should be purposeful, enjoyable, and personal.

Sources:

Benefits of Fiber

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926973/?tool=pmcentrez

Sustainability of Plant-Based Diets

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/Supplement_1/476S.abstract

CocoNUTS for Summer :)

Remember my ButterNUTS for Fall post way back when? No? Then you should go read it! It was the beginning of a school year; my half-way point through college. Today, I have less than a week before my graduation ceremony! A lot has changed since then, but my love of inspiring health is one of the few things that hasn't. I no longer have to worry about chemistry labs (ha!), or even 40-hour work weeks (yet). I'm taking my year before starting a dietetic internship off not only to save money for it (because they're dang expensive!), but also to gain new experiences in nutrition, become a DTR (dietetic technician, registered), and hopefully start working part time in a hospital.
For now, though, I'm enjoying life simply, loving my job at Dutch Bros. Coffee, and finding new ways to inspire, enlighten, and teach others how to improve their health.

So tonight I bring you: Simple Saturday. A delightful recipe with 5 (unprocessed or minimally processed) ingredients or less.

Featuring:

 This recipe really only needs 3 ingredients, but so much more goodness can be added to it if you want. The main base is:

Coconut water
Mango puree
Chia seeds

If you have this lovely mango chia 'jam' already made in the fridge, you could even say there are only 2 ingredients for this drink.

 To make the jam, you need:

2 ripe mangoes
1 tbsp chia seeds
lemon or lime juice (optional, but it cuts the sweetness a little)
water (optional)

Simple peel and chop the mangoes, then add to a blender and puree until smooth. It will be thick, and you can add some water if you would like to make a larger recipe (I added about 1/3 cup). If you don't add water, use less chia seeds because it will already be thicker. If you pick good mangoes, they should be sweet enough on their own and won't require any added sweeteners.

Place the jam in the fridge for at least an hour before making the drink. This way the chia seeds can gel up.

When you're ready to serve, simply place the desired amount of mango chia jam into the bottom of a cup. The more mango, the sweeter, so I put more! Top with ice and chilled coconut water, and you're done! Relax and enjoy out by the pool with a good book or while sitting on your couch in the air conditioning writing a blog post about it ;)

Coconut Mango Chia Refresher

2 tbsp mango chia jam 
8 oz. coconut water
Ice
Desired add-ins


As you can tell, I added some sliced strawberries and fresh, raw coconut pulp to mine (fresh coconut water is amazeballs). If you add chunky things, I recommend using a boba straw, which are now available in a lot of major grocery stores. This recipe is extremely flexible, so if you don't like mangoes, try using peaches, strawberries, pineapple, or any other fruit you like for the jam.

Coconut water is rich in electrolytes, making it a wonderful, natural alternative for sports drinks like gatorade. This recipe sweetens it up naturally and healthfully with the mango jam, and adds in some fiber from the chias (by now you should all know: fiber is my fave), as well as omega-3 fatty acids. I hope you enjoy this drink as much as I did!

I'm so excited to finally have time to contribute more to the blog, and hope to have another post up in the next week, so be on the lookout for more soon!

Today I Tried...[Tuesday]

In trying to keep up with the blog and update as much as I can (more posts=more exposure, right?), I've decided to start giving themes to some of my posts, which I will revisit on (hopefully) a weekly basis. We'll see how long that lasts. If all else fails, I'll do four special "themed" posts each month and see how that works out. Either way, you'll be seeing more from me than you do now! The theme of this vein of posts is something new in fitness/health/nutrition that I've tried, and a review of how it went.

Today is Tuesday, and Today I Tried...

Aerial Yoga!

Image courtesy of Yoga on High

Okay, so I actually went yesterday, but for the sake of alliteration, we'll say I did it today.

If you haven't heard of aerial or anti-gravity yoga yet, it's exactly what it sounds like: Yoga in the air. How do you do this? It requires you to muster up as much of that yogic energy as possible and use it to levitate yourself in the air.

Just kidding.

In reality, aerial yoga involves a big, silky hammock-like swing suspended from the ceiling. During the practice, you use the swing to support and assist yourself in traditional yoga poses like Warrior I and II, as well as inversions, twists, and balance poses.

The hammocks all ready to go! (Photo courtesy of yours truly!)

 Aerial Yoga is still pretty underground in Arizona. We're not very trendy here. However, I was able to find a studio about 20 minutes from where I live, and they were great!

I was very apprehensive at first. Most of the articles I had read about it were written by past gymnasts/dancers/current yoga buffs who have had prior experience in doing crazy things like flipping around with or without supports. So being my clumsy self, you can see why I was scared at first. However, the instructor and other participants in the class were extremely helpful and supportive, and I was able to get through the entire class with only one instance of flipping myself over and (surprisingly softly) onto the floor.

What I Learned

As long as you're following directions and you're in the sling right, you will not fall. Yes, it will feel weird as you go to kick yourself in the butt and send your upper body straight down into what could possibly end up in a face-plant. But you won't, because the sling will support you! Before you know it, you're hanging upside down in a suspended lotus!

While low-impact and definitely lower in intensity than, say, Bikram Yoga or the myriad of non-yoga pop-fitness classes like zumba, capoeira, cross-fit, etc., you will still leave feeling like you did something. I've been working out heavily for over 10 years (thanks, USA swimming) and consider myself to still be in pretty good shape. Still, my legs were shaking during the balancing poses and I'm sore in places - like my hips adductors - which have never actually been sore before. The incorporation of the sling into a lot of the poses also allows for a deeper, assisted stretch, as well. I bent my legs in ways I can't in my normal yoga practices because the sling was there as support.

The series of poses used in aerial yoga truly make you feel like you're flying in Cirque du Soleil. It's seriously exhilarating! Between the freedom I felt hanging upside down (and subsequent blood rush to the head), spinal decompression, sense of accomplishment as I performed some of the harder poses (dracula pose... like, what!?!), and uber-relaxing savasana in a gently swinging hammock, the entire practice just felt super amazing.

I absolutely loved my aerial yoga experience. The ladies at Fit n Lean Exercise were extremely friendly and helpful, and I would recommend the class there or anywhere else to anyone interested in trying this method out. Beginners to yoga in general will want to take it slower than those who are familiar with the original poses. The instructor should be able to give modifications for all levels. Also, if you're scared to try a pose at first, don't be afraid to ask the instructor to "spot" you. I got help with a couple of poses and was super glad I did.

I'll be going back again for sure (and taking the roomie with me :D), and encourage you all to try it out as well!

No Bake Carrot Cake Cookies

Living in my own little place is great.

I like that I can go to the fridge without worrying that all of my $4 goat cheese will be gone, and I’m always guaranteed to have the strawberries I left in the freezer there after two days have gone by. There’s also a good chance that the head of garlic I bought several weeks ago has sprouted, grown a stem, and leaves, too.

I like that I can watch whatever I want on Netflix without getting judged by my brothers for my questionable taste in medical dramas.

I like that I can do yoga in the morning on my living room floor and there’s no one around to interrupt my zen because my roommate works mornings.

I don’t like that my dining table is bigger than all of my kitchen counter space combined.

You see, tiny counters make cooking really hard. When your cutting board barely fits, there’s no room for ingredients, bowls, mixers, or much of anything else, really. Sure, clean-up is fast, but it would be faster if I didn’t have to make the entire kitchen a mess because I have to use every inch of space. So these cookie/cake/bar/whathaveyous are perfect for making in my tiny kitchen, because they really only use a pot and a bowl. Really, you could just use the pot.

The recipe itself is super similar to the no-bake chocolate peanutbutter cookies you see everywhere. Or as I knew them as a socially awkward homeschooled child, dinosaur cookies.

2 large carrots, shredded (about ½ cup shreds)

1 cup oats

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar

¼ cup almond butter

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp chopped pineapple (optional)

1 tsp chia seeds

Optional Icing Drizzle

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

2 tsp agave nectar

Splash of lemon juice

Shred the carrots and set aside in a bowl with the uncooked oats. In a medium-sized pot, melt the almond butter, coconut oil, and sugar together, and mix in the cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the carrots and oats. Mix together until the entire thing sticks together and forms a ball. Add the chia seeds and pineapple and mix until everything is incorporated. Place golf ball-sized mounds of the dough onto a sheet lined with parchment paper and squish them down a little. Place the sheet into the fridge or freezer to set.

While the cookies are chilling, mix together the coconut oil, agave nectar, and lemon juice. When the cookies are ready (should be firm and not sticky – takes about 30 minutes), drizzle the icing with a spoon over each cookie. Place the cookies back into the refrigerator until the icing is set, about 5 minutes.

Enjoy! These are full of fiber and other great things like fruits and vegetables, with a fairly low amount of added sugar and fat (which is the healthy kind anyways). They taste fabulous and you'll look fabulous for making them for your next potluck or whatever it is you kids do these days.

Spring Spring Spring!

 

Spring is here at last, though if you live in a sunny state like I do, it may have never really left! With springtime comes blossoming flowers, green leaves, and warm air; all making spring the most perfect season for taking a visit to your local farmer’s market. Farmer’s markets are a great way to get involved in your local community and economy, as well as better get to know exactly where your food comes from. In addition, many markets offer live music and kids’ activities, giving the potential for a fun family weekend outing. Most importantly of all, the farmer’s market is where you will find some of the best fruits, vegetables, and other food products around. Everything is more fresh, and because most of the items come from local farms and businesses, the transportation is much more ecologically friendly – just remember to bring some reusable grocery bags along to carry all of the great stuff you’re sure to find.

Depending on where you are in the country, different crops are in season at different times. Spring is a fun season because the temperature everywhere starts to rise, and there’s more variety across the country. Find your region below to see what may be available at your local market between March-May.

Northwest

Asparagus

Huckleberries

Mushrooms

New Potatoes

Northeast

Herbs

Mushrooms

Parsnips

Asparagus

Midwest

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Rhubarb

Parsnips

South

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Asparagus

Greens and Herbs

Southwest

Asparagus

Greens, lettuce, and cabbage

Snap Peas

Strawberries

Some regions may have more or less than what is listed here, but you’re sure to find something good regardless of where you live. If you’re trying to improve your diet to include more fruits and vegetables, visiting a farmer’s market is a great way to find something new and unusual that you might not find in your regular grocery store. For example, I visited my local farmer’s market this weekend and found orange cauliflower and romanesco broccoli – both strange vegetables, but also fun and colorful! Many vendors at farmer’s markets also offer other specialty food items like healthy bakery items, nut butters, honey, jams and jellies, and even seeds for planting in your own garden.

For more information on eating locally, and to find a farmer’s market near you, visit http://www.localharvest.org.

On a day-in-the-life-of-Emily note, I haven't updated in a while because I've been given the awesome opportunity to write for the blog at PHresh Kitchen through my school. PHresh Kitchen is a health-food focused fast food franchise in Florida (say that five times fast) with some great, delicious-looking ideas and registered dietitians behind their menu. 

Check it out at http://www.phreshkitchen.com, and if you're in Florida any time soon, stop by and let me know how it was!