Super Bowl Breakfast

Meet my two new friends! I love these little guys! They are sooo good for you!

Where to begin?!

 Let's start with goji berries. I first discovered these little guys when looking for foods that would help with infertility. Not only did I discover that goji berries help with increasing fertility naturally but recent medical research has identified several powerful medicinal properties, including: anti-aging, anti-cancer, weight loss promotion, enhancing libido as well as fertility, immune system boosting and much more. I will do a later post going into further detail!

And now for the amazing Chia seeds... How did I live without these little guys?! Their health benefits are amazing..

8 x more omega 3 than salmon

22 x more magnesium than broccoli

5 x times more calcium than whole milk

2 1/2 x more iron than spinach

2 x more potassium than bananas

2 x more fiber than bran flakes

5 x more protein than kidney beans

8 x more phosphorus than milk

equal to asparagus in folate

equal to antioxidants in blueberries

Some of the many benefits include:

energy boost/stability

lose weight & keep fit

anti aging

lowers cholesterol

stabilizes blood sugar levels

improves digestion

reduces inflammation

balances electrolytes

improve hydration

increase lean muscle

speed injury recovery

healthier skin

better sleep

better mood

Okay, and while we are at it, I will introduce you to a couple more friends I used to make my super bowl concoction. Crunch flax cereal, which is basically every allergen free~soy free, dairy free, gluten free, wheat free, nut free, egg free, fish free

And my little sweetener

 

This is one of my favorite random breakfast concoctions! mmm!

 

Super Bowl

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of your favorite yogurt (i have used plain greek & goat yogurt)

sweetened to taste, I used vanilla liquid stevia

1/2 cup crunch flax cereal or favorite cereal

1/2 cup of berries

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

2-4 tablespoons of goji berries

Directions:

Mix together & enjoy!

Chart comparison on chia seeds: http://www.azchia.com/chia_seed_tables/usda_comparisons.htm

More Chocolate Please!

   

So I know I have done a post about how amazing raw cacao powder is already, but I cant get over it!! It caught my attention again when I was watching a documentary called Food Matters. I am trying to get this super food in my body everyday to help me have a healthy body! Best part it is sooo good! Who doesn't love chocolate?! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip

Raw Cocoa (Cacao) is the Most Powerful Antioxidant Food!

Healthy Fudge

Raw cocoa has the highest antioxidant value of all the natural foods in the world!

Stuffed French Toast

Cocoa also appears to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And cocoa is a good source of the minerals magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.

Almond Joy Pancakes

Cocoa has a high content of the "beauty" mineral, sulfur. Sulfur helps build strong nails and hair, promotes healthy and beautiful skin, helps detoxify the liver, and supports healthy functioning of the pancreas. 

Banana Split Pancakes

Fresh cocoa beans are super-rich in the type of bioflavonoid called flavanols which are strong antioxidants that help maintain healthy blood flow and blood pressure.

Chocolate Oatmeal Recipes

 When it comes to supplying your body with effective ANTIOXIDANTS, no other natural food can even come close.

Chocolate Syrup

Cocoa also contains the amino acid Tryptophan which makes the neurotransmitter known as serotonin, which promotes positive feelings and helps keep us from feeling depressed. Cocoa contains the neurotransmitters dopamine, and phenylethylamine (PEA), and contains anandamide and MAO Inhibitors - which make this heart-healthy food a healthy food for the brain too.

Hot Dogs

You may also be surprised to learn that dark chocolate can help you lose weight!
  Because it has appetite-suppressant properties, cocoa is often added to weight loss products to help control hunger.

While you may have been told that chocolate is "fattening", the truth is that the fats found in cocoa butter are actually healthy fats!

Chocolate Ice Cream

A List of Healthy Substances Found in Raw Chocolate 

Many of the natural chemical compounds in raw cocoa or cacao beans and in organic dark chocolate have been discussed in scientific literature as being pharmacologically significant to health. Here is a partial list of these active substances in natural organic chocolate (and more are discussed below).

• Anandamide (a neurotransmitter known as "the bliss chemical")
• Arginine (nature's aphrodisiac)
• Dopamine (a neurotransmitter)
• Epicatechins (antioxidants)
• Magnesium (for healthy heart function)
• Serotonin (anti-stress neurotransmitter)
• Tryptophan (anti-depressant amino acid)
• Phenylethylamine (PEA) (controls the ability to focus attention and stay alert)
• Polyphenols (antioxidants)
• Histamine
• Tyramine
• Salsolinol

The Sugar Debate Part II

The debate continues... If I am trying to cut back on sugar or replace it with healthier options, what should I use?!

Here is a list of sweetener and their glycemic index that I like to look at...

The Sugar Debate!

The sugar debate.... To use sugar or to not use sugar, that is the question....

My take... yes, I do use sugar, but I TRY to use less and I also TRY to look for healthier alternatives.

Why is there a debate?! Here's why!

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health

By Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.

What is Xylitol?

What is Xylitol?

It is a 100% natural product, a sweetener that occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables and produced in small amounts by the human body. It has the same sweetness as sugar (sucrose) but with 40% fewer calories and none of the negative tooth decay or insulin release effects of sugar. Xylitol also has a low glycemic index (7) and has little effect on blood sugar levels.

Pure xylitol is a white crystalline substance that looks and tastes like sugar. Xylitol is recommended by dentist, medical doctors, periodontists, pediatricians, and many health organizations and health professionals worldwide as a sweetener for anyone concerned with dental health, upper respiratory health, and sugar consumption, in general.

Eat More Oats!

Health Benefits Of Oats

Eating oats in your diet provides a wide range of important health benefits. New scientific research is also revealing exciting new information about the benefits of oats, some of it surprising.

Cholesterol and Heart

Oatmeal and oat bran are significant sources of dietary fiber. This fiber contains a mixture of about half soluble and half insoluble fibers. One component of the soluble fibre found in oats is beta-glucans, a soluble fiber which has proven effective in lowering blood cholesterol. Here's how it works. Soluble fiber breaks down as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a gel that traps some substances related to cholesterol, such as cholesterol-rich bile acids.

When Fat is Good for You!

Health Benefits of Coconut

• Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
• Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
• Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
• Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
• Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
• Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
• Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
• Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
• Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
• Provides protection from damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
• Helps control dandruff.
• Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
• Has no harmful or discomforting side effects.
• Is completely non-toxic to humans.
  

Chocolate is Good for You!!!

 

Health Benefits of Cacao

Why Unprocessed Chocolate is Good for You!

Antioxidants: Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea. Health benefits of these antioxidants include: