Small Miracles: Green Juice with Avocado

I’ve been thinking of calling my “hurry up vegan” posts “stressed out vegan” instead. This is a hectic time for me, and I’ve been wracking my brains about what to post this week on the blog. I could show you a lot of salads, snack bars, collard wraps, and bowls of overnight oats, but you guys have seen plenty of those already. I could post a dozen smoothies, but how many green smoothies can we all gaze upon before we start to yawn?
Today’s post doesn’t really solve the problem of my culinary redundancy right now, and in fairness, it’s not so very different from a green smoothie. But when I made green juice with avocado yesterday afternoon as a pick-me-up between physics problems, it felt life changing, and I had to immediately share it with you all.
It’s actually sort of shocking that I’ve never thought to make this before. I love green juices, and I love avocado (really, really, really love avocado), so a marriage of the two would seem obvious. That said, I’ve always been a purist about juices: I’ve seen certain juice bars offer to blend green juice with almond milk or with fruit, and to me, that has always seemed like turning juice into smoothie.
The problem with drinking straight up vegetable and fruit juice is that it’s not the most filling snack. In a perfect world. I’d probably drink a green juice every morning upon waking up, do my gym jaunt, and then eat breakfast with coffee after. Or drink a green juice as a snack when I’m not feeling super hungry. But these days, my snacks need to offer me sustenance, and so juice alone isn’t always cutting it. This occurred to me just as I was sending a bunch of greens and pineapple through my Breville juicer yesterday. And, just as quickly, it occurred to me that I had an avocado begging to be used in my fridge.
And the green juice with avocado was born.
I’m sure that I’m not the first juice lover to have thought of this. I’m sure it’s actually fairly commonplace, and indeed, a little Googling suggests that it’s actually on offer at a few juice bars. But to me, this solution to the I-really-want-a-green-juice-but-I-know-I’ll-be-hungry-five-minutes-later problem felt revelatory. And it tasted absolutely fantastic.
I really suggest using the green juice I created for this recipe with the avocado: there’s something about the mixture of pineapple, greens, and avocado that feels like pure magic. That said, you can use your favorite green juice–any mixture at all, really–instead. The important thing is to combine your favorite glass of micronutrient power with the delicious creaminess of fresh avocado; such a perfect beverage for this time of year!
No fancy photos for this post. Just a simple discovery from my kitchen to yours.

Green Juice with Avocado
Serves 2-4 (2 is my own serving size, but I’ve been told I can guzzle more juice than most people!)
1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pear
6 large kale or chard leaves
1 cup broccoli florets
1 heaping handful spinach
1 large cucumber
4 celery stalks
1 inch piece of ginger
1 avocado
Juice all ingredients but the avocado in your juicer. Transfer juice to your blender, and blend with the avocado until totally smooth. Serve immediately.
It may have taken me over six years to discover this incredible drink, but now that I have, it’s the first of many. Cheers!
Speaking of green stuff? I’ve gotten so many messages from you guys saying you love the superfood overnight oats. I’m so glad! I enjoyed a bowl this morning myself, and thought of the readers who might be enjoying them with me. If you come up with any wonderful variations, please let me know!

See you guys back here soon.

Rice Milk

Rice Milk

Ingredients

• 4 cups hot/warm water
• 1 cup brown rice (you can either soak the rice for 48 hours or cook rice according to instructions)
• 4 chopped dates

Preparation
Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth. Let the milk set for about 30 minutes; then, without stirring, pour the milk into another container, leaving most of the sediment in the first container.
OR, if you have a juicer, run milk through the juicer.
If it needs to be even thinner, run it through a cheese cloth. The juicer usually does the trick for me. This makes about 4-4 1/2 cups.

Natural Health - How to Achieve It

Many time tested remedies and natural health protocols have been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. There are the Ayurvedic traditions from India and the many healing arts from Asia; in fact every culture has had their own natural formulas and healing customs.  Most of us are familiar with acupuncture, essential oils, saunas, and massage, all of which come from the past yet play a very important role in the new health model of today.

Today many health seekers are looking to the past, back to when our ancestors had a far more natural lifestyle and used natural remedies to remain incredibly healthy. This was a time when all food was organic, man-made pollution was virtually non-existent, and people lived much closer to the earth.
It has been proven time and again that as one adopts a more natural lifestyle the common maladies of the day fall by the wayside and incredible health is gained.   There are many paths in the realm of natural health that lead to greater health and fitness. Some of these methods work better for some than others, so a little experimentation and patience is required if one is to truly benefit. In our society today we have come to expect instant gratification; ‘take a pill for this and feel better right now.’
When following a more natural way we put the body in a position to heal itself as nature intended.  Quite often it is not as fast, but it is always more effective as the body has actually healed rather than merely having the symptoms treated. In this website and our newsletter Vibrant Living we will be addressing many forms of natural health so you’ll have a chance to learn about many of these modalities and see what might work best for you.

One thing that is very appealing about many forms of natural health is that they are very inexpensive and require only perseverance on your part.  That’s not to say that some protocols today are not a little spendy to say the least.  Today modern technology has been blended with ancient wisdom very effectively to bring natural forms of healing to the forefront of our modern day lifestyle.  Things like far infrared saunas, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and magnetic mattress pads help untold numbers of people overcome challenges and stay healthy every day.
You might say that these things are not natural and in the true sense they are not, but neither is the world we live in.  Today the utilization of technology is very helpful in bringing health and healing to many who would otherwise be miserable or suffer worse.
Of course on this site we feel a great nutritional foundation should be the beginning of any health seeker’s program.  And when it comes to natural health and diet, we feel that man’s original diet fits the bill nicely. Yes that’s right, the raw food diet meets all of our nutritional and caloric needs as well as putting us in an optimal position for self healing and maintaining great health. You can learn more about the raw food diet here.

It’s quite clear that good health is comprised of much more than diet and a few natural protocols. That’s why our newsletter Vibrant Living will be covering topics like quality sleep, adequate sunshine and exercise, fresh air, pure water, the importance of community, loving relationships, and some type of spiritual connection, even if getting out in nature is your religion.
If you are searching for some natural home remedies then perhaps this website with health tips will be useful for you.

Smoothie Recipes for Health

Smoothie recipes are something everyone can enjoy. Most of us love fruits and vegetables, but it can be difficult to eat the recommended servings each day.
Now imagine blending your favorite fruits and vegetables together in tasty smoothie recipes. Smoothies are a fantastic way to get in your full servings of fruits and vegetables each day with very little effort. The prep is quick, the smoothie itself can be easily consumed or put into a container to be enjoyed later, and the cleanup is a cinch.
Smoothies are great for people with compromised digestive systems, or those just wanting to get a boost of nutrition because they break down the food to an easily digestible form so nutrients are readily available for the body to use. Here are some tips for preparing your smoothies:
1. Purchase a good blender; you’ll be glad you spent a little extra to get one that will make your smoothie experience more enjoyable. The Blendtec and the Vitamix are the two top blender brands and can be purchased at discounts online. I have owned both but favor the Blendtec because it has a larger carafe available; it takes up less space on the counter, and is easier to clean. If you already have a blender by all means use it until you can upgrade. It’s better to get started now with your smoothie recipes than to wait until everything is perfect.
To get more information, read reviews, compare blenders, or purchase the Blendtec click here now. 2. Fresh is best. Always select the freshest ripest ingredients for your smoothies. During the winter months you may have to use frozen or dried fruits, but when you do choose quality, the best ingredients will provide the best building blocks for a healthy body.
3. If available use organic fruits and vegetables. They contain more nutrients and have not been treated with toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Go organic, be healthy.
4. Add your juicy fruits first. Start with grapes, oranges, or cucumbers and then add your dryer more dense fruits and or vegetables. Add water as needed, although I rarely ever add much water to my smoothies.
5. If you use dried fruits make sure they are not sulfured or treated in any other way, and soak them in water over night to rehydrate before use.
6. Although fruit smoothies can be really tasty, I feel it’s best to mix fruits and vegetables, particularly leafy greens. Adding greens adds minerals and dilutes the sugar content of the fruit so it’s easier on your system.

7. Leave the skins on your fruits and vegetables; that’s where much of the nutritional goodness lies.
8. Blend in short bursts as you mix ingredients and add more. Keep the total blend time under 60 seconds as not to overheat or oxidize ingredients. Over blending smoothie recipes will result in a loss of nutrients.
9. Sneak in some extra nutrition by adding some chia, flax, or hemp seeds. A teaspoon or so will boost your omega 3 fatty acid intake and make the smoothie a little creamier. You can soak the chia or flax for as little as ½ hour or overnight. The hemp seeds don’t need soaking.
10. Vary the ingredients by eating with the seasons. Be creative with your smoothie recipes and experiment with a wide variety of ingredients. Fresh herbs from the garden can add to the nutritional profile and change up the flavor. Experiment and have fun. The healthiest individual is one who partakes of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to glean their individual nutrients.
If you’re trying to get your kids, (even grown up kids) to eat more vegetables, then smoothie recipes are just the ticket for you. By blending sweet fruit in with leafy greens like collard or kale that may not be all that tasty by themselves, you create a wonderful new tasty meal that just about everyone will enjoy. The trick with getting kids to drink green smoothies is to add just a few greens in the first smoothie so that it’s mainly fruit and just a little green. Each week add a few more greens into the smoothie until you’re up to about 50% fruit and 50% greens. If at first the smoothie is too green the kids can be put off by the color more so than the taste.
There's no hard-and-fast rule on making smoothies. You can try different fruits and vegetable mixes, get used to the taste and experiment with the variety of flavors and sensations they provide. Here are some smoothie recipes to get you started. Enjoy!

Vegetable Juicing Recipes

We all love fresh Fruit juice, but vegetable juicing recipes are a bit brow-raising especially to beginners of the raw foods diet. Fresh fruits are naturally sweet but most vegetables aren't. Is there a way to make something healthy taste better than fresh lawn clippings? You bet there is! Here are some tips for preparing your vegetable juicing recipes:

1. Add in some fruit or carrots to sweeten up your greens and mellow out the taste. People on raw food diets or juicing aficionados won't only put unpeeled carrots into the juicer; they'd also add in some greens and other vegetables like cucumbers and celery. If you want a sweeter blend, add in an apple or pear to your juice. That will not only add flavor, but will boost the vitamins and mineral content of your vegetable juice. 

2. Go fresh, go organic. If you can, choose fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for your vegetable juicing recipes. Fresh means more nutritional value and tastier juices, and organic means healthier drinks as these weren't sprayed with chemical pesticides. Fresh and organic vegetables are more consistent with your health goals.

3. It’s best to leave the skins on in juicing vegetable recipes, that’s where much of the nutritional value is.  Your juicer will shred and break down the skins and extract all that nutritional goodness for you to enjoy.
4. Get a good juicer to get the most out of vegetable juicing recipes. You want to get as much juice from your fruits and vegetables as you can, while preserving the vitality they contain. Some juicers may produce better juice, but can be more difficult to clean, so think about what will work best for you. It’s better to juice every day with a slightly inferior juicer than once a week with a great juicer. The most important thing is that any juicer you purchase should have the capability to juice leafy greens. A juicer that can juice greens along with fruits and hard vegetables might cost a little more, but juicing greens is the secret to good health. Hurom makes a vertical slow juicer that is a great value, reliable, and easy to clean. It’s the one I have at home that gets used the most.

5. Vary your ingredients. Be creative with your vegetable juicing recipes not only for your palate’s sake, but for the nutritional value that variety will bring you.  Let your imagination run wild and over time work towards drinking plenty of green juices as they are packed full of nutrition, have low sugar content, and can help alkalize your body. Read more on the importance of alkalizing your body.
6. Get started now!  Even if you can only afford the cheapest juicer buy it now and get started.

There's no hard-and-fast rule on vegetable juicing. You can try different fruits and vegetable mixes, get used to the taste and experiment with the variety of flavors and sensations you get.  Here are a few basic recipes to get you started.The juicing recipes below are mainly vegetable juices, but if you are interested in fruit juice recipes then take a look here. fruit juice recipes
If you’re the kind of person who likes to have a book or Kindle in hand to read and follow recipes then you may enjoy this book which is full of great information and recipes: Juicing Recipes From Fitlife.TV Star Drew Canole For Vitality and Health

Fitness Blender’s Bapple Juice – Banana Apple Juice Recipe

Admittedly, we had our doubts about trying to make a Banana Apple Juice. We thought that it might be an awkward consistency of too thick of a drink to be a “juice”, but too thin to qualify as the substantial, flavorful smoothies that we love. We also weren’t completely confident about the flavor combinations.

With that said, this Banana Apple Juice Recipe is delicious. The only drawback to this healthful drink is that you’re going to have to dirty both your juicer and your blender. Rest assured, it’s well worth the extra dirty dishes.


What you will need:

1 Frozen Banana, chopped
1.5 - 2 Apples (we used Jonagold, but any kind will work)
A Juicer
A Blender

How to make it:

1. About a half a day ahead of time, freeze the chopped up banana. If you happen to have some frozen ones in the freezer, you can peel them and use a sharp knife to slice them into smaller pieces your blender can handle. It’s a good idea to keep this diced frozen fruit on hand in the freezer so that you can make healthy snacks, like this healthy Banana Ice Cream Recipe, whenever you feel like it.

2. Prepare your apples by washing and chopping them down to a size that your machine can handle.

3. Add the apple juice to the blender.

4. Add the diced frozen banana.

5. Blend well to completely liquefy.

6. Enjoy your Bapple Juice.


This filling and nutritionally dense drink has roughly 200 calories, but it’s also far more filling than what you’re going to find bottled on store shelves.

It’s good to be mindful when drinking your calories (particularly if you are watching your weight) but freshly pressed fruit like this is so full of vitamins and minerals that it is a good “use” of your caloric intake.

Apples are high in vitamins & minerals C, A, and B, potassium, iron, and phosphorus. Various research has shown that consuming it can aid in weight loss, healthy digestion, the prevention of cancer, and the lowering of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Bananas are a fantastic source of potassium and fiber. They also contain good amounts of Vitamin C, B6 and manganese.

Put these two together and you’ve got Bapple Juice. Half of the fun of this recipe is in saying the name of it.

For an easy twist on this recipe, try adding in a dash of cinnamon. You could also throw in a few frozen strawberries to make it more dense & filling.

Have you tried this yet? Were you as pleasantly surprised as we were

Mango Juice

The limited study that has been done on mangoes is showing some real cancer-fighting promise. Thousands of years ago, Buddhist missionaries spread out across Asia, and while planting their ideology into new soils, they sweetened the message by introducing the seed of one of their favorite fruits, the exquisite juicy mango. Today, the mango is one of the world's most popular fruit, and if you have ever enjoyed one plump as a laughing Buddha, you know why. Mangoes are grown in Asia, South and Central America, Florida, California, and the Caribbean. The Healing Powers and Health Benefits of Mango Juice Antioxidant Protects Against Arteriosclerosis Reduces Risk of Cancer Mango Juice Nutrition Rich in vitamin C, potassium, niacin and vitamin A (beta carotene). A good source of fiber when eaten. Nutrition Facts Mango Juice is an excellent source of: Vitamin C Vitamin A (beta-carotene) Potassium Niacin Quercetin Gallic Acid Mango Juice is a good source of: Fibre (when eaten) Phytochemicals & Antioxidants in Mango Juice The limited study that has been done on mangoes is showing some real cancer-fighting promise. They are a good source of beta-carotene and cancer-protective quercetin. There is also an interesting class of phenolic acids that is unique to tropical fruits called gallic acid. A study done in New Zealand tried to determine why cancer rates were lower in the native Maori people compared to New Zealanders of European descent. Of the 25 foods the Maori ate in greater quantities, six showed strong anti-cancer effects. They included watercress, papaya, taro leaves, green banana and mango, all of which contained carotenoids and flavonoids. Make the Ultimate Mango Juice Preparing for Juicing Remove pit and skin before juicing. Slicing a mango is a bit of a trick. Starting at the top, cut down, curving the knife along the flat part of the pit on both sides. This will remove the majority of flesh. You can slice strips of flesh and the skin should easily pull away from the fillet. Unless fasting, the remainder can be eaten from the pit. I have spent over twenty years juicing thousands of pounds of produce and tried just about ever juicer on the market. I can confidently say that our Juice Nut Top Pick Juicers are the very best in workmanship, warranty, juice yield and juice quality. I’m nuts about these juicers! Click here to find out more... Mango Juice Tips Overripe mangoes are great for smoothies or purees, but will not juice very well. Mangoes are best to juice when just starting to give slightly to the touch -- not too soft, not too hard, but just right. Too hard and the juice will not be sweet, too soft and you will have a puree. It can be a trick, but with some practice, you too will impress friends and family with perfect mango juice. Picking Perfect Produce Honestly, I find it hard to pick a good mango. The rule of thumb is unblemished yellow to yellow-red fruit, but I have found that dark green mangoes can ripen into a sweet delicious fruit while still remaining as green as grass. The best way to tell if a mango is ripe is by smell, but here in Canada and the northern US, it’s rare to find ripe mangoes on the self. So you take them home hard and green, let them soften up for a few days and hope for the best. If you do find mangoes that are slightly soft to the touch but are absent of any sweet scent, forget it. I have been able to find a small family-owned grocer that consistently puts out better produce than the large chain stores. They may charge a few pennies more, but it’s well worth it, since more of the fruit actually gets eaten. Storing Your Produce As with all tropical fruits, mangoes do not store well in the refrigerator and are best left at room temperature. Will store for two to three days on the counter, or longer if picked when hard. Taste Combos Mango mixed with cantaloupe or pineapple juice is divine. Goes best with any other tropical fruits. If you’re making a smoothie, mango, pineapple and banana is a marriage made in heaven.