Feel like something steardier in the morning? Or looking for a variety when it comes to afternoon snacks? Try flaxseed crackers with almond or walnut butter. Let me know if you need the recipe – otherwise they have them in most health food stores. The good fats will fill you up…

Had breakfast outside with George today… his favorite foods include clementines, grapes, and green smoothies! HA. My kind of dog.

In my smoothie… spinach, spirulina, coconut oil, water & banana.

Heading down to visit my parents and celebrate Thanksgiving – sans Turkey.

I would take a moist dried bright yellow mango slice over candy any day! Why are they so damn good?

Here we go! Flashbacks to my September Denmark trip… Here are a few of my favorite products that I picked up in Copenhagen.

1. Raw Bite bars
2. Products from 42 Raw
3. Puk ka Love Tea
4. Yoga Tea Classic Cinnamon Spice
5. Coconut Oil of Life
6. Raw Health Vibrant Living Flax & Herb Crackers

”We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.” – Dalai Lama

Start working on yourself, so that calm and beauty within can reflect out onto the world.

We hear about fiber all the time… do we eat enough? How to get it? Why it’s important for your health… and on and on. So I thought we might take a look at the power of fiber today!

What is fiber? Dietary fiber is the part of plant material in our diet that is resistant to digestion by the human gastrointestinal tract.  There are two types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Examples of foods rich in soluble fiber are oat bran, fruits, vegetables, brown rice, barley, and nuts. Examples of foods rich in insoluble fiber are wheat bran and whole-grain breads and cereals.

Why eat fiber? Eating soluble fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels. Eating insoluble fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of developing constipation, colitis, colon cancer, and even hemorrhoids. Diabetics on high-fiber diets need much less insulin. Because fiber fills you up without adding calories, it can help prevent and treat obesity.

What to eat? Ok so what to eat? Well the majority of fruits and vegetables have some amount of fiber in them… But rich sources can be found in apples, beans, buckwheat groats, corn, dried figs, lentils, peas, sweet potatoes, raspberries, broccoli, greens, brown rice, squash, bananas, peanuts, and pears – to name a few.

Long list of foods with fiber content here!

And remember, eat the real deal! Not supplements… the body wants to be filled with products that are natural and easy to digest. Additionally, I believe that  much disease begins with a unhealthy colon – fiber is a way to help the body clean it out, reducing or preventing sickness.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (packed) sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups (packed) chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/3 cup EFA oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon freeze-dried wheatgrass powder
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups (packed) baby spinach, cut into chiffonade (aka extra thin)

DIRECTIONS:

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in some hot water for 30 minutes or until soft. Slice thinly. Use a food processor to blend the basil, hemp seeds, both oils, wheatgrass powder, nutritional yeast, sea salt and garlic into a pesto sauce. In a large bowl, toss some of the pesto (use as much as desired) with the quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Serve cold or gently heat.

(Source: JulieMorris.net)

Raw Oatmeal (Serves 2)

Buy: 1 cup steel cut oats (or better yet, use oat groats), 1 1/2 cups water, 1 chopped apple, 1 tablespoon raisins

The night before, throw the water, raisins and then the steel cut oats into your blender. Let them sit overnight. In the morning, start your blender. While the water and oats are blending, chop the apple and then add it to the blender, too. Continue blending until the oatmeal is a nice, smooth texture. Place in bowl, sprinkle cinnamon and raisins on top!

(Source: TheRawtarian.com)