Green Mango Smoothie

As we all know I love a good smoothie.  Blending up deliciousness that is full of nutrition is amazing.  Today I bring you Green Mango Smoothie.  Full of yummy fruit and greens this smoothie will really give you a boost to your day.  As you look at the ingredients you may think oooo yummy until you see the dandelion.  Dandelion? As in the weed that grows in my yard? Oh yes my friends... This "weed" is so good for you we should be killing it but harvesting it! Why is it so amazing?

#1 – High in Calcium: Dandelion greens are loaded with calcium. Just one cup of chopped dandelion greens has 103 milligrams (10% of the recommended daily value) of calcium! That’s slightly more than kale! Add two to three cups of dandelion to a smoothie with calcium-rich fruits like orange, kiwi, fig or papaya and you’ll have a green smoothie that has more calcium than any dairy product!

#2 – Rich in Iron: Next to fresh parsley, dandelion greens have a high iron content. One cup contains 1.7 milligrams of iron.

#3 – Low Calories: Like all leafy greens, dandelions are low in calories. One cup of chopped dandelion greens has only 25 calories. While leafy greens are a low calorie food, I actually prefer to use dandelions because they have more calories than other greens. Since I try to get as many calories as I can into my morning smoothies, I add up to 4 cups of dandelion which adds 100 calories of nutrient-rich food!

#4 – Loaded With Antioxidants: Dandelion greens are high in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid (beta-carotene) and vitamin C. Vitamin C also helps facilitate iron absorption.

#5 – The Ultimate Detox & Cleansing Green: If your goal is detoxification and cleansing, dandelion greens should be the ones you use in green smoothies! They are said to help cleanse the liver and many detox recipes call for them.

#6 – Lots Of Minerals: Dandelion greens are rich in minerals. Besides calcium and iron, they are a good source of copper (10% RDA), manganese (8% RDA), phosphorus (5% RDA), potassium (5% RDA) and magnesium (5% RDA).

#7 – 14% Protein: Dandelion greens have more protein per serving than spinach. The greens themselves are 14% protein and contain all essential amino acids so it’s a complete protein. One chopped cup contains 1.5 grams of protein.

#8 – Multivitamin Green: Besides vitamin A as beta-carotene (186% RDA) and vitamin C (21% RDA), each cup of chopped dandelion greens are also good sources of vitamins B1 (9% RDA), B2 (11% RDA) and B6 (11% RDA), vitamin E (13% RDA) and especially abundant in vitamin K (357% RDA).

#10 – Health Benefits of Dandelion Greens: The nutrients in dandelion greens may help reduce the risk of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and stroke. Dandelion contains anti-inflammatory properties which may provide benefit to those with asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

I hope you will now look at those wonderful yellow flowers not as weeds but, nutritious delicious food.

I got the wonderful dandelion information here: http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/10-reasons-you-should-use-dandelion-greens-in-your-green-smoothie/

Cool Cucumber Salad

Let's celebrate my 100th post with a super delicious video!

Real Veggie Pasta

Who says veggies can't be fun. I got to break in my new spiral slicer (everyone should have one) and made golden beet, zucchini, and sweet potato pasta. I boiled in it some water for about 5-7 min, drained it and topped it with some organic marinara and called it good.  But I was wrong, oh so wrong.  It wasn't good...oh no, it was delicious! It's fun, nutritious, vegan, gluten-free and most of all easy. I can't wait to play some more with my new gadget.  So, how do you make dinner nutritious and fun?

What Does A Vegan Eat For A Day

I have had a lot of people ask me what I eat since becoming a gluten-free vegan especially as a vegan who eats lots of raw foods.  So today I decided to document everything I eat to give you an idea.

Pre-Breakfast: Vitamin Water (16 oz)

Breakfast: Strawberry Mango Fruit Smoothie (32 oz)

Lunch: Homemade Gluten-Free Vegan Pasta

Dinner: Super salad with homemade Red Pepper Tomato Dressing

Snacks: pixie tangerines, dill flackers, and dried mulberries.

Super Awesome Cookies

These my dear friends are super awesome cookies. They are vegan, gluten-free and can I say again...super awesome? Oh and they are super easy too. Here's the recipe:

3 ripe bananas smashed
2 cups gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened plain rice milk (feel free to substitute with any choice non-dairy milk)
1 small to med apple blended into apple sauce (or you can use apple sauce...I didn't have any)
1/3 cup coconut nectar (brown rice syrup, agave, or maple syrup would all work here)
2 tbsp flax meal
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 handful pepitas
1 scraped vanilla bean
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp unsalted almond butter
1/2 cup or so vegan chocolate chips (who really measures this though.. .just go for what looks good to you)

Okay here's the hardest part.... Throw everything into the bowl and mix well. Tough, I know. :) spoon onto parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 min or until the edges look golden. Cool on a paper bag or cooling rack then enjoy. I promise you will want to eat all of the, up!

Where I've Been

My passion is helping people, it always has been, and it always will be.  Watch the video... I've joined this cause because it is so important to me.  Is it important to you?

We are in an epidemic and there is a serious call for health coaches.  Watch the video and get the free materials.  Want to join the cause?

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Co-Op Conversations

I love my co-op, seriously.  I love that I get to talk to the customers and interact with them.  Our co-op is a meeting place for friends and neighbors.  We have such a wide variety of people too that every day is interesting.  I tend to get those who are on a healing journey (which works well for me as I am as well and I am learning to become a health coach).  Here's a few summaries of the conversations I have had in the past couple of days:

Self worth:  We are worth the extra dollar or two to get organic produce.  It is healthier and will make us healthier.  Sadly we tend to feed our pets better then we feed ourselves.  Remember you are worth being healthy!

Diet confusion:  People turn to diets because they just don't know what to do.  But healthy is really simple.  Shop on the outside of the store and stay away from the middle.  When you cook with love and healthy intentions that food is full of love and healthy intentions.  Case in point, nothing tastes better then when mom makes you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  No one can replicate it like she can.

Dr Oz will always rule:  I am not sure how it happened but whatever that man says is gold.  I want to caution people that he is paid to promote certain items and yes supplements can help but there is no magic pill to creating wellness.  It's a journey that should be treated as such.  Each day on that journey we learn something new about ourselves.  Eating good quality food, having good relationships, having quiet time whether in prayer, meditation, etc, and maintaining a positive outlook on life will give you the highest form of wellness that no pill can give you.

Find a co-op near you: http://strongertogether.coop/all-coops/
Visit the People's Food Co-Op: http://www.peoplesfoodcoop.com/