Showing posts with label flax seed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flax seed. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Small Add Ins That Make a Difference

Stephanie here with an update on cinnamon and other healthy ideas for you to sprinkle in every week that makes a big difference. I'm a big believer that it takes both large and small life changes to have a generally healthy lifestyle.

Large changes = kicking out processed foods and sugars for the most part, cooking meals at home, gym several times a week - all of these take a lot of time and effort.

Small changes = sneaking in flaxseed and cinnamon to every day meals to make them a bit healthier, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, poppin a daily vitamin - these just take a minute to do during the day but can add up to a big difference.

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This post is spurred from my Healthy Smoothie Add Ins post where we chatted about the health benefits of adding in flaxseed [antioxidant rich, prevention of cardiovascular disease, etc] and the benefits of using raw cacao powder [cardiovascular benefits, cancer protection, lower cholesterol, etc] instead of chocolate syrup or other sugary alternatives.

In the March 2013 Prevention magazine had an article about Stabilizing Blood Sugar with Cinnamon. They noted that: Cinnamon has been used since ancient times to aid digestion, and a teaspoon has more antioxidants than half a cup of blueberries. Plus, studies show that cinnamon helps blunt the rise in blood sugar that can occur when you eat a carbohydrate-rich meal—good news, since a spike in blood sugar raises levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factors, which may increase the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

So why not add it in daily? Even if you can't squeeze in 2 - 4 teaspoons, just adding in 1 or 2 to your morning oatmeal and nightly smoothly is sure to add some taste and health benefits throughout your week.

I also started doing some research on vitamins... so more to come on that!

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Strawb&Banan Smoothie Recipe

Steph here - and I am on a smoothie roll! I started my smoothie project by ordering the Oster My Blend 250-Watt Blender on Amazon, then I found a crapload of sweet recipes that I couldn't wait to try.

Grab your smoothie grocery list and healthy add ins like flaxseed and raw cacao! If your fruit man is back - grab your cheap fruit and you are ready to go.

I used honey to sweeten up the smoothie this time
The first recipe I made with my hubby was Kiwi Strawberry - which was great. But I'm not a huge kiwi fan and the smoothie just wasn't sweet enough. Strawberry/Banana mix is ALWAYS my fav fruit mix so I knew I had to try this next.

Dice a banana and 5/6 strawberries into the blender (add more/less depending on how much you want):


Ice, Strawberries & Bananas - a LITTLE healthier than Ben & Jerrys...

I didn't add in the flaxseed because it made the first smoothie taste too grainy. I need to fix that because I really want to incorporate flaxseed into my diet and a smoothie is the easiest way. Any fixes?!

Hey there pretty smoothie

Perfect late night replacement snack!
Strawb Banan Smoothie Recipe:
6 Strawberries - diced
1 Banana - diced
Almond Milk (or soy/rice/etc)
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Ice cubes
> Throw them in together and blend it up to enjoy!

I have made this one twice so far and it's such a great treat when I'm craving sugar at the end of the night. Now I need to fix my flax seed problem...

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Grocery List for Smoothies

Hey there, SH checking in with my smoothie grocery list. I didn't find a lot of smoothie recipes that I wanted to make to the T. So I used the recipes that I found most intriguing and took ingredients from all of those.

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Basic Stock Up > Flax Seed and Cinnamon are super good for you, so I'm going to add them to every smoothie I make
Peanut Butter
Raw Cacoa Powder
Flax Seed or Flax Oil
Cinnamon
Liquid Basics: Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Coconut Water, Orange Juice

Recipes > I used these recipes are inspiration starters for my own smoothie recipes
http://offbeatandinspired.com/2012/09/29/healthy-cocoa-banana-almond-smoothie/
http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/946149/5-fabulous-kid-friendly-smoothie-recipes
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-superpower-morning-smoothie-recipes-from-the-kitchn-183353
http://www.heatherchristo.com/cooks/2013/02/13/berrylicious-rainbow-smoothie/

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Fruits > Trying out my favs first
Bananas
Strawberries
Blueberries

I will let you know my favorite smoothie mixes I come up with! Have you tried making your own smoothie recipes? Do you add in usuals like flax or cinnamon? What is your favorite liquid base  for smoothies? I'm going to try to keep mine dairy free with soy/almond milks and coconut water and OJ. Any tips for creating my own smoothie recipe?

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