I feel like I start every post with “I’m feeling sluggish because” or “I over-indulged due to this…”, but that’s summer isn’t it? Summer is a time for enjoyment and for me that means lots and lots of food. I am always more inclined to a more lackadaisical approach to nutrition as the weather overheats, and patio and poolside snacks are always more favorable when they lean toward the naughty side.

But I assure you that my over indulgence is purely seasonal.

After yet after another weekend full of meals that left me with unbuttoned pants, my anticipation for slower and healthier times is steadily starting to grow. Fall means back to school, but since I no longer seek guidance in the school system, I like to think of fall as a time of change. It’s a time to reform my excessive summer ways.

Each year that passes and as I grow another year wiser, I look to fall as a time to refocus and set goals for the winter months, when hibernation and a little life admin is welcomed almost universally.

However, it’s not fall; in fact, with temperatures soaring the way they are, it’s  most certainly still the dogs days of summer. So until the leaves begin to wither and pass to make way for winter, I will start every Monday with a smoothie and the resolve to be a little bit better next weekend.

My Monday Smoothie Pledge

Starting every Monday with a smoothie or a fresh juice should help to negate the weekend and its aforementioned over indulgences, or at least I would like to think so. And this morning was no different. Today called for greens and antioxidants, which this smoothie delivers in spades!

The coconut milk not only offers this smoothie incredible anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, but the creaminess delivers a lushness to the smoothie that juice nor water could possibly provide. And if you happen to be one of those people who is frightened of a little green in a smoothie – don’t be! The blueberries and orange juice mask it perfectly. This smoothie is sweet redemption in a sip!

Coconut Milk, Blueberry and Spinach

• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ½ cup frozen spinach
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup water

In a blender, blend until smooth.

The versatile wheatgrass…

There are so many ways to enjoy wheatgrass – fresh, dried, frozen or baked, and yes, that’s right, I said baked. Wheatgrass, although very versatile, can seem kind of one-note, unless of course you are willing to throw away the rule book and think outside of the box.

When I think of wheatgrass, I certainly think of it as a restorative shot, as most people do too. But wheatgrass can be so much more if you let it. I liken wheatgrass to my favorite greens, like spinach or kale, and therefore I feel it’s appropriately placed in some of my favorite recipes. What can I say – it’s the chef in me.

Thinking outside the box with wheatgrass

I’ve made a basil pesto with wheatgrass, and it was absolutely delicious. Seeing first hand just how versatile wheatgrass can be ignited a fire in me, and this fire only wants to cook with it!

This past weekend I felt like baking, which was a bit out of the ordinary as I generally have more of a salty tooth. But this weekend my sweet tooth was begging to be tamed. So I decided on zucchini bread. And with a bag of frozen wheatgrass pulp staring me right in the face, the chef brain in my head started to spin her wheels; “why not use the pulp in the bread?”, and I learned a long time ago to listen when she speaks. However, when she starts telling me to do evil things, I’ll consult my priest.

Although I have cooked with pulp before, I am continually surprised at how well it blends in recipes, yielding completely to the desired flavor. Pulp is quickly becoming my new “it” ingredient. A friend of mine recently commented that soon I would be making smoothies with it, to which I replied “I just might, I just might…”

Zucchini and Wheatgrass Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together:

• 1 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Add:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt

Blend in a few swift strokes:

• ¾ cup grated zucchini
• ¾ cup wheatgrass pulp

Bake in a greased pan about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a rack for further cooling.

We all know that broccoli is a healthy addition to our diets, but do you know just how healthy? The nutritional benefits of broccoli abound. From fiber to all of the vitamins and minerals, broccoli is indeed a tasty treat and a winner.

Nutritional Benefits of Broccoli

Detox: broccoli helps the body detoxify with a special combination of 3 phytonutrients: glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin. These goodies support the detoxification process from activation, to neutralization and elimination. Broccoli helps to control the detoxification process at a genetic level.

Vitamin A and K for Vitamin D: this green goddess of a food has more than ample amounts of both of these vitamins. At over 194% of the daily value of K and 45% of A, the combination of these two help the metabolism balance of Vitamin D. For those with a Vitamin D deficiency (which research finds is just about everyone), including broccoli in your diet will help you retain this vital vitamin.

Anti-Allergen / Anti-Inflammatory: as a rich source of kaempferol (a flavanoid), broccoli assists in reducing the impact of allergens on the body. This in turn gives broccoli unique anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidant: broccoli is a leader in amongst cruciferous vegetables for its concentration of Vitamin C. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C provides long-term support of oxygen metabolism when accompanied by recycler flavanoids – which of course are also contained in this vibrant green package. Other antioxidants that broccoli provides are Vitamin E, manganese, and zinc.

Heart Health: the spectrum of B vitamins in broccoli contributes to a healthy heart. Broccoli’s concentration of folate, B6, and the other B-complex vitamins fights the formation of homocysteines which increases our risk of atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attack.

Stomach Health: eating raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts is a great treat for your stomach and stomach lining. Broccoli assists in the reduction of a bacterium called heliobacter pylori. When this bacterium overgrows it causes G.I. upset. Broccoli (especially raw broccoli) helps to keep this bacterium in check. This is due to broccoli’s high glucosinolate content which focuses directly on the stomach lining cells.

Low in Calories: 1 cup of broccoli is only 44 calories while the health benefits are endless.

How did broccoli come to be?

Broccoli was developed from a wild cabbage in ancient Rome. In Italian, broccolo, means “cabbage sprout.” This green goodness traveled to the Near East and then back to Italy for further cultivation. Italian immigrants brought broccoli to the New World.

Selection and Storage of broccoli

Choose broccoli with florets in tight, compact clusters. The floret clusters should have a uniform color ranging from dark green, sage, or purple-green. If the floret clusters are yellow or if there are any yellow flowers blossoming, the broccoli is overripe. Stalks and stems should be firm.

Store in a refrigerated plastic bag with as much air removed as possible. Broccoli will keep for about 10 days. It’s best not to precut nor wash broccoli before storage, as it causes the Vitamin C will degrade.

Green Broccoli Machine Smoothie

• 1 cucumber
• 3 -5 broccoli florets
• 1 kiwi (peeled and frozen)
• 1 bunch of green grapes (frozen)
• Ice and water

Click here for the health benefits and additional recipes for cucumbers.

Juice the cucumber and broccoli. Place in a blender, add the fruit, ice, and water. Enjoy!

Celery is an unassuming vegetable that has become a household staple.  The addition of celery to salads, soups, and juices provides a subtle yet distinctive flavor that’s always welcome in my book.

Nutritional Benefits of Celery

As a diuretic, celery’s main benefit is its immense water content.  Celery has so much water, it’s actually a negative calorie food – i.e., you actually burn calories while you eat. In addition to water, celery’s potassium content helps assist in body fluid regulation and stimulates urine production.  Celery assists in ridding the body of excess fluid and toxins.

Celery’s blood pressure reducing properties has long been recognized by Chinese medicine.  But western medical research has discovered a compound call phthalides, which assists the muscles around the arteries to relax and allow dilation of those vessels. With less constriction, blood can flow easier and at a lower pressure. Phthalides also reduces stress hormones, one of the major culprits contributing to high blood pressure.

A possible cancer preventative, celery contains coumarins which combats free radicals. In this fight, celery helps to lessen the damage inflicted upon cells, decreasing mutations and the potential for cells to become cancerous.

Additionally, coumarins increases the activity of certain immune-defending white blood cells, and more specifically against cancer cells.  Another compound in celery, acetylenics, is believed to stop the growth of tumor cells.

Celery provides 44% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin K.  Vitamin K assists in blood clotting, the preservation of bone density, the prevention of calcification of the cardiovascular system, and proper brain/nervous function.  Vitamin K is also an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.

History of Celery

Today’s celery was cultivated from wild celery.  Wild celery is thought have originated in the Mediterranean and eastward to the Himalayas.  Wild celery has less stalk and more leaves.

Celery was first used as a medicine and then as a food. The original mention of celery (leaves) as medicine appears in the Odyssey, epic by the Greek poet Homer.

A few more celery facts:

• Celery is in the same vegetable family as carrots, fennel, parsley, and dill
• Celery is a biennial which means that it has a two year life (growing) span
• The roots and seeds of celery can also be used for cooking and for medicine
• Ancient Greeks used celery leaves as laurels for renowned athletes
• Ancient Romans used celery as a seasoning
• Eating raw celery become popular in 18^th century Europe
• Celery came to the United States in the early 19^th century

Selection and Storage of Celery

Choose celery that is crisp and snaps when pulled apart. The stalks should be tight and compact and not splayed.  The leaves should be a pale to bright green in color.  Avoid celery that has yellow or brown coloration in the leaves.

Store celery in a sealed container, plastic bag, or damp cloth in the refrigerator.  Avoid freezing as celery will wilt in frigid temperatures.

Juicing with Celery

Celery is a fantastic addition to many juicing recipes.  Try these combinations:

• Celery, beet, and carrot
• Celery, cucumber, green apple, parsley, kale, and ginger
• Celery, cucumber, and carrot

Parsley has really up’d its game. I mean, it’s molecularity hasn’t changed, but its reputation is rising. Parsley was once considered an outdated and arbitrary plate  garnish, but now it can be found praised in glossy food magazines.

I find myself putting parsley in everything right now – chicken noodle soup, sandwiches and smoothies. I know, I know, it seemed strange at first to me too, putting parsley in a fruit smoothie. But no kidding, this one is a goody.

So why my sudden affinity for this green and very floral herb?

Well, studies have shown that myristicin, the essential oil found in parsley, not only inhibits tumor formation (especially in the lungs), but it also activates enzymes which help fight against oxidized molecules. Myristicin can also neutralize carcinogens that can pass through the body, consequently fighting colon and prostate cancer.

Parsley also comes equipped with an antioxidant arsenal that includes luteolin, a flavonoid that hunts and eradicates free radicals in the body that cause oxidative stress in cells. Luteolin also promotes carbohydrate metabolism and serves the body as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Furthermore, two tablespoons of parsley contains 16% of the RDA of vitamin C and over 12% of the RDA of vitamin A – two powerful antioxidants.

But in a smoothie?

I could go on forever about the health benefits of parsley, but let’s get down to what everyone is wondering: how does it taste in a smoothie? Delicious, thank you! I, myself, was weary the first time I ever stirred parsley in a fruit smoothie. But unlike many of the other “green” options that require masking, the parsley flavor adds a wonderfully floral accent to this sipper.

The mango and peach are refreshing and sweet, and the parsley infuses a little pizzazz – it’s unexpectedly delicious! It also offers the coveted “green” flair to this smoothie!

Mango, Peach and Parsley Smoothie

• ½ cup frozen mango
• ½ cup frozen peaches
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup water

In a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth.

How do you use parsley these days? Tell us below!

Wheatgrass is a great way to powerpack your morning with energy in anticipation of all your daily superhero activities.  Known as a ‘superfood,’ wheatgrass juice offers amazing nutritional benefits to your diet. Also regarded as a booster for general health and well-being, wheatgrass juice is one easy way to ramp up your game.

Including Wheatgrass Daily

Wheatgrass is a great addition to your nutritional life, O.K. But exactly how does one do that?

Below are the pros and cons of adding fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried wheatgrass to your health regime:

Frozen wheatgrass

Often termed as “fresh-frozen,” this type of wheatgrass is grown on the producer’s farm either in trays or in the ground.  It’s then harvested, juiced, flash-frozen, and delivered to you.

• Convenient Yet Nutritious:  Frozen may be the best way to preserve wheatgrass juice nutrition and enzymes while at the same time not compromising your schedule.
• Easy to Use: Frozen wheatgrass juice comes premeasured in .5 to 1 oz shots.  Simply pull it out of the freezer and let thaw for a minute.  Add to water, juice, or a smoothie.  Always add 3x the amount of water (or juice) to 1oz of wheatgrass juice.  Avoid heating frozen wheatgrass juice on the stove or in the microwave as it will destroy the nutrients.

The downside:

• Expensive: The downside of frozen wheatgrass juice is typically the price tag.  Delivered to your door, the price per ounce can vary from $1.50 to over $2.00.  If you’re drinking a shot a day at $2.00, then you’re looking at an additional $60 a month to add to your budget.

Fresh wheatgrass

The idea of growing wheatgrass may seem daunting, but in the end it may be worth it for you to become a DIY wheatgrass grower.

• Easy to Start: there are easy-to-use Wheatgrass Starter Kits that provide all the basics for growing wheatgrass at home. The time between the sprouting and growth stage, when you can juice the grass, is about 10 days.
• Overall Savings: The price tag including the starter kit and manual mastication juicer is $85 (may not include S&H).  In the end, you save by being able to put what you would normally spend on buying juice away.  Do the math and compare to the cost (both money-wise and nutrition-wise) of both frozen and fresh wheatgrass.
• Immediate Nutrition: Growing your own wheatgrass gives you all the ‘right now’ benefits of wheatgrass juice nutrition.  You can’t get any fresher than clipping it from your own wheatgrass garden, juicing, and drinking.
• Versatile: If you have the space, you can transplant wheatgrass from your trays and plant it into the ground, creating your own home-grown wheatgrass garden.

The downside:

• Time-Consuming: Unless you’re a gardener or enjoy puttering around in the kitchen, growing your own wheatgrass may not be for you. Growing, harvesting, and juicing takes time, energy, and effort.

Freeze-dried wheatgrass

• Nutrition—Hmmmm:  With wheatgrass in freeze-dried (powdered) or pill form,there is a general consensus that the nutrition has been compromised (i.e. fresh is mo’ bettah).  The jury is still out on this one, so anyone drinking or eating freeze-dried wheatgrass juice please weigh in the comments below!
• Convenient: Needless to say, freeze-dried or pill form is absolutely the most convenient way to take wheatgrass.  If you’re traveling or just need to carry it in your purse or pocket, it’s  much easier to be mobile with these forms.
• Middling Price tag: Freeze-dried wheatgrass typically comes in a 1 oz package that has about 56 servings.  At $29.99 per package, you’re saving from the cost of frozen, but still spending more than if you were to grow your own.

Ultimately, home-grown or flash-frozen offers the best and most viable nutrition.  But that’s only if you can decide which option both your wallet and your schedule can handle.

Weigh-in: How do you take your wheatgrass, and why? Tell us in the comments below!

I consider myself a smoothie expert…I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love juicing and I do it all the time. But there’s just something about an ice cold, sweet smoothie. I deal in fruit smoothies, green smoothies, milky smoothies and juicy ones – I do not discriminate.

What appeals to me about smoothies is that I’m able to pack as many nutrient rich ingredients into it as possible, and the nature of those ingredients lends itself well to my ever changing moods. Since I began juicing and making smoothies, I’ve come up with countless combinations with a new variation dawning with each new day!

But a “green” smoothie? Yes!

Initially I found “green” smoothies a scary endeavor, as the thought of a vegetable smoothie would probably put anyone off a bit. And then I got my hands on some recipes and discovered that the key to any green smoothie worth its salt is a fruity insertion.

You’ll notice that most green smoothie recipes have green apple or pear, as they serve to sweeten the smoothie and offset some of that veggie flavor. The day that I discovered this was the day that everything changed. Green smoothies were no longer this frighteningly flavored pursuit – they would become something that I actually look forward to everyday.

My first experiences with a green smoothie

The smoothie recipe below in particular is a wonderful mix of both fruits and “greenness”, with the green coming from the celery and the frozen spinach, and the fruit portion attributed to the frozen peaches and frozen blueberries.

The first time I ever made this, I blended it with water but it wasn’t as palatable as I would have liked. Making the substitution of fresh orange juice in place of water really elevated this smoothie to exactly what I was expecting it to be. The citrus punch from the orange juice enhances the sweetness of the peaches, and all of the frozen fruits and vegetables together make for the most perfect smoothie texture!

Celery, Peach, Spinach, Blueberry Smoothie

• ½ cup frozen peaches
• 2 small stalks celery
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• ¼ cup frozen spinach
• ½ cup fresh orange juice

In blender combine all ingredients and blend until completely smooth.

Late summer and early fall is Prickly Pear season here in the Southwest. This magenta fruit that replaces the yellow blooms of the cactus’ green nopales offer desert dwellers a treat packed with a unique assortment of nourishment and medicine.

Nutritional Info about the Prickly Pear

The prickly pear fruit is a fine source of magnesium and the amino acid taurine.  Both nutrients are cited as vital to brain and heart health.

The fruit is also rich in arterial health, promoting antioxidants and flavanoids. The flavanoids are the secret superhero power of the prickly pear.  This purple fruit contains at least 10 flavanoids including: kaempferol, puercetin, kaempferol 3-methyl ether, quercetin 3-methyl ether, narcissin, dihykrokaempferol (aromadendrin, 6), dihydroquercetin and eriodictyol. The prickly pear excels in fighting free radicals that can destroy cell structure.

Prickly pear pads or nopales can be eaten like a vegetable.  This part of the fruit is said to level out glucose levels and it’s great for the diabetic diet.  The fruit and nopales are a good source of fiber, as well as a great addition to a gentle and effective colon cleansing program.

The prickly pear is low-calorie while offering high levels of Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Some cultures have used poultices made from the cactus to fight infection and speed the healing process of wounds.

Finally, the juice of the prickly pear is said to ease muscle pain after your work out.

I have been on a wheatgrass kick as of late, ignited by a challenge I set for myself after a friend’s wedding and a vacation in very short succession. The challenge was to commit to doing a 1oz shot of wheatgrass four times a week for two weeks!

I’ve come to understand that it takes at least a solid two weeks to start seeing some health benefits and results from any new activity, including exercise and healthier eating and living.

Why wheatgrass as an energizer?

Summer has a way of derailing regiments of any kind. The combination of  hot weather and over-indulgence leaves a noticeable and hard-to-shake sluggish feeling. When I saw the numbers on the scale beginning to rise, I became astoundingly motivated to get back to normal, and I’ve decided wheatgrass will hopefully help me to restore order.

Having been a part of the wheatgrass tribe, I knew what to expect (I’m familiar with the “BAM grass” taste that pretty accurately describes the flavor or wheatgrass). But fear not if you don’t like the flavor of grass (most people don’t) – I’ll have you know that the flavor doesn’t linger in your mouth for very long.

Two weeks of wheatgrass

The first week was rough. I had started exercising and eating healthy again, so I was tired and craving bad things. The wheatgrass gave me what felt like an uphill climb in regards to my mood and energy levels. But, sometime during the second week, it was as if a huge cloud lifted, and all at once I was feeling great! I was energetic and cheerful again (albeit a little cranky from the soreness thanks to my renewed vigor for exercise).

The bummer of a wheatgrass diet: expenses

After two weeks of wheatgrass, I was feeling great, but my wallet was not as jovial. Visiting my local juice bar four times a week for my wheatgrass shots was getting a little too pricey, so in order to sustain this level of wheatgrass consumption I was going to need another solution.

The wheatgrass starter kit: affordable and easy to use

Enter the Wheatgrass Starter Kit, complete with everything one would need to start growing wheatgrass at home. After about ten days your grass is going to need a serious trim, and that’s when it’s time to juice!

To juice your wheatgrass you can opt for a manual mastication style juicer, which serves only to juice wheatgrass, or you can opt for a multipurpose juicer, that also juices your favorite fruits and vegetables. The choice really is up to you and your budget.

Regardless of whether you have just begun a new healthy regime, or are looking to add some je ne sais quoi to your healthy lifestyle routine, you need to consider wheatgrass!

Papayas are sweet with musky and peppery undertones.  They have a soft, butter-like consistency.  The seeds are black and are completely edible.

The papaya fruit and other parts of the tree contain an enzyme called papain.  Papain is especially concentrated in the unripe fruit. It can be extracted to make dietary supplements and sometimes used as an ingredient in chewing gum.

Papaya Nutrition

One cup of papaya has only 100 calories, yet it’s chock full of nutrition.  Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C and a great food choice to boost your immune system.  It also has nice amounts of folate and potassium to help balance the body’s water and salts.

In addition, a cup of papaya has 17% of the daily value of both Vitamin A and E and 9% of the daily value of Vitamin K.  Papayas are also a good source of fiber.

Papaya’s fall into the orange fruit category known to contain substantial amounts of carotenoids and bioflavonoids.  Both of these phytochemicals promote good health by assisting in the prevention of cataracts, pulmonary disease, and diverticulitis.

Special Health Properties of Papayas

Anti-Inflammatory: Papaya contains the enzymes papain and chymopapain which have been shown to reduce inflammation and promote the healing from burns. The papaya also contains Vitamin C and E, and beta-carotene, which also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Anti-Parasitic: The papaya seeds are anti-parasitic and can assist in expelling worms from the digestive tract.  Mix two teaspoons of seeds with a teaspoon of honey and eat three times a day after meals.

Digestive System Friendly: Papaya enzymes are a friend to your digestive system.  The ripe fruit can prevent constipation.  Eating papayas by themselves for two or three days has a tonic effect on the stomach and intestines.  The juice of the papaya can relieve infections of the colon and it breaks down pus and mucus.  Papaya prevents nausea, and it’s great for morning and motion sickness.

Papaya Passion Smoothie

• 1 papaya (skin and seeds removed)
• 1 kiwi (peeled and frozen)
• 6 strawberries (frozen)
• 1 spear of pineapple or ¼ cup of pineapple (frozen)
• Ice and water

Mix up in a blender and enjoy!

History of the Papaya

Papayas are native to Central America. Spanish and Portuguese explorers transported the papaya to India, the Philippines and different parts of Africa.  Christopher Columbus called the papaya “the fruit of angels.”

In the 20^th century, papayas were cultivated primarily in Hawaii.  Today, the largest commercial producers are the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Selection and Storage of Papyas

A ripe papaya (ready to beaten within a day of purchase) will have a reddish-orange skin and will be slightly soft to the touch.  Papayas with patches of yellow will need a few days to ripen.  If you wish to hurry the ripening process, place the papaya in a paper bag with a banana.

Green papayas or those that are hard should only be used if you are cooking or adding them to a cold salad dish.  The green papaya will never develop the wonderful and distinctive sweet flavor of ripe papayas.

Papaya ‘season’ is summer and fall, though they are typically available year round.

A ripe papaya should be stored in the refrigerator.  Consume a ripe papaya within one or two days.

Do you have a papaya recipe you’d like to share? Tell us in a comment!