четвъртък, 11 юли 2013 г.
вторник, 9 юли 2013 г.
RAW CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY BARS
Tools You’ll Need:
- Food processor
- 8”x8” baking dish
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries
- 12 medjol dates
- ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa (divided)
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup walnuts
- 5 tablespoons almond butter
- 5 tablespoons RAW honey
Steps:
- Place dates, almonds, walnuts and ½ cup cocoa powder in food processor. Process for about 3-4 minutes, until all ingredients have been blended well and they create sort of a smooth/sticky consistency.
- Place mixture in baking dish. Press on it until it has been evenly distributed and nicely packed at the bottom.
- Place bananas, raspberries, ¼ cup cocoa, almond butter and honey in food processor. Process until smooth.
- Pour mixture into baking dish.
- Place baking dish in freezer for 1 hour+.
- Cut into 9 small squares (3 lines vertically and 3 lines horizontally) and enjoy. No bake baby, yeah!
* Keep in freezer.
* Makes 9 bars.
* Nutritional Information (per bar): 294 calories; 13g fat; 48g carbohydrates; 5g protein.
неделя, 7 юли 2013 г.
Cacao Nibs Banana Bread
Cacao Nibs Banana Bread
(makes one loaf)
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup ghee butter or organic coconut oil, melted
2 over ripe bananas
6 large eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
Mash the bananas. Beat together with the butter, eggs and vanilla.Add the salt.Sieve the coconut flour into a separate bowl. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry until it forms a semi-runny batter.Fold in the cacao nibs. Spoon the mixture into a greased 9in x 5in loaf tin.Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan and slicing.
5 Foods To Eat Yourself Slim
What if I told you that you can eat more but still slim down? By adding these foods to your diet, you can cut out other foods that don't serve your body, yet still promote weight loss. On top of that, you'll NEVER be hungry again, because these foods will fill you up and keep you satisfied.
Here's a list of my top 5 foods for promoting weight loss without leaving you hungry. Go ahead, fill up on these foods, and I promise you'll see the pounds fall off:
Grapefruits are low in calories, high in enzymes, and full of healthy carbohydrates that will keep you full. There is a compound in the fruit that lowers insulin (the fat-storage hormone) which can lead to weight loss. Cut up a half grapefruit for your next breakfast meal, and see how you feel.
With 95% water content, cucumbers are a wonderful low-calorie food for flushing out your system. Sprinkle some cucumbers with lemon juice, a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and some paprika, and you've got a wonderful light lunch or snack. I suggest you choose the Persian cucumbers, as I think they taste better and are sized perfectly for portion control.
Loaded with vitamin c, vitamins, and minerals, kiwi is a slimming food because it keeps things moving in the digestive system. Not only are kiwis delicious, but when eaten on an empty stomach they can do wonders for your slim-plan. Kiwi is a great snack or after-dinner treat.
Full of fiber, calcium, and nutrients, kale is a green superfood that will lead you to optimum health and wellness. Aim to have some sort of kale every day! Have kale raw, juiced, blended, baked, dehydrated, or sauteed, and you'll be on your way to slim-ville. This leafy green is filling, hearty and delicious ... and the more you eat it, the more you'll crave it. I promise. 
Chia seeds are a powerhouse food that will change your life. When mixed with liquid, chia seeds gel up into a pudding-like texture, which is perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert. Mix up some chia seeds with almond milk, dates/maple syrup, and some cacao nibs, and you won't believe that you're making yourself slimmer.
Wake-Up Routine
Not a morning person? These Ayurvedic rituals will turn you into an early riser and change how you face the day.
If that morning mantra "rise and shine" strikes you as the ultimate oxymoron, you might have something to gain from Ayurveda's approach to waking up. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda calls for getting a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature's rhythms, balance the doshas, and also foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline. Adopting just one or more of the following practices for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don't be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light.
Activate Your Innards: The Ayurvedic philosophy believes the first item you ingest sets the mood for the remainder of the day. With that thought in mind, drink a glass of lukewarm water flavored with a fresh slice of lemon or lime. Here, the Ayurvedic reasoning is twofold. The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Secondly, lemons and limes are high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.
Face Value: Sleep is tough on the face. Rinsing your face upon waking is an easy way to disperse heat, or leftover pitta energy, and prepare the skin for the day's challenges, namely heat, stress, and pollution. Thus Mishra recommends splashing the face seven times with cool, preferably nonchlorinated water. (An auspicious number in Ayurveda, seven represents the body's chakras, or energy centers.) "The face is the most exposed area of the body, so morning rehydration is crucial," he says. "All day the face is bombarded with stresses. The more hydration the better." Overnight, trapped heat also dries out the mouth. So while rinsing your face, take a sip of cool water, swish it slowly, and spit it out when it gets lukewarm. Repeat two to three times.
Mind Your Mouth: Whereas many of us may dismiss morning tongue-fuzz as an innocuous by-product of sleep, Ayurveda interprets it as a sign of undigested ama lurking in the digestive tract. Ayurvedic practitioners thus rely on the aptly named tongue scraper to dislodge ama, lest it be reabsorbed while eating or drinking. (Both plastic and metal tongue scrapers are sold at many health food stores, but a stainless steel spoon works in a pinch.) Scrape the tongue gently, working from back to front. Use seven to 14 strokes to cover the entire area. This not only rids the tongue of ama, but also unearths the taste buds, awakening the gastric fire for another day of savoring food.
Then tap the teeth together a few times to stimulate the energy meridians that lie in the mouth. For healthy gums and enamel, brush your teeth with a soft nylon or a natural bristle toothbrush. (Using a hard toothbrush can cause gum recession, pain between the teeth and gums, and damage enamel.) Use a toothpaste free of synthetic chemicals and harsh abrasives. Ayurvedic toothpastes contain herbs, such as neem, lohdra, and kushta, that will help stimulate gums and protect enamel. After brushing, rinse your mouth for two to three minutes with warm olive or sesame oil (swish and spit, don't swallow). "Gargling with warm oil strengthens the teeth, gums, and jaws as well as protecting the voice," says Amita Banerjee, an Ayurvedic nutritionist at New York's Ayurvedic Beauty Holistic Center. Then use the index finger to massage the remaining oil into the gums with small, counterclockwise motions. A gum massage stimulates gum tissue, lubricates cells, and cleanses digestive fire.
Be Sense Sensitive: An ear massage is a boon to the entire body. Begin at the top of the ear and use the thumbs and index fingers to rub the rim, moving slowly down to the lobe. Then place a few drops of sesame oil just outside the opening to the ear canal to keep drying vata energy in check. Ayurveda considers the nose the pathway to the brain, so Banerjee suggests rubbing up to four drops of sesame or olive oil just inside the nostril to clean the sinuses and ensure mental clarity.
Watch Your Peepers: In Ayurveda, eyes are viewed as "the seat of the fire," meaning they are pitta in nature and overheat easily. So lightly splashing cool water into opened eyes helps balance the doshas. If your eyes are extra puffy or irritated, cover them with either slices of cucumber or cotton balls soaked in aloe vera, cooled fennel tea, or milk. (Goat's milk is cooler and therefore preferable, but cow's milk is also fine.) For bloodshot eyes, try three drops of pure rose water in each eye. Strengthen neglected eye muscles and stimulate the optic nerve with a few simple eye movements. Roll the eyes up and down, side to side, and diagonally. Then rotate them in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction. Finish by tightly squeezing the eyes shut and then releasing. Do this several times.
Indulge in a Self-Massage: Massaging one or more energy channels with aromatic oil floods the mind and body with healing energy. Start by choosing an aroma that matches your dosha. To balance vata use ginger, cardamom, or orange; pitta prefers the cool, sweet scents of sandalwood or lavender; kaphas respond best to eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage. Place a drop of oil on the ring finger of the right hand and rub it gently onto the third eye point between your brows, using small, clockwise circles. Deepen and slow your inhalation and exhalation as you count 11 full breaths. If you feel groggy, Mishra suggests stimulating the energy channels between the head and heart by using light pressure against the temples with the flat sides of four fingers. Do not push with the fingertips; instead, press gently on the sides of your head.
Take a Dip: A bath rehydrates the skin and fends off fatigue. All three doshas benefit from a quick cleansing, but water temperature varies by constitution. Pittas benefit from cool water, while lukewarm water is ideal for vatas, and even warmer temperatures are best for balancing cool-natured kaphas. A core belief of Ayurveda is that anything put on the skin is eventually assimilated by the body, so lower the body's toxicity by avoiding products rife with perfumes and synthetic chemicals, opting instead for Ayurvedic soaps and shampoos.
Eat Wisely: It's never wise to skip breakfast, cautions Banerjee. But, you shouldn't overindulge in the morning either. "From sunrise to 10 a.m. is kapha time, a time for exercising and moving," says Sullivan. "A light meal won't overload the digestive fire, which doesn't peak until noon." Begin your day with vegetable juice, yogurt, fruits, buckwheat porridge or just find out what's working for you!
Original article
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/859
10 Amazing Benefits Of Drinking Lemon Water Every Morning
10 Benefits to Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning
A glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning is surprisingly helpful in several ways. This Yogic or Ayurvedic ritual was primarily for stimulating digestion and eliminating ama, the Ayurvedic term for toxic slime that builds up in the gastro-intestinal or GI tract. This ritual has even more health benefits.
1) Aids Digestion. Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. It’s atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating. The American Cancer Society actually recommends offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.
2) Cleanses Your System / is a Diuretic. Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials in part because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Therefore toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.
3) Boosts Your Immune System. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms plus it enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function. Lemons also contain saponins, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu at bay. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body.
4) Balances pH Levels. Lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. Sure, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood. Disease states only occur when the body pH is acidic. Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.
5) Clears Skin. The vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. It can actually be applied directly to scars or age spots to help reduce their appearance. Since lemon water purges toxins from your blood, it would also be helping to keep your skin clear of blemishes from the inside out. The vitamin C contained in the lemon rejuvenates the skin from within your body.
6) Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood. The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.
7) Promotes Healing. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.
8) Freshens Breath. Besides fresher breath, lemons have been known to help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Be aware that citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should be mindful of this. No not brush your teeth just after drinking your lemon water. It is best to brush your teeth first, then drink your lemon water, or wait a significant amount of time after to brush your teeth. Additionally, you can rinse your mouth with purified water after you finish your lemon water.
9) Hydrates Your Lymph System. Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.
10) Aids in Weight Loss. Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. Studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet, do in fact lose weight faster. I personally find myself making better choices throughout the day, if I start my day off right, by making a health conscious choice to drink warm lemon water first thing every morning.
How and When
Warm purified fluoride free water or spring water should be used. At least a half of a lemon or lime should be thoroughly squeezed into a half glass of the warm water without any sweetener. It's better to use a lemon/lime squeezer to get maximum juice with minimum seeds and effort. This should be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and don't start eating breakfast right away. Some recommend an hour before eating for maximum results.
One technique to assure proper timing would be to heat up water and put it into a thermos before going to bed. Then mix that hot water with room temperature purified lemon or lime water upon arising. Drink it down quickly, then go about your other morning routines before eating breakfast.
The warm lemon/lime water daily habit is as cheap and easy as it gets to help you improve and maintain your health.
Do you drink warm lemon water every morning?
Sources for this article include:
Абонамент за:
Публикации (Atom)