Category: Detox

Berry Acai Bowl (GF)

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berry acai bowl (GF)


Acai Bowls have been my go-to lunches for quite some time now – ever since I started experimenting with them at Kaleidoscope (formerly S.E.E.D.) at the Madison Improvement Club. It is the perfect post-yoga (or any workout, for that matter) meal because they are refreshing, nutritious, delicious and filling. I like to layer my bowl with a big heap of plain greek yogurt to punch up the protein factor. Here is my basic recipe:

Berry Acai Bowl (gf)
ingredients:
1/2 small banana
(1) 3.5-oz Sambazon Unsweetened Acai Smoothie Pack
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
toppings (optional):
plain greek yogurt
pomegranate seeds
strawberries
banana
granola
chia seeds

 

the method:

  1. In a blender, add banana, acai pack, strawberries, blueberries and a splash of almond milk. Blend until smooth, adding a splash of milk every so often.
  2. Place 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt at the bottom of your serving bowl and pour the acai puree over the greek yogurt. Layer your toppings according to your preference.
  3. Smile and enjoy!

Warm Green Goddess Rice Bowl (GF)

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warm green goddess bowl

Warm Green Goddess Rice Bowl (GF)
serving size: 1 bowl
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 handful kale, stalk removed and leaves chopped
1 small handful baby spinach
3 slices of halloumi, sliced
1 Egg
1/3 lemon
1/2 ripe Avocado

the method:

  1. Cook the rice according to its package. I like to use the microwaveable pouches available at Trader Joe’s to save time. Plus, it yields PERFECTLY cooked rice in 3 minutes.
  2. You will need two frying pans on the go at once. Place some coconut oil in both pans.
  3. In one frying pan, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant. Place the kale and spinach in and saute in the pan till just soft. You want it to just start to pop in green color.  Remove the pan from the heat and arrange on your plate/bowl.
  4. In your other pan, place your halloumi in and turn once it become golden and soft. Keep the halloumi off to one side on the pan, and use the other side to fry your egg.
  5. Arrange your bowl, green mix on the bottom egg and halloumi, I serve mine with a wedge of lemon and avocado on the side.

Chia Fresca – A Prebiotic Energy Booster!

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chia fresca2Here is a yummy and natural prebiotic energy boosting drink! I love downing one of these bad boys before AND after my yoga classes. It’s made with coconut water, chia seeds, lemon and a hint of agave nectar and is extremely effective in hydrating the body and balancing electrolytes after a good sweat. 🙂

I talk A LOT about probiotics on this blog and on mybody skincare’s blog, but on this post, I wanted to shine some light on prebiotics since they aren’t talked about nearly as much as the former.

You may be thinking, “Well, maybe they aren’t as important as probiotics. I have never even heard of them!” And you would be wrong.

In fact, prebiotics are essential to probiotics carrying out their duties. Simply put, prebiotics are food for probiotics and they help increase the absorption of minerals in our body while balancing the acid in our gut. Prebiotics are found naturally in foods we eat on a daily basis such as yogurt, kefir, onions, CHIA SEEDS, bananas, etc. This dynamic duo works hand-in-hand to carry out their immune-boosting and acid-balancing benefits.

Think about it this way: Your tomato plants can’t grow with just fertilizer (prebiotics), and they can’t grow if you’re only using seeds (probiotics) – the two of these items need to work together to allow that beautiful tomato plant to flourish! Here is an easy recipe that will ensure you’re getting your daily dose of prebiotics…

chia fresca1

Chia Fresca

2 cups coconut water
1.5 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice ( and a slice to make it pretty)
1/2 tbsp Agave Nectar, to taste (or any natural sweetener)

the method:

 Add chia and coconut water into a mason jar or a bottle with a lid. This is key because you will want to shake this mixture around for a minute or two.

Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to swell up and soften.

Add lemon juice and agave nectar to taste. Shake well to combine and enjoy!

Sip Sip Hooray!!

BBQ Tempeh & Veggie Bowl (GF)

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bbq tempehBBQ Tempeh & Veggie Bowl (GF)
the salad ingredients:

1 package of tempeh, diced (I made Nick’s with grilled chicken)
2 tbsp avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (make sure the can is BPA free)
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, diced
4 leaves of romaine lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
2 ripe avocados, mashed with 1tsp lemon juice and salt
1/4 cup of cooked jasmine rice
sprinkling of bleu cheese

the BBQ sauce ingredients:

2 tbsp mustard powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp fresh pepper
5.5 oz can tomato paste
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp molasses
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tsp organic cane sugar

the method:

  1. Combine all of the BBQ sauce ingredients and blend together. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat through.
  2. Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat and add the tempeh. When the tempeh is to your preferred texture (this is about 5 minutes on each side for me) add a couple tablespoons of BBQ sauce to the pan to coat the tempeh.
  3. Chop all the veggies and prepare your avocado mixture. Give each veggie a designated spot in your bowl. Or you can toss them all together if you prefer. Spoon a small amount of rice and add  some cilantro on top of the salad.
  4. Add the hot and tangy tempeh to the salad with a little sprinkling of bleu cheese and you’re good to  go!

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Grilled Veggie & Tofu Rice Bowl (GF)

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tofu veggie bowlGrilled Veggie & Tofu Rice Bowl (GF)
1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
3 cups water
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed (I made Nick’s with grilled chicken)
1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
3 bell peppers, cut into fourths
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 avocados, mashed very well
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
salt + pepper, to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

the method:

  1. *At least 30 minutes before grilling, soak your skewers (if they are bamboo) in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from charring.
  2. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, garlic and hot sauce. Add the tofu and toss well. Cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal.
  3. Make the rice. Add the water to a medium size pot. Bring to a low boil and then add the rice. Stir to combine and then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit on the stove, covered for another 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.
  4. Pre heat the grill to medium high heat.
  5. Add the bell peppers to a gallon size ziplock bag. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake well so the veggies are coated with olive oil.
  6. Remove the tofu from the fridge and skewer it.
  7. Grill the tofu for 3-4 minutes per side, gently flipping 2-3 times until cooked through and has light char marks. While the tofu is grilling grill the bell peppers for about 5 minutes flipping once or twice during cooking.
  8. Remove everything from the grill and let cool 5 minutes. Once cool slice the red peppers into strips.
  9. Add the mashed avocados to a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
  10. To assemble the bowls, divide the rice evenly. Top each bowl of rice with equal amounts of tofu and grilled peppers. Add a large dollop of the avocados and then add the fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle with blue cheese if desired. Serve warm.

Rise and Shine Detox Smoothie (V) (GF)

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smoothieI’m not going to lie to you, this smoothie is absolutely hideous, yet oh-so-delicious. It will also give you that energy boost you need sans coffee! I am doing a detox with Nick this week – so I plan on adding more smoothie recipes to the collection. Enjoy!!

Rise and Shine Detox Smoothie (V)(GF)

the ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp flax seed, ground
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup spinach
  • 1 tbsp almond butter/peanut butter (I used peanut butter in Nick’s since he has an almond allergy)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice

the method:

Blend. Sip. Repeat.