Green Pest Control: Beneficial Bugs that are Garden Friends

To attract beneficial insects to your yard, keep your gardening practices organic. In addition, incorporate plants and flowers that attract them, like Queen Anne’s lace, anise, daisies, sunflowers, cornflowers and chamomile.

Ladybugs: Ladybugs are like a garden’s police force. Despite their cute exterior, ladybugs have a voracious appetite for small and soft-bodied insects. Among their favorites are aphids, mealy bugs, slugs and spider mites.      

Bees: Bees are some of the most feared insects, but they are vital to the survival of every plant, shrub and tree in a garden (and on earth). Honeybees and bumblebees are non-aggressive pollinators that are more likely to sting you by accident rather than on purpose, unless you mess with their hives. Yellow jackets are also pollinators, but they dine on soft-bodied bugs like caterpillars and flies.  If you see one or two yellow jackets in your yard, don’t panic. However, if there’s a nest on your property, call an eco-friendly pest control professional for help.

Praying mantis: This alien-looking bug is a garden’s clandestine secret agent. Its color helps it blend in among twigs and leaves so garden-eating insects don’t see it coming. The praying mantis eats anything it can catch with its long arms, including flying insects, maggots, grasshoppers, grubs, caterpillars and more. Because praying mantises are so feisty, don’t pair them with ladybugs as an attempt to super-fortify your garden, or you’ll soon find all your ladybugs missing.

Spiders: Spiders offer you a great deal; if you let them live in your garden rent-free, they’ll take care of garden pests that land in their webs in return. This service is amazing during the mosquito and ant seasons.

Dragonflies: If you live near the water or have a water feature on your property, dragonflies can help reduce the mosquito population. Dragonflies like to hang out around water, which is where mosquitoes breed. When you see a dragonfly skipping along in your garden, bring out the welcome mat.

Minute pirate bug: Not all beneficial insects eat the eggs of garden predators. Let minute pirate bugs scuttle around so they can take care of pests in the earliest stages of development.

Additional Eco-Friendly Pest Control Tips

Your green pest control efforts don’t have to stop with beneficial insects. Use the following techniques to keep out pests of the insect and non-insect variety:

Natural solutions: Sometimes your pantry contains all you need to prevent or kill pests without the use of harmful chemicals. As an example, pour a bit of cheap beer into a shallow dish; the beer will attract slugs and kill them. Use cleaned and crushed egg shells around the base of plants to repel slugs and cutworms. For more natural solutions, talk to a professional at a plant nursery.

Cleanliness: Pests are attracted to messes, so keep your garden clean and well-manicured. When you grow edibles, harvest them in a timely manner so they don’t rot and become a food source for unwanted insects and pests.

Insect-repelling plants: A variety of herbs, vegetables and flowers act as insect repellents. Examples include citronella, marigolds, lemongrass, yarrow, fennel, spearmint, basil and thyme. The experts at your garden store can tell you which insect-repelling plants grow best in your area.

Barriers: Use a mesh-like material over vegetables that insects or other pests tend to target the most. While it’s important for the material to have a tight weave, the weave should also be loose enough for the plants to receive adequate sunlight and water.

Birds: Plenty of backyard birds enjoy snacking on insects. Hang a feeder in your garden to attract birds to your yard. Just remember to regularly clean any mess they leave on the ground to avoid attracting rodents.

Green pest control is simple. Practicing it keeps your family, pets and the earth safe so you can enjoy your garden without any worries. If you ever have a pest problem that’s beyond your control, don’t hesitate to call a pest control professional that uses eco-friendly practices.

Do you have a garden? Have you ever tried any of these tips for controlling pests? Please contribute to the conversion by leaving a comment.

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook,  follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

Author Bio: Jen McCauley, the marketing director of Eden Advanced Pest Technologies, contributed this post.  Eden Pest is a leading integrated pest management company in Western Washington and Oregon that provides green pest control solutions for both residential and commercial customers.

Hummus is one of my go-to healthy snacks. I also like serving hummus as a tasty appetizer at parties. This creamy hummus would be absolutely great paired with my Berry Coconut Kefir Sangria and served with lots of fresh vegetables and olives on the side.

Today’s recipe is a unique and delectable twist on a traditional hummus. The fresh citrus notes that come from the orange zest and orange juice combine with the smoked paprika to create a wonderful balance of flavors that makes this creamy dip irresistible!

Ready-made beans are one of the few canned foods that I will buy because they can be a timesaver when you’re busy. I always keep a few cans of organic garbanzo beans and black beans in my pantry so that I can use them in different recipes. I recommend that you always buy organic beans in BPA-free cans that are no salt or low salt.

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

Garbanzo beans aka chickpeas are protein-and-fiber-rich beans that are a rich source of potassium, manganese, folate, molybdenum, and iron.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are a tiny, tasty seed that is used in many cuisines around the world. I like using sesame seeds in stir-fry’s, tossing into salads, and making sesame milk for smoothies.

Sesame seeds are packed with nutrients for healing including, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, vitamin B1, and zinc. Sesame seeds also contain a unique fiber called sesamin that is a lignan that has been shown to lower bad cholesterol and protect the body against oxidative damage from toxins and free radicals.

Sesame Tahini

Sesame tahini is a paste made from grinding up sesame seeds. It comes in black or white varieties that are made from using white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds.

Important Note

If you are eating really healthy foods but still having issues with your health and chronic inflammation, you need to find out if you have sensitivities or intolerances to the foods you’re eating. The foods which we put into our body on a daily basis can either help protect against sickness, inflammation, and aging or increase it.

That’s why it’s important for everyone to make food and lifestyle choices that enhance your health. The Alcat test that we offer is a very reliable way to find out exactly what foods, food additives, medicinal herbs, functional foods, food colorings, molds, and chemicals you have sensitivities to so you can eliminate them from your life and start to heal. Feel free to contact us if you want to learn more about this fantastic test.

What’s your favorite snack food? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook,  follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

Shared on Allergy Free Wednesday, Fight Back Fridays,  and Fat Tuesday.

Enjoying a cocktail, wine, or beer is a normal part of entertaining. I like to indulge in the occasional alcoholic beverage but I also want to make sure that what I drink won’t slow down the progress I’ve made leading a healthier lifestyle. That’s why I like making drinks with benefits. My drinks with benefits have antioxidants, probiotics, enzymes, and phytochemicals that will help protect against some of  the effects alcohol has on the body.

I’m sharing my delicious superfoods recipe for berry coconut kefir sangria to give you a healthier drink option that’s perfect for entertaining. My recipe combines antioxidant-rich red wine and berries with probiotic-rich coconut water kefir for a delicious drink that won’t have you feeling guilty afterwards.

Sangria is a very popular wine punch that is usually made with wine sweetened with fresh fruit and a sweetener. The fruit is marinated in the wine so that it infuses the wine with its sweet flavor. Brandy and sparkling beverages are sometimes added for a tasty variation on the basic recipe. Sangria is popular in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Chile.

Coconut Water Kefir

Coconut water kefir is a healing beverage rich in beneficial bacteria, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Young Thai coconut water is fermented with kefir bacteria cultures to form a bubbly, tangy drink that will help heal your digestive system.

Recipe for Coconut Water Kefir

Coconut water kefir is easy to make if you have access to young Thai coconuts. To make it yourself you need 4 cups of coconut water from 3 to 4 fresh young coconuts, either 3 tablespoons of rehydrated water kefir grains, or 1 packet of kefir starter, and a 1½ quart sterilized glass jar with a lid.

Bring the coconut water to 90˚ F (32˚ C) temperature and pour it into the glass jar. Stir in either the kefir grains or kefir starter into the coconut water with a non-metal spoon and cover loosely with the lid. Let coconut water kefir set at room temperature for 36-48 hours. Coconut water kefir is ready when it turns milky white, bubbly, and tastes tangy. If you are using the water kefir grains, you need to strain them out of the coconut kefir and store in sugar water made with ¼ cup of organic sugar and 1 quart of pure spring water until you’re ready to make another batch of kefir. If using the kefir starter, you can remove ¼  cup of the coconut kefir and add to another 4 cups of coconut water to make a new batch.

If you don’t have access to young coconut water or don’t want to make your own coconut kefir, you can try commercial  kefirs like Kevita, Inner Éco, or Body Ecology.

Red Wine

Red wine is rich in resveratrol a powerful polyphenol and potent antioxidant that is renowned for its ability to support a healthy heart and slow down the aging process.

Berries

Blueberries and strawberries are two of my favorite superfood fruits. These two fruits are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, biotin, iron, and fiber which all work together to protect your body from free radicals and toxins that contribute to aging and disease.

The next time you get ready to throw a summer party, make sure you make a batch of my berry coconut kefir sangria so you can enjoy all the benefits this delectable drink offers.

What’s your favorite  drink to serve at parties? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

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Shared on Allergy Free Wednesday,  and  Fat Tuesday.

Since summer is just around the corner, I wanted to post a guacamole recipe that you could enjoy at a summer barbecue or party. I usually make a more traditional guacamole recipe with jalapeño, lemon or lime juice, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro.

Today I was in the mood for something different. I had some chipotle in adobo sauce so I decided to make guacamole simply adorned with juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic, and refreshing lime juice. This is the first time I’ve made guacamole without cilantro, onions, or jalapeño in it and the taste was absolutely amazing! My mom and I couldn’t stop eating this guacamole because it was so good!

Spicy chipotle pepper adds a wonderful smokiness and heat that blends really well with the creamy avocado and cherry tomatoes. The juicy cherry tomatoes really add sweet flavor that enhances and tones down the heat from the chipotle. Another good tomato to try in this guacamole would be a Brandywine or Cherokee purple heirloom tomato.

I only used one half of the chipotle pepper and one teaspoon of the adobo sauce to temper the heat level from the pepper but if you like it hot, feel free to use a whole chipotle pepper. Another tasty option for the chipotle pepper is to use Sriracha sauce.

If you like fruit with your guacamole you could add a ½ cup of diced pineapple, mango, or strawberries for a totally unique and tasty variation.

Avocados

I am in love with avocados! I eat them at least 3 or 4 days a week. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I have a variety of different recipes on my blog that have avocado in them. Avocados are one of my favorite healing foods. Avocados are rich in healing nutrients including high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folate, and fiber. Avocados contain important carotenoids including beta-carotene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin that fight chronic inflammation and free radical damage which causes your body to age quickly.

Hot Chili Peppers

Hot chili peppers like the chipotle pepper are a great food to enjoy for both the flavor and the health benefits. Chili peppers contain capsaicin which is good for burning fat and stimulating your metabolism.

Try this tasty guacamole as a wonderful healing foods snack or at your next party. Do you love guacamole? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

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I put together this smoothie recipe with some wonderful skin loving, anti-aging, healing foods that work together synergistically providing great taste and major health benefits. Healing foods that have the added bonus of slowing down the aging process are some of my favorite foods to eat on a weekly basis.

Anyone who believes that healthy foods are bland and boring needs to make this recipe. The sweet, fruity taste and creamy texture makes it hard to believe that something so delicious is also really healthy.

One of my go-to nut milks to use in smoothies is Brazil nut milk. This yummy milk adds a wonderful creaminess that makes this smoothie taste like a milkshake.  The tasty recipe for this vanilla Brazil nut milk comes from my new cookbook Deliciously Holistic: which is available for sale on Amazon right now.

Pineapple

Pineapple is one of those tropical fruits that I crave. It’s sweet flavor and juicy texture is so great to enjoy on its own or in variety of different recipes. Pineapple is a wonderful fruit to eat for radiant, healthy skin due to the high amount of nutrition it contains. Pineapple is high in vitamin C and manganese which are two important nutrients that protect your skin against aging. Pineapple has a special enzyme called bromelain which helps promote healthy digestion by breaking down protein. Bromelain is also a potent anti-inflammatory along with an aid for better circulation.

Bananas

Bananas are well known for their high potassium content but they are also an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B6 which are important vitamins for keeping your skin youthful and well moisturized. Freezing the banana before using in the smoothie helps to make the smoothie cold and creamy.

Turmeric

Turmeric is one of my top choices for fighting inflammation and cleansing the blood. Turmeric’s potent health benefits are due to the presence of the antioxidant curcumin which has been widely studied and praised for its beneficial properties. Clean blood and reduction of inflammation = ageless, beautiful, glowing skin.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are one of the best sources for selenium an important mineral for vibrant health. Selenium is a potent anti-inflammatory which helps protect your body from degenerative diseases that promote aging.

If you want to reap all the benefits of eating for both health and taste, try this anti-aging smoothie for your next breakfast or snack.

Important Note

If you are eating really healthy foods but still having issues with your health and chronic inflammation, you need to find out if you have sensitivities or intolerances to the foods you’re eating. The foods which we put into our body on a daily basis can either help protect against sickness, inflammation, and aging or increase it.

That’s why it’s important for everyone to make food and lifestyle choices that enhance your health. The Alcat test that we offer is a very reliable way to find out exactly what foods, food additives, medicinal herbs, functional foods, food colorings, molds, and chemicals you have sensitivities to so you can eliminate them from your life and start to heal. Feel free to contact us if you want to learn more about this fantastic test.

I hope that you enjoy my recipe and make it often so you can protect your body against aging. What’s your favorite  smoothie blend? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook,  follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

Today’s tasty recipe is a delectable combination of smoky grilled asparagus, sweet caramelized onions, creamy avocado, peppery watercress, juicy tomatoes, spicy radishes, refreshing lime, and nutty quinoa. All of these ingredients meld together to create a harmonious balance of textures and flavors that will have you going back for seconds!

This recipe is packed with healing superfoods but if I had to choose one standout superstar ingredient in this recipe, I would choose the quinoa. Quinoa is an amazing superfood that is like the little black dress, perfect for every occasion and always in style. If you have never tried quinoa you are going to adore its nutty flavor and fluffy texture. Here are some of its wonderful benefits.

Quinoa

Quinoa is a tiny seed that has been cultivated for over 3000 years and it contains an impressive array of key nutrients for healing and nourishment of the body. Quinoa is a protein-rich seed that is eaten like a grain. ½ cup of quinoa contains 11 grams of healthy plant protein along with all eight essential amino acids. Quinoa is a good source of B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and zinc.

Since quinoa is a seed, it does contain anti-nutrients that protect it from sprouting until the right conditions are met. Soaking the quinoa before cooking removes these anti-nutrients. I also like to toast it for a few minutes to enhance the nutty flavor and remove some of the moisture from the soaking process. If you don’t have time to soak your quinoa, you need to rinse it thoroughly before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating.

Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most adored spring vegetables. Grilling the asparagus adds a wonderful smoky flavor that blends well with all the other ingredients in this recipe. I used a cast iron grill on the stove but if you don’t have a grill pan you cook it in a cast iron skillet or roast in the oven.

Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K which is important for helping the body absorb calcium. Asparagus also contains beta-carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, inulin, selenium, fiber, and zinc. Asparagus is rich in glutathione a super antioxidant that removes and protects the body from toxins.

Onions

Caramelized onions are a tasty addition to this recipe and offer tremendous health benefits. Onions are an aid to the liver’s detoxification process because they contain flavonoids that stimulate the production of glutathione an antioxidant that the liver uses for detoxification. Onions are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, quercetin, sulfur, iron, and fiber.

Avocados

Avocado adds a lush creaminess to this recipe that is so good! Avocados are rich in healthy fats and important nutrients that protect your body from inflammation, free radical damage, and aging. Avocados are rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, lutein, glutathione, and fiber that all work together to heal and rejuvenate the body.

I hope that you enjoy my recipe and make it often so you can experience all the health benefits that come with eating healing foods on a regular basis. What’s your favorite  spring vegetables and fruits? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook,  follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

I’m so excited to share my book with all of you! My cookbook and holistic lifestyle guide is truly a tangible expression of the joy, peace, and satisfaction that I have experienced from eating healing foods and following holistic lifestyle principles.

When I decided to write my book several years ago, I wanted to make sure that it would be a book that I would love to buy, read, and use over and over again. My cookbook needed to have lots of delicious and healthy recipes for more energy and better immunity.

I also wanted to write a book where I could share the valuable holistic health information and cooking knowledge I have learned from working as a chef and certified healing foods specialist for many years.

I poured my heart and soul into my book project spending many long days and nights creating and testing recipes, photographing them, and researching the most useful holistic lifestyle information to include.

Deliciously Holistic is the result of all this hard yet rewarding work. As a holistic chef, certified healing foods specialist and ardent food lover, I truly believe good nutrition never has to be at the cost of great taste. Deliciously Holistic cookbook will show you, step-by-step, how to get more energy and better immunity with 154 vibrant, nutrient-rich, healing foods recipes and 50 pages of holistic lifestyle tips and solutions.

Whether your dietary preference is omnivore, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gaps, or macrobiotic, eating more healing whole foods and doing the lifestyle tips in this cookbook will help you experience the joy that comes with feeling and looking your best!

To preview some of the delectable recipes in Deliciously Holistic, check out these blog post links:

Banana Coconut Chia Pudding

Acai Berry Cranberry Tea Sherbet

Cultured Apple Goji Berry Compote

Pumpkin Seed Spread

Pumpkin Hazelnut Chai Soup

To celebrate the launch of Deliciously Holistic, I have teamed up with some of my absolute favorite companies and they will be generously providing some awesome gifts for me to give away for free! Sign up for my email newsletter, like my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest to receive notification of the latest giveaway and to get an opportunity to win these wonderful gifts.

I hope that Deliciously Holistic will be a book that you cherish and use constantly to enjoy a life full of radiant health and wellness! Please share the gift of health with your family, friends, and coworkers by spreading the word about my book and or buying them a copy as a gift.

Love, light, and radiant health from my holistic kitchen to yours,

Slowing down aging in your body starts with what you eat and drink on a daily basis. If you eat lots of processed low-nutrient foods, and sugar-filled or artificially sweetened beverages, your skin, hair, and nails will reflect these choices. My favorite anti-aging foods will provide you with the all good nutrition you need to slow down the aging process.

When you eat healing foods with key anti-aging nutrients, you become healthy on the inside which is reflected on the outside by an outer glow of vibrant health that is truly beautiful! Organic healing foods which contain the following key nutrients are the best choices for fighting the aging process.

Top vitamins for anti-aging are: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and B vitamins.

Top minerals for anti-aging are: sulfur, silicon, zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Top phytochemicals for anti-aging are: Chlorophyll, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, quercetin, lutein, and squalene.

The following list has my seven favorite anti-aging foods. These healing foods are rich in key vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, healthy fats, water, enzymes, and fiber that provide you with everything you need to slow down aging and get the glow!

1. Leafy Green Vegetables

Kale, spinach, collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, arugula, watercress, red and green oak leaf lettuce, and romaine lettuce are excellent leafy greens to eat on a daily basis to age proof your body. These leafy greens are packed with water, amino acids, phytochemicals, enzymes, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and fiber which detoxify, alkalinize, and nourish the entire body. Leafy greens contain high levels of chlorophyll which builds up blood and increase the levels of oxygen in the body. A clean body=radiant skin, hair, and nails.

2. Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, goji berries, cranberries, raspberries, mulberries, acai berries, and camu camu berries help cleanse our body of toxins and fights chronic inflammation resulting in beautiful, healthy skin, hair, and nails.  Berries protect against the oxidative stress which causes aging due to the high levels of vitamin C, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that they contain.

3. Avocados

Avocados contain essential omega-3 fatty acids that moisturize your skin from the inside out. Avocados are rich in anti-aging nutrients including high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folate, and fiber. Avocados contain important carotenoids including beta-carotene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin that fight chronic inflammation and free radical damage which causes your body to age quickly.

4. Allium Vegetables

Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, and shallots are all members of the allium family. These wonderful vegetables contain high amounts of sulfur an important mineral that helps rebuild keratin and collagen, along with purifying the liver. Onions are also rich in quercetin an antioxidant that fights free radical damage.

5. Sprouted or Raw Nuts and Seeds

The best nuts and seeds to fight against aging include: almonds, walnuts, coconuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds. All of these nuts and seeds contain healthy fats, protein, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help neutralize free radicals; fight inflammation; and repair cellular damage. Nuts and seeds contain fatty acids like GLA that are potent anti-inflammatory fats and also important for keeping your skin moisturized.

5. Olives and Olive Oil

Olives and olive oil are rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and amino acids which repairs connective tissue and reduces the appearance of fine lines. Olives contain squalene an unsaturated fat, antioxidant, and oxygen carrier that helps smooth and protect your skin. Olives and olive oil are high in monounsaturated fats that have anti-inflammatory properties. The heart healthy fats in olives and olive oil are also important for keeping your skin, scalp, and hair moisturized.

6. Red and Black Radishes

These tiny root vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that keep your skin, hair, and nails in top condition. Radishes contain silicon, sulfur, and vitamin C. Silicon also known as silica, strengthens connective tissues and keeps your skin smooth and glowing. Silicon also helps make your hair thick and strong.

7. Turmeric

Turmeric is an amazing root vegetable with anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants that purify the blood and support the liver. Having clean blood helps to keep your skin smooth and soft.

If you include these healing foods into your daily diet you will reap all the anti-aging benefits they provide and start enjoying the glow of radiant health.

Are any of your favorite foods on this list? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment.

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

Cookies that are made with pure ingredients and free of foods that are health depleting are the best treats to indulge in. These simple cookies have whole foods that your body can recognize and digest easily. My cookie recipe is free of refined white flour, white sugar, grains, and gluten.

I love to make desserts that don’t weigh me down or make me feel tired after eating them. I usually stick to eating lots of fresh fruits, chia seed puddings, and homemade ice creams and sorbets for dessert.

On the occasion that I want to make baked goods like cookies, pies, cakes, or cupcakes, I make them with almond; coconut; oat; buckwheat; or millet flours because these flours are nutrient-rich and gluten-free. Once you learn how to bake with these fantastic flours, you will never want to use bleached all purpose flour ever again.

Almond flour is one of my favorite flours for baking cookies because it creates a light cookie with a texture that is a cross between chewy and crispy. This texture is my ideal of the perfect cookie.

Today’s recipe uses almond flour, dark chocolate chunks, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and organic pastured butter which adds amazing flavor to this cookie without the need for eggs or leavening agents like baking powder.

Finely ground blanched almond flour is used in this recipe as a replacement for white all purpose flour. Blanched almond flour is made by soaking raw almonds in hot water to remove the skins.

The almonds are ground into fine almond flour that is a wonderful gluten-and-grain-free option for baking. Please don’t substitute coarse almond meal for blanched almond flour because it won’t yield the right texture in this recipe. Almond meal is usually coarse ground almonds that are ground with the skins still on them.

ALMONDS

Almonds are a fantastic source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, potassium, antioxidants, and heart healthy monounsaturated fat. Even though almonds are considered a nut, they are really not a true nut because they are the seed of the fruit that grows on almond trees. Technically it’s a drupe.

COCONUT SUGAR

Coconut sugar is a wonderful caramel flavored sugar that comes from the crystallized sap nectar that flows from the coconut blossom when coconut trees are tapped. Coconut sugar has 17 amino acids, key vitamins, minerals, and a glycemic index of 35. Coconut sugar is a great replacement for refined white sugar. I used Wholesome Sweeteners organic coconut sugar in this recipe.

PASTURED BUTTER

Organic pastured butter is a healthy fat that you should not be afraid to eat or use in your recipes. Pastured butter comes from cow’s that eat a natural diet of grass. This natural diet produces a delicious, golden butter that is rich in vitamin A, vitamin D, omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, and selenium.

For more information on the benefits of butter check out these two articles. If you don’t eat dairy you can try these cookies with virgin raw coconut oil. I have not tested the recipe with coconut oil so I can’t guarantee that it will turn out as good as it does with butter.

DARK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate is high in enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, and soluble fiber. It’s particularly high in magnesium, iron, and chromium which are important nutrients for vibrant health.

Do you like cookies? What’s your favorite cookie? Are you eating gluten-free or grain-free? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment.

Join our holistic community by signing up for our email updates, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter , and pin with us on Pinterest to get all the latest healthy recipes, health tips, event notifications, and information on increasing your energy, strength, and immunity with healing whole foods and holistic lifestyle solutions.

I have received numerous requests to post a smoothie recipe that helps you recover after working out. I created this alkalizing green smoothie recipe to help your body heal quickly after exercising.

This delicious smoothie features a specific combination of ingredients to help repair your muscles, clear lactic acid from your blood, and reduce inflammation. This smoothie also delivers key nutrients for hydrating your body and replenishing electrolytes.

After you finish working out, your body needs to have a balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, electrolytes, antioxidants, fiber, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. These important nutrients speed recovery, repair and build muscle, provide energy, replace muscle glycogen stores, and decrease inflammation.

Blended smoothies are the perfect choice to help you accomplish this goal because you can combine all these important nutrients into an easy to make drink. Smoothies digest quickly which frees up energy for your body to repair itself after your workout.

Today’s smoothie recipe combines a tasty blend of cherry chia kombucha tea, coconut water, juicy strawberries, creamy avocado, turmeric, kale, spicy ginger, raw honey, chia seeds, and hemp protein for a power-packed smoothie that will help heal your body and keep you energized for your next workout! It’s important to drink this smoothie within 30 minutes to one hour after working out to reap the most benefits.

Kombucha Tea

Kombucha tea is made with a colony of beneficial yeast, good bacteria, and tea. This cultured drink is healthy promoting and provides key probiotics, enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, polyphenols, and glucuronic acids that strengthen and help heal your digestive system and immune system.

I used cherry chia kombucha tea in this recipe. This organic, raw kombucha tea is an energizing blend of kombucha culture, tea, chia seeds, and cherry juice.

Sixteen ounces of cherry chia kombucha tea has 4 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, 4200 mg of omega-3 essential fatty acids, and 100 mg of EGCG. This kombucha tea also contains both bacillus coagulans and S. Boulardii probiotics. If you have a favorite brand of kombucha tea or if you make your own homemade kombucha feel free to use it in this recipe.

Strawberries

Sweet Strawberries are in season right now and they are the perfect addition to this smoothie both for the taste and the nutritional content. Fruit is fantastic for eating after a workout because it helps replenish depleted glycogen stores in your muscles.

Strawberries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, iron, biotin, and fiber. Antioxidants and vitamin C protect our cells from free radical damage and inflammation that comes from working out. Antioxidants are also important for helping to cleanse your blood of the lactic acid that is created. Iron helps deliver oxygen to your body and builds up your blood. Strawberries are high in water which will help rehydrate you after sweating during exercise. One cup of strawberries contains around 4½ ounces of water.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a rhizome that is a member of the ginger family. Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin, which is a potent antioxidant, liver detoxifier, and anti-inflammatory. Turmeric is a great addition to a post workout smoothie because it helps cleanse your blood of lactic acid and reduces inflammation.

Ginger

Ginger is a potassium-rich rhizome which is excellent for stimulating digestion and bile flow along with removing inflammation.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are an excellent plant-based source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids (ALA), calcium, iron, and fiber. Calcium is important for the contraction and function of your muscles. Omega-3 fatty acids are excellent at protecting the body from the damaging effects of chronic inflammation. Chia seeds can also help stabilize your blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.

Chia seeds can absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid which makes them very hydrating which is important after a strenuous workout. Two tablespoons of chia seeds have 4 grams of protein, 205 grams of calcium, 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and 8 grams of fiber. To find out more benefits of this superfood seed check out my post.

Avocado

Avocado is a great choice for a post exercise recovery smoothie because avocados are a good source of healthy fats plus nutrients that help repair and heal your body. Eating a healthy source of fat after working out helps reduce inflammation and repair the damage done to muscle cell membranes. Avocados healthy fats include monounsaturated fat and alpha-linolenic acid an omega-3 fatty acid.

Avocados are also rich in nutrients including high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, folate, and fiber. Avocados contain important carotenoids including beta-carotene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin that function as key antioxidants to fight inflammation and free radical damage.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is a fantastic beverage for hydrating your body. Coconut water provides key electrolytes including potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium that are depleted from sweating during your workout. Coconut water also contains B vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, and antioxidants which all work together to help your body recover after exercising. Electrolytes help your muscles recover and are important for regulating muscle function.

I hope that drinking my smoothie will help keep your body strong and filled with energy. What’s your favorite smoothie blends? Please contribute to the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Share this recipe with family and friends and let’s all get healthy and radiant together!

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