Many people crave comfort food in the mid of winter-is this you?? I do too, once in a while when it’s blustery out but lately, I’ve been craving more tropical flavours that take me to far off warmer climates-in my mind!  I’d love to be joining my girlfriend Karen Elgersma & her family on her trip to Mexico this week but I am still a student enrolled in classes for a while yet!  Instead, I can replay the fun we had together just a couple weeks ago when we did this TV Segment for Shaw TV’s The Daily Show on how to make the tastiest green smoothie!  I know you’d enjoy peeking at it if you are a smoothie drinker or a wanna be smoothie drinker!  It’s only 3 minutes long and she did a wonderful job editing our 2 hour taping down to a nicely condensed version.  It’s my first debut on TV as the Alkaline Sister! YaY!

In the meantime I think I’ll just keep pretending I’m somewhere hot with this delicious coleslaw laced with papaya and pomegranate to get me thru some of the dreary rainy days predicted for this upcoming week-eek!  How’s the weather in your area? If it’s sunny, please send some our way!  If you are in Australia, then enjoy this salad under the warmth of the sun and let me know how you liked it, but don’t tell me how hot it is there!

I also love this salad because it is so colourful in the mid of winter.  I love how pretty it looks even with out the fancy hot pink watermelon radish (that I can’t get enough of these days).  Don’t worry if you can’t find it cuz it’s really just a bonus for the colour of this dish but not necessary for the flavour of the dish.

I also love to add raw macadamia nuts to this dish as you can see in this food mood board above.  However, they can be pricey and you just may not be in the mood for them so they can be an optional item, but they do add a really nice crunch.  Just in case you were wondering, they are not in the photo of the salad cuz I plum forgot when I was shooting the plated dish to top the salad with them!  Sometimes I am battling the eventual disappearance of the sun, running out of good daylight to capture the image for you thus the scramble begins and things get forgotten.  The mood board shows what the salad is comprised of, minus a couple items for the dressing.  I was inspired to recreate this salad after feasting on the original version of this from Yotam Ottolenghi’s ‘Plenty’ cook book that was made by a friend.  It was so delicious that I made it the very next day and the next!  However, in my desire to simplify the recipe and tweak it slightly to lean in a more healthy direction I came up with this version.  The original has candied macadamias and mango as well and a dressing of reduced lime juice.   I eliminated the candied part to reduce the sugar, decided to keep the lime juice raw and the mango was eliminated as I wanted to improve the digestion of the salad which means not combining fruit with veggies.  However, with a small amount of papaya which has high enzymatic qualities that help with breaking down foods, I decided it was okay to still incorporate it, but in a very small amount and I added a wee bit of pomegranate for a juicy crunch. Just promise me you’ll chew your food well to digest it effectively!

As far as food combining is concerned I think it is quite important but I am more relaxed about it when we I am combining lots of raw veggies with a wee bit of raw fruit as it is hardly bothersome for most people especially if you chew your food well and yet not even close to being as detrimental as having meat and potatoes!  But on the most part if you fancy some papaya or mango or any other fruit in excess of a about a half cup, it’s most ideal to consume this about 30-60 mins before other meals and only after a meal if you’ve had a vegetable salad that also processes quickly.  The problem being, that animal protein is the slowest food to digest and it will ferment with fruit or digest even slower with carbs piled on top, as well as making it near impossible to absorb the nutrient content of any of the food you’ve just eaten.  If you consume your fruit first, it paves the way for other foods with it’s enzyme content, as it is the quickest food to digest and it will be long gone by the time you have another meal.  Does this all make sense? I know it sounds crazy to have to pay attention to the rules of food combining but if you do, you may find that after meals you feel lighter, more energized and your digestion doesn’t give you a bubbly or crampy feeling.  I’ve been combining like this for years now and the only times I really get indigestion is when I don’t combine properly.  I might add, that some folks do find that they need to be quite strict and only eat fruit alone, since their system is a little more sensitive.  In this case, the recipe can be altered to include some grated carrot or grated yam (thanx to a reader, Anne, for this idea) to provide some sweetness and colour and it will still be deelish!  For more info you might like this really cute food combining chart that Jessica in my nutrition class tracked down for us!

As for this tropical inspired recipe, I’ve served it a number of times, as is, to audiences that raved, so I thought I had better share, right? So here you have it!

Savoy Cabbage Slaw w/ Papaya & Pomegranate
Yield: 4 med sized servings or two really large ones (double recipe for a crowd)
organic produce is recommended
3 cups savoy cabbage, finely shredded
2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup jicama, julienne sliced
1 cup papaya, julienne sliced
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup raw macadamia nuts, either whole or roughly chopped
4 tbsp lime juice
finely grated zest of one half lime
3 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, organic preferrably
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
pinch sea salt
1 watermelon radish, julienne cut, optional as garnish
Method
Finely shred cabbages with a sharp knife or a food processor and toss together in large bowl.  Julienne (slice in thin slivers) the jicama and the papaya and set aside.  Combine lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, maple syrup and sea salt and wisk well to combine.  Toss cabbage with dressing, adding the jicama slivers,  then carefully folding in the papaya & the pomegranate seeds so as not to crush them.  Garnish with watermelon radish and macadamia nuts. Enjoy!

This is a wonderful recipe for a crowd as you can make an enormous bowl of it by doubling the recipe and it almost always gets eaten up.  I have had the left overs the next day when there’s been some, it’s still tasty but it’s not nearly as crunchee.  So remember, if you don’t think the whole lot will be consumed don’t toss it all with the dressing, just toss 1/2 and then toss more if needed.   During the week, it’s also handy to  have the cabbage & jicama shredded in the fridge as they keep well for a few days and then just add the papaya & pomegranate and the dressing which will also keep 2-3 days.

Recently, I was kindly asked to share some answers in an interview led by Linda over at her lovely blog,  stuff I like.  If you’d like to learn a little bit more about me and take a peek at a lovely site, skip over there for a few minutes! A big thank you to Linda for taking the time to share what I am so passionate about with her readers:)

School has been going well but it is certainly ramping up with the subjects becoming even more interesting to learn and more intense in their content and intricate detail especially the current Anatomy and Physiology course and our upcoming Herb Class that begins Monday.  We just wrapped up Preventive Health Care which was an exploration of most major diseases and ailments, how they are addressed with pharmaceuticals and what can be used in place of or along side with protocols to slowly decrease the need for many medications from aspirin to depression drugs!  We learned about many, many supplements and herbs that can prevent symptoms from progressing and will slow the the stages of disease optimally leading to a reversal or elimination of the disease altogether, combined of course with a healthy diet, positive lifestyle and exercise. Most every disease was shown to benefit from an alkaline lifestyle so YAY I’m on the right track with inspiring you to include more alkaline foods into your everyday meals, drink alkaline water and think positive alkaline thoughts!

It was fascinating to see how modern medicine/pharmaceuticals have invaded the minds of many whom have been led to believe that they need to stay on their medication for life or that their medications are the only answer for their symptoms of disease.  Because big pharma is such big money and kick backs are often part of a doctors income, holistic measures are said to not really work.  Other doctors honestly just don’t know anything about nutrition and the direct role it plays in ones health as they only receive a few hours of study on nutrition during their many years of medical school. This is sooo unfortunate as so many patients could benefit from knowing about a proper diet.

However, this means a there’s a huge opportunity for those of us studying holistic nutrition, to help clients with their diet and lead them to optimal health, or perhaps to write books, or lecture world wide sharing our knowledge. The possibilities are endless as to where we nutritionists can help including guiding food banks & their donors in better meal options, educating mothers to be how to raise healthier children, creating programs for schools to share with students from kindergarten to high school on the benefits of a healthy diet. My fellow classmates are all tossing these ideas and others around in their minds as they explore the areas that ignite a passion for them.

Sorry to be rambling on, I’m just so inspired by this entire process of exploring healthy living with my nutrition studies and being surrounded by equally passionate people who will make a HUGE difference by touching many peoples lives with their passion for health. I am incredibly grateful for my experience and for those fellow students that I spend each day with at school, as well as my teachers who are so patient and clever to share their knowledge. I can’t wait until I am thru with my studies to take this knowledge to the next level, sharing more and inspiring greater health for You and for many others who really need it. Thank you for following along on this journey and exploring to improve your own health journey.

I must apologize for being rather infrequent on this blog after being so diligent every week for 2 years. I am finding that there has to be some give and take to get thru this year of study, away from my family, and I need to stay healthy to absorb it all, while being attentive for my family when I return on the weekends. Thank you for your patience and I promise to show up when ever I possibly can with a tasty recipe that you can sink your teeth into and inspiration to make you want to eat even healthier.

That’s it for now, I need to hit the books and study the cell, the brain, the bones and the muscles for my upcoming exam-eeek! Flash cards need to be made along with clever associations to remember the complexities of our amazing bodies! Wish me luck and I’ll be back soon!
Have a great week!

Julie

ps. thank you to those of you who have submitted health questions in the comment section as you really challenge me in a good way to research, learn and share my knowledge which is what truly fills me up!  I will answer in between my studies or right away if I have the answer and a moment to record it for you.  So keep the questions coming and I’ll do my best to find the answers for you!

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Yummm…… how delightfully fresh and welcoming is the flavour of healthy green organic veggies especially after a little zig and zag over the holidays combined with a lack of sleep!  It’s completely energizing and uplifting to dine on this pretty green soup knowing full well that it’s what my body is begging for.  I did my best over the holidays to make good choices, enjoy a few treats and make the most of every gathering without feeling like I was missing out cuz I truly do prefer to eat the most nourishing food available without causing any extra fussing for my hosts.  How did you make out? Are you feeling pretty good or do you think need to eat extra greens for a while to cleanse the system somewhat? It’s completely natural to feel sluggish in the new year after all the treats but the best way to ward off the dreaded flu is to get back to your clean eating habits and empty those toxins before they settle in too deep and start causing havoc.  Drinking lots of water, 3-4 liters a day of filtered, preferably alkaline water, will work wonders along with greens powder in your water to gently detox your body.

January is a good time to do a cleanse but it’s important to make the time to do it properly if you are going to do a serious, diet altering cleanse and be sure to give yourself the opportunity to also rest versus work while you cleanse.  A weekend may be long enough but it’s best to just lay low at home and give your body time to rest and detox with out over exerting it.  This juice feast can be done over 2 or 3 days and is a great way to jump start your health for the year.  If you prefer not to do a serious cleanse perhaps adding an alkaline smoothie to your morning routine would be a nice way to detox.

This soup is a wonderful detox potion that tastes delicious and is completely alkaline.  It’s the perfect recipe to follow your juice feast days or to just incorporate into your January routine a few days a week. It makes enough for 3-4 good sized bowls of soup and keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.  Blending it in a vitamixer will warm it gently to approx 118 celsius or you can place it in a sauce pan over low heat for a few minutes stiring and watch carefully so as not to over heat it and damage the precious heat sensitive vitamins and enzymes that make it so dynamic.

I can’t resist making food look pretty and when I saw this absolutely gorgeous organic watermelon radish cut in half at the Organic Acres on Granville Island (the only organic produce booth in the market) in Vancouver I had to have it!  Isn’t it stunning? I just adore how vibrant and pretty the pink is with the apple green edging and white variegation.  I know it’s just a vegetable but it’s such a pretty one!  I can’t help myself, I love veggies!  I love how vibrant they are and how they nourish thy body and I love photographing them!  I’ve had this precious radish in the crisper over Christmas just waiting for the perfect opportunity to share it!  Today was the day!  I just used it as a garnish to add a little pep to the colour and a nice crunch to the soup.

Raw Green Veggie Soup w/ Avocado & Cilantro
Yield: 4 servings
Please use Organic Veggies:)
1 avocado
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups raw spinach
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 slices green pepper
1/8 cup raw onion, chopped
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup raw almonds, preferably soaked over night and rinsed
1/4 tsp sea salt to taste
1 1/2 cups filtered water
1 small watermelon radish for garnish, diced small
Method
Place all the ingredients in the blender except the sea salt and process to desired consistency and warmth if you have a Vitamix.  If you have a regular blender you may pour into a sauce pan and gently warm over low heat until just warm enough to enjoy but not hot.  Adjust seasoning further with sea salt to your liking,  if required, garnish with radish and enjoy!

You might like to blend it just til creamy, maintaining a little texture or you might just want it as smooth as velvet, depending on your mood.  If you have a Vitamix it will certainly do this for you otherwise it’s lovely with some texture.  I find that a little texture allows your taste buds to notice more of the individual flavours so it’s a good thing!  So don’t panic if you don’t own a Vitamix as an average blender will also be suitable.  You can serve this soup with a slice of sprouted whole grain bread, yeast free if you can find it, or some raw crackers or croutons.  If you are cleansing, a salad with this would be nice too!  Because this soup is blended (pre-digested) your digestive system will be very happy as most of the work to break down the food is already done. This is also one of the reasons you will feel energized after consuming this soup as less energy will be expended to your digestion, with more energy available for other tasks.  More time for fun cuz you won’t need a nap!

I don’t know about you but there’s something so nice about clearing away the Christmas decor. I love decorating for Christmas and as pretty, sparkly and festive as it was with my new theme for the dining room this year that was spiked with bright pink ‘a la Decor 8 influence” (my dear friend Holly’s inspiration, using vintage ornaments from my childhood) it felt good to tidy it away til next year.  Now the clean uncluttered space feels so….January…. so new year….so new beginning-ish and fresh.  What’s your take? Do you feel melancholy upon tear down or are you glad it’s all finish for the season? How does your house feel, empty or fresh? What I usually do if it feels bare and stale is pick up a bouquet of flowers or a pot of tulips and rearrange a few things and then I feel all better again about my house.

What do you think?- pretty? It was fun for a change to have the pink, I think I’ll do it again next year!  I usually do the more traditional silver, gold and white and sometimes a little red but this was more peppy and prettier-I’m partial to pink as you can see in this post!

This is a corner of the living room where all is back to it’s pre-Christmas position.  It’s my favourite corner as this is where I house my very favourite style props for this blog to photograph my recipies with.  I love just peering over my little collection and choosing something pretty like the bowl and the plate that I used for this soup today, both Anthropology finds (but no longer available however there are other lovelies).  It makes me happy just knowing that I can be inspired at any time with a simple bowl and make some magic happen with my camera.

Here’s close up view so you can peek at some of my pretties!

And this is a peek at how nice and organized my kitchen feels with my new spice rack and a tidy counter after all the entertaining that went on in this kitchen!

So I’m feeling ready for 2012 with a tidy and fairly organized house, now I’m not saying….. that all the other parts of the house are perfectly pretty and tidy, it’s a work in progress and there’s lots of de-cluttering to do.  It’s a good thing you can’t see it all!!  Spring cleaning will be on our list this weekend and over the coming weekends when the weather isn’t so nice in between studying of course.

But hey, I wanted to ask you something.  What would you say is your health goal for 2012? I’ve been thinking mine thru cuz I wasn’t successful with my last years goal as I think I made it too ambitious!  Can you imagine adjusting something in your life that would yield a healthier You? Do you feel compelled to think about making a change for the better in some area? I often think that there’s always room for even a small adjustment that can sometimes yield big results!  What about something as simple as adding an extra glass or two of water a day to your routine.  This could be HUGE!  If you feel like you can commit to a small health goal I’d LOVE to hear about it and perhaps we can support each other until it become second nature-usually it takes about 6 weeks for a new routine to stick.  My goal last year was to exercise every single day in some way. This year my goal is to exercise 3x’s a week and anything more is a bonus that I can celebrate.  I really need your help so if you are willing to check in on me I’d really appreciate it. For me the hardest part is accepting it as necessary for health versus feeling like it is an indulgence. I need to make it important enough to spend time on versus only feeling like I can use my time for studying or spent with my family. Essentially it will allow me to be more alert and more vibrant for both of these activities if I can give myself this gift of exercise to improve my overall health now and for the future.  So please share your thoughts and ideas in the comment section for a simple health goal that you could set for 2012 and we can all help each other with a little support thru our comments and even check in if we like.  Sometimes just writing it and sharing it can feel official. So simple goals….it can even be something minor like taking your supplements more consistently-that I also need to do better!

Well…I start back to school on Monday, eeek!  I have a test the first day back, so I had better hit the books pretty quick.  We’re learning about diabetes, gout, hypoglycemia, asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis and what protocols we might suggest for patients who would like to take a more holistic approach and slowly wean off their pharmaceuticals and turn around their health picture, so it’s very exciting for us!

Then we start ‘Anatomy’ on Tuesday, this should prove to be very interesting. There will be a lot of memorization so I’m taking my phosphatidylserine PS to jump start my brain for the journey!  Unfortunately, it just aint what it used to be so I need all the help I can get to drill all this wonderful information I am learning into my brain for retrieval later.

I’m still absolutely loving my program at IHN in Vancouver and can’t wait to get back to class, though I know I’ll miss my kids terribly, my little munckins pies, we’ve had such a nice break together.  It’ll go fast tho, I know it!

I hope you had a lovely holiday and are ready to explore the possibilities for a wonderful, healthy 2012.

A Green Smoothie Cheer to you:)

Julie

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Oh my gosh by golly…. how is it nearly Christmas?  This fall has been action packed but somehow I can’t believe how quickly Christmas has arrived.  I’m now enjoying the start of a 3 week break from school and it feels soooo good to be able to set the books aside. Yeeehaaa!  Unfortunately, I have a test the day I return, bummer hey!-so I’ll have to study for that somewhat but I think it can wait til the new year.  How about you, will you have a nice break to enjoy for the holidays?

I couldn’t resist making a yummy raw treat at this time of year just to see if I could make something healthy that would still make people salivate.  Success!  This was well received at our school potluck last week.  The thing is… I rather think that if I’m going to have a sweet treat I might as well try to make it more on the healthy side than not.  Don’t you agree? So this is packed with minerals from magnesium to potassium, iron, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, Vitamin A, C, E, K, B1,B2, B3 and B6 just to mention a few!  Ingredients like the maple syrup, nuts and dates are rich in nutrients yet are incredibly tasty.  When combined with some coconut oil and cacao butter it’s a melt in your mouth creamy treat.

However, it’s good to be aware of the reasons not to eat the entire plate of fudge even though it has some awesome benefits.  Sugar and caffeine are the two elements that can wreak havoc on your system if you abuse them.  The cacao powder is high in caffeine while the maple syrup and dates provide enough sugar to spike your blood sugar considerably if you over do it.  Both are acidic forming.  Ultimately, if you balance your intake of treats each day with 70-80% alkaline foods thru the holidays you won’t be one of the folks who are down and out with the “so called flu” in January.  If you recall my post from last Christmas you’ll be familiar with the self induced detox that IS the flu.  It’s not contagious at all.  Those that end up with these symptoms are suffering from an over indulgence of acid foods, sugars and alcohols.  It’s totally fine to indulge, to Zig and Zag,  but it’s reeeally important to consider ‘balancing as you go’ so that you don’t suffer from the ill effects in January cuz it’s such a bummer to be ill–don’t you agree? It’s not necessary to abstain treats at every party but if you think your day thru and start with a healthy breakfast each day, perhaps a green juice or smoothie, have some salad or veggies at lunch, drink lots of water thru the day, I can almost assure you that with indulgences at dinner and during the evening, including lots of water to hydrate and flush toxins, you will bypass the dreaded flu!  So enjoy your holiday treats, with care and attention!

What I love about Christmas is how it inspires me to be creative.  I love finding time to put together bouquets of evergreens with flowers or making a fresh wreath.  I’m always spying pretty roadside treasures to tuck into the arrangements.  These gorgeous Hawthorne berries not far from my house made me race home and grab my camera to capture the frostiness that was happening.  As much as I prefer warmer weather I still find mother nature’s winter scenes impossible to resist.  You can see her frosty work in these photos I took for this post.

I also planted some paper white bulbs with granite pebbles in clear glass that are about to open this week  just in time for the big day.  I also love wrapping presents–it’s another fun creative outlet for me.

If you haven’t attempted bouquets before don’t be shy.  It’s really easy.  Just find your self a variety of 2, 3 or 4 different greens either from your garden, on a winter forest walk or from the florist.  Don’t be afraid to trim the stems short.  Your greens will go further and you will yield more bouquets if you make smaller ones that you can use in repetition in the center of the table and otherwise tuck them around the house in every room.  I often just use mason jars or drinking glasses for vases.  If you can find some berries you can tuck them in too.  But if you can’t it’s okay to use some faux berries mixed with the fresh greens and you will probably fool a few people.  It’s lovely to add fresh flowers, I often choose roses, but you can also find some pretty lily’s in white or spider chrysanthemums that work well with the greens and last well.  One rose per vase is fine and three for a splurge.  If you want to be organized, do your greens up ahead of time as they keep well and then on the 23rd or 24th tuck the flowers in so they are nice and fresh for Christmas.

Here you can see the pure ingredients for this recipe.  And since it’s just barely heated to melt the cacao butter and coconut oil it is considered a raw fudge.  These ingredients can be a little pricey but a few ideas can make it more feasible; shop and make with a friend or two and divide the cost and the materials between you; buy from the bulk bins to purchase the more accurate amounts required for a batch or two of fudge; instead of buying other gifts make your friends a homemade healthy treat as their gift so that they can indulge in this fudge instead of some other less healthy Christmas treats.

Raw Chocolate Holiday Fudge w/Coconut, Gogi & Ginger
Yield: 1- 8″ x 8″ pan
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup cacao butter
2 tbsp raw almond butter
1 cup cacao powder
scrape the seeds from one vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla-alcohol free
3/4 cup dried coconut, finely shred
1/2 cup chopped raw pecans
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup date paste- see below
1-2 tsp maple syrup to adjust sweetness if needed
1/3 cup dried organic gogi
Date Paste: Place 8 soft dates, seeds removed, in blender with 1/3 cup water and process until creamy, scraping down sides as needed.  If dates are dry you can pre-soak them in the 1/3 cup of water for 1-2 hours and then blend the dates with the soaking water.

Method
Measure out all ingredients and set aside–hee. you can pretend you are a professional chef getting ready for a TV segment–then you will be ready to quickly add them to the warmed chocolate before it sets up!  Over very, very low heat, melt coconut oil, cacao butter  and almond butter.  Remove from heat and add cacao powder, vanilla, coconut, pecans, ginger and date paste, stir til well combined.  Adjust sweetness with maple syrup if needed.  Pour in to an 8″x8″ parchment lined pan (bottom only).  Spread evenly and sprinkle with coconut and gogi berries, gently pressing the gogi so that it will stay put. Chill until firm.  Using a sharp knife cut into bite size pieces or bars.  Keep chilled for optimal firmness.

You can wrap the fudge in unbleached wax paper and twine and maybe tuck a wee piece of cedar or evergreen under the twine to make it look festive!

It’s an easy recipe that will impress a crowd especially if you take a little extra care to wrap it up creatively. Just place small bite sized squares in paper wrappers and pop into a cookie tin or a cute box.  I’m getting tingles just thinking about how wonderful it is to give such healthy treats and how one feels when they receive a gift like this, made with so much love! These are the best gifts ever!

Here’s mother natures artistic works that I couldn’t resist shooting!  Frosty grasses and lovely leaves!  They almost look sugar coated!

Berries……

berries….

and more berries…..!

And here’s the frosty meadow in the country not far from our house.  I loved how misty the morning was.  Some days my passion for photography has me dreaming of spending entire days just shooting the landscapes around me and it’s beauty.  This fall more than ever, and now that winter is showing it’s beauty I have enjoyed the season immensely even though I much prefer warmer weather.  Amazingly enough, I haven’t found myself yearning for the warmth nearly as often as I have in the past, since my appreciation for nature and capturing it’s beauty has intensified.  How’s the climate in your world?  Do you enjoy the weather in your part of the world or do you yearn for another season to arrive? I’m secretly hoping for snow during the holiday break just so I can photograph it.  Since I’m no longer in retail I don’t have to worry about the effects of snow on my sales volumes!! Phew! My first retail free Christmas in 20 years-Yeehah!

Well…. I need to get back to preparations for the holidays.  With a 6 year old and a 10 year old there’s lots to organize, decorate and wrap!

I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season and that Santa is good to you!  I’ll see you back here soon.

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