Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies

My favorite treat for some years was Pillsbury chocolate chunk cookies. I would always volunteer to make them so that I could eat the batter while I chopped up the cookies – I would then be too sick to eat the cooked ones…  As you can imagine, Pillsbury cookies are not part of the clean eating plan, so I’ve had to find a healthier, but still tasty, treat replacement.   This recipe is easy to make, it requires no baking and it is also gluten-free and vegan.

Dough:
- 1 3/4 cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cup raw oats
- 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/4 cup coconut oil

Chocolate chips:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup cocoa powder (you can also use half cocoa, half carob powder)
- 4 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all dough ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix. I like the cashews and oats to be ground up, almost like flour, maybe slightly chunkier.

Place all ingredients for the chocolate chips in a bowl. Mix well.  Roll the dough out with a dough roller on parchment paper.  Place the chocolate in freezer for 30 minutes.  Once done, cut the chocolate into chunks – you can use a knife or a pastry slicer.

Once the chocolate chips are ready, mix the chips into the dough.  I like to make the cookies into balls, but you can flatten them or form them into whatever shape you like.  Once done, place cookies in fridge to harden for about 25 minutes.  I usually place them in a baggy because I like to freeze them later – it’s part of my attempt to not eat them all and have SOME will power!

This recipe is courtesy of oh she glows.

I hope you enjoy these cookies.  If you have any feedback or have a clean cookie recipe, please share!


Expanding your Salad Horizon

To many people salads as boring and unsatisfying.  I have to agree; the thought of having some leaves, tomato and cucumber tossed in a house dressing is so not appealing to me.

Sometimes you just need a couple of ideas in order to put together a good salad. Here’s a salad I had the other day.  Not only is it healthy and hearty, it’s also tasty. Feel free to change it up, add some ingredients, and omit others. My intention is to  give you some ideas and to expand your salad horizon.

Salad:
-    Kale, chopped  
-    Beet, grated
-    Carrots, grated
-    Cucumber, diced
-    Red pepper, chopped
-    Avocado, chopped

Toppings:
-    Sunflower seeds
-    Hemp hearts
-    Wakame (seaweed)
-    Quinoa, cooked

Dressing:
-    2 medium tomatoes
-    1 lemon, squeezed
-    1/4 cup olive oil
-    1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seeds)
-    3 Tbs. tamari sauce or soy sauce
-    1/2 tsp. sea salt
-    1 tsp. cumin, (or basil, dill, and oregano)

Blend. If you have fresh herbs use them, and triple the quantity.

* Dressing recipe is courtesy of Sunfood.

I'd love to hear about your favorite salads!


7 Tips for a Successful Detox

We are getting closer to the fun part of a detox, actually starting it!  First I wanted to give you some tips to get you in the right frame of mind.  There are many different detox programs out there.  Since everyone is different, I do not always recommend a “one-size-fits-all“ approach to detoxification.  

Some detox programs require that you buy a ton of supplements and their packaged foods or snacks.  If this works for you then great, I on the other hand prefer to go the whole and clean foods approach. You can add a couple of supplements to help support the process, which I will discuss tomorrow. In the meantime, here are 7 tips to get started thinking.  If you choose to follow these guidelines alone, you will feel the benefits of a detoxification.

1. Eat whole foods. This means taking out all processed foods.  Stick to vegetables, fruit, good quality protein (but skip the red meat), gluten-free grains*, legumes, nuts and seeds. If you can, try to eat organic whenever possible, as you want to reduce the toxins in your body.

2. Eliminate sugar, wheat, gluten, dairy, red meat, caffeine and alcohol. Why? These are the foods that most people are allergic to or have sensitivities to. They are also the foods that many individual consume the most, so you want to give your digestive system a break. With just a bit of planning, this will be easier than you may think!

3. Eat your greens. Green vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, detoxify the body naturally.  They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, helping to alkalize the body and prevent disease.  Add dandelion greens, kale, spinach, parsley, Swiss Chard or broccoli.

4. Don’t forget the fiber. Fiber is essential especially during a detox since it is important that you are eliminating the toxins from your body.  Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit.  If you need an extra boost of fiber, add 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed in a glass of water in the morning.

5. Water! Drink at least 8 cups of water a day – this can include herbal tea.

6. Get moving.  Exercise is important because it gets the body moving.  The circulatory and lymphatic systems play significant roles in the detoxification process.  You may not want to go for a 10 km run while on a detox as your body is working hard to clear the toxins from its system and needs the rest.  Instead go for a walk, do some yoga or stretching.

7. Breathe. Be conscious of your breathing.  Breathing deeply helps the oxygen circulate throughout your system.  Take 10 minutes a day for yourself to sit still and breath in and out.  This time helps to reduce stress, which is the number one cause of inflammation in the body.
 
* Gluten Free Grains include rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth to name a few...

I hope you are starting to get excited for a spring cleanse!  Please share any questions as I would love to hear them.

Spring Detox with CLEAN Nutrition

Do you have low energy, feel sluggish, have difficulty losing weight, have skin problems, feel bloated, have digestive problems or allergies, experience mental confusion or aches and pains? It may be time for a detox!

As we head into the spring and the weather gets warmer (and hopefully stays warm), it’s the perfect time of year to do a detox. For the next week or so, I will be blogging about what you need to know in order to prepare, start and complete a detoxification.

What is detoxification?
Detoxification has been practiced around the world for thousands of years.  It is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out.  When you remove and eliminate toxins, and feed your body with healthy foods and nutrients, detoxification helps protect one from disease and restores health by correcting imbalances in the body such as hormonal, digestive and inflammatory imbalances.

 A detox program supports the body’s detoxification process by:
- Resting the organs by removing foods and toxins that are difficult to digest and clear
- Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body
- Promoting elimination through the kidneys, intestines and skin
- Improving blood circulation
- Refueling the body with healthy foods and nutrients

Detoxification benefits include:
- Weight loss
- Reduce bloating and belly fat
- Boost metabolism
- Increase energy levels
- Improve hair and skin glow
- Enhance mental clarity
- Eliminate cravings
- Improve digestion
- Clear allergies
- Boost immunity
- Improve sleep
- Regulate bowel movement


Interested in reaping the wonderful benefits of a detox? Visit CLEANnutrition.ca/blog as I will be blogging about what you need to know in order to prepare, start and complete a detoxification. I will be providing tips to make this as easy for you as possible, so please drop by my site for different detoxification plans, recipes and tips, to help restore optimum health. Come by tomorrow for 8 Ways to Detoxify your Body.

If you are in the Toronto area, stay tuned for my FREE seminar to kick-start your spring detox.

5 Overrated Health Foods

Food and diet fads come and go. We are exposed to so much information on a daily basis that sometimes it is difficult to know which foods are as beneficial as touted. The other day I read an article about overrated healthy food, so here is my list of the top 5 overrated health foods:

Yogurt: I’m not saying that yogurt is not good for you, it does contain probiotics that help replenish our digestive tract with healthy bacteria. However many of the yogurts on the market are filled with sugar that kills all the good bacteria in the yogurt (see my blog on Activia yogurt). In order to reap the health benefits of yogurt, have plain organic yogurt with no added sugar.  And vanilla is not plain, it contains more sugar than many of the fruit versions.  Reach for full or low-fat since your body requires some fat in the yogurt so it can absorb the vitamin D that is added to many dairy products.

If you suspect to have a dairy sensitivity or allergy - stomach bloating, stomach pain or acne then skip dairy all together.

Egg Whites: I never really got the “just egg whites” thing.  All the nutrients are in the yolk.  If you are looking to cut back on fat, I would suggest looking at other things in your diet to cut back or out.  You want to eat the whole egg.  It’s a whole food packed with nutrients.  Although egg whites are a good source of protein, the yolk contains 43% of the total egg protein and balances the amino acid (the building blocks of protein) profile of the egg. When you skip the egg yolk, you’re also skipping 100% of vitamins A, D, E, K and carotenoids. Among their many benefits, these nutrients boost your immune system, keep your bones, skin and teeth healthy, support the thyroid gland, reduce your risk of cancer, and promote healthy growth in children. The yolk also contains 99% of the zinc, 95% of the calcium and 90% of the calcium. If you tend to only eat egg whites, please consider reintroducing the yolk into your diet.

Whole Wheat: I am not anti-grain but I certainly do not love gluten products, (we are gluten free at home and consume the majority of our meals at home.) Whole wheat is not as good for you, I would say it is somewhat healthier than white bread. While I think this deserves a blog entry of its own, I will leave you with one tip, if a grain does not look like a grain, chances are it’s not good for you.

Protein Bar:  Some individuals love protein bars, they taste like a chocolate bar. That’s because they have a ton of sugar and other additives in order for them not to taste like cardboard.  If something is too good to be true, it likely is and in this case, the protein bar is not a healthy food.  Just look at the ingredients, you’ll see the lengthy list of ingredients, most of which you probably aren’t familiar with.  I’ve seen people eat their lunch and then have a protein bar.   Unless you’re an endurance athlete, you do not need all of those calories in one meal – the protein bar is meant to somewhat supplement a meal.

Low-Fat Salad Dressing: Our body needs fat, specifically good quality fats in order to absorb vitamins (fat-soluble ones, vitamins A, D, E, K).  Fat-free dressings usually contain not so health ingredients to compensate for their lack of taste. Try making your own dressing or simply add extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt. The olive oil contains the good fat to absorb the vitamins from your salad and will leave you feeling satisfied.


Photo credit: iStockphoto