Foodie Blogs

As the temperature starts to drop, the temptation to consume warm, hearty meals increases dramatically as our body prepares itself for hibernation mode. This usually involves stocking up on energy dense but nutrient hollow foods generally higher in carbohydrates, sugars and fatty acids. With a stronger tendency for us to swap our morning walks or regular exercise for an extra snooze in bed, this can influence our health as our digestion starts to slow down, our immunity may weaken, and our waistline might even start expanding!

Whilst it is completely normal to let nature take its course and enjoy the winter blues, we need to make the conscious effort not to completely succumb to this hibernating season. One of the biggest reasons we’re constantly hungry is because the body increases its metabolism so that the energy produced from these foods can keep us warm. Incorporating high fibre foods is a simple solution to curb hunger cravings and fill you up for a longer period of time.

Porridge is a great meal that ticks all your boxes and is perfect on a cold winters’ morning! This meal generally consists of processed rolled grains, such as oats, brown rice and rye that make it easier for cooking and for the body to breakdown. These grains provide a good source of both soluble fibre, such as beta-glucan that assist in reducing your sugar cravings as well as insoluble fibres that do not get digested, but instead support healthy bowels ensuring you are kept regular. Having a healthy digestion creates a positive environment for your cells to thrive and function as it is not experiencing a build-up of waste or toxic chemicals. It is also important to keep hydrated. You should generally be drinking up 2 to 3 litres of liquid (preferably filtered water) as it assists peristalsis of the insoluble fibres through your gastrointestinal tract, and may result in constipation if you are not sufficiently hydrated. Most people with great digestive health are generally more energised (despite the dropping temperatures) and have the ability to control their diet and maintain overall wellness during the winter season.

Another quick way to achieve your fibre intake is incorporating lots of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Such as all kinds of berries- blueberries, goji berries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, spinach, pumpkin and sweet potato just to name a few. These fresh produce are also perfect for building your immunity with its wide range of nutrients so you can fight against the cold.

We have been told to always include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet so you can enjoy a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals to gain the most nutritional boost for yourself. But sometimes, it’s not just the type of veggies we purchase but also the ways in which we cook and incorporate them in our diet to ensure we maximise all their nutrients and wholesome goodness.

Go Raw

Like we all know, fresh is best this is because the least processed the vegetable, the more nutrients are retained in the food, hence being more beneficial for us. If you have trained your tastebuds to the refreshing sensation of raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers and capsicum then go ahead and keep going raw! Other leafy greens that have a subtle flavour include baby spinach, rocket leaves and lettuce. You can also drizzle lemon juice or balsamic vinegar in your salad mix for a more alkalising and tastier meal.

Baking or Oven roast

Roast vegetables are one of the easiest ways to prepare your meals. These include root tubers like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and others like corn, capsicum, mushrooms and eggplant just to name a few. Sprinkle salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins from seeping out. If you’re being adventurous, prepare your home-baked kale chips with kale leaves, spices and a little bit of oil for a tasty alkalising snack!

Gentle Stir fry 

Stir frying is extremely popular in Asian cooking but more often than not produces a plate of limp-looking vegetables, dripping with oil. I suggest only stir-frying small to medium sized vegetables such as snow peas, sliced carrots, celery, bok choy and bell peppers as they do not require lengthy cooking times – a major cause of nutrients being destroyed, as well as using a spray- type oil which limits the amount of oil being used.

Stew

A perfect all-in-one meal, vegetable stews are great for the family to enjoy and even better in colder seasons. Some veggies perfect for stews are root tubers, tomatoes and corn. To spice up your stew, add herbs and spices like garlic, onion, black pepper just to name a few that are bursting in flavour and possess immunity-boosting properties. Try not to add too much sodium to your stew as you should try and finish the entire meal to enjoy the full range of vitamins and minerals in this amazing dish.

Steam

Steaming is another simple way to prepare your veggies, with broccoli being one of the best candidates for this cooking method with its great source of Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin hence will not easily leach out. One way to gain more nutrition from this process is using the steaming water for other meals (i.e. cooking rice or vegetable soup). Some have also suggested adding lemon juice or cloves of garlic in to the water so the steam will infiltrate and get absorbed into the vegetables for that touch of extra seasoning.

Blend

Cooking can be fairly time-consuming and we may not have all the time in the world to prepare a healthy yet nutritious meal. One of the easiest ways to achieve our daily greens is blending our fresh fruits and vegetables to make a juice or smoothie. Select high-water content and high-fibre fruits like watermelon, apple, orange, strawberries, spinach, celery, beetroot to make a tropical sensation juice.  You can also select creamier foods like avocadoes, banana, strawberries, mixed nuts, medjool dates, mango, greek natural yoghurt for a more substantial drink that is still just as packed with nutrients to keep you going throughout your day!

Supplement powder 

Have you ever tried looking for snow peas and celery in winter or mandarins in summer? Availability of fresh produce can depend on seasonal variation, making it difficult for us to achieve all the vitamin and minerals our body requires to function effectively. One convenient way to get around this problem is adding supplement greens powder that contain a wide variety of fruit and vegetable powders. Not only are these powders highly concentrated with a high nutrient retention, its powdered form also makes it easier for your body to absorb all the nutritious goodness it contains. Try Morlife’s Alkalising Greens pH7.3 in plain water or add to your favourite juice for an additional energy boost.

There’s nothing more soothing than a cup of herbal tea to keep your body warm and nourished during winter.  Herbal tea is hydrating and comes with a variety of health benefits for your body, depending on the type of tea you choose. Here are a few examples of what herbal tea can do for you…

Chamomile – reduces inflammation, helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion

Dandelion – supports digestion, supports liver function, acts as a mild laxative

Echinacea – boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, provides antioxidant actions

Green tea – provides strong antioxidant protection, supports liver function, reduces fluid retention

Fennel – reduces digestive upset, clears congestion, relieves colic in infants

Ginger – reduces inflammation, reduces nausea, boosts circulation

Licorice – soothes sore throats, reduces inflammation, provides adrenal support

Gingko – enhances cognition, supports circulation, provides antioxidant protection

As you can see there are a multitude of health benefits from drinking herbal tea. Whether you want to improve the strength of your immunity, reduce inflammation in the body, support your digestive system, increase your ability to detoxify, reduce symptoms of the flu or prevent disease, herbal tea can assist with its powerfully medicinal qualities.

Unlike coffee or black tea, herbal tea doesn’t dehydrate your body – in fact it’s a great way to increase your fluid intake. Try consuming at least one herbal tea each day and see if you notice the health benefits! If you’re looking for an energy boost, green tea or guarana tea contain small amounts of caffeine, providing you with a light pick me up throughout the day.

Forget the apple, Dark chocolate is now under the research spotlight for its positive health attributes, and I’m certainly not going to find it hard to swallow this “medicine”.  P.s.  Please don’t stop eating apples, take the “as well” approach.

Everyone loves a good chocolate now and again, some more regularly than others, and I admit to falling into the more often than not category, and that’s ok, so long as I’m making the right choices in my sugary goodness selection.  We have all heard “everything in moderation”, and I stand by this wholeheartedly, but the next key to your chocolate addition is making sure you choose the right chocolate, dark chocolate!  It’s the dark chocolate that is not only capable of satisfying your naughty craving but providing health benefits as well.

Dark chocolate provides you with a range of minerals including iron, magnesium, copper and manganese.

It is also a good source of a variety of antioxidants, including flavonols and polyphenols, which help to prevent free radical damage and oxidative stress within the body.  The caffeine and theobromine of dark chocolate may also be the reason for my 3pm cravings, as they are said to excite and stimulate your central nervous system.

No more stress, anxiety or moodiness

Your day is looking up with dark chocolate consumption as research has indicated dark chocolate may be useful in managing anxiety and stress levels and balancing mood.  Daily dark chocolate consumption has been found to significantly lower the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamine’s in patients with high anxiety levels (Natural Standard 2009).  Research by Macht and Mueller (2007) also found eating chocolate reduced a negative mood when compared to just drinking water.

Love your Heart

Looking after your heart should be a number one priority for everyone, with Cardiovascular Disease remaining the number one cause of death throughout the world, with 17 million deaths in 2011 alone (WHO 2013).  Enjoying dark chocolate daily has been shown to be an effective cardiovascular preventative in a population with hypertension and metabolic syndrome (Zomer et al. 2012).  Metabolic syndrome being essentially a list of risk factors, like high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, and obesity, which significantly increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Research in patients with hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance has attributed the flavonols content in dark chocolate to decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and increased insulin sensitivity, which is a good thing, as it enables your body to better utilise the carbohydrates from your diet throughout your body (Grassi et al. 2008).

Atherosclerosis is another target for Dark Chocolate research as the antioxidant potential of dark chocolate has been found to induce coronary (heart) vasodilation, improve coronary (heart) vascular function and decrease platelet adhesion (a function in blood clotting but also an early step in the formation of atherosclerosis) (Flammer et al. 2007).  This study also found the antioxidants in dark chocolate were able to cause a significant reduction in serum oxidative stress levels by neutralising free radical damage.  The flavonols and plant sterols in dark chocolate have also been found to decrease both total serum and LDL cholesterol (Allen et al. 2008), which is a goal for many Australians, as 5.6 million Australian adults are suffering from high cholesterol (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013).

Slip Slop Slap?

Dark chocolate, or more the flavonols contained in the chocolate, have also been found to be offer significant photoprotection, meaning your daily chocolate dose can also be useful in protecting the skin from the harmful UV effects of the sun.  (Williams, Tamburic, Lally 2009)

 Other research promoting dark chocolate

The Natural Standards (2013), a high quality, evidenced based research database, confirms dark chocolate as being useful for high blood pressure and liver cirrhosis with strong and good scientific supporting evidence.  Anxiety, heart disease, high blood sugar, glucose intolerance, high cholesterol, and mental performance are also indicated however they suggest further evidence and trials would be beneficial to prove chocolates’ efficacy in these areas.

As we enter a new year, I’m sure many of us have intentions of reorganizing and de-cluttering our life but it’s not just the materialistic things we should be fixing up, we have to remember to clean out and refresh our physical self too!

One of the easiest ways to achieve this is through a healthy digestive system. Our gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) is where our food is broken down fur ther and nutrients are absorbed. Our GI tract is largely influenced by our diet-for instance, over consumption of processed foods, high in sugar and fats as well as insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables. This can cause a build-up of toxic chemicals and waste products in our body that may result in us constantly feeling fatigued, bloated and uncomfortable all the time. Additionally, this also restricts the nutrients being absorbed and we are unable to function effectively.

One simple way to de-clog our digestive system is through a high fibre diet. Fibre can be categorised into soluble and insoluble compounds, both of which are essential in ensuring healthy bowels. Soluble fibre includes pectins and gums that swell up upon addition of water. These fibres encourage peristalsis, so that by-products can move through our intestines towards our colon and be eliminated from the body.  Soluble fibres have also shown to carry other benefits such as reducing the blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels.

Insoluble fibre on the other hand does not breakdown or get absorbed into the body, some examples are cellulose and hemicullose which are known as the structural part of the plant that is highly indigestible. Insoluble fibres add bulk to faeces and may relieve constipation so as to promote a healthy bowel.

When our GI tract is constantly kept in-check and is not clogged up with toxins and residual waste products we start to gain more energy and feel less discomfort. Incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase your fibre intake as they have not undergone intense processing to become a packaged, nutrient-hollow food. You should include natural fibre sources such as figs, prunes, sweet potato, pumpkin, wholegrains and nuts and seeds to bump up your fibre content. Alternatively, if you are short of time and need a convenient source of fibre, supplement your diet with psyllium husks or a formulated fibre-rich powder that supports happy, healthy digestion.

Walking the supermarket isles has never been more confusing when trying to do what’s best for your families’ health as well as your own.  White rice is a main food source for over half the world’s population, and while it used to be your only choice as an affordable meal base, today, many other options are finding their way to supermarket shelves, and even better, they are becoming more and more affordable as the awareness and demand for healthier selections increase.   Now the question is; which should I choose?

White Rice

While white rice is for a lot of consumers, the safest known choice, research is starting to show that its not the best friend we thought it was.   Higher consumption of white rice has been linked to a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes (Hu et al. 2012).  Substituting white rice with whole grains such as brown rice or quinoa is an easy way to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (Sun et al 2010).  Consuming whole-grains has also been found to protect against heart disease (Liu et al. 1999) along with many other diet related conditions.

White rice has been refined which removes both the bran and germ from the grain.  This generally makes the rice easier to chew and digest, however during refinement, the process also removes a lot of the fibre content as well as important vitamins and minerals.  This means, that in order to get the most nutrition from our foods, we should switch from refined foods like white rice for the wholegrain equivalents such as brown rice or quinoa.

Brown Rice

Brown rice has been building in popularity ever since people started to realise white rice wasn’t doing them many favours.  It takes a little longer to cook than white rice, but that bit of extra effort packs a lot of extra nutritional punch to your everyday meals.  As brown rice has not been refined, it contains both the bran and germ, which is the most nutritious part of the grain!   Brown rice is higher than white rice in Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc (USDA 2013a & USDA 2013b).

One of the biggest issues for brown rice (and all wholegrains) is phytic acid or phytate.  Phytate is essentially a nutrient that binds to other nutrients and prevents their absorption.  White rice has had most of its phytic acid content removed through processing, but it is still there in brown rice.  To combat the phytic acid, it is recommended to sprout, sour or soak your brown rice prior to cooking.  The most convenient and time realistic solution is soaking, just by soaking your brown rice overnight, draining and rinsing prior to cooking the enzyme phytase is released which neutralises the effect of phytic acid (Sandberg 1991), so by putting your rice out the night before soaking in water, your able to enjoy all the benefits brown rice has to offer.  Another solution to phytic acid is to increase the probiotic content in the stomach, as these good bacteria also produce the phytase enzyme which neutralises the phytate (Famularo et al. 2005).

Quinoa

Quinoa is another ancient superfood to undergo a huge boom in demand, whereas it was once a secret of the Incans, today, its nutritional superiority is recognised around the world, causing demand for quinoa to rise to record breaking levels.  Quinoa or as its pronounced “keen-wah” is actually a seed, not a grain as its perceived, however that doesn’t stop it from being interchangeable with many everyday recipes requiring grains.  Quinoa is a great source of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, protein and fibre, and in fact, can be considered the perfect complete vegetarian source for protein, as it contains all nine essential amino acids that must be provided by the diet.  (Jancurova, Minarovicova & Dandar 2009) Not to mention, quinoa is also a great Gluten free choice.

Quinoa has a mild nutty flavour that blends well with most food styles, making it a truly versatile product.  If prepared incorrectly however, quinoa can have a bitter taste due to the saponin content on the outer layer of the seed, however simply rinsing the seed in cold water prior to cooking will remove the saponins.  Most quinoa available in stores has already been cleaned, it is best to perform your own quick rinse again just to ensure the bitter taste does not effect your cooking.

The Low GI Challenge

If we haven’t given you enough to digest, we can through the Glycemic Index hat into the ring.

The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks carbohydrates in food according to their effect on blood glucose levels.  The lower the GI, the slower the rise in blood glucose levels after food consumption.  Low GI foods have been linked to diabetes management (Brand-Miller et al. 2003), improved plasma lipid profiles and a decrease in total body fat mass (Bouche et al. 2002).

	GI	Score meaning
White Rice	64	Medium GI
Brown Rice	55	Low GI
Quinoa	53	Low GI

Based on the Glycemic Index (GI), we can conclude Quinoa to be the winner of the Low GI challenge, as its average was lowest when compared to both white and brown rice, so chew on that food for thought.

The Low GI Challenge Data

• “Low GI foods are those measured 55 and less, medium GI are those measured between 56 and 69, while high GI measures 70 and above.”  (CSIRO 2012)
• “Research analysing 235 types of rice from around the world has found its glycemic index (GI) varies from one type of rice to another with most varieties scoring a low to medium GI” (CSIRO 2012).
• The study from CSIRO (2012) found that the GI of Rice ranges from a low of 48 to a high of 92 depending on the type of rice consumed.
• A systematic review found the average GI for white rice is 64 and brown rice is 55 (Foster-Powell, Holt & Brand-Miller 2002)
• Quinoa, cooked, refrigerated and reheated in a microwave for 1.5m GI 53 (The University of Sydney 2003)

Numbers Don’t Lie – Nutrition Panel Comparison

Nutrient	Unit per 100g	White Rice, Long-grain, cooked	Brown Rice, Long grain, cooked	Quinoa, cooked
Energy	kj	543.92	464.40	502.08
Protein	g	2.69	2.58	4.40
Fat (total lipid)	g	0.28	0.90	1.92
– saturated	g	0.077	0.18	0.231
– monounsaturated	g	0.088	0.327	0.528
– polyunsaturated	g	0.076	0.323	1.078
Carbohydrates	g	28.17	22.96	21.30
– sugars	g	0.05	0.35	0.87
– dietary fibre	g	0.40	1.80	2.80
Sodium	mg	1.00	5.00	7.00
Calcium	mg	10.00	10.00	17.00
Iron	mg	0.20	0.42	1.49
Magnesium	mg	12.00	43.00	64.00
Phosphorus	mg	43.00	83.00	152.00
Potassium	mg	35.00	43.00	172.00
Zinc	mg	0.49	0.63	1.09
Vitamin C	mg	0.00	0.00	0.00
Vit B1 (Thiamine)	mg	0.02	0.096	0.107
Vit B2 (Riboflavin)	mg	0.013	0.025	0.110
Vit B3 (Niacin)	mg	0.40	1.528	0.412
Vit B6 (Pyridoxine)	mg	0.093	0.145	0.123
Vit B9 (Folate)	µg	3.00	4.00	42.00
Vit B12	µg	0.00	0.00	0.00
Vit E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	0.04	0.03	0.63

(USDA 2013a, USDA 2013b, & USDA 2013c)

The Decision

Based on the nutritional panel alone, quinoa is the winner of 16 out of 24 challenges across the 3 products comparison, with white and brown rice each only taking out 3 of the comparison wins.  Quinoa truly is a versatile superfood that you should include in your weekly meal planning and don’t forget, its not just a savoury rice replacement, quinoa is great in recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Are you still trying to recover from your past week of exciting parties and celebrations? Your head still hurts from one too many drinks or you constantly feel tired despite dosing up on much needed sleep? This is your body’s way of telling you to increase your vitamin and mineral intake, and what better way to do this than through a healthy, nutrient dense, refreshing salad! 

Select ingredients rich in electrolytes like bananas and kiwifruit, smoked salmon for added minerals and source of protein. These ingredients are packed with alkalising minerals such as potassium, calcium magnesium to restore your body’s pH balance. Also include coloured veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, red capsicum and fresh red onions that contribute to vitamins that will boost your immunity.

 Salad Ingredients:

1 red capsicum, sliced

½ bag mixed salad greens (may include baby spinach, rocket leaves, lettuce)

1 tomato, sliced

1 cucumber, diced

½ red onion, sliced

2 kiwifruits, diced

150g smoked salmon

Salad dressing:

½ lemon

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper and salt to taste

Steps:

In a large mixing bowl, toss all ingredients and ensure it is well mixed. Prepare salad dressing in a small saucer and drizzle over salad. For a more filling salad, add 2 hard-boiled eggs and slice equally before adding to salad. Eggs contain cysteine which has shown to have the ability to reduce the after-effects of acetaldehyde produced from alcohol.

One of the reasons many of us are overweight is 3 of the most unhealthy foods that we are eating too much of. This may come as a shock to you but they are wheat, corn and soy. “In Defence of Food” is a book written by a nutrition author named Michael Polland. In this book he stated that over 60% of our calorie intakes are obtained from these most unhealthy foods and their derivatives. Soy, corn and wheat have been perceived as being healthy but the fact is that our digestive systems were not meant to process them in such large amounts. Only 1 to 5% of calorie from them is considered healthy to consume. Yet everyday we are eating foods that are made with these 3 most unhealthy ingredients.

 Why is wheat one of the most unhealthy foods?

Wheat is thought to be a healthy type of food. But this is incorrect. Wheat contains protein composite called gluten. Some people are gluten intolerant. Gluten can cause ailments like digestive disorders and painful joint conditions. Some foods with wheat in them are baked products, cereals, breads, ice creams, pastas and many other processed foods. Most unhealthy foods destabilize your blood sugar levels and make losing weight more difficult.

 

Most Unhealthy corn

Corn was one of my favorite things to eat. Whether it was roasted, boiled or baked, anyway it was prepared was fine with me. It is said that around 60% of the corn grown in the United States are genetically altered in a way that it is able to produce its own insecticide. This poison kills insects and other pest but doesn’t damage the corn, very convenient for farmers.  However, this corn is harmful to your health. Researcher’s experiments show unhealthy changes in rats’ intestines that were given genetically modified potatoes. Every day you may be consuming corn in the form of corn oil, sodas, salad dressings, ketchup, corn chips, candies, cakes and other high fructose corn syrup. These some of the most unhealthy foods that cause weight loss to fail.

Soy is unhealthy too

The high phytic acid found in soy products interferes with the normal absorption of important nutrients. Soy can contribute to zinc and B12 deficiencies. Eating unhealthy food can affect the way you digest protein and therefore cause problems with your pancreas. Estrogen is a plant found in soy that can interfere with endocrine hormones. These can lead to breast cancer and infertility in women. Soy products may also contain some aluminum toxin which can negatively affect your kidneys and nervous systems.

Daily you may be eating soybean oil, soy milk, and soy protein. What about eggs, chicken, beef, pork and other animals that were fed soy products. These indigestible foods make the animals sick and the meat unhealthy for us to eat.

It is not going to be easy giving up most unhealthy foods that you are accustomed to eating. You can start by taking it one step at a time. Begin by gradually eliminating half and continue to reduce your consumption of these unhealthy products. Soon you will be eating healthier, losing weight and feeling better.

for weight loss while you lose weight. The key is to choose good quality foods and be willing to try new things.

Eating meals that are delicious and losing pounds of fat all at the same time? Is that even possible?

You can enjoy eating delicious foods while you lose weight. The key is to choose good quality ingredients that are naturally fresh and low in calories. These foods should include:

• naturally raised meats
• organic poultry
• organic whole eggs
• fresh fish
• raw nuts
• fresh herbs
• fresh fruits and vegetables

All these foods are packed with plenty of nutrients for your body.

Try out various recipes methods. Switch it up. Substitute unhealthy ingredients like milk with almond milk.

Dieting has never been this fun. Check out these tasty but healthy recipes for weight loss below.

Cocoa-Nut Bananas

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons of organic cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons of toasted, unsweetened coconut
• 2 small bananas, sliced on the bias

Instructions

Place cocoa and coconut on separate plates. Roll each banana slice in the cocoa, and shake off the excess. Then, dip banana in the coconut

Warm Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
* 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed
* 2 cups of water or stock
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
* 1 tomato, seeds and excess pulp removed, chopped
* 1 can adzuki beans, rinsed well
* 4 TBS lemon juice
* 3 TBS olive oil
* 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
* 1 avocado, cubed
* 1 TBS chopped pumpkin seeds
* Unrefined sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
Combine rinsed quinoa, water, onion, garlic, and a little salt in medium saucepan and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and transfer to a bowl. Add chopped herbs, tomato, rinsed adzuki beans, 2 TBS lemon juice, 1 TBS olive oil, salt and pepper.Toss romaine and avocado in rest of lemon juice and 2 TBS olive oil. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Serve quinoa on bed ofsalad greens. Sprinkle with chopped pumpkin seeds.

Baked Buffalo Wings

Ingredients
1 lb chicken wings (preferably without skin)
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Celtic Sea Salt
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions
1. Fill a large pot half way with water and then add the first 4 ingredients.
2. Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and then boil for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer wings to an oven safe container coated with butter.
4. Bake wings on “Broil” for 15 minutes on each side. (For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, maybe 20 minutes per side).
5. While waiting for wings, combine the hot sauce and butter in a small pot and cook over low flame until melted.6. When wings are done, shake ‘em up with the sauce and enjoy!

Tea Juice

Ingredients

5-6 bags caffeine-free herbal tea (e.g., peach, mint, chamomile, or fruit tea) 3 quarts boiling water stevia powder (or liquid) to taste

Instructions

Pour water over tea bags in a large pot. Add stevia while tea is hot. (Adjust amount
according to the desired sweetness.)
Let the tea cool, remove tea bags, transfer tea to a serving pitcher or individual water bottles, and refrigerate.