This is an energizing drink I like to enjoy in the winter months - chalk full of antioxidants, chlorophyll, and L-Theanine - and super tasty!  

Blend a teaspoon of 2nd Harvest Matcha powder with a bit of hot water to make a paste.
Add more hot water - about half your cup depending on how much milk you like. v (You could do just hot milk - but that adds to the fat and sugars)
Froth with your matcha whisk.
Top up with Vanilla Coconut Milk (or any milk you like).
Sprinkle with cinnamon or chocolate if you like.
Sweeten if necessary (I don't!)
Enjoy!  

EASY PEAZY!

Everyone needs a little sugar now and again. These “cleaner-than-average” caramels can be finished with melted Vega Maca Chocolate and some coarse Himalayan sea salt and you’ve got yourself one very special treat!

Makes: 64 caramels, depending on size
*Warning – Use caution when working with hot sugar

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk, thick cream only
• 2/3 cup pumpkin purée
• ½ tsp. each nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger
• 2 cups raw, evaporated cane sugar*
• ½ cup agave
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup water
• 4 Tbsp. coconut oil
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¾ tsp. coarse salt (sea salt, fleur de sel, or Himalayan pink salt)
• Optional: 2 Vega Maca Chocolate bars, melted

Instructions:

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan (or a cookie sheet) with parchment paper. Using 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, grease the parchment paper thoroughly.
2. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, pumpkin and spices. Get mixture warm, but not boiling.
3. In a second heavy-bottomed pan, with sides at least 4 inches high, combine sugar, agave, maple syrup, and water. Stir until the sugars are melted. Then let it boil until it reaches 244 degrees on a candy thermometer.
4. Slowly and carefully pour cream mixture into sugar. Slowly bring mixture to 240°F on a candy thermometer (this can take a while). Don’t leave the kitchen—keep a close eye on the pot. Stir constantly.
5. As soon as the mixture reaches 240°F pull it off the heat and stir in coconut oil and lemon juice. Mix vigorously so the coconut oil is fully incorporated.
6. Pour mixture onto lined pan. Let cool 30 minutes and sprinkle with salt. Let caramels fully set at least 2 more hours before using a hot knife to cut them into 1 inch squares and wrapping them with waxed paper.
7. Optional: If using Vega Maca Chocolate, let caramels set completely before drizzling with chocolate and top with salt after.

* Coconut sugar will not work as a substitute in this recipe. Trust us—we tried!

Today is a cooking day :)
Along with simply salted cashews and teriyaki cashews I also tried a new recipe for a cross between Sloppy Sams (a vegetarian Sloppy Joe's) and chili.  Turned out yummy too!


3 C mixed beans (soaked over night and pre-cooked - I used chick peas and black beans)
2 small onions - diced
5 medium cloves garlic - diced
5.5 oz tomato paste
28 oz dice tomatoes (canned 'cuz I was lazy today!)
1 C ketchup
2 tsp dried mustard (you can use less)
1-3 TBSP molasses (choose Barbados or black strap for the best nutrients)
2 dashes of Worcester sauce
Sprinkle of Himalayan salt
Sprinkle of crushed black pepper

I fried up the onions and garlic in some olive oil before throwing everything into the slow cooker for the day.  

Serve over buns.  

As promised here's my recipe for this tasty and not so over the top crumble :)  
I never really follow a recipe exactly as I find it - but here's what we did this time - and it's awesome :)

In the dish you're going to bake in:
Mix well:  
1 C Organic Raw Cane Sugar
1 TBSP Gluten Free Baking Mix (I use Pamela's GF Pancake & Baking mix)
1 Free Range Organic Egg
1 tsp Chemical Free Apple Pie Spice Mix

Add 6 Cups mixed berries & apple chunks.  (This time we used a mixed berry blend, plus some extra raspberries and a very large sweet apple & 2 TBSP of Chia Seeds.)  Coat the fruit with the sugar mix.   

In a separate bowl:  
Mush together with a fork and your hands:
1 C Organic Butter
2 C Organic Quick Rolled Oats
2 C Gluten Free Baking Mix
1 C Organic Raw Cane Sugar
1/2 tsp All-Natural Baking Powder
1/2 tsp All-Natural Baking Soda
2 TBSP Chia Seeds


Spread the crisp mix over the berry mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - let it cool before you eat it - but not too much, you want the vanilla coconut ice cream to melt when you serve it!

Everybody knows how much I love Green Vibrance!  It replaces your multivitamin, your vitamin D, some of your calcium, your fiber, your acidophilous, plus it's very nourishing and cleansing!  

Here's a few ways to enjoy a dose every day:

Green Vibrance Smoothie:
1 Banana, 1 Cup Berries, 1 Scoop Green Vibrance
Top up with Coconut Water 
Blend in the Magic Bullet
OPTIONAL:
  - Sprinkle Cinnamon
  - Dab of Vanilla, or Use 1/2 Vanilla Milk Alternative & 1/2 Coconut Water to top up

Green Vibrance Banana Milk:
1 Scoop Green Vibrance
1 Large Banana
Top up with Vanilla or Chocolate Milk Alternative

Green Vibrance Orange Julius:
1 Scoop Green Vibrance
1 Orange (peeled)
1 Banana
Top up with Vanilla milk alternative

Green Vibrance Straight Up:
1 Scoop with 8 ounces of liquid
(Try water, apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, milk alternatives)

Wanna try it?  Shoot me a message!

I hear from a lot of my clients - how can I get ALL that water into me?  I'm here to tell you - you can.  It's not that hard, and it only takes about 2 weeks for your body to adjust - and then start craving - all that water! 

Don’t forget that we as humans can absorb our water from many sources!  So here are some tips and ideas about where you can get those 8 – 15 glasses of water a day from and still enjoy getting them into your body!

Best tip – Herbal Teas, Infusions & Healthy Add Ins:

1)     Drink it at a different temperature – warm, or hot, but only ice cold in the heat of summer.

2)     Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon to your water – this is especially helpful first thing in the morning as it gets the liver and gallbladder going, speeds up and improves your metabolism and improves the cleansing abilities of your body.  You can do the same with any citrus fruit – and by using fresh fruit you’re giving both vitamins and enzymes to your body.

3)     Add a few slices of cucumber to your glass – this is a tonic to your lymphatic system (which is your detox highway)

4)     Add a few grains (just a few!) of unrefined Himalayan sea salts – this will boost the mineral content of the water providing your body with necessary electrolytes.

5)     Add a slice of ginger – this adds zing and it’s a great immune supporting herb.  It also increases the circulation and thus increases your metabolic rate.  Add it to ho water and drink as a tea.

6)     Add some fresh herbs - mints, lemongrass, or parsley are great for adding aroma and a hint of green to your water. If you want to release the flavor you can crush the plants a little bit before putting them into your water.  Every herb has medicinal properties – so by adding these herbs you are adding those properties as well – worth looking into before you drink a ton of any one kind of herbal infusion!

7)     Fresh or frozen berries – it’s the same concept as the citrus fruit – but you get the added punch of antioxidants as well.

8)     Herbal Teas – just brew and enjoy – either hot or cold.  Herbal teas should be brewed for at least 5 minutes – better 10 - to get all the benefits from the herbs.  Remember that herbs are medicine, so again be sure or what you’re drinking.  Chamomiles, mints, rooibos’ are all great and very safe options.

Next best option – from your food:  Soups, Juices and liquid-y foods all contain water.

1)     Count soups to the best of your ability – if it’s a straight broth you can count it one for one as water.  If it’s a thick creamy soup – maybe one cup only = ¼ water – you’ll have to make a judgment call here – and be fair with yourself!

2)     Milk is counted about 1 – ½.  So if you drink 1 cup of milk you’ve ingested about ½ cup of water.

3)     Juice is counted about 1 – ¾.  So if you drink a cup of juice, you’ve had about ¾ cup of water.  The added benefit of juices is all the nutrients they contain.  Freshly squeezed is by far the best option with enzymes and vitamins still active and available to you.  Pasteurized juices are great for vitamin C – but that’s about it.

Happy Hydrating Everyone!

In colour therapy the Red colour is linked to your root chakra which governs your physical body and your overall vitality. When your Red root chakra centre is deficient you experience symptoms of fatigue, anemia, weight gain, lower back pain, sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis, poor circulation, body temperature regulation problems (cold hands or feet), frequent colds, low blood pressure or depression.

The root chakra is also our passion center – a perfect chakra to look at on Valentine’s Day!

Red is referred to as a hot colour, which in essence is your life force, fire, or heat activity in your body as well as your body’s movement. Emotionally it is the energy that helps you to live life with passion. Red is your excitement, your driving force and your motivation.

If you’re lacking a zest for life it means you need Red power!

REVITALIZING RED PROGRAM  (Inspired by Colour Energy)

A simple yet powerful physical vitality booster is a 20 minute Red Colour Bath treatment together with several drops of essential oils and 2-3 Tablespoons of Dead Sea Salts or Himalayan Salts (for the gentler pink energy of Universal Love).

Salts help to prepare your body for the absorption of Red’s vibration. The Salts help to release toxins (which cause blockages) and cellulite through the pores of the skin while adding nourishment and softness. They also replenish the body with their high content of essential minerals.

The elements in Whole Salts help to rid your body of toxins so that your internal organs can function at a normal capacity, which in turn creates a vibrant aura. The combination of Dead Sea Salts, Red Colour Bath and a Red therapeutic oil blend facilitates an incredible cellular treatment!

The Red energy stimulates the Root chakra that governs our adrenal glands and our innate survival  instincts – our physical right to exist. A 20-30 minute Red Colour Bath can support adrenal function with the Red’s natural adrenal supporting qualities. Nowadays, with our stressful lifestyle, Red provides the strength to forge ahead so that we can reach our goals.

To experience the Red’s life-giving power during the day, place a few drops of a Red-based Essential Oil Blend on your wrists, pubic or tail bone or on the soles of your feet. The energizing aroma of pure essential oils increases the effectiveness of the revitalizing program.

Further enhance your day with Red clothing, Red glasses, a grounding Red Tiger’s Eye stone in your

pocket or a cup of Red Zinger, Cinnamon or Ginseng tea.

Essential Oils to Enhance the Red Energy in Your Life: 

Any Root or Rhizome Essential Oil will carry the right vibrations for the root (red) chakra. 

You may also consider adrenal supporting or invigorating essential oils.  Avoid adrenal stimulants if you are excessively stressed.  (Pine)

Benzoin, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove Bud, Juniper, Sandalwood, Spikenard, Spruce (black), Vetivert, Ylang Ylang, Colour Energy’s Red Chakra Blend, Colour Energy’s Chi Therapy Blend. 

Essential Oils to Enhance the Pink Universal Love Energy in Your Life:

ROSE!  There are 3 types – but they are all amazing – try them in hydrosol form for a more cost effective way to enjoy rose’s benefits (Rose is too expensive for a bath generally – but if you want to treat yourself – try a milk bath with rose petals or a few drops of essential oil). 

I’m home with two sick kids – what do I do to make sure I stay healthy in this house full of germs?  Well aside from the basics (sleep, rest, washing hands, etc.) we do a few other things you might find helpful.  Here they are:

1)      Theive’s Oil - AKA Marseille’s Remedy:  I use this topically and in the air (both for steams and simply diffused into the air).  Check out a local maker's website - Theive's Oil has a really neat history!
I never apply Theive’s Oil direct to the skin as it seems too strong to me, but the makers claim it can be used ‘neat’ topically.  You can apply it to your hands and feet to sanitize them, to boost your immune system, and to prevent sickness and infection.  I apply the oil in a carrier to our feet at night and in the morning and cover up with socks (to prevent slipping, to keep the sheets clean, and to allow deep penetration). 
I also diffuse the oil and breathe the vapours to help fight sickness and clear air of pathogens.  I add a few drops of orange essential oil to my diffusers along with the Theive’s Oil – orange makes it smell like Christmas :)

Ingredients:
Syzgium aromaticum (organic Clove essential oil)
Citrus limon (organic lemon essential oil)
Cinnamoomum verum (organic Cinnamon bark essential oil)
Eucalyptus polybractea (organic Blue Mallee Eucalyptus essential Oil)
Rosimarinus officinalis (organic Rosemary essential oil)

2)      “Sick Tea” – our own concoction and the kids love it!  We drink this whenever we're feeling down. 

• A heaping teaspoon of raw local honey
• A packet of raspberry EmergenC
• A sprinkle of powdered Thyme
• Some times I’ll squeeze some fresh organic lemon or lime juice into the mix as well
• A mug full of warm alkaline water

Sick Tea #2:  cut up the whites of two green onions, and about an inch of raw ginger.  Pour a tea pot of boiling water over this and cover for 10 minutes.  This is great for fevers and it tastes like Chinese soup - I love it!  But the kids aren't quite as impressed with it!

3)      Lots of pure alkaline water

4)      Soups, salads, and fruit

5)      I used to also use ViraStop by Enzymatica – but unfortunately Health Canada pulled it!  You can still buy it in the states though, and I gotta say – I’ve been sicker since I haven’t been able to get it.  I might make a trip down just for ViraStop LOL

That’s it!  We’re healthy and strong with in a few days!
I hope this will help some of you through this crazy flu season...

Why Alkaline?  (From Santevia's Website)
1. Stay Healthy
2. Be Stronger
3. Live Longer We all want to Stay Healthy, Be Stronger and Live Longer so how do we do that? 

It’s all about BALANCE!  Our body is slightly alkaline (7.35pH) and we need to keep it that way to stay in homeostasis which is where our body can heal itself. 

So let’s talk about the BIG 3 things we need to do:

1.    Eat Alkaline (GREEN)
2.    Exercise to get rid of Acid
3.    Drink LOTS of healthy Alkaline Water

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is loaded with processed foods, meat and bread which are acidic, so it isn’t a big surprise that many of us end up with acidic bodies which can lead to acidosis and inflammation.  Add to that our sedentary lifestyle and it isn’t a wonder that type II diabetes and childhood obesity are rising threats to our society.  

What can I do?
1.    EAT your GREENS
2.    WALK for 20-30 minutes every day
3.    DRINK 8-10 glasses of clean, mineralized and alkaline water EVERY DAY!

Here’s a list of items tested for in our water: 

Alkalinity, aluminum, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, calcium, total organic carbon, chloride, chromium, cobalt, true color, apparent color, conductivity, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, ammonia, Nitrate, nitrite, nitrogen, pH, potassium, total dissolved residue, selenium, silver, sodium, sulphate, turbidity, zinc, Total and fecal coliforms (Escherichia coli). 

There are acceptable levels of these toxins that are allowed to remain in our water supply, plus the distance between the water plant and your tap is not tested or monitored.   

Also not tested for - all those other microbes: bacterium, viruses, and parasites????  Plus – who’s testing for all those drugs we’ve been hearing about getting into our water like estrogens and antibiotics?  Yuck!

So that’s why so many people choose to filter their water. 

How can you filter your own water?  There’s a lot of options here!

Store bought:  Well there’s a lot of options but you can really boil it down to tap water or natural spring water that’s been filtered and bottled in a plant, and then transported in plastic to you.  Big carbon foot print!  Plus if those plastic bottles have been heated in any way during transport – that plastic is leaching into your water – cancer alert!!!

At home you have a lot more control over what happens and its impact on yourself, your family and your environment. 

You have the options of the Brita-type System (activated carbon filters), the Santevia - type System (imitates nature’s filtering via layers of rock and sand - http://www.santevia.com/ ), or Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) with Carbon Block Systems (http://www.aquasmart.com/aboutus.html).  The last two are my favourite options. 

Activated carbon filters do not kill all bacteria, viruses or parasites and they aren’t great at filtering out chlorine.  But – if they are your only option I’d at least start here.  You can boil your water for 10 minutes to kill any microbes that may be in the water after you’ve filtered it – this will also boil off the added chemicals – but it’s a lot of work.  In the long run this is also your most expensive method since you need to replace the filters at least every 2 months (more often than recommended by the manufacturers please!!!), plus it creates a lot of garbage. 

Solid Carbon block filtration is a very effective filtering system, and the most cost effective – you only need to replace the block every 6 – 8 months.  Solid carbon block filters effectively treat age-old contaminants such as lead, TCE, chlorine, benzene and several contaminants found in drinking water supplies today like MTBE, chloramines and PCBs. They also likely will be proven capable of significantly reducing contaminants that may be found in drinking water supplies in the future such as antibiotics and other drugs.

Kinetic Degradation Fluxion process medias are patented high purity copper-zinc formulations which eliminate or reduce contaminants from water by using electrochemical oxidation reduction.  These mediums were designed for removing and reducing chlorine and water-soluble heavy metals, to control scale, bacteria and algae even in hot water.  KDF 55 and KDF 85 process media can remove up to 99% of water-soluble lead, mercury, nickel, chromium, and other dissolved metals. They are ideal for use in granular activated carbon (GAC) beds, ion exchange resins, carbon block filters and in-line filters.  Basically this is an additive used with carbon – based filters to further reduce the contaminants in your water. 

While water ­filtration is important to yield clean, contaminant reduced water – it is merely one element of organically complete water. Unlike many high-tech water fi­lters, Gravity Water Systems clean your water without using chemicals, arti­ficial ­filter media, water pressure, or electricity. These systems use all-natural compounds including earthenware ceramic, coconut carbon charcoal, volcanic Zeolite, and silica sand.

Gravity Water Systems recreate the Earth’s process of purifying, mineralizing, alkalinizing and vitalizing water with out the use of electricity. Each drop of ordinary tap water is gravity dripped, resulting in long-contact exposure to earth-derived elements transforming it into vital and complete pure water.  Because this system naturally alkalizes the water, microbes are not able to survive in the water – so any that do get through are unable to get you sick. 

With all this in mind - I hope that you’ll consider filtering your water for a healthier, happier you!  We have a Santevia Gravity System in our home and we use it to drink, cook, water our plants and feed our pets - we love it!

Keep Hydrated!!!