The Best Health Secret: Warm Lemon Water

Drinking warm lemon water...especially shortly after waking is probably one of the best  beauty and health tips there is. 

Warm lemon water is a natural diuretic, boosts immunity, balances your pH levels, aides in digestion, provides hydration to your body- especially your lymphatic system, aides in weight loss and helps to cleanse as well as stimulate your liver. 

With all these health benefits, it's a wonder more people dont reach for a glass. The key is to drink your water warm, whether it's with lemon or not. While a nice cold glass on a hot day can be oh so satisfying, it's really just psychological. Cold water shocks your system and your body has to work extra hard to warm your water up to the temperature where it can be absorbed. Cold water also clogs your system, as the food that is digesting solidifies when its temperature drops so suddenly. Warm water has many health benefits as your body can use the same energy it would have used on cold water to jump start your digestive juices. Extremely cold water actually slows down your digestive process regardless of the fact that drinking water is good for you. The temperature matters.

So reach for a warm or room temperature glass instead and add a slice or two of a bright yellow lemon. Just be sure to wash and scrub the fruit for a while under water before cutting (just with your hands) as citrus fruits are one of the most pesticide-ridden fruits there is. So wash before you eat, even if you are just squeezing lemon juice, because as soon as you slice through the skin, the bacteria and pesticides gain a point of entry into the part you ingest. 

Drink lemon water, it's a great way to boost your health. Plus, it's easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Holy Guacamole!

Nothing says patio season like a bowl of delicious and fresh made guacamole! 

This is a summer staple in my kitchen and I love serving it up for friends with some baked tortilla chips or even on a salad. 

It's so yummy and avocados have so many healthy properties. 

To make my foolproof guacamole, here's what you need: 

4 small avocados, mashed

2 green chillies, chopped (or less depending on your taste buds)

Cilantro, chopped 

1 tomato, chopped 

2 limes, juiced

One small onion, chopped 

2 cloves of garlic, chopped 

Salt to taste

Mix everything together, incorporating the avocado with the other ingredients. The prep time for this is about 10-15 minutes and there is zero cook-time, so all in all it's a fabulous side dish, condiment and dip for summer entertaining. 

This recipe is so easy you can make it during the week in a flash and serve it on top of some cilantro lime rice or even on some Cajun spiced grilled chicken. Delicious, fresh, tangy...my taste buds are happy :)

A quick, light summer supper

One of the best things about this season has got to be the delicious, fresh food and our internal drive to start eating lighter, healthier options. It also means less standing over a hot stove and more hanging out while the BBQ does the hard part! 

Here is my recipe for tandoori turkey kabobs, patties or burgers, no matter how you decide to shape it, the method is the same. You can even shape these into little meatballs to fill a pita pocket. Just fill with salad and a little Greek yogurt dressing and you have another healthy meal option.

So here's what you need:

Small onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

Some chopped green chillies to taste or you can use red chilli flakes- about 1/2 a teaspoon works for me

Salt- 1/2 teaspoon - I use sea salt

One egg 

Whole wheat bread crumbs- about a palm full

Tandoori masala (1 1/2 tsp) 

Cook on medium to high heat for about 6 minutes per side

Combine all the ingredients and shape into kabobs or patties. Then grill them on a BBQ or grill pan. It's really easy and would be delicious with fresh squeezed lemon juice or a quick dip made from yogurt, some roasted cumin and grated cucumber or serve on a salad...the possibilities are endless...and delicious!

Drink Your Greens

Want clear, glowing skin, brighter eyes, more energy and better health all around? Drink your greens!

So much has been said about raw foods in recent food studies and the long and short of it is that we destroy a lot of our foods healthy properties when subjecting them to high heat. In effect when we cook food we are killing off a lot of what makes it good for us and all of us should aim to implement more raw whole foods into our diets. In other words eat more raw fruits and vegetables.

While this is easy to say in theory I think a lot of us feel that time and convenience prevent us from doing this. 

It's much easier to grab a coffee and donut than to prepare a healthy meal right? 

Except the damage you are doing to your body when you do that far outweighs the ease of eating poorly. 

In the last few years I've discovered that you have to make it just as easy to eat good, healthy foods as it is to buy something unhealthy. One of my best friends in this mission to eat more raw, whole foods is the green smoothie. 

It is so simple and easy to make and leaves you feeling refreshed and energized. When I drink a green smoothie in the morning I do not feel a need for coffee or tea. I feel better, have more energy and this drink also helps you cleanse naturally, if you know what I mean!

Basically a green smoothie is a thick green drink made up of leafy greens, fruit and a liquid base. Blending instead of juicing it leaves the fibre in the drink and you will feel full as well. In this way the green smoothie can also help in weight loss because it acts like a meal replacement. I also drink it as a snack or with my breakfast. It's also great after a workout and as a rule I like to have one a day.

I make it easier for myself by freezing fresh fruit when it goes on sale (blueberries, strawberries and chopped mango) and I always stock my fridge with pre-washed, organic baby spinach. It takes only a few minutes to make and the results will stay with you. 

Although it looks green in colour, I promise it does not "taste green". You can barely taste the spinach and I recommend starting with my classic green smoothie recipe and then venturing into different fruits, greens and liquids. 

Tip: while I use my Vitamix to make these drinks, I only bought one recently. Any other blender can do a great job too! My recommendation is to blend your green leaves and liquid together until the leaves disappear into the juice. Then add the other ingredients. If you add the fruit at the same time as your greens you will be left with leafy bits in your beverage - and no one wants to chew a smoothie.

Classic Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cup baby spinach

1 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened natural flavour)

Half of a banana 

Ice 

First blend the spinach and almond milk. When it gets to the consistency you like add the banana. At the end add your ice and blend once more. 

That's it! In only a few minutes you will be one step closer to a healthier mind and body. I promise if you make this a part of your daily routine you will truly love the results. Happy blending!

Watermelon Summer Slushie

It's summer when it's watermelon season and this is one of my favourite fruits! Last night it was hot through the evening and what better way to cool off than from the inside out.

This all natural slushie drink has no sugar added and is so refreshing for summer days or nights.

Here's what you need: 2 cups of cubed watermelon, 1 cup of cold filtered water and a handful of ice cubes. 

If you like a more juice like texture like me you may want to add a little more water. If you like a little more of a slushie consistency add more ice. Put it all in a blender and that's pretty much it. Within minutes you will have a delicious, refreshing drink which is actually healthy! This is definitely going to be one of my favourite summer go tos.

Enjoy!

When Your Bananas Look Like This....Eat Them!

For many years, the Japanese have been touted as the healthiest population on the planet. To what can they credit that fact? Consuming large amounts of choice fish, steamed rice, seaweed, tofu and green tea. Well apparently we can also add brown spotty bananas to the list.

A lot of us buy our bananas before they are ripe when they are still a little green in the hopes that they will ripen over the week in our fruit bowls and be ready to eat. If you miss the boat on that perfect mid-yellow banana, it's actually a good thing. I know lots of us are conditioned to only want to eat those perfect yellow bananas. But- if your banana is extra ripe and covered in brown spots- it's a good thing.

First of all, these bananas are sweeter than the average fruit. Next, bananas are one of the top-ten foods known to boost your mood. So in other words, bananas have the ability to make us happier. But why brown bananas specifically?

According to a Japanese research study, a fully ripe banana with brown spots on yellow skin produces a substance called TNF - Tumor Necrosis Factor which has the ability to combat abnormal cells.

The more dark patches a banana has, the higher its immunity-enhancing ability. So the more dark patches a banana has, the better the anti-cancer factor and the better it is for you.

Bananas also contain antioxidants. These little guys combat free radicals- the molecules that enter our bodies and cause the formation of cancerous cells.

foods with antioxidants combat this abnormal cell growth and prevent disease before it happens. This is why everyone's always saying to eat more antioxidant rich foods. (I'll do a separate post about this soon).

A 7 inch banana has about 105 calories (not too shabby for something that can curb your sugar cravings) and counts as one serving of fruit. But keep in mind, the sugar content in a banana will increase as it ripens. This is what makes super ripe bananas great for baking and smoothies. So...don't throw out your brown bananas, in fact, wait until they are at least a little spotty before consuming. If they are totally black reserve them for baking. Although in Japan, that's what they'd give you if you were under the weather as it's full of immunity boosting agents. Who knew?