Category: Healthy Food

Body and Beauty, Health, Healthy Food

The Beachside Resident September 2018 Issue

mistibludream

I contributed to The Beachside Resident for their September 2018 issue. Check it out!

A Smoothie a Day

Improving health and quality of life can be achieved with a morning routine. We are creatures of habit and tend to take up to a month to break and form habits. Starting your morning out with a fresh smoothie can boost your energy and make you feel better. We often have plenty of options lying around the kitchen to make a beneficial smoothie blend from scratch. Skip the preservatives, dyes, artificial flavors and sweeteners and whip up your own healthy batch.I used a banana, handful of fresh spinach, a few slices of frozen peaches, ginger tea and a splash of pineapple juice for the base. I sprinkled in a generous amount of cinnamon, ashwagandha root and local honey. One slice of watermelon and a few ice cubes later, you have a blended brew of beneficial freshness. 
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb root that has anti-cancer properties, reduces cortisol levels, helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves muscle mass and strength while also reducing inflammation. Local honey fights infection and helps with local allergies.
Watermelon has multiple beneficial plant compounds and is high in vitamin C and A. It is also lowers inflammation. Watermelon keeps you hydrated and can improve heart health. This melon is great post workout because it increases muscle recovery. It has also been know as a natural Viagra. Ginger, yet another anti-inflammatory, can treat indigestion, menstrual pain, muscle aches and nausea.
The beauty of a homemade smoothie is that you can substitute juice for tea, kombucha or even water if you are low on options. I always keep frozen fruit in my freezer. If I can’t eat my fruit in time before it goes bad, I freeze it for a smoothie later. I keep spinach on hand to help with my iron levels. If I don’t have fresh ginger or ginger tea then I go to my spice cabinet. Turmeric is also an anti inflammatory that could work well in a smoothie, though I prefer it it in my meals. Healing Sprinkles is my new spice blend that tastes amazing in smoothies and is loaded with many healing herbs and spices.
You can balance your body and correct deficiencies, imbalances, energy levels, mood and health ailments with what you eat and drink. As you can see, there are many benefits that plants have to offer and it will literally save you a headache not having to process unnatural ingredients.
Healthy Food

The Art of Plant Based Diets

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*From my article in The Beachside Resident November 2018
Mother nature gives us the good stuff. Not only are fruits and vegetables beautiful but they fuel our bodies. I chose super vibrant art inspired food to highlight the juicy details. Check out the amazing benefits from each of these ingredients:
Dragon Fruit: High in nutrients, fiber, minerals and vitamins, low on calories and a great source of antioxidants and magnesium. Ideal for gut health and boosting your immune system. Put it in a smoothie or with your yogurt.
Star Fruit: High in vitamin C and a great source of potassium with anti-inflammatory properties. Also high in fiber. These also look awesome as a garnish on a martini glass. 
Carrots: Rich in vitamin A. Great for your metabolism, promotes healthy skin and reduces vision problems. Reduces cancer risks and lowers cholesterol. Top carrots on your salad or sneak them into your muffins or meals.
Beets: wonderful source of fiber, C and folate. Beets have a plethora of benefits, like boosting your endurance, digestion, brain health and sexual health. Just don’t be scared when you drink a glass of beet juice then next morning when you poop. It’s just beets. Juice them or top off your salad with some beets. They also make a great base for a veggie burger and pairs well with goat cheese. 
Spinach: Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate and it isn’t good for you. In fact, 40% of the population can’t even process it due to the very common MTHFR mutation, which causes many issues, including ADHD, autoimmune disorders, depression, brain fog, anxiety and more. Folate can be found naturally in your leafy greens. I put some in all of my meals and even in my smoothies. Also a great source of tons of other minerals and vitamins your body needs that you can’t get in a bag of Doritos.
Healthy Food

Homemade Shallot Sriracha Salad Dressing

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From my article in November 2018 The Beachside Resident:
Shallot Sriracha Dressing

2/3 cup of Balsamic vinegar 
2/3 cup of Olive oil
1/4 cup of liquid aminos
1 lime juiced
1 tablespoon of Sriracha 
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
Pinch of ground pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic and parsley seasoning (or fresh)
1/2 shallot
1 tablespoon of Local honey

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. I use my Ninja, the smaller single use container for smoothies. Blend and serve! 

This salad dressing is very simple, natural and fresh. When you realize how easy and delicious making your own dressing may be, you will be spoiled and turn your nose up to the bottled dressings that have the shelf life of your grandmother. You are skipping all of the preservatives and fillers and making something that tases like it belongs in a gourmet restaurant. Go ahead, impress your friends and family with this recipe at your upcoming holiday parties. If you have someone that can’t do spicy, leave out the Sriracha. You can also throw in cashews and a little more honey. I store mine in a mason jar. You can play with different flavors by using a 1:1 ratio of oil and vinegar. Another favorite that I make is olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, honey, ginger and garlic.
Health, Healthy Food, Sweet Tooth

Sugar – The Silent Killer and a Low Glycemic List of Foods Best For You

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Our blood sugar or glucose levels should be in the 74-100 range. Glucose enters the bloodstream then to your cells. Our pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and protein. Chronic high glucose levels will create issues with your insulin levels.

Having high levels of blood sugar on a constant basis can damage your blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis (the hardening of your blood vessels). In time, this can create the perfect environment for heart disease due to the damage of long term elevated glucose. Sugar can increase the risk of stroke or heart attacks due to ischemia, or lack of blood flow to an organ, just as bad as cholesterol and high blood pressure. Besides heart disease and stroke, the narrowing or hardening of blood vessels can also compromise other organs and cause issues such as kidney disease, erectile disfunction, vision issues, poor circulation, nerve damage, slow wound healing and a weakened immune system.

You can run around the gym and count calories all day, but what you put into your body DOES matter. Justifying your workout so that you can eat processed foods with high sugar content or artificial ingredients will not work long term. You may feel fine now and slim down but as you age, these issues will catch up to you.

Foods to avoid:

  • White potatoes
  • White rice
  • White bread
  • Sugar
  • Sports and energy drinks
  • Soda
  • Yogurt with sugar*
  • BBQ sauce*
  • Ketchup*
  • Marinara sauce*
  • Granola*
  • Flavored coffees
  • Sweet tea
  • Protein bars and cereal bars*
  • Canned fruit
  • Bottled or premade smoothies
  • Breakfast cereals*
  • Cocktail mixers

*Check the labels! These can still be good as long as they do not have a high sugar content.

Best option, low glycemic:

  • Green vegetables
  • Sugar-free yogurt
  • Raw carrots
  • Berries
  • Kidney beans
  • Chickpea
  • Lentils
  • Nuts
  • Sweet potato
  • Peas
  • Quinoa
  • Watermelon
  • Artichokes
  • Grapefruit
  • Peaches
  • Oranges
  • Grapes
  • Plums
  • Apples
  • Squash
  • Broccoli
  • Tomatoes
  • Corn tortillas

Maple syrup and local honey are great natural sweeteners and substitutes for sugar. Artificial sweeteners and even many natural sweeteners like Stevia are still very processed to the point of losing all natural value. Remember to read the labels and sugar content. We sometimes see products that are marketed as healthy as assume they are okay, but are often loaded with sugar.

Every day is a new day. Every hour is a new chance to start over. Many of us mess up and fall off the track, then stay there. Pick yourself back up, and start over. You are worth it. Your future self with thank you.

We are creatures of habit and you will change your habits and lifestyle if you stick to it. Prevent disease and future health issues by eating clean and keeping your body in balance.

Healthy Food

Halloween Festive Party Recipes

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October is such a transitional month. Hurricane season is almost over and the tease of a cool breeze is on the way. It’s time to start getting festive and decorating. Food can be fun and still be healthy and delicious. I am offering a spooky dinner dish and side that will be a hit at any party. Everything is also gluten-free, and can be dairy-free as well. Most importantly, none of the ingredients call for scary preservatives, dyes or fillers. You won’t feel like a pumpkin after this meal! It is so delicious that it will haunt you forever with cravings. 

Stuffed Taco-Lantern

1 pack of Gardein meatless crumbles (you can substitute with meat)

1 can of black beans

1 small 4.5 oz can of green chiles

Season with onion powder, garlic salt, turmeric and cumin

Orange bell peppers 

Sriracha 

Spinach

Goat cheese (optional)

Preheat the over to 375. Mix the meatless crumbles with black beans, green chiles and spices on medium temperature, enough to warm it up and mix everything together. Cut the top of the orange bell pepper off and remove the seeds on the inside. With a small knife, cut different jack-o-lantern designs into the peppers and then stuff them with the mix. Top with goat cheese, unless you want a fully vegan dish. Place the peppers and lids on a foil covered baking dish and cook for 20 minutes. Line the plates with fresh spinach and place the peppers on the spinach. Decorate the top of the peppers with a little bit of Sriracha. 

Misti’s Salsa Salad

1 can of black beans

1 can of fire roasted corn

1 large tomato diced

1/3 of a white onion diced

Handful of chopped cilantro

Handful of chopped scallions

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 limes juiced

10 generous shakes of Cholula hot sauce 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve with chips. You can also add fresh chopped avocado. 

*Published in www.thebeachsideresident.com

October 2018 issue

Health, Healthy Food, Sweet Tooth

Smoothie Ideas

mistibludream

  • Splash of Pineapple juice
  • Ginger
Healthy Food

Pasta and chill

mistibludream

It is Friday! Although, I do have to be up at 7am tomorrow. Regardless, I am down to have an awesome hearty meal. My husband is taking our daughter to ballet so I can cook, otherwise I would probably order takeout or make something quick and lazy because my back hurts and I am exhausted. I have been thinking about making this all week. The time has come!

In one pan I am sautéeing portobello mushrooms with light olive oil, rosemary, balsamic and pepper. In the other pan I am cooking Gardein vegan “chicken” with turmeric, sage, shallots, garlic, pepper, lemon, oregano and himalayan salt. 


I tend to over season because I am making the sauce from scratch and want the flavors to get picked up after adding unsweetened almond milk.  Earth Balance butter, which is non dairy, is my favorite. The flavor is fucking amazing! My picky daughter loves it. Seriously, look how good the mushrooms look. If your mouth is not watering, please exit this page. You can put whatever you want in the sauce. Tomatoes, zucchini, basil, broccoli. Have fun! You don’t need me to hold your hand. 


I also added chopped spinach and (not pictured yet) sweet peas. I have no idea why but I love peas with my creamy pastas. Just do it.

Follow Your Heart makes the perfect dairy-free parmesan. I love adding lemon pepper and garlic to my “Alfredo sauce.” You will also need to thicken it up with Daiya mozzarella. This makes a rich and creamy sauce that will fucking knock you in bed with some cozy feels. 
Tonight, I am watching  the Netflix premiere of Lady Gaga’s documentary Five Foot Two, which allows us to peek behind the curtain of sweat and fame to see the reality of a young woman battling severe pain and fighting an autoimmune disease. I am so excited that someone with such power can raise awareness to invisible illnesses and chronic pain. It is about damn time. 
Anyway, back to food! I start my sauce by warming up the almond milk. I am not a traditional lady in the kitchen. I just eyeball it for the most part. I would guess I poured 3 cups and a big scoop of the dairy-free butter and you can add a scoop of dairy-free cream cheese. Keep in mind I am feeding an army and used two boxes of pasta. I seasoned the sauce, even though a lot of flavor will be picked up from everything we sautéed. Keep in mind we can always add more! I added rosemary, oregano, pepper, lemon pepper, parsley, turmeric, sage and garlic.


Once you heat it up you can add the entire container of the parmesan. I turned the other burners off and put everything to the side and start on the pasta. Cook the past of your choice as instructed. After it is ready, strain it and put it back in the pot and add all that good shit together, including the mozzarella and stir. After tasting, I decided it needed a hell of a lot more garlic. I thought I had minced but I tossed what we had after the hurricane. I always prefer fresh, of course, but be real… I am not a little farm girl picking my herbs. I am busy as fuck and forget things. 


We also made some bread to soak up all the deliciousness. Now I am signing off! It is time to get in bed and try not to drip food on our new comforter while watching Netflix. You know you do it too. 

Also, we need a new cookie sheet and are registered HERE! Gross! 

* Best served on paper plates to avoid more dishes