Chocolate Avocado Pudding

picture courtesy of foodnouveau.com

Avocados are so good for us! Although they were shunned in the low fat craze days, they are now highly regarded as a super food.  They are high in vitamin E, anti-inflamatory, lower cholesterol, improve your vision, protect your heart and fight against certain types of cancer.

Although I love avocados added to many of my meals (salads, sandwiches, veggie burgers, mexican food, etc), the little one won't go near them. Unless of course they are disguised as chocolate. Lucky for me there are many recipes I can use to incorporate cocoa powder without all of the sugar you find in processed chocolate products.

If you haven't tried an avocado pudding recipe yet, I urge you to give it a chance. You'll be surprised how delicious it is.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding (from www.foodnouveau.com)

Makes 1 cup pudding, enough for 2 to 4 servings, depending on how chocoholic you and your guests are

1 avocado, ripe and soft
¼ cup to ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Trader Joe's)
¼ cup milk (I use almond milk but you can use regular milk or any other milk substitute)
3 tbsp maple syrup or liquid honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh and put in a blender, or the bowl of a food processor. Add ¼ cup cocoa powder and the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides. Taste and add more cocoa powder until the pudding is chocolatey enough. Add more maple syrup (or honey) if you’d like the pudding sweeter, and milk, if you’d like it looser. Divide between serving cups and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

kid tested, mother approved!

Janey's Saturday Morning Smoothie

This past weekend Jane decided that she wanted to make a smoothie. She has been on a kick lately of only wanting chocolate banana smoothies so when she expressed interest in making up a new one, I was very excited. We looked through the fridge together and she decided on an apple banana concoction.

 At the last minute she decided to add a few strawberries.

Apple Banana Strawberry Green Smoothie

1 handful spring salad mix (can use any greens)
1 banana
1 small apple - seeds removed
a few strawberries

Kid tested, mother approved!

1 Tbs hemp seeds (mom's idea for a little added protein and good fats)
1 cup Good Belly probiotic juice drink (can substitute other juice, water or almond milk)

Blend and enjoy

The skinny (or should I say fatty?) on Omega 3 fatty acids

Good sources of Omega 3 fatty acids

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are one of the most needed nutrients for our body, yet most American's are deficient in them. They are referred to as 'essential' fatty acids because the body cannot make them on its own so we need to acquire them through an outside source, like our food. We receive a broad spectrum of benefits from them and it is well known that they are essential in brain development and function.  Also, they are anti-inflammatory which results in them lowering your risk of heart disease - the number 1 killer in America.

Omega 3's are known to protect against arthritis, cancer, dementia and depression. In children Omega 3's have been shown to reduce the effects of ADHD and improve concentration.

There are 3 different types of Omega 3 fatty. DHA and EPA, which are found in fish, have been studied most extensively and appear to have the greatest benefits. Salmon, mackerel, lake trout, sardines, anchovies and tuna are the fish with the most omega 3's. The other form, ALA, is found in chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, dark leafy greens, and vegetable oils.

Although it is always best to get our nutrients from our food, it is hard to get the needed amount of omega 3's strictly from our food. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 2 servings of fish per week, however we need to be careful of our fish intake (particularly larger fish like shark, king mackerel, and tilefish ) as they can be contaminated with mercury. To help protect against this you can remove the skin and fat prior to cooking fish.

In our house we take a fish oil supplement in addition to eating fish once or twice a week. You need to ensure you buy fish oil from an established company that certifies their products are free of heavy metals. I take Metagenics Brand now but have heard great things about Young Living's Omega Blue and will be ordering these when I am ready for my next bottle (contact me if you are interested in getting these as well when I place my order).

Nowadays the word is out about Omega 3's and you can find many items at the grocery store that claim to be high in them. Unless it is a nut or seed in its raw form, you want to be careful of anything that is in a package as there is a good chance it is a processed food. I recently learned that Omega 3 eggs are not a good option. To get the chickens to produce eggs that are high in Omega 3's, they feed them flaxseeds. However, chickens are not meant to eat this food so it makes them sick and their eggs are then of poor quality. I always try to get eggs that are from pastured chickens and get my Omega 3's from other food sources that are naturally a good source and not artificially designed.

Ginger Pear Smoothie

With the flu and all of the cold viruses that are spreading like wildfire around me, I'm taking every precaution I can to stay healthy. For me this means eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies (especially greens), using my anti-bacterial, anti-viral essential oils and getting lots of sleep.

This morning I made a very tasty smoothie that I want to share with all of you. I used swiss chard as my greens but you can use any greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, etc).  The ginger gave it that little extra zing that made the smoothie complex and had a warming effect inside my body. If you don't have fresh ginger you can use 1 tsp powdered ginger.

Ginger Pear Smoothie
1 handful of greens
1 banana
1 pear
1 inch knob of ginger (if you don't have a high speed blender, grate the ginger)
1 TBS flaxseeds or chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Cup Almond Milk

Blend all ingredients and enjoy. Add ice or use a frozen banana if you prefer your smoothies cold.

Essential Oils: Discovering Nature's Power

A few months ago a new friend introduced me to a key component to optimizing my family's health through natural methods - essential oils. While I had heard the term essential oils before, and had even bought some tea tree oil to clean my yoga mat once, I really had no idea what they are all about. That day I bought a starter kit with 9 different types of oils and they have been rocking my world ever since. I can’t believe that it has taken me so long to learn about essential oils and start using them! 

Essential oils are nature’s living energy. They are the aromatic volatile liquids found in flowers, trees, shrubs, roots, bushes and seeds. These oils are what defend plants against insects, environmental conditions and disease. They are what plants utilize to grow, live, evolve and adapt to its surroundings. Basically they are the power house of nature and through a steam distillation process they are available to us to reap the same benefits. 

These oils have been used for thousands of years and there are more than 200 references to them in the Bible. The three wise men brought frankincense and myrrh oils to Jesus and various essential oils were found in the tomb of King Tut. They were often referred to as “Mankind’s First Medicine” and were respected for their medicinal and healing properties. 

Of course, as with everything, quality is of the utmost importance when it comes to essential oils. To truly receive the vast benefits of the oils, you must go with a pure, therapeutic grade oil. I have been using Young Living products, which are the leader in the industry. 

In our house, we’ve been using the oils for various purposes such as killing air borne bacterias, taming a nighttime cough, cleaning, relaxation and restful nights, healing minor cuts, fighting viruses, aches and pains, and much more! I have a reference book that lists many ailments and conditions and the various essential oils that can be used to heal them. I love how the oils actually treat the problem instead of just the symptoms like modern day medicine does.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils - please send me an email at jen@nutritiousinthecity.com. They are one of my favorite topics to talk about these days.

New Year....New You!

Hello friends! Great news - Nutritious in the City is open for business and I am ready to start seeing clients. I am a health coach, which is probably a new concept for most people. So how can I help you as your health coach?

Each person's roadmap to optimal health will look different. I will work with you to help you establish health goals (lose weight, anti-cancer diet, better digestion, less stress, more energy, feed your family better, etc) and then help you to achieve these goals by making small, sustainable changes.

I do not impose rules on you of what you can or can't do. I promise I won't come in and tell you that you need to stop everything you are doing that you enjoy and eat just like me. Instead I work with you to add in positive changes that are specific to your needs and that will add up to transforming your health and your life. We all thrive under different circumstances and with different foods, the adventure is in determining what is ideal for you and your family.

Our health is one thing that we can control. Although our genes may be predisposed for us to get cancer or heart disease, our every day habits are what determine if the trigger is ever pulled. The earlier you start changing your habits to optimize your health, the more successful you will be. Your future is in your hands and I'd love the opportunity to work with you to make it a happy, healthy, active one! Contact me today for a free health breakthrough session!

New Year's Day Black Eyed Pea Soup

Hello everyone! Long time no see. Lots going on here, so sorry I haven't been a faithful blogger as of late, but I promise to have more regular posts in the new year. Today I somehow managed to wrangle the hubby into posting about his New Year's Day tradition. I can attest it really is quite delicious and an enjoyable break for me to have him cook. I hope you enjoy.....

Making Black Eyed Pea Soup has been a New Year’s Day Loboda tradition for the past 3 years.  There is belief in many cultures (particularly in the Southern USA and Jewish cultures) that eating Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day will bring prosperity. And there are many health benefits from eating black eyed peas, for example black eyed peas contain a good source of the nutrients calcium, folate and Vitamin A. You can find more information here.

Whenever I make a recipe with black eyed peas, I prefer to use dried beans and not canned. This is due to two reasons: 1) dried beans are much cheaper and 2) canned beans contain large amounts of sodium and may have BPA in the can liners.

I prefer to do the overnight soak method for cooking dried beans. This allows the beans to be ready for boil the next day. Once they have boiled for a few hours and are tender, they can be used in a recipe. 

The two recipes I like to make with black eyed peas are Black Eyed Pea Soup and Cowboy (Texas) Caviar. The recipe for Black Eyed Pea Soup is below. For those that don’t know Cowboy Caviar, it is very much like salsa with black eyed peas and additional beans (black or kidney), vegetables like onion and peppers and it is vinegar based. Please contact me if you would like that recipe.

Black Eyed Pea Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups chicken or veggie broth (you can add more if you prefer a soup to a stew)

1 cup brown rice

2 cups dried black-eyed peas (approx. 6 cups cooked black-eyed peas )

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper to taste

1       Prepare the Black Eyed Peas according to the  overnight soak method.       Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onion, pepper, and celery and garlic until tender. Pour in the chicken broth, and mix in rice, black-eyed peas, and diced tomatoes.  Season with Cajun and Cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.