Category Archives: Organic

July 13, 2012 · 8:42 am

Food Finds, Part 2

We’re back with Part 2 of my new food finds! In case you missed Part 1, you can read it here.

And without further ado…

KOMBUCHA
You know I love water, but now I’m also loving Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha, specifically the Multi-Green flavor.

Kombucha is so healthy for you – the cultures in this effervescent drink work as a probiotic, helping your digestive system do what it needs to do. It works the way yogurt does, adding healthy bacteria to your gut, but without dairy.

Multi-Green is surprisingly sweet (sounds like it would be vegetabley, right?) with only 4 grams of sugar in the entire bottle, but with spirulina, blue green algae, and chlorella, which are three superfoods that are amazing for you. I sip it throughout the day (keeping it in the fridge, of course) so that I get a little hit of sweetness and healthy bacteria after I eat.

If you’re not digging the greens, that’s okay – Citrus and Original flavors are great, too. But Multi-Green is packing some serious nutritional punch.

POPCORN

My pick for popcorn these days is the Whole Foods 365 brand of organic, reduced fat, low-sodium popcorn. They use gmo-free corn, which is really important. And this popcorn passed the husband test, which means it tastes good and isn’t cardboardy.

BREAD

And for those of you in Southern California, I want to share with you my new favorite bread and bagel option. Silver Hills Bakery makes some awesome stuff – super healthy and oh so tasty. I’m officially head over heels for the Squirrelly bread and bagels because it tastes delicious and has the cutest name. Plus, the husband likes them.

Pick up these products at Whole Foods, Jimbo’s, Sprouts, Erewhon, or your local health food store.

Now go forth and find a fun, new healthy food this weekend!

Question of the Day:
Anyone ever have anything crazy happen on Friday the 13th?

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Filed under GMO-free, Health, Organic, Product Review, Products, Raw, Snacks, Superfoods, Water

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July 12, 2012 · 8:23 am

Food Finds, Part 1

I’m pleased to report that I’ve been trying some new foods out these days…doing a little test run of products…and finding some gems!

I’m pretty picky when I read those ingredient lists. So, my basic requirements are as follows:

  • must have some protein
  • must be gmo-free
  • must be low in sugar and sodium
  • no agave
  • no soy
  • organic
  • still tasty!

So, here’s Part 1 of what I’ve found…

RAW KALE CHIPS
Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch makes kale chips so much more than I ever thought they could be.

I am seriously addicted to their Quite Cheezy flavor. The Chipotle flavor is also delicious if you like a spicy little kick.

These are great to take on the go – easy, healthy, and completely guilt-free. With only a few fantastic ingredients, they clock in at 100 calories, 4g of protein per serving, and 7g of fat (1.5g saturated).

They’re also raw, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and organic.

GRAIN-FREE CRACKERS
Lydia’s Organics also makes some tasty grain-free crackers. The Luna Nori Crackers are delicious on their own or with avocado spread on them.

Each serving (3 crackers) is 140 calories, 6g of fat (1g saturated), 120mg of sodium, and a whopping 5g of fiber and 6g of protein.

These are also gluten-free, raw, organic, and vegan.

All fats in these products are coming from heart healthy sources – nuts and seeds. Most, if not all, of these items should be available at your Whole Foods. Or click on the pics to buy online!

And make sure to check back tomorrow for Part 2!

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Filed under Agave, Gluten-free, GMO-free, Health, Organic, Product Review, Products, Raw, Snacks, Superfoods, Vegan, Vegetables

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July 4, 2012 · 9:10 am

Red, White and Blue

Happy 4th of July!

Let’s get patriotic with our food! Yup, we’re talking about red, white, and blue foods today.

RED

Raspberries are one of my favorite foods! They’re one of the lowest sugar fruits (which means they’re low-glycemic), very high in fiber, and also low in calories. Plus, they’re loaded with Vitamin C, antioxidants, and antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic compounds. You get serious bang for your caloric buck here. I recommend buying them organic and frozen because they are cheaper, delicious when they get melty, and don’t get as moldy as quickly as the fresh ones do.

A red food you should really watch out for is the papaya. Most papayas, sadly, are genetically modified (GMO alert!). I love this fruit, which is, like the raspberry, a low-sugar fruit, but now I’m very cautious about eating it. Make sure you know the origins of your papaya before you dive in.

As I’m scaling back on my papaya consumption, I’m turning things up a notch with red beets. This is one red food that I’m just now starting to appreciate. Beets have antioxidant, detoxification, and anti-inflammatory properties. And by increasing your intake of sweet vegetables, like beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes, you decrease your sweet cravings. For some of us, that’s a much-needed trick!

WHITE

White vegetables get overlooked, in my opinion, because everyone is so busy talking about greens. Well, greens are great, don’t get me wrong, but so are whites!

Here’s what the white veggies can do…

  • daikon radishes – detoxification, low in calories, and helps with fat and starch digestion
  • onions – antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, increases bone density, and lowers blood cholesterol
  • mushrooms – antioxidants and immune-boosting
  • cauliflower – good for digestion and detoxification, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory

Make sure to get lots of colorful fruits and veggies into your meals…and colorless ones, too!!

BLUE

Okay, this one is a little tricky. Blue foods are actually kind of purple.

I think everyone knows by now that blueberries are packed with antioxidants, so all I’m going to say is that they make the dirty dozen list for produce with the most pesticide residue, and you should make sure to buy them, and all other berries, organic when possible. They can be pricey, so it’s a good option to buy them frozen. They last longer and are still packed with nutrients because they’re frozen right after they’re picked. It’s a win-win.

Anthocyanin, the pigment in blue/purple foods like blueberries, eggplants, figs, blackberries, plums, and grapes, gives us antioxidants, anti-aging properties, and benefits eye and heart health.

The bottom line is the more colors you have on your plate, the better. By getting different types of foods into your diet, you’re getting a variety of vitamins, nutrients, and health benefits. So let’s get healthy and patriotic, people!

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Question of the Day:
What’s the best place you’ve ever watched fireworks?

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Filed under Diet, Fruit, GMO, Health, Low-glycemic, Organic, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables

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June 18, 2012 · 8:48 am

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia

Who remembers that crazy Chia Pet phase? And the ridiculous commercials for those ridiculous chia pets?

Well, chia has made a comeback.

Chia seeds are amazing. When they get wet, they form a gel that helps food glide through your digestive tract, but they still have a crunch to them. Nifty, right? And they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids for heart healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants.

One tablespoon has only 60 calories (give or take – different brands list different stats). And it gives you a good dose of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese.

Additionally, chia seeds are a complete plant protein and gluten-free. This makes them a great option for vegans or vegetarians, as well as those with gluten intolerance or Celiac.

Let’s talk about fiber. In that single tablespoon, you get a whopping 5g of fiber. Gals, you need at least 25 grams a day. And guys, you need at least 38 grams. Pregnant gals, you should aim for 28 grams. For men and women over 50, you need at least 30 grams and 21 grams, respectively. So with just one tbsp, you’re making a good dent in that fiber requirement.

With all that fiber, and because the seeds grow when wet, they not only help with digestion, but a little bit fills you up and aids in weight loss, too. Chia seeds also help balance blood sugar, help lower cholesterol, and prevent against heart disease.

Although these are all great benefits, too much of anything is never a good idea. So don’t start eating insane amounts. A couple tablespoons a day is plenty. And for those of you on blood thinners, chia might not be for you. Talk to your doc.

I recommend organic only, of course. You can find chia at Whole Foods, your local health food store, or online. I like the Navitas Naturals brand because they’re raw, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, and organic. And I like the company. But there are a lot of other great brands, too.

I’ll put chia on just about anything. I put it in my oatmeal for breakfast, in salads, on veggies, on soups, and in smoothies. You can also put it on yogurt, in cereal, or grind it and bake with it. They really don’t have much of a flavor so they work well in a sweet or savory dish.

And here’s my new fave dessert:

Chia Pudding

2 tbsp of chia seeds
1/4 cup of almond milk
15 frozen raspberries
1 tsp of raw cacao nibs
1 tbsp of hemp seeds
liberal shakes of cinnamon
2 shakes of cloves

Here’s what you do. Get a bowl. Add in everything but the cacao nibs. Mix until it’s all mixed up. Mush the raspberries. Make sure it’s mixed really well. Then let it sit on the counter or in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Let it get really thick. Then sprinkle on the cacao nibs when you’re ready to eat so they stay crunchy.

Now, I should warn you that I don’t like it too sweet. If you like more sweetness, you can add 1/4 – 1/2 ripe banana, 20 frozen blueberries, 1 tsp of coconut nectar or some raw honey.

Enjoy!

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Filed under Gluten-free, Health, Organic, Products, Raw, Snacks, Superfoods, Vegan

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June 17, 2012 · 12:13 pm

Happy Father’s Day!

Some dads are celebrating their first this weekend. Other dads, like my own, are celebrating their 30-something…we won’t get specific with numbers 😉 . And some dads aren’t here with us anymore but they are never forgotten. Never ever.

To all of you men, we honor you today because you deserve it and because we love you. So a big Happy Father’s Day to you!

I happen to have the world’s best dad (I know everyone says that but if you’ve met him, you’d agree he’s pretty great), and today he got some things he’s been asking for and some things I think are important for him to have.

See, part of how I show my love is by encouraging him to be healthier. I am Health Coach Jillian, after all. And he did encourage me to pursue the nutrition thing. Therefore, he has no choice but to be a good sport (love you, Dad!). So…in his Father’s Day bag-o-treats, I included:

1. Navitas Hemp Seeds

2. Chia Seeds

3. Rudi’s Whole Wheat Bread

Click here for a coupon for the bread!

Lucky guy, right?! Haha. Don’t worry. He got some fun stuff, too. 😀

But I encouraged him to put his chia and hemp seeds on his morning yogurt and fruit. He can also throw some chias into his blended coffee drinks. Chia and hemp can go in salads, too. Very versatile, very healthy, and they won’t alter the taste of what you’re eating.

So with that…have a great day, boys! Thanks for all you do!

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