If you saw my natural energy drink “Chia Fresca” recipe video, you’ll know I’ve been lovin’ my Chia Seeds for a while now.

Used for centuries by native Central Americans, Chia seeds were considered a powerful energy food and provide excellent nutrition.

Filled with detox-supportive fiber, chia seeds, which look like little grey, tan or black poppy seeds, provide the best plant source of those fabulous Omega-3s that protect your heart,brain, skin and joint health.

Plus, all that fiber is GREAT for diabetics who need to stabilize their blood sugar and lose weight. Do you think Paula Deen knows about chia seeds? If you know her, send her this recipe – I’d love to be on her show!

(*The extra cinnamon in this recipe helps balance blood sugar levels even more – one of those super ingredients diabetics and border-line diabetics should be using!)

Soak these seeds in liquid for 15+ minutes, and they begin to gel and soften, providing an excellent slow-moving fiber and protein, which helps you feel full and reduces appetite.

Chia also contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, antioxidants, niacin, and zinc.

Now you can enjoy these ancient seeds as a delicious dessert any time - and this recipe only takes about 20 minutes to make!

Chia Seed Pudding with Coconut & Vanilla

2 cups coconut, rice, or hemp milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup

pinch sea salt

¼ cup chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

-       Heat the milk over medium in a small saucepan.

-       Whisk in the vanilla, brown rice syrup and sea salt.

-       Once the milk is almost to a simmer, whisk in the chia seeds and cinnamon. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes, or until the mixture gels up to a tapioca consistency.

-       Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool in the refrigerator. Serves 2-3.

Apple Pie Ice Cream!

Apple Pie "Ice Cream"

Now, it’s not really ice cream, but I believe anything you scoop with an ice cream scooper can be called ice cream.

Gluten-free, vegan, and mostly raw, this recipe was actually a big hit, and most of the class ate their entire scoop – even some kids who said “Ew, gross!”

Here’s how we made this healthy snack together:

APPLE PIE “ICE CREAM” ~ Serves 4-6

8 Medjool dates, pitted

3-4 Honeycrisp apples, cored

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Have the kids use plastic or kid-safe knives to remove the pits and throw away.
2. Cut the apples into quarters and remove the seeds and core. Use the grating/shredding blade in your food processor to grate the apples. Scoop into a large mixing bowl.
3. Replace the grating/shredding blade with the S-blade and combine the apples, dates, oats and cinnamon together. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Scoop the “ice cream” into the mixing bowl and use an ice cream scooper to give each person a share.

With all the oats and apples, this recipe will also add a nice dose of fiber for those constipation-inclined readers!

I discovered that dairy really doesn’t do my body good back in 2000, and ever since I’ve been looking for new dairy-free products to spice up my menus.

Many of my clients find they feel and look better when they remove dairy from their diets, so in the interest of market-research I get to spend a lot of time in health food stores, scanning the shelves for new products.

(I wrote an article for the super-glamorous CoCoEcoMagazine last month about going dairy-free to improve adult acne and eczema…)

Also, my 4.5 year old son is really into yogurt, and I like feeding it to him: it has those great live cultures like acidophilus, bifidobacterium bifidum, and other lus-es and um’s and us-es…all those unpronounceable words that mean your digestive system is getting the healthy bacteria it needs to keep your entire body running smoothly.

Non-dairy yogurts are also an easy snack that offers protein, calcium, and healthy fats, but it’s hard to find one that’s lightly sweetened.

I just discovered Amande yogurt from Cascade Fresh, and I couldn’t be happier! Laken too!

(Do you see that grinning face above?) 

Amande is made from almond milk, fruit juices, and truly natural flavors and colors. No hidden MSG or toxic colorings here; instead, they use annatto, purple carrot, and elderberry juices.

Almonds are highly regarded in traditional medicines for supporting the digestive tract and nervous system, and are the only nut that helps to alkalinize an overly acidic body pH. According to Ayurvedic medicine, almonds strengthen the bones, nerves, and reproductive organs.

This stuff is so free of dietary problems (unless you’re allergic to almonds) that almost anyone can enjoy it: dairy free, soy free, lactose free, no refined sugar, gluten free, no casein, vegan, and kosher…

Amande is great for people who prefer or need both dairy-free and soy-free foods. It’s also good for people who need to avoid too many sugars. So that’s pretty much everyone!

You could win some free yogurt! If you want to try a free sample of Amande, enter my blog contest here by leaving a comment before Friday, June 24th at 12pm EST.

Tell me why you want to try this awesome new product line! And be sure to ask your local grocer to start carrying Amande and other great dairy-free options so that you, and others, can get healthy, delicious foods to enjoy.

I discovered that dairy really doesn’t do my body good back in 2000, and ever since I’ve been looking for new dairy-free products to spice up my menus.

Many of my clients find they feel and look better when they remove dairy from their diets, so in the interest of market-research I get to spend a lot of time in health food stores, scanning the shelves for new products.

(I wrote an article for the super-glamorous CoCoEcoMagazine last month about going dairy-free to improve adult acne and eczema…)

Also, my 4.5 year old son is really into yogurt, and I like feeding it to him: it has those great live cultures like acidophilus, bifidobacterium bifidum, and other lus-es and um’s and us-es…all those unpronounceable words that mean your digestive system is getting the healthy bacteria it needs to keep your entire body running smoothly.

Non-dairy yogurts are also an easy snack that offers protein, calcium, and healthy fats, but it’s hard to find one that’s lightly sweetened.

I just discovered Amande yogurt from Cascade Fresh, and I couldn’t be happier! Laken too!

(Do you see that grinning face above?) 

Amande is made from almond milk, fruit juices, and truly natural flavors and colors. No hidden MSG or toxic colorings here; instead, they use annatto, purple carrot, and elderberry juices.

Almonds are highly regarded in traditional medicines for supporting the digestive tract and nervous system, and are the only nut that helps to alkalinize an overly acidic body pH. According to Ayurvedic medicine, almonds strengthen the bones, nerves, and reproductive organs.

This stuff is so free of dietary problems (unless you’re allergic to almonds) that almost anyone can enjoy it: dairy free, soy free, lactose free, no refined sugar, gluten free, no casein, vegan, and kosher…

Amande is great for people who prefer or need both dairy-free and soy-free foods. It’s also good for people who need to avoid too many sugars. So that’s pretty much everyone!

You could win some free yogurt! If you want to try a free sample of Amande, enter my blog contest here by leaving a comment before Friday, June 24th at 12pm EST.

Tell me why you want to try this awesome new product line! And be sure to ask your local grocer to start carrying Amande and other great dairy-free options so that you, and others, can get healthy, delicious foods to enjoy.

This recipe comes from my latest book Vegan Cooking For Dummies – order it here!

You can mix up the other ingredients to your liking:

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Chilling In The Fridge Time: Overnight

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup chopped dried apples or fruit juice-sweetened cranberries

1/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped almonds

1 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the flaxseeds in a medium mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate.

2. Remove the cover in the morning and sprinkle with flaxseeds and serve cold or at room temperature.

Per serving:

415 calories, 10 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 170 sodium, 75 carbohydrates, 11 dietary fiber, 12 grams protein

The owner of Nature’s Platform, those genius toilet designers who provide appendages for your existing home throne, has written a book on “the health benefits of the natural squatting position.” 

Win a copy of Nature Knows Best by Jonathan Isbit by commenting on this blog!

Here’s to your health, Alexandra

The owner of Nature’s Platform, those genius toilet designers who provide appendages for your existing home throne, has written a book on “the health benefits of the natural squatting position.” 

Win a copy of Nature Knows Best by Jonathan Isbit by commenting on this blog!

Here’s to your health, Alexandra

“[Humans are] not meant to sit on a toilet, but to squat in a field.”

-Michael I. Freilich, MD

As the mother of a 2 ½ year old, and certified holistic health counselor, you can bet that I talk about poop a lot. Helping people to poop properly has become a major part of my life!

Daily, comfortable elimination is one of the “platforms” of overall health. I have worked with countless clients who were dealing with chronic constipation. Some people are constipated and they don’t even know it – they think it’s normal to “go” 2-3 times a week. It’s not. Healthy elimination means pooping without strain or discomfort at least once a day.

Encouraging people to squat on the toilet, or use one of the new squat platforms below, has cured many people of hemorrhoids and prevents fecal stagnation that can lead to intestinal diseases.

One of the easiest, cheapest ways that I have found works to help people poop more perfectly is the old fashioned squat. The “primitive” people of the world still eliminate the way our ancestors did, by squatting over holes in the floor which are connected to a septic system, ditch or even modern plumbing.

I am reminded of my trip to Hong Kong several years ago. At almost every tourist site, the public toilets looked like “modern” American facilities – until you went in the stall! There was no toilet! Just a hole in the floor – but it was clean, there was toilet paper, and everyone seemed fine with it so I gave it a “go.” I found it was much easier for eliminating.

Now you can buy modern, squat-inducing “natural position” toilets at – http://www.blueearthceramics.com/.

If you don’t want to go all the way to installing a new toilet (even though they look pretty cool!) you can buy a cheaper kit called Nature’s Platform at http://www.naturesplatform.com/index.html which fits around your already existing toilet.

If you don’t feel like plunking down some change for a new toilet or even the platform kit, you can help yourself eliminate easier by simply squatting on your heels for a few minutes before sitting on the toilet. This will get things moving quicker and easier.

Happy eliminating!

Alexandra