Spring Juicing Recipes

 

Hello my wonderful readers. Welcome back. I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend. The weather is warming up finally! Looks like Spring is officially here. I have composed a list of some refreshing and nutritious Spring juicing recipes. We hope you enjoy them !

Citrus &Ginger Cooler ( Helps with sinuses)

1 large orange or peeled

1/2 lemon, de-seeded and peeled

1 medium sweet or tart apple, chopped ( Granny Smith , Honey crisp etc.)

 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, skin removed

cayenne pepper ( optional)

Place all ingredients in juicer, juice and serve!

 Celery, Cucumber, Kale, and Pear Juice

1 medium cucumber

3 celery stalks

1 and 1/2 medium pear

3 kale leaves

Place all ingredients in juicer, juice and serve!

Grapefruit, Apple, Carrot, Lemon and Ginger Cooler

1 small-medium pink grapefruit, peeled

1 small apple

 3-4 small organic carrots ( regular carrots not baby)

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled

1/2 small lemon, peeled, de-seeded

Place all ingredients in juicer, juice and serve!

Pineapple,Cucumber, Kale,Lemon, Mint, and Apple juice 

1 cucumber

1 granny smith Apple

1 cup fresh  pineapple chopped

3 kale leaves

1 handful mint

1/2 lemon (remove peel)

Place all ingredients in juicer, juice and serve!

 

From Our Hearts to Yours!

Easter Health Tips

 

Hello readers. We hope everyone is well. Lent is officially over. We hope the meatless meals were helpful during your spiritual walk and that you feel a sense of renewal. Easter is right around the corner this Sunday. It is a time to fellowship with family and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the sacrifices he made for us.  Here are some health tips for you to follow this weekend. Balance is key!

Healthy Easter Tips

Eat a good breakfast

Be sure to have a good, healthy, filling breakfast to start your day. Not only will it keep you fuller longer, but it will kick your metabolism into gear and  help you burn some of those extra calories. Try a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit or a veggie omelette. 

Drink lots of lemon water 

Drink lots of it. Lemon water is an excellent way to detox your body and help with digestion.

Fill up on vegetables

Try to eat  some raw veggies and/or salad first before the other foods This will fill you up and lead to eating less of the high fat choices.

Portion Size

Portion size is one of the most difficult things during holidays.  Make sure you pay attention to the amount you are putting on your plate. Remember moderation is key and  carbohydrates should be the least amount on your plate.

Move around 

Take a walk after you eat or hunt Easter eggs  with the kids. The more you move it will help the food to digest and keep you from being sluggish.

 

We hope you find these tips helpful! Happy Easter!

From Our Hearts to Yours!

Lent season coming to a close.

Hello my readers! Hope everyone is well. These past few weeks we have been discussing fasting , Lent season , and the benefits of meatless meals. We are getting close to the end of Lent next week. If you participated in fasting I hope that you all are doing great in your spiritual journey and that you reached your goals. We hope that you have enjoyed all the weekly meatless recipes and will continue to use them.  There are more recipes to come later. Sorry for the slight delay. In the mean time here are some tips to stay healthy this weekend if dining out.

Make sure you eat healthy this weekend. If you go out to eat choose a salad with dark greens instead of  the tempting bread or fries.  Also ask for a vinaigrette dressing instead of a cream based one. Be sure to drink lemon water, instead of sugar loaded and carbonated drinks.  Drinking lemon water provides enzymes and aids in digestion. Eat plenty fruits and vegetables. Pay attention to your portions! Moderation is key, Especially with sweets. Try these easy healthy tips and have a wonderful weekend!

Meatless recipes to soon follow!

From Our Hearts to Yours!

Why go meatless?

Well hello everyone! Welcome back to our lovely readers. We made it through another week. I hope you all have a blessed weekend. These past couple weeks I have been providing you with meatless meals recipes. Hopefully you have tried some of them and found them delicious and nutritious. Often times meatless meals can have a myth of being bland and boring.  We wanted to give you some unique and flavorful recipes to use during this Lent season and beyond. Going meatless can be very beneficial to your health. It is not just a trend!

It can help to reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases

Lowers cholesterol levels

Provides more fiber to your daily diet

Good for heart health

Helps to detox the body and stay regular

Great for your skin

Reduces bloating 

Aids in healthy digestion

Provides plant protein for the body

 

Try this hearty garden vegetable soup recipe.

This Mandarin orange and spring greens salad is light and refreshing.

Sweet potato hash is delicious and simple to make.

Try this sauteed squash and peppers recipe. It packs a little spicy kick!

Spinach and mushrooms baked on wheat flatbread. Simply delicious !

We hope you enjoy these wonderful meatless meals

From our hearts to yours!

Meatless Meals Continued

Welcome back my lovely readers. How is everyone? I hope you are doing great! If you are continuing to fast for Lent I commend you. I hope you all are enjoying the unique and delicious meatless recipes to help you through this spiritual process. Lets look at the spiritual benefits of fasting and I will also provide you with some more nutritious mealtess recipes.

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting:

*To strengthen prayer

*To seek God’s guidance

*To humble oneself before God

*To overcome temptation

*To overcome addictions

*To express repentance

*To express love and worship to God

*To see deliverance or protection

*To renew  the mind

*To gain self-control

To hear from God

Meatless Recipes:

Back Bean and Corn Tacos

Cajun Cabbage

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Marinated Zesty Italian kale & Carrots

Spaghetti with spinach sauce

Enjoy!

From Our Hearts to Yours

Continuing the Meatless Journey

Hello my lovely readers! We made it through another blessed week. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We are continuing with the meatless recipes to help you with your fasting during this Lent season. If you are participating in fasting I hope that things are going well for you while on this spiritual journey. We will continue to give you the nutritional tools to help you along the way. Fasting is a spiritual process that helps to clear the mind, helps the body to become lighter, and helps with a better focus on God.  Below are more delicious meatless meals for you to try.

Try this wonderful bean salad! Packed with protein and fiber!

Sauteed mushrooms and green beans are an easy nutritious meal to make!

Try this vegetable curry recipe over brown rice!

This spinach, apple, & walnut salad is treat to your taste buds!

This kale stir fry recipe has a spicy kick to it !

From Our Hearts to Yours!

Meatless Meals for Lent

Hello my wonderful readers ! I hope you had a blessed and productive week. Last week we discussed the meaning of Lent and the many things you can fast from while cleansing yourself for Lent. I gave you all a delicious meatless recipe for vegetarian jambalaya. This week I would like to share more meatless meals for you filled with fruits and vegetables to give you nourishment while on your spiritual journey. These meals are not only healthy but they are very flavorful and delicious,seasoned with fresh herbs and spices.We like you to have a variety of foods to choose from.  Below are the list of the recipes.

Try this nutritious & unique Cranberry, Apple, & Spinach salad !

Here is a vegetarian twist on chili that you will love !

Try this soup recipe!

Here is a meatless way to cook your greens and sill enjoy them!

Try this tasty vegetable stir fry over brown or basmati rice!

We hope you enjoy these meatless meals! 

From Our Hearts to Yours

 

Lent Season is Here

Hello everyone.  Welcome back! It’s another blessed week. Lent season is here. Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination ,reflection, honoring your body and also a spiritual journey.During Lent you can abstain from certain things and foods from your life as way of cleansing. Below are a few examples.

Remove meat and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables

Removing Sugar from your diet

Refraining from negative energy, environments, and habits

Below is a delicious meatless recipe you can try this Lent season

Vegan Jambalaya

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 large stalks celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño (use more or less depending on how spicy you like things )
• 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes (or whole cherry tomatoes or one large can of crushed tomatoes)
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 4.5 cups vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5 cups chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

 

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan
2. Add onion, garlic, celery, and jalapeño to oil and sauté until onions are cooked, about 3 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and cook an additional minute or two to soften them up.
4. Add rice, vegetable stock, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, paprika, hot sauce, salt, and pepper to pan and stir to combine. Cover and bring mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for 20-40 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and cooked through.
5. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve immediately. Garnish with extra cilantro.

 

You can serve with a side of mixed greens salad.

We hope you find these tips helpful for your journey through Lent !

 

From Our Hearts to Yours

 

Keeping Our Hair Healthy

 

Hello readers! I hope everyone is having a blessed week. We are continuing our loving our black as beautiful series. This week we will discuss how to keep our hair healthy. Natural hair is beautiful!  It comes in unique textures and curl patterns. Our mane of expression!I have been natural for five years! and my hair has never been healthier. However, one problem with natural hair is it tends to get very dry. It is very important to make sure you are taking proper care of your hair. If your hair is dry chances are so is your skin. Of course water is key, but there are also several natural oils and foods  you can eat that God has provided from the earth to keep your natural hair healthy and moisturized.  Below is a list of a few.

Avocado’s and Avocado Oil

• Helps to moisturize dry damaged hair.
• Contains Vitamins A, B, D,and E which help to protect the scalp.
• Contains Amino acids and Protein which promote healthy hair growth.
• Helps to make hair soft and provides shine.
• You can also put avocado’s in a smoothie or salad.

Almonds and Almond Oil

• Treats dry scalp and inflammation.
• It is very beneficial for curly hair.
• Seals in shine.
• Strengthens hair.
• Reduces hair breakage and split ends
• Can be used as a deep oil treatment.
• It has a natural SPF.

Olive Oil

• Stimulates hair growth
• Conditions the hair.
• Reduces frizz.
• Softens hair.
• It contains essential fatty acids that strengthen the hair.
• Natural moisturizer.

Omega 3 Oils

• Salmon is an excellent source of Omega 3 oils.
• It thickens hair.
• Provides a natural shine.
• Helps in preventing hair loss.
• Aids in hair growth.

 

We hope you find these tips helpful in your healthy hair journey

From our hearts to Yours

 

Living Your Black As Beautiful

 

Hello my wonderful readers. Welcome back.February is here. The month to celebrate black excellence and creations. Our black is beautiful. Lets discuss some products and  foods that originated in the motherland, Africa. These items provide great health benefits for the body. 

Black Soap

Black soap is popular. It is referred to as Alata Samina or Ose DuDu locally and originated in West Africa. The natural ingredients are dried in the sun and roasted and essential oils,shea butter and water is added. Then the soap sits out harden.

Black Soap Benefits and Uses

Acts as a light exfoliant 

Lightens dark spots

Helps with eczema 

Clears up rashes

Cleanses hair

Treats scalp irritations

Great for sensitive skin

Clears up blemishes

Yams

Yams are popular vegetables in black culture and originated in Africa. They still remain an important staple food there,and are mainly grown in Nigeria.Yams can last for months without refrigeration. Their appearance differs from sweet potatoes due to their length and orange- brown outside color and rough texture.

Benefits of Yams

They provide Vitamin C

Provides the body with fiber

Potassium

Vitamin A

Folic acid

Good for digestion

Lowers bad cholesterol

Helps with eye health

Okra

Okra originated in Ethiopia. It was widespread throughout North Africa. In the 1700’s it was brought to the Caribbean.  The Créoles learned from slaves to use okra to thicken soups (gumbo)and it is now an essential in Créole Gumbo in Louisiana. It is very abundant in Cajun cooking today and in other Southern regions of the US.

Benefits of Okra

Low in calories

Contain Vitamin C

High in fiber

stabilizes blood sugar

Contains anti-oxidants

Watermelon

Watermelon originates in Southern Africa and made its way to Egypt.

Benefits of Watermelon

91% water

Fiber

Helps to lower blood sugar levels

Lowers blood pressure

Helps with constipation

Boost immune system

Helps with the kidneys

We will continue to share information on foods and health products that relate to Black History Month.

 

From Our Hearts to Yours