Dandelion greens aid in detoxifying the liver (our largest detoxifying organ) and stimulate digestion.  They are also high in iron and antioxidants.

You can also try dandelion root tea for aiding digestion if you’re not a fan of the leafy green.  It’s caffeine free and tastes earthy.  But remember adding dandelion greens to your smoothie is one of the best ways to reap all of the wonderful benefits!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 handful of frozen berries
• 1 – 2 cups dandelion greens and/or kale
• ½ cucumber (with skin)
• ½  of an avocado
• 2 tbs chia seeds
• 1 tsp spirulina (optional)
• 1 cup of water

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.  Enjoy!

This soup helps to maintain a youthful glow for your skin because of the high vitamin C content from the broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.  I also make sure to add vegetables that will aid in cleansing when making this soup.  Check out the many cleansing properties this soup has:

Parsley: Helps to flush out the kidneys which will help to prevent water retention and bloating.  Parsley is a blood purifier, aids in digestion, is detoxifying, and rich in vitamins A, C, E, and iron.  

Cabbage: Helps to purify the blood of toxins and is very high in fiber so it will help clear waste in the internal organs.  Cabbage is also a great source of iodine, making it a good food for the thyroid.  

Garlic:  Is an amazing detoxifying aid by helping to stimulate the secretion of digestive juices and has a positive effect on the lymphatic system.

Onions: Help to cleanse the liver and skin due to its antiseptic properties.  Onions aid in balancing bad bacteria in the gut and they are a great blood cleanser.  

Ingredients: (Organic is best)

• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 medium sized onion, chopped

• 1 head of cabbage (1.5 lbs), chopped

•  4 – 5 cups of broccoli, chopped

• 4 – 5 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen organic)

• 3 – 4 cups of water (more or less depending on desired consistency; I like a thicker soup)

• 1.5 tbs oil

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• 2 tsp dried basil leaves

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped, plus more to add at end

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, sauté the garlic and onion until fragrant and onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).  Begin to add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, rosemary, basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.  Proceed to add the cabbage and once the cabbage begins to cook down slightly, add the tomatoes, water, and bay leaves and adjust spices if needed.  Turn heat up to high with a lid until soup begins to boil and then let simmer on low until the vegetables are tender. Add a couple of pinches of sea salt  and ground black pepper and a large handful of fresh parsley.  Stir and serve. This soup is even better the next day.  Enjoy!

I added chia seeds to this smoothie for their amazing benefits and sunflower seed butter for a creamy consistency and some healthy fat and protein.  This smoothie was delicious and you can’t taste the spinach!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 2 handfuls of spinach or other leafy green
• 1 tbs sunflower seed butter
• 1 tbs chia seeds
• 1.5 cups or more of purified water (depending on your preference of consistency)

Directions:

Add all ingredients into a high power blender and mix on high.  Enjoy!

In my recent workshop at the Bar Method I shared ways to support your body in transitioning into spring and how to do a light cleanse without relying on fasting or drinking green juice all day.

Below are some of the main highlights in brief that I covered:

Eat clean.

Plain and simple: eat whole foods.  Choose food that your body recognizes so it can easy assimilate, extract the nutrients, and digest properly.   Food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. This means more plants, fruit, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds!  A green smoothie is one of the best ways to pack loads of nutrients into a meal.  Try my Green Smoothie Detox.

Another way to assure you are getting the most nutrients from your food is to …

Eat seasonally.

Not only will your food taste better but you will be receiving the most nutrients from your food by eating with the seasons.  When you eat produce that isn’t in season, the food has to travel some times up to 2,000 miles just to get to your local supermarket and most of nutrients are gone by the time the food gets to your plate.  Do your body and the earth a favor by sticking to eating seasonal food (your wallet will thank you too ).

Some produce that is in season now: Artichokes, asparagus, beets, carrots, cherries, lemons, peas, strawberries, onion, garlic and leafy greens such as kale, romaine, spinach, and swiss chard.

Remove or Reduce.

Processed food (remember if it’s made in a lab it will take a lab to digest), artificial sweeteners, refined grains (anything white such as flours, rice, bread, pasta, etc.), sugar, alcohol, and caffeine.

Drink More Water.

Most of our body is made up of water and water is vital for the function of every organ system.  Water helps to circulate oxygen and whisk away toxins.  Try adding lemon or cucumbers to your water for added flavor. My favorite way to start the day is a big glass of water with lemon.

Bonus Tips:

Try to buy the bulk of your food at farmer’s markets to assure you are buying seasonal food and receiving the most nutrients.  And you will be supporting local farmers, awesome!

If you buy packaged food, read the label and try to stick to 5 ingredients or less.

Don’t buy food that has ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Stick to the 90/10 rule.  No one is perfect.  90% of the time try to stick to healthy choices, the other 10% feel free to enjoy your guilty pleasures from time to time (mindfully of course ).

If you aren’t familiar with Dr. Hyman a.k.a. “The Ultrawellness Doc”, he is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Blood Sugar Solution, founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts, and a member of the Board of Advisors of Dr. Oz’s HealthCorps.

Dr. Hyman is someone I truly admire and trust.  The book he wrote last year, The Blood Sugar Solution, has been instrumental in empowering millions of people to change their life, lose weight, and address the root cause of chronic disease.
He revealed that the key to optimum health and weight loss is balanced insulin levels.

After his book hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, he decided to make a cookbook after  many people requested recipes.  It only made sense to him because he is also a firm believer that FOOD is the most powerful form of MEDICINE.   

The cookbook has over 175 recipes (gluten free and dairy free) that “allow you to take back your health with wholesome, flavorful, easy-to-make meals.” 

HERE is a link to check out the cookbook. 
You can find my recipe that is featured in the cookbook HERE.

This probiotic salad consists of cultured cabbage that I chopped and stored in mason jars for five days.  This allows the friendly bacteria such as lactobacilli (probiotics) and enzymes to thrive. 

The raw cultured veggies are loaded with friendly bacteria to help balance our gut flora and promote a healthy environment in our digestive tract.   The bacteria also has plenty of enzymes which not only help us break down our food for easier digestion, but they also aid our body in rebuilding our skin and hair, brain function, and detoxification.  

 I can not stress enough how proper digestion is the foundation for good health and beauty!
I adapted this recipe from the Beauty Detox Book by Kimberly Snyder.  This salad has a light zesty flavor and took around 45 minutes to make between cleaning, chopping, and mixing.  

For this recipe, you will need four or five 24 ounce mason jars.  Make sure they are extremely clean.  I dipped mine in a pot of boiling hot water to sterilize them.  

Ingredients:

** Organic is best!

• I large head of purple cabbage (green cabbage works great as well), sliced by hand or shredded in a food processor.  Remove the base of the cabbage and leave the larger outer leaves to the side.  

• 4 cups of purified water

• Lemon juice from 1 lemon plus juice from one wedge

• 2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and diced

Directions:

Make sure your hands and all of your utensils and bowls are clean before you begin.  Add the shredded cabbage, 4 cups of purified water, lemon juice from one lemon, and the ginger to a large bowl and mix well.  Tightly pack the mason jars with the mixture and leave at least 2 inches of space at the top of the jars.  Once you have filled the mason jars, squeeze fresh lemon juice from one wedge on top of each mixture and tightly roll the larger outer leaves and place them on top to fill the space.  

Place the jars in your cupboard for 5 days.  The ideal temperature of the room should be 65 – 70 degrees.  After 5 days, remove the rolled up leaves and place the jars into the refrigerator.  Enjoy your salad for up to one month and make sure to eat it before meals to aid digestion! 

Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have tried this before and any benefits you noticed. 

Now that spring is right around the corner, I am getting even more into my cleansing and detoxing routine.  One of my favorite ways to enhance my clean eating lifestyle are some lovely self-care techniques such as dry skin brushing.  

Dry skin brushing aids in draining the lymphatic system.  Our body dumps all of its toxins from our bloodstream into the lymphatic system to be carried out and released through the skin.  You see, our digestive system isn’t the only way we eliminate toxins, we eliminate toxins through the skin as well.  

That’s why you may notice some signs in the skin such as dry patches, skin rashes, or eczema.  

Dry skin brushing not only helps with circulation but you will also be exfoliating your skin so the toxins can be released.  Dry skin brushing also helps with muscle tone, diminishing cellulite, and leaves the skin super soft!  

For your brush – try to find a wooden brush with a long wooden handle.  I found mine at the drug store for about $4.  

You want to dry skin brush when your skin is dry and do it before you get in the shower everyday so any dead skin cells are washed away.  Yum!

Alway start at the bottom of your limbs (either feet or hands) and work in firm strokes up toward your heart.  Anything above the heart move the strokes down, and for your stomach, go in a clockwise motion to aid digestion.  

This takes no longer than two minutes and should never hurt or be painful.  

Get ready for gorgeous glowing skin! 

These cookies are super moist, easy to make, delicious, and take only 10 minutes to bake!  I found this recipe on detoxinista.com and tweaked the recipe a bit to make them allergy-free.  This recipe calls for all-natural honey to add the perfect amount of sweetness and the ingredient that makes these cookies extra yummy is the sunflower seed butter (you can also use almond butter if you’d like instead). Since this recipe doesn’t call for any refined sugar or flour means we can enjoy one or two extra cookies, right? 

I hope everyone has a very happy and fun holiday with their loved ones!

Flourless Double Chocolate Cookies

Serves: 12-15

Ingredients

•    1 cup creamy sunflower seed butter (I used Sunbutter)
•    ½ cup cocoa powder
•    ½ cup all-natural honey
•    1 egg
•    ½ teaspoon sea salt
•    2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
•    ½ teaspoon baking soda
•    ½ cup chocolate chips (I used enjoy-life brand)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with wax paper. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until the batter becomes sticky and well combined.  Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until firm.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!!!!

This is a perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth (especially during the holidays) or a great drink for kids.  Enjoy!  

Serves 2:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of almond, rice, or coconut milk
• 1 tbs cacao powder
• 10 – 15 drops liquid stevia
• dash of organic vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

In a small sauce pan stir the milk and cacao powder together over medium heat.  When combined completely, add the stevia and vanilla.  Heat over medium heat uncovered, stirring occasionally until the moment it begins to boil. Once the boiling begins, remove from heat and serve immediately. 

While I think it is great to enjoy your favorite dessert (because no one likes to feel deprived) or okay to eat a little more stuffing than usual, we can still enjoy these same indulgences with a healthier spin.
Eating slowly and mindfully will also prevent us from overeating.  Remember that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to receive signals from your stomach that you are full.
Use all of your senses while you eat and really enjoy the experience.  Notice the texture, smell, and taste of each bite.

The recipes I listed below are all free of processed food, refined sugar, flour or gluten.  PLUS they are easy to make and perfect detoxifying recipes to enjoy all season!

Side Dishes or Appetizers:

Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2802
Mashed Cauliflower (one of my faves!)
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/mashed-cauliflower
Curried Butternut Squash Soup (This soup is amazing and simple to make)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/curried-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/index.html

Hearty Garlic Greens (Get your vitamins and minerals in!)
http://www.wholeliving.com/131910/hearty-garlic-greens?czone=eat-well/seasonal-foods/winter&czone=eat-well/seasonal-foods/winter&czone=eat-well/seasonal-foods/winter&center=136760&gallery=136045&slide=88345
Butternut and Root Vegetable Soup (serves 8)    
http://www.drfranklipman.com/healthy-recipes-for-thanksgiving/

 
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

http://www.drfranklipman.com/healthy-recipes-for-thanksgiving/

Roasted Brussel Sprouts (I make these all season)

http://illumewellness.com/spaghetti-squash-with-spicy-tomato-sauce-and-brussel-sprouts/
Stuffed Red Bell Peppers
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/ancient-grain-stuffed-red-bell-peppers

Quinoa Pumpkin Muffins

http://illumewellness.com/quinoa-pumpkin-muffins/

Desserts:

Raw Berry Crisp (No cooking and so easy to make!)
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/raw-berry-crisp

No Bake Pecan Pie Bars
http://tasty-yummies.com/2011/12/09/no-bake-pecan-pie-bars-gluten-free-raw-and-vegan/

Guilt-Free Chocolate Brownies                                                                                                                                           http://illumewellness.com/guilt-free-chocolate-brownies/

Chocolate Mousse Tarts
http://www.drfranklipman.com/healthy-recipes-for-thanksgiving/

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy, and wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

Love,

Kim