Healthy snacks to munch on!

Snacks are probably the only thing humans can agree are the best thing in the world. What is even better are healthy snacks. Yeah, that's right. Snacks that don't come out of a vending machine, but healthy stuff. 

Junky snacks to healthy snacks can be a difficult conversion, especially in this day and age where we are in a constant rush and shove anything in our mouth for that immediate gratification. I am very guilty of this and I'm sure you can relate to this predicament. However, there are alternatives to our junky snack problem...

-Fruit 
Yes. Yes. YES. Fruit will keep you stuffed and prevent you from aimlessly shoving food into your mouth. 

-Nuts
Almonds and other nuts are a "naturally high source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium and are rich in protein and fiber." Source Basically, it is good for your health. 

-String cheese
It is always fun and distracting to play with your food. 

And more...
-Baby Carrots with hummus 
-Egg whites on wheat toast 
-Dark chocolate
-Yogurt with granola
-Quesadillas (my favorite)
-Smoothies
-Raisins, dried cranberries

Healthy foods for your teeth!

We've all had the occasional cavity once in our life, well at least I had over 6 (yikes.) This was due to my addiction to sweets and sugary foods as a kid. Now that I'm older I've learnt to maintain good oral hygiene by learning to prevent and reverse the damage 8 year old me caused. Surely you can pick up some tips and strive for that white tooth smile!

1. Water

Obvious one, yes. Water helps wash sugars and acid off teeth. It contains fluoride, a mineral that protects your teeth from eroding. 

2. Green tea

I love, love, LOVE green tea. The best part of it is that it contains antioxidants that protect your gums.

3. Cheese and any other dairy products

Dairy is naturally abundant in calcium. This mineral is essential for both your bones and teeth. Once you start lacking in this mineral, your teeth and bones will weaken. So, drink your milk and eat cheese to strengthen them bones and teeth!

4. Strawberries

We all love strawberries. Don't deny it. This yummy berry contains malic acid which is a natural enamel whitener. You could do this at home by smashing up a ripe strawberry and dipping your toothbrush in it. Afterwards, make sure to thoroughly rinse with warm water. 

Wellness Wednesday ~ Foods for Healthy Hair

What you eat reflects entirely on your body, especially your hair. Today's Wellness Wednesday, we will focus on foods that promote healthy, luscious hair. 

1. Fruits and Vegetables

This seems pretty obvious and you probably saw this one coming. Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamin C, helping your body absorb iron. Without iron, your hair will start to fall out(especially in women!!!!)

2. Spinach

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I'm not a big fan of spinach either. However, spinach is rich in iron, beta carotene(which transforms into vitamin A), folate, and vitamin C. All in all, it's great in keeping those fancy follicles healthy!

3. Blueberries

Yum! Blueberries are perfect in producing vitamin C. The vitamin that prevents hair breakage and is essential for circulation to the scalp. Plus, they're absolutely delicious!

4. Eggs

Eggs are a great source of protein and iron. Much like fruits and vegetables, eggs will prevent hair loss.  

5.  Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Your body is not capable of producing omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential for hair growth. However, you can get it from salmon, walnuts, sardines, flaxseeds, and mackerel. 

Churro Waffles recipe!

Good morning, fellow readers! Recently, while browsing the interwebs I stumbled upon a recipe that I'm pretty sure was crafted by the hands of all the Greek gods.  The churro waffle is a delicious food that is perfect for breakfast or brunch. You decide!

To start off you will need:

1 teaspoon salt 

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs                                                                      
2 cups of all purpose flour1 1/2 cups warm milk 
1/3 cup butter, melted                                                

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 3 shakes of cinnamon plus

For the churro topping:
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup of melted butter

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside.  Also at this time you can combine your churro topping and set it aside. Preheat waffle iron

      2.In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture;  Next fold in three shakes of cinnamon beat until blended

       3. At this time you can also melt your 1/2 cup of butter used to pour over waffles. Next generously spray your waffle iron with no stick cooking spray. Than ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Once fully cooked immediately pour melted butter on each side of the waffle and than dip each buttered side into your cinnamon/sugar churro mixture.

Wellness Wednesday- 4th of July Recipes

Good morning, readers! Today is Wednesday Wellness. To begin the 4th of July with a healthy start, here are some recipes we recommend you share with friends & family! 

Vegan Tempeh & Black Bean Burgers 

To begin you will need :

1 tbsp ground flax seeds

3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk or water

1-8oz package tempeh

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp grilling or hamburger seasoning mix

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 cup cooked black beans

2 medium scallions, sliced thin

½ cup shredded vegan cheese 

3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray.
2. Combine ground flax seeds and almond milk or water in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Crumble tempeh in a large bowl. Add Paprika, hamburger seasoning, salt and black pepper and toss gently.
4. Add black beans, scallions, cheese and flax mixture and using your hands, mash it all together until all the ingredients are combined.
5. Divide the mixture in 4 pieces and shape each one into patties, about an inch thick.
6. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil and carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes then broil for 5-7 minutes, watching them carefully so they don't burn.
7. Serve on a bun.
8. Pat yourself on the back for achieving this delicious vegan burger!

Everyone on this Earth loves pizza and can't say no to a pizza dish. Try this Vegan Grilled Veggie Pizza recipe!

To begin you will need :

• 1 recipe for a 10-inch vegan pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 vine-ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 to 4 finely torn fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup shredded vegan cheese

1. Spray grill rack or griddle with a nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Put those muscles to work by rolling the pizza dough out to either 10-inch round or a rectangle.
3. Brush with olive oil and place pizza on grate or griddle. Then, close the lid and grill for 2-3 mins. 
4. Remove the from grill and add the remaining ingredients.
5. Slide back onto grill and close the lid. Grill for 4 mins or at least until the cheese is melted.
6. Cut into wedges or squares.
7. Sit back and watch as the others enjoy your dish. 

We hope you have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Grill Season Is upon Us!

 
                                                     Grill Season Is Upon Us!!

Summer is back! There will be pool parties, barbecues, and 4th of July engagements galore. All of which include food so what's a vegan or vegetarian to do? Bring these black bean burgers, of course!
Try this hearty yet flavorful vegan recipe that can be either grilled right away or kept frozen until needed.

                                                                  Ingredients:
                                                      2 cups of cooked black beans
                                                      1/4 of a green pepper diced
                                                      1/4 onion diced
                                                      1 serrano, jalapeno or fresno pepper diced
                                                      3 sprigs of fresh oregano or 1 1/2 tsp of dry
                                                      1/2 tsp cumin
                                                      1/4 cup corn
                                                      1 tsp of chili powder
                                                      1/4 cup of ground oats
                                                      2 tbsp corn meal
                                                      1 tbsp of flax mixed with a 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place a pan of water on the lowest rack to keep the burgers from drying out.

Prepare the mixture of flax and water first as this mixture will need to sit for 10 minutes until it becomes  viscous. This is your egg substitute and will act as the binding agent to keep the patties together.

Add rinsed beans, onions and peppers together and mash. Then adding the flax/water mixture, ground oats, corn meal and spices and mix/mash thoroughly. Mix corn in last to keep kernels whole. Oil baking sheet and form patties to make 3 large  4 small ones. You can also double up this recipe if you are cooking for more people. Throw them on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side. They are then ready to put on the grill immediately or you can freeze them for a later date. They are best served on a pretzel bun with avocado, mixed greens and tomato.