Passion Fruit Oatmeal

Here is my glorious plate of Star Fruit, or Carambola, Passion Fruit, and gluten-free oatmeal.  If you've never had the opportunity to cut into a fresh passion fruit, you are definitely missing out. Once you open one, your nose is instantly filled with a fragrant tropical scent.

Passion fruit is native to Hawaii, but most abundantly found in South America and is widely used for many dishes and drinks. (Passion fruit martini, anyone?)  The little fruits are relatively low in calories, one fruit will run you about 17 calories, and is full of healthy benefits!

Health Benefits:

• High in the antioxidant Vitamin C.  50% of your daily recommended dose of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is great for keeping your skin healthy and keeping your immune system strong.

• High in the carotenoid Vitamin A which is great for eye health.

• They are high in plant-based iron, so any vegans/vegetarians out there would strongly benefit from this tiny fruit.

• Contains soluble fiber, which helps cleans toxins stored in the colon and help to improve digestion.

• The high amount of fiber also helps with cholesterol.  Passion fruit can help increase HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol)

When picking a passion fruit to enjoy, pick ones that are slightly wrinkled and with a deep purple color. Make sure to pick them up and shake them.  If you feel  a lot of movement inside the fruit, you have a winner.  Wash the fruit and cut in half over a bowl. You don't want to let any of the juices get away from you!  Scoop out the seeds and enjoy in oatmeal, on top of pancakes or waffles, in yogurt, or in a cocktail! Side note, don't scrape too hard because the white insides are very bitter.  You don't want to eat that.  

Antioxidant Smoothie Bowl

This smoothie bowl is so full of amazing antioxidants!  This is pretty much a skin saver in a bowl.  The main ingredient I want to focus on is the acai.  This is an amazing superfood that is amazingly high in antioxidants.

The Acai is a berry that is found in the rain forest in the Amazon.  Some of the most notable health benefits are immune support, energy booster, promotes healthy skin, aids in digestive health, protects your heart, may help the fight against cancer, and some studies have show the berries can aid in weight loss.

Many of these benefits come from the high ORAC, or antioxidant levels, of the berries.  They have a higher antioxidant level than a blueberry!  It is also to be noted, this berry is extremely low in calories, but high in fiber. It is a miracle berry for sure!

You can consume the acai in different forms, all of which are effective.  Getting it in actual berry form is usually not an option here in America, but it is readily available in powder form, pill form, juice, and frozen packs.  I love using the frozen packs in my smoothies!

Antioxidant Smoothie Bowl:

• 1 cup mixture of spinach, kale, and swiss chard
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup frozen acai
• 1 tsp raw hemp seeds
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tbls raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 tsp spirulina powder
• 1 tsp kelp granules
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Rainbow Lunch

I wanted something a little lighter today for lunch, but something still packed in a lot of vitamins and nutrients. I went with my go-to green smoothie, avocado, and some mixed fruit to munch on.  So good, so refreshing, and so filled with healthiness!

I added some Pineapple to my mixed berries to add a little variety.  I love pineapple and it's sweet, yet tangy taste.  Just the smell can make me think I'm somewhere tropical.  It is such an amazing fruit and does such wonderful things for your body!

Pineapple is a fruit with multiple benefits.  It is full of vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, manganese, and potassium. It is also high in fiber and low in fat.  These vitamins and minerals keep your immune system healthy, keep your bones strong, and keep your skin glowing.  If you feel like your skin is looking a little dull, eat some pineapple!  You will be able to tell a difference!

Pineapple has an AMAZING enzyme called Bromelain which is fantastic in aiding in digestion and helps keep the digestive track healthy.  These enzymes have also been shown to help alleviate inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis and gout.

The benefits of this tasty fruit are endless.  Try throwing it into a fruit salad, a smoothie, or try grilling it for a tasty and refreshing dessert!

Green Smoothie:

• A handful of mixed greens (kale, swiss chard, spinach)
• A handful of romaine lettuce
• 1/4 apple
• 1/4 pear
• 1/2 banana
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Sunflower sprouts
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 cup cold water

On the Side:

• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/4 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup pineapple
• Flax, Sesame, Quinoa crackers

Green Goddess Lunch

This lunch is so full of green goodness and healthiness!  I remember the day when I wouldn't touch green food with a ten foot pole.  I am so glad things have changed!

By now you have noticed I eat A LOT of avocado.  I love them and I put them on everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert!  They are such a nutritional powerhouse and superfood.  They are definitely a fruit that needs to be added to your diet.

Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, like many people think.  They are higher in calories, but they are a nutrient-dense food, meaning you get a lot of nutrients and health benefits for those calories.  The calories are totally worth it!

They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and natural vitamin E.  Great for the fight against diseases like Alzheimer's.  They are also full of vitamin K and B and potassium (higher than a banana!) and antioxidants. This helps keep your skin healthy and keeps your metabolism up.  They are also full of fiber that keeps you fuller longer and helps aid in digestion. They contain healthy fats (monounsaturated) and help LDL cholesterol levels and raise HDL levels.

I could go on and on about the health benefits of avocados, but the list is endless.  This is definitely a food that will help you inside and out.

Smoothie Bowl Ingredients:

• 1 cup mixture of spinach, kale, and swiss chard
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tbls. raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp raw hemp seeds
• 1/2 tsp spirulina powder
• 1/2 tsp kelp granules
• 2 dried turkish figs
• Water; 1-2 cups or to your liking

Side Items:

• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tbls zucchini-garlic hummus
• Dulse Flakes
• 5 flax, sesame, and quinoa crackers

Millet Summer Salad

I love millet and I absolutely adore making it the main star in a fresh salad.  This is one of my favorite combos when eating millet.

Millet is an ancient grain that has a texture that is a cross between quinoa and couscous. Millet works as a prebiotic, which helps with digestion and keeping good bacteria in your digestive tract. It is unbelievably good and unbelievably good for you!

It is high in protein, but it is naturally gluten free, which makes this an ideal choice for anyone with gluten intolerance and for athletes. It is full of B-complex vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, and zinc.  It also has decent amounts of vitamin E, essential amino acids, and antioxidants.  All of these vitamins and minerals are where your shiny hair and muscle definition comes from!

Millet has also been shown to help lower cholesterol, help reduce cancer risks, and help calm your mood due to the levels of serotonin.  I highly recommend adding this to your diet.  Your health and beauty will thank you!

• 1/2 cup cooked millet  (eat at room temp)
• 1/2 avocado
• 12 mini heirloom tomatoes
• chopped basil (as much as you like!)
• juice from 1 large lemon

Sweet Potato Nutrient Bowl

I wasn't too sure what to call this, so I went with "Nutrient Bowl" because this lunch is jam packed with them!  Since its has sweet potatoes, we will focus on the many benefits of the wonderful sweet potato!

Believe it or not, I used to be an extremely picky eater.  And I mean extremely.  If it wasn't cereal, pancakes, or subway, I wanted nothing to do with it!  I told myself for years that I didn't like sweet potatoes. Crazy!  They are so delicious and as the name states, SWEET!  They have become a staple in my diet and I love them!

Sweet potatoes contain antioxidants, which can prevent cell damage and are great for keeping your skin healthy. Fruits and veggies that contain Beta-Carotene (orange or red in color) are amazing for your skin! They also contain Vitamin A and C as well as Folate.  The vitamins help keep your immune system going strong and the Folate is great, especially if you have a little one on the way.  They also contain potassium and a ton a fiber.  The fiber helps with your digestion which in turn helps absorb more of the nutrients you are eating.

Some people don't know this, but pairing certain foods together allows you to absorb more of the nutrients of those items.  A sweet potato is definitely like that.  Eating a sweet potato on it's own will definitely boost your health, but pairing it with a healthy fat will help get you more fiber and Vitamin A.  You can drizzle or roast them in some extra virgin olive oil (I have done so with an orange flavored EVOO and it was delightful!) or you can pair it with a healthy fat food like I did with the avocado.

• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/2 cup steamed sweet potatoes dusted with ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cooked millet with fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup homemade zucchini-garlic hummus
• A sprinkling of dulse flakes
• Gluten and Wheat free crackers made from brown rice, quinoa, flax and sesame seeds

Raspberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

This smoothie bowl has just about everything you need to keep you going to the day and help you feel beautiful inside and out!  The mixture of these ingredients gives you antioxidants, fiber, potassium, omega 3 and 6, protein, and an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

I am completely obsessed with smoothies and I absolutely adore eating them out of a bowl like soup.  I find it slows you down a little and helps you not only enjoy it more, but helps the body digest and absorb the nutrients better. We tend to eat very quickly in our daily life and we don't properly chew a lot of our food, which doesn't allow our bodies to absorb the vitamins and minerals to the fullest extent.  That is why smoothie are amazing!

The ingredient in this particular smoothie bowl I want to focus on are the pumpkin seeds.  I have recently started eating theses several times a week and I can already tell a difference!

Pumpkin seeds are high in vitamin B (great for hair, skin, and nails), Vitamin K and E, high in protein, and loaded with minerals such as Phosphorus, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, and Copper.  Some studies also show they can help with Prostate and Kidney health and help with inflammatory issues like arthritis.  For such a tiny seed, the sure do pack a fantastic punch!

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries 
• 1 cup mix of kale, swiss chard, and spinach
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond milk 
• 1/2 tsp spirulina powder
• 1/2 tsp Kelp granules 
• 1/2 tsp raw cocoa powder
•  1 tsp raw hemp seeds 
• 2 tsp raw pumpkin seeds

Blend all the ingredients together and top extra hemp and pumpkin seeds if you like! Enjoy!