FEUL UP BEFORE A WORKOUT
1 Banana
2 table spoons of flax seeds or meal
1-2 tablespoons of cacoa powder or Cocoa powder
2 dates pitted
1 cup of sliced stawberry
1 cup of filtered water or 1 cup green tea
1 cup of ice
Blend and enjoy
Strawberry Chocolate Banana Shake
February 15th, 2013I See Red
February 11th, 2013
While red and pink are considered essential colors for Valentine’s Day decorating, red is a perfect color to use in your home every day of the year. Genuine reds bring out sexual energy and stimulation. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Oh my, Mr. Grey.
Red is the most potent of all of the warm colors. The body actually has physiological responses to the color red. It causes an increase in blood pressure; it makes the heart rate rise faster and releases adrenaline into the blood stream. The taste buds become sensitive and the sense if smell improves. Red is a great color for a dining room.
In some cultures red is associated with purity, joy, and celebration. It’s also the color of happiness and prosperity in China.
Reds like candy apple and cherry are used to create a sense of adolescence, liveliness and cheerfulness. Jeweled tones are considered more elegant while rose and cabernet tones are more dignified.No mater what shade, red is definitely an authoritative color.
In truth most people are a little nervous to paint an entire room red. It isn’t a color for the faint hearted. If painting red walls are a little too aggressive for your taste, try using red as an accents color. Wherever you use it in your home, it will add warmth and energy.
Check out some beautiful rooms that use red to varying degrees, and see how different each of the rooms feels based on the volume, shade, and amount of red used.
Storage Idea
February 4th, 2013
I’m so sick of throwing the kids unfinished juice down the drain. Fresh O.J. is pricey. Solution: I have saved all my Bonnie Maman jam jars and use them as glasses and cap them when they want a drink later. Saving money on glass ware and O.J.,so thrifty.
Hot Ass Daniellita
February 3rd, 2013In the spirit of the previous post about how beneficial spicy foods are, I want to share this special cocktail. This was my favorite summer cocktail and now it’s just my favorite for any season. It’s basically a spicy grapefruit margarita. My Friend Sarah, from the Alice radio show 97.3, coined it the “Hot Ass Daniellita” and it stuck.
Ingredients
2 habanero chiles, halved
Thin string like fishing line or dental floss (no flavor)
Fresh Pink grapefruit juice
Tommy’s Margarita Mix or Fresh lime and blue agave nectar
Himalayan Pink Salt or Kosher salt (optional)
Fresh lime
Preparation
Tie chili halves with string. Lower them into the bottle with the string hanging over the top. Let steep 3 hours, or longer if you like it spicy. Pull out the stringed chillies and discard.
If you want salt, pour enough onto a small plate to cover about 1/4″ of the glass rim. Spin a wedge of lime around the rim and dip into the salt to lightly coat.
Fill with ice and top with 1/3 tequila, 1/3 grapefruit juice and 1/3 Tommy’s.
Bring on the Heat
February 2nd, 2013
*Adding spices to meals can hike up your metabolism and improve your heart and health. Penn State University researchers prepared identical fat meals for two groups of volunteers, then added a mix of spices-including rosemary, oregano, and cinnamon-to the meal of one group. Eating rich foods typically increases blood levels of insulin and triglyceride fats, which heightens the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Volunteers eating the spicy meal saw increases in triglycerides and insulin that were 31 percent and 21 percent lower, respectively, than those of the group who ate the blander offering. Study author Sheila West suspects the antioxidants in spices are responsible.
*The Week: Dec. 28 2012-Jan 4 2013
Mels’ Za
January 30th, 2013MY VERSION OF PIZZA
I don’t eat wheat but still crave pizza. Here is my whole food version. I have been inspired by many books I have read and gathered ideas. This concept came from Diana Stobo. Some recipes, like this one, I like to provide the foundation and give you the license to get creative. This pizza is fast and easy to make; I guarantee your kids will love it too.
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees
CRUST: Sprouted or gluten free wrap; I prefer Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortilla
SAUCE: Tomato sauce: Home made, Muir Glen or Fresh Market. Spread a thin layer of sauce onto the wrap. Add some of your favorite spices: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Italian spices.
TOPPINGS: Cheese: Dyia, Almond, raw or what ever you prefer. Add you favorite veggie or fruit toppings; figs, olives, onions, jalepenos etc.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheeses is melted and bubbling
Feel free to add a handful of fresh greens on top. Enjoy!
MY FAVORITE COMBINATION:
Ezekiel 4:9-sprouted grain tortilla
1/3 Cup of Muir Glen pizza sauce
Garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
Chili flakes to taste
Organic valley raw mozzarella grated
1/3-cup artichokes hearts chopped
1 Roma tomato sliced
Couple of fresh basil leaves
Produce most & least contaminated by pesticides
January 28th, 2013Buying organic produce means, as most of you know, that there are no pesticides and chemical fertilizers used to grow the produce. This means that there is no pesticide residue found on the produce that we consume into our bodies. I know that buying organic can be expensive. Trust me! I’m a single girl on a budget. So, when you need to prioritize your organic produce, here’s a list of the most contaminated and least contaminated produce.
DIRTY DOZEN
▪ Apples
▪ Celery
▪ Sweet bell peppers
▪ Peaches
▪ Strawberries
▪ Nectarines-imported
▪ Grapes (Imported)
▪ Spinach
▪ Lettuce
▪ Cucumbers
▪ Blueberries-domestic
▪ Potato
CLEAN FIFTEEN
▪ Onions
▪ Sweet Corn (Frozen)
▪ Pineapples
▪ Avocado
▪ Cabbage
▪ Sweet Peas (Frozen)
▪ Asparagus
▪ Mango
▪ Eggplant
▪ Kiwi Fruit
▪ Cantaloupe
▪ Sweet potato
▪ Grapefruit
▪ Watermelon
▪ Papaya
My Morning Smoothie
January 24th, 2013
This smoothie is inspired by one I had at Whole Foods called “the kalelious”. It was so good and refreshing but to make it is time consuming. The Whole foods version juices the apples, lemon and ginger, and then mixes it with the rest of the ingredients. I do love to juice but I am a busy girl who work 9 to 5 and do not have time to juice and blend every morning. So in my version you just throw everything in the blender and you’re out the door.
½ cup water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of pineapple fresh or frozen
½ banana (I use a frozen banana)
1 granny smith apple
Ginger- (I use a about ¼ inch)
2 cups of spinach
Couple leaves of kale
Blend all the ingredients together.
To chill, add as many ice cubes desired after it’s blended. Enjoy!
Melissa, My Partner Sublime
January 23rd, 2013
I’m super excited that my sister Melissa has agreed to come on board DanielleHirsch.com and blog with me. What can I say about my lil‘ sis? She is the most dedicated, beautiful woman I know. Melissa’s beauty truly shines from within and touches everyone she comes into contact with. She is kind, giving and smart; freaking smart. She has more degrees then anyone I know; RN, masters in business, and probably a few I don’t know about. We have always been partners in crime as kids. Basically, I would do something unruly and she would cover it up so my parents wouldn’t find out. What are little sisters for, right? She has always had my back and I have always had hers. I consider this a great gift and a sense of completion that she is my partner on this journey of well-being. I am so excited to share her with you. Please welcome my sister, Melissa, to DanielleHirsch.com
ABOUT MELISSA
I have been an ER nurse for 14 years. As a nurse my main goal was to heal, promote health and well-being. I did an excellent job when it came to my patients but, when it came to me I was a big disaster. I blamed my poor eating habits on my job, I worked long, busy and stressful 12-hour shifts. I never had breaks and there was never anyone to cover you for lunch. I basically ate on the run and ate anything I could get my hands on. I wasn’t a large girl; after all I was on the run and on my feet for 12 hours 3 times a week. However, I wasn’t a healthy girl. I never really realized what eating all this unhealthy, processed food did to my body, energy and overall well being, until my sister introduced me to a whole new way of eating.
Danielle has always been the healthy one in the family. She loved to work out and I hated it. She loved to try different interesting foods and I liked my comfort carbs. The one thing we always had in common is our love to cook, experiment, and create in the kitchen. One day my sister decided to go on a raw journey, eating all raw foods. I was interested in what she was eating and loved the way she described how she felt and I especially loved how she looked. I told her I did not think I could commit to a lifestyle of eating all raw, I am going to be honest was not a huge vegetable fan. Danielle suggested I take it slowly and to check out a book, Get Naked, written by Diana Stobo. The day I read that book was the day my life changed forever.
After a week I felt amazing, I was so excited about the changes I saw in my body and the energy I had. I actually started to work out and loved it. I was sleeping 6 hours a night and waking up feeling refreshed and energized. Work became less stressful and I realized with a little preparation, I could eat healthy at work. I started researching other raw books and alternative ways of eating. I completely changed my eating habits and my way of living. My sister was there for me every step of the way coaching and guiding me through this journey. I started experimenting with recipes in the kitchen and quickly became passionate about making foods that are good for you and don’t make you feel deprived. A year later, I am still excited to try and create new recipes and share them with my sister. We discuss recipes that don’t taste quite right and she suggests substitutions or ideas. We make a great team. Danielle and I have a goal of making eating healthy and living healthy an easy journey. We want to heal mind, body and soul.
I am so looking forward to taking on this journey with my sister, blogging recipes and information we learn along the way. Weather you are an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan or gluten free you will find great recipes and information that will be beneficial to your health and well-being.
OMV (Oh My Vitamix)
January 21st, 2013
Well, it’s like my god. I cant believe I have waited this long to warship it. I was at the Yoga Journal conference yesterday and next to taking Kathryn Budig’s class (she is such a rock star), the Vitamix demonstration was my next favorite workshop. I was holding off on buying one because I have a perfectly fine working blender at home. I mentioned this to the Vitamix guy, as he was preparing a green smoothie for me, and he replied, “It could be 10 years before your blender dies and then you have missed out on 10 years of preparing amazing foods”. OK, I know it’s his job to sell me a blender but he was so right. I blend green drinks nearly every day and this machine was like the tesla of blenders. So quick, light and easy to maneuver . While I was finishing my amazing green drink he blended me up some me hot raw soup, wow! So delicious! From hot soups to frozen deserts, I was convinced this machine could blend just about anything. So I slapped my 450 beans on the counter and walked out with a miracle.
My first concoction. Almond milk for my Quinoa Hot cereal
Almond Milk Read the rest of this entry »