Blend Your Way to Health!

My Article in Tonic Toronto, April 2010 Issue

Learn how to make your next Smoothie!

It’s official – making smoothies is my favourite way to start the day!

Also, with spring on the horizon, the desire to eat a heavy meal diminishes. So making a daily batch of liquid goodness seems like the perfect plan!

Not only do refreshing smoothies give you energy first thing in the morning – they are also so much fun to make. Everyday I create a new theme in my blender using different flavours and textures – but they all have one thing in common – they are packed full of raw, organic, fruits, vegetables and superfoods!

Making a smoothie is the easiest way to absorb a whole bunch of nutrients all at once. They can be full of fiber and vitamins and depending on what you put into them you can also get your daily dose of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.

Why not indulge… and drink your next meal? What could be more delicious than a creamy smoothie that fills you up and gives your body the nutrition and vitality that it requires to thrive? There really is no better answer…so let me tell you five simple reasons why you should be making smoothies and blending your way to health!

Time Saver – Smoothies take all of 5 to 10 minutes to make (depending on how prepared you are), can be taken on the go and will last all day in a stainless steel bottle.

Easy to Absorb – Liquids are easier to digest and allow nutrients to absorb into your cells for immediate uptake.

All -in -One – You can get a “whole” lot of goodness into one blender – Vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and fat!

Super Fun– Enjoy the “process” and get creative with colourful ingredients and textures (add granola and eat it with a spoon!)

Liquid Energy – Use superfoods to give you a boost (no booster juice!!!). Make your own blend and enjoy in the morning, afternoon or pre/post work out!

You are in luck because I have provided simple steps on to make the perfect smoothie every day.

How to blend your way to health:

These can be made in any blender (but a Vitamix or BlendTech are highly recommended!).

1. Start with 2 cups of liquid – rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk or coconut water
2. Choose your protein (2 tbsp. or more)– raw brown rice protein (I like Sun Warrior), hemp protein, hemp hearts or almonds
3. Choose your fruit (1/2 – 1 cup of either)– blueberries, raspberries, banana, mango, avocado or dates
4. Choose your green (one handful)– spinach, kale, chard, sprouts, cucumber or (1 tsp) greens powder, spirulina or chlorella
5. Choose your superfoods – (1 tablespoon of one or more) goji berries, cacao nibs, maca, mesquite, hemp seeds, raw honey, chia seeds or matcha green tea

Have fun and get creative!

Marni Wasserman
Is a natural personal chef and holistic nutritionist.
www.marniwasserman.com

Get Your Greens in!

My Article in Tonic Toronto, December 2009 Issue

But Greens are relevant all year round…read on!

My clients always ask me, “if there is one thing I can do to better my health or one food item I can add in that is amazing for me…what is it?” My answer is always greens! If there is any place to start – it is with greens. No matter what your diet currently consists of – whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian (little bit of this and a little bit of that), or raw foodie – it doesn’t matter. Getting your greens in is the first step to optimal and long-lasting health.

Most people do not eat enough green veggies, even though they have immense nutritional value. Recent studies have confirmed that populations with diets rich in green leafy vegetables run a far lower risk of heart disease and cancer. Not to mention that they support bone health, aid in detoxification and are an excellent source of antioxidants and fiber. Leafy green vegetables are one of nature’s richest sources of nutrients, so look beyond spinach and broccoli and get familiar with things like kale, collards, Swiss chard, arugula and bok choy.

Depending on what you like, there are so many ways to get your green veggies in. The good news is that each one offers a very different, unique taste and texture. Even if you have to sneak them into a smoothie for the fussy ones in the family, I promise you – there is always a way!

Whether you are following a vegan diet or just want to take your nutrition to the next level, greens should be an essential component to your day. Choosing a leafy green such as kale, will boost up your meal, give your body an extra dose of much needed calcium, magnesium, iron and fiber, and compliment anything and everything on your plate. Kale is fantastic when it is just lightly steamed, sautéed or chopped up and marinated raw into a salad. They even make great ‘chips’ (see recipe below). This goes for any green by the way, so the possibilities are endless and you really can’t go wrong.

It is very common to get overwhelmed when it comes to greens. My suggestion is to start basic. Pick one new green a week to ‘play’ with until you have found a way for you and your family to enjoy it. The number one complaint is that greens are too bitter. Well, yes collards and kale can be bitter, especially if they are new to your palette. Once you find a way to get them into a meal – whether they are added to a smoothie, tomato sauce, chickpea stew, chunky vegetable soup, grain dish or simply dressed with olive oil and sea salt, there is no turning back. You will be hooked because you will suddenly start to feel better, have more energy and you may even lose weight. That doesn’t sound bad does it?

Experiment with nature’s emerald gems, have fun and to make sure YOU get your greens in everyday. Just remember that a meal isn’t a meal unless there is something green on your plate!

Zesty Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 2 head Kale, washed and torn
• ¾ cup Tahini
• ¼ cup Tamari
• ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ½ cup Water
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ¼ cup of Nutritional yeast or hemp seeds

Procedure:

Place the kale in a large mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. You may have to add more water. Pour over kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want this mixture to be glued to the kale.

In Dehydrator:
Place kale onto a Teflex sheet, on top of a mesh dehydrator screen, and dehydrate for 6 hours at 115 degrees F. You’ll need to use two trays. Rotate kale occasionally to dry uniformly.

In Oven:
Place on parchment paper on a sheet tray, and bake on a low temperature for about 30 minutes (or more). Keep an eye on it and turn often to ensure even drying.

Marni Wasserman
~ is a natural personal chef and holistic nutritionist
www.marniwasserman.com/

The BEST night EVER!

These are the wise words of David Wolfe – a renown guru in the world of raw foods. I had the opportunity last night to go and see him speak in Orangeville Ontario. Even though he racaps on so much of what I know – he always has a way of taking nutrition to a whole other level beyond most people’s consciousness.
The emphasis last night was on Superfoods. This term has been coined to emphasize food from nature which has superior health benefits. The best part is that these foods are so widely available to us – literally they are all around us in nature. Unfortunately most people don’t even know what true superfoods are or better yet what they can do for our body, our mind and of course our health. Superfoods are foods that have unique properties that have the ability to nourish our body in more than one way. For instance on single food item (such as goji berries) may contain not only protein, but also immune properties, antioxidants and trace minerals. So in one single tiny berry you are getting an array of health benefits. Other superfoods – according to David Wolfe include Cacao (yes this is chocolate), maca, bee products, blue green algae, marine phytoplankton, aloe vera, hemp seed and coconuts.
So last night I went with a friend to watch and be inspired by David Wolfe’s magnetic energy about superfoods. You can’t help but feel his buzz and become pumped about all the benefits that these foods have to offer. Before I had arrived at the lecture, I was feeling a little tired from the long day I had, luckily there was a chocolate elixir available for me to drink and this perked me right up and made me feel amazing. I mean, who wouldn’t want to drink a cup full of chocolate goodness? I am talking about chocolate in it’s purest sense- no dairy and no unnatural sugars, only filled with herbal extracts and other super healthy goodies. This was followed by a slice of heavenly cheesecake made from cashews and coconut butter…I was in heaven!

David Wolfe with a Bag of Goji Berries on his head! – sorry for the poor quality pictures, I only had my phone available!

Since I already have been including superfoods in my diet for a long time – I thought I would share my favourite super smoothie recipe with you!

Chocolaty Super Food Smoothie!

1-2 cups almond milk
1-2 scoops of sunwarrior chocolate rice protein powder
2 tablespoons goji berries
1 tablespoon raw cacao or cacao nibs
1 tablespoon hempseeds
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
1 frozen banana
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in blender or vita-mix and blend until smooth and creamy!
Enjoy!!