When a child’s body has to work overtime to defend itself against illness and germs, while trying to digest that hamburger from lunch (digestion takes more energy than anything else from the body), chances are their immune system won’t be strong enough to fight off that cold or flu that is circulating the classroom. Probiotics is a supplement that is not only safe for adults and children, but even babies. It is one of the few supplements that I actually recommend to a baby under 6 months – generally for colic, colds, sinuses, gas, and digestion.

As parents, we normally don’t think about giving our kids any preventative supplements, rather we wait until they are already sick. A daily dosage of the acidophilus strains Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium is a great way to prevent the likelihood of your children catching colds and the flu. However, if they do come down with any “bugs”, taking probiotics before and during sickness can reduce the symptoms dramatically. It is especially important to give kids probiotics during the winter months when everyone is coming down with colds, etc. Probiotics should not just be given when they get sick but works as a great preventative!

Here are some interesting reports from health researchers, validating the importance of Probiotics for kid’s immune systems:

· Researchers at Danisco, a world leader in food ingredients and enzymes, recently reported that through their research, Probiotics, specifically Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, have proven to help reduce the incidences of cold and flu-like symptoms in children by 50%. They wrote that, “Daily probiotic dietary supplementation during the winter months was a safe effective way to reduce episodes of fever, rhinorrhea, and cough, the incidence of antibiotic prescriptions, and the number of missed school days attributable to illness”.

· According to an article published in Pediatrics, “A combination of the two strains was linked to reductions in fever incidence by 73%, a reduction in the occurrence of runny noses by 59%, and drop in the incidence of coughing by 62%.”

*My Recommendations: For preventative, daily dosage of a powdered acidophilus (tasteless and dissolves in liquids) is great. Jarrow makes a great powdered Baby Dophilus, along with Child Life, Renew Life, Garden of Life, and more. If they are sick, having digestive issues, or sinus problems, try 1-2 Tbsp of BioK (raw, high potency acidophilus) daily.

“Probiotics” has become quite the buzz word lately. Every product that contains any strain of acidophilus makes sure to call it out, such as yogurt and Kombucha Tea. What are probiotics and why are the various strains, such as Lactobacillus, so important? Basically, probiotics are the friendly flora, or good bacteria, that support the normal colon ecology for digestion, absorption, elimination, and prevention of yeasts, bad bacteria, viruses and parasites. Simply put, they are the soldiers which keep our stomach, intestines and colon clean and happy. If the entire digestive area is clean and healthy, most likely the rest of the body should be working optimally, ready to fight off any foreign invaders.

                          

Related posts:

1. Maintaining a Healthy Belly
2. The Importance of Probiotics
3. How to Treat Colds Naturally & Effectively

This is a quick and healthy dinner that everyone will love in the family – all ages! Homemade tostadas are a yummy comfort food – great for Friday nights. Sometimes you need comfort foods with a healthy twist! The sprouted tortilla shell is light enough for those watching their weight and not heavy.

The only prep work to do ahead of time is to soak the quinoa 4-6 for hours water. You know me, any raw nut or grain that I use, I always soak first. To read more on soaking and sprouting: www.justgoodenergy.com/2007/06/20/the-importance-of-soaking-sprouting/. Just remember that any nut, seed, grain, or legume that has been soaked/sprouted first is much richer in nutrients, increased protein, decreased fat and calories, less starchy for grains and overall easier to digest.

A star ingredient tonight is the cold-pressed Coconut Oil. You can totally use Olive Oil, but the richness and buttery flavor that Coconut oil adds is amazing. Coconut Oil is what gives the quinoa a flavor that makes everyone ask what I added to it and keeps them wanting more. Plus, Coconut oil is great for digestion, can be heated without changing molecularly, does not store as fat and is alkaline.

Here is what to do…

Grilled Veggies

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Chop up an assortment of fresh veggies. For this dish I love to use mushrooms (about 8oz), ½ head of cauliflower or broccoli, chopped green beans, thinly sliced brown onion, 4 cloves minced garlic and ½ of a red bell pepper.

3. Lay all of the veggies on a baking sheet and season with coconut oil, Nama Shoyu/Coconut Aminos or Tamari, Balsamic Vinegar, pepper, garlic powder and a couple squirts of raw honey or yacon syrup. Toss.

5. Place the tray in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Coconut Quinoa

1. While the veggies are baking, place about 2 cups of soaked and rinsed quinoa in a deep pot and fill with just enough water to cover the quinoa 1/2 inch above. Quinoa cooks quicker and with less water when it has been soaked first.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce to low-medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the cooked quinoa from the heat and add about 2 or more Tbsp of coconut oil which will melt quickly while stirring.

4. Stir in about 1/3 cup or more of nutritional yeast 1/2 tsp or more of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt to taste. The yeast add an amazing cheesy flavor (rich in B12, folic acid, and aminos). You can add some, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste. I love to add raw corn cut off the cob and fresh cilantro.

Tostada Shell

1. I like to use the large Ezekiel Sprouted Tortillas (use can also try large spelt or other whole grain tortillas such as the Rudi’s brand).

2. Take a bowl that is about 2-3 inches deep and ideally has a flat bottom. Lay the tortilla on the bowl and press the center down, pressing the tortilla flat to the bottom while the side of the tortilla flare up against the sides of the bowl (should look like the shape of a tostada shell).

3. Place in a toaster oven and toast for about 7 minutes – comes out crispy. If you don’t have a toaster oven you can place it in the oven, turn to broil and check the tortilla every couple of minutes.

Put it all Together…

Take the tostada shell and layer with salad, coconut quinoa, grilled veggie medley, crumbled raw tempeh or beans, shredded goat cheese, guacamole, salsa, raw corn, tomatoes and olives. Yum! We love to top it with my Thousand Island dressing

                          

Related posts:

1. Grilled Mahi Mahi Tostadas
2. Mushroom Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
3. Healthy Twist on Breakfast Foods

TANGY SUNFLOWER GREENS SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soaked/sprouted raw sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 cups Sunflower greens (you can grow these yourself or by at the health store)
• 1 cup red or green cabbage
• 1 cup chopped arugula
• corn cut off one cob, raw
• 1/4-1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 1-2 chopped organic Roma tomatoes
• 1-2 cups of either my Sunflower Dip, Tangy Cilantro Vinaigrette, Asian Dressing or Tahini Dressing

Directions:

1. Soak 2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds (you only need about 2/3 cup raw sunflower seeds to equal 1 cup soaked) for about 4-5 hours. Rinse and if you have the time you can let them slightly sprout on the counter for one hour up to a day.
2. Finely chop the cabbage and place in a mixing bowl.
3. Cut the corn off of the cob and add to the bowl.
4. Sitr in the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, arugula, sunflower greens and the soaked sunflower seeds.
5. Toss in the dressing of choice and chill for about 1/2 hour to allow the flavors to set.

APPLE WALNUT WALDORF SALAD

Salad Ingredients:

• 5 apples, chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped raw walnuts
• 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (reserve the juice for the dressing) If using frozen just defrost in the fridge the night before and save the juice.

Sauce: TANGY FRUIT DRESSING

• 12oz organic yogurt – I have used goat yogurt and Greek yogurt which are good or try coconut yogurt
• 8oz frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 cup fresh pineapple juice
• 1/8-1/4 cup fresh coconut milk or you could just use 1/4 cup extra of the coconut pudding or vegenaise listed below
• ¼ cup raw coconut pudding or if you don’t have time to make it you could use Vegenaise (grapeseed oil variety)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a serving bowl
2. Make the dressing – Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 3 cups
3. Add the “Tangy Fruit Dressing” recipe above, 1 cup at a time and toss until the fruit is well coated.

Makes 9-10 cups

Cucumber Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 small cucumbers (I used the organic Persian cucumbers that are seedless), cut in half lengthwise & then sliced into thin-medium slices
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes sliced thin into strips
• Raw Kalamata Olives if you can find them or regular Greek olives are fine
• 1/2 of a red onion finely minced
• Corn, cut from the cob (1 ear)
• 1 ripe avocado sliced and diced
• Goat feta or raw goat cheese, optional
• Few splashes of balsamic vinegar
• juice from 2 limes
• Celtic or Himalayan salt to taste
• 1 tsp Coconut Aminos or Tamari (optional)
• 1 clove minced fresh garlic
• 2-3 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
• pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Toss the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Serve over lettuce, eat by itself, use as a topping, or use as a dip for raw crackers

                          

Related posts:

1. Raw Summer Menu: Raw Corn Chowder, Creamy Coleslaw & Waldorf Salad
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Rather than use canned fish I like to buy fresh fish steaks, grill them and then crumble them up after cooling. The other option is to use wild canned fish in a BPA-free can but fresh is always better. The fish is only part of the base for this salad so which ever fish you choose, it can still be just as flavorful and a great crowd pleaser.

This salad literally takes me under 10 minutes to prepare so no excuses to not trying it out…

Ingredients:

• 12-15 ounces cooked fish. If using fresh bake in the oven at about 350 degrees for at least 5-6 minutes each side until well done.
• 1/3 cup Veganaise – grapeseed oil variety
• lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• Dashes of garlic and onion powder
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 tsp of raw honey, yacon or agave
• 1 preservative free dill pickle
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/2 red onion or 3-4 sprigs green onion
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1/4 red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh corn
• few olives, optional
• 1/2 cup of my sunflower dip or add extra veganaise/olive oil/salt/lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a bowl crumble about 12-15 ounces fish of choice.
2. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the grape seed oil variety of Veganaise to start – you can always add more later.
3. To the tuna stir in the following: lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 dash of toasted sesame oil, and sweetener.
4. In a food processor, pulse chop for about 5 seconds the following: dill pickle, onion, fresh garlic, carrots, celery, cilantro, dill, olives, red bell pepper, raw corn cut off the cob (slice it off with a knife).
5. Mix everything together and season with some Celtic Sea Salt and pepper.
6. Option is to add some nutritional yeast – my son’s favorite.
7. If the salad is to dry, you can always add more veganaise or some cold-pressed olive oil.

*Goes great on salad, in a sandwich, with crackers, sliced veggies, and even placed in the center of a large piece of lettuce like a taco.

**Keep covered – Should stay fresh for about 5 days, as long as you add the lemon juice.

                          

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1. Delicious Tempeh “Tuna” Salad
2. What’s for Dinner? Coconut Quinoa, Mahi Mahi & Arugula Salad
3. Grilled Mahi Mahi Tostadas

According to Time.com, the journal Obesity reported that “eating during the hours that the body would naturally be sleeping may lead to excess weight gain”. I have always recommended and tried to follow myself, the rule of eating most of your food before 7pm. Not only are you less active in the evening during sleep, but there are two hormones that are directly affected, and I am not talking about Cortisol…

Studies found that eating during the latter evening hours and the normal sleeping hours can disrupt the body’s “natural rhythm, setting off a string of metabolic reactions that ultimately lead to weight gain. Because our bodies are naturally cued to eat at certain times of the day, dining at the wrong time might affect the body’s ability to maintain its energy balance”, says Fred Turek.

It seems that these unusual metabolic reactions cause the body to burn energy/calories differently, causing the two important hormones that control the appetite to fluctuate. The hormones ghrelin (signals hunger to the brain) and leptin (signals satiety), are triggered to produce more ghrelin and less leptin. The brain becomes confused, being signaled to eat more while never feeling full.

So a possible outcome of eating during the normal sleeping hours could make our body feel hungrier and less satisfied – thus eating more calories than our body truly needs, especially right before bed when we will be less active! Don’t be fooled when eating late in the evening – you probably aren’t too hungry so stick to light and simple snacks such as fruit.

                          

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1. Is Ice Cream Making You Hungrier?
2. Diet & Stress Management: The Connection
3. The Connection Between Posture and Your Health

My only recommendation is to marinade the mushrooms ahead of time for 4 or more hours in a little olive oil, Nama Shoyu or low sodium Tamari sauce and vinegar. This mellows out the mushroom flavor for those who might appreciate it but also adds a great rich flavor!

Ingredients for Cauliflower loaf:

• 1 cup almonds, soaked and well drained
• ½ head raw cauliflower, chopped into pieces
• 10-12 mushrooms (1 1/3 cups), chopped (marinade ahead of time in a bowl on the counter in olive oil, Tamari or Nama Shoyu and Balsamic vinegar, optional)
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Nama Shoyu, Coconut Aminos, or low sodium Tamari to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt , or more if desired

Directions:

1. Grind the almonds in a food processor until well ground and set aside in a bowl.
2. Combine the vegetables and the dry seasonings into a separate bowl and process 1 cup of the mixture at a time.
3. Stir the cauliflower mixture, almonds, Tamari and Celtic Sea Salt together and then shape into a loaf on a serving dish and top with the raw cheesy nut sauce below…

Raw “Cheesy Nut Sauce”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews, ideally soaked for 6-8 hours in water for easier digestion, decreased fat and increased protein
• 1½ cups water
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• ¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• Nama Shoyu, coconut aminos or Tamari to taste

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend on high until creamy, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Makes about 3 cups.

Serves 4-5.

*Works as a delicious raw pate to spread on wraps or sprouted bread. You could also stir in some egg or flour and grill in a pan as a veggie burger.

*Idea: If you have any leftovers, add some of the “Cheesy Nut Sauce” to the loaf, process for a minute or so and form the mixture into patties. These are great dehydrated at 105 degrees for 24 hours or baked at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes on each side.

                          

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1. Raw Veggie Almond Pate, Sunflower Dip, Cashew Dill Pate & Almond Dip!
2. Carrot Nut Pate & Tahini Dill Pate
3. Quick & Yummy Almond Pate

First of all don’t be afraid of the sun – it is our best source of Vitamin D and is necessary for good health, immune system and bone development. Read more about Vitamin D: http://www.justgoodenergy.com/2010/04/25/more-reasons-to-enjoy-the-sun/.

You don’t need extra protection on your skin from the UVB rays in the sun (the “good” rays) which your body needs to help make vitamin D. The UVA rays are the ones to watch out for (the “bad” rays) and too much exposure can be harmful for your skin. According to Dr. Mercola, the UVA rays are strongest during the morning and late afternoon hours and especially on cloudy days. That is why you can get a harmful sunburn if you don’t wear sunscreen on a cloudy day. So I guess the goal would be to try and get sun exposure during t 11-3pm during the day for 20 minutes with no sunscreen OR spend a little longer in the sun with proper sunscreen minus the chemicals that still allows you to absorb some of the good UVB rays.

Dr. Mercola claims that, “Sunscreens reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9%. And interfering with your body’s production of vitamin D by 97.5 to 99.9% may have dire health consequences.” I am not saying to bask in the sun because skin cancer is of course a valid concern, but I think we need a better plan such as short spurts of sun exposure without sunscreen or using sunscreen that allows your body to produce vitamin D.

Here is Mercola’s list of common sunscreen ingredients to avoid, which I agree with:

• Para amino benzoic acid…
• Octyl salicyclate…
• Avobenzone…
• Oxybenzone…
• Cinoxate…
• Padimate O…
• Dioxybenzone…
• Phenylbenzimidazole…
• Homosalate…
• Sulisobenzone…
• Menthyl anthranilate…
• Trolamine salicyclate…
• Octocrylene…

Safe ingredients would include:

• Titanium Dioxide
• Zin Oxide
• Coconut oil
• Vitamin E (Tocopheryl acetate) – preservative
• Natural oils and shea butter are safe as thickeners and natural emulsifiers

Safe Sunscreens I have found, along with recommendations from “The Daily Green”, include:

• UV Naturals – $15-20 (this is safe on even newborns)
• Badger – under $10
• Tru Kid – under $9
• Purple Prarie Sun Stick – under $8
• Lavera sunscreen – German based around $20
• Soleo Organics – under $15
• MexiTan (eco-friendly) – under $20
• California Baby – under $20
• Mychelle – not as natural but does not have any of the toxic chemicals listed above – under $20
• Little Forest – under $17
• Elemental Herbs – under $9
• Solar RX – most expensive around $26

                          

Related posts:

1. Top Vitamin to Consider this Fall and Winter
2. How Much Vitamin D Do We Really Need?
3. Coconut Oil the Amazing Skin Tonic

ITALIAN RED BEAN HUMMUS

Ingredients:

• 2 cups kidney beans
• 3 green onions, chopped
• chopped 4 cloves garlic
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup filtered water
• 3 Tbsp tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 chopped tomatoes or 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped Greek/Kalamata olives
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp raw honey, agave or yacon syrup
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste

1. Process the beans, half of the olive oil and onions until smooth.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and continue to process. Refrigerate.

Makes 3 ½ – 4 cups

RAW HUMMUS

• 2 1/2 cups raw soaked garbanzo beans
• 3/4 cup raw sesame seeds or 1/2 cup raw sesame tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 – ½ cup cold-pressed olive oil
• ¼ cup Nama Shoyu
• 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (opt)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• 3 large garlic cloves
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ red bell pepper
• 4 green onion stalks
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro and parsley.

Directions:

1. Soak about 1 1/2 cups of raw dry garbanzo beans in water for 8-12 hours. Rinse well and then add to the processor with the remaining ingredients.
2. Blend on high until smooth and creamy!

*Option:

If you prefer, lightly steam the garbanzo beans for 5 minutes before processing.

FIESTA BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

Ingredients:

• 2 cups black beans
• 1/2 of a brown or red onion, chopped
• chopped 4 cloves garlic
• 1/8-1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/3 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or filtered water
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped black or green olives
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cumin
• few dashes red chili flakes
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp raw honey, agave or yacon syrup
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Process the ingredients in a process until smooth.
2. Refrigerate.

                          

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When you think about Omega 3 (including DHA and EPA) most people generally associate this healthy fat with fish. True, fish is a good source of Omega 3 but it is good to vary your foods and good quality wild and fresh fish can be expensive. Plus, most people are deficient in Omega 3 so the more foods you can incorporate into your diet that are rich in omega 3 the better.

Six unique sources of Omega 3:

1. Flax seeds
2. Hemp seeds
3. Chia seeds
4. Colorful Fruits and Dark leafy vegetables (3 cups of greens provides about 10% of daily requirements)
5. Seaweed and algae (fish dine on these foods in order to get their intake of essential fatty acids)
6. For those meat-eaters: free-range chickens, bison, pasture-fed cattle, etc. graze on grass rich in EFA’s which their body converts to omega 3

Reference: Natural Foods M: Industry Update, July 21, 2010

                          

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