I drove to Los Angeles yesterday to have lunch with James. He flew in from the Bay Area for work.

We were supposed to go to a vegan restaurant but I let him off the hook and we went to an organic restaurant instead. I ordered the *Happy Vegan* salad but it looked and tasted more like birdseed with cranberries and lots of lettuce.

There was a green smoothie/juice truck that we stopped at on the way to his hotel. I got an Orange Cream...it was delicious!  Here is their link  http://opensourceorganics.com/menu-smoothies/

I plan to try some of their recipes at home....

James works for Capitol, so we got to go to the roof and take pictures.

I had a great time with my son...I always do. Spending the day in LA was like taking a mini vacation.

eat your fruits & veggies!   xo Inge

I made one of my fabulous antioxidant green smoothies today. I added juiced carrots and celery to fresh organic spinach, organic frozen blackberries & raspberries, a banana, spring water and a splash of vanilla soy milk. I bought the frozen berries at Costco. They just got them in and they were $8.50 each for a 3 lb. bag. That's an excellent price because Sprouts is selling their organic fruit for $3.99 a 12 oz. bag. Forget about Whole Foods; I was in there the other day and their prices are outrageous; they seem to cater to the very wealthy these days. I won't go back there anytime soon.

Do you know that raw carrots contain beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant that can prevent cancer?  If you can buy the carrots with the greens attached; they are rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. The raw celery juice is packed with lots of nutritious goodies as well, like vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C, potassium, iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and essential amino acids.  Don't throw away those  celery leaves they are high in vitamin A.

Add these greens to the spinach, which is high in iron and you have one delicious, super anti-oxidant drink!

Have a great day and don't forget to eat your fruits & veggies!
xo  Inge

I made a smoothie today using a juiced apple, a couple carrots, some celery that was getting rubbery and threw them in a blender with frozen mango, a splash of soy milk, some orange juice, and spring water. It was delicious and reminds me of a creamsicle.

Eat your fruits & veggies!   xo  Inge

I made myself a smoothie this morning. I juiced a peeled cucumber, organic celery, and organic carrots with the greens attached (someone told me the greens contain lots of nutrients), and threw them in a blender with frozen mixed berries, banana, kale, splash of orange juice and spring water...yes, it takes a little more time to juice the veggies and then add to blender, but I'm worth it! ...and I do this when I have extra time. When I am pressed for time I still make my smoothie though.

Vegan Food Pyramid

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/pplate/power-plate

I made a healthy green smoothie today.  I know it looks red because of the berries, but I figure adding the broccoli stems, carrots and celery make it green. Here's what I put in it... A cup of frozen mixed berries, 3 organic celery stalks, 3 organic carrots, 1/2 cup broccoli stems, 1 small banana, 1 cup orange juice.

 I cut up the carrots and celery and juiced them.

 I was able to get 5 ounces of juice from the carrots & celery

 I added the juice, berries, banana, broccoli stems and orange juice to the blender.

 All set to drink!

The total time it took to make this smoothie was about 15 minutes and that includes clean up. I like to make it after breakfast and drink it throughout the day. Just with this drink alone I got my daily requirement of veggies. I plan to eat organic chips with fresh avocado and homemade picco de gallo for lunch...raisons for a snack and ...well, I haven't decided on dinner yet!  :D

eat your fruits & veggies!    xo    Inge



I juiced some carrots, celery, cucumber and apples today, and I wondered if I can use this pulp for smoothies or something else. So I googled it and I found a website that lists all the things veggie/fruit pulp can be used in. Sweeeeet!!!

http://www.all-about-juicing.com/juicer-pulp-recipes.html

OC Family also has a recipe that i haven't tried yet, but sounds yummy... Chocolate hemp cookies:

3 cups walnuts or coconut flour
1 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup raw cacao
1/3 cup agave nectar or raw honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. greens powder

In a food processer with the s-blade attached, process all ingredients, except the sweetener, until well combined. Add the sweetener while processing until a dough ball forms. Scoop out the dough 1 tblsp. at a time, and roll into hemp seeds. Place in small paper cups. It will last a week unlees you eat them all first!

I was looking through OC Family magazine today and found an article about kids and a vegan diet. It states that a plant based diet is a nutritious/ healthy way to feed kids. Here is a copy of the quick reference guide : Vegan sources of nutrition:

Protein: Toddlers ages 2-5 need 16 grams a day; options include: quinoa (1 cup=5grams); buckwheat (1cup=5grams); hemp seeds (2tsps=14grams); walnuts... (1oz.=4grams); spinach or othere dark greens (1cup=5grams)

Iron: broccoli,brown rice, millet, figs, greens

Calcium: broccoli, brown rice, yams, beans, sesame

Essential fatty acids: flax seeds (in oil or seed form), walnuts, hemp seeds, olives, avocado, coconut

A friend sent me this article. I am not a fan of tea...love my coffee but it makes for interesting reading.
I mentioned before that I quit coffee when I was diagnosed, but I have been drinking it again since November...only a cup a day in the morning...ok, sometimes another at night when it's cold outside. There is something comforting about a cup of coffee...
http://www.health.am/cr/more/mate-tea-induce-death-in-colon-cancer-cells/

Here's a link to find out more about phytochemicals and how they support the immune system

http://www.diseaseeducation.com/wellness/Phytochemicals.php
Want to know what the absolute best foods are to stay healthy?

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-food-scoring-guide-smart-choices.html

eat your fruits & veggies!   xo  Inge