Superfood truffles

Let's talk about superfoods, or foods that are packed with nutrients. I first heard about superfoods from raw food guru David Wolfe and I was blown away! David Wolfe is considered one of the world’s top authorities on natural health, beauty nutrition, herbalism, chocolate and organic superfoods. In one of his books 'Superfoods' David Wolfe explains why chocolate is an amazing superfood. Yes, that's right... chocolate! Does that mean chocolate is included in a healthy diet? Yes, but not the chocolate that you buy in your local supermarket, I'm talking 100% raw cacao. Raw cacao has a strong and bitter taste, I totally love it! Raw cacao is an amazing superfood because it's very high in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, magnesium, healthy fats etc. 

I use raw cacao powder in my treats such as brownies or in this case... superfood truffles. 

These superfood truffles are very easy energy snacks. These are the ingredients I use but you can add others or leave some out if you don't like them:

• Dates
• Raw cacao powder (I use Big Tree 100% Truly Raw Cacao)
• Walnuts
• Hemp seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Chia seeds
• shredded coconut
• coconut oil
• goji berries
• cinnamon
• vanilla extract
• Agave nectar

Blend these ingredients in your food processor and roll them into little balls.

That's it. As simple as that.

xoxo

Blend yourself to a healthier life

A blender is a must-have, especially if you're into healthy green & gluten-free cuisine :)

I drink a smoothie everyday. Smoothies are a great way to add more fruit & vegetables to your diet. Just throw in some veggies, some fruits and blend with filtered water, coconut water or even almond milk.

Green smoothies are my favourite, they provide the nutrition, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants our body needs to be healthy. Green smoothies also improve our digestion, blending fruits and vegetables together makes them easier to digest. Good to know for people who often feel bloated after a meal.  

My own experience also learned me that smoothies are great for skin & hair. My skin has never been softer and my hair is much stronger. And last but not least, smoothies are great energy boosters, so forget those processed snacks and blend away! :)

xoxo

Organic Sweet Potato & Buckwheat Noodles

For those of you who love pasta, don't forget what I'm about to say...
White pasta contains almost no nutrients, you're just eating empty calories. Refined foods such as white pasta fill you up but actually do nothing for your body or health. 

If you want pasta, switch to brown unrefined pasta. Brown pasta contains more essential nutrients and is a lot healthier. Good examples are brown rice pasta or buckwheat pasta, both are gluten-free.

For this dish I used King Soba Organic Sweet Potato & Buckwheat Noodles. I love love love King Soba noodles. They're all organic, whole grain & gluten-free. Big fan over here! :)

The sweet potato & buckwheat noodles that I used in this dish are (and I quote) "Wheat and gluten free, these unusual noodles are a delicious blend of two amazingly healthy foods, which are also on the low glycemic index. Buckwheat is high in a unique protein, which lowers cholesterol and is rich in minerals such as magnesium. Sweet potato is a rich low-fat source of vitamin A, E and C and is high in potassium. Low on the glycemic index, it also contributes to heart health and is a good source of dietary antioxidants."

I added some spinach, sun dried tomatoes, chopped walnuts, olive & walnut oil, Grana Padano cheese and some herbs. So simple, so quick and sooo delicious.

xoxo

Lime cookies with Goji berry tea

I love healthy, unprocessed whole foods but I also love treats. Lucky for me, one does not exclude the other :-) Unprocessed sugar-free treats are equally delicious and are much healthier. In my treats I only use natural low-glycemic sweeteners such as Agave nectar, Maple syrup, Stevia etc. Who needs sugar anyway?

Today I made some cashew lime cookies with my food processor. Limes are great sources of vitamin C and they have a lot of health benefits such as weight loss, skin care, good digestion, etc.
Cashews are probably my favorite type of nuts. Most of the time I just eat them raw as a snack. Good to know is that cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts.

Here's your shopping list:

• 1 cup cashews
• zest of 1 lime
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• pinch of sea salt
• shredded coconut

Have them with some Goji berry tea sweetened with Stevia and you made yourself a healthy 4 o'clock snack.

xoxo

Chai Tea Cappuccino

May I introduce to you: my Chai Tea Cappuccino. Chai is black tea with a combination of spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom & ginger) and it's diluted with (in my case) almond milk and natural sweeteners. Chai Tea is a healthy alternative to coffee.

Things you need to make a Chai Tea Cappuccino:

• Hot water
• Chai tea (I use Sweet Chai by Yogi Tea)
• Almond milk
• Agave nectar
• Vanilla extract
• Some cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Try one and you'll love it :)

xoxo

Green avocado salad

A salad can be a healthy, satisfying meal on its own or a perfect side dish. The great thing about a salad is that you can use as many ingredients as you want: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, cheese, etc. Salads are rich in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and they are easily digestible. I love them.

Today I made a green avocado salad. Avocados are packed with nutrients and healthy fatty acids.
Here's your shopping list :)

• 2 cups rucola with red beets
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup kiemagro sprouts
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cucumber 
• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp walnut oil
• Oregano herbs
• pinch of sea salt
• grated Grana Padano cheese

Who says eating healthy has to be boring?

xoxo

Spirulina & chlorella

Spirulina and Chlorella are probably the highest sources of chlorophyll in the world. Green vegetables are also sources of chlorophyll (e.g. broccoli, celery, kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, spinach etc). Chlorophyll is a powerful antioxidant and it improves the health of our blood cells. Therefore, it's a must in a healthy diet.

Spiru-what?
Spirulina and Chlorella are algaes. Spirulina is a blue-green algae and chlorella is a green algae. They are both whole natural foods, this means that the nutrients they contain are easily absorbed by our body. Spirulina and Chlorella are very high in protein, minerals, vitamins & fiber. Both algaes boost our immune system and improve our digestion.

Spiru-how?
Spirulina and Chlorella are available in tablets and powder. Just take the tablets with a glass of water in the morning. The powder can easily be added to a green smoothie.

I use Marcus Rohrer Spirulina. Just take a look in your local organic supermarket.

Spiru-licious!

xoxo

Banana berry smoothie

Smoothies are great for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. This banana berry smoothie is one of my favourite breakfast smoothies, it's sweet, simple and gluten & dairy-free.

• 1 cup sugar-free almond milk
• 1 organic banana
• 1 cup organic blueberries
• 1 cup organic raspberries
• 1 tbsp raw almond butter
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 3 ice cubes

That's all it takes to make this delicious breakfast smoothie.
Blend away!

xoxo

Gluten & dairy free pancakes

The smell of home-made pancakes on a sunday morning...
I know, so good.

The recipe I use is gluten & dairy free and I don't use any sugar. These pancakes are very easy to make and they taste as good as 'regular' pancakes (or even better, knowing that they're healthier).

The only ingredients I use are:

• 2 cups of gluten-free flour
• 2 cups of sugar-free almond milk
• 2 organic eggs
• 1 vanilla stick
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

I bake my pancakes in organic coconut oil. Coconut oil is not only the healthiest saturated fat but is also a very healthy superfood to consume on a daily basis.

Do I need to say more? :) xoxo

The importance of veggies

Let's talk about one of the key ingredients of a healthy diet: veggies. It's a cliché but it really is important to eat your daily portion of fruits & vegetables. Preferably organic (fewer pesticides).

The old saying says "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" but our body needs more than an apple. Each vegetable contains its own set of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other important nutrients.  Vegetables of similar colors often contain similar nutritional benefits. E.g. green vegetables are a great source of chlorophyll, orange vegetables are a great source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, red vegetables are a great source of lycopene etc. That's why I try to vary as much as possible.

I eat vegetables with every meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner), in a smoothie, a salad, a soup or just raw as a snack. Vegetables contain no cholesterol, have little or no fat and are low in calories. So say goodbye to sugary treats and grab some carrots instead!

xoxo

Zucchini pasta

Everyone loves pasta, and so do I. It's quick and easy to make but unfortunately it's a high-calorie dish. Especially white pasta is bad for our health. If you want to eat pasta, switch to brown unrefined pasta such as buckwheat or brown rice pasta.

Or, there is an even healthier alternative... zucchini pasta. Believe it or not, zucchini strands look and taste a lot like pasta. Not to mention they are delicious & healthy.

Today I made a raw zucchini pasta with tomato sauce. The quickest way to make zucchini pasta is with a spiral slicer, but if you like 'fettuccine looking pasta' you can also use a peeler. To add some flavour to the zucchini strands I used a tbsp of good olive oil and a pinch of salt & pepper.



For the tomato sauce I used 3 organic tomatoes, 1 organic red pepper, 1 red onion, a small cup of organic sun dried tomatoes, some walnuts and some sunflower seeds. Just put all these ingredients in your food processor and blend until it becomes a creamy sauce. Add some flaxseed oil, salt, pepper and oregano to give the sauce a bit more attitude.

I love my zucchini pasta with some grated Grana Padano cheese on top. But not too much of course :)

Bon appétit! xoxo

A raw gluten-free sunday morning breakfast

Good morning everyone!
After a crazy busy work week I really need a lazy sunday. To kick off the day I made myself a delicious raw & gluten-free breakfast that is full of vitamins, minerals, healthy fatty acids and proteins. I started with my daily smoothie. Usually I only have a smoothie for breakfast but it's sunday so a bigger breakfast is permitted :-)
My smoothie of the day contained a lot of ingredients, I love to throw in a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and see how the colour changes.

• 2 cups of baby spinach leaves 
• 1 avocado 
• 1/2 cup coconut water 
• 1 cup filtered water 
• 1 organic apple 
• 1 cup blueberries 
• 1 cup cranberries 
• 1 tsp spirulina powder 
• 1 tsp chia seeds 

I also made some raw gluten-free apple cinnamon cookies. I didn't have a recipe, so I just experimented with my food processor and lucky for me, the cookies turned out to be delicious! These cookies are really quick & easy to make and all you need is a good food processor. 

• 1 cup raw almonds 
• 1 cup raw walnuts 
• 1 tsp chia seeds 
• 1/2 cup dates 
• 1 organic apple 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 pinch of salt 

Place the walnuts and the almonds in your food processor and blend until the nuts are roughly chopped. Add the dates & the chia seeds and blend again. Add the organic apple (chopped in little pieces), the cinnamon and the pinch of salt. Blend again to create your cookie dough. Make sure your dough sticks together, if not use some more dates. Make small round cookies with your dough. You can put the cookies in a dehydrator but you can also eat them right away. I had 2 of them for breakfast but will definitely have some more later :-)

Enjoy and have a great relaxing sunday! xoxo

The world's biggest juice detox

The holidays are over. 2012 has officialy begun. I want to kick off this new year with a clean colon, that's why I'm starting a 7-day juice detox tomorrow. I'm joining the 'World's biggest juice detox' by Jason Vale. Over 10.000 people signed up from 30 different countries and I am one of them!

A 7 day juice detox is a great way to cleanse your body from all the toxins that are stored in your organs after eating a typical modern diet for years. By detoxing your body with fresh fruit and vegetable juices (that are great sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) your health balance will be restored and you will have so much renewed energy.

For more information go to http://www.juicemaster.com/

Wish me luck! xoxo

Raw chocolate brownies with berries

Eating organic, raw and gluten-free doesn't mean you can't have treats. Of course you can!! And the great thing about these unprocessed treats... they taste delicious and they're healthy! One of my favourite treats is a raw vegan brownie. This brownie doesn't contain any sugar, milk, butter, flour or eggs. Unlike the brownies you buy in a regular supermarket, these raw brownies are a great source of antioxidants, proteins and essential minerals. 

Base ingredients:

1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup dates (unpitted)
1 cup 100% raw cacao powder (I use this one: Truly Raw Cacao Powder)
1 tsp of organic coconut oil
1 pinch of sea salt

How to make a delicious raw & gluten-free brownie:
Place the walnuts and the almonds in your food processor and blend until the nuts are roughly chopped. Add the dates and blend again. Add the cacao powder, the coconut oil and the salt. Blend again to create your brownie 'dough'. Make sure your 'dough' sticks together, if not use some more dates or add just a splash of filtered water (or some Agave nectar if you like your brownies a bit sweeter). For those of you who like the taste of coconut, you can also add some shredded coconut to your dough. Press your 'dough' into a cake form. I like to use a plastic foil in my cake form, this makes it easier to remove the brownie. Place this in your freezer or fridge for about 30 min. 

To finish up, decorate your brownie with some delicious fresh berries. I like to use blueberries, raspberries and goji berries but you can also use strawberries, blackberries or even incan berries. Whatever you like. 

Enjoy! It's berrylicious! xoxo

My favourite breakfast

Everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day but breakfast is also the most difficult meal when you have celiac disease... When I first started eating gluten-free I thought eggs were the only thing left... Thank God that wasn't true!

I have always loved a good muesli or granola in the morning. If you want healthy, organic food for breakfast, a good muesli is a great starting point!

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."
(Adelle Davis)

The great thing about muesli (I think)... there are no rules or recipes to follow, you can just add anything you like (love it!). Since I can't add most grains to my muesli, I like to use quinoa as my base. Quinoa is a popular gluten-free grain because of its nutritional qualities... Quinoa is higher in protein than most cereal grains, it contains all 9 essential amino acids that we need for good health. Another great thing about Quinoa is that it contains the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 and it's a great antioxidant.

Now that we have our base, let the fun begin! My favourite gluten-free muesli contains nuts, seeds, dried fruits and fresh fruits. Here's some of my favourite ingredients:

Nuts
Raw mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts) 
Seeds
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Line seeds 
Dried fruits
Dried cranberries
Dried goji berries
Dates or apricots for some sweetness 
Fresh fruits
Any kind of berry (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry)
Banana

To finish up, I like to add almond milk or soy yoghurt to my muesli. A great way to start the day!
If you like your muesli a bit sweeter you can add some Agave nectar, a low-glycemic alternative to the bad boy (also called: sugar).

Bon appétit! xoxo