HERE'S TO NEW BEGINNINGS AND A GREAT BREAKFAST!

So, this is it! I'm the new kid on the blog... ;-)
I'll try to be good and post as often as I have time! I'll tell you all about my raw food (and other food) adventures, with recipes, nutrition info and pictures. I'll be taking the pictures on my phone, so apologies in advance if they are not as great as some of the stunning, state of the art mouth watering, professional images out there on the net. But I hope you'll get something out of it.

I will also talk about exercise, relaxation and meditation in the hope that you might get inspired to start on your own journey. ;-)

Now a little bit about myself:

I am a 42 year old mom, stepmom and fostermom. My oldest daughter is 23, my youngest (foster)daughter is 10 month old. I teach Zumba Gold (more about this later) twice a week and am a little bit of a "course junky" - I always like to have some course subject I am studying, often online with a variety of colleges or universities - Nutrition, Health Sciences, Aromatherapy, Anatomy & Physiology, Fitness etc. Right now it is creative writing, hence my interest in writing a blog that I can share with my students and others who are interested in a healthy lifestyle.

My husband and I have a big garden with fruit trees, a big hen run and two polytunnels, where we try to grow as much of our own food as possible, although we never seem to have enough time to do it all.
I am also an interested follower of buddhist philosophies including mindfulness and meditation, which I try to practice on a daily basis, on my own and with likeminded friends.

Ok my friends, enough for now, let's get to the good stuff:

BREAKFAST!

During the week, I love a good smoothie for breakfast. Smoothies are quick, easy to make, light enough for me to have early in the morning and satisfying enough to keep me going until lunchtime.
They are full of nutrition, taste delicious and are a great way to pack in extra goodies like spinach or kale (yes, they really do taste great in a smoothie, depending on what you mix them with!) or superfoods like chia seeds or maca powder. Here is my latest favourite:

Fill your blender with

2 - 3 handfuls of Spinach
2 - 3 dates
1 banana (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons of cocoa powder (get raw cocoa if you can or at least good quality organic)
1 cup water
some ice

and blend until smooth.
The cocoa powder and sweetness of dates and banana are dominating this one and you will be surprised at the chocolaty taste and the light, creamy consistency and I promise it doesn't taste like mushy spinach!! If you are doubtful, start with just one small handful of spinach and increase the amount over time.

I found this recipe on my favorite raw website of all times, www.rawmazing.com - check it out!!

It's also quite filling, and will give you lots of energy throughout the morning, but if you are used to big breakfasts and feel like a smoothie doesn't do it for you, have something small to go with it, or have as much of the smoothie as you like over the morning, until you're full! You'll be filling yourself with all sorts of goodness and over time you will very likely not need as much anymore.

So what are you getting?

COCOA:
Theobroma cocoa, meaning "food of the gods" is pure luxury for your body and mind. Organic raw cocoa is in fact so full of phytonutrients & antioxidants that it's Oxygen Radical Absorbtion Capacity (ORAC) is measured as the highest in any food! It also has very high amounts of minerals (especially magnesium and copper) as well as plenty of serotinin (and other feel good chemicals) and endorphine (the same hormone that is released when we fall in love of have an orgasm!) releasing compounds, making it an excellent anti-depressant, balancing your mood and giving you mental energy.
Cocoa is a medicinal superfood that increases immune function and can help to protect us from heart disease, cancer, diabetes dementia.

But be aware that you won't be able to achieve these effects by eating chocolates by the box or buying candy bars at the shop counter - the best and most effective is to buy organic, raw cocoa powder or cocoa nibs in your local health food store and use it daily. But if it has to be chocolate, buy organic dark chocolate. No candy bars! Remember, cocoa in it's pure and unprocessed state is food for the gods! That means goddesses too! That means YOU!!


BANANA:
Banana also contains happy-making chemicals that are converted into serotonin by your body and will make you feel good! They also contain plenty of minerals (especially magnesium and potassium), vitamins (lots of B6) and antioxidants. The contain pectin, which is great for your digestive tract, are nutrient dense to give you lots of energy and can protect your eyesight, your kidneys and your bone health. They are also said to help with morning sickness, PMS and help your cravings if you are trying to give up smoking.

DATES:
Dates are a whole fruit and are incredibly rich in vitamins A, B and C) and minerals like iron and potassium, making them a great food for those of you who are anaemic. They are great for energy, ease your digestive system, strengthen your nervous system and are said to increase sexual stamina. Give it a try! ;-) They are also said to help patients with abdominal cancer and can improve eyesight.

When you buy dates, try to get organic medjool dates, they are the best (in my opinion). But any other dates will do too!

SPINACH:
Well, of course we know spinach is good for you! Anticancer photonutrients like flavanoids are ABUNDANT in spinach. Vitamin K helps brain and nervous system and protects from calcification, which means it helps to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke. It contains plenty of other vitamins and minerals and is great for healthy bones, skin, eyes and immune system so eat lots of it! ;-)

Spinach actually has a very mild taste when it is fresh, so it is great for mixing it with fruit and other good things for a healthy morning smoothie!


There you go, that's it for now, hope you will try it out and like it! ;-)