Carrot Top Pesto

You know when you buy beautiful carrots from the store and you're left with their green tops? What on earth are you supposed to do with them? Well, that's what I am here to talk about today, my friends. No more tossing those babies in the compost. While you could always stick them in your freezer bag full of odds and ends for that chicken stock you'll be making soon, there are good reasons to eat them fresh. Not only do they taste like super-concentrated carrots (aka delicious), but they contain 6 times the vitamin C of the root and are a great source of potassium and calcium! They have chlorophyll (as does everything green), which is an excellent source of magnesium. They can be a tad bitter, so using them in something that has other strong flavors (like garlic) is a great idea! Which brings us to today's recipe.

This pesto is incredibly easy to make and versatile to use. It is practically impossible to mess up, because it's just a bunch of tasty things blended together. It freezes well, and can be used to dress cauliflower rice, put on your eggs in the morning, as a topping to your tacos, as a sauce for your spaghetti squash "noodles", or anything else you can think of that needs some green pizzaz.

You'll need a food processor or a blender.

Ingredients:

Greens from approximately 8 carrots, cut just so they're not whole
3 (or so) cloves garlic
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of almonds, leftover almond grounds from making almond milk, or any other kind of nut you like (pecans and hazelnuts also work well)
1 cup olive oil

1. Blend together everything except the olive oil in your food processor until it is ground up and consistent in texture.
2. Place this mixture in a bowl.
3. Whisk in olive oil by hand (this will ensure the oil doesn't get bitter, as it can when blended in a machine).
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

That's it! You have only 5 carrot tops? 1/3 cup of nuts? No big deal! Just add a little more or less olive oil. This pesto is totally customizable to what you have, and is so tasty. Give it a try!

Magnesium!

Magnesium! Making our own body butter! There is so much to talk about, I'm happy you're here.

Have you been craving chocolate? Having muscle cramps? Difficulty sleeping? Anxiety? Lapses in memory? Chances are that you (along with most of the other people in the world) have a magnesium deficiency. Today we are going to stray from the normal everyday healthy food post, and touch on something, that although edible (not tasty, but edible), will impact our health in a different yet very important way!

I adhere to the idea that we should not put anything on our skin that we can't eat. Our skin is our biggest organ and the stuff we put on it eventually makes its way into our blood! You know we absorb something like 7 pounds of chemicals through our skin every year through the use of cosmetics? Yuck! That's why making your own is so important, because just like having control over what we eat by cooking our own food, we want to have control over what is absorbed through our skin (to a degree, of course) by making the stuff that we are slathering ourselves (and our babies) with.

For example, many cosmetics are made with a chemical called DEA, which is believed to cause detrimental effects on brain development when babies are exposed to it prenatally (hi, pregnant ladies!). Glycol Ethers are chemicals found in many cosmetics that can cause infertility in men and can be dangerous to pregnant women. Formaldehyde is sometimes hiding in many things that we buy, which in large amounts can cause things like asthma and menstrual disorders in women. Wowzers! Now, I'm not a scientist, but the one thing that I can guarantee is that when making this body butter, there will be absolutely none of the things I just listed, as well as no:

- lead
- mercury
- glucocorticoids (may cause skin problems)
- parabens (many research studies have found these in breast cancer tumors)
- artificial fragrances
- synthetic colors

...Or any of the other things that are meant to make cosmetics smell/look/feel a certain way and be preserved when made in large quantities.

So we're on the same page, yes? Wonderful. Now let's talk about magnesium.

Magnesium is a mineral that is, like many other minerals, super important for many reasons. Without magnesium, we could not produce energy, our muscles would be in a permanent state of contraction, and we could not adjust the levels of cholesterol produced and released into the blood stream. Because of the farming practices widely used in our food system, the soil that our vegetables are grown in is magnesium-deficient, which means we are not getting the magnesium from vegetables that we once did. Carbonated beverages, which so many of us enjoy, contain phosphates...these substances actually bind with magnesium inside the digestive tract, rendering it unavailable to the body.

Magnesium is necessary for maintenance and regulation of enzyme activity in the body (think digestion), DNA and RNA, and energy production. Magnesium is a macro-mineral, along with calcium, sodium, and potassium and is needed by the body in large amounts. It is also an essential mineral, which means that it needs to be obtained from an outside source because our bodies do not make it. Honestly, the importance of magnesium cannot be expressed enough! you can read more here.

So in other words, here are the good things magnesium facilitates:

- Moving blood sugar into your muscles and disposing of lactic acid (which causes pain and cramping, especially during exercise)
- Lessening depression and anxiety
- Regulating blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics by supporting insulin function
- Lowering inflammation in the body
- Improving mood and reducing water retention in women with PMS
- Helping you sleep
- Lessening morning sickness in pregnant women
- Supporting strong bones

And guess what: magnesium is best absorbed through our SKIN! You can take an oral supplement, but the amount that remains is pretty minimal after being exposed to the acids and enzymes in the digestive system and being filtered through the kidneys. Still, it is always good to eat magnesium-rich food anyway, and use this body butter as a supplement. Here is a list of some good magnesium-providing foods.

This recipe is easy, fast, and flexible in that you can control what essential oils you use! I used lavender, because among over things, magnesium helps facilitate better sleep, something lavender is know to do as well. Why not let them work together to relax those muscles and get you ready for bed after a hard day?

Gather the following:
1. 1 large glass jar
2. Small saucepan or pot filled about 2 inches up with water.
3. A hand mixer or immersion blender
4. A small mixing bowl
5. Small, airtight glass jar for storage

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup magnesium oil *You can also make your own magnesium oil by dissolving 1/2 cup magnesium flakes in 1/2 cup filtered water.
2. 1/4 cup coconut oil
3. 1/8 cup shea butter
4. 1 tsp avocado oil, almond oil, or apricot seed kernel oil (or this can be omitted)
5. 2 Tbsp beeswax
6. 10 drops lavender essential oil (or you could use a different one if you prefer).

Process:
1. Combine coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, and optional oil (#4) in a glass jar.
2. Place the jar in the saucepan filled with water, and over low heat, slowly melt the ingredients, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the jar from the saucepan and allow ingredients to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Pour the mixture into a bowl and mix with a hand blender or immersion blender on medium-low speed. Slowly add the magnesium oil as you blend.

5. Once the mixture is well mixed, place the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. Add the lavender (or other) essential oil, mixing at low speed. Once it is incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and whip for 1 minute to create a body butter texture.
7. Scoop the butter into the glass jar.

8. Store next to your bed for use before going to sleep, or use as a massage oil for tired muscles. Makes about 1 cup, so you could get 2 small jars and share some with a friend!

Remember, there are no gross chemicals or alcohol in our beautiful body butter, so be prepared to allow some time for it to seep into your skin! This will keep for about 6 months, so use it up before time is up!

Questions? Suggestions? Stories? Please share! I welcome your comments, and I would also love if you came to chat with me at Glow Fitness! <3

Paleo Chia Pudding!

Ah, Monday. I realize that today being the 4th of July, it will be a little harder to stick to being "sugar free", so why not whip this up today before all the festivities and have yourself a Sugar-Free Tuesday instead? We can have a freebie today, I say. These kinds of dietary changes are gradual and we need not mix any self-judgment or guilt in with it!

This pudding is SUPER easy, super fast to make (not including the soaking time, of course), and absolutely delicious. The chia seeds give it a special texture, and the natural sweetness and creaminess from the coconut milk (along with a touch of honey or maple syrup) is enough to satisfy that sweet tooth. You could even leave out the extra sweetener to make it truly sugar free! When my brain is screaming at me "I NEED ICE CREAM NOW", and this pudding is in the fridge, I can make that healthier choice without even having to think about it!

According to Dr. Axe, Aztec warriors ate chia seeds to give them high energy and endurance. Chia means “strength” in the Mayan language, and chia seeds were known as 'runners food' since warriors would use them as fuel while running long distances during battle. These seeds are rich in omega-3 fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, and are a source of anti-oxidants (aka anti-cancer). They have also become known to help people with diabetes better control their blood sugar levels: the gel from the seeds creates a barrier between carbohydrates and digestive enzymes in the stomach, slowing down the conversion of carbs into sugar. They have a ton of fiber, so make sure you eat them in moderation accompanied by plenty of water to avoid stomach discomfort. Chia seeds do have phytic acid (which blocks the absorption of minerals), and phytoestrogens (molecules present in plants that closely resemble human estrogen), but it seems that the health advantages outweigh any negative effects.

Let's get to it! Be aware that this needs to soak for at LEAST 6 hours (better overnight) before being ready to eat. Which is why you should just make it real quick today, and it'll be ready for breakfast tomorrow to get your Tuesday started off right (and help you digest all those 4th of July hot dogs).

Coconut Milk Chia Pudding

Ingredients (I've included regular measurements as well as weighted ones):

1. 1 can unsweetened and full-fat coconut milk* (398 ml/g)
2. 1/2 cup chia seeds (80 g)
3. Scant (just under) 3/4 cup water or coconut water (160g)
4. 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp or 64 g) honey or maple syrup
5. 1/2 tsp (2 g) sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine maple syrup (or honey), salt and water over very low heat until salt is just dissolved.
2. Add can of coconut milk to warm mixture and whisk until all fat melted and mixture is homogenous. Turn off heat.
3. Add the chia seeds and whisk thoroughly to break apart.
4. Pour into a glass container, and allow to soak overnight (or at least 6 hours) in the fridge.
5. Serve with dried golden berries or fresh blueberries (or ANY fruit you like!)

*THIS coconut milk is the only one I have been able to find that is organic, unsweetened, full fat AND doesn't have any of those weird ingredients (guar gum, carageenan, calcium carbonate, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin B12, vitamin D2, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin, locust bean gum, gellan gum, etc). Why do I need all that stuff added? Synthetic vitamins? "Natural Flavors"? Noooo, thanks. Find it online or at your local Whole Foods Market.

Get all your ingredients together and measured before starting.

After 6 hours (overnight will contribute to an even thicker pudding), it will be thick and lovely and ready to enjoy!

Paleo and processed-sugar-free Walnut Date Muffins!

Dates are my new thing. They are a whole food that are rich in vitamins, potassium, calcium, manganese, copper and magnesium. Yes, they are rich in fructose as well, which as we know by now, is not good for us in large doses. So, while dates are a fantastic way to sweeten our sweet treats, we don't want to go too overboard. They are a prime example of the right way to eat sugar: when the sugar is a component of something that also has the nutritional value and fiber to balance it out in our bodies.

But come on, I mean, I'm no scientist, but I still say that eating a muffin sweetened with dates and honey is not even on the same playing field as downing a bowl of processed, disgusting sugar cereal, when gram for gram, the muffin probably has more sugar. It's plucked straight off a tree, for crying out loud, not processed in a factory!

So while I'm going for [processed] sugar-free treats, I thought I might as well go dairy-free and grain-free. Why not, especially when the end product is just as tasty as it would be if it had those things? So, let me present to you, Walnut Date Muffins! Sweetened with dates and honey, a nice crunch from walnuts, and a moist, delicate crumb from coconut flour! Honestly, it's having things like these around the house (instead of a pint of Ben and Jerry's in the freezer) that make cutting down on the sugar possible for me. When hunger strikes and its first impulse is "SUGAR" as it is for me, having a healthier alternative available is key!

You will need:
1 12-muffin pan (this recipe makes 10 muffins)
10 paper muffin liners

Ingredients:
6 pastured eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) coconut oil, room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) coconut milk, room temperature
6 tablespoons honey (I used raw buckwheat blossom honey which has a very strong grassy flavor)
1/2 cup sifted coconut flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
heaping 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup walnuts (soaked and toasted) **Set aside 10 of the prettiest walnuts to place on top of the muffins just before baking!

Note: It is important that everything be at room temperature before starting so that it blends together well.

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Get all your ingredients prepared: measure everything and chop your dates and walnuts.
3. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat together eggs, honey, coconut oil, and coconut milk.
4. In a separate bowl, combine sifted coconut flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add dry mixture to the wet and mix until combined.
6. By hand, with a rubber spatula, add dates and walnuts.
7. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill your lined muffin cups with enough batter to fill almost to the top.
8. Place a pretty walnut on top of each muffin, and sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt.
9. Bake for 20-24 minutes, until muffins are no longer gooey when pressed.
10. Remove muffins from pan and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before eating.

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature (if any make it past tonight). What a fantastic muffin to accompany your morning mug of chicken stock! And check out the inside:

It doesn't get more guilt-free than this! Give them a go and let me know how yours turn out!

Bone Stock + How to Roast a Chicken

Bone stock (or "broth") is known by many people as "Jewish penicillin". Bone stocks were a staple in peoples' diets back in the days when they raised their own animals, since they were left with so many inedible parts. Is it a coincidence that cancer was pretty much non-existent back then? This is an old-world tradition that is making a comeback because of all of the beneficial effects.

Stock is dense in nutrients, and rich in trace minerals such as magnesium and calcium as well as glycine – an amino acid that aids digestion and may help to assist in the healing of wounds and injuries. Chicken bone stock contains glucosamine and chondroiton – which are thought to help soften the pain and ease the degenerative effects of arthritis and joint pain. The minerals it contains are easily absorbed by the body. Stock is super rich in gelatin, which in the past has been used to treat intestinal disorders such as colitis and Chrohns' disease. Research has indicated that gelatin can be of use in the treatment of chronic disorders like anemia, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and even cancer! Not to mention, stock is super simple to make and cheaper (and healthier!) than the store-bought kind!

I bring my stock with me in a jar to work, instead of having coffee in the morning. With the exception of the "hm, that's weird" looks I get from my co-workers, this practice really starts my day off right. I use it instead of water to cook my vegetables and grains, and it is the richest, tastiest base to the soups that I love to make. Honestly, incorporating stock into your diet is one of the best things you can do for your overall well-being.

We will be roasting a chicken, then using the bones (or "carcass", the technical term) to make the stock.

1. First, get yourself a healthy, happy, PASTURE-RAISED chicken. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees - we will blast it to give the skin some color, and after 10 minutes turn the oven down to 300 degrees (Pastured chickens tend to be tougher since they ran around a lot, so cooking it at a lower temperature will make it more tender).
2. Stuff its "rear" end full of aromatics, like onions, garlic, herbs, carrots, lemon, and celery.
3. Use your fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat, and stuff butter, herbs, and lemon slices under the skin, as well as plenty of salt and pepper.
4. Place the chicken, breast-side up, on a bed of vegetables in a cast iron skillet, or on a rack on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper.
5. Tie the legs together using butcher's twine or unflavored dental floss.
6. Stick your probe thermometer (if you don't have one just cook it until the thigh is no longer pink when you cut into it) into the thigh, and put it in the oven. Again, we are blasting it at 400 for 10 minutes, then reducing the heat to 300 and cooking until done. It will take at least an hour, and you want it to read 160 degrees when you pull it from the oven (it will reach the proper chicken-cooking temp of 165 after you pull it out).

There you have it! What a beauty!

Cut off the legs and breasts, and use this delicious meat on its own, or shredded for soups, tacos, or any other application that calls for (perfectly seasoned, succulent) chicken. Also, find the wishbone. Making a wish on it is an old family tradition, and makes chicken-roasting extra fun!

Now you're left with the bones and we can get to our stock!

Collect aromatic vegetables, including the 3 basic vegetables for almost everything soup-related: carrots, celery, and onion (this mixture in French is called "mirepoix"). You can use garlic, herbs, old unused vegetables from the fridge, ends of onions and carrots you have saved in the freezer from previous meals. The stock is a fantastic way of cleaning out your fridge, within reason of course.

In a large pot, place the chicken bones and your vegetables and cover completely with water. Add a tablespoon or two of organic apple cider vinegar, as the acid helps to draw out minerals.

Bring to almost to a boil, skim off any "scum" that rises to the top, and turn the heat down. Here is the KEY: To make sure all of the gelatin and collagen in the bones remains in your stock, you want to simmer it on SUPER SUPER low heat, so low that a bubble only rises to the top every few seconds. I used to think that the harder my stock boiled, the more nutrients would come out of the bones. This is not the case! You want to make stock LOW and SLOW. I let mine simmer for 24-48 hours, covered, and by then, the bones are soft, and the stock, when cold, is a delightful bowl of chicken jell-o!

Using tongs, pull the bones and large vegetable chunks out of the pot and discard. Pour the remaining stock through a strainer into a large bowl, and place into the fridge to cool. My favorite part of making chicken stock is opening the fridge the next morning to see if it became gel!

Store in mason jars, and drink within 5 days. Make sure you make more before this batch runs out! If you're not in the mood for another roasted chicken, don't be shy of going to your local butcher and asking them for chicken bones. Chances are they have saved the necks, backs, and feet from chickens they have butchered and have them laying around in the freezer, so they will sell them to you super cheap! Cheers!

No-Bake Paleo and Grain-Free Orange Chocolate Tart

Sugar-Free Monday! Some of you might be wondering how it got its name. Well, once upon a time, a young blogger had a dream of starting a series called "Sugar-Free Saturday". It sounded so nice. But Saturday came, and that young blogger got too busy with life. "Well," she thought, "Sugar-Free Sunday sounds pretty good!" But alas, this was not meant to be after all, as other things came up. Thus, "Sugar-Free Monday" was born. Life is busy. Sometimes life hands you a chocolate bar on Sugar-Free Saturday and so you have Sugar-Free Monday instead.

For those of us trying to, one recipe at a time, do something sweet for ourselves that gets us one, tiny step closer to eating healthy, THIS is something I am excited to share. It uses whole foods, has so many good fats from seeds, nuts, avocado, and coconut oil, and also very little sweetener (we use whole dates for the crust and honey for the filling), and is a breeze to throw together in the food processor. There is no baking involved, really just gathering ingredients, blending them together, assembling, and freezing. This would be a great one to involve the kids in! It's fudge-y, just the right amount of sweet, and just the right amount of chocolate (a lot). You'll see.

A word on honey. Honey does have fructose, the molecule in sugar that is so difficult for our bodies to digest. However, honey is a whole food that has been available to humans through evolutionary history, and is still consumed in its natural form. Raw honey contains anti-oxidants, has been shown to reduce inflammation in some studies, and has medicinal properties when applied to the skin. It will still raise your blood sugar, but not nearly as much as processed sugar. So, while I wouldn't tell anyone to eat copious amounts of any sugar, honey is healthier alternative, especially since it hasn't been processed. Use organic honey: it means it came from bees that pollinated organic plants. There are some theories that a lot of the bees are dying off because when they pollinate pesticide-ridden flowers, they bring the pesticides back to their hive. Let's not support that practice.

Dates are also a great way to add sweetness directly from nature. Among other nutrients and benefits, dates come complete with the fiber necessary to digest the sugars they contain, much the same as eating a whole piece of fruit!

Here with go with our tart.

Gather the following ingredients:

1 8-inch fluted tart pan (any pan with a removable bottom will work)

Base:
1. 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2. 1 cup mixed seeds (I used sprouted almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds)
3. 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
4. 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) coconut oil
5. Pinch of sea salt

Filling:
1. 2 ripe avocados
2. 1/4 cup coconut oil
3. 1 tsp vanilla
4. Zest of one orange
5. 1/2 cup raw cocoa powder
6. 1/4 cup raw honey
7. Pinch of sea salt

In a food processor, grind the base ingredients until a sticky crumble forms. You want to blend long enough for the oils in the nuts and seeds to come out so the mixture will hold together when pressed. Pour this mixture into your tart/cake pan and use your fingers to press it into a tart shell. Place in freezer to set while you mix together the filling.

For the filling, in the same food processor that you just used (and rinsed out), combine all ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Spread layer over the base layer and place back into the freezer to set for one hour.

Use slices from the orange that you zested to decorate the top of the tart just before serving. If it will be in the freezer for longer than an hour, pull it out 5 to 10 minutes to warm up slightly before serving.

That's it! Once you have all of your ingredients, this can be thrown together in less than 15 minutes, and be ready in an hour. Easy and delicious, two of the things that make eating things that are good (or at least "better") for us so much more plausible!