Breafast smoothie

3 stalks swiss chard
1 small handful watercress
blueberries (frozen)
goji berries
organic strawberries (frozen)
1 TBS camu powder
1 TBS bee pollen
1/4 c hemp milk (so i can throw out the container)
2-3 c distilled water (cold)

I bought camu powder because it is in some of the recipes. Thought I'd just throw it in the blender this morning. Same thing with the goji berries and bee pollen.

Camu comes as a powder form. Stuck my finger in it and tasted it before I ruined my smoothie. Reminds me of Tang. I grew up in Florida and that was the drink the astronauts drank so we all drank it. According to the literature, camu has lots of vitamin C. Much more that oranges.

It occurred to me this morning while sippin' my smoothie that strawberries & blueberries should be enough nutrition instead of buying all this 'exotic' stuff. At the same time, it's probably a good idea while I'm detoxing and purifying to get this body back in shape.

Traditionally, native medicine practioners and herbalists have recommended camu-camu to:

Strengthen the immune system
Promotes healthy viral blood ecology
Promotes mood balance
Promotes healthy brain function
Supports healthy red and white blood cell formation
Detoxifying the body, especially the liver
Promotes health of upper respiratory organs, including lungs, sinuses, nasal passages
Promoting a healthy heart and circulatory system

Chocolate "Milkshake"

2cups distilled water (cold)
2 TBSP Organice Cocoa Powder (I use Black & Green's)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup blanched almonds
4 large pitted medjool dates
1 tsp vanilla, nonalcoholic

I grind the pumpkin seeds and almonds in a nut grinder (formerly known as my coffee grinder ☺). Throw all ingredients in the blender (mine is a Blend-Tec) and add water, ice cubes, to get the consistency I want. You could use 2 TBSP of organic cacao nibs in place of the cocoa powder.

Note: because I have a Blend-Tec, I probably don't need to grind the pumpkin seeds & almonds. This is probably an old habit. However, if you don't have a Blend-Tec, and don't want to spend $399 for one at this time, you can spend $15 on a coffee grinder and grind the nuts and seeds to a powder/butter and then throw everything into your cuisinart (or whatever) blender. ☺

For me, it's the best dessert.

Sweeteners Talk with Green Smoothie Girl

Green Smoothie Girl Videos

Robyn Openshaw, a.k.a. Green Smoothie Girl, has a series of videos where she shows you how to make green smoothies and other things. In one video, #15, she talks about sweeteners. Which ones she considers to be the worst to avoid (refined sugars), better, and then the best. I'm decreasing/avoiding sweeteners now because I've started a cleanse. Below are listed the best sweeteners that she recommends:

Best:
Whole figs
Whole dates
Currants

By the way, I made a chocolate drink using whole dates (along with almonds, cocoa powder, pumpkin seeds, vanilla, distilled water) which had consistency of a milkshake, was very chocolatey and completely satisfying as a sweet treat.

Chocolate Pudding

Whoa! I just made a chocolate pudding using the meat from a Young Thai Coconut, cashews, almonds, honey, cocoa, vanilla, a bit of salt, and some water. Whiz'd in the blender, then poured into a few glass bowls and popped into the freezer for a bit to cool down. Voila! Heaven with a spoon.

The bottom-line is that there is no reason to feel deprived on this diet and that's good thing.

Excalibur Dehydrator

Ordered a five tray Excalibur Dehydrator today.

The Blend-tec should arrive sometime this week. I had to return it because it was the wrong color. Had no idea it would take this long. Can't wait for it to get here. I want to see how much smoother my smoothies will be. Today, I tried blending the watermelon with the rind. Not the green outer rind, the white part. Had to add water and then a lot of ice to make it cold. While it was good, I thought it was much better when I juiced it in the Oster Juicer. I'm thinking about returning the Breville Juice Fountain Elite that I just bought to replace it because for $299 it isn't that much of an improvement on the cheap Oster. For one thing, in Martha Stewart's youtube clip, she went on and on about how dry the pulp was. Well, it seemed to be as wet as the pulp that came out of the Oster. Also, things go through so fast because it is so powerful that it isn't much good with leafy greens.

Besides, the item that I'm realizing that I will use primarily is the Blend-tec. In that way, I get the fiber as well as the phytochemicals that are in stems, seeds & rind of the fruits/veggies.

Well, the Blend-tec will get here soon and I'll be able to decide then.