Balance! Do you have it?

Hi Folks! Lately I've been struggling with finding the right balance in every aspect of my life.  As the year winds down, I wanted to reflect on what could make 2015 a better year for me.  In the Nutrition Nook post for My Faith and Fitness I explore what balance is and ways to achieve it.

Check it out!

http://my-faith-and-fitness.com/2014/09/nutrition-nook-zahra-balance-2/


Peace, Love and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

REPOST: More Watermelon Please!

Hi Folks this is an archived article from last summer with added watermelon juice or smoothie recipes.  If you love watermelon, you'll enjoy this article!

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Summer time has hit with a vengeance and my favorite fruit to eat, and what I yearn for every summer, is WATERMELON!

I love watermelon.  It's the most refreshing, filling, enjoyable fruit that has come into my life. Nice, cold, sweet, watermelon! Does anyone else drink the leftover juice in the bowl??? That's my favorite part! Although I do not use a "method" to pick my watermelons (thumping, smelling, etc.), 90% of the time I get a pretty good one.  I love the kind that has slightly mealy pulp, sweet flavor,  good color and less than a 1/4 inch of rind.

A few years ago we tried to grow some in our garden.  Watching them grow was like going to a theme park for me! It was amazing to see the growth process (see below).

Watermelon emerging from the vine

Baby melon

Starting to take shape. mmmm good!

Melons in general have an excellent cleansing effect.  They alkalize the body and will hydrate you after a long run or day in the sun better than a sports drink.  My mother always raves about how much energy she received from eating watermelon after a long day working on their farm (in the Dirty South).

Here are some other facts about watermelon:
1.  It can remove toxins from the blood.
2.  It should be eaten between meals - not right after because the water content can affect digestion.
3.  It can be tolerated well by diabetics due to it's low sugar content (but it tastes so sweet!).
4.  It can help fight urinary conditions such as kidney stones.
5.  Eating watermelon is a good way to loose weight.  It fills you up and satisfies cravings for something sweet.

Here are some links to juices and smoothies that contain watermelon:
1. Summer Hydration juice
2. Watermelon Plum smoothie
3. Watermelon Cilantro juice

So, eat up  and drink up this summer season......I know I will!  Most melons in the US are grown in the Southern states and are a watermelon lover's DREAM! Watermelon is Caleb approved and a good way for him to hydrate, especially the days where he refuses to drink pure water.

May I have more watermelon please??

What is your favorite summer fruit?

The Juice Journey: More Mint Please!

Hey Folks!  I'm back with another juice recipe that contains mint.  I'm calling it the Cooling Nectar!  The recipe came about when the almost summer heat started pumping and Caleb broke out in a heat rash.  The ingredients are simple and it tastes oh so good! 

Ever heard of the saying: "cool as a cucumber"? I'm sure it came about because cucumbers are full of water, minerals and vitamins that can fuel your system better than an artificial sports drink.  Apples are added to give sweetness and mint has a great cooling capacity.  Lemon balm is in the mint family and is used for insomnia, headaches, nervous indigestion, and curing melancholy or depression.  In the wintertime we drank hot lemon balm tea with honey and hemp seed milk.  It was delicious and had a "sleepy time" effect on Caleb the night owl.  Lemon balm also has a wonderful aroma. Burning lemon balm essential oil can give your home a pleasant boost.  Not only will the juice cool you down it will relax your body and ease digestion...and it tastes great - did I say that already?   Here is the recipe.

Cooling Nectar:
2 large Cucumbers
4 Granny Smith apples
10 stalks of mint
4 stalks of lemon balm

Mint

Lemon balm

Granny Smith apples

Cucumbers

Fruit ready for the juicer!

Apple cucumber juice

For a bigger hit of mint, I juiced the apples and cucumbers first, then blended it with the mint and lemon balm

Add caption

Blended juice

Blended juice - look at all that chlorophyll! Yum!

Also, both the mint and lemon balm cam directly from our back yard which I LOVE!


Ready to cool down? What is your favorite juicing ingredient?

Peace and love,
Zee

Community Supported Agriculture: Summer Fruit Share

Hi Folks - The summer  season is upon us and I've signed up for the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative fruit share.  Last year I signed up for the fall vegetable share and was quite pleased.  This is the third and best week!  Up until now we were just getting two pints of strawberries a week.  Love me some berries, but I was not happy.  This week we received strawberries, blueberries and cherries! YUM YUM YUM!

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative fruit share box

The bounty from week #3 - blueberries, cherries and strawberries

Nice and juicy!

I've been putting the strawberries in water, smoothies and juice.  I consumed the cherries in record time (didn't even share with the fam!!) and still have the blueberries to eat. 

If you have the opportunity to join a community supported agriculture coop this summer please do!
As the summer progresses we are slated to get melons, peaches and of course more berries! So excited for what's to come!

What's your favorite summer fruit?

Peace and love,
Zee

The Juice Journey: Mint the Undercover Aphrodisiac

Mint is a common herb.  You find mint flavored toothpaste, candy, floss, gum, tea, and mouth wash in almost every home across the globe.  But there is more to this herb than just being a breath freshener.

 

 

I started using mint in my fresh juices because I liked the flavor it added to my nutritious nectars of love. In my quest to understand and learn more about my nectar ingredients this is what I found out about mint:

1.       There are over 50 species of mint

2.       Menthol (an alcohol) is an active component which contributes to the essence or aroma of mint

3.       In high does mint can act as an aphrodisiac (not sure how high is high...to proceed with caution)

4.       It can eliminate intestinal gas

5.       Can behave as an antiseptic

6.       Can be used in  steam treatment for unclogging nasal passageways

7.       Mint can invigorate your body

8.       Can relieve headaches, migraines and alleviate rheumatic and muscular aches.

Here is a great recipe (one of my favorites – Family approved) using this mighty herb:

Orange Mint Juice:

 8 oranges

1/3 bunch of kale

2 inches of ginger

2 cucumbers

½ cup of pineapple

10 - 12 sprigs of mint

The preparation was a bit different from other juices I’ve made.  In order to get more of a minty punch I juice all the other ingredients and blended the mint in afterwards (see below). 

Juiced ingredients: oranges, pineapple, kale, ginger, cucumbers

 

Adding mint to the blender with juice

 

Mint and juice in blender

 

Orange Mint Juice (YUM - MY!!!)

OOOO WEEE! This was some great juice! One of my favorites!  Try it and tell me what you think!

Peace and love!

The Juice Journey: Kale Pear Juice

Hi Folks! Do you like kale? What about pears?  Well if you do, this juice is right up your alley! 

 

Here’s the recipe: Lacinto Kale (1/2 bunch) Celery ribs (6) Oranges (6) Pears (3).  Simple!

kale, celery, oranges and pears

oranges and pears

kale and celery....and a pear

kale, celery pear and an orange

 

This recipe made about 4 cups of juice.

I was surprised at how much of the pears I could taste.  I honestly thought the flavors of the kale and celery would overcome the delicate pear juice…..but boy was I wrong.  This was a perfectly blended juice that stimulated my taste buds and filled me up until lunch time.

Pears are becoming my favorite fruit to juice and as I learn more about this delicate fruit, I want even more! Here are some cool facts about pears.

1.       Pears do not contain sodium but do contain substantial amount of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.

2.       Other minerals pears contain include:  magnesium, iron, copper and manganese.

3.       Good source of fiber which can behave as a laxative.

4.       Pears can alkalize the blood, which is good for those who eat a lot of meat.  Meat is acidic and your body loves to be in the neutral zone. It operates best while in “neutral” Alkalizing foods provide balance.

5.       Pears are not as acidic as apples (less organic acid), but high in tannins which provide anti-inflammatory action.  This makes pears a good alternative to apples for those who can’t handle the acidity.

Kale Pear Juice

 Are you a pear fan??

Peace and love!

The Hair Journey: Tress Update #12

Howdy Folks! I've been juicing up a storm lately and I've neglected my hair posts.  Welp, it's time for another tress update.  It's been a while so I wanted to share my growth progress!

This is the second time I've blown out my hair in an effort to have a bigger afro this year!  Here is where the Flo fro started.  It's lovingly named after Florida Evans the mom from a 1970's sitcom called Good Times.

June 2013

 

June 2013

 

September 2013

May 2013 - picked out fro - freshly washed and buttered

May 2013 - Blown out Freddie D fro.

May 2014 - Blown out Freddie D fro (side view)

May 2014 - Blown out Freddie D fro (another side view)

Freddie D blow out - after a full day...I'm looking kind of disheveled but still fabulous!

May 2014 - Side swiped fro

May 2014 - Side swiped fro (side view) with Hair Kandy.

May 2014 - Oh yeah!! I'm loving this fro!!!

 I used the hair pomade that I can't live without and shea butter.  Then I blow dried it, picked it out and shaped it up.  That night I braided it.  The next day I released the braids (which stretched it out further) , carefully picked it out  and styled it.  Note that picking out your hair while dry is not the best thing but I was as gentle as possible!  Do you see all this hair on my head?!? It was quite a task!!! :)  I AM LOVING my HAIR!  I'm so thankful that it's growing well and is so thick!!

Tell me what you think about my latest styles!

Peace and love!

 

 

 

Two Week Juice Challenge - Week 2

Hi Folks! The Two Week Juice Challenge is on it's last leg.  But there is a resounding cry to keep it going....so we will!  If you are interested in joining the group please let me know.  We are sharing recipes and encouraging each other to keep living the juicy life!

Here is a testimony from one participant: "I am having fun! I am almost replacing  dinner with a smoothie because I am just not as hungry as I was before but I feel good!! If we are alive then why don't we eat more live food? How can a living body survive on dead food? I am so encouraged to keep going and live!"

That testimony makes me so happy!  I feel the same way.  I've added in smoothies when there is no time for making juice, and for some reason I've been a hungry hungry hippo this week so I've supplemented my juice breakfast with oatmeal twice. 

Here are some of the juices/smoothies I've made this week:



Beet Juice - beets (2 large),  carrots (5), celery (12 ribs), ginger (1 inch) and lemon (1) 



Kiwi Basil smoothie - cucumber (1), banana (1), kiwi (2), orange (2), basil (1/2 bunch)

Mango Delight Juice - mango (2), pineapple (2 cups), honey dew melon (3 cups), orange (2), ginger (2 inches), cucumber (1)

Banging Broccoli Juice - broccoli (1.5 cups), pineapple (1 cup), orange (3), green apple (3), ginger (1inch), kiwi (4), basil (2 stems)

All of the juice has been packed with vitamins and minerals.  The beet juice needed 5 more carrots and the kiwi basil smoothie needed one more banana.  All others were AMAZINGLY TASTY!  I don't like torturing myself with bad tasting healthy food.  Healthy food DOES NOT have to taste bad!

I started having PMS symptoms  this week and to combat the possible hormone imbalance I tried to beef up my mineral intake by adding beets and broccoli to the party. 

What kinds of juices or smoothies have you made this week?

Peace and love!

The Juice Journey - Juicing waste!

Hi Folks!

I've been a juicing maniac these last 10 days.  The two week juice challenge is going SO well, some participants want to go beyond the two week time frame! I'm game and think it's wonderful!!! :)

A question that comes to mind, especially when you juice on a regular basis, is "what can be done with the juicing waste".   The pulp or juicing waste, is a big part of the clean up and is what makes smoothies preferred (less waste and clean up) at times.

There are two things I typically do with my waste or pulp:

1. Put it in baggies, freeze and use for smoothies or
2. Use it for compost.

By far, most of our juicing waste/pulp get's used for compost.

What else can be done with juicing waste?? What do you do with it?

Share your ideas!!

Peace and love!

An apple a day REALLY does keep the doctor away!

Hi Folks! 

Fruit is ESSENTIAL to living a healthy life.  We oftentimes over look fruit for a other sweets that will eventually cause heath problems in one way or another.  Since I've been learning about juicing and doing more of it, my world has opened up to the true benefits of fruit!

Check out the Nutrition Nook on My Faith and Fitness blog to learn more!

Know what this fruit is???

Peace and love!

Two Week Juice Challenge!

Hi Folks!! I've embarked upon yet another challenge! Juicing for two weeks straight!  This is not a juice fast. I repeat: this is not a juice fast.  I will be eating solid food.  But I'll be replacing one meal a day with juice.

I invited others to join the challenge and so far there are about 15 of us! I've realized the importance of juicing and I want to incorporate it into my life...............PERMANENTLY............! There are too many benefits that I don't want to miss out on.

I have friends and family that need some juice in their lives too...so we are juicing it up!! The participants that do not have juicers are making smoothies instead.  Remember folks juicing is a good way to get essential vitamins and minerals into your body. Juicing gives your digestive system a break and can boost your immune system!

Here is what I've been drinking this week (It's quite the rainbow!):

Cucumber Ginger - Cucumber (2), romaine lettuce (1/2 head), green grapes (1 cup), green apples (3), oranges (3), ginger (2 inches), lemon (1/2 with peel)

V7 - Celery (5 ribs), kale (1/2 bunch), carrots (5), tomatoes (4), red bell pepper (1), lemon (1 with peel), ginger (2 inches) -Next time I'll add 5 more carrots to this juice. 

Watermelon Cilantro - watermelon (3 cups), romaine lettuce (1/3 bunch), cilantro (1 bunch), red grapes (2 cups), blackberries (1/2 cup) - This juice was DIVINE!!!!!!! LOVED IT SO MUCH I DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE!

 
Try the recipes out and tell me what you think!!!

Happy juicing!

Peace and love!