Morning Zing with Lemon-Cayenne H20-Nicotine in nightshades

May 20, 2013 by 4 Comments

How do you start your MORSELICIOUS Morning’s?  Coffee? Tea? Cuppa Mojo? :) I usually start mine with a hot cup of lemon, cayenne and ginger water, followed by my famous Cuppa Mojo. Click here for recipe.  Both drinks are included in my new e-cookbook, The 21 day Ultimate MORSELICIOUS Detox.  Click here to order, FREE with any purchase of $38.99 or mo’.

You all know how much I LOVE my cayenne and chipotle pepper. Well, a new study shows that the nicotine (yes, nictotine) in night shades and peppers may provide protective effect in preventing Parkinson’s disease. Click here to read study.  Fascinating! Who knew these veggies contained nicotine?

Today’s NUTSO-SWEET Monday post is brought to you by guest, Eve Pearce.

Evelyn Pearce is a freelance writer and full-time mother of two. When not writing about food and nutrition or doing Pilates, she loves to experiment with her cooking. While they may not always meet her own exacting standards, at least the dog has yet to refuse anything. Thanks a million morsels, Eve!

Start Your Morning with a Zing: Lemon & Cayenne Pepper Water

Guest post by Eve Pearc

cuppa lemon cayenne 

Most of us are familiar with that groggy morning feeling. The one usually prompted by our alarm clocks. That dreaded tone, tearing us from blissful slumber, pleasant dreams, and hurling us back into reality before we’re quite ready to face it. For those of us not blessed to live life as one of the ‘morning people’ this is often the most difficult part of the day, usually spent in a zombie like state – which for many people can only be remedied with caffeine. For the more nutrient savvy among us however, it’ll be no surprise that there are other, healthier, alternatives out there to kick start your day. Popular with celebrities looking to detox and lose weight, or your average health-conscious person in need of a cleansing feel-good boost; lemon & cayenne pepper water is the way to go!

To those not familiar with the concept, the idea of drinking water with cayenne pepper each morning might sound unappealing (and if you use too much of the hot stuff, that certainly holds true!) but it’s actually quite a pleasant concoction. More importantly, as most people on the bandwagon would agree – it makes you feel fantastic!

lemons & limes

Here’s all you’ll need:

  • Around 24 oz. of water
  • The juice of ½ lemon (organic is preferable, naturally!)
  • A pinch of powdered cayenne (it might take a couple of attempts to get the exact quantity, but what you want is enough to feel the zing, but not so much you can’t drink it)

You can use either hot or cold water, whatever works for you. If you don’t acquire a taste for the cayenne right away, you can always add a teaspoon of honey to sweeten the deal.

 

The Benefits

For a start, lemon and cayenne pepper are both fantastic for your digestion. Lemon juice especially, it destroys bacteria and as a diuretic it helps your liver and kidneys to get rid of those nasty toxins, cleansing your system. The yellow stuff is also well known for being high in anti-oxidants, as well as containing anti-cancer properties. Being rich in Vitamin C, it’s wonderful for both the immune system and healing, and assisting the body to absorb calcium more easily. When it comes to those groggy mornings, lemon juice is also brilliant for improving concentration, as well as the memory.

cayenne chili peppers

Cayenne pepper on the other hand gives your metabolism a good kick when it’s not looking, and is regarded as one of the best fat burning foods out there (a pinch will boost your metabolism by 25% for three hours after consuming it). It’s also a natural appetite suppressant. The cayenne’s source of power is a substance known as capsaicin. Capsaicin is often an ingredient found in over-the-counter arthritis medication, making the pepper particularly beneficial to those with the condition. If that wasn’t enough, it also stimulates the circulatory system and helps to regulate blood sugar. With the numerous natural benefits of lemon and cayenne pepper combined, this quick and simple concoction makes for a powerful health drink – the perfect boost to begin your day with. Surely that beats your morning espresso? Give it a try, you might just feel the benefits!

This is one of Mo’s favorite sites:click here for 10 reasons why you should drink lemon water:

http://nutrisavvysblog.wordpress.com 

Filed Under: Morselicious Recipe, NutsoSweet Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Nutso-sweet: coconut sugar & MORSELICIOUS carrot cake recipe

April 15, 2013 by 8 Comments
HAPPY MORSELICIOUS-NUTSO-SWEET Monday!
Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!
Anything exciting you’d like to share? Please post your comments and are you in for a tasty treat!  My wonderful sister was in town for a MORSELICIOUS visit and she took ALL new product shots of Mac-n-Mo’s. Please visit and check out our new prices & party packs!  http://shop.macnmos.com/main.sc
Thanks, Sis”TOR!” Photos NOW & THEN:
nerds 4-13-13
Mo & Seana with pugs
Lauren O’Connor, my partner-in-MORSELCIOUS NUTSO-SWEETness, created a carrot cake recipe using Mac-n-Mo’s MORSELICIOUS Mix and OMG! YUM!
Nutrisavvy, Lauren O'Connor with Mac-n-Mo's

Nutrisavvy, Lauren O’Connor with Mac-n-Mo’s

Today’s question is from one of my amazing MORSELITES!
Please keep your questions and suggestions coming. We LOOOVE hearing from you and finding answers to your questions.
Q: What’s all the hype about Coconut Sugar? Is it really a better alternative?

A: Coconut sugar is derived from the sap of the coconut flower buds. These buds are what provides the nutrients to the growing coconut. You may have heard all the wonderful nutritional benefits of coconut and its by-products such as coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut water.

Also known as palm sugar, this sweetener is natural, and not concocted in a lab. It is made purely from the sweet watery sap of the flower buds of fresh coconut. Because it is unrefined and minimally processed, it is a great alternative to other sugarcane based sweeteners such as refined white sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, sucanat sugar and molasses.

According to tests in Philippines, USA, Japan and Australia, coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than sugarcane-based sweeteners which means it will not trigger a dramatic spike in blood sugars. It is classified with a 34-54 GI (glycemic index) which is considered the LOW end of glycemic range.

The vitamins and minerals contained in the sugar include calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus – all important for the body’s proper functioning. Maple syrup another natural sap-based alternative, contains important nutrients such as these but may have a slightly higher GI. Note that coconut sugar is also rich in amino acids, making up proteins, the building blocks for your bodies cells, organs and structures. Thus it is not a completely empty-caloried food. But because it is not a fruit, and only the sap from the plant, it is considered an added sugar. According to the American Heart Association, women should limit added sugars to 6 tsp / day. So it is important to use in moderation.

Nutso-Sweet Tip: Cut the sugar in recipes by half and substitute refined white sugar or honey (both higher in the glycemic index than coconut sugar) with coconut sugar. I’ve already done that for this Morselicious Gluten-Free Carrot Cake recipe. Enjoy!

I enjoy Mac-n-Mo’s morsels – they are delicately sweet, but not too sweet and contain nothing but wholesome ingredients. With no added salt or sugar (or sugar alcohols), these treats definitely are a “Nutri-Savvy’s Pick“! You can buy the ready-made morsels at health food stores such as Lassens and Erewhon, or make your own using the Morselicious Mix.

Picture 30Because the mix is so versatile, I often refer to it as the “Bisquick of Good Health”. But make no mistake, there is only quality whole-food based ingredients in this mix and none of the junk. NO salt, NO added sugar, It’s Gluten-Free, GMO-certified and Kosher!

A Baking Experience with Mac-n-Mo’s 

I’ve already used the Morselicious Mix to make my own morsels. It’s easy. Just add water, applesauce or pumpkin puree, and your sweetener of choice (recipe is on the back of the package). They always come out great! Now I wanted to do a little something different. So I decided to make a Morselicious Carrot Cake – well muffins, to be exact.

Below is the yummy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake recipe inspired by glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com.  Of course I made some revisions, most notably that the “flour replacement” is Mac-n-Mo’s Morselicious mix. I also cut the sugar amount in half. And I used a “star” ingredient – my new fav spice –Star Anise.

I love Mac-n-Mo’s! I highly recommend you try the morsels and the mix. Visithttp://www.macnmos.com

image

Now onto the recipe: 

photo-373

Morselicious Carrot Cake with a Star Ingredient

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg* (NOTE from Mo:  for “FLAX” egg, use 3 Tbsp flax meal & 9 Tbsp water)
  • 2.5 Tbsp of Coconut oil
  • 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp of Coconut Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp of applesauce or pumpkin puree (or non fat Greek yogurt)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp star anise (ground)
  • 3 Tbsp Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup of Carrots
  • 3 Tbsp of Raisins
  • 3 Tbsp of Pecans
  • 1 cup of Mac-n-Mo’s Morselicious Mix
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (NOTE from Mo:  if you want to avoid the sodium, don’t add)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour coat a mini muffin tin.

Mix egg*, coconut oil and coconut sugar together until well blended. Beat in applesauce (or pumpkin puree) and spices. Add Morselicious Baking Mix, coconut flakes, carrots, raisins and pecans. Combine well.

Scoop batter into muffin tin and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Top with a sprinkling of cinnamon, anise or pistachio. Enjoy!

GF Carrot Cake w macnmos Label

 

Filed Under: Lauren O'Connor-NutriSavvy, Morselicious Recipe, NutsoSweet Tagged With: , , ,

Nutso-sweet Monday: Miracle Berry Diet?

March 18, 2013 by

Happy MORSELICIOUS Nutso-Sweet Monday and day after me favorite GREEN holiday, St. Patrick's Day! Yours truly took a glorious hike through the misty mountains reminiscent of Ireland. Absolutely magical!  Please watch my mini video greeting VLOG: Sorry there is NO thumbnail, but I have tried for hours to get a thumbnail and am only able to to get the link to YOU TUBE. If any of your MORSELICIOUS MORSELITES are willing to help me in the future with this, I'd greatly appreciate! :) Please watch the following link...my mini-video greeting:

Mo’s St. Pat’s Hike and post a comment sharing which greens you are eating today and the rest o’ the week! You know I love me greens! :)

 

St. Pat's hike

 

 

 

St. Pat's misty hike

 

Mo St. Pat's hike

Q: What do you think of the Miracle Berry diet? Sounds too good to be true.

A: What is this miracle berry‘s claim to fame? They say it literally makes lemonade out of lemons. How? The wild-berry plant contains a non-genetically modified protein called miraculin which latches onto receptors your sour taste-buds, inhibiting the sour notes in our foods and literally transforming the flavors of any bitter, sour and/or spicy foods into one’s sweetest desire.

Too  good to be true?

Anything that says “miracle” should be a clue. We are a sugar-addicted society so if we can have sweetness without the calories or consequence, that would be our desire. This is still new on the market and even if it says what it does, what about the long-term affects? What about adverse affects? Will it always continue to produce the desired affect. Can your body become immune to its miracle over time as it does to over-usage of Rx drugs and antibiotics? Do you rely want to have to rely on the availability of one magic pill?

Another clue that maybe this pill isn’t miraculous as it seems, the book includes recipes for weight loss success that don’t include the berry. That means the berry alone may not prove so effective. It suggests that these recipes complement the berry by tricking your taste-buds into thinking there is sweetness so that you don’t need to add in sugars. Sure, it may eliminate the need for excess sugar, but does it eliminate the desire to have that sweet-tooth full-filled?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be part of a science experiment. You can be in control of your eating, learn to tame your sweet-tooth and actually wean yourself from excess sugars by putting in the commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Get The Sweet & Low Down here. Sure this requires time, challenge and persistence, but isn’t that the real success? You can do it and without a miracle pill. In fact, you can lower your desire for sweets in as little as 2 – 4 weeks simply by eliminating processed foods (that includes added salts and sugars) and enjoying whole food nutrition. Your body will start to enjoy and actually crave the natural foods. And because you will be getting the nutrients you need, you won’t be eating junk to try to satisfy what you are missing.

no sugar

Check out these tips on controlling your sugar (and salt) intake and forget the pill. You can de-sugar your diet without excessive restriction. And if you need something quick to quell that sweet-tooth, consume a Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. that will surely do the trick.  That sour flavor will surely inhibit your desire to reach for a cookie or bite of chocolate cake – at least in the short-term. Better yet, clear your pantry and fridge so you have nothing to temp you but nutrient-dense foods. And be in control of your body by following a delicious lifestyle that doesn’t require the need for “sweets”.
CELEBRATEthegreen-fin
Filed Under: Healthy Living Tips, NutsoSweet Tagged With: , , , ,

Nutso-Sweet Homemade Almond Milk

February 18, 2013 by 6 Comments

Happy MORSELICIOUS NUTSO-SWEET MONDAY!
How was your weekend?
What did you do?  Please share! Thank you, Chris for today’s question.

Q. What is the nutritional info on homemade almond milk? I’d like to make my own.

A.  That is a very good question. And while we pondered on how exactly to be precise when determining the nutrition after the pulp is removed, we thought it best to share a simpler method of preparation where accounting for pulp (or lack of) is not necessary to determine a reasonably accurate nutritional tally.

There is more than one way to prepare your alternative milks (almond, coconut, cashew…) and I admit I like to keep it as simple as possible. Less time, less mess, less confusion (on the nutritional count) – no pulp to deal with. Since I’m not removing anything after the fact, I simply can tally up the ingredients I add into the mix.

Simple Almond Milk

 

When I make homemade almond milk, I use blanched almonds. That’s almonds without the skin! You can buy them that way or blanch them yourself. Here’s how I do it:

I simply soak 1/2 cup almonds in filtered water overnight in the fridge. The next day, I rinse and peel them (the skins slide right off), and they’re ready to blend. My ratio is generally 1:5, almonds to water, but you can add more or less liquid. I add in a touch of vanilla and process in my Vitamix high-speed blender. It’s delish! As for nutrition facts, you don’t have to worry about how much pulp is extracted, you simply add in the nutritional data for the amount of blanched almonds (and your flavoring if any) into the nutritional tally.

Nutrition per 8 oz serving: Cal 140, Fat 13g, Chol 0mg, Sodum 5mg, Fiber 3g, Sugar 1g, Protein 5g

Easy Coconut Milk 

As for coconut milk, and I’m sure Mo can assure you as well, coconut meat is delicious and nutritious. Simply buy a pre-cut coconut or crack it yourself, extract the yummy coconut flesh and place it into a high-speed blender. Add water, depending on how thick and creamy you prefer, and vanilla (if you like). I like a 1:3 ratio, coconut flesh to water, that means for 1/2 cup coconut flesh, I add in 1.5 cup of water (and 1/2 tsp vanilla) to make 1 cup coconut milk.

Nutrition per 8 oz serving: Cal 110, Fat 10g, Chol 0mg, Sodium 5mg, Fiber 3g, Sugar 2g, Protein 1g

http://nutrisavvysblog.wordpress.com

http://shop.macnmos.com/main.sc

Filed Under: NutsoSweet, recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Nutso-Sweet “Kick-the-cleanse”

January 21, 2013 by 2 Comments

Happy NUSTO-SWEET Monday!


Yes, we’ve changed the day from the 3rd Friday to the 3rd Monday of every month. Please keep sending us your questions. We LOVE hearing from you.

Q: What are your thoughts on starting the New Year with a Juice Fast?

In a “Nutso-Sweet” Shell, here’s the scoop from Mo and Lauren:

 Forget the “Fast”, Kick the “Cleanse”

There are so many “cleanses” and juicing programs available. Everyone is rushing for that quick fix – slimming down in 10 days. If it really were that easy… Well it may be, but the problem isn’t losing the weight, it’s maintaining the weight loss. We all have heard about or experienced the re-bound following a dietary “success”. And often times people gain back more weight than they’ve lost. When we “fast” or consume too little over a period of time – our bodies eventually adjust so we can sustain/survive. The metabolism slows and we create energy stores (our fat stores energy) so our bodies can rely on that energy when their is little or no food available. That means that once we start “eating” again, the weight comes right back on.

The thing to remember is that no matter how whole-food based/nutritionally powerful your concoction is, if it isn’t a plan you can realistically stick with for the long term – it probably isn’t a great idea. If you’d like to include a powerhouse juice (lots of green veggies, some fruit and perhaps some added wholesome sources of heart-healthy fiber) into your day, that’s great. Think of it as a power, pick-me-up or for an on-the-go meal perhaps once or twice of week.. But remember unless you can establish a realistic routine that can become a part of your lifestyle,  you may be setting yourself up for failure in the long run.

Cleansing may be necessary for specific conditions, but if you are a relatively healthy individual it should not be necessary. Instead, consider the following:

  1.   Build your lifestyle to include more plant-based foods which naturally contain the antioxidants and wholesome nutrients your body needs
  2.   Limit the highly processed items and incorporate lean proteins (plant or animal depending on your dietary preference).
  3.   Wean yourself gradually to acclimate to a realistic goal of desiring and consuming those foods your body needs (and junking the crap – you know the refined sugar-based products, starchy empty-caloried foods such as cookies, chips and snacky items (and that does include those 100 calorie snack packs and many of those energy bar treats which can contain as much sugar (and junk) as a candy bar). Just like anything, if you kick it all into high gear too quickly, you may lose interest and incentive after only a couple weeks.

You Can Still Incorporate Healthy Juice Blends into Your Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

That being said. There are a lot of great ways to juice. I’ve been using my Vitamix hi-speed blender to make delicious soups, salad dressings and yes, wholesome juices complete with lots of leafy greens, some citrus, ginger, a little bit of green apple and complete with all it’s natural fiber. That’s because it all stays in the blender (pulp and all) processed into a creamy-licious smoothie.

 

Here are some Tips from Mo:

 

I agree with Lauren on the effects of the metabolism yo-yo’s from severe juice cleansing

First of all, if you need a day to JUMP START or RE-CHARGE your habitual over-eating or bad-eating, then by all means, give it a shot for a day, but for many of us, we are better suited to a CLEAN-EATING ritual/lifestyle program.

Digestion begins in the mouth and chewing/eating a clean salad chock-full-o-nuts & veggies gives our bodies proper micro-nutrients and a more sated-fuller feeling.

I’ve created a simple-sample list of clean foods to incorporate on your clean eating/MORSELICIOUS CLEANSE if you choose to go this route:

Greens:

lettuce,

broccoli,

zucchini,

kale,

spinach

beets

carrots

celery

parsley

cilantro

radishes

cabbage

avocado

green apples

kiwi’s

blueberries

bananas

pears

juice of lemon

juice of lime

apple cider vinegar

raw-unsalted nuts

raw-unsalted seeds

The above list is a partial list of my personal favorite clean foods I incorporate in my daily diet and when I say diet, I mean lifestyle.
I am NOT a dieter NOR do I truly believe in fad or crash diets.

Lifestlye choices are lasting and we can wean our taste buds to learn to appreciate and love the taste of REAL CLEAN WHOLE FOODS.

In my MORSELICIOUSLY humble opinion, this is a mo’ lasting life change than a 5 or 10 day juice fast.

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts and suggestions for clean eating tips or a MORSELICIOUS LIFESTYLE path. :)

themorselist.com

 http://nutrisavvysblog.wordpress.com 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Call to Action, Healthy Living Tips, Lauren O'Connor-NutriSavvy, MorseLIST, NutsoSweet Tagged With: , , ,
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