Smoothie Recipes for Digestive Problems

Over the last few years, I have developed many digestive problems, especially when it comes to digesting greens like spinach and kale. This has created many problems getting adequate vitamins and minerals from the foods that I can normally eat.

I have tried to eat small amounts of different foods to get proper nutrients, but nothing worked (and it was painful for me too).  My best friend was kind enough to give me a healthy smoothie book full of recipes that are easy to digest and provide a wide range of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

I tried some of the smoothies from the book and they were delicious. The only problem is that hardly any of them had kale (which I love). This book also made me want to experiment with my own smoothie creations using kale.

I’ve tried different combinations and this is the one that has been the easiest on my stomach. Try it out and see if you like it!

Ingredients

• 1 large kale leaf (you can slowly add more as you get used to it).

• Banana

• Chia

• Silken Tofu or Natural /Vanilla Yogurt ( I use lactose free vanilla yogurt)

• Almond Milk

• Optional: honey, stevia or agave nectar

Toss everything into a blender and blend for a couple of minutes until it has a smooth, uniform look.

Be aware that silken tofu will thicken the smoothie quite a bit and fill you up pretty well. I normally drink this with a snack in place of a full meal.

Benefits of the Ingredients:

Kale –  vitamin A,  vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, manganese, copper, fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium, omega-3, and  phosphorus.

Banana – vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, fiber, copper

Chia – fibre, omega 3,  calcium, manganese, phosphorus, and protein

Silken Tofu – calcium, manganese, iron, copper, protein, selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, omega-3, magnesium, and zinc

Yogurt – iodine, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, phosphorus, calcium, protein, zinc

Almond Milk – calcium, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin E, zinc, and fibre

Honey – protein, calcium, iron, natural sugars, carbohydrates, Vitamin C, folate, and potassium

Agave Nectar – fructose, glucose, carbohydrates, fibre

Stevia (natural stevia leaf) – protein, fiber, vitamins A, vitamin C, carbohydrates, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc

If you have any digestive problems, I would love to hear what you do to help get nutrients each day.

The Game is On! The Renewed Love of Sherlock Holmes

I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan, even though I have not read all of the novels and short stories yet. The renewed popularity of Sherlock Holmes was sparked by the 2009 movie Sherlock Holmes, starring the charismatic Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Since the movie came out, there has been a second movie (a third is in talks) and two TV series, Elementary (US) and Sherlock (UK). I’ve seen them all and I’m now curious to watch some of the older shows from the 80’s just to see what they were like.

I love the Guy Ritchie movies and both TV series because they each have their own take on the stories and characters from the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories. The Sherlock movies are both set in the 1880’s like the books, the British TV series Sherlock is a mix of 1800’s and 2000’s fashion styles and sets, and the US series Elementary is set in the 2000’s, though there are many character traits, fashion designs and set pieces that go back to the 1800’s.

I would love to read the whole collection to see which adaptation has elements closest to the original. Of course, I believe Elementary is the farthest from it, especially since there are some strong female characters playing male roles, I think there might be a few things placed as an homage to the original. Personally, I like this modern twist to the story, but there are many people who are appalled by the fact that Dr. Watson in the show is played by a woman.

I’d like to hear your opinions about the movies or shows!  Comment below to let me know what you think.

Do you like the modern styles or prefer to keep to the original stories?

 

Books – The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Like many people out there, I have ups and downs in emotions, and lately I’ve noticed that I tend to focus more on the negatives rather than finding something positive in every day. Unlike people who are generally bubbly and positive, I’m naturally a slightly more negative/skeptical person…. but one who would like to change for the better!

As a way to create a happier me, I created some simple New Year’s resolutions that are designed to help me become healthier both physically and mentally. I’m always on the look out for different ways to relax, feel happier and change negative attitudes -or let go of negative things.

I started reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

I thought it would be an interesting read, and possibly give me different ideas to become a happier and more positive person. So far, I find her research quite interesting and there are many simple everyday things that anyone can do to change their mindset and live a happier/more positive life. I’ve tried a few things so far and they have motivated me to continue on my own path to happiness.

How Do You Relax?

I’ve asked many people what they like to do to relax and I’ve gotten quite a number of responses. Here are a few to give you an idea of what others do to relax:

“Tea is a very good way to relax any time or place. If you feel stressed at work, or are at home with nothing to do, making a cup of tea and enjoying it (emphasis on enjoying) can really help. Tea is also good accompanied with watching TV, music, laying in bed, reading and much more!”

“Sit or walk around a place that is secluded.”

“Knitting then give it all away to a charity to help other people.”

“Take the dogs out for a long walk in a park or along the beach.”

“Take a bubble bath and read a good book.”

“Listen to music, enjoy a glass of wine and write poetry.”

“When my husband gets home, he will take over taking care of the kids. That’s when I turn on my favorite music and take a long hot shower.”

Before reading over the responses, I expected people to suggest retreats, spa visits, exotic holidays or other expensive options. I quickly realized that most people just want to enjoy simple everyday pleasures. All of these comments made me realize that I too neglect to enjoy simple little things in life. I drink lots of tea, read books, listen to music but rarely sit back to really enjoy it.  This must change.

I’ll keep tracking my progress and hope to get more tips from all of you!

What are you doing to be happier/healthier each day?

Winter in Canada 2014

This winter has been exceptionally cold and snowy…. basically as Winter in Canada should be (according to the rest of the world).

Since the season feels VERY long, I like to break it up by doing fun things in the snow. If all you ever do it commute from home to work, then it really brings you down (and can make you quite grumpy after a few months. I’ve found, if you find something fun to do, and share it with good company, the season is great!

Here are a few photos from this year (so far):

 

 

New Year Resolutions

Every year we write out a set of New Year resolutions to either lose weight, eat healthier, go to the gym, and like every year, we vow to stick to them no matter what.

The problem with New Year resolutions is that we are initially motivated with them and then life slowly goes back to the way it was, and these resolutions eventually take a backseat to everything else.

I have always had these problems and would really like to make significant changes in my life this year. I’ve created a daily checklist of things that I would like to keep track of in hopes of creating a healthy habit of more than one thing at a time. We’ll see how it goes.

If you would like to print out your own set of monthly tracking sheets, please click here.

Each page is a separate month that will help you track various things that will help promote a happier and healthier life.

You are free to use my chart as a reference for customizing your own or feel free to use them as they are. Here’s a brief explanation of each columns that I’ve listed:

Hours Slept – Every morning, you should write down how many hours you slept. This will help you see just how much sleep you are getting each night and help you get motivated to hit the sack earlier if you are not hitting your recommended average.

Here is a sleep guide from www.helpguide.org

Average Sleep Needs by Age
Newborn to 2 months old	12 – 18 hrs
3 months to 1 year old	14 – 15 hrs
1 to 3 years old	12 – 14 hrs
3 to 5 years old	11 – 13 hrs
5 to 12 years old	10 – 11 hrs
12 to 18 years old	8.5 – 10 hrs
Adults (18+)	7.5 – 9 hrs

 

 

 

 

 

Steps Taken – To track just how many steps you take in a day. Many people say the average person should take about 10,000 steps each day. Ten thousand steps is supposed to help promote a healthy body and mind, but the average office worker or overall sedentary person will only take between 1,000 and 2,500 steps each day, which is a dangerously low number. You can track your steps with a pedometer or by using an app on your smartphone. I’ve been using the Ozeri digital pedometer and so far, it’s pretty good.

Glasses – This section is to help you track just how much water you are drinking per day. I know the standard that has been thrown around is 8 glasses per day but the actual amount depends on the person, their environment and active lifestyle. To find out how much you might need per day, check out this page on About.com: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

Workout Min. – The dreaded workout routine. Even if you can take 10 minutes out of each day for a quick workout, it can have a lot of positive benefits for your overall health. Give it a try and make sure to keep track of each workout session. Looking at the numbers just might motivate you to increase your workout time each day.

Clean – One problem that everyone faces is having a busy lifestyle with little time to clean around the house. This section is to help you write down just one area around the house that was cleaned/organized. If you clean up one area each day, it will help maintain a tidier home.

$ – This section is to help you keep track of money that was made or saved during the day. If you would like to make a little extra cash on the side, this column will help you track how much you make each day. If you’re goal is to save more money throughout the year, track down how much was put away or saved from coupons, sales, deals etc..

There you have it. I hope my charts will help you reach your goals this year. Please tell me what you think I can add to improve this list. I would love to hear your thoughts!

What do you do to stay on track of your resolutions?

Enjoy Something New – Try Eating Japanese Natto

Natto is a Japanese food that will usually make people scrunch up their faces and say “eew”.  It’s fermented soy beans that have a very thick sticky consistency. It also doesn’t help that it’s also quite pungent.

I personally love natto and strongly urge anyone to try it at least once in their life. If you would like to know why, check out some of the health benefits.

In most countries, you can find natto in Japanese or Asian supermarkets. They will usually be found in the frozen food area.

When you open one up, you will find two little packets along with the natto. The small yellow pack is a type of mustard and the brown liquid is a sauce. The sauce will normally have a slightly sweet flavour…. which I personally don’t like, so I replace this sauce with standard Kikkoman soy sauce.

I also add chopped seaweed for extra health benefits, as mentioned in a previous post “How to Make Ramen Healthier“.

Throw in some chopped green onions for a bit of zing and mix furiously. This will make the natto very sticky and oh so delicious.

 

Eat it on its own or place it on top of steaming hot rice. It’s a filling dish that’s very healthy for you and olny costs a couple of dollars to make!