Are you a breakfast eater or do you skip it like many of us do?  I would like to share a recipe for an easy to make cleansing breakfast that uses simple detox foods that can help you to lose weight naturally and beat your food cravings?

We all need to eat breakfast to start the day with a supply of energy and to keep our blood sugar level stable. If you don’t feel hungry in the morning, it might be because you had your last meal too late.

As we get older try to remember this famous saying:”Eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, give dinner to your worst enemy.”

The older we are, the less we should eat in the evening. It makes sense to make lunch or even breakfast the biggest meal of the day.

Try this easy detox cleansing breakfast recipe for weight loss detox and to have energy to start your morning and feel happy all day long.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp uncooked oatmeal
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp walnuts
• you can add sesame, seeds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 apple, sliced
• 3 strawberries, sliced
• 1 pear, sliced
• more fruits or berries

Oatmeal, apples, pears, strawberries (only organic) contain soluble fiber to help soak up toxins in the intestines and remove them from the body.

Raisins rich in fiber and inulin (fiber-like carbohydrate) help to have a healthy colon.

Walnuts are source of glutathione, which we need to remove fat-soluble toxins.

Sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, peanuts are rich in B complex and support proper liver function.

Directions:

Place oatmeal in the bowl, pour ¼ cup boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Add fruits, berries, nuts, flax seeds, cinnamon.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Counselor and Coach

Cleansing Breakfast with Weight Loss Detox Foods to Start Your Day with Energy

Are you a chocolate lover?  Is it because you appreciate chocolate for its health properties. If you know chocolate can be healthy, did you know that its because of the cacao (cocoa) beans its made from, and that healthy chocolate needs to contain at least 72% cacoa.  Cacao  contains flavonoids that have high levels of antioxidants, which can boost your immune system.  Chocolate can also protect you from heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving your mood.  Did I mention that chocolate can be used as a homemade beauty recipe to improve your skin?

So if you want to feel healthy and look fabulous, try these two homemade chocolate recipes.

Homemade Chocolate Facial Beauty Remedy Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp cacao
• ½ tsp honey
• 1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt / kefir or 1 tbsp avocado
• 1 tsp oatmeal powder

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Apply on the face, gently massaging it so that oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off with luke warm water.

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (about 250 grams) of good-quality semisweet chocolate (72% cocoa content)
  
• 1/4 cup all purpose cream (or whipping cream) 
• 1 teaspoon strong coffee
• Cocoa for dusting

Directions:

Melt the chocolate. Warm up whipping cream in a saucepan. Add one teaspoon coffee to cream, stir, and remove from heat. Mix all the ingredients and stir well until thicken. Put into refrigerator for at least for thirty minutes and then form into truffle-sized balls. Roll the truffles in the cocoa. Lay out on waxed paper and refrigerate again before serving, but serve at room temperature.

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Counselor and Coach

NaturalCounselorBlog.com

Chocolate Beauty Remedy Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous

Are you ready to feel and look fabulous with your partner this pre-Valentine weekend?

I would like to share 3 mind, body, spirit, beauty remedies and tips suggested by Dr. Oz.  They may help you reduce stress, improve your mood; nourish and rejuvenate your skin, and keep your heart healthy.

1. One of Dr. Oz’s tips is a relaxing beauty remedies facial mask that you can use to exfoliate, rejuvenate and nourish your winter skin.

Beauty Remedies Facial Meditation with a Hot Cocoa Face Mask

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp cocoa (contains fatty acids to keep skin nourished)
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt (locks moisture in)
• 1.5 tbsp raw honey (reduces inflammation and redness)
• 1.5 tbsp oatmeal (an exfoliant that is also good for sensitive skin)
• some water if needed

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and apply to your face and neck for 15-20 minutes. Rinse the Hot Cocoa Facial off with water.

2. Dr Oz also believes that having happy sex can help you relax and feel sexy.

Hot Valentine Love

Sex not only reduces stress, it can also help you feel and look happier and younger.

To improve your libido for your Valentine, you might want to include some nutmeg, oysters, nuts and seeds, bananas and asparagus with your Valentine meal.

3.  Finally, Dr. Oz suggests that having a glass of hot red wine may help you prevent heart attacks

Hot Red Wine for a Healthy Heart

If you enjoy some mulled wine with your Valentine– red wine heated with cinnamon, clove, brandy and lemon zest – you can help reduce your risk of a heart attack. It’s rich with antioxidants and inhibits the narrowing of arteries. Bonus: cinnamon and clove can help lower cholesterol.

P.S. Enjoy a Valentine Bonus

Listen to Julie Gabriel, Holistic Nutritionist on Holistic Beauty Remedies.

Listen to Dr. Dunas on How to Heal Your Body and Marriage Through Lovemaking.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor and Coach

Three Hot Tips for a Happy and Healthy Pre-Valentine Weekend

Did you know that a little chocolate mixed with love can help you beat the seasonal blues and help you feel fabulous. 

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” ~Charles M. Schulz

As we know, all chocolate is made from Cacao Beans (also known as Cocoa Beans). So basically, Cacao is chocolate! All the antioxidant value, mineral benefits, neurotransmitter rejuvenating properties, and overall health-giving qualities of chocolate are found in Cacao (Chocolate) Powder made from cacao beans.

Studies show that Cacao (Chocolate) may lower blood pressure, increase circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and decrease chronic inflammation in the body, heart and cardio-vascular system. Dark chocolate can also boost serotonin level to help fight moodiness.

I would like to share with you 2 tasty and healthy chocolate recipes you can make for Valentines or any other time of the year to to make you or special Valentine feel fabulous.

Tasty Instant Chocolate Pudding Recipe for your Valentine Sweetie

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup (about 12 ounces) firm silken tofu, crumbled
• ¼ to ½ cup dark brown sugar, or pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup Cacao (Chocolate) Powder or Carob Powder
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in food processor and blend several minutes until smooth and creamy. Chill I the refrigerator until serving time. Adopted from Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Bernard.

Chocolate Frosting Valentine Recipe for a Healthy Mind

Ingredients:

• 11/2 extra firm silken tofu
• 1 cup Cacao
• 1/3 cup agave nectar or  Yacon Syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Blend the tofu, Cacao , agave nectar and vanilla in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Set aside. Stir the chocolate chips in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Carefully add the melted chocolate to the food processor, then blend until thoroughly combined. Transfer the frosting to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours or until just firm enough to spread. From The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry.

Bon Appetit!

”

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health  Counselor and Coach

Tasty Chocolate Valentine Recipes for a Healthy Heart and Happy Mind

Are you trying to beat your sugar cravings?  Why not try one of these recipes; they can help you balance your hormones, boost your energy, or with weight loss and detox.

Healthy Detox Ginger Carrot Breakfast Cookies

Ginger promotes circulation, stimulates lymphatic flow, and can help detox the body.

The taste of carrots help fight your sugar cravings as well as improve your eyesight, lower cholesterol and prevent heart attack and stroke.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup oat flour
• ¼ cup brown rice or barley flour
• 2 cups cooked millet
• 1 and ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• ½ cup water

Directions:

Lightly roasted oats and flour by stirring over medium heat in skillet, until toasty smelling but not browned. Mix all ingredients and add just enough water for a moist, (not mushy). Shape into cookies on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

adopted from the Self-healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner

Tasty Fennel and Orange Detox Salad

Fennel stimulates the liver, improves fat digestion, and contains essential oils that can help get rid of excess fluid and thus weight.

Orange is rich in vitamin C and can help boost your immune system.  You can also lift your mood by using the zest of the oranges.

Onions can cleanse and detox your liver and skin; they also have antiseptic properties.

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges, sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced
• 1 red onion sliced into rings
• juice of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• zest of 1 orange
• mint or parsley to garnish

Directions:

Place a layer of oranges, then a layer of fennel and then a layer of onions. Mix orange juice with apple cider vinegar and drizzle over the salad. Add orange zest and mint or parsley to garnish.

Beet and Apple Juice Detox Recipe

Try this delicious detox juice recipe to feel and look fabulous.

Beets stimulate the liver and can help to detox and cleanse the digestive system and blood.

Apple adds sweetness and fiber which can helps to detox your body.

Spinach contains antioxidants that can fight free radicals to helps boost your immune system.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium beet
• 1 large apple
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in the juicer or blender and process. If you wish, you can dilute with filtered water to taste.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

©Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition Coach and Relationship Expert

3 Weight Loss Detox Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous

In February we celebrate National Wear Red Day to help promote prevention of heart disease in women.

Let us make healthier choices to beat heart disease. It can be prevented with the right lifestyle – the food you eat, the exercise you do, and the lifestyle you lead.

Let us celebrate Go Red for Women Day every day by adding red healthy heart-healing foods to our meals.

• Try to incorporate more beets into your diet to strengthen the heart, improve circulation, purify/detox the blood, lower blood pressure. Beet Salad Recipes
  
• Try to eat more pomegranates and water melons, and drink more tomato juice to lower your blood pressure. Watermelon and Strawberry ice Cream Recipe
  
• Try to eat half a red grapefruit before every meal, or at least in the morning, before breakfast to lower your cholesterol. Studies show that it helps to loose weight too. Grapefruit and Walnut Salad
  
• Try to add raw red onions (cook with white onions) to all your salads, spreads, side dishes, etc. to cut bad cholesterol. Roasted Vegetables Recipe
  
• Try to eat more red legumes, such as adzuki beans, red lentils and kidney beans rich in both tryptophan (to reduce stress and fight seasonal depression) and heart-healing fiber to reduce your blood pressure, detox your colon and give you more energy. Lentil Recipes
  
• Try to eat red (purple) cabbage to get rid of constipation, which ultimately canlower your blood pressure.
  
• Try to eat more red salmon and red apples (any color) -foods rich in Magnesium to reduce stress.
  

Let us be heart smart, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach and Relationship Expert

Go Red for Your Heart with Heart Healthy Foods