The weather is incredibly balmy today here in Toronto, Canada – it feels like spring! And thank goodness because I don’t know about you but I’m starting to feel the winter heaviness set in deeper. The perfect time to replace a few usual recipes with green detox recipes.

This blended green meal is made from powerful pomegranate seeds, walnuts and kale. The pomegranates make the texture of this gazpacho-like meal very chewy; so much so that you’ll find yourself quickly satiated.

The taste is very green and earthy, and while you sit there munching, think of all it’s living, raw energy course through your blood stream! It ain’t pretty but close your eyes, sup up your body machine and savour this natural `human nitro’ mixture.

Walnagranate Kale Detox Meal

Makes: 5.5 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 apple, quartered and seeded
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 2 handfuls fresh kale
• 1 cup filtered water
• 0.5 -1 cup (to texture) pomegranate and lime Ceres juice

Preparation

1. Blend walnuts.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend until desired consistency.
4. Enjoy!

Tip for seeding pomegranates:

Roll the pomegranate on a smooth surface, a counter or cutting board will do, putting pressure on the fruit and squeezing it. You should hear or feel the seeds loosen from the rind. Cut the fruit width-wise (avoiding the top & bottom). Squeeze one of the ends over a bowl, collecting the juice and dislodged seeds. Take a spoon and scoop out the remaining seeds. Pick out the pieces of inedible yellow rind.

Although the sun is setting later these days in Canada (yay!), it’s still very chilly. Soups are a great way to warm up, get your recommended vegetable intake and fill your belly with a low-calorie, high-nutrient meal.

Thanks to the rice and variety of veggies, this soup is uber hearty. It’s also simple enough to throw together when you’re short on time; just make sure to cook your brown rice ahead of time.

And since it’s short on spice but just flavourful enough with a few herbs, it’s guaranteed to please those who have sensitive palettes!

Steph’s Tasty Garden Veggie & Rice Soup

Makes: a whole pot-full.

Get ready to freeze!

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups brown rice, cooked
• 6.5 cups broth, veggie or chicken
• 1.5 cups filtered water
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 zucchini, quartered and chopped
• 1/2 small green cabbage, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups cauliflower, chopped
• 1 tsp each dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary
• sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Preparation

1. Place broth in pot (with fitted lid) and bring to a boil.
2. Add veggies and herbs.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Add cooked brown rice.
5. Bring soup to a boil again, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.
6. Season soup with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.
7. Enjoy!

It’s a little weird, I know. You don’t normally associate carrot muffins with Valentine’s Day. BUT, there is a special ingredient in this healthy recipe that IS tied to this celebration of love.

I’ll give you one guess as to what this secret love ingredient is… It usually comes in a heart-shaped box at this time of year…

That’s right – chocolate!

Not only does dark chocolate have a whack of antioxidants and other health benefits, it also contains substances which affect our brain chemistry in a very good way:

• Releases feel-good endorphins, our natural opiates which reduce pain and decrease stress.
• Produces serotonin, neurotransmitters that act as our natural anti-depressants.
• Contains phenylethylamine which increases blood pressure and affects blood-sugar, causing excitement and alertness, similar to what we experience as love.
• Has anandamide, a chemical which works on our dopamine receptors leading to feelings of well-being. It resembles the active ingredient in marijuana (THC) and stimulates the feeling of euphoria.
• Includes theobromine, another chemical which mimics caffeine and stimulates the nervous system. It also has properties that can lead to mental and physical relaxation.

Chocolate Carrot Love Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

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Who wants to live longer? This green detox blender meal is souped-up with powerful, age-defying antioxidants and phytochemicals!

The nutrients found in green cabbage and POMx Tea pack a powerful assault to disease and age-causing free radicals. Studies have shown that both these ingredients have cancer-fighting abilities. (Click here to access POMx studies which say it has more antioxidant potency than red wine, green tea, grape and acai extracts.)

The POMx Teas come in 5 flavours, I chose the delicious pomegranate blackberry for this green detox drink and just enough of it to lend the slightest hint of blackberries to this POMWonderful health concoction!

POM-Powerful Cabbage Detox Drink

Makes: 1-2 servings (4 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 apple, quartered and cored
• 3/4 cup POMx Pomegranate Blackberry Tea
• 1 cup filtered water (or to desired consistency)
• 1 tbsp almond butter

Preparation

1. Blend ingredients.
2. Pour and enjoy!

If you’re as much of a fan of POMx Teas as I am, join them on Facebook! And stay tuned for an upcoming review on their Pomegranate Lychee Green POMx Tea.

Still feeling a little sluggish from the holidays? Want to give your immune system a jolt of vitamin C through a low-calorie meal? Then plan to blend this powerful green detox meal sometime soon!

High in vitamins C, E, A and K, as well as potassium and fiber, this blender meal is packed full of detox-enhancing phytonutrients to keep you healthy now and in the future.

The tiny kiwi seeds give it a unique crunchy texture and between the kiwi and honey, it’s more sweet than green tasting. The finisher is the subtle cashew nut flavour, tying it altogether. Yum.

Kiwi, Kale & Kashew Detox Cocktail

Makes: 2.5 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup cashews, raw
• 3 med celery stalks
• 2 handfuls of kale
• 1 ripe kiwi, peeled and destemmed
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 cup filtered water, or to desired consistency

Preparation

• Blend the cashews.
• Add rest of the ingredients to blender and blend.
• Enjoy!

Please bookmark this post and let us know what you thought of the magical health concoction!

There’s just something about the rich, delicious blend of chocolate, coffee and bananas that makes me go a little nuts! That’s why I added almonds and replaced the espresso with decaf in the Wired Mocha Monkey Smoothie for a new twist on an old goodie.

This smoothie is small yet mighty! It’s only 300 calories but it’s packed full of nutrients and flavour. Enjoying this quick liquid breakfast will start your day off with a powerful punch of potassium, vitamin E, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Add the right protein powder and you can double, triple or even quadruple it’s nutrient density!

The soy protein isolate I used added an extra 100 calories but nearly doubled the potassium, tripled the protein levels, more than doubled the vitamin B6 content and added a significant amount of vitamin B12 (important mood enhancing vitamins) – just to name a few!

Mocha Almond Monkey Madness

Makes: 1 serving (app. 18 oz)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup raw almonds, ground
• 1 small banana, frozen
• 1 cup Almond milk, plain
• 1/4 Swiss water decaffeinated brewed espresso, organic if possible
• 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 serving of your fav protein powder

Preparation

1. Grind almonds first.
2. Add remaining ingredients except for the protein powder.
3. Blend on high.
4. Add protein powder. Pulse to blend with smoothie.
5. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (protein powder is not included in the following calculations)

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Some say the ancestors of the Mayans were from Atlantis. This ancient civilization sunk into the sea almost 13,000 years ago, the last time the Earth experienced a shift like the one predicted to occur around 2012. If you’re preparing for 2012, print this recipe out and put it with your dried lentils!

The movie 2012 was incredible! This post and recipe is in honour of a being alive at this fascinating time in history and for the sensational work of Roland Emmerich. I’m excited to see what the future will bring and will be preparing in fun, little ways.

Like stocking up in dried legumes (which last forever) and experimenting with healthy recipes:

Atlantian Lentil Soup: 2012 Special

Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils, soaked overnight and rinsed
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
2  (19 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
6 cups veggie broth
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste

Preparation

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It’s All Hallow’s Eve where the veil between this reality and the spirit world becomes thin (or so Celtic legend goes). Once you carve your scary pumpkin into a jack o’ lantern to stave off the evil spirits, save the seeds for a healthy Halloween treat!

Loaded with protein, fiber and essential vitamins (such as high quantities of manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, tryptophan, iron, copper, vitamin K and zinc), pumpkin seeds are as delicious as they are nutritious. (Click here for a nutrient analysis).

Although I usually go with the Cajun spice, this year I thought we might try something a little more smokey rather than spicy! Try out this roasted pumpkin seed recipe and let us know what you think:

Smokey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

1-2 cups pumpkin seeds from a fresh Halloween pumpkin
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preparation

1. Rinse seeds and pick out any remaining pumpkin guts.
2. Soak seeds overnight. (If you have time, this makes the seeds crispier when roasted.)
3. Lay seeds out on wax paper to dry.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
5. In a bowl, combine dry seeds and remaining ingredients. Toss until coated.
6. On a baking sheet, spread seeds out in one layer.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown.
8. Enjoy!

Do you have any roasted pumpkin seed recipes to share? Leave them in the comments below. Happy Halloween!

The trees in Toronto are glowing with autumn colours and there’s a chill in the air. There’s always something to love in every season and if you’re having a hard time finding it, food is always a safe bet! Let’s embrace the fall brisk winds with some warm, seasonal soup.

Although the ingredients in this lovely fall soup require a little muscle to prepare, between the creamy texture, sweet, spicy taste and powerful health benefits, you’ll be thankful for the workout the gourd gave you!

Low in calories and high in essential vitamins A and C, this butternut squash, garlic and curry soup is your ticket to better health and youth:

Sweet & Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 small yams or sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 small onion
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
2 fresh apples, seeded and cubed
6 cups veggie or chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp curry
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Throw on some tunes and prepare the veggies.
2. In a soup pot, simmer ingredients for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
3. Let cool and puree soup in a food blender until smooth.
4. Reheat and serve. (or freeze for later!)

Nutritional Information

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It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and for all those who have extended family, you might be looking at several large meals and a bloated belly. Try replacing a meal or two with this green blended detox recipe to help ease your digestive system and clean you from the inside-out.

Completely balanced with healthy protein (Brazil nuts), fat (avocado) and carbs (greens, fruit and other veggies), this blended meal is as nutritious as it is tasty.

It ain’t much to look at but after a weekend of hard-core celebratory socializing and eating, you’ll certainly feel much lighter – I promise!

Gingerly-Cleanse-Yer-Insides Detox Meal

Ingredients

1/4 cup Brazil nuts
1/2 large Granny Smith apple
1 cup Spinach, rinsed
1 cup Swiss Chard, rinsed
2 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Avocado, fresh
1/4 cup Juice, berry or apple
1 inch Fresh Ginger, peeled
1/2 cup Filtered Water (or til desired consistency)

Directions

1. Grind nuts in blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend.
4. Enjoy!