Essential Oils To Help Improve Health

Hey Everyone, It's The Healthy Munch here and I want to share a super cool post by an fellow Institute for Integrative Nutrition® classmate Jonda Morman. Jonda is super amazing person who you can really connect with an has been using essential oils to improve hear overall health for awhile. So check out some of the cool information she is providing on how to use oils to beat the holiday stress.


It's that time of year again. The holidays! It seems the world divides into two distinct type of people this time of year. The happy holiday people and the grumpy holiday people. This year I've vowed I will be a happy holiday person!!!

I've decided that this year will be different. I've started incorporating more self care into my daily routine. Self care has become such a foreign concept to people. And really, it's so simple. A few extra minutes added to your routine and you will be on your way to being one of the happy holiday people.

I spend a few minutes every morning and a few every night applying my essential oils. The one oil I keep going back to when things get stressful is Balance grounding blend by dōTERRA. To me the smell is intoxicating. I tried to come up with my own description of the oils in this blend but found the product description given by dōTERRA to be perfect, so here it is: 'The warm, woody aroma of Balance, dōTERRA®’s grounding blend, creates a sense of calm and well- being. We perfectly blend Spruce, Ho Wood, Frankincense, Blue Tansy, and Blue Chamomile with Fractionated Coconut Oil to offer an enticing fragrance that promotes tranquility and a sense of balance. Spruce, one of the oils in Balance, was used by Native Americans for medicinal and spiritual reasons and is still used today to bring harmony to the mind and body. Ho Wood, Blue Tansy, and Blue Chamomile can soothe sore muscles and joints, promote circulation, and relax the body, while Frankincense supports cellular health and overall well-being.' Now doesn't that just sound heavenly!!! Believe me I know where to go to find my peace now. I carry some with me at all times. I diffuse it in my humidifier at night. I made a roller-on 'perfume' with it. Applied to pulse points whenever I get even remotely stressed. Essential oils are incredible!!!! I've even made bath soaks and sugar scrubs with it. I'm determined to be a happy holiday person this holiday season!!!

I used to be one of those people who would proclaim that I had no time for self care. Not anymore! So give back to yourself this holiday season. There's only one you.

If you would like to know more about oils or purchase oils visit Jonda website at mydoterra.com/mymojo75

Thanks Jonda for the wonderful information

Tri-Color "Spaghetti" with Coconut Avocado Pesto

Recently, I had the pleasure of having David Wolfe give a lecture on raw foods as part of the amazing classes that are given at Integrative Nutrition®. David Wolfe was so inspiring teaching us about the benefits of raw and super foods, that it made me want to create my own raw dish. It led me to created my own twist on pesto pasta. To do this, I used a super sweet kitchen tool  called Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter which makes spaghetti out of veggies. I choose to use both green and yellow squash along with a sweet potato, and I added a yummy raw coconut avocado pesto to it.

 










Tri-Color "Spaghetti" with Coconut Avocado Pesto 

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium acocado
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp of crushed garlic
1 cup of coconut water ( I used Harmless Harvest Coconut Water)
Hemp Seeds of garnishing

1- Using the Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter, cut veggies in spaghetti like pasta and set them aside        into a bowl
2- Using a food processor or blender ( I used my bullet ) scoop avocado into blender and add in                walnuts, garlic and coconut water until. Blended all ingredients until well blended.
3. Scoop out and place into veggie "spaghetti" and mix together until well blended
4. Serve onto plates and sprinkle with some hemp seeds to add a little nutty flavor

Hope you enjoy : )

Holiday Survival Tips

Where did this year go? I can’t believe that it is already the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. What’s also scary is it’s the time of the year when we all become stressed out as well. So here are six tips to help keep you stress free during the holidays and beyond.

1- Focus on self-care and maintenance

       During the holiday season we tend to focus so much on other people and activities that we actually forget to take time to focus on ourselves. The more and more we forget to do this, the more we start building up stress in our bodies. When our stress levels get to high,  it will turn us into that mean old green Grinch made so famous by Dr. Seuss . So make sure each day you are doing one daily activity that is just for you and only you. It will allow you to feel better about yourself and give you such burst energy that no cup of coffee or Red Bull can match. 

             

2- Stay Hydrated

             With all the parties and running around we do during the holidays, we tend to consume more coffee and adult beverages then we normal would consume.  In return, we tend to forget to hydrate our body with the most essential beverage of all. Water. When we allow our bodies to become dehydrated it cause us develop headaches, mental fog and crave more sweets.   One way we can insure we are staying hydrated is by carrying a water bottle with us wherever we go.  Another option is for every glass of coffee or alcohol you have; pair it with at lease one glass of water

3-  Nighty Night Time

        Sleep is so vital to the function of our bodies. Sleeping allows our body to rest and recover from the difficulties we face each day.  When we fail to get enough sleep our brains become more cloudy, we develop angry and hostility, tend to over eat and are more prone to become sick. So don’t worry about missing that late night show on TV or staying up late to catch up with TIVO. Instead work on shutting out bright lights at least an hour before bed and take some time to get the six to eight hours of sleep our body needs. When you do, you will be rested and ready to tackle the next day full on.

4.  Don’t try to be perfect

             There is no such thing as super person. We all need help to accomplish everything that needs to get done in our lives. So don’t be afraid to ask a friend or family member for support. Try to delegate some of your chores or workload to others. When we all work together, we can create a world of caring and giving. 

5. Eat mindfully and enjoy the holidays 

       Yes, you can still eat healthy and enjoy the holidays. When going to party offer to bring a dish that you know will be healthy and can be shared with others. You can also have a small meal or healthy snack before going to a party, that help  avoid over eating. If you are going out to eat, ask for a to go box when you get your entree. This will allow you to put away half of the entree for the next day, as most meals given at restaurants are enough for 2-3 meals. If you cravings desserts, try sharing it with friends and family. Never skipped a meal, to eat more later. When we skip meals our body will go into survival mood and will crave more sweets and cause over eating. 

6.  Pay it forwarded

 Yep, the simple act of giving something to someone else is amazing for our spirit and soul. The energy we get for helping others is amazing. As humans it’s in our nature to help each other. So take some time to volunteer and bring food or presents to those that are less fortunate. Maybe you can buy the coffee for the person behind you.  What ever it is, focus on doing something for someone else other then yourself, family or friends. It never hurts to help a stranger. 

So remember to love yourself and take care of yourself during the holiday season. When you do, it will become more enjoyable and rememberable. 

Healthy Sweet Potato Mash For Thanksgiving

November is upon us and that means it's Thanksgiving time.  It's a time when we gather together with family and friends to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and upcoming new year. It also means a lot of food that is being cooked with unwanted fats.  One dish that is typical served and is made very unhealthy is the traditional mashed potato. So I created a side dish that is yummy, healthy and easy to make.  I combine the sweetness of the sweet potato and the tartiness of cranberries to make a side dish that is satisfying and healthy at the same time.


Cranberry Sweet Potato 

This simply and tasty dish only needs two ingredients and is easy to make

8oz bag of Frozen Cranberries
2 Large Sweet Potato ( washed and rinsed)

1- Place water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
2- While water is boiling, cut up the potatoes in large chunks
3-  When water starts boil add in the cut potatoes and cranberries
4-  Boil the potatoes until they are soft.( You should be able to stick a fork into the potato easily)

5- When the potatoes are soft, drain both the potatoes and cranberries into a strainer
6- Then place the potatoes and cranberries into a food process ( you can mash your self), blend the mixture into everything is fully incorporated

7- Once you are done you can save the mixture to serve later or enjoy it right away.

Starting Integrative Nutrition

On Monday, I officially started my journey with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to develop a better self-awareness about myself and to teach others how to live a happy and healthy life. I have always wanted to go into the health to help others, but I always thought I wasn't scientific enough to do so. After discovering The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and talking with a former graduate, I was hooked and finally found a way that I can try and make a difference. The first week has already been a blast and I can't wait to learn more.  I been connecting with people all over the world,  and already starting gaining a new energy that I haven't had before. Keep checking back, as I post new information on health, recipes, cool products and more.

Pumpkin Power Mousse

Growing up in New York, and now living in Maryland the fall season always seems to be one of my favorite seasons of the year. The temperature seems to always warm, but not too cool and nature always creates a beautiful picture that you can just get lost in.  The fall season also brings us the supper yummy pumpkin. Pumpkin is just one of my favorite things in the world, as it’s so tasty. Although the wonderful sweets we create with pumpkin like cheese cake, pie, lattes, ice cream and pretty much anything you can think of ,  aren’t always the most healthiest either.  So I wanted to come with an idea to make a nice pumpkin treat that can be satisfying treat after a hard work out as a treat to myself and to help me recover as well. This is how I came up with The Pumpkin Power Mousse. The combination of pumpkin, coconut yogurt, almond milk, and protein powder come together to create a yummy and not so supper sweet treat.

 Pumpkin Power Mousse 

1/2 Cup of Organic Can Pumpkin 
1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Plan Coconut Yogurt
1/4 Cup of Unscented Almond Milk 
1 Scoop of SunWarrior Vanilla Protein Powder 
1/8 Tsp of Pumpkin Spice 
4-5 Walnuts Crushed Up (Optional) 


Place all of the items into a blender and blend together. I used my bullet and the smaller 8oz cup to blend everything together in. I was hoping to make a whipped cream, but I don’t really have a mixer or standing mixer, but I think it would be a nice addition. You can eat right away or store in the fridge for later as a treat for after dinner.

Roasted Eggplant & Pinto Bean over Coconut Almond Brown Rice

It's not easy trying to figure out what to do with eggplant. It seems sometimes items can become limited with what we could do with eggplant. So I created a yummy recipe that seems to go well nicely. It's my Chickpea and Roasted Eggplant over Almond Coconut Brown Rice.  It gives you a sweet taste, with a yummy a satisfying meal that is complete with protein and fiber.

Pinto Beans & Roasted Eggplant Over Almond Coconut Brown Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long grain brown rice
1 cup water
1 cup of vanilla almond milk
2 TSB of Edward & Sons, Organic Shredded Coconut, Unsweetened 
1 Medium Eggplant
1 16oz Can of Organic Pinto Beans

First cut and cube the eggplant and place it on a baking pan to roast @350 degrees for 40 minutes. While eggplant is roasting; place the rice, almond milk, coconut and water in a small pot and bring to boil. Once at a bowl lower the flame to medium and cover for 30-40 minutes, while stirring  the mixture about every ten minutes. Once the eggplant is done, combine with the pinto beans and place on top of rice mixture.

Why do we pay for bar ?

It today world nutritional bars are something that are quick to grab for energy on in our fast past world. We may have them as a meal replacement, snack, post-work meal or for many other reason. The problem with most the bars out there is they are loaded with ingredients we can't pronounce and are more like a candy bar then anything. Then you may say there are a lot of health bars, sure we have a lot of bars that are NON-GMO, Organic and has ingredients that you can read. The only problem with these bars is that they are super expensive. So I asked myself when I look at the ingredients why don't I just make these myself. So after searching different recipes I created my own recipe to come and make my own bars that are supper yummy and supper health.

The Healthy Munch Bar 

1 cup of packed dates ( I like Medjool dates)

1.5 cups of rolled oats (not quick oats ) can use rice puff cereal as well  

1/4 cup Almond butter

1/4 cup honey or brown rice syrup 

3 Tablespoon of Hemp Seeds

1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds

3 Tablespoon of Un-sweeten Coconut

1/2 cup of mix nuts chopped 

1. remove all pits for the dates if you have to,  then place in food process and blend until the dates come     together to form a ball. 

2.  mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and add the dates into 

3. Take peanut butter and honey and melt together. When peanut butter and honey is melted pour of            dry ingredients and date mixture 

4.  Mix together until all ingredients form together 

5.  place into an 8x8 pan and spread out evenly into the pan

6.  Once into pan, you can cut into bars and transfer to food dehydrator and cook on the fruit/nut setting       for 8-12 hours. You can also bake them in the oven as well 

The recipe can be adapted so much to make it have more protein,  gluten free, etc. They are really easy to make and are cheaper then buying those expensive bars.