Tag Archives: anti-inflammatory

the RIGHT FUEL for your BODY

Vroooooooom vroooooom! Want to know the the right fuel for your body?

Click here to read my latest article on ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NUTRITION in Premier Magazine Spring Issue 2012. (pg 39-41).  Make sure to try out my Gracious Living Popeye smoothie recipe, too and let me know what you think!

London’s Premier Magazine: from fashion to features, wellness to home decor, food and drink, technology and business, whose passion and goal is to inspire readers at every level of their lives.

you are what you eat.  you are what you think.  GRACIOUS LIVING.

www.gracevanberkum.com

GRACIOUS LIVING POPEYE SMOOTHIE


Are you eating dark green, leafy veggies EVERYDAY?  If not, you SHOULD!  They are great for the liver, high in calcium and magnesium, and highly nutritious.  Getting your dark green leafy greens in salads, soups, and stir fries are excellent, but another way to incorporate them in your daily eating is hidden in fresh fruit smoothies!  The fastest and most effective way to get the luscious nutrients we need from fruits and vegetables is to drink them.

Gracious Living Popeye Smoothie

handful of fresh spinach, kale, or swiss chard

1 banana

another fruit of choice (orange, mango, pineapple, berries)

1 stick celery

juice of 1 fresh lemon

fresh ginger to taste

1 tsp chia seeds

*optional:  natural sweetener to taste (I prefer a tad of maple syrup but depending on the fruit, you might not even need a sweetener)

handful of ice

desired amount of clean water (depending on how thick you want the smoothie to be)

Blend till smooth.

Enjoy this energizing, detoxifying, high calcium, absorbable protein, satisfying, alkalinizing, anti-inflammatory smoothie!

learn more about healthy smoothies and juicing to heal the body and improve energy levels at the next GRACIOUS LIVING YOGA RAW ADVENTURE RETREAT in NICARAGUA

www.gracevanberkum.com

creamy, vegan Gracious Living Salad Dressings

a selection of yummy salad dressings for the January juice fasters as promised! raw, vegan, healthy, anti-inflammatory, easy, delicious…..would you expect anything else?!

CREAMY BASIL GINGER SALAD DRESSING  

  • ripe avocado
  • handful basil (or use cilantro or dill instead)
  • fresh ginger
  • fresh garlic (if desired)
  • celtic sea salt
  • fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
  • water for desired consistency

Blend till smooth and creamy.

*variation:  CREAMY TOMATO DRESSING

exact same dressing as above BUT add a ripe tomato as well!

click here to learn how to speed ripen your avocados!

CREAMY CURRY CARROT DRESSING

  • ripe avocado
  • 1-2 shredded carrots
  • fresh lemon or lime juice
  • frsh ginger
  • fresh garlic (if desired)
  • celtic sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric and curry powder
  • water to desired consistency

Blend till creamy and smooth.


*variation:  CURRY CARROT SALAD DRESSING

same as above BUT f you don’t have an avocado, then you can use approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil instead.


click here for Gracious Living Banana Coconut Curry Salad Dressing

www.gracevanberkum.com

refreshing ginger iced tea

the hot, summer months are here and it’s really important to stay hydrated for increased energy and to help keep weight down. one of my favourite things to make is ginger iced tea.

ginger is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-microbial (helps kill bacteria). it also  stimulates circulation which means it helps to cleanse and detoxify the blood, helps to lower cholesterol, may help to prevent heart attacks, relieves indigestion, excellent for nausea, vomiting and motion sickness, helps with constipation, helps with hot flashes, relieves headaches, reduces arthritic pain, and supports kidney health. ginger is also high in potassium which makes it alkalinizing, helping to reset the metabolism.

here are some refreshing ways that i use ginger for it’s beneficial properties, and also as a great way to increase my hydration levels.

Ginger  Iced Tea

get a chunk of ginger, wash and peel it. ( i use a big chunk because i really enjoy the spiciness of it). then cut into 5 or 6 pieces.

fill a pot with clean water. add ginger to the pot. bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. i like to let it sit on the stove with the heat off all day so it becomes really strong. (i will do it in the morning before i leave the house)

a few hours later, when the water has cooled down, strain the ginger water into a pitcher. add a few drops of stevia if you wish for natural sweetness, and then squeeze some fresh lemon into the mixture (half to 1 whole lemon depending on your preference.) make sure you use FRESH lemons and not from a bottle as it has chemicals added to it.

store in fridge if you would like it nice and cold.  also good as a hot tea.

sometimes i like to add SPARKLING WATER  and lime instead of lemon, and i call it ginger beer!!

REFRESHING, HYDRATING, HEALTHY…..of course! enjoy!

www.gracevanberkum.com

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