~Combining Clean and Intuitive Eating for Weight-Loss

In order to have weight loss that lasts you really don’t need a diet, you need a lifestyle change. You can’t expect the weight to stay off if you revert back to old habits. So the first step to long-lasting weight loss and improved health is accepting that you will have to make a lifestyle change.

Today I will cover 4 ways to get started with clean and intuitive eating so that you can get rid of some of those unwanted pounds and improve your health.

• Eat Plant-Based Whole Food - What exactly does this mean? Well, plant-based is eating mostly plants and avoiding any animal-based foods. Whole foods are foods that are not processed. These foods don’t have an ingredient list or they might have a very limited one. Veggies, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. When you do buy something with a label, make sure you read it and know what the ingredients are. If you wouldn’t feed it to a baby then...

Food As Medicine – Basil

Today we are going to be talking about basil. This is just growing like crazy in the garden right now and I've been making vegan pesto and freezing it to enjoy in those winter months so I figured this would be a great topic to cover since home gardening seems to be very popular this year.

Most people don't think of herbs as being very nutritionally dense, but they are packed with nutrients! Adding them daily when you cook can very beneficial to your health. Learn some of the benefits below.

Basil is loaded with goodness and contains:

• Vitamin K

• Manganese

• Copper

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin C

• Calcium

• Folate

• Iron

• Omega 3 fats

• Magnesium

Benefits for your health:

• The flavonoids in basil provide protection on a cellular level against radiation and oxygen-based damage.

• Basil provides protection from unwanted bacterial growth.

• Basil is an anti-inflammatory that can provide healing benefits for people with inflammatory health problems.

• ...

I love making anything that involves turning cashews into something cheesy. I love this recipe because it's quick and easy to make and pretty good for you!

When I use this as a pasta sauce I like to mix in some broccoli. I chop the broccoli into small pieces and mix it all together. The picture is different because I was sharing my meal with someone who doesn't enjoy broccoli.  You can also add peas and some fresh herbs to make another tasty dish.

When making this recipe it's best to use raw organic cashews if you can. Soak them in water anywhere from 20 minutes as a minimum to overnight. If you don't have a highspeed blender definitely soak them overnight so your sauce is creamy.

I like to add a small amount of carrot to add a little sweetness and color. That is my preference but it's not completely necessary. The lemon can be very important because it helps make the sauce taste like cheese and not cashews. The nutritional yeast is also very important for the cheesy...

I use this recipe very often when I'm meal planning. You can double the recipe and freeze half this way you always have some home-cooked food on hand.

It's quick to prepare, inexpensive to make, delicious, and super healthy. What more can you ask for?

What you will need:

2 Tbsp. of Olive oil

2 Cups of diced onion, yellow

5 Cloves of garlic minced

1 Cup of finely diced carrots

1 Cup of finely chopped celery

1 Large red or green bell pepper diced

1 28 oz. Can of diced tomatoes

1 ½ Cups of veggie broth

5 tbsp. Tomato paste

1 15 oz. Can kidney beans drained

1 15 oz. Can of pinto or navy beans drained

Add more beans for your liking.

3 tbsp. Chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp Sea salt or to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste start small, ¼ tsp.

 What you need to do:

• In a large stock pan heat olive oil on medium to low heat. Add onion and garlic cook for 3 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes.
• Add...

I can't think of a better time to cook up some soup. February is usually one of the coldest months so why not make some delicious soups to warm you up.

This first one was inspired by one of my Mom's old cookbooks. I decided to pick some recipes from the cookbook and make them vegan and healthy!

This hearty soup is healthy, satisfying, and totally delicious comfort food!

Let's get started!

What you will need

Prep time-25 min. Cook time-15 minutes Servings-8

Vegan-Gluten Free

2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Optional, can use water as a replacement)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large red onion, diced

2 celery ribs, chopped

4 Carrots, sliced

2 lbs of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 15 oz can of great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 large head of broccoli cut into bite-size pieces.

6 cups of water or veggie broth

2 tbs or 1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup heaping of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk. (I like cashew for its...

For the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing with you some of my quick, easy, and delicious bowls.

We are going to be cooking once and eating all week!

This first bowl I created for a meal plan I'm making for someone who does not have a lot of time to cook but wants something healthy, nutritious, and super yummy. This checks off all those boxes!

We are roasting up some veggies and completing the bowl with some quinoa and fresh greens of your choice. The lemon tahini dressing pulls it all together in this protein-packed nutrient-dense bowl. This one is also pretty economical too!

Let's get started.

Servings 6 - Prep time - 15 minutes Roasting time - 40 minutes

What you will need

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 carrots sliced thick

1 fennel bulb, stems removed cut into large pieces

1 red pepper, cut into large pieces

1 red onion, cut into large pieces

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tbs Avocado oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 heaping tsp garlic...

This is one of my favorite recipes and if you have a food processor very quick and easy!

I ended up using walnuts instead of pinenuts for two reasons. The pine nuts were hard to find and they were super expensive! As you know my goal is usually quick and easy and let's save some moola.

I made this into two meals because I'm one person:) I served it over some spaghetti squash, very yummy. Then I made a little cashew cream (another recipe for another time) and mixed this with the leftover pesto and served this over Trader Joes Cauliflower Gnocchi. Wow, delicious!

Let's get started.

What You Will Need

1 1/2 Cups of fresh basil

1/3 Cup of olive oil

1 Cup of walnuts

6 Cloves of garlic

Juice of one lemon

1/3 Cup of nutritional yeast

3/4 Tsp of salt

3/4 Tsp of Black pepper

What You Need To Do

Add all ingredients to the food processor and pulse until a somewhat smooth paste forms. Be sure to scrape down the sides in between pulses.

That's it! Store in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for...

That's right, I love soup. I just can't wait for the weather to get a little cooler so I can start eating it again. So I'm just not going to. This is my adult version of breaking all the rules:)

I haven't made this soup in a while and I'm not sure why it's one of my favorite healing soups. This recipe is the best and I always change it up a bit depending on my mood. Sometimes I add potatoes, green beans, sometimes I leave out the zucchini. It just depends. I always put the cabbage in. It adds a little sweetness to it and makes it more filling. You can also change up the kind and amount of beans you add.

One of the best suggestions I have for you is that if you're going to spend the time chopping and cooking make enough to freeze and then you have healthy, home-made soup always waiting for you at home. I put enough for two people in a quart-size canning jar and it's perfect. Be sure to leave about 2 inches for it to expand when it freezes.

Let's get cooking and chopping!

Fills...

Full disclosure, I was going to do Roasted Curried Cauliflower, not the Sweet Potato Fries but I wasn't in the mood for cauliflower and I had none in the house and I did not want to go to the grocery store so sweet potatoes it is! 

I love sweet potato everything and it goes so well with the lemon tahini dip it also goes well drizzled on mashed sweet potatoes!

I'm definitely having the leftovers for lunch today! So excited!

Servings 2

Prep time 35 minutes

Preheat over to 425°

What you'll need

2 Large or 4 small sweet potatoes cut into wedges (see picture) No need to peel

2 Tablespoons of avocado oil

1 Tablespoon Curry Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Garam Masala

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Lemon Tahini Dip

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 Cup of tahini

1 Garlic clove

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1-3 Tablespoons of water (it depends on the consistency you would like)

What you need to do

For the sweet potatoes -  Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix...

I had a completely different recipe planned this week but I decided with all the freezing weather going on I would do something to warm you up!

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Minestrone is basically a vegetable soup so don't be afraid to do freestyle!

What You Will Need

2 15.5 oz cans of beans rinsed. I use cannellini or garbanzo.

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 cup of shredded cabbage

4-5 cloves of garlic, diced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 bay leaf

½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional

4-5 cups of veggie stock(might need more if you're adding pasta or rice)

Salt and pepper to taste

Things you can add:

2 small potatoes, diced.

1 small zucchini, diced

4 cups of chopped spinach

½ cup pasta

½ cup brown rice

What you need to do

In a Medium to large stock pot heat olive oil on...