The Sugar Blues

It's been pretty frustrating at the Quinn house this week.  I banned any and all sugar.  I don't buy sugar for the kids but they manage to get it at every party, church meeting, family's house, etc.  It was time to take a stand and say good bye to the sugar that was most definitely the culprit of drastic mood swings in our home.  A week ago I warned the kids that I would be enforcing the "no sugar" policy starting this week.  They surprisingly have not objected too much.  This week we've been focusing on eating good food, having regular meal times and snack times, and exercising together.  Things are going pretty well if you don't count the whining. I'm becoming immune to whining. But I'm so happy, we've survived 2 whole days on lots of  raw foods, no sugar and working out together.  Here's a sneak peak of what we've been eating:

Breakfast: Oats & Barley groats cereal with nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, coconut oil,  and molasses (my favorite-tons of energy from this one)
Snack: Protein Shake (raw protein powder, almond milk, bananas, avocado, flax oil, cacoa powder, strawberries)
Lunch: Vegetable tray with hummus, crackers & almond cheese, soup, apple
Snack: Green smoothie (2 cups grape juice, 1 cup water, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch green chard, handful of parsley, 1/2 lemon, frozen strawberries) & apple cinnamon muffins (see recipe given on this blog)
Dinner: Potatoes (steamed and then mashed with 1/4 c coc oil, dill, and finely chopped garlic**this was a big hit), Broccoli, Salad, sliced ham
Treat: Plain Organic Yogurt, Maple syrup, strawberries, and blueberries, small piece of raw fudge
Before bed: Lemonade (maple syrup, lemon juice, hot water, and cayenne pepper)

With a little planning, you can choose foods that are loaded with vitamins and minerals.  I have picky eaters that won't always eat everything that I've made.  It's frustrating but they are coming around and are trying more and more each day.  Baby steps remember.  The most important thing is that my children drink their smoothies because I know that they have all the essential vitamins and minerals they need for the day.  Join me over the next 90 days of no sugar and exercise. We've committed as a family to be in better shape, to eat better, and to spend time together doing it. I'll keep you posted.

A success story

Awhile back I went and stayed with my dear friend in California.  She is a very busy mother with 3 children.  Her kids are extremely picky eaters like my own.  She felt concerned about her children's health and whether they were getting the nutrients they needed.  Sitting on her kitchen counter was a Vita Mix blender.  At the time I had been blending green smoothies for over 2 years with a regular blender so when I saw that she had a Vita Mix I was pretty jealous j/k.  We made a green smoothie with some spinach, pears, juice, and ice.  My friend looked at me and just laughed.  She thought there is no way her kids would drink it and there's no way she would either.  I convinced her to try it and she was pleasantly surprised at the taste.  Her younger 2 children drank their drinks in sippy cups with straws (they didn't like the color).  It took a bit of games and coaxing to get her oldest child to drink it.  My friend took my advice and celebrated when the kids would drink their green drinks (see past posts for a list of games you can play to get your kids to drink their green drinks).  She said she'd hoist her children on her shoulders and do the celebration dance.  For my friend, it took a week or so to get into it but she realized how good she felt and she realized how much better she felt as a mother knowing that her kids were getting more vitamins and minerals.  It was a really exciting summer hearing about her successes with getting her family to fall in love with green smoothies.  They drink a smoothie a day. Now whenever she goes on trips, the first thing she packs is her blender.  She's seeing great improvements in her own health and in her kids' health as well.  I'm just so proud of her for making a change and for going after something that will have such a lasting effect in her kids' lives.  I too feel so much relief as a mother knowing that my children are getting the vitamins and minerals they need on a daily basis.  It's a small investment of time with such great benefits.  Our children are worth it.  For those of you that aren't sure if you can do it, just try it.  Follow the tips I've given on this blog.  This is a perfect way to start the new year. 

Recipe that tastes good

I call this the Immune Booster because its so packed with Vita A, C, and E and Iron which is exactly what our bodies need to fight off disease. 

1 cup water

1 cup apple juice

1-2 bananas (this will make it really sweet)

2 avocado

2 handfuls of spinach

4 frozen apricots

2 cups red chard

optional: 1-2 T wheat germ

Blend until smooth. 
*tips: don't let your kids see you make this if your kids are picky.  I have to hide the avocado from my kids. The avocado is a great way to add Iron, and good fats into their diets.

*tips: if you really want to boost the immune system and fight disease especially coughs then add some wheat germ. This flaky powder does not change the texture or sweetness; my kids don't even notice it.  Wheat germ is high in B-vitamins which will enhance the body's ability to use the vitamins found in the smoothie. Adding wheat germ is a perfect way of balancing the nutrients in your kids diets and the great thing is they don't even have a clue that it's in it.  Try it.  Located in the baking aisle at most grocery stores where the flour/grains are. 

I'm still here!

There have many of you that have wondered why I haven't been blogging.  Life has been crazy to say the least.  I've been trying to finish my new website.  As it turns out it's pretty hard to build your own website on your own starting from 0 experience but I'm determined to teach myself and hope (fingers crossed) it will be ready soon.  Until then I figured I could still blog.  I've missed blogging and sharing my ideas with you.

So things you have missed that I will try to catch you up on...
 Garden was an absolute success.  I'll post pictures.  There were a few things that didn't pan out that I will change for next year but for the most part I was happy with my crop.  We are still enjoying carrots and beets and of course greens.

That brings me to my next exciting news.  I finally got a VitaMix after 3 years of not having one.  I love it and highly recommend it if you are serious about good health.  It's made green drinks so much easier to make and the kids like how smooth they taste. 

My book is nearly finished.  I'll be putting a few of the recipes from my blog so you can get an idea of what my book is about.  

I've heard my own family and friends tell me they want to make a change in their eating habits but just can't seem to do it.  My advice (it's an easy one--it'll only take you 5 minutes a day)  drink a green smoothie or b-vitamin drink everyday.  There are about 100 different health benefits to drinking these smoothies on a daily basis.  I'm living proof of it.  For those of you that don't know, through good nutrition I've been able to cure myself of an autoimmune disease that I was told by many doctors that I would never be able to.  Probably the best thing I can do for myself and my children is to make vitamin-packed and nutrient dense foods.  Smoothies are the best place to start. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families.

How to make a delicious green smoothie without a vitamix

Proportions of Ingredients


The key to being able to making green smoothies without a super power blender is to use the right proportions of ingredients to make them taste good. I've been fascinated with reading books about green smoothies but I've noticed that all the books assume that you have a Vitamix or Blendtec blender.  This discourages the majority of the population that doesn't own one.  I fall into this category.  I decided to make it work with the equipment I've got.  I have a regular Cuisinart Blender that I bought at Costco for $50. I use it everyday making a green drink.  It took me awhile to get the right consistency and sweetness so that my kids and husband would drink it.  Here's some tips about the right proportions of ingredients.


There must be the right sweetness to complement the greens and the right texture to disguise the pieces of greens that can’t be blended completely. Every recipe I make follows the same proportion of ingredients.

A good rule of thumb is the 2-2-2 rule.

2 cups of juice----2 cups of greens---2 cups of frozen fruit

Without the juice the greens might taste too bitter depending on what greens you choose. The right sweetness is important especially if you are introducing these drinks to your children for the first time. Through time you can make your drinks less sweet by adding water instead of juice, but I don't recommended this for awhile.

Without the frozen fruit the drink will have chunky green pieces and is very hard to get down. My kids can always tell if I stray from the proportions of frozen fruit. They simply won’t drink it without lots of coaxing. The frozen fruit provides the drink with the right consistency and texture.

It doesn’t matter what time of day, my children are always in the mood for a smoothie.

If you only have juice from concentrate, remember the 2-2-2-2 rule.

2 T juice concentrate---2 cups water---2 cups greens---2 cups frozen fruit

Healthy Chocolate...is that possible?

I recently found some articles about the health benefits of dark chocolate and thought I'd share it with you all.

Health Benefits include:

• enhances immune function
• repairs exercise-induced muscle damage
• enhances energy metabolism
• improves cardiovascular and lung function
• improves blood flow to the brain, thereby affecting mental function, cognition, and mood
• enhances mood
• decreases depression
• moderates emotional response
• provides high amounts of antioxidants
• prevents cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases
• decreases blood clotting
• controls blood sugar/insulin levels
• decreases inflammation
• minimizes the oxidation of harmful cholesterol
• protects the eye's sensitive tissue and nerves
• minimizes damage to cell DNA
• regulates genes that control weight gain
• reduces cravings
• suppresses appetite and stabilizes blood sugar levels
• protects the skin from UV radiation
• prevents tooth decay

Just to name a few of the benefits. I've highlighted what I like about having healthy chocolate.  It's incredible.
If you don't believe me, just google dark chocolate and read for yourself or click here

 http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=dark+chocolate+health+benefits&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=dark+choco&gs_rfai=&fp=686584fbbbb57664

So if you are a chocolate lover and need your fix everyday, make sure you are eating the RIGHT kind of chocolate.  Chocolate should be cold-pressed to keep the antioxidant properties and not heated above 110 F.  Avoid products high in refined sugars.  Instead, good sweetening agents include low-glycemic sugars like agave or fructose.  Avoid chocolate products with milk fats and hydrogenated oils.  Look chocolate with at least 70% pure cocoa powder.  

I've also shared with you several recipes using raw chocolate powder (see raw fudge).
If you are interested in trying some dark chocolate or want to know more about the source I get it from, feel free to call me 801-400-4859 or click on the site below.

http://www.patrickschocolateshop.com/

Recipes I'll be demonstrating at cooking class Sat, June 5

1) Hummous Spread & Veggies


2) Kick Start Green Drink

3) California Fiesta Salad

4) Potato Leek Soup

5) Spaghetti Squash Ratatouille

6) Kale with Garlic

7) Raw Fudge

8) Berries & Quinoa

It's going to be alot of fun.  If you can join us, please come.  Every Saturday at 10:30am