Tag: energy

Curb Your Coffee Craving: Upgrade to This!

On March 24, 2015

In Anti-Inflammatory, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Detoxifying, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

My earliest memories of coffee are of Saturday morning trips to Belvedere Square Market with my mom after her aerobics class.

Burgeoning burlap sacks of coffee beans lined the floor of the market and the aroma filled the air. Sourcing coffee beans wholesale that are of a really good quality can be difficult but Belvedere Square never failed to disappoint. That is why it is one of my favorite places ever to get a good cup of joe. They work brilliantly in ground form in my coffee machine too, which is always a must for me because I’m obsessed with that machine. I read reviews on Greatcoffeebrewers.com to find it and it is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made; perfect coffee every morning, what a start to the day.

To this day, Belvedere Square is one of my favorite places to go in all of Baltimore and is now the site of my FAVORITE chocolate place, Jinji Chocolates (check it out if you haven’t yet!) and two of my top places for a healthy meal in Baltimore.

A box of melt in your mouth chocolate from Jinji

A box of melt in your mouth chocolates from Jinji

I know I’m a minority when it comes to not being a fan of the taste of coffee, but my husband and other friends, family and coworkers couldn’t think of any other way to start their day.

For many people, it’s the taste and habit of drinking coffee, which tempts them to find other Interesting ways to make coffee on a daily, but for others, caffeine is queen.

They will try anything from a Mocha to a Cappucino and will probably always be on the lookout for new products that will tingle their taste buds. When it comes to my friends, and any new and interesting coffee information about new flavours, or different ideas on how to make it, you can guarantee that they’ve already read it and tried it before anyone has a chance to do so themselves. Sometimes, you will think that their lives revolve around coffee.

Caffeine is a big draw, as many of us are walking around a bit more sleep-deprived than we’d like to admit and have gotten used to being in a state of feeling artificially energized all day.

I get it.

Our lives are demanding.

We’re pulled in multiple directions at any given time, and making it through the work day, getting everything done around the house, and still having time for fun, friends, family and fitness can feel exhausting. Sometimes we feel like we need something to help us get it all done.

The truth is, caffeine affects different people differently. It’s when we become dependent on it to function that it can have a negative impact on our health, artificially stimulating us all day and running our adrenal glands dry.

Here’s a video by a clinical nutritionist that answers the question, “Is coffee good or bad for me?”

If you’re looking to kick caffeine, want to change up your morning or evening routine, or are ready to boost your health by making an upgrade, you have to give Dandy Blend a try.

So, what is Dandy Blend and why is it so, well, dandy?

Dandy Blend is a healthy, instant herbal substitute for coffee that’s caffeine-free. Thousands of people use it as an alternative to coffee because the blend of herbs that are used to make it tastes remarkably similar to coffee.

I’ve been sharing it with friends, coworkers and clients for the past few months, and quite a few people have already happily made the switch…including my husband, Bill!

Not only that, but because the ingredients have detoxifying properties, many people can make the switch without the unpleasant withdrawal side effects that often follow quitting coffee.

Pretty cool, huh?!

So, how do you use Dandy Blend?

For a light tea: add 1 level teaspoon per 8 ounces hot water.
For a rich, full-bodied coffee-like flavor: add 1 rounded teaspoon per cup hot water.
For a strong, coffee- or espresso-strength beverage: use 1 tablespoon per cup hot water.

Technically, you can use hot or cold water (or almond or coconut milk), but I prefer hot.

I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes that use Dandy Blend throughout the week – the first of which is for a SUPER delicious mocha fudge ball. You guys…they are SO good! 🙂

Don’t just take my word for it, check out what Dandy Blend customers have to say about this awesome coffee alternative:

I was pleasantly surprised! I have to admit, I was a skeptic. I’ve tried other non-coffee bean hot drinks and was disappointed. However, Dandy Blend tastes as close to real coffee as you can get!

Dandy Blend is the only coffee alternative that actually tastes better than real coffee.

Dear Dandy Blend, I LOVE YOU!!!! An avid coffee drinker for decades, when I was told by a doctor earlier this year I needed to get off coffee, I almost needed counseling! So, I tried Pero, Cafe’ Roma, Bru, and Cafix, but YOU GUYS TAKE THE CAKE! I love that it’s strong, like-coffee, no acid, no caffeine, and no gluten! Thank you so very much!

You can buy Dandy Blend online at Vitacost, Amazon or iHerb or at MOMs Organic Market.

And you can order a sample of Dandy Blend to try for yourself for just $1 on the Dandy Blend website. $1 will get you 2 samples! Click here to order.

If you end up trying it, please come back and leave a message to let everyone know what you think!

Energy-Boosting Super Food Trail Mix

By Rachel Druckenmiller

On February 12, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Inspired, My Story, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I made an announcement a week ago that I had been selected as one of the Top 10 Health Promotion Professionals in the country, and I was SO excited about it!

Well, I found out even more amazing news this week!! I WON the whole thing and was selected as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the COUNTRY! Ahhhh! I seriously couldn’t believe it when I found out on Tuesday afternoon.

The prize is an all expenses paid trip to San Diego for the WELCOA conference in late March AND I will have the honor of being called up on stage to be recognized and be given a few minutes to speak. I was so excited about it that I woke up yesterday morning and wrote what I want to say! I can’t wait.

Here’s the write-up that WELCOA put together about the award. I’m immensely grateful to have this recognition and the opportunity to share my passion and vision with more and more people.

All of my friends, family, coworkers, classmates, and mentors have been so gracious with their kind words this week. Thank you to everyone who has believed in and supported me. I couldn’t be happier!

I’ve definitely been feeling the love as we make our way into Valentine’s Day this weekend 🙂

What better way to celebrate than to share an energizing, beautifying, heart healthy trail mix recipe with you!

As I’ve shared in the past, one of the keys to eating for all-day energy is to make sure we are including a combination of protein + healthy fats + fiber into our meals and snacks.

It’s also important to include lots of nutrient-rich foods (foods loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other health and beauty-boosting ingredients).

When our body has the nutrients it needs, we’re less likely to have cravings and more likely to maintain our health and weight.

Today’s trail mix fits the bill. We make a batch at the beginning of the week, and it lasts us for about 2 weeks.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe (nuts, seeds, berries) are GBOMBS, an acronym for some of the healthiest foods we can eat – foods that fight inflammation, damage to our cells and fat storage. It also contains blood-sugar balancing cinnamon as a natural sweetener.

Check out some of the super awesome health benefits of this super food trail mix. Click the hyperlink for each ingredient to learn more specifics about why it’s such a super-powered food!

Pumpkin Seeds: Loaded with vitamins, minerals, fats, and protein that may promote heart health, immune health, help fight diabetes, and offer unique benefits for men’s prostate health and women’s relief of menopause symptoms

Sunflower Seeds: Good source of magnesium to calm your nerves, muscles and blood vessels; anti-inflammatory, heart healthy fats and vitamins; the detoxifying and cancer preventive mineral selenium; rich in compounds called phytosterols that promote healthy cholesterol levels.

Almonds: Rich in the skin-beautifying, anti-aging antioxidant vitamin E and full of anti-inflammatory fats and phytochemicals (think, fight-o-chemicals!) that help protect our skin and our heart.

Walnuts: Cancer-fighting properties, promote heart health, contain powerful and protective antioxidants, aid in weight control, boost brain health, and help with blood sugar control in diabetics. Our heart health is something we should all take very seriously. Many people’s diets are poisoned with fast food and sugary snacks. Now more than ever, it is of paramount importance that people learn CPR. In fact, CPR training in Ottawa might help you master the skill.

Goji Berries: Known as the “longevity” fruit in China after being used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, goji berries are truly a super food. They have been associated with vision and immune health, improved memory, and cancer protection. Find them cheapest at an Asian market or Home Goods. You can also find them in health food stores and on Amazon and Vitacost, but they are a bit pricy.

Cacao Nibs: Raw cacao contains more than 300 phytochemicals and more antioxidants than any other plant food. It’s loaded with compounds that are known to improve heart health, cholesterol, stress levels, and inflammation and naturally boost our mood and feelings of “bliss.” Raw cacao nibs are basically pieces of the raw cacao bean (where chocolate comes from). They are a bit bitter but have a nice crunch, so I usually eat them in a trail mix or sprinkle them on a smoothie.

Coconut: Check out this post about the health benefits of coconut. I wrote about it in my 11 Sweet Treat Pantry Essentials Post.

You can find all of these ingredients at Nuts.com!

Ingredients

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup goji berries or raisins
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
1 cup coconut flakes, lightly toasted
1 cup roasted chickpeas (Nuts.com, The Good Bean, Biena and Chickpeatos are great brands!)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly coated and store in a glass container in the fridge.