The Thoughts of An Angel Awakened

How To Look Good, Feel Better and Love Life

The Low Down on Superfood Shakes

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I must confess my additction to superfood shakes. I make or purchase SOME form of shake every day. Some of the combinations have been delicious and some… well not so much.


Today, I made an ACAI (frozen and available at Costco), Antioxidant berry mix plus addition
Blackberries (the frozen mixes available at Costo as well) Kale (farmers market fresh) and Spirulina (organic powder available on Amazon).
The result looked like petroleum oil…
(When serving kids, looks matter and my kids didn’t want any part of this. For a shake that is a total kid pleaser check out Trinity’s Purple Passion or the Think Green) The Spirulina has an almost fishy smell, so I use half a tablespoon for an entire blender. The sweetness from the antioxident berry mix, which includes cherries, helped cut the bitterness from the kale (I only used 3 leaves). It was not THE MOST delicious of my shake recipes but it was in no way as bad as it looked!!! Next time I will use blueberries instead of blackberries.

The berry, spinach and kale shake I ordered last week at Whole Foods on the other hand… Well it would have been fine but I added tumeric and wheat grass. The wheat grass KILLED it for me and I hardly made it through the 12 oz cup. Wheat grass is too overpowering a flavor for me. I understand now why people do it as a shot. I am now 47. I slowly gained 20 pounds in the last five years and I am happy to release them using the healthy tools I have acquired over my lifetime. Wheat grass, will probably NOT be a part of my journey. 🙂

So, why do I obsess over these superfood shakes? Because superfoods are AMAZING. Check out Dr. Mercola’s infographic below.

7 Superfoods

I will be sharing more of my successes and failures with you in future posts. In the meantime feel free to discover the healthiest superfoods you can eat and learn why they’re super good for you on the Mercoloa blog post “7 Superb Superfoods to Power Up Your Life.” 

Secret sauce recipe

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“Mom, you just managed the impossible. .. you managed to make kale taste good!” 
~My son at dinner

So, I am hardly a chef but I do manage to make healthy meals that my kids eat. I serve fruit and/or veggies at every meal. They love my “secret sauce” and will pretty much eat anything I dress with it.

The secret is the simplest homemade dressing.

1 part olive oil
1 part balsamic vinegar
1 part apple cider vinegar
(To taste)
Garlic (fresh is best, minced from a jar will work too)
Onion powder
Oregano powder
Basil (dry)
Salt
Pepper

I just mix all of this up in a pickle jar and keep it in the fridge.
The salad was the cruciferous crunch from a Trader Joe’s (kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli,  green and red cabbage) Spring mix lettuces,  apple, red onion, dried cranberries and avocado. The salad changes depending on the season, of course. The only thing to remember is that the fresher the ingredients,  the better.

Finally, I tell my kids that THE MOST important thing about cooking is to do it with love. From planning, to shopping, to plating it up and praying… everything infused with love,  tastes better.
Peace
~angel

Hemp Protein

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One of the best uses of time is to treat your body well. This shake is delicious and oh so good for me and the kids. Coconut water, kale, bananas, pineapple, mango and orange. #Hemp #Organic
#Vegan #GreenFood

I have been a fan of Hemp for most of my life. Research has shown that Hemp is not just a plant for “hippie pot heads” but in fact offers many benefits to the overall health of our bodies and the planet.

I consume hemp products for the vegan protein and here is just a short list of benefits. For details on this list, read these articles on SFGate.com or LiveStrong.com

  • Hemp Protein is a Complete Protein
  • Easy to Digest
  • Source of Good Fats
  • Earth Friendly
I got my organic Hemp at Trader Joes, if you don’t have a TJ’s nearby try local healthfood stores or Google “Hemp Protein.” At under $12 for 16oz, it’s an affordable way to supplement a plant based diet. Even if you just do one plant based diet day a week or replace one meal per day with a plant based meal, you can dramatically change your life.
I love you all. Be good to your body, it’s the only one you’ll have this go around….
~angel~

The Self Health Revolution Video

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I had the chance to interview the author of one of my favorite books, The Self Health Revolution. This book is under 200 pages, filled with pictures, tips and tricks and to me, more than a book. This is a potential life changing vehicle. I have given this book to friends, family and clients. I keep a copy in my kitchen. In this audio clip, J. Michael Zenn generously shares some of his wisdom with us.

Whole Foods Market CEO and Founder “Enthusiastically” Endorses “The Self Health Revolution.” A short, powerful little book, The Self Health Revolution, surprisingly produces a jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, awe-inspiring, laugh-out-loud read. The author, J. Michael Zenn, convincingly persuades the reader they must seize control of their health now (Self Health) by taking a few, utterly-simple, 15-minute steps to loose weight, escape pain, ward off disease and recapture the energy lost in their youth.

On-the-side Marketing Tip: It’s always a great idea to repurpose content if you can. Here I decided to take the audio that I originally recorded for a live call and saved as an audio file on Soundcloud and create a Youtube video.

Inspired Food

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The other day I had the most spectacular lunch. It was vegan (I am not) and full of interesting textures and colors. I love LIVE food. If you don’t know about live food I suggest you have a listen to THIS interview with J. Michael Zenn, author of Self Health Revolution. I wanted to share my lunch with you, as it was a thing of beauty. On the plate were Orange, cranberry cous-cous, Raw beet juice hummous, microgreen sprouts, black quinoa, golden beets, cucumbers, kale and chard and more… While my lunch was yummy, I love to be inspired by the people I follow on social platforms. No matter how experienced we are at something, there is always someone, doing something new or different. I really want to step up my game in terms of eating more vegan/raw meals. So, here are some of my fave #CleanFood #Vegan #HealthyEating #Instagrammers

#1 Vegan Bowls #vegan VEGAN LIFESTYLE 🌱 Tag us for a feature ✨ Collab? Veganbowls@gmail.com Eat your vegan creations out of a 100% natural coconut bowl @coconutbowls www.coconutbowls.com

#2 Shelbee Williams 🌱Life Food Coach & Pampered Chef Consultant🌱🌻Life is in the seed. Unapologetically Queen👑 Facebook: Shelbee Williams www.pamperedchef.biz/plantbasedvegan. Here is her Raw cashew “meat” tacos from @shelbeerene

#3 Christine Plant based IT Professional passionate about fitness, compassion, and healthy food. runplantbased.com

#4 Raw Food Magazine Our 2016 Holiday issue is out now! New Holidays Recipes & Comfort Foods to make your festive season a bit easier. www.rawfoodmagazine.com/holiday-recipes-comfort-food-issue

#5 🌸🌿Living Foods🌿🌸 💛Jessica 💃28 🌞London 🌱Vegan for everything 🌳Movement 💗Animals 🌍Travel ✨Follow for recipes and inspiration

A photo posted by 🌸🌿Living Foods🌿🌸 (@livingfoods) on Dec 22, 2016 at 4:41am PST

Just looking at these pics makes my mouth water and reminds me that my body is a TEMPLE. Good food is not only tasty but it’s the best preventative medicine and youth serum too.

Local Food Under Fire

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I am a local food lover. In LA, food raids of community supporters of the locavore movement have made waves. A bill recently came before the powers that be in Sacramento. AB 1616 would change the California Health and Safety code to give small-scale producers a way to break in to the business. Like most cottage laws, AB 1616 wouldn’t cover foods like jerky, hot cooked dishes, cheeses, or custards. But jams, pickles, breads, fruit pies, spice blends, and herb teas — basically, low-risk foods not covered by other federal regulations — would be exempted. The health department won’t inspect the business or get involved with the producer unless a complaint is lodged.

One of my very best friends is a Pearl. She is in a league of her own as far as cooking and being a genuine non-judgemental lover of people and the planet. Her and her family’s sustainable urban farm is open for tours and workshops. Check out their website THE GROWING HOME

If you want to know more about better living through local eating, please listen to this AMAZING PODCAST. Focus on Food” the newest show on KPFK with Carter Bo Wallace. This episode features political, artisan food and The Growing Home, all experts in the local food movement.