If you go straight from your bed to your kitchen and coffee maker each morning, if you freak out when you run out of beans, and if you sometimes let out a sound like this, “aaaaaah yeaaaah” after your first sip of Joe in the morning…

… then you, my friend, are a coffee junkie and caffeine addict! Welcome to the club, 3 billion strong and growing every day.

A least ½ the population is nursing a moderate-to-severe dependency on some form of caffeine. What I mean by dependency is that if you don’t have it, you’ll get a splitting migraine by noon, you’ll be severely constipated for 2 days, and you’ll be THE most unpleasant person in the office or in your own home…sound familiar?

That’s dependency.

For most, the beverage is coffee, but I also have friends and clients who suck down enough Diet Cokes, green tea or even yerba mattes to create the exact same “nervous system fry” as a quadruple Grande Americano (and yes, that IS a real drink).

Make no mistake, coffee is NOT part of a well-balanced breakfast. It’s just a pathetic substitute for what your body really wants— nutrients!

The main nutrients I have found most of my clients and friends to be lacking are the B vitamins, especially B12, probiotics for good gut flora and proper assimilation of the good foods you do eat, enough quality water, some form of an adaptogen to nourish the adrenals ex: Maca, ashwaganda, shizandra etc…What I have also discovered is three main additional and pretty massive connections that even PRECEED the issue with nutrient deficiency and in fact create it. They are: 1) Unstable, unhealthy blood sugar balance and 2) Poor sleep or sleep deprivation and 3) Over – Exertion, whether it be over-worked, over-comitted, over-training (yes with exercise – there is such a thing as too much of it!)

When any of the above are happening the below is usually what will follow:

Adrenal Depletion:your adrenal glands secrete adrenalin in emergencies—like during an accident—but when you knock back a couple of shots of espresso, you’re tricking your body into releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine, the same hormones released during a crisis.

So now, your body reacts to your morning commute the same way it would to a saber tooth tiger pouncing on your head. This is a totally inappropriate use of your body’s resources.

To put yourself in a “fight or flight” state of mind first thing in the morning might feel invigorating, but it also makes you irritable, unfocused, and somewhat frantic.

• Increased Stress:ever notice that when you’re stressed out you can’t sleep? Logically, if you want to wake up then, you just need to get stressed out, right?This is exactly what caffeine does. It triggers stress reactions including increased heart rate, perspiration, crazy blood sugar levels, and higher then usual muscle tension (aches, pains and stiffness).Do you really need more stress in your life?
• Bad Mood Joe:studies have shown that caffeine intake correlates to reduced serotonin levels. Serotonin is the feel-good neurotransmitter responsible for happy people everywhere.Those with low or altered serotonin levels are usually classified as clinically depressed. But hey, at least they’re awake!
• Vitamin Deficiency: An over-stimulated body is much more likely to become depleted in vitamins (vitamins ward off oxidative stress); ironically, the same vitamins that would normally provide an energy boost all on their own.
• Death to Yoga:advanced yoga practice and meditation is all about balance, particularly of the nervous system. Stimulants of all kinds, and caffeine in particular, create immediate imbalances that quickly turn chronic. Not good.

  Caffeine in all its forms is also a strong diuretic that leads to dehydration. Since some 75+% of the population is already dehydrated, caffeine just makes things worse. For yoga students, no water = a stiff/sore body.

So tomorrow, instead of coffee try warm water with fresh lemon juice and some honey, agave or maple syrup sip ‘er back, chill out and then pack your yogi clothes, your mat and some extra zen in the side pocket and show up to a class.

I say it everyday…all it takes to start a practice is to simply show up!

It is the hardest ‘asana’ you will EVER do!

Namaste yogi’s and caffeine lovers

xo Jenn

Super easy to make and yield about 26-30 pancakes depending on the size you make. We eat our meal and then I freeze the rest for a quick breakfast during the week by popping them into the toaster.

4 cups of Bob’s Red Mills gluten free all purpose flour

1/2 cup ground flax-seed

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups vanilla coconut milk

1/2 cup agave nectar

4 tsp sunflower oil

1/2-1 fresh lemon juiced

1 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

mix coconut milk with agave nectar, lemon and oil.

create a well in the dry ingredients and little by little add in the wet ingredients until they are blended completely. You may have to add more milk or water to thin these out ( i found I had to add about an additional cup of milk/water to it!)

Heat your griddle over medium or if you are using a pan use some coconut oil over medium and spoon a small amount of batter into it. drop fresh berries on top . once they brown flip until other side is browned and they are cooked through.

serve immediately with Earth’s Balance vegan butter and maple syrup….enjoy!

Everyone I have ever made this for absolutely loves it and insist I give them the recipe! Now you an share the yumminess with your friends too:)

Raw Pad Thai

A meal so rich in color and flavor you won’t believe how excited you are to eat it once prepared and how satisfied you will feel afterwards.

2 medium zucchinis, julienned or made into noodles using noodle spiral slicer

1 large carrot, julienned

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ red pepper, thinly sliced

½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup slivered red cabbage

1 green apple, julienned

¾ cup cauliflower, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. grated coconut

Almond Chili Sauce:

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 lemon juiced

2 small garlic cloves

4 dates, soaked for 2 hours

4 Tbsp tamari

1 inch ginger

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp cayenne

½ cup raw almond butter

½ cup water for thinning

Chop vegetables into a large shallow serving dish. Blend sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour over vegetables just before serving, toss and enjoy.

This will serve 2 hungry people.

1-2 cups of quinoa or brown rice

1/2 head of broccoli

2 large carrots

a few good handfuls of kale, chard and spinach

1 cup Ramona beans, rinsed well

1/4 cup sliced leek

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup hemp seeds, raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds

1 avocado, cubed

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olive

Topped with this delish dressing and some fresh parsley. If you still enjoy dairy you can add in some crumbled goat cheese

Dressing: Makes 1 1/2 cups that I store in a mason jar for the week.

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp sea salt

tsp lemon juice

3/4 tsp each fresh ground pepper and tamari

1/4 tsp organic sugar

1/4 tsp mustard powder or tsp of Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

3/4 cup sunflower oil and 1/4 cup flax oil

In a blender, puree all ingredients except the oils.

while the blender is running, slowly add the oils in until all is combined well.

Use a pretty bowl or clear glass one so you can see all your layers.

Begin with your grain on the bottom. add your Ramon beans. After lightly sauteing your greens, garlic and leeks layer them on. Top with steamed broccoli and carrots. Now add your olives, avocado and your seeds (goat cheese if using) and parsley. Lightly drizzle your dressing over top allowing to sit for a few minutes before eating with some chopsticks.

Seriously one of the most satisfying meals I have ever had!!!

Quite honestly there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t receive an email with either a question about the formula, stories of success, gratitude for posting something other than animal products and dairy, pictures of these thriving little babies, or Mom’s sharing their stories or maybe another variation of my recipe – it is soooo awesome!

Simply people helping people folks (smiles to that)

I received an email from one Mom recently who has a little girl, 7 months with mega-issues digestion dairy or anything with soy, they have been spending a ton putting her on these franken-food formulas until she came across my recipe. However when she tried it her daughter started to have issues again and they discovered that she had an allergy to rice! Not a very common allergy but serious enough for them that they had to stop with the rice milk and instead switched to almond – perfect!

She was amazing enough to share her variation that has worked wonders for her little girl in hopes that for any other Mom’s and families having feeding issues that they would have another option, a healthier option then commercial formulas.

Here is her adaptation:

4 cups Almond milk
3 tbsp Lactose (milk sugar – for extra carbs)
1 tbsp Coconut oil
1 tbsp Blackstrap molasses

1 tbsp Hemp protein powder
1 tsp liquid vitamin C
1 tsp Genestra Pediatravite multi vitamin
2 mL’s Nordic Natural Baby’s DHA 100% Cod Livers
1/2 Capsule of Dairy Free Probiotic

 I hope your babies belly squeals with delicious delight!

1. Stop drinking your calories: Simply the easiest and most effective way to cut down on waste less, belly and back-fat packing calories STOP drinking kak in a cup! No more Tropicana to start the day or a $6 Frappa-Lappa-Creme-De-I am going to be hanging over your pants soon-Lattes, or Triple, Triple (gross) XL coffees or Iced Tea because its healthier??? V8′s because that’s a great way to get your veggies in (why do you even have teeth?) milk by the glasses full and sodas. And if you think you are in the clear because you drink DIET drinks WRONG you are even worse off the Frappa-Lappa junkies. Why? Because all you are consuming is neuro-toxins that mess with your neurological system, give you digestive upset, mega PMS, screw with your pituitary gland, thyroid and hormones and will prevent you from ever LOSING WEIGHT…and as an added bonus will make your rear-end resemble a dimpled golf ball when you take a peek behind yourself in the mirror – awesome! Click onto the blog I wrote a few months back called ‘The Beverage Bar’ for healthier and much cheaper ideas.
2. It’s Over the Rainbow its under the Rainbow: Eating foods loaded with nutrient rich color will provide you with a good chunk of your daily vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber and ph neutralizing greens. For every snack and meal you consume please make sure to have at least 2-3 different colors happening ex: fresh berries and 2 tbsp raw cashews, black bean quinoa salad with yellow, red, orange peppers, snap peas, red cabbage and pumpkin seeds, veggie sticks and humus and home cooked vegetable minestrone soup…yummy!
3. Prepare for the day before it happens: Every Saturday or Sunday I sit down with my family; the kids each pick a meal for the week my hubby 2 and myself the other 3, then I base my list off of this and shop. We prep enough quinoa, beans, dry salad and cut up veg and fruit for at least 3-5 days so its super easy to grab the night before and put into our lunch bags. We also make a pitcher of smoothies at night for our nutritious breakfast on-the-go.
4. Move your Sweet @$$! Exercise is no longer an option but take the pressure off yourself at feeling like if you don’t have 45-60 minutes to move whats the point…that’s just another excuse you’ve created for yourself. Start with 5 mins everyday. I don’t care when. I don’t care where. And I don’t care if you split it up. Just start moving.    

Minute 1 – Squat / Minute 2 – Pushups / Minute 3 – Reverse lunges on right leg / Minute 4 – Reverse lunges on left leg

Minute 5 – down dog to plank – plank to down dog

Voila! a 5 minute quickie that will leave you feeling fresh, revitalized and hopeful that you will find more time in the day and make a  greater effort to keep your body moving.

5. Do not reward yourself with food or booze: This is a horrible trap. I promise if you can abstain from sweets and booze for a full week you will already be 1/2 there with the battle of your cravings. If you must have a square of 70% dark organic chocolate. The more sugar you eat the more you crave it, same goes with wine and mixed drinks. You also need to ask yourself do I really want the sweets and a drink or am I just tried, bored, lonely, pissed off or just so used to having them that its my pattern not my craving that always brings me back???

Some good thoughts and ideas to mull over on this chilly Sunday whiel you prep for yet again another ‘New Monday’

Enjoy!

A little something to think about as you do your shopping for the day!

Sure you are. I know you, I see you every Monday whether it’s in person, on Facebook, Tweeting, Texting, Linked In etc and I hear you complaining that you just couldn’t do it today. You didn’t have the right groceries, you forgot your lunch, it was so and so’s birthday at work and you just ‘had’ to have a piece of cake because you didn’t want to be rude (although you don’t mind being rude to your ass!), then you were so tired in the afternoon and can’t figure out why (hmmm…remember the guilted piece of cake?) that you grabbed an extra-large coffee and muffin (way healthier than a doughnut – yeah right) and now you have no idea what to make dinner so as a ‘treat’ (PS. treats are occasionally not 4 times per week) you will get your ‘husband or the kids’ some KFC, McDonald’s or order pizza (code for -  if I buy it for other people then it’s not as bad as getting it just for me) you chew on this and then need just a little something sweet to top it off – hello ice cream, cookies, chocolate or whatever you can find in the house. Now you are exhausted, bloated, gassy,  thirsty and super-freakin cranky. Happy Monday to a New You!!!

Sound about right?

Stay tuned tomorrow for my Top 5 ways of making everyday a ‘Monday’ full of good choices

Peace out foodies Jenn xo

However since reading a recent study on how dark chocolate can help your eyesight I may give it whirl. We have all heard for years now that 1-2 ounces of dark chocolate daily is great for giving you a good source of antioxidants that can help your cardiovascular system and blood pressure. But did you know that these antioxidant-rich compounds found in cocoa increase blood flow to the brain and may help you see more clearly?

Two and a half hours after after consuming 1-2 ounces of dark chocolate, study participants’ visual function and ability to detect motion direction improved dramatically.

I can just feel how happy all you chocolate lovers out there are right now…another reason not to give it up! However, it is only dark chocolate we are talking about not milk chocolate or nasty white chocolate (seriously what is that stuff anyways?..kak!)

I think an awesome way to incorporate some of this good info and enhance it health benefits would be to make the super decadent truffle recipe I posted here about 1-2 months ago.

Take a peek, shop for your ingredients, whip these raw baby’s up and enjoy!!!