Superfood Spotlight: Marine Phytoplankton

Marine phytoplankton--you mean those little things whales eat? Why, yes I do! First of all, I have to thank the brilliance that is David Wolfe, for enlightening me on how great marine phytoplankton is via this youtube video (that I encourage you all to check out if you are interested in superfoods). It got me so excited that I had to immediately go online and buy myself some phytoplankton!

Here's why marine phytoplankton is the most super of all superfoods:

-Contains every mineral known to man

-Contains nucleotides which provide our bodies with energy that never had to be converted (unlike other foods)

-No crash

-Complete protein

-At least 2-3 drops needed per day

-Contains cleanest source of omega-3 fatty acids

-Antiviral/antifungal

-Promotes brain, heart, and eye health (to name a few)

Marine phytoplankton are easily incorporated into your diet. You can put a few drops on the back of your tongue (YUCK), add it to your tea, or do as I do and put two to three drops of phytoplankton in my tall glass of water each morning. The taste isn't noticeable, unless you put more than three. 

If marine phytoplankton nourish the world so heavily that without it's existence, all life on earth would cease to exist, then think about what it does for our miniscule in comparison human bodies!

[Did you know:] Marine phytoplankton are an ancient food that are at the very beginning of the food chain.

Ask Kristina: Help! I Need Quick, Healthy Recipes!

Hello beauties!

The newest addition to my blog is this "Ask Kristina" inquiry section. If you have a question regarding anything from natural shampoos to healthy road trip food ideas you can send them to my email kuricookie90@aim.com, and I will reply here on my blog! I love answering your questions, so please don't hesitate to ask!

My first question comes from Laura, who asks:

"i know zero about cooking, but i wanna learn how to make healthy meals that are quick and i don't have to eat right away. I work 2 jobs so i eat unhealthy mall food for 2 of my meals. So i need something easy to make the night before! Help me!! Lol or easy snacks :)"

Laura, girl, I totally know what you mean! Work is the hardest place to eat healthy, with so many opportunities to go crazy on the plethora of junk that always seems to be lurking right around the corner. The easiest meals to take to work are ones that can 1) merry together, and taste even better the next day, and 2) vegetarian. What makes it tricky is whether or not you are provided with a refrigerator and a microwave.
My top choices would be whole wheat pastas, bean/tuna salads, and stir-fries, hands down! These can go with or without heating or refrigeration for extended periods of time. Here's a good recipe for Giada DeLaurentiis' Campanelle Pasta Salad made with whole wheat pasta and tuna.

If you don't have time to break out the pots and pans and you need to eat at work, stick to steamed vegetables and lean protein without the sauce. My suggestion: a Panda Express bowl with steamed veggies and mandarin chicken with soy sauce.

As for snacks, keep it raw. Nuts, fruits and veggies (fresh or dry) are your friend. I love dried mango and goldenberries, to name a couple. If you need a candy bar, my new obsession is the KIND dark chocolate cherry cashew + antioxidants bar! At around $1.50, they're a bit pricey, but worth the nutrition.

Simple, full of protein, and not to mention yummy, trailmix is another one of my favorite snacks! Toss together some raw almonds or walnuts, salted sunflower seeds, and raisins. Mmm-mmm good for mind, body, and spirit!

When it comes to cooking, just remember one thing: the more natural, the better! Don't hesitate to look for recipes online and make swaps like whole wheat pasta versus white, marinara or pesto sauce instead of creamy, calorie-laden alfredo. When it comes down to it, it's all about moderation. And, don't fret if there's a little sugar or some fat; that's okay! As long as you're getting the max amount of nutrients and you're exploring your culinary creativity, that's all you can ask for.

Spiced Up Summer BBQin'

There's nothing like a good, freshly prepared Greek-inspired barbeque with your family on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Greek food is great for summer, since it's prepared with fresh ingredients that leave you feeling light, yet satisfied; perfect for you to go out to the beach in your bikini afterwards! My grandma spotted some fresh tilapia while we were at Sprouts yesterday, so we decided to grill 'er up. We paired it with a green onion tzatziki, and greek salad. This literally took around 30 minutes, prep and all. Opaaaa!

Tilapia with Green Onion Tzatziki

Tilapia

Fresh Tilapia filets

salt & pepper

lime juice

Green Onion Tzatziki

1 cup 2% greek yogurt (I used Fage)

1 tbsp chopped dill

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp green onion, finely sliced

1/3 cup grated cucumber

salt & pepper to taste

Combine greek yogurt, dill, garlic, lime juice, green onion in bowl. Squeeze juice out of grated cucumber, and add along with salt and pepper. Mix. Season your fish. Before grilling, put foil over the grill and spray with cooking spray. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until edges are golden brown.

Greek Salad

The greek salad was compliments Ina Garten's recipe, sans olives. 

For dessert, my mom picked out a mouth-watering poached peach and blackberry treat from my Eating Well magazine. The only issue was that we didn't have the lavender and vanilla bean that it was meant to be flavored with, so I used cinnamon instead; which really didn't turn out to be much of an issue at all, judging by my grandpa's declaration that this was "the best dessert [he's] had in years!" The only downside is that it takes about an hour. But if you like to cook, then hey, no biggie!

Poached Peaches and Blackberries

This recipe was adapted from Eating Well magazine, except instead of lavender and vanilla, I used 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

If you're looking to lose some weight, dine on Greek food. I once read an article about Jillian Michaels, who revealed that before she became the fit woman she is today, she herself was overweight. Being Greek, she switched to a diet consisting of only such foods, and the weight came right off.

[Did you know...? There are only about 105 calories in a cup of Greek salad. Eat up!]

Pu-what?

When I was in Seattle last summer with my mom, we came across a tea bar. Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with tea, so of course I got super excited and begged my mom to check out the place. They had a drool-worthy variety of teas in huge clear, glass jars lining the wall behind the tea "bar," many of them of asian decent.
One of such is the pu-erh tea, which is named after a county in China. Many varieties of this tea are fermented; AKA it tastes like dirt. No, I am not joking, and yes I still drink it. Why, you ask?

http://www.angelinasteas.com/teaProfilesL2/teaProfileL2-pu-erh.html

Here are the benefits of (as I like to call it) "dirt tea:"
-It is said to better the flow of chi, or energy, throughout the body
-Diminishes aches and pains
-Aids digestion
-May promote weight loss
-Lowers bad cholesterol
-Contains antioxidants to slow the aging process
and best of all...
-Cleanses the spleen, making it excellent for rejuvenating the body after drinking alcohol or helping to sober up

Drink up, babies!

[Did you know...? Tea is an excellent way to heal ailments without prescriptions (when practical), increase water intake, and satisfy your sweet tooth!]

source

Nutrifood Limelight: Goldenberries

GOLDENBERRIES, gooseberries, incanberries, agauaymanto berry-- call 'em whatever, but I prefer "goldenberry." Each little berry is truly like gold to your temple of a body.  I actually discovered the orange, raisin look-alikes by accident. I was at Whole Foods looking to purchase goji berries, when I accidentally grabbed a bag of "vine ripened goldenberries," which are actually very much like dried fruit. Taste-wise, their tartness makes them unlike your typical berry. At first, I wasn't at very keen on the flavor; but, after snacking on them for a while, it became almost exciting eating them. Every now and then I'd get one that was a bit sweeter and softer than the others. Those are my favorite!
As for the benefits of goldenberries, they boast very high amounts of vitamin A (almost half your daily requirement), antioxidants (to prevent you from aging), and bioflavonoids (illness preventors) among other things. My favorite part is that they have a surprisingly good amount of protein (16%), which is unusual for fruits, but beneficial for staving off hunger without consuming many calories.

Here was my high protein snack today:

Goldenberries, raw almonds, and citrus green tea. Ah, the simple things...

[Did you know...? During the 1800's, the English who migrated to what we now know as the 13 colonies used gooseberries in many of their recipes.]

Source: http://www.foodreference.com/html/artgooseberries.html

Breakfast!

Over this Memorial Day weekend, my best friend and I went to San Diego to get away from all the stress at home. It was there (at Zanzibar Cafe) that I had my first, long-awaited acai bowl. To my surprise, the acai was a frozen slush on the bottom! I, now, know this is typical since acai comes in frozen "smoothie" packs. Anyway, it was delicious. They topped it with homemade granola, bananas, and sliced strawberries. Of course, this inspired me to make my own.
I went to the new Sprouts yesterday, which I had to see after my grandma and grandpa telling me how organized and affordable it is. I got some frozen acai packs by Amazon Planet, fortified with ginko and ginseng for energy. NOMz.

Acai Bowl

1 acai pack, thawed

handful of chopped walnuts

1 tsp chia seeds or flaxseed meal

sliced banana

berries (I used raspberry)

1 tsp bee pollen

Also, try adding smoothie packs with banana, coconut, and greek yogurt for protein in a blender for a morning smoothie. 

[Did you know...? Acai is known for it's antioxidants and ability to provide energy. Try it instead of a cup of coffee in the morning.]

Weekend Cookin' with the Fam: Cornbread

I never eat cornbread, but for some reason I always crave it. WEIRD. Finally, I made it this weekend for the first time. Happy tummies all around. Found a quick lil' recipe online, and made it with my family on Sunday. Whole wheat honey sweetened cornbread with Earth Balance honey butter. NOMZ.

P.S.

My next endeavor is food photography. I've been using my IPhone camera, but I want to learn to take beautiful pictures. I've been on a mission to find a spectacular-picture-taking-but-not-pocket-draining camera/lens. Impossible! Man, are those things expensive! I'm hoping to get one by the end of summer. My camera savings begin with my next paycheck. I've already gotten some helpful tips, but any others along with any resources involving the topic would be much appreciated! Thanks darlings.

This morning's breakie

Late nights out entail eggy mornings for me! I usually have fruit for breakfast, but there's something about a night full of dancing and wine that makes me crave a warm, savory breakfast. My family is obsessed with eggs. Ever since I was younger breakfast was always eggs, eggs, eggs. Weekends are when we actually get to sit down together and enjoy our mornings. Saturday, ever since I can remember, is scrambled with bacon day and Sunday is soft boiled. Whatever it is, I'll eat 'em however! Mmmmm.

This morn, I sauteed some spinach with salt and pepper and threw in some tomatoes at the end just to warm them. Topped off with a poached egg and my favorite toast buttered with Earth Balance, my morning is complete.

One egg every day is good to maintain and not exceed healthy amounts of cholesterol.

[Did you know... Eggs are an awesome source of protein, coming in at around only 80 calories each.]

Healthy Ice Cream!

Ice cream (well, frozen yogurt, but who can tell the difference?) packed with protein, that helps keep your blood sugar under control (thank you, cinnamon). Oh, and did I mention you don't need an ice cream maker? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE!? Right in my fridge, actually. Today I made this wonder concoction, and it's a lot easier than you'd expect!

Here's what you'll need:

Sweet Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt

-Blender or food processor

-1 cup greek yogurt

-1 tsp cinnamon

-100% natural maple syrup to taste

-2 dates, pitted (optional)

Simply mix all the goodies together in a bowl, cover, and put in the freezer. Mix every hour for 3 hours. When it's ready to eat, put it in the food processor, once more, and mix and press the mixture with the back of a spoon to make the little ice balls creamy. Put in a pretty bowl, and serve.

If you're adding the dates, you can make some date paste by throwing two dates in the food processor or blender, and then add the rest of the ingredients and process until homogeneous before you freeze it. I added a few date chunks on top to give it varying texture. The cool, spiced cream pairs well with the caramel-y flavor and random clusters of sugar from the dates.

All in all, I think this went well for a first trial of homemade froyo. Next time, I'll puree a date and banana before I mix in the yogurt, topped with coconut. Aloha, sweetness! MMMM!

What are your guys' favorite flavor combinations?

[Did you know?... Cinnamon acts as a natural preservative.]

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Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth Naturally

Upon waking this morning there were two things I needed to accomplish (well, three if you want to include my freakin' chemistry homework...). I needed to find dates and cherimoya. My mom and I went to the Farmer's Market where we found both. We also picked up some Italian parsley and cilantro to plant in our garden!

I admit it-- I'm a sugar addict. I'm also a health nut. The two don't really go hand-in-hand. So, I'm always looking for ways to incorporate health and indulgence. Cherimoyas and dates are the epitome of just that!

I had always been weary of dates. I mean, come on, they look like little turds or some sort of monster beetle. But, I'm always one to try anything, especially if I've been hearing good things. I asked the kind man behind the table if I could taste one, encouraged by his beaming fervor. When I tasted it, I was surprised by the flavor. I was starstruck. I bit into the chewy, sweet flesh, every now and then biting on a crystalized sugar chunk (natural sugars that the sun caramelizes, mind you!) They're reminiscent of caramel. My taste buds did the happy dance, and I'm hooked. Enlivened by how well my date tasting went, I was anxious to taste the cherimoya. Once I got home, I sliced into the soft, green skin of the cherimoya, dove my spoon in and took a bite. Succulence, I tell you. My family wasn't so keen as I was when it came to the cherimoya, also known as "custard apple." It really does taste like custard, though! The only difference is that custard apple has more of a tarty bite and gelatinous consistency.

So far, my ventures for today have been mighty successful. I'm in love, and life is good. Now if only I can conquer that chemistry homework....

[Did you know...]

-Cherimoyas are native to Peru, and grow freely in the high mountains of the Andes.

-During ancient times, dates were reserved as a delicacy only for the regal.