Mexican Cold Chocolate

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Chocolate with a bit of a twist courtesy of yours truly (Emily, here!). I've been free from sugar for the last couple of weeks (read here, here, & sign up for the free teleseminar here), and man oh man, were the cravings hitting me hard for delicious chocolate. But, nixing the sugar habit has brought on a desire for richer, more complex flavors, and I wanted something yummy that still made me do a happy dance around my room. So I started mixing a little of this and a little of that, added a dash of this, messed up the recipe, started all over again too many times, and was left with a creation that filled all of my requirements.

The recipe is worthy of honor because it's ...

less than 10 ingredients
rich
chocolatey
high in nutritional goodness
sweet
spicy
filling

With a frosty-like consistency, this is spoonable greatness. In only the best way possible, spices take over the initial sweet spoonful with enough of a kick to keep you coming back for more. The high nutritional profile gives you all of the body-revving benefits within a sinfully delicious bite of chocolate. Really, could it get any better? I've really outdone myself with this one - see my smoothie of love, the training wheels smoothie, & smoothie bowls - so take down the ingredients & get to whirling this goodness up. If you don't, I promise you'll be missing out. Why take that chance?

What is it we love so much about this recipe? There are so many bennies, it would be exhausting, so a quick recap. Bananas are added for potassium, fiber, and the sweetness addition. Mangos are high in vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, a great source of others minerals like thiamine and magnesium, and contain antioxidant phenols and beta-carotene. Cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, and cayenne come together in a sickness-fighting power team. Cinnamon is a great manganese source and good holder of calcium, contains antioxidant anthocyanidins and is no stranger to cold and flu remedies all over the world. Tumeric is high in manganese, iron, a good source of vitamin B6, potassium, and has been attributed to it's antiseptic and antibacterial, medicinal properties. Since turmeric has been touted for it's efficacy in helping digestive disorders, I pop it into a lot of my recipes - more to come to the site - and it has been a surprising yet awesome find. Cayenne comes in for the one-two punch, neutralizing acidity in the body, stimulating circulation, and acting as a great anti-agent for inflammation, colds, and other illnesses, besides just adding a whole other dimension to my new favorite recipe.

Recipe and steps after the jump ... 

Mexican Cold Chocolate

+ 1 Banana (frozen)
+ 1/3 c. Mango (frozen)
+ Almond Milk (1/2 c. +)
+ 2 tbsp - 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder (to taste)
+ 2-3 Dashes of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Tumeric
+ 1 Dash of Cayenne (a little goes a long way)
+ Featured: Coconut Butter (recipe coming next week) and Hulled Hemp Seeds
+ Optional: replace part of liquid with coconut water or if neither is on hand, just use water; add 1/3-1/2 c. of spinach; if you need more sweetness, try adding honey or maple syrup

Throw all of your ingredients, minus the liquid, into a blender. Fill with your choice of liquid to just below your ingredients - this helps with the frosty consistency, but if you accidentally add too much liquid, just toss in more frozen banana or mangoes, and it's all fixed. Give it a whirl, pour it into a bowl or big mug, and top with your choice of additions. Some that I like that aren't featured above: granola, toasted buckwheat groats, chocolate brown rice cereal, i.e. the options are endless. Enjoy! Xx.

+ what's your take on spicy foods that are 'supposed' to be sweet?
Tell me your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook. 

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Sugar Blues Check-In // registration open!

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The Giving Up of Sugar ...

It’s been two weeks since I announced my giving up sugar for the remainder of October. To be honest, I don’t know how differently I feel. I can’t hold one factor, sugar, constant, and a lot of other things are happening in my life. But here’s why I've stuck with it: when I decided not to tempt myself with sugar for the remainder of the month, it was so I could get back to my body and my health.

Sugar is a drug, so I detoxed with what felt a lot like a hangover for a few days. With my permanent sweet tooth, I’m surprised I was able to give it all up (still eating fruit, though). I even have lollipops in my drawer that I’m not eating. And I feel proud. I feel in control. Sugar addictions are no joke, and it’s easy to feel out of control around the substance. We deny ourselves sugar, so that in turn only makes us want it more. Then we let ourselves have it, but knowing that we’ll restrict ourselves again, we binge binge binge on the sweetness of our treats.

I am no stranger to hiding out in the kitchen with, yet again, another slice of cake. That feeling like you're hiding out and scarfing down your guilty pleasure, hoping no one will come in and see you in your blissful shame. Maybe that resonates with you, or maybe that sounds silly, and of course, not everyone has that feeling in the world, but it doesn’t make the emotions that come with it any less. Some feelings that can come up from sugar addiction are: confusion, stress, shame, remorse, guilt, frustration.

It’s easy to feel out of control, throw your hands up in the air, and go home to hide, but those emotions listed above are no bueno. We need to be feeling strong, glowing, energetic, excited, and loved by the foods we’re putting in our body. If you feel like your cravings are out of control, you’re not alone. In fact, I’m right there with you. It’s a never-ending cycle and a movement towards greater understanding.

But guess what? I’ve taken all of the hard work out for you. If you want to understand why you’re constantly craving sweets and how to gain control without deprivation, you’re in the right place. Join me in October for The Sugar Blues Talk ... reserve your space today by clicking below!

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powered by greens style? Join the newsletter.

P.S.S. Be sure to tune into my snapchat (@efriend216) or
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for my adventures and foodie finds! x

Foods I Take to Wake: Third Edition

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Spinach, Bananas, & Almond Milk

 Welcome back to Foods I Take to Wake. I’ve (Emily, here!) received a lot of questions around how I eat on campus and survive my days of being a gluten-free vegan without dying of lack of protein (doesn’t happen, folks) or only eating cardboard-flavored foods. I promise it’s not impossible. The food I eat is tasty, delicious, and absolutely INCREDIBLE. I love food, and I love sharing my passions with you. Every other week, I’ll be dishing out three of my go-to foods for everyday life, especially when I’m away at school. Let’s get to it!

Note: I am not affiliated with Trader Joe’s & as such, my words reflect my love for the product, for my health, & not at all about money. I must really love them…

P.S. Today’s foods are my favorite. Without them, I wouldn’t survive on campus. Seriously. As long as I have these three ingredients, I’m never hungry or nutrient deprived. See my training wheels smoothie to build the base!

P.S.S. If you haven't already, check out post I & post II.

SPINACH

Spinach blows my mind sometimes. Besides helping pregnant woman have enough folate in their diets, it’s a superfood with a lot of amazing benefits. It helps regulate blood sugar, can help with asthma, as been linked with cancer prevention, packs  a punch with vitamin K for strong bones, gives you healthy skin and hair, keeps you regular, and is packed with fiber, phosphorous, is a great source for non-heme iron, and is high in beta-carotene. Raise the roof! Woot woot. Okay, that’s lame. I’m still a foodie geek through and through.

BANANAS

B-a-n-a-n-a-s … had to go there. The whole banana is a magical entity, curing indigestion for some and acting as a shoe polish for others. The banana wears many hats. I’m serious about that polish trick. All jokes aside though, bananas are awesome. They help stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the body, while also helping to guard the sensitive lining of the stomach i.e. for ulcers. Bananas are full of fiber and help poor digestion. They control blood sugar and help stave off cravings. They’re great in smoothies, brownies, as ice cream splits, eaten with almond butter slathered on top, or baked with a little almond milk for a creamy sugar-craving elixir. They were my best friend when I was training for a half marathon, and they’re still #1 in my life helping me kick bad habits as well as not starve on campus. Love them!

ALMOND MILK

Ahhhh Almond Beverage. How can I explain my feelings quite so productively. First of all, it ROCKs. Thank god Almond milk exists. Let me just celebrate Trader Joe’s though. Finally a non-dairy milk that isn’t chock full of quite so many impossible to pronounce ingredients. One day, I’ll be able to make my own almond milk, but until then, she’ll have to do and boy is she a star. Almond milk is the perfect liquid for my smoothies, it’s excellent as the base for my oatmeal, chia seed pudding, added for corn bread or used to dip cookies in. But why do we love almond milk? It packs 30% DV of calcium (vegan = not hard to get nutrients). It’s packed with vitamin E — hello, glow. It keeps your digestion on track, supports healthy blood sugar, and helps with muscle strength and restoration. You know how good chocolate milk is for you? It actually is I swear. Imagine cacao almond milk as being the best cure-all for recovering athletes, healthy adults, and women on lady’s holiday. Food for the win.

+ what are your favorite foods that you couldn’t live without? share below or on facebook!

Be sure to tune into my snapchat (@efriend216) or follow me on instagram or twitter (both @yourfriend_em) for my adventures and foodie finds! xx