Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread | Healthy Food of The Day!

Bread made without flour? Out of sprouted grains, legumes and seeds? This couldn’t possibly taste good, could it?

Based loosely on a Biblical recipe culled from the Book of Ezekiel, Food For Life (the company that makes Ezekiel bread) has introduced a whole line of sprouted grain foods that run the gamut from Cereal to bread to pasta and even tortillas. 

Regardless of how you feel about the scriptural roots of these foods, the folks who make Ezekiel 4:9 bread and cereal are on to something. At the end of the day, you could be a pagan and still benefit from this bread.

While it seems inconceivable that you could make a crunchy cereal or fluffy, light loaf of bread out of sprouted grains and beans, Food for Life has figured out how to do it!

And even better, they’ve done it without sacrificing nutrition, flavor or using preservatives or sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.

In the case of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Bread, the result is an organic, nutritionally-dense, high fiber bread that also is a complete protein — one of the few breads on the market that contain all 9 essential amino acids, is low in fat, has no Trans Fats or cholesterol and is generally low in sodium. 

Ezekiel Bread is made from six organic grains and legumes – whole wheat, malted barley, whole millet, whole barley, whole lentils, whole soybeans, and whole spelt  — which are sprouted and then combined together to make a bread.

Not only does the sprouting process create a more easily digested food, but it also creates a whole protein that closely parallels the protein found in milk, eggs and whey. In fact, Food for Life claims that the protein quality is so high, that it’s 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein.

 In all, Ezekiel Bread has 18 amino acids – all from vegetable sources and naturally balanced.  

Even better, the ingredient list is short (always a good sign — especially when you are trying to follow a Clean Eating diet), containing only 10 whole, natural ingredients.

A MUST TRY! I found mine in the freezer section of Kroger by the organics!

Let me know what you think!

I LOVE BREAKFAST!

Hey guys! I have been super pumped to share all of the amazing things I have been making! Spring has brought a new wave over me!

So if you know me, you would understand that I am a huge fan of breakfast. It is the best time to eat a huge and filling meal. I always say, "Eat breakfast like a Queen, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a...little princess??? Anyways, the point is FILL UP AT BREAKFAST! It is going to fuel your body for your long days haul.

SO I have a FEW things to share with you today! I usually only post one recipe but I am feeling extra sharing today, plus I have a TON building up on my desktop.

1.) Over-night Oats (My new obsession, let me tell you what!)

2.) Almond Butter Banana Breakfast Bars (yes, a mouth full)

VEGAN OVER-NIGHT OATS

So I have been reading my favorite blog for some time now and she has always had numerous recipes for her "over-night oats". I was like ya, oats are good but what else! So I finally told myself to give it a go because it is super easy and had two of my favorite ingredients in them: oats, and almond milk!

BEFORE BED

Prep your vegan overnight oats in a bowl and place in the fridge over night or 2 hours. Peel and chop 1-2 bananas and place in the freezer! (This is for banana soft serve and is optional, you have to have a food processor so if you do you cannot miss out on this goodness!)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of Oats (Bob Mills, rolled)

1 tbsp-2 tbsp of Chia Seeds

(I used 2. This is what thickens the mixture so don' skip!)

1 cup of non dairy milk (I used Almond)

1.5 tbsp of protein powder

(I didn't use any because mine has not come in the mail yet)

Maple syrup to taste

(I poured some over mine in the morning)

Any Fruit like blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, mango, banana (I used strawberries)

Give it a good mix!

My bananas ready to go in the freezer!

IN THE MORNING:

Process your frozen banana in the food processor to make creamy banana soft serve. Mine jumped a few times and made some funny noises but you have to keep scraping the sides, give it about 5-6 minutes!

Take your over-night oats and layer them with the banana soft serve (or just add some of your favorite fruit and enjoy!)

My banana soft serve....AMAZING!!! Can you imagine PURE banana ice cream???!!!

Layer

I added strawberries, almond butter and some pure maple syrup...YUM!

Must I say more! This was the most filling and most energizing breakfast recipes I have ever had! Unlike hot oatmeal that is great for warming you up and keeping you full, this makes you feel light and ready to get your day started!! A MUST TRY!

ALMOND BUTTER BANANA BREAKFAST BARS

These bars are delicious, nutritious, and perfect for easy grabbing and go-ing! You can enjoy these as a pre-workout snack or a quick breakfast! Who said vegan baked goods can't be tasty?!?

Ingredients:

DRY

1 cup Spelt Flour

1 cup of old fashioned oats (Bob Mills)

1/2 c finely ground Flaxseed (Bob Mills)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

WET

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (expensive but SO worth it!)

1/4 cup smooth Almond Butter (Mine wasn't exactly SMOOTH but hey?)

2 very ripe Bananas

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) In separate bowls, mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients, then combine, adding wet to dry.

Pour mixture into a pan and pat down evenly

3.) Pop in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or so minutes. Check to make sure they are done with a knife through the middle and voila!

Bob Mills is the BEST! And you can find everything they offer at your local grocery store!

My Wet and Dry ingredients

Mix together

Spread evenly

The smell of these baking in the oven was incredible!

I made these when Graham was out of town and took them to work for all of my fellow lulus! They were gone quicker than I had imagined and I am looking forward to making them again soon! They were so easy and super filling, great for a busy day!

ENJOY and have a GREAT Saturday!

Staying Positive!

Today can be a day to cozy up inside and I am doing just that! Even though I am in need of some warm sunny weather, I have plenty of things to do on my list! As some of you may have noticed I was following a cleanse (The Elimination Diet) and decided to move it along at a quicker pace. The diet is 28 days long and involves eliminating everything that could irritate ones system and then slowly adding it back in to see if one has any allergies or intolerance. To say the least, my body didn't like it. Having a clean organic diet free of milk, meat and eggs I found I was taking away all of the vital nutrients it needed. I can see and recommend this cleanse to someone who is heavily dependent on processed sugary foods, meat and dairy! I did come up with some tasty recipes which I will share with you over the next few weeks!

I must admit it cut down on my love for trying new recipes so I apologise for my absence! I spent more of my time working on my first ever garden! (check out the organic gardening tab to see more) I am so excited to share this recipe because I picked the fresh basil from my new plants!

Before I give you the amazing recipe I want to share some of my learning's from school! (Institute for Integrative Nutrition)

Health is more than just eating well.
Below you will find lifestyle suggestions designed to help you live a healthy, happy life!
How many can you fill your life with this week?!

1.) Give generously of yourself to others

2.) View everything and everyone you meet with gratitude

3.) Live each day happily without FOCUSING on your problems

4.) Hum or sing a happy song everyday

5.) Foster a sense of humor

6.) Treat yourself to regular daily quiet time - study, pray, meditate - RECHARGE YOURSELF!

7.) Include exercise as part of your daily life. Try something new!

8.) Keep your home in good order. You are your home!

9.) Offer thanks before/after meals

10.) Do your best to be on good terms with people, especially those closest to you.

Most of all, create a positive attitude and wonderful environment around you, and enjoy the process of becoming healthier and happier every step of the way!

Okay...so here it is! The recipe I have been searching for!!! As a vegetarian I have had to give up some things I adore, or my pallette adores. Yogurt, ice cream (that contains milk) cheese...and my favorite, Alfredo pasta!!! I have eaten these, don't get me wrong, but I do my best to avoid them. Not only for environmental/inhumane reasons, but because my body does not do well with them. I feel heavy, bloated, sluggish, BAD.

So when I came across this recipe on my FAV blog I new I had to make it! Even better I had fresh basil outside in my garden calling my name.

Creamy Avocado Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients

1 box of spaghetti pasta (choose your serving)

1 ripe avocado

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 lemon juice (fresh lemon)

3 cloves of garlic

Fresh Basil (at least 1/4 cup)

*1 cup of mushrooms (Optional. The recipe didn't call for this but I added it in there!)

This recipe is SOO easy and burst with flavor! It is very garlicky so if you desire it not to be add less, maybe one clove.

1.) Cook pasta according to directions (About 10 minutes) Drain and set aside. If adding mushrooms, saute in olive oil 3-6 minutes. Set aside.

2.) In the meantime, add in garlic and oil to a food processor and blend until garlic is chopped. (Mine didn't mix too well)

3.) Add in avocado, juice of 1/2 a lemon and fresh basil. Process until creamy!

4.) Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. This sauce is very think so you have to work it into the pasta!

5.) Serve immediately and enjoy!

My fresh basil plant, organic!

Fresh picked basil, lavender and parsley. Time to cook!

Olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, avocado and basil. How much more flavor can you get?!

I added some cashews for an added crunch!

This dish was hands down incredible! I do not eat pasta very much because it makes me feel heavy and it definitely did the trick, but it was evening and the perfect time to eat a meal that is heavy and filling. The avocado was so creamy and delicious I will be making this again very soon! Enjoy!

Where Does Your Happiness Come From?

I hope you had a great week! I am still going strong on the Elimination diet and will share some of my great recipes I have come up with tomorrow!

Yesterday for yoga I set the intention for class to focus on SANTOSHA the 2nd of the Niyamas (guidelines to interact with ourselves and our internal world).

***SANTOSHA***
Evenness of mind, through all that life offers. Contentment, accepting what is, and making the best of everything. Exhibit gratitude and joyfulness, remain calm with success and failure, let go of attachment and any external status, remain focused in the face of adversity and choose love over fear!

I found this brought great happiness to me after class! Later to find out in the evening something did not go the way I wanted or had it planned, and I quickly let go of this intention and let my emotions take control of my happiness.

Doing some school work this morning, I was instructed to watch this video about happiness and I must say it was really interesting! Only 6 minutes long, it gets to the point that we have the ability to CHOOSE if we are happy by our intentions.

It also has a short clip on meditating and how it can increase your mood in up to 2 weeks!

Take some time for yourself today, BE INSPIRED!!!

Have a great Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv6xYmh4Y-w&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sonja+lyubomirsky&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

Spring Cleanse!

My friends from lululemon and I have been battling the effects of a cleanse (massive sugar cravings and lack of energy) but I am still alive, and feeling great!

I chose to go with the elimination diet, which I briefly went over in my last post. Two days of just green smoothies left me feeling like a zomby so I decided to end the second day with the food suggested to start off day 3 or phase 1.

Phase 1:

Phase 1 is about consuming hypo-allergenic foods such as fruits (excluding strawberries, citrus, kiwis, bananas, and pinapple) steamed veggies, raw salads with avocados, roasted yams (with olive oil) steamed sweet potatoes, squash, lentils, adzuki bean, mung beans, quinoa, teff, and brown rice. All of the foods are very light in calories, stating to eat frequently to keep hunger at bay. It also recommends snacking on organic sun flower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, and dried figs. Green smoothies are still a large part of the diet as well!

Elimination diet or not these meals are a great way to enjoy the benefits of cleansing foods while not embracing the entire diet. I must admit as tough as it was to eat nothing but green smoothies for 2 days I had such an appreciation for the food I got to eat. I have never been so pleased or thankful which made me think how often I took my food for granted. Give thanks for what you have been given!

Here are some of the dishes I came up with!

1.) Quinoa with steamed yams, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts and sprouts. I must admit, the sprouts were....HORRIBLE! But, I will work on acquiring the taste, someday!

2.) More quinoa and veggies! I topped it off with spinach this time.

Snack and lunch. Smaller portions are required after drinking smoothies for 2 days your stomach cannot handle much more.

3.) Keeping up with the green smoothies! Although I turned this one more pink with the blackberries and carrots! This is one of my new favorite smoothies, who would of thougt carrots would be good with fruit?!

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 pear

8-10 Blackberries

handful of shredded carrots

1-2 collard green leaves

1 cup of water

4-6 ice cubes

4.) Brown rice, shelled hemp seeds, broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrots, spinach, avocado and sprouts. SOO delicious (other than the sprouts!) I handed one to Graham and said "Try these, they are SO good!!" I must say it was a great joke, they taste somewhere along the lines of rotten toasted cheese, I think?

Try out some if these dishes, a great start to spring!

Cravings. Sweet-Salty-Spicy-Creamy. Sound Familiar?

I apologize for the lack of post. I have been so busy with school, teaching yoga, and organizing my Japan community challenge that I have put blogging on the back burner. But that is not the only thing I have let my guard down on, my diet has been suffering too.

I am a busy person, I like work. When I am not busy I tend to be lazy so keeping myself productive is a must! But these past few weeks have caught up with me and I have been asking myself

 "Why am I eating THIS?!"

This weekend my body was fed up, done, not going any further without the nutrients it needed and it let me know this by craving certain foods. Friday I went straight to Smoothie King (my FAVorite place to be!) and ordered the the most amazing smoothie on this earth. In fact, it is more like a milk shake, with 45 grams of protein, chocolate, and butter pecan ice cream. Amazing to say the least. My gaze then rested on the "Pepper and Salt" chips. Looking at Graham I said, "I'm getting those" he gave me an unpleasant look and said, "No you're not".

I got them (period).

Six months ago I would of felt like the weakest person on this earth. "I gave into my cravings AGAIN! What a vicious cycle I cannot get out of!" But now, after learning so much from school I reflected back on my actions and what my body was craving to learn what it was really wanting.

So I turned to the chapter I had recently studied, CRAVINGS.

Our body really knows what it wants and it will go to great measures to get it.

 I won't get to deep into the subject but want to cover some of the basic.

SWEET CRAVINGS

We mainly crave sweet because as a society are addicted to processed foods. At first I disagreed. I don't eat processed foods. After my denial faded, I realized how much I rely on foods that are processed.

 How can you work to remove these from your diet? I try to make my meals the night before.

SALT CRAVINGS

The number one reason we crave salty things are because we are not getting enough minerals in our diet. This hit home with me this weekend when I shoved salt and pepper chips down my throat. Mainly vegan, I have not been giving my body the minerals it needed. Note to self!

SPICY CRAVINGS

If someone is eating the standard American diet (processed foods high in chemicals and artificial sweeteners) and has little to no whole foods (a lot of fat) there blood tends to thicken and slow. Therefore the body will crave spicy food to help prevent this (pizza, Mexican food, etc)

CREAMY CRAVINGS
We crave creamy things like peanut butter or a ridiculous ice cream smoothie in my case when we are highly stressed in our lives. Most of the time we just need a hug, or someone in our life to tell us how much they appreciate and love us. Take a break! Second note to self.

Which one of these craving do you have in your life? What steps can you take to slowly ease these out of your life?

The next time you have a craving, BE THANKFUL for it! Stop. Listen. Think. And feed your body what it needs, not necessarily what it wants!

Here is a great recipe to leave you grounded and craving free! Its crunchy, salty, cooling, and filling!

STIR FRY

Ingredients

1/2 cup carrots

1/2 cup red bell peppers

1/2 cup broccoli

1/2 cup cauliflower

Brown Rice (cook according to box)

Peanut Sauce

3 tbsp organic Peanut butter

2-4 tbsp Almond  Milk

1 tsp Paprika

2 tbsp shelled hemp seeds

1.) Cook carrots and red bell peppers in 1 tbsp of olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.

2.) Then add in the other vegetables and cook 2-4 minutes.

3.) In the meantime, make your peanut sauce. I used peanut sauce because it is creamy and delicious!

I added in some paprika to add in some spice and shelled hemp seeds to get my protein and essential amino acids!

4.) Add in cooked rice and add desired soy sauce. Mix in with the veggies!

Serve with peanut sauce!

This dish was the perfect mix to satisfy all of my cravings! It has vegetables in it that kept me grounded but also gave my palette a spicy kick with the soy sauce and paprika! The creamy texture of the sauce left me more that satisfied!

Tomorrow I start the Elimination Diet!

Stay tuned for my day to day updates :)