(whispers...)
"Taste The Rainbow"
We all know about eating the rainbow. And shopping on the outer part of the grocery store. Yes yes. But what is clean eating really anyway? I have come to feel it's necessary to speak on this matter, because it's not talked about enough. It's just always supposed to be some how self explanatory, right? You have a friend whose lost a lot of weight and you ask them how and they simply state... 'I eat clean now, and exercise'. Ummm yeah. To some this is not good enough of an answer. I clean potatoes before I fry them. Thats considered clean food right there! Right? You see how this could be confusing for some ;) No but truly. All jokes aside. I feel there is this wall people put up, if they have now transformed into a nicer looking, fitter, cleaner- eating person. And for some reason they do not want to share their tips, their advice, their diet, with the people still struggling. As if-they found this special prize on their own, and now you have to fin for yourself. 

Well, Not here. Not at the Daily Kale,  If I can help it! I'm here to help you in anyway I can. We all have the same struggle, believe me! Yes! The person that is 100 pounds overweight and looks in the mirror and wishes they were a size 12. And the person who is a size 12. -That person wants to be a size 6, and sees them selves as overweight. Etc. It goes onnnn and onnnnn. All it really comes down to is we can't judge others for their own goals!! And we do all have our own. Some wish to be slimmer, some wish to have lots of muscles everywhere. And some are simply OK with themselves just the way they are ! (And thats great! ) but maybe they don't eat healthy and would like to change just that. -Cause as I've said before again and again. It does not matter if your FAT OR SKINNY. what matters, deep down is if you are healthy. Eating clean isn't a diet, per-say. It truly is a way of life. You have to think about your future. You really, really do. I know we are all in the NOW, but we must prepare for the future as well. And feel the best we can right now. So how does one follow a Clean Eating diet plan? I will explain my thoughts on this.

Lets clean up your diet! Here are my tips on what to eat and how to prepare them to keep them clean. Also what it can replace that your eating now, thats not clean.

-Fruits - Any and all! (Raw)
-Vegetables Any and all. (Raw, if not steamed, and/or Baked/Roasted with veggie broth)
-Protein (Grilled with no added oil, Just lightly spray pan with Olive oil.)
     + [Lean Chicken and Fish. Egg whites, Tofu, Tempeh, Black Beans, Lentils, Cheese]
-Desserts (Home made frozen banana ice cream, Lara Bars, 70% (or higher) Dark chocolate, 2 ingredient cookies (Banana + Oatmeal) )
     +Recipe soon to come for Banana Ice cream
-Drinks (Coconut water, Kombucha, WATER, and sometimes wine ;)
-Snacks- Nuts, Fruits, Greek Yogurt, Protein Smoothies, Home made Protein Snacks ( Recipe soon to come)
-Carbs- Whole Grain Pizza, Pasta, Bread, Crackers, Cereal, Oats, Kamut, Brown Rice, Quinoa
(One little note. Say NO to all white things, Read the ingredients. Unbleached white flour is the same as white flour. Always stick to whole grain, whole wheat everything, if it says enriched, unbleached and white anything. It is not good! the fewer the ingredients the better.) 
-Sodium- This means when your buying canned beans, or even peanut butter. Reach for NO SALT added. We do not need extra salt. It is not good for us. Please check ingredients for this. And use soy sauce or Bragg's sparingly when cooking. It's got a LOT of sodium. 
- Eat as little packaged foods as possible. I treat myself to the occasional Luna bar, which is low in sugar and sodium. But a home made dessert is a much better choice than packaged!

Here are a few fun things to exchange carbs for. As well as just good substitutes for baking and other creations! Recipes coming to you soon! <3
Exchange this --> for that:


Pizza Crust --- Cauliflower Crust, Cauliflower Rice 
Spaghetti Noodles ---- Spaghetti Squash or Kelp Noodles
Fried Chicken --- Baked Tofu with whole wheat bread crumbs
Tacos---- Romaine Lettuce Leaves for Tortillas
Butter/Mayo--- Avocados and or Unsweetened Apple sauce
Fatty Ice Cream---- 1 Banana + Almond Butter, blended then frozen= Ice cream!
French Fries---- Baked Sweet Potato Fries (No oil, smother with Veggie broth)

And many more tips I'll be posting this month!

Basically Clean Eating is none of the extras. No added oils, etc.
It's sticking to clean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables. Not drowning them in dressings and oils. Not adding sugar to everything. And staying away from package foods, due to the amount of sodium in them. Start loving to cook on your own. Get creative in the kitchen. Ask for dressing on the side when you order a salad from a restaurant. They truly drench most dishes in oil and dressings or butter. No good, not clean. So clean it up! Happy Spring Cleaning ya'll!

SO THIS HAPPENED....tonight.
And basically couldn't be more thankful. It is soooooooo good.
You need 3 things. 

-Food processor (or I'm sure a blender would work as well)
-Cauliflower
-Knife

Cut the cauliflower's bottom off, and peel off the leaves. 
Cut in half and then pull apart the florets.
I'd say put about a 1/4 of it in there, Pulse maybe 4-5 times, Until it looks as pictured above.
Not finely grated, Right before that.
Then take out- put in container, then put the other 1/4, and so on and so on. It needs to have a small amount in the blender each time, so it all gets pulsed equally, and not blended to much. So I'd say either pulse in 4 different parts, or 2, just don't do the whole cauliflower at once. It'll end up way to mushy.

Now after you have your rice cauliflower. Get a sautee pan out, put rice in, I used only half the rice for 2 large servings. And sprayed with olive oil, seasoned with fresh chopped garlic and cilantro , paprika and lime juice and cayenne pepper. Trying to go for the 'chipotle' rice, yes. :) I topped it with Black beans, my cashew cheeze recipe, avocado and red onions. YUM. I can't wait to make an asian inspired recipe with this next! Going to make it soon! Be on the look out! ;) Enjoy.

Remember, it's very simple. All you need- 

"A friend took me to the most amazing place the other day. It's called the Augusteum. Octavian Augustus built it to house his remains. When the barbarians came they trashed it a long with everything else. The great Augustus, Rome's first true great emperor. How could he have imagined that Rome, the whole world as far as he was concerned, would be in ruins. It's one of the quietest, loneliest places in Rome. The city has grown up around it over the centuries. It feels like a precious wound, a heartbreak you won't let go of because it hurts too good. We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we're afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked at around to this place, at the chaos it has endured - the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn't been so chaotic, it's just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation."

[detox day 1] 

So this week has started out on kind of a funny foot. It's Friday- and the weekend is ahead. I had some what of a mid week crisis, if you will. I want change. I'm craving it. I need it. I need guidance, in some new direction. Sometimes we are searching so hard for something we can't find it, cause were missing all of the signs, that could be right there. But were too busy looking so far ahead. 
Well slowwwwwwwwww down young grass hopper ;) 

I know, from my own experience- I am anxious and impatient. I will jump at the word your trying to find to end your sentence. But, I have been really trying not to do that. (It's kinda a weird story, I used to finish my teachers sentences in 2nd grade and she always appreciated and thought it was funny/sweet, that I knew exactly what word she was looking for ...ahem, didn't know later on in life this could be quite annoying to some.;) Any who! Part of that anxiety quite possibly be enhanced from the coffee I chose to love dearly, and drink every morning. The funny thing is, when I say coffee every morning... You probably think of me as some serious coffee addicted drinker. Addicted, yes. Coffee lover - yes. But I only need about 4-5 sips of my full cup of half coffee, half coconut milk... and I'm through. Because mainly, I feel it in my body. And my mind realizes I need no more. I don't think I need to take a blood pressure test to know, that I have a highly sensitive reaction to coffee. I noticed yesterday, after having those 4-5 sips... later in the day, I just don't feel as good as I think I possibly could. And- I'm sick of it, to be honest. You know, we all get addicted to things, Salt, Sugar, Caffeine, Alcohol. Etc, these things are hard to shake. Believe me! This is not my first attempt at dropping coffee, let me tell ya. BUT, it is my first awareness towards taking care of my heart- from this caffeine aspect. Spiking my blood pressure... is not good.  Not good at all my friends! Not good. I have a history of heart problems in my family as well. Thats a red flag. These things are already in my blood. It's my choice- to go along with the cards dealt to me, or shuffle again. And I'm no conformist. I'm a shuffler! (is that even a word ? ;) Haha. You get my drift ! What is something that is an issue in your family- that your currently going a long with,t hat you don't necessarily like that your doing? Well figure it out. Shed light on it. Then take the road to saying goodbye to that. Were gonna change. And this is how.

So, to lose a habit. loose a craving, etc....Well. the truth? Some think it's 21 days, to form a habit. It's truly not- it's 66. :o Yeah. Thats a lot. But it's ok! Were doing this my way. And I need to take a few baby steps here and there! This is already enough of a big baby step! 30 days. Yes. You know how much I love '30 days'. Now after the 30 if I want a coffee, I can have one. BUT if I don't. Then I'm continuing on for another 36. :) Regardless- I'll carry on with the other 36 days, even if I do have a coffee on day 31. It's ok to have a little something everyone in a while. It's about not doing it so much though. This is completelyyyyyyy for health purposes only. Otherwise- I do not find ANYTHING wrong with coffee. Although, I think people with ANY heart condition should stay far away.

With all of this talk about Heart Care. <3 I must touch on the Salt subject. Now that is a danger zone. I have been doing lots of research lately- on heart health. Prevention, etc. Sodium needs to be put in the spotlight hands down. Basically you need to put your sea salt shaker in the pantry and keep it there. Do not add to anything. No, not even veggies. And stay far away from boxed foods. Make sure you buy black beans, sodium free. And also veggie broth.  Also- I suggest only using Braggs liquid aminos. And truly using only 1/2 tsp. All that stuff is dangerously high in sodium. Very very bad for you. I'm taking a deeper look into all these matters for myself. I don't consider myself- using salt that much. But I sometimes don't notice in the slightest. I wouldn't think Black beans in a can would have salt, cause it isn't necessary. But for some reason it does. So my tip. pay attention!

Stick to fruits, vegetables, lean protein and grains. Don't add salt, it truly does not need it.

Ok- I hope this is helpful guys and gals! <3 wishing you the best!

(By the way, 2nd picture- is of one of my daily oatmeals. I'm on day 3 of GF. Oatmeal is still saving me at breakfast time :)

[detox recap]
[no caffeine, no added salt, no added sugar]
gluten free & vegan since feb 5th.

Yesterday, I was off of work... and decided to cook up a storm. Which I love to do, if I'm free- on my day off. Really, I do. :) So to end the night, after making cashew cheeze, butternut squash soup, quinoa, and roasted cauliflower.... I went for a refreshing dessert. Raw Strawberry Cheesecake. Yum!

You will need

Crust:
1/2 cup Dates
1 cup Nuts, (almonds, pecans, walnuts)

Topping:
1 cup cashews
1 tbsp agave
1 tbsp vanilla
5-7 Strawberries
----------------------

First off, blend your 1 cup of nuts (I chose pecans), with your dates. (This is the crust.)
After processing those in a food processor, take a plate and pat down the crust in whatever shape you'd like. Just make sure to press it out evenly and not to thin.

Now process the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until very creamy and pink :) 
Spread on top of the crust.
Place in freezer for 1 hour-  1 and a  1/2 hours

Take out, let sit for about 15 minutes, then ENJOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!