Yummy Healthy Raw Ice Cream

My router died so i was unable to get online for a few days!! what an awful yet freeing feeling. as much as it was terrible not being able to connect on-line, send emails etc it also gave me some time to focus on a project that i've been working on. i've been working on my recipe e-book and this weekend i took the time to edit it, add pics and add some more recipes. it truly includes all my favorite recipes. It is all about simple and easy ways to eat more nutritious and delicious raw living foods. Its not just for 100% raw vegans but for everyone that wants to eat well. i'm sooo excited to get it done, get it on my website and share it with everyone!! its coming soon!!!

my ice cream was vanilla banana but i only had a pic of chocolate!! i'll take pics of my ice cream next time i make it- i'm sure i will make it again very soon!!! i think i'll do a chocolate banana next.

ok- so yes its freezing outside and we may get another ice storm this week but i was in the mood for a yummy cold creamy treat today. i made a huge batch of raw vegan vanilla banana ice cream and mason, owen and i ate it all!!!

4 cups almond milk (i used homemade but you can use store bought too. you can use any nut/seed milk: hemp, brazil nut and cashew milks always make good ice creams.)
4 frozen bananas
3 scoops sun warrior vanilla protein powder
4 tbsps non-gmo soy lecithin
4 dates
10 drop vanilla stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
blend all the above ingredients in vita-mix blender till creamy. place in ice cream machine and follow directions on your machine. my ice cream maker takes about 45 minutes to turn the liquid into a creamy delight!! it was exactly what i wanted today!!! yummy!!!

namaste, kelly

No Power!!!

mason making snow angels!!!!

crazy day so this will be short. we lost power and are staying at a hotel. yes- its warm and cozy but its not my home. but we are treating it as an adventure!! so during an unplanned crisis like this what do you do for food?? you eat simple. i had loads of ripe mangos that the kids and i indulged in all day. then i had some homemade almond milk leftover from yesterday so i mix in some sun warrior protein powder, shook it really hard in my mason jar and enjoyed every sip. for the kids i brought sprouted bread with nut butters and bananas, raisens, avocado, lara bars, clementines and apples. we all also love all of lydias organics crackers so i brought those to put a chunk of avocado on top and munch on when we are hungry. so we got lots of food to thrive on.
today i took the kids to the Playseum in bethesda and it was fabulous- perfect place that you can spend a few hours and just run and play!!
ok- time to go play with the kids- barnyard uno and memory!!

stay warm and cozy!!!

namaste, kelly

My Daily Nutrition

this is a picture of all my delicious produce getting ripe on my counter: mangos, avocado, bananas and more!!! remember its really important to only eat "ripe" produce. ripe produce has more enzymes so it will optimally digest.

yesterday i took a break from my green juice so i was soooo excited to drink it today.
woke
yoga- modified practice but felt fabulous
water, probiotic
drank kombucha tea while prepared foods for the day
worked with clients at the studio
drank green juice while working with clients- 60 ounces

yummy green juice today: celery, cucumber, apple, cilantro, parsley, dandelion greens, broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, pea sprouts, chard, kale, beet greens, romaine, spinach, ginger and lemon----- soooo refreshing!!!
took supplements with green juice: multi, vit b-12, b complex, vit c, vit d3, omega zen
body rolled my lower extremity. one of the best things you can do for your body is regularly get manual work or bodywork done to it- meaning find a massage therapist or bodyworker to see regularly.
its important that they really get to know your body and can help you work out areas that need to be released etc. one way to release areas yourself is to use a foam roller, body rolling balls or even a tennis ball. today i used a tennis ball to release my piriformis, quads, IT-band and all the muscles of the lower extremity. yes- its a little painful while i'm doing it but it feels sooo open afterwards. i use these techniques with patients and clients often.
worked with more clients
ate 2 very large mangos- sooo sweet!!! the picture shows my mangos, bee pollen, sun warrior protein powder (i add more to my smoothie when i eat it) and supplements for the day

clients
green smoothie (or pudding- i made it extra thick by not adding water): banana, strawberry, mango, spinach, chard, pure synergy, pomegranate powder, acia, sun warrior protein, bee pollen

picked up mason
clients and business meeting
now i'm sipping on kombucha!!

love simple eating days!!

Be Grateful for your Health / Today's Nutrition

Good evening everyone!! if you read yesterday's post you all saw that i have a slight strain in my adductor. i couldn't wait to see how it felt today. i did modify my practice but minimally- so i'm extremely grateful for that. this experience reminds me to be grateful for my health and reminds me of why i treat my body like a temple on a daily basis. sometimes we take our health and physical body for granted. if we don't have our health we would not be able to experience life to its fullest. this is why you should do everything in your power to maintain and optimize your health. the sad thing is that most diseases are caused by things that we have control over- how we eat, stress levels, lack of sleep and exercise etc.

Many of you know that i'm a huge fan of regularly detoxing the body, mind and spirit. detoxing regularly will help extend your life. detoxing gives the digestive system and body a rest allowing it to function optimally. when the body is overloaded with toxins it can't function properly, works harder and therefore, will deteriorate faster.

i was always very health conscious but it was when i was trying to get pregnant with my first baby that really brought me to eating the cleanest way possible. i was having difficulty getting pregnant and wanted to do everything natural that i could to support my fertility. i consulted a doctor that used raw living foods to heal various health issues including fertility issues. what i realized through this experience was that it was not just what i did but what i did not do- meaning eliminating toxins in every way i could. what i believe helped most was changing my diet to the most nutrient-dense diet possible (raw living foods/drinks), decreasing stress (working less, less travel), becoming more mindful and present and giving my body and mind space to actually get pregnant.
take time to be grateful for your health and your physical body and make it a priority to treat it the best you can everyday!! you are worth it!!!

today's nutrition:

woke at 4am
water / probiotic
yoga / breathing practice
kombucha tea
(took a day off from green juice- i do this occasionally just to vary things up- but i truly missed it!!)
2 large mangos
brazil nut smoothie: 3 cups brazil nut milk, 2 bananas, 2 scoops sun warrior vanilla protein, bee pollen, whole leaf stevia (drank this over 3 hours while i did my monday shopping)
mondays are my day to stock up on all the good foods for the week. i go to my organic market and whole foods. i love seeing my kitchen stocked!!
sea spaghetti salad- this was so delicious and nutritious

1 handful herb mix salad
1 handful arugala
1/2 cup sea spagetti
a few soaked sun dried tomatoes


1/2 avocado
1 tbsp tahini
drizzle of sun dried tomato water
sprinkle of nutritional yeast
dash of sea salt
ate this with my amazing kale chips
now i'm sipping on kombucha

i also took the day off from my supplements.

namaste, kelly

Delicious Arugala Beet Orange Walnut Salad and more...

i had a wonderful playdate all afternoon with a fabulous friend who has a 5 year old boy. our boys played sooo well together while we made a feast and enjoyed great conversation and down time. our feast was a delicious Arugala Beet Orange Walnut Salad. i wanted to take pics but totally forgot because i was having so much fun in the moment. you have to try this salad!! remember- i rarely follow recipes so this was just me throwing in stuff that i new would be fabulous so my amounts are estimates.

serves 2:
3/4 box of herb mix salad
3/4 box of arugala
beets- i lightly steamed them today because i wanted that warming feeling. i often grate raw beets and this is delicious too.
1/2 cup soaked organic sun dried tomatoes
1-2 tbsp kelp (from shakers)
1-2 tbsp dulse (from shakers)
1/2 cup raw organic sprouted walnuts
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
optional to add sprouts- i had no sprouts today or else i would have added them!!

dressing:
juice of 1 orange, plus the pulp of the orange in small slices
2 tbsp sun dried tomato soaked water
1 tbsp tahini- love rejuvenative foods brand
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp nutritional yeast
whisk all ingredients together
mix dressing into salad and enjoy!! i always add more nutritional yeast and sea veggies on top!!!

after playing with the boys and cleaning up we enjoyed more conversation and lots of yummy KALE CHIPS!!!


ok- now the negative part of the day- got a little strain in my adductor muscle- inner thigh muscle. i either was not warmed up enough before going into a pose at yoga or just went too deep. even being very mindful and present a strain can happen occasionally. i try to learn from all experiences so this is a time to slow down and let my body heal. i believe everything happens for a reason so i will go with it. when things like this happen it does not mean you have to totally take off of your exercise program. i plan to continue my yoga / movement program but with modifications. i will focus on more upper body and core strengthening. i will open other areas of my body that i can without irritating the adductor. i will deepen my breathing practice etc.... so this week i will most likely not go to yoga class but continue my home practice focusing on poses that my body will thrive on right now. i challenge everyone who has some kind of injury or issue to be mindful and work on developing a movement program that will help your body heal instead of hurting it more. most importantly don't do nothing. we all need to move and exercise everyday!! if you need help developing an exercise/movement program taking into consideration injuries and issues i'm happy to help you- this is what i do everyday with my patients and clients. i combine my physical therapy expertise with my knowledge in yoga, pilates and gyrotonic exercise to develop effective exercise / movement programs.

happy detoxing to all my 7-day detoxees and happy healing to me!!!


namaste, kelly

Today's Nutrition / Raw Vegan Ice Cream

Today was the pre-detox workshop for the next group of 7-day detoxees. I love doing detox programs because i truly feel that everyone gets in touch with their bodies on a different level. a huge part of the program is journaling and becoming mindful about how food makes you feel, connecting food to certain symptoms, recognizing cravings etc. If you feel out of control with your food, nutrition, wellness etc then i challenge you to slow down and start journaling. i also highly recommend you write down what you plan on eating the next day. this helps you be prepared and have a plan for the whole day of eating. you are more likely to be successful in changing your eating habits if you are prepared and have a plan.

My nutrition today:
woke at 4 for yoga
water, probiotic
drank kombucha while making green juice
made boys smoothies for the day using green juice as a base
yoga class at yoga fusion- fabulous sequence today by eileen!!

was soooooo thirsty for my green juice i was thinking about it during class!!
drank green juice and took supplements

home to spend time with owen
made brazil nut milk and brazil nut smoothie

drank brazil nut smoothie: brazil nut milk, frozen banana, sun warrior brown rice protein powder, dash of whole leaf stevia- i love this smoothie!!
brazil nuts are loaded with selenium which is great for helping to get toxins out of the body. just one brazil nut per day provides you with your daily selenium requirements.
pre-detox workshop
home for ice cream and movie night with the family!!
i ate wayyyyy too much ice cream but it was soooo delish!! i love "cashew creamery" raw vegan vanilla and chocolate. i ate a mixture of the two. this creamy dessert is a wonderful alternative to regular ice cream. however, you still should not overindulge. it is still loaded with fat and sugar. yes- good fats but too many fats are hard for the body to digest. The sugar is agave. i'm not a fan of agave!! some research is showing that due to agave's high fructose levels it can cause metabolic syndrome and other negative issues. so i never eat it on a regular basis. occasionally when i indulge in a sweet treat and it has it in i will eat it but
i never put it in anything myself. what i suggest for others who want to include it in their diet is to not eat it every day and to vary between other sugars- raw honey, dates/dried fruit, lucuma, mesquite, whole leaf stevia etc.
typically for our ice cream nights i make my own raw vegan ice creams with less fat and better sugars. i even often add sun warrior protein to my ice creams.
now i'm sipping on a kombucha tea and will go to bed and get a good night rest soon!!

namaste, kelly

Today's Nutrition / Pre-Detox Workshop

What a delicious day!!

Owen reaching for my KALE CHIPS!!!

Owen signing that he wants "more" kale chips!!

Owen showing me his eaten up kale chips!! he loves them!!!

woke at 4am for morning yoga practice- i see a massage therapist every tuesday who is just amazing. this week we focused on opening up my piriformis, hips, hamstrings, groin/adductors etc. this work has allowed me to go a little deeper in all my hip opening poses this week. it has been freeing and fabulous!!
water and probiotics
kombucha tea while cutting fruit for the kids
made green juice
sipped on green juice all morning and took supplements: i vary my supplements often but today i did my multi, vit c, vit d3, b-12, b-complex and omega zen dha. (all whole food supplements of course).
shopping at my organic market with owen. i honestly love grocery shopping. so many fabulous foods to fuel the body and mind!!
home to make lunch and a big batch of Kelly's Amazing Kale Chips!!
lunch started off with a few spoonfuls of raw fermented sauerkraut by rejuvenative foods. then i made a fabulous collard wrap of alfalfa sprouts, arame, hijiki, tomato, carrot and dressing of tahini, miso, nutritional yeast and sea salt.

This is my soaked arame and hijiki that both owen and i ate in our lunches. its sooo easy to make. you soak it for 30 minutes and its ready to eat.

This is my favorite brand of tahini!! tahini has loads of calcium so it should be in everyone's diet. plus it tastes fabulous.

owen ate some of my lunch and i made him a plate of quinoa, arame, hijiki, carrots and lima beans with udo's choice oil and nutritional yeast.
Made a huge batch of kale chips.
i made 5 of the bowls below.

This is the secret topping i slather on my kale chips to make them taste amazing!!!

The kale chips in the dehydrator.

owen and i ate some as i was making them. they are even good not dehyrated!! i love dipping them in extra olive oil with extra nutritional yeast.
had a nutrition phone consult and worked in office while owen was napping
off to pick up mason and go to playdate.
home for dinner
i ate kale chips right out of the dehydrator. they are the best when they are crispy and warm and they just melt in your mouth.
i was selling my amazing kale chips for a while but it got to be soooo much work. i love that everyone loves them though. i just wish some big company would buy my recipe so everyone could enjoy them all the time!!

tomorrow is the Pre 7-Day Detox workshop that will launch the 7-day detox that starts on monday. if you still want to join you are welcome to- just call or email. i have many other 7-day detox program scheduled in february and march so i will keep you updated when and where etc.

namaste, kelly

Being Present / Yoga / Daily Liquid Nutrition

one of my daily intentions is to "be present" in everything i do. when i'm spending time with my kids i'm very aware of not just "going through the motions". Instead i truly try to see the world through their eyes and determine what their needs, wants, emotions are etc. It is a challenge for me to not just react to situations but to think through my actions when responding to their actions. i remind myself that they learn from me. This is a life lesson. how you treat people and act towards people is often how others will respond to you. i had a lot of kid time this weekend which is always soooo much fun!! here are some pics of us playing at norwood park yesterday. it was a little chilly but i love to get out and play any time we can!!



Yoga has been amazing lately. my 4am practice was focused on going deeper into the connection of the breath and each movement. my 8:30 class today was a fabulous vinyasa flow focused on developing core and upper body strength. one of my intentions right now is to increase my overall "muscle strength"!!!- so it was a perfect class. here is a pic of crow pose which helps to build upper body and core strength.

Today i drank most of my meals. I like doing this days i'm on the move because i get my nutrients in and don't have to waste time chewing. i make sure to still swirl the liquid around my mouth so that the enzymes in my mouth take action on the food and help with digestion.
woke 4am
yoga practice at home
water and probiotic
drank kombucha while kids munched on cantaloupe and we made buckwheat pancakes
owen drank his green smoothie and mason drank his almond carob milk leftover from yesterday (almond milk, whole leaf stevia, carob, sometimes a date or raw honey)
yoga class at studio
2 large amazing mangos
grocery shopping with mason
made smoothies for kids and I
mango, strawberries, banana, spinach, chard, pure synergy green powder, acai powder, pomegranate powder, sun warrior vanilla protein powder all blended up in vitamin blender.

kids also had a bowl of lentil, veggie and quinoa soup with avocado and sprinkled with nutritional yeast.

off to the "Playseum" in bethesda for an afternoon of fun!!

home to make dinner with kids
made large almond milk smoothie for all of us: almond milk, banana, lucuma powder, sun warrior brown rice vanilla protein powder, whole leaf stevia, vanilla powder (i've been loving this lately!!! and the kids too).
kids also had organic chicken breast, more lentil, quinoa and veggie stew and raw carrots and cantaloupe. they snacked on some raw almond chocolate ice cream later.
i don't often give the kids fish or chicken or any meat but occasionally i do to let them try a little of everything available. they loved it tonight. especially because they put organic ketchup on it too!!! everything is better with ketchup. i feel ok about giving them these foods occasionally as long as they are from the best sources. i feel it is important to introduce kids to a variety of foods and styles of eating and hope they will make healthy decisions when they are choosing what to eat in the future.
i of course am sipping a kombucha tea as i write this.
so for me it was mostly smoothies today and i loved it.
time to relax, read and go to bed

namaste, kelly

Yoga- Essential Postures

Yoga is just part of who i am- living my yoga on and off the mat. There are many postures that i feel are essential to almost everyone on a daily basis. i wake early before my boys wake to do a morning energizing practice. i do all my "essential" postures here so that when i go to class later or practice later i can go even deeper into that practice in mind, body and spirit. since my physical body is awakened i'm able to go deeper on the other levels. i will be sharing with you over many blog posts the postures that i feel are essential and other "essentials" of living your yoga in mind, body and spirit.

Practice "Plank" everyday!! plank is a fabulous dynamic strengthener of the whole body- specifically the core and upper body. once you have this pose then you can work on properly flowing through a vinyasa sequence. Here are some points to think about and experiment with when practicing plank:
Palms are pressing into the mat with fingers spread wide. Slight external rotation in the shoulder joint allowing the pointer finger to point forward. Slight bend in the elbows to prevent hanging out on the joint and increase the work of the muscles. Create a broad upper back by spreading shoulder blades (shoulder blades are wrapped on the rib cage). Pull abdominals up and in and connect the ribs at the front of the body (feel the back of the ribs go up towards the ceiling). Tailbone is lengthened towards the heels. Balls of the feet are pressing into the mat. Create slight internal rotation in the hips/thighs and be sure legs are firm. Heels reach back and crown of the head reaches forward- create as much length in the body as you can. Gaze is just in front of your mat (or you can slightly tuck the chin to create more length in the back of the neck). If you have a neck injury or tightness in the shoulders/upper back then keep the chin slightly tucked to create as much length as possible.
work on holding this posture as long as you can while maintaining your breath. To progress shift forward and back a few times and then shift forward and lower down just one to two inches with elbows clipping the body. press back to the start position slow and controlled with your breath. build up the number of mini-press-ups you do every day.

Namaste, kelly

My Daily Nutrition

Here is what i thrived on today.

I actually slept in till 5:30 when mason came in to wake me up
Yoga with the boys
water, probiotic
sipped on kombucha while making buckwheat pancakes for the boys
yoga class at yoga fusion- great class today!!!

home to make my green juice
3 shots of E-3 live
supplements: vit C and Vit D3
20 ounces of green juice with wheatgrass powder

20 ounces of green juice with pure syngery green powder
worked on updates on "detox program" while owen was napping
brazil nut milk smoothie- sooo yummy:
2 cups homemade brazil nut milk
1 1/2 scoop sun warrior protein powder
dash of whole leaf stevia
dash of vanilla powder
1 frozen banana
a few hours later:
couple bites of broccoli
sesame sprouted grain bread with avocado mashed on top sprinkled with nutritional yeast and dash of sea salt.

each bite i dipped in a little olive oil: my body is craving fat. i've been craving fats like avocado and olive oil lately!!! Plus, i rarely eat grains and i just felt my body wanted something dense today.
skinned brushed before shower
moisturized with coconut oil after shower!!

Sipping on kombucha tea as i write this.

one food combining rule that i'm very strict about is allowing one meal to fully digest before eating the next. This helps to optimally digest each meal you eat. Pay attention to your hunger cues. if you are not hungry- don't eat- it's simple!!

Namaste, Kelly

Yummy Almond Milk Smoothie

Here is the approximate recipe for the yummy Almond milk smoothie i made today:
2 cups almond milk- homemade of course!! brazil nut milk would be great for this too.
2 dates
1 scoop vanilla sun warrior protein powder
1/2 avocado
1 frozen banana
Blend everything together and enjoy!!! it was sooooo satisfying and kept me full for hours!!!

Organization / My Daily Rituals

My fresh almond milk, date, mesquite & maca shake today!! i let it blend for a while to warm it slightly.

i'm having sooo much fun with my new computer. lots of creative things i'm learning to do and i love starting from scratch in regards to organization!! i love being organized. i'm a list maker. i have a place for everything- including every one of my kid's toys. i have to admit i'm a little OCD in this area. but this is what makes me me. being organized helps me do things efficiently. for instance if i know exactly where my kid's coats and hats are and where my keys are then we get out of the house on time and get to where we are going- we have more time to enjoy life. challenge yourself to organize your life. in every area of your life is there a way to simplify and organize it better?
my day today:
wake
yoga
water and probiotic
kombucha tea
grocery shopping- mondays are my day to stock the house with my goodies for the week. i hit MOMS (my organic market) for all the fresh produce and more and then hit whole foods for a few things that either moms does not have. then i come home and organize it all. i love when my kitchen is filled with loads of vibrant raw foods.
drank cup of pau d'arco tea while unloading groceries
bowl of raw fermented sauerkraut and veggies- love these!!!
bowl of warmed kelp noodles, sea spagetti, arame and hiziki in a sauce of tahini, nutritional yeast and sea salt with chunks of avocado and alfalfa sprouts. Very warming and comforting meal!!
had a tutorial from my computer guy who is the best computer guy in the world
picked up mason from school
sipped on another cup of pau d'arco tea
prepared snacks of coconut yogurt and mango for the kids
prepared dinner for the kids of lentil soup with avocado and nutritional yeast with a side of quinoa
sipped on large glass of almond milk blended with dates, mesquite and maca
played lots of games with the kids and enjoyed every minute of it!!
kombucha tea while playing on the computer

namaste, kelly

New Year Detox

It's the new year and i'm busy with many clients detoxing their body, mind and spirit. This is the time of year that everyone wants to start pure and clean- And i love helping them do this. Cleansing can be done on many different levels and in many different ways- from just eating whole real foods and nothing processed for 3 days to doing a green juice cleanse for 14 days or more and so many other levels. no matter what level you choose you should always include only whole real organic foods and juices, simplify your eating and become mindful about how you respond to your new eating style.
I recommend everyone do a 7-day or more cleanse every season, 3-day cleanse at various times throughout the year and 1-day cleanses every week. Also, think of each night as a detox by not eating for at least 12 hours. if you stop eating at 7pm then do not eat anything till 7am. this gives the body time to rest and rejuvenate. For the one day cleanse choose one day each week that you eat very simple such as a green juice in the morning, a salad for lunch and a soup for dinner. Or you can choose one day per week to do a juice cleanse where you only drink green juices all day.

Currently i'm doing a few days of just green juices and green smoothies. here is a sample day:

wake
tongue brush
yoga
warm water with lemon, probiotic
kombucha tea
yoga
Green Juice + wheatgrass powder and supplements
Some days i do some fresh fruit like mango or papaya
Green Smoothie with superfoods such as pure synergy green powder, sun warrior vanilla protein powder, acai powder, ground flax seed etc.
skin brush before shower
exfoliate in shower
moisturize with coconut oil
silence / meditation

The green juice today was:
celery
cucumber
apple
broccoli sprouts
alfalfa sprouts
pea sprouts
kale
chard
bok choy
spinach
green leaf lettuce
lemon
ginger
then i mixed in wheatgrass powder

my green smoothie today was:
strawberries
banana
peaches
chard
spinach
kale
1 heaping tbsp pure synergy green powder
acai
sun warrior vanilla protein powder

Enjoy!! namaste, kelly