Vegan Raw Desserts

eating healthy

3 Tips For Eating Healthy On The Go

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Eating healthy on the daily can be a true struggle! So how is someone supposed to eat healthy when they are always on the go? I’ve gotten this question often as a Pilates studio owner — my clients want to maintain their figure that they worked so hard for! So I’ve put together a list of my top 3 tips for staying healthy on the go because, trust me, I never stop!
Make a Game Plan:
One of the easiest things you can do is plan ahead. If you’re planning a business meeting or road trip, look up some healthy restaurants before you go! Do your research to get an idea of the menu for the healthiest options. The more you plan, the more likely you are to find a healthy solution. I personally always plan out the most trendy juice and smoothie bars, or if the city has a farm to table restaurant and I call ahead to ensure they can make modifications. (Side Note: I am finally ready to share my struggle with food and Crohn’s Disease, which is why I have to call ahead sometimes. Stay tuned for future posts!)
Have Healthy Snacks on Hand:

A few years ago, it may have been a challenge to find healthy snacks that you could keep on hand, but, nowadays, there are so many options! Think nuts, fruits or your favorite on the go bars! (Just make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar. Yes, they make those now!!) Keep them on you at all times. I personally always have organic raw cashews and dried apples with me, no matter where I go. In my car, in my purse, at the studio… I mean everywhere! This helps me from getting HANGRY… which is 100% a real thing!

Fuel Up on the REAL Food:

One of the most important things you can do to stay on track is to fuel on the right foods! Think plant-based proteins and fats. These foods will keep you satisfied long after you’ve finished them, unlike sugary foods or highly processed simple carbs that will leave you craving more just a few hours later.

Lavender Almond Milk

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Happy New Year Everyone! I don’t know about you, but 2017 already feels like a fresh spring morning. (Disclaimer: I live in San Diego, and the weather is currently a constant 60-70 degrees!) I am so excited for all the things my team and I have planned for this year. There will be more recipes, videos, workshops, and we are going NATIONAL! That’s right! If you followed me throughout last year, you know we launched the cookbook, Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts, we hosted events at True Food Kitchen and  Williams-Sonoma, had over a dozen TV segments and had a nation radio interview. But I am hear to say, that was just the warm up! This year, you will be seeing Naturally Healthy Desserts in Thrive and Clean Eating Magazine, I will be on big time TV shows and we are bringing in some amazing people to bring you guys more amazing content!

Thank you all for the support through last year and let me know what you would love to see! I love what I do and want to bring it all to you! I hope you enjoy this new lavender almond milk recipe I created to help relax and unwind.

PS: I am looking for interns for social media, photography and video. If you know anyone who maybe interested, please have them send me their application.

 

Lavender Almond Milk
Print Recipe
Homemade almond milk is so yummy and much healthier than the store bought options. By making a fresh batch for yourself you can ensure there is no processed sugars, preservatives or additives. My basic almond milk recipe is AMAZING, but now we are taking it up a notch.
Servings Prep Time
4-5 cups 10 minutes
Passive Time
12-24 hours
Servings Prep Time
4-5 cups 10 minutes
Passive Time
12-24 hours
Lavender Almond Milk
Print Recipe
Homemade almond milk is so yummy and much healthier than the store bought options. By making a fresh batch for yourself you can ensure there is no processed sugars, preservatives or additives. My basic almond milk recipe is AMAZING, but now we are taking it up a notch.
Servings Prep Time
4-5 cups 10 minutes
Passive Time
12-24 hours
Servings Prep Time
4-5 cups 10 minutes
Passive Time
12-24 hours
Ingredients
Servings: cups
Instructions
  1. Soak almonds overnight. Drain and rinse almonds. Add all ingredients into blender and blend for 2 minutes. Strain through a nut milk bag.
Recipe Notes

Be sure to squeeze out all of remaining liquid from the nut bag to make the cleaning process easier.

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3 Nutrition Trends to Follow in 2017

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Jumping on the plant-based bandwagon has never tasted so good. More and more chefs are putting their time and energy into creating delicious healthy options. Here are my favorite trends!

Soup Cleanses:

Juice cleansing has been popular for several years but 2017 is all about the soup cleanse! Why? Because soup cleansing is full of more nutrients, vitamins and, most importantly, fiber, which means it has all of the benefits of eating veggies in their whole form. The best part is it is also more filling than basic juice cleansing!

soup-blog-image

Golden Lattes:

Anti-inflammatory food have already made their impression on 2016, and it will make it mark in 2017! Golden lattes are drinks made with turmeric, coconut oil, ginger, cinnamon and unsweetened plant-based milk. It’s delicious!

golden latte

http://nutritionstripped.com

Zoodles:

Spiraled vegetables — yes please!  2017 is all about the Zoodle! They are incredibly nutritious and a healthy alternative to highly processed pasta. Zoodles are a fun way to increase the amount of vegetables we eat and are the perfect low carb option.

zoodles

Jumping on board the plant-based bandwagon has never tasted so good. More and more chef are putting their time and energy into creating delicious healthy options. Here are my favorite trends!

FAT: It Doesn’t Make You Fat!

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food-nature-autumn-nuts

F-A-T.  This three letter word has caused too much confusion for far too long!  Today, I want to shed some light this topic. People are still afraid of eating fat, which is so sad.  Back in the day, it was widely excepted by nutritionists that consuming fat caused people to get fat. But the science of today has been updated… much like your new smart phone (loving that new iOS 10!). And, let’s be honest, none of us want to trade in our new and improved smart phones for an outdated flip phone. So, it is time for all of us to get the latest update, but this time for our nutrition and better health! My goal is to keep this post short and sweet as this is the first post I am writing on this topic, and I am sure there will be many more to come.

hand-top-white-old-1

Lets start with the most basic fact we need to know. Fat is essential to our diets and general wellbeing. Now to be clear, I am talking about healthy fats like nuts, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil. I do not mean the unhealthy fats in processed fast food. To understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy fat check out this link.

olive-oil

So why is healthy fat so essential?  Eating fat improves your energy levels, regulates hormones, supports brain function, helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A,D & E), helps gain muscle and, when eaten with carbs, slows down the absorption of food, which helps control blood sugar spikes! Meaning it controls insulin spike! This is so important because insulin is a fat-storing hormone. So fat actually does the opposite of what we all thought to be true years ago. These are just some of the awesome benefits to eating fat. If you would like to learn more, I suggest checking out Eat Fat, Get Thin, & Always Hungry?.

I hope this post peaks your curiosity and inspires you to learn more. Be on the look out for my next blog on what I eat in a day to stay on track.

Carrot Cake

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Fall is coming! Well, it is for most of you in America! For us here in San Diego, I think we have a few more Santa Ana’s and warm beach days before we feel the cool nights and brisk days… But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to make delicious goodies with more cinnamon and nutmeg to get me in the mood! This week, I am finally sharing my recipe for raw carrot cake.
vegan-carrot-cake
This is a very special recipe to me. I developed this cake over a year and a half ago, and it was so good, it almost made it into my cookbook, Sweets in the Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts. However, something wasn’t 100% with it. I mean, it was a solid 97%, which is way more than a passing grade, but I knew I could make it better with a little time. Now I should mention, the previous “final recipe” took six attempts to get it right. This new recipe took an addition two more attempts, and I have finally nailed it! I really love this dessert, and you’re going to love it too.
Vegan Carrot Cake
Print Recipe
Calling all carrot cake lovers! Living healthy no longer means living without your favorite cake! Enjoy this healthy spin on an old time favorite.
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Passive Time
Let Set Over Night
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Passive Time
Let Set Over Night
Vegan Carrot Cake
Print Recipe
Calling all carrot cake lovers! Living healthy no longer means living without your favorite cake! Enjoy this healthy spin on an old time favorite.
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Passive Time
Let Set Over Night
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Passive Time
Let Set Over Night
Ingredients
Cake
Vanilla Cashew Frosting
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Directions For Carrot Cake: Process all ingredients except for additional ingredients in food processor until process until even consistency. Sprinkle in remaining ingredients and pulse until evenly blended. Firmly press crust into silicone mold and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Directions For Vanilla Cashew Frosting: Blend all ingredients until smooth even consistency in blender. Remove cake from silicone mold. Evenly spread frosting onto cake. Set aside in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Recipe Notes

Helpful Hint

The flavors of this cake get deeper and more powerful with each hour it sets. I suggest making these one day before you plan on serving for the perfect flavors.

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Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Book Launch Party

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raw book launch party

Earlier this month, I had my official launch party for my cookbook, Sweets In The Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts, at True Food Kitchen Fashion Valley.  I pulled out all the stops to make it truly amazing! I figure you only have one big launch party for your first cookbook ever, right?!?

raw book launch party food

I was so happy to see everyone who came to support and celebrate the book, despite it being a Thursday night, the official start of the football season (Go Chargers!).

raw book launch party group shot

To see so many loving and familiar faces was truly humbling, but to see so many new people who have been following me through my blog, social media and TV appearances was incredibly flattering. Thank you ALL for being so supportive. I really hope you love this book and the desserts inside it as much as I loved creating it! With that being said, there were so many different things that came together to create this event, so I wanted to take a minute to share some images and thank some important people who made it all possible.

raw book launch party book display

vegan lemon cookies
vegan chocolate truffles                 sunfoods launch party
raw book launch party samplingraw book launch party 3

A massive thank you to Sunfood, True Food Kitchen (Lea, the restaurant manager there is the best) and BROOKE LIMPERIS PHOTOGRAPHY for sponsoring my event. Not to mention everyone who has made this cookbook a reality: Mike Carpenter (photographer), Stacey Uy (graphic designer for cookbook), Danielle Grady (editor), Lisa Dibbell (editor), Jeniffer Thomas (book consultant), Samantha Murphy (social media graphic designer), Kristi Dosh (national pr), Tricia van Dockum (local pr), Paulina LaScola (photographer) and of course my #1 supporter, Dan Marquis (test taster & husband).

raw book launch party people raw book launch party event                              raw book launch party book signing

Long before before creating this cookbook, I dreamed of how it could impact individual people’s lives and then hopefully, the world. At the event, I was able to hear everyone’s specific stories as to why they came, and those stories were truly inspiring.  To see the impact this project has already started to create is incredible. Without you, I would’ve never thought about making a cookbook.

raw book launch party group shot true food raw book launch party family pic

Naturally Healthy Vacation Requirements

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Living on the west coast while most of your family and friends live on the east coast can be tough. I really look forward to traveling back home because I may only see them at most 2-3 times a year. In the times in between, I’m anxiously counting down the months and days until I can visit again!

The only downside to traveling back to Vermont is that it can wreak havoc to my healthy lifestyle. (Yes, I’m human too!) It seems like eating healthy while on vacation should be easy but the small town of 150 people and limited grocery stores and restaurants make things very tough. But with 8 years experience, I’ve established the perfect routine! It just takes a few extra steps to ensure that happens.

healthy living while traveling to vermont

It all starts with planning. Here’s a peek at what I bring if I’m going anywhere for more than a few days. In my carry-on, I bring things like nuts, dates, vanilla, raisins and my Blendtec! Yes, that’s what I really bring. Why, you ask? By bringing this small bag of #naturallyhealthy essentials, I can ensure I’m not limited to salads and fruits while I’m traveling. 

healthy traveling So what do I do with these goodies?

1. I make my refined sugar-free almond milks for my daily coffee, as store bought options have sugar and other unnatural ingredients.

2. I make my favorite refined sugar-free desserts (which I can share with my friends and family on the east coast, of course!).

Lastly, after my flight, I always stop at a grocery store as soon as I get off the plane to ensure I have fresh options to eat as soon as I get home after my 3 hour road trip to our tiny town. Like I said, it takes a few extra steps, but it guarantees I can easily stay naturally healthy the whole vacation. 

Strawberry Banana Nice Cream

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strawberry banana ice creamI love ice cream!! I mean, I really, really love it. So much so that I’ll hear an ice cream truck and want to go chasing after it! The struggle is real, guys.

You may know this already, but, sadly, I have a few problems with ice cream…
#1 I can’t eat dairy.
#2 Most ice creams are loaded with sugar.
To combat my dilemma, which I’m sure many other people are facing (I’m looking at you, millions of humans with diary issues!), I created several vegan ice cream recipes in my cookbook, Sweets in the Raw: Naturally Healthy Desserts. However, not everyone has an ice cream maker or 45 minutes to spare, so I needed to create an even easier option!
strawberry banana nice cream
And here you are! Enjoy this vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free Strawberry Banana Ice Cream the next time you are craving a sweet treat!
Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
Print Recipe
If you love ice cream, you have to try this delicious and much healthier vegan alternative!
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
Print Recipe
If you love ice cream, you have to try this delicious and much healthier vegan alternative!
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 servings 10 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Cut banana into coin size pieces and freeze until rock solid. Process the frozen banana, strawberries and vanilla in a food processor. Process just until your nice cream looks creamy. Serve right away or save into a container and freeze until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Helpful Hint:
Hold onto the food processor in the beginning as the frozen bananas may cause a jolt in the very beginning!
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