Tag: vegetables

Eat Your Colors for Vibrantly Beautiful Nutrition





Eating a diet full of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables in an array of different colors is a beautiful way to ensure that you are nourishing your body with a variety of vitamins and minerals that are essential to your health. Our guide tells you what nutrients each color group provides so that you can enjoy all the delicious benefits of tasting the rainbow.

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April Ab Challenge with Philosophie Mama!

Here's the April Ab Challenge! My husband and I were just doing it on our own and we've gotten so many questions and interested people that I decided to start to post about it and share the love!

I can't stress enough how important ones diet is in having flat abs. I'm asked all the time how my abs are so fit and flat and I can't say it enough times: watch what you eat. See how it affects your body. Change what doesn't feel right.

You could sit down and do thousands of situps and if you still eat unhealthy foods, you absolutely will not have a six-pack. I, be no means, have a six-pack but I am trying to take my fitness to the next level by fine-tuning my diet and focusing every single day on bringing energy to my core. I very rarely sit down and do ab exercises. Most of what I do is full body. I run, spin, jog, walk, stairs, cross-fit, insanity, yoga, Pilates and strength train with weights. I MAYBE do 15 minutes a WEEK generally on concentrated ab exercises. This is why I think it will be a difference on my body. And if not, we'll know in 30 days! :)

A LOT of our physique is absolutely genetic and past a certain point can not be manipulated. But the MAJORITY (in my opinion) is what we eat and how we work our bodies. Develop strength and flexibility around your core (stomach/abs/back) and slow down. Work your entire body- arms, legs, back muscles and glutes, because THESE exercises strengthen the core.

If you have abdominal fat, no matter how much core strength though, you will not have abs, lines, obliques. You have to change your diet and increase your energy output. You need to burn off more calories than you eat to reduce the body fat. I haven't tested my body fat for a long time Set realistic expectations. Be patient. Build up your core strength with full body exercises, strength training, cardio and to reduce body fat and feel good in your skin reduce salt, breads, soft drinks and junk. Every workout and ever clean meal is one step closer. It's a goal. You have to plan on a slow and steady progression.

My 29th Birthday is on the 30th of April and as a b-day present to MYSELF I want to have the best lookin' abs I've ever had.

Here's what we're doing:

1) NO DESSERT for the full 30 days. We both have quite the sweet tooth, so this is the biggest challenge for us. Since we both do have such a sweet tooth, we're doing our best to have really clean "desserts" with my superfoods like raw, Cacao Magic pudding with avocado and frozen banana Green Dream ice cream. It helps, big time! We're also not doing those every day because that would almost defeat the purpose :) CHALLENGE FOR YOU: give SOMETHING up that makes you feel yucky. High sodium foods, processed or excess sugar, meat, dairy, alcohol. If you really want to drop some weight and feel amazing, drop all of those things and try my 14 day cleanse. I'll be doing it later this month!

2) morning and evening ab exercises. As I said above, I rarely do specific ab exercises. So we are doing them twice a day to see if it makes a difference. Energy goes where we put it so hopefully it will!

3) 30 minutes minimum of activity every day. Work up a sweat! Take the kids to the park and PLAY with them! Go for a long hike! Turn on the music in the house and do exercises and dance while you clean!

4) we will both be doing the 5 day Philosophie Spring Cleanse on April 15th. I'm so excited: new recipes, new detox bath soak and I always feel SO good after the 5 day cleanse! here's a video explaining it: http://youtu.be/IaZ43zCe8NY JOIN US!

please share below how you're doing, what you'd like to see specifically, how I can help, how you're being challenged, what your goals are... etc! Thanks so much for reading and loving YOU! <3

Philosophie Mama LIVE interview on GFree and Happy

Learn more about Philosophie's POWERFUL superfoods on this interview!!!!

 

let me know your thoughts! :)

Some philosophie superfood toddler/baby ideas!

I've had several requests to share what I feed my sweet boy(s). Leo is now 6 months old and I've started to slowly experiment with food for him. So far he's had raw zucchini and cucumber, banana (he loves!) and oatmeal with a little breastmilk and GREEN DREAM! I'm so excited to continue to explore and experiment for new Philosophie products with my sweet boys.

Here are some foods that Kai (2 1/2 years old) LOVES.

  1. Green Dream Smoothie- depends on the day but usually I do the classic recipe with almond butter, cinnamon, spinach/kale and banana. Lately I've been doing a fun tropical one with mango, pineapple, kale, coconut oil and Berry Bliss.
  2. Cacao Magic Smoothie- (just not too close to bedtime!) i always add leafy greens to this smoothie... so easy to sneak a lot in because it tastes soooo good!
  3. Goji Berries, Pumpkin seeds and Sunflower seeds as a trail mix. Great for a snack on the go. If your child is younger and doesn't have a lot of teeth, you could process in a food processor until powdery and mix with coconut oil, Berry Bliss and dates to make into a bar by pressing it into a pan and freezing.
  4. Coconut Butter, Cashew Butter and almond butter- straight from the jar! We both love sharing it that way and it makes it more fun! My favorite brand is Artisana for the butters or Garden of Life for coconut oil. These are "good fats" so don't be afraid of them! SO IMPORTANT for your growing child!
  5. Frozen lima beans, corn, peas and/or edamame- SO EASY. I just heat up on the stove top and add a little coconut oil or earth balance "butter" with a pinch of sea salt. Frozen veggies get a bad rap but according to the research I've done, most of the time organic veggies are flash frozen at their most ripe stage, preserving most nutrients. "fresh" produce, may have spend days in transit or at the store, so it isn't necessarily better for you.
  6. Fresh berries-Especially strawberries and blueberries. I just take the entire box of blueberries with us on a walk and let him hold it in the stroller... he LOVES IT. SO much fun to have it all to himself!
  7. Raw "ice cream"- I blend frozen banana with green dream powder and whatever fruit I'm in the mood for. Sometimes we do a strawberry banana with Berry Bliss powder which is great because it adds protein, most times I do a chocolate one with Cacao Magic. DEEEE-LISH!
  8. Fresh Coconut Water- he could drink 10 of these if we had them. I am going to start getting them by the case from the Thai Market in Thai Town because it's just ridiculous how many we buy one by one throughout the week.
  9. Seaweed Nori strips- sometimes we buy the unsalted large sheets, other times we do the small sheets roasted and lightly salted that come in a container. He's happy with either!
  10. Superfood Protein Truffles- recipe here! So easy, raw, vegan, gluten-free and simple to take in the car and on the go. We all gobble them up so quickly! Next time I'm going to make triple the amount and freeze them so they last longer!
  11. GREEN DREAM POPSICLES! this was a guest post/recipe from a wonderful, inspiring friend. My soul sister on the other coast! Here's the post if you want the recipe!

I'm SO excited because I finally got the courage to ask the principal to Kai's preschool if I could bring in fresh fruit and veggies and Green Dream and give them a smoothie recipe for all the kids. He eats so beautifully at home and at school it's not "bad" but definitely not superfood rich! So I'll bring some Green Dream in Monday morning and they will blend it up! I'm thrilled.

For more specific tips on sneaking healthy foods into your kids meals, see this post.

What do your kids love that you love?  What's super healthy but they beg for it and it makes you secretly smile? Please share below in the comments!

Love,

Sophie, Kai and Leo! <3

                                                  

Philosophie for Kids!

Now that I'm a mommy and wifey, I don't just have to think of my own nutrition and health. I have to consider my children and husbands well-being as well. 

 

My son, Kai, is a little over 2 years old. His first solid food was butternut squash pureed, followed by a puree of green vegetables. He didn't have any sugar until a few months ago when he went to a birthday party, and to be honest, he didn't even care for it much. I was terrified once he had the processed kind of sugar he'd never want to go back to his clean ways of eating. Au Contraire.

His palate is so sophisticated now. He can eat anything no matter where we go. He loves spicy foods- he's happy and at home in any Indian restaurant and equally safe at sushi or any other ethnic cuisine. We've traveled to Paris, Costa Rica, Tel Aviv & South America and he's happy no matter where we go and what we feed him. This takes a little more effort on my part, to pave the way to healthy foods being part of his normal routine.

Phases and Bumps along the way

Sometimes he's not in the mood for a certain type of food. He'll push things he's loved for months away or throw it on the floor for our dog to eat. My trick is to lay out ONLY fruits and vegetables to start with-- a huge variety-- some cooked, some raw. Some warm, some cold. All different colors and flavors to entice his little appetite. He LOVES organic frozen veggies, which makes it super easy for me. He especially likes peas & lima beans, eating them one by one. I don't usually add any butter or salt to the veggies because he eats them without. So what's the point? He takes "butter" (Smart Balance) on his gluten-free waffles in the morning as a treat and loves it, but doesn't expect it yet. He's never touched syrup and there's really no reason to introduce it.

 

 

The best time to give him the foods he's not in the mood for is when he's super hungry after playing outside. Sometimes I just need to give him a "gateway" food to get him started. When he was super little just a few little Organic Puffs would do the trick. Now I'll give him half a piece of an organic cookie or the green flavored Pirate's Booty (our version of junk food) and after a few of these snack items he moves right into veggie land. Works pretty much every time.

Other days he just doesn't feel like sitting in his high chair and eating. On those days I let him run around and snack as he pleases. He'll graze on the veggies and fruit I put on a plate on the coffee table and run around and grab what he wants when he chooses to.  Many parents are really militant about kids sitting in their chairs and eating, and I understand their feelings. I get that sentiment, that it's more "proper" to eat meals sitting in their high chair. With my lifestyle (always on the go) and my manner (I'm not a very "proper" person myself) I allow him to guide the way, as the most important thing to me is Kai getting the nutrients he needs to GROW "properly", while being a formal "correct" child falls a bit lower on the priority list. Every child is different. Some kids really need that type of structure to stay well behaved. Kai is (luckily) really flexible and adaptable with my crazy on the go lifestyle.

Green Dream and Philosophie superfood blends save the day

When all else fails, I can make a Green Dream smoothie and at least feel good about Kai getting all the nutrients and greens he needs for the day. In one smoothie I can be sure he's getting good fats, vegan sources of protein, no weird fillers and nothing processed. This makes things a lot easier and makes me feel secure in what he eats for the rest of the day. Lately one of the only ways I can consistently get green veggies into his body is through smoothies. And that's fine with me! Sometimes in the morning I'll add Cacao Magic powder to his oatmeal or even a dash of Green Dream. Other times I'll sneak it into an "ice cream" where I blend frozen bananas, spinach and green dream or cacao blend. These tricks ensure the love of my life is getting everything he needs nutritionally. Not to mention the hubby benefits from these tricks as well! If you're interested in buying Green Dream, Cacao Magic or Berry Bliss blends, email me: sophie@thephilosophie.com and mention this post for a mommy discount!

 

I'm not sure where the "green" phobia in kids begin, but I can't help but think it's from parents trying to drive the foods down their kids throats. Kai loves Green foods and actually gravitates towards these foods vs running away from them. I think this practice starts early, but that you can retrain your kids brains by sneaking greens into a smoothie or into an ice cream... so they don't feel they are missing anything. I mean let's revisit Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess! In the end, he lovessss the Green Eggs... it just took TRYING them!

In Gratitude and Elmo obsessions,

Sophie

PS. SPEAKING of Green Eggs... an easy way to make your own Green Eggs is to blend the eggs and fresh spinach in the blender until smooth. Then cook as you normally would! Kai loves them, your kids will too!

Philosophie for Kids!

Now that I'm a mommy and wifey, I don't just have to think of my own nutrition and health. I have to consider my children and husbands well-being as well.

My son, Kai, is a little over 2 years old. His first solid food was butternut squash pureed, followed by a puree of green vegetables. He didn't have any sugar until a few months ago when he went to a birthday party, and to be honest, he didn't even care for it much. I was terrified once he had the processed kind of sugar he'd never want to go back to his clean ways of eating. Au Contraire.

His palate is so sophisticated now. He can eat anything no matter where we go. He loves spicy foods- he's happy and at home in any Indian restaurant and equally safe at sushi or any other ethnic cuisine. We've traveled to Paris, Costa Rica, Tel Aviv & South America and he's happy no matter where we go and what we feed him. This takes a little more effort on my part, to pave the way to healthy foods being part of his normal routine.

Phases and Bumps along the way

Sometimes he's not in the mood for a certain type of food. He'll push things he's loved for months away or throw it on the floor for our dog to eat. My trick is to lay out ONLY fruits and vegetables to start with-- a huge variety-- some cooked, some raw. Some warm, some cold. All different colors and flavors to entice his little appetite. He LOVES organic frozen veggies, which makes it super easy for me. He especially likes peas & lima beans, eating them one by one. I don't usually add any butter or salt to the veggies because he eats them without. So what's the point? He takes "butter" (Smart Balance) on his gluten-free waffles in the morning as a treat and loves it, but doesn't expect it yet. He's never touched syrup and there's really no reason to introduce it.

 

The best time to give him the foods he's not in the mood for is when he's super hungry after playing outside. Sometimes I just need to give him a "gateway" food to get him started. When he was super little just a few little Organic Puffs would do the trick. Now I'll give him half a piece of an organic cookie or the green flavored Pirate's Booty (our version of junk food) and after a few of these snack items he moves right into veggie land. Works pretty much every time.

Other days he just doesn't feel like sitting in his high chair and eating. On those days I let him run around and snack as he pleases. He'll graze on the veggies and fruit I put on a plate on the coffee table and run around and grab what he wants when he chooses to.  Many parents are really militant about kids sitting in their chairs and eating, and I understand their feelings. I get that sentiment, that it's more "proper" to eat meals sitting in their high chair. With my lifestyle (always on the go) and my manner (I'm not a very "proper" person myself) I allow him to guide the way, as the most important thing to me is Kai getting the nutrients he needs to GROW "properly", while being a formal "correct" child falls a bit lower on the priority list. Every child is different. Some kids really need that type of structure to stay well behaved. Kai is (luckily) really flexible and adaptable with my crazy on the go lifestyle.

Green Dream and Philosophie superfood blends save the day

When all else fails, I can make a Green Dream smoothie and at least feel good about Kai getting all the nutrients and greens he needs for the day. In one smoothie I can be sure he's getting good fats, vegan sources of protein, no weird fillers and nothing processed. This makes things a lot easier and makes me feel secure in what he eats for the rest of the day. Lately one of the only ways I can consistently get green veggies into his body is through smoothies. And that's fine with me! Sometimes in the morning I'll add Cacao Magic powder to his oatmeal or even a dash of Green Dream. Other times I'll sneak it into an "ice cream" where I blend frozen bananas, spinach and green dream or cacao blend. These tricks ensure the love of my life is getting everything he needs nutritionally. Not to mention the hubby benefits from these tricks as well! If you're interested in buying Green Dream, Cacao Magic or Berry Bliss blends, email me: sophie@thephilosophie.com and mention this post for a mommy discount!

I'm not sure where the "green" phobia in kids begin, but I can't help but think it's from parents trying to drive the foods down their kids throats. Kai loves Green foods and actually gravitates towards these foods vs running away from them. I think this practice starts early, but that you can retrain your kids brains by sneaking greens into a smoothie or into an ice cream... so they don't feel they are missing anything. I mean let's revisit Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess! In the end, he lovessss the Green Eggs... it just took TRYING them!

In Gratitude and Elmo obsessions,

Sophie

PS. SPEAKING of Green Eggs... an easy way to make your own Green Eggs is to blend the eggs and fresh spinach in the blender until smooth. Then cook as you normally would! Kai loves them, your kids will too!

CNN Video: mega athlete on the plant based diet

This is an awesome video about this athletes story- huge healthy shift: eating a plant based diet.

Plant based diet is when a person gets the majority of their nutrients from plants (fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, crops)

Look at how great he looks, feels and how energetic he is! This is how I feel every day (when I eat mindfully). When I eat too many meat/dairy products, I feel weighed down and lethargic. It's so important to notice how you feel and react to different foods! Every person is unique and there's a perfect balance for each of us. It's your job to start to tune in and really listen to what your body needs and DOESN'T need!

Here's the video:

video

let me know your thoughts! :)

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices-what's the health benefit?

Other than the fact that juices can take an enormous amount of fruit and vegetables--an entire counter-full(!)--and be consolidated into one beautiful glass, they have incredible health benefits as well.

If you're curious about drinking a fresh juice, go to a juice bar and pick up one of the below combination's! If you're ready to commit, buy your own juicer and get your own produce from the farmers market. Always make sure to get as many items as you can organic.

You should have at least one fresh juice a day to maintain the proper nutrients and vitamins your body needs and craves. If your body begins running slower or you eat badly for a period of time, juicing can help cleanse the system very quickly. Just replace a few snacks and meals with a juice and in no time you'll be feeling great again.

Here's just a few of the powerful combination's, full of health advantages:

  • Carrot, Ginger & Apple: Boosts and cleanses our entire system
  • (green) Apple, Cucumber & Celery: Prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, and eliminates stomach upset and headaches.
  • Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Kale, Parsley, Lime: alkaline entire system, cleanse and detoxify organs
  • Tomato, Carrot & Apple: Improves skin complexion and eliminates bad breath.
  • Orange, Ginger & Cucumber: Improves skin texture, moisture and reduces internal body heat.
  • Pineapple, Watermelon & Apple: To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidneys.
  • Apple, Cucumber & Kiwi: To improve skin complexion.
  • Carrot, Apple, Pear & Mango: Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidation.
  • Papaya, Pineapple and Milk/Almond Milk: Rich in vitamin C, E and Iron. Improves skin complexion and metabolism.

Once you start exploring on your own, share your favorite combination's and recipes here!!! Have a BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY DAY!!! :)

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices-what's the health benefit?

Other than the fact that juices can take an enormous amount of fruit and vegetables--an entire counter-full(!)--and be consolidated into one beautiful glass, they have incredible health benefits as well. 

If you're curious about drinking a fresh juice, go to a juice bar and pick up one of the below combination's! If you're ready to commit, buy your own juicer and get your own produce from the farmers market. Always make sure to get as many items as you can organic.

You should have at least one fresh juice a day to maintain the proper nutrients and vitamins your body needs and craves. If your body begins running slower or you eat badly for a period of time, juicing can help cleanse the system very quickly. Just replace a few snacks and meals with a juice and in no time you'll be feeling great again.

Here's just a few of the powerful combination's, full of health advantages:

  • Carrot, Ginger & Apple: Boosts and cleanses our entire system
  • (green) Apple, Cucumber & Celery: Prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, and eliminates stomach upset and headaches.
  • Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Kale, Parsley, Lime: alkaline entire system, cleanse and detoxify organs
  • Tomato, Carrot & Apple: Improves skin complexion and eliminates bad breath.
  • Orange, Ginger & Cucumber: Improves skin texture, moisture and reduces internal body heat.
  • Pineapple, Watermelon & Apple: To dispel excess salts, nourishes the bladder and kidneys.
  • Apple, Cucumber & Kiwi: To improve skin complexion.
  • Carrot, Apple, Pear & Mango: Clear body heat, counteracts toxicity, decreased blood pressure and fight oxidation.
  • Papaya, Pineapple and Milk/Almond Milk: Rich in vitamin C, E and Iron. Improves skin complexion and metabolism.

Once you start exploring on your own, share your favorite combination's and recipes here!!! Have a BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY DAY!!! :)

CNN Video: mega athlete on the plant based diet

This is an awesome video about this athletes story- huge healthy shift: eating a plant based diet.

Plant based diet is when a person gets the majority of their nutrients from plants (fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, crops)

Look at how great he looks, feels and how energetic he is! This is how I feel every day (when I eat mindfully). When I eat too many meat/dairy products, I feel weighed down and lethargic. It's so important to notice how you feel and react to different foods! Every person is unique and there's a perfect balance for each of us. It's your job to start to tune in and really listen to what your body needs and DOESN'T need!

Here's the video:

video

let me know your thoughts! :)

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