*Difference between Juicing vs Blending*

Quite often I am asked the difference between Juicing & Blending and which is better for you. Juicing and Blending are both beneficial, and I would not say one is better than the other. It's your personal preference because both will load your body with nutrients which is a win win. Let's discuss the difference.

*Blending*
Blending keeps everything in tact and consist of the entire fruit. Meaning it doesn't remove the fiber/pulp.  Blending breaks the fiber down which will help with your body being able to process it, but does not remove it entirely like juicing. This also allow the nutrients to be released into the blood stream at a slower rate and should help with the spiking of your blood sugar. Smoothies will also be more filling than juice due to the fiber being included. I post lots of smoothies, sorbets, ice creams etc this is because I prefer the texture of blending better and it keeps me full longer. I also cut off the skin/pulp when I blend fruits such as a mango. 

Benefits of Blending:
*Filling and last longer helping curb your appetite
*Great Fiber Source
*Absorbs nutrients into the blood stream slower

This Strawberry Smoothie made by blending is a simple recipe: 
*12-15 Frozen strawberries
*2 tablespoons maple syrup
*1/2 cup water or nut milk
* Hand full of ice if using fresh strawberries and blend on high speed

Orange CreamSicle:
*1 Orange
*1/2 cup of Coconut Milk
* 2-3 table spoons of raw agave or maple syrup
*hand full of ice blend on high speed

Grapefruit Smoothie:
*1 Grapefruit (Remove skin)
*5 tablespoons of 100% maple syrup
*Hand full of ice
*Blend on high-speed


*Juicing*
Juicing literally removes all the fiber/ pulp for you, it extracts the juice and water (liquid nutrition) from the produce. This allows the body to obtain the nutrients directly into the blood stream quickly. This is a quicker process than actually eating a whole fruit. Juicing also allows you to take in more fruits or veggies in one serving than having to eat them whole. If your digestive system is sensitive and has a hard time breaking down fibers juicing will help your body not have to work as hard. Ps. Be careful with combining fruits and veggies. Mainly starchy veggies such as broccoli, zucchini, beets etc with fruits. Apples pretty much combine with everything. If you are unsure than use a apple instead of other fruit which may cause fermentation and gas from improper food combining. Use google if you are unsure of which fruits and veggies don't mix well.Read here

Benefits of Juicing:
*Easy Digestion
*Quick nutrient distribution
*Large quantities of fruits of veggies can be taken in one drink

 Peaches and Apple Juice Super Yummy:
Makes 1 serving
*2 or 3 Peaches
*2 or 3 Apples
Place in juicer and consume within 10-15 minutes for optimum health benefits (if you cant consume right away pour juice in airtight container, if possible drink as soon as you make it)

Green Drink Goodness:
Makes 1 serving
*3-4 Apples
*2-3 Leaf Collard Greens
* Hand full of Spinach
* Juice and drink immedietly

Ginger Green Rush:
Makes 1 serving
*3 apples
*1 Pear
*4 lacinato kale strips
*hand full of spinach
*Fresh Ginger

Carrot Ginger Detox:
Makes 2 servings
4-5 apples
4-5 carrots
2-3 small fresh ginger
2-3lemons

 
 
 As you can see both Juicing and Blending has great health benefits. I blend more than I juice but I definitely incorporate both methods to provide my body with optimum health benefits. I recommend doing both. Make a smoothie in the morning and Juice later in the day or vice versa.

Happy Juice & Smoothie Making

Shana Nicole

*Pumpkin Spice Chai Avocado Chiller*

I've been learning all types of fun ways to eat more avocados. Avocados provides close to 20 essential nutrients including potassium (twice the amount of a banana) which helps build muscle and balance the acidity in the body, lutein which helps keep your eyes healthy, folic acid, vitamin B& C which helps the body produce antibodies that fight off disease,free radicals and so much more. Read More Here This is a quick and easy yet great tasting recipe to incorporate avocados in your diet daily.

*What you need *
Half a avocado per serving
Raw agave nectar , 100 % organic maple syrup or your favorite sweetner
1 or 2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice (This is needed to make the recipe taste right dont switch for cinnamon or nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
1/2 teaspoon of almond flavoring
hand full of ice
1/2 cup of almond milk (I would use milk not water for this recipe)

*Directions*
Place ice in blender first
Then add avocado plus the powders in vanilla & almond flavoring
Add Almond Milk
Blend
Pour in a glass and sprinkle pumpkin spice on top
Drink up!

 Happy Food Making :-)
  ShanaNicole

**Organic Kale Salad & Kale Chips**

 

Kale is definitely a super food and is one of the world's healthiest foods, its loaded with tons of nutrients. I literally eat one or two kale salad's every single day. It has such a unique taste and you can make it several different ways. Kale helps with fighting off cancer and is packed with vitamin A, K,C, potassium, magnesium, fiber, calcium, protein and many more Read more here. For those who have excluded meat and dairy from your diet munching on kale is a big benefit and will provide any nutrients you feel you may be missing out on from excluding those foods. I would recommend making kale everyday. It taste amazing and it's really good for you.

Some of my favorite Kale Salads:

Kale + Tomatoes + Sesame seeds +Dressing

Kale + Tomato + Avocado + Sunflower Seeds + Pepper + Dressing

Kale +Avocado+ Sunflower Seeds+ Raisins +Dressing

Kale+ Carrots + Dressing
*Make your own salad dressing and drizzle on top of the salad

 Kale + tomatoes +Olives+ Sunflower seeds + Dressing

Ingredients:

2 Teaspoon of Olive Oil + 3 tablespoon's of water + 2-3 teaspoons of Bragg's apple cider vineger Buy Here +half a teaspoon of salt and pepper+ squeeze pure lemon juice+ teaspoon of tamari or shoyu Buy here

Squeeze the juice from two lemons + himalayan salt+ pepper+ olive oil

 Kale+Raspberries+Pecans

*How to Make Kale Chips*

Directions:
*Rinse kale and cut kale into strips

 * Place in a pan

* Add 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
* Add 1 teaspoon of himalayan salt 
* Add organic garlic powder, organic onion powder
* Add sesame seeds

(You can add any of your favorite powders also nutritional yeast to make it more of a cheese texture)
* Let cook for 35mins-45mins or until crunchy and let cool

I topped mine with chia seeds also. Enjoy your crunchy healthy kale chips 

Happy Eating!!!
Shana Nicole

*Maple Glazed Walnuts and Pecans*

I love a good snack especially when it doesn't take 2 days to make. Lol. If I can learn to make healthy foods any and everybody can. I have not always enjoyed cooking or playing in the kitchen, I wanted speedy unhealthy packaged goodies. It was either eat terrible or make a choice to change and learn to make my own food. I still learn along the way, I still have my moments of making something that doesn't turn out so tasty haha however with these maple glazed nuts that was so not the case. These are so good. 

Ingredients:
*1/3 cups Organic/Non organic (Your choice)Walnuts Buy Here
*1/3 cups Organic Almonds Purchase Here
*1/3 cups Organic Pecans Click Here (You can substitute any nut for your favorite)
( I purchased my nuts from trader joe's but online works as well) 
*3-4 tablespoons of 100%maple syrup
*1/2 teaspoon of himalayan salt or pure sea salt Purchase here


Directions
*Place all nuts of choice in frying pan
*Drizzle with maple syrup
*Add salt
* Let cook for 5 mins (Be sure to Stir)
* Let them cool for a hour or until they are sticky and clumped together
* Add your favorite fruit I choose bananas and Strawberries
* Enjoy this crunchy healthy snack Yum

Change your Diet > Change Your Life

Heart you all,
Shana Nicole

Stay in contact via all social media @loveshananicole

?Feeling Sicky? Did you go get a flu shot?

 I seriously hardly ever get sick now. If and when I do catch a cold its gone within 2days. I don't play when it comes to keeping a super strong immune system. Who need's hormone filled vaccines/flu shots etc when we have natural holistic medicines that help heal the body not hurt the body. I know its many people who are faithful and will argue "I MUST" get my yearly flu shot. (QUESTION) Have you ever asked yourself "What is going inside your body and directly into your blood stream?". I have never had a flu shot and am staying FAR away from that stuff. LOL. Literally every body I know that get's a flu shot has the flu and can't get out of bed a few days later. CAN somebody PLEASE explain and make that make sense to me?? UMM "Ya" NO thank you. Ill stick to natural remedies any day over getting "something" shot into my bloodstream that I have no clue what it is or what it is doing.  I am not saying don't go to the doctor. REMEMBER you must do what's best for your body. This is my personal opinion and the choice I have made for my body. I just want to inform you of different options available instead of what has been promoted and pumped into our head's for so long.  DO YOUR RESEARCH. Want to know more on the Dangers of flu shot Read Here

Am I saying I have never gotten vaccination's absolutely not, of course I had to get them when I was young in order to go to school etc. I get a yearly check up as well, but what I am saying is now that I am old enough to make my own decision's I have chosen a different approach to health and healing. I have spent years doing research. I have watched my body change from keeping a common cold for 2/3 weeks at a time to now me barely ever having a cold or feeling sick. I personally don't run to the doctor to get "man made drugs" on the rare occasions when I have a sore throat. I run to nature. I believe nature heals itself and our bodies have the ability when given the proper nutrition, foods, and earth grown herbs and medicines to eliminate illness on its own. Read Here.

*Some of my most favorite health websites*

www.herbdoc.com 
I use his echinache + formula which is a herb to boost your immune system  Order Here
I also use his intestinal cleanse formula 1 and 2. Its super important to cleanse your intestines and make sure you are having regular bowel movements. This stuff works Purchase Here
I use lots of his products I wont list them all but go to his site and read all the product information and descriptions and order whats best for your health needs. His products are legit!

Dr. Christophers Herbal Legacy
He knows his stuff. I used the blood cleanse which helps with detoxifying and cleansing the blood, which can help clear acne etc. Check his site out here http://www.herballegacy.com/

Perform a full body cleanse and several other cleanses that will help detoxify your body. 
http://www.dhealthstore.com/

Listed below are a ton of sites and direct links to certain products:

http://behealthy.amazonherb.net/ProductInfo.aspx?ItemID=5022

 

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/query.jsp?q=et-1490&intsource2=main&tab_selection=vitamins

 

https://www.herbdoc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=38&cid=41

www.dldewey.com/hydroil.htm

http://www.alkalinewateronlinestore.com/ 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/17/Super-Spice-Secrets-This-Miracle-Spice-Stops-Cancer-Alzheimers-and-Arthritis.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/11/05/microwave-food.aspx

 www.organicfruitsandnuts.com 

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/red_palm_oil.htm

 

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm?source=yads

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/24/coconut-oil-part-one.aspx

.http://products.mercola.com/light-bulbs/

.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/12/How-Moms-and-Minorities-are-Deceived-About-Dangers-of-Plastic.aspx

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=54

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=143

 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

http://rain-tree.com/sangre.htm

http://www.dldewey.com/soyupd.htm 

Again this is just to inform you and encourage you to educate yourself further on what's   going into your bodies. There is a ton of information available right at your fingertips. That's the beauty of technology what ever you want to know is just a click away.

Happy Health and Healing to you all
Change your diet > Change your life

LoveShanaNicole

 

 

Home made *Cinnamon Spiced Almond Milk*

I love almond milk and have been drinking it for years. I needed a dairy milk substitute and I tried several different milks including rice, soy, coconut etc and none of them satisfied my milk desire LOL. When I tried almond milk I knew it was a winner, it mixed well with smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, pancakes and the list goes on. I was buying almond milk frequently from wholefoods or any health food store. After purchasing my Vitamix blender just recently I decided I would give making my own nut milk a try :-). YAYYYY it worked, it was YUMMY and i'm thrilled to share the recipe with you.

*Cinnamon Spiced Almond Milk*

Ingredients:
 *Raw Organic Almonds( I purchased mine from trader joes for a little over 5bucks)

 *Organic Vanilla Extract Order Here

 

* 100% pure maple syrup or 100%raw agave nectar Buy Here (Choose your favorite sweetener)

* Cinnamon spice  or you can use nutmeg or a tiny bit of both Purchase Here

* Organic Medjool Dates

 * DIRECTIONS*
1. Soak 2 cups of almonds overnight

2. Rinse the almonds like 2 times before putting them inside blender. If using 2 cups of almonds then blend with 3 cups of water. (ex: 3 cups of almonds add 3 or 4 cups of water)

3. Blend almonds and water together and strain liquid through nutbag. I have never milked a cow LOL but i'm going to assume its pretty similar.

Purchase NutMilk Bag Click here

4.Place the liquid milk that you strained back in the blender and add 6 dates, 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of vanilla you can also add actual vanilla bean, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Let ingredients and milk blend in a high speed blender for 3-5 minutes.

  5. When its finish pour in a milk glass, jug, or a mason jar Order Here. I let mine chill for a hour or 2 before consumption. I would say use the milk within 3-5 days.  No more purchasing almond milk from the store Yippeee. Now you know and have complete control over whats going into your body. HAPPY NUT MILK MAKING ;-).

PS. Don't throw away your almond pulp you will have plenty and can make almond flour out of it. Store it in the refrigerator for later use. You can dehydrate the pulp or put in the oven on low for a couple hours to dry out the pulp, and blend later to make almond flour.

Happy Health