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Tonight’s Supper: Split Pea, Fennel and Spinach Soup!

This delicious soup is perfect for the season.  Combining yummy, vibrant, and nutritious late winter ingredients, this warming super green concoction will satisfy even the pickiest palates!

Split Pea, Fennel and Spinach Soup

Serves 8

This vibrant soup makes great use of leftover fennel stalks.  Enjoy with a slice of dark rye toast to make it a meal!
  • 2 cups chopped fennel (1 bulb or 
5 fennel stalks, fronds removed)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
  • 1 cup dry white wine, divided
  • 15 oz. dried green split peas
  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds, divided
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 oz. baby spinach leaves

1. Heat saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add fennel and onion, and sauté 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup wine, and simmer 2 minutes. Add split peas, 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaf, and 7 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, or until split peas are tender. Stir in spinach, and cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

3. Remove bay leaf, and purée soup with immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toast remaining 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds in small skillet 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Serve soup garnished with toasted fennel seeds.

{Recipe and photo from Vegetarian Times}

Tips For Younger Looking Skin

By: Stephanie Heino

Tips For Younger Looking Skin 3 | The Organic Beauty BlogForget the fountain of youth, and simply take a look on what goes into your grocery bag. This is a guide on how to increase the foods that you should consider your anti-aging staples. Fruits and vegetables high in flavonoids and carotenoids, two powerful plant-based antioxidants, are given since they will remove the free radicals from your skin and body that cause you to age prematurely. Overall, a well-balanced diet can help you lose weight, live longer and feel fitter. But it can also help you look younger. It doesn’t have to be so hard. Stop looking for expensive, unnatural products being advertised on TV promising you younger-looking skin by the morning. Instead load up a plate at the feel-better buffet and turn back the clock on a full (and happy) stomach. Exercise and a healthy diet are the best (non-surgical) ways to keep you looking years younger. But certain foods possess qualities that will improve your skin, boost your energy, and even fight of disease.

Spinach. This leafy green is a true nutrient powerhouse, and it’s easy and tasty to use as the base of a salad, or even in your smoothies. Spinach is rich in lutein, which has been shown to have anti-aging properties.

Cinnamon. Research shows that cinnamon may decrease the post-meal insulin spike. And the more controlled the spike, the less likely you are to store body fat. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in your smoothie for great taste, but also to help slim your waistline. And, it’s a powerful antioxidant too!

Sweet Potatoes. They do more than to fill out the table at Thanksgiving, ladies. Sweet potatoes contain lycopene, which protects your skin from UV damage. It also is loaded with vitamin C, which produces collagen for healthier skin.

Green Tea. It keeps showing up in many of my posts, but it is truly a miracle drink. Whether you drink it hot or cold, or use it as a refreshing base for soups or stews, green tea might help you look younger. In fact, Chinese researchers found that people who drank 3 cups of green tea per day slowed down the aging process. And the reason is that green tea might improve your DNA structure and slow the shorten of cells that results during aging. Great!

Tips For Younger Looking Skin 2 | The Organic Beauty BlogWatermelon. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Carrots are filled with beta-carotene. And watermelon is loaded with both vitamins, which help protect your skin and repair cells that are damaged by sunlight.

Hemp. Most people know that salmon is a strong source of omega-3s, but so is hemp. Hemp seeds and oils are a natural moisturized, which helps your skin retain moisture and counteract the effects of aging. Eat the seeds raw, or add the oil to your favorite smoothie.

Pistachios. These little green nuts are not only high in nutrition, but they also have a major benefit over other nuts since they come in shells. According to a study published in the journal Appetite, subjects consumed 41 percent fewer calories when in-shell nuts are offered compared to those already shelled. Those who eat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts are rich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar to those associated with olive oil. They’re also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

Blueberries. These colorful little berries are high in fiber, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and a great source of antioxidants that may help protect the brain and skin.

Tips For Younger Looking Skin | The Organic Beauty BlogOlive Oil. Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concluded that the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsible for the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island of Crete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

I also want to share 5 easy beauty steps you should follow in order to achieve younger looking skin:

1. Choosing the correct skin care products for your skin type is an essential part to younger looking skin. Either if you are having problem skin or not you should go for all natural skin care products since products that containing harmful ingredients can increase your chance of premature ageing. Natural ingredients will help your skin remain wrinkle free for as long as possible.  Remember, less is more!

 2. Always use a good eye cream that contains vitamin A. They will soften the fine lines that appear under your eyes by boosting the collagen production. Never use your face moisturizer as your eye cream as these creams weren’t meant for such skin areas. Using a suitable eye cream will also help with under eye puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles.

3. Your face cream must always contain SPF 15 sunscreen which will protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. UVA rays from the sun can damage the collagen, which can result in premature aging and wrinkles.

4. You know it is important to cleanse your face daily, but don’t forget to exfoliate regularly. This will eliminate dead skin cells and giving you younger and more glowing skin.

 5. Believe it or not, but exercise can contribute in a great way to get younger looking skin. Aim to be active for at least 30 minutes a day by going for a walk, go running or even chasing your kids around the local park. Exercise gets your blood flowing, and an increase in blood flow will carry more oxygen to the skin. The boost in blood flow and oxygen to the skin cells also carries nutrients that improve skin health, supporting all the effort you make with moisturizers and other skin care products.

Want To Have Amazing Hair, Skin & Nails? Eat Your Raw Foods!

By: Stephanie Heino

Want To Have Amazing Hair, Skin & Nails? Eat Your Raw Foods! | The Organic Beauty BlogWant healthy and glossy hair without supplements? Do you want it to grow faster, while getting strong nails and flawless skin? Keep reading!

A sound diet with lots of raw foods will give you the best possible nutritional advantage for getting healthy hair, nails and skin. Stock upon leafy greens and get in a serving of soaked raw nuts or seeds each day which deliver minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids (the building block of protein that makes our hair, nails and skin). A mineral-rich diet with lots of raw foods is your best bet for creating beauty inside-out.

The health of our hair and nails depends on good circulation of the blood which carries oxygen and nutrients to the area. We need to move the body to ensure this circulation is working as it should. But mostly problems with hair and nails are due to an imbalance within, and that can always be re-balanced through healthy raw foods!

In fact, your body prefers to be nourished with raw foods. If your diet predominately consists of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, you will create a perfect balance within, which will show up on the outside (with some patience!).

Check out this guide to 5 amazing raw foods that will boost your beauty and give you fuller, shinier, healthier hair:

Dark Green Vegetables

Greens like kale, spinach, broccoli and Swiss chard, are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which your body needs to produce sebum. They are also packed with minerals like silicon and sulfur that are vital to healthy growth of our nails and hair.

Nuts

Want To Have Amazing Hair, Skin & Nails? Eat Your Raw Foods! 2 | The Organic Beauty BlogDo you go nuts for thick, shiny hair? You should. Brazil nuts are one of nature’s best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp. Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help condition your hair. They are also a terrific source of zinc, as are cashews, pecans, and almonds. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure you eat nuts on the regular.

Flax seeds

The second step to beautiful skin, hair and nails involves including optimal amounts of essential fats in your diet. Fats are especially important for our skin and hair. They are an enormous part of how skin and hair are stay moist and lush as opposed to course and dry, and by including flax seeds and avocados you take care of this issue. If you feel like it will be a problem to eat enough of these foods to truly nourish, it can also be practical to use an essential fatty acid supplement in the form of a liquid oil. Although this is a post on raw foods, evening primrose oil is also a favourite of skin, hair and nails.

Wheatgrass

Want To Have Amazing Hair, Skin & Nails? Eat Your Raw Foods! 3 | The Organic Beauty BlogBy drinking wheatgrass, and washing your hair in it you will see some great results. By doing this, nutrients penetrate into follicles and stimulate growth of new pigment-producing cells. Getting results takes time, but be patient!

Sea Vegetables

Research shows sodium alginate, a compound found in most seaweed, binds with heavy metals and chemical poisons, flushing them from the body. They nourish the endocrine system, especially the thyroid and adrenal glands. Iodine in seaweed keeps the thyroid functioning normally, and is high in natural sodium. Sea vegetables, providing plenty of proteins, complex carbohydrates, carotenes, and chlorophyll, not only stimulate and strengthen the hair, but also the skin and nails. Brittle hair, caused by a shortage of minerals, too much salt or animal food, or use of drugs, can be restored by eating sea vegetables. Kombu comes in sticks which you can add to your soups, stews, beans and casseroles. It has a yummy salty flavour, and you also get a range of minerals that your skin, hair and nails love.

Healthy Nutribullet Smoothie Recipes

Nutribullet Recipes

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

I’ve gotten a lot of requests for Nutribullet smoothie recipes… Although you can make any smoothie creation in your Nutribullet, the proportions are on a smaller scale since you’re using a single serving blender. If you’re using a full size blender like a Vitamix or Ninja Pro, just double the recipe for two servings!

Delectable Detox Smoothie

This is an amazing smoothie for detoxifying the organs.  Loaded with diuretics and super foods, this is a perfect start to a detox day or to cleanse the body after a night of drinking and poor food choices.

1 cup  organic kale (stems and tough rib removed)
1/2 cup frozen organic mango
1 medium rib celery, chopped
1 cup filtered water
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil

Combine ingredients in a Nutribullet or blender.  Add a touch of raw agave or stevia, if desired.

Mega Protein Smoothie

This is a great smoothie for weight loss, since it will control appetite and cravings until lunchtime. It’s also great for a post-workout boost.

1/2 cup frozen peaches
1/2 avocado
1 cup organic spinach
1 tbsp hemp seeds
A handful of raw almonds or 1 tbsp raw almond butter
1 cup water or coconut water

Combine ingredients in Nutribullet or blender. Add a touch of agave or stevia if needed.

Perfect Skin Smoothie

This smoothie is loaded with skin protecting antioxidants, smoothing and anti-aging omega-3’s, and moisturizing healthy fats for clear, youthful skin!

1/2 cup organic blueberries
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 cup organic dandelion greens
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 cup coconut water

Combine ingredients in Nutribullet. Add a touch of agave or stevia if needed.

Super Energy Smoothie

Perfect for those days when you need a little extra something, or before a grueling workout!

1 frozen banana
1 cup organic kale
1 tbsp spirulina powder
2 tsp maca powder
1 tsp acai powder
1 tbsp raw organic almond butter
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 tsp royal jelly
1 tsp raw organic honey (optional)

Combine ingredients in Nutribullet or blender.

Women’s Fertility Smoothie

This smoothie is wonderful for balancing hormones, increasing fertility, and giving women the nutrients they need for healthy eggs and baby-making! It’s also a great libido booster.

1 kiwi
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup organic spinach
A handful of pumpkin seeds
2 tsp maca powder
1 tsp acai berry powder
2 tsp bee pollen
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp flaxseed oil
1 cup water

Combine ingredients in Nutribullet or blender. Add a touch of agave or stevia if needed.

Men’s Virility Smoothie

This smoothie is loaded with nutrients to improve male libido, reproductive health, virility, and increase testosterone!

1 frozen banana
1/2 piece ginger
1 cup spinach
2 tsp maca
1 tsp acai berry powder
A handful of walnuts
1 cup coconut water
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
(Optional) Add a stick of celery for a virility boost!

Combine ingredients in Nutribullet or blender. Add a touch of agave or stevia if needed.

What’s your favorite Nutribullet smoothie? Click here to share it in the comments section!