How to Sneak Veggies in your Diet

And just why on God's Green earth would I eat this Ghostbuster looking Glass of Goob? Because it is packed full of just about every vitamin you could imagine, with the addition of Superfoods, such as Hemp and Spirulina (an amazing immune booster, keeping you farther from disease and cancer). And the best part...you can't even TASTE that there's greens in it. The predominant notes of flavor are the dates, banana and cashews in addition to whichever protein powder blend you include in it.

Today, I tried organic peanut butter in place of cashews, as well as almond milk, and pumpkin instead of the dates, added some cinnamon and YUM, tis the season. I also used my favorite Dr Mercola protein powder (I carry this, and can ship it to you at a discount - it's Di approved, with NO artificial flavors, high protein and LOWer carbs than the hemp PP I list here, which knocked off about 100 calories of the recipe below)...please DO NOT EVER drink Muscle Milk...you get what you pay for, so if you need help finding a good protein powder that will work best for YOU, I will be glad to help! Play with it, but realize that spinach is like rice...it will take on whatever flavor you combine it with, but without the texture some loathe. If you want to make it even more filling with a complex carb and healthy fiber, add 1/4 cup of uncooked oats. This is NOT the recovery drink you'll consume just after a work out...it's great for the one following a work out, following your recovery drink OR the best way to start your morning EVER! Here it is folks! Let me know what you think, as well as please share any other combinations you've tried!

"There's Greens in Here?" Hemp Protein Drink

Servings Made: 1

Ingredients:

• 0.5 each Banana ­ med 8"
• 1 date, pitted Dates, medjool
• 0.5 cup Hempmilk ­ Living Harvest (vanilla)
  
• 1/2 cup Ice cubes
• 1 oz Nuts, cashew nuts, raw
• 1 cup Spinach, raw
• 1 teaspoon Spirulina Powder (I used Pure Hawaiian Pacifica)
• 2 tablespoon Trader Joe's Organic Hemp Protein Powder (Vanilla Flavor)

Preparation:

1. Add all to blender (blends down best with a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix – contact me for details and discounts) for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth.
2. ENJOY seated comfortably, with a peaceful mind and open heart.

SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS:

• Can be made without Spirulina.
• Add small amounts of Stevia to taste. And for diabetics or others conscious ofsugar intake, you can substitute Stevia for the dates, which are high in sugar, albeit therapeutic sugar.
• Substitute Hemp PP with 1 serving of preferred protein powder of choice (can obtain higher grams of protein profiles and less fat, carbs with others depending on your diet)
• Hemp milk can be substituted for non GMO, organic soy, almond, coconut milk, etc. DO NOT use dairy as it will create mucous in your body and impair your bodys ability to absorb and assimilate all of these

Nutrition Information per Serving:

Calories 417.66

Protein 14.56 g

Carbohydrates 56.49 g

Fat 17.13 g

Fiber 9.60 g

Saturated Fat 2.48 g

Cholesterol 0.00 mg

Sodium 134.84 mg

FAT BURNING, TUMMY FLATTENING COOKIES

FAT BURNING COOKIES

Staying slim requires eating satisfying snacks that keep hunger pangs at bay. Also, these are filled with nutritious foods that are excellent for pre or post work out bite sized treats. Key ingredients in these cookies include:

-CINNAMON to keep your blood sugar in check

-SLOW DIGESTING PROTEIN from yogurt -PAIRED WITH-

-Faster-digesting WHEY PROTEIN POWDER to steadily suppress appetite

-WHOLE-WHEAT FLOUR for energy-revving B vitamins

-OATS for their anti-flammatory polyphenols and beta-glucan

-WALNUTS to promote a feeling of fullness that subdues cravings

BONUS: Cacao chips curb your sweet tooth and squash any ‘I’m a victim of deprivation’ thoughts. Cacao is unrefined, raw, unprocessed chocolate as close to it’s natural state as possible. 100% cacao is a bit bitter, whereas 70% possesses a sweeter taste, with the addition of palm oil and either nonfat milk powder (non vegan) or malted corn and barley (vegan). Aim at 70% or more cacao to benefit from the medicinal and anti-oxidizing properties of chocolate in it’s raw state. Chocolate less than 70% generally tends to be over-processed with the inclusion of sugar, and at high temperatures killing the nutritive potency the cacao bean offers.

Ingredients:

GROUP 1

1 ½ Organic Greek Low or Non Fat Yogurt

½ cup Raw honey or Organic Agave Nectar

1/8 cup Canola Oil

1/8 cup Coconut Oil

1 egg*

2 tsp vanilla extract

GROUP 2

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

2 cups whey protein powder

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Stevia or Truvia to taste (0 calorie sweetener in place of sugar)

GROUP 3

1 cup rolled oats**

½ cup 70% or more cacao chips (Vegan bags avail at Whole Foods)

½ cup walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine all ingredients in Group 1 in a large bowl and stir with a fork. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer to do the work for me. It’s not necessary, just makes things easier.

3. Add Group 2 ingredients and stir to consistency

4. Add Group 3 ingredients and stir last time until they’re evenly dispersed

5. Spray non stick on cookie sheets and evenly spread teaspoon size scoops over them. Cook for 7-8 minutes for moister cookies, and 9-10 minutes if you like them more spongy and cake like.

*For vegans, try substituting one banana or 1/4 cup applesauce for the egg. Or 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, since ‘tis the season.

**Consider using slow cook oats vs the Quick (more fiber)

Makes approx. 70 cookies

Nutrients per serving (2 cookies):

Calories:		99 cal
Total Fat:		3g
	Saturated:	1g
	Trans:	0g
Cholesterol:		6 mg (0 if no egg is used)
Sodium:		72mg
Total Carbs:		11g
	Fiber:	2g
	Sugars:	5g
Protein:		7g

This will also vary depending on what brand of protein powder you use. I have a good suggestion for you that I can recommend, email me if you'd like more info. :)

MAKE IT A SUPERFOOD COOKIE

...by sprinkling these over them when they come out of the oven, and are still moist. And although they are superfoods, they still have calories, so take that into consideration when snacking…the key is moderation.

2-4 tsp of Maca Powder

½ cup Goji berries

In order to reach and maintain our weight goals, deprivation is not the word that comes to mind. Moderation is. These cookies fulfill my 'cookie' fix all the time. At first, they make take some adjusting to, seeing how there is NO white sugar, white flour, butter, etc in these as are in a typical cookie recipe. With dietary adjustments and replacements (this not that), your palet will naturally change and evolve so that these will taste even BETTER than the traditional cookie recipe. Your body will crave these from the inside, with the way they make you feel due to the healthy ingredients. :) Also, a HUGE bonus is the probiotics that are in the yogurt. I use Fage 0 or 2%, or Trader Joes Organic 0 or 2% is awesome too. These are the LOWEST sugared yogurts I've come across in my research. Acidophilus is the strain of probiotic abundantly found in yogurt, which is a friendly colon residing bacteria that boosts immunity, aids in stabilizing digestion and FLATTENS THE TUMMY. Yeah buddy! Although yogurt is one of the highest concentrated probiotic foods out there, I still advise taking a probiotic daily to further aid in digestion, curb hunger cravings and flatten the tummy. The one I take every night before bed has 13 strains (acidophilus is just one of many). For more on which to take, I blogged on that a couple months ago. Here's how to find one at the best price (where I shop online).

http://dianekazer-vitamindi.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html

Enjoy my friends, and please feel free to pass this anyone you know with a cookie addiction, looking for a healthier alternative.

Be happy! Be fit! Be healthy! Namaste,

DK

Fusion Diet - Lost 6 pounds in Week 1

As many of you know, I'm a 'trial and error', guinea pig it, prove it, proof is in the pudding, I'll believe it when I see it kind of gal. I enjoy experimenting with, learning and researching new ideas for the improvement within and understanding of our bodies. We cannot ignore the very fundamental fact that each one of us functions differently, from our genetics to our environment, what works for me may not work for you, but at least I know through my own attempts, what CAN work, and what English coin as 'rubbish', mostly comprised of 'high selling, gimmicky, trend diets'. A lot of new theories are arising on diets that are designed to work best for each individual body type, be it Blood Type, DNA make up, physique shape (pear, apple, carrot), etc. Some are going so far as to incorporate our family medical record history, and recommend eating habits based on the prevention of pre-disposed medical conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, to name a few. My point is, there are and always will be a myriad of diet tips, plans and strategies from which to chose, but THE BEST advice you can follow comes from your own personal experience. WE MUST GET TO KNOW OUR OWN ENGINE!!! Therefore, 3 weeks ago, I embarked on my own diet/cleansing/exercise adventure, the main goal being to bring to my attention what works best for me and what hinders my health maintenance and exercise progress. I RECOMMENDED THIS SAME FUSION DIET TO ANOTHER CLIENT AND HE LOST 25 POUNDS (WENT FROM 215 TO 190) IN 2 MONTHS.

I will share the changes I made to and amazing findings via my exercise and vitamin intake, in the blogs 'Di Hard' and 'Vitamin Di' respectively, but since this blog 'Chef Boy R Di' was created to share recipe and food tip ideas, I will cover my favorite breakfast of champion meal below. If you're the type that likes to SKIP BREAKFAST, because either you're short on time, or fall under the false understanding that you'll be burning fat for fuel until lunch, you are actually doing the opposite, YOU'RE GETTING FATTER!

SKIP BREAKFAST = SLOWING METABOLISM = STORING MORE FAT

Think about it! Let's say you go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6. That's 8 HOURS OF FASTING. When you rise, your body is starved, on empty, driving around desparetely seeking a 76 station to fill up. Instead, most of us, keep driving down to E, then below E, to the point that we're running on fumes, and all you car geeks know what that means to your engine. DON'T PUT STRESS ON YOUR BODY like that. Why do you think we crash at 2pm after lunch? We end up overeating, eating more 'energy' than our body can use for immediate fuel or store for later use, and guess where it goes? To the places that all of you email me about identified as your 'problem areas'...butt, thighs and the most common...BELLY FAT! If you look at a Richter scale after an 8.0 quake, that's exactly what your blood sugar (ie - energy) looks like ALL DAY LONG! Here's the timeline:

10pm - in Bed

6am - wake up

8am - at work

Noon - Lunch

YOUR BODY HAS GONE WITHOUT FUEL FOR 14 HOURS! No wonder you're tired at 2pm, and have every intention of making it to the gym after work, but pass due to fatigue, blaming it on a busy work day! Before lunch, your metabolism is slowed until you feed your body, then after lunch it's exhausted because it had to work overtime to break down the traffic of food you shot down your esophagus (insulin spike = low blood sugar = low energy).

THEREFORE, FOR THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WORK DAY OF YOUR LIFE, EAT THIS:

-1 serving gluten free oatmeal (I measure 1/4 cup dry)

-3 pumps Egg Whites International (see my affiliates link on my site)

-1/2 packet Whey Protein Powder of choice (ask me for one I approve of)

-dash cinnamon

-packet stevia

-1/8 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds) or 1 tbsp nut butter

-1/2 banana or 1/2 cup combo of fruit (strawberries, blueberries are yum and high antioxidant, as pictured)

The fast version (stove top cooked is best):

Heat up Oatmeal with water for 1.5 min (add just enough water to yield thick oatmeal)

Pump in egg whites, stir and add to micro for only 30 seconds so as not to cook them

Stir in all remaining ingredients of choice, and enjoy!

When I was pressed for time, I'd prepare this and eat it on the way to work, EASY!

If you know anything about the aforementioned foods, you can identify that it's:

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

SUGAR FREE (processed that is)

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

CAFFEINE FREE

That has been the foundation of my diet for the last 3 weeks, and in the first week alone, I watched the 'swollen' appearance of my body decrease significantly (commonly misidentified as fat), felt more CONSTANT ENERGY throughout the day, and SLEPT BETTER. I will have further blogs on the remainder of my findings, but this has been BY FAR THE BEST EATING LIFESTYLE I've encountered. I cannot wait to share more!

Oh, and one last thing...after my first week of cleaning myself out with a 7 day cleanse by Nutriclean, that I sell in my online wellness store, with only healthy herbs and no harsh laxatives, I tried a white flour pita to see how my body would react, and the next morning I WAS BLOATED all over my face, my energy was zapped and I was itchy all over. I didn't feel that way a couple of years ago, when I was eating white flour regularly, uninformed of it's demise. And although I didn't set out to completely ax coffee out of my morning routine, I lost the craving for it since I awoke with natural energy, as I slept better too. When I did try a cup, my body rejected it and I felt like a crack addict all day long, so that was the end of that. WHOA! A key learning: JUST BECAUSE OUR BODIES ADAPT TO BAD FOOD, AND ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, DOESN'T MEAN we're healthy! Only through trial and error of elimination can we find the sources of our problems.

For more information on the cleanse I followed, which I will guide you through as your Di-gestion coach, CLICK HERE for info and how to order. All you have to lose is 5-12 pounds, some inflammation, allergies, and fatigue. :)

Please email me if any of you healthy friends need further help!

info@dianekazer.com

NOW GET YOUR CLEANSE ON and DONT forget your breakfast nor your probiotics!