May Healthy Happy Hour: The Downtown

Come join us this Friday, May 20th from 7-9 at The Downtown in Red Bank for healthy happy hour! We will have a table reserved.. just look for our logo. Hope to see you there!

Yoga Classes with Terra & Lauren

Join Terra at one of her weekly yoga classes:

Fertility Yoga Monday May 15-June 20th 5:30 - 7:00PM

Trying to conceive? Yoga is a great way to help you release the tension, fear, anger and depression that can accompany couples experiencing infertility and sabotage their best efforts to become pregnant. Created just for you, this class is intended to help you reclaim your fertile ground. This series will include Preconception Health Coaching, Yoga and Guided Meditation. Registration Required $299 for the series. (Starts May 14th)

Karma Yoga with Terra, Wednesday 7:00 PM - Gentle Hatha class a combination of traditional Hatha yoga asanas, breath work and meditation. Yoga alignments and modifications of poses accessible to everybody. Karma Class $10 drop in fee.

(Re)Discover Yoga 6-week Series, Thursdays 5:30PM

This course includes an introduction to the connection of breath and movement as well as proper alignment in all postures and some yoga philosophy. Registration required $99 for the series (Starts in June).

Soul Sweat Asana Fridays 8:30 AM: Soul Sweat Asana practice is a dynamic vinyasa flow, which maximally challenges the body and mind while maintaining a sense of ease, joy, fun and freedom in the body. ($20 drop in fee).

Mommy and Me Post-Natal Yoga Fridays 11:30 AM: This post-natal class (babies and mom's 6 weeks post-partum) focuses on strengthening the spiritual, emotional and physical bond between parent and child. Babies must be at least 8-weeks. Registration required, $85 for the series.

Join Lauren at one of her weekly yoga classes:

Fridays @ 5:30pm at Brahma Yoga Spa in Sea Bright, NJ

Lauren teaches a 75-minute Hatha yoga class every Friday night at the beautiful Brahma Yoga Spa by the sea. This class is for ALL levels. Drop-ins are always welcome!

Saturdays @ 9:00am at Fair Haven Yoga in Fair Haven, NJ

Lauren teaches a 75-minute vigorous Hatha yoga class at 9:00am every Saturday morning. This class is for intermediate/advanced levels. Drop-ins are always welcome!

A few favorite things: Live Jolly and Russell James!

I think it’s safe to say at this point that I have been obsessed with raw foods lately. While I have learned a lot from starting our raw cleanse and have been maintaining a mostly raw diet, I am still very far from being a raw chef. Mainly because raw food prep generally requires some equipment in lieu of a stove, including a high-speed blender, a good food processor and a dehydrator, of which I only have one. But, my goal is to own the other two and make good use of them, which means I need and want to continue to learn as much as I can about making raw foods.

That being said, this past week has been full of opportunities to do that. Starting with last week when I had the opportunity to meet up with Chris Jolly, raw chef and owner of Live Jolly foods and I have to give him a shout out. Chris is a New Jersey native who works out of Avon and Red Bank to prepare raw entrees and desserts that can be found at health food stores throughout the area. If you have ever been to Dean’s in Ocean and Shrewsbury or Nature’s Corner in Spring Lake, you may have seen or even tried his raw pizza, pad thai or ‘cheese’cakes, to name a few. Chris’s foods are so good and so popular that he will soon be selling in Whole Foods and is working on a bunch of new products, including kale chips, flax crackers and granola which will be available in stores soon. Which will make it much more convenient for those of us who don’t have a dehydrator at home, all while supporting a local and health-inspired business!

I hope to learn more from Chris in the next few months and can’t wait to try his new items! That being said, Live Jolly needs our help to ensure that his new products hit the shelves. They started a crowd funding project to help fund the new products and make sure that we all get to sample them. You can learn more about the project here: http://www.indiegogo.com/Granola-its-not-just-for-hippies-anymore. Unlike many crowd funding projects, this is not a donation or handout. Instead by contributing what you like, you get some of the new products in return. So it’s basically like ordering the product on line and getting a chance to taste them before anyone else, without ever having to leave your home! Live Jolly has a month left to reach their goal, so lets help them out and eat some yummy raw foods!

Next up was a trip into Manhattan with my friend Nancy to a place called Organic Avenue, a small boutique specializing in raw foods where I had the most amazing ‘Mint Chip’ smoothie. This place was a great resource for raw food products from nut cheese bags, raw chocolates, a variety of snacks and some of the harder to find products like alkalizing water drops and liquid chlorophyll. Yeah, I have no idea what I’d do with the latter, either. Anyway, the reason we ventured all the way to Organic Avenue was not to spend too much money on a some raw chocolate, snacks and a smoothie (which I did), but rather to see The Raw Chef, Russell James demo some of his recipes. If you are at all interested in raw foods, I suggest you google him. He is a wealth of knowledge and has tons of amazing recipes and how-to videos, and he has a way of making things a lot less intimidating. In a mere two hours he whipped up some falafel, flax crackers, nut ‘cheese’ and hummus... all of which were delicious!

Lastly, on the raw journey: In order to put some of this new knowledge to the test, Terra and I decided to tackle one of Russell’s recipes - an insanely rich chocolate torte with strawberry sauce and cashew/ginger cream, for Nancy for her birthday. We may not have done it as easily, or as pretty, as Russell, but I think we did a pretty darn good job, and Nancy loved it! However, as you will see from the recipe below, I will admit that it did take some time to prepare and while we had a blast doing it, it did make me thankful that we have some amazing local raw chefs, like Chris Jolly, to do the work for us!

If you are so bold to try a hand at it yourself, the following is Russell's recipe for the Chocolate Torte (most of the ingredients will be found in any good health food/natural food store. This is a very intense and rich dark chocolate torte... but free of dairy, flour and refined sugar!).

Russell James' Chocolate Torte:


The Crust:
1 1/2 cups raw pecans
3/4 raisins roughly chopped
2 Tbsn softened raw coconut oil*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Process pecans, raisins, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Add coconut oil and vanilla and process again until pastey. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9" springform pan or pie plate. (You can sprinkle the bottom of the pie plate with a little bit of dried coconut to prevent the crust from sticking). Place in the fridge.

The Filling:
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup water
2 cups raw cacao powder
1 1/2 cups cacao butter*
2 Tbsn vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 Tbsn lemon juice

Blend cashews, water, vanilla, agave and lemon juice in a high speed blender until smooth. Add cacao butter and powder and blend again. You may need to add more water to get the desired consistency (similar to a thick pudding). Pour mixture into pie crust and smooth evenly. Return to fridge to set for 2-3 hours.

The Ginger Cream:
1 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsn coconut oil
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 Tbsn fresh grated ginger
pinch of ground clove
2 tspn vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. You want a creamy sauce-like consistency. If it is too thick to "drizzle", you may need to add some water and blend again until you reach the desired consistency.

Strawberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh chopped strawberries
3 Tbsn agave nectar
2 Tbsn lemon juice
1/2 tspn cinnamon
1/4 tspn nutmeg

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Drizzle both the ginger cream and strawberry sauce over the torte when ready to serve!
*Note: Both the cacao butter and coconut oil should be softened by placing in a bowl over hot water. It is easiest to do this with the cacao if it is finely grated first. You do not want to heat these too high though so be careful about heating them on the stove.

If you decide to attempt this or any of Russell's recipes, or get to taste some of Live Jolly's new products, you will have to let us know what you think!

Keep it fresh and local!
-Jill

Benefits of Ginger

Ginger is known for its tremendous healing benefits. It's a powerful natural health food and remedy. Historically, ginger is one of the best herbs for joint health due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to protecting the joints, ginger also has many other health benefits. I first began using ginger when I was diagnosed with IBS, back in 2000. I drank ginger tea and would chew on a yummy piece of crystallized ginger to calm my stomach. I still use it to this day on a consistent basis to help my belly. As spicy as it may be, its taste has become so comforting to me because I know how much it's going to help warm and heal my tummy!

It is known to:

- treat nausea

- aid digestion

- relieve spasms and menstrual cramps

- regulate blood sugar by stimulating the pancreas

- increase circulation (so its great for cold hands and feet!)

- reduce inflammation

How to incorporate ginger into diet:

- The ginger root can be freshly grated and used in cooking.

- Grated ginger root mixed with diluted lime juice can help to soothe the digestive tract and treat stomach pain.

- To treat arthritis, ginger oil can be massaged into the area of pain.

- Steep fresh ginger tea.

FRESH GINGER TEA:

Ingredients:

4 cups of water

2-inch piece of fresh ginger root

honey (optional)

dash of cardamom

Directions:

Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey if you prefer a sweeter taste.

Enjoy!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Come join us this Friday, April 8th from 7-9 at The Downtown in Red Bank for healthy happy hour! We will have a table reserved upstairs.. just look for our logo. Hope to see you there!

My Raw Journey

They say everything happens for a reason. That each experience in our lives, whether good or bad, easy or difficult, happy or sad is meant to be... like it’s part of some master plan to guide you down your chosen path. Every now and then we have these moments of synchronicity that help us to realize the reason behind those experiences and help us see a little further down the path. Today was one of those moments for me.

As you know, Terra and I began a raw journey together 25 days ago, and many of you may be wondering how we are doing. That journey for me began as a cleanse. A desire to rid my body of some toxins that I knew had been plaguing it. However, after the initial juice fast my path took somewhat of a detour. Well not so much of a detour as a change in destination. My desire to continue the ‘cleanse’ became less about cleansing and more about a movement towards a raw lifestyle. While I didn’t exactly follow the cleanse protocols of juicing and blending everyday, I have maintained a 100% raw diet over the last 25 days, with the exception of two nights out with friends. We have 3 days left of the initial 28 day goal, but I don’t intend to end my journey there. I have been enjoying eating raw and learning how to “cook” raw and pulling myself out of my comfort zone. While, I don’t know exactly how far I will take this journey, for now my goal is to maintain a mostly raw diet and see how it goes.

I have been a vegan for about 6 or 7 years now and not once had I attempted to ‘go raw’. In fact, I probably have been heard to say on more than one occasion “I could never be a raw vegan”. So why now? Why was I all of a sudden enlightened to the fact that a raw diet isn’t as scary and intimidating as previously thought? Why do I now feel compelled and empowered to at least attempt a mostly raw lifestyle? I personally think it was the above mentioned synchronicity. It needed to happen simultaneously with other events in my life to help lead me down my path. I won’t get into it now, cause I tend to be a little superstitious, but I am hoping that those events are going to unfold in the coming weeks and if they do, this could be huge for me. Life-altering huge. So everyone send out all kinds of positive energy for me and I will keep you posted on my progress.

So all that being said, I will continue to post my raw preparation experiments and hopefully successes. Since my success with raw brazil nut milk I have somewhat successfully attempted raw ‘pasta’ marinara, raw pesto (which was amazing and because it was the most successful I am including the super duper, easy recipe in this post), raw cheesecake and raw hemp milk. And of course a myriad of yummy salads.
I will work on perfecting these and others and will continue to share them with you.

The following pesto recipe can be used with the pasta marinara, on top of salads, as spreads on both raw and non-raw sandwiches, on slices of raw tomatoes or any other ideas you come up with. And I hope if you come up with any you will share them with us!

Raw Pesto:

4 cups of fresh basil
1/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of pine nuts or walnuts (I used both)
2-4 cloves of garlic (I used 4, but you can use less if you aren’t big on garlic)
3 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon of unrefined sea salt
Black pepper to taste.




Combine all ingredients in a food processor until desired consistency. (A few pulses should do the trick). This should keep in the fridge in a sealed glass container for a few days, or you can freeze individual portions in ice trays, and then pop out and thaw when needed.

That’s it! So easy, and trust me, so delicious!

Keep it Fresh and Raw!
-Jill

Fermented Foods for Digestive Health

It's simple: digestion is the key to good health. Good digestion is absolutely essential for optimal assimilation of the nutrients that we take in with our food. We Americans tend to think of eating food as fueling up and filling up, instead of what the act truly is- the taking in of the nutrients from which all future cells will be made. And those cells, of course, make up every single organ and system in the body. If you think about fermentation at all, you probably think about alcohol. But there are many other kinds of fermented foods such as yogurt out there. Foods that are labeled “pickled” are also fermented foods. Fermented food uses microorganisms to convert sugars into lactic acid, creating a signature sour taste.

That sour taste which many people may find unfamiliar should not be equated with unhealthy or expired. In fact, including fermented foods in your diet a few times a week or more could be beneficial for your health.

Fermented foods include:

• Miso. A paste made of fermented soy beans, it forms the base of soups or glazes.
• Sauerkraut. This familiar condiment is made of finely shredded fermented cabbage.
• Sourdough bread. Real sourdough bread is made with milk and other foods that have been allowed to ferment before making the bread dough.
• Kefir. A fermented drink made from milk.
• Yogurt. Yogurt includes live bacteria called probiotics.
• Kimchi. A traditional Korean dish made from pickled vegetables like cabbage or radish.
• Buttermilk. Buttermilk also includes probiotics.
• Natto. These fermented soybeans are a traditional Japanese breakfast dish.
• Poi. A fermented paste made from taro root.
• Tempeh. A cake made of fermented soybeans.
• Kombucha. A fermented tea.
  

Fermented foods help aid in digestion, so enjoying a spoonful of sauerkraut before a meal will go a long way. If you're dairy free, Turtle Mountain has an excellent line called So Delicious using coconut milk instead of cow's milk and they are loaded with healthy bacteria for your belly! And an added plus, consuming sour foods such as some of the ones above will help curb cravings...yippee!

Another way to keep your gut flora filled with the friendly bacteria that your digestive system needs to stay healthy, while boosting your immunity is to invest in a high-quality probiotic. I love New Chapter's line of probiotics (you'll find them in the refrigerated section of the health food store, or even a Vitamin Shoppe), or contact me to purchase high-quality Metagenics probiotics that will work best for you.

Keep it Fresh!
- Lauren

Spring Cleaning

Horray! Spring is finally here! The sun is shining and the temperatures are continuing to climb at least here in New Jersey, I was in the Adirondacks the first week of March and it was 5 degrees! But sunshine on the Jersey shore, now that is something to smile and get excited about! I can't wait, in a few more weeks we'll all be able to get out into the fresh air and hoop in the sunshine!

Spring is exciting. It's a time of rebirth. It's nature's way of picking up and starting fresh. The earth sheds it's winter skin as the snow melts, allowing for green grass to grow and flowers to bloom. With the change of season also comes an internal urge to change ourselves. For some, this comes in the form of actually spring cleaning, physically tidying, organizing and freshening our living space and office space. For others, like myself, it's time to internally spring clean.

For the past 11 days, Jill and I have been doing a little spring cleaning, of the juicing, raw variety. The first 7 days was supposed to be juice only followed by 3 days of smoothies and blended salads and another 18 days raw. I started out strong but soon found out that my lifestyle requires more than just juice. Teaching 4 yoga classes and an hooping class requires protein so throughout the juicing portion I supplemented with raw nuts. Call it cheating if you want, but it was what my body required for health. It's all about bioindividuality.

Cleaning in the spring is always great. It allows us to clean the winter junk out and start the new season fresh. If a raw juicing cleanse is too much for you, take it easier and shift your diet and lifestyle even slightly and you see great results.

Terra's Spring Detox Tips

1. Give your body a break from complex, processed foods. Eliminate fried, fatty foods.

2. Eat light! Include lots of green vegetables and simple fruits.

3. Drink lots of water, teas and soups.

4. Get outside and enjoy the sunshine! Exercise with Mother Earth, take a walk on the beach, hike in the woods or just hoop in the sunshine. The fresh air and sunshine will do wonders!

5. Try something fun and new...then get excited about it!

6. Organize and spring clean your bedroom, home office and car. Make sure your living space matches your spiritual, heart and health space!

7. Create a Gratitude Journal.

8. Use fresh spring herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil and mint. Add them to your salads and smoothies not only for flavor but for their healing properties as well! Try a simple smoothie with fresh strawberries, ice, coconut water and basil.

9. Forgive and let go.

10. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Detox and spring clean with a friend, there's power in numbers! If you want help with organization, contact the Organizta. If you need healthy help, contact 3 Healthy Chicks to set up a consult and discuss your goals.

Keep it Fresh!

~Terra

3HC Write Up in Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch!

The Red Bank-Shrewsbury Patch.com interviewed the 3 of us last week and featured us in an article today promoting our Healthy Happy Hour this Friday at Red in Red Bank. Please take a moment and check it out. Then round up some friends and meet us there for some drinks and laughs!

Check it out HERE.

Keep it Fresh!

- Lauren

Day 7: Raw Enlightenment

Day seven and the end of phase one has FINALLY come and passed (well almost). Its been a long week of juice and broth but I feel really good. I feel like I still have a good amount of detoxing to do, but its been off to a good start. The most amazing difference I had the pleasure of noticing this morning. Not to get too personal on you but I usually have excruciating cramps, ahem, oh about once a month if you know what I mean. So bad that it is the one time that I do not even hesitate to take an OTC pain killer. But today... absolutely nothing! No pain at all for the first time since I can remember! Sorry, I was so amazed that I had to share that with you.

Due to the “unforeseen circumstances” related to the above I was very lightheaded today and I couldn’t wait a few more hours to start phase two. (Phase 2 is supposed to be 3 days of raw smoothies, blended raw soups and blended salads only). So late this afternoon I started off with a yummy smoothie made from chia seeds, banana, berries, raw cacao, spirulina and some coconut water. I felt so full afterwards. But now I have a confession to make. This evening I cheated. I broke down and needed to chew! I had sliced cucumber and tomato, followed by a bunch of raw nuts and a few dates. It sounds so silly to think of that as bingeing or cheating.. but that’s totally what it feels like. First thing tomorrow I will be back on track.. smoothies only for me for the next three days.

That was a very long winded intro into the point of this blog. I have been enlightened by rawness (rawdom?). I have always been very intimidated by the work that it takes to really be raw. All the soaking, sprouting, dehydrating is more work than actually cooking food. So aside from raw veggies and fruits, I have only ever dined out or store bought raw foods, which is expensive! But tonight I decided to prep for the upcoming days by making raw brazil nut milk to add creaminess to my smoothies. I CAN NOT believe how easy it was. Why have I not done this before??

I gave up on buying soy milk a year or so ago because so much soy these days is genetically modified. I switched to almond milk, but the cartons you buy are often non-organic, definitely not raw, and usually have added sugar and other ‘shelf-life’ ingredients. So, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to discover how easy it is to make my own “milk”! I will never buy packaged milk again, I will be doing this from now on!

Here’s how you can make your own too:

1) Start with 1 cup of raw brazil nuts. I scored a pound for $5 at Trader Joe’s. Soak them in water in a covered glass bowl for two (or more) hours. (Okay, so there IS soaking involved, but two hours I can handle!) Then drain and rinse them.

2) Put nuts in a blender with 3 cups of purified water and a tablespoon of raw honey, agave or sweetener of your choice and blend thoroughly.

3) Pour the contents of the blender through a cheese cloth or fine strainer. It looks purely liquified before you strain it, but there will be a great deal of ‘pulp’ left after straining. I haven’t figured out how I can use the pulp yet, but I’m working on it. You can be inventive or just discard it.

That’s it!! Store it in a glass container in your refrigerator. This made about a quart of milk, bu because it’s raw and free from added ingredients it won’t keep as long as the packaged alternatives. So if you don’t intend to use that much within a few days simply cut the recipe in half.

Next up: Cashew cream. So stay tuned!

Keep it Fresh and RAW!
-Jill

Saturday Lunch N Learn

3HC will be holding a Lunch N' Learn workshop this Saturday! Come join us and we will feed your brain with lots of yummy information. Bring a healthy bagged lunch to feed your belly.

**Please note that pre-registration is required for all Lunch N Learn classes. Contact the host facilities through the link below to register. We will also require a minimum of three registered attendees in order to hold the class, so encourage your friends and family members to join you! Contact us at 3healthychicks@gmail.com for questions.**

Saturday, March 19th at 12pm at Colts Neck Recreation and Parks
Meal Planning Basics: Come learn tips on how to make the most out of your time and meals and stick to your health goals by planning ahead!

Detox Day Five: Juiced Out

Today is day 5 of cleansing for me, Terra and our friend Nancy. I feel great. I’m not fatigued and I am no longer physically hungry. Mentally, I still think about eating, or not eating constantly though. I have really come to realize how much I take for granted the fact that I have the luxury to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. There are starving people all over the world and it makes me feel so spoiled that I am able to get up and go to the refrigerator, pantry or store whenever I am hungry.

However, no disrespect to the author of our raw cleanse, but after 5 days of juicing I feel that it is physically impossible to drink so much juice for 7-10 days straight. I have barely been able to drink half of what I am supposed to and am sooo sick of juice. Today I am sticking mostly to water because I just can’t stomach anymore juice.

Thankfully, although not raw, we are also allowed to have some broth here and there. So, last night I busted out the stock pot and put everything but the kitchen sink into it. Carrots, potatoes, onions, broccoli, celery, herbs, seaweed, garlic... I threw it all in the pot with water and let it simmer. I have to admit, cutting up and preparing all the ingredients made me want to eat them, but I refrained. After an hour I strained out the veggies and had a yummy mineral and nutrient-dense vegetable broth left. Making your own broth is a great way to avoid the sodium and other unwanted ingredients like MSG that are found in most store-bought broths. Keeping your broth in an air tight glass container, such as a mason jar, will keep it fresh for a week or so, and you can use it for sauteing in place of oil, or as a base for soups and stews.

Sipping on the broth was such a nice change from juice! And, rather than discarding the veggies, I threw them all in the food processor and pureed them, making an additional soup that I froze for rainy, post-cleanse day.

Speaking of post-cleanse, I can’t wait for those days to come. Not that I’m struggling with the cleanse, but I am just excited to see the results of detoxing and see how much better I feel as each cleansing day goes by. Keep posted as we share our journey along the way!

Keep it Fresh!

- Jill

March Healthy Happy Hour - RED

Come join us this Friday, March 18th from 7-9 at RED in Red Bank for healthy happy hour! We will have a table reserved.. just look for our logo. Hope to see you there!

Detox Day Two

There is a jar of peanut butter sitting on the table next to me. It’s talking to me and telling me to open it up and dig in. Dig in with a big hunk of chocolate. Im not sure if I’m hallucinating from a major lack of food, or if I’m just trying to talk myself out of continuing this madness. That's right, its only day TWO of a 28 day cleanse. Sigh.

For those of you who don’t know, Terra and I have decided to embark on 28 day raw cleanse, which starts with 7-10 days of nothing but raw vegetable (and some fruit) juices. Technically it is not fasting, because we are supposed to consume four 32oz juices per day. You would think that if you are not eating, that would not be too difficult. Yeah.. not so much. Yesterday I started with three 24oz juices and I forced the last one down, today I couldn’t even drink that .. Im finding it impossible to drink this much fluid. But, I am still hungry. Grr.

Terra is doing this because she wants to be ready for her upcoming nuptials, I’m doing this because apparently I’m a masochist, and a supportive friend. Either way, Im thinking “whose idea was this anyway” right about now. However, I have done fasts before, and if there is one thing i have learned it is that day two or three is usually the worst and then all of a sudden you just aren’t hungry anymore. When I woke up this morning I was surprised at how good I felt and how little hungry I was, so much so that i spent an hour and a half in the kitchen slaving over my juicer. Who knew not cooking or eating could take so much time and effort? But the day progressed and congestion and the hunger set in, and now its just me versus the peanut butter.

On a side note, I was just exchanging texts with Terra and when my auto-correct changed ‘sayin’ to ‘satin’ her response was ‘mmmm, seitan’, so I’m pretty sure she’s feeling the same way! (Seitan being a tofu-like non-meat made from wheat gluten - hey anything sounds good when you’re this hungry).

What is the purpose of this post you ask? Honestly, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure my brain is too hungry to work. But, Aside from just trying to give you a glimpse into our journey, hopefully its a lesson that cleansing or fasting is not easy and should not be taken lightly. The results are certainly beneficial, especially if you want to jump start weight loss or aid healing from chronic illness, but it’s certainly a ‘no pain, no gain’ experience. Detoxing is well, detoxing... your body needs to go through some discomfort (fatigue, congestion, headaches etc.) and adjustment in order to rid itself of the things that have been ailing it. Generally it gets worse, before it gets better... and I for one can not wait until it gets better!!

Keep it Fresh!

- Jill

Drinking Your Dinner

When I was in law school, I used to "drink my dinner" all the time. First, second and third course was a Becks followed by a dessert of some sort of fruity shot. Unless I was feeling exceptionally rowdie, in which case, first, second and third course was a sweet Makers manhattan with two cherries. Who needs dessert when you have cherries in your dinner?

Oh how the times have changed.

Tonight my dinner consisted of 4 carrots

Five oranges:

and a chunk of ginger. But of course, I am drinking it from a Basil T's beer mug

It has been 48 hours and I'm tired of drinking and I'm tired of peeing. Seriously, do you know how much you pee when you drink 32 ounces of liquid for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. OMG A LOT!

Honestly, yesterday was painful. For those of you who plan on juicing or doing a liquid cleanse, don't take a zumba class on the day you start and don't follow it up by teaching a yoga class. You won't have enough calories to sustain the activity and you'll end up with a blistering headache. Yowch. I should have known better. Lesson (re)learned.

Keep it Fresh!

~Terra

Day 1

Since my yearly vegan challenge slipped my mind, I'm upping my ante. I am going raw to detox and kickstart my bridal health goals.

Today is DAY 1.

For the next 10 days I will be drinking deliciously fresh juices and for the 18 days following that I will be only consuming raw foods. I will be getting moral support from Jill and my friend Nancy, and we'll all get help from Raw Food Rehab.

So what the heck is going raw all about???

Sure, you might feel like you're being healthy when you order a nutritious salad (meaning: not a pile of iceberg lettuce saturated in creamy, fatty dressing, but actually vegetables), but would you want to commit to eating all raw food, all the time? The raw food movement, sometimes called the Live Food movement, is focused on eating only raw and unprocessed foods, often organically grown. Although many are only familiar with the vegan version of this movement, there are vegetarians (lacto-ovo and others), as well as omnivores who participate. A smaller component of the movement actually promotes a carnivorous (only animal product) diet. Similarly, fruitarians- those who try to only eat fruit- are a part of the raw food movement.

One of the main tenets of the belief that raw food is better lies in the loss of nutrients through cooking or processing food. While this is certainly true to a very large degree, it does not hold across the board. A more holistic approach might be to look at each food individually to determine whether it should be eaten raw, slightly cooked, or thoroughly cooked. As with most things in life, knowledge is power.

For some foods, scientists have discovered that light steaming actually makes nutrients available in food that the body would not otherwise be able to digest- broccoli is one such food. If the focus is truly bio-availability, then knowing that the nutrients in spinach are most readily absorbed by the body when it is lightly steamed and eaten with vinegar makes it hard to argue for eating spinach raw. With both of these foods, overcooking leads to a loss of nutrients, so attention paid to each individual food will allow you to gain the most nutrients from them. Likewise, freezing blueberries unlocks many of their antioxidant properties - increasing their health benefits, which is what exploring healthy diets is all about.

So, is raw right for everyone? Probably not. Is raw right for you? Maybe....you never really know until you try it. What it all boils down to is bioindividuality. What works wonders for one person may not for the next. You simply have to experiment to find out. Is raw right for me? I guess we're going to find out! Stay tuned for updates on my juice detox and raw foods journey.

~Keep it Fresh!

Terra

Chocolate Banana Super Milkshake

...dairy-free milkshake that is! My chocolate banana milkshake is packed with protein and calcium from the almond butter and milk, while loaded with fiber and omega-3's from the chia seeds and flaxseeds. The organic raw cacao powder, which is a superfood, contains a rich supply of antioxidants, fiber, magnesium and iron, all while having a rich, chocolaty taste! The bananas provide potassium while helping to normalize the movement through your digestive tract (your elimination, teehee!). So, this frozen treat is not only ridiculously yummy, but totally nutritious as well! If cow’s milk is present in your diet and you’d like to use it in this recipe, go for it (as long as it’s organic). You can also experiment with other types of dairy-free milks such as hemp milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc.

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 frozen banana
1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp almond butter
1 - 2 tbsp organic raw cacao powder (go easy if it's your first time with just 1 tbsp)
1 tsp ground flaxseeds (optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds
few drops of vanilla extract

I love adding a teaspoon of spirulina to this shake to make it "green" and more nutritious. This of course gives it a little difference in color, but if you're cool with that then I'd say go for it!

Directions: Place all ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!!

Benefits of Cacao Powder:

Cacao powder is one of the most vital super food to have in your home. A sweet and dense powder, it can be added as an ingredient to many recipes ranging from homemade cakes to milkshakes. It is a remarkable source of essential vitamins like vitamin A, B, C and D additionally it is comprised of various minerals such as magnesium, sodium and zinc. Cacao also positively effects the production of phenylethylamine, a chemical that is produced when a person experiences feelings of love. It is an awesome source of anti-oxidants, compounds called Flavonols that help the body to produce nitric oxide, a compound essential for proper heart function.

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

March Lunch N Learns

3HC will be holding TWO Lunch N' Learn workshops this month! Come join us and we will feed your brain with lots of yummy information. Bring a healthy bagged lunch to feed your belly. **Please note that pre-registration is required for all Lunch N Learn classes. Contact the host facilities through the links below to register. We will also require a minimum of three registered attendees in order to hold the class, so encourage your friends and family members to join you!**

First join us on Friday, March 11th at 11:30am at Fair Haven Yoga Studio. Deconstructing Cravings: Come learn about some of the primary causes of cravings and tips on how to avoid giving in to them.


Then join us on Saturday, March 19th at 12pm at Colts Neck Recreation and Parks. Meal Planning Basics: Come learn tips on how to make the most out of your time and meals and stick to your health goals by planning ahead.

I'm RAWSOME!

Guess what? I am back! I have been missing you guys so much. Life got crazy and I neglected you. :( Thankfully the fabulous Lauren has been picking up my slack! it wont happen again dear readers, I promise!

Did I tell you guys I was in O Magazine? Yup! One of the Healthy Chicks made O! it's the March issue. Page 120. Check it out! Or you can read it on line too :)

Can you guys believe it's March already??? Hello, February? Where the heck did you go? For the past 3 years I have taken the month of February off from meat, animal products and dairy. My vegan Februarys have always been about getting out of my winter funk, dropping the winter weight and getting ready for a fresh spring.

Now it’s March 1st and I just realized that I have been noshing on things like salmon, pizza and fish tacos for the past month! (Ok, 28 days if you want to get technical). Either way, I completely forgot about my vegan challenge! Oopsie.

To make up for it, I’m going to Raw Food Rehab. Penni Shelton wrote a fabulous book Raw Food Cleanse that takes you through 3, 7, 14 and 28 day juicing and raw food cleanses. It’s packed with awesome raw and juice recipes. And to make up for completely blanking on my Vegan Challenge this year, I’m totally taking my ass to Raw Food Rehab and I’m starting on Wednesday.

I’ve dabbled with the vegan lifestyle and I’ve eaten raw foods, gone to Pure Food & Wine in the city. But never have I actually gone raw. A raw foods diet is one based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods including fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed. It’s said that heating food above 116 degrees F destroys enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Cooking is thought to diminish the nutritional value and “life force” or prana of food.

Side effects of going raw? Copious amounts of energy, weight loss and better skin. Three thing that every bride wants, right? There’s one little glitch though. Stephen and I have a cake tasting appointment on Sunday. While I love raw desserts, our wedding cake will not be raw. I’m going to have to cave, taste 42 different combinations of cakes and then get back on the raw wagon. Luckily, I wont’ be doing this alone. It’s always better with support and Jill is going join me! It’s a 28 day raw foods cleanse and detox. We’re going to be RAWSOME! And the added bonus besides the healthy digestion, clear skin and energy – it will be a hell of a kickstart to all of my bridal health goals!

Keep it Fresh!

~Terra