Cleaning up our act

The payoff was a noticeable lessening of pains in the……joints. Feeling better AND encouraged we moved forward cleaning up our act by diminishing processed food, didn’t do added sugar or white flour, didn’t keep any in the pantry, but again, they too hide in multitudes of…. okay I’m just gonna say it…CRAP!

So my call to action showed up in the form of juicing-Get an abundance of fruit and veggies on board baby!!!!! And it worked pretty darn well for a while. But I gotta say on those mornings when you need to get a move on, the chopping, slicing, dicing and in some cases peeling and then the clean up proved problematic, at least in any consistent fashion.

My next mission was to buy THE appliance of my dreams!!!! That powerful motor and adjustable settings spoke to me……SANG to me!!!! No I am not about to go all x rated on ya….. I speak of my beloved Vitamix.

I had seen one in action at a home show about a dozen years earlier and had wanted one ever since, but let’s face it those bad boys aren’t cheap! But once you make your health and well-being a priority, this investment just made sense. I did find that you can get a refurbished one, and it has worked perfectly all these years.

I torque that sucker up most mornings for smoothies and they too have evolved over time. In the early days of cleaning up our act I used soy milk and that got me HOT  …… by way of flashes …. not in a good way!  So next came other milk alternatives, primarily rice or almond, whichever was most cost-effective that shopping trip. But let’s face it, you don’t know what you don’t know until you learn a bit more.The discovery about additives to the packaging-BPA’s and additives to the product itself-carrageenan and the like…..NO I DON”T LIKE IT!!!!! Another evolutionary change was called for.

Milk doesn’t a body good any more

I love researching for things to bump up our smoothies, and we use lots of organic powders to supercharge and add an array of nutrients, but at the core I needed to find that “carrier elixir” that had eluded me.

Well no more my friends!!! DRUM ROLL PLEASE…………………………………..

Read the Labels that why their there

Homemade coconut milk!!!!! I am not gonna go all pioneer/hippy on your backside and claim that I buy fresh coconut, crack them open and extract the meat to make the magic happen, NAY NAY I say, but after much research and diligence I found an outstanding source for organic coconut flakes and a company I feel great about purchasing from, because we do after all vote with our $$$$ and business practices matter to me. I am frugal as well, so when I say I search….. we are talkin high and low my friend.

But before I disclose my new bestie let me offer some info on the benefits of coconuts-THIS STUFF ROCKS!!!!!

Benefits of Coconut

Now here you may be saying “but you’re going all flakey on me here, what about the oil?” Trust me when I say “it’s in there” or don’t, read the benefits, get a (good) source of coconut that suits your needs, and if you do go the route of making your own coconut milk, just put in the fridge and watch the magic rise to the top!!!!

My personal experience over the last two weeks include increased energy, a positive change in skin, hair and nails and YIPEEE!!!!! A 6 lb. weight loss!!!Plus this elixir is yummy as all get out!!!

I hosted a study group a week and a half ago and I made the coconut milk available for coffee, one of the ladies made a delectable gluten-free apple crisp and we proceeded to drizzle the coconut milk upon it…..excellent choice!!! They were surprised to find out there were no flavorings or sweetener added to it.

The 2.2 lb. bags I purchased yielded 12 cups of organic coconut. I bought 3 of them. Many recipes use a ratio of 1 cup coconut to 4 cups water, for my purchase that translates to 87 cents a QUART!!!! That includes shipping!!! I have used a lesser ratio when a recipe calls for cream or I just want to revel in what feels like decadence in my coffee, but heck I’ll go $1.50 or so a quart on occasion “cuz I’m worth it!!!”

Another  HUGE reason to consider homemade coconut milk as opposed to almond milk  are the  regulations placed on “raw” almonds. Check out this Natural News article.

My go to place for all things coconut is Tropical Traditions

If you are a first time customer to Tropical Traditions you will receive a free book , Virgin Coconut Oil,  full of great info and testimonials. I will receive a discount coupon.

My “Get up and Go” smoothie is designed to include a multitude of nutrients to increase energy. Boasting lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and more to address our depleted food sources. I could go into a litany of info here, but with links provided you’ll get my drift!

Smoothie Recipe

Just like a milkshake only better

Get up and Go Smoothie recipe

coconut milk

carrots

frozen banana

ginger & turmeric powder  (great for aches & pains)

moringa powder  (powerhouse super food)

And blend away!!!

Sometimes I’ll toss in some greek yogurt or kefir, smoothies are very giving AND forgiving, throw in what you enjoy and have on hand.

So if you feel it’s time to “Rev up your engine” and “Clean up (Y) our Act” check out these priceless gifts from Mother Nature!

My favorite place for my moringa, ginger and turmeric powders is, Z Natural Foods. Great place for Smoothy ingredients.

      Shared by KLG -(Keep Living Good !)

Cleaning up our Act, Out with the bad, in with the good.