HealthLady.com

Indulge Your Sweet Craving in a Delicious Comfort Drink

Part-shake, part-creamy beverage, when I crave a sweet comfort drink, I quickly blend up a batch of my favorite (and healthy) sesame seed drink.

Sesame seeds are chockfull of nutrients. These tiny seeds contain important minerals like zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium as well as protein and healthy fats. For those avoiding cow's milk, sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium. And for vegans who are often at risk for not getting enough zinc, sesame seeds contain a healthy dose of this much needed mineral.

One tablespoon of whole sesame seeds contains about 50 calories, 2 grams of protein, about 2 grams of fiber and 4 grams of fat. But sesame seeds retain more of the nutrients when they are eaten whole and unhulled rather than toasted.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 cup of sesame seeds 
• 2 cups of water  Soak 1 cup of seeds in 2 cups of water overnight.

In the morning, strain the seeds then add 2 cups fresh water before blending. Blend in a blender or food processor for 5 minutes or until your desired consistency. This nutty drink will keep in your refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

For those who like a sweeter milk, add 1 tablespoon honey or 2-3 dates and 1/4-teaspoon salt. I prefer agave or maple syrup or the natural taste of plain sesame seed milk.

If you want to experiment with other kinds of nut milks, follow the same process with your favorite nut. For instance, you can grind flax, pumpkin, or sesame seeds very fine and stir into your liquid meal to stabilize your blood sugar.

Enjoy as you drink to your health! 

Your Morning Boost, Instead of Coffee

It's a much healthier alternative to coffee.

A natural stimulant – without the side effects and toxicity of coffee – remarkably, it induces better (not worse) attributes of sleep.

Yerba Mate contains many essential vitamins and nutrients Truly a drink for body and soul, the Guarani Indians – the ultimate experts – have relied on the drink for centuries as a principle part of their diet. They believe it is good for:

• boosting immunity
• detoxifying the body
• reducing blood pressure
• toning the nervous system
• controlling appetite
• curing insomnia
• retarding aging
• reducing fever

Plus, research now supports the claims that yerba mate can help:

diabetes – by balancing blood sugar levels
constipation – by stimulating digestion
hypertension – by relaxing peripheral blood vessels
high cholesterol – by inhibiting the oxidation of LDL
allergy & hay fever – by reducing symptoms

For More info: Yerba Mate

Your Morning Plan

A.M. ( upon Awakening)

• Drink one or two glasses of pure water with lemon ( 16-32 ounces)
• Have a good quality green drink powder or 1 ounce of fresh wheat grass  Of course the morning cleanse could be coupled with breaking the caffeine habit.

Your colon will thank you:)

One way to give up coffee with less discomfort is by gradually replacing coffee with herbal replacements until no more coffee is consumed.  It takes 60 days for your body to eliminate all the caffeine and really see the results. But this could be accelerated by a short fast, or a raw food eliminating diet, such as a strict raw fruits and vegetables diet.

There are also coffee replacements that can be used to give up coffee.  You will lower caffeine intake by drinking grain-coffee blends, diluted or smaller amounts of regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee. You'll also incorporate some herbal teas to use in place of coffee that can be both stimulating and refreshing. The roasted herbal roots, including barley, chicory, and dandelion, are most popular.  Grain "coffees," such as Barley coffee, cafix, inka, ostum, Pero, Raja's cup and Teechino will also work.  Herbal teas made from lemon grass, peppermint, ginger root, red clover, and comfrey are very nourishing, and do not have depleting side effects.   

In addition, vitamin C supplementation helps during withdrawal by supporting adrenal glands.  As a stress-reducer, several grams more of vitamins can be taken over the course of the day, preferably in a buffered form especially with the main alkaline minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium as well as zinc.

Of course, if you do like a cup of coffee and can’t commit to give it up I can offer this important tip that most don’t know about.  Consider treating yourself to drink coffee in the mid-to-late afternoon.  Although it is the opposite of most people's morning routines of using caffeine as their wake-up call and for energy through the day; the afternoon cup best fits our body's natural cycle, avoiding the high-adrenal morning and late pre-sleep hours. Try committing yourself to either the colon cleanse or a commitment to give up caffeine, if not both; and welcome a new healthy year for yourself.