Green Lemonade

Freshly Pressed: Fish Oil Protects Brain From Crappy Diet - Weekly Article Roundup

noelle — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:42:35 +0000

Each Friday I like to share a few articles that I enjoyed reading around the web. Some of these articles make me smile, others make me feel good.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

- Noelle

Weekly article roundup

My Five Beauty Obsessions India Hicks – Well and Good NYC

5-Minute Workouts, Healthy Recipes and Sanity Savers! – Fit Bottomed Girls

Fish Oil Protects Brain From Crappy Diet – Blisstree

A New York Flat with a Glamorous View – Remodelista

Gluten-Free Myths – Huffington Post

Are Collard Greens The New Kale? – Equinox Q Blog

6 Moves To Strengthen Your Core – Fitness Magazine

New to Green Lemonade?

Welcome to Green Lemonade! I’m Noelle.

Green Lemonade is all about celebrating quick veggie-focused meals, low-calorie smoothies and fresh juices – the sort of light and vibrant cuisine you might find at a spa. What I eat dramatically affects how I look and how I feel⎯now, more than ever⎯with the arrival of my baby son! As a result I try to eat a lot of leafy greens and other veggies that are packed with nutrients. I also drink a lot of water to keep my skin hydrated. In non-recipe posts I like to scoop on trends that we New Yorkers are in love with like whole food cleanses (to gently restore and recharge) as well as natural beauty and lifestyle finds. Learn more about Green Lemonade.

The post Freshly Pressed: Fish Oil Protects Brain From Crappy Diet appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Smoothie Recipes: Not Your Ordinary Banana Smoothie - Kids and adults love this!

noelle — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:15:40 +0000

My neighborhood smoothie bar serves up a Banana Split Smoothie that I could sip on just about everyday. And it turns out my husband and my little guy (see right) feel the same way. I recently decided to make a version of this banana smoothie at home. In my version, I use a generous serving of frozen bananas which contain tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin, and help boost your mood. A creamy almond milk and a nutty almond butter lend a pleasant consistency and a protein boost. I also like to toss in a a handful of iron-rich spinach, and a sprinkle of a good cocoa powder (which is a guilty pleasure, but fortunately linked to a few health benefits too!). It’s a new household favorite.

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Not Your Ordinary Banana Smoothie

Don’t be intimidated by the addition of the tender baby spinach in this smoothie. It simply fades into the background, providing only a nutrient-rich boost (but no spinach taste).

Serving Size: 1 (290 calories per serving)

Ingredients

2 bananas, frozen
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter or organic peanut butter*
1/2 tablespoon good cocoa
1 handful baby spinach*
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Bananas – Health beauties love the high fiber content of bananas. They are also rich in natural sugars (glucose, sucrose and fructose) which provide a healthy energy boost. Learn more here.

Directions

Place ingredients into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Thin with water or thicken with ice if desired. Enjoy!

Grab More

Just getting into smoothies? Let these recipes inspire you.

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Yummy Homemade Walnut Milk - Perfect poured over a spring fruit bowl

noelle — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:29:21 +0000

I’m a big fan of a good homemade nut milk. Do you all like nut milks? They are surprisingly easy to make, and can be dressed up with so many wonderful spices (fresh vanilla and nutmeg are personal favorites) and sweet finishes (maple syrup!). My two year old son, Halston, loves them.

We usually gravitate towards a good creamy almond milk in our house, but this week we’ve been experimenting with a few different versions of a walnut milk. It’s been delicious poured over a bowl of sweet spring strawberries for breakfast. And I also love the creaminess it lends to smoothies.

I hope you all are having a beautiful weekend.

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Yummy Homemade Walnut Milk

If you don’t have fresh dates, a good maple syrup or a spoonful of honey will also work beautifully here.
Serving Size: 3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
3 cups water
3 fresh dates, pitted
1/4 teaspoon good vanilla extract

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Walnuts – Walnuts are one of the few foods that offer a healthy dose of a crucial type of polyunsaturated fat called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid. ALA protects the heart in several ways: It improves your ratio of HDL (good) to LDL (bad) cholesterol, and it reduces inflammation, helping to block the conversion of cholesterol into harmful, artery-clogging plaque. Learn more here.

Directions

Soak walnuts in water for 30 minutes. Or, ideally, let them soak overnight.

Drain. Rinse several times with fresh water. Drain again.

Place drained walnuts into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender with three cups of FRESH water, dates and vanilla. Blend until smooth.

Strain mixture through a nut milk bag. I finally invested in this nut milk bag, it makes this process a lot more enjoyable! If you don’t have a nut milk bag, you can also use a piece of cheesecloth fitted around a large mason jar with an elastic band or a fine metal strainer.

If you want a little more flavor to this milk, add a spoonful of honey or a good maple syrup. You could even toss the milk back in the blender and add a touch of cocoa powder, Stevia and a dash of sea salt to make chocolate milk. Yum!

Grab More

Just getting into homemade nut milks? Give this almond milk recipe a try!

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My Little Man’s (Vegan) Pancakes - Tricked out with sweet potato and chia seeds

noelle — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:12:50 +0000

Every now and then I like to make a good serving of pancakes for myself and my little one (he likes to help make them too!) These pancakes are a twist on the buttermilk pancakes I grew up with as a kid, but in my opinion they taste just as delicious. They are actually eggless and instead incorporate a dollop of sweet potato and a sprinkle of Omega 3 packed chia seeds as a binder (health beauties love these little nuggets of goodness!). After that, the usual suspects of flour (I used a whole wheat pastry flour), milk and a dash of baking soda round out the ingredient list. I love to serve these to my little guy with a little butter and a drizzle of a good maple syrup. These pancakes also taste great with a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top!

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My Little Man’s (Vegan) Pancakes

I recommend frying these pancakes up in a little organic butter and keeping the size petite (1-2 tablesppons of batter per pancake) for a pancake that has a nice crispy edge with a soft, fluffy center.

Serving Size: 2 (250 calories per serving before maple syrup)
This recipe is inspired by these pancakes over at Food52.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 generous tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
good maple syrup to serve

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Sweet potatoes – Brightly colored sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene, so they may be helpful for your eyes, help prevent some kinds of cancer, and boost immunity. They also provide a healthy dose of folate and vitamins B6, C, and E. Learn more here.
Chia seeds – Chia seeds are rich in good-for-you Omega 3 and Omega 6 healthy fats which support a healthy brain and a strong immune system. Learn more here.

Directions

Toss sweet potato, almond milk and chia seeds into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into a bowl and fold in the flour, baking soda and salt.

Heat up a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, spoon one to two tablespoons of batter (per pancake) into the skillet. Cook on one side until the pancakes begin to bubble, then flip and cook until just brown. Serve the pancakes on warm plates with a good maple syrup! Enjoy!

Grab More

Looking for a few more ways to enjoy sweet potatoes? Let these recipes inspire you.

The post My Little Man’s (Vegan) Pancakes appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Smoothie Recipes: Magic Mango Smoothie - With rejuvenating bee pollen

noelle — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 16:41:42 +0000

Each week I like to share a new smoothie recipe. This particular smoothie recipe is special to me because it incorporates bee pollen, which many health beauties (like this one and this one) consider to be virtually magic. Bee pollen is rich in B vitamins (including B12) which play an important role in your mood and in your memory. Bee pollen is also believed to be a powerful hormone rejuvenator (which some health gurus believe helps boost a woman’s fertility). I find that a little goes a long way, and it’s best to start out gradually with a 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon serving.

To compliment the bee pollen, I used lots of sweet mango here. Mangoes add a powerful dose of vitamin C to support healthy immune function and collagen formation. Tender baby spinach adds an iron boost and hemp seeds add a protein punch.

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Magic Mango Smoothie

As a reminder beauties, health gurus do not recommend eating bee pollen if you have an allergenic reaction to bees, or a health condition like asthma.

Serving Size: 1 (210 calories per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup mango, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 cup oranges, frozen
1/2 teaspoon bee pollen
1 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon hemp seeds
1 handful baby spinach*
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Mangoes – One serving of mangoes provides 100% of your daily vitamin C and 35% of your vitamin A, both important antioxidant nutrients. Vitamin C supports healthy immune function and collagen formation. Vitamin A is important for vision and bone growth. Learn more here and here.

Directions

Place ingredients into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Thin with water or thicken with ice if desired. Enjoy!

Grab More

Just getting into smoothies? Let these recipes inspire you.

The post Smoothie Recipes: Magic Mango Smoothie appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Freshly Pressed: The Rowing Revolution - Weekly Article Roundup

noelle — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:53:16 +0000

Each Friday I like to share a few articles that I enjoyed reading around the web. Some of these articles make me smile, others make me feel good.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

- Noelle

Weekly article roundup

The Rowing Revolution – Well and Good NYC

6 Life Lessons I Learned From My Dogs – Fit Bottomed Girls

What’s The Story With Aerial Yoga? – Blisstree

Camping, Serengeti Safari Style – Remodelista

How To Break A Stress Habit – Huffington Post

A Natural Sleep Aid – Equinox Q Blog

11 Healthy Ways To Detox – Fitness Magazine

New to Green Lemonade?

Welcome to Green Lemonade! I’m Noelle.

The post Freshly Pressed: The Rowing Revolution appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Vibrant Spring Green Salad - Made with leafy green confetti ribbons, snow peas and avocado

noelle — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:18:49 +0000

Spring is in bloom here in New York. And this time of year fresh, light raw salads are in high demand. Vibrant salads made with dark leafy greens, of course, are a simple and effective way to boost your nutrient intake and improve your energy levels. Eating raw leafy green salads also helps boost your circulation and is a favorite way health beauties here look to shed pale winter skin.

I’ve been making variations of this particular raw salad for my husband and myself all week. It’s bursting with delicate ribbons of kale and collard greens drenched in a nutrient-rich avocado vinaigrette. Crunchy cucumber rounds and sweet carrots add a healthy crunch while a generous serving of sliced snow peas add a sweet touch of spring. I like to top this salad with a handful of walnuts for a little extra protein for a quick and light raw dinner.

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Vibrant Spring Green Salad

Serving Size: 2 (~530 calories per serving, with the avocado vinaigrette)

Ingredients

for the salad
1/2 bunch Tuscan kale
3 collard greens
2 medium carrots, trimmed, roughly chopped
1 small seedless cucumber (~1/2 cup), trimmed
2 cups snow peas, trimmed, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

for the dressing
1/2 avocado, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 2 lemons*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano, dried
2 fresh dates, pitted*
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Kale – Kale is a nutritional superstar and a health beauty favorite in our quest for radiant skin. It is full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that help your body to stay vibrant and youthful. Learn more here.
Avocado – High quality raw fats, like avocados, are believed to help your body better absorb certain nutrients. One nutrient is lycopene, which is estimated to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. Health beauties also embrace avocados as an anti-aging food given certain sugars in avocados have been shown to improve collagen formation. Learn more here and here.

Directions

First prepare the salad dressing. Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

To prepare the salad, start with the kale. Remove the stems and slice the kale leaves into long, thin ribbons by working a chef’s knife evenly back and forth across the kale. Set aside. Prepare the collard leaves the same way. (New to raw kale and collards in a salad? Head over here for a little more visual love!)

Toss kale and collard ribbons into a bowl. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, and using your hands, rub the olive oil into the kale and collard leaves; Make sure all the salad ribbons are well coated. Toss with a dash of salt and pepper. Fold in salad dressing. Toss well.

Add carrots, cucumber, snow peas and avocado to the salad bowl. Toss. Top with walnuts and serve!

You might also appreciate these light and yummy salads.

The post Vibrant Spring Green Salad appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Salad Dressing: Epic Spring Avocado Dressing - With fresh lemon juice, creamy avocado and sweet dates

noelle — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:52:36 +0000

This spa-like dressing is a new favorite of mine. Made with a creamy avocado base, a few sweet dates, a drizzle of oil and refreshing lemon juice, this dressing tastes great on just about anything. It’s great with sliced apples and it’s also fabulous drizzled on salads. This dressing is pretty much a staple on everything I bring home from the farmer’s market.

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Epic Spring Avocado Dressing

I have really been enjoying this dressing with a nice and thick consistency. If you like your dressing a bit thinner, add a bit more olive oil and lemon juice.
Serving Size: 2 (~275 calories per serving)

Ingredients

1/2 avocado, pitted and peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
juice from 2 lemons*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano, dried
2 fresh dates, pitted*
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Avocado – High quality raw fats, like avocados, are believed to help your body better absorb certain nutrients. One nutrient is lycopene, which is estimated to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer. Health beauties also embrace avocados as an anti-aging food given certain sugars in avocados have been shown to improve collagen formation. Learn more here and here.

Directions

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy.

You might also appreciate these light and yummy salad dressings.

The post Salad Dressing: Epic Spring Avocado Dressing appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Smoothie Recipes: Blueberry Blast - Sweet blueberries, crunchy apple and chia seeds

noelle — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:15:33 +0000

Each week I like to share a new smoothie recipe. As many of you beauties know, we New Yorkers love a good breakfast smoothie. There is a thinking among a few well respected health gurus in New York that as we age our metabolism slows. As a result, they believe, our bodies are no longer able to process three meals a day plus snacks like we all used to do. Ultimately, we see the effects in tired skin and a few extra pounds. They suggest one way to help keep a healthy, active metabolism is by swapping in a nutritious smoothie or fresh vegetable juice in place of one meal or snack, each day. This breakfast smoothie, made with frozen blueberries, creamy banana, sweet apple, tender spinach, almond milk and chia seeds is a current favorite of mine. Sometimes, I’ll add a scoop of a good quality protein powder if I’m having a late lunch.

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Blueberry Blast

Serving Size: 1 (300 calories per serving)

Ingredients

1 cup blueberries*, frozen
1/2 cup strawberries*, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 small red apple*, peeled and cored
1 cup almond milk
3/4 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds
1 handful baby spinach*
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Blueberries – Berries, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. A daily dose of the bioactive ingredients from blueberries also increases sensitivity to insulin and may reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Learn more here and here.
Chia seeds – Chia seeds are rich in good-for-you Omega 3 and Omega 6 healthy fats which support a healthy brain and a strong immune system. Learn more here.

Directions

Place ingredients into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Thin with water or thicken with ice if desired. Enjoy!

Grab More

Just getting into smoothies? Let these recipes inspire you.

The post Smoothie Recipes: Blueberry Blast appeared first on Green Lemonade.

Spa Meals: Falafel Pockets - Warm and delicious with a crunchy pretzel crust

noelle — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:57:10 +0000

We’ve just emerged from spring break here in New York, and now we are all anxiously looking forward to warmer weather. (So far though, we haven’t been able to shed our winter coats!) I spent a few days in Central America over break enjoying a little yoga, some warm water and some delicious sandwiches – of all things! This falafel pocket is inspired by my trip. It’s a little bit of a twist on a classic falafel recipe thanks to a crunchy pretzel crust. I love it because comes together in just a few minutes and can be stuffed into a warm pita pocket with and number of yummy toppings like arugula, sunflower sprouts (which contain a high concentration of youth supporting enzymes), baby tomatoes and tender spinach. These falafel patties are also great served over a green salad with big cubes of Feta cheese. I’ve shared this recipe a few times now with my son Halston and my husband. It’s been a hit each time.

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Falafel Pockets

To ensure you get a nice burger that holds together well, see the comments below. Also make sure you have a nice hot pan before you place the burgers in so you can get a nice thick crust.
Serving Size: 2 (~500 calories per serving with pita pocket)

Ingredients

for the burgers
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 small shallot, diced
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon*
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
for the finish
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup pretzels
1 medium tomato*, diced
2 cups arugula*
2 pita pockets
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Chickpeas – Chickpeas are a member of the legume family. They are rich in fiber and are a popular source of protein in veggie-centric diets. One serving (1/2 cup) offers ~6g of protein. Chickpeas also offer a good dose of folate, which protects your heart and may help to prevent some birth defects and Alzheimer’s. Learn more here.

Directions

Prepare the pretzel breadcrumbs by pulsing them in the food processor. Set aside.

Place the cooked chickpeas, carrot, parsley, onion, cumin and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Grate the zest of the entire lemon and add that too. Then add the juice from half the lemon. Pulse the mixture until you have a thick, chunky consistency.

Form the mixture into two good-sized patties. Coat the patties in tahini, then toss them in the pretzel crumb mixture.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom. Place the patties into the pan. Cook until just browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. I found I needed to add just a touch more butter to the skillet when browning the second side of the patties.

Serve the patties in a pita pocket stuffed with a handful of fresh arugula and diced tomatoes. Add an additional drizzle of tahini if you like!

More healthy recipes

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