WAKE UP AND DRINK THIS!

In our busy lives, we often forget to nourish our mind and body in the morning. Some of us go directly to the phone or computer to check email. Some of us need to take the dog out for a walk, or prepare a boxed lunch for our kids. Whether you are busy or not, there is one thing that you NEED TO DO FOR YOURSELF when you wake up! And yes, this is BEFORE any work or play or breakfast or coffee or juice or news …

DRINK A GLASS OF LUKE-WARM WATER INFUSED WITH LEMON JUICE AND TOPPED UP WITH BLUEBERRIES!

So why would you want to do that?

Firstly, after having slept for 6 to 10 hours, your body needs WATER replenishment!

Secondly, LEMONS will balance your pH (they are alkaline in the body!) PLUS lemons boost your immune system.

Thirdly, BLUEBERRIES will give you antioxidants first thing in the morning PLUS promote and maintain digestive health throughout the day.

Check below for more lemon health benefits and blueberry health benefits in addition to lemon nutrition and blueberry nutrition breakdowns.

So here it is … quick and dirty version for lemon infused water with wild blueberries:

Step 1: Get a glass/cup out

Step 2: Fill it up with luke-warm to luke-cold water (filtered tap water is great)

Step 3: Get a lemon

Step 4: Cut the lemon in half

Step 5: Squeeze at least ½ of this lemon into your water (ideally, squeeze the entire lemon)

Step 6: Take out the lemon seeds (they don’t taste very good)

Step 7: Get some (wild) blueberries

Step 8: Drop about 15 to 20 (wild) blueberries into the water

Step 9: Enjoy your water infused with lemon and topped up with blueberries

BENEFITS OF LEMON JUICE

1. Lemons help balance our body’s pH (pH balancing)

So what does that mean? Although lemons are quite acidic on their own, inside our bodies, lemons are incredibly alkaline. When the citric acid in lemons is metabolized by our body, it does not create any acidity whatsoever. On the contrary, lemons help pH balance as they are truly alkaline foods. This is especially important in the morning after our bodies have been in its rest state for up to 10 hours. Drinking lemon juice will help flush out the acidity that has accumulated in our body and restore the pH balance to normal to alkaline levels.

2. Lemons help boost our immune system

Lemons and lemon juice have 2 main nutrients that are essential for a healthy immune system. Lemons are high in Vitamin C, which is required to fight colds and infections. In addition, lemons are also high in potassium, which stimulates the nervous system (so helps the brain and nerves function properly). In addition, potassium is also known to control blood pressure.

3. Lemons help our digestive system too

In addition to helping our immune system fight off infection and colds and to control high blood pressure, lemon juice is also helpful in maintaining our digestive process. The luke-warm water in combination with lemon juice helps to stimulate our gastrointestinal tract and the peristalsis. What the heck is peristalsis you may ask? Peristalsis is the rhythmic contract of our intestine’s muscles which keeps food and liquid moving through our digestive system. So lemons and lemon juice actually help in moving things through properly. Other minerals and trace elements in lemon juice also assist in removing toxins trapped in our digestive system. Now that’s handy!

4. Lemons clear skin, no matter your skin type

We bet you didn’t know this one! Lemon juice is now gaining popularity when it comes to skin benefits. In the latest studies, lemon juice has shown that it can reduce both blemishes of the skin as well as wrinkles. This is an added benefit of the high amounts of Vitamin C found in lemon juice. In addition, lemons clear our skin by removing toxins from our body and skin.

5. Lemons act as a natural, non-evasive, non-threatening diuretic

Unlike many other diuretic foods and liquids, lemon juice is very gentle. The latest studies have shown that lemons help flush out toxins and other unwanted substances from our bodies. How do lemons do this? Lemon juice increases the rate at which we need to urinate (do #1s) .. which means that more toxins and bad substances are flushed out of our bodies at a faster rate. It’s really as simple as that!

6. Lemons help in weight loss

One of the key benefits of lemon juice is that it is very high in pectin fiber. So what is pectin fiber anyways? Well, it’s a substance that helps fight food cravings. It’s been well studied and published that people who maintain a more alkaline diet and maintain an alkaline to balanced body will lose weight faster. So give it a try (if you are trying to lose weight)!

7. Lemons fight bad breath, especially in the morning

Many of us know that are breath stinks in the morning. After sleeping for hours, bacteria and other substances (and toxins) build up in the mouth to create problems with our morning bad breath. Lemons have natural substances and trace elements that will remove the bacteria and neutralize our morning bad breath, before our loved one turns over to give you a kiss.

8. Lemons hydrate our lymph system

During the night, our bodies get dehydrated with the possibility of adrenal fatigue. Because of this lack of water and food, our bodies do not function 100% right away and this may lead to a build up of toxins, stress, constipation and many other negative symptoms. Our adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of our kidneys, and along with our thyroid, help us create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by our adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in our body, helping us stay hydrated. Our adrenals are also responsible for regulating our stress response. So, the bottom line is that we really don’t want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

BENEFITS OF BLUEBERRIES

* Please note that we highly recommend that you pick-up organic WILD BLUEBERRIES (they can be found fresh or frozen in most grocery stores now). Wild blueberries are different than cultivated or farmed berries. A 2004 USDA study ranked wild blueberries as the number one anti-oxidant fruit, with 48% more antioxidants than the cultivated kind. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals in the body, which help build our immunity.

1. Blueberries fight disease

With high antioxidant levels, it is now proven that blueberries (both wild and cultivated) can assist in helping ward off infection and infectious diseases. In addition, blueberries also have many cancer-fighting properties. This is why blueberries are now ranked in the top 10 superfoods in the world.

In addition, blueberries have also been called ‘brain food’ as they may help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies have shown that blueberries are an excellent anti-diabetes food. This is in both preventing diabetes as well as controlling it for people already suffering from this disease.

2. Blueberries help lower your cholesterol

Blueberry antioxidants help in lowering your cholesterol, so it is a perfect superfood for those suffering from high blood pressure. These same properties also assist and promote a healthy heart and a perfectly functioning circulatory system.

3. Blueberries reverse the sign of aging

In recent studies, eating blueberries has proven to decrease the signs of aging … like fewer wrinkles, healthier skin etc. In some best case scenarios, this superfood has been linked to anti-aging by delaying and even reversing aging of the body and mind.

4. Blueberries aid in our urinary and digestive health

As well, blueberries have properties that help promote urinary health by removing toxins from the body and flushing them out of our systems. Blueberries will also aid in maintaining digestive health and keeping us ‘regular’. This is also linked to weight loss and a healthy diet.

5. Other Blueberry benefits

This superfood has also been linked to preventing macular degeneration in addition to being nature’s perfect anti-inflammatory food.

Kale Chips – The Perfect Snack Before Bedtime or Anytime!

Kale Chips > The BEST Bedtime Snack? We think so…

Are you looking for that perfect snack that will fill you up, help you sleep and nourish your body at the same time? Look no further than kale chips!

First of all, here’s some background information about kale. Kale is a green or purple vegetable that is similar to cabbage and spring/collard greens. There are many types of kale that are classified into different kale families depending on their leaf type.

Learn more about types of kale

There are 5 main types of kale, all of which have great nutritional value. Here are the kale types: 1. Curly Leaved kale (also called Scots Kale) 2. Plain Leaved kale 3. Rape Kale 4. Leaf and Spear Kale (this is actually a naturally crossed curly leaved and plain leaved kale) 5. Cavolo Nero (also called Dinosaur Kale, Black Cabbage, Tuscan Kale or Tuscan Cabbate) The Curly Leaved and Dinosaur Kale types are most often found in grocery stores.

Kale is packed full of nutrition and is often called a ‘superfood‘.

Learn more about kale as a 'superfood'

All types of kale are calcium rich and very high in beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C, making them one of the world’s best superfoods. Kale is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. In addition kale contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale has been found to contain a group of resins known as bile acid sequestrants, which have been shown to lower cholesterol and decrease absorption of dietary fat. The USDA full report on kale’s nutritional value is located here: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2969?qlookup=11234&format=Full&max=25&man=&lfacet=&new=1

All forms of kale can be easily prepared, whether eaten raw (within a salad) or juiced or boiled or cooked.

One of our favourite ways to prepare curly-leaf or dinosaur kale is by making them into kale chips. It’s fun, easy, quick and tastes really great! Kale chips are also an ideal snack for the entire family. Below is our kale chips recipe that will take you less than 20 minutes!

Kale Chips Recipe > An easy kale chips recipe for you to follow…

Recipe makes 1 serving (great for up to 2 people) and will take roughly 20 to 25 minutes to prepare. Here are the ingredients for the kale chips recipe:

5 large leaves of Curly Leaved or Dinosaur Kale (about 1 bunch)
1 tsp coconut oil
sea salt

The kale chips recipe method is:

Wash and tear the kale into chip sized pieces
Drain water off the kale pieces
Melt the coconut oil
Toss the kale in the coconut oil
Put the kale onto a baking sheet
Sprinkle sea salt onto kale
Roast at 350F for about 15 minutes

Keys to the kale chip recipe:

The kale will shrink, so make sure your pieces are not too small
Don’t drench the kale in the coconut oil … just toss it
Sea salt is not necessary, but gives the chips a great flavour
Roasting time depends on your oven so take the kale chips out when crispy
Once crispy, take the kale chips out and put onto paper towel to soak up excess oil

For those who have troubles falling asleep, kale chips are the perfect bedtime snack as they help kick-start the production of your sleep hormones!