Recipe: Best Red Sauce Ever

I love making a big batch of this sauce and serving it with pasta for dinner and again in the morning with eggs.

1 box crushed or strained tomatoes
1 carton of organic mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp oregano (and any other herbs you like)
Red pepper flakes to taste
Sea salt to taste
Parsley to top

Directions:
Add minced garlic to a heated pan with half of the olive oil. Once it’s fragrant, add the chopped onions, sea salt and red pepper flakes. Stir for a couple minutes and add mushrooms. Stir for another couple minutes until everything is marinating and saucy. Add the box of tomatoes and lower to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Recipe: Raspberry Almond Pancakes

2 c organic spelt flour
2 c organic almond milk
1/2 c organic almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together, adding the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt. Chop almonds into shavings and add. Add almond milk until desired consistency is reached. Top with warmed maple syrup, fresh raspberries and almond shavings.

(Optional*) Fresh Whipped Cream

1 c organic heavy cream
1 tbs confection sugar
1tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Using an electric mixer, set on highest speed mixing the cream and sugar until fluffy peaks form. Add vanilla at the end and mix until combined.

*This recipe is wheat-free and vegan. If you’d like to keep it that way, you can skip the whipped cream or make cashew whipped cream.

Secret’s out–even though this superfood is ancient, maca is now coming out of hiding and making a splash–in the bedroom. Add a dash to your morning oatmeal and find out why it’s going to rock your world in my story for Well+Good.

1 c organic whole rolled oats

1/2 c fresh fruit or dried fruit (I’ll choose whatever fresh, organic berries are available, otherwise dried fruit)

1/3 c milk (if you’d like to add, use almond, hemp, coconut, rice or organic whole milk)

1/3 c nuts

1 tbs raw honey

1 tbs maca

Aimée, 32, a health-conscious web designer living in downtown Manhattan, has been spiking her boyfriend’s smoothie with a nutritional supplement. Not with wheat germ, but with Maca. “We’ve both noticed a serious boost in our energy—which is great for my yoga class because I like a fast-paced vinyasa flow—and the romps in the bedroom have been a serious perk!”

Due to its growing popularity as a “vitality enhancer,” Maca is no longer an ancient, ignored superfood. It’s busting out of the history books, popping up on smoothie menus, and appearing in Manhattan kitchen cupboards.

Yvette Rose, founder of Joulebody Kickstart Cleanse, says it’s a better pick-me-up than caffeine. She sprinkles it over her morning oatmeal or adds it to a smoothie. “It’s really easy to add to food, and you’ll notice the benefits almost instantly,” she says.

Just what are those benefits? Peruvian women have long attested to Maca’s super powers in the bedroom (like for 2,600 years), and have been using it for fertility, libido, and treating PMS and menopausal symptoms. New York women are giving it a go, too.

Contemporary nutrition calls Maca an adaptogen, meaning it improves balance in the body where it’s needed or normalizes it under stress. But then Maca goes one better by promoting endurance, energy, stamina, as well as erections and sperm count (especially in rats). And some studies show that Maca is a mood and immunity booster. Name a New Yorker who doesn’t need that?

Want to try a modicum of Maca for you or, er, a friend? Start with one tablespoon of the organic root powder, using a well-known organic brand like Navitas Naturals. You can bump it up to two tablespoons after a couple weeks.

A quirky thing about superfoods like Maca is that their efficacy is sometimes higher when used inconsistently, so try using this one a few times a week rather than making it a daily ritual.

It’s the Year of the Dragon! Bring on happiness and prosperity.

This smoothie follows a Chinese Five Elements recipe for happiness. (We’re still working on the smoothie recipe for prosperity.)

In Five Elements theory, each season corresponds to an element (winter is water), as well as a color, organ, and specific foods recommended for health.

Winter calls for extra TLC for the kidneys, and the color is a deep blue.

So this smoothie relies on antioxidant-loaded blackberries, blueberries, and dark leafy greens that are considered great for sluggish kidneys and energy this time of year.

A superfood bonus comes from Chia seeds, which contain the highest amount of plant-based Omega-3 essential fatty acids. The seeds also help combat depression thanks to their fiber, and have a serving of protein for vital energy.

And a splash of coconut milk lends creaminess, which we all know is happy-making.

Recipe: Year of the Dragon Smoothie

2 leaves of swiss chard
1/2 c organic frozen blueberries
1/2 c organic frozen blackberries
1 Tbsp raw honey
1-2 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 c coconut milk

The holiday glitz can leave your body on the fritz.

But there’s a delicious solution—and it’s only a blender away.

The Healthy New Year Booster Smoothie! It’s packed with the best ingredients to cleanse, alkalize, and rejuvenate you in a flash.

You could call this smoothie a hangover helper. But it’s really more than that because it doesn’t just fix you up—it boosts your digestion, energy, and even your healthy (or missing) glow.

Here’s how it does it:

It contains a dash of the master cleanse (lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup), which kickstarts the cleansing process—and adds some heat. Kind of like a fruit-acid peel, you’ll feel this one tingling!

Daikon radish (you can find it at Whole Foods) is said to help break down fats. White roots and vegetables like daikon also have a suds-ing affect in our bodies and scrub out our digestive system.

Kale is for the poor over-loaded liver. It also boosts mood and adds a healthy winter glow to your skin with its super-dose of antioxidants.

And use some organic apple juice as a natural, seasonal sweetener.

Let’s toast to a healthy fresh start!

THE HEALTHY NEW YEAR BOOSTER SMOOTHIE

Combine the following ingredients in a hearty blender or Vitamix.

4 kale leaves
1 medium daikon radish
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup apple juice
Juice of half a lemon
5 ice cubes

If you’re not already drinking lemon water daily, it’s going to be your BFF this holiday season.

Squeezing a wedge or two of lemon into a glass of water is a super easy way to counteract the damage done by the holiday dessert table.

Why? In addition to being a top alkalizer (meaning it counterbalances your pH against acid-forming foods like sugar, alcohol, and fats), lemon water aids the digestive system, sparks your metabolism, and neutralizes stored toxins.

In other words, lemon water supports the work your over-taxed organs have to do to process your processed-food snacks. (This is why your acupuncturist might like you to start the day with it, too.)

So sipping some lemon water in between holiday cocktails—and or at your desk between the rounds of office cookies and cupcakes—helps your body handle the stress of indulging (and shake the guilt).

And a bonus for sippers: This could be your first holiday season with way less bloating or breakouts, and you may even skip the annual round of the sniffles.

The holidays are a mixture of sparkle and glitz, delicious treats, and relaxing time with family; on the flip side, lots of energy attending all the parties, a sugar overdose (that’s including the cocktails), and dealing with old familial patterns can pose a challenge. Here are five foolproof ways you can stay healthy and happy this holiday and thrive–not just survive. The best part? Even if you do just one, you’ll notice a powerful shift.

Sugar blues. Sugar doesn’t just expand our waste line, it’s also the culprit for mood swings, dull skin, and a lowered immune system. Think irritability, breakouts and winter colds–common symptoms over the holidays–and they’re not just from stress. Try using sweet, grounding foods at the upcoming holiday dinners. They’ll curb sweet cravings and give you energy instead of depleting it, while keeping you perfectly slim. My favorites are sweet potatoes and yams, beets, and pumpkin. See my favorite pumpkin muffin recipe here.

Alone time. Every morning or in the evening before bed, spend some time with yourself (even just five minutes) doing something mindful, whether it’s meditating, stretching, journaling, or even sitting quietly listening to music. Doing this helps us recalibrate and get centered, making any challenges throughout the day more manageable and making fun activities even more fun.

Use mantras. There are three scenarios a mantra comes in extra handy: When we get stuck in our head and the negative self-talk comes in (you know what I’m talking about–the I suck, I should’ve exercised today, I still haven’t started that project), when we’re dealing with a difficult person or situation, or when we’re about to go into a situation that we would like to see go successfully. A mantra can be anything from ‘I forgive you’ when someone has upset you and you don’t want to invest in an argument (this could be anyone from a stranger bumping into you on the street to a family member saying something that hurts your feelings). Using the mantra ‘I choose to see things differently. I know there’s a better way’ or  ‘I choose happiness’ can cut out any negative thinking right away and reprogram your mind instantly to positive thoughts, creating a more positive outward experience.

Get moving. We all know exercise is good for us. But sometimes we underestimate how easy it is to get it in–even if we’re traveling or don’t have time to get to the yoga class. Simple stretches, a few sun salutations or a brisk walk outside, are just a few quick + easy ways to get your heart pumping and lower stress-induced cortisol levels–awesome when dealing with family, but don’t forget the post-workout rosy glow–your best beauty weapon for all the parties.

Give. Giving goes beyond the material world. Every time you are with someone, you have the opportunity to give. Deepak Chopra recommends three ways we can give more when we’re with our loved ones: attention, appreciation and affection. Attention is deep listening with empathy; the part of the brain that produces fear and anxiety cools down when we do this–so we’re changing the other person’s brain activity. Appreciation is simply noticing a strength. Affection is deep caring and knowing that you’re there for another person. Neuroplasticity studies show that this rewires the brain. Love becomes a healing force; it influences hormones, homeostasis–and allows us to self-repair on a biological level.

Move over agave. Coconut sugar, now popping up in health-food stores and trendy health-driven restaurants, looks to be the best way to get your sugar-fix without a guilty conscience—or a sugar crash.

Unlike agave, which is 90 percent fructose, this up-and-coming sweetener—also called coconut palm sugar—contains less than 9 percent of that potentially triglyceride-forming substance.

Another reason for filling your sugar bowl with coconut sugar? It’s also got a considerably lower glycemic index (35) than agave (42), honey (55), and cane sugar (68).

Coconut sugar isn’t from the coconut itself. It’s drawn from the sap of the coconut palm tree buds. It’s similar in taste and color to brown sugar with an almost-caramel flavor. So it doesn’t have or impart a coconut flavor to baked goods, where you can just swap it for granulated sugar in recipes or anything else you’d use sugar for.

But it looks like coconut sugar can add more than sweetness to your morning coffee. It’s loaded with minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which is why you may hear some sugar connoisseurs calling it a “whole food sugar.” Something you (and the coconut sugar lobby) can feel good about.

Something about coconut palms (Coco Nucifera) make an environmentally savvy sugar, too. They grow anywhere (even sand), use very little water, and are almost twice as productive as sugarcane, according to Big Tree Farms, a popular organic brand.

When you consider coconut sugar’s pretty healthy profile—and all the holiday baking around the corner, it’s a pretty sweet solution.

Recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Selected from my favorite cookbook right now, Feeding the Whole Family, Cynthia Lair nails it with a quick + easy (and super healthy) treat. Using a high-quality chocolate chip and a natural sweetener, rather than refined sugar, these oatmeal cookies are a go-to to curb a sweet craving, boost of energy, or even the perfect treat for tots.

Prep time: 20 minutes. Makes about a dozen cookies.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup spelt flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup maple syrup (or brown rice syrup)

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup organic dark chocolate chips (or dried cranberries for less sweet option)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats, flour, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl mix together maple syrup, butter and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts and chips. With moist hands, form dough into cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.