Instructions: In a vitamix or food processor, add the almonds with 1/8 cup water to make a “milk”. Then add the garlic cloves and blend til completely smooth. Chop broccoli into smaller chunks so they will blend well in the vitamix. Add broccoli to almond milk mixture. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add water as needed to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!
Mean Green Juice
Mean Green Juice by Kelly Gibson
3 leaves organic swiss chard
1 cucumber or green apple
1/2 lemon (if using cucumber)
Instructions: Make sure you have a juice extractor! Step 1: Slice the cucumber in half so that it fits nicely into the juicer 🙂 You can fit the swiss chard in the juicer without slicing it at all, but you may want to break the leaves into smaller pieces first. Step 2: Place the swiss chard leaf in the juicer, with the red stem first. Then, juice the cucumber. If you are not a fan of cucumbers, try juicing a green apple instead! There’s nothing like the fresh taste of green apple juice 😉 If this doesn’t look beautiful and green, I don’t know what does! Step 3: Now squeeze 1/2 a lemon right into the foam atop the juice for a tart added flavor. (Skip the lemon if you are making apple juice).
Three-ingredient cocoa balls
Next time you think about reaching for a chocolate bar, stop! Make this simple protein and magnesium-rich snack instead!
2T cocoa powder
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried pitted dates
Instructions: Use a food processor to mix all of the ingredients together, then shape into cookie balls. Optional: Roll in coconut flakes for extra flavor. No baking required.
For more slimming vegan recipes, please visit my blog where you'll find nutrition and fitness tips. If you're thinking about trying my slimming vegan recipes plans, request more information!
Have you chosen a gluten free diet to lose weight or get healthy because you have heard that wheat or gluten is “bad for you?” I am about to tell you how true these health claims really are.
Gluten free diets can be effective for weight loss and health, depending on three factors:
1. Whether or not you have a gluten intolerance, celiac’s disease, or a wheat allergy
Are you gluten intolerant, have an allergy, or suffer from a lifelong auto-immune condition known as Celiac’s Disease? If so, you should absolutely follow a strictly gluten free diet upon diagnosis. If you have not been tested and have suspicions of having a gluten problem, I encourage you to see a ND or MD to run blood tests. Food intolerances, allergies and celiac’s disease are NOT something to mess with, as gluten problems can lead to immunodeficiency, leaky gut, and even more auto-immune conditions over time. You may want to know exactly what foods are safe to eat and stick to it 100% if you have these gluten problems. For these conditions, it requires a lifestyle change moreso than a short-term “diet”. Eating foods that your body can’t handle will lead to unwanted weight gain. For those who do not have a true gluten problem, you might be trying a gluten free diet for the wrong reasons and may put yourself through more trouble than its worth to restrict the popular gluten ingredients in the supermarket. Glutenous foods include wheat, barley, rye, and vital wheat gluten.
2. What you are eating to replace gluten in your diet
If you are replacing glutenous grains with processed grains instead of healthy whole grains, you are most likely on a fad diet and not making healthy choices for weight loss. 100% whole wheat has moderate protein from gluten and also is a high fiber food; processed grains are typically low protein and low fiber. Regardless of your reason for going gluten-free, you should try to eat healthy to get results. Take the time to study the ingredients that you find on the labels of foods or be careful what you put in your homemade meals to replace the gluten proteins in wheat, rye, or barley. Many gluten free foods are also high in oils which are 100% calories from fat, and there are 9 calories per gram of fat. Other gluten-free products contain eggs, which are both very high in saturated fat and cholesterol, yet contains no fiber. To be safe, I would avoid eggs on a gluten-free diet (another common allergen) and then check to see if there are less than 20% of calories from fat on the nutrition label. Remember to question if a product is fad or fat? If you can follow these few tips, and eat more home cooked meals, you are likely going to see some weight loss results.
3. The amount of sugar you are eating on gluten free diets
If you are overeating sugar, you are going to have trouble losing weight and might even gain weight on a gluten-free diet. If you have gluten intolerance and also want to lose weight, then contact me for help because a lot of gluten free foods are jam-packed with added sugars and processed chemicals to make up for the lack of gluten. This could bump up the amount of calories per gram of food, and you can easily overeat if your new diet is highly processed. If going gluten free results in you making more homemade meals, you might experience the contrary and start to lose weight.
Need help learning about gluten-free diets or getting a written nutrition plan that’s right for you? I write plans with both 100% whole wheat and gluten free options! Choose the foods that are right for you!
Kelly Gibson, Vegan Gluten Free Nutrition Coach
My name is Kelly and I am intolerant to wheat and gluten. I was sticking to gluten free diets mostly for 3 years, but cheating once in a while with a food that contained wheat or gluten really affected my weight goals. Having a snack once a week containing gluten created auto-immunity inside of my body and prevented me from losing the weight that I worked so hard for the other 95% of the time. After going fully gluten free, I have never felt better and even lost my last 7 pounds. I plan to be on a gluten free diet for the rest of my life and I do it for my health! If I didn’t have intolerance I would have no problem eating it, and I have no problem encouraging others to do the same. It is estimated that roughly 30% of people have a gluten problem; as for the other 70% they shouldn’t have to worry about cutting the gluten.
Written by Kelly Gibson on Jan 12, 2015. Edited Aug 5th 2016.
Contact me for More Info:
Call me at Kelly Athletics for more info 480-270-49six8
Phoenix Personal Trainer 85044 | Plant-Based Nutrition Coach 85244 | Gluten-Free Nutrition | Gluten-Free Meal Plan | List of Vegan Nutritionists in Chandler Arizona | Tempe Personal Training | Group Personal Training | Gilbert Personal Training | Phoenix Personal Training | Old Town Scottsdale Personal Trainer | Fitness Trainer Chandler AZ | Gluten Free Diets | Kelly Athletics LLC
Is a salad with dressing really worse than a cheeseburger? A pound of lettuce is going to contribute about 20 calories so there is a negligent amount of macronutrients to worry about in that by itself. The real calories come from what you add to the salad. Let’s take a look to answer your question “Can Eating Salad make me Fat?”:
It almost seems silly to compare the two, since their macronutrient ratios are entirely different. However, in terms of calories you would need to add 6-7 tablespoons of Italian Dressing to make a plain salad as unhealhty as a cheeseburger. That means almost a half of a cup of dressing! I don’t know anyone who needs that much dressing. What a relief! So I guess we should keep adding dressing to our salads as long as we control our portions, right?
Wrong and let me tell you why. The first ingredient in majority of store-bought dressings is the most overused sweetener in America, and the worst part is? Everyone tells you to stop having it. You may not know it, but you are defeating the purpose of a healthy salad when you add High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), with a hint of added flavors and preservatives. What about Fat-Free? Don’t worry, food companies will sneak in some artificial sweeteners like sucralose or dextrins to make it taste better.
Unfortunately, toxins like these can make it very difficult to lose weight, even if you’re limiting your overall calorie intake. I suggest you take a look in your refrigerator and read the ingredient label on your salad dressings (or ALL condiments for that matter). If it’s got HFCS, I recommend you chuck it or donate it to your local food drive.
Many of you may already be aware of this problem, and you probably stock up on organic dressings. But there’s still a ton of sodium in those too. Hmm! What to do now? I know I know… create your own salad dressing! It takes 2 minutes or less to whip up a healthier dressing to ensure you’re not putting toxic ingredients in your body. Sounds worth it to me. It’s important to add healthy proteins to your salad and cut down on the processed oils, so I tend to make nut or seed butter dressings like tahini, made from sesame seeds.
Try my mega easy 30-SECOND dressing recipe! It contains more protein than most store-bought dressings.
Easy Lemon Tahini Dressing
Lemon tahini dressing:
1 TBSP Tahini
1TSP Lemon Juice
1TSP Water
Instructions: Whip together all of the ingredients in a small bowl for one serving. 3 ingredients in 30 seconds? You must think I’m joking!! Seriously I’m not, this is my go-to salad dressing and its as easy as 1 2 3! Give it a try and let me know how you like it! If you eat salad wtih this amazing protein dense dressing you wont be asking “Can Eating Salad make me Fat?” anymore.
Looking for more easy vegan recipe ideas? Try a Vegan Challenge or Contact Me for More Info:
