Nutrition 101: Blueberries and Blackberries

Truth #1: I am taking a nutrition course.
Truth #2: I want to be a nutrition major now!

I know, know.
Random right?
But here's the thing:
Ever since I was in middle school, I signed up for emails from various health sites.
And since then, I have clung onto healthy recipes- and workouts.

I have kept food diaries on how certain foods effect my energy and focus.
And then researched to see how my results compliment with science.

My friends and family have taken on a raw, vegan, vegetarian, major carnivore lifestyle-
everything!
And it is SO fun exploring all diets and understanding the effects of food on the body.

That's why I love my nutrition class!
And I just love nutrition!

And, ya know, there are so many good foods out there.
True story.
And not a news flash for you, I'm sure.

But!
I just happened to be snacking on blueberries and blackberries-
my bowl shown above-
and I decided to post what I know about the benefits of blueberries.

Maybe someone will find this as interesting as me?!

Benefits of Blueberries, to name a few:
1. antioxidant (for those who don't know for sure, antioxidants do exactly what you might guess: they fight against oxidation. Hence anti-oxidant. Basically, short story, antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing your LDL or bad cholesterol from building up plaque. If you have enough antioxidants in your diet, you can actually remove bad cholesterol from your vessels- and likewise, if you don't have antioxidants in your diet, your LDL cholesterol more easily forms plaque, which eventually fills your arteries, and would then cause a stroke or heart attack- depending on the artery location.)
2. Because it is an antioxidant source, it helps protect against cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, hypertension, etc.
3. Vitamin C, baby! Which is a great antioxidant, strengthens blood vessel walls, helps with bone growth, supports your immune system, and boosts your iron absorption...WOW!)
3. Also great source of vitamin B, E, and A. Also good source of iron!
3. Boosts eye sight (Thank you, vitamin A).
4. Fiber fiber fiber! (Which also helps protect against heart disease and diabetes. Helps with constipation and digestion. And helps with metabolic effects too!)

Sooooo:
What are you waiting for?!
Eat yo berries.

♥
B & M

The Best Salad for Salad Haters

Ever heard of the book "Raw Food Real World"?

Well, one thing you should know:
IT ROCKS.
Matthew Kenney and Sarma MeIngailis are the chefs-
And after borrowing this "cook" book from my Sis,
Well, lemme just tell you:
...it was hard giving it back.

There was one recipe Matt and I LOOOOOOOVED.
Yes, Matt liked it.
And yeeeeep, I liked it.

Surprising, knowing that we are NOT salad lovers.
I used to think of salads as lettuce, tomato, carrots.
Which, yeah, sounds good for you, right?
But just not so good for the taste buds.
Hear me?!

THIS salad has all the right flavors-
combined into one big bowl of love.
And here's the thing:
It is SO filling.

It made a huge bowl of salad, and we split it between the two of us.
Pair it up with a $1.50 multi-gran baguette, and you're set.
YUM.

A couple notes on the recipe:
#1: The dressing calls for macadamia nut oil, however, I searched in various stores and found nothing. I decided to go with affordable grape seed oil, which adds some extra sweetness and is perfect with the recipe.
#2: Feel free to add more of what you like to the salad (i.e. the recipe calls for lime and we added a little extra lime!)
#3: You will NOT be disappointed in trying this!

So here it is, folks:
"Favorite Filling Salad"
from Raw Food Real World

Mix together the following:
2 large bowls of mixed greens (we used spinach, some "spring mix," and a little romaine)
sprouts (sunflower, alfalfa, any kind really)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped finely
1 handful of fresh mint, chopped finely
1 handful fresh basil, chopped finely
1 large handful chopped nuts (we used macadamia nuts, since we left out macadamia nut oil)
1 handful dried currants (we used dried cranberries instead - they're cheaper and easier to find)
1 handful hemp seed
1 handful dorse (we left this out)
coarse sea salt, to taste
1-2 ripe avocados, sliced

For the dressing:
1-2 lemons, cut in half crosswise
2-3 limes, cut in half crosswise
1/3 c. macadamia nut oil (we used grape seed oil)
...and we added:
balsamic vinaigrette
olive oil

After mixing everything going into the salad, squeeze the lemons/limes for their juice.
Add to the macadamia/grape oil, and add the balsamic/olive oil to taste.
Dive into the best salad you have ever had!!

...And buy "Raw Food Real World."


♥
B & M

Homemade Love

Homemade gifts ROCK !
Our most recent favorite: flowers from my sister's garden.
My sister and brother-in-law are both landscape architects-
And they certainly have style!!

Wouldn't you say so?!

I also LOVE making homemade gifts myself.
But I'm limited to homemade cards.
Anywhoooooo,
My brother Drew is about to have a birthday!
So: I decided to make him a homemade card.

And random little fact about us: we love Jet.
They are my favorite band, BY FAR !!
And Matt rocks out to them too.
So I dug out an old CD cover of theirs, ripped off a pic of Cester (vocals), and made it into a card.

Happy Birthday, Drew Dude!

What homemade gifts have you made/received?
Please share!

Perfect Veggie Burger + Sweet Potato Fries

Truth: Matthew Lee was scared of veggie burgers.
Second Truth: He loves them now!

The veggie burger recipe we tried has some yummy stuff, such as:
black beans
oat flour
sunflower seeds
ground flax
almonds
lots and lots of fresh herbs
...and more!

We discovered the ultimate veggie burger recipe here.
And ohhhhhh was it good!
Paired up with the sweet potato fries we make every week, we had the best dinner ever!
PERFECT combo.

As you can see from my pictures, we use Jack Sprats bread (introduced by my sister!) for the veggie burgers. It is unlike any bread we have ever had AND contains absolutely no milk (hard feat to find). Anyways, we place our J.S. bread in the panini press, coat with barbecue sauce, spinach, and sprouts, and we're good to go.

To make sweet potato fries, we use our own recipe.
Try them! And make them combo-style with the veggie burger recipe.
You won't be disappointed!! :)

Our recipe comfortably serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 (large) sweet potato fries
olive oil
cajun seasoning
ground black pepper
sea salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (F). Rinse the potatoes, and slice them. We leave the skins on, but feel free to whip out your peeler. Your preference!
Mix the potato slices with 3 Tablespoons olive oil. Feel free to add more to your liking--but you do NOT want it drenched by any means. Mix in the seasoning to taste.
Layer a baking sheet with aluminum foil (makes for VERY easy clean up).
Spread potato mixture evenly across baking sheet.
After baking for 15 minutes, mix fries, and bake for another 10 minutes.

And there ya go: the best sweet potato fries we have ever made!
Hope you enjoy too!!

Raw Chocolate Ice Cream

Raw Chocolate Ice Cream. Yum. According to my nutrition textbook, this is a great source of potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamin b-6, and monounsaturated fat! So what are you waiting for? Make it!

I based it off an idea from "The Handbook to Going Raw."

Here's a peek at my first batch:

Ingredients:

one avocado
two frozen bananas, sliced
(raw) carob/cocoa powder
(raw) almond milk
a blender

Looks easy enough right? It is. Just throw everything in the blender-- and waahlaah! You have a thick and creamy banana chocolate ice cream that tastes (and is) so good for you. Tip: I also love sprinkling carob/cocoa powder on top for an extra kick of flavor. Enjoy!

Chef's note: Whenever I have bananas starting to brown, I slice them, bag them, and throw them in the freezer. I always have a gallon-size ziplock of frozen banana slices ready for recipes like this!

Vegan?

So crazy story: Matt and I watched Forks Over Knives.
It was recommended by friends and family, and well, we finally decided to watch it.
The result?
Well, we are now practically vegan.

The movie is based off the most comprehensive nutrition study ever conducted, The China Study.
It promotes a plant-based diet, and explores the long-term effects of consuming meat and dairy.
Basically: we were converted.

I mean, we are lactose intolerant.
So dairy is already out of the question.
But meat?
Well, I never really liked the stuff.

Matt on the other hand...
He was the carnivorest carnivore of them all!
But now?
Now he is scared to even LOOK at chicken.

We plan to still eat meat once in awhile.
But very sparingly.
Instead of meat (and dairy), we have been conjuring up some SPLENDID vegan recipes.

Check out the recipes I have posted!
And watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix.
Whether you decide to cut out meat and dairy-- your call.
But in the least, educate yourself (with this and other studies) to understand dietary decisions.

Wedding Highlights

Who thought up the idea of peanut butter and jelly, anyway?
Or, what about the ultimate combo of a burger and fries?
Chips and salsa? Oreos and milk?
Butter and popcorn?

All I know is whoever thought of adding Matthew Lee into my life....well, I am eternally grateful.
So here's a quick peek at December 30th: the day we officially became a combo.

♥ B.E.P

And by the way, our photographer just happened to be the one and only Marcello Ambriz. For inquiries or rates, email him at mjambriz@gmail.com.

Life + Matthew

I love life! I always have. But when Matthew came along, well, life just started to get a whole lot better. So much so that I told him "YES!" after he got down on both knees September 24th, 2011 and asked me to be his forever.

We were sealed for time and all eternity December 30th, 2011 in the Los Angeles LDS temple.

It was a beautiful, incredible day. Of course, as is every day I hang out with my best friend.

Who would have thought we both had to travel across the United States to meet each other?! But it's true- we fell in love in no where else but the nation's capital, the District of Columbia.

We are both lactose-intolerant and enjoy vegan cooking, amongst a plethora of other hobbies: videography, motocross, marketing, the list goes on.

My blog is dedicated to our story. After all, what is life without my hubby? I like it much better as life + Matthew.