Chocolate Mint Leaf Pudding

Raw Chocolate Mint Leaf Pudding

sweetened with banana & honey

Today is the first day of summer and the temperature outside is climbing toward 90 degrees.  I'm not tolerating the heat well these days and I feel that I'm in for trouble. We've not turned on the air conditioning yet indoors, but we're going to soon I reckon, regardless of the high cost of keeping cool. 

What is your choice of a refreshing cool drink or a good-for-you snack? Today, I was thinking of something minty to go with a little chocolate—my most favorite food combination ever!

I enjoy watering my few flowers, herbs and small vegetable garden. When I water the chocolate mint plants which have taken over one of my planters, I immediately smell that awesome chocolate minty flavor—you can almost taste it in the air. Pick a leaf and whiff an aroma from heaven . . .

The Chocolate Mint 

in my yard

Adding the leaves to this pudding recipe or in a smoothie adds a refreshing minty flavor. 

Raw Chocolate Mint Leaf Pudding

by Kathy's Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

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Enjoy this "Pudding Perfect" chocolate/mint flavor sensation to cool off this summer.

Ingredients (1-2 servings)

• 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 1 ripe banana (sliced)
• 1 avocado
• 3 Tbs raw cacao powder
• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 2 Tbs raw local honey
• 10-20 chocolate mint leaves (or any mint leaves)

Instructions

• Add all of the above ingredients to a high-powered blender (like Vita-Mix) and blend well. Pour into dessert dishes and refrigerate several hours before eating if you want it cold and a bit firmer.

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Try juicing mint, or freezing the leaves in ice cubes. Have you  tried it fresh in your herbal tea? It's also a great addition to your dinner salad. Check out more recipes and read more about this plant that is good for much more than tea.

What are the health benefits of fresh mint? Of course it is great for digestion as you'd imagine green leaves to be, and it's calming effect helps with nausea and indigestion. Mint is commonly used in oral health, killing germs and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth. 

Yummy!

Do you like pretty chocolate candy decorations? 

Martha Stewart tells us how to make these easy 

chocolate dipped mint leaves!

Have you tried this yet? 

How do you use fresh mint in your kitchen?

Linking up with Gluten-Free Cat and Raw Foods Thursdays 
and Intoxicated on Life and Wellness Wednesdays

Raw Chocolate Avocado-based Pudding

Get Your Chocolate Fix the Healthy Way—

Raw Chocolate Pudding

I've made avocado-based raw puddings before so I know how tasty (and nutritious) they are! I hadn't made a chocolate version yet, so here's what I came up with today.

This is one healthy treat that I would have loved to make and feed to my boys when they were growing up. Well, now I can treat them when they are here to visit, and meanwhile I can treat myself and Hubby.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

by Kathy's Kitchen, Health, & Nutrition

Prep Time: 10 min

Keywords: raw pudding dessert

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I added in the coconut sugar after the pudding was already made, as it just needed a bit more sweetener. Most of the time I use stevia in smoothies and drinks, but I love the taste of organic raw coconut sugar and I thought this might be a good use for a bit. It was.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 medium size ripe avocados
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 Tbsp brown rice syrup
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender (like Vita-Mix) and pulse at first. Then blend until very smooth. You many need to stop and stir a few times. Pour into one large or two medium sized dessert cups and refrigerate until cold. Enjoy!

Last year I bought two bags of raw cacao powder before Christmas. I'm still into my first bag so I guess I don't make chocolately things too often. Plus, for a time I was not eating chocolate at all. I missed it! I look on raw cacao a bit differently than other candy bar chocolates or processed cocoa, and I believe in its health benefits. There is a difference between commercial chocolate which has no health benefits and organic dark chocolate, the kind with no added sugar.

Is it just hype, that raw chocolate 

is good for you?  

Do some research and decide for yourself. Eating large amounts of cacao can be detrimental especially if it is not the raw organic kind, and even then I wouldn't overdo it, but certainly the raw version is the healthier choice.

I know of one person who eats chocolate medicinally to help with depression. It works for him. Raw cacao is also high in antioxidant flavanoids, sulfur and magnesium. Its essential fatty acids are believed to help the body to raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.

According to the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale (shown below), raw cocoa powder is tops, even much higher than goji berries and blueberries which we hear about so often. The thing is, you can eat a considerable amount of these berries with no side effects, whereas if you consumed large amounts of chocolate or cocoa you'd expose yourself to the dangers of too much oxalic acid (interferes with calcium absorption), theobromine (affects our nervous system), and of course caffeine. Keep this in mind.

Raw cocoa powder ranks highest of the Top 10 Antioxidant Foods (per 100 grams) 

1) Raw cocoa powder 95,500

2) Raw cacao nibs 62,100

3) Roasted cocoa powder 26,000

4) Organic Goji Berries 25,300

5) Acai Berries 18,500

6) Dark Chocolate 13,120

7) Milk Chocolate 6,740

8) Prunes 5,770

9) Raisins 2,830

10) Blueberries 2,400

Source: US department of Agriculture/Journal of American Chemical Society

References and Related links:

Examining the Properties of Chocolate and Cacao for Health

Nutritional Benefits of Raw Cacao (Raw chocolate) 

Linking up with Wellness Wednesday

Little Things Add Up—Healthy Habits Tuesday

Sport a Healthier Smile!

The terrible munchies hit me this past weekend, but I survived. I made homemade (baked) pizza for the guys and I fashioned a small cheese-less one for myself, topped with fresh pineapple chunks, red bell pepper slices and onion. Boy was that good! I had been staying clear of wheat but I used Spelt (ancient wheat) and brown rice flour in the crust. Still, I ate too much, and I was two pounds heavier the next day (how does that work?). 

Here's an update on my progress with those small habits-in-the-making for the month of January:

• I feel good most every day
• A persistent backache's still around so I make time to rest
• I didn't have a headache for 2 weeks!  
• I gave up wheat and chocolate 
• I'm eating a lot of raw veggies and fruits, and juicing more (within an anti-inflammatory diet)
• With everything I eat, I ask first: "Is it healthy for me—or destructive to me?"
• I'm experimenting with raw food recipes and a couple of new foods
• I have energy to exercise 20-45 min. at least five times/week
• I'm smiling more and sleeping a bit better (less stress over-all)
• I've lost six pounds (could have been eight!)
• I'm keeping track of my daily food intake 
• I'm encouraged to continue

Not eating chocolate is a bit of a struggle  but something I've needed to try, so here I am. I'd simply had it! Headaches and migraines have menaced me since I was 16—I couldn't take it anymore so about a year ago I got my doctor to write me an Rx for migraines. Thank God it works, but I don't like feeling medicated and I don't want to be hooked on meds with potential side effects. 

My doctor told me that she suffered many years also and that chocolate was the one thing that made a big difference for her. So, isn't it worth a try? Do I like feeling sick? Do I want to be well? Good-bye chocolate. (Wheat is another suspect.)

Honey, get on board!   

This past week my Honey and I watched Forks Over Knives and since he responded so positively I got him to watch Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead also, which I had already seen and loved. I recommend them both! 

Hubby needs the motivation frequently (just like me) and has vowed to make some changes alongside me. {big smile} I don't think we're quite ready for a juice fast but who knows? He's agreeing to do the following . . . 

• Eat much less meat
• Cut the cheese consumption
• Enjoy juicing more and think about a juice fast
• Eat organic when we can

I had a good laugh at my part-time job. The gal I work with hung a photo on the wall in my office that she had clipped from a magazine of two fabulous looking ladies who had worked out together and had lost weight and gained their health. One was tall and blond (like me) and the other shorter and brunette (like her) and she printed our names on their bodies and wrote 2014 across the top. 

When I saw it, I couldn't stop laughing. The thing is, though she's 60+ in age, she's already gorgeous with the body of someone much younger and who looks too cute in her jeans, sweaters and boots. Guess what? She eats very healthy and she finds time to exercise even while working a full-time desk job! 

Keeping Track
Healthy Habits—Week 5

Move

A sedentary lifestyle and a lack of exercise are triggers for inflammation. Maybe that's a big reason why I've been feeling much better lately! I choose to make exercise a life-long habit. Exercising outdoors adds an additional benefit by increasing your endorphins (feel-good hormones), and sunlight provides Vitamin D. Are you looking forward to spring?

Munch
Eat avocados and do more with them! (They were 19 cents at Aldi's recently!) I see that they are on the lowest in pesticides list—good, mine weren't organic! I made this awesome dessert this past week . . .

The Lime Mousse recipe has an avocado base (along with frozen bananas, and of course, fresh lime juice). I wasn't introduced to this super food until a few years ago. I now love guacamole and I'll not shy away from those many raw recipes that include avocado!

I've given up most dairy for health reasons and I'm working toward eating a diet of 50% raw foods, so this was a perfect tasty treat for me.  

Luscious Lime Mousse

(Raw, Non-Dairy)

Are you worried about the fat content in avocados? The Truth about Healthy Fats will dispel any "fat myth" you may believe. After what I read about the health benefits, I know I should be adding avocados to my meals to help meet a number of my personal health needs . . .

• Anti-inflammatory
• Heart healthy (omega-3 fatty acids)
• Good cholesterol (HDL)
• Rich in carotenoids (Vitamin A)
• Protein content (all 18 essential amino acids present) 
  
• High in oleic acid (breast cancer protection)
• Vitamin E powerhouse
• Nearly 20 essential nutrients as well as a "nutrient booster"

 Motivation 
Once you start seeing those results of healthier living, regardless of how small, it's motivating to keep with the program. Get inspired by your own small successes and the outstanding results of those around you like in those success stories witnessed in the films I've mentioned. If possible, make it a family (and or friend) affair and motivate each other.

Mindset
Do you want health—or sickness? It's a choice. Getting healthy and overcoming many diseases is doable and you can do it too!

Liking up with Healthy Habits Tuesday 

Luscious Lime Mousse (Raw, Non-Dairy)

Luscious Lime Mousse

(Raw, Non-Dairy)

If I hadn't given up chocolate recently, you'd most certainly see a Dark Chocolatey Mousse in that Lime Mousse's place. This Lime Mousse recipe has an avocado base along with frozen bananas and of course, fresh lime juice. But I do love the flavor of lime and this creamy treat tastes even better than it looks, and it's no doubt a healthy dessert for your family and mine.

I've given up most dairy for health reasons and I'm working toward eating a diet of 50% raw foods so this is a perfect treat for me. If you like gluten-free and vegan recipes, this may be perfect for you too. 

The health benefits of the avocado (including it's good fat nature) are reasons why I want to eat them as part of my anti-inflammatory diet that meets my personal health criteria. You can find avocado nutrition information listed at Avocado Nutrients. Want some "R-rated" history of the avocado? You'll find more than you want to know here.

FYI: The portion of the avocado closest to the skin is the most dense in nutrients, so be sure to scrape the skin clean before tossing.

It's thick and creamy.

Luscious Lime Mousse

(Raw, Non-Dairy)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond milk

4 Medjool dates (pitted and cut)

2 medium avocados (chunked)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp coconut butter 

2 frozen bananas sliced

Add the first six ingredients to a high-powered blender (like a Vita-Mix) and blend. Then add frozen bananas last and blend well. Eat right away or refrigerate 'til later. You could probably freeze this in Popsicle molds and eat it like a frozen dessert, but I have not tried that yet.

Top it off with some frozen berries and treat yourself right!

For more information on avocados and why I need to eat them scroll down this page and take a peek.

Linking up with  

Wheat-Free Wednesday 

 And linking up with
Wellness Wednesday