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Morning Delight Smoothie

“Mom” typically starts her morning with a plant-based protein packed smoothie. This creamy smoothie includes coconut milk which adds a silky texture, and the right amount of healthy fats so you’ll feel satiated. Lacuma, a superfood hailing from Peru, is low-glycemic and packed with antioxidants, fiber, and protein.

“The Morning Delight is a hearty beverage packed with vitamins, nutrients, and healthy carbs, which is going to give you the get up and go everyone needs in the morning without the coffee crash,” says Brooks.

Morning Delight Smoothie

Ingredients

11/2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp lacuma
2 tsp pure matcha tea powder
2 frozen bananas
2 to 3 dates, pitted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 vanilla bean
Small handful of ice (optional, depending whether you froze your bananas)

Preparation

Add the coconut milk, lacuma, and matcha to your blender and process until completely mixed. Turn off, then add the rest of your ingredients and blend until totally emulsified. If using the vanilla bean, split the bean in half and scrape out the vanilla pods.

Pour into a glass and enjoy!

*Recipe and image courtesy of Karliin Brooks, author of Squeeze Life and the founder of The Squeeze, a cleansing and juicing lifestyle brand located in NYC.*

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In Mom’s Kitchen: Amazing Meal

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“Mom” has discovered an amazing tasting nutritious meal replacement from Amazing Grass that combines Organic Green Superfoods with plant-based protein, fruits and veggies. Amazing Meal offers 100% whole food nutrition with 10 grams of complete protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving, but the best part is that it actually tastes delicious and can be enjoyed, not choked down!

Amazing Meal is available in four varieties: Vanilla Chai Infusion; Original Blend; Chocolate Infusion; and Pomegranate Mango Infusion. “Mom’s” favorite is the Pomegranate Mango Infusion, which tastes fresh and fruity when mixed with mango or orange juice! New to the line – Vanilla Chai Infusion! Mix it with soy milk or almond milk in the convenient shaker cup for an instant boost during the day All four varieties provide apowerful and satisfying blend of organic green superfoods, plant-based protein, phytonutrients and vegetables, digestive enzymes and probiotics.

Ingredients in all varieties of Amazing Meal are certified organic and include wheat grass, kale, barley grass, alfalfa, rice protein, hemp protein, acai, carrot, blueberry, goji, rose hips, maca, banana, flax seed powder, cane juice, guar gum and Madagascar vanilla.

To learn more about Amazing Meal by Amazing Grass, visit amazinggrass.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this review.*

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In Mom’s Kitchen: Navitas Power Snacks

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Navitas Power Snacks

Now you can get your superfoods to-go! For the active health nut, this exciting & delicious option from Navitas Naturals calls for a celebration! With two yummy flavors to choose from, Cacao-Goji and Citrus-Chia Power, healthy snacking is easy and convenient wherever you may roam! Each flavor is made from the most nutrient-dense organic seeds, fruits and nuts. “Mom’s” favorite? The Cacao-Goji! Like a burst of chocolate, but even more powerful than a square of dark chocolate!

Each power snack comes in an 8-ounce resealable and recyclable pouch for enjoying anytime, anywhere! The gluten-free, dairy-free snacks contain no refined sugar, which “Mom” loves!

The 6 Superfoods in Navitas Power Snacks include:

1. Chia is a high-energy superseed that offers a unique blend of protein, fiber, essential fats, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals. Perhaps most notable, chia is a rich source of essential fatty acids – more than 3 times the concentration of most grains. Chia is also a robust source of protein (more than 20%) with all of the essential amino acids.

2. Cacao is a raw form of chocolate that is one of the world’s best sources of powerful antioxidants, and is the richest food source of magnesium. Cacao also provides a vast array of essential minerals and nutrients including: Iron; Potassium; proteins;beta-carotene; and alkaloids.

3. The Goji Berry is one of the highest known sources of antioxidants and it contains 18 amino acids and all essential amino acids. Rich in beta-carotene, polysaccharides, riboflavinand carotenoids, the goji berry is known to help foster a long life and strengthen the immune system.

4. Camu-Camu is most famous for its abundant concentration of vitamin C – containing up to 60 times more than an orange. This antioxidant-rich berry is also a great source of potassium, calcium, protein, beta-carotene and other powerful phytochemicals and amino acids that are known to have a wide range of therapeutic effects.

5. Maca is rich in amino acids, vitamins B1, B2, C and E,calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur and iron, and is a good source of sterols and fatty acids. It has long been used in traditional medicine to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. Alkaloids in maca are known to nourish the endocrine system – responsible for production and maintenance of hormones.

6. Lucuma is naturally sweet, but low on the glycemic index. This alternative sweetener is also a good source of iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B3, beta carotene, fiber and bio-available protein.

To learn more about Navitas Power Snacks, or to locate a store near you, visit NavitasNaturals.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this review.*

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Zuke’s Superfood Organic Dog Biscuits

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Who says superfoods are only for humans? Let your beloved family pet reap the benefits of antioxidants, greens, and Omega-3’s with Zuke’s Superfood Organic Dog Biscuits! Available in 3 nutrient-dense varieties, Zuke’s offers your pet the following tasty, healthy options: Mean Greenz™, Health Nutz™, and Very Berryz™. The entire line of all-natural, healthy treats are made in the USA and do not contain fillers, additives, corn, soy or wheat.

Very Berryz™: exploding with the free-radical scavenging powers of antioxidant-rich buleberries, cranberries and raspberries.

Mean Greenz™: a mighty mix of healthy, vitamin-packed greens like spinach, green beans and broccoli. Gives dogs all the benefits of a balanced, whole-food diet … easier than getting your kids to eat their veggies.

Health Nutz™: loaded with protein-packed peanuts to support strong muscles and omega-3-rich almonds to support strong joints and a healthy coat.

Now, “Mom” did not actually put these nutritious treats to the taste test herself, but her cocker spaniel adores the Health Nutz™ variety, which is packed with peanuts and Omega-3 rich almonds.

In addition, each package of Zuke’s Superfood Organic Dog Biscuits are packaged in 100% recycled paperboard and are manufactured by 100% wind energy. For more information about Zuke’s entire line of pet products, visit www.zukes.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this review.*

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Reserveage Organics Vibrance Multivitamin

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Whole food nutrition at its’ best! In today’s busy world, achieving optimal health can be a challenge. Reserveage Organics Vibrance Multivitamin offers a wonderfully wholesome way to nourish both mind and body, and is currently the only organic Resveratrol-based multivitamin available. This unique formulation provides the benefits of a daily multivitamin with the added boost of resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine as well as the stems, skin, and seeds of grapes. For those seeking to add the many benefits of resveratrol without imbiding red wine or eating grapes by the truckload, the Vibrance Multivitamin is an excellent option!

For more information on the benefits of resveratrol, please click here.

In addition to resveratrol, this multivitamin provides the benefits of a variety of known superfruits, including acai, pomegranate, mangosteen, and the goji berry. The Vibrance Multivitamin contains a proprietary blend of green superfoods, such as kelp, alfalafa, spirulina, chlorella, and barley grass, and a Super Veggie Powder Blend, which would put Popeye’s diet of spinach for strength to shame! This one little multivitamin certainly packs a powerful punch!

For more information, or to order, please visit www.reserveage.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this review.*

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Reasons Why Yogurt is a Top Health Food

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Voskos Greek Yogurt has outlined the reasons why yogurt has been touted as a “superfood” – this versatile food can be eaten so many different ways and provides an enormous amount of health benefits. Go ahead – break out your favorite flavor and top it with fruit, granola, or even cereal! YUM!

Reasons Why Yogurt is a Top Health Food

1. Yogurt may contribute to steady weight loss: More and more studies are suggesting that a daily consumption of low-fat yogurt may help to burn fat and contribute to steady weight loss.

2. Greek Yogurt is an excellent source of protein: Voskos Greek Yogurt contains 24g of protein and is high in potassium, which some find helpful in elevating mood.

3. Greek yogurt provides a valuable source of calcium: An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child’s RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live and active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk.

4. A Chaser for Antibiotics: It’s good to eat yogurt with live and active probiotic cultures while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines. Antibiotics kill not only harmful bacteria; they also kill the healthy ones in the intestines. The live bacterial cultures in yogurt can help replenish the intestines with helpful bacteria before the harmful ones take over. A 1999 study reported in Pediatrics showed that lactobacillus organisms can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

5. Yogurt is easier for some people to digest than milk: If you’re lactose intolerant, you should try Voskos Greek Yogurt as it is made with active and live probiotic cultures, which convert lactose to lactic acid, making it more easily digestible.

6. Yogurt contributes to colon health: There’s a medical truism that states: “You’re only as healthy as your colon.” When eating yogurt, you’re also taking care for your colon. Yogurt with live and active probiotic cultures contains lactobacteria, intestine-friendly bacterial cultures such as acidophilus that foster a healthy colon, and may lower the risk of colon cancer.

7. Eating yogurt may improve the bioavailability of other nutrients: Eating cultured yogurts (those with live and active probiotic cultures) may increase the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in these yogurts aid in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

8. Yogurt is good for the young and the elderly: Yogurt is a valuable health food for all but can be particularly beneficial for young children and elderly persons. For children, it provides a balanced source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals in a texture that kids love. For senior citizens, who usually have more sensitive colons or whose intestines have less lactase, yogurt is also a valuable food. Elderly intestines may show declining levels of bifidus bacteria, which may be counter-balanced by eating yogurts with live and active probiotic cultures such as Voskos Greek Yogurt.

9. Yogurt can boost immunity: Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream.

10. Yogurt may aid healing after intestinal infections: Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. This is why children often cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Yogurt, however, because it contains less lactose and more lactase, is usually well-tolerated by healing intestines and is a popular “healing food” for diarrhea. Many pediatricians recommend yogurt for children suffering from various forms of indigestion. Research shows that children recover faster from diarrhea when eating yogurt.

11. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections: Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

12. Yogurt may lower cholesterol: There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt may reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

13. Yogurt is a “grow food.”: Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.

*Tips and image provides by Voskos Greek Yogurt.*

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