Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

As many of us in the northern hemisphere approach the coldest weather of the year and flu season, I thought I would share with you my new favorite go-to soup when I feel under the weather. Over the years, as I’ve slowly worked to better my health with a plant-based diet, I’m usually a little puzzled as to what to eat when I get sick. When it comes down to surviving the flu, I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking chicken noodle soup, ginger ale, saltines, toast and jelly. And even though I haven’t had any of that stuff for a few decades (or the flu for that matter!), they’re still ingrained in my mind as flu comfort foods. What I know and live by, most importantly when I’m sick, is that whatever I’m going to eat has to be nourishing and healing, and not simply comforting – although all of the above would be nice. Aside from homemade chicken noodle soup, which isn’t going to happen when you’re sick unless mom lives nearby, none of the previously mentioned foods are going to support your immune system with any extra love. When you’re sick, boosting your immune system’s fighting power with nourishing, vitamin and mineral-filled food will help you feel better faster. As a veg-head who hasn’t eaten chicken noodle soup since high school, over the years I’ve turned to miso (pronounced mee-so) soup. Miso, which has its origins in Japan, is traditionally referred to as fermented soy. It’s known as an all-purpose, high-protein seasoning that’s most often used in soups, salad dressings and veggie dishes. It’s rich in vitamins, minerals and contains all eight essential amino acids. It also has quite a few healing benefits now back by scientific research – reduces the risk of heart disease, hypertension and breast cancer, to name a few.

Lately I’ve been hungry for more veggie protein options, so I’ve been gravitating toward eating more beans. Chickpeas, AKA garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family. They’re touted for their high levels of insoluble fiber, so naturally they’re an amazingly cleanse-friendly food. In just 1 cup of chickpeas you’ll get over 15 grams of protein, so they’re a fantastic veggie-based protein source. Chickpeas boast a wide array of phytonutrients both in the seed coat and inner bean. My favorite inflammation fighting phytonutrient, quercetin, is plentiful in this little bean, which makes it a healthy food to be eating during any allergy season. Chickpeas are extremely versatile. You can flavor them with a variety of spices, add them to soups, salads, and salad dressings. You can even eat them by the handful for a healthy and filling snack. Not only will this recipe delight your taste buds, but it will also help to satisfy your cravings for junk food and sweets. In a recent study, people who ate chickpeas were shown to eat fewer processed foods. Equally exciting, participants who ate garbanzo beans for just 1 week were able to control their blood sugar and insulin levels.

Today I want share with you my new favorite green juice! Hydrating and refreshing – it’s just perfect for detoxifying. Cilantro Detox Juice is an incredibly healing juice. Created by our friend and fellow wellness warrior, Elana Amsterdam, this juice features an entire bunch of cilantro (stems and leaves), which is known to be highly effective at helping chelate heavy metals from the body. As someone who has a family history with Alzheimer’s, detoxing heavy metals is of particular interest to me. If you don’t have a juicer at home, this would probably taste just as good blended up in your high speed blender, but you’ll have to report back and let me know. Alternatively, you might like our Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie.

Turkey, stuffing, pie, oh my! Thanksgiving is a holiday about abundance, or for many us, overabundance! So to make sure you don’t feel like slithering out of your chair only to fall asleep under the table, we’ve pulled together six of our favorite healthy recipes that will leave you feeling energized and not stuffed to the gills. Using fresh herbs, seasonal farm fresh produce, and nutrient dense ingredients, we’ve put a healthy spin on some of our traditional favorites. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and feel our love as you make them! As you plan your Thanksgiving menu, remember that this time of year is not just about the food you put on your table, it’s also about the connection and time spent with your loved ones. Enjoy every moment!

This gluten-free Matzo Ball Soup is a healthy twist on a Passover classic. My secret to making this dish gluten-free is to use almond flour in place of matzo meal. Yes, it’s a grain-free Paleo Matzo Ball Soup, as a good as any your Bubby ever made. Traditionally, Matzo Ball Soup is served each year at Passover. One of my favorite holidays, it ushers in a change of seasons and occurs each year on the spring full moon falling in March or April.

Temperatures have started to dip in the northern hemisphere the past few weeks, causing us to crave warm soups and other fall favorites. Today we have a recipe that is the epitome of comfort food. It’s the perfect meal that the entire family will enjoy. But it’s also a labor of love and tends to be one those childhood favorites that just don’t work in our Conscious Cleanse lifestyle. That is until today! Our Vegetable Lasagna with non-dairy ricotta “cheese” is a simple, gluten free, vegan lasagna. And it tastes delicious. Now your Italian granny might turn over in her grave but believe us our vegan cashew “cheese” is so tasty you will never miss the real stuff. As for the noodles? Gluten be gone. These “noodles” are made from veggies sliced thinly and roasted until caramelized and sweet. A real excellent substitution in the flavor department. Layer it all up with a high quality can of organic crushed tomatoes and you have a healthy and warming dinner.

Wild rice is technically not a grain! Who knew? It’s actually the seed of a marsh grass grown in the Great Lakes region (my hometown’s neck of the woods). Wild rice has a rich nutty flavor that pairs well with leafy greens and autumn veggies. As we approach Thanksgiving time, we’ve been on the lookout for recipes that could fit into the holiday season, but wouldn’t leave us feeling the usual “Thanksgiving hangover.” The reason we might feel so good eating this robust “grain” is because it’s chock full of B vitamins and contains essential minerals like zinc, folate and phosphorus. It also has more protein than the almighty brown rice. And, because of it’s high fiber content it will keep your digestive system running smooth as silk. Not too shabby! This Autumn Wild Rice Salad can be a healthy side on turkey day or hold it’s own as an entrée on a brisk fall night.

Well aside from the fact that pumpkins are fun to carve and make scary faces out of, pumpkins signal the start of the holiday season! Fall sweaters, warm soups, new boots, pumpkin spice – these things just go together. But perhaps more importantly, pumpkin is a health foodies dream. Filled with fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins, the flesh of the pumpkin is a delicious sweet treat that has transformed many of our favorite food groups. Be sure to try our Pumpkin Spiced Waffles and leave us a comment below. Are you pumped for pumpkin season like we are? Any pumpkin recipe requests?

Good for boosting brain health, combating effects of aging, low on the glycemic index and high in fiber, blueberries are a superfood with a far-reaching benefits. This time of year, fresh blueberries make a great snack, but we love them year-round in our smoothies, and in today’s decadent but guilt-free, gluten-free, dairy-free pie.

The recipe that we’re sharing today is one that we’ve been holding onto because it falls into our 80:20 category! Now that the summer cleanse is behind us, we want to talk about matcha – the green tea superfood that we’re head over heels for (when not cleansing).

Who doesn’t love a yummy buddha bowl? Warm, nourishing, versatile, and packed with goodness, one bowl meals are a staple when we’re just not sure what else to cook up for dinner. Plus, they’re a great way to use up any leftover veggies, meats or grains that you have in the fridge.

Today’s recipe is cleanse-friendly and can be easily modified to stay within the guidelines of Purification. Simply omit the olives if you want to be a purist–or keep them in and consider them part of what’s easing you off of your Purification.

Today’s recipe was created by culinary master Leslie White from Zeal Food here in Boulder. This decadent sweet treat was the closing morsel of yumminess that completed our cleanse-friendly meal last week, and people have been talking about it since.

By this point in late January, most people have long forgotten about their New Year’s resolutions. In fact, last Tuesday was declared Ditch Your New Year’s Resolution Day by one source. No big surprise there! Real change doesn’t miraculously happen just because you declare it so! It doesn’t happen overnight, or even in a 14-day cleanse. Long-term sustainable change happens slowly, over time, as a result of practicing new healthy habits. The key is to take action! To DO something everyday that moves you closer to your goal.

Hey guys! It’s Jules! Today’s recipe was inspired by my sister who has a strong aversion to bananas, but for years has asked me for a deliciously creamy green smoothie sans fruit! As a self-proclaimed fruit lover and full-blown banana addict myself, to say that I’ve been resistant to ditching fruit from my diet would be putting it lightly. After all, fruit is as natural as it comes. I have thrived on a high-fruit diet for months at a time (one of my many food experiments)! Plus fruit is a whole food that comes from the earth and has been known as one of the most healing foods we have on the planet. How could it be bad for us?

We have another guest blogger for you today and she happens to be not only one of our favorite people on the planet, she’s also one of the funniest, smartest and most talented yoga teachers we know. Meet Gina Caputo.

The soup we’re sharing today is a not your average soup. We call it a Supersoup (as well as lawn mower pulp), and it’s one of the soups we most recommend during Purification. During our 14-day cleanse, we have two weekends (or two other consecutive days of your choice) where we offer a deeper cleansing process. During this time, we encourage lots of rest and relaxation, and we only take in vegetables and fruits, with no more than 2 tablespoons of oil each day.

Let’s face it. Nothing says Super Bowl like chicken wings and cheese dip. But if you want to beat the bloat and the hangover on Monday morning, stick with us. When it comes to healthy Super Bowl snacks, we’ve got you covered!

Happy 2017! A new year full of new possibilities! Are you feeling inspired? Or just a bit hungover and groggy from celebrating? Either way, we’ve got just the thing to help you start the new year right!

Heavy Metals. We’re not talking about Def Leppard or Metallica today, ladies and gentlemen! We’re talking about toxic heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum, copper, cadmium, nickel, arsenic, and lead, that we’re all exposed to on a daily basis. How are we exposed? Surprisingly we come into contact with heavy metals in everyday life – through the air we breathe (think vehicle emissions and other environmental pollutants), in the food we eat (non-organic foods that have been treated with pesticides and herbicides), if you have dental fillings made from mercury-containing amalgam, and certain types of large fish (such as king mackerel, swordfish, orange roughy, marlin, tuna steaks, and canned ‘white’ albacore).

Hooray!! Thanksgiving is only a few days away and we are so excited to show you our Conscious Thanksgiving feast! Have you finalized your menu? Or are you looking for some last minute inspiration? If you fall into the latter category, we’ve got your back. Throughout this month, we have been sharing some Thanksgiving staples that we have given a Conscious Cleanse makeover. From stuffing to pie, we’ve got recipes that will give you all the flavor without the junk.

The other night we had our cleanse-friendly community dinner at Zeal and we met a young woman who had severe eczema. Allergy tests confirmed several food intolerances, chocolate being one of them. As diehard chocolate lovers, of course, we gasped. Allergic to chocolate? What could be worse? True to form, we started to dig deeper. This young woman, all of 13 years of age, wasn’t allergic to chocolate, she was allergic to dairy! So we asked her if she had ever tried cacao. Not to be confused with cocoa (or cocoa powder), cacao is the purest form of chocolate you can eat. Bitter in taste, cacao beans look a lot like coffee beans. All chocolate and cocoa is made by heating cacao beans, so the raw, less processed version, cacao is always our first go-to choice when living our 80:20 lifestyle.

The inspiration for today’s recipe came from past cleanse participants who elected to try our new Low Sugar Plan. Who is the Low Sugar Plan for? Simply put it’s for those of us who struggle with our weight, mood swings, hormone issues, anxiety, and/or insomnia. It’s for those of us who have an insatiable sweet tooth!

One of the biggest hurdles we hear about from Conscious Cleansers (our next cleanse starts Sept. 7.) is that they don’t have time for meal prep! Well, today we have another time-saving recipe for you – A lunch that you can toss together in under 15 minutes! Going to the Whole Foods salad bar takes longer than that!

Summer fun catching up with you? Even though we’re a month away from our next online Conscious Cleanse, it feels good to hit the reset button from time to time, especially during summer when there are just so many fun trips, activities, and gatherings to enjoy!