Last month I was very busy preparing my the Detox Diet Spring 2015 event.
And this week is a Detox Diet Spring 2015 week!
I am so excited: I am doing it myself and also leading the group.
I have created a Facebook group where we share ideas, recipes and support each other! Most active member of the group will get a cool prize!
The title sounds contradicting: what comes to mind when you think of candy? I am sure nothing healthy.
(By the way: The famous PB Max bar from Max family had lots of sugar and calories. The family stopped producing it, however, not because of dismal nutritional content, but rather because the family disliked peanut butter! And Cotton Candy, as bad as it can get for teeth, was co-invented by a dentist in 1897).
Before you start feeling bad about all the Max bars and Cotton Candy you have consumed so far, let me tell you there is nothing wrong for a kid or an adult to take an occasional stroll in Willy Wonka’s edible garden. As long as this walk is not too long.
To satisfy your sweet tooth cravings and not feel guilty it is good to know your healthy alternatives.
Here is some good news for you (and mostly for your kids): candies can be healthy!
Where and how can you get these healthy candies?
If you want to invest some time, you can make great candies yourself; otherwise visit your neighborhood health store or one of the large supermarkets’ health food departments.
Here is a quick overview of healthy candies you can buy at the store or make yourself.
Candies to buy:
Plain organic popcorn:
You can either buy already popped or pop your own using a microwave or a pan. I agree microwaves are not healthy but if you already have one you might as well use it. Drizzle some organic coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Your own Trail Mix:
Get your favourite dry fruits, nuts and seeds and mix them together, then divide into portions. You can buy trail mix from a health store. The advantage of making your own is you get to choose the ingredients you like and it costs less.
One of my favourite trail mixes is goji berries, raw chocolate nibs and walnuts.
You can find more trail mix ideas here.
Dark Chocolate:
Choose a high quality organic dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa.
Candies to make:
I am very busy myself and I realize most of us cannot afford spending too much time in the kitchen. This is why I test all the recipes first to make sure they are worth your time. Only then I recommend them to you.
Apple Almond Delight:
Quarter and core an apple. Fill each quarter with ½ teaspoon nut butter of your choice. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top. Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple with crunchy almond butter and some cinnamon is my favourite!
Another option is to fill a celery stick with nut butter. Top with cinnamon and dried cranberries.
If you need to make this candy “to go”, just stick the apple quarters together to make a whole apple or “sandwich” two celery sticks and wrap.
Frozen Banana Ice Cream Truffles (by Jennifer Danter):
I got this recipe from the food section of Alive magazine. The truffles are easy to make and and taste great. The only thing I did not manage to replicate was the picture perfect round shape. Mine looked more like cookies, but that was the only downside and did not prevent them from quickly disappearing.
Here is the Frozen Banana Ice Cream Truffles recipe.
If you are up to making your own candies and want to get more ideas please check My Picks -> Healthy Candies section.
I will keep adding new recipes once I have discovered and tested them.
If you have some good healthy candy recipes please share them in the comments in this post.
Fish is another controversial subject!
There are approximately 32,000 different kinds of fish that live today in our waters. Ancient people learned to catch and eat fish in very early days of a human race. The oldest fishhook ever found is 42,000 years old! Fish is known to be a great source of beneficial, anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids. But be careful! When fish is farm-raised, in most cases it is unknown what it is being fed with, and when the fish is a wild catch the water quality of the area where it was caught may be not the greatest.
Why do we need more Omega-3? Healthy ratio is when Omega-3 and Omega-6 are present in equal amounts. Today we get much more Omega-6 from our diet. It comes from refined oils, snacks, cookies and baked goods. Continue reading…
Sleep is one of the three major health components. The other two are diet and exercise. 
Good sleep rebuilds our immune system. Sleep is the best remedy to deal with some diseases.
Sleep is also extremely important when we are healthy.
The average adult needs about 7 hours of sleep a night.
The ideal sleep pattern is 8 hours of sleep at night from 10 pm until 6 am. Even though it is not realistic for most of us, we should try to get as close as possible to this pattern.
If it is not easy for you to fall asleep that is a sign that your nervous system is asking for help. Starting from 9 pm avoid everything that can make you nervous: TV news, phone calls to relatives, motivational talks with your kids. “nothing annoying after 9 pm” should be a rule. Take a walk, or watch some calming TV program or listen to you favourite music. Continue reading…
How often did you hear “eat your fruits and vegetables!”?
Probably hundred of times – we have to get enough vegetables in our diets to keep us healthy.