Simply put, I think chia seeds are divine! So simple, so healthy, so good for you and they require minimal work, making them the perfect on-the-go breakfast for both kids and adults.

I tasted my first chia seed pudding sometime last year when I was doing a 5-day raw food cleanse that my friend Ruth organized.  I had heard of chia seeds before but have never actually tasted them, and what a surprise was I in for!  Each day my friend Ruth provides freshly made green smoothies, juices and soups that are super healthy for the body and soul.

So I was thrilled when chia seed pudding was on the menu for one of the breakfasts, replacing the smoothie.  I took one bite and it was instant heaven — creamy (made with fresh almond milk), silky, slightly sweet with a richness to the flavor. Chia seeds are high in protein, antioxidants and omega 3s and they’re so easy to use – bake with them, add a tablespoon or two to smoothies, or sprinkle on your favorite dessert.

Here’s how I like to make my chia seed pudding but you can easily adapt the recipe:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup almond milk (you can substitute your favorite milk – soy, rice, etc.)

2 tbsp. chia seeds

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or to taste)

3-5 drops liquid stevia (or other natural sweetener)

Fresh fruit

Directions:

1. Whisk chia seeds into milk (I like a thicker pudding so I use less milk but experiment with what works for you).

2. Add cinnamon, vanilla extract and sweetener.  Mix well.

3. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

4. Add fresh fruit (I’m partial to blueberries) and nuts if desired.

This is definitely the type of recipe that is fun to experiment with and see what best suits your tastes.  Play around and make it your own!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy chia seed pudding?  Do you eat it just for breakfast or do you branch out and enjoy it for a snack or dessert as well? Do tell!

Haven’t we all heard the adage, “the best way to start the day is with a healthy breakfast?” umpteen times before? And it’s true what they say: having a healthy, clean eating,  nutrient-rich breakfast sets the tone for both kids and adults when it comes to focus and concentration, energy levels and overall effectiveness. And you shouldn’t be afraid of consuming too many calories at breakfast (unless you’re eating, calorie-rich, high-fat food with limited nutritional value) – you will have more energy and if you’re active, you will have plenty of time to burn it off.

Study after study shows that when kids start the day with a healthy breakfast that can bridge the gap to lunchtime, they are more alert in class and do better on tests. Same holds true for adults at work. How many times have you kicked yourself after eating a bagel full of simple carbs or a sugary donut? It may taste good going down, but a gap in energy and concentration can zap your effectiveness. Simple carbs, refined baked goods and sugary cereals set us up for a mid-morning energy crash that can do a number on both our metabolism and blood sugar levels for the day.

There are two ingredients I always try to include in a clean eating, healthy breakfast: protein and fiber. Lean forms of protein – egg whites, tofu, peanut or almond butter or even homemade turkey sausage are all great ideas to add to your daily routine. Protein stabilizes your blood sugar level and helps avoid dips, provides sustained energy and supports good concentration. Combine that with a healthy dose of fiber — from whole grain bread, oatmeal or fruit and veggies – that will help you feel full and satisfied.

Here are a few examples of what I mean:

• A fruit smoothie that contains a banana and a cup of berries (lots of vitamins and fiber). Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder for sustained energy. Take it up another notch by adding a handful of raw spinach. You will get a serving of energy-boosting veggies first thing in the morning.
• Chobani fat-free Greek yogurt­. I’m a big fan of their plain yogurt. It boasts 14 grams of protein and when you add some fresh fruit (I can never get enough of summer berries) and a small handful of nuts, you have yourself a quick, simple and sustaining breakfast that again combines both protein and fiber.  The plain yogurt is especially good because it doesn’t contain added sugar.  But even with the small amount of sugar in the fruit flavors, kids will probably find it more appealing than the plain version
• An egg white omelet with sautéed or steamed veggies and a piece of whole grain toast (throw in a cup of fresh fruit and you’re doing even better!). Eggs are the perfect protein and easy for your body to digest. Add some veggies and you can start your day with nutrient-rich foods.  Put it in a whole wheat wrap and it’s instantly portable.

What’s your favorite healthy breakfast that contains protein and fiber and keeps you going all day? Do tell!

Want more breakfast ideas, especially kid-friendly ones? Tune into to Good Morning Connecticut this Sunday morning for healthy, quick and portable breakfast tips.

Just the other day I was asking my friends on Twitter about their favorite fall vegetables.  I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, I like to put them in just about anything. But I have to say that pumpkin and butternut squash make a close second and third and I got lots of comments along those lines.

So I thought it would be fun to share 10 reasons why clean eating root veggies are so fantastic:

1. They have copious amounts of antioxidants, especially Vitamin A aka beta carotene.

2. Root veggies are easy to prepare in a myriad of ways.

3. They help kick sugar cravings to the curb. Roast them and you’ll bring out their natural sweetness.

4. They’re healthy comfort food.  Pumpkin pancakes anyone? You can make luscious dishes that are the essence of comfort food yet oh so healthy.

5. They make a great addition to soups and stews. Just the other day I whipped up some yummy soup with sweet potatoes, collard greens, tomatoes, kasha and cannellini beans. Talk about delicious!

6. They are low maintenance cooking! Put some sweet potatoes and butternut squash in to bake and you can do a whole bunch of other things while they’re cooking.

7. When you eat root veggies in the fall, they’re in season. You’re eating the way nature intended you to.

8. They are full of fiber which helps to fill us up, and healthy complex carbohydrates that provide lasting energy.

9. They are low in calories and fat, supporting a clean eating lifestyle.

10. Being that they are grown in the ground, they provide amazing grounding energy. If you’re feeling like you can’t focus and your mind is wandering, eat some root veggies and see what happens. You’ll likely to feel a lot more present.

What’s your take on root veggies? What other awesome benefits do you get from eating them and what’s your favorite?

Intrigued about how you can easily prepare root vegetables and make some scrumptious recipes your family will thank you for? Join me, The Clean Eating Coach, tonight, October 21 for “Fabulous Fall Seasonal Eating & Meal Planning” and I’ll give you the full scoop on simple and clean ways to make them! Go to http://budurl.com/falleating to get all the details.

Eating copious amounts of fiber is surely good for us. Most Americans are fiber-deficient, way under the recommended 25-30 grams we need per day.  Fiber supports a healthy colon and decreases the risk of cancer.

But fiber also has the ability to help us lose weight and in the post-holiday doldrums when many of us have indulged a bit too much, now’s the time to get on the fiber bandwagon.

How is it, that fiber helps us lose weight?  Take a listen to this week’s audio tip and you’ll find out how, plus check out a few ideas for how you can build more into your diet. Trust me, it’s easy.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a creature of habit and when it comes to eating, as much as I enjoy cooking, it’s sooo easy to eat a lot of the same things over and over, if it will save me some time. And because I’m all about planning meals that are quick and healthy, given our busy schedule, I tend to resort to my old standbys. But that can get old real quick.  And the same old eating yields the same old health results – inability to lose weight, lack of energy and high cholesterol, just to name a few.  Not to mention that we can often miss out on important nutrients when we make the usual dishes. In fact, optimal eating and health really requires inclusion of a broad spectrum of foods.

So for weeks now, I’ve been eyeing my friend Ameet’s falafel recipe, itching to make it but not making the time. I love Middle Eastern food and truth be told, it really never dawned on me to make falafel myself, but I saw the recipe and I was immediately intrigued.  I love beans and the fact that they’re low fat, heart healthy and full of fiber.  I also loved the idea of making it fresh (not one of the falafel mixes) and so I set out on Saturday afternoon to buy the ingredients – dried garbanzo beans, lots of lemons and a few other ingredients (for the falafel and quinoa tabouli). Plus, Bruce and I are consciously eating less meat, so it sounded both tasty and a nice departure from the usual fare.

As you know, Sunday is prime time for me in the kitchen and this week was no exception. Even though I ran back and forth between the den where the Jets were playing the Bills (yep, Jets won), and my many simmering concoctions, I turned out some pretty good falafel, for a first try.  Between that, the tabouli (simply delicious ) and the fresh microgreens I’ve been enjoying, we’ve been mixing things up for great results (like loads of energy and being super-regular). What about you, how do you mix things up, how does it support your health and what have you tried lately?

When I was little I was wild about Fruit Loops. I loved all the colors and of course, I couldn’t get enough of the sweet, sugary taste. There was nothing better than mom coming home with a big box of them from the grocery store that my brother and I would fight over.

That was in the 70’s, way before we really talked about how much sugar there is in cereals marketed to kids. We’ve known for years that a whole range of these cereals really aren’t good for them, but the marketing arm of large consumer companies is long and powerful, convincing many families with kids that there sugar-laden cereals are the way to go.

But did you hear about the Consumer Reports study that came out this week about just how bad the top selling kids cereals are? It’s probably not a surprise to hear they’re full of sugar, but the extend to which many of them are unhealthy is alarming.

Take a listen to this week’s audio tip and you can learn the facts about these cereals and hear some simple tips to feed your kids a healthier breakfast.

What about you? Do you have a penchant for sweet cereals yourself? And what do you do to feed your kids a healthier breakfast? Check out the recipe below for a healthy and delicious breakfast. This is one of my favorites that I make regularly.

Whole Oatmeal
Oat groats are a whole grain found in health food stores. With a bit of soaking you can turn them into a delicious and filling breakfast cereal that will keep you going for hours.  The beauty is that it doesn’t require any cooking, just soaking the oats and creating the cereal! You can break up the preparation into 2 simple steps. I make enough to last for several meals. This recipe is from “Raw Foods Made Easy.”

Step 1: Soak the Oat Groats

1 ½ cups whole oat groats

Place the oat groats in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak for 8-10 hours at room temperature.  Drain in a colander and rinse well. Return the oat groats to the bowl, cover with water and soak for another 8-10 hours.  Drain and rinse again. Allow oat groats to sit for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate. The oats will keep for three days in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Make the Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 cups soaked oat groats
½ apple, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tbsp. water
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
¼ tsp. salt

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed. Serve at room temperature and add milk if desired. Simply delicious!

I came across an article today that’s very interesting and speaks to the notion of heart health. Although it’s not specific to women, but is helpful to everyone. The Harvard Heart Letter suggests that eating a healthy breakfast reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Eating breakfast helps to regulate blood sugar throughout the day and can curb your appetite. In particular, they emphasize eating more whole grains and healthy forms of protein. What do you eat for breakfast? Do you notice a difference when you eat more whole grains than not?

I personally couldn’t agree more with the results. Eating breakfast is something I’m in the habit of doing everyday, and I’m all about eating whole grains. Just this morning I had a small bowl of quinoa, a grain from South America, with some vegetable soup I made. I know, it may be a little odd to be eating soup and quinoa for breakfast, but it was healthy and delicious and got my day off to a good start.  Oatmeal and whole grain toast are other good options.

Tell me more about your breakfast routine. What works for you and how heart healthy is it?

And stay tuned for information about my upcoming Take Your Health to Heart Challenge which encourages women to take their heart healthy seriously and get into action — more details to follow about that soon.

Check out this week’s audio tip with more ideas on what to do with the pulp and how I go about creating my daily juice.  I use mostly veggies with a little fruit thrown in and try a variety of combinations to mix it up. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

Are you inspired to action? What are your favorite fruit and veggies to juice? Are there some combinations you love? Share your comments below.

Brussels sprouts, like all cruciferous vegetables, play an important role in cancer prevention, helping to detoxify cells. From breast cancer to colon cancer, they contain vital antioxidants to help keep us healthy. In addition, they also contribute to healthy skin, protect against arthritis and aid in heart health.

How do you make Brussels sprouts appealing? Believe it or not, preparing Brussels sprouts is relatively quick and easy. Braising, boiling and roasting are simple techniques to use. Roasting, in particular, brings out the natural flavor and sweetness. Check out the following ultra-simple recipe and give them a try.