Blended News

Photo credit: @naturally.jo

I want to know how many mini Halloween chocolate bars make a full one...said no one ever. It might surprise you, but chocolate is a favourite around here. Our love for Cacao runs deep. In this Halloween e-news, we've got a heck of a line up for you including:

1. Why Your Body & Mind Love Cacao

2. Easy Recipes: Make some Halloween treat magic with these fun treats: Delicious and free of the refined sugars & other funny business your body doesn't want: Easy Vegan Chocolate, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Spiders, Halloween Chocosicles.

Let's get crafty.....

Our Love for Cacao

Aside from giving some of our smoothies chocolaty-goodness without all the sugary-badness, it has some amazing health benefits:

1. The difference between cacao and cocoa: cacao is the bean & cocoa is the product made from it
2. Contains more calcium than cow's milk
3. Natural mood elevator & antidepressant
4. Very high in free radical fighting antioxidants (3 cheers for healthy cells!)
5. Most commercial chocolate (we're looking at you Halloween candy) contains minimal amounts of cacao, so go for 'fine' dark and check labels for the percentage included
6. High in magnesium (good for brain & heart health)

Halloween Chocosicles

Did someone say zero-sugar added , delicious popsicles? We know the good-for-you, but still really delicious, treats can be hard to come by. Bonus: the prep time is about 5 minutes.

Halloween Popsicle Molds: get them online and/or at most homeware stores. Or use standard popsicle molds (the lie flat not stand up tubes) and decorate after.

What you'll need:

2 x Nutty Chocolate Lover OR Choco Banana Hero blends

1.5 cups coconut or almond milk

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

Two blends will make @ 4 pops depending on the size of your molds.

1. Let your Blended smoothie packs soften slightly until you can just break in half (see back of pack for instructions).

2. Add to blender with the liquid & other ingredients

3. Blend & pour mixture into popsicle molds

4. Let freeze for 6 hours or overnight

5. If you're using standard molds, add on your Halloween decorations.

Optional add-in: once you've blended the above, stir in some finely chopped almonds if a little crunch is your thing.

The Easy Vegan Chocolate Recipe

Feel like trying your hand at homemade chocolate?
Check out this recipe from one of our faves: The Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped cocoa butter (packed)
3-5 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub agave nectar with varied results)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt (to taste)
Optional toppings: cacao nibs or finely chopped nuts

Steps:

• Arrange 14 mini cupcake liners on a small baking sheet. Set aside.
• Add 2 inches of water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then set a medium glass or ceramic mixing bowl on top, making sure it's not touching the water (this creates a "double boiler").
• To the mixing bowl, add finely chopped cocoa butter and let melt @ 2-3 minutes.
• Once melted, add the maple syrup or agave nectar and use a whisk or wooden spoon to mix until fluid and thoroughly combined. Remove bowl and set on a flat surface. Turn off stove-top heat and set saucepan aside.
• Add cacao or cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt, and whisk to combine until there are no clumps.
• Taste and adjust flavor (syrup, salt etc) as needed.
• Carefully pour chocolate into 12-14 mini cupcake liners* (or 7 large cupcake liners) and top with more sea salt, cacao nibs or crushed nuts (optional).
• Transfer chocolate to the freezer or refrigerator to set - about 10 minutes for small, 20 minutes for larger liners.
• Enjoy straight from the freezer, refrigerator, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer up to 1 month.  

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Spiders

These are the EASIEST spookiest treat for Halloween!

Ingredients
Peanut butter
Dark chocolate(Double check it's vegan)
Pretzel sticks

Instructions

• Roll the peanut butter into balls, about 1 tablespoon each. If the peanut butter is too runny, place in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes until it's more manageable. Place the peanut butter balls on a baking sheet or plate lined with wax paper or aluminum foil. Set in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden.
• Right before the 20 minutes are up, melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 15-30 second intervals, stirring in between. Careful not to burn the chocolate. Usually you can stir out the last remaining lumps without needing to microwave more.
• Remove the peanut butter balls from the freezer and add the pretzels. Break each pretzel stick in half and use the broken end to gently push into the ball on either side to create "legs". It's easier to first lift all the balls off the sheet so they're no longer "stuck", then add legs. This ensures that you don't have trouble getting any unstuck from your choice of liner and accidentally knocking off any legs to the ones you've already added.
• At this time, you may want to place them back in the freezer for 5 more minutes to firm up even more before coating them in chocolate.
• When they're ready, gently dip them top down into the melted chocolate. Make sure the legs are thoroughly covered in chocolate. The bottom of their "bodies" doesn't need to be covered but you can completely submerge them if you want them even chocolatier. Make sure your dish is big enough to accommodate their legs.
• Place them back on the sheet or plate and freeze them for at least another 20 minutes.

If you have any questions about our cacao-packed blends, or anything else, please Email Us!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN-ING!

We know that our diet can help or hurt hormonal balance. Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are both bad news for hormonal balance. They cause systematic inflammation, which can cause high testosterone levels, estrogen dominance, and fatigued adrenals. Certain foods can also support hormones that impact mood, energy, sleep, sexual function and more. Keeping yourself nourished with foods that support healthy hormones is essential for good mental & physical health. We’ve put together the sample one-day plan below to help get you started.

The Breakfast Balance

Start your day with a macro-balanced meal that includes protein, healthy fats and carbs (opt for high fibre sources like veggies, fruits & wheat-free grains/seeds).

The Maca Chia Bowl Recipe
3 tbsp chia seeds
½ chopped banana or ½ cup blueberries
1/2 cup almond, oat or coconut milk
1 tsp pure honey
1 tsp maca
Toppings: hemp seeds, raspberries, cacao nibs, avocado or banana slices
Pour ingredients into a jar and mix well. Let settle for 2-3 minutes then mix again very well until you see no clumping. Cover the jar and store in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours. Add toppings.
Blended For You Chia Energy Bowl and Acai Organic Bowl make for a fast, delicious, and nutrient packed breakfast. Just add your fave toppings.

Smoothie lovers: try one of our blends packed with Maca (supports hormonal balance & natural energy boosting) & omega-rich hemp seeds (proven to lower insulin levels): Maca Energy, Shroom Energy

Detoxifying Lunch

Eating a lunch that is loaded with cruciferous vegetables can help your body eliminate excess estrogen and other 'old' hormones, supporting overall hormonal balance. An important detoxification molecule found in these veggies, sulforaphane, has shown to help with fatty liver disease and enhance lover detoxification pathways. Cruciferous veggies to load up on: broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, cabbage and arugula.

The Detox Salad

Ingredients
1 cup broccoli carrots
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrot, shredded
1/3 cup chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup cooked beets, shredded
1 orange, juice from
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4-3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 handfuls fresh coriander
2 cups arugula
1/3 cup cashews
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Grate/shred the carrots, cabbage and beetroot and place in a large bowl. Add the drained chickpeas, cauliflower, broccoli.

Roughly chop the cashews and add to the bowl. Mix well.
In a small bowl mix the juice from the orange, olive oil, cayenne pepper (pinch) and sea salt.

Drizzle over the mixture and toss to coat the salad well. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the veggies to soften slightly.

Create a bed with the arugula on the plate. Finely chop the coriander and add to the top. Serve the salad mixture over top.

Add 3 oz wild salmon fillet (bake or pan-sear) for extra protein.

Veggie Heavy Dinner

When it comes to balancing your hormones, sleep is hugely important. With a good night sleep your body can regenerate cells and support the liver's detoxification process. Go easy at dinner so your body isn't working hard on the digestion process all night.

Basil Pumpkin Seed Pesto with Zoodles
Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients
½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (arugula works, too)
3 large zucchini
½ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), toasted
⅓ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, to taste (or lemon juice)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch sea salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing

Prep Instructions

To prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, basil, toasted pepitas, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth.

To prepare the noodles: Spiralize the zucchini or grate the zucchini the long way on a large box grater. Toss the zucchini with pesto until well coated, and season with salt. Heat up if desired (lightly).

Transfer the pesto noodles to a large platter and sprinkle with the cherry tomatoes. Add in the fresh basil. Sprinkle goat cheese or nut cheese crumbles on top.

A quick, nourishing, delicious lunch or dinner your hormones will love:

Soup is a great choice for getting in your hormone-supporting essential nutrients. Try our nutrient-packed Greens Immunity Soup (loaded with cruciferous veggies) paired with toppings like hemp hearts or pumpkin seeds, avocado slices & cooked lentils. Sprinkle goat cheese or nut cheese feta.

If you try out the meal day above, we'd love your feedback. Please email us with any comments.

xo
The BFY Team

Athletes know that fuel has a significant impact on performance. What you nourish your body with before, during and after activity is critical in building/maintaining strength, energy and good health. Nutrient deficiency and dehydration has serious immediate and long term health implications including low energy, headaches & dizziness, brain fog, weak bone health, sleep disruption, muscle cramping, and more. We sat down with some of our high-activity Blend-fluencers, who fuel their play with Blended, to hear what they have to say.

Read more

Can you improve your skin, hair and overall appearance with nutrition? Absolutely.  It's why we designed our Beauty & Healthy Aging line of blends. Don’t just take our word for it, we sought expert advice from our friends at Plain Jane Skin Bar. Here’s what we learned when we shared a smoothie with Dr. Tessa Stark, Plain Jane’s Naturopathic Doctor.

Read more

Sugar is always a hot topic. It's also one that can be confusing. In this Blended For Wellness, we're sharing:

1. The key differences between naturally occurring sugars and refined sugars.

2. Natural alternatives to refined sugar.

3. Tips for kicking a sugar habit.

4. Blends you'll love as a no-refined-sugar treat.

Natural Sugar
Natural sugar is commonly found in nutrient-rich foods that have not been processed (eg. fruits & veggies) and contain essential vitamins, minerals, water, antioxidants, and disease-fighting phytonutrients. They often come within foods containing the compounds necessary for the proper digestion of sugar. Natural sources of sugar are often in higher-fibre foods that are digested slower, which helps you feel full for longer and supports stabilizing your metabolism and blood sugar levels.

Refined Sugar
Natural sugars are extracted from sources to produce the refined sugars found in many prepared foods. Two examples are table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Refined sugar is unhealthy because it's been processed and stripped of all nutrients (which your body needs to metabolize it). The lack of fibre causes a hit to the blood stream quickly, which gives you sugar highs and lows ("crashes") as well as sugar cravings (sugar is highly addictive). Ingesting refined sugar causes the body to release an overload of insulin to aid in its digestion, which can result in stored glycogen and weight-gain.
Refined sugars are typically added to foods and beverages to improve taste. They’re considered empty calories because they contain virtually no vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, fiber, or other beneficial compounds.

Refined sugar has been proven to increase the risk of health issues like heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and stroke.

Alternatives to Refined Sugar

Raw & Unrefined Sugar still retains natural nutrients like iron and magnesium. It's also free of chemicals and pesticides.
Coconut Sugar is extracted from the sap of the coconut palm, and is fairly similar to refined sugar except that it contains some nutrients and antioxidants.
Honey is often praised for its health benefits, containing beneficial antioxidants and small amounts of vitamins and minerals. It's been shown to improve risk factors for disease.
Yacon Syrup is extracted from the Yacon plant and has a dark colour and thicker consistency similar to molasses. Yacon Syrup may support appetite reduction and healthy gut bacteria.
Monk Fruit sweetener is extracted from monk fruit and contains zero calories, fructose, or glucose. It is high in unique antioxidants called mogrosides, which make it 100-250 times sweeter than refined sugar.
Maple Syrup is cooked down from the sap of maple trees, and contains antioxidants as well as many healthy minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and manganese.
Xylitol and Erythritol are sugar alcohols often found in fruits and vegetables. They contain fewer calories than refined sugar and do not raise blood sugar/insulin levels, although they can cause digestive issues.
Stevia is a natural sweetener extracted from the leaves of a South American shrub. It contains zero calories and has no known negative health effects.

Tips & Tricks for Kicking Sugar

1. Read nutrition labels: refined sugar lurks in some surprising places: jarred sauces, frozen foods, condiments, canned soup – a lot of these foods are shockingly high in sugar, even if they don’t taste sweet.

2. Stay hydrated: drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel like it. Staying well-hydrated makes you less likely to get withdrawal headaches and can help curb cravings.

3. Try a healthier sweetener: cravings getting out of hand? Look for a healthy way to get your sweet fix instead. Stevia and monk fruit extract are two calorie-free herbal sweeteners that won’t mess with your blood sugar.

4. Get enough sleep: we often crave sweets when our energy is low as a quick pick-me-up.

5. Avoid sugar-free candy substitutes: loading up on candy that is packed with artificial sweeteners can mean both a chemical overload and won't help you break that 'candy' habit. Opt for frozen berries or other natural sweet fixes that are high in fibre and other nutrients, but don't encourage a sweet tooth. Check out the Blended treats below.

6. Find a friend: if you have someone who has the same goal, set up a no-refined-sugar challenge (try a week to start).

Blended Zero Refined Sugar Treats

Acai Nice-Cream

Spoon straight from the pack or use as the base of your own bowl. Always no-sugar added, packed with nutrition and super delicious.

If you aren't spooning as is, here is a quick recipe for making Blended nice cream in minutes:

Serves 2

1 x Inside & Out or Acai Organic Berry blend (quick thaw in room temp water for 30 seconds to 1 minute)

1 x Frozen banana (large): chop ahead before freezing so your blender doesn't need to work too hard

2/3 x cup coconut, oat or cashew milk

1/4 cup chopped almonds or dates (optional)

Blend it all up. Added a little extra liquid as needed, but keep the texture thick. Spoon into bowl, add your toppings or enjoy straight up.


POPSICLES

Zero-sugar-added, refreshingly delicious

Hack our blends into nutrition-packed Blended popsicles that no one will suspect are 'healthy'. Bonus: the prep time is about 5 minutes. Here's a sample:

The Greensicle

This one is more adult forward. To make it more kiddo-friendly, add a banana into the blender mix and skip the basil addition.

2 x Be Green blends

2 cups coconut water

Optional add-on: once you've blended the above, stir in some finely chopped basil.

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Let your Blended smoothie packs soften slightly until you can just break in half (see back of pack for instructions).

2. Add to blender with the liquid & other ingredients

3. Blend & pour mixture into popsicle molds

4. Let freeze for 6 hours or overnight

Makes 4 to 6 pops.

If you have any questions about the blends or need help deciding which blends are best for you please EMAIL US!