the beet of a lover's drum
A holiday that celebrates love by gifting candy and chocolates is a holiday we can get behind. Wink. Wink. But seriously, food is most definitely our love language, and we can’t think of a better way to love on those around you (and yourself) than with foods that are nourishing. Healthy food can be festive and fun and delicious and still be packed with really good ingredients that help you feel your very best. Lucky for you, we have two treats this month that check all those boxes.
First up, a vibrant, hot pink smoothie with a superstar ingredient, beets. Beets are a nutritional powerhouse and can quite literally, push toxins out of your body. Beets contain a group of phytonutrients called betalains that support detoxification through increasing enzymes. This is an important detox step for your liver. When your liver is able to detoxify chemicals and toxins more effectively, your body is better able to balance your hormones, keep your cholesterol levels in check and improve your energy levels. Very sexy.
Next up, superfood dark chocolate bark. Of course you’ll be topping your bark with all sorts of nutrient packed superfoods, but dark chocolate is a superfood in its own right! The particularly potent antioxidants found in dark chocolate called flavanols, have been shown to help reduce blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation and reduce risk for heart disease. The more cacao a chocolate product contains, the more antioxidants you will get. So choose a dark chocolate that is 70% or higher and one made with cacao beans, not chocolate liquor.
This year skip the mediocre boxed chocolates and cheesy Hallmark card and show your sweetheart (and yourself) some love with these feel good Valentine's Day treats. Your body will thank you.
show your body some love with this blend of detoxifying beets, vitamin c packed fruit and iron rich hemp seeds.
-1 small raw red beet, peeled and cut in quarters
-1/2 cup frozen strawberries
-1/2 cup frozen pineapple
-1 tbsp. hemp seeds
-1 cup plant based milk
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
protein packed tahini, fibrous cacao nibs, buttery rich macadamia nuts and dried fruit, top antioxidant rich dark chocolate for a sweet treat you can enjoy anytime of the day. yes, even for breakfast.
-2 dark chocolate bars, 2.5oz - 3oz. each, 70% or higher
Suggested topping combinations:
-2 dried figs, sliced thin
-1 tbsp. orange peel, first layer of the peel only, sliced thin
-1-2 tbsp. macadamia nut, chopped
-maldon sea salt, pinch
-1 tbsp. tahini
-1 tbsp. dried cherries
-2 tsp. cacao nibs
-maldon sea salt, pinch
Prepare all toppings and set aside.
Prepare a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
Set a large metal bowl over a pot of boiling water (double boiler). The bowl must be bigger than the pot and not touching the water.
Chop chocolate into to small even sized pieces.
Add chocolate to double boiler and stir with rubber spatula, mixing chocolate as it melts. Remove from heat after 30 seconds and continue mixing until all chocolate pieces are melted. You may have to put the bowl back on the double boiler for a few seconds more.
Pour melted chocolate onto prepared baking sheet and smooth with the spatula to an even, 1/4 inch thickness.
Sprinkle half the chocolate with figs, orange peel and macadamia nut. On the other half, swirl tahini into chocolate with the tip of a butter knife, sprinkle dried cherries and cacao nibs. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over all the chocolate.
Allow to cool in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove from freezer and cut into even sized pieces. Enjoy!
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
