Balynce’s Natural Health Tips

You need:

Organic whole grain pasta (I prefer Organic Whole Grain Spelt Shells Pasta)
Organic fresh or frozen mixed vegetables
Organic feta cheese
Organic grape tomatoes
Organic olive oil
Organic balsamic vinegar
Organic mixed seasonings

So first you steam your veggies… I prefer either frozen mixed organic vegetables (for the quickest possible meal. Microwaving also works, do not boil, the veggies will lose their nutrients!) I often like to chop up fresh vegetables and steam them for a few minutes.. these usually include broccoli, baby carrots and sometimes even bell pepper. Boil water for pasta and put your pasta in. When these are done, dump the water out and mix both together in the same pot or large container. Only add the rest of the ingredients when serving. Sprinkle feta cheese on top, a few grape tomatoes then equal amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Don’t use too much, maybe teaspoon to tablespoon of each. I often add Organic omega 3 flax seed oil as well so I can get my omega 3! I love to use fresh garlic (garlic powder is ok), peppercorn ground pepper, oregano, parsley, basil (sometimes fresh basil mixed in when it’s in season!) and thyme.

I highly recommend to anyone they use organic raw agave nectar instead of sugar in their recipes or in their coffee, etc. I like organic honey a lot and pure organic maple syrup as well as Organic Sucanat but organic raw agave nectar has a low glycemic index so it won’t mess with your blood sugar levels like sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup (avoid this at all costs!) High use of sugar, more specifically high fructose corn syrup and refined (white) sugar are contributing greatly to lots of health problems like obesity, diabetes and hypoglycemia. Organic raw agave nectar is a liquid, looks kind of like organic maple syrup and tastes like liquid sugar.

I use organic raw agave nectar every day (instead of sugar) in my tea and also when I make hot chocolate, mocha’s and even chocolate chip cookies!

I pack an organic salad for lunch every day and it’s not all that expensive! When I go to the store (Mostly Whole Foods) I get the below items and they tend to last 1-3 weeks of salads except the oil & vinegar, those last a LONG time.
Clamshell organic salad (usually mixed baby greens or spring mix - about $3-4)
a bag of 5 organic Gala apples (for about $2.50)
organic dried mixed berries (I get a huge bag at Sam’s Club for about $7)
package of organic feta (usually by Organic Valley)
package of organic grape tomatoes (about $3)
an organic red onion ($1?)
bottle of organic balsamic vinegar
bottle of organic extra virgin olive oil
bottle of organic flax seed oil (Omega 3) (refrigerated)
mixed dried organic seasonings… garlic powder, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, pepper
Optional:
an organic cucumber ($1-3 depending on size)
package of organic baby carrots ($1.50-$2.50)

For a good medium sized salad, put in some salad, then a few tomatos, a bit of feta, a bit of dried berries, cut slices into an apple and use half the apple, cut off some very small pieces of onion, cut a few slices off a cucumber, and a few carrots. For the dressing if it is a small salad I use TSP of it is medium i use TBS, one each of balsamic vinegar, olive oil & flax seed oil. You can put a dash each of the seasonings (garlic powder, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, pepper) either directly onto the salad or into the dressing. (note that if you are packing your salad and not eating it right away then you need to put the dressing in a separate container or baggie.)

My favorite snack is Organic Blue Corn Chips & Salsa.
I spread some Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips evenly on a plate and then shred organic cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on top and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds. The quick and easy way is to then just add some organic salsa on the side. My favorite thing to do is mix Muir Glen Organic Salsa Garlic Cilantro Medium Salsa and Muir Glen Organic Mild Salsa. If I have a little more time, I will heat up either organic pinto beans or organic black beans (I prefer Trader Joe’s Brand) from a can on the stove and then put some in a small bowl and the rest in the fridge for the next week of chips & salsa snacks. I also LOVE to get a bag of organic avocados and then use one at a time and just scoop it out into a bowl (and mush it) with salsa or a bowl with both beans & salsa.

You will need to get some organic quick oats. I usually get them from the bulk section at Whole Foods. The cost is about $2 for a
Plain oats are very boring so I use a bit of organic maple syrup (I use Grade B), a bit of organic cinnamon and a dash of ^*Organic Sucanat. I found a jug of great organic maple syrup online.

I also recommend some fruit. Organic bananas are the best! I’ve also tried fresh organic raspberries and frozen organic berries..these are also items you will definitely find at Whole Foods.

For those of you who are Vegan, you can use water, but I prefer Organic Whole Milk. I put a small amount of oats in a non-plastic bowl (about a 1/4 cup) then add some milk and put it in the microwave for a minute..then stir it and put it back in for 30 seconds.. I let it sit for about 10 minutes so it puffs up. When I take it out I then add maple syrup, cinnamon and sucanat. Sometimes I use honey instead of maple syrup. I then use the spoon I used to stir the oatmeal to slice the banana and put it in.

^*Sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural) is sugar in its most natural form. It is extracted from the sugar cane and the freshly squeezed juice is evaporated by a special Swiss process. Only the water is removed. This process preserves all of the molasses. Sucanat is organically grown with no added preservatives and additives.