Vegan Ginger Bread

Tis the season for delicious, warm and festive treats! This Vegan Ginger Bread is the perfect treat for the holiday season!

10 Essential Vegan Fall Recipes

 

 

Fall is a time of family, thanksgiving and ( most importantly) FOOD! Over the years, I have gathered quite a few delicious and vegan fall-inspired recipes! Here is a collection of my favorites, perfect for Thanksgiving, fall-parties, or simple family dinners!

6 Super Spices You Need in Your Diet

     Spices make food taste delicious. They can transform vegetables into curry or fajitas, depending on the combination! In short, spices are amazing and I wouldn't want to cook or eat without them! But spices aren't just tasty, they also are beneficial to your health!

Spice Up Your Life!

Spices are for seasoning food, right? We use them to change and enhance the flavors of our meals and make them tastier. But, did you know that spices are also health foods? They aren't just tasty, they are also super healthy for you!

 

Turmeric
Turmeric is a yellow root that you can find at most grocery stores. It can help prevent breast cancer, protects against UVA damage and can make your skin look younger and healthier. It also can help lower cholesterol, alleviate allergies and aid in brain health. This little root is more than meets the eye! Add it to your smoothies, salad dressings and so much more!

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a pretty popular spice. It helps to control blood sugar, prevents irritable bowel syndrome(IBS), and it can help to ease a stomach ache. Cinnamon can also help to preserve food and neutralize odors. It can aid in lowering LDL cholesterol, prevent tooth decay and help in weight loss. No wonder this spice is so popular! I'm sure you've used cinnamon before, but I like to add it to oatmeal, smoothies, muffins and bread and even curries!

Ginger
Ginger is another root, but it's not as vibrant as turmeric. It can help to relieve motion sickness, nausea and migraines. Ginger can also ease or prevent heart burn, reduce inflammation and help fight cancer. Ginger isn't just good for making cookies anymore! Add it to your smoothies. salad dressings, rice and so much more!

Cumin
Cumin is a smoky spice, commonly used in chili. Like ginger, cumin aids in digestion. It can also help fight diabetes and treat food poisoning. Cumin can aid in increasing a mother's milk supply and treat skin problems such as eczema and acne.  The  next time you are making chili, tacos, or any other spicy dish, throw some cumin in there!

Cayenne
Cayenne  is a pepper that is made into a spice. It also aids in digestion and can boost the metabolism. Cayenne can relieve migraines, help fight off colds and the flu,  help in weight loss and prevent allergies. It also it a source of vitamin A and E. I love adding cayenne to Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Tacos, and so much more. If you are looking to add some serious spice, cayenne is the one for you!

So these are just a few of the many many spices out there! Hopefully now you look at spices as health foods as well as flavoring and seasonings! Adding just a bit of spice into your diet can help you have a healthier body and life!

I hope you enjoyed this post! Please share it with your friends and family to spread the love of healthy living!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

Smoothies

  I love smoothies at anytime and for any meal! They are a great way to get necessary nutrients in to your diet. Not only are they a easy and quick meal to make and eat but they can and are delicious and satisfying. I think a lot of people don't like smoothies because they don't feel full or satisfied by them. The way to fix that it to know what to put in them and how much.

Often I get into a habit of throwing the same things into my smoothies every day and I tend to get bored by them. But, I also have found several combinations that I just love and I make all the time! These recipes are simple yet pack a power combo of flavors and nutrients! I hope you like them!

#1 Mean Green Smoothie
1/2 ripe Banana
1/2 cup fresh Spinach
1/2 apple(with peel and seeds)
1/2 orange( or a whole 'Cuties' orange)
Cube of fresh Ginger
Spoonful of Chia Seeds
Spoonful of Ground Flax Seed
1/4 cup Coconut Water
Splash of Lemon Juice
Enough Water to Blend.

# 2 PB and Banana Smoothie
1/2 ripe Banana
2 TBS Peanut Butter(or more if you want)
Spoonful of Chia Seeds (Optional but they don't have a taste and they're super good for you!)
Spoonful of Ground Flax Seeds
1/4-1/2 cup Almond Milk(depending on how liquid you like it)
Ice


#3 Good Morning Smoothie
1/2 frozen Strawberries
1/2 frozen Pineapple
Spoonful ground Flax Seeds
Spoonful Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Coconut Water
1/4 cup Coconut Milk(or Almond Milk)
Scoop of Protein Powder( I suggest a vanilla flavor)

#4 Blueberry 'The Bomb' Smoothie
1/2 cup frozen Blueberries
2 TBS Almond Butter
1/4 cup Almond Milk
Spoonful Ground Flax Seeds
Spoonful Chia seeds
Ice
Enough Water to Blend



Well, I hope you liked these 4 smoothie recipes! You will probably notice that I include chia seeds and ground flax seeds in all of these smoothies. That is to add more nutrients to the smoothie. If you want to know why chia seed and flax seeds are so good for you, check out my Super Foods posts for more info on them!

These are just a few of the smoothies you can try! Have fun with it and the more you experiment the more of your own smoothie recipes you will make!

If you like this post, please share with a friend and check back for more post soon!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

Follow the blog on Twitter @ SpinachisGood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett

Ginger!

I have been using Ginger a lot lately in my smoothies as well as baking. I knew it was good for me, but I didn't know exactly why or how good it was for me! Here is some of the benefits of Ginger that I found interesting!

This info came from Bembu .

#1.
Ginger is know to help fight many different cancers. Research has shown that ginger can act to literally obliterate cancer's cells.
#2
IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Ginger is known to spell relief for those suffering from IBS. Adding ginger to your diet can have a calming effect on the bowels and digestive system.
#3
Alzheimer's Disease. Research has shown that ginger helps to slow down the loss of brain cells, which typically is a precursor to Alzheimer's. By protecting the brain cells you are protecting yourself from getting Alzheimer's.
#4
Weight Loss. Ginger works as a fat burner in your body and helps to make sure that the weight you are losing is from fat. It also helps to keep you feeling full longer which will keep you from over eating.

The website mentioned earlier has a few more health facts about ginger, so if you are interested in learning more about ginger, I would suggest checking it out.

So, if ginger is so good for you, how do you add it to your diet? There are a lot of ways to do that! I have been adding a chunk of fresh ginger to my fruit smoothies and it is so delicious. It really gives the drink a festive flavor! Ginger-Lemon tea is also a really great way to get ginger in your body. Its refreshing and great for you! Cooking and baking with ginger is great too! Search around and I am sure you will find many recipes with ginger listed in the ingredient's list!

I hope this post has encouraged you to take steps to better health! If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend!

Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana