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If you're struggling with bloating, constipation, skin breakouts, and experiencing other physical symptoms like inflammation/swelling and headaches, your body might need some digestive support and a little help clearing toxins and eliminating waste. Below are some of our fave foods for supporting the body's natural functions:

1. Pumpkin for keeping it regular...

Constipation often brings bloating & gas along with it. A potassium-pumped food, pureed pure pumpkin serves up a hefty dose of fibre to help get/keep things moving through your digestive tract. You’ll also get a whopping 14,000 IU of vitamin A to help soothe inflammation. 

2. Dandelion for your liver... 

One of the liver's primary functions is to remove and break down toxins in the blood. It also helps to process nutrients from the blood.

Dandelion is rich in chlorophyll, which helps to eliminate toxins from the liver. Both the leaves and root have detoxifying properties. It also helps Try adding the leaves to a salad or lightly steam them and drizzle with lemon, olive oil and freshly minced garlic. 

3. Parsley for your kidneys...

The kidneys filter waste from the blood to be excreted in the urine. They help keep the blood clean and regulate bodily fluids, blood pressure and pH.

Parsley helps to flush out toxins via the urine and is effective in the treatment and prevention of kidney stones, thanks to its diuretic properties. Also try: ginger, nettle and/or basil.

4. Flax, Chia & Hemp Seeds for your colon...

The colon carries a heavy load when it comes to toxin removal. Even mild consipation (e.g. less than one bowel movement per day) can lead to toxins being recycled and reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

Hemp, chia & flax seeds expand in your intestines with water and add bulk to stool to aid in its passage. They are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation of the intestinal tract. 

5. Probiotics for your healthy gut...

Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body. You have two kinds of bacteria constantly in and on your body — good bacteria and bad bacteria. Probiotics are made up of good bacteria that helps keep your gut healthy.

Keep your good bacteria levels up with fermented foods (kimchi, pickles), yogurt (plant-based coconut or dairy), tempeh and sourdough. 

6. Lemon water for your stomach... 

Acid helps break down food, which is why there's a lot of it in our stomachs. The acid in lemons can be helpful with supplementing stomach acid levels, which can decline with age, and support digestion. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water per day is one of the best ways to keep your moves smooth.

Stay tuned for next week's Blog, we're diving into the what & why of doing an Elimination Diet (don't let the name scare you!). 

Our top blend picks for keeping your gut health in check with:

 Greens D-tox Smoothie  

The Remedy Smoothie

Pumpkin Patch Soup

Greens Immunity Soup 

The Organic Green Mo

Questions about which blends are right for your taste buds and maintaining a healthy gut & digestive tract? Email us anytime. 

Sources: cbc.ca, harvard.edu, healthline

Cleanse Plans for a Gut Health-Reset

Need a gut health-reset?  Our Blended 3-Day Cleanse plans are the start of new healthy eating habits and can include the following benefits:

• increased energy
• improved digestion 
• reducing bloating and inflammation
• weight loss
• jump start/reset your metabolism with eating on a regular schedule and foods that support healthy function 
• eliminating refined sugar, salt, alcohol, processed foods from your diet (that often cause bloating, digestive woes & inflammation).

Check out our 3-day Cleanse Plans and Inflammation Fighter Package below.

3 Day Smoothie & Soup Cleanse + Nutrition Plan

3 Day Smoothie Deep Cleanse Plan (15-Pack)

The Inflammation Fighter Package

Halloween is almost here, which means giant boxes of ‘candy minis’ are everywhere, including our cupboards, bringing with them binge temptations, sugar-crashing and guilt. What do we dislike almost as much as the artificial  ingredients, dyes and other BS in most commercial chocolate and candy? The dumb guilt that comes with it. 

Today, we’re diving into how your love of chocolate can bring big health benefits, recipe ideas & some better for us trick-or-treat suggestions.

There are a lot of reasons to love chocolate, high quality dark chocolate that is. Here are a few:* Contains more calcium than cow's milk (for healthy bones & teeth)
* Natural mood elevator 
* High in free radical fighting antioxidants (3 cheers for healthy cells!)

* Packed with magnesium (for brain & heart health)

Pro-Tip: Most commercial chocolate (we're looking at you Halloween candy) contains minimal amounts of cacao and are packed with high fructose corn syrup, dyes, chemicals and other things your body doesn’t want or need. Go for dark chocolate, more natural-ingredient containing snacks (suggestions below) and check labels for the percentage of cacao included. 

Do you get hit with chocolate cravings? If yes, you’re not alone. According to John Hopkins Medicine, a huge percentage of us do. We love the approach taken in this article. Check it out for a deeper dive into the health benefits and suggestions on how to reframe your love-guilt relationship with chocolate.  

You get a BIG dose of cacao health benefits, without the sugary badness,
in our Choco-Nutty blends. 

Try the recipes below for a more delicious chocolate-fix with health benefits.

Kid & Adult Fave Chocolate Recipes

Homemade Chocolate Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped cocoa butter (packed)
• 3-5 Tbsp maple syrup (adjust to your preference)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder (cocoa also works)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 pinch sea salt (to taste)

Toppings: finely chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), sea salt

Equipment: you’ll need a double boiler or a saucepan that can have a glass bowl sit on top without sitting more than ½ deep into the saucepan. 

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 3 TBSP maple syrup 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 the saucepan aside.

Add cacao or cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt, and whisk to combine until there are no clumps.

Taste and add another 1 to 2 TBSP of maple syrup if desired (whisk again if added)

Carefully pour chocolate into 12-14 mini cupcake liners and top with a dash of sea salt and crushed nuts.

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 for up to 1 month.  

Source inspiration: The Minimalist Baker

Here are a few more simple-ingredient, quick-prep, delicious recipes I’ve tried and loved (if you’ve got kiddos, both are perfect for little helpers).

No-Bake PB Chocolate Bars

Chocolate Turtles

Trick or Treat Ideas

Homemade candy isn’t likely your best bet for Halloween handouts. Here are some suggestions that kids and parents will love:  

Kind Snacks Minis

Annie’s Snack Packs 

Laid Back Snacks (Tuscan Road Trip for the nutty-chocolate fans)

Justin’s Organic Peanut Butter Cups

Have a fun, safe, and festive Halloween.