Golden Rules

About a year ago I tried my first golden berry, also known as Incan berry. If you haven't yet tried this sweet 'n sour super-fruit I  highly recommend it. Nutrient dense, they offer many amazing health benefits and have a delicious and refreshing quality about them.
They are a bit larger in size than a raisin and are a beautiful orange colour.

It is more common to buy them dried but some stores also sell them fresh.

I took a stab at growing some in my garden this year. The plants were small and the berries grow within a papery skin. They took awhile to ripen, but next year I'll give them some more room and love and see what happens. I actually remember thinking this was a weed and pulling it out only to immediately realize what type of plant this was and quickly returned it to the soil.
Planted in May, by July they looked like:

Most of them were ready to eat by September, but I didn't attempt to dry them.

Golden berries are superfoods due to these benefits:
• High in fibre (supporting gastrointestinal health and cardiovascular health)
• Maintains blood sugar levels and lowers blood pressure
• High in Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12
• Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, antiviral
• Adaptagens meaning they help the body to reduce stress

Make it a sweet day!

Bean Trio Salad

This is the second time this month I've made this bean salad and we're only 6 days into March...I think this recipe's a keeper.

Sprouted mung and adzuki  beans, green lentils, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, dill, sea/rock salt, black pepper, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. And anything else your heart desires.

It's quick to make and convenient to pack for dinner at school. It's a win win for me and tastes delicious :)

Have a sweet day!

Back at it

Days like today remind me to take a moment to stop and take a deep breath, enjoy life, be aware of your surroundings and allow yourself to feel blessed and alive and reflect on the journey, because getting to your destination is so much sweeter when you enjoy the ride.

 

 My blog has been static for awhile as I've adjusted to part-time school, full-time work and juggling relationships with family, friends and personal wellness. Although I've continue to read blogs over the past few months I honestly haven't had the time or energy to assemble my thoughts or piece together postings. With our so-called winter ending, I no longer feel like hibernating and will be back with recipes, and some nutritional information from my current education in Holistic Nutrition.

This morning I enjoyed a yogurt bonanza, so delicious plain coconut yogurt (the only yogurt worth eating) topped with Skinny B (chia seeds, buckwheat, hemp seeds), lecithin, wheat germ, flax seeds, shredded coconut, blueberries and strawberries. Tada!

 

>> Side note on Skinny B, I received a sample from Rob months ago when he was in the GTA and I promised I would try it and give an honest review. I have yet to do a post on it but it is coming, given that I'm aiming to lose a few pounds in the next couple of months I just picked up another bag of it and will be letting you know how it works for me.

As I devoured the yogurt bonanza, I contemplated how to spend my day. An afternoon movie was sounding like a good idea but after putting in 30 mins to finish up a research assignment (due tonight), the sun came out so I threw on some jogging pants and sneakers and went for a 8km walk. Vitamin D, fresh air and nature. I saw some birds and 4 deers out looking for lunch. Bliss.

hope your day was filled with something sweet :)