Mid Workout Fuel Bites

These mid workout fuel bites are so easy to make and much better than GU or any other gels or bites I've tried!  Simple carbs and MCTs available for instant energy, and easy digestion.  One of my favorites from Brendan's Thrive Diet!

5 dates
2 TBSP coconut oil
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch sea salt

Process everything until blended thoroughly.  Roll into desired sized bites.  Wrap individually in saran wrap.  Freeze. 

Blueberry Chocolate Bars

These bars are out of Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet.  They are perfect for mid morning or mid afternoon snacks. 

1 cup soaked dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/4 ground flaxseed
1 tsp hemp oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch sea salt

Process all ingredients.  If too wet, add more dry ingredients.  If too dry, add more wet ingredients.  Press into bars, cut, wrap in saran wrap and freeze.  They don't have to be thawed to consume. 

Apricot Salad

A perfect mid afternoon snack!  Red leaf lettuce and diced apricots topped with freshly grated coconut.

Brown rice cereal

I really can't stand brown rice.  I don't know why, but it just tastes icky to me.  But as a hot cereal, I love it!  Just throw some cooked brown rice and desired amount of milk (I use either soy or almond milk).  Warm in the microwave or on the stove top.  Add sweetener and dried fruit.  I added a spoonful of agave nectar, raisins, and raw cacao nibs.  Yum.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

This is not as healthy as the pancakes from Brendan Brazier's diet, but they are better than the stuff you buy in boxes at the grocery store.  They are good!

2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
Blueberries

Mix first three ingredients.  Whisk together the rest of the ingredients excluding the blueberries.  Mix wet and dry ingredients until blended.  Fold in blueberries.  Cook as you would any pancake - on a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat until brown on both sides. 

Herbal tea with raw honey

This is another easy one.  Herbs are full of vitamins and minerals!  Organic herbal tea from your garden is easy and cheap, but you can buy your teas as well.  I have thyme, basil, rosemary, and lavender growing in my yard, so I have a good supply of dried herbs.  Boil the water first, then add the water to the herbs in a teapot.  Cover and steep about 3 minutes. Strain the herbs and add raw honey.  I drink this every night before bed.  It's very relaxing.  

For more information on the benefits of raw honey, visit:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/259549-benefits-of-raw-honey/ 

For more information on the nutritional information on rosemary tea, visit:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/22621-benefits-rosemary-tea/

Quinoa salad with roasted pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Freshly diced tomato
Freshly chopped cilantro
Freshly chopped green onion
Cayenne pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste

I threw this together tonight and it was good.  I may want to find something else to add for taste.  I think some Bragg Nutritional Yeast might go well with it.  Any thoughts?  It was really good with some of my homemade whole wheat bread.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of iron.  Iron is absorbed much better when consumed with vitamin C.  Tomatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, which is why I threw that in.  For more on that, go to http://www.livestrong.com/article/195055-does-vitamin-c-increase-iron-absorption/

Pineapple

There obviously is no recipe here.  Just freshly chopped pineapple.  So easy and sweet, a perfect dessert!

Carrot Ginger Soup

This is right out of Brendan's Thrive Diet.  It took me less than 10 minutes to make.

3 large grated carrots
2 cups water
1 avocado
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
Sea salt to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro

Blend avocado and water until smooth.  Add grated carrots, grated ginger, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Garnish with cilantro. 

Sig's awesome mix:  I added a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  And on the side, I have beet chips, which turned out to be really good.

Sigs chocolate chip cookies

These are part of my own "thrive diet", not approved by the actual Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier.  I love baking and chocolate chip cookies are a must for me.  So I make them as healthy as I can.  Everything in moderation right?  Okay, SOME things in moderation....

3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 unsalted butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Grind oats to a powder.  Whisk them in a bowl with the flour, baking soda, and salt.  In a different bowl, beat butter, oil, sugars, egg and vanilla.  Incorporate the dry ingredients until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. 
Teaspoon onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.  Move cookies to a wire rack to cool. 

Tip:  Don't layer the baking sheets in the oven.  They don't cook properly if you do.  If you can fit two baking sheets on one oven rack, fine.  Otherwise, cook one sheet at a time. 

Granola Bars

Who knew granola bars were so easy to make?  I actually got this recipe from the Food Network Magazine, Sept 2010 issue.  If everything is raw and organic, it should be okay with the Thrive Diet reqs, though I'm not sure about the wheat germ.     

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cups dried fruit
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp wheat germ
Pinch sea salt

Melt honey, brown sugar, and coconut oil over low heat in a saucepan on the stove.  Once melted, stir in the rest of the ingredients until coated.  Press into a parchment lined square pan.  Throw in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Wait until it cools, cut into bars.

Ginger Ale

This is great as an electrolyte replacer if you use coconut water in place of water.  Taken from the Thrive Diet:

2 cups water
Juice of one small lemon
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 Tbsp grated ginger
Sea salt to taste

Blend and drink up!

Smoothie

This is a smoothie recipe that I make everyday for breakfast. It is not a Thrive Diet recipe. It contains ingredients that are not part of the Thrive Diet. But this is something I have incorporated into my diet on a daily basis and it works for me. As with any smoothie, the recipe does not have to be followed exactly. Add, omit, or exchange as you see fit!

1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt

1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp maca
1 Tbsp cacao nibs
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp wheat germ
1 Tbsp protein powder (hemp or rice protein)
1 Tbsp hemp oil
1 Tbsp raw honey or agave nectar
1 Tbsp bee pollen
1 Tbsp spirulina powder
4 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy this powerhouse of nutrients and antioxidants!

Homemade Cereal

This recipe I obtained from Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet. I purchased the Kindle book from Amazon and finished it in two days. I actually have many of the prescribed diet components as part of my daily diet already. Not sure if I will go 100% plant based, but will get close to it. I tried this recipe today and loved it!

Diced apple
1/2 cup diced almonds
1 cup oats
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup hemp protein
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground stevia leaf
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup hemp oil
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp apple juice

Toss all ingredients. Spread on tray oiled with coconut oil (you can also use parchment paper instead of oiling the tray). Bake at 250 degrees for one hour. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!