The Virgin Diet Summertime Fun

Coconut Water Cool Down

Cycle 3

Diary of A Virgin Diet Follower

Hey Diary,

I am still in Cycle 3 of The Virgin Diet, that"s  the maintenance part of the diet where I stay away from corn, peanuts, gluten and sugar and artificial sweeteners, and eat the foods that I can tolerate(eggs, some dairy).

Now that it's summertime and The Virgin Diet continues to be going very well, I thought that it would be a good time for a little tweeking, not twurking my Virgin Diet regimen.

Recently, I started making my daily smoothies with coconut water instead of coconut milk, and I feel my better. It 's probably because I get better hydration with the coconut water and coconut water definitely have less calories than the coconut milk. Coconut water is also high in potassium a great thirst quencher. I love it! I drink it instead of filtered water. Yummy good!

Aside from the taste, I have noticed other a few other benefits, like

my skin is more supple, and I now use less lotion( I thought that I was my imagination, but I no longer have to lotion), I also seem to have boundless energy. Yes, I can always use more energy.

By the way, I found a new coconut water called, Harvest Bay and it is really good tasting. I first discovered it while on vacation Washington, DC  when shopping at a health food store in the Eastern Markets. I remembered the taste of the coconut water to be soo good, but just could not remember that name of it.

It's all natural and not made from concentrate and soooo good ! Who knew that there was a difference in coconut waters. Well, I didn't. Harvest Bay Coconut Water makes a great smoothie too.

It seems to blend better with the pea protein powder, grounded chia seeds, and the frozen berries. 

Today, I created a Cool It Down Virgin Diet Smoothie. Okay, so what's  a Cool It Down Virgin Diet Smoothie? It's one of the best treats ever!

These long, hot summer days can be almost unbearable, however  my Cool It Down Virgin Diet Smoothie make things a little bit sweeter!

My Cool It Down Virgin Diet Smoothie is simple to make. Here's how:

Cool It Down Virgin Diet Smoothie

1 cup extreme chilled Harvest Bay Coconut Water

1 cup Frozen (hard frozen) Mixed Berries

1 scoop of Growing Naturals Yellow Pea Protein

1 tablespoon ground Chia Seeds

That's it!

Blend totally until smooth and drink with pleasure

This smoothie is absolutely great first thing in the morning, or last thing in the evening. (Maybe for lunch) . I just love my daily smoothie, and now that I have the Harvest Bay Coconut water.....

It's all good.

Until later diary,

Cauliflower and The Virgin Diet

A Great Match-Up

Cycle 3

Diary of a JJ Virgin Diet Follower

Dear Diary,

Recently, I made an exciting discovery about a vegetable that was so visually unappealing to me that I didn't think to ever try.  Cauliflower...yep, that right! For me, cauliflower looked tasteless, bumpy, pasty, and just one vegetable that I didn't care to try.

Until...  One day, a friend and follower of the blog called me and during our conversation about the great benefits of The Virgin Diet, she asked the question, "Hey, have you ever tried cauliflower?" She went on to rave about the great taste and versatility of this amazing vegetable. She said, you can mash-it, roast-it, steam-it, or even eat it raw.

I was taken aback because I never knew that cauliflower had such edible versatility. 

 

Although,  JJ Virgin has some good-looking cauliflower recipes in her book, The Virgin Diet, I sort of over-looked them because of my inhibitions about this more than bizarre (in my eyes) vegetable. 

I did know that it must be somehow related to broccoli, and now find that it a cousin.

So after talking with my friend, curiousity go the best of me and I decided to do some research about cauliflower. Yes, I Google-it!

Here is what I found, according to JJ Virgin of The Virgin Diet, the nutritional claims of cauliflower is its amazing cancer-fighting power. Who knew?? I had no idea. JJ Virgin has a fantastic Cauliflower and Nut Recipe in her book, The Virgin Diet.

 

Dr. Mercola, a natural health expert, states that cauliflower has eight health benefits:

1. Fight Cancer

Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.
For instance, research has shown that combining cauliflower with curcumin (the active compound in the spice turmeric) may help prevent and treat prostate cancer.¹
A study published in Carcinogenesis also found sulforaphane may reduce the incidence and rate of chemically induced mammary tumors in animals.² It also inhibits the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells, leading to cell death.
Other compounds in cauliflower also show anti-cancer effects. According to the National Cancer Institute:³

"Indoles and isothiocyanates have been found to inhibit the development of cancer in several organs in rats and mice, including the bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, and stomach."

2. Boost Heart Health

Sulforaphane in cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables has been found to significantly improve blood pressure and kidney function.⁴ Scientists believe sulforaphane's benefits are related to improved DNA methylation, which is crucial for normal cellular function and proper gene expression, especially in the easily damaged inner lining of the arteries known as the endothelium.

3. It's Anti-Inflammatory

You need some level of inflammation in your body to stay healthy. However, it's also possible, and increasingly common, for the inflammatory response to get out of hand.

If your immune system mistakenly triggers an inflammatory response when no threat is present, it can lead to significant inflammation-related damage to the body, a condition linked to cancer and other diseases, depending on which organs the inflammation is impacting.
Cauliflower contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep inflammation in check, including indole-3-carbinol or I3C, an anti-inflammatory compound that may operate at the genetic level to help prevent the inflammatory responses at its foundational level.⁵

4. It's Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Most Americans are seriously lacking in nutrients their body needs to function. Eating cauliflower regularly is a simple way to get these much-needed nutrients into your body. For instance, one serving of cauliflower contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It's also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.

5. Boost Your Brain Health

Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. Choline intake during pregnancy "super-charged" the brain activity of animals in utero, indicating that it may boost cognitive function, and improve learning and memory. It may even diminish age-related memory decline and your brain's vulnerability to toxins during childhood, as well as conferring protection later in life.⁶

6. Detoxification Support

Cauliflower helps your body's ability to detoxify in multiple ways. It contains antioxidants that support Phase 1 detoxification along with sulfur-containing nutrients important for Phase 2 detox activities. The glucosinolates in cauliflower also activate detoxification enzymes.⁷

7. Digestive Benefits

Cauliflower is an important source of dietary fiber for digestive health. But that's not all. According to the World's Healthiest Foods:⁸

"Researchers have determined that the sulforaphane made from a glucosinolate in cauliflower (glucoraphanin) can help protect the lining of your stomach. Sulforaphane provides you with this health benefit by preventing bacterial overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori in your stomach or too much clinging by this bacterium to your stomach wall."

8. Antioxidants and Phytonutrients Galore

Eating cauliflower is like winning the antioxidant and phytonutrient lottery. It's packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, cinnamic acid, and much more. Antioxidants are nature's way of providing your cells with adequate defense against attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS).

As long as you have these important micronutrients, your body will be able to resist aging caused by your everyday exposure to pollutants, chronic stress, and more. If you don't have an adequate supply of antioxidants to help squelch free radicals, then you can be at risk of oxidative stress, which leads to accelerated tissue and organ damage.

Wow!
That 's Yuge(huge)!
Thanks to my friend and follower my Diary of the Virgin Diet Follower's blog, I am going to regularly include cauliflower in my diet.
Diary until later.

 

 



New Orleans Virgin Diet Style

Who Dat?

Dear Diary,

Okay, sooo... Last week while in the "Big Easy", New Orleans, I celebrated it with The Virgin Diet, New Orleans, Louisiana Style. It was awesomely refreshing! First things, first, I started my day with a NOLA Virgin Diet Smoothie filled with luscious blueberries, unsweetened coconut milk, pea protein, chia seeds, a couple of sprigs of spinach and a dash of Stevia.  Blend all these ingredients and savored the wonderful flavor with bottoms up! 
For me, The Virgin Diet Smoothie is the best way to start my day for more reasons than one. For instance, it has high nutritional  value, quite tasty, simple to make, convenient for on-the-go and satisfyingly filling for 3, 4, even 5 hours. 
Each morning after my smoothie, I dash out to see the sights of New Orleans. From the trolley ride downtown to beautiful Canal Street to the wonderful historic cityscape of New Orleans- I had a grand time. Without the smoothie, I  would not have had the boundless energy to hop on and off the trolley for shopping, sight-seeing, and enjoy the many eateries. I even found that most of the New Orleans restaurant have gluten-free menus too.

The Virgin Diet Smoothie always offer a better food choice  when I travel because it helps me free up time for more fun,  instead of spending time trying to figure out what to eat everyday. Since, The Virgin Diet  Smoothie is a meal replacement in itself, what to eat is oftentimes a no-brainer. I simply have The Virgin Diet Smoothie at the start of me day.
I had a great time in New Orleans, but I could not have had the energy to pack so much fun  without The virgin Diet Smoothie. This time I did The Virgin Diet Smoothie New Orleans Style and it was great!!
Diary thanks for coming along.
Until later,