The Live Green Smoothie Diet

Don’t forget to check out Angela’s “LGS Daily Recipe” online recipe magazine & the new “Jack Up The Raw” 6-week coaching program!

I am a full convert to the health-enhancing properties of Raw Cacao. Feels like a wonderful tonic whenever I take it. And the Navitas “Cacao Power” Raw Chocolate Powder is really what it says on the bag: “King of Cacao”. It is absolutely superb. Far superior to anything I have ever ground up myself from raw cacao nibs.

Mixed with warm nut milk and your sweetener of choice, it’s a great way to start a cold morning…

Raw “Hot” Chocolate?

It may sound like a misnomer to say “Raw” and “Hot” together, but in fact there is nothing that says that live foods can’t be warm to the touch. And I mean warmer than “tepid”. If you can comfortably put your hand in a liquid that is warming up, you’re good to go. It didn’t kill off the living enzymes in your living fingers after all, did it? And while it may just feel comfortably, solidly “warm” to your hand, it will likely feel much warmer to your tongue!

It makes no sense to me why people deprive themselves of the warmth and soothing qualities of warm foods just because they’ve “gone raw”. I mean… the inside of your body is nearly 100 degrees! Ever slept next to a pregnant woman, who’s like a veritable furnace? Ever hung out with a high-performance athlete who’s inner fire is easily stoked high? Life is warm, there’s heat to it. Without that inner heat, you lose your drive. Life must have balance in it, and that includes our diet.

So, take some fresh Almond Milk, or Pecan Milk (yum!), or Pumpkin Seed Milk… warm it up gently in a saucepan with Raw Chocolate (Cacao) Powder and a few other tasty ingredients, and you’ll have a rich, warming, creamy-chocolate concoction as filled with healthifying nutrients as it is delicious!

Use Different Kinds of Milk to Make Your Raw Hot Chocolate

Raw Hot Chocolate with Almond Milk is a great calcium-magnesium combo (almonds provide the calcium, the cacao provides the magnesium). A good thing for anyone with mood swings, cramps, and general hormonal problems.

Raw Hot Chocolate with Pecan Milk is great for anyone concerned about cholesterol levels… and for anyone wanting to zing up their love life! The plant sterols in pecans are well-known for their cholesterol-lowering properties, and their high zinc content is required for the production of testosterone and often recommended for a healthy prostate. Pair that with the dynamic, heart-energizing qualities of the Raw Cacao and, well…I’m beginning to get a better of sense of why this particular combination is my favorite!

Raw Hot Chocolate with Pumpkin Milk is super-high in magnesium, with the added benefits of zinc, B vitamins, and iron. This combination is a nutritional powerhouse.

Raw Hot Chocolate (Cacao) Recipe

• 1 C. Raw Nut or Seed Milk (I used some Pumpkin Seed Milk in the photo above, but you can use milk made from almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts… whatever you like)
• 1 T. Raw Cacao Powder (or more if you like it very dark)
• 1 T. raw honey, raw agave (or I will sometimes use unprocessed “rapadura” cane sugar) (use more if you like it sweet — I do not)
• dash “Himmy salt” (Himalayan Crystal Salt)

Warm ingredients gently in saucepan — don’t walk away, it takes less than a minute! If the air is cool, you’ll be able to see a bit of steam rise, and you should be able to put your finger comfortably into the warming liquid.

Stir (or use a little whisk to froth it up). Serve. Makes 1 mug or 2 smaller cups of cocoa.

And Then… Spice It Up!

Angela’s Favorite Raw Hot Chocolate Garnish: A few good shakes each of organic Cinnamon and Cayenne Chile powder! If you’re under the weather physically or emotionally, give your cup some heat!!!

Pumpkin Seed Milk turns out a lovely pale green color. However, it will take a photographer with better skills than I to capture its delicate color… far prettier in real life than my current photographic skills can convey.

Using Nut and Seed Milks in Live Green Smoothies and Raw Foods Recipes

Although I don’t normally use nut or seed milks in my Live Green Smoothies, there are quite a lot of uses for fresh nut and seed milks. It can be fun to use them to make a nice creamy Raw Chocolate or Vanilla Smoothie (with or without live greens). And I do use them for making Warm Live Soups, and they’re great over Raw Oatmeal, if you’re a fan of that in the morning. And if you’re like me and don’t see anything at all contradictory about healthy living AND the regular enjoyment of a smart cocktail, live nut and seed milks can be useful for making certain cocktails. I’m going to have to remember to post the recipe for one of my personal vanilla creations, “Mama’s Milk“. I’ve got a slew of “Raw Cocktail” recipes just waiting to be unleashed on the world. Heh.

But most of all, I enjoy nut and seed milks in one of my favorite warm beverages: “Raw Hot Chocolate” with chile & cinnamon. Since for me Raw Chocolate is a staple and a FOOD rather than a candy or something to angst over, I do like to make some kind of nut or seed milk at least once a week.

Why I Like Pumpkin Seed Milk

I love everything pumpkin, so I’m not surprised that I gravitate toward using pumpkin seeds to make fresh milk. I particularly like the fact that pumpkin seeds are inexpensive - easily half the price of my favorite nut milk darlings, pecan. You can buy a huge bag of pumpkin seeds without digging too deeply into your wallet. I invest in good quality Raw Coconut Oil, Hemp Seeds, and Raw Chocolate as staples in my kitchen, so frequently using sensibly priced pumpkin seeds and humble parsley seems to balance the equation and appeals to my latent frugal side.

I also just love the fact that pumpkin seeds are green! Consider me generally biased toward anything green and anything orange. I guess pumpkin seeds fit the bill on both accounts. I know that deep within the core of each seed lies the potential for a luscious, plump, cheerfully orange creation.

Pumpkin Seed Nutrition

Pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrition, some highlights of which include a significant source of the anti-oxidant Vitamin E, as well as the essential fatty acid Omega 6, and a good bit of protein. It’s also a great source of folate (folic acid). Especially good for pregnant mothers.

I make milk from pumpkin seeds using the same proportion as with the nuts, and I make sure to use the leftover pulp in some fashion. I purchased my nut milk bag online from Alissa Cohen’s site… it’s a nice large size. And I make sure to always use it so the seam of the bag is on the outside, that way the pulp doesn’t get caught in it when I’m trying to clean it.

Fresh Pumpkin Seed Milk Recipe

• 1 C. raw Pumpkin seeds (no need to soak)
• 4 C. quality water
• good dash “Himmy” salt (Himalayan Crystal Salt)
• 1 T. raw honey (or other sweetener to taste — sweetener is optional, as you might want the milk for a savory recipe, such as a soup)

Blend ingredients till smooth in blender.

Place nut milk bag in pitcher (or bowl) & pour the milk into the bag. Carefully (just so you don’t splash yourself or the counter) squeeze the pulp down towards the bottom of the bag & the milk out the bottom. Slide and push down as you would a tube of toothpaste. When you get to the bottom, really give it some good squeezes to get all the moisture out.

Note: It will be easier the less powerful your blender is. The more powerful it is, the finer the pulp will be that you’ll have to squeeze to get the milk out.

Use right away, or by the next morning. Keep leftovers in the fridge. It’s normal for separation to occur, but when you stir it up it gets creamy again.