Happy Eat-Clean Halloween! Recipes, Giveaways and More.

Vegan Coconut Butter Chia Seed Eyeballs

That magical day is upon us as we greet Halloween and the many excitements it brings. Not only is this a great time to try out new costumes, it's also a great time to try out new recipes.

We are bombarded with sweet treats at this time of year. Why not make your own healthy versions. And since this is the last day of Clean Carb October, I've got the perfect recipe for you.

Zain Jamal was working in the kitchen yesterday whipping up Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Back Pack Kisses from The Eat-Clean Diet Vegetarian Cookbook and a few creative changes later she wound up with Vegan Coconut Butter Chia Seed Backpack Eyeballs!

Halloween Recipe: Vegan Coconut Butter Chia Seed Backpack Eyeballs
*** Note - all measurements are exactly the same as the original recipe just using different ingredients.

Ingredients:
½ cup (120 ml) old-fashioned rolled oats *I used uncontaminated oats (gluten-free)
¼ cup (60 ml) vegan unsweetened protein powder (try Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Protein Powder and receive a discount by entering code: TOSCA)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) hulled hemp seeds *I used unsweetened coconut
2 Tbsp (30 ml) flaxseed, cracked * I used whole black chia seeds
¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened dried cranberries *I used apricots (for the orange, but papaya or dried pumpkin would work too)
¼ cup (60 ml) vegan semisweet natural chocolate chips
Pinch sea salt *I used Himalayan Crystal Salt
1 cup (240 ml) all-natural peanut butter, sugar and salt free *I used all-natural coconut butter
2 Tbsp (30 ml) brown-rice syrup, yacon syrup or pure honey *I used raw wildflower honey, but can sub syrup for vegans

Methods:
For full methods click here.

And don't forget to check out Zain's post on the scary truth about Halloween.

Trick or Treat Giveaway:

Love & Support to those Affected by Sandy

Sandy has me working from home today.

It has certainly been a tumultuous 24 hours.

I made the call yesterday to err on the side of safety and allow my wonderful employees to work from home today given the circumstances.  I also decided to work from home. In many parts of New York and New Jersey, as I am sure many of you know, employers were told that if they could not guarantee a safe way for employees to get to work and to then get home again, they should not insist employees come to work today.

I understand of course that conditions are far worse in the United States along the Eastern seaboard than they are in the greater Toronto area, but we have still been affected with loss of power to tens of thousands of Southern Ontarions.

I live in an area where if there is something bad to be delivered by Mother Nature then this is where it will land. If the power could go out it will.  If trees are going to come down they will.  As it turns out the storm did not punish us as badly as we might have anticipated.  I am grateful for that.

I am also sad to see the devastating images from New Jersey, New York City, Boston, West Virginia, etc. I lived a number of years in New Jersey and have many close friends to whom I am sending my love and support. I am also sending this to all of you who have been affected in any number of ways.

When chaos hits, in any form, I always remind people to go back to the basics: eat, hydrate and sleep. To those of you affected by this tumultuous storm, don't punish yourselves for getting off track. Take it one bite, one sip and one z at a time. Love yourself up with proper nutrition and plenty of rest. I'm sending virtual hugs to everyone.

We are all a unit together - let's support, love and pray.

Be safe,
Tosca

Batten Down the Hatches for Sandy

What's the Deal with Quinoa?

Forbidden Black Quinoa

Oh quinoa! Yet another Clean Carb that has people guessing. Is it a grain, is it a seed? What the heck is it?

Quinoa is typically consumed in the same way as wheat, oats, barley, and rye and is therefore often considered to be a grain. Quinoa actually comes from the same family as spinach, Swiss chard, and beets, meaning it's not a grain at all. Quinoa leaves look just like their other leafy-green counterparts, but their seeds cook up like fluffy grains. It is often called a pseudocereal, too.

Regardless of what it is, quinoa is an excellent option to including in your diet. It has all essential amino acids (meaning it's a complete protein just like eggs and meat), has tons of fiber, calcium, vitamin E, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid and beta-carotene (the precursor to vitamin A), and linolenic acid (part of the omega fat family). It also boasts a bunch phytonutrients, like quercetin and kaempferol.

Convinced yet? It's also extremely easy to prepare. Simply rinse the granules under warm water to remove the saponin coating, then place in a pot with 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water and bring to a boil, let simmer until all moisture has been absorbed and you're done!

Here are a few of my favorite quinoa recipes:
Forbidden Black Quinoa
Quintessential Quinoa
Quinoa Fun Dessert

A Male Diabetic Goes Clean

Thank you to Sean McIntire for sharing his perspective on a diabetic approach to Eating Clean. Don't miss his yummy smoothie recipe below...

As a diabetic, my life sees highs and lows (pun intended). A low brings panic and a high brings frustration and a feeling of failure. A Clean lifestyle helps to minimize these issues because eating a balanced, healthy diet along with exercise assist in managing blood sugar. Attempting to eat healthy and exercise while working, being a father to two daughters, being actively involved in church, and being a husband can be challenging but creates rewards of its own.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes (type 1) my weight had dropped to 145 lbs. This was frustrating because I lost strength and size. By Eating Clean and exercising over the last three years I have added 20-23 lbs of muscle and have lower body fat than I did before (9-10%). I only use protein to reduce stress on my kidneys (no other chemicals). I understand high protein diets are hard on the kidneys so my kidney function is checked yearly.

My life has been made richer by cooking and exercising with my wife. We both enjoy developing a Clean menu for the week and then cooking the food we choose. The healthy food has helped me to build muscle and balance my blood sugar.

My favorite thing about the Eat-Clean lifestyle is smoothies. My favorite is a blueberry/strawberry smoothie. I mix 1-2 cups of kale, 2 cups of blue berries, 1 cup strawberries,

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs October - Bread!

Oh bread! What a debacle bread can cause. We hmmm and haaa over bread and wonder "is it good", "is it bad", "is it clean"?!?

Let's see if I can help you out with this...

I think the most important thing about bread consumption has more to do with whether or not you can digest it. A lot of people react to the ingredients in bread whether it be gluten, dairy, eggs, etc. You may feel things like bloating, gas, cramps, pain, etc.

If you don't react to bread, then here are a couple of Clean bread options:

1. Ezekiel Bread - I absolutely love this bread & have been touting its good properties for years. Tons of sprouted grains & not 1 ounce of crap! Don't forget to keep it in fridge.

2. Rye - Being Dutch I have to admit I thoroughly enjoy a dense rye bread with a slice of cheese. This isn't a treat I give into often, but when I do the bread has to be thick and full and tasty.

3. Bob's Red Mill 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix - Fill your kitchen with the aroma of freshly baked bread. You can make this yourself in just a few minutes and feel good about the bread in your home.

4. My Homemade Bread - You can also try this recipe from the original Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook.

You'll notice white bread, fortified bread, and whole-wheat bread didn't make the list. This is because a lot of these breads contain absolutely nothing of benefit for you. Just check out the "bad" ingredients on these loaves - often sugar in many different forms and preservatives. Don't be fooled by "whole grain" or "enriched" - these are usually scam terms on the label. Be sure the first ingredient is 100% whole wheat (germ included is even better), stone ground and/or sprouted.

Take a few minutes to review the bread in your cupboard to see if it contains any of the "bad" ingredients, get it off your shelf and try out a new variety.

Don't forget - 1 piece of bread is enough to suffice for a "whole grain from complex carbohydrates" serving.

Share your favorites with us...

A Quick Look Back & Full Steam Ahead!

Stephen Hollohan is our fabulous male Eat-Clean Diet guest blogger today. He is also one of our wonderful success stories. He's here with us today to share how he got started. Could anyone in your life use this motivation? Please feel free to share. Take it away Stephen...

New & improved Stephen.

As this is my first blog relating to my experience with the Eat-Clean Diet, I am going to give you a quick look into my past and how this diet made amazing changes in my life.  As a 28-year-old male, I started following the guidelines laid out by Tosca in the Eat-Clean Diet.  It is sometimes hard as a guy telling others you can’t have those fries, or you don’t want to go for wings and a beer because you are trying to lose weight or “work on your figure”. Starting out at over 400 pounds, I had a long, tough road ahead. The idea of shedding some pounds crossed my mind many times, but I simply found it easier to keep on the same road I had been on for the previous twenty years. In July of 2010,  my Aunt Betty Lou approached me and kindly suggested the Eat-Clean Diet for proper eating and overall good health. At that moment, my life changed! Complex carbs, lean proteins and balanced meals 6-8 times a day became part of my life. I also started a daily workout routine that consisted of both weight training and cardio.

Life at this time was not the same as before as there were many challenges before me. As a teacher, I have always found myself eating in staff rooms or among groups of people.  Being 6’5 and 400 pounds, some would expect me to stroll into the staff room with a whole cow in my lunch box, not bean salad with whole grain crackers.  At first, I wondered what people would say, or how many creative ways they would come up with to make fun of me. As it turned out, right from the start, the ones who I thought would give me most of the ribbing are the ones that asked the most questions about my new way of eating. They are also the ones who began leaving the bags of chips at home and replacing them with some almonds and raisins. Lol

Next time I’ll talk about “Eat more to lose more” and telling a certain girl I’m more of a “spinach and quinoa kinda guy than steak and potatoes”.  If she laughs with you, she’s a keeper.

Till next time,

Stephen Hollohan