I absolutely love this flavor combination!  I love Indian food and the spice cardamom. A local gelato place sells cardamom ice cream and that quickly became my favorite flavor! Apricots are an ignored fruit I think. I enjoy eating them when they're in season, it's a mix of peach and melon. I've used them in a smoothie recipe in the past because in the blender they become a smooth thick texture. Make sure you're using soft to the touch apricots that are fully ripe. You can use bourbon or whisky interchangeable. The coconut milk make these very creamy! I use a no calorie sugar, but if you sub it for honey or maple syrup this will be a little higher in calories and will have a lot more sugar in it.


Ingredients
3 apricots, halved, pits removed
3 TB Ideal sugar
½ can of full fat coconut milk
½ ts ground cardamom
2 TB Whisky

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in your blender and pour into your molds. 
2. Twirl the sticks in your mold around to get rid of the air bubbles.
3. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight. 

Nutritional Analysis
Makes 5 popsicles
109 cal, 7g fat, 3g of sugar

Recipe adapted from tasty-yummies

Do you want to eat cookie dough without the sugar? Here's a protein packed alternative made with chickpeas! I recently threw out my brown sugar and switched to coconut sugar (available at Trader Joes) so I was excited to find a recipe for me to finally open up the bag! lol 


Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
3 TB honey
1 TB coconut sugar
1/8 ts baking soda
4 TB raw almond butter 
2 ts vanilla
pinch of Himalayan salt
1½ cups of Hershey's sugar free chocolate chips (crushed)

Directions

1. Mix chickpeas, honey, sugar, baking soda, almond butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a blender and process until smooth. 
2. Chop ½ cup of the chocolate chips into smaller pieces. Then stir into mixture. 
3. Form into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid. 
4. In microwave melt remaining chocolate chips with a little coconut oil. 
5. Dip the balls into the chocolate until covered, then place back on parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until chocolate has hardened.

Nutritional Analysis
12 servings
126 calories, 18g carbs, 3g protein, 6g fat, 3g fiber, 6g sugar

Recipe Credit: MindBodyGreen

Craving chocolate fudge, well here's a healthier alternative. I found this super easy, 3- ingredient, no bake recipe that will be addicting!



Makes 12 rectangles

Ingredients:

1 cup raw creamy almond butter (I used Trader Joe's with sea salt at room temperature)
¼ cup coconut oil
1½ TB honey

  Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
2. Line a container with plastic wrap and transfer mixture into it. Smooth with a spatula and freeze until solid, about an hour.
3. Remove the fudge by lifting the plastic wrap out of the container and cut into individual servings.
4. Return the fudge pieces into a sealed container and store in freezer until ready to eat.

Recipe Credit: detoxinista

Recently someone turned me onto Califia Almond Milk which can be found at Whole Foods or Harris Teeter in the fridge. It costs a bit more than the 365 brand of almond milk, but totally worth it for the taste. It comes in a huge 1.4L gorgeous shaped bottle (like a bowling pin) that is BPA-free and 100% recyclable. They also have 3 flavors of iced coffee (mixed with almond milk), citrus juices (made from clementines) and holiday nog (which is light but delicious)!

Califia Farms was founded in 2010 by Odwalla's founder and all of its products are made in California. Their products are all 100% vegan, Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-,soy-, and dairy-free. Unlike most almond milks that are processed from roasted almonds, Califia Farms are made from whole blanched almonds. Califia Farms Almondmilk is substantially fortified with calcium, vitamin D (vegan), vitamin E, vitamin B12, and more. Their Almondmilk has 50% more calcium than cow’s milk. They make it creamier by adding less water to it. Once open it's good for 7-10 days. Their Pure Almondmilk comes in four varieties: Unsweetened, Vanilla, Creamy and a Coconut Almondmilk Blend. The coconut flavor was just released this January and is my favorite! Most coconut milk beverages have no taste to me, but theirs was very rich. They're all low on sugar.

Definitely look out for it next time you're at the grocery store!

I bought this jar of lotion from Trader Joe's and it's one of the most moist and rich lotions I have ever used. It just smells amazing, like tropical paradise with the intoxicating scent of coconut! It's made with Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Vitamin E and other natural ingredients. It's thick and creamy and absorbs into the skin almost instantly and gives good moisturization.  It doesn't have an oily feeling. It's only $5 compared to the Body Shop's coconut body butter of the same size. TJ's also has a pumpkin body butter as well!

So it's hot outside but you want a healthy alternative to your favorite frozen alcoholic drink? All you need is a blender to enjoy this icy concoction of sweet honeydew and mint smoothie. It's fresh, light, and low cal! Plus did you know that mint leaves help stimulate the digestion of fat!

Lately I've been making a new version of my oatmeal recipe (be sure to check out the McDonalds diagram at the bottom of that post). I call it tropical oatmeal because there are 3 kinds of coconut in it and topped with mango, although the coconut taste is very light. Since I use old fashioned rolled oats this is an overnight recipe because the oats need to soak to make the cooking time in the morning shorter. This is really an easy oatmeal to make and with all the additives in comes in at 339 calories with 14 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber.

Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled oats
½ cup of water (use more if you like your oatmeal a more soupy texture)
2 tsp chia seeds
3 TB unsweetened almond milk
2 TB coconut milk (not the lite kind that is half water)
1 TB unsweetened coconut flakes
half scoop protein powder
1 tsp wheat germ
1 tsp maca powder
a tiny bit of sweetener (I use various brands of sweeteners made with Erythritol)
coconut oil (this is optional, I use anywhere from 1/4 tsp to 1 tsp)
chopped mango

Directions:

The Night Before
Make a chia gel by mixing the chia seeds with the almond milk in a small container, cover with a lid and shake vigorously. Then come back 20 min later and give it another shake so it doesn't settle unevenly.
Mix the oatmeal and water in a microwavable bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

I've tried putting them both in the same bowl but I find the chia seeds soak up all the liquid from the oatmeal. Trader Joes sells chopped  frozen mango which makes things easier, I will put the mango in the bowl with the oatmeal in the fridge so it defrosts.

In The Morning

1. Microwave the oatmeal for one minute (removing the mango beforehand).
2. Add the maca powder, wheat germ, chia gel, and protein powder to the oatmeal.
3. Add the coconut milk and oil to the oatmeal.
4. Top with shredded coconut and mango and enjoy!

Why Is This Oatmeal So Good for You?

Wheat Germ is the most vitamin- and mineral-rich part of the wheat kernel. Wheat germ is removed during the refining of whole wheat grains to white flour  because its healthy oils can go rancid quickly.  is packed with important B vitamins, contains lots of fiber, plus has protein.

Coconut Milk  is full of vitamins C, E and B, it's rich in  antioxidants and lauric acid, and your body does not store the fat from coconut milk or oil, instead it uses it for energy. So don't be scared off by the saturated fatty acids in it, your body will easily burn it as fuel. Not eating enough fat can make you fat, so its important to eat healthy fats in moderation. I talked about coconut oil yesterday and coconut water here.

Ancient Peruvian women would give Maca to their men before they went off to battle because it contains high amounts of protein and has been known to energize the central nervous system. For centuries, maca root has been used to combat stress and fatigue. Tosca Reno recommends using maca for weight loss because it's a strong hormone regulator - helpful for weight loss. Maca and Chia are also ingredients in Shakeology, which I personally love because its my daily dose of nutrients.

I'm sure you're thinking coconut oil is a fat and you should stay away from it, but in fact it's very healthy for you! It's been used throughout Asia for thousands of years and is just recently gaining popularity in America. Research has found that in tropical climates the people who regularly cook with coconut oil have lesser instances of heart disease. Here are some of the wonderful things it does.

• Assists your body in how it handles your blood sugar control and improve its insulin use
• Assists your body to digest fat-soluble vitamins
• Fights off yeast problems in your body and helps you to create a resistance against colds 
• Helps to lower your cholesterol levels
• Applied to your skin it makes it soft, hydrated and helps with wrinkles
• When applied directly to your hair either as a leave in conditioner or a deep conditioner in the shower, it moisturizes your hair
• Use it to remove waterproof mascara and eye makeup, it won't irritate your eyes (yes I've tried this!)
• Use it to moisturize your skin, especially if you have KP or "chicken skin", eczema or use it to moisturize your heels
• Stop breaking nails
• Helps your thyroid by increasing your metabolism and energy levels
• For a normal, healthy average sized dog, you can give them a tablespoon daily as a treat, they get all the health benefits from it as well. But it's especially good if they suffer from allergies or skin issues
• Use as a diaper rash cream
• Condition a wooden cutting board

There was a cow experiment in the 1940s where farmers wanted to fatten their cattle and came up with the idea to feed them coconut oil. Well instead of gaining weight the cattle lost weight!

The people of the Yucatan consume a large amount of coconut oil and its been found that they have a faster metabolic rate! There are numerous studies that support this finding. It assists your thyroid in doing its job. If you add virgin coconut oil to your diet, it will help your body burn fat better.

I cook with coconut oil, I find it has a higher cooking point so foods cook faster than with olive oil. I add 1/8 ts of oil or 1/2 ts coconut milk to my shakeology to make it taste more tropical! You can use it in place of oil when baking. You can spread it on toast instead of butter. Just one teaspoon will give you an energy boost! Now different brands vary in flavor, I prefer Spectrum Virgin coconut oil.

The last time I went to India I remember all the hotels having a small container of coconut oil in the bathroom next to the shampoo, they use it regularly in their hair. I use it as a deep conditioner on my hair.

As you can see coconut oil has a multitude of uses and is simply amazing so think of it as a good fat that helps you burn energy! If you're a coffee drinker you can put a little bit in your cup every morning. I put it in my shakeology.

If you want to read more about coconuts, I wrote a post about the benefits of coconut water here.

Now maybe the only time you've had coconut is when lounging on some tropical beach or in dessert, but let me tell you about the benefits of it. Coconut water is the liquid that's found in young green coconuts. The hydration it gives you is like a natural Gatorade, so you get that extra energy after a workout. It has more potassium than a banana which is key in maintaining muscle and nerve function. It's also a great hang over remedy because it hydrates you from the inside out. Back during World War II they mixed coconut water into blood transfusions, can you believe that! The value of coconuts have been seen all around the world for centuries, the top growers are in Asia and Brazil, but its popularity is just recently catching on in America.

I was watching Dr Oz and he did a comparison between different brands and said Zico is the only brand to have all the electrolytes it advertises. You use lose electrolytes when you sweat. Zico's plastic bottles are recyclable and partly made of recyclable material, plus they are made domestically. It comes in different flavors but I like to stick with the original that is 100% coconut and not filtered down with juice or flavoring.

I make ice cubes out of the coconut water and put it into my shakeology.