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Juice Cleansing 101

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Juice cleansing can give you the vitality, energy and digestion you’re looking for…

(Scroll to the bottom for $ off the cleanse I did)

After the detox symptoms pass and the will power succeeds, that is…

Spring is the time for re-sets, refreshers, transitions, and switchovers. I love it.

It’s also the perfect time to get your cleanse on. I used to think it would mess with the metabolism, but now I’ve learned that a short juice cleanse can be the thing to do if you need a digestive re-set.

Here’s the thing. Food takes energy to digest, which takes away from the energy it needs to support other important bodily functions, so it’s good to give your digestive system a break every now and then. Fasting and cleansing allows the body to work on other ‘house cleaning’ besides digesting, assimilating and eliminating the last snack or meal.

There’s no doubt about it, you will experience some detox symptoms. This is your body clearing out toxins and excess waste.

Why do a juice cleanse?

We are constantly putting food into our mouths. 3 meals a day, snacks in between. Many of these foods are acid-forming and inflammatory. Our body sometimes needs the time off from digestion, assimilation and elimination, to start working on other important aspects of being a bad-ass body!

While we sleep, our body works on cell rejuvenation and toxin removal (once our dinner is digested, which why it’s a good idea to eat a couple hours before sleeping). This typically leads to waking up feeling puffy, with white on the tongue and flem in the throat. The body is ‘cleaning up the yard’ as efficiently as it can while it doesn’t need to focus on digesting food or expending energy elsewhere. This is why it’s recommended to give yourself a fasting time of 12 hours from dinner to breakfast. Eat a couple hours before bed, then listen to your hunger signs in the morning and eat when you’re actually hungry. This has been proven to lead to longevity, prevent cancer and disease and help digestive issues.

While we juice cleanse, we’re fasting while still fuelling our cells with a super-dose of enzymes, nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals that will help breakdown diseased tissues in the body. Aging and disease come from biochemical suffocation, that happens when our cells aren’t getting enough oxygen and nutrients to eliminate wastes. Juicing will give those cells that oxygen and sweet nutrients directly!

Rather than using energy to digest, your body will be able to focus on:

  • cell rejuvenation and restoration
  • alkalinizing
  • reducing inflammation
  • enhancing your immune system
  • replenishing the micro-biome (9/10 of our cells are bacteria, 1/10 are human. Since most bacterial cells live in the gut/micro-biome, we need to keep them happy by providing their home with phytonutrients and micronutrients)
  • balancing hormones (leading to a better mood)
  • clearing up skin issues
  • detoxifying the liver
  • reducing cravings
  • showing you what allergies and sensitivities you have
  • getting in tune hunger signs and teaching you how to eat intuitively
  • lowering blood pressure
  • increasing blood circulation
  • decreasing blood fat
  • decreasing athertosclerosis (plaque build up)
  • pulling toxins from your cells and your liver
  • breaking down stored, circulating chemicals
  • creating new essential substances in your liver

Other benefits you may feel:

  • motivation to get sh#t done
  • an urge for change
  • a better understanding of the connection between your body and the food you fuel it with
  • clarity – easier to make big decisions without being masked by food distraction and digestion
  • you will drop a few pounds, but this will be temporary. The long term affect of easier weight maintenance comes with the digestive system and micro-flora replenishing benefits you’ll get!

What to expect?

It’s not all rainbows and butterflies. There’s a good chance you’re going to feel some symptoms during the detox period, especially if you’re coming from a diet with animal products, lots of caffeine, sugar, or alcohol. But, stay strong! They will pass and you’ll feel better than ever. It may take longer than a 3 day cleanse, but any kind of short term cleanse can act as a jump-start you to making healthier choices and crave better things (like whole plant foods).

Cravings can be physical additions (especially when it comes to refined sugar and dairy). But, sometimes it’s your body telling you that you need a certain micronutrient that you’re low in. A juice cleanse does wonders for combatting cravings of any kind. Detoxifying from these foods will take will power, but you may just come out on the other side as a free bird!

Detox symptoms:

If you feel any of these, they should only last a 1-2 days if you have them. If you do a longer cleanse and on day 4 these symptoms continue to worsen, stop the cleanse and start introducing whole plant foods again.

  • hunger (when you’re hungry, try to get in touch with yourself and ask ‘what am I hungry for?’, then try to distract yourself from the kitchen callings)
  • bad breath
  • congestion
  • digestive upset and farts
  • crazy dreams from your body releasing poisons overnight
  • headaches
  • low energy
  • break outs
  • diahrea
  • fogginess/light-headedness
  • fatigue
  • cravings
  • white coat on tongue

Sounds nice right? Have no fear… maybe you won’t experience any of this at all. But if you do, it won’t last and unfortunately, it’s necessary. Just like you clean up your closet, your body is cleaning up it’s business.

Warning: all the juice may turn you green…or create the urge to give yourself more self care (take a bath, do a face mask, oil your hair)

How to:

  • Use a straw (for teeth protection)
  • Sip, don’t chug
  • Minimal exercise (light jogs/walk/yoga), or keep to your regular but add in strained, homemade nut or seed milk.
  • Drink water all day… a lot of it
  • Drink herbal tea
  • If you need something to chew on, go for something easily digestible (add chia or hemp seeds into your juice, eat a fresh fruit or veggie – cucumber is best)
  • If you feel the need for something creamy, or if you continue to work out in some way, make your own nut milk to sip on
  • If you’re up for it, get a colonic or enema while you’re at it! Your colon (23 feet long) can hold old fecal matter for years. Juicing will help dislodge toxins and build up, but an enema will help bring them out of you…leaving a colon that is able to absorb nutrients again. It’s important to drink a lot of water, or do colon hydrotherapy to get rid of those toxins before your colon absorbs them back into the system.
  • Keep yourself distracted if you feel the urge to reach for the cookie jar (go for a walk, tea with friends, work on your passion project, hobby it up, take a bath, clean out your closet, go see a movie, meditate, call your grams…)
  • Take a sauna or get a massage to help along the detoxification process
  • Optional supplements:
    • milk thistle – helps liver detoxify and repair
    • niacin – helps detox from chemicals in your system
    • B12 – every day
    • spirulina and/or chlorella – microalgae for extra detox
  • Get yourself a tongue scraper! Not only for the juice cleanse, but every morning. It just scrapes off the build up on your tongue first thing in the morning. This stuff is bacteria and waste built up from the night of detoxifying.
  • Get your self a dry skin brush. This is another way of detoxing. Your skin is your biggest organ and it is continuously detoxifying and shedding old skin. Get that stuff off so it can do it’s job more efficiently. Dry brushing also increasing lymph flow (your lymph is what is pumped when you work out and sweat, but this is another way of triggering it to work it’s magic for your immunity, fat loss and detoxification!)

My 3-day experience:

Day 1:

  • Feels: Slight head-ache around 2pm. A bit foggy while working away. Went for a super easy jog, drank another juice and felt better.
  • Digestion: great! No fogginess or lows from digesting.
  • Exercise: 5 minute yoga and 15 minutes of exercises on the VibraFit (oscillating/vibrating machine that’s amazing for blood flow, muscle contractions, detoxing)
  • Hunger: Wasn’t hungry. Missed the chewing though.
  • Tummy: a bit loud as I was falling asleep, with all the liquids moving around
  • Added home made hemp milk to the day (about a cup in total to my herbal teas), partly because I wanted something creamy, and also because I ran today. It’s ok to add a bit of protein from milked nuts or seeds on while you cleanse.

Day 2:

  • Feels: Woke up naturally at 6:30 with clarity, energy, motivation. 5 minute meditation (trying to do this more consistently…). Minimal congestion, some white on the tongue. Flat tummy! I usually wake up with a bit of bloat from dinner still, which is why I always start with a big mason jar of water and wait a couple hours to eat breakfast. No head ache. A bit of puffiness under the eyes still, first thing.
  • Hunger: only when I was making food for Davey. It’s the smell and being around it! Otherwise, I would be content and energized enough from the juice noots (nutrients)
  • Digestion: smooth. Not too many trips to the bathroom. No burps or gas.
  • Exercise: HIIT in the AM, 1.5 hour skate ski in the afternoon. Felt fatigued near the end (more than normal)
  • Had homemade hemp milk in my bengal spice tea throughout the day again

Day 3:

  • Feels: Woke up easily at 6:30 again. Slept great (I usually do). Barely any morning congestion! Flat tummy.
  • Afternoon/evening: A bit of a head ache. Sooooo tempting to cave to the craving of crunchiness.
  • Hunger: Getting in tune with my hunger pangs. Realizing how much food cravings are emotional/comforting/for happiness over just plain hunger. Once I have a juice, the hunger signs are gone. The body just wants nutrients to live off! I did feel a bit ‘floaty’, but kept myself busy and out of the kitchen/house.
  • Digestion: smooth sailings. No bloating or digestive fatigue.
  • Exercise: 15 minute HIIT.
  • Realization: asking myself “what am I hungry for” when I feel like I want to eat. Usually it’s not actual hunger, but that comforting feeling of eating a meal, chewing, enjoying food with people. Instead of having that to look forward to, I think of other things that can give me joy and keep me busy. This is why I feel more productive on juice cleanses. I keep myself busy with stuff I’ve been putting off for a while… Cleaning the truck, cleaning the closet out, writing more. But, this also makes me appreciate food even more, and how grateful we need to be for each meal (can’t wait to get back into the kitchen to create).

Day 4 – introducing food back into ma life (Keep it light-what to eat to break the fast): 

  • Feels: Woke up again at 6:30 easily, with a bit of congestion this time (body eliminating toxins). Flat tummy again.
  • Exercise: Morning HIIT for 15 minutes + 7 minute yoga flow before breakfast. 45 minute before lunch.
  • Food on the day of re-introducing food should be simple, easily digestible and full of plant nutrients.
  • Breakfast: Simple smoothie bowl to re-introduce fibre! Kale, Spinach, Carrot, Ginger, Banana, Blueberries, Spirulina, Maca, Water. Loud tummy!
  • 2nd Breakfast: Small portion of Jules Fuel blueberry cacao overnight buckwheat oats + banana with hemp milk. Turmeric hemp milk latte
  • Lunch: Green Moustache Superfood salad
  • Dinner: Butternut Mac + Peas, with a mega salad
  • Dessert: Apple + 2 medjool dates

Want to try a juice cleanse out? 

The ‘Chief’ juice cleanse I did was made by Be Fresh. 6 juices a day for 3 days (there is a 1 day option, too).

Order it right to your door from Spud Vancouver!

Use this code at the check out for 20$ off: CRVAN-MURJUB.

 

Let me know if you do it! Tag me @hookedonplants on instagram to connect if you need support;)

Easy Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce | 7 Ingredients

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The good ol’ days of broccoli and cheese sauce are making a comeback, this time in the form of this next-level raw vegan cashew cheese sauce.

Totally nostalgic…who’s with me on that?

In the attempt to get me to eat those veggies in any way possible… cheese sauce, and sometimes mayo, made it onto the plate beside those greens.

It worked like a dream, just like this new & improved eat-yo-veggies cashew cheese hack will.

Something special happens to broccoli when it’s paired with a creamy, tangy, cheesy sauce. Dip away with all the other veggies, and you’re easily munching away on greens like their goin’ outta style.

All you need to do for this recipe is soak the cashews, blend it all up, and then drizzle, spread, dip, scoop…

I’m all about the sauce.

If you’re looking for a veggie-based cheese sauce option, check out this Mind-Blowing Nut-Free cheese sauce recipe I posted not too long ago.

Either one is perfect for a colourful side dish for a holiday like……. Easter!

Benefits:

  • Cashews are packed with healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) to help the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and vitamin K) found in the nutrient-dense greens. Plus, these healthy fats help brain development and memory!
  • Nutritional Yeast (NOOCH) is a vegan’s best friend. Not only does it taste cheesy, but it also is packed with Vitamin B12 (which comes from microorganisms in soil), the one nutrient that you might be lacking in on a vegan diet.
  • Turmeric is a magical ingredient. Not only does it change any recipe into a smashingly colourful dish, but it’s also one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients out there. Add a bit of pepper to increase the bioavailability of the curcumin in the turmeric by 2000%!


Easy Vegan Cashew Cheese Sauce
 
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Answer that cheese craving with this super easy vegan cheese sauce, ready to be best friends with anything that calls for cheese. Pizza, pasta, veggies, nachos, you name it!
Author:
Recipe type: sauce, condiment, snack
Serves: 5
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked at least 30 minutes and rinsed)
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt + pepper
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp plain unsweetened plant based milk (I used almond)
Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients in high-speed blender until smooth! You might have to turn it off and scrape down the sides with a spatula every now and then...
  2. Use it for dipping, drizzling, spreading... anything! Pizza, pasta, cracker plates, or saucin' anything up!

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St. Patrick’s Day Deep Green Cauliflower Spirulina Smoothie Bowl

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St. Paddy’s Day is just around the corner, so it’s time to get in as much of the colour green as humanly possible with this cauliflower spirulina smoothie bowl.

Make this uber healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast so you can happily balance it out with that green beer later!

Warning: The energy you’ll receive from this bowl o’ goodness might have you dancing on tables to those Irish fiddles until the sun comes up.

This recipe is pretty much the most amount of nutrients you can fit into your blender, blended into a thick smoothie bowl and topped off with any kind of superfoods you have in the house!

Smoothie bowls are a go-to around here.

Smoothies are great too, but bowls are better. Why? Smoothies go down too quick (unless you’re mindfully paying attention to chewing your liquid). It’s good to take your time eating blended anything, and actually CHEW your smoothie. Sounds weird, I know. But, by chewing, your mouth releases saliva with amylase (the digestive enzyme for carbohydrates). This is where it all begins (digestion, that is), so if you skip this step of physically chewing, the food by-passes the mouth without the first initial breakdown of nutrients. This makes it harder on the rest of your body during the digestion process.

Chew yo’ smoothie!

You might be thinking… Cauliflower in a smoothie WHAT?! But seriously, it creates a creamy texture and adds mega benefits. We should be eating something from the cruciferous family on the daily (cauli, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, bok choy, collard greens…), and this is an easy way to get it in ya.

Benefits:

  • Spirulina is one of the most detoxifying ingredients you can consume! It’s a blue green micro-algae with magical powers. Plus, it’s 60% protein (!) and packed with vitamins K1, K2, B12, A plus minerals iron, manganese and chromium. It’s extremely potent, so you don’t need much of it to reap the benefits. The antioxidants and phytonutrients will help decrease signs of aging and ward of disease and inflammation.
  • Cauliflower as I said earlier is a member of the cruciferous vegetable fam. This family is packed with disease-fighting phytochemicals, drastically lowering your rise of cancer and cell oxidation.
  • Greens of any kind are king when it comes to nutrient density. Chlorophyll, phytonutrients, antioxidants, fibre… these are all ingredients your body thrives on. You’ll be bursting with energy and vitality if you pack your mouth with greens at any chance you get.

 

St. Patrick's Day Green Cauliflower Spirulina Smoothie Bowl
 
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I always wing it when it comes to smoothies! But, this gives you a good idea of proportions for a deep green smoothie bowl! Feel free to add more or less of anything, it will all work out. If you need more sweetness, add more dates or banana! Try to pack in as many green leaves as possible.
Author:
Recipe type: smoothie, smoothie bowl, breakfast, ready in 5
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 2-3 kale leaves, de stemmed
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1-inch thumb of ginger root
  • 2 frozen bananas (3 if they're small!)
  • 2 medjool dates
  • 1 cup frozen cauliflower
  • 1-2 cups frozen berries (your choice)
  • 1 tsp spirulina
  • 1½ cups vanilla almond milk, or thishemp milk

  • Optional add-ins:
  • More Greens if you can handle it! Spinach, cucumber, celery, romaine...
  • 1 inch thumb turmeric root
  • Water (if you want a drinkable smoothie)
  • Your favourite vegan protein powder
  • Carrot
  • Apple

  • Recommended toppings:
  • Raw cacao nibs
  • Coconut shreds
  • Jules Fuel Buckwheat Oats
  • Banana
  • Hemp seeds
  • Omega 3-6-9 oil (Udo's has a good blend, and an option with DHA too!)
Instructions
  1. Fill your blender with all the smoothie ingredients in this order: ginger, greens, cauliflower, spirulina, berries, banana, dates, almond milk.
  2. Blend on low-medium, and use your tamper to help the consistency become as smooth as possible. Add a bit of water if needed to help blend.
  3. If you don't have a tamper for your blender, just add a bit more liquid so it blends on it's own (you'll just have a runnier smoothie bowl)!
  4. Pour into your favourite bowl, and top it with your favourite toppings!
Notes
** You can use unfrozen bananas and cauliflower, but it won't be quite as creamy or delicious...

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Creamy Vegan Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip | 8 Ingredients

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Creaminess alert! I’m in love with this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip.

White beans come into play to create that creamy texture you’re craving, minus the dairy.

If you come across this dip in the store, the veg-sounding name will probably fool ya. The usual culprits show up in full force in the store-bought version… cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, and parmesano. Yup, it’s an overload of the type of creaminess that won’t do your body any favours.

That brings me to one of life’s must-knows.

 

There are 2 important aspects of the act of eating. The physical side & the mental side.

The way you love and appreciate your food makes a big difference in how your body is going to assimilate those nutrients. If you’re stressed out or worried about that thing you’re eating while you’re eating it (‘oh god, I shouldn’t be eating this…’), your digestion won’t run smoothly (because your adrenal system ~ AKA, your stress centre ~ simply cannot work at the same time as your digestive system).

Step 1 – you’ve got to love the taste.

Step 2- you’ve got to appreciate the food and feel good about eating it.

 

It’s a lot easier to follow through with step 2 when the food you’re eating is actually good for you, and it helps when it doesn’t taste like cardboard, am I right!?

That’s what it’s all about here. This dip is even better than ‘guilt-free’, I’ll go as far as saying it’s a ‘life-giving’ dip. It’s next-level awesome for your taste buds and your health.

And oooh man, does it ever taste good warmed up with a side of rye sourdough, crackers and veggies.

The white beans give this dip the dip-able texture we’re looking for.

Don’t limit it to a dip! Spread it all over your toast, sandwiches, wraps, or even make it into a pasta sauce by adding almond milk!

 

There’s just two steps to get to this deliciousness.

Blend

Bake

… that’s it.

 

Benefits:

  • White beans (cannellini beans) are of the legume family. Enough said. Legumes have tons of antioxidants, inulin fibre (prebiotics), minerals, vitamins, and protein. They’re low in fat, cholesterol, and calories (in comparison to the meaty alternative). This is your time to get in yo’ beans! Soak them first, then rinse if you feel that you get gas from them.
  • Artichokes = antioxidants. They’re #7 on USDA’s antioxidant-rich foods list! Plus, Vitamin C in artichoke is going to help you absorb the iron in the spinach. What a combo.
  • Spinach. We all know it’s Pop-Eye’s fave. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s packed with the good stuff (iron, water content, fibre, plant protein, chlorophyll, plus… niacin, manganese, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate,potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper), but missing the bad stuff (saturated fat & cholesterol). A recipe for Pop-Eye’s physique.

 

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip | Vegan
 
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This dip is easy, but so impressive. We're keeping it on the lighter side by using beans as the base instead of nuts. It's creamy and delicious!
Author:
Recipe type: dip, appetizer, spread
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 can white cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (about a ½ lemon)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts (about 1 can, drained), roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°F.
  2. In your food processor, blend beans with ½ cup nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.
  3. In an oven safe serving dish, mix the bean mixture with the spinach and artichokes.
  4. Cover with tin foil, then bake for 12 minutes.
  5. Take the foil off, sprinkle with extra nutitional yeast (or vegan parmesan like Violife's or this recipe) and broil on high for 2 minutes.
  6. Serve this saucy goodness up with your favourite raw veggies, chips, crackers...you name it.

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Hooked On People Interview: Jason Wrobel + his Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis

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Jason Wrobel ( J-Wro ) is a ball of energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and inspiration. I was inspired by this firecracker ever since I heard him speak on a podcast. He’s a wellness entrepreneur as a coach, author, chef, and public speaker. He’s put his raw food chef certification to use by preparing meals for an array of celebs. His wealth of knowledge now spreads into his new book, Eaternity and his J Wro Show Youtube channel, and he even had his own TV show How to Live to 100 on the Cooking Show Channel. Jason is all about living a full, energized, long life by eating plant-based whole foods and living life through a humorous lens of positivity.
HOP: How long have you been vegan for, and what was the catalyst?
Jason Wrobel: I’m celebrating my 20th year of veganism this year. The initial seed of inspiration to become vegan was observing the health issues in my family. In 1995, my Grandfather lost his second battle with an aggressive form of cancer
and it made me deeply question the lifestyle choices, diet and habits in my family. I took a good, honest look at how I was living and how I was eating. At that time, I took to the web to start researching nutrition, animal rights, global warming and factory farming. The more I learned, the more I realized that I was not living in alignment with my ethical or moral values. Over the course of a few years, I shifted from a SAD diet (Standard American Diet) to vegetarian to eventually vegan. By spring 1998, I was fully vegan and I’ve never looked back. It’s been the single most important, defining decision of my life thus far!
HOP: Who do you look up to in this plant-based world?
JW:
3) The Sarno Brothers (Chad and Derek Sarno)
HOP: Top 5 tips for transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle?
JW:
1) Start gradually incorporating more plant-based foods into your life. Give your body time to adjust.
2) Lean on substitutes for milk, cheese, yogurt and meat – there are plenty of vegan options for all of those products.
3) Connect with community, either local or online. Having a support system makes it easier.
4) Eat a wide variety of foods, eat all of the colors of food and focus on diversity.
5) Be courageous in the kitchen and experiment with new recipes and foods often.
HOP: Top 5 ways to detoxify an exhausted and polluted body?
JW:
1) Drink more water. A LOT more. Nature’s solution to pollution is dilution.
2) Try far infrared sauna therapy. It helps you detox through your skin and get rid of heavy metals.
3) Eat more detoxifying greens – especially chlorella, spirulina, cilantro and dandelion.
4) Eat more alkaline foods and start your day with warm water and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar).
5) Try a 5 to 7 day liquid fast with fresh juices, tea, broth and water. It’s a good way to re-set your body seasonally.
HOP: Not only are you an advocate for healthy eats, but you’re also all about creating a positive mindset to ward off depression and negative thoughts. Can you give some advice to those who are trying to make mediation and positive thinking a habit?
JW: You have to make meditation a non-negotiable, like eating, sleeping or brushing your teeth (hopefully that’s a non-negotiable for you!) Taking 15-30 minutes each day to sit in stillness, silence and observe your thoughts is an incredibly effective way to let go of so much every day – stress, anxiety, depression, worry – these can all be allayed by doing a consistent, daily meditation practice. I’ve found (and research confirms) that meditation increases productivity and efficiency, while decreasing feelings of overwhelm. It’s good medicine for the mind, body and soul.
HOP: The vegan music festival in LA, Circle V is getting more and more popular with Moby headlining last year. Do you have a favourite musician or DJ? Do you think they’ll be at Circle V one day?
JW: That’s a tough one. That’s like asking me what my favourite dessert is. Most of my favourite musical artists are dead, so, unless they’ve been cryogenically frozen, I don’t think they’ll be coming to Circle V anytime soon. For current artists, I really love Reggie Watts – who coincidentally played the last Circle V festival. In fact, I’m actually performing with a new band in Los Angeles and our plan is to play the festival later this year! Stay tuned!
HOP: What does your ideal morning routine look like (even if it doesn’t actually happen everyday…because none of us are perfect!)?
JW: My ideal morning routine begins with a warm compress on my face and a saline sinus rinse. Then I drink 24-36 ounces of warm water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to alkalize my body. Then I meditate and focus on what I want to create for the day. Then I’m off to the gym or a hike to move my body. And then I start the work day. I make sure the build in plenty of self-care and take care of my own needs before I start addressing the needs of others. It’s made a massive difference in my life.
HOP: What is the next exciting project that all of us need to know about?
JW: I’m launching a new coaching program where people come to my residence in Los Angeles and live on-site with me for a week, focusing on food, nutrition, mindfulness, abundance and setting a solid foundation for a more vibrant life. I’m incredibly excited about that, as I’ve never offered something so intimate and focused for new clients before. Also writing the treatments and scripts for my second television series, which I plan on producing later this year. I can’t tell you much about it (yet) but it will be fun, and crazy and VERY entertaining.
HOP: You have a lot going on! Do you have any secret time management or motivational tips for entrepreneurial types?
JW: There are so many, I don’t know where to begin.
  • Firstly, take care of your own needs before you address the needs of others. You’ll be able to show up more present and focused (and not resenting yourself for ignoring your needs!)
  • Second, master your calendar. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not real. Get everything on that calendar so you can stay on top of your commitments.
  • Third, use online productivity tools like a pomodoro timer (to work in time blocks), Calendly (to schedule online appointments) and TickTick (simple online to-do list).
  • Fourth – try to focus on 3 to 5 big things every day. Don’t overwhelm yourself with 15-20 things on your to-do list each day. That’s the path to crazy making. Stay focused and simplify!Image result for jason wrobel
HOP: Your book, Eaternity, is all about nutrient dense recipes. What is your favourite recipe from your book?
JW: Thank you so much! Eaternity was a true labour of love and I’m grateful that it’s impacted so many lives worldwide. My current favourite recipe? It’s gotta be the Sweet Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis. The crêpes are gluten-free and it took me more than a few tries to nail that recipe. But the results were well worth it. It’s scrumptious and satisfying. Hope you enjoy it!
It seems like all I ever want for breakfast are sweet things. There’s something so sensual, satisfying, and splendid about crêpes—they feel like they should be reserved for special occasions. This crêpe recipe took me about 20 attempts to finally nail it. And the results are absolutely stunning. The inclusion of tomato in the strawberry sauce is hauntingly delicious, and you will be seduced by the perfect texture of these gluten-free crêpes. Plus, strawberries contain anthocyanidins and anthocyanins—nutrients that help reduce stress and depression. C’est magnifique!

Jason’s Tip: Using a very thin, wide rubber spatula will help immensely with getting the crêpes out of the pan. Go slowly and take your time. Crêpes don’t like to be rushed. When using gluten-free flour, make sure it does not contain any added thickeners such as arrowroot powder, xanthan gum, or ground flaxseed. These will ruin the consistency of the crêpes by making them too thick and the batter too viscous.

Jason Wrobel's Crêpes with Strawberry Tomato Coulis
 
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2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least one hour ½ cup coconut nectar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water ½ teaspoon lemon zest ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted
Author:
Recipe type: crêpes, breakfast, dessert, soy free, gluten free
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • Sweet Cashew Creme:
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least one hour
  • ½ cup coconut nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted

  • Crêpe Batter:
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 4 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 3 tablespoons golden flaxseed, finely ground
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • ½ cup filtered water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup diced strawberries, reserved for garnish
  • 1 cup crushed walnuts, reserved for garnish

  • Strawberry Tomato Coulis:
  • 2 cups diced strawberries
  • 1½ cups chopped tomatoes
  • 5 tablespoons coconut nectar
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. First, make Sweet Cashew Crème: blend all creme ingredients in a high-speed blender for 40 seconds until ultra smooth and creamy. Chill before serving.
  2. Make the crêpe batter: mix together baking flour, coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil, coconut sugar, golden flaxseed, sea salt, baking powder, filtered water, and vanilla extract, preferably with a high-speed blender or hand mixer. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. The batter will keep fresh in a covered container stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
  3. Make the Strawberry Tomato Coulis: combine all the coulis ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse the mixture gradually until well combined, retaining a slight amount of chunkiness to the mixture. Set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium-low heat in a nonstick pan or crêpe pan. If using an 8-inch pan, use ¼ cup of batter. If using a 9 or 9½-inch pan, use ⅓ cup of batter. Pour the batter into the pan and shake the pan immediately to spread the batter evenly. When the topside of the crêpe is totally dry, starting to brown slightly around the edges, and producing little bubbles (after about 2 minutes), carefully flip the crêpe with a thin spatula. The other side will need less cooking time, around 1 to 1½ minutes.
  5. Carefully remove the finished crêpe and transfer to a plate. Repeat until all of the crêpe batter is used.
  6. Assemble: fill each crêpe with a large dollop of the Sweet Cashew Crème, spooning it lengthwise. Fold the edges of the crêpe toward the middle, one at a time, and then flip the crêpe over, with the top facing down on the plate. Spoon a generous amount of the Strawberry Tomato Coulis on top and garnish with diced strawberries and chopped walnuts.