Experience Nutrition

Category: Card Deck

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Drink Matcha Tea Today!

    by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    This morning a friend of mine was asking about my motivational New View of Healthy Eating Card Deck. I let her know that the intention of the deck is to motivate us to take action on our eating, cooking, and self-care. It’s been awhile since I personally used my deck, so I intuitively choose a card for today. This “Drink Matcha Green Tea Today” is the inspiration for today’s blog.

    MatchaTea

    I’ve been drinking matcha tea since 2004. I was just beginning to work in marketing and branding with Dr. Andrew Weil’s organization and learned about matcha and starting drinking it. Honestly, at first matcha was a little bitter for me and it took some time to become accustomed to drinking it. Now, I love matcha and drink it almost every day and enjoy the mindful process of preparing and drinking the tea.

    M-matcha-mel-DSCF9591

    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”

    Matcha: Tea of the Japanese tea ceremony

    • High quality Japanese green tea is covered before picking to accentuate its vibrant green color and to increase amino acids, as well as vitamins A and C.
    • The tea leaves are stone-ground, so we actually eat tea leaves when we drink matcha tea and receive the full benefits of green tea.
    • Intense grassy, green taste.

    P-435-M-matcha-DSCF9545-copy

    4 Simple Steps to Prepare Matcha Tea

    Step 1: Place ¼ tsp matcha in matcha bowl.

    Step 2: Add nearly boiled water.

    Step 3: Whisk with a bamboo whisk.

    P-438-M-matcha-DSCF9582-copy

    Step 4: Enjoy the ritual and ceremony.

    M-matcha-DSCF9588

    As a side note, my company created a beautiful matcha tea kit for the 2008 Super Bowl XLII in Phoenix. I have to say, I think we were a little ahead of the trends…

    P-439-M-matcha-DSCF9583-copy

    Action: Try some match tea today! Really!

    Hope you enjoy drinking matcha tea. Please share your experience with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    186-187_experience-green-tea

  • A New View of Healthy Eating 12-Week Arizona Winter CSA: Part 3: Week 2: Edible Flowers

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.

    During Week 2 of 12 weeks with my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Maya’s Farm at The Farm at South Mountain, I was so excited about the beautiful, colorful edible flowers in the salad. All my life I wanted to enjoy edible flowers in my home, and this was the week! Just like fresh farmers’ market produce the edible flowers create a rainbow of beauty and color in our salads.

    B-salad-flowers-IMG_4388

    When I stopped by The Farm at South Mountain on my way to teach a cooking class at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Maya Daily, the farmer, who has been urban farming for 10 years was getting her market ready for the morning customers.

    Week 2 CSA. Full of greens, roots and citrus: green curly kale, red Swiss chard, baby bok choy, salad mix with edible flowers, mini golden beets, red radishes, Arizona oranges, green garlic, and a fresh flowers.

    Veggie Stir-fry. This week I prepared another veggie stir-fry, which is a simple way to cook all kinds of roots and greens. This time it was inspired by the mini golden beets (about the size of my thumb) and mini bok choy, with fresh garlic and Arizona oranges. Click on CSA Week 1 to learn the steps to create your own intuitive stir-fry.

     

     

    Hand-toss Salad Greens. I was so excited about the salad greens with edible flowers and created a very quick and simple salad dressing with freshly squeezed orange, organic extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and sea salt. Unlike kale salads, where we massage the kale to marinate and soften its fiber, the key to dressing light salad greens is to gently hand-toss the greens, coating every leaf, right before serving. I enjoyed this very simple salad with farmers’ market tomatoes and cucumber.

    D-saladdressingflowers-IMG_4468
    Salad mix with edible flowers and orange garlic dressing.

    Hummus with Edible Flowers. This week in a whole food cooking class that I teach at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona, we held a hummus cooking off, which motivated me to make a hummus. Of course, the hummus I created featured the edible flowers and simple green salad. This hummus was so beautiful. It was actually a little hard to stop looking at its beauty and eat it. I totally enjoyed it, along with a second serving and left-overs.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Click for simple hummus recipe, which is the same recipe we used for catering at the VIP Tailgate Party at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami.

    ORDER NOW! Our “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” with motivational food, eating, culinary, and self care tips is available.

    Come on over to Facebook www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating and share your food creations with local farmers produce.

    To read all of the blogs for my 12 Week Commitment to the Arizona Winter CSA.

    Week 1:Part 1: Learn about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture

    Week 1: Part 2: Veggie Stir-fry

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: 12-Week Arizona CSA, Week 1: Veggie Stir-fry

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.

    During Week 1 of 12 weeks with my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) from Maya’s Farm at the Farm at South Mountain, only a mile from my Phoenix home, I created one of my favorite simple intuitive creations from the CSA: simple veggie stir-fry.

    Simple Veggie Stir-fry
    Have fun preparing a quick delicious stir-fry with a few simple steps. The key is to be organized. Pre-chop all your ingredients, and set up your mise en place (all ingredients in place) for your cooking before you start your stir-fry.

    To create a simple veggie stir-fry chose a few of your local in-season veggies, some roots and some greens. This stir-fry was inspired by the baby bok choy and fresh green garlic in this week’s CSA. Added to the stir-fry were some other veggies from local farmers, along with sun-dried tomatoes and capers. During the middle of the stir-fry I decided to add a little fresh lemon to de-glaze the pan and to add local Arizona citrus to the dish.

    Simple Ingredients
    • Organic extra virgin olive oil
    • Green garlic
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Carrots
    • Cauliflower
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Capers
    • Asparagus
    • Baby bok choy
    • Sea salt
    • Fresh lemon (extra!)

    Simple Steps
    • Gather your mise en place.
    • Pre-heat saute pan on medium-high.
    • Pour organic extra virgin olive oil into the pan.
    • Add the aromatics (green garlic) and cook a few minutes.
    • Add veggies you’d like to brown a little (Brussels sprouts).
    • Add dense veggies that need to cook a little longer (carrots, cauliflower).
    • Add extras (sun-dried tomatoes, capers).
    • Add vegetables that do not need to cook very long (asparagus, bok choy).
    • Enjoy!

    This stir-fry (really quick saute) method and recipes are in my new book “A New View of Healthy Eating” to launch in April 2016.

    Week-01-Stir-13-IMG_3954
    Week 1: Arizona CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Simple Stir-fry

    Hope you enjoy your own stir-fry this week! Come on over to Facebook and share your creations: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    Join our e-newsletter list for recipes, simple healthy culinary techniques, intuitive cooking, nutrition tips, mindful eating and self care. www.EXPNutrition.com

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: 12-Week Arizona Winter CSA: Part 1

    Arizona Winter CSA Part 1: Organic Salad Mix with Orange Green Garlic Dressing Recipe

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.2007 graduate Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Instructor Whole Foods Cooking and Conscious Eating, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. Her new book, “A New View of Healthy Eating” will be available in April 2016.

    Eat Local & In Season
    One of the best ways to eat local and in season is to get a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Share. Developed in the 1960’s in Japan, CSA programs are designed to build a relationship between the farmer and the community. At the beginning of each season farmers sell CSA memberships to consumers. Each week consumers receive a sampling of produce that’s available from one farmer or a group of local farmers. Cost is generally $25-35 per week for 6-8 weeks.

    CSA’s are great for those of us who wish to experiment with new-to-us locally grown food. CSA’s are generally distributed at farms, farmers’ markets, convenient pick-up locations, such as yoga studios, and some farms deliver CSA’s right to your home.

    My Commitment to a 12-Week CSA: A Mile from Home!
    This week I committed to a CSA with Maya’s Farm at The Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. Maya’s Farm is a small certified organic 7 acre farm and a quick 1 mile walk from my home. I purchased the Winter (Late February through mid-May) Arizona season for 12 weeks, at a total cost of $300, or $25 per week.

    Each week, I will blog about my simple whole food intuitive creations with the Winter Arizona CSA and share recipes, simple culinary techniques and nutrition tips.

    The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ
    Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, at Maya’s Farm, The Farm at South Mountain

    Week 1: February 20, 2016: Greens, Roots, Citrus and Tomatoes
    This morning, when I picked up my CSA at Maya’s Farm I was really excited to see the colorful rainbow baby carrots and smell the fresh green garlic. This week’s CSA share includes several different greens (Tuscano kale, mini bok choy, arugula, spring salad mix), rainbow baby carrots, fresh green garlic, a few tomatoes, red French breakfast radishes and different bright oranges.

    Arizona Lettuce Mix

     

    Arizona Organic Salad Mix with Orange Green Garlic Dressing Recipe
    As soon as I arrived in my kitchen, the pungent aromatherapy of the fresh green garlic and sweet aroma of the oranges was the inspiration for a very simple salad. The key to a farm-fresh salad is a simple light dressing, gently tossed with salad mix and a few colorful veggies.

    Orange Green Garlic Dressing

    Simple Ingredients
    • Orange, freshly squeezed
    • Twice as much organic extra virgin olive oil (eg. 1/8 cup orange juice: ¼ cup olive oil)
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Fresh green garlic, minced

    Simple Steps
    • Squeeze orange into jar.
    • Add olive oil.
    • Add sea salt and garlic.
    • Shake.
    • Taste. Add additional oil for more fat or orange juice for more acid.

    Arizona Winter Organic Salad
    Simple Ingredients
    • 2 cups salad mix
    • 3-4 rainbow carrots, sliced
    • 3-4 red radishes, sliced
    • 1-2 tomatoes

    Simple Steps
    • Gently toss salad mix with dressing, coating all leaves.
    • Add carrots, radishes, tomatoes and toss.
    • Plate and enjoy.

    Culinary Tips

    • Lightly toss salad greens with dressing right before serving to keep leaves fresh and not soggy.
    • To make a great salad dressing, use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and pair it with an acid. Use a 2:1 ratio of fat (olive oil) to acid (citrus or vinegar).
    • Create a salad with a rainbow of colorful veggies for beauty and a variety of nutrients.

    NOW AVAILABLE: Purchase “A New View of Healthy Eating. A-55 Card Deck” for motivational messages to inspire you to cook simple healthy whole food, try new recipes, learn simple culinary techniques and add selfcare to your life. “A New View of Healthy Eating” book to be launched April 2016.

    Join our e-newsletter list for recipes, simple healthy culinary techniques, intuitive cooking, nutrition tips, mindful eating and self care. www.EXPNutrition.com

    Share your CSA Creations on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Awesome Hummus for Super Bowl

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.

    Super Bowl 50 is tomorrow, so today is the perfect day to make your own healthy Super Bowl Hummus.

    I’ve been active with 5 Super Bowls over the last few years with Super Bowl logo healthy lifestyle products, catering at the Super Bowl VIP Tailgate in Tampa and Miami, and 2011 Official Health & Wellness Partner of the NFL Alumni with 9 events with nutrition education and catering with NFL Alumni and Hall of Fame Players Golf Classic.

    I’m excited to share with you the same recipe we made for the Super Bowl XLIV VIP Tailgate Party for the Super Bowl in Miami. Now, you can make it, too.

    Melanie Albet, Getting set for Super Bowl XLIV VIP Tailgate Party

    Simple Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • 1/3 cup chickpea water
    • 3 TBSP tahini (sesame seed paste or sesame seeds)
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1/8 tsp cumin seeds, ground
    • 1/8 tsp coriander seeds, grounds (seeds from cilantro)
    Hummus: Ingredients into food processor

    Simple Steps

    • Place all ingredients into high speed blender (such as Vitamix) or food processor
    • Blend until smooth
    • After the hummus has been blended, taste and add any more of the ingredients to your taste.

    Get Creative with Your Own Hummus
    Once you have learned how to make this basic hummus, experiment and intuitively create your own versions of hummus.

    •  Interesting extras. Add any of the following and blend again: Cilantro, dill, sautéed onions and garlic, sun-dried tomatoes or olives. Remember, you can make hummus with any kind of beans.
    • Different beans. Try making hummus with black beans, navy beans or a combination of your favorite beans.
    • Tahini or sesame seeds. Experiment with pre-made tahini or hand-grind your own sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle.
    • World flavors. Experiment with different herbs and spices. Make a Mediterranean hummus with basil, oregano and marjoram, roasted red peppers, olives and capers. Try a Mexican hummus with chili powder, coriander, garlic and fresh Jalapeno peppers and cilantro. Make an Indian version with cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger.

    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating” book to be launched April 2016. Join our e-newsletter list for recipes, simple healthy culinary techniques, intuitive cooking, nutrition tips, mindful eating and self care. www.EXPNutrition.com

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Hummus Recipe

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Always Make Your Own Salad Dresssing: Book Excerpt

    by Melanie Albert, Food and nutrition expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    For several years I’ve been guiding clients, from young golfers, to holistic practitioners, to former NFL players, to seniors to create a raw kale salad. The key is a simple-to-prepare salad dressing. In my next book to be released in April 2016, “A New View of Healthy Eating,” I share simple culinary techniques. Once you learn the techniques, you can intuitively create your own dishes.

    How to make a basic salad dressing is one of those simple culinary techniques. I’m sharing the draft from the book around creating salad dressings and look forward your feedback when you experiment with your own salad dressings.

    Come and share your photos with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”

    EXPERIENCE NUTRITION SIGNATURE RAW MASSAGED KALE SALAD
    Make your own gourmet raw kale salad with your favorite fruit, berries, nuts and seeds. Learn how to make a simple salad dressing, massage your kale, and add-in your favorite seasonal fruit and berries, and nuts and seeds.

    “The key to a tender kale salad is a simple dressing and massaging the kale. And, the fun is in creating a beautiful, tasty kale salad is the seasonal fruit and berries. One of my very favorite add-ins in a kale salad is local Arizona organic pomegranate seeds.” Melanie Albert

    Basic Salad Dressing: 3 Ingredients. That’s It
    Three key ingredients for a salad dressing include a fat, acid and salt. Optional add-ins include aromatics (such as garlic and onions), fresh herbs and sweeteners like raw local honey and fresh dates. To make your initial dressing for a kale salad, start with fresh lemon, organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and garlic. Once you have learned how to prepare a dressing with this technique, you can use this method to create your own unique salad dressings for a raw kale salad or other fresh salads.

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1 fresh lemon, squeezed, approximately ¼ cup
    • Organic extra virgin olive oil, twice as much as the lemon juice, approximately ½ cup
    • ¼ tsp sea salt
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

    Simple Steps

    • Squeeze a fresh organic lemon into a pint-size Mason jar
    • Pour in twice as much olive oil as the lemon
    • Sprinkle in sea salt and minced garlic
    • Shake the jar
    • Taste and notice if your dressing seems too oily, acidy or too little or too much salt. This is a great place to mindfully use your cooking intuition. Add-in ingredients until the dressing tastes great to you.
    A-02-saladdress-02-IMG_2688
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Basic Salad Dressing

    Create Your Own Salad Dressing

    Learn the simple salad dressing technique and then create your own with different fats, different acids, and add-ins, such as sweeteners or freshly minced herbs or sweeteners. Sweeteners such as honey, can be used to balance a dressing that seems too acid tasting.

    • Fats: Olive oil, grape seed oil, nut oils, such as walnut oil
    • Acid: Citrus (Lemon, limes, oranges); Vinegars (Balsamic, rice red or white wine), stone-ground mustard
    • Salt: Your choice of sea salt or Himalayan salt
    • Optional Sweeteners: Raw honey or dates
    • Optional Aromatics: Garlic, green onions, shallots, red onions
    • Optional Freshly Minced Herbs: Basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley

    Our new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” is NOW available to purchase. Get inspirational shopping, culinary, mindful eating, self care messages to add to your life! CLICK to PURCHASE

    A2-IMG_6687
    “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck”

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Philosophies Part 3: Eat Mindfully

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ. Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Holistic Nutrition and Whole Food Cooking Instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

    A New View of Healthy Eating begins with the food we choose to eat, and extends to our shopping, cooking and eating experiences.

    The key philosophies are:
    • Eat real whole foods
    • Shop local and in season
    • Enjoy intuitive shopping
    • Cook with intuition
    • Eat mindfully
    • Enjoy life

    Today, we focus on Eat Mindfully

    A-mindfuleating-IMG_2027
    A New View of Healthy Eating: I Commit to Mindful Eating

    When we eat, this is the time to enjoy our food, the beauty of our food, and to enjoy our family and friends in a beautiful environment. Enjoy the social time to connect with your family or friends. Or, if eating alone, take the time to pause and enjoy the quiet meditative time for yourself.

    A few ideas to add mindful eating to your life:

    •  Set your table with a pleasing environment, using real plates and silverware and perhaps flowers and music.
    • When you eat, pause and enjoy the beauty and aroma of the food that was grown and lovingly prepared for you.
    • Really mindfully eat. Pause, chew, place your fork down, and pause again.
    • Enjoy your meal with all your senses.

    “The key to mindful eating is to pause and enjoy your food and the connections with yourself, your family and friends. “ Melanie Albert

    This week, I invite you to pause when you are eating and notice if you are eating mindfully.

    If you are not eating very mindfully, I invite you to add one mindful eating idea to your meal. Come over and share your experience with us on Facebook.

    And, enjoy!

    Click to Purchase: If you are interested in my “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” for your personal inspiration around farmers market shopping, simple culinary skills, quick whole food recipes, intuitive cooking, mindful eating and self care.

    A-PrivateClass-IMG_8367
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Set your table with a pleasing environment.

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Commit to Intuitively Shopping & Cooking: Kumquat Challenge

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ. Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Holistic Nutrition and Whole Food Cooking Instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

    These intuitive culinary creations were all inspired by the little 7 foot tall organic kumquat tree in my backyard, which was full of bright orange ripe kumquats when I returned to Arizona from Florida, after the Christmas holiday.

    A2-Kumquat-tree-IMG_0799
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Arizona Organic Kumquat Tree

    Very excited, I challenged myself to create different dishes with the kumquats, rather than getting stuck in the rut. And, I was inspired by the card in my new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck”: Commit to Intuitive Shopping & Cooking.

    IMG_1357
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Commit to Intuitive Shopping & Cooking

     “All of the creations with the kumquats were intuitively created with local Arizona organic farmers’ market produce. These kumquat creations are definitely a “new view,” as this was the first time I have ever created these dishes and smoothie. The point is, when we shop and cook intuitively, with a few basic cooking techniques and a few fresh whole foods, we can create quick delicious drinks, salads and breakfast meals.” Melanie Albert

    Kumquats are a little tangy, sweet and spicy at the same time and remind me of a little sour orange. Since kumquats are so small, about the size of a large olive, and do not have a lot of juice, I slice them thin and eat the skin.

    A3-Fruitsalad-cara-cara-kumquat-IMG_0830
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Arizona Citrus Fruit Salad

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 1: Arizona Citrus Fruit Salad. Inspired by the kumquats, along with our Arizona in season sweet cara cara oranges, this fruit salad was built layer by layer, first with the cara cara orange, then the local Arizona apple, the kumquats, a few sprinkles of fresh pomegranate seeds, and topped with freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

    A4-kashakumquat
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Kasha & Kumquats. Perfect Warm Breakfast.

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 2: Kasha & Kumquats. Perfect Warm Breakfast. Perfect for a chilly day, kasha (or buckwheat), which is a gluten-free pseudograin, topped with apples, kumquat, walnuts, raw Arizona honey and the aromatherapy of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

    A5-kumquat-smoothie-ginger-goji-IMG_1024
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Kumquat & Raspberry Smoothie

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 3: Kumquat & Raspberry Smoothie: Blended raspberries, bananas, and slices of kumquat with coconut water and topped with goji berries and this week’s signature kumquats. Love the fresh, refreshing sharp taste of the kumquats.

    A6-Day-08-Avocado-Kale-Kumquat-Salad-IMG_1184
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Avocado Kale Kumquat Salad

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 4: Avocado Kale Kumquat Salad: Dinosaur kale massaged with avocado, fresh squeezed lemon and sea salt, tossed with kumquats and Arizona tomatoes and celery for a fresh, crunchy lunch salad.

    There are still plenty of kumquats on my little tree, so next on my Kumquat Challenge are dehydrated kumquats and kumquat sorbet. I invite you to join us on Facebook and share your intuitive cooking creations.

    Click to Purchase: If you are interested in my “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” for your personal inspiration around farmers market shopping, simple culinary skills, quick whole food recipes, intuitive cooking, mindful eating and self care.

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Pomegranate Smoothie with Just-Made Almond Milk

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Inspired by the pomegranates sitting on my counter, I decided to create a smoothie. I wanted this smoothie to be special, since I’ve loved sweet juicy pomegranates since I was a young kid mindfully picking the seeds out of the fruit like crab meat, with the deep red juice dripping down my arms.

    A-IMG_0682
    A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck

    Intuitively, I created the pomegranate smoothie with home-made almond milk, which is delicious, even by itself. Enjoy the process of creating this thick, creamy sweet smoothie.

    D-IMG_0614

    Simple Ingredients
    • 1 pomegranate, seeded
    • 1 cup coconut water
    • ½ cup almonds
    • 1 Medjool date
    • 1 frozen banana

    A-IMG_0523

    Simple Steps to Get the Seeds out of a Pomegranate, without all the Mess!

    • Cut pomegranate in half
    • Place pomegranate in a bowl of water
    • Tear apart the pomegranate. Seeds will float to the bottom of the bowl and the tan membrane will rise to the top
    • Mindfully examine the seeds and take out small piece of membrane

    Fresh Home-made Almond Milk

    • Blend coconut water, almonds and date in high-speed blender for 1-2 minutes
    • Enjoy a taste

    Simple Steps: My First Ever Pomegranate Smoothie

    • Add banana to the almond milk in the blender and blend for about a minute
    • Enjoy another taste
    • Sprinkle pomegranate seeds into blender and blend for another minute
    • Pour smoothie into glass
    • Top with a few pomegranate seeds and almonds to add a crunch to the smoothie
    • Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

    Fun with mise en place: All ingredients set up to prepare the smoothie.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Come on over to Facebook www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating and share your smoothie creations with us!

    A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck is available NOW: www.EXPNutrition.com

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Broil Wild Sockeye Salmon

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Broil Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

    A-card-IMG_0094

    Today’s “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck”Broil Wild Sockeye Salmon was influenced by the memory of teaching former NFL player, Arizona Cardinal, John Bronson, to cook wild Alaskan salmon, and shooting a video with him 3 years ago at The Legacy Golf Resort.

     “Often people ask me what kind of eater I am: Melanie are you vegan? Are you vegetarian? I respond that I’m a pescatarian, that I primarily eat plant-based vegetarian, with the addition of fish, primarily wild salmon. I love the mild flavor of wild Alaskan salmon and it’s so simple to very quickly prepare salmon by broiling or grilling it with organic extra virgin olive oil and a blend of dried herbs.” Melanie Albert

    Wild Alaskan Salmon on the Grill (or Broiled) Recipe
    In 2011, as an Official Health & Wellness Partner of the NFL Alumni Association, my organization Experience Nutrition, had the honor to serve this simple Wild Alaskan Salmon Recipe at several Super Bowl XLV weekend events in Dallas. The former NFL players keep coming back for more salmon, so it was obvious that they enjoyed it. The recipe is very easy to prepare. Grill or broil the salmon with a few spices and olive oil to easily create for a restaurant-quality meal in your home.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Ingredients

    • 4 Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon filets (4-6 ounces per person), sliced into 1/2” strips
    • 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 TBSP dried herbs and spices: garlic granules, onion granules, dried dill, lemon peel, fennel, black pepper and sea salt

    Simple Steps

    1. Defrost salmon filets in refrigerator for a few hours or under cold running water
    2. Slice wild salmon into thin strips, about 1/2 inch wide and 1-2 inches long
    3. Prepare salmon marinate by mixing olive oil and spices and herbs
    4. Marinate salmon with spices and herbs in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, or even overnight
    5. Pre-heat broiler or grill on medium high for 15 minutes before you are ready to cook your salmon
    6. Place filets on a flat tray with parchment paper for broiling or directly on grill
    7. Cook each side about 3-5 minutes
    8. Remove salmon from grill right before salmon is completely cooked, as it will continue to cook when taken off grill
    9. Let salmon sit for about 5 minutes
    10. Enjoy with a veggie stir-fry, steamed veggies or a raw kale salad, with a whole grain, such as quinoa

    Cook your wild salmon and share your photos with us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: New Beginning with Ocean Sunrise

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition, food & cooking author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    This morning, the day after Christmas 2015, after witnessing the first full moon since 1977 early Christmas morning, I decided to walk to the beach, Cocoa Beach, to enjoy the magnificence of the sunrise.

    In one word: Breath-taking!

    A-sunrise-beach-2015-1226-IMG_9114.JPG

    The sunrise in our East on the ocean is the message of new beginnings, new ideas and new energy.

    Reflect & Dream Big. Inspired by the ocean sunrise, I invite you to take some quiet time these last few days of the year, to both reflect on your accomplishments, and intuitively vision your new beginnings. For reflection and vision, take quiet time, perhaps with nature, walking on the beach, sitting near a stream, hiking in the desert, or sitting in your favorite quiet spot in your home.

    A-card-dream-reflect-IMG_9171

    Reflection
    As you reflect on your past, I invite you to focus on your accomplishments and celebrate with yourself, your family or friends.

    • What is your #1 personal accomplishment for 2015? Journal all the details in your accomplishment and savor them while you are writing. How did you feel? Who were you with? Where were you?
    • What is your #1 business or career accomplishment in 2015? Journal on the all details of your accomplishment and your strengths that helped you achieve your accomplishment.
    • What is your #1 accomplishment that really surprised you? For this one, journal about something that may have been outside your comfort zone, or something that you experienced that had an awesome unexpected positive result.
    • Share your accomplishments with your family and friends.

    New Beginnings
    Now, as we look into the East, with new beginnings, new ideas and new excitement, I invite you to be intuitive and feel your deep passion as you wildly dream.

    • In your wildest dreams, listening to your heart, your intuition, what is your #1 personal accomplishment for 2016? Describe in your journaling, all the details about it. What exactly is it, how do you feel? Who are your with? Where are you?
    • In your wildest dreams, again listening to your heart, your intuition, what is your #1 business or career accomplishment for 2016? Journal on all the details, your strengths, and exactly what this achievement looks and feels like.

    Anchor. For your 2016 accomplishments, I invite you to create an anchor, to ground your vision and as a reminder of your accomplishments throughout the year.

    • What is your one word to anchor your 2016 personal accomplishment?
    • What is your one word to anchor your 2016 business / career accomplishment?A-anchor-IMG_9164

    If you wish, visit us on Facebook and share your New Beginning Wild Dreams

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Enjoy Dehydrated Organic Tomatoes

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Motivational message from “A New View of Healthy Eating, A-55 Card Deck”

    Enjoy Dehydrated Tomatoes

    A-dehydrate-IMG_8418
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Enjoy Dehydrating Tomatoes, Bananas & Apples

    Dehydrating is a simple, quick way to prepare veggies for different types of people and for different culinary uses:

    • Raw Diet. Raw foodists (who eat food that is not cooked above 118 degrees) dehydrate lots of fruit, vegetables, crackers with nuts and seeds for everyday eating.
    • Simple Fruit. Kids and adults of all ages enjoy dehydrated fruit (bananas, apples, persimmons) for everyday snacks.
    • Culinary Delight. Chefs and culinary enthusiasts dehydrate to concentrate and intensify the flvor of food, such as tomatoes, sweet peppers and beets.

    20 Pound Flat of Organic Tomatoes. A few months ago I purchased a 20 pound flat of organic tomatoes at an Arizona Farmers’ Market. I sautéed some of the tomatoes into a simple sauce with garlic and onions; roasted some tomatoes with garlic, onions, and carrots for a thick tomato sauce; and dehydrated a batch into a beautiful culinary treat with a deep, rich, sweet garnish for salads, veggies, avocado salsas, and pizza.

    A-tomatoes-dehydrate-IMG_2967
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Dehydrated Organic Tomatoes

    Home-grown Dehydrated Bananas. This week while in Cocoa Beach, Florida, we harvested dozens of bananas from my 80+ year old parents’ yard. My Dad was actually thinking about buying a dehydrator since they grow bananas year-round and literally have 100s of fresh bananas. We dehydrated our first batch of bananas for about 12 hours which are so crunchy, sweet and full of flavor. We also dehydrated a few organic apples that are so crispy and melt in your mouth.

    IMG_8294
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Dehydrated Home-grown Bananas

    Dehydrate! I invite you to dehydrate some fruit and share your photos on our Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    For motivational messages for healthy eating, intuitive cooking, culinary skills, mindful eating, and self care, purchase “A New Way of Healthy Eating”, A-55 Card Deck

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Philosophies: Part 3: Cook with Intuition

    by Melanie Albert, Food & nutrition author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ

    “A New View of Healthy Eating” begins with the food we choose to eat, and extends to our shopping, cooking and eating experiences.

    Key philosophies of “A New View of Healthy Eating”

    • Eat real whole foods
    • Shop local and in season
    • Enjoy intuitive shopping
    • Cook with intuition
    • Eat mindfully
    • Enjoy life

    Today’s Focus:  Cooking with Intuition

    When we cook with intuition, we first use recipes as guides, learn simple culinary cooking techniques, and then intuitively create beautiful, tasty meals with real whole foods.

    A-Stir-fry-04-IMG_4888
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Intuitive Cooking: Farmers’ Market Organic Stir-fry

    With intuitive cooking we use recipes as guides. We first learn simple basic culinary methods and techniques (such as raw, steaming, roasting) to prepare real whole foods with recipes as our guide. Naturally, over time, we learn to trust our own intuition to cook foods we desire using cooking techniques we have learned.

    Overtime, we do not need to rely on recipes. We trust ourselves and our culinary skills to create our own healthy dishes. For instance, we learn the culinary technique to steam carrots in a bamboo steamer and use our recipe to finish the carrots with walnut oil, toasted cumin, fresh lemon juice and parsley and a pinch of sea salt. After learning the bamboo steamer technique to quickly steam veggies, we create other steamed veggies (such as broccoli and cauliflower) and finish them with different oils, spices and herbs.

    Cook Mindfully. With intuitive cooking we also naturally cook more mindfully, meditatively enjoying the rhythm of chopping veggies or the mindfulness of massaging kale or grating fresh spices.

    Share your Intuitive Cooking experiences with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    Purchase “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” at www.EXPNutrition.com for motivational messages around healthy eating, culinary skills, simple recipes, mindful eating and self care.

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Brew Loose Green Tea the Right Way

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition, food and whole food cooking expert, author and speaker; Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ

    Today’s motivational eating, cooking and mindfulness card from “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck”

    Brew your own Loose Green Tea

    AA-greentea-IMG_7797c-smaller

    Enjoying Green Tea for 11 Years
    I started drinking green and matcha tea in 2004, 11 years ago, when I first starting working in marketing and licensing with Dr. Andrew Weil (Weil Lifestyle, LLC) who is an advocate of the health benefits of green tea.

    Top 6 Reasons Green Tea is Good for You
    1. The antioxidant, ECGC, in green tea is an anti-inflammatory
    2. Research has found that green tea benefits heart health, brain health and helps prevent cancer
    3. It is full of catechins and polyphenols which help the brain relax and stimulate dopamine levels
    4. Theanine in green tea helps improve mood and provides a sense of relaxation
    5. Less caffeine than coffee
    6. It tastes delicious, so enjoy a few cups every day

    Green Tea Experience: From Bitter to Mindful. When I first started drinking loose green tea, it was very bitter tasting to me, but I kept experimenting with different teas and even attended The World Tea Expo a few years. Importantly, I learned the proper way to brew green tea for an enjoyable, smooth taste Today, I I love the smooth, grassy taste and the mindful experience of brewing and enjoying tea.

    Brew Green Tea Perfectly Every Time. I invite you to take the time to try a Japanese green loose tea, such as the high quality Gyokuro or Sencha, the most popular Japanese tea. The key is to brew your tea properly so it is not bitter tasting.
    • Bring a few cups of water to almost a boil
    • Pour over tea leaves in a pot or with a tea strainer
    • Brew for about a minute or two
    • Enjoy your green tea throughout the day

    Share your green tea brewing experience photos with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    And, if you’d like a daily motivational tip around healthy eating, culinary skills, simple whole food recipes and self care, our “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” is NOW available: www.EXPNutrition.com

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Simply Sprout Beans

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Today’s Motivational Card

    Simply Sprout Beans

    AA-sprouts-2015-1216-IMG_7717
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Try mung beans

    Awesome First Sprouting Experience. It was a year ago when I really started to sprout beans, while taking the Professional Plant-based Culinary Course with Rouxbe. I was in Florida visiting my parents and we decided to experiment with all kinds of organic beans (mung, adzuki, green lentils) and a few seeds (sunflower and broccoli). We ended up sprouting about 12 quart jars of beans in a week and harvested so much we shared with neighbors.

    B-Sprout-Cocoa-2014-12-IMG_4221
    First bean and seed Sprouting Experience: Exceeded our expectations.

    Popular Mung Beans. Today, our focus is mung beans, which are the most widely eaten sprout on our planet. The sprouting process releases dormant enzymes that make the beans more easily digestible and in some cases, even more nutritious.

    Eat Mung Beans Raw or Cooked. Mung beans, a great plant-protein, are very easy and fun to sprout, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw mung beans add a nice crunch on top a salad, avocado salsa, or hummus. And can be cooked for added protein in a veggie stir-fry or soup, and have been used in many Chinese dishes for centuries.

    6 Simple Steps to Sprout Mung Beans
    1. Soak ¼ cup mung beans in a few cups of water for 8-12 hours out of direct sunlight
    2. Rinse beans and place them in a wide mouth quart Mason jar with a wire lid
    3. Rinse beans with water 2-4 times a day
    4. After each rinsing, rest jar on a slant, so any extra water can drain
    5. Harvest beans 2-5 days
    6. Enjoy raw or cooked!

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Avocado Salsa Day!

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Today my 89 year old Dad chose our card from “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck.”

     Avocado Salsa Day

    IMG_7039.JPG

    Fortunately, we have a few organic avocados, fresh garlic, dehydrated local Arizona tomatoes in our home as a base for our avocado salsa.

    With intuitive cooking, making avocado salsa is so simple:

    Intuitive Recipe Guide

    • Squeeze ripe avocado into bowl.
    • Squeeze ¼ fresh lemon and dash of sea salt on avocado and massage the avocado.
    • Add an herb: chopped cilantro or basil.
    • Add-in your favorite veggies, such as rainbow carrots, cucumbers, green onions.
    • Mix in extras: Olives, sprouted mung beans.

    I’ll being going to the Sunseed Coop in Cape Canaveral, FL, to see what extras are available and will make my batch of avocado salsa this evening.

    Look forward to seeing photos of your creative avocado salsas on Facebook.

    Available Now: “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck.”

  • A New View of Healthy Eating 55-Card Deck: Go for a Nature Walk

    by Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food author, speaker, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Today’s message from my new “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck” for today is:

    Go for a Nature Walk: Self care with Earth

    A-card-nature-A-IMG_6881
    A New View of Healthy Eating

    This was the absolute perfect card for today, as I had the opportunity to spend a beautiful afternoon walking on the beach, Cocoa Beach, FL, to simply be with nature.

    A-card-naturewalk-B-IMG_6882
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Go for a Nature Walk: Self care with Earth

    Definitely self care with the Earth.

    • The rhythm of the waves reminds us to breathe in deeply and to exhale slowly.
    • The sand under our feet reminds us that we are connected to the Earth.
    • The bright blue sky reminds us that we are connected with the Universe.
    • The ebb and flow of the ocean reminds us that we are always changing.
    • The ocean itself reminds us that deep within ourselves we are always the same.
    A-nature-beach-IMG_6937
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Breathe in and breathe out at the beach.

     

    A-nature-wave-IMG_6926
    Self care with Earth: Ebb & flow with the waves.

    I invite you to take time this week, to go out for a nature walk, wherever you are, and practice self care with nature.

    Visit us on Facebook and share this week’s experiences with nature. Would love to see some photos!

    You can purchase the cards on my website: www.EXPNutrition.com

    A-nature-seagrass-IMG_6897
    Enjoy nature this week!

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Eat What You Love

    by Melanie Albert, Food and nutrition expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC.

    Our card today from my new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck”:

    Eat What You Love

    A-EatWhatYouLove-IMG_6802
    A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck: Eat What You Love

    I was very excited about his message today, as I have one of my favorite foods in my home right now, organic dark chocolate, which I will definitely enjoy.

    To me, the message around this card is to give ourselves permission to eat and enjoy foods that we may have deprived ourselves from eating in our past or even today.

    I invite you, right now, to grab a piece of paper and pencil and do the following exercise:

    • Step 1: Write down all of the foods that you absolutely love. Be creative. Write down all of the foods, even from spices, to olive oil, to fruits, to veggies, to snacks, to beverages.
    • Step 2: Now, draw a circle around 5 of those foods that you generally deprive yourself of. That is, you love the food, but you do not eat that food.
    • Step 3: Draw another circle around one of those 5 foods that you commit to eat this week. Choose your food that you will, right now, give yourself unconditional permission to eat. Unconditional permission to eat with joy!
    • Step 4: Say out loud with passion: “I love my life and I give myself unconditional permission to eat_________________” (fill in your food)
    • Step 5: Go out and purchase your food or go out to a restaurant and enjoy your food with a friend.
    • Step 6: Share your experiences with us on Facebook. Would love to see your photos of you enjoying your “eat what you love food” and how this experience was for you.

    Often when we do this “eat what you love” exercise in classes and workshops, people give themselves permission to eat chocolate cake. Pizza is always on the top of the list. Many love ice cream. Do you relate?

    Have fun and really enjoy your food this week!

     

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Try a New Food

    by Melanie Albert, Author, Nutrition & food expert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Now that my new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” is in my hands, I will be sharing a few cards with you each week. It is my intention to motivate you to take action around food in a positive way, with new ways to shop, new culinary skills, trying a new recipe, eating mindfully, or adding a little self care in your life.

    Today, our card is:  Try a New Food. Not all radishes are red.

    AA-IMG_6710c
    A New View of Healthy Eating: Try a New Food

    In November, while shopping at a local Phoenix farmers market for a catering event for the non-profit, Mankind USA, there were many different colored radishes available, so I actually purchased all of them, from bright red, to white, to purple, to watermelon radish. I knew we would be roasting roots for the event, so I bought the rainbow of radishes. We also used the radishes raw for dipping in the amazing hummus. When eaten raw, radishes are often a little spicy and when roasted they become naturally sweet.

    A-radish-01-IMG_6705
    Not all Radishes are Red

    A farmers’ market is the perfect place to experiment with new foods, you have never tried before. Look for a food you do not recognize, ask the farmer about it, and they may also give you ideas on how to prepare it.

    C-IMG_5015
    Look at the beautiful purple radish!

    I invite you to visit a farmers’ market or natural market, and buy one, just one, new-to-you fresh veggie. Come over to Facebook (www.Facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating) and share a photo of your new veggie with us and how you prepare it. We can give you suggestions on how to prepare it.

    Most important, have fun and enjoy new, interesting food this week.

    The first printing of the new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” is now available to purchase on our website: www.EXPNutrition.com

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Philosophies: Part 2: Shop Local, In Season, With Intuition

    by Melanie Albert, Food & nutrition author and speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ

    A New View of Healthy Eating begins with the food we choose to eat, and extends to our shopping, cooking and eating experiences.

    The key philosophies are:

    • Eat real whole foods
    • Shop local and in season
    • Enjoy intuitive shopping
    • Cook with intuition
    • Eat mindfully
    • Enjoy life

    In this blog we are focusing on shopping, where and how to shop for real whole foods.

    IMG_5643

    Shop local and in season. When we eat food that is grown by local farmers, community gardens or our home gardens, our food is fresher and more nutritious since it is more recently harvested has not traveled thousands of miles and many days to arrive at a grocery store and our table. When we eat food that is in season, we eat food that our bodies naturally need at that particular time of the year or location around the world. We also support our local farmers and local economy. And, we have the opportunity to experiment with new foods that we may not be familiar with.

    “I love to the opportunity to try new-to-me foods, especially when I shop at farmers markets. Sometimes I do not recognize a plant food, but I buy it anyway and experiment with it in my kitchen or classes.” Melanie Albert

    Enjoy Intuitive Shopping. Enjoy the Process of Intuitive Shopping. When we shop for our food, it’s important to first pause and listen to our body. What are we craving right now? When shopping, shop mindfully and pay attention to the foods, colors, textures, and even aromas we are intuitively drawn to. Sometimes we might be drawn to lots of greens, other times it may be citrus or tomatoes. This is especially fun when we shop at different farmers markets and notice our choices in food during different times of the year.

    “Intuitive shopping is fun. Listen to your cravings and shop with your senses.” Melanie Albert

    This week, visit a farmers’ market and shop with your intuition. Come over to our new page on Facebook, and share photos of your shopping experience: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

    For daily motivation check out our new: “A New View of Healthy Eating, 55-Card Deck.” Available NOW www.EXPNutrition.com