It is no secret that we love to create recipes that utilize seasonal produce items. The summer sun is shining, which means a plethora of new produce items should be showing up in your local grocery store. Among those items, you should see an array of melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and maybe other varieties, depending on your location. Although not technically a melon, cucumber is another popular summer fruit. Believe it or not, cucumber belongs to the same plant family, Cucurbitaceae, as watermelon.

When you make beverages with naturally sweet ingredients, such as the cantaloupe, you do not need to add extra sweeteners, such as maple syrup or raw agave nectar. Cantaloupe is not only sweet and delicious, but it is also rich in a variety of nutrients and health properties. Like apricots, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, tangerines and mangos, cantaloupe is a great source of beta-carotene. This valuable carotenoid gives cantaloupe its orange color, but it also converts to vitamin A in the body, where it is used to fight free radicals and benefit eye health, immune function, and support red blood cells.

Although cantaloupe provides great nutrition and sweetness for this refreshing beverage, we cannot ignore the cucumber. Like cantaloupe, cucumber is a wonderfully hydrating fruit that helps enhance immune function due to its vitamin C content. Some test-tube and animal studies indicate that cucumbers may help regulate blood sugar levels. In a 2016 test-tube study, for example, cucumbers were effective at reducing oxidative stress and preventing diabetes related complications. More research is still necessary on this matter, though. What does not require more research is the deliciousness of this refreshing summer beverage!

SHARE:

The post Cucumber Melon Refresher appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

When the weather gets warmer, we have to bust out the refreshing recipes. Nothing quite like adding a little zest to your life with some spicy and sweet flavor combinations. That’s exactly what this pineapple jicama and cucumber salad is! If you are familiar with Mexican fruit vendors, you’ll understand this recipe perfectly. Typically, the vendor slices up a variety of fruits, such as papaya, melon, pineapple, jicama, cucumber, mango, and more, and places it in a cup or plate. Anyone can prepare a bowl of fruit, but the toppings make the recipe. The fruit is dressed with lime juice, a chili lime seasoning (typically Tajin), and Chamoy, which is a salty sweet condiment that has a touch of spice.

Now, both Chamoy and Tajin are not the healthiest of ingredients, so you somewhat negate the health benefits of the fruits you eat by drowning them in both of these. The good news is that you can make a healthier rendition of a fruit cart staple. You can use chili powder, lime juice, fresh orange juice, and a hint of agave to flavor your already sweet and delicious fruit. But why add the jicama? Well, jicama is a tuber that exhibits a crisp, crunchy texture and mildly nutty flavor. It is a fun way to get fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and inulin, a prebiotic fiber that supports healthy digestion. Plus, jicama offers an assortment of antioxidant compounds that may help prevent cell damage and oxidative stress!

What if you are not a fan of spice? You can opt out of the chili powder entirely, or you can choose to reduce the amount and increase as you get more comfortable with the spice level. With the addition of two citrus juices and agave, though, your palate should be just fine!

SHARE:

The post Pineapple Jicama And Cucumber Salad appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Ready your spoon because you’re about to dive into the refreshing world of a vibrant cucumber basil gazpacho. It’s the perfect warm weather appetizer that is every bit as crisp as it is cool. Each spoonful is a delightful experience for your palate, as it contains cucumbers, fragrant basil leaves, green onions, avocado, and a handful of seasonings. This gazpacho embodies the essence of late spring and summer in every bite. It is truly a celebration of raw vegan cuisine without a single processed ingredient in sight. Keeping your produce raw means that each item retains its natural enzymes and nutrients, offering a boost of health in every bite. The silky texture and zesty flavor make it a great appetizer or light meal, especially when temperatures rise.

The cucumber provides a hydrating crispness, while the basil adds a fragrant, herbaceous punch that elevates the entire gazpacho. The fresh garlic and briny flavor of apple cider vinegar help bring the flavors together in a harmonious symphony. Additionally, the avocado gives this gazpacho a luxuriously creamy texture, making each bite more irresistibly nourishing and flavorful than the last.

If you are seeking a guilt-free indulgence, this cucumber basil gazpacho is as easy to prepare as it is to enjoy. Add all of your ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth, and then serve immediately. No heat required! You can whip it up in a pinch or throw it together when you are extremely hungry. Whether you serve it as an appetizer at your next dinner party or a refreshing snack on a hot day, this gazpacho will not disappoint. Embrace the cool, green goodness and allow your taste buds to revel in the raw revolution!

SHARE:

The post Cucumber Basil Gazpacho appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

At Dherbs, we constantly preach the benefits of adhering to a plant-based diet, primarily because plant foods offer valuable nutritional benefits. It is true that fruits and vegetables can help reduce inflammation, improve immune function, boost brain health, etc. What may shock you is that some of these fruits and vegetables, despite being rich in nutrients, can cause some serious bloating. Lentils, some fruits, and various cruciferous vegetables, can be quite difficult for some people to digest.

The good news is that there are foods that can help counteract all that bloating. Stuff a whole bunch of those anti-bloat foods in a smoothie and enjoy it when you’re feeling like your pants won’t button properly. So what is in this smoothie that gives it the anti-bloating properties? Let’s detail the ingredients below:

• Ginger: A natural anti-inflammatory ingredient that also functions as a digestive aid. It works to relax the muscles in the digestive tract, which helps prevent bloating.
• Cucumber: The cucumber is made up of over 90% water, which not only aids your hydration efforts, but also helps fight bloating. Too often do people get bloated because they are not properly hydrated.
• Banana: Bananas are rich in potassium, which works to regulate sodium levels, an effort that prevents water retention. Too much sodium in the body can increase the risk of elevated blood pressure levels and bloating. That is why bananas and other potassium-rich foods help fight back against bloating.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Although this ingredient is optional and the smoothie will taste better without it, apple cider vinegar does help relieve bloating and gas. If you are serious about reducing that bloat, consider adding this to the smoothie.
• Coconut Water: This is the fresh stuff directly from a young Thai coconut. Like bananas, it is rich in potassium.

SHARE:

The post The Anti-Bloat Smoothie appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Get ready to spice up your life and refresh your palate with this new refreshing raw vegan cucumber salad. Skip the leafy greens this time, folks, and save them for a rainy day. This salad is all about the crunchy cucumber, which offers a lovely crisp texture that helps to promote hydration. At its core, this salad is merely a mound of thinly sliced cucumbers, but the dressing is the real star of the show, offering acidic, spicy, and herbaceous notes from the cilantro and mint, which elevate the dish’s aromatic qualities.

The dressing combines tangy apple cider vinegar, a touch of coconut aminos, and a hint of fresh lime juice to create a zesty kick. You cannot forget the red pepper flakes, which bring the spicy kick to the flavor party. Because this dressing includes coconut aminos, you don’t want to use a very flavorful oil. We used avocado oil, as opposed to olive oil, for the neutral flavor. It’s also full of healthy fats! Add all of those things together and you have an incredibly harmonious dressing that effortlessly envelops the crisp cucumber slices with impressive flavor that your taste buds cannot resist.

Last, but certainly not least, garnish the salad with a hefty serving of sesame seeds. If you’re feeling a little daring and crave a little more intensity, add some thinly sliced red onion or chopped green onion to the salad. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy this salad, which is ideal for warmer days. It’s truly a delightful culinary experience that is both nourishing and satisfying.

SHARE:

The post Raw Vegan Spicy Cucumber Salad appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

You do not typically see cucumbers in a coleslaw recipe. Traditionally, you have green and purple cabbage, carrots, and potentially some other ingredients, such as apples, herbs, or nuts. This slaw is a slight departure from the traditional recipe, especially in regards to the dressing. A typical coleslaw dressing is mayonnaise-based, but you cannot have that while cleansing. Instead, we went a slightly Asian route and created a highly addictive, somewhat spicy ginger dressing. You lightly dress the slaw in the dressing, being careful not to douse the slaw in it. Doing so will cause the cucumbers to become a bit soggy.

If you don’t want to serve it as a slaw, you can simply cut the cucumber and carrots into thicker sticks to dip in the ginger dressing, omitting the cabbage because nobody dips shredded cabbage. Planning on making a bigger batch for a potluck or gathering? Leave the dressing on the side so that the cucumbers don’t get soggy.

Unlike traditional Asian dressings, this one calls for apple cider vinegar in place of rice vinegar. Apple cider vinegar has a bit more bite to it than rice vinegar, but that works with the naturally sweet coconut aminos. You’ll also notice that the dressing calls for avocado oil, not olive oil. The reason for this is because olive oil’s flavor can be a bit strong for an Asian-inspired dressing. Avocado oil has a more neutral flavor that doesn’t take away from the other ingredients.

SHARE:

The post Carrot Cucumber Slaw With Ginger Dressing appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

This lemon dressing may be new to our website, but it is already an all-time favorite. It has unique lemon flavor, which makes for a zesty eating experience. Tempered by sweet agave nectar and herbaceous parsley, this dressing goes great with a variety of salad ingredients. Pour it over a combination of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, or over shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, mandarin segments, and green onion. We love when a dressing is versatile!

Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, mustard powder, sea salt, pepper, and fresh parsley in a small bowl and you have your dressing. Prefer a dressing that is a little smoother? Feel free to add all of the ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. The good news is that the preparation method doesn’t change the zesty, delicious flavor. There is just so much to love about his lemon dressing, and here are a few reasons why:

• Very easy to make: This dressing should not take you longer than five minutes to make. Plus, it only requires seven ingredients!
• Endless possibilities: Is your salad in need of a boost? This dressing will elevate any salad to a whole new level! If you don’t want to use it as a salad dressing, consider using it as a marinade for roasted or grilled vegetables or tempeh.
• Clean ingredients: Many store bought dressings contain a lot of problematic ingredients, namely saturated and trans fats, added sugars, excess sodium, and preservatives. These additives keep dressings shelf-stable for longer periods of time. Additionally, they tend to contain lower-quality oils and other ingredients to keep production costs down. This lemon dressing, however, contains simple, healthy ingredients that you can actually pronounce!

SHARE:

The post Zesty Lemon Dressing appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

First of all, we just want to explain that there is nothing wrong with celebrating Thanksgiving by yourself. Although it may be unfamiliar territory, considering that this holiday is traditionally spent with family and friends, you may find yourself alone this year or in the future. There are also those who do not enjoy the Thanksgiving meal and simply want to enjoy a night alone. Whichever way you choose to celebrate Thanksgiving is the right way, but should you be alone on this holiday, we have a few fun activities for you. 

Whether it is by choice or an unlucky circumstance, being alone on Thanksgiving can be a challenge. You may lack the funds to celebrate it, or you may live in a city with no family or friends, and travel may be difficult due to budget restrictions or weather. You can spend Thanksgiving by yourself without feeling lonely or bored. Continue reading to learn how you can do just that. 

Cook Your Favorite Food

You don’t have to cook a turkey and stuffing just because it is Thanksgiving. When you celebrate this holiday alone, you have the freedom to take the reins in the kitchen and cook what your heart desires. Make enough for yourself and yourself alone, or make a little extra if you want to have some leftovers. Throw on a record or pop in your headphones to listen to a podcast while you are doing your thing in the kitchen. When the meal is ready, you will be too, and that’s a beautiful thing. If you don’t feel like cooking, simply order takeout!

Catch Up On Your Favorite Shows

Is the movie you never got to see in theaters finally available on a streaming platform? Have you been meaning to catch up on episodes for a series that you enjoy? Entertain yourself with a good binge-watching session! You have the time on this holiday, so use it how you please. If you finish a couple episodes and want to put something else on, consider a classic or modern holiday-inspired movie that you can easily find on streaming platforms. 

Watch Some Football

If you don’t have a favorite show and are not interested in new movies, throw on the football games that happen every Thanksgiving. There is always a game airing on this holiday, and watching it by yourself means you won’t miss a moment. Nobody will be there to interrupt you and you don’t have to listen to negative comments from friends or family members who are not sports fans. You can even use social media to engage with other football fans watching the same game(s).

Give Back To Your Community

Doing something good for someone else, or a lot of people, is often one of the best things to do when celebrating Thanksgiving alone. Even though you may not be with friends or family, you can make a difference by bringing joy to the lives of others. Some people always have to spend Thanksgiving alone, so spending it with those in a worse situation than you may actually make your Thanksgiving that much more enjoyable and wholesome. 

Have A Self-Care Day

If you are alone and don’t have any obligations, spend the day pampering yourself! Self-care and relaxation should take priority on your Thanksgiving Day to-do list. Take this alone time to unwind in a soothing bath, or take an extra long facial skin care routine. You can even go so far as to put on a robe and place cucumbers over your eyelids! By the time the Thanksgiving weekend is over, you will feel recharged, well-rested, and ready to get back to your regular responsibilities. 

Do Some Shopping

If you have the financial means to do so, consider taking part in some retail therapy. Most companies offer Black Friday sales well before Thanksgiving begins, so you will definitely get some deals. Take the time to get a head start on buying holiday gifts for your loved ones, or get something that you’ve been desiring for a while. Splurge on yourself because you deserve it.

Curl Up With A Good Book

Earlier in the article, we suggested that you catch up on your favorite TV shows. If you want to do that, then do just that! If you don’t want to spend your day in front of a screen, consider starting or finishing a book. Books, much like TV or movies, can transport you to fantastical places, or provide excellent and inspiring stories. If the book you choose to read is really captivating, you may finish it in one day! 

Begin A New Tradition

No matter your reasons for spending Thanksgiving alone, you cannot be sure that you won’t spend it alone in the future. What does that mean for you? Well, come up with a new Thanksgiving tradition for yourself. Don’t wait for company in order to celebrate your way! Maybe your new tradition is to play solitaire when you get up, or to do a yoga sequence after breakfast. A great new tradition could be to make one new dish every year!

SHARE:

The post 8 Fun Activities To Do When Spending Thanksgiving Alone appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

If ever there was a recipe that was focused on green ingredients, it’s this one. All but two of the ingredients are green, and the ones that are not exhibit some impressive health benefits. Before we get into the ingredients, let us first cover what wellness shots are. Wellness shots are essentially concentrated juices made from nutritious ingredients. You may have seen turmeric ginger immunity shots in health food grocery stores. You know…those little tiny bottles with orange-yellow liquid inside them? Think of these wellness shots as their green counterparts.

Why should you make your own wellness shots? As with any homemade item, you have full control of the ingredients. For these wellness shots, you can always switch up the ingredients based on the nutrients you want in them. Perhaps you would enjoy beets, carrots, apples, and ginger, or oranges, lemon, turmeric, and persimmons. The possibilities are endless, and you can use the natural sugars in the fruits you use as sweeteners. There is no need for added sugars, preservatives, or anything else that will help maintain shelf life.

The ingredients in these green wellness shots were selected based on their nutritional profiles. These ingredients contain a mix of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, digestive enzymes, water, and an array of antioxidant compounds. Both celery and cucumber are rich in water, which work to aid your hydration efforts. Finally, almost every single ingredient in these wellness shots boosts the immune system in one way or another. Drink one of these to start your day!

SHARE:

The post Green Wellness Shots appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.

Squash thrive in two seasons: summer and winter. Unlike winter squash, which you can harvest and store for many months, summer squash are fruits eaten when they are still immature. Some summer squash that you know include zucchini, pattypan, or yellow squash. Although you may know how to cook a zucchini, there are many summer squash varieties that get left by the wayside. 

Perhaps you don’t know how to use or cook with summer squash, so you avoid them. Some look strange and intimidating, even. You are missing out on some serious nutritional benefits! That’s why this article is a crash course on summer squash and how they benefit your health. 

Chayote

This pear-shaped, light green summer squash exhibits a cucumber-like flavor and crisp texture. You can cook it or enjoy it raw, and it is a popular ingredient in Mexican and South American dishes, including stews, soups, and salads. Chayote is edible, but make sure to remove the rubbery peel before you consume it, as that makes it much easier to chew and enjoy. Chayote contains a lot of vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, zinc, and fiber. Plus, one cup of cooked chayote only contains 38 calories!

Luffa

Luffa, or loofa, is the sponge gourd and member of the squash family Cucurbitaceae. You can eat these plants as long as you harvest them at the young stage. Mature luffas become very fibrous and have a rough texture when dried. That’s why they are used as alternative scrubbing sponges. They have a mild flavor, similar to zucchini and cucumber, and you can enjoy them similarly. One cup of raw luffa contains just 19 calories and fulfills 13% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C. Vitamin C offers great antioxidant properties and is necessary for collagen synthesis and immune function. 

Kousa

This pale-colored squash is commonly found in Middle Eastern cuisine during the summer. Some people call it Lebanese squash or gray zucchini. It has a mildly nutty, slightly sweet flavor that works well with savory dishes, such as soups and stir-fries. Unfortunately, nutritional information on this squash is limited, but it is likely similar to that of zucchini, which is next up on the list. 

Zucchini

Zucchini, although it is available year-round, is potentially the most popular and well-known summer squash. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor profile and tender center. You can enjoy it raw, roasted, grilled, baked, steamed, or sautéed. Although it is low in calories, it offers lots of nutrients, including potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and a lot of antioxidant compounds, including lutein. Studies confirm that lutein-rich foods can help benefit eye health because lutein protects the eyes from damage that leads to age-related macular degeneration, among other eye diseases. 

Pattypan Squash

This small, unique-looking squash looks like a little saucer with scalloped edges. Although pattypan comes in several colors, it tastes the best when it is primarily yellow. The flavor is slightly sweeter than zucchini, and that sweetness really comes out when you roast it. Pattypan squash is a rich source of protective plant compounds, including benzoic acid. One study compared the antioxidant activity of five different squash, including zucchini and pumpkin. Pattypan squash exhibited the highest antioxidant potential out of all the squash varieties. Researchers attributed this to the high content of benzoic acid and its derivatives, all of which have strong cellular protective properties. 

Tromboncino 

Tromboncino, or zucchetto, is a beautiful summer squash native to Italy. It is only enjoyed during the summer months, but it belongs to the same family as butternut squash and other winter squash. You can let tromboncino mature on the vine and store it as you would a winter squash. That said, it is common to enjoy this when the fruit is young, which is why it falls into the summer squash category. In its young stage, tromboncino exhibits a sweet and nutty flavor with a texture that is slightly denser than zucchini. It is delicious regardless of when you eat this squash. 

Crookneck Squash

This yellow squash has a curved or crooked neck, hence the name. The skin, much like that of zucchini, is thin and edible, as is the soft flesh. You can enjoy crookneck squash in stir-fries, roasted vegetable medleys, or spiralized as noodles. Just like other squash varieties on this list, crookneck squash is low in calories. It also provides a lot of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber. It also contains zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene, and other carotenoids.

SHARE:

The post 7 Types Of Summer Squash To Try appeared first on Dherbs - The Best All Natural Herbal Remedies & Products.