In the dessert world, is there a more classic combination than lemon and poppy seed? Vanilla and chocolate may take the majority vote, but lemon and poppy seed is truly a great combination. Regarding this chia pudding, it is packed with incredible lemony flavor, poppy seeds, protein, healthy fats, and natural sugars. You can whip up this recipe in 15 minutes or less, place it in the fridge to set overnight, and then pull it out in the morning to enjoy as a healthy, filling breakfast.

The great thing about this chia pudding is that it only requires six ingredients. Chia seeds are the star of the show, and rightly so! They help to optimize digestive function and supply the body with a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit heart and brain health. The unique combination of healthy fats, fiber, and proteins in chia seeds makes them great to include in your breakfast because they help you satiate you. That means that enjoying chia pudding in the morning can help keep you full until lunch.

Although this recipes calls for homemade almond milk, you have the freedom to use the homemade nut or seed milk that you prefer. Homemade cashew milk, walnut milk, or even hemp seed milk can contribute to a creamy texture. If you want to go the full vegan route and abandon raw vegan (not endorsing this for cleansers), you can use oat milk or other store bought non-dairy milk. We would not use coconut milk, though.

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One thing is for certain: you feel a lot better after enjoying a raw vegan dessert than after you eat a pint of ice cream or packaged pastry. Think of this dessert as raw vegan comfort food, only this recipe puts a zesty spin on a timeless classic. Carrot cake, depending on who you ask, ranks high in the dessert world, but all of the calories, unhealthy fats, sugar, and dairy products that go into it are not kind to the gut. Fortunately, this healthier, raw rendition provides all the flavor without the unwanted bloating that comes with eating regular cake.

Have you noticed that a lot of carrot cake recipes contain pineapple chunks? That is a personal preference, but it an add an interesting, somewhat weird, flavor to the cake. When you cut into a carrot cake and see real bits of carrot, though, you know you are in for a treat. Grated carrots add a surprising sweetness to carrot cake, and the fresh lemon and orange are very complementary. Your palate craves freshness and acid, which both the lemon and orange offer. But make no mistake: this is not a citrus-forward dessert like a lemon bar. This is carrot cake that has notes of refreshing citrus!

You can choose to make this raw vegan carrot cake in a round cake or pie pan, or you can make tiny cupcakes. Whichever method you choose is completely fine, but if the smaller individual pieces help you control your portions, go that route.

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Isn’t it wonderful when you have a bright and zesty dressing that you can whip up in a matter of minutes? It’s almost as though this dressing is a big dill! Cue knee-slapping dad to enter laughing. Yes, it’s the exact person you’re picturing. Anyways….Let’s get down to flavors.

A homemade vinaigrette is so much better than any store bought dressing you’ll purchase for many reasons. First off, store bought dressings don’t contain added sugars, hydrogenated oils, unhealthy fats, and other preservatives. Secondly, you can use ingredients that may go bad in the near future. That’s how we developed this vinaigrette recipe.

This is a super simple vinaigrette that has some texture. The reason for that is because you don’t blend the ingredients. If you prefer a smoother salad dressing, feel free to blend the ingredients, but sometimes it’s nice to have a chunky vinaigrette. You get a little crunch from the finely diced shallots and chopped dill. What’s great about it, besides the intoxicatingly delicious flavor, is that you can put it on more than just a salad. We really love this on a potato salad, but you can’t enjoy that if you’re still cleansing.

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Do you have lemons and hate chemicals and artificial fragrances? If that describes you then it’s time to start making your own non-toxic household cleaning spray. The beauty of the cleaning spray recipe in this article is that it only contains two ingredients: lemons and distilled white vinegar. If you don’t have lemons but have an abundance of limes or oranges, feel free to use them instead. Any citrus fruit will do!

Citrus season runs from late fall to late winter, so you may have a lot of oranges, lemons, tangerines, limes, or grapefruits on hand. This is especially true if you have citrus trees in your yard or neighborhood. Do you have friendly neighbors who leave boxes of wonderful citrus fruits outside their house for the neighborhood to take? Those are the best people! The point we are trying to make is that you will most likely have a lot of citrus scraps if you have a lot of citrus. Instead of throwing them in the trash or compost (more ideal than the trash), save them and make your own cleaning spray. 

Vinegar For Cleaning

It is important to note that vinegar is not a powerful disinfectant. It has some disinfectant properties, but it is nowhere near as effective as bleach or other commercial disinfectant products. This is why it is important to decide if you want to clean or disinfect. If you want to disinfect surfaces (kill most bacteria), you may want to use a classic disinfectant spray or cleanser that specifically kills germs. 

Distilled white vinegar can be an effective household cleaner on certain surfaces. It is an inexpensive, easy-to-obtain product that is about 5% acetic acid, which works to break down the structure of certain stains, oils, films, or bacteria. That same acidic quality can harm certain surfaces, such as hard wood floors, aluminum, cast iron, waxed wood, or natural stone. Vinegar can be a highly effective cleaner for glass, refrigerator shelves/drawers, or removing water stains from showers. Just make sure to do the research on whether the surface you want to clean will or won’t be harmed by vinegar. 

Gather Your Lemon Rinds

In order to make the cleaning spray in this article, you have to gather lemon rinds (or other citrus rinds) in a large glass container. Ideally, you should use a half-gallon mason jar, but a small pitcher or a few smaller jars will also work. A great time to make this cleaning spray is after you make freshly-squeezed lemonade, pesto, or similar recipe involving lots of citrus. If it is going to take you more than a week to collect all your rinds, add a little white vinegar to the jar by day six or seven. Pour enough to submerge the citrus rinds in order to prevent molding. 

Once you have a good amount of citrus rinds in the jar (doesn’t have to be completely full), pour the white vinegar into the container to submerge the rinds completely. You can add some fresh herbs for increased aromatherapy, if you so desire. Let the rinds soak for at least one week, and up to three weeks. You can let the container sit out at room temperature, but make sure to give it a shake every few days to mix things up. 

Lemon Vinegar Cleaning Spray

Equipment:

• Large glass jar (or other container for steeping)
• Spray bottle
• Fine mesh strainer/cheesecloth

Ingredients:

• Lemon rinds or citrus rinds (enough to fill the jar)
• Distilled white vinegar 
• Optional: fresh aromatic herbs (such as lavender, rosemary, or thyme)

Instructions:

• Collect your lemon or citrus rinds and stow them inside a large glass container. If you cannot collect all the rinds at one time, store the jar in the fridge as you continue to collect them. Should you need longer than a week, freeze the jar. 
• Once your jar is nearly full of citrus rinds, pour distilled white vinegar into the jar to completely submerge the rinds. Feel free to add a handful of fresh herbs at this time before you screw on the lid. 
• Allow the citrus rinds to soak in the jar of vinegar at room temperature for at least one week, and up to three weeks. Give the jar a shake every few days.
• Strain the citrus rinds after the soaking period, removing as many rind chunks as possible to avoid clogging the spray bottle. 
• Pour the strained liquid into a spray bottle and use when ready. It’s great for laminate kitchen counters, stainless steel appliances, showers, sinks, inside the fridge, or other durable surfaces.

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Citrus fruits are some of the most popular fruits used in the culinary world. The powerful acidity is what people crave. It often rounds out the flavor of sauces, salsas, marinades, juices, and more. The reason people fall in love with citrus fruits is because they hit three of the primary flavor profiles: bitter, sweet, and sour. 

People love citrus fruits for their flavor, but they should love them for their incredible nutritional profiles. The diverse flavonoid and antioxidant compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immune-boosting properties. Additionally, the vitamin C in citrus fruits works to neutralize free radicals in the body, lowering the threat of oxidative damage. They are also rich in potassium, a mineral that the body needs for carbohydrate metabolism, heart contraction, and nerve function. 

There are too many citrus fruits to count, and that’s why we’ve decided to bring you the zest of the best. Keep reading to find out which citrus varieties rose to the top. Well, they topped our list, anyway!

Meyer Lemon

These may be the best lemons on the planet, primarily because they are slightly sour with wonderfully sweet undertones. If you want to make homemade lemonade, the Meyer lemon should be your first choice. It is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, and it rose to popularity in the culinary world because of Martha Stewart, Alice Waters, and other chefs of that caliber. 

Pomelo

This citrus fruit has too many names to count, so we’ll just stick with pomelo. It’s one of the only three original citrus species left; all of the other varieties have been hybridized. The white pomelo has a thick pith and a sweet pink/white flesh. They are very popular in Asia during the Mooncake festival. 

Sumo Tangerine

These enormous tangerines are enormously delicious. It’s not the most attractive citrus fruit, but ugly foods are often the most delicious. It’s like an easy-to-peel mandarin, but supersized and more flavorful. Sumo tangerines are new to the United States, and people are loving them. The flavor is bold, with sweet and tart flavors that keep you coming back for more. They do cost more than the average citrus fruit, but they come from Japan, so the price makes sense. 

Blood Orange

The striking red/orange flesh of the fruit looks like a wheel of tie-dye art. The blood orange is mildly tart and beautifully sweet, and the rich pigment comes from the powerful polyphenols known as anthocyanins. You can’t always get your hands on these citrus gems, so make sure to snatch them up when you see them.

Key Lime

Almost everyone has heard of key lime pie, but these small limes are not solely reserved for baking. Many people prefer key limes to regular limes because they have a stronger alkalizing effect on the body. Key limes have a subtly sweet flavor and the juice is more floral and aromatic than that of regular lime juice. 

Kumquat

These little citrus fruits are entirely edible. That’s right, folks; you can eat pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy the beautiful combination of the sweet skin and tart flesh. You won’t always find them in stores, but they can pop up at local farmer’s markets. Kumquat trees are also popular in many neighborhoods, so keep your eyes peeled, especially from November to March when they’re in season.

Finger Lime

The finger lime is different from most other citrus fruits, and it gets the name because it is long, just like a finger. The flesh also differs from other citrus fruit. It looks like little gelatin balls, vesicles as they are called. You can think of it like lime caviar that you can turn into a rich marmalade or add to pickling jars. You can also zest the peel for strong notes of citrus in your culinary creations.

Buddha’s Hand

This abnormal, alien-looking fruit belongs to the citrus family, but it’s definitely in a league of its own. The “fingers” open up as the fruit ripens, but you can’t really enjoy the fruit. The only usable part of this fruit is the zest because there is no flesh. Buddha’s hand has a wonderful fragrance and it is often placed as a prayer offering at pagodas or altars in Asian countries. 

Tangelo

This funky little citrus hybrid is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine, so the flavor is both tart and sweet. Sink your teeth into this fruit and you get hit with an immediate burst of sweetness, and the tart flavor hits you on the back nine. They are easy to peel and make great substitutes for oranges. 

Calamansi

Calamansi is a classic citrus fruit in both Malaysian and Filipino cuisine. The peel is green and the flesh is a bright orange, but don’t let it fool you into thinking that it is sweet. It’s only a touch sweeter than a regular lime, but it does impart unique flavor into your food. If you want to make a homemade sorbet, fresh calamansi juice is an excellent juice to use. 

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It’s very easy to jump off the healthy wagon during the holidays. You somehow continue to indulge, even with the small voice in the back of your head that says, “Don’t eat all of that sugar.” It’s almost too difficult to resist all of the scrumptious foods that come with the holiday season. So what do you do? You promise yourself that you will detox after the holidays, and the goal is to honor that agreement. This article aims to give you five helpful tips that promote that detoxification process. 

The reason that you want to detox immediately after the holidays is so that you don’t continue indulging until January 1st. You are less likely to start the year on a healthier path if you go completely off the rails right up to the year’s end. Detoxing in the days leading up to the new year can propel you into better health; plus, it keeps you more accountable. 

We know that the word “detox” comes with a lot of baggage, and it is intimidating to most people. You don’t have to worry about a crash diet or water fast because the body is resilient and knows how to detox itself. Think of the following tips like little helpers that encourage the body’s natural detoxification processes.

Drink Warm Water With Lemon

Any time you go overboard with food, you should drink more water than usual, especially to start your day. Go one step further and add some fresh lemon juice to a glass of warm water and continue sipping it throughout the day. Lemons have their own health benefits, but combining them with warm water can help promote healthy digestion and hydration. Hydration is paramount after your big holiday meals because water helps your liver and kidneys filter out toxins. 

Tea Time

Sipping on a little tea before and after meals can help keep your metabolism and digestive system firing on all cylinders. There are certain teas, however, that may come to your aid after a day of heavy eating. Fennel tea, for example, works to relieve digestive troubles, including bloating, flatulence, indigestion, constipation, and heartburn. Fennel also works to stimulate digestion and even has carminative effects that prevent the formation of gas by soothing the digestive tract. Peppermint tea can also help soothe your stomach and help get rid of bloating. If you are a nursing mother, steer clear of peppermint tea because it is an anti-galactagogue and will decrease milk supply. 

Yoga

If you want to help bring more balance and energy to your entire body, yoga is the quickest way to do so. According to yogis, including a quick yoga sequence into your day can help ignite your digestive fire and get rid of bloating. In fact, you can click here to learn about the best yoga poses to help get rid of bloating. You’ll be feeling like you never overindulged in no time!

Skip The Coffee

We know…you need that coffee to face the world, but you really don’t. A jolt of java may help you get out of bed, but it also builds up a sugar and carbohydrate craving for the rest of the day. So what should you sip in place of coffee to help digestion and give you a little energy? Studies show that drinking a cup of green tea can help settle your stomach after a large meal. Green tea contains a potent plant compound known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which prevents cholesterol build-up in the arteries. One study found that EGCG can speed up weight loss by 77%, in addition to helping balance blood sugar levels to keep cravings at bay. 

Eat Raw Vegetables With Every Meal

In addition to eating cooked vegetables, try to include more raw vegetables with your post-holiday meals. Raw vegetables contain lots of fiber and they help to remove toxins from your body. By encouraging the elimination of waste, you reduce your risk of bloat or the build-up of gas. Fruits are also naturally rich in fiber, so consider starting your day with a fruit and vegetable smoothie. Spinach, bananas, apples, berries, and a little dairy-free milk make an excellent, nutrient-dense smoothie that can help regulate your system and fill you up.

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Making your own dressing can seem like a daunting task, but people fail to realize how easy it is. If you have some olive oil, a type of vinegar or lemon juice, and seasonings, you can whip up a dressing in minutes. A dressing does not have to be an elaborate concoction; rather, a simple dressing often complements the salad ingredients and provides a light, acidic relief. This dressing has a little zest from the lemon and punch from the mustard powder. Don’t worry, though, because it doesn’t overpower the palate!

Tahini is essential to this dressing. Although it is just sesame seed paste, it offers a wonderfully nutty flavor and creamy consistency to the dressing. It actually balances the acidity from the lemon and the strong allium flavor of the garlic. You may have to play with the balance of lemon juice and tahini, especially if you enjoy a prominent lemon flavor. Add the juice from one more lemon if you fall into that category.

Mustard powder can be an intense flavor, so don’t exceed the measurement. It offers a little tang that pairs nicely with the lemon, and you get a little sweet relief form the maple syrup. After you whisk together the ingredients or shake them up in a jar, you may or may not want to add a little water to thin it out. If you prefer thicker dressings, then you won’t have to add water at all. In fact, you can keep the dressing a little thicker and use it as a creamy dip for celery sticks or sweet potato fries.

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Lately, people are incorporating new and exciting wellness trends into their daily routines. From cold plunges and red light therapy to tea baths and mobility exercises, many wellness trends help keep the body as healthy as possible. There has never been a more exciting time to be alive with so many therapies, diet information, and healing modalities at your fingertips. 

One such wellness trend is wellness shots, which are intensely flavored drinks that typically contain a lot of vitamin C. Each wellness shot tends to be a variation of lemon, ginger, and turmeric. You can usually see them in certain grocery stores or health food stores, with little two-ounce bottles at a price point of four dollars or more. If you want to save some money and get more bang for your buck, you can easily make these shots at home.

Wellness Shots vs. Lemon Water

A lot of people like to enjoy a glass of water with freshly-squeezed lemon to start their day. In case you don’t do that, doing so can have a positive impact on your health. Some of the health benefits include:

• Improves immune function
• Detoxifies the liver
• Helps energize the body
• May improve appearance of skin
• Helps hydrate the body
• Helps relieve morning sickness

In case you do not drink lemon water and want to try out this trend, start with two cups of water and stir in the juice of half a lemon. After you experiment with this simple creation, you can board the train to the land of wellness shots. They help you start your day with a little kick, energizing your cells and boosting immunity. 

Morning Wellness Shot Benefits

Although these are not a cure-all tonic, they do exhibit some unique health properties. A wellness shot is essentially a blend of concentrated nutrients. When you pair these wellness shots with a whole food diet and regularly exercise, they may help you combat fatigue and boost energy. It is very common for people to enjoy them during back-to-school times to take action against viruses. Many people get sick during the winter, making that time of year another popular time for wellness shots. Additionally, drinking these wellness shots may help your digestive system if you’re experiencing bloating or gas. 

How To Make Your Own Wellness Shots

It is very easy to make these wellness shots, especially if you use a basic recipe. Some recipes don’t even require a juicer! Even if the recipe calls for a juicer, it will only take you five minutes to make. If you like your juice less frothy, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and discard the pulp. Sometimes, you can get creative and add a few ingredients of your choice, but these recipes are far from complex. Simple ingredients and recipe steps for some healthy concoctions. 

The Classic

These two ingredients may also enhance energy levels and boost metabolism. Ginger is rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and helps to improve brain, heart, and immune function. 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c raw ginger root, washed & chopped
• 1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pinch ground turmeric
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper 
• 2 tbsp. raw agave nectar

Instructions:

• First off, make sure that you don’t peel the ginger root. Add it to a high-speed blender and blend on high until you see fine pieces.
• Pour the lemon juice, cayenne, turmeric, and agave into the blender and continue blending until you get a cloudy mixture.
• Stop blending and then pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pushing the pulp against the screen to get the most juice possible.
• You can save the pulp if you want and add it to a smoothie within 24 hours, as long as you refrigerate the pulp.
• Store the juice in little shots in the fridge for up to a week, or you can pour the juice in an ice cube tray, freeze, and use whenever you want.

Lemon, Ginger, And Fruit Shot

If you want to make your wellness shot more palatable, then you should start with this before diving straight into turmeric and lemon juice. Plus, adding fruits like pineapple, cherries, berries, or oranges, can increase the antioxidant profile. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon, peeled and quartered
• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 1/4 of an orange, peeled

Instructions:

• Process all of the ingredients through a juicer and enjoy within 15 minutes. 

Pineapple Ginger Wellness Shot

A great way to keep the immune system in tip top shape is by consuming foods that contain vitamin C and anti-inflammatory properties. All of the ingredients in these pineapple ginger wellness shots help to enhance immune function.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 tbsp ginger root, peeled and diced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tsp turmeric root
• Dash of black pepper

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for about 30 seconds to one minute.
• Pour the blended mixture through a strainer and into a wide-mouthed container. Make sure to press the pulp to extract as much juice as you can.
• Store in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days. Ideally, drink a two- or four-ounce shot at once.
• You can sweeten with a little raw agave nectar if the flavor is too intense for you.

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The end of summer is near, but the weather is still scorching. What better way to cool off on a hot day than by enjoying this raw vegan mint and rosemary lemonade? Made from real ingredients, this is a healthy lemonade you can serve at any summer or early fall gathering. No powders, no added sugars, no preservatives, no chemicals; just pure, all-natural ingredients.

If you can associate one drink with summer, it has to be lemonade. Did you set up a lemonade stand and sell cups to neighbors when you were a child? This recipe is far from that sugary concoction you sold to neighbors for 25 cents a cup, though. This mint and rosemary lemonade is quite a few levels up, especially in regards to flavor, compared to your childhood lemonade. Additionally, it is a great hydrating beverage to enjoy if you plan on being in the sun for a long time.

This recipe is all about the infusion process. You are going to squeeze the lemons and combine them in a strainer over a bowl with fresh mint leaves and rosemary sprigs. Massage them with agave and a little vanilla extract, ideally wearing disposable gloves so you can clean your hands more easily. This may seem like a laborious step, but it makes the lemonade that much better. Cover and refrigerate for about three hours before pressing all the juices through the strainer. Remove the solids, pour the juices into a large pitcher, combine with water, and serve over ice.

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Have you boarded the turmeric train to lower inflammation? The health world obsesses over this super spice, and for good reason. Turmeric contains a powerful polyphenol compound, curcumin, which exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers confirm that curcumin has many biological activities, not all of which are fully understood. What researchers do know is that anyone who wants to manage inflammation can benefit from more turmeric in their life.

Turmeric deserves high praise, but it isn’t the only ingredient in these energy balls. Lemon provides a zesty flare to these energy balls, which are great for filling up between meals. Additionally, lemons supply the body with vitamin C, an integral nutrient for immunity and collagen production. You can’t have energy without some protein and fiber, though. These energy balls contain both almonds and oats, both of which contain plant-based proteins, fiber, and essential minerals, including copper, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus.

One thing to note is that these lemon turmeric energy balls contain both lemon juice and lemon zest. Adding lemon zest to a recipe can accentuate the flavors of other ingredients, and it helps to balance the sweetness of the dates in this recipe. The best move is to zest the lemons prior to juicing them. If you try to zest your lemons after you juice them, you will cry out of frustration. Good luck making these healthy snacks!

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