This smoothie has been my go-to-drink for the past couple of weeks. It is a great pick-me-up when you’re feeling tired and weary because it’s filled with amazing goodness such as mango and avocado, which are natural superfoods. Mangos are my absolute favorite fruit at the moment. They don’t just taste amazing, but they are incredibly healthy, too. Research has shown that the high amount of antioxidants in the mango fruit can help protect against several types of cancer such as breast cancer or leukemia. The exotic fruit is also a natural skin beauty booster as it clears clogged pores and eliminates pimples. What a great excuse to eat it every day.

Totally different in taste, but just as amazing and healthy are avocados. I absolutely love avocados and I always have one at home. Avocados are packed with healthy mono-unsaturated fats called omega-3-fats. Don’t worry, this healthy kind of fat does not make your belly grow, but instead helps lower cholesterol and keeps your heart healthy. Avocados are also a great source of protein, which is why I love adding them to my smoothies as they make smoothie so much more filling, and help absorb fat-fat-soluable vitamins such as vitamin K.

Basil is another one of these everyday superfoods that we eat all the time but don’t even bother calling it a superfood. Half a cup of basil leaves provide 98% of the recommended daily vitamin K intake – the vitamin which is mainly responsible for healthy bones and blood clotting.
As you can see, this smoothie is basically medicine in a glas, so I highly recommend you try it out as soon as possible. Let me know what you think in the comment function below.

Health benefits in this Green Mango Basil Smoothie:
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin B5 (important for energy production; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Enjoy!

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I am in love with this breakfast parfait. Waking up to such a beautiful breakfast makes your morning so much better. Just looking at the beautiful colors makes me smile. Of course it tastes just as amazing as it looks. The mango gives this parfait an exotic touch and the banana adds natural sweetness – the perfect combination to get you going in the morning. As everything chia related, this breakfast inspiration is also packed with valuable nutrients, which I have listed below because the list of vitamins and minerals in chia seeds seems to be endless. You really can’t go wrong with this breakfast as it keeps you satisfied for hours, and gives you enough energy to master anything in the morning. It’s also a great post-workout meal because it is packed with potassium and magnesium which is exactly what your muscles need to regenerate. Of course you can also enjoy it as a healthy snack or dessert – anything that makes you happy and healthy. I really hope you like it or at least enjoy the pretty picture. I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Health benefits in this Mango Chia Parfait:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

Ingredients:
Serves 2
– 1 ¼ cup (about 300 g) almond milk (or any other milk at hand)
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– 4 tbsp (gluten-free) oats
– 1 mango
– 1 banana

Simply mix the almond milk, chia seeds and oats in a glas or breakfast bowl and let it soak overnight. The next morning, peel the banana and mango and blend it together until smooth. Now begin layering the parfait with the chia-oat mix on the bottom, then a layer of the mango-banana blend on top. Go on like this until you’ve reached the top. Sprinkle with more mango on top if desired.
If you want a quicker way, then simply mix the mango banana puree with the chia seeds, oats, and almond milk, mix it all together and let it soak over night. It may not look as pretty but it will taste just as amazing.

Enjoy!

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I absolutely love bread. It’s my favorite thing in the entire world, and my day just isn’t complete without a piece of bread in it. I also love eating plain bread, there is just nothing better than the end-piece of a freshly baked wholegrain bread with lots of seeds in it. Not eating bread, or carbs in general, means not living in my opinion. Bread simply makes life better.
This bread is both hearty and sweet at the same time. It is the perfect bread for a Sunday breakfast or brunch, because it tastes delicious with sweet spreads such as jam or my healthy Nutella but also with savory spreads like cheese. The bread is not a low calorie food, but I am not even going to try to combine bread and low calorie. If you want to enjoy bread, then calorie counting simply isn’t allowed. Instead of counting calories, I count nutrients, and this bread gives me plenty of them. For example, the “good” fats from the walnuts keep my heart healthy. The figs are a good source of potassium which is great for high blood pressure patients like me, and fiber which leaves you satisfied for hours. You really need to try this bread as soon as you can, because it is one of the best recipes on the blog so far. It also looks pretty impressive, so why don’t you go ahead and give it a try this weekend. I am sure you will be amazed.

Nutrients in this Wholesome Fig and Walnut Bread:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

Ingredients:
– 2 cups (500g) whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
– ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
– 1 x 7g (gluten free) dry yeast
– 1 ¼ cup (300g) warm water
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– ½ cup (150g) dried figs
– 1 cup (100g) walnuts
– pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F) and grease a loaf tin with coconut oil and set aside.

Combine the warm water, the dry yeast and the maple syrup in a medium sized bowl and set it aside for 10 minutes until it is bubbling and frothing.
In a separate larger bowl combine the flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix everything with your hands until you have a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to rise for at least an hour.

In the meantime cut the dried figs into small pieces and roughly chop the walnuts.

Once it has hopefully doubled in size, add the chopped figs and walnuts, and knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes. Place it into the baking tin and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 180 °C (360 °F) and bake for another 30-35 minutes until you can pull a knife out the center of it clean.

Allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes. I know, this is the hardest part…

Enjoy!

The post Wholesome Fig and Walnut Bread appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

These overnight oats have been my go-to-breakfast for probably about a year now. Since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I am already looking forward to it the minute I wake up. The oatmeal is so filling and gives me the right amount of energy to make it through the morning.
I’ve been eating this since my time in North Carolina where it helped me to get through all my finals and my bachelor’s thesis. Most of the nutrients in this breakfast dish come from the chia seeds, which are probably the most versatile and healthiest little seeds you will ever find. I am going to write a whole post on chia seeds soon, because they deserve lots of attention.

Health benefits:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol level)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

Enjoy!

The post Heavenly Overnight Oats appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

My love for jam is probably based in my German roots. Us Germans cannot imagine a life without jam. Traditionally we enjoy it on bread or toast, over a thick layer of butter or cream cheese. Unfortunately the traditional jam that my grandma still makes contains a whole lot of processed sugar and gelatin so it’s not really healthy. This recipe is probably one of the best recipes on this blog as it turns jam into something healthy. Who knew jam could be be healthy? Instead of gelatin I use chia seeds, which are the world’s healthiest super food imaginable, and I substituted the white sugar with maple syrup. Of course you could also use rice syrup to reduce the fructose content. The alternative to processed sugar is packed with minerals and vitamins, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It’s pretty amazing how healthy maple sugar is, isn’t it?

Health benefits
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

Enjoy!

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag your creations on social media using #heavenlynnhealthy.

I’d love for this blog to be a dialogue.

The post Healthy Chia Jam appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

I admit that there has been an insane hype regarding green smoothies the past year. But it’s actually really unfortunate that there has been so much negative press on them. Of course if you add a banana to your smoothies it contains a lot of sugar, but it’s definitely better than eating a snickers bar. I am a big fan of the green deliciousness, and I enjoy the smoothies as a healthy treat. Eating your greens raw as a salad can get boring and especially during the cold winter months I’d much prefer a hot meal over salad. Drinking a green smoothie a day is therefore a great way to add valuable nutrients to your diet without having to rely on salad. This recipe is one of my favorite smoothies and I actually eat it like a smoothie bowl because it is so rich and creamy.

   

If you live in America or England, lucky you, because you will probably be able to buy fresh spinach or kale all year around. If you live in Germany like me, then kale season is only from October until February so you need to rely on the frozen one. Kale is an amazingly versatile green, and its packed with goodness. Spinach is also one of the most nutrient-rich foods on the planet, so adding it to your smoothie is such a goodness-booster. The avocado in this smoothie is important because the fat is needed to absorb some of the vitamins. If you’re not sure about whether you will like this smoothie or not, just add some more banana to it to make it sweeter.

Health benefits:
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Enjoy!

The post My favorite Green Smoothie appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

As you have probably already noticed, I am addicted to basically three foods: beetroot, chickpeas and chia seeds. I add chia seeds to everything, and I am completely fascinated by their gel-like consistency when you add them with anything liquid. So naturally you can make pudding with them! This chia pudding is a simple breakfast alternative that will get you functioning for hours.

Chia pudding is one of the healthiest breakfast recipe you’ll find. It’s an absolute power breakfast recipe that will keep you satisfied for hours and hours and gives you so much energy. If I have a long and exhausting day ahead of me, I usually make a big portion of chia pudding the night before so I can provide my body with all the nutrients it needs in the morning. Of course you can play around with the flavors, and add all your favorite toppings like banana, apple, frozen or fresh berries and some seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds. It’s also a great afternoon pick-me-up when you need quick energy to get you out of mid-afternoon holes. I also like to add some vanilla powder, some orange juice and some almond butter for an extra protein booster. Chia pudding is really one of the greatest things that I discovered since I changed my diet so drastically, and I am so glad that I found it. 

Enjoy!

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When I was strolling over the local farmer’s market last Saturday, I immediately eyed the beautiful striped eggplants. I mean just look at them. I think they really belong to the most beautiful vegetables out there. They were almost too pretty to eat them!
I had some sweet potatoes left and amaranth from a granola recipe testing, so I decided to stuff these beauties with both the sweet potatoes and the amaranth. Since I am a big fan of sauces and creams, I added an avocado sauce which made the outcome amazing.

All you need for this recipe is amaranth, which is a gluten-free grain alternative also known as a “power grain”. It is widely known among athlets because it is commonly found in engery or protein bars. Amaranth is packed with protein, amino acids such as lysin which is important for healthy skin and bones, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium or iron. It is pretty great to add to your diet. In combination with the sweet potatoes and the avocado basil pesto, it is a real power dish that I am sure you will love.

Health benefits:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important to maintain bone integrity, manages blood pressure and cholesterol levels)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin B (lowers blood pressure, important for healthy nerves, and energy production)
– vitamin E (antioxidant against free radicals, prevents skin aging)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Ingredients:
Serves 4
– 2 eggplants
– 1/2 cup (100g) amaranth
– 1 ½ cup (375g) water
– 2 sweet potatoes (400g)
– 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1/2 tsp cinnamon
– ½ tsp coriander
– ¼ tsp salt
– 3 tbsp olive oil

For the avocado basil pesto:
Ingredients:
– 2 ripe avocados
– 1 cup basil leaves (a large handful)
– two small handful of pine nuts
– 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
– salt

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius (390°F). Then peel and cut the sweet potatoes into little cubes. Add them to a bowl with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and salt and mix well until the potatoes are completely coated. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the amaranth. Add the grains to a medium saucepan filled with the water and the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Take off the stove and let it stand for another 20 minutes.

Now take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and add them to the amaranth.

Next, half the eggplants and take out the inner flesh with a spoon. Place the halves into one large or two medium baking sheets and bake for about 10 minutes.

In the meantime make the avocado basil pesto:
Simply take out the avocado flesh with a spoon and add it to a blender together with all the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. If your blender is not strong enough, add some water to make it blend easier.

Next, take the eggplants out, grease them with the remaining olive oil, then back into the oven for another 5 minutes. Take them out again, and fill their bottom with the sweet potato amaranth mix. Spread the avocado basil pesto on top and bake for another 5 minutes until everything is nicely soft and warm.

Sprinkle with some more pine nuts and enjoy!

The post Amaranth Stuffed Eggplants appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This pesto is a great dish to add the little extra to any meal. It has been my go-to pesto for quite some time now. I love it with zucchini noodles or simply as a spread on bread. It also a great addition to the Stuffed Eggplant with Amaranth main dish on my blog. It’s extremely easy to make and stuffed with goodness.

Health benefits:
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– vitamin E (antioxidant against free radicals, prevents skin aging)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Ingredients:
– 2 ripe avocados
– 1 cup basil leaves (a large handful)
– two small handful of pine nuts
– 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
– salt

Simply take out the avocado flesh with a spoon and add it to a blender together with all the other ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. If your blender is not strong enough, add some water to make it blend better.

Serve over (zucchini) pasta or spread it on (gluten free) bread.

Enjoy!

The post Simple Avocado Basil Pesto appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Red cabbage used to not be on my grocery shopping list. I associated it with fatty German foods, because Germans eat their red cabbage traditionally cooked with lots of meat. Ever since I discovered that you can eat it raw, however, I have been in love. It’s a great alternative to regular green salad, and it has so many nutrients, you simply have to try it. The combination of pear and walnuts in this salad is heavenly. It’s once again a salad to impress – your body and your friends. Of course it’s loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well. The anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidants content of red cabbage is higher than in any other cabbage. The pears provide fiber, and the heart healhty benefits of walnuts are mostly due to their high omega-3 fats. So it really is the perfect winter salad.

Health benefits in this red cabbage pear and salad:
– copper (important for the development of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves; important for the transformation of melanin which is involved in the pigmentation of hair, eyes and skin)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Enjoy!

The post Red Cabbage and Pear Salad with Walnuts appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This recipe has quite a sentimental story behind it. I had this salad at my graduation dinner with my parents and some of my close friends in this amazing restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, called “Irregardless”. We had such an amazing night there, eating and dancing; it’s such a happy memory. The salad is probably the best thing I have ever eaten, so I tried to recreate it once I came back to Germany, so I can eat it whenever I want. Of course it is not nearly as good as the one they serve at “Irregardless”, but it’s still pretty tasty and amazingly colorful, and of course packed with lots of our favorite nutrients.

Health Benefits:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– copper (important for the development of the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves; important for the transformation of melanin which is involved in the pigmentation of hair, eyes and skin)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– manganese (for nerve health)
– mono-unsaturated fats (decreases risks for breast cancer, important for heart health)
– omega-3-fatty-acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin B5 (important for energy production; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)

I could go on and on, but you get the point: it’s pretty healthy.

Enjoy!

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