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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As it is now officially spring, I have been really craving my beloved thai spring rolls. It is my favorite appetizer at Thai restaurants, but I actually prefer to make them myself. As it is getting warmer and sunnier outside, these spring rolls are such a great light lunch idea. They are so quickly prepared, and you need no fancy equipment or ingredients to make them. I know that many of the recipes on my blog can be quite pricy, but this one definitely falls under the „eating on a budget“ category.

All you need are some raw veggies of your choice, rice paper and rice noodles which you can already get for one or two Euros at Asian supermarkets, peanut or any kind of nut butter and some condiments that you probably already have in stock. Summer rolls are also a great work lunch, because you eat them cold, and you can prepare them the night before.

  
The peanut dipping sauce is also divine. Even though I have switched from peanut butter to almond butter a long time ago, this peanut sauce will really blow your mind. It is so creamy and delicious, packed with healthy protein and fats, and really gives this recipe a special touch. I know that many of you are allergic to peanuts, which is why I am working on a second dipping sauce without any kind of nuts in it. I will share the recipe with you as soon as I declare it approved.

Health benefits in these delicious thai sommer rolls:
– biotin (important for blood sugar balance and skin health, necessary to build healthy fats that keep the skin moist and soft)
– copper (important to building strong tissue, maintaining blood volume, and producing energy in your cells)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– folic acid (important for a healthy heart; prevents certain cancers)
– 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)
– mono-unsaturated fats (decreases risks for breast cancer, important for heart health)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune
systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin B5 (important for energy production; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– vitamin K (important for blood clotting and healthy bones)

Serve with the sauce.

Enjoy!

The post Thai Sommer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

This granola is probably my friends’ and family’s all time favorite. Everybody loves it, and I am sure you will, too. If I had to recommend any recipe on this blog to try first, it would be this one. It is so easy to make, it tastes amazing, it is packed with great nutrients and minerals and it will leave your kitchen smell absolutely superb. It is the perfect breakfast, and an even better healthy on-the-go snack. I always carry some with me when I’m not at home. It also already has a place in the family kitchen – we all love it. There have been so many occasions already when us 4 girls were laughing and chatting while eating the granola straight from the box. Such great memories! 

I have been making my own granola for about a year now, and I have not bought a processed cereal box ever since. Unfortunately store-bought cereal or granola often contain tons of refined sugar and other nasty preservatives. As a total granola-lover this was the hardest truth I had to face since trying to eat less processed sugar. Fortunately, however, homemade granola is so easily made and incredibly healthy.  This almond coconut granola receives its unique flavor from the nuts and the cinnamon with only a hint of coconut. It is simply divine and I know you will love it just as much as I do. Trust me, if you want to impress someone with your awesome baking skills, this one is your recipe.

Besides from almonds, this almond coconut granola contains pecans, which are my favorite nuts besides almonds. They are so heavenly sweet and tasty. I much prefer them over walnuts in my breakfast granola.
The almond coconut granola granola gives you everything you need to start your busy day. The pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, the nuts provide healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids which are considered the “good” kind of fats that help lower cholesterol. There is a debate about the health benefits of coconut oil as it is rich in saturated fats, which are actually considered “bad” for the body. Others argue however, that coconut is actually very beneficial for the heart because it contains 50% of lauric acid which is thought to prevent heart diseases and lower blood pressure. Since I indulge in anything that can help lower my blood-pressure I definitely prefer coconut oil over butter or vegetable oils.

Health benefits:
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– lauric acid (prevents heart diseases and lowers blood pressure)
– mono-unsaturated fats (decreases risks for breast cancer, important for heart health)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– potassium (lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure)
– vitamin B1 (important for nerve health)
– vitamin B2 (needed to extract energy from carbohydrates, protein and fats)
– vitamin B3 (important for energy production and antioxidant protection)
– vitamin B5 (important for energy production; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– zinc (important for growth, skin and a functioning 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 Almond Coconut Granola 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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