by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

Take 1 Action on Earth Day!

Earth Day started on March 21, 1970, and I remember our all of my classmates walking to school that day, rather than getting a ride to school by our parents or on the bus. That was just a start. Today, the world is celebrating the 42^nd annual Earth Day, a global event to celebrate the Earth and raise awareness of environmental causes.

It is the perfect day to take your own step towards helping protect our Earth.

Experience Nutrition: Earth Day Menu

• Walk or ride your bike to school or work, rather than drive. Reduce air pollution and get some exercise at the same time.
• Recycle.  If you are not recycling, start today. Recycling paper can help lessen the number of trees cut down. And, it takes less energy to produce products from recycled materials.
• Plant a tree. One of the most popular ways to celebrate Earth Day. Trees prevent soil erosion and water pollution and reduce carbon from the air, helping to alleviate the “greenhouse effect”.
• Buy local produce. On average, food grown in the US travels 1,500 miles to our grocery stores
• Plant a garden. Even plant a few of your favorite herbs in a flower pot.
• Compost. Reduce the amount of waste you send to the landfill. Plus, compost contains more nutrients than peat moss.
• Use bamboo cutting boards and utensils. Some species of bamboo grow up to 2 feet per day. It naturally replenishes itself, making it one of the most renewable resources.
• Pick up trash on the beach. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is Earth's largest dump full of plastic.

What 1 thing will you commit to this year to help our planet Earth?

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

“I really enjoyed making my first matcha tea ever and I’ll definitely drink it. It was amazing to see the difference in quality of green tea. The high quality Gyokuro looked like real tea leaves after I steeped it, as opposed to the lower quality mush. ” – NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter

Why Green Tea?

• The antioxidant, ECGC, in green tea is an anti-inflammatory
• A lot of research has found that green tea benefits heart health, brain health and cancer
• Beneficial for brain health as it is full of catechins and polyphenols, which help the brain to relax and stimulates dopamine levels
• Theanine in green tea helps improve mood and a sense of relaxation
• Known to increase memory and concentration
• Less caffeine than coffee
• It tastes delicious, so enjoy a few cups every day

Matcha tea is special. This high quality green tea is covered before picking to accentuate the green color. The tea leaves are stone-ground, so when drinking matcha, you are really eating tea leaves. You get the full benefits of green tea.

You can see the step-by-steps photos of Ericka making matcha tea on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/experience.nutrition.tips

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

“The Fitness Smoothie was very tasty, I’m more of a vanilla girl, but the cocoa powder was pretty good. After trying all the smoothies, I was full and energetic throughout the day.” – NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter

This smoothie is amazing and so healthy in so many ways. It features good carbs (in dates), good plant protein (hemp seeds), healthy fat (flaxseeds), an apple, and the anti-inflammatory ginger root. We added some cocoa powder, but Ericka is going to try it with vanilla.

Hemp seeds have a sweet nutty taste are a great plant protein, as they contains all 9 essential amino acids. Its amino acid profile helps boost the body’s immune system and hasten recovery after working out. Hemp seeds are also anti-inflammatory, key for speeding the repair of soft-tissue damage causes by physical activity.

Flaxseeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important to athletes as they reduce inflammation and play an important role in the metabolism of fat. About a tablespoon of ground whole flaxseeds will allow the body to more efficiently burn body fat as fuel. Faxseeds are also high in potassium, an important electrolyte for athletes, because it is in part responsible for smooth muscle contraction and helps keep the body hydrated.

Dates, high in glucose, a carbohydrate, are often referred to as “nature’s fuel.”  Upon consumption, glucose is rapidly converted to glycogen in the liver. Maintaining glycogen in muscles and liver is imperative for sustained energy.

Simple Steps

Put ingredients into a blender. The first time you make this smoothie, as Ericka and I did, you may want to add a few ingredients at a time and do a taste test to see how you like it. Check out Ericka’s step-by-step photos on our Facebook page
 

First: Frozen banana, cashews, coconut water to cover the banana and cashews

Second: Sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds

Third: Apple

Fourth: Dates

Fifth: Ginger

Sixth: Cocoa powder

Try the Green and Fruit smoohies, too.

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

 Clean 15: Lowest in Pesticides

Get the Dirty Dozen right here. 

By Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition 

“I always knew I could make smoothies. Now, I know what ingredients I can put in them.” – NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter

This week, I enjoyed guiding Ericka to have some fun experimenting with three very different smoothies: fruits, green and fitness smoothies.

Raspberry Blueberry Ginger Smoothie

Try this refreshing fruit smoothie for a quick breakfast or healthy snack.  To make this simple smoothie, put all ingredients into a blender. Add more “milk” if you prefer a smoother consistency with the healthiest options being almond or soy milk. Avoid dairy as much as possible. Try your favorite fruits to create your own favorite smoothies. It’s so easy!

Frozen bananas

Frozen blueberries and/or raspberries

Fresh ginger

Soy milk or almond milk

Green Smoothie

So many people are drinking green smoothies these days. Not only are they filled with all the vitamins and minerals you need daily, they also taste amazing. The green base for this one is kale, with fruit, veggies, seeds and ginger, one of Ericka and my favorite roots. The kale definitely has a lot of fiber, so if you prefer the consistency of a smoothie with less fiber, you might want to try using spinach.

Put all ingredients into a blender, blend and enjoy.

Water or coconut water

Dinosaur kale

Apple

Carrot

Sunflower seeds

Hemp seeds

Fresh lemon juice

Ginger root

Dirty Dozen: Buy these organic

These fruits and vegetables have the highest level of pesticides when grown conventionally. 

If you eat 5 servings from the “Dirty Dozen,” on average you will eat 14 different pesticides. This compares to 2 pesticides in 5 servings of the “Clean 15”.

If you eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day from EWG's “Clean 15” rather than the “Dirty Dozen,” you can lower the volume of pesticides you consume daily by 92 percent.

1. Apple

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines – imported

7. Grapes – imported

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries – domestic

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/collard greens

NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter, is looking for the 9!

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

“I’m looking for the 9! Melanie taught me about the importance of eating organic produce, especially those fruits and vegetables which have the most pesticides when grown conventionally. So now when I shop, I’m going to look for 9 as the first number on the small label, as it indicates that the produce is organic. If you see a 4, it’s conventionally grown.” – NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter

The important aspects of organic, as defined by the USDA are:

• No pesticides and not synthetic fertilizers
• Not genetically modified
• Not sterilized by irradiation
• Not fertilized by sewage sludge

Why eat organic?

I’ve personally been eating organic for 15 years and always recommend that all my clients do the same. This week I shared some important information about eating organic with Ericka.

According to The Organic Center, a non-profit dedicated to research, organic produce, on average, contains 25% higher levels of 11 key nutrients compared to conventionally grown produce. Learn more about The Organic Center and research at www.organic-center.org .

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

“I’m now doing three workouts in my week. I’m cooking roots and greens every day, and my whole family has been enjoying them. I’ve also been experimenting in the kitchen and have added other vegetables, like squash and zucchini to the stir-fried veggies. This week I made an amazing shrimp dish with lots of veggies and rice and everyone in my family loved it!” – NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter

Ericka’s Actions for the Week

This week we focused on organic, fruit and veggie smoothies and green tea. The EXPERIENCE NUTRITION 9 Ways to Enjoy Food and Life program is a step-by-step approach to incorporate healthy eating and lifestyle into your life.

This week, Ericka’s new actions are:

• I will make smoothies for breakfast
• I will continue to try new things in the kitchen
• I will drink green tea every day

If you missed the first few weeks of Ericka Lassiter's EXPERIENCE NUTRITION Program:
Week 1: Nutrition with NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter
Week 1: Bonus with NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter: Delicious Avocado Salsa, made by the Kids!
Week 2: In the Kitchen with NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter: 3 Simple Ways to Prepare Roots & Greens
Week 2: In the Kitchen with NFL wife, Ericka Lassiter: A Taste of Turmeric

by Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition

Week 2 Bonus: Turmeric Tea with Ericka Lassiter

Wow! Loved that fresh turmeric root was available this week, so Ericka and I made some delicious, anti-inflammatory turmeric tea. Turmeric is bright orange with a fresh, clean aroma and a peppery, warm, slightly bitter taste.

Turmeric has been used medicinally in India and China for centuries. Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory known for alleviating arthritis, and reducing muscle pain and joint inflammation.  It's also thermogentic, so it increases metabolism and fat burning - which can aid in increasing energy and weight loss.

When you prepare your turmeric tea, be sure to add black pepper which increases the amount of curcumin taken into your body.

Simple Steps

Put a few cups of water in a pan

Add chopped turmeric root

Add black pepper
Bring to a boil

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes
Enjoy hot or cold!

Check out the step-by-step photos on our Experience Nutrition Tips on Facebook. 

by Melanie Albert, Nutrition Expert & Author, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition

We jumped right into the kitchen. 

“It was valuable to learn what the foods are as some of the roots are new to me and I learned why the roots and greens are good for health. Now, I know how to prepare the roots and greens and know I can do it!  I’m going to start cooking more healthy, with the simple stir-fry and bamboo steamer,” Ericka says.

Roots are vitamin-rich and are naturally sweet, especially when cooked, so they help with sugar cravings. There are so many kinds of roots, so enjoy experimenting.

Greens are one of the most missing foods in our diet. A lot of people eat basic iceberg lettuce, which has no nutritional value or look at the greens around a salad bar, but few in our country eat greens. Greens are especially great for bone health and are very detoxing, and since they grow upward may increase energy and be uplifting.

3 Ways Ericka’s Roots & Greens
Ericka Lassiter’s First Stir-Fry Recipe

Visit our page on Facebook, for the step-by-step photos.

Carrots
Golden beets
Parsnip
Celery root
Watermelon radish
Broccoli
Collard greens
Dinosaur kale
Collard greens
Organic extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ginger
Garlic

Ericka’s First Bamboo Steamer Veggies: A quick way to prepare veggies.
Ericka put some roots & greens in a bamboo steamer and made a quick dish.

Raw Kale Salad: Another great way to enjoy greens.
Chop dinosaur kale
Add organic extra virgin olive oil
Add fresh garlic
Add a squeeze of lemon
Massage the kale
Ericka added some of the Bamboo Steamer roots

If you missed it:
Week 1: Ericka's Goals and Breakthough "ah ha"
Week 2: Bonus Avocado Salsa Video with the Kids: Made by Ericka's young boys and my 6 year old niece