Tag: immunity

Chef V’s Immunity Smoothie

I've created this new Immunity Smoothie to start the day. Made with ginger, turmeric, kale and coconut water, it gives me extra drive as I start a busy day.

Immunity Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup coconut water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 piece kale
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh turmeric
  • 1 dash black pepper

Directions

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Medicinal Herbs: Fantastic Fungus

You might think of mushrooms as something to put on pizza, but they are much more.  These days they  are showing up in herbal energy drinks, coffee recipes, and supplements. Mushrooms are full of antioxidants and are widely used in Chinese medicine.

There’s a good reason why mushrooms are one of the biggest trends in wellness. They deserve to wear capes for they are truly superfood heroes! Mushrooms are nutrition powerhouses, loaded with vitamins, minerals and lots of phytonutrients that you won’t see listed on nutrition labels.

If you’re disgusted just by the thought of eating mushrooms, I don’t blame you. I used to be revolted by the squishy little buggers. In high school, whenever my friends and I ordered pizza, there was always that one person who was adamant about including ‘shrooms on the pie.

But edible mushrooms have come a long way. No longer are they a tasteless, chewy and squirmy substance drowned in water in a can, reserved for pizza and, well, I can’t think of any other foods I used to see with mushrooms back in the day.

These days, practically every entree I make, especially stir-frys, includes mushrooms. Personally, I don’t drink coffee, but I do know plenty of people who mix mushroom powder into their morning cup. Lately, I started experimenting by adding mushroom powder into herbal tea.

Benefits of Mushrooms

So after years of being revolted by mushrooms, why did I hop on the ‘shroom bandwagon? Why am I taking the time to slice the blooming fruit of fungus (that’s what edible mushrooms are) and tossing it in not only stir-frys but also soups and stews and other dishes? And why has mushroom powder become a thing?

First, let me say that if you really detest the texture and taste of mushrooms, you may want to still consider buying mushroom powder. They have a mostly neutral taste. If anything, they have a subtle nutty, Earthy flavor profile. At least the couple different brands that I’ve tried.

The reason I want you to consider incorporating more ‘shrooms into your diet is that they are one of the best foods on Earth for supporting the immune system.

And lord knows we all need that these days.

Why are ‘shrooms beneficial for immunity? Let’s start with vitamin D. Certain species of mushrooms are very rich in vitamin D, which is crucial for maintaining a balanced immune system.

That means that if you do become infected by a pathogen, your immune system won’t go out of control and attack your body. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that eating mushrooms or taking a vitamin D supplement offers 100% protection, but I’m putting my money on my health by making sure I’m getting enough vitamin D.

Best Mushroom For Vitamin D

According to the Mushroom Council, the maitake (“My Tock E”) species of mushrooms contains over 230% of the daily value of vitamin D, which is very difficult to obtain from the diet alone. That’s because there are relatively few natural foods that are rich in vitamin D.

As a side note, I wouldn’t rely on mushrooms alone for obtaining vitamin D. The reason is because mushrooms are rich in vitamin D2, but not so much in vitamin D3. D3 is the more “active” form of vitamin D that our bodies use to produce hormones and perform lots of other important functions. Still, your health will benefit from consuming rich sources of vitamin D2.

below, Maitake mushroom

Mushrooms: A Good Sugar?

The all-star phytonutrients in mushrooms is beta-glucans, which is actually a sugar. Who says sugar is bad for you? Well, too much added sugars in the diet contributes to disease. But certain natural sugars that are trapped in the cell walls of plants can help us stay healthy.

Beta-glucans support the immune system by activating specialized immune cells that target potentially-harmful pathogens for destruction and clean-up the crime scene after they’ve been assassinated.

shitake mushrooms

above, dried shitake mushrooms

Eat These ‘Shrooms For Health

Another fabulous fungus that supports the immune system, and one that’s found in many supermarkets is crimini. Zinc might be the trace mineral that gets all the immunity-seeking attention. But selenium is arguably just as important. That’s because selenium has been proven to prevent viral replication. Brazil nuts are probably the best plant-based source of selenium. But crimini mushrooms are an excellent source as well. One serving contains about a third of the daily recommended value.

To support your bones, the Mushroom Council recommends shiitake (“Shee-Tock-E”), because it’s rich in copper, a trace mineral few of us ever think about, especially for bone health. But there’s more to healthy bones than calcium.

There are so many varieties of mushrooms. You really can’t go wrong with whatever variety you go with. Toss any variety available at your local health food store into stir-frys, soups, and yes, even on top of a healthy pizza (with cauliflower crust).

If you have the funds for it, buy mushroom powder, which contains other varieties that you wouldn’t be able to get at your local supermarket. I’m talking about reishi, turkey tail, lion’s mane, etc.

Giving Thanks: Celebrating our Customer’s Success Stories in 2019

Over 2,300 5-Star Groupon Ratings Can’t Be Wrong

Many of our customers get introduced to Chef V Organic Green Drinks through our insanely-low priced low-sugar juice cleanse deal on Groupon. Our accountant thinks we’re nuts for offering our Green Drinks for such a low price. But many of our customers want to do a juice cleanse but don’t know where to start. And unfortunately, virtually all the conventional big brands of juices, owned by conglomerates such as Coca Cola and the like, are loaded with sugar (see graphic below) and are expensive. Groupon might be a loss leader at times, but if it serves as a launching point for a health transformation, I’m all in … P&L statements be damned!

Currently, out of more than 3,000 Groupon reviews, 75% of them rank as perfect 5 star reviews. I’m not bragging; I’m grateful. Here are some of my favorite recent reviews:

“I lost 7 lbs on the 5 day cleanse. The process to redeem the voucher was very easy. Before I bought this I knew the taste of the juice wasn’t going to be extremely delicious since is a green juice but I’m okay with the taste however the shake wasn’t my favorite but I managed to drink it and I didn’t mind the tea. If this is your first cleanse it might me a little hard to do but is worth it.”

Elena S., August 4, 2018

I got a 5 day cleanse and is was great. As I went through the 5 days surprisingly I wasn’t hungry. It was easy to follow and the results were great. I will definitely use Chef V’s products again.”

Timothy E., April 2, 2018

Great detox program. makes your detox a breeze! Great for busy people that don’t have time to juice at home! I loved the shakes that came with the program. I lost 7 pounds with this detox!”

Jessika H., August 28, 2018

Customers Showing V The Love On Yelp

We also have a great track record on Yelp, with nearly 1000 reviews so far. Thank you so much for everybody who has posted a review. And I don’t mean only those customers who have posted 5-star reviews. I sincerely thank you even if you posted a not-so-flattering review. It’s the only way we can continue to improve. As a matter of fact, the first Yelp review I’ll share with you isn’t a perfect one; it’s 4 out of 5 stars. It comes from Valerie M. of Manhattan, NY, who writes on July 6:

“Oh man did I ever need this!  After getting married last summer I let myself ‘rest’ a little too much, I fell off the wagon with exercising regularly and my eating was becoming disastrous.  I was feeling tired and bloated. My cellulite was out of control. I was chugging coffee to stay alert. My weight was up to 158 which was a number I hadn’t seen on the scale in a long time… I needed something to kick start my system.

“I had tried your green drink (which I loved!) a few years ago and remembered that you had cleanses.  I wanted to do the 5 day but had some time conflicts so decided to start off just with the 3 to see how I did, and for sure next time I’m going to do a longer one!

“All the elements of the cleanse were delicious and packed so nicely for me to cart around the rest of my day during a heat wave 🙂 I knew I loved the green drink but I adored the shakes (that cinnamon spice one?  yum!), and the soups as well!” 

“I feel AMAZING.  My cellulite is basically gone.  My bloat is much improved (wish I could have done longer!).  My skin feels luscious and soft. And I am a whole new weight…  from pre-cleanse (first picture) to 2 days post-cleanse (2nd picture) I am now down to 149.  I lost almost 10 lbs! This not only made me feel physically amazing but lots of mental clarity as well.  Really can’t wait for my next cleanse!

“The only reason it is 4 stars and not 5?  I had to wait for half an hour and make multiple calls in order to pick up my order, the guy said it was loud so he didn’t hear his phone but I was worried I would have gone all the way there for nothing!”

Thank you for the amazing review, Valerie! And thanks for your honesty. We have improved our delivery system so now you don’t even have to come pick up your order … we’ll deliver to you for free!” (that’s a picture of Valerie below)

16 Oz. of Juice A Day May Keep the Doctor Away

I also love this Yelp review from Sharie F. of San Diego, CA. On October 23rd, Sharie wrote: 

We LOVE Chef V!  We have been using the Green Drink and other products over the years as cleanses and re-boots. The sweet potato soup is my fave!  I suffer from chronic illness and and auto-immune disease. After years on various medications, which in itself can make you feel like crud. I have never felt as good as I do when coming off a week long (or longer) Chef V cleanse.”

And here’s one from one of my newest neighbors in New Jersey. Gina V. lives in West Caldwell, NJ, home of our newest commercial kitchen and store. Gina writes:

I have been wanting to try the green drinks for awhile now, so I bought 64 ounces of the Tropical green drink.  Not only does it taste amazing (and i am not a green drink person) but I already feel 100% better than I felt last weekI have more energy and my sweet tooth cravings are gone!  I highly recommend everyone get this drink into their daily regimen!! I love it!! Love everyone who works there and will definitely say it’s one of my favorite places on West Caldwell!! Welcome to NJ Chef V!”

Thanks for welcoming me to the neighborhood, Gina!

I could go on and on with more Chef V success stories.

If you have a health transformation story you’d like to share that our products played a role in, I’d love to hear about it. Here’s my personal email address: chefv@chefv.com …

Until next time, stay cool, calm and collected over the holiday season. Don’t forget to do a little yoga. Even 10 minutes a day works wonders.

Love,

Chef V

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