Tag: ingredients

These 6 Spice Ingredients Prevent Belly Bloating & Improve Digestion

Chef V

spices for health at the holidays

If variety is the spice of life, I say a variety of spice ingredients is the key to a long, healthy life. Herbs and spices improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and may even prevent cancer, along with other benefits. I’ll share with you my favorite 6 herbs and spices for optimal digestive health.

Feeling a little bloaty and gassy? Having a hard time buttoning your jeans? The 6 ingredients – herbs and spices – I’m about to share with you can dramatically improve your digestion. These spices are so good for you I recommend using them every day.

Dandelion

Did a rich dessert back your system up? Then sip on some dandelion tea. The reason why is dandelion root is really good for relieving constipation. Not only that, it reduces the amount of time food sits in your belly. In fact, one study suggests it’s better than a drug at speeding up digestion.

And if you’re a little down in the dumps because you put on a couple pounds, here’s how else ingredients like dandelion help….

When we overindulge, it’s really easy for water and metabolic waste to accumulate in our digestive system. But dandelion comes to the rescue by acting as a diuretic, removing excess water from your gut.

dandelion

Turmeric

Is it me or is turmeric becoming more popular than ketchup? Turmeric has been blowing up the Internet because of its inflammation-fighting and blood-sugar lowering actions. But did you know it’s also great for digestion? Here’s why I love adding ingredients like turmeric spice to my smoothie, tea and meals….

Sometimes when we’re invited to a dinner party and eat something we don’t normally have, toots happen. It’s a part of life. Nonetheless, flatulence is embarrassing. But turmeric is a potent fart-fighter! The very uncomfortable post-meal combo of gas and bloating can be greatly reduced just by adding a teaspoon or two of turmeric.

Turmeric may prevent embarrassing gas and uncomfy bloating because it helps digest fats. It also helps your belly keep its supply of stomach acid. Many digestive problems are caused by not having enough digestive juices to break down food.

I realize it might not be practical for you to carry a bottle of turmeric spice in your purse to a dinner party. But you can easily drink some tea or a smoothie before you head out for the night. You can also take a turmeric supplement before the dinner party.

Keep in mind turmeric is fat-soluble. That means you need to consume a little fat in order for your body to absorb turmeric. That’s not a problem if you’re adding it to a meal. But if you’re having a smoothie, make sure you add a tablespoon of olive oil or other healthy fat.

My next favorite spice for digestion also helps your body absorb turmeric….

turmeric

Black Pepper

Without black pepper, your body doesn’t absorb turmeric very well. But adding just a pinch or two of this ingredient, fresh ground black pepper, can increase your body’s absorption of turmeric by 2,000%!

Not only that, there’s something in black pepper called piperine, which is great for digestion. It helps you break down all the tryptophan and other amino acids in holiday turkey. It also helps you get rid of excess water and it stimulates your belly’s release of hydrochloric acid, the main digestive juice in your gut.

But to get your belly feeling better with black pepper, don’t cook with it. Just sprinkle some fresh ground pepper corns in your tea or on your food.

black pepper

Ginger

ingredients: Ginger is Mother Nature’s weapon against indigestion, stomach pain and nausea. When I go for sushi, I always ask for extra ginger. Not only does it cleanse the palette in between bites of a rainbow roll, it’s also great for digestion. It helps move food through the digestive tract so all that rice and fish in the sushi doesn’t just sit in your gut for hours, leaving you bloated and gassy.

Here’s an easy digestion hack you can try with ginger that’s been used for thousands of years in India’s ancient traditional system of medicine (Ayurveda): try eating some fresh ginger slices about a half hour before your meal. This will activate your digestive fire. Or better yet, have a cup of ginger tea.

(If you take a blood-thinning drug, don’t use too much ginger as it can negatively interact with the medication.)

ginger root

Cardamom

I do love me a cup of low-sugar chai tea. Each sip delightfully awakens my taste buds. But more than that the ingredients in chai tea like cardamom are great for digestion. Cardamom is like ginger’s cousin. Like ginger, it can help prevent gas and bloating. There’s also some research that shows it can help if you have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Not only that it can help if you have belly cramps, diarrhea or constipation.

If your bottle of cardamom spice is gathering dust in your pantry, move it to front and center of your spice rack. And if your local coffee shop can do a low-sugar chai spice tea, go for it. Besides cardamom and cloves, traditional chai spices also include ginger  black pepper, and cinnamon.

Speaking of which, here’s the final of my favorite spices for digestion….

cardamon

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an ingredient miracle. Not only can it make bland oatmeal taste great, it’s also good for digestion. It can help with indigestion, gas, heartburn, nausea and stomach cramps. Now, obviously, sprinkling cinnamon on stuffing, turkey or mashed potatoes is … let’s just say, weird.

But what you can easily do, if you know you’re going to be indulging, before you head out for the big holiday meal, is make a cup of tea and sprinkle some cinnamon in it. Or, you can make yourself a cup of Golden Milk.

Golden Milk (click here for my recipe) is a dairy-free drink that I make with almond milk and features several of the spices above. My recipe for Golden Milk includes turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, and of course, a pinch of fresh ground black pepper.

If you’re going to indulge a little, no worries, you’ll get back on track. Just make sure to start using these spices every day to help you digest those heavy meals.

Love,

Veronica (Chef V)

P.S. Having a daily 16 oz. serving of my Green Drink will also do wonders for your digestion. That’s how I start my day, even on the holidays.

Brandon, veronica and Coco

What Is Luo Han Guo?

Chef V

Veronica working from home

If you have a sweet tooth and struggle with sugar cravings, a sugar-alternative making waves in the organic food world is Luo Han Guo. AKA Monkfruit.

Read on to learn about this nutritious ingredient and why we’re using it to sweeten our beloved shakes.

The History of Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo goes by many names, most notably monkfruit.

Native to Southern China and Northern Thailand, monkfruit is a vining plant that produces robust bulb-like fruit. Botanically speaking, it is part of the gourd family—think squash, pumpkin and zucchini.

Records of the plant in China date back to the medieval period where the flesh of the fruit was eaten or turned into juice, and the rind used to make tea. Monkfruit juice were historically noted for their medicinal usage, combating fever, heatstroke, and inflammation.

Interestingly, Luo Han Guo translates from Chinese to roughly mean arhat fruit. Arhat being a Buddhist term for one who has reached enlightenment and perfection.

Finally, monkfruit extracts are super sweet. And when we say ‘super’ we mean it: luo han guo beats sugar on the sweetness scale by over 150-200 times!

green drink

The Benefits of Luo Han Guo

Luo Han Guo is as enlightened as it is nutritious. Some of the said benefits include:

Zero Calorie, Zero Carb: The primary reason we use Luo Han Guo to sweeten our shakes is that it does not contain calories nor carbs. The perfect combination for a cleanse.

More Efficient: Being so much sweeter than sugar, you need less Luo Han Guo for the same effect – it’s a sweetener that can punch above its weight.

Zero Sugar: Since it’s a non-sugar sweetener, Luo Han Guo is great for those who are looking for a way to control their blood sugar levels.

No Side Effects: Luo Han Guo is a perfectly natural and organic sweetener. It’s also had plenty of study over the years. This means no worries about surprising side effects.

Flexible: Luo Han Guo extract can be prepared into granules, powders, and liquids. If you’re making healthy foods, this gives you a plenty of choices depending on the recipe you’re using it in.

Antioxidant: The Luo Han Guo fruit may have significant antioxidant properties. While research into exactly what kinds of antioxidants are in monkfruit is ongoing, every little bit of heart health helps.

blueberries

Enlightening Our Shakes

We use both luo han guo and stevia as non-sugar sweeteners in our products. Both are safe sweetener options, though they have unique tastes, which make them suitable for different uses. Our vanilla shake uses a mix of stevia products, while our chocolate shake gets its taste from a blending of stevia and luo han guo.

No matter how they get their sweetness though, our shakes are designed to be healthy – and the lack of sugar is a big part of this. Combined with organic flavoring, they make a great part of our cleanse programs.

The Scoop On Stevia

Chef V

Veronica working from home

Too often, juice cleanses and shakes are considered a necessary evil when detoxing. Something to be chugged as quickly as possible.

At Chef V, we’re on a mission to change this perception of blended juices and shakes. Our recipes perfectly balance nutrition and flavor, ensuring you never force yourself through our cleanses, but you actually enjoy them.

“How are you capable of producing deliciously nutritious beverages?”, you ask. Well, at least when it comes to our shakes, stevia is a key ingredient.

Read on to learn more about stevia, including its health benefits and flavor profile.

What is stevia?

Stevia is an all-natural sweetener extracted from a plant called Stevia rebaudiana. It also goes by a number of delicious common names such as candy leaf, sweetleaf, and sugar leaf.

What makes stevia special?

While many types of sugar are extracted from plants (sugarcane, anyone?), not all are created equal. In fact, we would argue stevia is by far the superior extract.

First, stevia is significantly sweeter than the white sugar in your cupboard. This means that you can use less of it to reach the same level of desired sweetness.

Second, stevia is naturally low in calories and carbs, making it an excellent alternative for individuals looking to lose weight or lower their blood sugar.

Beyond just adding fewer carbs to your diet, stevia has also been noted to help control cravings.

Finally, the European Food Safety Committee (EFSA) concluded that stevia itself is non-allergenic. Meaning, anyone is safe to eat it.

So what’s the catch?

There really is no catch!

In all honesty, there was a period of time when some people believed the sweetener was linked to kidney problems. However, that study has been debunked. In fact, safety studies have concluded stevia is side-effect free.

Perhaps the only reason Americans haven’t permanently binned their refined sugar is because of flavor. Refined sugar and stevia have different flavor profiles. This means anyone looking to replace sugar with stevia in their favorite recipes will notice a difference in the final product.

Try a sugar-free shake today

At Chef V, stevia is a key ingredient in our organic detox shakes. We believe in being able to enjoy a little sweetness along with all the hard work you’re doing during a cleanse. The sweetness of stevia helps our chocolate and vanilla shakes taste great. This way, they can help you beat cravings, boosting your weight loss as you undergo your cleanse.

Too Good to Be True – But it Is! – Detox Shake Recipes for Weight Loss

Chef V

Veronica working from home

Chef V’s cleanses and detoxes aren’t just blended green juice—they also incorporate our nutritious (and extraordinarily delicious) vanilla and chocolate shakes.

Shaking Up Your Cleanse

Many prospective cleansers may assume shakes defeat the purpose of the blended juice cleanse, which is all about the juice… right? Wrong. Detox diet shake recipes can help boost the overall effectiveness of a cleanse, and play a key role in Chef V’s own cleanse program.

One of the most common side effects of any juice cleanse is a lack of energy or fatigue. This is normal as your body adjusts to fewer macronutrients and carbohydrates. However, it’s not ideal, especially on longer cleanses where you’ll still need to run errands, drop off the kids at school, and/or blast through your to-do list at work.

Enter the protein detox shakes and smoothies.

Good detox diet shake recipes will include significant protein. Protein is one of the three macronutrients are body uses as its primary fuel source. By drinking protein shakes during your cleanse, you’ll avoid fatigue and feel fueled for an entire day’s work.

green drink

What’s Shaking?

The base ingredient in both of our delicious shakes is organic pea protein powder—a natural and organic ingredient, noted for its health benefits.

Beyond being an excellent energy and protein source, pea proteins contain essential amino acids, which help your body repair and rejuvenate during your cleanse.

In terms of flavor, we only use the highest quality natural ingredients available. This includes organic luo han guo extract to sweeten them. It also means organic cacao powder in our chocolate shake and bourbon vanilla in our vanilla shake.

Getting the Most out of Your Chef V Shakes

In any Chef V cleansing package, you’ll receive ingredient packets and instructions to easily blend up our delicious shakes at home. During a “healthy routine period”, you can enjoy one of these shakes on any given day. During the actual cleanses, you’ll want to bump it up to two shakes a day to ensure you have the necessary energy to conquer your day.

Learn more about our cleanse and detox plan options today.

Terrific Turmeric: Why Nutritionists Are Calling it a ‘Super Spice’

Chef V

Veronica working from home

Turmeric has always been identifiable by its golden color and popularity in Indian cuisine. However, the fragrant spice’s health benefits have only recently gained attention. Some nutritionists are now even calling it a ‘super spice’.

Read on to learn more about turmeric’s numerous health benefits and why we heavily feature it in our detox soups.

What is turmeric?

In America, some people may consider turmeric an exotic spice. However, in many parts of the world like India, it’s a staple ingredient.

Turmeric technically refers to the plant turmeric, which is a relative of ginger. The rhizomes, or root stalks of this plant, can be boiled, dried, and then ground down to create the orangey-yellow powder we call turmeric.

Turmeric is native to India. In India, turmeric isn’t just a flavorful ingredient – it is also an important part of traditional medicine as well as a dye for Hindi and Buddhist monk robes. In fact, due to its color, Europeans originally nicknamed it Indian Saffron.

Thanks to its bright color, mild flavor, and medicinal benefits, it didn’t take long for turmeric to become popular throughout Asia as well as internationally.

Why is turmeric so healthy?

Turmeric is packed with health benefits, largely thanks to a bioactive substance called curcumin.

Curcumin is a well-known anti-inflammatory and polyphenol. It promotes good heart health, boosts liver function, and aids in digestion. The latter benefit is particularly important during detoxes when you’re trying to rid your body of harmful toxins.

Of course, we can’t miss out on one of the most important turmeric benefits. It tastes delicious! If you’re making your own soups or healthy curries, turmeric is always a great ingredient to include.

blueberries

Does turmeric have side effects?

There is no concrete evidence of any side effects to eating or drinking turmeric.

Anecdotally speaking, some people new to turmeric have reported small amounts of indigestion after consuming large amounts of the ingredient. However, this is often a reported side effect of many new spices and ingredients and may just be a sign of your body getting used to it.

Perhaps the most preposterous myth about turmeric is that it causes pregnant women to go into labor early. There is zero evidence of this. In fact, pregnant women may very well benefit from including more turmeric in their diet.

The Super Ingredients

By design, a lot of ingredients are found in both of our healthy detox soups. These detox vegetable soups have been designed specifically for getting the most out of a juice cleanse, and pair perfectly with our other products. Our healthy detox soups will fuel you to roll right through our 21-day cleanse.

Cooking with turmeric

At Chef V, we’ve included turmeric and curcumin in both of our delicious detox soups. Not only does the ingredient taste delicious, but it also aids in helping your body detox harmful chemicals. Not to mention, its natural pigment makes every soup look beautiful and inviting!

10 Tips For Making Healthy Detox Soups

Chef V
A bowl of healthy soup.

When you’re looking to cleanse, lose weight, and keep up a nutritional diet all at once, soup can be a lifesaver. And with colder weather coming, it can be a delicious way to warm up as well.

Here are our top tips on making the most nutritional detox soups at home, as well as making soups suitable for weight loss.

#1 Veggies, Veggies, Veggies

This tip should be no surprise to anyone. Vegetable-based soups are always going to be the healthiest. They’re also excellent for weight loss since they’re naturally low in fat content and high in nutrition.

#2 Use All of the Vegetable

Did you know that the stalks of vegetables like leeks hold amazing nutritional value? Too often we just take all that extra nutrition and throw it right in the trash. Do some research on the ingredients you are using to see how much of it you can include to maximize nutrition and minimize food waste.

#3 Avoid the Fat

If you’re making your own detox soup recipes at home, make sure to avoid stocks and bases that are fat-heavy. This means no cream bases or additions either – you’ll sabotage your entire weight loss plan right then and there.

#4 Embrace Superfoods…

Of course, not all veggies are created equal. For detox soup recipes, you want as much bang for your buck as possible. Aim to include plenty of “superfoods” – vegetables and fruits bursting with vitamins, minerals, and other healthy nutrients like antibacterials. For example, we base one of our Chef V Detox soup recipes around sweet potatoes, which pack a mean nutritious punch.

#5 … and Super Spices

It’s not just the main ingredients that need to be maximized. Additional flavors like garlic, ginger and turmeric add flavor and contribute to the soup’s nutritional value.

A bowl of vegetable soup.

#6 Cut the sodium

The dangers of too much sodium are well documented, and you should take this into account when plotting out a detox soup diet plan. Use reduced sodium stocks and try to avoid adding too much table salt.

#7 Boost the fiber

While you should cut sodium, you should add in extra fiber. You can increase fiber in soup by blending in hardy vegetables and fruits like sweet potatoes. This serves two purposes. First, the fiber will help with your digestion and the detox process as a whole. Second, fiber will help you feel satiated and minimize pesky cravings.

#8 Go for organic

Detox soup recipes for weight loss are designed to help you, well, lose weight. But a good detox soup diet should also be helping you flush out toxins as well. Why sabotage this by putting more processed junk back into your system?

#9 Puree 

Pureed soups minimize the strain on your digestive system. Keep your soups silky smooth to ensure proper digestion.

#10 Make it delicious! 

Detox soups should be delicious, plain and simple. Use high-quality, organic fruits and vegetables as the base of your soups. Then build out the flavor profile with nutritional aromatics and spices like onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. You stand the best chance of succeeding in your cleanse if you actually enjoy the food you're eating slurping.

Don’t want to make your own detox soups?

If you’re short on time or hate the cleanup involved in cooking, why not try our pre-planned detoxes and cleanses. We’ll ship you the exact juices, shakes, and soups you need for a healthy and revitalizing cleanse. All of our products are made from fresh, organic ingredients and have been praised for their great flavors. Get in touch today to learn more!

© 2021 Chef V, LLC.