I look at her shocked. “You don’t peel your lemons before you juice them, do you? Because I don’t have that much patience.”

“Of course I do! I thought there was something toxic about the peels or something…” Her voice trails off as her lips twist in thought.

“According to my raw cookbooks you can juice a whole lemon with the peel,” I say. “At least that’s how I always do it and it tastes amazing. The peel actually makes the juice taste more ‘lemony’. I know you have to peel oranges and grapefruits before juicing because some people are allergic to the skins, but I think whole lemons and limes are okay. Of course, there is only one way to know for sure…”

I open my cabinet and get The Complete Book of Juicing: Your Delicious Guide to Youthful Vitality and look up citrus fruits. It ends up Eve and I were both half-right.

1. NEVER JUICE THE RIND OF AN ORANGE OR A GRAPEFRUIT
According to Dr. Murray, citrus peels contain some oils that can interfere with body functions. In order to avoid a toxic reaction, never juice the peel of an orange or a grapefruit. Always peel the fruit first and then feed the segments through a juicer. (Or, just save time and buy a citrus juicer!)

2. NEVER JUICE MORE THAN HALF A LEMON OR LIME WITH PEEL
To minimize the citrus oils and keep them at a healthy level, never juice more than half a whole lemon or lime. If you juice half a lemon and desire more lemon taste in your juice, simply peel the other half of lemon and feed it through the juicer without rind.

3. JUICING LEMONS AND LIMES HAS MANY HEALTH BENEFITS
Lemons and limes are rich in Vitamin C, Potassium, and Limonene. Dr. Murray writes that limonene has been shown to eliminate gallstones and has “promising” anticancer properties.

After reading all about citrus, Eve and I were pretty thirsty for some juice. I offered to help her peel half of a lemon and a lime, and look what we made without sugar and full of vitamins and enzymes:

NO-SUGAR-ADDED LEMONADE RECIPE

Juice 4 apples and 1/4 lemon with peel and serve over ice.

NO-SUGAR-ADDED LIMEADE RECIPE

Because I like a real lime taste, we used a whole lime half-peeled in this recipe. You can substitute just a half lime with peel and the recipe still turns out delicious.

Juice 4 apples and one lime (half-peeled) and serve over ice.

“It really isn’t,” I say. “The myth is epilators are ridiculously painful–”

“I read one woman online who said she ices her vagina down before she epilates–”

“She does? That seems so unnecessary,” I say. “I have paid for waxes that left me unable to walk for three days, and the epilator was not anywhere near as painful as that. I used the epilator for the first time two weeks ago, and yeah, I had some red bumps the first night. But the next day my skin was smooth and soft and perfect.”

“Smooth and soft and perfect…? Isn’t that how you always feel?

“No,” I say. “That’s how you always are.” And Clara giggles from across the miles.

WHAT IS A GIRL TO DO ABOUT HAIR REMOVAL IN A BAD ECONOMY?

For $60, you can purchase the Bliss Bikini Perfect Deluxe Kit at Sephora. This fabulous device is a rechargeable, cordless razor and epilator, that will tweeze and groom your pretty private spaces quickly. It even has a feature that will groom your eyebrows! All for the cost of one brazilian bikini waxing (with tip) at a salon. (If you have an epilator you like to use, please let me know in the comments section.)

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR NEW EPILATOR

1. Before you begin hair removal – especially in the pubic area – make sure the hair is at least 1/2″ long as it will make the hair easier to grab. (After the first epilator session, shorter hair will be easier to remove.)
2. Make sure to bathe or shower and thoroughly dry off before hair removal.
3. Start by practicing on your legs or armpits. When you do your armpits, remember to stretch your skin with your other hand. The “tighter” the skin is, the less painful the hair removal will be.
4. When you do your bikini, make sure to start with the bikini line first. Always epilate AGAINST the direction of hair growth. So, when you do your bikini line, you want to move outward and upward (usually). As you move into the more private nooks and crannies, make sure to use your other hand to keep the skin stretched and tight as it will make hair removal easier and definitely less painful.
5. Where there’s a lot of hair, the first pass of the epilator will be painful (again, to me, not nearly as painful as waxing.) But, it is important to know that each subsequent pass of the epilator will be less and less painful. And, unlike waxing, it will still pull out the hair when you just can’t get yourself to yank anymore!
6. Between hair removal procedures, make sure to exfoliate the bikini area often. I like to use a dry brush before I shower to exfoliate the area and ensure no ingrown hairs appear. Try it! It really works.
7. If a few hairs grow in between hair removal sessions, the epilator works great on just a few hairs, too. Unlike waxing, you don’t have to wait for everything to grow back in to “clean up” those stray hairs. Epilate every day if you want. It’s rechargeable!

XOXOXOXOXO

THE HEALTHY FOX

My family is not vegetarian, but they enjoy eating healthy, good-tasting, gourmet food.  Who doesn’t?  So over the holidays, I whipped up Green Tea Cupcakes with Green Tea Glaze, Tiramisu Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Sexy Low-fat Vanilla Cupcakes with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting.  All of these recipes were simple to make after a trip to Whole Foods and were eaten as quickly as they were made.  The adults really loved the Green Tea Cupcakes, although the kids preferred the Chocolate ones.

When I got back home to Hollywood, my husband and I decided to detox from the holidays by eating a wheat and gluten-free diet.  In Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, there are two gluten-free recipes and I decided to test them out and see if they were as good (or better) than the wheat-based recipes.

The only problem was, when I went to Whole Foods in West Hollywood, I could not find one of the key ingredients: quinoa flour.  The authors write that in order for a cupcake to be moist and fluffy, you should blend three to four non-wheat flours.  In the Chocolate Gluten Freedom Cupcakes recipe, they recommend blending tapioca flour, white rice flour and quinoa flour.  They even go on to write that quinoa flour is the ingredient that has given many chefs wonderful results.  So, when I was in Whole Foods and could not find this key ingredient, I had to improvise.

As I looked over the possible replacement flours– millet flour, spelt flour, almond flour, corn flour — I discovered Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour.  The package said the flour absorbed liquid well and added a light sweetness to baked goods.  Since I love coconut and use it frequently in my vegan puddings and ice cream, I figured it may just work in cupcakes.

After making my own Chocolate Freedom Cupcakes, I can tell you that Coconut Flour is wonderful in gluten-free baking.  And let’s just say the proof is in the pudding:  the entire batch of cupcakes were gone within 14 hours.

Here is my version of the Chocolate Freedom Cupcakes (adapted from the recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World) to make Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Flour and Almond Milk:

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)*
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup Sucanat evaporated cane juice (To read why Sucanat is healthier than refined sugar, CLICK HERE.)*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed (I ground my own in a coffee grinder.)
1/3 cup unsweetened organic cocoa powder
3/4 cup white rice flour*
1/4 cup coconut flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F and line muffin tray with cupcake liners (or use silicon cupcake pans and grease them well.)
2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine almond milk, canola oil, Sucanat and extracts.  Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed to make sure the Sucanat is thoroughly combined.  Add tapioca flour and flax seed and mix with an electric beater until the tapioca flour is dissolved and the mixture is well emulsified.
3.  Add the cocoa powder, white rice flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix on medium-high for about 2 minutes.  It’s important to mix really well and you don’t have to worry about over-mixing because there is no gluten.
4.  Fill cupcake liners a little over three-quarters full.  These won’t rise as much as traditional cupcakes so you can fill them a little more than usual.
5.  Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted through the center comes out clean.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Alternately, if you would like quarter-sized cupcakes, I recommend using a Mini Silicone Muffin Pan.  This makes bite-sized cupcakes, so you don’t feel forced to eat a whole large cupcake.  Just make sure to grease the pan and only bake for 10 to 11 minutes.  Using this recipe, you will have enough batter to fill 2 Mini Muffin Pans.

* Ingredients I modified from the original recipe.

XOXOXO
THE HEALTHY FOX

Click to play

The guest this week is Mary Kelly from http://www.marykellyconsulting.com/

Take Mary Kelly’s advice and learn about money.  Read Women & Money by Suze Orman

Find Quinoa, Braggs and other goodies in the Trouble Store!

Mom and I chopped up veggies and stirred them in with cooked Quinoa.  We added flax seed oil, cod liver oil, balsalmic vinegar and a squirt of Braggs.  You can come up with your own combo to add to Quinoa too.  Think of it like rice, only it’s better for you!  Try adding a bunch of greens to it and grated cheese.  Yummy.

Come up with your own concoction and send your ideas and pictures to trouble@angelashelton.com and we’ll share them!

Click To Play

I had Kimleigh Smith over and we talked to Charlotte Kasl who wrote Women, Sex, and Addiction and If The Buddha Dated!

I made a pasta sauce out of canned peeled tomatoes and tuna.  It is super easy and fast to make.  Watch!

In this episode we highlight the Instead Softcup!

A proven alternative
To pads and tampons
You can wear up to 12 hours
Non toxic material

We love the Softcup! Try it – I use it every month!

Dearest Readers, There is no one more amazing in the vegan raw food world than Sarma Mengalis of Pure Food and Wine. For information on purchasing raw almond flour, CLICK HERE. To make your own, soak organic raw almonds in filtered water overnight. Dehydrate them for 20 hours at 118 degrees farenheit and then grind the dry almonds in a food processor. To make fine almond flour, sift out the larger pieces and use them in the coarse almond flour. XOXOXOX THE HEALTHY FOX

Sarma’s Pumpkin Tart

Originally posted on Gliving.tv on October 21, 2007.

Pumpkin Tart with candied pumpkin seeds (raw)

This recipe makes enough crust for abut 10 tarts if you are using 4 1/2-inch shells. At the restaurant we use 3-inch shells, which are a nice size for a small dessert. Smooth-sided tart shells work best for this recipe, but any kind will do. If you try making a large tart, the crust should be a bit thicker to withstand the pressure of removing it from the shell or using a tart ring would work well too. As with the sour cherry tart, the recipe calls for both coarse and fine almond flour. Again, you can just grind the almonds and use 3 cups total, rather than separating between the coarse and fine crumbs. However, to make a slightly more refined crust, you may want to sift through the nut crumbs to remove any larger pieces – either way it will taste the same.

Try also serving it with the Vanilla Cream and spiced pinch of ground ginger.

Makes 10 Tarts in 4 1/2 Shells

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients until very thoroughly combine. Line ten 4 1/2 – inch or twenty 3-inch tart shells with squares of plastic wrap. Divide the dough between the shells and press evenly into the sides and bottom, to create an even thickness throughout. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or more, and keep refrigerated until ready to fill.

In a high-speed blender, blend all the filling ingredients until completely smooth. Fill the tart shells while the filling is still at room temperature. Place the tart shells in the refrigerator to set, about 1 hour or more. You may have extra filling, in which case simply chill it and eat it like pudding!

Drain the pumpkin seeds very well and place in a medium bowl with the remaining ingredients. Toss well to combine. Spread on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate at 115 F for 12 to 24 hours, or until dry and crisp. (Makes 2 Cups)

In a high speed blender, blend all the vanilla cream ingredients until completely smooth. Transfer to a separate container and refrigerate to chill and set, 2 hours or more. This will make a firm, scoop-able cream. For a slightly softer cream, use half the amount of coconut butter.

Today’s recipes are from the wonderful site, IN A VEGETARIAN KITCHEN WITH NAVA ATLAS. Ms. Atlas has written numerous vegetarian cookbooks and I highly recommend purchasing her fabulous book, Vegetarian Celebrations.

JICAMA COLESLAW WITH CITRUS DRESSING
8 to 10 servings

Jicama is a slightly sweet crunchy root vegetable. Ask for it at well stocked supermarkets and produce stands. If you can’t find it, substitute crisp white turnip.

CLICK HERE to read the recipe.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH WHOLE WHEAT, WILD RICE, & ONION STUFFING (VEGAN)
Serves: 8

Even those of us who have given up turkey welcome a Thanksgiving dish that has been “stuffed.” This satisfying dish makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal.

CLICK HERE to read the recipe.

WALNUT-APPLE STUFFING (VEGAN)
Serves: 8 or more

Vegetarians won’t want to eat stuffing that has been cooked in the bird. Here’s a tasty stuffing that bakes separately.

CLICK HERE to read the recipe.

WINE-GLAZED BRUSSELS SPROUTS (VEGAN – if you use maple syrup instead of honey)
Serves: 8

The slightly sweet glaze makes Brussels sprouts taste deceptively rich.

CLICK HERE to read the recipe.
MAPLE AND TARRAGON SWEET POTATOES (VEGAN)
8 to 10 servings

Maple syrup and tarragon, a sweet herb, are wonderful enhancements for the flavor of sweet potatoes.

CLICK HERE to read the recipe.

Next week, I will be highlighting the best vegan holiday desserts on the web. You do not want to miss these goodies that will leave meat-eaters saying, “This can’t be vegan!”

XOXOXOOXOX
THE HEALTHY FOX

To help those of you who are trying to avoid turkey and ham this holiday season, I am posting a new series of blogs highlighting the best holiday recipes on the web.

Attending Thanksgiving with meat eaters? Offer to bring a vegetarian entree to the dinner to share. This way, you will ensure you will have a yummy, memorable, and healthy meal while demonstrating how marvelous vegetarian cuisine really is.

VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING RECIPES FROM NOVEMBER’S DELICIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE:

Photo by Leigh Beisch

KIBBEH WITH APPLES, WALNUTS, AND FETA (VEGETARIAN)

Serves 8-10 / This vegetarian version of a traditional Eastern Mediterranean dish uses coarse cracked wheat; look for it in bulk bins (Bob’s Red Mill also packages it). It can be made up to one day in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temp before reheating, covered with foil. Serving tip: Delicious served at room temperature or warm.

CLICK HERE to see the recipe.

POMEGRANATE AND MAPLE-GLAZED BEETS (VEGAN)

Serves 8 / Prep tip: For best flavor, prepare the dish a few hours ahead, or up to one day in advance. Gently reheat in a saucepan.

CLICK HERE to see the recipe.

Photo by Leigh Beisch

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH WITH BLACK RICE, ROASTED CARROTS, AND DRIED CHERRIES (VEGAN)

Serves 8 / These can be made one day ahead; cover (so the rice doesn’t dry out) and reheat in a 350° oven. Prep tip: If you’d like additional protein, add 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, dried, and cubed, on top of the carrot mixture before roasting (don’t stir or it will stick to the pan).

CLICK HERE to see the recipe.

MISO-GLAZED GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS (VEGAN)

Serves 8 / Ingredient tip: For best flavor and color, use shiitake or oyster mushrooms. White mushrooms may be substituted, but they’ll add a gray hue.

CLICK HERE to see the recipe.

Next week I will post recipes from a different vegetarian website and in two weeks I will do a special post on vegan desserts so creamy and delicious that all of your relatives will be shocked!

XOXOXOXOXO
THE HEALTHY FOX

I am having an early Thai feast with my man and our friend, J.P. A brilliant make-up artist, naturalist, and vegan, J.P. seems the perfect person to ask whether or not it is time for my color to join the green movement and go “natural.” Besides, she has long, gorgeous hair and her color is always perfect.

“That’s just the marketing rage, these days,” she says with a sigh. “Everything has to be green and organic. But, no, I wouldn’t bother. The natural dyes are hennas and limited in color. Plus they don’t last as long.”

“What about the chemicals in hair color,” I ask. “My next door neighbor swears her mom got cancer from dying her hair too often.”

“All the cancerous stuff they took out of dyes in the early ’80s,” J.P. says as she brushes her long locks back over her shoulder. “Look, I only dye my hair 4 times a year and that won’t hurt you.”

From my dinner with J.P, I learned that when hair is colored less frequently, exposure to harmful chemicals and the risk of cancer is also reduced. So, it is in our interest, dear readers, to do what we can to make our color last until better natural dyes are produced.

TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR HAIR COLOR LAST

1. SHAMPOO ONLY WHEN YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO
Washing your hair with shampoo is the fastest way to make your color fade. Each shampoo strips hair of color, which is why if you goof on your hair color and make it too dark, stylists recommend washing it with shampoo until the lighter color you want is achieved. Avoid shampooing, and just rinse your hair with conditioner, which will “wash” your hair and strengthen it from any chemical damage.

2. IF YOU MUST SHAMPOO, USE A COLOR SHAMPOO
Shampoo manufacturers have created shampoos specifically for color treated hair. Pantene’s line is nice and inexpensive. Just pick out the shampoo that matches your color (blonde, red, brunette) and make sure to throw away your other color-stripping shampoos.

3. USE A COLOR CONDITIONER AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK
As I have written before, because my hair is very dry and curly, I NEVER wash my hair except when I am at the salon getting it colored or cut. I do, however, alternate conditioners when I shower. I love Pantene’s line color conditioners and have had excellent results with their line for red hair. I put the conditioner in as soon as I get in the shower and leave it in until I am about to get out. After I towel-dry, I add some moisturizing conditioner into my hair to style it, and my color stays.

4. ONLY COLD/WARM WATER SHOULD TOUCH YOUR HAIR
Hot water is another great enemy to your color. Avoid hot water at all costs as it strips and damages hair. Try rinsing your hair in cold water for a week and see how much shinier, well-moisturized and strong it becomes.

5. CONDITION YOUR HAIR BEFORE SWIMMING IN CHLORINATED WATER
Summer is a tough time for chemically-treated hair. Swimming in chlorinated water will strip your color faster than you can read this sentence. In order to protect it, before you enter the pool, run conditioner through your hair and tie it in a bun (if your hair is short, just run conditioner through it.) The conditioner will “seal” your hair and protect it from the chlorine. Make sure to rinse with fresh water as soon as you are done swimming.

6. SUNLIGHT DAMAGES COLOR, TOO
Make sure to wear sun hats to cover your hair on sunny days, as direct sunlight can strip hair color. You may want to use a hair masque product with SPF to protect your color, too.

And, of course, if you really want to avoid the chemicals in hair dye and make your natural color last as long it can, just don’t color your hair… But that’s not so fun, now, is it?

XOXOXOXO
THE HEALTHY FOX

We all have those days. Right around the start of our period, we suddenly find ourselves in the hair product aisle of Rite Aid. Ignoring the sane side of our brain that is saying, “Why aren’t you buying the product you normally use? You know, the one that works,” we let the other side take over. We decide to experiment and purchase NEW hair products. After all, if it’s in flashy, designer packaging, it must be great for our hair, right? And, if it’s two dollars LESS than my normal product, it MUST be better, right?

Well, ladies, that was me last week. Dismissing the bottle of Pantene that I knew would leave my curls springy and frizz-free, I placed my fragile locks in the care of “London Stylist” Charles Worthington.

My love affair with Charles was brief to say the least. I rarely, if ever, shampoo my hair. Shampoo strips color and destroys curls so I avoid it at all costs. Instead, the second my hair is wet, I apply conditioner and leave it in the entire time I bathe. I then rinse, towel off and after I get out of the shower, apply more conditioner to leave in during the day. With Pantene’s Moisturizing conditioner, I get amazing ringlets that last even after a night of sleep.

However, the first time I left Charles Worthington’s Frizz Smoothing Conditioner on my hair I could tell right away it was going to leave my hair a disaster. After 15 minutes on my head and a rinse in cold water, my hair was dry, frizzy and knotted. They bottom inch and a half of hair was kinky, breaking and full of frizz.

For the sake of science, I did factor in the possibility that my hair was in a horrific state because it had been four days since I last conditioned it, so I did not blame Mr. Worthington’s product at first. I used it a second, then a third time, and each time, the texture of my hair became drier, frizzier and more unruly.

So if you are blessed with curly-locks, don’t waste your time with Charles Worthington. If there’s one man who will let your curly locks down, it is this Brit.

DO YOU HAVE A HAIR PRODUCT THAT LET YOU DOWN? TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT.

XOXOXOXO
THE HEALTHY FOX