Almonds are rich in calcium, iron and phosphorous.  I recommend buying raw almonds from the farmers market since almonds at grocery stores have been pasteurized, killing their enzymes. For variety, you can experiment by substituting hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds or brazil nuts for the almonds.

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight

4 cups coconut water or purified water

1 cup water

Pinch of Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt

Directions:  Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth; strain through fine sieve or nut milk bag. Rinse blender, pour milk back into blender with, pinch of salt and your choice of the optional cinnamon, vanilla (if you choose to use them) and blend until incorporate.  Pour ½ the milk into a glass and enjoy.  The remaining milk will keep for two days in the refrigerator.

© Ellie Miller

Ingredients

1 quart water
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced crosswise
One 1/2-pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian hot sauce
Salt
1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Lime wedge, for serving

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil with the onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and sweet potato. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes until the potato is tender.

Transfer the sweet potato to a blender. Strain the broth; add 1 cup to the blender and reserve the rest for another use. Puree the sweet potato soup.

Return the soup to the saucepan. Stir in the sambal oelek, season with salt and simmer until heated through. Pour the soup into a bowl, top with the cilantro and serve with the lime wedge.

Notes One Serving 216 cal, 0 gm fat, 0.0 gm sat fat, 51 gm carb, 6.8 gm fiber.

Fall Curried Acorn Squash Soup

Makes 6 servings

5 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups celery, chopped into small dice

1 cup onion, chopped into small dice

1/2 cup carrot, chopped into small dice

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoons, plus pinch, of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

5 cups butternut squash or kombocha, peeled and thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces

1 teaspoon apple cider or umeboshi vinegar

Optional garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds and dash cayenne

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in your pot add onion sauté for 5 minutes until lightly brown then add celery, squash, garlic, curry powder, ginger and broth bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Let cool. Transfer mixture, in batches, to a blender and blend until smooth. Add vinegar and salt. Ladle into a serving into a bowl, garnish with optional pumpkin seeds and cayenne, and serve.

Adina Niemerow, author of “Super Cleanse,” has studied holistic cooking and nutrition at schools around the world and has worked with wellness retreats and restaurants including The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California.

This smoothie not only tastes delicious – it makes you look delicious because of a few of my favorite skin enhancing supplements, one of which is methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM, a natural sulfate that has been shown to improve flexibility, reduce inflammation and increase elasticity of the skin.

I also add tocotrienols part of the vitamin E family, an antioxidant that reduce free radicals in the blood stream, which may aid in blocking skin and breast cancer.

Beauty Smoothie
Makes 1 serving

2 cups brazil nut or almond milk (see recipe a nut milk recipe, or buy almond milk at a health food store)

1 teaspoon tocotrienols

1 teaspoon flax oil

1 teaspoon lecithin granules (lecithin is great for liver and cell function, healthy hair and skin, as well as fat metabolism)

1 tsp green powder

1 pinch of Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

1/8 teaspoon MSM (or one capsule, opened up)

1 cup of your favorite berry (fresh is preferable, but frozen can work if the season isn’t right.

Pinch of stevia or 2 teaspoons raw honey

Directions: Add all the ingredients to your blender and mix until smooth. Shake well before drinking.

Note: If you’re allergic to bee stings, omit the raw honey and bee pollen.

Almond milk (if you choose to make your own):

I cup almonds or Brazil nuts soaked over night

Filtered water 5 C

Celtic sea salt 1 pinch

Optional Agave nectar 1 Tsp or

Raw honey 1 Tsp or

Stevia drops 2 drops

Directions

1. Blend Almonds, H2O and Sea salt. Blend for 1 minute or untill you no longer hear the nuts mixing around.

2. Strain the milk through a fine sieve or nut bag or cheese cloth fabric (like milking a beautiful cow) you may also use a clean stocking, cut it off from below the knee line, rinse well then strain the milk)..

3. Put the milk back in the blender add your choice of sweetener and blend. Taste, adjust and enjoy.

Note: Be mindful with your use of stevia drops as they can over power a recipe. Very few go a long way. Stevia is a natural sweetener that actually lowers the blood sugar level.

Adina Niemerow, author of “Super Cleanse,” has studied holistic cooking and nutrition at schools around the world and has worked with wellness retreats and restaurants including The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California.

Kale is a rich source of chlorophyll.

A Few Facts About Chlorophyll

Its molecules have magnesium at their core. Every time our heart beats, it uses magnesium – so it’s a critical mineral.

It cleanses the blood and stimulates the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout our bodies.

It has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties.

It purifies the liver by helping remove old toxic material and heavy metals from the body.

It helps thicken and strengthen cell walls, and (via the A, C and E vitamins) neutralizes free radicals that damage healthy cells, both of which support the immune system.

It relieves both constipation and diarrhea.

It has a calming effect on the body.

Studies also show that chlorophyll may help keep carcinogens from binding to DNA in the liver and other organs.

Get ready to green your body! Here’s one simple recipe for upping your intake of this powerful substance thanks to nutrient-dense kale.

Lemon Kale Avocado Salad
Makes 4 servings.

Get your chlorophyll fix in! I adapted this recipe from one I learned when I was working at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona. If you’ve never tried kale like this before, give it a whirl. The creamy avocado, cool tomato and tangy olive combination make this salad a crowd pleaser.

• 1 head kale, cut into small bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 large avocado diced
• 1 small crunchy cucumber cut into small dice
• 1 tablespoon of macadamia nuts or Brazil nuts ground
• 1 tomato, small dice
• 3 tablespoons olives of your choice, pitted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
• Optional: dash cayenne

Toss first four ingredients together in large mixing bowl with your hands, squeezing as you mix to wilt the kale, break down the fibers and coat the leaves with avocado. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. Spoon serving onto a plate and enjoy.

Adina Niemerow, author of “Super Cleanse,” has studied holistic cooking and nutrition at schools around the world and has worked with wellness retreats and restaurants including The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California.