A creamy, dreamy chocolate chia pudding is all you need…when you are craving a healthy, filling breakfast, pre- or post-workout snack, or guilt-free dessert. It checks all the boxes: delicious, nutrient-dense, good for you, etc. It is a rich, luxurious chia pudding that is a real dream come true for anyone who has a sweet tooth but wants to satisfy their sugar cravings in a healthier way. The texture is similar to tapioca, with each bite melting in your mouth. Once you try this chia pudding, you will definitely want to make this recipe over and over again.

One of the great things about this chia pudding, besides the flavor and nutrients, is that it is budget-friendly. We can’t be paying $6+ per gallon of gas and $18 for a bowl of chia pudding! Fortunately, chia seeds are very affordable and last a long time. Plus, they are extremely versatile, going great in everything from smoothies, acai bowls, puddings, energy balls, and more. Chia seeds are also great sources of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, but they are not the only ingredient in this pudding offering nutritional benefits. The raw cacao powder, for instance, is an excellent source of magnesium, iron, and theobromine, which together support cognitive function, heart health, and overall mood. In fact, the omega-3s in chia seeds aid the absorption of iron in cacao.

Before you indulge in this chocolatey deliciousness, just know that it doesn’t come together instantaneously. Take 10 minutes of your time to prep it at night, place it in the fridge, and remove it in the morning when ready to eat. This is a great meal prep recipe, but keep in mind that you have to eat it within three to four days.

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We love a good energy ball recipe, primarily because they are great snacks to enjoy while cleansing. Unlike other energy ball recipes, this one does not contain any nuts or nut butters. It’s all about the seeds! Containing ground flaxseed, sesame seeds, hemp hearts, and raw sunflower seed butter, these energy balls are brimming with omega-3 fatty acids, complete protein, and essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, they are free of refined sugars, preservatives, syrups, and so many other ingredients commonly found in power or protein bars.

The great thing about food these days is that so many things are accessible to everyone. For example, you can enjoy raw sunflower seed butter, not just peanut butter or almond butter. Sunflower seed butter is naturally rich in protein, giving peanut butter a run for its money. It also boasts vitamin E, which is a valuable antioxidant that helps balance cholesterol, keeping both good and bad levels in check. Vitamin E may also reduce free radical damage to help naturally slow aging within the body and reduce cell damage.

Hemp hearts bring more omega-3s and all essential amino acids to the party. The healthy fats they provide are ideal for cardiovascular health, and they also offer arginine, an amino acid that helps lower blood pressure by producing nitric oxide. Additionally, they contain both insoluble and soluble fiber, aiding digestion and providing nutrients for optimal gut health.

All of these nutritional benefits should be reason enough to enjoy these energy balls. They wouldn’t be anything if they didn’t taste incredible, though. These energy balls hit all the right flavor notes, keeping your taste buds interested bite after bite. We hope you love them!

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If you have the time and ability, skip the store bought version and make your own hemp milk. Not only is it free of emulsifiers, added sugars, and thickening agents, but it also tastes more delicious than store bought varieties. Hemp seed milk is a great plant-based milk to make, exhibiting a creamy texture and pleasant flavor. It goes great in smoothies, chia pudding, or with granola. Plus, hemp milk is a great option for people with nut allergies. It also happens to be less allergenic than cow’s milk.

Think of hemp seeds as tiny, tasty powerhouses. Hemp seeds are one of the six best seeds that you can eat, according to researchers. They are crunchy, slightly sweet and nutty, and despite their name, they are technically nuts, just not tree nuts. If you have a peanut allergy, then you are safe to eat hemp seeds. Hemp seeds also offer an impressive nutritional profile, with three tablespoons offering:

• 166 calories
• 2.5 grams (g) of carbohydrates
• 14.5 g of fat
• 0 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol
• 9.5 g of protein
• 1 g of fiber
• 5 mg of sodium

They also happen to be rich in the following vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin E
• Iron
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Omega-3 fatty acids

Hemp seeds offer high amounts of omega-3s and antioxidants, both of which may help to lower blood pressure and protect against free radicals. The fatty acids in hemp seeds may also reduce the effects of prolactin, a hormone that contributes to PMS symptoms and breast tenderness. Most importantly, hemp seeds contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Most Americans do not consume enough fiber in their daily diet, so adding hemp seeds and hemp milk to your diet could help you meet your daily fiber needs.

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Add a little pep to your step when you start your morning with this energizing, refreshing green smoothie. Made with tropical, juicy pineapple, creamy banana, nutrient-dense kale, and homemade almond milk. this smoothie is an ideal breakfast or pre- or post-workout snack. It blends easily in less than a minute and you can personalize it with optional add-ons, including chia seeds, fresh ginger, lemon juice, or fresh mint.

If you have an aversion to kale, that is completely okay, but you are missing out on valuable nutrients by avoiding it. You can use spinach in its place, but should you decide to use kale, make sure that you remove the thick, fibrous stems. That will make all the difference to your smoothie. It makes it silky smooth and you won’t feel like you are chewing grass when you drink it. Ideally, you should use frozen pineapple chunks, as doing so adds thickness to the smoothie. Feel free to use fresh pineapple chunks if you prefer a lighter consistency to your smoothie.

We recommend using a frozen banana to create a lovely creamy base for your smoothie. That will pair beautifully with the homemade almond milk, which also adds a subtle nutty flavor that complements the rest of the ingredients. Should you have a nut allergy, feel free to replace the homemade almond milk with homemade hemp seed milk, homemade pumpkin seed milk, or even homemade sunflower seed milk. You can easily find recipes for all of those non-dairy milks in our recipe section.

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Protein balls are not just chalky, dry snacks you find at health food stores. Those snacks are that way because manufacturers use tons of protein powder and other ingredients that are not as natural as the ones in this recipe. You don’t need protein powder to have protein in your diet. Hemp hearts, for example, are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make on its own. Additionally, about 25% of their total calories come from high-quality, easily digestible protein, containing about 11 grams per three tablespoons.

These protein balls are the perfect meal prep snack and come together without the need for an oven. Just blend, mix, roll, refrigerate, and enjoy. In addition to the protein-rich hemp hearts, these protein balls contain cashews, which are full of healthy fats and protein. A one-quarter cup serving of cashews provides five grams of protein and a whopping 80% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of copper. Copper aids the creation of red blood cells and connective tissue while supporting immune function. Several studies found a link between low copper intake and an increased risk of osteoporosis, which is a health condition defined by weak and brittle bones.

Should you have an aversion to cashews, you can replace them with raw almonds, raw macadamia nuts, or raw walnuts. You can also replace the hemp seeds with chia seeds, but the protein content will decrease. Sunflower seeds and flax seeds will also work as replacements. One thing that you cannot replace is the lemon juice or lemon zest. In fact, these are pretty key if you want to achieve that signature lemon flavor. You could try replacing lemon with lime or orange, but keep the same measurements even with a different citrus twist.

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Statins are prescription drugs that people take to lower their levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. Health experts refer to LDL cholesterol as “bad” because of the fact that it builds up inside the arteries, making it harder for blood to move through them. Statins work by interfering when the liver produces cholesterol. They also help to lower triglycerides and may even increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol. Unlike LDL, HDL brings cholesterol to the liver, which gets it out of the body. 

Before getting on statins, some people want to see if they can lower LDL cholesterol with lifestyle changes. We encourage that decision and although diet and exercise may not lower cholesterol for everyone, a lot of people can benefit from healthier habits, some of which we detail in this article. If your cholesterol levels are already in normal range, you can help maintain them with the Dherbs Cholesterol Formula. To help lower cholesterol before statins, consider the following tips. 

Consider The Portfolio Diet

The Portfolio Diet is a plant-based eating plan that emphasizes foods that are naturally rich in fiber and healthy fats. Conceived some 20 years ago, the diet has a proven ability to lower LDL cholesterol, but none of the trials proving this lasted more than six months. For this reason, more long-term studies are necessary. When followed consistently, though, research suggests that the Portfolio Diet may lower LDL cholesterol by up to 30%, an effect comparable to a first-generation statin for some people. 

Move Your Body Every Day

Exercise is a powerful and easily accessible tool that may help lower cholesterol levels naturally. Ideally, engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, in addition to two days of strength training. Physical activity helps to elevate HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and reduce visceral fat, which is metabolically active fat stored around internal organs that contributes to cardiovascular risk. People who lose between 5% to 10% of body weight can significantly improve cholesterol levels. 

Prioritize Fiber

Fiber is an often overlooked nutrient, with many people not getting enough every day. In fact, more than 90% of women and 97% of men do meet the recommended daily fiber intake. Not all fiber works the same regarding cholesterol, though. Soluble fiber exhibits the strongest LDL-lowering effect. It forms a gel-like substance in the gut, binding to cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract and escorting it out to prevent reabsorption. Great sources of soluble fiber include:

• Apples
• Barley
• Beans
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseed
• Lentils
• Oats
• Psyllium husk

Build Your Plate Around Whole Plant-Based Foods

If you want to lower cholesterol levels in a meaningful way, eat more whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains. All of these foods contain plant sterols, which are natural compounds that resemble cholesterol, which helps block the body’s absorption of it in the digestive tract. The sterols in vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and certain fortified foods can all help lower cholesterol. In fact, getting two grams of plant sterols daily can lower LDL cholesterol by up to 12%. 

Reduce Intake Of Refined Carbs And Added Sugars

Health experts always suggest people to steer clear of saturated and trans fats if they are concerned about LDL cholesterol. Avoiding these types of fats can also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Refined carbs and added sugars are just as dangerous, as they can raise triglycerides and increase cardiovascular risk. Sugary drinks, white bread, packaged pastries, and ultra-processed snacks contribute to insulin resistance, which affects cholesterol levels. It is better to consume whole grains and limit your consumption of added sugars to help improve triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels. 

Some Natural Supplements May Help

Before you decide to take supplements to help naturally lower cholesterol levels, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. Some products can come with side effects or may interact with other medications or supplements that you already take. Certain supplements, though, have some proven ability to lower cholesterol. For example, psyllium supplements can lower LDL cholesterol by about 7%. Omega-3 supplements can also help reduce triglycerides, but they don’t significantly lower LDL levels.

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Raw vegan cheese recipes typically cashews or almonds, but not this one. This raw substitute for parmesan cheese is made with raw sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast and sea salt. Nutritional yeast is a constant in most vegan or raw vegan cheese recipes because it provides that classic cheesy flavor. As a product, nutritional yeast comes in the form of flakes, granules, or a powder. Most nutritional yeast that you find in grocery stores is fortified with high levels of many vitamins, including vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and vitamin B12. So not only does it impart a cheesy flavor, but it also supplies you with valuable nutrients that can be difficult to obtain on a raw vegan diet.

To be fair, this raw vegan parmesan recipe does not taste like regular parmesan cheese. It does enhance the flavors of dishes that would normally benefit from parmesan cheese, though. Consider adding it on raw zucchini noodle recipes, in homemade raw pesto recipes, or even as a salad topper. How you use this parmesan is entirely up to you, but it is highly versatile and easy to make in a food processor or high-speed blender. Just make sure that you do not over-blend the sunflower seeds until they become a puree. You want this parmesan cheese to have some texture.

A few tips for blending: have your food processor or blender on pulse setting. Pulse for a few seconds at a time or else you will end up with some savory sunflower seed butter if you don’t. To prevent this, stop blending and give it a mix as soon as you see the mixture start to clump. Once it reaches a nice finely ground consistency, you are finished and can pour it into a jar for storage.

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Let us get one thing clear before we get into this recipe: there are no chickpeas in this hummus. We’ll go so far as to say that you won’t believe that it is made without chickpeas. Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, can be very difficult to digest in their raw form, unless they are sprouted before you eat them. For this reason, we omitted them from this hummus and focused on using zucchini, raw sunflower seeds, lemon, and several other ingredients. It really does look and taste like hummus, though, especially after you garnish it with some optional herbs, spices, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Zucchini exhibits a diverse nutritional profile and is particularly rich in antioxidants, more specifically carotenoids. Zucchini offers lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, all of which may benefit your eyes, skin, and heart. These carotenoids may even offer some protection against certain types of cancer, such as prostate cancer. According to research, the skin of zucchini contains the highest levels of antioxidants, with yellow squash offering slightly higher levels than green varieties.

Because zucchini contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, it may promote healthy digestion in several ways. Soluble fiber feeds the healthy bacteria that live in the gut, which helps them produce short-chain fatty acids that nourish gut cells. Short-chain fatty acids may also lower inflammatory markers and reduce symptoms of certain gut disorders. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and helps food move through the digestive tract. If all of that is not reason enough to eat this zucchini hummus, we don’t know what is! It is purely delicious and a great raw dip to have in your cleansing recipe arsenal.

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First thing’s first: these are not pickles, despite their appearance. You can make the argument that they are, but we don’t classify them as such because the cucumbers do not pickle in a liquid. Additionally, you do not heat up the liquid to poor over the sliced cucumbers. Should you want to cut the cucumbers into spears, not rounds, you can do that as well. It’s a matter of preference because the flavor will be just as delicious no matter the shape.

These garlic dill cucumbers bring a refreshing, slightly tangy and herbaceous flavor to any potluck or simple weeknight dinner. Even though it is winter, this recipe will bring your taste buds into summer. It’s a timeless classic and you haven’t even tasted it yet! It balances the tangy, brininess of apple cider vinegar, fresh dill, and savory garlic. It’s also low in calories, low in carbohydrates, and a unique way to enjoy cucumbers. And believe us when we tell you that changing up the flavors of your veggies is paramount when you are trying to keep your taste buds interested while cleansing.

We recommend English cucumbers for this recipe because they have a thinner skin and minimal seeds, compared other cucumber varieties. If you have Persian cucumbers or hot house cucumbers, you can use them as well, but you may want to scoop out the seeds prior to marinating them in the liquid. You can also adjust the sweetness level to your liking, adding more or less maple syrup. Start small and go from there because you can always add more. Finally, you can serve this dish after a quick marinade, or you can marinate the cucumbers for four hours. The choice is yours, but it will be delicious no matter what.

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When you find a dressing that just hits all the right notes, it’s very difficult to let it go. You want to dress all of your salads with it, but doing that may cause you to not like it. What do you do at that point? Keep the dressing in your arsenal of dressing recipes and put it into your rotation when your taste buds are ready for a new flavor profile. This tahini dressing is similar to ranch, only much healthier, more herbaceous, and free of preservatives.

A lot of tahini available in grocery stores tends to be made from roasted sesame seeds. Try to select raw tahini, which is more mild in flavor and lighter in color compared to most other non-raw tahinis. It is also a bit runnier than other tahinis, which makes it great for salad dressings. Given that tahini contains natural oils from the sesame seeds, the dressing can solidify in the fridge. When ready to use the dressing, simply run the container under some warm water for a little before shaking it up. Alternatively, you can use some of this dressing on salads, and use the rest as a dip after it thickens in the fridge.

The key to success with this dressing is using fresh herbs. Although dried herbs and spices are wonderful, and some are in this dressing, fresh herbs take this dressing to another level. It is budget-friendly, raw vegan, and only takes five minutes to come together. There is really no excuse to avoid making it, so get to it and let us know how much you love it in the comments. You can even make it and tag us on social media because we love seeing our cleansers make our recipes!

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