Pineapple Red Pepper Salsa

 The Pineapple Red Pepper Salsa in now at this link.

Green Chili Bloody Mary

Last week I posted two recipes for homemade Gatorade, it's a great way to replenish your electrolytes naturally whether you are depleted from imbibing or intense exercise.

As a Health Coach, I wouldn't typically recommend morning drinks if you have already had a full evening, but sometimes hair-of-the-dog is ...is...just what is going to happen. So how can you get the most out of your morning drink?

The base of a Bloody Mary is tomato juice (or V8),  at least you will be getting some much needed vitamins out of it. I prefer my drink to be spicy and have some serious flavor so the horseradish and hot sauce are key. The green chili and Worcestershire give this depth while the squeeze of lime freshens it up.

If you are going to indulge the morning after, stick to just one with this yummy, spicy Green Chili Bloody Mary. You might want to follow that up with a glass of natural gatorade too

Are you nursing a Hangover today? Try one of these 2 Homemade Gatorade options.

If you happened to have imbided during this St Patrick's weekend, you might be feeling a little worse for the wear today. And you might be wondering how to get yourself right as quickly as possible.

Time really does heal all wounds, even the pounding head, queasy stomach, heavy eyelid kind. But there are a few things you can do to help pass the time.

Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body, so it's imperative to drink water.

Coffee only causes further dehydration, but if you feel the need to help you be more alert, don't drink it on an empty stomach and do double your water intake.

You liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol and will have a hard time also producing the additional gluclose your body needs from stored carbs  resulting in low blood sugar, so get some good carbs in you.

Move- the endorphin release could boost your mood so get moving.

And finally, skip the Gatorade, it's filled with sugar and other non essentials. Even though they stopped using high fructose syrup, it's still filled with chemically treated ingredients and refined sugar.  Instead, replace your electrolytes with Homemade Gatorade.

Below I'm giving you two recipe options; option 1 is simply squeezing some fruit in a jar and shaking. Option 2 requires a few minutes of steeping fresh ginger (which is a good antinflammatory and helps to settle upset stomachs). Both are great, just may depend on the level of effort you are up for.

The flavor on both of these is reminiscent of the classic yellow gatorade, but they are definitely more natural and have their own taste. Not in a bad way, they are pretty decent. I found the more I drink the more I crave the next sip.

I recommend using coconut water, it contains the same five electrolytes found in human blood and is a great hydrator and that is key to stopping your aching noggin.

For those looking to replace electrolites from intense exercise rather than drinking, these are the perfect choice over a store-bought, chemically filled option. It's a Fat and Happy cocktail that will keep you going for a few more miles.

Avocado and Spinach Breakfast Parfait

St. Patrick's Day calls for green. Green shirts, green rivers, green beer and green eggs and ham. Last year I made this luscious homemade creme de minth. But this year I'm sticking to the healthy-side of the green holiday with a super nutritious avocado breakfast parfait.

Sweetened spinach and avocado yogurt layered with fresh fruit and topped with almond and date granola. Delicious and filling! It's a great way to get your leafy greens and healthy fats in at one time. Avocado and almonds, while both calorie heavy,  are super important for energy, keeping our skin healthy and for proper functioning nerves and brain.

Do green the right way, with this Fat and Happy Breakfast Parfait.

Shrimp Boil Fajita with Tabasco Corn Relish

Fat Tuesday is just a few days away and  I feel the need to get into the spirit early due to a hankering for some shrimp and sausage. I wanted to make a shrimp boil, it's pretty simple as there are only 4 main ingredients to it: shrimp, andouillle sausage, potatoes and corn... on the cob.

This is Chicago and we are in the middle of a polar vortex, there are no cobs of corn to be found here. So I had to adjust my plan. I decided to skip the boil portion and just cook the remaining ingredients in ghee and lemon. Ghee is essentially clarified butter, the milk and water solids have been boiled off leaving rich, golden butterfat.

Whoa you say- butterfat can't be healthy, can it? Ghee stimulates the production of stomach acid, increases the absorption of other nutrients, and is very supportive for acid reflux, ulcers, and other digestive complaints. Ghee appears to help lower cardiovascular risks, but with everything you must enjoy in moderation. It also has a higher smoke point so great for high temperature cooking. Because it's free of casein and other milk solids, if you are intolerant to butter you might be able to eat Ghee

So the shrimp and sausage were covered, but that leaves the corn, what to do with the corn. A simple toss with some red peppers, lemon and tabasco and I ended up with perfect  relish topping for my shrimp and sausage saute. Add a tortilla and I essentially ended up with a fajita-like dinner.

Get out the beads and get your taste buds ready with this Fat and Happy fajita-like Shrimp Boil (sortof).