Whether you are in a Smoothie rut and in need of some recipe inspiration OR you have never made your own nutritious smoothie- the Holistic in the City 21 Day Smoothie Guide is an eBook you do not want to miss out on. Co-authored by a group of 7 Holistic Nutritionists, including a friend of mine, Jesse Schelew, this eBook is filled with 21 delicious smoothie recipes waiting to brighten up your day and make your life a whole lot healthier and happier.
A few years ago I had the privilege of doing some work with Jesse, a beautiful Holistic Nutritionist. We both graduated from the same school (Institute of Holistic Nutrition), Jesse from the Toronto campus and myself from the Vancouver campus. Through common interests, we both found ourselves working for Briana, Founder and CEO of The Naked Label. Although our working relationship was brief, I always seriously enjoyed Jesse’s inescapable enthusiasm and naturally vibrant energy. So, it didn’t take much for me to agree to do a review Q&A for her new collaborative eBook. In fact, I was beyond happy to do it.
Jesse [BSc, CNP] is a cheerful Holistic Nutritionist, motivating speaker, cookbook author and wellness writer. She is the founder of JesseLaneWellness.com, a web based holistic nutrition practice and holistic recipe resource. Jesse now lives and works in Toronto as a Holistic Nutritionist and has her own practice as well as online business. Jesse has written for various amazing online businesses, websites and blogs including for Kris Carr, Meghan Telpner and Mind Body Green.
Not only is this eBook really awesome and informative, it’s simple and perfect for anyone that has any interest in Smoothies- whether you are a beginner to the whole Smoothie-lifestyle or you have been waking up to your morning Smoothie for quite some time. Jesse and her team decided to put together an eBook- highlighting their favourite recipes. The great thing about a collaborative cookbook is that you are guaranteed to get beautiful diversity.
This is incredibly true when it comes to the Holistic in the City 21 Day Smoothie Guide. In fact, some of their recipes are seriously inventive (aka the Warm Me Up Smoothie: think Sweet Potato, Hemp Hearts, Coconut Milk and all the yummy spices) and contain a large variety of delicious and nutritious whole foods and superfoods. Not only that, the book is introduced with a whole beginners ‘How To’, breaking down the whole Smoothie Culture for those who are not yet dedicated addicts like myself.
Now, the rest I am going to leave to Jesse who really is the expert on all things Smoothies- as she breaks it down for us so beautifully below:
On The Topic of The Book
1. What are your intentions with this eBook? Why did you and your beautiful co-authors decide to create this eBook?
The intention for the 21 Day Smoothie Guide is to pull you out of your smoothie rut, provide you with 21 delicious smoothie recipes and teach you how to make healthy and balanced smoothie creations of your own. The inspiration for the 21 Day Smoothie Guide came from our clients. When a client comes to me looking to clean up their diet, I usually recommend they start their day with a smoothie rather than the usual coffee and muffin. For clients who do drink smoothies, many of them were creating drinks that were full of sugar and not only unhealthy but contributing to weight gain!
2. How difficult was it for you to create the eBook? Do you have any tips for people that are trying to create one but feel stuck in the production process?
Creating the eBook was a fun process. We had a great time coming up with the recipes and of course taste testing all of them. I actually did a lot of the photography in the eBook but we hired a designer to put everything together which is something I would recommend if you are looking for a professional product. If you are feeling stuck in the production process I would recommend hiring someone to help you with that step, or asking a friend who has already published an eBook for help.
3. What’s your favourite smoothie recipe from the book?
I’m a little biased but I love my Bumps on a Log Smoothie (pg31) because it brings me back to my favorite childhood snack. I also really like Alycia’s Liver Detox Smoothie (pg19) because it is so unique and refreshing.
All Things Smoothies:
4. When and why did you start including smoothies in your life?
When I was a kid my dad loved to make us smoothies with yogurt, fruit, orange juice and a raw egg. I thought the raw egg was a little gross but I loved these sugar laden smoothies. I didn’t start making healthy balanced smoothies until I was in school studying Holistic Nutrition.
5. Do you remember what your first smoothie was?
It had to be one of the smoothies my dad made; I was probably 6 or 7 years old! I honestly can’t remember my first healthy smoothie, how sad.
6. What’s your favourite smoothie to make when you are feeling low energy?
When I’m feeling low energy I love to make the Pick-me-up Banana Cacao Smoothie (pg 17). Cacao has a natural stimulant which keeps me alert and awake with the added benefits of being antioxidant and magnesium rich.
7. What’s your favourite smoothie to have when you are feeling under the weather?
When I’m under the weather I like to make the Warm Me Up Smoothie (pg 27) because it contains warming spices like allspice, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg that warm you up to your soul. I also love that is can be enjoyed warm as well as cold.
8. The question we all love to ask: what’s your favourite post-workout smoothie?
After a vigorous vinyasa yoga class I like to sip on the Chocolate Raspberry Crave Smoothie (pg 22) because it contains a big dose of protein from plant based protein powder, flax seeds and chia seeds. Protein is the perfect food to eat after working your muscles because it helps facilitate muscle and tissue repair.
9. How about a pre-workout smoothie? Why do you use these ingredients pre-workout?
Before a work out you want a smoothie that is high in carbs and easy to digest. I like to drink the Berry Pineapple Chiller Smoothie (pg 10) because it contains antioxidant rich berries along with coconut water which will balance your electrolytes.
10. Where do you envision the smoothie culture going in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years I think healthy smoothies will continue to grow in popularity. I hope to see more grab-and-go healthy smoothie options rather than the fruit and yogurt smoothies we tend to see at most fast food restaurants.
11. What advice do you give to clients & people who are just starting out with smoothies?
When I am talking to clients about smoothies, I always recommend they add some sort of protein, fiber and healthy fat to their smoothies. The protein keeps you feeling full, the fiber sweeps clean your digestive tract and the healthy fat helps you absorb the fat soluble vitamins in the smoothie. The Ultimate Smoothie Formula on page 4 is a great place to start.
Let’s Get Holistically Personal:
12. Who are your favourite role models and sources of inspiration in the health and wellness world?
Before I became a holistic nutritionist I was a fan of Sarah Britton’s blog My New Roots. Her beautiful photography and delicious healthy recipes inspired me to create my first blog, Out To Lunch Creations. Joy McCarthy from Joyous Health is also one of my role models. She is the sweetest person and an extremely successful Holistic Nutritionist.
13. What brought you to Holistic Nutrition?
I have struggled with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and food allergies on and off for most of my life, starting when I was a baby! The symptoms I was experiencing got worse in university so I started working with a holistic practitioner who gave me the guidance I needed to heal my leaky gut. As I gathered momentum, I became really excited about cooking healthy food and I started to play in the kitchen. I had so much fun creating allergen free recipes and the restrictive diet I was following became a source of culinary inspiration. I wanted to learn more about the incredible healing power of food so I enrolled in the Holistic Nutrition Program at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition.
14. Do you have a favourite memory from working with a client and their health journey?
It is so special to experience someone’s transformation from discomfort to health. I had one client come to me who was literally running on coffee! He woke up at 4am to workout then went to work and would skip breakfast and drink nothing but coffee until he finally ate something at lunch. He was feeling irritable, stressed, unhappy and generally uncomfortable. We worked together over a span of 3 months and slowly implemented dietary changes. By the end of our time together he was completely off coffee (without any side effects), drinking smoothies for breakfast and feeling happy and fantastic every day. The biggest surprise for him was how chilled out he was at work, he was able to handle stressful situations with ease.
15. When you’re feeling really emotional and physically stretched, stressed and out of balance- what do you do to keep yourself grounded?
When I feel emotions or anxiety bubbling out of control I take a timeout and meditate. I sit with the emotions and let them flow through me without getting caught up in the story or focus on my breathing until the anxiety melts away. Sometimes all it takes is 5 minutes of stillness, other times it is much longer. When there is a buildup of restless energy in my system sometimes sitting is just not an option so I will go to a vigorous vinyasa class or go for a walk. I also like to keep rescue remedy handy for times when I cannot take a timeout.
16. What are your favourite daily grounding practices?
I try to meditate or do yoga every day. Since I work from home and am not always at the clinic, I make sure to leave the house at least once a day to connect with nature and enjoy the sunlight.
I also love the quiet “me time” I take in the morning to sip my lemon water and read.
17. What do your mornings look like?
I love my mornings! My favorite thing about my mornings is that I don’t have to wake up to an alarm. I usually wake up naturally around 7am and lie in bed for a couple minutes contemplating my dreams. I find dreaming so fascinating and am always looking for signs, symbols and creative inspiration. First thing I do when I actually get out of bed is brush my teeth and scrape my tongue. Tongue scraping is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that removes the toxins that accumulate on your tongue while you sleep. After that I will make detox tea or lemon water and spend about an hour reading on the couch. For breakfast I usually blend up a smoothie or cook up some eggs. After that I get dressed, head to my desk and get to work!
18. What do your evenings look like?
My evenings begin by making a yummy dinner with my fiancé while we blast music and dance in the kitchen. We have so much fun cooking together. We are pretty social so a couple nights a week we meet up with friends or have people over after dinner. If there is nothing planned we curl up on the couch and watch TV. If you are wondering when I fit in exercise, I usually do it midday when the yoga classes are smaller and the sun is shining.
Final Pieces of Love:
19. What’s your favourite inspirational quote?
I love the quote by Julia Child
Always remember: If you’re alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who’s going to know?
To me it has two meanings, the first is the literal meaning which I love because I am a klutz in the kitchen and the second is that you can always pick yourself up and keep going.
20. What and where in the world are your top 5 favourite foodie spots?
- Live Food Bar is by far my fav raw restaurant in Toronto, their raw sampler is amazing and they have delicious juices and smoothies too
- I love Evolution Food Co, a new salad bar in Toronto that has fantastic salads
- Camros Organic Eatery in Toronto has been around for ages and serves delicious Persian-inspired vegetarian, gluten-free meals
- Organic Avenue in New York is awesome because it offers fresh smoothies, juices and healing shots all over Manhattan
- Café Gratitude in LA serves delicious organic food but in general LA is awesome because they have smoothie and juice bars all over the place!
21. Finally…Any last piece of love you’d like to leave us with?
Chloe thank you so much for being part of my virtual book tour. I love your website and I have really enjoyed following your journey in Dubai through your blog and Instagram. I hear you have your own book in the works and I can’t wait to check it out!
Are you sold? You should be! Not only is Jesse filled with an abundance of all-things-smoothies information, she’s so warm and down-to-earth and really just a beautiful lady! One thing I really love about the eBook is that the photography (colour, style, energy) is just the same as Jesse. So whether it’s for yourself or for a family member or friend (hint: Great Christmas gift), I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy.
Buy your copy of the Holistic In The City Smoothie Guide for less than the price of a latte by following this link. http://bit.ly/SmoothieGuide
Purchase your copy today and enjoy a different smoothie every day for 3 weeks!
