It was actual sharks.

TheBlu.com launched last week in New York City, and the sky-high screens of Times Square lit up with blue water, larger-than-life fish, and sharks swimming past building windows.

The Blu is a remarkable virtual program where you can create your own ocean – and it’s incredibly soothing to watch. Watching the free starter version is akin to an afternoon at the shore – without the seagulls or beach trash. (Sorry Snookie)

To kick off the launch, creators Neville Spiteri (fiancé of delicious friend and Mink vegan shoe designer Rebecca Mink) and Scott Yara presented the second-life-ish online program on the screens above Times Square -

The results of their years of work is amazing. Spend a few bucks to buy a fish or shark to inhabit your underwater virtual world, and the money goes to ocean conservation projects and non-profits – so now your relaxation escape is helping protect the real deal.

I have to say, overlooking the crowds of tourists and busy New Yorkers rush past on Times Square was a site to behold – and meeting Director Louie Psihoyos from the Oscar winning documentary The Cove was a highlight of the party. (He’s working on a new documentary about global species extinction, so keep an eye out!)

Finally, it was a total blast to meet my DeliciousVitality reader Kaarli Tasso, who is a super-user of The Blu and absolutely adores relaxing at the end of the day to the underwater world that she’s created.

I highly recommend you check out this free program online and consider donating some money to get yourself a fish or two.

AND ~ I’m giving away a limited edition archival print of an original work of art called K-Town, an interpretation of the Queen Angelfish by artist Hugo Shih, from The Blu.

To win, leave a comment here on my blog by 5/18 or click below to tweet:

 Built an ocean – Most relaxing thing I’ve done all day! Try TheBlu.com, win limited edition print on @DeliciousAlex: http://bit.ly/IFrvnd

The Ice Cream Guys are waiting for us, like every weekday, at the exit from school.

Some parents buy the ice cream for their kids on a regular basis, no questions asked. Other kids get it after whining and wearing down their parents into submission. My kid has never had one – I bring fresh fruit or a cold coconut water drink because I know he’ll be hungry.

I have a plan to inspire the families to say no to the ice cream guys and yes to real, healthy food.

Will You Donate $1-$5? 

Help me give the kids of PS 295 a free organic fruit snack after school for our Cardio Carnival on Friday, May 18^th, in honor of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day.

I see the challenges parents and schools with healthy intentions. Our “food environment” is plagued with commercials aimed at kids to support the idea that junk food is cool.

Most school budgets allows for $.97 a day per kid for food, so of course schools rely on subsidized junk food from the USDA, a lot of which is the infamous “pink slime” meat, hormone-filled dairy, and few fresh fruit and veggie options.

Since Super Size Me hit theaters in 2003, my awareness of the obesity epidemic has shifted from “fast food is the bad guy” to “advertising to kids is evil” and back again.

Now I see the challenge is much bigger and more complicated. Yes, I believe we should ban certain advertising messages to children.

Québec banned print and broadcast ads aimed at kids under thirteen, and Sweden banned ads aimed at children under 12.

According to Consumer Reports magazine, “young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world.”

US public schools should also get more money so they can serve healthy meals to kids that provide real nutrition, not just enough calories.

I said as much in the new documentary Lunch Hour, which just received the special jury prize at the Palm Beach International Film Festival (watch the preview here).

But there’s more to be done.

I joined the Wellness Committee at my son’s public school here in Brooklyn, and we’re putting on a Cardio Carnival this month.

Families will enjoy a free night of games and have a night of energized fun, while we provide a “Burrito Bar” for dinner, instead of the regular pizza treats.

We have some money from a city grant for this event, but I want to make the impact bigger – not just showing families that they can have a fun night of fitness and healthy, yummy food…

That we can also make better choices with our kids for their snacks and after school treats.

Will you donate $1 to $5 to my Cardio Carnival Campaign?

The money will go directly to providing organic fruit snacks to NYC public school children.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -

Your gut is the base of your health. When your digestion works well, the rest of your health will be well too.

This simple soup recipe combines sweet turnips, potatoes, leafy greens and garlic for a powerful digestive aid.

(If you’re having trouble with your tummy, enter to win a Go Stool! on my blog here by April 30th!)

And it’s a perfect dinner on a chilly spring evening. (I served mine with hot polenta and chickpeas tossed in olive oil, garlic and rosemary.)

Turnips aid the digestion, dissolve mucus, and are good for general detoxification. They’re also high in anti-carcinogenic glucosinolates.

Potatoes nurture stomach functions and help cool inflammation, except arthritic conditions.

Leeks support the movement of energy, or chi, throughout the body and are an excellent source of lutein, which protects your eye and cardiovascular health.

Chard treats the large intestines, stomach and cools overheated conditions. It’s also used to ease constipation in the elderly, and has anti-carcinogenic properties.

This soup is powerful!

Turnip-Leek Soup

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 medium leeks, or 1 large leek, tender green and white parts only, cleaned & sliced thinly

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon taragon

1 teaspoon dill

1 pound white turnips, cut into 3/4 inch chunks

1 pound small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 cups chard leaves, trimmed and chopped

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks, season with a the salt, and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, bay leaf, tarragon, and dill and sauté for 1 minute more.

3. Add 6 cups of water, the turnips, potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

4. Add the chard and simmer until wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and fresh black pepper and serve hot.

Most of my clients have trouble in the bathroom, and smooth elimination is just a dream.

This can be caused by stress, diet and …how you sit in the bathroom.

The human body is built to squat, and our modern bathrooms (and creaky knees like mine) don’t allow us to get into the natural squat spot that makes elimination easy.

My top 3 tips for making your movements easy:

1. Stay hydrated! Yes, you need lots of water on a daily basis to make your bowels work properly. Drink 1 big 16-oz. glass in the morning when you wake up to get things going. (You’ll need less caffeine to feel awake, too – bonus!)

2. Add flaxseeds seeds in the morning: Grind 1 tablespoon of flax seeds in a spice grinder (AKA coffee grinder) and swirl into 8-oz of water or juice. Drink this before breakfast, or add it to your morning smoothie or mix into your oatmeal. The flax seeds are a gentle fiber that also provide excellent Omega-3′s.

*BONUS: Removing dairy and wheat containing foods like bread can un-clog the works in your intestines – start there! 

3. Try the Go Stool! This incredible handmade stool fits around the base of your toilet and puts you into a supported squat easily.

It’s easy to put together (took me 20 minutes and a screwdriver), and my kid loves it too!

You can win your own Go Stool!

Just copy this tweet or click below to share this Tweet on Twitter: 

Top 3 Ways To Go #2- It’s how you sit! http://bit.ly/JfnMQb Check out @DeliciousAlex

Why not have everything I love in one magical brunch plate?

Cornbread Waffles with Pineapple Coconut Sauce

These cornbread waffles were inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s book Vegan Brunch, and I’ve added my own twists for a healthy, delicious taste sensation. I made up the pineapple coconut sauce on the fly and it turned out pretty spectacular, if I do say so…

Cornbread Waffles

2 cups almond milk or other non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sunflower seed oil

Pineapple Sauce Ingredients:

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

1 can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Measure the milk into a large measuring cup and add the vinegar to it. Set mixture aside to curdle.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, flaxseeds baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the maple syrup and oil to the curdled milk and whisk to combine.
5. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the wet mixture until relatively smooth.
6. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and cook waffles according to manufacturer’s directions.

Waffles freeze for easy morning meals – just pop ‘em in an airtight freezer bag, and reheat in the toaster. Spread them with almond butter and jam for a more substantial on-the-run morning meal.

Women’s need for connection with other women is built in to our DNA – it’s part of our biological makeup.

Expert Louann Brizendine wrote about how women find biological comfort in one another’s company in her book “The Female Brain.” Our brains just work differently than men’s, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

We get energized by our own “happy” hormones when we respond to stress with nurturing, fun activities and the creation and maintenance of protective social networks. (That’s why women are the most active users on Facebook and Twitter!)

That means we actually feel better and become healthier when we connect with supportive girlfriends.

Quality “girl time” physically and mentally helps us create more Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls and kicks on the brain’s reward and pleasure centers.

Bonding between babes and mamas, as well as between trusting girlfriends, is cemented with the attachment hormone, Oxytocin. Yeah, we actually bond with our girlfriends as we do with our offspring, creating a chemical love cocktail between us when we share and support.

What’s strange is that, as a society, we’re experiencing a decline in girl time and connection. A major national survey jointly-conducted by Duke University and University of Arizona in 2006 found a big dip in friendships. More people are feeling more isolated, and this lack of social ties creates mental and physical health problems, on a big scale. It’s basically the same as the risks we see from being overweight or smoking cigarettes—that’s how bad it is.

See, most women need connection to maintain their health like they need sunlight to create Vitamin D.

When us girls get together, start sharing worries and experiences, talking about our feelings, and unveil our souls with our sisters, our bodies feel as rejuvenated as if we had gone to the gym, and our brains are filled with those happy, anti-depressant neurotransmitters that make life so juicy.

Rather than feeling guilty for hanging out with our friends, we should give ourselves a squeeze and a “yeehaw!” for doing something that is so good for our health, hormones, and outlook. We women are very lucky – when we indulge our true desires for connection and girl time, we actually promote within ourselves the ability to heal.

See? Now you can join me in the Reboot & Refresh totally guilt free! Not only will you have life-changing experiences as you open yourself up to self-exploration, but with the community and quality girl time we’ll share each week, you’ll be taking really good care of yourself as you get a nice mega-dose of serotonin. Now that’s something sweet to chew on!

Oh! It’s 1 o’clock, I’m hungry, and I need to keep my energy up to tackle my to-do list!

Most of my clients and Reboot & Refresh members are super busy, mostly moms with a ton on their plates, and they want healthy recipes that give them energy while being easy and delicious. That’s my speciality!

I’ve created the perfect lunch that’s filled with foods for energy, takes 5 minutes to make, and helps keep my tummy in a happy state (read: no gluten bloating, protein rich, and filled with gut-supportive greens):

Collard Wrap “Sandwich”

Ingredients:

2 big collard leaves

1/2 cup hummus

1/2 avocado, sliced

2 tablespoons olive paste (or chopped kalamata olives)

2 tablespoons raw sauerkraut

2 teaspoons hemp seed oil

Directions:

Wash and dry the collard leaves. Remove the thick stem sticking out below the leaf.

With the shiny, “front side” of the leaf facing up, spread half the hummus on the center of each leaf.

Top with the remaining ingredients and wrap, burrito style.

Serve and eat raw ~

If you’re tired and not rested your mind isn’t sharp, your temper is short, and your food cravings are harder to resist.

There are ways you can feel like you got 2 more hours of sleep, even if you don’t call in sick to work.

No, I didn’t figure out how to fold space and time, I just have some really handy tricks that I’ve used personally, and offered to my clients who tell me that they’re really experiencing better, more restful sleep.

Tip #1: Stretch and Relax

Do 5-10 minutes of relaxing yoga before hitting the sheets. Your body will release tension that
may be keeping you up at night, your breathing will fall into a more relaxing pattern, and your mind will quiet down.
*Don’t know what yoga moves to try? Watch this exclusive video I created to help move you to lullaby land. This is also a great routine to try if you have insomnia in the middle of the night:

Tip #2: Shut OFF The Screens
Constant exposure to TV and computer screens (Yes, iPad users, I mean you too!) can
upset our natural circadian rhythms, keep our brain running long after it’s tired and ready to power down for the night, and upsets our natural production of melatonin.
Try this: After dinner, shut off the screens. No TV, no computer, no iPad. Just books, human interaction, or take a well-deserved shower or bath to relax into sleep mode.

Tip #3: Cut the Caffeine

What?
Yes. Cutting out your morning caffeine routine can help your body get into a more natural energy cycle throughout the day, leading to a healthier, more restful sleep.
Caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours, so that afternoon coffee or tea can actually be messing with your nighttime sleep schedule.

If a great night’s sleep is tough to get for you because you work after dinner, the kids keep you running until well after dark, or you just can stop your mind from churning, then join my Reboot & Refresh Tele-course. My members consistently report that they sleep better, feel more energized, and just feel more refreshed than before.

If you have any questions about the program, go here or email me at
alex@deliciousvitality.com.

didn’t win, don’t worry – there are more great contests coming up ~ keep coming back! 

I might have mentioned this once or twice…I LOVE chocolate.

(Can’t wait to show you the chocolate making class

I attended in the Costa Rican rain forest last month ~ video coming!)

And one of my FAVORITE chocolate brands is from right here in NYC. Gnosis (which means knowledge of intuition, experience, and heart) Chocolate is made from the best quality, organic, raw , ethically sourced cacao available.

Gnosis Passion Collection for Valentine's Day! Photo Credit: Jeff Skeirik

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s great news: Gnosis Chocolate’s organic, Passion Collection is here… brimming with chocolate’s love-enhancing ingredients and crowned with aphrodisiacs from around the world! And it’s all created 100% by hand in Gnosis’s kitchen – folded into raw vegan chocolate that’s free of soy, dairy, cholesterol, and refined sugar.­

You already know that chocolate is a veritable laboratory of love. Its chemicals stimulate our brain juices to flow into rivers of desire: serotonin to heighten sexual excitation, desire, and responsiveness; dopamine to intensify pleasure, and; anandamine (the “bliss chemical”) to induce euphoria. Chocolate also brings “the Love Chemical” – phenylethylamine (PEA) – to the party; it’s what we produce when we fall in love and when we’re in the throes of the Big O.

But that’s just the beginning! Gnosis has seriously ramped up the “passion power” of its ChocoLove Potions. Gnosis’s Aphrodisia Bar and Aphrodisia Hot Chocolate Elixir are infused with horny goat weed, dong quai, and fo ti – used in traditional Chinese medicine to build energy, passion, and endurance. To keep temperatures rising in these raw ingredients, Gnosis has added Maca root, the Peruvian superfood used by the Mesoamericans increase agility and sexual potency. And their limited edition Berry Rose Bar is like a bouquet of roses, box of chocolates, and chocolate dipped strawberries… all in one! Could a Valentine’s gift get any more complete?

Rounding out this Collection are the Passion Truffles. Each chocolate shell is infused with a special aphrodisiac herb blend, and filled by hand with a center graced with superfoods. Be romanced by exotic Passionfruit Cupuacu crème, luscious Cherry Vanilla jam with chocolate ganache, and a vegan white (!) Wild Rose truffle – free of all dairy, sugar, gluten, and soy! The three truffles are presented like gems in a recycled, veggie-ink printed box with a ribbon and gift tag in case you manage to give these away! From: Me   To: Me!!??
Gnosis Chocolate is the brainchild of Vanessa Barg, a Board Certified Holistic Health counselor (and fellow IIN grad!) who began making chocolate as a gift for her clients to show them that good nutrition wasn’t limited to eating brussel sprouts and broccoli.
Gnosis chocolate is one chocolate that fully lives up to valens – the original Latin root of Valentine – “capacity,” “strong,” and “powerful!”

Gnosis’ founder Vanessa is generously offering a special Aphrodesia Gift Collection for one of my lucky readers!

This gorgeous gift box contains 1 Aphrodisia bar, Berry Rose bar, How Now Brown Cacao Body Butter, 3 Passion Truffles, and a package of Aphrodisia hot chocolate ~ valued at over $70! (and worth every penny, IMHO)

Here’s how you can win this incredible armful of chocolate:

1. Leave a comment here on my blog on food and love by 2/9 at 2pm EST

I’ll pick a winner at random, so enter and share with your friends!

Here’s a special Valentine’s Day treat for my readers:

Get a discount on Gnosis orders for sharing with your loved one this Valentine’s Day :

Get 10% off all 2 oz. bars with this code: DELV-10 when you order at Gnosis.com! 

~ you’ll be so glad you did!

Also, be sure to follow Gnosis on Facebook for specials and discounts!

xox Alex