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Stacy Stowers' Healthy Way to Shake Up Your Diet

March 20, 2014 / 6:00 AM CDT / CBS Minnesota

In 2007, Stacy Stowers realized a remarkable recovery from the debilitating effects of fibromyalgia and chronic pain, thanks to a switch to a raw food diet. Now she tours the country living with individual families, and helping them to make the switch to a raw, nutrient-rich diet. When she's not staying with her clients, she lives in New York with her family. You can find great recipes like this in her book, Eat Raw, Not Cooked, which will be published in April by Gallery Books, a division of CBS.
Photo Credit: Stacy Stowers
Can healthy food really taste good? I'm a firm believer that it can! My "day job" consists of touring the country and moving in with a new family each week, showing them how to easily incorporate more nutrient-rich, raw foods into their diets. Even if a raw food diet has never appealed to you, my lip-smacking recipes are sure to pique your interest. My collection of family-inspired recipes can be found in my new book Eat Raw, Not Cooked, on shelves Earth Day—fitting, isn't it?—April 22, 2014!

The Happy Shake

This was one of my first-ever "go-raw" recipes, and there is a good reason why it's called the Happy Shake. It is essentially a salad disguised as chocolate soft serve ice cream, and appeals to both raw foodies and regular eaters alike! It's a key place to start when trying to lose excess weight, increase energy levels, and get healthier.

Before you get started, keep in mind that the Happy Shake is more about technique than anything else. You can take these same ingredients, throw them into a blender, and get a glass full of lawn clippings. So follow the directions closely…

Ingredients

½ cup water
3-4 cups spinach
1 tablespoon coconut oil or 1 raw, organic egg
1 tablespoon raw maca powder
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 cups frozen fruitOptional:

A little raw honey, for those who like extra sweetness

3 ice cubes or a small handful of crushed ice

Toppings (optional):

Raw cacao nibs, goji berries, shredded coconut, mulberries, or fresh local bee pollen

Directions

In your Vitamix or blender start with:

1. The Base:

½ cup water

2. The Greens:

Your salad component—3 to 4 cups of spinach. (Spinach is called for in the Happy Shake for its mild flavor.)

3. A Good Fat:

1 tablespoon coconut oil or 1 raw, organic egg.

Note: If you are using a raw egg, you will need to use less water. Test your egg: if you roll your egg on a flat surface and it wobbles, you have a good egg. Check that there are no cracks and wash the outside carefully. In family taste tests, most prefer the taste and creaminess of the raw egg to the coconut oil.

4. The "Happy" Parts:

1 tablespoon raw maca powder—a Peruvian root good for stamina, endurance, and mental clarity.

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder— raw chocolate is actually a valuable and potent super food loaded with nutrients and neuropeptides very similar to the ones our bodies produce when we are falling in love.

5. In your blender, blend ingredients for 1 cup of green "sludge."

6. Add 2 cups of frozen fruit.

Choose from blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and bananas. My personal favorite combination is blueberry/cherry/banana. Find your favorite combo!

7. Blend frozen fruit with green base.

The best blender is a high-speed blender like the Vitamix. However, if you are using a traditional blender, a carrot will be helpful in pushing your frozen fruit down the sides for a more efficient blend.

For a soft-serve ice cream consistency, the blending time is short. Do not over blend. Over blending will give you more of a shake like drink instead of ice cream, which may just be your preference. You will get the hang of it with practice.

8. Add toppings and enjoy!

Now it's time to decorate your Happy Shake. I like adding some raw cacao nibs. You can also top with goji berries, shredded coconut, mulberries, or fresh local bee pollen!

Serves: 1 large shake, about 350 calories

Recipes