Healthy Voyager Radio - Stop Talking, Start Doing!

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Guest Amy Applebaum from Bootcampforyourmind.com helps us to stop talking and start doing:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next week, Donna Zeifinger from greenearthtravel.com!

Healthy Voyager Radio - The Benefits of Laughter

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio inaugural show right here!! Guest Leo Flowers helps out with our Laugh Yourself Healthy theme:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next week, Amy Applebaum from Bootcampforyourmind.com!

Healthy Voyager Radio Launches Today!

Hello friends of the Healthy Voyager! This week's posting is an announcement/reminder to listen to the all new Healthy Voyager Radio show!! We launch tomorrow, Thursday July 30th at 2pm pacific time on Los Angeles AM station 1680 KDSV. But don't fret if you're not in LA as you can listen in to the live stream as well as the video webcam stream on www.adrenalineradio.com and adviceradio.com. AND if you happen to miss the live show, no worries, you can catch the show as a podcast on both websites as well as on healthyvoyager.com under the video section and on itunes!

Healthy Voyager Radio promises to always be informative and educational however, never sacrificing entertainment value. I feel that health comes in many forms from physical to financial, mental to lifestyle and everything in between. Each week the show will be theme based be it laughter as medicine showcasing an up and coming comic, to music and art therapy featuring experts in those fields as well as musicians, charities, nutritionists, doctors, celebrities and more. The Healthy Voyager lifestyle is all encompassing from general home life to traveling abroad as well as social issues, healthy, green and beyond.

Tune in tomorrow where our first guest will join us to laugh ourselves healthy, comedian Leo Flowers!

Green, Healthy and Volunteer Travel Adventures

Who wouldn't love to have their own, personal travel agent that customizes every detail from the destination all the way to your meals? Whether you are eco friendly, health conscious or want to do some good while you're away, there are a variety of companies that can help you create the vacation of a lifetime. From volunteer travel to adventures and excursions, here is a list to get you started on planning your dream getaway!:

• Green Earth/Vegtravel - One of the premier vegetarian/vegan/eco travel agencies in the country, Green Earth/Vegtravel caters to the discriminating traveler. Those who desire to maintain their healthy and/or green lifestyle while adventuring throughout the world. Donna Zeigfinger, President and owner of Green Earth Travel,LLC is a seasoned traveler herself and a member of the International Vegetarian Union. Vegtravel can help you book custom designed vacation trips, group departures, cruises, eco adventure, fitness, spa, family, yoga, organization fundraising trips and more! The extensive data base of trips/packages and resources contained within the site will enable those who practice a vegetarian and/or green lifestyle to travel without food being a concern. Like me!!
  
• Blisscape - Boasting romantic travel made simple. Run by a healthy and green husband and wife team, Blisscape prides itself on helping book and create luxurious vacations for their subscribers. They also help plan green and volunteer travel worldwide. In addition, the site offers tips and info on travel fashion and trends along with being your online travel agent.
  
• Real Adventures - If you want adventure, this is the place! From specialized tours for bikers, educational to eco-tourism and wildlife trips, Real Adventures is a great resource for all types of travel. Book your next airborne thrill or kayaking trip here today!
  
• One World Volunteer - At One World, they believe that explorations in travel is that there is a lot that needs to be done to make the world a better place. The projects that you'll find on their site were started by people who saw a need and acted on it, by; starting a school, creating a reserve, building an animal shelter, growing organic food, etc. Traveling is a way to discover new things about ourselves and learn to see ourselves more clearly. Volunteering abroad is a way to spend time within another culture, to become part of new community, to experience life from a different perspective. What better way to see a part of the world you may not have gone to or been able to afford to go while helping another person in need ; ) Sign up as a tour guide or just join a trip as a volunteer soon!
  
• Healthy Adventures - This site is great for healthy, pre-fixe vacations and seminars. The company offers set vacation packages that they host and you can join. Each organized vacation offers all kinds of activities in all kinds of locations. It's also a great way to meet new people. Space is limited to their trips and seminars so if you see one you like, get to it!
  

Plan your next adventure soon and get out there!! See you in a few weeks after some summer family time!!

Fork of July!

It's the middle of summer and the 4th of July is upon us. As we break out our grills and dust off our punch bowls, it's tough to believe the year is already half over! But let's celebrate while we have the sun and heat as well as swimming pools and fun friends. For great healthy and green 4th of July tips, visit last year's posting on A Foodie 4th. And here are some additions those delectable recipes, all sure hits at this year's festivities!:

*buy and use organic ingredients as much as you can ; )

Simple Red Salsa

4 large tomatoes or 2 packs of plumb tomatoes
1/2 a head of chopped cilantro
3-4 green onions/scallions (chop off the roots and use the whole onion from top to tip)
Juice of half a lime (add more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
(if you want to add some spice, toss in 2 jalapenos or chilies)

Toss all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse. Pulse a few times to make sure the ingredients blend and chop well but not to much or it will liquefy. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in and serve.

White Dijon Potato Salad with Dill

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 celery stalks
1 cup veganaise
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (packed)
1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Put potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover them by 1-inch. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes or so, just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and return them to the uncovered pot off the heat. Let them sit until almost room temperature. Cooling in the warm pot gets rid of any excess water.

Chop the celery into 1/4-inch slices. Stir the celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes. Preferably a bowl that they will be served in as well.

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces once they have cooled and add them to the bowl as you go. Stir gently until all the potatoes are coated with dressing. You can make the salad up to a couple of hours in advance. Keep covered at room temperature. Try not to refrigerate as the potatoes will lose their texture.

Vegan Blueberry & Strawberry Cobbler

Filling:
3 16-oz bags frozen strawberries, thawed
1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 16-ounce bag frozen blueberries, thawed

Topping:
1 ½ cups organic white flour (use gluten free is you are sensitive)
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup confectioner's sugar (extra to sprinkle)
6 tablespoons vegan margarine, quartered
½ cup unsweetened plain soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a deep 9” pie plate or two deep soufflé dishes and set aside.

Filling: Place the strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Mix the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water until dissolved and then add this to the strawberry mixture, stirring well to combine. Stirring occasionally, cook the filling until slightly thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the blueberries. Carefully, pour the filling into the prepared pie plate.

Topping: In a food processor, combine the white flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, pulsing until well incorporated. Add the vegan margarine and process until the mixture is crumbly. With the machine still running, add the soy milk gradually until the mixture just holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Making the cobbler: Using your hands, pull and flatten pieces of dough between your fingers and gently lay these on top of the filling, overlapping and covering as much of the filling’s surface as possible. (The mixture will expand, so no worries if not all of the topping is covered.) Once all of the dough has been used, sprinkle the topping generously with confectioner's sugar. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Veggie Skewers

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
5 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 green pepper
1 large onion (red or yellow)
1 package (8 oz) mushrooms
Skewers (4-5)

In large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, basil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Set aside. Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces and slice the onion into crescent shapes. Place peppers, whole mushrooms, (keep mushrooms whole - do not cut or dice), onions and marinade in sealable glass bowl. Cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

When you are ready to grill, thread the vegetables onto skewers, alternating vegetables. Spray your grill with olive oil spray or cover with foil so your skewers do not stick. Place the vegetable skewers on top of the grill's grid. Grill, uncovered, for about 7-11 minutes. Turn the skewers several times on the grid so that they will evenly cook. The vegetables should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

4th of July Firecracker Cocktail

1 oz Organic Vodka
2 oz Dark Rum
1/2 oz Sloe Gin
(Fill to Top) Organic Orange Juice

Pour ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Have a very healthy and happy 4th of July!!
xoxo

Conscious Camping

Adhering to the summer theme, what's more summer appropriate then camping? Whether you rough it, tent it, camper or rv it, you tend to not have all the comforts and accoutrement of home when you're sleeping under the stars. Because of that is is very easy to fall into a rut of convenience store food, cooler snacks and campfire munchies. This can lead to sleepless nights as well as fatigue. A bad combo if you will be hiking, boating or engaging in any physical activities that require you to be alert and on your toes. Below are some tips to green up, health up and make the most of your next venture into the wild!:

• Eat your veggies! Yep, that's one thing that is incredibly hard to do when you're living out of a cooler. Fruit is fairly easy to come by but getting your greens is near impossible. So, make sure you pack some Healthy To Go Go Greens! These green apple flavored packets of nutrition not only taste good but each packet gives you your recommended 6 servings of green veggies in just a few tasty gulps! Mix in with you water bottle and get your veggies while you hike or just hang out. They are vegan with no chemicals or unpronounceable stuff as well as gluten free, great for kids, etc. They also offer vitamin C packs, green tea energy packs, omega packs and more. AND if you order a big box, they send you a BPA free bottle for free ; ) Bring a pack for every day you plan to be away. You will be glad you did ; )
• Drink lots of water!! Activities in the hot sun are a killer mix for rapid dehydration. Keep liquefied and cool. Bring a bunch of water from home in reusable or recyclable gallons. Invest in a hand pump for the 5 gallon bottles as it makes it way easier to refill little bottles or wash dishes. It comes in really handy to fill a bowl to wash your face and brush your teeth you don't want to hit the community sinks or when they just aren't available ; ) Be sure to dump “gray water” in designated areas, away from fresh water sources and not in the bushes.
• Stock up on healthy snacks. Hangin' out with friends around your camp site is always great with some tasty beverages and food. Load up on organic chips and salsa or guacamole as well as hummus with chilled cucumber chips. Grill up pre-made veggie skewers that can be easily made at home and packed in foil and put on ice for the trip. When away from your site, bring bars like vega, purefit, goodonyas or laras to keep your hunger at bay without killing your insulin levels. Lots of great snack options can be found on the Healthy Voyager Approved directory ; )
• Pack as much as you can in reusable bags or storage. This way you decrease disposable food packaging.
  
• For some of us it's tough to completely fall off the grid! Keep you cell phones, ipods and computers charged with the sun! Use solar panels instead of generators, crank or shakable flashlights and crank radios. Replace disposable batteries with rechargeable, whenever possible. A great stop for your portable solar needs is Sundance Solar.
  
• Bring enough receptacles to keep your trash separate from your recyclables. Some camp sites aren't equipped with separate dumpsters so haul your own trash to the closest place that can take recycling.
• Be green and bring you own dishes. Invest in some camping kitchen and dishware. Do your best to avoid using disposable stuff. Plus it's way cheaper on your wallet.
• Bring your own firewood. It would seem that using timber from around your campsite may seem eco-friendly, but it actually threatens the forest's future. When fallen trees and branches decompose, they return nutrients to the soil, feeding the surrounding trees and vegetation.
• Stay within your site's boundaries and on paths. Venturing into the forest threatens fragile plants and disrupts the homes of animals living there. And every time you veer off a path, you create an opening for others to follow - which will eventually widen the trampled area and reduce wildlife. Traveling off the path leads to soil erosion and the trampling of native plant life. Also avoid the temptation to throw rocks and remove brush while you’re on the trail.
• Keep campfires small and contained to a pit. Don't burn plastic, metals or woods that have been treated with chemicals. If you use an outdoor grill, dump the ashes in your fire pit or dispose of them in designated areas.
• Follow the rules of the campsite. Especially the bathroom rules as some sites may be on a septic system and anything other then what is supposed to go in toilets or drains can harm it. Be a mindful guest and courteous camper. Your fellow campers will thank you!

Camping with friends, family or venturing on your own can be incredibly fun. Even more so during the summer months with all the outdoor activities available near campsites. Just make sure you are prepared for the area you will be visiting and be a very cautious as well as conscious camper ; )