Why Raw-ish and not all RAW?

Did you know that the Chinese don't encourage too much raw?

It's harsh on the system.

They say: Everything in balance, everything in relationship to everything else, and excess in nothing.

ALL raw may work for you, and it may not work for you. The important thing is to develop that right relationship with yourself. Some of us have never had it before!

The number one rule is to pay attention to your body, and pay attention to what works for you and what doesn't. Remember, this is about changing your relationship to food and your body for the rest of your life.

What Triggers Diabetes!

Interesting article on Diabetes:

"In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians.

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas."

Read the full article by clicking below.

CLICK FOR DIABETES ARTICLE

Enjoy!

FRUIT SMOOTHIE

For you working folks that have to run out the door in the morning, try this-

In your blender

place 2 cups of fresh frozen strawberries (or fresh if you have them)

1 banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled

2 dates

Whip it up on blend and run out the door! If you want to get really healthy, add a handful of flax seeds or wheatgerm if you have it on hand for a nice texture and nutty flavor.

The pulp makes it nice and thick, and the frozen berries make this a smoothie. If you use fresh strawberries and want it to be a smoothie texture, add 4 icecubes.

You can use peaches, berries, all sorts of different flavors for variety.

NOW

this is the base:

add 2 tbs hemp seeds 

or 2 tbs chia seeds

or 1/2 C soaked and peeled almonds

2 tbs fish oil

RAWish SOUP

I already posted the Gazpacho earlier, but I really like this so here goes:

I make a pot of this and find it's good at night when I want something warm. Keep the water at a simmer, not a boil.

Remember,  potatoes should NOT be eaten raw.

Into the food processor goes:

1 potato, peeled
1 sweet potato, peeled
Coarse chop them and then put them in the pot and put it on simmer. Put them in a good sized pot with water, about 2/3s.
While they are simmering away, I put the following into the food processor and coarse chop:

2-3 carrots, peeled
1 onion, quartered
2-3 TBS chopped garlic (it's a great parasite cleanse)
1 bell pepper, seeded
1 green zuccini
2 stalks celery

Dump them into the pot (or ANY vegetables I happen to have around that I want to finish up.)

Salt, pepper, cayenne, oregano, basil, parsley, some hot pepper flakes.

I used fresh parsley the last time, yum and so pretty too!

The vegetables release flavor into the water, and if you make this the day before you want to eat it, it will increase in flavor.

I cut up small cherry tomatoes in half and put them in at the end and let them just BE in the hot water. They were great int there! The hot water was enough to really "cook" the potatoes so that I wasn't eating them raw, and the other veges were crunchy.

The next night I just reheat the water by simmering again, or you can add some hot water to a bowl and eat it, OR you can put a bowl full in the food processor or blender with some hot water and puree it for a nice thick soup. VERY satisfying.

Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top. Yum!

ACAI BERRIES

ARTICLE ON ACAI BERRY

is a link to an article about a brazilian berry that they tested that kills from 35-85% of the leukemic cells in a petrie dish-not bad for this little antioxidant. Eat your colors. It's dark purple! Yeah, I know. I'm an artist-I push color!

ISRAEL ACADEMY OF ANTI AGING

ISRAEL ACADEMY OF ANTI-AGING

This is an organization dedicated to making people live 150 years. I think it's the translation into English-and what they MEAN is helping and encouraging as well as spearheading WAYS...but! They promote RAW FOOD which they call natural hygiene.

SUPER GREEN JUICE RECIPE

SUPER GREEN JUICE RECIPE

1 whole bunch of celery, washed

1 head of romaine, washed

3 big leaves of kale

1 bunch of chinese spinach, washed

1 cucumber, peeled if not organic

4 lemons with rind cut off

3 apples

2" hunk of fresh ginger

This makes a BIG batch of juice. Drink half and take the other half to work for later in a sealed container in the fridge. This is a great green juice cleanse.

Remember to rotate your greens so your body doesn't get too stuck in a rut.

100 Lessons on Manifesting your Best Life Ever!

100 LESSONS on MANIFESTING YOUR BEST LIFE EVER

1. We all work with one infinite power

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA)

3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting

4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think

5. Every thought has a magnetic energy frequency

6. People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same

7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation

8. You attract your dominant thoughts

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it.

10. It's not "wishful" thinking, it's wish fulfilled thinking.

11. You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it

12. Choose your thoughts carefully .. you are a masterpiece of your life

13. It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon)

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted .. accept that fact .. it's true.

15. Your thoughts cause your feelings

16. We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.

17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means

you are not on the right track.

18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances

21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there).. the universe will correspond to the nature of your song

22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience

23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception

24. Shift your awareness

25. "You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )

27. You can change your emotion immediately .. by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy

experience

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator

29. Life can and should be phenomenal .. and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction

30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly

31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that....

32. You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself

33. LOA is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW

34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster

35. The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt..

36. When the opportunity or impulse is there .. ACT

37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections.. PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you

38. You can start with nothing .. and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time .. the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen

40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish) We make the rules on size and time

41. No rules according to the universe .. you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond

42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck...etc..)

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point

44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha

45. What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude

46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately

47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about

48. What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude.. focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for

49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins

52. Feel the joy .. feel the happiness :o)

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one

54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell

55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what"

56. The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and

your dream

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered .. this is where magic and miracles happen

58. Turn it over to the universe daily.. but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process .. high, happy, in tune

60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.61. They

remember to do it all the time

62. Create a Vision Board .. pictures of what you want to attract .. every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already

having acquired these wants

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

64. Decide what you want .. believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you

65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it

67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

70. How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

71. 'Checks are coming in the mail regularly'... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there... and get behind the feeling of having it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas...

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear

74. We are the creators of our universe

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others ... love yourself and you will be loved

76. Healthy respect for yourself

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly .. get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those

people.

78. Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in

the same space together if you frequencies don't match

79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your

children....

81. You are the only one that creates your reality

82. No one else can think or feel for you .. its YOU .. ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

84. Immune system will heal itself

85. Parts of our bodies are replace every day, every week..etc... Within few years we have a brand new body

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the body.

87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself

88. Learn to become still .. and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you

wish to experience

89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life

90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And to allow others the world they choose to see, exist as well.

92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around ... This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes greed.

93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

94. All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of it's own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. it will show up for you.

95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want.. get behind the good feelings of all your

wants.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push

against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants... remove your attention from don't wants.. and place them on do wants

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

98. Don't define yourself by your body .. it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right where you are right now.

Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.

Combat Inflammation and low thyroid with Wheatgrass Juice

So why do I love the wheatgrass juice? 

Wheatgrass primarily neutralizes infections, overcomes inflammations, and gets rid of parasitic infections. It purifies the blood, detoxes the liver, and cleans the colon. It has the same chemical composition as hemoglobin. 

A study at the U of California showed that it even repairs DNA. I FEEL better when I do wheatgrass, daily. That’s what I notice.  

Here’s what happens- if you body is in a state of inflammation, it is causing your adrenals to pump out MORE cortisol. Why cortisol? Well, cortisol is an anti-inflammatory. Your body is TRYING to correct it. 

Excess insulin also causes inflammation. MORE fish oils and flaxseed oils and less vegetable oils and cut out cooked oils completely.

Increase selenium-bran, nuts, tuna if you must, onions, tomatoes, broccoli.

Inflammation also goes hand in hand with underactive thyroid. And here’s news-the medical community says .50 - 5.0 is a normal range for women “our age” meaning 35-50. That means your thyroid can test down to less than 1 for function and they still won’t want to medicate. 

What’s going to boost your thyroid function in a natural way are all the things we are eating- carrots, spinach, apricots, asparagus, olive oil, avocado, sunflower seeds, whole grain cereals, bananas, oily fish, so choose meals that include these foods. But I will tell you that for me taking thyroid did NOT help. It did force my thyroid but it didn’t help my problem. I am off thyroid meds, I am off water pills. What HAS helped is using food in a whole new way. I feel awesome.

Hippocrates said, "Let your foods be your medicine and your medicine be your foods."

When we are talking about adding cooked foods, keep it to cooked VEGETABLE foods. If you start adding stuff the body is going to react to, don’t be surprised and don’t get down on yourself. Figure it is all information! No failure, only feedback.

Reaction is inflammation. If you miss hot foods, then cook your vegetables, do simmer soups. Keep your foods simple and NOTICE! We are shamans. We are trackers. We are calling ourselves back to our healthiest state of being and clearing ourselves of why we have settled for less in our lives…less health, less life, less happiness, less. It’s time to expect more.

Remember: this is not about being a raw foodist. It's about living a balanced healthy life.

Enjoy!

IT SHOWS IN THE SKIN

Nutrition for the skin should be of optimum importance to all of us, and easy to recognize that you need to shift something. 

Check your skin in the mirror: your skin is the part that shows up to the world, and no amount of makeup or cream will disguise your state of internal being. Stress shows in our skin. What we feel, and how we feel presents to the world, so look at yourself in the mirror and notice what your skin is telling you.

Fresh Food heals so if you want to improve the condition of your skin (and hair) add more COLOR to your diet. 

If your skin is saggy and lacks luster you just aren't eating enough color!

ORANGE: Eat sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and pumpkins. All contain beta carotene. Load your cart and your plate with color and eat it fresh! Oranges, red peppers and tomatoes are chock full of vitamin C. 

If you have dark circles under your eyes:

GREEN: Eat more green! Any and all good dark greens are great for the skin. Greens flush toxins from your body, and that's good for the skin. Your liver's condition shows in your eyes. Dark circles, droopy eyes, yellowed eyes are all signs of liver congestion. Flush those toxins with lots of green juice and raw green on your plate! More than just a salad here and there, live green.

BLUES AND PURPLES: Eat dark rich color! The darker the color the more antioxidants there are inside. Eat color! Blueberries, dark grapes, cherries, blackberries, eat them fresh by the handful add them to shakes but don't cook them! Eat fresh. Eat live.

If you skin is dry: it's asking for more oils in your diet. Put it IN rather than ON. You aren't eating enough fat. Get your omega 3s up and your skin will immediately show it by having fewer wrinkles and more shine! It will be more fluid and supple.

FATS: Think fish, and nuts and you'll have it covered. Walnuts are especially oily as is tuna, salmon and sardines. Avocados are a great source of good fat (and double points because it's green too!) You NEED good fats. The biggest rule to bust out of is that fat is bad for you! Your brain needs fat, and so does your skin. Not all fat is the same, so to keep it simple. If it's cooked, it's a no. If it's fresh, it's a yes! Olive oil, coconut oil are great for the skin too. 

Avocado facial: If you are making a mask just for yourself, only use half of a really soft avocado. Add a tsp of honey, and a tsp of greek yogurt and mix. Slather it all over your face (and hair too if you like) and then sit with your feet up and relax for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and feel how great your face feels!  

EGGS: I'm a big believer in eggs as the most perfect food. Buy organic, free range, brown and that should cover it. Eat the whole egg. Eggs are a great source of zinc which is great for the skin and the brain.

I know, eggs aren't vegan, and most raw food-ists don't condone them, so remember, I am not an extremist! I like things that are simple. I am way too busy to enforce too many rules. We have to live our lives, keep it simple, and that means excavating ourselves out from under the rubble of too many contradictory food beliefs. 

Egg white facial: Oh the best for tightening the skin! Separate one egg, and use the egg white only. Beat until frothy. Wipe it all over the face avoiding the eyes and mouth. Let it dry and it will tighten up and draw toxins out of the pores, then rinse off. If you apply tissue to the face and then add more egg white, you'll have a peel off mask. Cost: 25¢ Savings: $7.00 for a tube of over the counter mask all the way up to $125. for a salon facial! Can you beat that??? And no chemicals or preservatives!

EAT YOUR WATER and the CHOCOLATE

I'm back in Berkeley for awhile and near my mother after 35 years. It's funny, but I didn't realize what a rule follower she was and how I am at heart a rule breaker! I hear the rule, and automatically it seems (maybe more as I get older but hey) I say ..."um...no."

For instance that rule about drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day? I've never been a big water drinker. Drinking water is always something I've had to consciously think about. I carry water bottles in the car, in the backpack. I still have to remind myself to drink. I must be a camel, but I'm just not thirsty! I eat a lot of raw fresh food though so I figured a long time ago that I must be getting my water that way. But always people would pound me with "are you drinking enough water?"

Juicing and raw foods are hydrated, which means they carry a high water content! So, I'm gratified to read this morning on Yahoo's Healthy Living that we get to break the old rules...at last!  I feel vindicated! I feel justified. I feel...unthirsty and it's ok!!

The old rule >> 'drink 8 glasses of water a day' was written in 1945!!! Folks, talk about not updating our software programs! Sheesh~
New rule >> eat fresh food every day. That's raw folks! EAT YOUR WATER! Get that fresh food into you and you'll be hydrated! You gott admit, you can see it in people's skin if they eat fresh.

The other 3 rules to rethink according to the article:
Old rule >> Eat 9 servings of fresh food
New rule >> fill half your plate with fresh and enjoy

This means less counting portions and more just reach for fresh. I hate counting. This a simpler, user friendly rule so again, we've been advocating this already! Remember that the darker the color the more nutrient dense it is.

But my rule: eat as much raw as you can and simply don't worry even about the half a plate thing! EAT THE FRESH FIRST!

Avoid red meat >> eat the meat, just make it lean and organic.
I know this is a raw-ish food blog but you know if you need red meat, so eat it when you feel like it.

OUR number one rule here is FOLLOW your body's lead. Pay attention to the internal signals and relax around food!

Rule number 4 to bust out of >> BMI! Oh for the love of Pete, I've always hated statistics. I almost flunked it in school. Mathematical experts really take the cake out of life you know? When mathematicians started dictating that we had to fall within a range of numbers, people started looking at the numbers instead of tuning in to how they FELT!

""People come in different sizes and shapes," says Joanne Ikeda, nutritionist emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. "The idea that everyone should fall under 25 is ludicrous." A person can have a high BMI and still be healthy, Ikeda argues. Research supports the theory: A Journal of the American Medical Association study found that fit women--even if they were overweight according to their BMI--were less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who were out of shape. Ikeda advises her patients to stop obsessing over their BMI, eat a nutritious diet, and log 150 minutes of exercise per week. "A healthy lifestyle results in a healthy weight." 


Thank you BERKELEY and Joanne Ideda. YES! We are NOT all going to fall into an optimum range. And we are NOT all going to die if we don't hit those numbers. PLEASE-start living your life! Eat a little chocolate-make it the GOOD STUFF! DRINK a little wine-make it the GOOD STUFF