I add chia seeds to my salads and the dressings. It makes the dressings thick and creamy. Look closely at the chia seeds and the design they have. Very shamanic! I keep mine in the frig and bought them in a sealed package from Good Earth. I'm sure you can get them at Whole Foods too.
I took this info from a site that sells chia seeds. There is more info on the site in an article.
http://www.getchia.com/aboutchia.html
Chia Seeds are THE BEST source of
Omega-3 & Omega-6 essential fatty acids!
These seeds are perfect for diabetics &
people watching or trying to lose weight.
Chia Seeds are also very beneficial to the
heart and extremely high in fiber, calcium, high
quality protein, slowly processed carbohydrates
and loaded with vitamins & minerals and antioxidants!
The health benefits of Omega-3
fatty acids are becoming widely known.
What is not as well known is that the
chia seed is THE BEST source of Omega-3.
CHIA SEED IS BETTER THAN
FISH OIL & FLAX SEED!
Chia seed is high in protein
and high in calcium. 5 times the calcium of milk, 631 mg per 100 grams of seed.
Chia seeds are also high in protein,
with 18 grams per 100 grams of seed.
The optimum ratio of Omega-3 to
Omega-6 should be 3:1.
Chia seed provides that ratio.
Chia seed is hydrophilic.
Absorbing up to 14 times
(Mix @ 9-10 times) its weight in water.
This helps extend energy and endurance.
Chia seed is rich in antioxidant oils.
Chia contains chlorogenic acid, and
caffeic acid as well as myricetin,
quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols.
These compounds are both primary and synergistic antioxidants that contribute
to the strong antioxidant activity of chia.
Chia seed is also low in sodium.
Only 19 mg per 100 grams.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Goji Berries
This is from the Edible Goddess Blog
I personally don't really like the taste of goji berries but if they are mixed in something I can eat them.
Top 24 Health Benefits of Goji Berries
June 24, 2010 by Edible Goddess · Leave a Comment
16
Share
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about goji berries. They are sweet little red scrumptious berries that comes to us mostly in dried form or in synergistic Superfood powder blends like Fruits of the Earth. If you’re looking for the ultimate complete raw protein that you can nibble on throughout the day, or, a nutrient-dense addition to your smoothie to start your day off Superhero-style, you’ve found it!
For everything you could ever want to know about the legendary goji berries, I suggest you check out the books: GOJI: The Himalayan Health Secret and David Wolfe’s book, Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future!
In preparation for the Radiance and Beauty Superfood Tele-seminar, I read this book + others and feel like it’s my duty to share the top 24 benefits of goji berries (according the this book – and I concur). This is a direct excerpt from the book and just 1 page of reading pleasure about this gorgeous happy berry!
Top 24 Health Benefits of Goji!
1) Extends life, protecting your body from premature aging through its powerful antioxidant action
2) Increases your energy and strength, especially when fighting dis-ease
3) Makes you feel & look younger. Goji stimulates the secretion of hGH (human growth hormone), the ‘youth hormone.’
4) Maintains healthy blood pressure
5) Reduces cholesterol
6) Promotes normal blood sugar in early adult-onset diabetes
7) Enhances sexual function and treats sexual dysfunction
Helps you lose weight
9) Relieves headaches and dizziness
10) Relieves insomnia and improves quality of sleep
11) Supports eye health and improves your vision
12) Strengthens your heart
13) Improves dis-ease resistance
14) Builds strong blood, enhancing production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets
15) Supports healthy liver function
16) Treats menopausal symptoms
17) Prevents morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy
18) Improves fertility
19) Strengthens your muscles and bones
20) Improves your memory and recall ability
21) Supports normal kidney function
22) Helps chronic dry cough
23) Alleviates anxiety and stress
24) Promotes cheerfulness and brightens your spirit
Now, I’m sure that there is at least 1 of the 24 benefits that resonates with you. Search out products that contain goji berries and be mindful of the sourcing – don’t buy sugar-laden goji berry juice that looks good on the front of the label but actually is just a bunch of concentrate and/or sugars when you check out the fine print. Buy dried goji berries (Ultimate Superfoods or Sunfood Nutrition) or pick them fresh if you are fortunate to do so.
You know, anyone can grow fresh goji berries… even indoors! To the right you’ll find fresh goji berries that I synchronistically found at the farmer’s market for the 1st time ever, just after I posted this blog. Amazing, right?
I personally don't really like the taste of goji berries but if they are mixed in something I can eat them.
Top 24 Health Benefits of Goji Berries
June 24, 2010 by Edible Goddess · Leave a Comment
16
Share
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about goji berries. They are sweet little red scrumptious berries that comes to us mostly in dried form or in synergistic Superfood powder blends like Fruits of the Earth. If you’re looking for the ultimate complete raw protein that you can nibble on throughout the day, or, a nutrient-dense addition to your smoothie to start your day off Superhero-style, you’ve found it!
For everything you could ever want to know about the legendary goji berries, I suggest you check out the books: GOJI: The Himalayan Health Secret and David Wolfe’s book, Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future!
In preparation for the Radiance and Beauty Superfood Tele-seminar, I read this book + others and feel like it’s my duty to share the top 24 benefits of goji berries (according the this book – and I concur). This is a direct excerpt from the book and just 1 page of reading pleasure about this gorgeous happy berry!
Top 24 Health Benefits of Goji!
1) Extends life, protecting your body from premature aging through its powerful antioxidant action
2) Increases your energy and strength, especially when fighting dis-ease
3) Makes you feel & look younger. Goji stimulates the secretion of hGH (human growth hormone), the ‘youth hormone.’
4) Maintains healthy blood pressure
5) Reduces cholesterol
6) Promotes normal blood sugar in early adult-onset diabetes
7) Enhances sexual function and treats sexual dysfunction
Helps you lose weight
9) Relieves headaches and dizziness
10) Relieves insomnia and improves quality of sleep
11) Supports eye health and improves your vision
12) Strengthens your heart
13) Improves dis-ease resistance
14) Builds strong blood, enhancing production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets
15) Supports healthy liver function
16) Treats menopausal symptoms
17) Prevents morning sickness in the first trimester of pregnancy
18) Improves fertility
19) Strengthens your muscles and bones
20) Improves your memory and recall ability
21) Supports normal kidney function
22) Helps chronic dry cough
23) Alleviates anxiety and stress
24) Promotes cheerfulness and brightens your spirit
Now, I’m sure that there is at least 1 of the 24 benefits that resonates with you. Search out products that contain goji berries and be mindful of the sourcing – don’t buy sugar-laden goji berry juice that looks good on the front of the label but actually is just a bunch of concentrate and/or sugars when you check out the fine print. Buy dried goji berries (Ultimate Superfoods or Sunfood Nutrition) or pick them fresh if you are fortunate to do so.
You know, anyone can grow fresh goji berries… even indoors! To the right you’ll find fresh goji berries that I synchronistically found at the farmer’s market for the 1st time ever, just after I posted this blog. Amazing, right?
Spirulina and Chlorella
Chlorella:
Chlorella has been touted as the perfect whole food. Aside from being a complete protein and containing all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the major minerals (with zinc and iron in amounts large enough to be considered supplementary), it has been found to improve the immune system, improve digestion, detoxify the body, accelerate healing, protect against radiation, aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases, help in treatment of Candida albicans, relieve arthritis pain and, because of its nutritional content, aid in the success of numerous weight loss programs.
- Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible
Spirulina:
Spirulina's predigested protein provides building material soon after ingestion, without the energy-draining side effects of meat protein; its mucopolysaccharides relax and strengthen connective tissue while reducing the possibility of inflammation; its simple carbohydrates yield immediate yet sustained energy; its GLA fatty acids improve hormonal balance; and its protein-bonded vitamins and minerals, as found in all whole foods, assimilate better than the synthetic variety. Spirulina can generally be considered an appropriate food for those who exercise vigorously, as evidenced by the many world-class athletes who use it
- Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
Chlorella and spirulina have such strong health benefits that even well-known doctors and authors use these products and note their benefits:
It is possible that the GLA found in spirulina and possibly these other products accounts for some of the positive effects that people experience when using them, including decreased appetite, weight loss, and improved energy levels, especially mental energy. I personally have used all of these products and must say I have experienced a subtle increase in mental clarity and alertness (not like a nervous, caffeine-type stimulation). These algae must subtly stimulate our nervous systems or release certain internal neurochemicals that create this "up" feeling.
- Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson Haas, M.D.
In all, these two superfoods are effective in not just reversing a long list of serious diseases (discuss in far more detail below), they are powerful health enhancers that demonstrate phenomenal benefits even to people who are in "good" health
Chlorella has been touted as the perfect whole food. Aside from being a complete protein and containing all the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the major minerals (with zinc and iron in amounts large enough to be considered supplementary), it has been found to improve the immune system, improve digestion, detoxify the body, accelerate healing, protect against radiation, aid in the prevention of degenerative diseases, help in treatment of Candida albicans, relieve arthritis pain and, because of its nutritional content, aid in the success of numerous weight loss programs.
- Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible
Spirulina:
Spirulina's predigested protein provides building material soon after ingestion, without the energy-draining side effects of meat protein; its mucopolysaccharides relax and strengthen connective tissue while reducing the possibility of inflammation; its simple carbohydrates yield immediate yet sustained energy; its GLA fatty acids improve hormonal balance; and its protein-bonded vitamins and minerals, as found in all whole foods, assimilate better than the synthetic variety. Spirulina can generally be considered an appropriate food for those who exercise vigorously, as evidenced by the many world-class athletes who use it
- Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
Chlorella and spirulina have such strong health benefits that even well-known doctors and authors use these products and note their benefits:
It is possible that the GLA found in spirulina and possibly these other products accounts for some of the positive effects that people experience when using them, including decreased appetite, weight loss, and improved energy levels, especially mental energy. I personally have used all of these products and must say I have experienced a subtle increase in mental clarity and alertness (not like a nervous, caffeine-type stimulation). These algae must subtly stimulate our nervous systems or release certain internal neurochemicals that create this "up" feeling.
- Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson Haas, M.D.
In all, these two superfoods are effective in not just reversing a long list of serious diseases (discuss in far more detail below), they are powerful health enhancers that demonstrate phenomenal benefits even to people who are in "good" health
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
More valuable info from Christian B.
This was posted on the raw meetup site by Vanessa J.
I love boosting my health through therapeutically nutritious elixirs, superfood drinks, and tonic herbs and occasionally doing a fast or cleanse on them, and I really hope you do to or will start to today.
And yet I see so many people doing the second best thing, which is trying get their trace nutrients from green vegetable juice only.
May I be frank and bold? There are countless raw food healing centers and raw food coaches that are promoting a diet that is basically just fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and therapeutic amounts of green vegetable juice. Their primary strategy for mineralization and cleansing comes from doing green vegetable juices. Let me explain why this “old school” method will give you some initial or short term results but will ultimately deprive you of vitality and common sense. In fact, it’s a downright short sighted approach. I will explain…
I have been an “all raw” raw foodist for over 7 years, and at one time I did 18 months of a half gallon of fresh vegetable juice every day. After the first 9 months of this, I hit my first “wall” where I just couldn’t do that much bulk intake of alkaline vegetable minerals. So, I started diluting my juices by putting herbal tea through my juicer after I ran the vegetables so that my juice was about 50% green juice (fresh pressed organic store-bought produce including celery, cucumbers, lemons, limes, parsley, cilantro, dandelion, ginger, grass, etc.) and about 50% tea (a few tonic herbs like reishi mushroom, yerbe mate, YogiTea blends). I did this unconsciously just as a way to help clean my juicer, not really realizing what I was doing and where I was headed with the tonic herbs approach. I also amended my green juices with green powders like Vitamineral Green and Crystal Manna.
After about 9 months of the 50/50 juice, I hit another “wall” where I just could not have more than a few sips before I felt loopy. I kept trying to drink lots of green juice but it only got me “stoned with alkalosis.” Had I continued, I might have developed an allergy to juiced store bought produce. What had happened is that I was putting myself into acute alkalosis: too much alkalinity from the juice lasting about two hours as my body had already become more neutral in pH normally (by detoxing the acids and restoring my alkaline mineral balance).
When you first get into organic styles of cleansing or go raw, you might be coming from a background (and we all come from this background) of eating poor food choices and being exposed to toxins that put an excess of acids in our body. So when we first do lots of green juice (alkaline minerals), we go from acidic to neutral pH for the few hours after having the drink. Our body should be approximately neutral in pH as a normal state of health when we wake up in the morning. If we do effectively detox and bring in the minerals as our long term protocol, then our body will eventually become more neutral in pH, and if we continue to do a lot of green vegetable juice, then eventually we will hit a “wall” like I did, and go from neutral to over-alkaline for the few hours after having the drink. We can see in this case that green juice is medicine, and should not necessarily be a “meal” we have every single day, forever.
The big issue with green vegetable juice is that it is only one “food group” and it is usually hybridized, store bought greens (cultivars that did not exist a thousand years ago) as opposed to wild greens. Therefore a store bought vegetable juicing person is still actively addicted to agriculture and domestication, which majorly lacks virility, certain minerals and immunomodulatory substances.
Enter > Longevity Elixirs. If I had to do the last 7 years all over again, I would have done a lot more longevity elixirs and about a fourth the vegetable juice that I did. These Superfood Beauty Elixirs contain any of the following deeply rejuvenating substances:
Aloe vera (fresh gel), algaes (blue green, chlorella, spirulina), acerola berry, amla berry, camu camu berry, cacao, coconut water kefir, goji berries, HealthForce Nutritionals blends like Vitamineral Green and Vitamineral Earth, maca, marine phytoplankton, medicinal mushroom extracts like Reishi, MSM, noni, sea vegetables like kelp, shilajit, spring water and a variety of tonic herb extracts or teas containing (asparagus root, cat’s claw, dandelion root, ginseng, gynostemma, he shou wu, horse tail, more of the many medicinal mushrooms like chaga, nettles, shizandra berry ~ all available from Mountain Rose Herbs).
These foods have a much richer variety of minerals and nutrients than green juice vegetables and do not have the overly-alkaline kick that green juice has, but do deliver alkaline minerals deep into your body. You will heal your tissues, immune system, nervous system, skin and organs much more profoundly with this “tonic elixir” approach.
To clarify, these foods and herbs that I mention are about a much more refined approach to nourishing each system of the body, and to promote longevity and clarity. If you are already doing a lot of green juice or sweet green smoothies, then consider this a wake up call from someone who has already gone down that road and who sees the capped health results in the “gurus” who promote these “simple raw diet” approaches. I hope you see the love behind my boldness on this issue; no judgement.
I recommend looking at the food you put in your body as something that should be more wild and medicinal. Pretend you are the shamans from each of the worlds multi-thousand-of-herbs ancient herbal systems (African traditions, Amazonian, Ayurvedic, Aboriginal….and that’s just the A’s). As a shaman, what would you advise people to heal themselves with? Juice of California-grown carrots? Not likely. You would prepare for them your top 3 to 7 exotic tonic herbs and foods that together work on the person’s body, mind and spirit.
If you were a Meso-American shaman, you might recommend a drink made from the local tonic goods: fresh aloe vera gel, blended with spring water, acerola berry, stevia to taste, sea salt, spirulina, and vanilla – all of which are foods that one can now easily acquire online and from their local natural food store and prepare in a blender. This drink (and we will unveil many more detailed recipes in our upcoming eBook on Superfood Beauty Elixirs) will restore the youthfulness of your skin and joints, boost your mood, create an outstanding immune system….and can be consumed daily – forever – without going into alkalosis.
In your health quest, keep doing what works for you. Just make sure to keep trying and adding in an evermore top quality variety of superfoods, herbs, wild foods and garden grown salads so that you will always be updating your protocol, staying innovative (which is what we do with everything else in our life, especially technology, and preparing food is a technology). By trying new things and displacing the old, you will never get stuck in health dogma, or be lured for very long by the less-than-healthiest teachers out there. I do support everyone on a raw-related path as our hearts are all in the right place. Let’s just make sure that we eschew last year’s or even last decade’s ideas and stay on the leading edge of health as we discover the secrets of longevity together!
Your Friend in Cutting Edge Health Mastery
This was written by Christian Bates who I met seven years ago at the beggining of his journey.
I love boosting my health through therapeutically nutritious elixirs, superfood drinks, and tonic herbs and occasionally doing a fast or cleanse on them, and I really hope you do to or will start to today.
And yet I see so many people doing the second best thing, which is trying get their trace nutrients from green vegetable juice only.
May I be frank and bold? There are countless raw food healing centers and raw food coaches that are promoting a diet that is basically just fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and therapeutic amounts of green vegetable juice. Their primary strategy for mineralization and cleansing comes from doing green vegetable juices. Let me explain why this “old school” method will give you some initial or short term results but will ultimately deprive you of vitality and common sense. In fact, it’s a downright short sighted approach. I will explain…
I have been an “all raw” raw foodist for over 7 years, and at one time I did 18 months of a half gallon of fresh vegetable juice every day. After the first 9 months of this, I hit my first “wall” where I just couldn’t do that much bulk intake of alkaline vegetable minerals. So, I started diluting my juices by putting herbal tea through my juicer after I ran the vegetables so that my juice was about 50% green juice (fresh pressed organic store-bought produce including celery, cucumbers, lemons, limes, parsley, cilantro, dandelion, ginger, grass, etc.) and about 50% tea (a few tonic herbs like reishi mushroom, yerbe mate, YogiTea blends). I did this unconsciously just as a way to help clean my juicer, not really realizing what I was doing and where I was headed with the tonic herbs approach. I also amended my green juices with green powders like Vitamineral Green and Crystal Manna.
After about 9 months of the 50/50 juice, I hit another “wall” where I just could not have more than a few sips before I felt loopy. I kept trying to drink lots of green juice but it only got me “stoned with alkalosis.” Had I continued, I might have developed an allergy to juiced store bought produce. What had happened is that I was putting myself into acute alkalosis: too much alkalinity from the juice lasting about two hours as my body had already become more neutral in pH normally (by detoxing the acids and restoring my alkaline mineral balance).
When you first get into organic styles of cleansing or go raw, you might be coming from a background (and we all come from this background) of eating poor food choices and being exposed to toxins that put an excess of acids in our body. So when we first do lots of green juice (alkaline minerals), we go from acidic to neutral pH for the few hours after having the drink. Our body should be approximately neutral in pH as a normal state of health when we wake up in the morning. If we do effectively detox and bring in the minerals as our long term protocol, then our body will eventually become more neutral in pH, and if we continue to do a lot of green vegetable juice, then eventually we will hit a “wall” like I did, and go from neutral to over-alkaline for the few hours after having the drink. We can see in this case that green juice is medicine, and should not necessarily be a “meal” we have every single day, forever.
The big issue with green vegetable juice is that it is only one “food group” and it is usually hybridized, store bought greens (cultivars that did not exist a thousand years ago) as opposed to wild greens. Therefore a store bought vegetable juicing person is still actively addicted to agriculture and domestication, which majorly lacks virility, certain minerals and immunomodulatory substances.
Enter > Longevity Elixirs. If I had to do the last 7 years all over again, I would have done a lot more longevity elixirs and about a fourth the vegetable juice that I did. These Superfood Beauty Elixirs contain any of the following deeply rejuvenating substances:
Aloe vera (fresh gel), algaes (blue green, chlorella, spirulina), acerola berry, amla berry, camu camu berry, cacao, coconut water kefir, goji berries, HealthForce Nutritionals blends like Vitamineral Green and Vitamineral Earth, maca, marine phytoplankton, medicinal mushroom extracts like Reishi, MSM, noni, sea vegetables like kelp, shilajit, spring water and a variety of tonic herb extracts or teas containing (asparagus root, cat’s claw, dandelion root, ginseng, gynostemma, he shou wu, horse tail, more of the many medicinal mushrooms like chaga, nettles, shizandra berry ~ all available from Mountain Rose Herbs).
These foods have a much richer variety of minerals and nutrients than green juice vegetables and do not have the overly-alkaline kick that green juice has, but do deliver alkaline minerals deep into your body. You will heal your tissues, immune system, nervous system, skin and organs much more profoundly with this “tonic elixir” approach.
To clarify, these foods and herbs that I mention are about a much more refined approach to nourishing each system of the body, and to promote longevity and clarity. If you are already doing a lot of green juice or sweet green smoothies, then consider this a wake up call from someone who has already gone down that road and who sees the capped health results in the “gurus” who promote these “simple raw diet” approaches. I hope you see the love behind my boldness on this issue; no judgement.
I recommend looking at the food you put in your body as something that should be more wild and medicinal. Pretend you are the shamans from each of the worlds multi-thousand-of-herbs ancient herbal systems (African traditions, Amazonian, Ayurvedic, Aboriginal….and that’s just the A’s). As a shaman, what would you advise people to heal themselves with? Juice of California-grown carrots? Not likely. You would prepare for them your top 3 to 7 exotic tonic herbs and foods that together work on the person’s body, mind and spirit.
If you were a Meso-American shaman, you might recommend a drink made from the local tonic goods: fresh aloe vera gel, blended with spring water, acerola berry, stevia to taste, sea salt, spirulina, and vanilla – all of which are foods that one can now easily acquire online and from their local natural food store and prepare in a blender. This drink (and we will unveil many more detailed recipes in our upcoming eBook on Superfood Beauty Elixirs) will restore the youthfulness of your skin and joints, boost your mood, create an outstanding immune system….and can be consumed daily – forever – without going into alkalosis.
In your health quest, keep doing what works for you. Just make sure to keep trying and adding in an evermore top quality variety of superfoods, herbs, wild foods and garden grown salads so that you will always be updating your protocol, staying innovative (which is what we do with everything else in our life, especially technology, and preparing food is a technology). By trying new things and displacing the old, you will never get stuck in health dogma, or be lured for very long by the less-than-healthiest teachers out there. I do support everyone on a raw-related path as our hearts are all in the right place. Let’s just make sure that we eschew last year’s or even last decade’s ideas and stay on the leading edge of health as we discover the secrets of longevity together!
Your Friend in Cutting Edge Health Mastery
This was written by Christian Bates who I met seven years ago at the beggining of his journey.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Is this really organic?
ABC news ran this rather interesting profile on Organic foods from China and Whole Foods and how they are NOT inspected the way one would think, and not to our standards even though they have the 'stamp of approval'. Buyer beware looms again.
The 365 label at Whole Foods-next time you go turn the packages over and in small print you'll find "product of china".
Thanks Kathy for sending this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=JQ31Ljd9T_Y
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Benefits of Conscious Eating
One of the things that adding more raw to my daily food did was bring me to an awareness of my own eating patterns, and connected me to the language of my body. By that I mean that our body only has the means of physical signals to communicate with 'us' - the conscious self that thinks it knows or can figure out everything. I realized I had used food to numb myself out to that communication forever.
When I began to eat with conscious awareness, I noticed how I felt both before and after I ate. I realized I really did have a reaction to wheat that made me congested and my nose feel swollen. I had NEVER noticed before. I no longer have that reaction with wheat, but I don't much care for it. I have CHOSEN to not eat it, rather than feeling like I can't eat it.
Now for some people that have never had food issues, that may well be normal for them. But, remember I used to weigh 300 pounds, and though it was 20 years ago now, it seems like yesterday sometimes, when I am reminded of what it felt like to be overwhelmed by my own body, and feeling betrayed and confused by it as if it were a stranger to me and I was trapped inside.
I will see someone struggling in an airplane seat and instantly recall the feel of the armrests against my sides as I would attempt to make myself smaller so I didn't invade someone else's space, energetically apologizing for being me.By the same token, I still marvel when I click a seatbelt around me in the airplane now and have to pull it tighter - that it really is me. When the gentleman in the aisle in front asked for a seatbelt extender I instantly remembered having to ask for one myself once and the shame that washed over me as I did. I was 8 months pregnant, but the withering look the flight attendant shot me, shaming to the bone.
So raw food is the first thing that seems to have freed me from so many of the misunderstandings I had about how and why I ate. I thought I was eating to numb out, but really I was eating to fill up a void that was an aching painful emptiness. I was already numb. I was trying to feel. I was trying to wake myself up and bring myself back in by chewing and crunching.
Notice for yourself as you eat more raw, and clear yourself out, and wake yourself up, how you really feel. And if I can suggest one thing: don't be afraid of the feelings. We are feeling beings. That's why we are here. LET yourself feel.
When I began to eat with conscious awareness, I noticed how I felt both before and after I ate. I realized I really did have a reaction to wheat that made me congested and my nose feel swollen. I had NEVER noticed before. I no longer have that reaction with wheat, but I don't much care for it. I have CHOSEN to not eat it, rather than feeling like I can't eat it.
Now for some people that have never had food issues, that may well be normal for them. But, remember I used to weigh 300 pounds, and though it was 20 years ago now, it seems like yesterday sometimes, when I am reminded of what it felt like to be overwhelmed by my own body, and feeling betrayed and confused by it as if it were a stranger to me and I was trapped inside.
I will see someone struggling in an airplane seat and instantly recall the feel of the armrests against my sides as I would attempt to make myself smaller so I didn't invade someone else's space, energetically apologizing for being me.By the same token, I still marvel when I click a seatbelt around me in the airplane now and have to pull it tighter - that it really is me. When the gentleman in the aisle in front asked for a seatbelt extender I instantly remembered having to ask for one myself once and the shame that washed over me as I did. I was 8 months pregnant, but the withering look the flight attendant shot me, shaming to the bone.
So raw food is the first thing that seems to have freed me from so many of the misunderstandings I had about how and why I ate. I thought I was eating to numb out, but really I was eating to fill up a void that was an aching painful emptiness. I was already numb. I was trying to feel. I was trying to wake myself up and bring myself back in by chewing and crunching.
Notice for yourself as you eat more raw, and clear yourself out, and wake yourself up, how you really feel. And if I can suggest one thing: don't be afraid of the feelings. We are feeling beings. That's why we are here. LET yourself feel.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
HEMP SEEDS
If you haven't found hemp seeds yet, go get some on your next trip to Whole Foods. They are high in protein, 65% globulin and have ALL the amino acids. All of them. It's a balanced blend of omega 3 and 6, and the richest known source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. And they taste good too!
2 TBS of hemp seeds packs a whooping 11 grams of protein!
I'm going to try hemp butter next time instead of peanut butter if I can find it.
You can eat them raw, ground, sprouted or turned into milk like you do almond milk.
I made some raw snacks and rolled them in hemp seed for a nutty coating. They turned out great. I would post the recipe but it was a Sunday mess and who could repeat it?
Get out the processor. Put into it any dried fruit and nut combo you want. i added peanut butter to moisten and then after processing it together formed into balls and rolled in hemp seed. Had them all week to take to work and to snack on. Easy!
More and More Rawness
I'm on the east coast at the moment, and every day someone comes in and says "I'm juicing" or "I'm doing green smoothies" or "I'm eating more organic".
Well well! Bit by bit we are waking up. People are fed up with feeling lousy. We are no longer willing to have low energy and low libido for life!
Truth is I can see it in the glow in their skin and the sparkle in their eyes. They come in lighter, and freer and they are becoming curious about this 'raw' stuff.
I'm enjoying these raw snacks I found at Whole foods. They are similar to what Catherine Ann has made. My favorite is called 'raisin brittle" and is sunflower seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds and coconut. They are called "Smart Treat" and are vegan, gluten free and dairy free. So if you miss a crunchy something, they fit the bill, although not salty.
I've been doing more raw again while here. Taking lettuce rollups to work, and making various concoctions again. We all wonder why we stop when we do but I think it's because it feels so good when we get back to it again! We come to appreciate it even more.
We are retraining a lifetime of ingrained habits and traditions of generations! Be gentle with yourself.
Allow yourself to eat-and don't guilt. No need to get hungry. Throw out the rules about eating on a schedule and eat when your body tells you to. Trying to eat on a schedule is like trying to poop on a schedule. You poop when your body is done with the the processing, and not before.
By the way-same thing with issues. Just thought I would throw that in. Everything has it's right moment. No use sitting and straining over stuff that isn't ready to come out. Trust your body!
Pay attention to how you feel with every bite so you can let your body teach you what you've missed before! It's doing the best it can with what we were giving it and frankly it's been doing a great job under the toughest of circumstances. Talk about lack of recognition!
It's never too late to be who you've been waiting for!
Well well! Bit by bit we are waking up. People are fed up with feeling lousy. We are no longer willing to have low energy and low libido for life!
Truth is I can see it in the glow in their skin and the sparkle in their eyes. They come in lighter, and freer and they are becoming curious about this 'raw' stuff.
I'm enjoying these raw snacks I found at Whole foods. They are similar to what Catherine Ann has made. My favorite is called 'raisin brittle" and is sunflower seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds and coconut. They are called "Smart Treat" and are vegan, gluten free and dairy free. So if you miss a crunchy something, they fit the bill, although not salty.
I've been doing more raw again while here. Taking lettuce rollups to work, and making various concoctions again. We all wonder why we stop when we do but I think it's because it feels so good when we get back to it again! We come to appreciate it even more.
We are retraining a lifetime of ingrained habits and traditions of generations! Be gentle with yourself.
Allow yourself to eat-and don't guilt. No need to get hungry. Throw out the rules about eating on a schedule and eat when your body tells you to. Trying to eat on a schedule is like trying to poop on a schedule. You poop when your body is done with the the processing, and not before.
By the way-same thing with issues. Just thought I would throw that in. Everything has it's right moment. No use sitting and straining over stuff that isn't ready to come out. Trust your body!
Pay attention to how you feel with every bite so you can let your body teach you what you've missed before! It's doing the best it can with what we were giving it and frankly it's been doing a great job under the toughest of circumstances. Talk about lack of recognition!
It's never too late to be who you've been waiting for!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Info about Sunfoods
February 25, 2010
Do you Buy From Sunfood.com? Better think
twice!
So I just got this today from my friend on Facebook Chef Believe,
evidently passed on from Vanessa Johansson
http://www.meetup.com/slc-rawfood-superheroes-com/members/5900104/As
I never really trusted Sun Food and their over bloated prices this
comes to my inbox. Please read and repost as much as possible.____________________________________________________________________________
I
have been meaning to post this for a month now and finally have found a
moment to do so.
As
some of you know I have been investigating the raw cacao industry and
raw powder and butter in particular. You heard it here first that
basically every cacao product on the market today is actually cooked,
and as of right now Essential Living Foods, Big Tree Organics and the
paste from Ultimate Superfoods (not the powder) is actually a raw
product.
Well, I have a grand finale to this story. After many
conversations and emails I have discovered some important info about
Sunfood, David Wolfes company.
First of all, it is not David
Wolfes company.
As
of at least 12 months ago, it has been owned by Doug Harbison, a non
raw foodist non superhero cooked wonder bread old school business
executive. David Wolfe makes no money off of Sunfood and owns no stock
in Sunfood. He tried to get Sunfood off of cooked chocolate products
and the owners would not listen to him. In fact, they have over 8
lawsuits against David Wolfe. I spoke to the current owner of
Sunfood...
I spoke to the current owner of Sunfood multiple times and here is
what he told me:
He
does not care if the cacao powder and butter are agave and yacon are
cooked products. He said that I am the only person who has called to
complain so he thinks that people are still satisfied with these
products. Hmmm...
He also told me that he believes that Essential
living Foods is lying about their products being cooked. I asked him
why a company would self destruct like this and he said he didnt know
but he thought they were lying. I asked him why they would lose so many
accounts and jeopardize their own investment and he said he didn't know
but he really thought that their product was raw and they were making
up a story about it being cooked.
Hmmmm....
He finally
said that he was sending his buddy Brian from Sunfood down to
investigate himself. I asked him why he thought that they would be let
in to the manufacturing facility without being a customer, when
Essential Living Foods who is actually a customer was not allowed to
step foot into the facility. He could not answer me.
He promised
to get back to me over month ago with a resolution for one customer,
myself, who has spent a fortune on what I was told and promised was the
best of the best and come to find out it was cooked and fraudulently
sold to me. I havent had any reply.
They knew it was cooked. They
still know it is cooked. He doesn't care!
So,
I have Doug Harbisons private email and cell phone number. I would like
all 286 members on this site to personally call this inflated buffoon
and let hm know that you do in fact care that his products are being
sold fraudulently, that his raw chocolate is not raw, and that you will
no longer support Sunfood nor will you purchase their products anymore.
Let him know that what could be the impetus for the tipping point on
this planet is being turned into a farce by a few corrupt and greedy
individuals such as himself, and that many curious and in need people
are being turned off of the raw food movement as a tool for health and
consciousness because they dont feel that it is trust worthy and
anything other than a hoax. Say whatever you want actually but let this
man know that you are not sheeple and will demand truth, integrity, and
quality ad will vote with your dollars. Lets not let one bad apple
spoil the beauty and truth of this lifestyle choice.
Fill up and
flood this mans email and voicemail with your voices!!!!
In
my opinion, Sunfood has lost the plot, and is completely out of
integrity and should not be supported in any manner and the word should
be spread like wild fire through the Superhero network.
I happily
provide you now with his private contact information.
DOUG
HARBISON
doug@sunfood.com
314-422-0206
Repost this on as
many forums as you can folks. Ready-Set-GO!!!
Do you Buy From Sunfood.com? Better think
twice!
So I just got this today from my friend on Facebook Chef Believe,
evidently passed on from Vanessa Johansson
http://www.meetup.com/slc-rawfood-superheroes-com/members/5900104/As
I never really trusted Sun Food and their over bloated prices this
comes to my inbox. Please read and repost as much as possible.____________________________________________________________________________
I
have been meaning to post this for a month now and finally have found a
moment to do so.
As
some of you know I have been investigating the raw cacao industry and
raw powder and butter in particular. You heard it here first that
basically every cacao product on the market today is actually cooked,
and as of right now Essential Living Foods, Big Tree Organics and the
paste from Ultimate Superfoods (not the powder) is actually a raw
product.
Well, I have a grand finale to this story. After many
conversations and emails I have discovered some important info about
Sunfood, David Wolfes company.
First of all, it is not David
Wolfes company.
As
of at least 12 months ago, it has been owned by Doug Harbison, a non
raw foodist non superhero cooked wonder bread old school business
executive. David Wolfe makes no money off of Sunfood and owns no stock
in Sunfood. He tried to get Sunfood off of cooked chocolate products
and the owners would not listen to him. In fact, they have over 8
lawsuits against David Wolfe. I spoke to the current owner of
Sunfood...
I spoke to the current owner of Sunfood multiple times and here is
what he told me:
He
does not care if the cacao powder and butter are agave and yacon are
cooked products. He said that I am the only person who has called to
complain so he thinks that people are still satisfied with these
products. Hmmm...
He also told me that he believes that Essential
living Foods is lying about their products being cooked. I asked him
why a company would self destruct like this and he said he didnt know
but he thought they were lying. I asked him why they would lose so many
accounts and jeopardize their own investment and he said he didn't know
but he really thought that their product was raw and they were making
up a story about it being cooked.
Hmmmm....
He finally
said that he was sending his buddy Brian from Sunfood down to
investigate himself. I asked him why he thought that they would be let
in to the manufacturing facility without being a customer, when
Essential Living Foods who is actually a customer was not allowed to
step foot into the facility. He could not answer me.
He promised
to get back to me over month ago with a resolution for one customer,
myself, who has spent a fortune on what I was told and promised was the
best of the best and come to find out it was cooked and fraudulently
sold to me. I havent had any reply.
They knew it was cooked. They
still know it is cooked. He doesn't care!
So,
I have Doug Harbisons private email and cell phone number. I would like
all 286 members on this site to personally call this inflated buffoon
and let hm know that you do in fact care that his products are being
sold fraudulently, that his raw chocolate is not raw, and that you will
no longer support Sunfood nor will you purchase their products anymore.
Let him know that what could be the impetus for the tipping point on
this planet is being turned into a farce by a few corrupt and greedy
individuals such as himself, and that many curious and in need people
are being turned off of the raw food movement as a tool for health and
consciousness because they dont feel that it is trust worthy and
anything other than a hoax. Say whatever you want actually but let this
man know that you are not sheeple and will demand truth, integrity, and
quality ad will vote with your dollars. Lets not let one bad apple
spoil the beauty and truth of this lifestyle choice.
Fill up and
flood this mans email and voicemail with your voices!!!!
In
my opinion, Sunfood has lost the plot, and is completely out of
integrity and should not be supported in any manner and the word should
be spread like wild fire through the Superhero network.
I happily
provide you now with his private contact information.
DOUG
HARBISON
doug@sunfood.com
314-422-0206
Repost this on as
many forums as you can folks. Ready-Set-GO!!!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Fresh Corn Salad
Fresh corn, taken off the cob. About 6 cobs worth or more.
Put in simmering water for a few minutes only, drain. (optional) I like the corn just a little softer than raw.
Add:
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
2 tsp garlic chopped fine, 2-3 cloves
2 peppers, one red, one orange, seeded and chopped fine
3 avocados, chopped chunky
2 limes, juiced
olive oil to taste
This is a lovely fresh salad that a friend just made. We've made it twice now-and it's great the next day for lunch too. You can wash big leaves of spinach and make little rollups if you want to go fancier for a luncheon.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Clearing the Large Intestine
Many people are encouraging the world to cleanse and detox, and if you decide to do it, be aware that we hold many emotions in our intestinal tract. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, angry, sad, or anxious while detoxing, it can be old emotions that are being revealed as you cleanse.
We used to call detoxing 'anger week' and realize that our feelings were not necessarily about anything in current time.
If you decide to cleanse and detox, allow yourself some grace and space. Don't do it on a busy stressful week. Do understand that as you cleanse inside your body, you are also stirring up emotions and feelings that have been buried. Tears and fears may come up. Let them roll through, and don't worry about what they are. Keep going.
You may also want to pay attention to your prescription meds. If you are on high blood pressure meds while juicing or cleansing your blood pressure may drop to normal so if you are taking meds you may then drop to LOW. Check with your doctor, and pay attention to how you feel.
We used to call detoxing 'anger week' and realize that our feelings were not necessarily about anything in current time.
If you decide to cleanse and detox, allow yourself some grace and space. Don't do it on a busy stressful week. Do understand that as you cleanse inside your body, you are also stirring up emotions and feelings that have been buried. Tears and fears may come up. Let them roll through, and don't worry about what they are. Keep going.
You may also want to pay attention to your prescription meds. If you are on high blood pressure meds while juicing or cleansing your blood pressure may drop to normal so if you are taking meds you may then drop to LOW. Check with your doctor, and pay attention to how you feel.
Raw-ish Quinoa salad
Red Quinoa - prepare whole box as on box
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
apricots chopped-fresh or dried. Dried will last longer if you want to keep this to use several nights.
currants, raisins or fresh dark grapes, chopped in 4ths-my favorite both for color and freshness
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
lime juice-about 5 limes - fresh squeezed or juiced is best!
roasted pine nuts (lightly roasted in olive oil)
roasted sesame seeds (lightly roasted with pine nuts in olive oil)
chopped pecans (best if soaked and dried before chopping)
This is a great salad to make in volume and then put in smaller containers for lunch
Good consistency to use in lettuce rollups. It has a nice nutty flavor and texture.
I also like to use it with a dash of hot chili peppers for zip to the tongue
Friday, April 23, 2010
Juice for Health
3 carrots
1/2 a lemon
1 apple
(what's so green about this...? just wait)
3 stalks of celery
1/2 a head of lettuce
1/2 cucumber
2 leaves of cabbage
2 leaves of kale
1 cluster of spinach
a handful of cilantro
a twig of rosemary
an inch of ginger
I know this has alot of ingredients-I like variety. You definitely do NOT need all of it. The staples are the first 6 ingredients, and then wing it. It's all about experimenting.
People worry about combining fruit with vegetables: the rule doesn't count when juicing. You are juicing folks-juice all digests at the same rate. I have a friend that made wonderful juice with adding pear to her greens, and another made awesome green juice with mango.
I pour mine into two cups with lids and drink one on the way to work and keep the other on my desk for snacks. At lunch I am still full and have a power bar to snack on when I need a bite. I'm feeling high energy and satisfied and am almost ready to give up my coffee after being back on this for 2 weeks. I do also have two soft boiled eggs for breakfast, so it's not all raw for me. But this is a great way to transition into it. The more you have the more you want. I take a few lettuce leaves and some hummus with me for lunch too if I want more to eat. And I always keep an apple in my desk and some raw almonds. Sometimes they are soaked, sometimes not, but I have them there. Those are the staples.
Tips to starting raw:
keep the food handy
Do not let yourself get hungry
Be prepared
Eat any time you feel the urge. without guilt and without a schedule so you can begin to listen to your own body again
I think I'll go make some carrot juice for bedtime.
Night!
1/2 a lemon
1 apple
(what's so green about this...? just wait)
3 stalks of celery
1/2 a head of lettuce
1/2 cucumber
2 leaves of cabbage
2 leaves of kale
1 cluster of spinach
a handful of cilantro
a twig of rosemary
an inch of ginger
I know this has alot of ingredients-I like variety. You definitely do NOT need all of it. The staples are the first 6 ingredients, and then wing it. It's all about experimenting.
People worry about combining fruit with vegetables: the rule doesn't count when juicing. You are juicing folks-juice all digests at the same rate. I have a friend that made wonderful juice with adding pear to her greens, and another made awesome green juice with mango.
I pour mine into two cups with lids and drink one on the way to work and keep the other on my desk for snacks. At lunch I am still full and have a power bar to snack on when I need a bite. I'm feeling high energy and satisfied and am almost ready to give up my coffee after being back on this for 2 weeks. I do also have two soft boiled eggs for breakfast, so it's not all raw for me. But this is a great way to transition into it. The more you have the more you want. I take a few lettuce leaves and some hummus with me for lunch too if I want more to eat. And I always keep an apple in my desk and some raw almonds. Sometimes they are soaked, sometimes not, but I have them there. Those are the staples.
Tips to starting raw:
keep the food handy
Do not let yourself get hungry
Be prepared
Eat any time you feel the urge. without guilt and without a schedule so you can begin to listen to your own body again
I think I'll go make some carrot juice for bedtime.
Night!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Stevia for panic attacks
This is from a woman who used Stevia to cure panic attacks.
She stumbled upon this as a cure--she had a friend who had no clue that his symptoms were "panic attacks" (he wasn't raw) and he ended up in the hospital several times with no help from the doctors--many times he was told "we can find nothing wrong with you" and yet he thought he was literally about to die. When my friend (who has been raw for over 8 years) heard my story she thought it sounded so similar. I literally thought I was clinging to my life for hours. I could tell that some weird hormone or chemical was "dumping" itself at an uncontrollable speed and just would not stop. It feels like the same kind of feeling you might have when you experience an allergic reaction--that kind of sick rushing feeling, only it was a hundred times worse and would not stop until I had been lying in the hospital for a couple of hours. Yet the doctors came in and said, "your blood is the most beautiful blood we have seen--it is pristine and we can find nothing wrong with you"...oh yeah? Then why do I feel like I am dying? So my friend said that she thinks there is a physiological sort of panic attack, where your mind seems to not be in any state of panic whatsoever, yet the body goes into a panic. (I had been asleep for an hour when this thing happened to me, not thinking panicky thoughts at all.) She told me to try the stevia and it worked like an absolute miracle! The results were immediate! She also said that when her daughter gets severe PMS symptoms, she gives her 1/2 tsp of stevia with about that much powdered dong quai and it takes the symptoms away quick.
She stumbled upon this as a cure--she had a friend who had no clue that his symptoms were "panic attacks" (he wasn't raw) and he ended up in the hospital several times with no help from the doctors--many times he was told "we can find nothing wrong with you" and yet he thought he was literally about to die. When my friend (who has been raw for over 8 years) heard my story she thought it sounded so similar. I literally thought I was clinging to my life for hours. I could tell that some weird hormone or chemical was "dumping" itself at an uncontrollable speed and just would not stop. It feels like the same kind of feeling you might have when you experience an allergic reaction--that kind of sick rushing feeling, only it was a hundred times worse and would not stop until I had been lying in the hospital for a couple of hours. Yet the doctors came in and said, "your blood is the most beautiful blood we have seen--it is pristine and we can find nothing wrong with you"...oh yeah? Then why do I feel like I am dying? So my friend said that she thinks there is a physiological sort of panic attack, where your mind seems to not be in any state of panic whatsoever, yet the body goes into a panic. (I had been asleep for an hour when this thing happened to me, not thinking panicky thoughts at all.) She told me to try the stevia and it worked like an absolute miracle! The results were immediate! She also said that when her daughter gets severe PMS symptoms, she gives her 1/2 tsp of stevia with about that much powdered dong quai and it takes the symptoms away quick.
Sweetners
This was posted on the rawmeetup site.
Coconut Palm Sugar: This is now available as a sweetener. It is usually heat processed, yet unconfirmed reports indicate RAW coconut palm sugar is now available from Balinese sources. (Big Tree Organics and Essential Living Foods sell this) It is processed using lime (chalk) or mangosteen sap to neutralize acidity. Because of the calcification problems associated with eating chalk and the magic associated with the mangosteen tree, mangosteen sap processed coconut palm sugar is preferred.
Erythritol: Erythritol is made by breaking down plant starch into glucose. Then the yeast Moniliella pollinis is added to the glucose. Through fermentation, the glucose breaks down into erythritol. Metabolic, toxicological, and clinical studies covering areas as diverse as cancer, nervous system health, and allergic reactions have found erythritol to be safe. Erythritol has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status in the United States. Seek out organic erythritol or products containing it.
Honey (raw, organic) is always the natural sweetener of choice. Look for wild honey because it is lower in fructose and higher in trace mineral content. Also, look for richer dark honeys (e.g. NoniLand honey, etc.)
Inulin: A long-chain polysaccharide that is mostly too long a sugar to absorb into the blood stream. Inulin may be isolated from Jerusalem artichoke or properly processed agave. Look for inulin powder or Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Too much inulin intake can cause digestive distress in certain people.
Lo Han Guo: A non-glycemic sweetener from Chinese medicinal tradition made from a type of wild cucumber.
Lucuma: Lucuma’s sugar content is low. The percentage amount present in the dried pulp from mature lucuma fruit is: 8.4% glucose, 4.7% fructose, 1.7% sucrose, and 0.06% inositol (http://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/lucuma-powder).
Maple syrup: this is the only sustainably-harvested, large-scale, forest sweetener in the world. Maple is likely the richest source of minerals found in any sweetener other than dark honeys and molasses. Look for organic maple syrup and maple crystals as an ingredient.
Molasses: Select unsulfured, organic sugarcane molasses because it is fairly rich in vitamins and minerals and has been purported (like fresh sugar cane) to have “anti-stiffness factors” that break down detrimental calcification (see my book The LongevityNOW Program).
Soak water: This is a natural sweetener from dried fruits such as date water, goji water, or dried fig water. Shop for organic dried fruit products and soak them in spring water for several hours to make your own fresh soak water.
Stevia: I recommend dried powdered leaves over extracts. This is a wonderful and easy plant to grow. It contains no real sugar, so therefore it does not feed candida or cancer. Look for organic stevia products.
Xylitol: This could be the sweetener of the future if it could be obtained with certified organic quality. Xylitol does not feed candida or cancer, but tastes normally sweet. Originally isolated from birch syrup; it is now available as a white powder.
Yacon: An extraordinarily easy to obtain and abundant subtropical to tropical tuber, relative to the Jerusalem artichoke. Yacon is commonly available as dehydrated chips and as a syrup. Look for organic products. Yacon syrup is rich in iron and only mildly glycemic. It is not raw.
Other sweeteners to avoid, besides common agave:
Refined white and brown sugars made from beet, sorghum, or sugarcane of all sorts, primarily due to genetically modified crop contamination, including:
Evaporated Cane Juice: Rapadura is one of the many names of this highly processed and highly heated product. This is almost pure sucrose, like maple, but lacks in minerals. Evaporated cane juice is known to aggravate all sugar-sensitive conditions from diabetes to candida to cancer. Evaporated cane juice can be certified organic. This product often sneaks into chocolate products, pre-made smoothies, and lots of vegan treats (because it is not processed with bone char).
Sorbitol: This sweetener is typically made from genetically modified corn starch. It was originally isolated from stone fruits of the genus Sorbus.
Other Considerations
The market is flooded with companies and products using all different kinds of sweeteners. Always select products containing certified organic sweeteners due to potential contamination from genetically modified corn and other crops that may contain glufosinate herbicides that damage your friendly healthy bacteria. Remember that certified organic sweeteners cannot be genetically modified (GMO).
This post was cut from an article recently shared by David Wolfe. Its entire content can be found at Sacred Chocolates website.
To Your health.
Vanessa
Coconut Palm Sugar: This is now available as a sweetener. It is usually heat processed, yet unconfirmed reports indicate RAW coconut palm sugar is now available from Balinese sources. (Big Tree Organics and Essential Living Foods sell this) It is processed using lime (chalk) or mangosteen sap to neutralize acidity. Because of the calcification problems associated with eating chalk and the magic associated with the mangosteen tree, mangosteen sap processed coconut palm sugar is preferred.
Erythritol: Erythritol is made by breaking down plant starch into glucose. Then the yeast Moniliella pollinis is added to the glucose. Through fermentation, the glucose breaks down into erythritol. Metabolic, toxicological, and clinical studies covering areas as diverse as cancer, nervous system health, and allergic reactions have found erythritol to be safe. Erythritol has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status in the United States. Seek out organic erythritol or products containing it.
Honey (raw, organic) is always the natural sweetener of choice. Look for wild honey because it is lower in fructose and higher in trace mineral content. Also, look for richer dark honeys (e.g. NoniLand honey, etc.)
Inulin: A long-chain polysaccharide that is mostly too long a sugar to absorb into the blood stream. Inulin may be isolated from Jerusalem artichoke or properly processed agave. Look for inulin powder or Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Too much inulin intake can cause digestive distress in certain people.
Lo Han Guo: A non-glycemic sweetener from Chinese medicinal tradition made from a type of wild cucumber.
Lucuma: Lucuma’s sugar content is low. The percentage amount present in the dried pulp from mature lucuma fruit is: 8.4% glucose, 4.7% fructose, 1.7% sucrose, and 0.06% inositol (http://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/lucuma-powder).
Maple syrup: this is the only sustainably-harvested, large-scale, forest sweetener in the world. Maple is likely the richest source of minerals found in any sweetener other than dark honeys and molasses. Look for organic maple syrup and maple crystals as an ingredient.
Molasses: Select unsulfured, organic sugarcane molasses because it is fairly rich in vitamins and minerals and has been purported (like fresh sugar cane) to have “anti-stiffness factors” that break down detrimental calcification (see my book The LongevityNOW Program).
Soak water: This is a natural sweetener from dried fruits such as date water, goji water, or dried fig water. Shop for organic dried fruit products and soak them in spring water for several hours to make your own fresh soak water.
Stevia: I recommend dried powdered leaves over extracts. This is a wonderful and easy plant to grow. It contains no real sugar, so therefore it does not feed candida or cancer. Look for organic stevia products.
Xylitol: This could be the sweetener of the future if it could be obtained with certified organic quality. Xylitol does not feed candida or cancer, but tastes normally sweet. Originally isolated from birch syrup; it is now available as a white powder.
Yacon: An extraordinarily easy to obtain and abundant subtropical to tropical tuber, relative to the Jerusalem artichoke. Yacon is commonly available as dehydrated chips and as a syrup. Look for organic products. Yacon syrup is rich in iron and only mildly glycemic. It is not raw.
Other sweeteners to avoid, besides common agave:
Refined white and brown sugars made from beet, sorghum, or sugarcane of all sorts, primarily due to genetically modified crop contamination, including:
Evaporated Cane Juice: Rapadura is one of the many names of this highly processed and highly heated product. This is almost pure sucrose, like maple, but lacks in minerals. Evaporated cane juice is known to aggravate all sugar-sensitive conditions from diabetes to candida to cancer. Evaporated cane juice can be certified organic. This product often sneaks into chocolate products, pre-made smoothies, and lots of vegan treats (because it is not processed with bone char).
Sorbitol: This sweetener is typically made from genetically modified corn starch. It was originally isolated from stone fruits of the genus Sorbus.
Other Considerations
The market is flooded with companies and products using all different kinds of sweeteners. Always select products containing certified organic sweeteners due to potential contamination from genetically modified corn and other crops that may contain glufosinate herbicides that damage your friendly healthy bacteria. Remember that certified organic sweeteners cannot be genetically modified (GMO).
This post was cut from an article recently shared by David Wolfe. Its entire content can be found at Sacred Chocolates website.
To Your health.
Vanessa
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
It's not about Perfection
I hear so many people saying "I don't know what to eat!" "I'm so confused!"
Isn't it funny that we don't know what to eat? Imagine that! We have so many choices, such a constant banquet of choices, that we don't know what to eat! It's no longer about 'if' we will eat or where our next meal is going to come from-we have a new problem. Tooooo many choices.
We are bombarded constantly with commercials in print and on the tube, over the waves and in the air-eat eat eat. Diet diet diet. But which one?
When we originally started this blog, way back 3 years ago, we were all feeling that same way. Six of us. We were dietarily confused. Eat six meals a day. Graze. Eat 3 meals a day. Eat breakfast. Fast one day a week. Eat only fruit until noon. Don't eat fruit with anything. Eat meat. Eat chicken. Don't eat fish because of the poisoned oceans. Eat fish for the necessary omegas. Eat organic. Eat eggs. Don't eat yolks. Eat protein. Don't eat protein. Eat vegetarian. Eat vegan. Eat dairy. Don't eat dairy. Eat for health. Don't eat for more health. Eat for your blood type. Eat for your ethnic base. Eat Mediterranean, eat Chinese, eat Ayurvedic. Don't eat pork. Don't drink. Drink red wine. SHEESH.
We sat down and listed all the conflicting messages. We piled the books on the table of all the experts programs.
And then we decided to try raw for thirty days. Just a month, together, with a few rules for our group.
Rule #1. No perfectionism necessary. We figured 50% raw a day was better than what we were doing, 70% raw was amazing, and if we did 100% we were champs.
Rule #2. With lots of room in rule #1 our second rule was still, "no beating ourselves up" No failure, only feedback, write it down, and let everyone learn from it.
Rule #3. Notice. Notice how you feel before you eat. Notice what you really want. Notice how you feel after you eat. Notice what you notice.
Rule #4. Write on the blog so we can do it together and get in touch with our insides. Bloating and belching included.
Rule #5. Eat as much raw as you can, and if you have to eat cooked, don't eat processed if you can help it. We figured it was the chemicals and additives that were the real culprits, and if nothing else we would read labels and learn.
Pretty simple. What happened was pretty cool-by the end of 30 days, we decided to keep going. It was easy. It was remarkably easy. We found that we liked it more than cooking. There was less clean up.
We learned to marinate, soak, dehydrate. We learned to sprout. We played. We began to come back to loving food again.
I fell in love with food again. I delighted in the colors and the smells, the textures. Why had I lost the art of food? And when? Food had become a drudgery. I think there were too many new rules. I got lost
30 days of raw, on a gradually increasing plan taught me to listen to myself again. I cleared the decks. I found that i preferred soaked raw oatmeal with fresh juice on it and a dash of organic honey MORE than cooked oatmeal. I loved sprouts and I would moan over chopped fresh basil.
But we all loved juicing. Raw fresh homemade juice. If you do nothing else raw, buy a good juicer, and start adding a good big glass of raw juice every day.
This morning I made a juice from:
5 stalks of celery
5 carrots
half a head of romaine
a chunk of fresh ginger
half a lemon with the rind
an apple
half a bunch of spinach
I drank half, and took half to work with me for later. I also had 2 soft boiled eggs. I'm a type 0 and I know the controversy out there, but FOR ME I do better with more protein. So, purists out there, this works for me.
Now over the course of 3 years, we fell away, and came back. We would eat cooked and go yuk and when we fell off we would wonder why when we felt so good on the raw? On and off. On and off.
We are coming back to an on cycle and loving it once again and once again marveling that we fell off.
Bottom line-find out what works for YOU!
Find your rules for you. Fall in love with what you eat, bless it and it will bless you.
Whatever you eat, love it. Enjoy it. Relish in it. And if you don't, no matter who has told you it is good for you-it won't serve you until you love it for yourself and make it your choice.
To your health!
Isn't it funny that we don't know what to eat? Imagine that! We have so many choices, such a constant banquet of choices, that we don't know what to eat! It's no longer about 'if' we will eat or where our next meal is going to come from-we have a new problem. Tooooo many choices.
We are bombarded constantly with commercials in print and on the tube, over the waves and in the air-eat eat eat. Diet diet diet. But which one?
When we originally started this blog, way back 3 years ago, we were all feeling that same way. Six of us. We were dietarily confused. Eat six meals a day. Graze. Eat 3 meals a day. Eat breakfast. Fast one day a week. Eat only fruit until noon. Don't eat fruit with anything. Eat meat. Eat chicken. Don't eat fish because of the poisoned oceans. Eat fish for the necessary omegas. Eat organic. Eat eggs. Don't eat yolks. Eat protein. Don't eat protein. Eat vegetarian. Eat vegan. Eat dairy. Don't eat dairy. Eat for health. Don't eat for more health. Eat for your blood type. Eat for your ethnic base. Eat Mediterranean, eat Chinese, eat Ayurvedic. Don't eat pork. Don't drink. Drink red wine. SHEESH.
We sat down and listed all the conflicting messages. We piled the books on the table of all the experts programs.
And then we decided to try raw for thirty days. Just a month, together, with a few rules for our group.
Rule #1. No perfectionism necessary. We figured 50% raw a day was better than what we were doing, 70% raw was amazing, and if we did 100% we were champs.
Rule #2. With lots of room in rule #1 our second rule was still, "no beating ourselves up" No failure, only feedback, write it down, and let everyone learn from it.
Rule #3. Notice. Notice how you feel before you eat. Notice what you really want. Notice how you feel after you eat. Notice what you notice.
Rule #4. Write on the blog so we can do it together and get in touch with our insides. Bloating and belching included.
Rule #5. Eat as much raw as you can, and if you have to eat cooked, don't eat processed if you can help it. We figured it was the chemicals and additives that were the real culprits, and if nothing else we would read labels and learn.
Pretty simple. What happened was pretty cool-by the end of 30 days, we decided to keep going. It was easy. It was remarkably easy. We found that we liked it more than cooking. There was less clean up.
We learned to marinate, soak, dehydrate. We learned to sprout. We played. We began to come back to loving food again.
I fell in love with food again. I delighted in the colors and the smells, the textures. Why had I lost the art of food? And when? Food had become a drudgery. I think there were too many new rules. I got lost
30 days of raw, on a gradually increasing plan taught me to listen to myself again. I cleared the decks. I found that i preferred soaked raw oatmeal with fresh juice on it and a dash of organic honey MORE than cooked oatmeal. I loved sprouts and I would moan over chopped fresh basil.
But we all loved juicing. Raw fresh homemade juice. If you do nothing else raw, buy a good juicer, and start adding a good big glass of raw juice every day.
This morning I made a juice from:
5 stalks of celery
5 carrots
half a head of romaine
a chunk of fresh ginger
half a lemon with the rind
an apple
half a bunch of spinach
I drank half, and took half to work with me for later. I also had 2 soft boiled eggs. I'm a type 0 and I know the controversy out there, but FOR ME I do better with more protein. So, purists out there, this works for me.
Now over the course of 3 years, we fell away, and came back. We would eat cooked and go yuk and when we fell off we would wonder why when we felt so good on the raw? On and off. On and off.
We are coming back to an on cycle and loving it once again and once again marveling that we fell off.
Bottom line-find out what works for YOU!
Find your rules for you. Fall in love with what you eat, bless it and it will bless you.
Whatever you eat, love it. Enjoy it. Relish in it. And if you don't, no matter who has told you it is good for you-it won't serve you until you love it for yourself and make it your choice.
To your health!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Boost Testosterone Naturally
This is information that I thought some might be interested in. It was posted on the rawfood meetup group by Vanessa Johansson.
[rawfood-387] Boost Natural Testosterone ProductionMonday, April 19, 2010 4:12 PM
From: "Vanessa Johansson"Add sender to Contacts
To: rawfood-387-announce@meetup.com
. What are some plant foods that will support and increase my natural testosterone levels? Peace Love Joy~ Sandy
Protocol ...
1. Playing competitive sports has been shown to trigger testosterone production. In fact, women get a bigger boost than men prior to competition.
2. Making love boosts testosterone production in women.
3. Avoid Hops, Licorice, grapefruit, and flax as these are the highest estrogenic foods.
4. All pesticides herbicides, and plastics are estrogenic so throw out your plastic and stick to glass and organic.
5.Drink nettle root tea every day. You can buy it at Mountain Rose Herbs online and make your own brew wiht it. Nettle root inhibits the transformation of excess testosterone into estrogen.
6. Eat Pine Pollen extract twice a day. It is the highest natural testosterone containing food on the planet. I like Woodland Essence brand.
7. Add passionflower to your nettle root tea or take it as an extract. herb Pharm has a high quality one. Passionflower displaces estrogen out of receptor sites and makes room for testosterone.
8. Add ginseng root to your tea. Boil for at least one hour. very testosterone producing.
9. Eat Lions Mane mushroom extracts from Mushroom Sciences or from Host Defense.
10. Read my all time favorite Author.... Stephen Harrod Buhner. His book " The Natural Testosterone Plan: For Sexual Health and Energy" is a must read for anyone interested in longevity and health. testosterone is a longevity hormone and our society is massively estrogen dominant which leads to passivity, shorter life span, docility, and tons of female cancers, male pattern baldness, fat on the thighs and hips, and much more.
11. Anyone not married to a plant only diet would want to get onto Deer Antler. The best brand out there is Dragon Herbs. Colostrum from Surthrival would also be in order. Rememnber that plant foods are all estrogonic and loaded with phytoestrogens.
Anyone suffering from low libido will benefit greatly from all of these practices as well.
Best of luck to you as you follow the thread of your own Sovereign Authenticity.
To your health.
Vanessa
[rawfood-387] Boost Natural Testosterone ProductionMonday, April 19, 2010 4:12 PM
From: "Vanessa Johansson"
To: rawfood-387-announce@meetup.com
. What are some plant foods that will support and increase my natural testosterone levels? Peace Love Joy~ Sandy
Protocol ...
1. Playing competitive sports has been shown to trigger testosterone production. In fact, women get a bigger boost than men prior to competition.
2. Making love boosts testosterone production in women.
3. Avoid Hops, Licorice, grapefruit, and flax as these are the highest estrogenic foods.
4. All pesticides herbicides, and plastics are estrogenic so throw out your plastic and stick to glass and organic.
5.Drink nettle root tea every day. You can buy it at Mountain Rose Herbs online and make your own brew wiht it. Nettle root inhibits the transformation of excess testosterone into estrogen.
6. Eat Pine Pollen extract twice a day. It is the highest natural testosterone containing food on the planet. I like Woodland Essence brand.
7. Add passionflower to your nettle root tea or take it as an extract. herb Pharm has a high quality one. Passionflower displaces estrogen out of receptor sites and makes room for testosterone.
8. Add ginseng root to your tea. Boil for at least one hour. very testosterone producing.
9. Eat Lions Mane mushroom extracts from Mushroom Sciences or from Host Defense.
10. Read my all time favorite Author.... Stephen Harrod Buhner. His book " The Natural Testosterone Plan: For Sexual Health and Energy" is a must read for anyone interested in longevity and health. testosterone is a longevity hormone and our society is massively estrogen dominant which leads to passivity, shorter life span, docility, and tons of female cancers, male pattern baldness, fat on the thighs and hips, and much more.
11. Anyone not married to a plant only diet would want to get onto Deer Antler. The best brand out there is Dragon Herbs. Colostrum from Surthrival would also be in order. Rememnber that plant foods are all estrogonic and loaded with phytoestrogens.
Anyone suffering from low libido will benefit greatly from all of these practices as well.
Best of luck to you as you follow the thread of your own Sovereign Authenticity.
To your health.
Vanessa
Friday, April 9, 2010
Crackers
I made some crackers that I thought were my first successful crackers in several attempts.
Two ears of corn off the cob, small red pepper, wedge of purple onion, clove of garlic, salt, pepper all blended well in the food processor.
Add a cup of flax seeds that have been soaked for about twenty minutes or until they are slimy. Drain the flax seeds and add to processor and mix again.
Place on dehydrator sheets about 1/4" thick and dry on 105 for about 12 hours, turn over and 12 hours more until dry.
Great with raw cheddar cheese and avocado bits.
Two ears of corn off the cob, small red pepper, wedge of purple onion, clove of garlic, salt, pepper all blended well in the food processor.
Add a cup of flax seeds that have been soaked for about twenty minutes or until they are slimy. Drain the flax seeds and add to processor and mix again.
Place on dehydrator sheets about 1/4" thick and dry on 105 for about 12 hours, turn over and 12 hours more until dry.
Great with raw cheddar cheese and avocado bits.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Foreign fish not safe for consumption
For those of us that eat fish-take a look at this and be informed.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Nut milks
I got this off a website and I wish I could remember which one so I could give them credit. but I don't.
RECIPES: Live Nut Milk
Making nut milk is easy and very satisfying. If you drink soy milk or another boxed milk product, you'll never go back after making one of these nut milks.
Live Nut or Seed Milk
For Almond Milk
1 cup soaked almonds
For Hazelnut Milk
1 cup raw hazelnuts (hazelnuts don't contain enzyme inhibitors so you don't have to soak them)
For Brazil Nut Milk
1 cup raw Brazil nuts (Brazil nuts don't contain enzyme inhibitors so you don't have to soak them)
For Hemp Seed Milk
3/4 cup raw hemp seeds
Sweetener: 2-3 dates, or 2 Tbsp honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Soak your almonds in filtered water for 12 hours; drain, rinse, and dry.
Place your drained nuts, seeds or combination of nuts and seeds (almond and hemp are nice together) in your blender.
Add 2-3 cups of filtered water, a pinch of salt, your desired sweetener and vanilla.
Blend on high until the nuts are completely broken down. Don't over-blend as the friction from the blender will create heat. For small batches, I use a Braun hand blender.
Pour your milk through a nut milk bag or strainer and squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible.
You now have a delicious fresh nut milk to enjoy on its own, with granola or in a smoothie in place of dairy.
Note: Unsweetened pulp is delicious added to hummus or baba ganoush. Don't throw it away; freeze it!
RECIPES: Live Nut Milk
Making nut milk is easy and very satisfying. If you drink soy milk or another boxed milk product, you'll never go back after making one of these nut milks.
Live Nut or Seed Milk
For Almond Milk
1 cup soaked almonds
For Hazelnut Milk
1 cup raw hazelnuts (hazelnuts don't contain enzyme inhibitors so you don't have to soak them)
For Brazil Nut Milk
1 cup raw Brazil nuts (Brazil nuts don't contain enzyme inhibitors so you don't have to soak them)
For Hemp Seed Milk
3/4 cup raw hemp seeds
Sweetener: 2-3 dates, or 2 Tbsp honey, maple syrup or agave nectar (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Soak your almonds in filtered water for 12 hours; drain, rinse, and dry.
Place your drained nuts, seeds or combination of nuts and seeds (almond and hemp are nice together) in your blender.
Add 2-3 cups of filtered water, a pinch of salt, your desired sweetener and vanilla.
Blend on high until the nuts are completely broken down. Don't over-blend as the friction from the blender will create heat. For small batches, I use a Braun hand blender.
Pour your milk through a nut milk bag or strainer and squeeze as much of the liquid out as possible.
You now have a delicious fresh nut milk to enjoy on its own, with granola or in a smoothie in place of dairy.
Note: Unsweetened pulp is delicious added to hummus or baba ganoush. Don't throw it away; freeze it!
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