List of what to Grow in Your Herb Garden

Growing an herb garden is easy even if you have a small space because they do great in pots.

Investing in fresh herb plants in the spring is also a small price compared to buying fresh in your grocery store, although it is NICE to have it available.

Outside in partial sun areas so they don't burn, or inside in a sunny window, north/south is often best, and you can have fresh herbs to cook with on a daily basis. I have a small pot of basil in a sunny kitchen window and I snip a few leaves every day.

Apartment dwellers with balconies or sunny windows can also have fresh herbs!

Here's what I plant every year-and some are perennial depending on your areas but not here in the mountains. Now that I am in the high mountains though, NONE of them are perennial. 1000 feet higher makes a huge growing difference.

BASIL-annual and very very sensitive to temperature changes. I lost 2 last year with sudden frosts. BUT cutting fresh basil is absolutely the best thing ever, and you can keep it in the kitchen in water.

GARLIC CHIVES-easy easy and plentiful. Snip a few here and there to add to things like eggs, and the purple and pink flower clusters are beautiful!

PARSLEY-easy to grow and beautiful. Will seed and regrow year after year in your garden. Lovely everywhere. Parsley isn't just decorative you know! Add it to your green juice for extra cleansing action.

SAGE - include several varieties. I like the purple sage. These are perennial and you will have an endless supply from these hardy plants.

MINT - lots of varieties available, and again you can plant several. Perennial and easy to grow. I like mint and if you like mojitos you will need PLENTY! Mint is hardy, and will take over if you plant it in the yard, but it's a great edible ground cover.

OREGANO - I like Italian - what can I say. There are usually several to plant. These are perennial and take a bit to establish but then are quite hardy.

CILANTRO - not so easy to find yet, but it should be available where you are

CURRY - yes it's a plant. It smells wonderful.

LAVENDER - oh so wonderful to pick and dry as well as use fresh, and the wonderful smell in your garden-wow.

I like to keep my herbs in pots so I can move them inside in the winter. Most will winter over inside without a problem, and I also keep them in pots on the deck so that I know the dog can't pee on them. Ew. But I have had them in the yard before and they do well for the most part.

Herbs love to be trimmed and remember, when you are cooking fresh it takes less to give your dish a kick!

These are my usual favorites and if you have some others, post them. Even Home Depot sells them now, so haapy herbing! Remember, herbs are for more than taste. They are mother earth's medicine cabinet.

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

JUICE for IMMEDIATE HEALTH and ENERGY

My mother had dropped to the lowest weight I have ever ever seen her at. 112 pounds. She was disappearing on us, was so weak she fell getting out of bed. NOTHING I said could entice her to eat. She didn't have the strength or the will to cook, or to chew. If I made her a soft boiled egg, she would eat a few bites half heartedly and leave the rest. Nothing tasted good, nothing sounded good and she was losing muscle tone. She would just lay watching tv. I was really worried. 

I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got a Breville juicer for her. I came home, unpacked the juicer, washed and set it up, washed the considerable sink full of vegetables I had picked up and made a nice pitcher of green juice with ginger start-day-with-green-juice. I put it in a dark pitcher with a lid, in the fridge. Fresh is best, but any is better than none.

In 24 hours my mother's health turned the corner. By that evening she was up off the couch, talking to us, and actually ate dinner with us at the table. Carne Asada! She even asked for a "a bit more".

I gave her a half a glass to sip and continued to keep her sipping it through the day. By that evening she was hungry! She slept deeply and long that night, for a change, and the next day she was walking quickly around the house and doing her income tax figures, getting ready for the accountant! She poured herself juice throughout the next day and then wanted to know how to make it herself and had me teach her how to assemble the juicer.

And last night she complained my sister in law didn't give her enough food at dinner! I had to laugh as we could only get her to eat a half an egg all day less than 3 days earlier! She said "I'm going to get some of that green juice, do you want some too?" YES!

So there we are at 11pm eating toast and peanut butter and sipping green juice!

For anyone that is weak, ill or incapacitated, make them raw, fresh juice! The body can immediately use the nutrients without having to spend precious life energy digesting. It's cleansing, nutritious and a fast way to get energy to the body and brain. PLEASE juice for someone you love especially if their health is at all compromised. Make it by the pitcher, give them small amounts throughout the day and watch them perk up. Do start with green juices for alkalizing the system for health and vegetable juices.

Pomelo and Spinach Salad

This is a great dinner dish with lots of pretty color. If you are not completely raw, add some cooked shrimp, chicken strips or even some pan seared Tuna! I love the color and do add spices. They are healthy and add robust flavor to foods.
Enjoy!


1 Pomelo, peeled completely and fruit sectioned and cut into 1" pieces.
           Remove all the pith from the sections as it can be tough and fibrous. 
1 red pepper, chopped
2 slices red onion, chopped
1 crunchy apple, chopped
1/2 english cucumber, peeled and chopped
4-5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
5-6 good sized fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup raw peanuts
1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

dressing: whip and set aside until serving
2 limes-juiced
4 tbs olive oil to taste
sea salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper

Add baby spinach greens right before serving, and toss with dressing.
Sprinkle with coconut and serve!

Carlson's Fish Oil-yummy!

If you are not into fish oils, or have trouble taking them, try Carlson's fish oil, in the blue glass bottle. It's available at WHOLE FOODS. It's pricey, but well worth it. Get the lemon flavored. My roommate's five year old daughter turned me onto this one!! She loves her 'yummy oil'. That impressed me. So I had to try it too and she's right!

This is how we take it:

Mix 1 TBS Carlson's fish oil (Whole Foods)

1 TBS ground almond flour (Trader Joe's has a great one)

1 TBS ground coconut (Whole Foods and Trader Joe's)

This turns into 2+ portions of yummy raw dough-which is really scrummie!

Try it! Especially if you don't like drinking fish oil.

No after taste at all! Hey, if a five year old likes it, you can too!

I mix two doses and put one in a small container in the fridge for the next day.

The Soup Season - Raw carrot soup with yogurt and dill

Break out the VITAMIX and start adding raw soups to your daily diet. Raw soups are different from juicing as they include the fiber. Make sure you peel and wash before adding to the blender! These are really satisfying in the winter!

RAW CARROT SOUP with yogurt and dill

5 carrots-washed and peeled, the ends nipped off and cut into 2" pieces
1 onion-peeled and quartered
6+ cloves of roasted garlic with the oil (if you are a purest and want to use raw only, add 2 garlic cloves, or to taste)
2 stalks celery, washed and cut into 2" pieces
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chopped basil ( fresh if you have it)
3 cups filtered water
salt and pepper to taste
Splash of olive oil or oil of choice

Add before serving:
Dollup of plain greek yogurt
sprinkle of dill

Put everything in the VITAMIX except the spices and whirl on medium until blended.
Then keep blending for 2 min more and add spices while blending. At the very end, add the oil and whirl it a bit more.

Remember if you blend on high with the VITAMIX it will 'cook' the soup in just 4 minutes, so be careful! The motor is so fast that it will literally take the mixture to a boil!

This makes enough for several portions so I divide it out and stock it in the fridge. Since it's a raw soup it doesn't need to be 'heated' to eat, so it's a great dish to take to work for lunch. This soup is great with Trader Joe's seaweed chips, or more celery stalks, and you can put a dollup of plain yogurt on it to doll it up and a sprinkle of dill.

If you like a thinner soup, just add more water. You can also add some vegetable bullion if you want more flavor but I find it really tasty like this.

GARLIC for life!

Being Greek, we love garlic. I don't find the smell offensive, I love the taste. But garlic has so many life enhancing, and health enhancing benefits you can't even imagine. I think that if you do nothing else but add garlic daily to your diet you will feel a difference.

But! I just did a radical self healing intervention, with great success and I want to share it.

Some history:

I've always seemed to have a bit of athelete's foot. I watch it, and control it, but it doesn't seem to go. Years and years if you know what I mean. But, since going to the east coast every month, and it being much more humid there than the high desert I am in normally, my feet are where I have noticed it the most! 

It's too hot to wear socks or nylons, and we are mandated to wear close toed shoes in the medical office. My feet have gotten so unhappy over this situation that I can't even tell you because it's gross.

In June I spent a month back in Utah, and I systematically tried it all. Aztec clay, bentonite clay masks, MMS multiple times a day, MMS and DMSO. MMS/DMSO and aztec clay. I did oregano oil, I did baking soda, I did epsom salts. I did Vitamin C, vitamin E, I added Alpha lipoic acid. I did sweats with niacin. I did ionic footbaths. I juiced green juice every day. By the end of a month of lots of work, they were clear and lovely.

Then I went back to the east coast and in just 3 weeks, they looked the same! So treating them from the outside, didn't help. I realized too that now my nose, eyes and throat and even inside my ears were feeling itchy. Did I have seasonal allergies? I never usually do, but that means that my immune system is low and the fungus is becoming systemic.

I decided to treat it from the inside. The fungus was a result of an imbalance in my intestinal system. Ok then I would treat my intestines and assist my liver in processing out the toxic buildup. And I only had a week to do it.

This time I did garlic. I was craving it when I got off the plane. I had a dream about garlic. I went to Costco and bought a HUGE container of peeled whole garlic cloves. Then I baked them at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 45 mins. bathed liberally in olive oil, balsamic, and various spices including lots of oregano, basil, thyme, sage, some cayenne, salt and pepper. Yum!

And then: I ate the whole pan over the course of 4 days. It was amazing. It not only tasted wonderful but my body craved it! I couldn't stop eating it. I'm talking about eating like 30 garlic cloves at a time! I wrapped them in leaves of bib lettuce, I ate them plain. I added them to crackers. I ate them and ate them.

Now the downside is you create some amazing gas! This is from the die off of the bad bacteria in the intestinal tract from the allicin. It's a good thing. But wow! 

Taking 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a glass of water a couple of hours after a meal will alkalize the intestinal tract that has been overly acid, without neutralizing your stomach acids which need to stay acid. And eating apples will help with smelling like garlic although it is really not bad at all. 

Remember: if you are belching: your stomach is too acidy.

If you fart: your intestinal tract is too acidy. And both are helped with a pinch of baking soda in your water. (plop plop fizz fizz) remember?

I had gas, but no diarrhea at all. Interestingly enough-garlic is a CURE for diarrhea. 

I also added 2,000 C a few times a day (with no intestinal upset by the way), and at night took 300 alpha lipoic acid to help my body with the release of the toxic die off. I also did a few sweats with niacin. I have done the ionic footbaths, and I don't have a juicer this time around so no juice.

The cooked garlic tastes amazing if I do say so myself! By the 2nd day the gas was down by half. By the 4th day the craving was down and there was no gas. AND the upside is my feet look beautiful! BETTER than before, without my doing anything to them. Yep, no fungal treatments, no medications. Just GARLIC and a lot of it.

You will read in other places that it has to be fresh, it has to be crushed, for the allicin and diallyl sulfides to be active...blah blah blah. I bet those are written by people that haven't actually ever taken it! EAT the real thing. The body knows what to do with the real substance. So don't confuse it. And start slowly and pay attention to your body. I happen to know mine, and I know that garlic agrees with me.

I'm also not afraid of a little gas and a little smell for a short time. I realize it means that there is a biochemical action happening inside my body! I think of it as an exorcism of a foreign invader-the fungus.

GARLIC is a natural antibiotic! It's antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial. It is good for the blood, and the immune system.

All I can tell you-it's great for my FEET! Today, day 4, my feet are beautiful, I've stopped sneezing, my eyes are no longer itchy, I can breathe easier, and while my nose is still a bit itchy, I have about 20 cloves left in the kitchen for tonight!

Magnesium for your Health

Someone recently asked me about Magnesium. The question was which TYPE of Magnesium should we take? It's a great question because there is a plethora of Magnesium at the health food store. Enough to truly and completely confuse us.

I've always thought we needed more Mag than we get, and I remember reading that they reduced the RDA during WW2 because they were afraid there wouldn't be enough Mg to make bombs for the war. They've never changed the rates btw. Guess they were anticipating more wars! How right they were.

It occurred to me however, that since then, almost all of the diseases that have increased since the 1940s seem to have a link to low levels of Magnesium and can be helped by increasing magnesium levels.

Heart disease is now the leading cause of death in women-low magnesium can cause heart arrhythmias. Add magnesium ladies and gentlemen!
Colon cancers, digestive issues and bowel issues have all increased: Add magnesium for colon care. It relaxes the intestinal tract and alkalizes.
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, mood swings, PMS: Add magnesium, because it helps nerves and nerve endings, brain function and balance. Without it, the brain hyper-statics. (My word for how it feels.)
Osteoporosis: more magnesium helps the body use the calcium. We need an 1:1 ratio. But most over the  counter selections are HALF the mag to Ca.
Sleep issues: if you are low in Mg your sleep is restless. Add Mg gel to your feet, or Natural Calm before bedtime.
Muscle cramps and restless leg syndrome: yep, magnesium!

"I n  a s t u d y o f m o r e t h a n 2 0 0 p a t i e n t s , D r W . Davis used magnesium chloride as a possible means of combatting insomnia. The researcher reported that sleep was induced rapidly and was uninterrupted, and that waking tiredness disappeared in 99 per cent of the patients. In addition, anxiety and tension diminished during the day."

But you know what has happened since WW2? We started creating medical solutions for the symptoms. And some of them are pretty big-pacemakers for the heart, hormone replacement therapies, a ton of pharmacology solutions for depression and moods.

Parkinsons-like tremors have been reduced with Mg.
Sleep issues have been cleared by adding Mg at night.

"If magnesium levels are low, the nerves lose control over muscle activity, respiration and mental processes. Nervous fatigue, tics and twitches, tremors, irritability, h y p e r s e n s i t i v i t y, m u s c l e s p a s m s , r e s t l e s s n e s s , a n x i e t y , confusion, disorientation and irregular heartbeat all respond to increased magnesium intake." 

The answer: look for Magnesium chloride.
Don't bother with Magnesium oxide. We only utilize about 4%.

For more on Magnesium, read the article below: fascinating!

http://www.health-science-spirit.com/MagChlor.pdf

Virgin Coconut Oil for Thyroid Health

Virgin Coconut Oil is composed of primarily medium chain fatty acids, unlike many other vegetable oils that are composed of long chain fatty acids.

Longer chain fatty acids tend to oxidize quickly and become rancid. For this reason, food manufacturers have hydrogenated these types of oils for years to make them more shelf-stable.

But the process of hydrogenating vegetable oils has produced trans fatty acids, which are not readily found within nature, and have now been determined as a danger to our health.

The FDA started requiring food manufacturers to list trans fatty acids in their labels in January of 2006. People concerned about thyroid health should avoid trans fatty acids.

The medium chain fatty acids found in Virgin Coconut Oil, on the other hand, are very stable and not prone to oxidation. Virgin Coconut Oil does not contain trans fatty acids.

The medium chain fatty acids found in Virgin Coconut Oil support:

immune system health

thyroid health

hormone balance

increases the body's metabolism

increases energy levels

normalizes digestion and absorption

read more at:

 http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

Start the Day with Green Juice

I figured out what my standard green juice runs in calories, ready?

It's pretty cool!

1. spinach 1c = 7 cal

2. romaine 1c = 8 cal

3. celery 1c = 16 cal

4. apple 1 = 55 cal

5. lemon 1 = 61 cal (I use half)

5. cuke 1/2 = 8 cal

6. kale 1c = 34 cal (more than other greens)

if you add carrots, it's 30 calories per. If you add a beet, it's 58 calories.

My big ol green juice is 2c spinach, 2c romaine, 1/2 cucumber, 1c kale, 3c celery, 1 apple, 1/2 a lemon. Slice of ginger is 2 calories.

That means my big green juice is only 207 calories!