Rawk Star Living Foods

Raw Holiday Dishes - NBC's My Carolina Today

2011-12-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to share some holiday dishes with the ladies of My Carolina Today last week. This show often shines a bright light on ways to live a healthy, toxin free life!!! I always feel amazingly blessed and lucky that allow me to participate on their show :)

Enjoy!!!!

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For many of us, it wouldn’t be the holidays without indulging in “food centered” celebrations. You can still enjoy rich, decadent holiday dishes that are delicious and nutritious without meat or dairy products. Because these dishes are all prepared without heat or at temperatures below 117 degrees, the maximum nutritional value of each ingredient has been maintained.

Just as a quick reminders below are a few facts about how and why including more raw and living foods into your diet can enhance your wellbeing:

Why Raw?

Food in its natural state is the complete package – a wonderful balance of minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and micronutrients.
Some nutrition is destroyed when any foods are cooked
Some believe up to 99% of nutrition is destroyed when cooking vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water which is lost when they are cooked.
Natural enzymes are destroyed when foods are cooked.

And now, on to the recipes...............................

Egg”less”nog

1/2 C Almonds

1 Young Coconut (flesh from)

3 Dates

3 T Agave

1 1/2 t Cinnamon

1/2 t Nutmeg

1/2 t Cloves

1 t Rum Extract (not raw but completes the eggnog flavor)

3 C Water

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through nut milk bag. Top with a sprinkle of extra nutmeg. You can serve this warm or cold.

Health Benefits of Almonds: Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the Adventist Health Study and the Physicians Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Researchers who studied data from the Nurses Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction--45%--when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).

Hearty Nut Stuffing

2 cloves garlic

2T sage

2T rosemary

2T thyme

2C walnuts, soaked 12 hours

2C almonds, soaked 12 hours

1T white miso

1 onion, chopped

6 celery, chopped

1C parsley, chopped

Process garlic and herbs. Add nuts and miso slowly and process. Put in bowl and stir in onion and celery. Crumble mixture on teflex sheets and dehydrate at 105 for 6 hours.

Health Beneftis of Herbs:

Parsley is an amazing medicinal herb with a world of health benefits. The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins, and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium. It is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin K.

Sage contains a variety of volatile oils, flavonoids and phenolic acids, including rosmarinic acid. The oils found in sage are both antiseptic and antibiotic, helping it fight infections.

Rosemary contains caffeic acid and rosemarinic acid, both of which are potent antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory agents. Rosemary is also a good source of antioxidant vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) and other important antioxidants.

Thyme has a long history of use for chest and respiratory problems including coughs, bronchitis, and chest congestion. It is an excellent source of iron and manganese, and a good source of calcium and dietary fiber. Thyme contains a variety of important flavonoids and volatile oils, including the important volatile oil thymol.

Marinara (to top stuffing, if desired)

1C sundried tomatoes

1/4C raisins

2L tomatoes

1t thyme

1t sage

1t rosemary

Blend in Vitamix

Mashed Taters

2 Cups Cauliflower
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 Cup Pecans
1 Cup Macadamia nuts
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
3/4 Tablespoons garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Process nuts in a food processor with the "S" blade until they
become smooth and creamy. Add in remaining ingredients and
continue to process until it is smooth. Top with cream of
mushroom gravy.

Health Benefits of Cauliflower: Several dozen studies link cauliflower-containing diets to cancer prevention, particularly with respect to the following types of cancer: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. This connection between cauliflower and cancer prevention should not be surprising, since cauliflower provides special nutrient support for three body systems that are closely connected with cancer development as well as cancer prevention. These three systems are (1) the body's detox system, (2) its antioxidant system, and (3) its inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Chronic imbalances in any of these three systems can increase risk of cancer, and when imbalances in all three systems occur simultaneously, the risk of cancer increases significantly.

RAW VERSION

TRADITIONAL VERSION

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Potatoes

2lbs Potatoes, 3/4C cream, 1C butter

8 Servings

10 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

251.7

Calories

335.6

Total Fat

26.3 g

Total Fat

21.9 g

Saturated Fat

3.4 g

Saturated Fat

13.8 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

4.1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

0.9 g

Monounsaturated Fat

17.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat

5.7 g

Cholesterol

0.0 mg

Cholesterol

61.0 mg

Sodium

52.0 mg

Sodium

145.1 mg

Potassium

193.9 mg

Potassium

788.9 mg

Total Carbohydrate

5.2 g

Total Carbohydrate

32.5 g

Dietary Fiber

2.8 g

Dietary Fiber

4.1 g

Sugars

1.1 g

Sugars

1.5 g

Protein

3.1 g

Protein

4.1 g

***Notice that each recipe has a similiar fat content but the raw version contains far more healthy fats while the traditional version is nearly all saturated fat.

Gravy

2 Cups Pecans, soaked
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup dehydrated onion
1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Blend the ingredients thoroughly to a gravy consistency.

“Pumpkin Pie”

2 C almonds, soaked
1 C walnuts or pecans, soaked
1 C unsweetened shredded coconut
20 dates, soaked overnight
2 C cashews, soaked overnight, and drained
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced.
3 t pumpkin pie spice
drizzle agave nectar

CRUST
Combine almonds, walnuts or pecans, and coconut in food processor or Vitamix, and process until ground fine and dough-like
Pat the dough into two pie plates

FILLING
Drain dates; reserve soak water.
In food processor, puree dates, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie spice
Remove mixture from food processor and set aside in a bowl.
Set mixture aside in a bowl.
Process cashews, agave nectar, vanilla, and date soak water as needed, until smooth and creamy.
Combine cashew mixture and sweet potato mix puree
Spread filling in pie shells
Dehydrate for 6 hours, then refrigerate.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes: High in vitamins B6, C, iron, and magnesium

Holiday Fudge

1 c. raw coconut oil
3/4 c. raw carob (or cocoa)
2 t. vanilla flavor

1/2-1C agave (depending on how sweet you want your fudge)
1 c. raisins, raw nuts, coconut, or whatever you want

Put the coconut oil in a bowl, Put this bowl in another bowl of hot water, When it's melted, stir in the carob to make it smooth, then stir in the other stuff. Spread on wax paper lined cookie sheet, put in fridge or freezer 5-10 minutes to make it hard. Break into pieces

Try experimenting with peppermint or other flavors instead of vanilla.

Think Outside the Lunchbox!

2011-08-11T04:59:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to share some "raw wisdom" with the wonderful hosts of My Carolina Today recently. With the start of school in North Carolina just around the corner my segment focused on "thinking outside the lunchbox" and finding creative and yummy ways to include more fresh, whole living foods in the 'ol brown bag!

Consider these statistics from the NC Department of Public Heath:

· Only 16% of NC high school students getting 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day

· The percentage of children (ages 5-10) getting 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables (including 100% fruit juice) per day has declined by 8% since 2005, with 58% currently getting the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

· North Carolina is ranked 43^rdfor fruit and vegetable consumption among adults. In 2001, approximately 25% of adults consumed the recommended 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables per day. As of 2009, there had been a statistically significant decrease to slightly over 20% of adults.

I think some of the the biggest obstacles in packing great lunches is not having enough time, finding things that "pack well", and creating food that kids will eat and not throw away. Some easy ways to overcome these barriers are to:

Chop veggies for easy use on Sunday nights and again on Wednesday
Most spreads and dips will keep in the fridge for 5 days so make a few different ones to use throughout the week
Get your kids involved – let them pick veggies for lunches and have them help to assemble them
Keep a bowl of fruit salad chopped and ready in the refridgerator
Make the food fun. Kids like to dip, dunk, and eat food with their hands.

THE SANDWICH:

What's a lunch without a sandwich??? Ditch the starchy breads, nitrate filled lunch meats and processed cheeses. Use romaine lettuce, endive cups, or collard leafs to create unique wraps to fill with veggies and healthy nut sauces! Rice papers also make a great carrier for veggies. Veggies can be served as is or marinated overnight to soften. Get creative and use different flavors to keep lunches interesting and fun.

The wraps and rolls carry great in a lunch box. Just wrap them securely in saran wrap or parachment paper.

Nut Butter Sandwich

Manna Bread (available in the freezer section of Whole Foods) topped with Raw Nut Butter
*Ezekiel and Manna Breads are flourless, made from sprouted grains and "cooked" at very low temperatures. While technically they are not raw they are highly nutritious and are a much better alternative then white and "wheat" breads. My favorite is the Cinnamon and Raisen!

Mexican Lettuce Wrap with Red Pepper Spread

1 head romaine, washed

1 carrot, thin matchsticks

1 cup cucumber, diced small

1 avocado, cubed small

6 basil leaves, chiffonade

Red Pepper Cashew Spread

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 3 hours

1/8 cup water

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped (about 1 pepper)

1.5 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Sea salt, to taste

Drain cashews. In a food processor, blend cashews with water until fairly creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the rest of spread ingredients and blend until smooth.

To assemble wrap, spread red pepper cashew spread on a lettuce leaf and top with a sprinkle of carrot, cucumber, avocado, and basil. Repeat. Serve immediately.

Spring Rollers with Asian Dipping Sauce

Julienned Veggies of Choice (cucumber, zucchini, peppers, avocado, carrots, etc.)

Spring Roll Wrappers (available in Asian section of grocery store)

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon hot chili pepper sauce (again, if you don't like spice, skip this!)

1 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoons honey

1/2 tablespoon Braggs soy sauce

½ cup water**

pinch sea salt

pinch pepper

In a food processor, blend the almond into a mill. Add the minced ginger, garlic, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, honey, braggs, water, salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. **Adjust amount of water to create your desired consistency.

Soak rice paper in water until pliable. Place veggies in center of paper and roll. Serve with Dipping Sauce.
Fruit with a Twist

Jazz up your kid’s fruit with an antioxidant rich dip made with raw cacao!

Fruit with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Chopped fruit of your choice

Chocolate Sauce

1 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or carob powder

1 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/8 t. salt

In a small bowl, mix together the raw cacao powder, agave, oil and salt until well combined and smooth. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

Drizzle fruit with chocolate sauce or skewer fruit and serve with sauce on the side.

Guilt Free Cookies

Throw away the processed store bought cookies AND the homemade goodies laden with processed sugar. Your kids will love these alternatives and can help make them too!

Oatmeal Chewies

3C Rolled Oats

2C Any Raw Nut Butter

3/4C Raw Honey

Optional: shredded coconut, powdered cacao, cinnamon

Mix butter and honey until smooth. Mix in Oats. Form small balls with dough and roll in coconut, cacoa or cinnamon. Refridgerate.

Coconut Caramel Cookies

3 cups dried and shredded coconut

1 cup dates, pitted

3 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons coconut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

A pinch of finely ground sea salt

In a food processor, combine dates, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut butter, almond butter, and sea salt. Process thoroughly and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add dried coconut and mix together. Roll into balls and place on a dehydrator sheet. Press into cookies shapes with the bottom of a glass and store in refrigerator until hard. If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate for 12-20 hours at 110 degrees. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, dry place, or freezer.

Almond Cookies

2 cups almonds, ground

1/3 cup agave

2 teaspoon organic almond extract

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt or sea salt

Using a coffee grinder, grind almonds into flour – one cup at a time. Add almond flour and remaining ingredients to a food processor. Process until the dough forms into a ball. Transfer dough to a bowl and refrigerator for an hour. Scoop dough out in balls and press into cookie shapes. If desired garnish with an almond on top. Dehydrate for 8-10 hours at 110 degrees flipping cookies after 5 hours.

Living Raw with Natural Insect Repellants

2011-06-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and the mosquitoes are feeding! In the midst of itching and scratching it is really tempting to spray on poisonous DEET laden insect repellents. However, what if I told you that CINNAMON (yes, that delicious spice) could save you from being the focus of a mosquitoes feeding frenzy.

In fact, a study published in the the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported that the compounds in cinnamon oil are more potent in killing mosquitoes than DEET. The researchers tested eleven compounds found in cinnamon leaf oil for their capacity to kill the larvae of Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that carries yellow fever. Further, the researchers went on to explain that the cinnamon oil prove similarly lethal against larvae of other types of mosquitoes, providing a safe, natural, pleasant-smelling alternative to other pesticides.

Different essential oils have been found to be effective against different insects. For instance, below are some that work against biting insects:

cinnamon oil (mosquitoes)
lemon eucalyptus or regular eucalyptus oil (mosquitoes, ticks, and lice)
citronella oil (mosquitoes and biting flies)
castor oil (mosquitoes)
orange oil (fleas)
rose geranium (ticks and lice)

Since different insects respond to different chemicals you can combine a few of these oils to customize the "insect repellent blend" you need.

The basic recipe for insect repellents are 1 part essential oil to 15 parts carrier oil. Safe carrier oils and alcohols include:

olive oil
sunflower oil
any other cooking oil
witch hazel
vodka

Example:

10-25 drops (total) of essential oils
2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol

Mix the essential oil with the carrier oil or alcohol. Rub or spray the natural insect repellent onto skin or clothing, using care to avoid the sensitive eye area. You'll need to re-apply the natural product after about an hour or after swimming or exercise. Unused natural insect repellent may be stored in a dark bottle, away from heat or sunlight. If you wish, you may combine the oil with aloe vera gel to change the consistency of the product.

Hope this helps you enjoy a bite and itch free summer!

Best Corn Chip Recipe EVER

2011-04-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

I love corn chips! As a child I love Fritos with dip, Frito pie, BBQ Fritos, Chili Fritos.....you get the picture. Luckily, being raw does not mean you have to live sans corn chips.

I've tried many corn chip recipes but this one - HANDS DOWN - is my all time favorite. The sweetness of the corn really shines through. I let these suckers dehydrate for a really long time because I like them as crisp as can be. Serve them up with some fresh salsa, raw chili, or just crunch on them by themselves!

Corn Chips
4C Fresh Corn
1/2 ground flax seed
1C almond pulp
1/2 large yellow bell pepper
1/2C Vidalia onion
1/2t cumin
3/4t sea salt

Soak ground flax seeds in plenty of water for about a hour (let it get good and gooey). Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until a pancake like batter forms (use water if you need to thin the batter a bit). Pour onto Teflex sheets and spread to 1/8 of an inch. Sprinkle with a little extra sea salt if desired. Dehydrate for 12+ hours at 115 degrees. Midway through the dehydration score the batter/chips into triangles so they will break apart easily once dehydration is complete.

Enjoy!

Exercising my Fungi Thumb!

2011-03-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

How much RAW-er can you get than growing your own food? As many of you know, I recently completely an edible landscaping class and learned a great deal about using creating my own "grocery store" right outside the door of my house!

One particular class that caught my attention involved the cultivation of fungi (a.k.a. Mushrooms). See the steps I took below to inoculate logs to grow my own Shitakes and Chicken of the Wood!!

The networking of the mushroom is quite incredible and mushrooms share many characteristics with humans. Here are just a few fun factoids on mushrooms:

Just like us, mushrooms take in oxygen for their digestion and metabolism and "exhale" carbon dioxide as a waste product. Fungal proteins are similar in many ways to animal proteins.
Penicillin and streptomycin are examples of potent antibiotics derived from fungi. New classes of antibacterial and antiviral agents continue to be discovered in the fungal kingdom.
Mushrooms are considered to be "immuno-modulators". When consumed, bioactive compounds (particularly protein-bound polysaccharides) in mushrooms have strong effects on our immune system.
Just like humans, Mushrooms can produce Vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight and UV radiation.

So how does one cultivate mushrooms safely? Quite easily!! Here's what you'll need:

Hardwood logs (the fresher cut the better). You can also use a tree stump.
Drill
Mushroom Spore - I ordered mine from www.MushroomMountain.com
Rubber Mallet
Beeswax and Brush

Step 1:

We cut down a poplar tree from our backyard (which we are replacing with a fruiting tree) and cut the trunk into approx 3 foot pieces.

Step 2:

Drill holes for the inoculate approximately 1" deep leaving a few inches between each hole with staggering rows.

Step 3:

Position the inoculate dowels and pound into holes using a rubber mallet. Continue until all the holes are filled. I keep the two different species of mushrooms that I was working with separate.

Step 4: Cover each plug of inoculate with a dab of melted beeswax.

TIPS:

Stack your inoculate logs loosely to allow for the spawn to colonize. Keep the logs from ground contamination by using a pallet or other wood to stack your logs on top of.
Keep logs protected from excessive wind and sun but ensure adequate ventilation to prevent mold from forming
During the dry season, sprinkle the logs with water
Be patient - it can take up to a year for spawn to colonize. Logs inoculated between Dec and May could produce a few caps by autumn.
Harvest when caps are 70-90% open
Let your log rest for a couple of months in between fruiting cycles and it will continue to produce for about 3 years!

Are you inpatient and can't wait for nature to take it's course? You can "force fruit" you logs by creating a 20 degree dip in temperature which tricks the log into fruiting. Here's how to tips from Lost Creek Mushroom Farm:

Examine your log. Handle it gently. Look for signs of fruiting such as mushrooms, stems, stem holes, and pins. Pins are buds. They're all white or white with brown tips and look like "outie" belly buttons.
Shock your log to trigger fruiting. With the log in a tray or other container, pour very cold nonchlorinated water over the log until it floats. Soak it for 24 hours. Empty the water, stand the log upright in you tray or saucer.
Increase humidity, if needed : If you have low humidity, cover it with a paper or plastic bag and leave 2" of water in the tray. (If you have high humidity or see white mycelia or green mold, DO NOT USE THE BAG.) Do not leave the bag on for more than 5 days.
Watch for pins: They like more moisture and may dry out, so misting will help during pinning. If pins begin to dry out, soak the log in nonchlorinated water for 30-60 minutes and the mushrooms will keep growing. Pinning. In 1-3 days, little white nubs will break through the bark. Remove the bag when the pins begin to look like mushrooms. If the pins start to dry out, soak again for 20-30 minutes or mist often.
Fruiting. In 3-6 days, you will have a "flush" of fresh, clean, delicious mushrooms.
If you don't get mushrooms, don't get discouraged. Remember that a log may not fruit after shipping. If you don't get mushrooms on your first shocking cycle, wait 3-4 weeks and shock it again. In dry or hot climates, soak overnight after two weeks. If you don't get mushrooms with the second shock, shock it every 2 weeks for 12 hours until it starts fruiting (try those 12 hrs in the fridge). If you have no mushrooms after the second round of 12 hour ice-water soaks (2 months from your original soaking)

Summertime Dreaming - Creamy Picnic Salads

2011-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

Summer is right around the corner (hopefully!!!) and with that will come the onslaught of mayo laden salads - pasta salad, egg salad, Waldorf salad, etc. Using the word "salad", with its connotations of healthful nourishment, does not provide an accurate description of these picnic staples! These traditional "salads" are full of saturated fat, ccholesterol and calories. A little piece of green lettuce doesn't stand a chance under a mountain of gloppy mayonnaise!

The good news is that just because you're following a raw, vegan diet doesn't mean you have to miss out on creamy "mayo-laden" salads. Pine Nut Mayonnaise is easy to make and better tasting than regular mayo. It is incredibly versatile and can be used on fruit based salads such as Waldorf Salad or veggie based salads like coleslaw and Broccoli Salad (my fav!!). Check out the recipes below and give them a try..........

Brocolli Salad

Pine Nut Mayo
1 C raw pine nuts
1/2 C water
4 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
pinch sea salt
agave nectar to taste (optional)
Blend all together in a blender.

Waldorf Salad
1 C celery, chopped fine
1 C grapes, halved
1 apple, peeled
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 C water
1 batch Pine Nut Mayo
Mix lemon juice and water.
Dice apple, soak in lemon juice/water mix for 10 mins., and drain.
Mix celery, grapes, and apple.
Mix in pine nut mayonnaise to taste.

Brocolli Salad
2C broccoli, roughly chopped
1C finely chopped celery
1/2 C golden raisins
1/2 C finely diced red onion
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1 batch Pine Nut Mayo (recipe under Dips and Sauces)
Mix broccoli, celery, raisins, onion, and sunflower seed in bowl. Toss with Pine Nut May until coated.

To learn how to tranistion to a raw, vegan diet, online raw cooking instruction, recipes, and more check out our membership site at: www.rawkstarlivingfoods.com

Hurray for Shea Butter!

2011-02-20T05:31:00.000-08:00

Embracing a raw lifestyle should be about more than what you eat. Toxins creep into our lives and wreck havoc on our health through the chemicals that we surround us everday. Although we can't control some of the environmental onslaught of modern society, we can choose alternative beauty products and household cleaners. The question continues to beg, "Why do we choose chemicals when readily available natural, safe alternatives exists?" More on an exciting natural alternative later...........but here's a sneak preview:

Can You Guess What These Are?

For decades now we have been told that slathering chemical laden sunscreens onto our skin is critical for reducing the risk of skin cancer. These recommendations are made by cosmetic companies and vocal dermatologist despite the lack of testing of the chemicals in sunscreen which include:

Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone)
PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA)
Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate) Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate)
Digalloyl trioleate
Menthyl anthranilate
Avobenzone [butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane; Parsol 1789] - This is the only chemical sunscreen currently allowed by the European Community.

Since we have been "sold" by our government, the AMA, dermatologists, cosmetic companies and other interested parties that sunscreen is vital to reducing cancer risks let see how we are doing:

Worldwide, the greatest rise in melanoma has been experienced in countries where chemical sunscreens have been heavily promoted (Garland, Cedric F., et al. Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk? American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 82, No. 4, April 1992, pp. 614-15).
Dr. Gordon Ainsleigh in California believes that the use of sunscreens causes more cancer deaths than it prevents. He estimates that the 17% increase in breast cancer observed between 1981 and 1992 may be the result of the pervasive use of sunscreens over the past decade (Ainsleigh, H. Gordon. Beneficial effects of sun exposure on cancer mortality. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 22, February 1993, pp. 132-40).
Recent studies have also shown a higher rate of melanoma among men who regularly use sunscreens and a higher rate of basal cell carcinoma among women using sunscreens (Garland, Cedric F. et al. Effect of sunscreens on UV radiation-induced enhancement of melanoma growth in mice. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 86, No. 10, May 18, 1994, pp. 798-801 :Larsen, H.R. "Sunscreens: do they cause skin cancer." International Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 1994; 12(12): 17-19; Farmer K.C. & Naylor, M.F. "Sun exposure, sunscreens, and skin cancer prevention: a year-round concern." Ann Pharmacother, 1996; 30(6):662-73)
Drs. Cedric and Frank Garland of the University of California have pointed out that while sunscreens do protect against sunburn, there is no scientific proof that they protect against melanoma or basal cell carcinoma in humans (Garland, C.F., et al. "Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk?" American Journal of Public Health, 1992; 82(4): 614-615.)
In February 1998, epidemiologist Marianne Berwick of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York presented a careful analysis of data which concluded, "We don't really know whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer," said Berwick. (Source: Science News, Vol. 153, No. 23, June 6, 1998, p. 360).

The other issue with sunscreen is that it blocks sun rays vital to the body's production of Vitamin D. If fact, Dr. Michael Holick (Boston University Medical Center) states that Vitamin D helps prevent a number of diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, some infectious diseases, and even cancer. “If you put a sunscreen on with a sun protection factor of 30, which is what they typically recommend, it reduces the ability to make vitamin d in your skin, by 95-99 percent. So if you’re always wearing sun protection all the time, and you’ve depended on sun for your vitamin d requirement, you’re at increased risk for vitamin d deficiency,” Dr. Holick says.

So what are we to do? PURE, UNREFINED SHEA BUTTER! Shea butter is harvested from the fruit of shea trees (typically grown in Africa). In its pure state, shea butter contains skin soothing vitamins (E & F), minterals, and a unique fatty acid profile that is crucial to rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin. This balance of vitamins, minerals and fatty acid also make shea butter an excellent natural sunscreen.

I wanted to put shea butter to the test as a sunscreen so yesterday I spent from 10am to 4pm outside gardening in full sun (spending only 1 hour in the shade for lunch). As a blonde haired, blue eyed, fair skinned chick, I am the perfect candidate for a burn. Much to my surprise, at the end of the day I had no signs of sunburn (I applied the shea butter at 8am and never reapplied). Needless to say, I'm sold.

Here's some shea butter tips for you:

1. Make sure your product is raw and unrefined - if its white, it's refined. If it is a chunky yellow mess, it's pure.

2. It's a little hard to apply out of the container so I took a glop and whipped it with a stand mixer.

3. If you don't care for the smell, add a few drops of essensial oils.

4. I "melted" it by rubbing it in my hands and then applying. This made it go on smoothly.

Other cosmetic uses for shea include treating eczema and burns, pain relief from arthritis, muscle relaxation, fading dark spots, treating stretch markes, reducing wrinkles and blemishes, hair conditioning treatment, and diaper rash.

Groovy Mucuna

2011-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

I just started using a little mucuna in my morning smoothies and I must say it's rather groovy (my word choice of groovy will be explained later!). Mucuna is an amazing herbal adaptogen that's famous in Ayuvedic medicine for it's wide range of tonifying, strengthening and all around beneficial properties. It is best known as a potent herbal aphrodisiac - bow chica bow wow! And no, the bow chica bow wow is not the groovy part.

Because mucuna helps maintain optimal levels of key hormones (including youth hormones such as testosterone) a few of the touted benefits include:

increasing libido and fertility
increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat
reducing signs of aging such as wrinkles
increasing bone density
boosting overall energy levels

Scientifically, Mucuna pruriens contains 40mg/g of L-DOPA which is a direct precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine works as one of the best natural high releasers (human growth hormone) by stimulating the pituitary gland to increase it's production. High levels throughout life of the body's own natural growth hormone (not hormones from the synthetic injections) is known as a major key for human longevity. The L-DOPA content has also made Mucuna a viable herb for those afflicted with Parkinson's when used in higher doses. In fact, numerous studies have been published in the Journal of Neurology and Neurological Surgery documenting the potential success of Mucuna with Parkinson's patients. Give the L-DOPA content, you can expect:

increased quality of sleep
feelings of happiness (natural high)
central nervous system soothing

So where does groovy fit in? If you are new to mucuna or using it for the first time bear in mind that less is more. Just like other herbs there is no recommended dose but most people use 15-30 grams a day. Let's just say at the 30 gram marker I was feeling pretty darn good. So good that I should have used 15 grams...........

What You Don't Know About Your Doctor Can Kill You

2011-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

I spent over a decade working in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Although I believe many physicians enter the profession with a desire to help their fellow man, the health care industry is designed to drive dollars. Here are some interesting facts on the "sickcare" industry:

Nearly 20 percent of American doctors get paid by drug companies to be consultants or speakers.
On the drug companies' payrolls, nearly 200 Georgia doctors, pulled in over $2.2 million last year.
In 2009, seven reporting pharmaceutical companies paid $109 billion dollars to doctors to promote their drugs at peer-to-peer meetings.
A recent review found that about two-thirds of academic medical centers hold equity interest in companies that sponsor research within the same institution (JAMA 2008).
A study of medical school department chairs found that two-thirds received departmental income from drug companies and three-fifths received personal income (JAMA, Sep 2008)
A study of 200 panels that issued practice guidelines found that more than one third of the authors acknowledged that they had some financial interest in the drugs they recommended.
Many members of the FDA’s 16 standing committees that advise the FDA on drug approvals also have financial ties to drug companies.
Over half of Continuing Medical Education seminars are funded by the drug industry.
Go here to find out if your doctor receives money from drug companies: http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/

This little summation is not to put all the blame on the doctor but, let's face it, you are suppose to be in a "trusting relationship" with your doctor. The drug companies did not take an oath to keep you safe and healthy. Further, they have never hidden the fact that they are a BUSINESS that is FOR PROFIT with strategies designed to deliver results to shareholders.

Clearly, this is not a system designed to cure disease as there is no money to be made from healthy people.

Now consider these facts:

Less than 6% of doctors get adequate nutritional training during medical school. They are trained to treat disease with pharmaceuticals.
Our healthcare system is the THIRD largest killer in America claiming over 250,000 deaths per year.

12,000 due to unnecessary surgery

7,000 due to medication error in the hospital

20,000 due to other hospital errors

80,000 due to hospital based infections

106,000 due to adverse events from prescription drugs

Degenerative diseases are nearly non existent in wild animals unless their raw food supply has been altered.
Commonalities of people who live in Blue Zones (unique places where people live long without disease) are gardening, primarily plant based diets, lots of sunshine, and consumption of superfoods.
Doctors such as Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD, boast a 90% cure rate of Type II diabeties when patients follow a raw, plant based diet (no person has been cured with pharmaceuticals).

As much as we'd like to point the finger at doctors, drug companies, insurance companies, and the whole health care system - it's time to take a serious look at OUR responsibility in our health. You CAN take CONTROL of your wellbeing!

I've never sold a drug that cured anything, but I have seen miracles happen with food.

www.rawkstarlivingfoods.com
http://rawkstar.kajabi.com

Rethinking Bone Health - Calcium vs. Silica

2011-01-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

If you grew up in America, chances are you were told (and probably believe) that you need to drink a lot of milk to build healthy, strong bones. As Americans we certainly take that advice to heart and are one of the top consumers of dairy products in the world.

********As a side note: When consuming massive amounts of protein and calcium fail us our health systems steers use directly to a pharmaceutical. Back in my days as a pharmaceutical rep, I launched and sold a widely used bisphosphanate. Ironically, while the company data shows that this drug class can help prevent hip fracture, after wide spread use it was found that it also caused bone death (specifically in the jaw)!! YIKES!

Consider these facts:

The average daily calcium intake for South African blacks is 196 mg whereas the daily calcium intake for African-Americans is more than 1,000 mg. Yet the hip fracture rate for African-Americans compared to South African blacks is NINE TIMES GREATER
US and in northern Europe have high levels of osteoporotic fracture despite high intakes of dietary calcium (Hegsted 2000)
The African Bantu consumes an average of 350 mg of calcium per day (current recommendations for Americans is about 1000 mg per day) yet do not have calcium deficiency, seldom break a bone, and rarely lose a tooth.
Native Eskimos have the highest dietary calcium intake of any other people in the world-- above 2000 mg per day from fish bones - and the highest rate of osteoporosis world wide.
A 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women, those who got the most calcium from dairy products actually broke more bones than women who rarely drank milk
A 1994 study in the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY found that elderly women with the highest dairy consumption had double the risk of hip fracture of those with the lowest consumption.

Study after study supports the fact the countries with the highest CALCIUM consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. So what's the deal? There are a number of potential reasons:

The Protein Argument: Excessive amounts of protein cause calcium wasting. Dairy adds to our already overinflated protein intake. Studies show that when protein consumption is increased (while other minerals stay the same), the amount of calcium in urine increases by 50%. More protein = more calcium loss (Heany RP. 1993)

The pH Argument: Diary is highly acid and there is evidence that a when the body is out of balance (dipping below a 7 pH) it begins to leach minerals, including calcium, to neutralize blood pH levels. Just about everything we eat on the western diet is acidic. Alkalizing foods (which keeps our pH in balance) include fresh, whole living fruits and vegetables.

So how do vegans and vegetarians stack up? Studies are somewhat inconclusive. The latest studies show that vegans have a lower bone mineral density but not necessarily a high rate of fracture. Lacto-ovo vegetarians take in similar amounts of calcium but lower amounts of overall protein and some studies have shown a stronger bone mineral density with a lower amount of fractures.

BUT, no matter if your a vegan or carnivore it's clear that calcium is not the answer. The solution may be a never talked about mineral called silica. Silica exists in bones, hair, skin, as well as kidneys, blood brain and other areas. Silica is vital to providing strength and support to these structures. In fact, In 1939, the Nobel Prize winner for chemistry, Prof. Adolf Butenandt, proved that life cannot exist without silica.

Silica helps re-deposit minerals (such as calcium) into our bones and stop the leaching of minerals. Amazingly, silica also has the ability to "morph" itself into calcium so if a calcium deficiency exists silica can step in and assume that role.

I recently read a very interesting comparison of concrete and bone. Concrete contains calcium but does not get hard and STRONG without the inclusion of silica! Concrete that was devoid of silica did harden but was brittle and weak. Can this be the same with our bones? YES! Dr. Edith Carlisle, a research scientist at the UCLA School of Public Health, studied silica extensively in the 1970’s. Her research was conclusive that silica played an essential role in bone formation and health. She found that without silica it was impossible to grow healthy, strong bone.

The next logical question (other than why our government ignores that value of silica) is where can you get this stuff???? Good sources are Horsetail and Bamboo Silica Extract. David Wolfe recommends a tea of horsetail, nettle, comfrey and boneset for bone health. Other sources include leafy greens, root vegetables, and oats.

GOT MILK? NEVER!

Sweet Potato Chips

2011-01-15T04:38:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy since lately that I haven't had a chance to blog in a while. I've already had big changes this year as I'm am frantically working to re-launch my website and a roll out a new program in early February in partnership with another organic company - STAY TUNED!!!! But..........with the abundance of winter root vegetables I could pass up the chance to jot down this fabulous treat - Sweet Potato Chips.

Before I get to the recipe I want to throw out a few facts about this wondrous root vegetable. Sweet potatoes are packed with massive amounts of vitamin A, which is vital for proper eye health. One sweet potato contains nearly eight times an adult's daily need of this important vitamin, and, because the vitamin is fat-soluble rather than water-soluble, the body can store it for later use. Sweet potatoes and yams are often confused as being the same thing but they are quite different species. Compared to yams, sweet potatoes contain significantly higher amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamin E, and they twice as much protein per serving. Sweet potatoes also contain massive amounts of anti-inflammatory compounds (more than the yam), which are very important in the health of people with IBS, arthritis, gout, and other inflammation-related diseases. This is not to say that yams are useless. The yam is the shining star when it comes to omega 3 fats.

Take advantage of their abundance at your local farmer's market. Sweet Potatoes make great raw soups, can be shredded and used in raw breads, or made into delicious chips. Try one or both of these recipes. You may want to double up because they won't last long!

Sweet Potato Chips - savory
3 small sweet potatoes
1/4 c Olive Oil
Sea Salt to taste

OR

Sweet Potato Chips - sweet
3 small sweet potatoes
1/4 c agave
2t cinnamon

Slice sweet potatoes paper thin with a mandolin, potato peeler, or run them through a food processor fitted with slicing blade. Toss with desired ingredients. Dehydrate at 110 until they reach your desired crispness. I like mine super crunchy so I let them dehydrate for 24-36 hours. To speed the process you can always start off by dehydrating at 145 for a couple of ours (the internal temperature of the food will not get this high so nutrition will stay intact) and then turn the temperature down to 110 for the remainder of the drying period.

Afterglow Cosmetics - My New Obsession

2010-12-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

Are all organic makeup lines created equal? NO! I was truly floored when I learned about what is lurking in some well know "organic" and "mineral based" make up lines. I recently had an opportunity to meet with the founder of Afterglow Cosmetics, Kristen Adams, who developed her line to meet her own makeup. The research and care that goes into each one of her products is evident. Ever detail - from the ingredients to the packaging to the manufacturing - must meet her strict criteria before making it to market. Not only are their products organic and free of free of synthetic preservatives, bismuth oxychloride, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes and fillers.......but they are a make-up maven's dream! As I type I am wearing my new obsession - Coo Lip Smoother! Luv this stuff!

One interesting point that Kristen brought to my attention is that a lot of consumers and dermatologists go to great lengths to ensure the facial cleansers, scrubs, and lotions they use are safe and chemical free. However, they neglect to extend their "skin care" regime to cosmetics. Facial cleansers are immediately washed off but cosmetics are worn for several hours. Cosmetics are left on the skin for several hours and the ingredients can be absorb into the body. Given that, shouldn't your cosmetic selection be even more critical than your cleanser selection?

If you are looking for a real organic, safe, and beautiful cosmetic line definitely check out Afterglow Cosmetics!

Corporate Sponsors and Medical Associations: Don't Bite the Hand that Feeds You or Your Patients

2010-12-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of finger pointing in our health care system. Fingers are often pointed at the pharmaceutical industry, the managed care organization, medical teaching institutions, etc. Rarely does the finger land on the doctor or their organizations such as the AMA or the AAFP. Recently the American Academy of Family Practitioners announced a corporate partnership with The Coca-Cola Co., in which the beverage giant will provide a grant for the Academy to develop consumer education content related to beverages and sweeteners for the AAFP's award-winning consumer health and wellness Web site, FamilyDoctor.org. Having spent over a decade in the medical industry I can assure you that Coca Cola will not casually stand by and have sweeteners (high calorie or low calorie) tarnished in any fashion. Partnerships do not happen in any business unless there is a mutually beneficial outcome.

These partnerships are nothing new. In March 2008 that American Diabetes Association (check out the press release) proudly declaring: American Dietetic Association Welcomes The Coca-Cola Company as an ADA Partner! Is this a conflict of interest or a case of don't bite the hand that feed you?

Several months ago I published a blog quoted research from University of Texas in regards to the metabolism and storage of aspartame in the liver. The results of the study were not good and indicated that aspartame is metabolised into formaldehyde and then stored in the fatty tissues of the liver as an unrecognizable compound. The long term implications of this were fatty liver disease. I wonder if this will be part of the alleged consumer education funded by the Coca Cola grant.

Most people understand what happens when people consume too much sugar - weight gain, insulin fluctuations, etc. Most think they are safe to consume artificial sweeteners which is absolutely false. Below is a compilation of different sweeteners and their potential sides effects as indicated by studies:

Aspartame (NutraSweet & Equal)Used in: Diet sodas, breath mints, sugar-free gums, frozen yogurt
What is it: Aspartic acid and phenylalanine
Tastes like: Chemical tasting
Strength: 150-200 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 0 calories
Possible side effects: Unless you have a rare genetic condition that does not allow your body to process phenylalanine (phenylketonuria), you should be fine. Although, some studies are trying link a multitude of illnesses such as headaches/migraines, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, muscle spasms, depression, fatigue, insomnia, heart palpitations, vision and hearing problems, anxiety attacks, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain, Emotional Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, brain tumors, brain cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Epilepsy, birth defects, and diabetes to the overuse of aspartame.
Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low)Used in: Some toothpaste like Crest and Colgate, as well as diet sodas
What is it: Sulfur dioxide, chlorine, ammonia, and biochemical acids
Tastes like: Bitter with a metallic finish
Strength: 400-500 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 1/8 calorie per teaspoon
Possible side effects: In 1977, the FDA made all products containing saccharin
add a warning label stating that it was determined to cause cancer in laboratory
animals. In May of 2000, it was removed from the National Toxicology Report on
Carcinogens.
Sugar Alcohols (Low Carb Products)Used in: Low carbohydrate products
What is it: sugar with an added hydrogen molecule
Tastes like: Similar to sweetness of sugar
Strength: Similar to sugar, but with less impact on blood glucose levels
Calories: 25% less calories than sugar
Possible side effects: Deleterious effects such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, vomiting
Sucralose (Splenda)Used in: Numerous low carb or sugar-free products
What is it: Sugar bonded with chlorine atoms
Tastes like: Slightly chemical tasting
Strength: 600 times sweeter than sugar
Calories: 0
Possible side effects: Although there are many accusations, no side effects have been confirmed in 113 studies over 20 years. The upper limit is considered to be 1,500 12 once diet sodas a day. It’s important to note that although splenda contains chlorine atoms, it differs in the way it is structured and therefore does not resemble household chlorine. The human body also contains its own natural chlorine in the form of KC1 and NaC1. However, Spenda is a chemical substance, not inherent to the body, and should be treated as such.

Meat vs. Plant: Arguments for a Plant Based Diet

2010-12-14T01:13:00.000-08:00

Ask 20 vegans at a dinner party why they choose to abstain from consuming animal protein and you are likely to get 20 different answers. Way back in June of 1989, the New York Times published an article called "How to Win An Argument with a Meat Eater" which compiled every argument from every angle available to support a plant based diet. The facts below are still relevant event though the numbers may be UNDERESTIMATED given this was written over 20 years ago! Additionally, when you put this data into context with new research (i.e. The China Study) the arguments are even more compelling.

* Number of people worldwide who will die of starvation this year: 60 million

* Number of people who could be adequately fed with the grain saved if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 60 million

* Human beings in America: 243 million

‎* Number of people who could be fed with grain and soybeans now eaten by U.S. livestock: 1.3 billion

* Percentage of corn grown in the U. S. eaten by people: 20

* Percentage of corn grown in the U. S. eaten by livestock: 80

* Percentage of oats grown in the U. S. eaten by livestock: 95

* Percentage of protein waste by cycling grain through livestock: 99
* How frequently a child starves to death: every two seconds
* Pounds of potatoes that can be grow on an acre: 20,000
* Percentage of beef produced on an acre: 165
* Percentage of U. S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
* Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of beef: 16

The Environmental Argument
* Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
* Primary cause of Greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
* Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more
* Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
* Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
* Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
* Amount of meat U. S. imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: 200 million pounds
* Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: less than eaten by average U. S. housecat
* Area of tropical rainforest consumed in evey quarter-pound hamburger: 55 sq. ft.
* Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument
* Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat 4 times a week vs. less than once a week: 4 times.
* For women who eat eggs daily vs. less than once a week: 3 times
* Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times.
* Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who eat meat daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times

The Natural Resources Argument
* Use of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock portion
* Amount of water used in production of the average steer: sufficient to float a destroyer
* Gallons to produce a pound of wheat: 25
* Gallons to produce a pound of meat: 2,500
* Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by the U. S. taxpayer: $35 a pound.
* Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no longer subsidized: $89
* Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
* Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
* Barrels of oil imported into U.S. daily: 6.8 million
* Percentage of fossil fuel returned as food energy by most efficient factory farming of meat: 34.5
* Percentage returned from least efficient plant food: 32.8
* Percentage of raw materials consumed by U. S. to produce present meat-centered diet: 33

The Cholesterol Argument
* Number of U.S. medical schools
* Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
* Nutrition training received by average U.S. Physician during four years of medical school: 25 hours.
* Most common cause of death in U.S.: heart attack
* How frequently a heart attach kills in the US: every 45 seconds.
* Average US man's risk of death from heart attack: 50%.
* Risk for average U.S. man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15%
* Meat industry claims you should not be concerned about your blood cholesterol of it is: normal.
* Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if your blood cholesterol is "normal": over 50%.

The Antibiotic Argument
* Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
* Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13; percentage resistant in 1997: 99
* Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
* Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support.

The Pesticide Argument
* Percentage of pesticide residues in the U. S. diet supplied by grains: 1
* Percentage of pesticide residues in the U. S. diet supplied by fruits: 4
* Percentage of pesticide residues in the U. S. diet supplied by dairy products: 23
* Percentage of pesticide residues in the U. S. diet supplied by meat: 55
* Pesticide contamination of breast milk from meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating: 35 times higher.
* What U.S.D.A. tells us: meat is inspected.
* Percentage of slaughtered animals inspected for residues of toxic chemicals including dioxin and DDT: less than 0.00004

The Ethical Argument
* Number of animal killed for meat per hour in U. S.: 500,000
* Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker.
* Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker.
* Cost to render animal unconscious with 'captive bolt pistol" before slaughter: $0.01
* Reason given by meat industry for not using 'captive bolt pistol': too expensive.

The Survival Argument
* Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner).
* Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
* Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex
* Last sighting of Tyrannosaurus Rex: 100,000,000 B. C.

Holiday without Eggnog? NEVER!!!!

2010-12-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

Want the warm creaminess of eggnog but don't want to ingest the the chemical laden commercial preparation? This raw eggless nog is awesome - sweet, warm spices, creamy, and delicious! The addition of the Thai Coconut give great flavor and a little body to the beverage. Serve it slightly warmed, with your morning cereal, or use it as a milk base in a your Hot - or warm - Cacao!

**Extra note - after straining the nog keep the delicious spiced nut pulp to use in holiday raw cookies and cakes!

NutNog

1/2 C Almonds

1 Young Coconut (flesh from)

3 Dates

3 T Agave

1 1/2 t Cinnamon

1/2 t Nutmeg

1/2 t Cloves

1 t Rum Extract (not raw but completes the eggnog flavor)

3 C Water

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through nut milk bag. Top with a sprinkle of extra nutmeg. You can serve this warm or cold.

Surrounded by Goodness

2010-12-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know if it is the raw food vibes or the circles in which I find myself but I am always amazed at the cool people I cross paths with on a daily basis. Whether I'm at a grocery store, in a restaurant, or just going into a random shop I somehow end up meeting people who enrich my life even if our encounter is only for a few minutes. Today it seemed that these do-gooders were lurking around every corner. Courtney, my 13-year old environmental activist, and I were participating in Paddle for Support at Wrightsville Beach. Well, let me clarify that. Courtney was paddling out in the 49 degree water to sit in the surfers circle and I was displaying an act of solidary from the beach.

Obviously goodness was everywhere at the beach but before we even got there I found myself riding a wave of gratitude. Since my racks weren't on my car I decided to just borrow a board from a friend in Wrightsville instead of bringing ours. When our friend got delay I switched my plan to "rent a board". Conveniently, Courtney and I took a random turn into Sweetwater Surf Shop. Sweetwater Surf Shop is an awesome locally owned establishment in Wrightsville. Granted, most surf shop owners and employees are laid back and friendly but Sweetwater was exceptionally right on! First of all, the selection of clothes, boards, and assessories was excellent (great prices and sales to boot!). Secondly.......in a word........TONY! Shop Manager, Tony Butler, was the best! Knowing that we were participating in a local environmental event, he totally hooked my girl Courtney up! Tony and Sweetwater's act of kindness speaks volumes about their dedication and support to the community and our oceans. If you are in Wrightsville Beach definately check this shop out.

Meanwhile, back on the beach.........participating in Paddle for Support was great. Working in conjunction with Indo Jax Surf School and Ocean's Cure, the event was being filmed as part of a documentary inspired by a local woman, Danielle, who has spent the last 30 days saving our Mother Ocean by picking up cigarette butts and other trash on the shores of Wrightsville Beach. Her project was selected as a winner in the Brit Filter GoodFilm contest. To date, Danielle and her family have saved our ocean from swallowing over 11,000 cigarette butts proving that everyone can make a difference. To follow Danielle story check out her blog at http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com/.

Could the night get any better? YES! To top the night off, I stopped at Starbucks to get Courtney a Hot Chocolate (no this was not raw!) and the dude at the Wrightsville Beach Starbucks hooked us up with free scones. It doesn't get much better than this.......................Love and Gratitude to Wrightsville Beach!

Raw Inspiration

2010-12-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, The Present Moment Cafe is one of my very favorite raw restaurants in the US. Not only is the food EXCELLENT but the total vibe in the quaint little cafe is just down right cool!

Last night I had the absolute pleasure of dining with three gorgeous ladies all fighting individual battles with cancer. Armed with RAW, LIVING FOODs, these women are facing the disease with smiles, energy, hopefulness, and determination. It's always so inspiring to me when I meet people who are jumping in the drivers seat and taking charge of their wellness. It strengthens my resolve and belief that the answer to America's health crisis is firmly rooted in our food choices.

Speaking of food choices........I enjoyed the Taco's of Life (one of my favs at Present Moment) made with Pine nut-chili and walnut puree, fresh salsa, guacamole in 2 romaine shells topped with Coconut “Sour Cream” and Jalapeno vinaigrette.

My new friends and I topped off our meals by sharing the Brownie Sundae which is good medicine for anyone!!! This delectable dessert is made from a Cacao brownie with cashew vanilla ice cream topped with dark cherries and garnished
with vanilla cream. YUM...........................

Yummy Raw Mashed Potatoes

2010-12-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

I've taught a couple of holiday raw classes over the last few weeks and one of the big hits is this recipe for raw mashed potatoes. This is a holiday recipe so it is a little more decadent that normal raw mashed potatoes. These are great by themselves or can be served with a raw mushroom gravy. Enjoy!!

Mashed Potatoes

2 Cups Cauliflower
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts
1/2 Cup Pecans
1 Cup Macadamia nuts
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
3/4 Tablespoons garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Process nuts in a food processor with the "S" blade until they
become smooth and creamy. Add in remaining ingredients and
continue to process until it is smooth. Top with cream of
mushroom gravy.

Raw Food and the Afterlife - Does Heaven Exist?

2010-11-29T02:18:00.000-08:00

Clients always ask me about the various nuances of raw food - should I eat this? should I soak that? etc. Ninety nine percent of the time my answer is "Look at nature and see what it does". Nature answers a multitude of questions. Humans are the only species that have lost touch with the instinctual nature of our existence. Wild life doesn't question what and when to eat. It intuitively selects the correct foods at the correct times. Wild life (including plants) seem to also except the various stages of life without question.

I've never been a particularly religious person as my free spirited Sagittarius nature makes it very difficult for me to work within the constraints of any one dogma. Instead I find an appreciation for the ideologies of many different "religious figures". I recently saw an author, David Kessler, being interviewed by Soledad O'Brien about his new book Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms. Mr. Kessler has spent a lifetime working in hospice and other critical care/end of life settings. He began to notice some very distinctive patterns of experiences people have when "crossing over". Kessler reached out to other doctors and nurses working in these settings and began to compile accounts of their experiences with these patients. The similarities are amazing yielding three clearly defined events which seem to universally occur in the days and moments leading up to death regardless of religion (or lack there of), ethnicity, age, location, income, status, or whether they were on medications or not. Universally people experienced visions of previously passed loved one coming to get them, the need to pack or prepared for a trip, and illusions of entering joyous crowded rooms. Stories from people who almost crossed were also captured. The accounts relayed in the book are interesting, touching, and comforting. An added point, no one reported accounts of people seeing fiery pits or demons (this isn't discussed in the book but was asked by Soledad during the interview). Like other medical phenomenons, many doctors are reluctant to give acknowledgement or give credence to these occurrences and those who came forward in the book indicated that this is medicines "dirty little secret". It commonly occurs but no one wants to provide true recognition for fear of being labeled a "crazy doctor". What is happening cannot be scientifically proven so it is dismissed. The bottom line is that it we need to reframe how we think of birth and death. Birth is not the definitive beginning and death is not the definitive end. It appears that when we die we are just ending our chapter here and moving on to the next phase of "life" where we will continue our journey with the people we love. One other interesting note, for people who saw a religious figure at the end of their "earth journey", the deity was always the one symbolized by their personal religion. By giving credibility to what is going on, family could be better informed on what is happening and how to help their loved ones make the leap to the next phase. What happens most often is family members argue with a patient telling them that they can't go on a trip or that they are not really "seeing something". The accounts relayed in which the family members understood these three "death commonalities" were interesting. For these people they were able to almost participate with the patient in these events and even experience a level of joy and their family member moved on to the next phase.

So, how does this relate to Raw Food? As I indicated earlier, I look to nature to answer many of life's big questions. Everything in nature is in a constant state of "birth", "death", and "renewal". Nature seems to accept this process without question. Composting is a great example. Although apples are not human they are definitely living, made up of cellular materials, and have a life cycle. At the "end" of an apples life it biodegrades, re-enters the Earth (or energy force), and returns. The apple does not cease to be after it "dies". In fact, this regeneration process is vital to the continued existence of everything. All cellular and living matter undergoes this same processes. At the core of everything, humans are cellular and living matter so why would our experience be anything different?

Costa Rica - Tips and Treasures

2010-11-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

Our View

Hola! I've been out of the blogging space for a bit as I was giving thanks and celebrating life in Costa Rica. What a beautiful country. This was my second trip to this eco-conscious, splendid gem in Central America. As always, Costa Rica has left me breathless and taught me some wonderful life lessons. As many of my readers know, I am constantly in a tug-of-war with my life's balance between what I do for a living and what I hold true as my core beliefs. Visiting Costa Rica not only provided me with a relaxing vacation but a time to reflect on what is important and where my future should be. Who wouldn't be able to find clarity and focus when this was the view every evening? More on my developing future in coming blogs...........How's that for a cliff hanger?

As I mentioned, Costa Rica is a special place so I wanted to take this blog and dedicate it to some of the wonderful business and people that you may be interested in should you decide to visit. The eco consciousness of the country is remarkable - recycling bins are common at bus stops and other areas of the cities where you would normally just see a trash can. The beaches are clean, the air is fresh, and their is a true respect for nature that can be felt by the locals.

I like to stay in the Guanacaste area on the Pacific side of the country. We stay in Playa Hermosa which is a great little beach town offering good scuba diving but my future ventures will definitely settle further south into the Nicoya peninsula. We travelled by car over many miles on unpaved roads down what would be equivalent to California's Pacific Coast Highway. In between dodging cows, horses, and holes we were treated to unbelievable views of the Pacific Ocean.

As I grew up on the west coast I have

Nature, Pure, Untouched

seen the Pacific is all her glory from many great vantage points but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw in Costa Rica - unspoiled, uncrowded, natural, and pristine.

Urban Eclectic

We travelled down to Tamarindo. Tamarindo is a surfer, tourist town. For travellers who don't want to be too remote, Tamarindo offers great restaurants, surf camps, and tons of shopping. In fact I came across a wonderful jewelry artist named Tricia. A Los Angeles transplant, she creates really unique pieces that are one of a kind. You can check out her stuff at Urbaneclectic.etsy.com. I wanted to buy everything in her store!

I was right at home with all the Californians in Tamarindo. We had some great Cali-Rican food at Eat at Joe's. Joe is a real guy who runs Witch's Rock Surf Camp. A common theme among the transplanted people I met all over Costa Rica, Joe came down to Costa Rica ten years ago, fell in love with it and move down from Cali. They have the only surf camp in Tamarindo with accommodations on the beach. I knew I was suppose to "Eat at Joes" when I saw that "parking was reserved for Chargers fans"!

We continued our drive from Tamarindo to Nosara to visit my friend Joy, her hunny Marco, and their beautiful new baby girl. I met Joy when she was hosting a yoga/raw food retreat. Her company, Inward Bound, is dedicated to providing retreats focusing on yoga, food, and awareness. Whether you are looking for yoga, yoga/surf, yoga/surf/raw, raw cleanse, or any other combination of retreat look no further than Inward Bound. Joy, true to her name, is a joyful yoga instructor and a wealth of knowledge in terms of nutrition, raw and otherwise. Once you attend one of her retreats you will be spoiled for all others!!! Joy has a wonderful way of sharing her gifts through yoga. It's hard to describe but she has such a calming and welcoming nature that is contagious. You'll feel like your are doing yoga and learning about raw food with friends rather than feeling the structure of a typical retreat. When passing through Costa Rica also be sure to check out The Yoga House which Joy is involved in. And, if you are looking to improve your espanol definitely check Nosara Spanish Institute run by our friend Marco. Believe me, after visiting the Nosara area you will want to move so you'll need to know your Spanish!

Don't let anyone find out that the surf is off the chain in Playa Guiones!

Playa Guiones is one of the most gorgeous beaches and villages in the Nosara area. I hesitate to even advertise how great it is because I never want it to become crowded!! A true raw paradise I was overwhelmed at the amount of raw offering in the area. As we drove through, people were walking around with their yoga mats and sipping juice. The whole village looked like a self contained retreat center! One really cool place we ate at was The Harmony Hotel. What a sacred space - from the restaurant to the gardens this place exhumed the definition of peacefulness. They offer more than just a hotel room. The boast a full menu of healing services including spa, massage, yoga, and more in an eco-friendly environment.

Heather conquering Rio Colorado

For adventure, we took part in white water kayaking on the Rio Colorado. This was our second trip on the river and both times we use the outfitters through Haciendda Guachipeli. There are amazing views all up and down the river. It's hard to paddle because the scenery is so great you just want to look around! The scuba diving is best if you are an experienced diver and can go out to some of the "rougher" seas to witness the whale sharks and the manta rays (who have a wing span of 20 feet!!). My oldest daughter was diving with us so we chose shallower reef dives as this was her first big ocean dive experience. Still beautiful we saw moray eels, eagle rays, tropical fish, lobsters, sea urchins, and lots of needle fish!

As our Costa Rica adventure came to an end we were sad to be leaving this incredible place and already formulating our plans to return and possibly buy a home there so we can go back whenever we need the renewing and healing power that CR offers. Pura Vida!

Heather diving at Los Meadows

Veganism hits the elite!!

2010-11-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

Heavy hitting politicians, movie types, and rock stars are finally getting on board with the wonderful world of veganism. With Bill Clinton's recent CNN appearance and now a hard hitting article in Bloomberg Business Weekly, veganism is well on the way to mainstream acceptance.

The real question is what this translates into in terms of policy change. Hopefully this will create political awareness around unethical, earth rapers such as Monsanto. Below is a list of some of the fines Monsanto has had to pay in the past which are nothing compared to the price we are all going to pay in the future for their unscrupulous activities.

As recently as 2005, the Justice Department ordered Monsanto to pay a $1.5 million fine for bribing Indonesian officials in order to get its Bollgard cotton seeds approved without having to prove their environmental safety.
Monsanto's biggest individual fine to date was a $100 million settlement to the family of Wilbur Jack Skeen in 1986. The company was found to be negligent in exposing Mr. Skeen, a worker in the companies Texas plant, to benzene. The exposure eventually led to his death from leukemia.
Monsanto was one of the companies named in a $180 million suit for Vietnam War vets exposed to “Agent Orange”. Monsanto manufactured the herbicide from 1965 to 1969.
The settlement did not include the 400,000 disabilities and deaths that the population of Vietnam suffered from the toxic herbicide.
In 1995, Monsanto was forced to pay a Texas Waste Management company $41.1 million for hazardous waste concerns.
In 1996, New York's Attorney General hit the company with a $50,000 fine for false advertising of its flagship pesticide Roundup. Claims in question included “Remember that environmentally friendly Roundup herbicide is biodegradable. It won't build up in the soil so you can use Roundup with confidence along customers' driveways, sidewalks and fences... ”

Additionally, will change come to our school lunch programs? With the "high profilers" now recognizing the importance of a vegan and whole foods diet I hope that this translates into real change for our children. These are stats from 2000 but still relevant:

18.2% = The percentage of schools where nutrition specific staff worked with physical education staff on nutrition activities.

2.1% of elementary schools, 6.7% of middle schools, and 24.0% of high schools = Schools who sell deep-fried foods at lunch.

22.8 minutes = The average time all kids in this country are given to eat lunch.

32.7% of elementary schools, 71.3% of middle schools, and 89.4% of high schools = Schools who offer vending machines or a school store, canteen, or snack bar where students can purchase foods or beverages.

30% = Schools who rarely, if ever offer a vegetable that’s NOT a potato.

26.1% = Amount of school districts that prohibit using food as a reward.

38.9% = School districts and states that DO prohibit junk food sold during breakfast and lunch.

5.5% = States and districts that prohibit offering junk food at concession stands.

18.9% = States and districts that prohibit offering junk food at school stores, canteens, or snack bars.

11.8% states 57.1% districts = Amount of schools that are required to provide elementary schools students with regularly scheduled recess.

6.6% = Amount of school districts requiring that schools make fruits or vegetables available to students whenever food was offered or sold.

18.4% of states + 17.0% of districts = States and districts that require schools to offer healthful beverages such as bottled water or low-fat milk, whenever beverages were offered or sold.

38.8% = Number of districts that require that schools implement food safety practices school wide.

75.8% = Amount of districts that allow advertising for candy, fast food restaurants, or soft drinks on school property.

11.7% of elementary schools, 19.0% of middle schools, and 23.5% of high schools = Amount of schools who offer fast foods from companies such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, or Subway. This frankly could be worse, but fast food doesn’t belong in schools at all IMO.

76.8% = Amount of high schools with access to soda pop or sugar-based fruit drinks in vending machines or elsewhere in the school.

So why all the hype lately? The Bloomberg article offers these reasons, "It affords them the opportunity to control their own health with the same manic id with which they control everything else. Wynn says his new diet has allowed him to get off Lipitor. Clinton's diet made him a fashion darling at his daughter's wedding this summer. "It's probably a good thing in a CEO," says Freston about veganism. "At least they won't be toppling over like those McDonald's CEOs." Whatever the reasons, only good can come of this!

Soup Weather

2010-11-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting fall weather in the Carolina's. It's during this time of year I feel my "raw resolve" being most tested. Once there is crispness in the air I begin craving warm, earthy soups. I made this Corn Soup - not exactly earthy, but yummy!!! - at a recent seminar that I was teaching and it was a big hit. I chose it for a demo due to it's simplicity and universal appeal. As most of you know, if you leave your high speed blender running for a minute or two it will warm your soup. Just watch so that it doesn't heat up into the "kill zone" at around 118 degrees. Enjoy!!

Corn Soup

2 servings

2 cups corn kernels

1 cup nut milk

1 tablespoons olive oil

3 green onions, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, blend half of the corn, nut milk and olive oil until smooth - keep it blending if you want to heat it up a bit. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a few times to incorporate (you'll want it to remain "chunky"). Enjoy!

Raw Food.........The Answer to World Peace???

2010-10-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

‎"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one." —John Lennon

In reflecting over the last few years of my raw journey I have had several remarkable things happen to me - my battle with insomnia ended, I have unbelievable energy, and my overall health has increased several fold. I also had some thing happen to me that was very unexpected. In short, I became a nicer person.

Now, I know what you're thinking - how in the heck can raw food make you a nicer person? I too was baffled at my sudden urges to help my fellow man, take care of animals, and be a better steward to the planet. The only rationale I could find for my new consciousness was that I was finally in touch with real lifeforce. When you handle food with such care and appreciate it in its natural form you become increasingly aware of the cycle of life. I suddenly felt overwhelming gratitude to the farmers who tended the soil, the sun for energy giving life, the water to provide a catalyst for growth, and all those involved in the harvesting of the food I would consume. These feeling of gratitude and appreciate started to spill over into anything and everything I was involved with. When driving down the road I became full of thankfulness for everyone involved in planning and building the roads. If I happened to look at a tree, I could get completely lost in the wonder of a leaf. Even when people disappointed me, were rude to me, or cut me off in traffic I was able to find compassion and empathy for whatever they may have been experiencing in their own lives. Even with the bad drivers, I would mindfully send "good vibes" in their direction so that they would get to their destination safety. I would also hope for them to find time to relax and enjoy.

WAS I STONED???? DID SOMEONE SLIP ME A MICKIE??? Nope, it was the raw food. I was experiencing such strange phenomenons that I was prompted to look deeper into this issue and actually found a study of over 500 raw foodists. After following these people for two years the investigators found some startling correlations between mental wellbeing and raw food. Overwhelmingly, raw foodists had a greater sense of patience, optimism, joy, intuition, overall goodness and more (see study below).

Given this data, can you imagine what would happen if the whole world suddenly became raw vegan? Would there be an end to war, starvation, hatred, bigotry, and discrimination???? Like John Lennon so poetically sang, Imagine...............................

Raw Food Diet Study

An Investigation of Over 500 People Who Have Eaten a Raw Food Diet for Over 2 Years

In 2006 a raw food diet study was made by Lenka J. Zajic, who went on to obtain a Masters in Vegan and Live Food Nutrition, where she conducted an in-depth 500-participant survey of raw food eaters. The study showed that people who ate 80-90 percent raw foods showed significant improvements in immunity, digestion, allergies, weight, disease, energy, and mental and emotional well-being. "There seems to be no question that, at least initially, eating a raw food diet can reduce or cure many health complaints," Said Zajic.

#1 - Energy
Eating raw foods increases your energy. There are a few reasons for this; one is that your body doesn`t have to spend as much energy digesting your food. Raw foods contain enzymes, and these enzymes help your body break down food. Cardiovascular endurance improved for 67 percent of respondents. A dramatic increase in energy levels were reported since transitioning to raw foods, specifically 31 percent to 88 percent of the respondents who said they had "good" or "excellent" energy levels.

#2 - Cleansing
Elimination improved dramatically on a raw food diet. People who reported having two or more bowel movements per day increased from 25 percent to 78 percent. The number of respondents experiencing constipation decreased from 73 percent to 30 percent. Having a properly functioning digestive tract is vital to maintaining optimal health.

#3 - More Time
Preparing raw foods takes a lot less time, compared to cooked foods. Raw food eaters also reported needing less sleep. Those who reported needing over 8 hours of sleep per night dropped from 59 percent to 19 percent. Sleep quality also improved; those who reported no insomnia rose from 40 to 59 percent since transitioning to a raw food diet.

#4 - Weight
According to a raw food diet study that contained 864 self-reported two-year plus raw food eaters, 82.5 percent lost weight after switching to a raw food diet. 75 percent of those not already at their ideal weight said they were successful in reaching it after transitioning to a raw food diet.

#5 - Environment
Producing meat costs an incredible amount of energy and food. This food could be used to feed starving nations and let nature recuperate. Did you know that livestock produce more climate change gasses than all the vehicles in the world? It`s true; a report by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization proves it. A meat-based diet also requires 7 times more land than a plant-based diet.

#6 - Mental Health
One of the most dramatic and encouraging areas of improvement occurred in mental, emotional and spiritual health. Overall, the majority of respondents (87.5 percent) reported an improved mental, emotional and/or spiritual state after the transition. The percentage of respondents that reported a "good" or "excellent" mental state after transitioning to raw foods rose in all categories surveyed including:

1. Optimism (43% to 91%)
2. Patience (29% to 84%)
3. Self-Sufficiency (54% to 88%)
4. Memory, Focus & Clarity (36% to 82%)
5. Creativity (48% to 82%)
6. Efficiency (53% to 82%)
7. Passion (53% to 88%)
8. Intuition (52% to 91%)
9. Dept of Meditation (28% to 68%)
10. Quietness of Mind (25% to 74%)
11. Contentment (30% to 80%)
12. Joy (31% to 79%)

Summary
This study was more subjective than objective, but that doesn`t mean that it can be dismissed. Clearly, the respondents got significant improvements in many areas, which show that an increased consumption of raw foods is beneficial.

Sunshine, Beaches and Raw Food - the ultimate Trifecta!

2010-10-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love my job when it takes me to places where there is sunshine, beaches and excellent raw food! I was back in Jacksonville, FL today and had to pop into my fav raw restaurant Present Moment Cafe for a little breakfast this morning.

The drive along the AIA was absolutely gorgeous. The temps were just right and at the risk of destroying my 'do for the day, I rolled to Present Moment with the windows down and radio blaring. This California girl is definitely beginning to appreciate the beauty of morning coming over the Atlantic.

I got to Present Moment and decided to continue soaking up some Vit D by sitting at the little table outside the cafe. I always have a hard time deciding what to order. This morning I opted for French Meadow Hemp Toast w/ “The Works” – cashew hummus, avocado, tomato, cucumber, onion & sprouts. Yvette and her team really out-do themselves every time I'm in there. The food just keeps getting better and better!

I added a fresh cold brewed mango tea and water with cucumber and lemon. I was in HEAVEN!

I'm surprised I was able to make it back to work!!

Kale Chips with a Kick!

2010-10-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wow - October is off to a busy start! Taught a RAW class on Friday night, have another on Wednesday night and another next Saturday! My house has been deplete of "snack food" so yesterday I whipped up some Kale Chips with a Jalepeno Kick - these suckers are unbelievable!

3 bunches of Kale
1/2 cup of Olive Oil

1 Cup soaked cashews
1 Large Red or Orange Pepper
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Lemons, juiced

1 Jalepeno (seeded)
1 Tbs Crushed Dried Chili
4 Cloves of fresh garlic
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Sea Salt

Soak cashews for 4 hours in salted water. Clean and rinse Kale and tear into large chunks. Douse with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Massage into Kale. In the Vitamix, add cashews (drained), red/orange pepper, water, yeast, lemon juice, jalepeno, dried chili flakes, garlic, onion powder and salt. Blend until smoother. Pour over Kale and massage in. Lay Kale leaves on dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 115 until crisp. THESE JOKERS ARE SPICY!! If you don't want them super spicy omit either the jalepeno or chili. Or you can cut the amount of those two ingredients in half. ENJOY!

They Liked It!!!

2010-10-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

Yippee for me! I won first place at our NC Raw Meetup's 2nd Annual Dessert Contest. Everyone really deserved a prized - great variety of yummies. About three desserts tastings in, I was totally stuffed! Here's a pic of my dessert:

Luna's Living Kitchen - MUY BUENO!!

2010-10-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had the absolute pleasure of trying Charlotte's newest (and only!) raw restaurant today - Luna's Living Kitchen. To say that I was stoked on my experience is an understatement. Luna's is in a great, trendy location nestled between Evolution Fitness and the Atherton Mill Farmer's Market. The atmosphere is casual, tres cool, and comfy.

Andy, one of Luna's fab culinary squad, recommended the Lunasagna which was artfully constructed with layers of zucchini, sundried tomato sauce, green cashew cheese, and topped with marinaded cucumber slices. This was pared up with some fresh greens and clover sprouts. Crazy delicious!!! The sundried tomato sauce was richly flavored with a slight sweetness which was great against the cashew cheese and the coolness of the zucchini. I rounded my meal out with some Popeye Juice which is a blend of spinach, pineapple, papaya, and hemp protein.

As I was getting ready to leave, a customer at a neighboring table received her meal - the Sprouted Quinoa-Kalmut Veggie Burger. I was going to ask her how it was but all I needed to see was her taking one bite. Her eye went half closed, she slumped in her chair, and just nodded her head yes while she smiled and chewed. No need to ask - that said it all...................................

If you are in Charlotte, definately cruise to 2120 South Blvd and check them out.

Raw Potluck Goodies

2010-09-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

I must say we have a pretty cool raw, vegan community in the greater Triangle area of NC. Last night we had a snack potluck and watched Supercharge Me. The documentary was great but the conversation and fellowship with others on the raw journey was the best part. Whether you've been raw for 2 decades, 2 years, 2 months or 2 days we all face challenges and triumphs in our quest for optimal health. I am always surprised at the paths that brought people to raw and the different approaches people take on their journey.

So, on to the good stuff.....recipe! I whipped up this little hors d'oeuvre to contribute to the potluck. Basically, I took a zucchini and cut it to make rounds. Then I took a basic nut cheese recipe (see below) and added in about a quarter cup of fresh basil and 4 chopped sundried tomatoes:

1 ½ cups raw cashews
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt
Process in food processor

On top of the zucchini I put small piece of argula or a small piece of cilantro, a dollop of cheese and then topped with half a cherry tomato. And yes, they were a hit! Nary a left over made it home.......

Present Moment Cafe

2010-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

I soooooo dig the North Florida raw scene!!! Check out this dish that I ate at Present Moment Cafe this afternoon. This was one of the Specials - Nachos! The raw corn tortilla chips were piled high with Romaine lettuce, guacamole, cashew sour cream, cashew cheese, nut pate, salsa and sprouts. I'll be spending the next several days trying to "crack the code" on how I can prepare this dish in my own kitchen!! My only regret with this dish is that it was so good that I ate the whole thing and didn't have room to get desserts!

According to Travel Adivsor, Present Moment Cafe is ranked #7 out of 266 restaurants in St. Augustine which should give you an idea of the quality of the food. Raw restaurants normally have a small menu but theirs is large in comparison - lots of variety!

The restaurant itself is funky, eclectic, and cool. It's got a great vibe that is matched by their awesome, friendly staff. Since I'm only in the area on business I'm a single diner. However, eating at Present Moment Cafe makes me feel like I'm just hanging out at a cool restaurant with good friends - I could have stayed all day and shot the you-know-what with the bartendar (he's hilarious)! If you are in the area definitely check them out.

Why Do People Do This?

2010-09-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

The journey of a rawist (especially in my profession) is always an adventure. People waiver between fascination, repulsion, and borderline obsession with what, why, how, when, and where I eat. I'm asked a tons of questions about it but people often argue with my answers with their personal objections of why they can't do it. When I first began this journey and started to have quite amazing results in regards to my blood chemistry. I even had someone from work ask if I was overly religious. As if my cholesterol and hormone profile had changed because I was having some sort of religious experience!!! What am I - some sort of reverse stigmata????

This always amazes me because I don't care or judge if someone chooses to eat whatever they want. I did not become a raw vegan because of social or political reasons so I don't have an urge to "convert" others. I do it because I believe the science and research that I've read and have witness first hand the incredible results in myself, my family, and friends. My "social softening" and increase connection to the planet has been a surprising after effect of my change.

At a function just last night I was met with the same things I hear all the time:

"My grandfather lived to be 95 and he ate meat, potatoes, smoked and drank alcohol everyday"
Just because granddaddy lived to be 95 doesn't mean you will be saved of any disease. Grandaddy probably had a small benefit of being raised on a farm eating significantly more vegetables as a child and young man. Our portions of meat and dairy have progressively grown larger over the years. Grandaddy probably had several periods in his young life where meat was a luxury not the main course. Some researchers say our early years are vital to establishing healthy cells and immunity.

"Well, disease is in my genes so there will be nothing I can do about it"
WHAT???? In the China Study and others gene predisposition makes up a very, very, very small part of whether we get disease or not. This says more about someone character if they are willing to throw in the towel in the face of potential disease. This also goes for the reserve of "My genes are great so I can do what ever I want".

"I may be a little overweight but my doctor says my cholesterol is good"
Americans have this backwards approach to health that goes like this - do everything you can to destroy your body until your sick then freak out. Many don't care if they get sick because they see medicine as a way out. Waiting until you get sick to start a healthy life makes no sense. Medication does not cure disease it simply puts a mask on the symptoms.

"I think everything in moderation is really the way to go"
Moderation will kill you. If the mainstream was better educated on health and wellness they would see the mediocre never do well. I heard Dr. Dean Ornish speak a few weeks ago and he pinpointed the "moderation approch" as being extremely detrimental. Mainstream doctors regularly give "moderate" diet recommendations. To a diabetic a doctor will say "Try to cut down on your sugars". A diabetic needs to make a drastic change to receive drastic results.

"Why should I eat that way? I'm not sick."
Again, why do people wait until a crisis to do anything?

"You sound like a liberal"
Really???? The republicans constantly harp on taking responsibility for yourself, don't give handouts, etc. I would argue that I am taking the most republican stance possible. I am taking complete responsibility for maintaining optimal health without draining our health care system. I feed my body in the intended manner and don't rely on medications, doctors, or unneeded surgeries to "bail me out" when I've eaten myself into diabetes, cancer, or CVD.

The common demonimator is that these are really just excuses not to take responsibility for their health and the planet. They want to "justify" why it is OK to eat a crappy diet. I think it's also a little bit of "misery loves company" as well. Secretly, I think many people don't want others to get well or take responsibility for their health because it highlights the damage they are doing to themselves. It makes them face the fact that change is neccessary. It's also extremely important to "pharmaceutical types" because we want to believe that medication is the ONLY answer. How can it be food? That would be way to easy.............

The Protein and Calcium Debate.......

2010-09-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

I had the unbelieveable honor of hearing Dr. Colin Campbell speak on The China Study last night. This book encompasses decades of research on nutrition and degenerative diseases. The evidence is overwhelming, comprehensive, and compelling. In a nutshell, to hedge your bet against degenerative disease we, as Americans, need to reduce or eliminate our reliance on animal protein. Countries with the best health are generally getting the majority of their protein from a whole food, plant based diet. Plus, in America we severly overestimate the amount of protein we require. The rest of the world doesn't do this. In fact, the World Health Organization conservatively puts our dietary protein needs at about half of what the US Government minimimum is. Why is the infamous American Food Pyramid screwed up? As always it comes back to deep pockets. Six of the 11 advisory committee members who devised the US guidelines have explicit links to the meat or dairy industries. Specifically, the committee chairman and at least five other committee members have had links to the National Dairy Board, the National Dairy Council, the American Egg Board, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, the American Meat Institute, the Dannon Research Institute and other similar groups. This is why Americans are OBSESSED with drinking milk and eating large amounts of animal proteins. It is literally and figuratively shoved down our throats by our own government. I find it very ironically that breast milk contains 6-10% protein. 6-10% protein to grow an infant's brain, bones, tissues, nerve function, etc. Why would adults (who aren't growing anything but larger pockets of fat) need absurd levels of protein????

American's insistance on drinking milk is equally scary. In the China Study, Dr. Campbell looked at hip fractures in various countries vs. calcium intake. America again takes the prize for having the most hip fractures while also having one of the highest calcium intakes. The answer lies in.........ding ding....the fact that we are getting calcium from animal sources. Simplistically, meat and dairy both cause an acid environment in our bodies which causes calcium to be robbed from bone to address the excess acid. Humans are the ONLY species who drinks milk from another species. Cow's milk is a perfect food for a calf, not a human.

Bottom line..................calcium and protein needs are overestimated in America and all the needs we have can be supplied by a whole food, plant based diet.

Don't think you can get enough protein from plant sources? Think again. Below are how a few plant items stack up to animal sources. Remember........the amount or protein we think we need has been told to us by our government and is not necessarily our actual need.

Foods	Protein Content
Beef	7 grams/ounce
Poultry	7 grams/ounce
Fish	7 grams/ounce
Vegetables	2 grams/ 1/2 cup
Soybeans (dry)	10 grams/ounce
Lentils (dry)	6.5 grams/ounce
Cashews	5 grams/ounce
Almonds	6 grams/ounce
Hemp Seeds	6.5grams/ounce
Pumpkin Seeds	8grams/ounce

How Are You Spending the International Day of Peace?

2010-09-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hurray! The weekend is finally here (and it couldn't come soon enough!). What a beautiful morning we have here in North Carolina. This is my favorite time of year when it is still really warm in the day but the mornings are perfect for sitting out on the porch. I love it so much that I almost forget I'm really a Californian! I will say that a bright morning like this was often rare on the beaches of SoCal - normally it takes a few hours for the marine layer to burn off.
To start the day, I enjoyed a little morning Vitamin D session on the screened porch with one of my favorite green juice (celery, cucumber, green apple, and spinach) and my lazy cat, Audrey. :-). With the UN International Day of Peace happening this weekend there are a ton of celebrations going on. I will be attending one in Cary, NC but if I had my druthers I would be at the California Roots & Shoots Peace Festival in Santa Monica. Enjoy your Peace Day!

Raw Foodist Celebrates his 109th Birthday

2010-09-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

This will definately give you some RAW inspiration. The beautiful gentleman lives in Mesa, AZ, eat a primarily raw diet, still walks a mile and a half each day, and more.......

Interestingly, I've done a fair bit a reading about "blue zones" in the world (BTW - Mesa, AZ is not a Blue Zone). Blue Zones are places were people live insanely long and relatively free of the ills that plague our society (cancer, Alzheimers, diabetes, CVD, etc.). There are seven blue zones in the world and the common denominator of is that in these areas people grow, harvest, and consume a mostly organic, plant based diet. Hmmmm..........could everywhere be a blue zone if we change our evil ways????

Raw Foodist Celebrates 109th Birthday

MESA, Ariz. - On August 17, Bernando LaPallo turned 109 years old! This Mesa resident lives on his own, still drives and walks around just fine - it's incredible, so I asked him to share some of his secrets.

Bernando eats primarily raw fruits, veggies and fish. Meat is a treat only once a year.

"This is my lifesaver, it keeps me alive..superfood..plus I take it everyday since 1979 - I never miss." said LaPallo.

He believes his clean lifestyle is why he's still alive.

"Well, I don't think I know that eating it's what you eat, you've heard people say you are what you eat, well you are."

Bernando reads daily, walks a mile and a half as soon as he gets up and his favorite product to use on his skin is olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil is an age old secret he's practiced for years.

His faith is his foundation and his father his role model.

At 109, he's a popular man. He consults people who are trying to change their life for the better and makes speeches around the country. He's written one book, Age Less and Live More and is working on a second. His phone never stops ringing.

"I get calls from all over..Miami, Italy..I'm on TV in South America."

I asked him if he thinks about his final days.

"I never gave dying any though. I still don't. I know I've got to die. Everybody dies." said Bernando.

So what's next for a man who's lived over a century?

He wants to open a restaurant here in the valley with raw foods on one side and healthy American food on the other. But on his birthday, he's going to take a break from his busy days and celebrate another year of life.

By Bernando LaPallo

Juicing for the Homeless

2010-09-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

How cool is it that on September 5th three hundred homeless men, women and children in downtown Los Angeles got to take in a glass of wonderful, fresh organic vegetable juice? The man who made the morning a little brighter for these folks is Q-Mars Imandel who started the very first 100% completely transparent non-profit dedicated to putting together projects that directly benefit and enhance communities and the environment. The organization is called The G.I.V.E Project and this was their very first event. On the GIVE website Q keeps a running tally of contributions and expenses so you can see right where your donations are going. You can even suggest a project for them to consider!!

In the City of Angels, almost a quarter million people experience homelessness during some part of the year and 82,000 people are homeless on any given night. Undoubtedly quality nutrition, much less freshly squeezed juice, is difficult to come by. If you want to see how everyone liked the juice go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve1sfO4sNEI

This makes me so proud to be a Californian!!

High Fruit Raw vs. High Fat Raw

2010-09-14T04:57:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a ton of reading and research on the biggest controversy in the raw food world - high fruit vs. high fat. Both sides have very compelling arguments.

Of course High Fat Rawist I ndulge in tons of seeds, nut butters, avocados, raw chocolate yummies and more. I analyzed my diet and, in fact, at least 60% of my calories given the day come from fat - good fat but fat nonetheless. Critics of the High Fat Raw diet content that fat (whether cooked or raw) in high amounts is not good for the body and has a laundry list of ailments associated with it - included are many of the diseases that we, as raw vegans, are trying to avoid.

The High Fruit Rawist adheres to an 80/10/10 philosophy of 80% carbs, 10% protein, and 10% fat. The only way to have those types of percentages is to incorporate a large amount of fruit. Critics will site all the disadvantages of a diet with sugar - tooth decay, addition, sugar highs/lows, pancreas problems, etc. Critics may also attack the low protein levels as problematic. Interestingly, wild fruit has a much lower sugar content than our cultivated fruits.

So, what make the High Fruit Rawist think this is the right approach? In one word - NATURE......

These are the four closest species to humans and what they eat:

Bonobos: Primarily frugivorous (fruit eaters). Supplements with leaves and small amounts of meat from small vertebrates.
Chimpanzees: Mainly vegetarian – raw fruits, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, insects and occasionally hunts for meat.
Gorillas: Herbivore – raw fruit, leaves and shoots. Small amounts of insects.
Orangutans: Raw fruit, shoots, bark, mineral-rich soil, bird eggs, insects, small invertebrates.

And here is the Standard American Diet plus the two versions of Raw:

Standard American Diet: Grain-based, processed and cooked carbohydrates, significant animal protein and dairy with minimal amounts of fruit and cooked vegetables.
High Fat Raw Diet: Nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts with some greens and small amounts of fruit and sprouts. Lots of dried foods.
High Fruit Raw Diet: Primarily fruit, leafy greens, vegetables. Small amounts of nuts, seeds and avocados.

Basically the only diet above that a primate would eat is the High Fruit Raw Diet. Also, in terms of protein I read the most interesting article about protein and breast milk. The infantile stage is probably the stage where most growth and development occur. Protein as been anointed as the Bullet that propels strong growth. However, breast milk only contains 5-10% protein. This is a diet that a baby could conceivably be on for several years if our society was more accepting. How does that small amount of protein result in a strong, healthy child if protein is so important? Also, in the China Study, Dr. Campbell studies people living in rural China who eat as low as 6% of calories from fat.

Having been on the "high fat" side of raw food for about four years now, I do have a crazy yearning to go deeper into the world of raw. It seems that all High Fruit proponents followed the High Fat lifestyle for several years but no "raw newbies" jump in on the High Fruit side. So, maybe I'm just done with my indoctrination period?

I'm interested in given this a try. I'm going to do a little more research and then perhaps give myself a little trial period of going High Fruit for a bit. I don't know why but this makes me nervous........................

Raw on the Road

2010-09-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

Since I travel on business quite a bit it is often difficult to maintain my resolve to live as raw as possible. Between airports, client lunches/dinners, hours in the car and often traveling to smaller towns who don't have natural foods stores or a good organic offering, I certainly have my resourcefulness challenged.

But today that is not the case! I woke up to a beauiful oceanview sunrise from my hotel room in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Jacksonville has an incredible raw community. Within a 50 miles radius of the city there are a ton of natural foods stores, juice bars, and just down the road in St. Augustine's there is even a raw food restaurant (Present Moment Cafe). The JAX Raw Meetup community is very active and often has leaders from the internationally recognized leaders in the raw community speaking at various venues and locations. It truly is a paRAWdise.

My absolute favorite place to eat in JAX is at either of the two Native Sun store. The have a crazy good juice bar, raw entree/dessert offerings from both Present Moment Cafe and Shatki Life Kitchen, gorgeous produce, and a great staff to boot. So my lunch today consisted of their Green II Juice (kale, cucumber, celery, spinanch, and green apple) and a delicious Pad Thai from Shakti (cabbage, carrot, kelp noodles covered with a sauce of almond butter, garlic, ginger, chili powder, lemon, maple syrup, tarmari, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Fast Food and Life should always be this easy!

Zucchini Noodles with Marinaded Veggies

2010-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

As I type I am delayed in the Charlotte Airport. I'm suppose to be in St. Augustine, FL to hear Dr. Brian Clement speak at Present Moment Cafe but alas, I'm here so thought I'd blog my dinner from last night to help ease my pain.

Made a great dish with zucchini. Instead of running the zucchini through the "spaghetti" attachment of the spiroslicer I used the flat blade and made beautiful ribbons. I marinaded the ribbons in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, fresh basil and some red pepper flakes. I then took baby portabello mushrooms, onions, and red and yellow peppers and marinades them separately in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, and agave. After about an hour, I threw everything into the dehydrator for about an hour. The result was quite tasty. If I had more time I would have left it in the dehydrator for at least 2.5 hours. Next time...........................

Sunday Night Routine

2010-09-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

I travel on business quite bit so part of my Sunday night routine is to prep food for the coming week for my family. If I don't my crew with find their way over to our golf club to participate in Wacky Wing Night, Pasta Night, and other celebrations of food debauchery.

A few nights ago I had dehydrated some apples that were about to take a turn for the worse. The apples turnout out so sweet and delicious. I included these tonight in making my daughter's cereal/snack blend.

This cereal is prepared with coursely chopped almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnut, pecans, coconut and dried apples. Then the nuts are mixed with cinnamon and a 5-grain cereal blend. I lightly tossed it in a little agave.

My daughter is extrememly active and plays tennis and golf several times a week. This cereal is a great energy booster for her especially is she has a couple of matches in one day. For the rest of us however...... beware of the calories in this one. Although I must say, when I am eating a nutritionally dense item such as this I don't feel like eating as much. My body gets everything it needs in a smaller portion.

As a side note, you could add some nut butter or a little nut milk with the cereal to create a dough that can be dehydrated into yummy 'nola cookies!

Cleaning in the Raw

2010-09-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

New ebook!! Lighten the toxic load of your home by making your own powerful, effective cleaning products! Learn the unseen dangers of common commercial cleaners. Follow easy recipes using everyday, natural, nontoxic ingredients to create cleaners to meet all your household cleaning needs. http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/cleaning-in-the-raw/9355400

Kale Chips

2010-09-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

One of the yummiest ways to consume the nutritional powerhouse Kale is by turning it into a crispy delicious chip. I made two variations of kale chips last night (the one with a touch of agave is the best!). Here are the recipes below as well as some facts about our friend, Kale.

For both variations begin with 2 large bunches of kale, destemmed, and cut into large pieces (if the pieces are to small they will fall apart during dehydration). Put the kale in a large bowl and douse with olive oil (or hemp oil, flax oil, etc.) and lemon juice. Massage kale until it begins to "give" a little.

Variation #1 - I massaged in some delicious black truffle salt (definitly a splurge!) and just a touch of agave.
Variation#1 - I massaged in garlic powder, sea salt, and a little cayenne.

You can taste the kale before dehydrating to make sure the flavors are good. Dehydrate at 115 for about 8 hours or until crispy.

Kale Facts:
Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber-related components in kale do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when they've been steamed. When this binding process takes place, it's easier for bile acids to be excreted, and the result is a lowering of your cholesterol levels. Raw kale still has cholesterol-lowering ability - just not as much.

Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving these risk-lowering benefits.

Kale is now recognized as providing comprehensive support for the body's detoxification system. New research has shown that the ITCs made from kale's glucosinolates can help regulate detox at a genetic level.

Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale's flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.

The Universe is Speaking!

2010-09-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday someone told me about something they wanted. It was a just a casual mentioning of the item like we all do in conversation. Some people probably wouldn't think of this item as an "urgent need" but to this person it would be a blessing to have.

After the mentioning of the item I didn't give it another thought and I went on with my night. Before bed I was thinking about the quote, "When you take more than you need, you are taking from someone else" and at about 3am I woke up realizing that I had the wished for item and was not using it. Ironically, this item is in perfect condition and had been tossed aside simply because I wanted a new one. I obviously was guilty of taking more than I needed. I cannot wait to "return" the item to the person "I took it from". I love it when the universe screams at me!

5 Most Unhealthy Kid's Meals

2010-09-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know of any parent who doesn't love their kids and isn't willing to do absolutely anything for them and give them anything that they can. But what exactly are we giving our kids? Here are a few startling facts about the health state of our children:

20 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 have at least one abnormal lipid level (LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or triglycerides (Jan 2010 CDC)
Among children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 in the United States, 31.7 percent are overweight and 16.9 percent are obese
One in three young people are overweight - a new risk factor included is whether you live near a fast food restaurant as this increasing your child's likelihood of being obese (International Journal of Pediatric Obesity)

The culprit? FAST FOOD. Fast food is high in everything that can hurt our kids (and us!):

High Fat - linked to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease
High Calories - obesity (which is linked to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease)
High Sodium - increased blood pressure
High Cholesterol - Saturated fats and trans fats both increase LDL levels. Eating large of dietary cholesterol diet may lead to reduced heart function
High Amounts of Red/Processed Meats - risk factor for colonrectal cancer

The above list contains the recipe for Happy Meals and Kid's Meals. But haven't the fast food chains made a big turnaround? Aren't they offering healthier items on their menus? Yes, if you take them at their word. No, if you look closely. For instance, McD's introduced the "Mighty Meal" which sounds innocent enough. However, the Mighty Meal has double the fat, double the saturated fat, and double the sodium that I child is suppose to have in one meal. PLUS, it is marketed as a perfect BETWEEN MEAL SNACK! WHAT?Are they crazy?

So, without further adieu, here are the top 5 Most Unhealthy Meals as rated by PCRM:

5th Worst
Burger King’s BK Kids: Breakfast muffin sandwich meal
Why: 95 milligrams of cholesterol; exceeds recommended limit on sodium intake for child’s breakfast

4th Worst
A&W Kids Meal: Cheeseburger, French fries, and soda
Why: 780 calories; 9 grams of saturated fat

3rd Worst
KFC Kids Meal: Popcorn chicken, potato wedges, string cheese, and soda
Why: 800 calories; 1,800 milligrams of sodium

2nd Worst
Wendy’s Kids’ Meal: Chicken Sandwich, French fries, and chocolate Frosty
770 calories; 34 grams of fat

AND THE #1 WORST KIDS MEAL IS..........
McDonald’s Mighty Kids Meal: Double Cheeseburger, French fries, and chocolate milk
Why: 840 calories; 37 grams of fat

So.......the next time you want to give your kids everything the ask for - please, just say no.

Busy Person's Vegetable Garden

2010-09-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Got this cool link from Jaimal Yogi (a.k.a. the Saltwater Buddha). I am guilty of thinking I am too busy to plant a proper veggie garden (I pat myself on the back for growing wheatgrass in my kitchen and the occasional mini herb garden) but this article goes to show that anyone can really do it! Even in the urban jungle!!!

By the way - if you are looking for a good read, Saltwater Buddha - a Surfer's Quest for Zen is great.

Enjoy the link and do it yourself guide............................

http://www.thebolditalic.com/jaimal/stories/404-veggie-tales

2nd Annual International Juice Feasting Day

2010-09-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog about a great article I read on inflammation but then I realized that Sepember 12th is the 2nd Annual International Juice Feasting Day! I've been contact this past week by a couple of people interested in juice feasting and/or juice cleansing. In fact I had just posted a juicing "Question of the Week" on my website (http://www.rawkstarlivingfoods.com/) and then realized that the auspicious celebration was on the horizon. So with that, I thought I would duplicate my efforts here. If you want to participate in a "donation only" web conference with the founders of International Juice Feasting Day go to their website: http://www.dayofjuicefeasting.com/dojf/Welcome.html

Q: Can you recommend a juice cleanse?
(submitted from Raleigh, NC)

A: KINDA- the extent of my juice cleansing has been limited to doing a day or two here and there (normally after I have consumed too much cooked food - like after a vacation). The length of a cleanse varies with most people doing a 7 day. However, some people such as Philip McCluskey (http://www.welikeitraw.com/) completely transformed himself with a 100-day juice fast - or "juice feast" as it has been renamed.. Proponents of juice fasting feel that giving the body a break from solid foods can:

regulate the colon
balance the pH of the body (in essence returning the body to an alkaline state)
reduce the cravings for sugar, caffeinne and other stimulants
clean the blood, organs, tissues, and cellular structures of the body
increase energy levels
restore liver functioning by reducing toxic load
increase mental clarity and sense of wellbeing

Juice feasting doesn't mean starvation. Your body will be feed with copious amounts of green and fruit juices. I do know a number of people that have done juice cleansing following the protocols in the book Raw Food Cleanse with good success. For anyone starting a juice cleanse, try to find a good time to start. Choose a time where you will be at home, not too busy, no temptations, and no horrific strenuous tasks. Depending on how long your juice feast is, give yourself time to adjust before swinging back into your busy life. Take it easy and really try to enjoy the feeling of letting your digestive system have a little break from all the work it does. Let your brain be free of the need to think and worry about food. Encourage yourself to concentrate on the healing powers of the juice.

Below are a few recipes you will normally see with a juice feast. Good luck with your endeavor!!

Vegetable Super Juice

Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber
1 sticks of celery
2-4 handfuls of spinach
8 lettuce leaves
Optional boosters: parsley and fresh alfalfa sprouts
Water

Healing Juice

Ingredients:
3-4 Carrots
2 Handfuls Fresh Spinach
Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
2-3 Sticks of Celery
Water

Blood Builder (Iron-enriched)

Ingredients:
2 bunches Grapes
6 Oranges
8 Lemons peeled
1/4 cup Honey
Water

Ginger/Lemon Cleanse

Ingredients:
1-inch slice Fresh Ginger Root
1 Fresh Lemon
6 Carrots with tops
Apple
Water

Stomach Cleanser

Ingredients:
1 bunch Grapes
1 basket Strawberries
3 Apples
4 sprigs Fresh Mint
Water

Constipation Cure

Ingredients:
1 firm Papaya
1/4-inch slice Ginger Root
1 Pear
Water

Skin Cleanse

Ingredients:
1 Cucumber with skin
1/2 bunch Fresh Parsley
1 4-oz. tub Alfalfa Sprouts
4 Sprigs Fresh Mint
Water

Raw Breakfast Food - Grab and Go

2010-09-07T05:42:00.000-07:00

So many times people, including myself, get frustrated trying to fit a raw diet into their busy lives. You really have to get the hang of planning ahead, dehydrating ahead, chopping veggies ahead, and basically thinking about meals a few days in advance. This is where people get the misconception that eating a raw diet is hard because it takes up too much time. It doesn't really take up anymore physical time than conventional cooking but you definately have to think and plan differently. For instance, I make bread or cookies in the dehydrator while I sleep but I never would have cooked anything during slumber - in my book this is saving time.

However, it's this change in "food-prep mentality" that can also quickly derail our raw efforts. If we are not prepared with our food we get frustrated and give up. Sure, you can always grab a salad or piece of fruit in a pinch but that is only going to satisfy you if the lack of preparation is an occassionally thing. For chronic food-prep-procrastinators, a daily diet of a bunch of salad gets old quick!

I've been wanting to post out a raw breakfast cereal that is kid-friendly, quick, and easy to make. This cereal is great for breakfast but also excellent for a quick on-the-go snack that is portable, travel-friendly, and tasty. I make this cereal in large batches and stash it in the fridge. You can eat it with nut milk or just out of the bag like granola. My kids also really dig this cereal when I spruce it up with cacao nibs, coconut or other goodies they like.

If you are a mom trying to get your kids off the sugary cereals one approach you might take when making this for the first time is to really sweeten it up with agave or really kick up the amount of dried fruit so your kids will take to it. Each time you make a new batch just use a little less agave/dried fruit than you did with the previous. Your kids will adjust to having the cereal be less and less sweet.

Also, if you want a more traditional cooked oatmeal you can take a bowl of the cereal, add nut milk and let it set overnight. The cereal will absorb the nutmilk and soften with an cooked oats consistency by morning.

OK - here is the recipe. There are no amounts because I just throw it together.

Nuts (almonds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, or any blend you like)
Seeds (hemp, sunflower, flax or any blend you like)
5 grain oat cereal (I use the 5 grain blend so that there is a variety of grains - you could just us whole oatmeal)
Agave
Cinnamon and or nutmeg
Dried Fruit (I like dates, apples and goji berries)

To make it yummier for your kids - add shredded coconut and cacao nibs.

Pulse a bunch of the nuts in the food processor until chunky (again, how chucky is your preference). Take the nuts and mix with oat cereal in a large bowl (there should be way more oats than nuts or you will have a very calorie dense cereal). Add in any seeds that you want. Add in chopped dried fruit. Toss it all with cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste. At this point I squirt a little agave on and toss the cereal to coat. Store in a zip lock bag and air tight container.

In the past I have done the cereal with some honey and spread it in the dehydrator to make more of a traditional granola but, of course, this is more time consumming.

Enjoy this recipe. It's my mom's favorite - I make large batches and send it out to California just for her!

Labor Day Chili

2010-09-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful weekend! Raleigh, NC really pulled through with some great weather - milder temperatures and cool nights - all the signs of fall in the air. But still.....it's summer and I normally don't like to eat chili in this time of year but this chili so so good, so refreshing, and too good to pass up! The "walnut meat" is absolutely delicious and really give the chili a hearty weight and appeal. It you are lucky enough to have left overs you can use the walnut meat in raw tacos and the chili would be great scooped up in endive cups!

This recipe is from Ani Phyo so you know its gotta be good! Super easy, super fast, and super fabulous - Enjoy!

TOMATO CHILI

• 3 cup tomatoes, chop

• 1 cup red bell pepper, chop

• 1/4 cup celery, chop

• 1/4 cup yellow onion, chop

• 1/3 cup mushroom, chop

• 1/3 c corn kernels

• 1 teaspoon garlic, mince
• 1 – 2 teaspoon chili powder, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin, powder
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dry
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, toss to mix well.

Place half of your mixture into your food processor or blender and puree. Scoop back into bowl with mixture and toss to mix well.

NUT MEAT TOPPING

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin, powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander, powder
• 1 teaspoon bragg’s or nama shoyu, or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into your food processor, and process into small pieces.

To serve, scoop raw Tomato Chili into bowls. Top with Taco Nut Meat. Enjoy.

Paying for Playing

2010-09-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

It's days like this that I can really appreciate the wonders of the raw diet. With it being a holiday weekend and attending a BBQ last night I indulged in quite a few cooked delicacies - including KEY LIME PIE WITH READY WHIP!!!! What the heck was I thinking??. This morning I woke up feeling stuffed, bloated, groggy, hungover from food, and, in general, pretty crappy. I took off for my Sunday Ashtanga class and had difficulty maintaining my balance and getting in to some of the binds - further punishment for my indiscretions.

At these times I often reflect that this ONLY occurs if I go from eating raw to eating junk. It NEVER occurs in the opposite direction. Raw food after eating junk never leaves me feeling like this.

So, today it's all about juicing, juicing and more juicing. After yoga, I started to "clean my temple up" with a juice blend of carrot, celery, cucumber, red and yellow peppers, and spinach. Lunch will be more veg followed by more veg at dinner. I hope the Raw Gods will take mercy on me!!!

Forks Over Knives - The Official Movie Website

2010-09-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Forks Over Knives - The Official Movie Website

This definately needs to be on the must see lists for everyone! Raleigh, NC locals - there will be a screening on Sept 19th at the Seventh Day Adventists Church.

WHAT???? Your Friends Want Cookies???

2010-08-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

So...... got the biggest compliment in the world today. My 8th grader came home from school and told me that tomorrow she needs to bring more cookies because all her friends loved them!!! This just goes to show you that just because it's good for you doesn't mean it has to taste bad.

Below is my recipe for "school lunch" cookies. This makes about 30 cookies. I make them fairly small (about 2" diameter). I also keep them in the freezer so by the time her lunch break rolls around they are just the right temp.

3 cups ground nuts (I used macadamia, almond, cashews, walnuts, pecans and some coconut to make the three cups)
3/4 cup raw honey
2T flaxseed oil
1/2 C almond butter
1T vanilla extract
Just a pinch of salt

Grind the nuts in the food processor and pour into bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until you have a dough. Pinch off small pieces, roll into a ball and then flaten on your dehydrator tray. I dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12 hours on one side, then flip, and dehydrate until the cookies are as dry as you want them.

You can also use the dough without a dehydrator. Just roll into the dough into balls and then roll the balls in coconut, cacao, or chopped nuts and store in freezer.

I Want to Rock and Roll Alnight (and Party Everyday!)

2010-08-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

I always say raw food is like rock music - exciting, alive, and electrifying!!! I went to see KISS last night (yes, I was a card carrying member of the KISS Army in the 5th grade) and was amazed at how they can still get around the stage!

Sometimes I really love going out with friends because I will eat and drink like everyone else. It's almost an excuse sometimes to be naughty (even if it means I'll have a stomach ache in the middle of the night). But last night, I did not feel like "polluting my temple" so I whipped up a little Pad Thai dish over Kelp Noodles to eat before I left home. Taste as good as it looks - recipe is below:

Julienne carrots, peppers, zucchini, portabello mushroom and anything else you want to thrown in. Make a marinade of 2T lemon juice, 2T raw honey, 2T oil, 1T Nama Shoyu, couple of cloves of minced garlic, and about a tablespoon of ginger. Pour this over the veggies and let it sit for a few hours.

In the food processor, grind a cup of almonds until fine then mix in 2T lemon juice, 2T honey, 1T Nama Shoyu, couple of garlic cloves, 1T ginger, salt/pepper to taste and enough water to get the consistency of a sauce. Soak the kelp noodles in water for about 20 minutes and cut them to desired length. Rinse water off, add veggies and toss with sauce. When I use kelp noodles I like to let them sit in the sauce for a while (about an hour or so) as they will absorb the flavor.

If you haven't tried kelp noodles before you will be pleasantly surprised! One serving of Kelp Noodles has only 6 calories plus they are fat-free, wheat and gluten-free, low in carbs, and have a tone of vitamins and minerals.. Because they are a sea vegetable they are also full of iodine which can help with thyroid and metabolism.

Upcoming Raw Food Seminar - Raleigh, NC

2010-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

DIE-t soda

2010-08-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

I admit that I use to be a consumer of diet soft drinks - not a heavy consumer but one or two a day. This is one habit that I am ecstatic that I gave up. The evidence against sodas in general is mounting. Regular soda is being charge with causing obesity among other things. In fact, new studies out of California indicate that 62% of people who consume one soda per day is, indeed, overweight.

While diet soda may not directly cause immediate obesity at the same rate as its sugar-filled sister, diet drinks are not off the hook. The San Antonio Heart Study concluded that the more diet soda that a person consumed the greater their risk for future obesity. In fact, for each diet soda consumed per day the likelihood of becoming overweight within the following 7 years increased 65% (becoming obese in the same time period increased at a rate of 41%). Hardly a diet soda but certainly a DIE-t soda!

If the potential of becoming "larger than life" is not enough to get you off the juice, how about fatty liver disease? Studies have indicated that the methane component of aspartame is converted into formaldehyde. The body doesn't know what to do with formaldehyde so it is stored in the liver. Because the body doesn't know formaldehyde, the fat where it is stored cannot be processed for use as energy. In essence the body cannot get rid of the fat no matter how badly it is needed to supply energy to the body. This could be one reason many people cannot lose weight even with exercise and healthier diets. Additionally, in other studies diet soda has been linked to metabolic disorders and type-II diabetes. Studies participants who consumed diet soda at least daily had a 36% greater risk for metabolic syndrome and a huge 67% greater risk for the development of type-II diabetes.

Still thirsty?

Rawk Star - Raw Beauty

2010-08-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

Fabulous all natural, organic beauty products readily available in your kitchen! Receipes for hair products, skin cleansers, toners, scrubs, masks, tooth whiteners and more. Nutritional outline on what foods/vitamins to consume to maximize your beauty. Additionally, comprehensive list of common chemicals and ingredients added to commercial products that you should avoid at all costs! Ebook available for instant download at:
http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/raw-beauty/12436313

Enjoy!!!!

My New Obsession

2010-08-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

For all you green tea lovers you must try Green Coconut from TeaGschwendner. It is incredible! It's always a bonus when something so good for you tastes great too! There is at least a decade's worth of research about green tea's health benefits -- particularly its potential to fight cancer and heart disease. There is also a number of studies about green tea's role in lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia. So...........brew a cup and drink up!

You can get this at: http://shop.tgtea.com/store/product/5382/Green-Coconut/

The creamy richness of coconut milk on a dazzling and brisk Japanese Sencha base. A true customer favorite.

Ingredients: Green tea from Japan, shredded coconut and flavor.

Preparation: One heaping teaspoon per 8oz cup of filtered water, boiled and cooled for approximately 5 minutes to 90°C/194°F. Allow to brew 2 minutes.

Leftovers = Sushi!

2010-08-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year when the sweltering heat of summer starts to give a little. Finally, we are waking up to temps in the high 60's instead starting the day off at 80 degrees! And, best of all, the AC is off and the windows are open!

Now............on to the good stuff. I had some left over Almond Sauce from yesterday (see spring rolls) so I took that and spread it on a few sheets of Nori, added some julienned peppers, carrots, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts and avocado, then rolled it up into sushi. I also threw together a little dipping sauce mixing together a few tablespoons of lemon juice, honey, Nama Shoyu, and some minced ginger.

This was the perfect snack for my youngest daughter who just finished her first day of 8th grade.

Unbelievable Spicy Pad Thai Spring Rolls

2010-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Want a quick and easy dish that is totally delicious! Make these Spicy Pad Thai Spring Rolls inspired by ones served at Trees Lounge Restaurant. You can use any variety of veggies that you like. I like to put some alfalfa sprouts in my rolls too!

If you have left over marinade and veggies you can toss them in with some Kelp Noodles and thin out some of the dipping sauce with water for a second dish of Pad Thai!

For the Marinade:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 ½ tablespoons honey
1 ½ soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (If you don't like Spicy stuff then omit this)
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and set aside.

Veggie for stuffing:
**You any veggies you want!!!!
1 zucchini finely julienned
1 cup red cabbage shredded
1 carrot finely julienned
1 red pepper finely julienned
1 ½ cups shredded coconut meat
2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
1 avocado, julienned (set aside until assembly)

In large bowl, place all the ingredients and toss with the marinade. Allow to marinate for at least one hour.

Spicy Almond dipping sauce
1 cup almonds
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon hot chili pepper sauce (again, if you don't like spice, skip this!)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Braggs soy sauce
½ cup water
pinch sea salt
pinch pepper
In a food processor, blend the almond into a mill. Add the minced ginger, garlic, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, honey, braggs, water, salt and pepper, and blend until smooth.

You need a package of Spring Roll Wrappers for assembly
Assembling the spring rolls:
Fill a salad bowl ¼ full with warm water. Soak a rice paper wrap in the warm water until it is very flexible but not rubbery. Make sure not to over-soak the rice paper. If the rice paper is over soaked it will break when wrapping the veggies. It is best to soak one rice paper wrap one at a time.Lay the soaked rice paper wrap on a cutting board surface. Place one slice of avocado in the center of the paper, add some veggie and 2 spoonfuls of dipping sauce. Fold the wrapper over the mixture, fold sides in, and then roll up! Enjoy!!!!

The Dancing Granny

2010-08-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just really marvel at what a great world we have the honor of occupying and the cast of characters that share in the experience. I saw Jack Johnson in concert last night under a beautiful moonlit sky. We were laying in the grass section and in front of me was an older lady (mid to late 60's). She had flowers in her long hair and was wearing a short floral sundress, and strappy sandals. In a nutshell, she was dressed like she was 18. Not your typical granny for sure. She struck up conversations with all the people around her, stood up and danced wildly with her arms swinging in the air, and she knew every word to every song. Of course people were pointing at her and having a chuckle at her expense. Furthermore, she knew people were doing this but didn't care! For a moment, I too, thought to myself, "What a strange lady!". But then I had a second thought. I thought about how beautiful, liberating and great it was that she was really living her life to the fullest. Just because she's older why should she stop living, dancing, and singing? What our society should find really odd is when we take our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, etc. and relegate them to a corner chair in front of a TV when they get old. We tell them "you're too old to dance", "a person your age should act like that", and other things. What these sentences really translate to is "your time has passed". That's really sad when you think about it. Living life to its fullest shouldn't end until your last waking breath.

I hope for the rest of my life I remember the dancing granny at Jack Johnson. Her image will remind me to embrace life and dance like there is no tomorrow - no matter what my age.

The Stillness of Morning

2010-08-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

Eating raw allows me the luxury of needing less sleep. I always wake very early in the morning and love the quietness when it's still dark out and the rest of the world is still snoozing. I had a yogi once tell me, "that it is in moments of silence that you can hear the voice of the Divine". - I believe this is true. These moments of peace, stillness, and harmony are absolutely delicious............................................

Raw Chocolate and Coconut Cake

2010-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Holy Moly!!! Someone deserves great credit for this dessert (but it ain't me!!). Can't recall where I got the recipe but this is an unbelievable dessert: It's very rich so just a sliver will do ya.......

Crust:

1 cup of almonds

2 cups of dried coconut

1 cup of dates

1/2 cup of raw chocolate nibs

Coconut layer:

3 cups of raw cashews

1 cup of coconut meat

1/2 cup of coconut water

1/8 cup of coconut butter

1 cup of agave nectar

Chocolate Layer:

1 cup of raw cashews

1 cup of raw chocolate nibs

1 cup of agave nectar

1/2 cup of coconut water

1/8 cup of coconut butter

Crust: grind almonds, dried coconut, and raw chocolate in food processor until fine. Add date and process until combined. Press into a springform pan.
Coconut Layer: In the Vitamix, mix all ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour over crust.

Chocolate Layer: In the Vitamix, mix all ingredients until smooth. Pour over coconut layer.

Put it in the freezer for several hours until set. ENJOY!!!

Raw Food for Dry Hands?

2010-08-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hemp oil is a beautiful thing. Hemp itself is a nutritional powerhouse and can be used in salad dressing, smoothies, and ..............................hand exfoliator!!!

Mix 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons hemp oil, and 1 ounce of ground almonds until a paste form. Rub into hands to exfloliate and moisturize then rinse.

Let's Talk Poop!

2010-08-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

As a results of working in the pharmaceutical industry (a.k.a. the evil empire) I am always on the hunt for well controlled trials to prove or disprove findings. There are not many prospectively designed, long term studies to prove what we, as raw vegan, find to be true of eating raw living foods. Anyone who has "been raw" can certainly attest to the increase in energy and general air of well being that we experience. First hand I have seen friends and family lower their cholesterol and reduce or eliminate the need for medications (including insulin) by adhering to a raw food lifestyle.

I came across this study that examines fecal matter of raw vegans vs. conventional eaters. It was a small, short study but I think it demonstrates how quickly you can see results with the power of raw food. See abstract below:

J. Nutr. 1992 Apr;122(4):924-30.

Shifting from a conventional diet to an uncooked vegan diet reversibly alters fecal hydrolytic activities in humans.

Ling WH, Hänninen O.
Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Finland.

Abstract

We studied the effect on fecal hydrolytic activities of adopting an uncooked extreme vegan diet and readopting a conventional diet. Eighteen subjects were randomly divided into test and control groups. In the test group subjects adopted the uncooked extreme vegan diet for 1 mo and then resumed a conventional diet for a second month. Controls consumed a conventional diet throughout the study. Phenol and p-cresol concentrations in serum and daily output in urine and fecal enzyme activities were measured. The activity of fecal urease significantly decreased (by 66%) as did cholylglycine hydrolase (55%), beta-glucuronidase (33%) and beta-glucosidase (40%) within 1 wk of beginning the vegan diet. The new level remained throughout the period of consuming this diet. Phenol and p-cresol concentrations in serum and daily outputs in urine significantly declined. The fecal enzyme activities returned to normal values within 2 wk of resuming the conventional diet. Concentrations of phenol and p-cresol in serum and daily output in urine had returned to normal after 1 mo of consuming the conventional diet. No changes were observed in the control group during the study. Results suggest that this uncooked extreme vegan diet causes a decrease in bacterial enzymes and certain toxic products that have been implicated in colon cancer risk.

International Green Smoothie Day!

2010-08-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, August 15th was International Green Smoothie Day. I think Hallmark is really doing the Raw Food Community a disservice by not creating a card to commorate the grand event. So, here was my celebratory glass of green............ This is one of my favorite blends:

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1/2 cucumber

1/4 red cabbage

All of that juiced up and then blended in the Vitamix with

a couple of handfuls of

spinach

DELICIOUS!

Coconut Date Cookies

2010-08-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

I love how cookies and other goodies are part of the raw food lifestyle. When my kids get up I'm not too concerned if they grab raw cereal, a smoothie, a piece of raw apple pie or a cookie for breakfast - everything is nutrient dense. It's really discerning to see other kids marching off to school with Pop Tarts or Toaster Strudel (especially since these are the same kids who will be buying a school lunch! Blech!). It's no wonder that they have a hard time paying attention and learning.

These cookies are a fantastic blend of nuts, spices, coconut and dates with just a smidgen of honey. For a chocolate treat, you can throw in some raw cacao or carob. Good for a snack or breakfast!

Water - The Liquid of Life

2010-08-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Water is an incredible thing! It truly is the Liquid of Life. Though I'm a Fire Sign, I seek water everywhere I go. The first plunge under an ocean wave is a renewing, cleansing experience to me. Water can soothe us, heal us, renew us, refresh us, revitalize us, reward us, and keep us alive.

Clean water is vital to our good health and it's worth investing in. Good clean water is needed to help eliminate toxins, keep blood flowing and help with digestion and metabolism. I have an inexpensive (about $150) reverse osmosis system installed on my kitchen sink so that all water that I am ingesting is clean, pure and has a great pH. Here are some interesting water facts to think about today:

• You can live 40 days without food, but only 3 without water.
• You can loose 50% of your glucose, body fat or protein and survive, but if you loose 20% water, you'll die of dehydration.
• Babies are 90% water, adults about 70%, elderly about 60%.

Most cooked food doesn't contain much water:

• Bread 30%,

• Butter 16%

• Cheese 40%

• Cereal 5%.

But raw vegetables have a lot:

• Cucumbers, celery and lettuce 95%.
• Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, peaches, strawberries 90%.

Beauty in the Raw

2010-08-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

I use to be an absolute product junkie in my "BR" (before raw) life. I loved any potion, cream, serum, tonic, toner, or lotion that I could find. Eating raw has an incredible influence on your entire life. It starts out as just a dietary change but it really make you start to think about everything we subject our bodies too. From cleaning products to beauty products I strive to ensure that I am only using raw natural products.

Two of my favorite are raw, organic, cold pressed coconut oil and Restorative Skin Oil. In the evenings (and sometimes the morning too). I put a thin layer of coconut oil on my face, neck, ends of my hair and anywhere else that can use a little moisture or softness. It is truly incredible and leaves my face feeling clean and dewy.

I recently purchased Restorative Skin Oil from Mountain Rose Herbs and it works lovely as well. It's super moisturizing with out being greasy. I love it!! If you haven't check out Mountain Rose Herbs definitely do so. They have great products and great prices to match! http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Mmmmmm.......................Raw Corn Chip with Guacamole

2010-08-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's a super hot day in Raleigh today - almost as hot as my Raw Corn Chips! I made these in preparation for a party tomorrow night but am not sure if they will make it through the night.

These are so simple to make!

In the food processor I through the kernels from 4 ears of corn, about a cup and a half of chopped red and yellow peppers, half of an onion, one jalapeno, a cup of ground flax, quarter cup each of hemp and sunflower seeds, a couple splashes of lime, half teaspoon of chili powder, 1.5 teaspoon of ground cumin, and a couple of teaspoons of salt. Process until smooth, spread thinly on Teflex sheets and dehydrate for about 15 hours.

Serve them up with salsa and guacamole for a great snack!

Timing is Everything!

2010-08-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

One of the hardest things about living a raw food lifestyle is getting in a timing rhythm for preparing food. One method I use for my daily diet is to have two prep days during the week - normally Sunday and Wednesday. On these days I chop and prep all vegetables I will be using for the next several days. I also whip up several "staple" items such as hummus, pesto, macadamia nut cheese, nut milks, etc. This makes my food during the week easier to grab and go.

This all changes when planning a dinner party. Tonight I had to get started prepping for a dinner I'm planning for Sunday. I have three trays of corn tortilla chips on the dehydrator that should be ready tomorrow. The dehydrator will quickly be swapped out with some nut butter cookies that should be ready for Sunday. Tomorrow I will also start chopping and marinating vegetable for Thai Spring Rolls and get my spicy almond sauce prepared. I sometimes feel like it take three days to prepare for one meal!!!

I'm considering investing in one more dehydrator so that I can have "both ovens" at once. Pics and recipes of my creations are forthcoming. Only 12 more hours of dehydration until my chips are done!!

Even a low-dose vitamin D pill cuts breast cancer risk by 24 percent

2010-08-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

The evidence is mounting on the importance of Vitamin D to help prevent cancer and other diseases. There aren't any fruits that contain significant amounts of Vit D but mushroom do contain a little. You best bet? Do you self a favor and grab some beautiful sunshine sans sunscreen!!!

Even a low-dose vitamin D pill cuts breast cancer risk by 24 percent