Raw Potluck Goodies

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

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?

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.......

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.