Think Outside the Lunchbox!

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^rd for 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.

Groovy Mucuna

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

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

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!

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

DIE-t soda

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?

Let's Talk Poop!

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.