Open eyes and wise decisions

First- my apologies for the long span since my last post. It is with excitement that I announce I am now a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition which as proven to be a wonderful experience so far (4 weeks in). I have settled in to my new schedule so I will be posting more frequently. (If you are interested in the school feel free to inquire- I would love to share my excitement with you.)

The more I learn, the more I see the importance of awareness and self education. As long as we rely on the media and our modern culture as our sole source of education, we will be ignorant. To me ignorance is similar to having your eyes closed. If you do not know how to get around without your sight- you will eventually get hurt. Closing your eyes is a lack of sight by choice. We all have the opportunity to open the eyes of our mind. It is good to close your eyes when you want to sleep. It is not good to close your eyes when you are walking across the street. If you cross the street as a semi truck is heading your way, ignorance is not bliss.

It's amazing what you can learn when you start asking questions and being curious. For a long time I had my favorite "healthy" fast food restaurant. The day I decided to look at the ingredients in the "healthy" option, I realized it was all in the marketing. There actually wasn't anything healthy about this food. It was full of MSG, lots of things I don't know how to pronounce and a dash of a chemical preservative which is a form of butane. What struck me is how easy it was to find this information. I just googled it. It was on the restaurants website.

The problem for most of us is that we do not want to know. It is much easier to turn a blind eye and keep doing what we have always done, eating what we have always eaten. The challenge here is to simply open your eyes. Be willing to look at the ingredients of your favorite fast food. Find out what unpronounceable ingredients are on the labels in your pantry. Just find out. If you don't know what an ingredient is- look it up. Then, the decision is yours. If you decide for your family, you are OK with certain less than healthy foods, that is your decision. What is scary is when we let advertising (from the ones making money off our choices) do the deciding for us. Any time you don't know what you are eating, you are letting someone else decide what you ingest. It would be wise to trust the one feeding you- or feed yourself. Trusting food companies who are just businesses making money- it not wise.

It's intriguing how people will fight to defend a certain food or brand, when the reason they believe what they do, is a direct result of marketing, culture and habit. The very one who persuaded you to believe that food was good, is often the one making money off your decision. Wouldn't it be a good idea to question the nutritional value of foods? Let's not walk blindly by choice. What we eat is working for or against our health and immune systems. You be the decider of how often your food is working for your health.

Let's take responsibility for what we eat. Be willing to be wrong. Be willing to learn. Be willing to change. Watch amazing things happen.

Cookies n' Cream Cupcakes

This came out of my craving for cake! This summer I have been to several parties and weddings where beautiful, temping cakes were served. I decided I would create a version of cake to fit my lifestyle. The results were delicious and didn't last long in our kitchen! We ate it before I could get a picture taken- I'll take a picture next time. This is a small recipe so feel free to double after you try it. (I like to try small recipes to see if I really like it before making a lot).

For the cake:

Ingredients:
3/4 C. spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 T. olive or coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 T. cacao powder
4 packets stevia powder (or about 16 drops of liquid) this makes for a very lightly sweet cake, if you like more sweetness- try adding a little more stevia.
1/4 C. plus 2 1/2 T water

Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Mix all wet ingredients in separate small bowl. Combine dry and wet ingredients and stir until well mixed.

Divide batter into greased muffin tin. (8-9 mini muffins or 4-5 regular muffins)

Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Cut each cupcake in half and spread icing. Place the top back on the cupcake and top with a generous amount of icing. Place in refrigerator to let the icing firm up. Store cupcakes in fridge for up to three days.

For the cream cheese icing: follow link Cream Cheese Icing (you will need less than half this recipe if you make a single recipe above.)

Raw thoughts

Good Evening, I have another section of raw thoughts for you. This one left me speechless. It was a typical, yet unusually quiet Wednesday afternoon. As I sat at my desk running through my task list, I was interrupted by the following words:

"Brittney, you think too much about what you are supposed to be DOING, when I want you to focus on keeping you heart right. If you heart is right, whatever you are doing will honor Me. If you're goal is truly to honor Me, you only have to focus on love and guarding your heart. If you do these things, you can trust Me to take care of the what, when, where and how. Do you think Jesus knew when He woke up everyday who he would heal and where it would happen and how he would do it? NO! He woke up everyday with a perfect, pure heart, steadfastly set on honoring Me. I then put opportunities in front of Him wherever He went. You are trying to be the navigator and the driver- that normally ends in a wreck, or lost. It you will focus on navigating your heart, I will drive you to the correct locations." 


Put this in the context of you own life and let God speak to you. He is so willing if only we will listen and set our hearts right before Him.  

The most important ingredient

There are many key ingredients to healthful recipes. I have found certain items are on my staple list. For example, I aim to always have fresh veggies (dark leafy greens and anything other veggie variety), bananas, apples, dates, coconut oil, nuts, cacao powder, beans, quinoa or millet, liquid aminos,  chili powder and cumin in my pantry or fridge. I can always throw together a meal and snacks if I have these items. Some weeks, I am the super star planner and have all my meals written on our lovely calendar in the kitchen. Other weeks...I lean on my staple ingredients and creativity to throw together meals. 

Whether you are a planner, the creative type, or both like me, you will find keeping staple ingredients in your kitchen will make your life much easier and will greatly aid you in staying on track with your dietary goals. Through trial and error you will find what healthy ingredients you and your family most enjoy. It's OK to not enjoy every fruit and vegetable. There are just some veggies you probably won't like- so move on to another variety. Our Creator has been gracious enough to give us a massive fruit and veggie selection- enjoy His goodness. 

As you master your own unique list of staples, make sure you include the most important ingredient- love. This ingredient phenomenon will add flavor to any dish, sweet or savory. This may sound like fantastical, but I firmly believe your food will taste different, and even increase the nutritional value when prepared with love. The alternative is also true. Think about it.  As a kid, how many times did you ask your mom  to make your sandwich for you? Your reason was always "but mom, it taste better if you make it." Sure, sometimes you might have been using a little manipulation because you didn't want to make the sandwich. However, the sandwich really did taste better when mom made it. Why? I believe it's because she made it with love. 

There is something about sitting down to a meal prepared with love no other ingredient can compare with. I believe in picking choice ingredients to feed your self and those you love. Many of my post are in regards to finding, purchasing and making dishes with such ingredients. Love, is indeed the most essential ingredient to feeding those you love the most nutritious, delicious food available. 

If you have had a rough day or you are stressed and frazzled; take a few minutes to gather yourself. Get in  in a loving frame of mind before you prepare a meal. It makes a difference. 

  

Buying Organic without breaking your budget

While I think it is certainly best to buy local and organic, that's not always possible 100% of the time.  On the journey to eating for life and health, everything is a process. This process includes our time and money. I'm sure you have all noticed buying 100% local and organic would greatly increase your food budget if you are currently buying conventionally grown produce from your local grocery store. It is healthy to always move towards buying more organic & local produce. However, on your way there, you may find the following tips helpful.


Techniques I have used in our family process of going organic: 


1- Shop around. I shop at a few different grocery stores that carry organic produce. As I shop, I mentally note how much the organic items are. Over a few weeks I did this at all the stores I shopped at. Now I am familiar with what organic things should cost so I don't over spend on an item. Using the same idea- shop the sales. This means I normally shop at two different stores a week.
2- Look for alternate options. Because the nearest large organic foods grocery store is about an hour from us, I have looked for other places to get organic produce for a reasonable price. Do a little research to see what organic farms are near you as well as local co-ops. You might be surprised at what you find. I always try out an co-op before I join, that way I can see how much food is in the box and if it is conducive to our budget.
3- Wash your non organic produce in more than water. The following link has some great suggestions of produce wash that helps draw out impurities and pesticides. How to wash non organic produce the easy way
4- Prioritize what you buy organic. Make the dirty dozen your top priority to always buy organic and the clean fifteen your lowest priority. If your not eating the peel, it's low priority. The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.  

Remember we are all on a journey. Celebrate progress and keep moving forward.

Sunday Juice

I made this juice on this beautiful Sunday afternoon when I was feeling a bit sluggish- it perked me right up.

7 Carrots
2 Gala Apples
2 Oranges
small handful parsley
1 inch ginger

Put all ingredients through juicer and enjoy! Makes about 25 ounces.

Lemonade Dressing

This is my husbands favorite dressing- he says it taste like lemonade, hence, the name. It's my favorite to make because it's a cinch. 

Equal parts raw honey, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil. Mix. 

I just pout it all in a mason jar because you can shake to mix and then it's already in a storage container. Viola! 

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli has grown on me over the last few months... figuratively of course. Maybe my body is craving it, or my taste buds are changing, but I seem to want it quite often which is a new development. Here is my latest broccoli creation. So easy, and so yummy.

1 large head of broccoli
2 T. Lemon Juice
2-3 T. Olive Oil
2 tsp Braggs liquid aminos
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (not roasted or salted)
Dried Cranberries to taste (I used one sweetened with apple juice- careful not to get once loaded with extra junk)

Chop Broccoli into small florets and put in large bowl. Add Lemon, Olive oil and aminos. Massage liquids into broccoli until it becomes tender. Mix in remaining ingredients and set aside for 10-20 minutes to marinate. Enjoy!

*you'll notice this is a relatively small recipe- you can easily double it. 

Raw Cheese Cake

This is one of my favorite desserts! Before I became high raw, my mom would make my brother and I a cheese cake for every birthday. I didn't have to let go of the tradition of birthday cheesecake! This is a crowd pleaser and has proven the test of my non raw friends taste buds. It's a little pricey to make but worth it especially for special occasions. 


CRUST:
3/4 C. walnuts
3/4 C. macadamia Nuts
1/2 C. dates
1/4 C. dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1 pinch sea sale

Process nuts and dates and salt well. Sprinkle coconut on bottom of pan (I use a square pirex or a circle cheesecake pan 8x8 is perfect) this helps keep cheesecake from sticking. Press crust mixture into pan.

FILLING:
2 C. cashews
1/2 C. lemon juice
1/2 C. coconut oil
1/2 C. agave or honey
1 T. vanilla extract
up to 3 T. water to thin if necessary

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until creamy (except water, only use if needed). Pour filling into pie crust and freeze about an hour to let the cake firm up.

TOPPING: 
(I think this topping is best freshly made, so I make it right before serving. If this isn't possible you can alternatively top cheesecake and place back in freezer until ready to serve.)
2 C. frozen organic strawberries (one of the dirty dozen- high priority to buy organic)
1/2 C. dates

Place ingredients in high speed blender. Blend well (if you have a tamper like the one that comes with a vita mix, you will want to use it to assist in the blending).

Recipe inspired by therawtarian.com 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of dried chives
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
3 tsp. Honey
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of black pepper
(for a variation you could use a pinch of garlic and herb seasoning)

Mix all. I mix my dressings in a mason jar because they are easy to shake and store. Store in refrigerator.

This dressing is so quick and easy to make! You can adjust amount of vinegar and oil to your taste. The more vinegar the stronger the dressing of course. 

The power of what you're NOT eating

Wouldn't it be nice to accomplish something great by omission? I'm a driven person, and believe in doing things for the greater good, however, it's a nice break when you can accomplish something by simply not doing something.

I'm often asked questions in reference to what I eat. Do you eat 100% raw? How much cooked food do you eat? What do you eat for lunch? It's time to let the secret out. The secret is what I don't eat! I don't eat processed foods.  Though what I eat has changed greatly in the last year or so, the greater change has been what I do not eat. Processed foods are no longer a large part of my diet. Angela Stokes, who lost 160 pounds eating raw food talks about this "secret" in her free ebook. The less processed foods I consume, the more healthy I am and the better I look and feel.


The number one priority in eating for health, is to eat 100% whole foods. This is not the same as 100% raw. The best foods are whole and organic. If something had to be highly processed or refined- chances are your body has no idea what to do with it and certainly does not retain nutrients from it. A great place to start with your organic shopping list is with the dirty dozen. These are the first items you should transition to buying organically.

How to cut out processed food 101:
1- Buy fruits and vegetables
2- When buying packaged food read the ingredients- they should be items you can identify, pronounce and the list should be short (less than 5 ingredients is a good thing).
3- When buying nuts- buy raw nuts. Nuts already have plenty of flavor and oils, no need for added oil.

Note: Omission of processed foods does not mean deprivation! I still eat brownies, cheesecake, nacho "cheese", Alfredo and much more.  Keep checking the recipe page as I am adding to it weekly.

Give yourself a break and enjoy the benefits of what you're not eating!

Raw Taco's

1 cup Walnuts, chopped
10 Sundried Tomatoes, soaked
1-2 Tbs Olive Oil 
1 tsp Chili powder 
1/2-1 tsp Cayenne powder
1/2 tsp Salt 
*Originally posted by Diamond Health

Blend all ingredients above. You may want to adjust the seasonings to personal taste. I always add extra Cayenne! This is great in on Romaine leaves, or on Ezekiel tortillas (depending on if you want to make it 100% raw). 

Top with salsa, vegan nacho cheese sauce, sprouts and tomatoes. This is one of my families favorites! 

Raw Nacho Cheese Sauce

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and rinsed
½ large red bell pepper
¼ cup water
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (find this in the bulk section or in condiments…it’s not ‘technically’ raw)
1 tablespoon tahini
1½ teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoon onion powder (or a small slice of onion or 1 Tbsp of green onion)
* Originally posted by http://happyfoody.com/


Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. If you leave cheese blending for a couple of minutes the cheese will become warm. Depending on how hot it gets it may take away the "raw" element, but will still be deliciously vegan! This cheese is great over veggies, raw taco's, or as a cheese dip. Enjoy! 

A peek at the menu in the Hibbitts' House

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since my last post. I wanted to give you a few of Kris and my favorite meals and snacks. Hope you enjoy. These items frequent out menu. These are some of the recipes I started with as well as some new favorites.

BREAKFAST:

Green Smoothie

This is breakfast almost every day. So far we haven't gotten tiered of it.  


2 C. Frozen fruit
2 Cups Spinach (or green of choice)
1 Cups water (more or less depending on desired consistency).
*If you want it to be sweeter you can add dates or honey.  


Place all ingredients in high speed blender (I use a vita-mix) and blend on high about 30 seconds.

Some other things you might add are: 1 Tbs Coconut oil, Hemp seed (for protein), chia seeds, ice (if fruit isn't frozen), Spirulina (great for your eyes, but go easy on it- strong taste and difficult to digest, 1 tsp in this recipe would be enough) or goji berries (they blend better if you soak first for 15 minutes).

Fruit

We eat this for a mid morning snack or in the morning if I don't have time to make a smoothie.

LUNCH/DINNER:

Raw Tacos

http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-taco-meat-recipe

We eat this on romaine leaves of Ezekiel tortillas (sprouted organice grain- not too pricey. Sprouts, Cupboard and Whole foods all have these). I don't love sour cream, so I don't make the raw version of it (also on the rawtarians sight) but i DO love nacho cheese. I will post recipe for the below. We also enjoy this with salsa and sometimes black olives.

I amend the reciped by using about half the salt and twice the chili powder and cayanne- you can play with the recipie to see what your family likes.

Raw Nacho Cheese DIVINE sauce

I REALLY missed cheese, but no more. This recipe remedies my cheese cravings.

http://happyfoody.com/2009/08/10/raw-cheddar-cheese-sauce/

I would start with 1 tsp of salt and add if needed. Nutritional yeast can be found in the bulk section of most health food stores- buy in small amounts, you never use much.

I put this over a cage free egg omlet. We also use as a veggie dip, add to Quinoa and I may try pouring it over zucchini noodles. I might be really edgy and buy some brown rice macorini noodles :) I will probably be trying this over a veggie burger in the near future. (I make veggie burgers in the dehydrator)

Vegan Burritos- This is NOT raw

We are not 100% raw and still eat some cooked veggies, quinoa, beans and occasionally organic grass fed meat or fish.

The other night I was craving some hearty mexican food full of spice and flavor so I came up with this!

Make the cheese sauce above, mix in with cooked Quinoa and a mix of black, kidney and pinto beans. Top with salsa (and in my house Tabasco). You can eat this alone or on an Ezekiel tortilla or in a Romaine leaf. You can also add veggies like cooked onions, raw spinach, bell pepper, tomato, broccoli or black olives.

This is a great healthy option for an incredibly filling hearty meal.

Raw Alfredo:

http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-alfredo-sauce-recipe

I use all cashews because they are cheaper (don't get cheated on cashew prices- Sprouts and Whole Food have them for $8.99/lb.) We eat this over brown rice spaghetti noodles or spiralized zucchini (need a spiralizer to do this with out taking a lot of time- About $40)

See earlier post for a list of my favorite salads. The Kale Salad is still my number one choice! 

SIDES/VEGGIES:

Oh my, where to begin...

Roasted Cabbage

Cut one head of cabbage into 1/8's. Brush with a combination of 2 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Liberally salt and pepper and add favorite spice- I used Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb. Roast in 450 oven about 20-25 minutes (if you sliver you will not need to turn- If you lay the slices down on it's side you will need to turn once).

Curried Cauliflower (not raw- but completely delicious!) 


http://almostveganchef.com/2012/01/09/easy-curry-roasted-cauliflower/

Almostveganchef.com is a great site worth browsing. 

Marinated Broccoli


Chop 2 heads of Broccoli in to small pieces and place in mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and about a tsp of Tamari (soy sauce) and massaged it in to the broccoli. After about 10 minutes the broccoli will be a bit softer and a similar texture to lightly steamed broccoli.




Cucumber Salad 


http://www.rawmazing.com/marinated-cucumber-salad/ (Another great site for browsing) 

SNACKS:

Trail Mix: Choice of raw nuts, raisins, goji berries (expensive but a nice treat and you don't need many) or any other dried fruit without added oil or sugar.

Fruit

Veggies with Hummus, or Almond Butter.

Organic Rice cakes with almond butter (this is not my top choice nutritionally, but it gets the job done if I'm in a hurry).

Benitos (sold at health food stores)- Again, not the best choice, but it's a good transitional "cheat" if you are about to cave and eat potato chips.

Change is a matter of educating yourself

Over the past year my diet has changed dramatically.  Some would call the way I eat "extreme." However, I did not get here by any "extreme" decision- that is, for the most part not in my nature. My diet has morphed by a series of simple choices and a lot of education.

A couple years ago I was a typical "dieter" who ate as healthy as I knew how and always tried to watch calories. I was the queen of lean cuisine and frozen diet dinners. They were simple and what I thought to be healthy. My diet was comprised of about 5-10% whole, raw food. Today my diet is nearly 100% whole, un processed food and high raw. The journey to get here was comprised of one simple, small step at a time.

Some foods I previously ate included, cheese, deli lunch meat, Reese's peanut better cups (this was my favorite guilty pleasure), other processed sugars, cows milk, and lots of processed snacks. Today, these foods are rarely if ever a part of my diet. The process of eliminating foods from my diet was not one of deciding I would never eat it again. Instead, I began educating myself of the things I was ingesting. The more education I received, the more aware I was of the negative effect many things I ate were having on my body and well being. I was also more aware of the things my body needed and benefited from. That's it. A year later my diet is completely different.

I never mustered up a large dose of self will to cut out "bad" foods. I simply educated myself and from there I slowly began migrating toward the foods that were good for me and eating less of the food that was bad for me. If you truly want to change, and you educate yourself, change is nearly inevitable.

I believe this is a healthy and sustainable way to make lifestyle and diet changes. I encourage you to educate yourself well from many sources regarding your diet. Ultimately, the way you eat is your decision, and a decision based on good education is far better than the alternative.

A book worth reading

Need a good book to read on health? High Raw by Kevin Gianni is a must read. 

Gianni is extremely down to earth and brings a wealth of simple, easy to digest, food for thought. His book, as the title suggests is about eating a high raw diet. However, you do not have to be a "raw foodest" to obtain great benefit from reading this book. Gianni's simple health principles are a must read for anyone interested in living a healthier life. Go to http://renegadehealth.com/blog/ and download this valuable book for FREE- that's right, Gianni is so interested in getting you great information, he offers the ebook for free. Print it, put it in a binder and READ IT! (Or of course just read it on your e-reader...but for those of us who don't have one, I recommend printing it so you can take it with you wherever you most enjoy reading). It's an easy and enjoyable read well worth your time.  I've read half the book over the weekend and will enjoy the rest as the week progresses- hope you will being enjoying it as well! Feel free to leave comments with your favorite points from the book.

Yummy Salads

Avocado black bean salad - inspired by Penni Shelton's "Fiesta Salad"

Spinach

Avocado

Black beans 

Tomato 

Ground pepper

Salt

Cilantro Lime Dressing (This fabulous recipe is from Penni Shelton's book Raw Food Cleanse. There are many more delicious recipes in her book. Buy it- it's only about $10 and chalk full of info and recipes.) To make the dressing:

• 1 Cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of minced garlic

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Mix spinach with dressing (to taste- I use a lot because I can't get enough of this dressing), add black beans, tomato and top with avocado. Grind some pepper on the top and add extra dressing if desired. 

Enjoy! 

 Kale Salad - this one is bursting with flavor and very simple!

For the base massage some kale with olive oil and a pinch of salt. (If you are short on time, simply plate the kale. Massaging is optional, it causes the Kale to wilt but I love Kale the way it is. The picture below has the kale without oil.)

Top with nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, goji berries and hemp seed. 

You can adapt this and use other dried fruit. It's great without hemp seeds, but for those who want to add some more protein it's a great option. 

Dressing: mix equal parts olive oil, lemon juice and raw honey. 

Raw Thoughts: An inviting home

Lately I've been viewing my body as a home and taking inventory of what would be comfortable in my home.  Am I cultivating an atmosphere in my body for health? Are the things I am eating, thinking and feeling decorating a home in the way health would feel comfortable? What about my lifestyle? Or, instead of a home for health, is my body an invitation to sickness and disease?

My goal is to constantly maintain, clean, upgrade and even do a complete remodel when necessary to make my body a home that is inviting to health.

Massage and marinate

Like many people, I am not a fan of certain raw plain veggies. However- I have found a technique, if you want to call it that, to make these veggies taste so good and have a semi "cooked" texture with out adding any heat.

Massage your veggies with some oil and your other favorite flavors. Then let them marinate for 10-20 minutes. So simple but so good.

At the top of my hit list of raw veggies I want to like, but don't was broccoli. Tonight I poured about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a couple heads of chopped broccoli, added about a tsp of Tamari (soy sauce) and massaged it in to the broccoli. After about 10 minutes the broccoli was a bit softer and had a similar texture to lightly steamed broccoli.

I have also done this with kale. If you don't like how strong it taste or the texture just massage in some olive oil. The kale wilts as if it were sauteed. I really enjoy raw kale but like to do this to change it up a bit.

Sauteed mushrooms were once one of my favorite foods. Now, instead of cooking them, I simply marinate them in a bit of olive oil and either tamari or balsamic vinegar.

So...if you want to add some flavor and texture to your veggies massage and marinate :)

Support for a "happy" diet

Eating raw food is a wonderfully rewarding lifestyle. Still, like any major lifestyle change it is work and a lot of...change. Humans need support and community. Because raw food is not the Standard American Diet (SAD) it is important to find the people who do eat a lot of raw food to create a support system for success. 

One of the places I have found incredible support and encouragement for this lifestyle is The Raw Food Rehab. It is an online community of people who eat raw food. Everyone is at a different place in their journey, and are supportive not matter where you are in yours.  It's a great forum to ask questions, find recipes and receive support. The founder, Penni Shelton authored Raw Food Cleanse- a great book in my raw food library. 

Community is a key ingredient to a healthy life and transitioning from a SAD diet to a "happy" one - no matter what percent raw you plan to go. Happy rehabbing :) 

Raw Thoughts

A note to readers- I will soon be updating the layout of my blog to make it easier to find recipes (esp as I add more :), information etc. In that new layout I will have a place for "Raw Thoughts." This will be a place I share with you the spiritual and "raw" thoughts I have in this food journey. So- here is the first. Hope you enjoy. 

A WALK IN THE PARK

Saturday, January 14th was a sunny surprisingly warm day in North Texas. After being in an office all week I was craving some sunlight and outdoors. Walking in the near by park seemed like the ideal thing to do- so off I went.

My normal walk at this particular park is two laps around the track which has a beautiful pond in the middle and lots of trees (a rare thing to see in the city in North Texas). About half way through the first lap I heard a thought in my head telling me to only walk around the track once today. I argued- why would I only walk around the track once? I quickly realized my Father was trying to have a conversation with His sometimes stubborn daughter. 

This thought…His voice was persistent. So with a resolve to only finish this one lap, I slowed down. Immediately I heard "why did you slow down?" My response was "because, now that I know I only have one lap I want to enjoy what's left of it." He said, "Yes, this is like your life. You only have one. You don't have two. Just like you were rushing through the first lap when you thought you had two, you are rushing through your life focusing on accomplishment and results when I am calling you to notice what is around you. That is where life is- all around you. Yet, too often you are so busy trying to get through life, you don't notice the life I am longing for you to take part in." 

Once I slowed down on my walk, I enjoyed it instead of just trying to check something off my list. I also noticed the plants and life all around me. I wanted to soak it all in because in the winter it's rare that I am outside in warm sunlight. My life has often reflected this. I am not "outside" where life is. Instead I am watching TV or locked in on my next endeavor to accomplish something, or the every day check list- what ever that day's may hold. 

I will take heed to this warning. With His help I will enjoy life and not just plow through. For it is in enjoying Him and all He has made that you discover true life and purpose- not in the check list. 

Best way to start the day

One of the first major changes I made in my eating habits is what I ate in the morning.  One of the body's best ways to shed pounds and detox is to eliminate. "Taking the trash out"as it concerns your body in vital. Otherwise you live in a trash compound. Before you can get the good stuff in, you have to get the bad stuff out.

The easiest way to aid your body in it's natural progression of elimination is to drink water upon rising and eat or drink fruit for breakfast. Never eat fruit with anything else or it will ferment in your stomach. (wait 30-45 minutes before eating anything else as a general rule).

Some great choices in the morning are:


- Fruit (plain and simple fruit, anything you like and as much as you like)
- Fruit smoothie (frozen fruit with almond or coconut milk): most blenders will be able to handle this. If your blenders can't handle frozen fruit you could always do this with non frozen fruit or half frozen half unfrozen. This is what I had every morning before I got my much loved Vita-mix
- Green smoothie: in my opinion this is the ultimate fuel to start the day. If you have a high speed blender such as a blendtech or vita-mix this smoothie is a cinch (if you don't you may end up with chunks of spinach- not too tasty).

1. 2 C. frozen fruit of choice
2. Water - enough to almost be level with frozen fruit (add more if needed- or use less for thicker smoothie)
3. 2 C. dark leafy green of choice (spinach is mild and a good one to start with. My personal favorite is Kale.)
4. Blend and enjoy

This is my breakfast nearly every day. It's amazing how the fruit hides the "green" taste. I am normally hungry again within a couple of hours so I eat more fruit. Ideally I eat only fruit until lunch time. I have found I have more energy and feel much better with this regimen. If I really want something more substantial I will eat nuts, raw veggies, and some Ezekiel bread. some other healthy raw snack. 

I eat dessert when I'm sick

Because processed suger shuts down your immune system, I made sure to stay away from sweets when I was sick. However, many raw desserts actually build your immune system.  Now, if I feel a bit under the weather and I want some fudge...I eat it. Coconut oil and raw honey build your immune system. Both of these ingredients are in my favorite one minute fudge. The raw cheesecake from the Rawtarian is also pack full of nutrients. How something so delicious can come from coconut oil, cashews, macadamia nuts, raw honey, dates, and lemon juice I've yet to figure out. (It really is good. I made this for my family at Christmas and it was a hit.)

Now when I eat a dessert I feel really good about it because I am feeding my body good things and building my immune system. I would feel no shame to eat cheesecake for a meal. In fact- I have done it.

Eat more dessert!