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Recent Articles
No Matter What, Always Be Encouraged
The sun always comes once the clouds have parted from the rain. There is always a lesson learned and an upside to various situations, it merely de...
The Little Things
Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day routine of our lives that we forget about the little things. And aren't those the things that matt...
We’ve Got Raw Doughnut Holes!
Once again we wanted to let you in on the amazing fact that you can indeed enjoy delicious treats that are wholesome and good for you too. That's ...
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No Matter What, Always Be Encouraged
The sun always comes once the clouds have parted from the rain. There is always a lesson learned and an upside to various situations, it merely depends on your point of view, on how you look at things. There is experience to be gained in all that we do, there are stories to live and stories to be told. There is wisdom gained and knowledge to be passed on to others who endure something similar.
We know that it is not always easy to make lifestyle changes. Whether you are new to raw foods and holistic health, or a seasoned raw foodie looking to shake things up a bit, we encourage you all to take it one step at a time. For just as learning to walk or ride a bike for the first time left you with a couple bruises or scrapes, so might you unintentionally fall off track or take a wrong turn. No worries though, because we want to encourage you that at any point you can get back up again and get back to the raw food lifestyle.
We have several ways to for you start the raw food lifestyle depending on your own personal preference for learning and trying new things. Check out our Going Raw article here. If you are looking for ways to shake things up a bit, in addition to raw-tastic recipes, we have an article on how to Get More Raw into your diet. Ultimately, we want you to know that we are here to support you in your journey, which is why we provide all of this information and resources for free. We want you to succeed.
Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your journey to holistic health and wellness:
- Have A Night In: Invite a couple friends over for an un-cook night. That’s right, claim that together you will make a meal that is super healthy and taste amazing. Use our site or another website of your choice to pick some easy raw recipes that are sure to awe (we recommend raw sushi, raw tacos, spinach powerhouse salad, raw cookie dough, etc). You all can meet up at the grocery store and hand pick your produce. Then put on some good music and make the magic happen in the evening.
- Try Something New: Be sure you are not falling into a routine with your food. You will get bored, which is a time when we can become susceptible to temptation. Our website is jam packed with yummy raw recipes, all of them super easy to prepare. Consider planning at least one new recipe a week to keep things going. Also feel free to experiment, which can be loads of fun.
- Find A Veggie Friendly Restaurant: This is a once in a while suggestion. If you cannot find a raw restaurant, opt for one that has vegan friendly options. This is a good way to add some more variety and spice into your life.
- Raw Dessert: Don’t let the wholesome goodness fool you! You can totally have raw sweets that taste even better than what you’ll find in the standard American diet, which all natural ingredients! We commend raw cookie dough, raw banana soft serve, or raw carob balls.
- Join A Group: Raw foodies have a desire to meet and connect with others who share in their lifestyle. Use groups like Ning.com and Meetup.com to see who’s getting together in your area. If you cannot find a raw food group, find a vegan or vegetarian friendly group instead and see if they would be open to a raw food night or gathering.
Other Articles to Support You In Your Journey:
Affirmations for Health and Wellness
Healing Requires Presence and Awareness
How to Stay Raw at Work
Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day routine of our lives that we forget about the little things. And aren’t those the things that matter the most? Like when you are just relaxing outside and a little lady bug flies in and lands beside you? Or have you ever had a moment where your gaze is instantly interrupted by a carefree butterfly, meandering through the air to land where she sees fit. It’s beautiful to watch the little moments of nature and life happening right before you. Often we can be so busy or so immersed in what we are doing that we forget to look up and take note of what is happening around us.
We are a technology driven species, it is clear. In fact, if do get the opportunity to glance up while you are outside surrounded by people, take a look at how many of them are deeply concentrating on their cell phones, so involved in what’s going on in that little screen that they are literally walking one foot in front of the other and that’s it. We encourage all of our readers to take a moment to break away from the many computer screens and paperwork that makes up our day and actually take a moment to appreciate what’s going on around you. Again, it’s the little things that matter the most.
Surely there will be something simple and yet fascinating to capture your attention. We’ve listed 10 examples of some items you should see if you can find. They are sure to make you smile. Or, be sure to comment and leave behind your “little things” moment.
- A child with colorful rain boots splashing in puddles
- A family of ducks flying in the perfect “V” formation
- A woman planting flowers outside her home
- After a gentle rain, the clouds part and there is a rainbow
- A favorite song from your youth playing on the radio
- The clouds in the sky taking on a familiar shape
- Noticing the stars on a night sky and how far away they are
- A gentle breeze and a familiar scent in the air
- The warm embrace of a friend you’re excited to see
- The wind picking up leaves and carrying them to a new destination.
Happy thoughts to all our readers and a friendly reminder to remember the little things. They are happening all around you!
Once again we wanted to let you in on the amazing fact that you can indeed enjoy delicious treats that are wholesome and good for you too. That’s the beauty of raw foods! The desserts and snacks are guilt free. You don’t have to worry about checking for calories or adding points. You simple make it and enjoy it. This is the perfect recipe to serve to friends, because they will be so shocked to find out how great these taste and yet they are made from all natural, raw ingredients. This is proof that you don’t need artificial sweeteners and food dyes to have an amazing dessert. This recipe comes to us from Susan Powers, the creative force behind Rawmazing, the website designed to help you transition from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to the healthy, tasty world of raw food.
Here’s how to make this delicious dessert below:
Ingredients:
Doughnuts:
- 2 C Brazil Nuts
- 1/2 C Oat Flour (made from raw oats)
- 1 C Flaked Oats (raw)
- 1/3 C Coconut Oil
- 1/3 C Maple Syrup (not raw but used in raw food recipes, you could substitute agave or dates to experiment)
Topping:
- 1/3 C Sucanat (not raw but not processed, used in raw recipes)
- 1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
Equipment:
Foodprocessor, and a mixing bowl with spoon
Directions:
1. Fine chop Brazil nuts in food processor until fine. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl, mix together and then add to the wet ingredients. Stir.
3. For the topping, combine and put through blender. I use a coffee grinder for this to break up the grainy sucanat. You can skip this step and just combine the ingredients.
3. Roll into balls. Roll in sucanant cinnamon mixture and refrigerate. In an hour or so you are free to enjoy (if you can wait that long!).
Source Information: Recipe and photographs are copyright 2009 Susan Powers www.rawmazing.com. All Rights Reserved.
Summer Salad: Spinach Power House
Do you want a hearty salad that is delicious, good for you and jam packed with nutrients? Then you’ve got to try this Raw Power House Salad! It is a party for your tastebuds and very filling. Trust us, you will be getting so much green along with all of the other colors of the rainbow. You will glow with energy and wholeness. Give it a try.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 cups of baby spinach
- 1 cup of spring salad mix
- 1 cup of cabbage slaw (sliced raw cabbage & shredded carrots)
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 cucumber
- 1 avocado
- parsley flakes
- splash of olive oil and lemon juice
Equipment:
Really nothing is needed beyond a cutting board and knife, and a bowl with spoon for mixing
Directions:
1. Place the handfuls of baby spinach into your mixing bowl. Then add the cup of spring salad mix. Blend all of the leaves together.
2. Add in one cup of cabbage slaw and mix it with the leaves.
3. Slice your red onion in half and then slice it vertically and horizontally to get nice small chunks of onion. Toss those into your salad.
4. Peel the skin of the cucumber if it is not organic. Then slice it long ways down the middle. Turn each half so that the flat side is on your cutting board. Then cut nice chunky slices and add them into the salad.
5. Take your avocado and remove it from its skin (If you’re not sure how to do this, read our article on Avocados). Slice your avocado into small chunks and toss them into your salad.
6. Slice your red bell pepper in half. For the half you are using, cut both horizontally and vertically to create small squares (similar to the size of what you might find in a chunky salsa). Add these to the salad.
7. Sprinkle in the parsley flakes
8. Add a dash of lemon juice and olive oil and mix well.
9. Serve in a plate or bowl and enjoy!
This recipe comes from Philip McCluskey’s website, Loving Raw, where he shares his raw inspirational story and his journey of continued health and wellness through eating raw foods and taking care of himself. There have been a couple requests from readers who want to tackle raw sushi but are a little intimidated because the recipes look intimidating. So we went out on a search for an easy approach to making raw sushi and we stumbled upon this fantastic find on Philip’s website. Here’s the article below:
So you got friends coming over and you don’t know what to make, how about Raw Sushi!
It’s fairly quick to make, looks impressive, and tastes great!
Heather and I were just eating soups for the day, but we had friends come over and wanted to whip up something special. Sushi was just the ticket.
People have commented in the past that raw sushi was intimidating to make because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to roll the nori (seaweed) correctly. A ripped or sloppy nori is not really a big deal when your home alone, but when friends are coming over, its got to be right… or so the thought is I guess.
You’re in luck then, cause to roll nori correctly no tools are required. Nope, not even that bamboo rolling mat. There are a couple ideas I work off of, but overall here are some of the techniques I use. In the end practice makes perfect.
I basically make three types of raw sushi:
Pate Sushi – Lettuce, pate, and veggies. This can be crunchy, flavorful, whatever you like.
- I usually place some sort of lettuce base down on the nori to start (like romaine or spinach). This protects the nori from getting wet if I am going to lay down a pate. Note: A wet nori is a sloppy or ripped one.
- I will have whipped up a pate as well. Something usually nut (almond, macadamia, brazil) or seed (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp) based. I thrown in some spices (usually cayenne, sea salt, cumin) and complimenting veggies. Meaning… if I am using red bell peppers in the nori I will add some to blend into the pate as well. Have fun, be creative. There are no rules here.
- Lay some of the pate on the lettuce, then top with veggies (peppers, sprouts, celery strips, carrot shreds). Only put food on 1/4 of the nori.
- Then roll. Just grab the end with the food and roll over and tuck under. Inch by inch, roll and tuck. When you get near the end wet your fingers in water and wet the end of the nori sheet. Roll the final nori over and let it rest on the seal until it dries.
Faux Rice Sushi – Faux parsnip rice and veggies. This is the closest looking and has the most “real sushi” appeal.
- Check online for your favorite parsnip rice recipe. Basically its just ground parsnip and a few other seasonings. Start with laying down a thick layer of rice.
- Add other veggies (peppers, sprouts, celery strips, carrot shreds)
- Sometimes it can be fun to make a savory sauce you can drizzle over the veggies.
- Then roll. Just grab the end with the food and roll over and tuck under. Inch by inch, roll and tuck. When you get near the end wet your fingers in water and wet the end of the nori sheet. Roll the final nori over and let it rest on the seal until it dries.
Raw Veggies Sushi – Just plain veggies in a nori wrap. This is the simplest, usually if I am on my way out the door.
- Grab a handful of sliced, diced, julienned, or mushed (avocado) veggies, and lay them across the base of your nori.
- You might want to add a squeeze of lemon juice, or maybe a sprinkle of sea salt if desired.
- Then roll. Just grab the end with the food and roll over and tuck under. Inch by inch, roll and tuck. When you get near the end wet your fingers in water and wet the end of the nori sheet. Roll the final nori over and let it rest on the seal until it dries.
Add-Ons
Add a nice green tea (Sencha) for flavor, maybe a little Eden wasabi powder blend for a kick, and a little unpasteurized Nama Shoyu for dipping and you’re all set.
Break out the fine china, or in this case Japanese sushi plates, and have a party! Spending time with loved ones is the real reward.
Source Information: Recipe and photographs are original property of Philip McCluskey www.lovingraw.com. All Rights Reserved.
Wanna spice up your summer dinning table? Make the kids want to eat more fruit? We found this and thought it was adorable, especially if you have kids! You can see from the picture that it is really easy to make! And its yummy too! This monkey is sure to be a crowd pleaser.The prep time is about 10 minutes, and the ingredients simply include one cantaloupe and two plums. The website we found this on, Instructables, has step by step picture instructions on how to get this monkey’s face just right! Click here to read how simple it is and then enjoy!
RAW MOTHER’S DAY CONTEST: Treat Your Mom like a Queen for a Day!
There’s nothing that we appreciate more than the opportunity to spread love and good vibes out into the universe. Many of our readers celebrate Mother’s Day. We thought this would be an excellent chance to really get some positive energy flowing! For many of us, thoughts of our mom bring happy memories and a deeper kind of love. That’s why we’re teaming up with Hail Merry to treat your mother like a queen this Mother’s Day! Read the article below for more details and instructions on how to enter.
What’s the Story Behind Hail Merry Organic Snacks?
Hail Merry was created by Dallas raw food chef Susan O’Brien. Ms. O’Brien’s products are dehydrated at very low temperatures in order to protect the essential oils and living enzymes found in her organic raw ingredients. Her core philosophy is to bring awareness to the powerful benefits of healthy oils, which we must obtain from our diets. These plant based fats like Omega 3 & Oleic Acid can actually improve our cholesterol profile, reduce inflammation, and make our hair & skin more radiant. They prefer to add spices to their snacks instead of sugars for added flavor. Before deciding on this giveaway, we had the opportunity to sample the Blonde & Chocolate Macaroons, along with the Cranberry/Orange granola, and it was absolutely delicious! So good to taste and so good for you too! Their snacks were recently named in the Top 5 Vegan Foods Even Carnivores Will Love according to the Houston Press. Visit the Hail Merry website and see for yourself, be sure to check out their rawmazing products too!
THE RAWMAZING PRIZE!!!
We’re offering a grand prize of the Queen for a Day tote for you to gift to your Mom. This is the ultimate expression of love for your “rawness”. The Hail Merry burlap tote filled with so many goodies she will beam with appreciation for days! The ensemble includes:
- 3 Grawnola 369 Cranberry/Orange Zips
- 3 Blonde Macaroon Zips
- 3 Chocolate Macaroon Zips
- Woman’s Short Sleeve T-shirt-specify size (not pictured)
- Woman’s Ball Cap
- Hail Merry Burlap Tote
The grand prize is valued at $95 and you can win it for your mom for FREE! Two runners up will get either 1 Blonde Macaroon Zip or 1 Chocolate Macaroon Zip.
HOW TO ENTER
Comment on this article to tell us why your mom is RAW-mazing! What makes her shine and what makes her special? We want to know so we can help spread the love and treat a lucky reader to the ultimate gift for mom. We’ll be excepting entries until Friday, April 30th, 11:59pm EST. Only one entry per person please (multiple entries will disqualify you). Winners will be chosen through a random number generator and notified via email.
MORE ABOUT HAIL MERRY
Hail Merry Website: http://www.hailmerry.com
Hail Merry Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hailmerry
Hail Merry Twitter: http://twitter.com/hailmerrysusan
Summer Salad Series: Raw Beets
This summer we are doing a series of light, refreshing, energizing salads! Perfect to entertain with and eat in warm weather. Our second salad, Grated Raw Beets, is sure to add some color to any menu! It’s modified from a recipe we found on Vegetarian Times and it serves 6 people. Raw beets taste similar to raw carrots in that they’re sweet, juicy, and crisp. Jicama, a Mexican root vegetable that looks like a large, pale, round potato, is crunchy and mild when peeled and eaten raw. If you can’t find jicama, simply substitute cubed cucumber in this salad.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups grated jicama
- 2 cups grated raw beets (3 medium beets)
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned, each section cut into thirds
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 Tbs. fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbs. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 11/2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (optional)
Directions:
1.Place beets in medium bowl along with jicama, avocado, orange, and cilantro.
2. Whisk together orange juice concentrate, lime juice, cumin, and coriander. Whisk in oil. Pour over beet mixture, and toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle each serving with rawpumpkin seeds.
Healing Requires Presence & Awareness
Piera Bonventre is a Homeopathic Practitioner, raw food connoisseur and a travelling yogi. She also tweets energy healing and daily yoga instructions- encouraging you to include yoga anytime of day. Piera will be our in-house yoga instructor, providing insight and direction into this unifying form of movement. Here’s what she has to say:
Einstein said:
“‘A human being is a part of the whole universe, a part limited in time and space.
He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.
Our task must be to free ourselves from this by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
-Albert Einstein, ‘What I believe’, Forum and Century issue 84 (1930)
As a homeopath, holistic nutritionist and Reiki practitioner I have learned immensely about myself through my practice and mainly from my patients. They are some of my greatest teachers. I have learned that each and everyone of us truly thrives when given love and compassion. That without these 2 invaluable things, healing cannot transpire.
We may experience different events, symptoms and diseases in our lives. However underlying all disease manifestations lies a deficiency and imbalance . This deficiency and imbalance is what sets off our internal innate healing mechanism to go in disarray. Deficiency comes in many forms, from what is lacking in our diets, to what is missing in our living environments and personal relationships.
When I began to practice I was focusing on finding the right prescription whether it be the homeopathic remedy most indicated, or the right supplements or the right diet to best suit the patients needs. All this is very important and does play a huge part in my work today.
However now I truly dedicate myself to being first and foremost present with my patients during our consultations and interactions.
Truly present. And with compassion, awareness and love.
I listen with my soul and heart first , and then with my mind. I observe with my soul and my heart first and then analyse with my mind the details and symptoms of the case. And I “feel” the patient’s energy and vibe with my intuition and tune in to their concerns instead of concerning myself with deciphering the right prescription.
Conventional medicine may call this quakery or airy fairy BS.
But the more I work with my own soul and heart, the more I see my patients benefit and reach greater levels of personal healing. I truly believe that just allowing my patients the opportunity to share, and verbally express what they are going through is a huge initiation to their healing efforts. The ability to express their concerns at much longer lengths than the usual conventional 15 minute appointment with their M.D begins to open doors they haven’t even attempted to unlock in ages.
When I look into their eyes, I sense they appreciate my acknowledgment of their pain. More importantly though, when I look into their eyes I connect with their internal wisdom. I observe the love that so desperately wants to be expressed and fully loved back.
Everyone has their own journey to take.
Their path unfolds according to their own level of awareness and how much they allow this awareness to come into being at any given moment.
The more present we become the far more healing we can achieve. The more present we become the far more LIVING we actually experience. Coming to each moment with presence allows us to experience the only thing we have that is certain in this life. Which is the present. This is the key to liberation from suffering and the endless states of pain we may believe we never will overcome.
A dear friend of mine shares his insight on presence with me, whenever he feels I may need a bump back into alignment. He just simply mentions to me in the most loving tone:
“It is what it is, and remember where ever you go, there you are-so love it all”.
How do you bring presence to your daily life? to your interactions? to your work? to your relationships?
Your soul is calling. Have you answered?
Travel Lightly,
Piera
Your Guide to Green Supplements
There’s a lot of buzz out there about green supplements and what they can do for you. We thought it would be a great idea to do an article on the benefits of green supplements as well as an overview of what you’ll find in green supplements. Green food supplements are one of the most amazing and all natural food supplements that you can. Not to mention, taking this health food supplement daily has excellent benefits.
What are green food supplements?
These all natural food supplements use the power of nature to help provide your body with the vitamins, minerals and enzymes it desperately needs. Providing these through diet alone can be quite difficult so these supplements are well worth taking.
What is contained in green food supplements?
Green food supplements are made from super green foods which help to alkalize, energize and nourish the body’s cells along with balancing the body’s pH level. Listed below are some of the main ingredients contained in green food supplements.
- Chlorophyll which is contained in the green part of plants has been found to aid in the healing of intestinal ulcers, liver disorders, eczema, gastritis, asthma, constipation, bleeding gums, and burns.
- Alfalfa which is one of the most mineral rich green foods contains Vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus which are all needed to maintain a healthy body.
- Barley grass is another of the super green foods used in these all natural food supplements. Barley grass is a source of chlorophyll and it supports the body’s immune system and helps with cleansing.
- Green tea is also used. This is a very powerful antioxidant and has been shown to help with diabetes.
- Kelp is a seaweed that is used in green food supplements. Kelp is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and this seaweed has been used in the treatment of under active thyroid problems.
- Spirulina is high in protein and it helps protect the body’s immune system as well as lowering cholesterol and helping to stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Tumeric root is an antifungal and an antiparasitic. It helps to cleanse the blood and has been used in many herbal medicines.
- Wheatgrass is another of the super green foods which helps to create a very unfavourable environment for bacteria.
As you can see the wide variety of green foods used in these amazing supplements really can make a difference to both your body and your health. Your goal however, is to start using them and see the difference for yourself.
Resource:
What can Green Food Supplements Do For You? – Nutritional Supplements Health Guide
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Welcome to Raw Food Nation, an extraordinary, get healthy, eat your fruits and veggies movement sweeping across border lines and bodies of water. We hope you'll stay a while and feast on the fun articles and resources we have to offer. Thank you for joining us and sharing in our positive energy and love of all things green.
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