Archive for June, 2009

Tropical “Yogurt”

This tropical yogurt is a raw-tastic treat for your taste buds!

1 Small Papaya
2 Bananas
1/2 Large Pineapple
2 cups Almond Milk*
Pinch Salt (Pink)
1 tsp alcohol free Vanilla Extract (or a 1/4 vanilla bean)

Blend on high until mixed well. Enjoy. Depending on the amount of milk you add you will get a smoothie/milk shake consistency or you will get yogurt. Either is delicious!

*You can make your own almond milk or purchase it from your local market (it won’t be 100% raw but it will still be delicious!)

This recipe was provided by Wysteria Jackson, who has a fabulous raw food blog. Wysteria resides in Odenton, Maryland and her favorite thing about raw foods is the power it has given her to reclaim her health.

For more info on how your recipe can be featured on our site, check out submissions.

Meditation Monday: How to Start

If you have never tried meditation before, how do you start? We recommend that eventually you make your way to your local book store or library so you can purchase a book/CD set to guide you, but let’s say you’re planning on doing that tomorrow. Here’s what you can do today:

(For instructions on how to sit, please see our introduction to meditation article)

After sitting in your desired position, begin by focusing as much attention on your breathing as possible. Bring as much awareness as you can to willing your breathing to slow down, deepen and become more fluid and evenly rhythmic. This has the effect of causing one’s mental state to become calmer and more lucid.

This kind of focused attention is sometimes referred to as “one pointed-ness”: Your mind is not split among multiple concerns or topics, it is placed only on this singular point of focus. You’re not thinking about how to make the car payment, deadlines, romantic interests or anything else while you are practicing this. Rather, the entirety of your awareness concentrates on how smoothly your breath flows. If an unrelated thought should come into your mind, simply tell it to leave and you will follow up with it later. Do not give it a second thought.

The ability to focus solely on your breathe for a few minutes may not happen immediately. It takes practice and gradually you will get better at this. Once you can do this successfully you can dive into the deeper levels of meditation. Repeat this task daily without ambition or expectation. You can start with 3 minute sessions and then work your way up. You’ll notice that eventually those distracting thoughts will go away when you ask them to. Your clarity will induce a sense of calm that stimulates creativity and reduces tension. It also strengthens your willpower and ability to concentrate, to stay focused and stay on task.

As with learning anything new, you must first focus on the basics, the fundamentals in which the more advanced methods of meditation are built upon. It takes a great deal of patience and understanding. Do not set time goals such as “by the end of the week I should be able to do this for 5 minutes straight,” instead, approach it by simply doing it. Start naturally and end each session naturally, when you feel your mind is ready.

Resources:

“A No-Nonsense Guide to Meditation”
http://thegrowinglife.com/2008/03/meditation-guide/

So You Want To Do A Cleanse?

Let’s define the word “Cleanse”…

Well first, let’s talk about what cleansing is. Cleansing is the act or process of removing poison or the effects of poison from the body. The human body is naturally designed to detoxify itself, if given the appropriate tools to work with. Detoxing is sort of like the oil change you perform on your car every 3,000 miles, except it is for your body. Today’s world is so fast paced that often times we neglect to take care of ourselves or do all that we can to give our body what it needs to self cleanse.

Think of all of the harmful things our body comes into contact with: pollution, chemical household cleaning supplies, processed food, home/work related stress, electromagnetic fields, radiation, negative energy, airborne pathogens, and the list goes on. So it only makes sense to want to renew your mind, body, spirit and soul, by riding yourself of all the toxins that you come into contact with on a daily basis.

There are several ways to detox and cleanse, and we recommend that anyone who wants to do this should do their research. The only way to get the full benefit of a cleanse or detox regimen is to know what you are getting yourself into and prepare for the process. Everyone’s journey starts somewhere.  Here’s to your heath!

How do I do a cleanse that is right for me?

There are so many different paths to holistic wellness and multiple options for cleansing/detoxing. Your goal is to rid your body of toxic build up, to become one with the earth and the person you were meant to be, and to be a conductor of positive energy. Typing in “cleanse” and “detox” into a search engine will bring up multiple links. How do you know which cleanse is best for you? Well, everyone is different, but these pointers below should get you started.

• First figure out what you are looking for in a cleanse. Do you want to cleanse your entire body or just your colon, or your liver? Consulting with a holistic healer or nutritionist might help you to translate your symptoms into what may be “out of whack” in your body.
• After outlining your personal goals, you should also consider visiting your local library or book store and camping out in the health and wellness section with pen and notepad. There is literature on cleansing with raw foods that you need to dive into. It’s so important to write down what sticks out to you or what sounds like it would be a good fit for you. That is the universe giving you clues on how to get to the next step.
• When you are searching online, if something doesn’t seem right, whether it be a claim as to how much weight you will lose or the price of the cleanse, then trust your instinct and don’t get involved. The holistic industry is a fabulous place but there are a lot of people/companies selling false hope in a bottle to get your money.
• See if you can find others interested in cleansing and do it together. Some holistic practitioners offer group detox programs. Sometimes it can be therapeutic just to know that others close by you are going through what you are, and that you can share in each others experiences.
• Then, after narrowing down to the option that aligns with what you are trying to accomplish, go for it with all the positive energy and good vibes you have. Cleansing is a rewarding experience, but for it to be successful, you have to go fuel it with your motivation and determination. You can do it!

Before you cleanse, you should…

We strongly recommend doing your homework before starting any type of cleanse. So you are able to have a successful detox program, here are some things you should get into the habit of doing at least 1-2 weeks before you start (some of these tips are from a book called Super Cleanse: Detox Your Body For Long-Lasting Health and Beauty, by Adina Niemerow):

20 Simple Juice Recipes

Many of you have told us that you recently brought a juicer or would like to get into juicing. We would like to respond by offering some simple recipes for you to try. For starters, we found the list below from Living Foods (will provide website and additional info at the end of the article) and believe it is a great way to introduce you to the wonderful world of juice.

One of the great benefits of  juicing is that you get to experiment with different fruit and veggie combinations as you find recipes online or in books. Your taste buds may be on a roller coaster for a bit, but we promise they will settle soon and start to become excited about what you’re juicing. Maybe you aren’t ready yet to take the plunge into 100% green vegetable juice. We actually recommend  juicing gradually. You’ll be amazed with the results.

So while you’re working up to it, here are some fun simple recipes that you can try. They are easy to make, and delicious too! If you happen to try some of these recipes, report back and let us know. We will continue to post additional recipes and information about the health benefits of juicing to keep you going and trying new things. So go get juiced!

• Carrot/Apple Juice: 6 carrots, 2 apples
• Liver Mover: 2-3 carrots, 1/2 beet
• Bromeiain Special: pineapple (skin & all), unscrew top and throw away, Orange or Grapefruit, 3 oranges (peeled) or 1 grapefruit (peeled)
• Evening Regulator: 2 apples, 1 pear
• Digestive Special: handful of spinach, 6 carrots
• Holiday Cocktail: 2 apples, 1 large bunch of grapes, 1 slice lemon with peel
• Body Cleanser: 4 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 1 beet
• Rejuvenator: handful of parsley, 3 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves of garlic
• Cantaloupe Juice: cut into strips and juice (rind and all)
• The Waldorf: 1 stalk celery, 2 apples
• Sunshine Cocktail: 2 apples, 4-6 strawberries
• Energy Shake: handful of parsley, 6 carrots
• Watermelon Juice: cut into strips and juice, (rind and all)
• Potassium Broth: 1 handful of spinach, 1 handful of parsley, 2 stalks of celery, 4-6 carrots
• AAA Juice: 6 carrots, 1 apple, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 handful of wheatgrass, 1/2 handful of parsley, 1/2 beet
• Passion Cocktail: 4 strawberries, 1 large chuck pineapple, 1 bunch black grapes
• Morning Tonic: 1 apple, 1 grapefruit (peeled)
• Digestive Cocktail: 1/4 lemon with peel, 1/2 grapefruit (peeled), 2 oranges
• Alkaline Special: 1/4 head cabbage (red or green), 3 stalks of celery

These recipes came from Living Foods. The purpose of their web site is to educate the world about the power of the living and raw vegetarian food diet. Contained within the many pages of their website, you will find many recipes, articles, resources, links, testimonials, information and support.

StRAWberry Banana Ice Cream

You probably think that raw ice cream will never compare to the real thing. Well, this recipe is sure to prove you wrong!

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

• 1 small frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/3 cup cashew milk*

That is it my friends…it really couldn’t be more simple!! The natural sweetness from the fruits was more than adequate and the cashew milk gave the creaminess needed. Simply blend the frozen fruit up together in the high speed blender and then added the milk. It solidified into this sublime ice cream instantly. If you do not have a high speed blender you should add the milk in at the same time as the frozen fruit; this will allow the blades to mix all of the ingredients more efficiently. You may have to place it in the freezer for it to become completely solidified. Or, you can also try to put the ingredients into a food processor.

Serve this to friends and family and they’ll never guess that it was raw ice cream. It is simple to make and delicious in both taste and texture.

Best of all, since it was made with healthy ingredients, there’s no need to feel guilty for eating this sweet treat. This is truly a recipe for guilt free ice cream.

*Cashew milk: If you are not ready to make your own nut milk yet, you can swap this out for an almond milk that you would find at your local grocery store. Or, if you are feeling fabulous and up for the challenge, you can make the raw cashew milk by following the steps below.

Cashew Nut Milk:

• 1 cup cashews – leave to soak over night
• 1 T agave nectar  (or you can use dates instead)
• 1 1/2 cups of filtered water
• (you can also add vanilla seeds from pod for added flavoring)

1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and pour over some filtered water and leave to soak over night.
2. The next day, rinse the cashews thoroughly and drain well.
3. Place them into a high speed with 1/2 cup of filtered water and blend up until all the nuts become liquid form.
4. Add the agave nectar and the rest of the water to reach the sweetness and consistency you desire. It is all about getting it to the right taste and consistency for you.
5. Then store the milk in a glass bottle and keep it in the fridge. It will last a couple of days.

Note: If you do not have a high speed blender, you can always use a normal speed blender but simply strain the nut milk through a nut bag (or cheese clothe) before storing in the fridge.

This recipe was provided by Loulou; she is an English Las but presently lives in France, near Nice with her French Husband Stophy. Her favorite raw food is apples. Visit her blog at http://rawloulou.blogspot.com for additional recipes and adventures in raw food.

The Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice

Everyone has been talking about the many benefits of this magical green elixer. Looks like it will coat your insides green, smells like grass…tastes like…hmmm, takes some getting used to if it’s your first time. But if you haven’t experienced the joys of a wheatgrass juice shot, you’re missing out on a lot more than the unique taste!

10 Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice:

10.  Wheatgrass juice loves your blood (not in a vampire kind of way). It increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

9. It also works great on your skin! Externally applied to the skin can help eliminate itching almost immediately. Will soothe sunburned skin and act as a disinfectant. Rubbed into the scalp before a shampoo, it will help mend damaged hair and alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions. Is soothing and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete’s foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so on. Use as a poultice and replace every two to four hours.

8.  Wheatgrass gives you sweet dreams. And this is without you juicing it. Wheatgrass works as a sleep aide. Just place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed. It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly. Oh yeah, no work involved there!

7. It’s great for your mouth! Yes, it sweetens the breath and firms up and tightens gums. Just gargle with the juice.

6. Wheatgrass contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds…enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice.

5. It’s a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

4. Wheatgrass juice restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice’s abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

3. It also stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

2. Wheatgrass juice s a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin. No prescription from a dermatologist or laser skin procedure will take care of you inside and out like wheatgrass.

1. Wheatgrass juice is 70% chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the first product of light and contains more light energy than any other element. Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life. So drinking wheatgrass juice is like drinking life! Bottoms up!

Quick Tips For Getting Some Green:

• To give wheatgrass juice a try, do an internet search for local juice bars and raw/vegan friendly local restaurants. A lot of these establishments are introducing more raw options into their menu, including juices.
• Fresh wheatgrass juice is best. Local organic markets and larger chains (such as Wholefoods) carry wheatgrass. You’ll have to invest in a juicer, but wow will that juice really be fresh!
• Grow your own! Do a quick internet search for wheatgrass growing kits.
• No room for wheatgrass kit and juicer? No worries. Some larger chains offer flash frozen wheatgrass cubes that you can purchase in bulk. Naturally thaw a serving as needed, pour in shot glass, and enjoy. Be proactive for this one. Call your local store and ask them if they carry frozen wheatgrass juice. Do an internet search for your area and wheatgrass juice distributors. See if you can pair the two together.
• As a last resort, although its only half as powerful as the juice, you can purchase the powder and add it to smoothies, water and juices.

Consider really showing the world that you’ve gone green.

Resources

“The Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice” The Hippocrates Institute

Green Products: How Do You Know?

So you are interested in going green. A lot of products claim that they are good for the environment, but how do you know for sure? At Raw Food Nation we are not only about real food, but also real living. With that in mind, we make it a point to live green and take care of mother earth. As you are transitioning into a more eco-friendly lifestyle, here are some questions to ask about a product or its manufacturer (we will provide the resource for these questions at the end of the article):

• Is the product produced locally to minimize energy used for transport?
• Was the product produced using organic growing methods, and is it in season? (See our article on the Eat Seasonably campaign)
• Was it raised humanely and without supplemental drugs or artificial additives?
• Does it come from readily renewable resources?
• Does it utilized recycled or reclaimed materials?
• Is it made without toxic ingredients, thereby reducing the production and release of toxic/hazardous emissions?
• Does the manufacturing plant utilize energy saving systems and procedures for production operations?
• Is the item packaged minimally or in recycled content packaging?
• Is it of good design quality, made to last a long time?
• Can it be recycled or remanufactured at the end of its life cycle?

Seems like a lot of research just to be green, right? Actually, with the growing rate of awareness, it’s a lot easier than you think. Many companies are proud to be developing and manufacturing green products, so much that several of  the answers to these questions will be listed on their website in detail. They want you to know the extent of what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint on our planet.

Even if a little searching around is required, mother earth will thank you, and you will feel darn good to know that you are a part of the solution, not the problem. Remember, part of being a raw food enthusiast is to be green inside and out.

Resources:

It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask

Is it Easy to be on the Raw Food Diet?

Hmmm….. define easy! Some people find adapting to raw foods to be easy and others find it to be more challenging. Ultimately it depends on you and how much time and energy you are willing to put into your transformation. The more you dedicate to figuring out the best way for you to go raw and how to stay on track, the better experience you will have (see our many resources and features to get you started with going raw).

One common misconception is that raw foods is easier in terms of time commitment than your regular standard diet. Overtime, raw foods will become easier, and even more natural in terms of what you select when grocery shopping or going out to eat. But, do not come into the raw food lifestyle with the impression that this is an easy way out. It’s not! Instead of going to a fast food restaurant and ordering a number 5, super size with fries, you’ll have to plan a delicious raw meal ahead of time or pre-pick a healthier place to eat. You’ll also have to rearrange your schedule a bit to allow for meal prep, picking new recipes to try, and grocery shopping for the freshest ingredients.

There is a learning curve involved, but most will tell you that the few extra minutes you have to work into your schedule are well worth the long term health and wellness benefits that follow. We hope to provide you with the necessary resources, answers to questions and networking communities to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Remember, the choices you make today will ultimately effect your tomorrow.

Choose health. Choose wellness. Choose to be raw.

Raw Collard Wraps

Now this is what’s for dinner! Yummy raw collard wraps. This recipe serves 2-3 and we recommend you use all organic ingredients.

• 8 large collard leaves
• 4 medium Avocados
• 6 carrots
• 1 Red bell Pepper
• 1 cucumber
• Dulse powder (comes from a sea vegetable that has a fine distinct taste of seaweed)

-First flatten the collard leaves and cut out the spine.
-Once spine is removed overlap leaf on itself a little so you can spread the avocado.
-Spread the ripe avocado across the leaf (Half of one medium sized avocado should cover one collard leaf)
-Next, slice the carrots, cucumber and red pepper into strips
-Place the veggies on top of the avocado and leaf perpendicular to the stem at one end of the leaf.
-Sprinkle with dulse and roll it up to create the wrap.

You can either eat as a wrap or cut it into pieces and eat them as raw sushi rolls.

This recipe was provided by Will T. Roundy, also known as Gorilla Greenz. Will resides in Paso Robles, California. His favorite thing about raw foods is that when eating them consistently for an extended period of time, he sleeps great, has endless energy, and always has a sense that everything is okay. Check out his website, http://www.gorillagreenzblog.com.

Meditation Monday

Introduction:

The practice of meditation is over 2,500 years old, and countless individuals have utilized its power to cultivate compassion and wisdom. Scientific and medical research has shown that meditation can reduce stress, improve health, enhance performance, and measurably make us happier. Meditation is a way to calm the spirit, relax the body, and to become more in tune with oneself. At Raw Food Nation, we are not only dedicated to promoting the health benefits of eating raw foods, but also the lifestyle choices that come with it. For this reason, we are introducing Meditation Monday as a reminder for you to take a moment to center yourself. We hope that these posts will be educational, and beneficial to your well being.

What is mediation?

Simply put, meditation is a form of relaxation. All meditation involves substituting your thoughts for an alternate object of attention. Whether it is your breath, an image, or a sound, when the mind becomes absorbed in something other than thought, it relaxes.  According to the book Quiet Mind by Susan Piver, meditation is “a profound relaxation of your conventional mind which then naturally calls forth the mind of wisdom” and understanding.

How am I supposed to sit?

There are several different practices that offer a variety of ways to meditate, but one of the overlapping foundations of them all is to take good posture, in other words, finding a way to sit that is both upright and relaxed. Generally speaking, you can sit on a pillow on the floor with your feet crossed or you can sit at the edge of a chair with your feet pressed firmly on the ground. Once you have chosen the way to sit that suits you best, make sure your back is straight and relaxed. Susan Piver recommends that you “feel the crown of your head reaching up to the sky while your sitting bones reach down to the center of the earth. This way…you are joining heaven and earth simply by being a human being who is sitting down.” (we bet you didn’t know you had that ability!)

Your hands should rest comfortably at mid-thigh or just above the knee, or you can place one hand within the other. Depending on the particular practice of meditation, you may have your eyes open or closed. If your eyes are open, they should gaze slightly downward to a spot on the floor that is 4-6 feet away. Your gaze is soft, your jaw is relaxed. Your body also begins to relax.

As you sit, pay attention to your breathing, as it comes in and out of your nose. “Your breath is always in the present moment,” says Susan Piver, “so the simplest way to ‘be present’ is to be with your breath. Sitting this way is a basis for meditation.” See if you can do this at the beginning and end of your day, for just five minutes – ten minutes. What a fabulous way to decompress, center yourself and to gain clarity.

References:

We are not experts and nor do we claim to be, so whenever possible we will provide the resources we used so that you can explore further. For this post we used the following:

Quiet Mind: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation, compiled and edited by Susan Piver