Archive for October, 2009

Surviving Halloween in the Raw

So, you’ve got your costume ready, and you’ve been invited to the most fabulous Halloween party! How often does this holiday fall on a Saturday night, with an extra hour built in for daylights savings time (for all our US readers)? But, you are on your raw food journey and you really don’t want to lose it all and trip up on one night of fun! What do you do?

Oh many of us raw food enthusiasts have been there before! We want to go out and have a good time, but the options for nourishment that meet our high quality standards can be quite lacking! How do you still have a good time with friends all while staying raw and not getting weird faces from others? We have some tips that we think will be of some help.

• As always, preparation and proper planning are key. You know when and where the party is and what time you are planning to arrive (of coarse the party doesn’t start without you!!). So, make sure you have a hearty raw meal before you go. We suggest raw tacos with a side salad, or Vincent’s Kale Salad 3.0. You should never go to a party where you are unsure of the food situation on an empty stomach. This puts you in a desperate situation to be tempted when it can easily be avoidable. If you are going to be out and about prior to going to the party, perhaps dinner out at a raw or vegan spot would also be ideal.
• Make a trip to the grocery store some time this week to pick up a couple LARABARS. They are raw and small enough to fit in a purse, bag, or pocket (not the back pocket or you will smush them!). You can also make a raw trail mix consisting of raw nuts, seeds, dried fruits and cacao. Have small portions of these items on you and if you feel uncomfortable reaching for them while hanging out, excuse yourself to go outside for some fresh air, take in the breeze and chow down.
• Bring water with you if you can. It can be a small bottle that you carry in your bag, or one that you leave in your car for when you go outside for fresh air. You never want to be at one of these parties without water, as it is very important for you to stay hydrated and depending on the affair, sometimes the availability of water is overlooked.
• If this is a house party where you know the hosts, offer to bring a spectacular dish of your own (or two). Then check out our Raw Halloween Recipe Round Up for some great tips and links to give you ideas of what to bring. What’s so great about these recipes is that they look so amazing and festive that no one will even think they are raw, let alone good for them! You will really impress your friends.
• Planning on having a drink? How about bringing your own bottle or two of organic wine so you can pass on the jungle juice? Make a toast with the friends you came with, or if you know the hosts of the party, ask them to hold the wine aside for you (like maybe store it somewhere safe or in the refrigerator).
• As you are mixing and mingling and checking out the goodies at the party, if you should happen upon a fruit or veggie tray, hover! This party tray is your new best friend and don’t feel guilty for loading up your plate or going back for seconds. If you don’t think there will be a fruit and veggie tray there and its a house party, bring one yourself. Afterall, in many situations it is customary for a house guest to show up with something to contribute to the party, and this guarantees that you’ll have something to eat.
• Again if it is a house party, if you are comfortable doing this and know the hosts you might want to let them know of your dietary needs and ask if it is possible for fruit/veggies to be available. A good host/hostess is usually more than willing to accommodate.
• Do your best to avoid temptation! This may mean not hanging around the alcohol table/bartender but enjoying the dancefloor or lounge area instead.
• Above all, have fun and enjoy yourself! Don’t be too hard on yourself if you happen to slip. Do your best to be prepared: this includes costume, good company, and that your nutritional needs are taken care of.

You can totally survive this Halloween while staying on course with your raw food journey. If you have any questions or additional tips that you would like to share, they are much appreciated so feel free to post them below.

Raw Halloween Recipe Round Up!

Halloween is a holiday known for its sweets, which for many include candies that have been overly processed and covered with artificial dyes, made from unnatural and manufactured ingredients. Tempting sweets that can throw you off your course in your path of holistic health and wellness. We want to help you stay raw! So we have scoured the internet in search of some fun and easy raw holiday recipes to keep you on track. We’re listing all of the links for where we found these great recipes and we encourage you to check them out too!

Creature Cookies (from Happy Raw Kitchen)
This recipe is just frightful! And it is super easy to make. Check out the full recipe here!

The Slimer (from Heidi and Justin Ohlander)
Green Smoothies are perfect compliment to any punch bowl at Halloween. Naturally green in color, and surprising delicious for anyone who’s never had one before. Try this one at your next party!  Check out the full recipe here!

Little Witch Cupcakes (from Shannon Marie of Rawdorable)
These witches are tasty and good for you too! Perfect treat for the kids or for a Halloween party. Check out the recipe here.

Watermelon Brain (from Happy Raw Kitchen)
Amaze your guests with this super easy raw treat, and practice your carving skills. Click here for the recipe.

Bloody Bones (from Lau Raw)
This recipe is so simple! It just requires a cookie cutter, jicama, and a recipe for your favorite recipe for hot sauce (we found one that calls for 1 whole lime, 12 large frozen hot peppers, 1/2 onion, garlic and salt to taste. Mix ingredients in a blender and serve). Simply slice thin layers of the jicama, and then press your cookie cutter shape firmly into each slice. With Halloween around the corner, finding unique skeletal cookie cutters should be no problem.

Yummy! All of these recipes are spectacular! We hope you’ll have the opportunity to make a couple for the upcoming holiday. And be sure to visit the sites where we snagged these fabulous recipes, so that you can get more inspiring ideas! If you have an idea or know where toe find more recipes, share!

Wysteria Jackson’s Journey to Raw

My raw food journey began back in late August of 2008. I was about a month from my 27th birthday and suffering from multiple different health problems that were severely effecting my energy, happiness and zest for life…not to mention being life threatening at time. I was at my whits end. For the last year plus, I had been suffering from chronic hives which I had been to the doctors about and all they wanted to do was put me on Benedryl, an inhaler or steroids. Being a very holistically minded person I generally don’t like to put chemicals into my body. As you can imagine, these options weren’t ideal. My holistic chiropractor was able to alleviate most of the hives through adjustments, Kinesiology  and supplementation (but not all). This was only one of my issues as I closed in on my 27th birthday. By this point I had given up on doctors. Every time I went to see my doctor I got the nurse practitioner and nothing was ever resolved. Either they wanted me to do some expensive tests or they wanted me to take something that really didn’t sound right to me. I was 26 years old going on 40. Something was wrong and no one would listen to me!

On top of the hives I was constantly exhausted, I was having teeth problems (I became a vegetarian in February 2008 after years of being a “meat eater” who generally only ate chicken or fish), I had horrible anxiety attacks, and the last draw was all the lymph nodes under my arms swelling (possibly filling with fluid, my chiropractor wasn’t sure) to the point that I was in constant pain. I am sure if I thought about it a little more I would think of some other stuff that was going on but those were the biggies. At first I just attributed the changes (hives and exhaustion) to body changes…then driving home one day I fell asleep at the wheel and nearly went off the road. I just thought I was tired. Looking back now, I was tired and that wasn’t the first time or last time it happened. The exhaustion started in 2007 before the holidays…my body was sick and tired and wasn’t going to take it anymore! My doctors didn’t think anything was wrong with me…after all, my blood work was fine! Perhaps it’s just me, but a 26 year old shouldn’t be falling asleep at the wheel, having chronic hives, painful swollen lymph nodes, and anxiety attacks. The teeth problems was a whole other end that I hadn’t even realized yet!

On a hot day in August I was doing some research and came across talk about Raw, Living Foods. I was intrigued…I had come across it before but it never really interested me before. I was ready and willing! I started reading tons! Then I talked to my amazing, understanding, supportive husband and we both went raw overnight. We committed to 2 weeks of raw. Within a week my symptoms were disappearing. I had TONS of energy and wasn’t falling asleep in mid sentence on the way home anymore. Thank goodness hubby and I commute together! WOW! If that could happen in just a couple weeks then what would happen if I continued with it? Ryan wasn’t able to continue at the 100% raw, he dropped back to about 60% and I stayed at about 80 – 90% after the first couple weeks. We both went through a pretty brutal detox at about day three, but his continued much longer. I was fine after that quick, rough day but found months later that I started another detox process.

All of my health issues went away completely except the hives. I had plenty of energy and was feeling amazing. I still ate a little bit of dairy and bread but most of my diet consisted of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. I continued the information binge I was on and have yet to stop! I keep taking it in. There is so much information out there. Initially I started with forums and blogs. Since then I have moved onto books. I have began to build a library of books and love them! They are such great resources, but are not a necessity by any means. There is so much info that you can get for free through the internet or your local library!

In December right before the holidays I decided I had had enough, I wanted to be 100% raw. I made this decision and went raw vegan overnight. Up until this point I hadn’t been vegan. Making this decision removed all refined sugars, wheat and dairy from my diet. It wasn’t as hard as I remembered it being the first time. I loved it! After a few months my hives went away! I was amazed and inspired! During my time 100% raw I also decided to start a ning site where I could connect all our local meetups in one place and I finally made my raw food coop come to fruition. I felt so incredibly powerful and alive!

In the past couple months I have been very unhappy with work and feel off the 100% raw path. My body is talking to me though and I am moving back towards my path. I never wandered too far (only getting down to maybe 90% raw) but for me that’s not good. I function much better at 100% raw. Since loosing my way I have noticed my anxiety coming back. The things that I seem to crave are cookies and other refined sugars. I have stayed away from wheat and have stayed vegan but sugar has found it’s way back into my diet on multiple occasions. I have decided the best thing I can do is be compassionate towards myself and work back towards my goal of being 100% raw.

Recently I have started integrating superfoods and that seems to really be helping get me back in touch with myself. It is also helping mitigate the stress that I feel from work. All things are good in my life and I am headed back to my raw path. Practicing compassion for myself has made the whole process very rewarding. This is not something that I can do by pure willpower. It is something I need to do because it is the right fit for me, not because I will it! The amount I have learned about both myself and my husband is amazing. We are both on our own paths and have to find compassion for each others choices. He is incredibly inspiriting to me! I hope that I am to him as well!

Since going raw back in August, I have released 15 pounds. I have toned significantly and gone from a size six to a size 2 pant. I have gone from a lifelong medium to a small! It’s amazing. I am in better shape then I ever remember being, have no more allergies (which is amazing this spring!), have reversed all of my health issues unless I get off my path (then some return) and feel all around amazing. My dreams are becoming a reality, my relationship with Ryan has just gotten better and better and my relationship with my animals has improved as well. I can honestly say I love my path and will never look back. Putting only living foods in my body has given me a new lease on life and I intend to tell the world!

Wysteria Jackson is an amazing raw foodist who has created a local co-op for raw goodies, and has her own website where she blogs about holistic health, wellness, and the raw lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter.

Everyone’s journey to raw foods is different. If you would like to share yours with us, find out how on our submissions page.

Surviving the Cold in the Raw

Many have the understanding that it is super easy to maintain the raw food lifestyle during the warmer months, there are plenty of local fruits and veggies in season, you can grow your own, and try several new dishes too. But once the seasons start to change, the leaves start to fall, and the temperatures start to drop, we are often left with the dilemma of how to make this lifestyle work in the winter. When the average person thinks of what to eat during a snowy day, automatically hot soups and mugs of cocoa come to mind, and maybe some of the dishes that are automatically associated with the holidays, such as turkey or ham. How does a raw foodist compete with that? And further more, how do we have that feeling of warmth and satisfaction after a meal?

Karen Knowler, a raw food coach, says that from her personal experience and that of others, “it entirely depends on how new you are to raw foods. Eating raw in winter is a bit like training for a marathon — you can’t expect to run the whole way your first time out; your body has to adjust and it has to adjust incrementally over a period of time.” Take a moment to reflect on where you are in your holistic journey. Get in touch with your body and your reasons for transitioning into a raw food lifestyle. What is important to you?

The best way to approach this is to ease yourself into the winter months with your mind, body and spirit aligned. If you are very new or up to a couple years in (or somewhere in between) perhaps your goal isn’t so much that you are 100% raw but that you are making healthy decisions. Do what feels right. So if you have been raw all day and your body says “hey gorgeous, this raw food is amazingly awesome, but it is wicked cold outside, let’s have some vegetable soup tonight,” then we think you should make yourself the healthiest vegetable soup. Do what feels right. It is so important to work with your body here, to weed out temptations for bad food decisions (greasy foods, etc) and make each decision one that will provide the most benefit to your  body. It is also important to recognize cravings, where they come from, and what emotion you attach to them (you may even have to write down when cravings occur to recognize the pattern). Surviving the winter in the raw does require a bit of will power, but overall it requires a sense of self and a knowledge of your purpose in this journey.

Let’s say you’ve been raw for quite some time now. How do you survive the winter? Perhaps you are more focused on “I want to be 100% raw all the time,” or whatever your personal goal may be. How do you achieve this? Well, if you are a seasoned raw foodist, you should still listen to your body and get in touch with yourself and your needs. Over time (and this time period is different for everyone), your body will adjust so much to raw foods that you will find yourself not craving the psychological comforts of cooked foods. A lot of our attachments to warm cooked foods are both psychological and habitual, whereas overtime your body has developed these new, healthier eating habits and will respond to your lifestyle accordingly. Even still, when you have reached this stage in your journey, it is something that personally you will know as you walk your own path to wellness.

No matter what stage in your journey you are in, here are some practical tips we hope will be most helpful to you in your journey:

• Take your food out of the refrigerator ahead of time, so it can warm to room temperature.
• Freeze fruits and vegetables in the summer for use during the winter. You can then put these in smoothies or to make raw ice creams.
• If you don’t have a dehydrator yet and have been on the fence about whether or not to purchase one, now might be a good time to strongly consider it. We have an article here on what to look for in a dehydrator (along with other raw equipment). Dehydrators are great taking the “chill” off of your meals.
• Warm raw soups in your dehydrator or improvise using your stove, as long as it’s below 118F it’s still considered raw!
• If you feel you need to, eat heartier raw meals during the winter. Perhaps salads may not be as appealing to you when its snowing outside than when it’s sunny and warm. We will be providing some more hearty, easy raw food recipes in the days to come to get you started.

Really use this season as time to reflect upon yourself and observe your own patterns and habits. You’ll stay on path more if you are able to identify certain feelings and cravings up front. Identify them  and put them in their place. Do not beat yourself up if you happen to stumble, trip or fall. There is a great quote that says “when you stumble, make it part of the dance.” Remember how magnificent and radiant you are, and give yourself the pep talk you need to get through.

References
Winter in the Raw by Karen Knowler (click here to view article)
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes “Successfully Raw” – a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you’re ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now atwww.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

Winter Health Survival Guide http://www.rawbc.org/articles/winter.html

Eating Raw Foods in The Winter http://www.rawfoodswitch.com/tag/eating-raw-food-in-the-winter/

Wellness Weds: Power of Positive Thinking

“Perhaps the biggest gift that humankind has been given is the choice to decide what thoughts and attitudes we put in our minds.” -quoted from the book Change Your Mind, Change Your Life by Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., and Diane V. Cirincione. How often have you heard the words you are what you think? So many motivational quotes and words of wisdom are based upon the notion that in order to enjoy life you need only to simply change your thoughts.

Is it really that easy? Indeed it is! Positive thinking does more than just lift your mood, it can also affect your overall health and well being, as well as play a key role in stress management. Let’s get some questions answered about positive thinking and how it can benefit you, and then also provide you with some helpful suggestions to get you well on your way to being a radiant being of sunshine, no matter what.

What is positive thinking?

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive  to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health, and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds. Positive thinking doesn’t necessarily mean that you fully ignore life’s less pleasant situations, it just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way.

What is self-talk?

Self-talk is the endless stream of thoughts that run through your mind everyday. You know those thoughts very well! You probably experience them the most while you are in commute to somewhere (such as driving in your car or sitting on the bus/train), or you experience them while you are daydreaming at work. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information. Take a brief moment to reflect on your thoughts. Are they mostly negative or positive? How does this effect your outlook on life?

What are the health benefits of positive thinking?

• Better psychological and physical well-being. Being a healthy person is more than what you eat. It’s mind, body and spirit. Positive thinking is a large component of that “mind” portion of this equation. Having a positive outlook shifts your personal experience of life and the world around you.
• Lower rates of depression and distress. There is a quote by Lou Holtz that says “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” Through positive thinking you recognize that you are in control of your response and your view of each and every situation you are in. Then you can shape these situations and your response to be in your favor.
• Achieved balance and awareness. As you dive deeper into holistic health and get more in touch with yourself, positive thinking will help to further align your mind, body and spirit with your purpose in life and role in the universe. Suddenly, a potentially stressful situation at work just rolls off your shoulder. You are not focused on one grain of sand, because you know there is an ocean in all its entirety and splendor that awaits you at the shore.
• Significantly reduced stress. This benefit partners up with the two bullet points above. There is a quote by Anthony Robbins that says “you can’t always control the wind, but you can control the sails.” Having a different view of various circumstances and then recognizing your ability to choose the outcome is a direct benefit of positive thinking.

How do you identify negative thoughts?

Below are some common forms of negative self-talk. Take a moment to check yourself and see if any of your thoughts identify with the categories below. Do not fret if they do, awareness is the first step.

• Filtering: You allow the seemingly negative aspects of a situation to outweigh the positive ones. For example, you gave an excellent presentation at work. Your boss and coworkers are very impressed and they let you know with compliments to your work. But later on that day a fellow colleague points out a flaw in a statement that you presented. Later that evening, instead of remembering all the great compliments you received, you focus on that one flaw in your statement.
• Personalizing: This is when you make seemingly negative situations that occur about you, when really they are not. For example, you would love to get your friend’s together to go see a movie. But unfortunately, everyone you contacted has plans already or will be out of town. Instead of chalking it up to coincidence, you assume that no one wants to go out with you.
• Catastrophizing: You automatically anticipate the worst. For example, you are driving in your car to a location you haven’t been to before. You are attempting to follow the directions but you make one wrong turn and you automatically assume that you will be horribly lost and won’t be able to find your way to your destination.
• Polarizing: You see things as either good or bad; everything is either black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel you either have to be absolutely perfect or the only other option is that you have failed.

How do you shift into positive thinking?

It is a learning process. The process is quite simple, but you must be patient with yourself, as you are creating a new habit and that takes time. Below are some tips to help you improve your self-talk and aide you in your positive thinking.

• Check yourself. Periodically throughout your day, stop and evaluate what you’re thinking. If you notice that your thoughts are negative, come up with a way to put a positive spin on them.
• Laugh! Laughter is the best medicine, but you must be open to it. Give yourself permission to smile and laugh, especially in difficult times. Seek humor in your everyday.
• Be healthy. Doing things like eating the right foods and exercising regularly will provide your body with the boost of energy it needs to help foster that positive outlook on life.
• Surround yourself with positive people. We have a great article on this, The Dream Team, where we talk about the importance of having the right people in your life and seeking out these people. Having a lot of negative people in your life can increase your stress level, and may make you doubt yourself and your abilities. Take some time to evaluate the people in your life and your relationships. Are they helping to foster your positive outlook on life?
• Practice makes perfect. Be patient with yourself as making this change will take time. If in any given situation a negative thought enters your head, acknowledge it, evaluate it, and then respond with affirmations about how amazing you are and what makes you so special.

How do you turn a negative into a positive picture?

Check out these examples of how to turn a negative thought into a positive one.

Instead of saying “I’ve never done this before,” say “this is an opportunity to learn something new.” Instead of saying “This is too complicated,” say “I’ll tackle this from a different angle.” Instead of saying “there is no way this will work,” say “I can totally find a way to make this happen.” Instead of saying “I’m not getting any better at this,” say “I think I will give this another try.”

Simple reinforcing positive thoughts like this can easily counter the negative thoughts you have in your mind. Keeping positive images and motivational quotes in your space as a quick visual reference can also be helpful in refocusing your mind on the good. Always remember, you are in control. Take this one step at a time, and watch how quickly your reality changes with just the thoughts you have in your mind.

References

The Power of Positive Thinking http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000009.htm
Mind Your Thoughts http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/positive-thinking/thoughts.asp
Positive Thinking: Reduce Stress, Enjoy Life More http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009
Rational Positive Thinking http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_06.htm

Photo credit: Sirisak Chaiyasook http://saki09.multiply.com/

Mango Avocado Salad

This fantastic recipe was discovered on the site of our friends over at We Like It Raw. We thought it was simple to make and simply delicious! A creamy avocado mixed with a juicy mango is the perfect combination for a salad.

Via greenchefs.tv & raw chef, Vanessa Sherwood

This really is one of the best combinations ever. Simple, elegant, and sensuous. Apparently there are over 400 varieties of mango worldwide. My favorite, from the three or four varieties I’ve tried, is the champagne mango. I’m seriously considering a trip to India just to sample mangoes.

Ingredients
2 Ripe Mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 Large Avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 Tablespoon Lime Juiced
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Cilantro Leaves
1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds

Directions
Hand mix all of the ingredients together and serve.

We like it Raw is a blog about the power of Raw Foods. Brought you to by team lead Dhrumil Purohit and the raw food entourage. It’s a site overflowing with raw food information, stories, and recipes.

We’re Back!!!

Hello most wonderful raw foodies! How we have missed our fun times online together and the strong connection that we share through cyberspace. We as people rely so heavily on technology, and I am not complaining about this. Afterall, it is because of blogging and sites like Facebook and Twitter that it is so easy to stay in touch with and connect with so many people. But at the same time, when things like your internet connection start to malfunction, there is almost a “now what?” moment that occurs.

After searching for local free WiFi spots and becoming disappointed by the slow connections out there, well, I took a hint from the universe and accepted the well deserved break from the responsibilities of staying on top of raw foods. At Raw Food Nation we are a big believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. Well now, after our short break, we are back up and running. Find us on Twitter where starting Monday, October 5, we will be tweeting positive vibes, words of wisdom, and green tips again.

We appreciate everyone’s patience through our internet woes! It feels good to be back!