Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Comments on Raw Foods

I had an interesting comment on my blog the other day that I am sharing with all of you.

"I began making smoothies months ago because of Alma and her new way of living. I had a problem with the green drinks, but the fruit smoothies I create are just great! Each day Alma comes in with new products and in work on Tuesday I tasted two snack bars she now is showing on her blog here. I love them and now they are part of my everyday eating. I am very fortunate to have a friend with so much excitement about eating better, because she has turned me on to her way of thinking. Everyone needs to be tuned into Alma. All her research will be a benefit to your health. I thank you my friend for caring enough to share your world with me."

My reply:

Thanks DB, I appreciate your kind words. One of my goals in documenting my journey is to help people make better choices about what they eat. Your comments inspire me to keep researching, learning and sharing.

Today's raw nutrients
1 oz wheatgrass
12 oz apple-celery juice
16 oz smoothie - kale, romaine lettuce, blueberries, bananas and snow pea shoots
8 oz carrot juice
4 oz kale and romaine lettuce juice
1/2 oz hunza dried pomegratnates
1 quinary
1 vitashake
7 olives
1 sunbar
1 oz wheatgrass


"Success is not to be pursued; it is to beattracted by the person we become."- Jim Rohn

Live Life,
Alma

Testing Raw Foods - 1, 2, 3





I have not written in a week and I believe it was because I was eating cooked foods. Yes, I decided to eat 1 meal per day for a couple of weeks because of various reasons. Now I am claiming these two weeks as some kind of test. I must say that I started 100% raw again this past Monday. Many symptoms came back and if they disappear again I will know for sure that it is the raw food that is helping me. Now I have to ask why I do this? Why do we as humans have to test things? My quest this week and next will be to see if these so called symptoms disappear again. I started eating raw foods for my health and then when it started helping me beyond my expectations I had to stop. Just to test it and make sure. I started feeling like crap and had the need to start over again. So here I am. When these symptoms disappear again, as I know they will. I will let you know my before and after and my other before and after. :)
Tuesday's raw nutrients:
1 oz wheatgrass
1 live pumpkin bar http://www.goraw.com/
1 vitashake
1 quinary
16 oz Cafix
1 spirulina & cashew bar - by Raw Revolution -you can purchase from this blog under my My Favorite Snacks section on the right
32 oz apple-celery juice
1 oz wheatgrass
1/2 chewy almond bar
1 tsp bee pollen
2 oz e3live
1 oz evergreen chlorophll drink
20 oz apple-celery juice
2 bags of nutripuffs
1 oz wheatgrass

"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer
Celebrate Life,
Alma

Monday, November 19, 2007

Look at all these Raw Food Goodies

I went shopping again at Dean's Natural Market and I found a few more raw items. It was not as good as Katrina's in New Hampshire but I am grateful for the selection they have. This is what I bought: Sweet pea shoots & Super Salad sprouts - alfalfa, radish, peas, garbanzo,k sufnlower, lental, azuki and wheat sprouts from http://thesproutman.com/


Oh So Fudgie Raweo Cookies by Alive and Radient Foods


































Kim Chi - A staple in the Korean diet is a mixture of vegetables left to culture for 5 to 7 days in stainless steel containers. This kind I bought has cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, high mineral health salt and ground dried red pepper and










Fresh Raw Tahini - from:












Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars in Chocolate & Coconut, Spirulina & Cashew, Raspberry & Chocolate and Hazelnut & Chocolate by http://www.rawindulgence.com/





Raw Revolution Organic Live Food Bars in Chocolate & Coconut, Spirulina & Cashew, Raspberry & Chocolate and Hazelnut & Chocolate by http://www.rawindulgence.com/





























Almond Raisin Cookie & Pineapple Flax by http://www.gopalshealthfoods.com/nature_s_gift.html



"Simple" Flax Snax, Banana "Bread" Flax Bar, Live Pumpkin Bar & Spirulina Energy Bar - http://www.goraw.com/











Cocao powder by Navitas - http://www.nativasnaturals.com/









BIJA's Dark Chocolate covered Omega Truffles with 2.5 g of Omega 3 per serving by http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/USA/Products/TGU8.htm#62008 . This product is not raw and it does contain cane sugar but I wanted to try it to see what it is all about.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Raw Foods for Kids - Yo Adrien, this one's for you!

A request has been made of me to assist a friend in incorporating vegetables into her kids meals. I love requests like this because I get to search new recipes, I get to share my wealth of raw foods and it helps me stay creative in my own kitchen. I have to get simple recipes and consider the equipment that my friend has. Since I am a child at heart I am sure I will enjoy the recipes as well. So Adrian, this one’s for you!

I found the following recipes at http://goneraw.com/ /

Nana Milk
Ingredients
1 banana, peeled
1 pinch sea salt
1 dash vanilla
3 ice cubes
¼ cup water
Preparation
Throw all in the blender and blend till frothy! High in Enzymes! Yeah Bananas!

Ants on a Log
Ingredients
2 stalks celery
raw almond butter
raisins

Preparation
Wash the celery stalks and trim the ends. Fill with raw almond butter. Cut into fourths. Top with raisin "ants".


I found the following recipe at http://karenknowler.typepad.com/

Real chocolate ice-cream
Serves 6 not-very-greedy people.
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp raw chocolate or carob powder
16 Medjool dates
600 ml of pure water
4 cups of cashews OR 4 Tbsp raw cashew butter

Preparations:
Blend the cashews (or cashew butter) with the water to create cashew milk.
Add in remaining ingredients and blend well.
Pour into an ice-cream maker and process until ready to eat OR pour into a freezable container with a lid and freeze.
When your ice-cream is ready, serve, salivate and enjoy!

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence...Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge


Celebrate Living,
Alma

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Memories of a Raw weekend in New Hampshire

While in New Hampshire this weekend I found an awesome organic health food store. It is called Katrina’s Organic Market & Cafe and it RAWKS! It is like walking into a Raw Foodist Paradise. They have superfoods, prepared meals, fresh juices and smoothies and lots more. They also have products from many of the food sites that I order from. It was just great to be able to shop for it all at one location. I was with three other friends and I was very grateful that they did not rush me out of the store. We all tried some raw chocolate made right there and we tried raw pumpkin pie. Thank my lucky stars I purchased a lot of products and if I had stayed in that store longer I would have had to apply for a job. Another reason to move to New England. Katrina is going to start an Internet site in the future and I for one cannot wait. She said I could order from her and she would ship out the product to me. You can reach her at naturesmarketnh@yahoo.com I cannot wait to try all the products!

I purchased:
Muesli and granola from Good Stuff
Sun-flax Italian bread from Life Force
Spirulina Bars and Sunflower Seed Bread from Lydia’s Organics
Maca and Greek Olives from Sunfoods
Carob Powder from Natural Zing
Coconut Butter and Black Sesame Tahini from Artisana
Himalyan Raw Honey from Heavenly Organics
Zambezi Honey from Zambia from ZAM-B-A Honey Inc.

Anyway, while in New Hampshire this weekend and I turned some friends on to some raw foods. I had told a friend about this apple-celery juice and she was curious because she does not like celery either. Sold her, she liked it very much. She loves coconut so I turned her on to young Thai coconut juice. I took 2 young coconuts and used all the juice and flesh and put it in my Vitamix with some stevia and cinnamon. She enjoyed that too along with another friend. They even tried some algae. I mixed that in some apple cider and they were okay with it. Another big hit was Banana Ice Cream. I tell you I have not met one person who has tried this that has not loved it! I also made some cole slaw and I added jimica and black sesame seeds and it all went.

So many people do like raw foods. They just don't know it. They need recipes or people to make it for them. I just would love others to embrace more raw foods so we could all enjoy health and great meals together.

I have enjoyed my day today although I am feeling a sugar high from an apple-celery juice I drank a few minutes ago. I bought some gala apples grown in upstate NY today and they are awesome. They are so sweet. My new kick lately has been apple-celery juice. I read that it is a great source for sodium and potassium and that you could not taste the celery in the juice. I am not a fan of celery and I know it is suppose to be very hydrating and very good for my lungs. Well now I have this juice daily and I love it.

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

40 Points about Wheatgrass and its Nutritional Values

Source: http://www.wheatgrasskits.com/40pointsofwheatgrass.htm
1 Wheatgrass Juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.
2 Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.
3 Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.
4 Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.
5 Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.
6 Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
7 Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy.
8 Science has proven that chlorophyll arrests growth and development of unfriendly bacteria.
9 Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count was returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals which were known to be extremely anemic or low in red cell count.
10 Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)
11 Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 102 minerals from the soil.
12 Wheatgrass has what is called the grass-juice factor, which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.
13 Dr. Ann Wigmore and institutes based on her teachings has been helping people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.
14 Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them and makes them over.
15 Wheatgrass Juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr Earp-Thomas, associate of Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of Wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrot, lettuce, celery, and so forth.
16 Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.
17 Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
18 Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
19 Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
20 In the American Journal of Surgery (1940), Benjamin Gruskin, M.D. recommends chlorophyll for its antiseptic benefits. The article suggests the following clinical uses for chlorophyll: to clear up foul smelling odors, neutralize Strep infections, heal wounds, hasten skin grafting, cure chronic sinusitis, overcome chronic inner-ear inflammation and infection, reduce varicose veins and heal leg ulcers, eliminate impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heal rectal sores, successfully treat inflammation of the uterine cervix, get rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduce typhoid fever, and cure advanced pyorrhea in many cases.21 Wheatgrass Juice cures acne and even help to remove scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. The diet must be improved at the same time.
22 Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a body deodorant.
23 A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet helps prevents tooth decay.
24 Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for 5 minutes will help eliminate toothaches. It pulls poisons from the gums.
25 Gargle Wheatgrass Juice for a sore throat.
26 Drink Wheatgrass Juice for skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis.
27 Wheatgrass Juice keeps the hair from graying.
28 Pyorrhea of the mouth: lay pulp of wheatgrass soaked in juice on diseased area in mouth or chew wheatgrass, spitting out the pulp.
29 By taking Wheatgrass Juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance, health, and spirituality, and experience a sense of well-being.
30 Wheatgrass juice improves the digestion.
31 Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
32 Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition. Pour green juice over your body in a tub of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.
33 Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls. The implants also heal and cleanse the internal organs. After an enema, wait 20 minutes, then implant 4 ounces of wheatgrass juice. Retain for 20 minutes.
34 Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
35 Dr. Birscher, a research scientist, called chlorophyll "concentrated sun power." He said, "chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs."
36 According to Dr. Birscher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.
37 Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
38 Wheatgrass Juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
39 Wheatgrass Juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
40 Wheatgrass juice is great for blood disorders of all kinds

Quote of the day:
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health - Let's do a shot

Let's do a shot -- of WHEATGRASS!
I read in Ann Wigmore’s book The Wheatgrass Book that plants are to earth as the lungs are to humans. We inhale O2 and exhale CO2 while plants inhale CO2 and exhale O2. Human blood is practically identical to chlorophyll the only difference is the central nucleus. In blood it is iron and in chlorophyll it is magnesium. I have known this fact for a while now but you can see why I want to take my diet to another level and try eating more greens. I feel that if I really concentrate on providing my body with more chlorophyll it will provide me with more red blood cells hence more oxygen in my body. There have been tests done that prove that the animal body is capable of converting chlorophyll to hemoglobin. Actually some physicians used chlorophyll to treat anemia used. Wheatgrass juice contains liquid oxygen and I have heard chlorophyll called liquid energy, liquid sunshine and condensed solar energy.
This book made an interesting point and that is that no prescription drug heals a person. Our own immune system, our body is what heals us. So why don’t we spend time getting healthier so we can have a stronger mechanism to fight off ailments and diseases? Chlorophyll detoxifies the liver and bloodstream by neutralizing the polluting elements. This is probably the best way to protect us from pollutants.

Quote of the day:
"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."- Abraham Lincoln

Vive la Vida,
Alma

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health - Another Level

I believe it is time for me to take this diet to another level. I really have to concentrate on greens now that I know I can follow a raw diet. I want to get a juicer and I am hoping that I win one from crazysexycancer.com. Either way, I am going to drink my E3Live, Evergreen, my celery and apple juice that is so yummy and other green juices. Currently I am reading a book by Ann Wigmore entitled The Wheatgrass Book and it seems like I will be growing and drinking wheatgrass. More on that later.

Here are some pictures of the flowers I gave my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago.



Quote of the day:
"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus." - Oprah Winfrey


Celebrate Life,
Alma

Friday, November 2, 2007

Raw Food Day 65 - How to get started in Raw Foods

People have asked me how do they get started on a raw food diet and I usually give them two ideas. One is to incorporate live food in each meal. Like fruit for breakfast and either a salad and or raw vegetable with lunch. You can also start making raw deserts. The other way is to transform one meal at a time. For example, you can make fruit or vegetable smoothies for breakfast. (Don't forget to leave the dairy out.) You can eat fruit or make fruit juices or you can even make raw muesli. I suggest a good cookbook. Something like Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food book and DVD, which you can purchase here.

Don't forget to drink a lot of water. Drink as much as you can to rehydrate your body. Coconut water, fruit juices and celery juice help in rehydrating your body as well.

Remember that raw foods is more about what you do not put into your body. Avoid processed foods and white sugar. There are many sugar substitutes like agave nectar, stevia, maple syrup or raw honey.

Once you are comfortable with raw breakfasts then you can start with lunch. You can use different vegetable leaves to make sandwich wraps. Like collard greens, nori sheets (used for sushi) or lettuce. You can have salads or make some guacamole.

Then you can start on snacks and deserts. Frozen bananas put in a blender is a great substitute for ice cream. You can flavor it with fruit too. You can eat raw nuts and dehydrated fruits. Little by little you keep adding more raw food. You can look into dehydrated foods, sprouting and superfoods. The list just grows and grows. The basic appliances you need are a blender and or a juicer, and or a food processor and or a dehydrator.

You should start off with easy recipes and as you get accustom to these foods then you can make nut chesses, dips or even pates.

Raw nutrients of the day:
4oz kombucha
32oz cafix
3 flaxseed crackers with almond butter and honey
32oz pineapple coconut juice
banana ice cream (2) with coconut meat and alomond butter and honey
16oz water

Quote of the day:
"It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly." - Isaac Asimov

Live life and enjoy your weekend,
Alma

amazon.com from Raw Foods Wealth 2 Health

Alissa Cohen Raw Food Store