Monday, December 31, 2007

Garden Lasagna



Garden Lasagna
I want to thank gliving.tv for this recipe by Chad Sarno.
(Pine Nut Ricotta, Olive Relish, Wild Mushroom, Sweet Pepper Coulis)
Serves 6-8

For the Lasagna:
3-4 round zucchini sliced into thin rounds, or long zucchini sliced thin in strips
4-6 black plum tomatoes, or roma, sliced in thin rounds
1 cup sliced mushrooms (portabella, chanterelle,
baby oyster), toss with 2 T shoyu and 2 T olive oil
1 cup Pine nut Ricotta (see recipe)
1/2 cup seeded and tomatoes tossed with T olive oil
1 cup olive relish (see recipe)
½ cup smoked red pepper puree (see recipe)
½ cup smoked yellow pepper puree (see recipe)
Course sea salt, smoked (for garnish on each plate)

To assemble:
Layer individual ‘lasagnas’ right before serving, by layering in the following order:
Sliced zucchini, ricotta, sliced tomato, marinated mushrooms, zucchini, olive relish, sliced tomato, finish the top layer with a small spoonful of ricotta. Garnish plate with pepper puree and diced tomatoes.

For the Pine Nut Ricotta:
1 cup cashews soaked 10-12 hours
1 cup pine nuts
2 TB flax or olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB Sea Salt
1 clove garlic
3 TB water
2 TB fresh chives minced
2 TB sage, or oregano minced

Step 1: In food processor, process all ingredients except the chives and sage until smooth.
Step 2: Hand-mix in the minced chives and sage. Serve as a layer in lasagna, or top crostini with this as a spread.

For the Fresh Olive Relish:
2 cup Sicilian green olives pitted and course chopped
2 cups kalamata olives pitted and course chopped
2 cloves of garlic fine minced
2 TB tarragon fine chopped
2 TB black truffle oil
For best consistency, course chop all ingredients by hand. Finish by drizzling truffle oil, tossing mixture well.
Serve as layer with lasagna, or with leftovers serve with crostini, or chips.

For the Sweet Pepper Puree:
1 cup fresh sweet peppers seeded and chopped
2 TB olive oil
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp. smoked salt
In high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth, put through fine strainer for optimum consistency.

"There's a very positive relationship between people's ability to accomplish any task and the time they're willing to spend on it." - Joyce Brothers

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Something to look forward to



I am very excited because in two weeks I am going to Maine for a 5-day certification class on raw foods. This class will give me the knowledge and training to become a raw food chef and trainer. I will be able to teach others how to start and stay on a raw food diet. Not only will I learn food preparation, and more nutrition but I will also learn the mental and emotional aspects of a raw food diet. For example, how to deal with friends and family while on raw foods or traveling while raw. So far there is someone attending the class from Japan, Switzerland, Jamaica, Hawaii, California, Washington State, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona and Ottawa, Canada. This should be a great experience and I cannot wait.

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you" - Wayne Dyer

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

What brought you where you are today with Raw Foods?


Someone today asked how I found out about raw foods and what brought me to where I am today. This was my answer. I found this way of living because I became a victim of life. I must say that now I make life happen and I am no longer a victim. About 3 years (1/20/5) I had an operation to remove a mass on the upper lobe of my right lung. It was diagnosed as cancer AND I was also diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. After the struggles of chemotherapy I went back to work and won an iPod. I found out about podcasts and the only subject that has always interested me was food. I started listening to vegan podcasts and then found one on raw foods. I became vegetarian in April of 2006 and started on my raw journey at the end of August 2007. I found Alissa Cohen’s web site and bought her book and DVD and I was on my way. I had felt a lot better being vegetarian but I made great strides becoming raw. If you read my profile or a few posts in this blog you will see the big changes that have occurred since I have gone raw.

"To guarantee success, act as if it were impossible to fail." - Dorothea Brande

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Sunday, December 16, 2007

An apple a day...

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs, odors and bacteria. Hippocrates found and treated his patients with undistilled ACV. It is know as a powerful cleansing and healing elixir. Everyone was uninformed of the powerful health qualities of ACV.
And it was soon taken over by clear, pasteurized, refined and distilled vinegars. The reason for this is that consumers demanded a clear look. They did not find the brownish color and the "mother" floating as unappealing.
"Apples are a rich source of potassium, which is to the soft tissues of the body as calcium is to the bones and harder tissues. Potassium is the mineral of youthfulness; it is the "artery softener," keeping the arteries of the body flexible and resilient. It is a fighter of dangerous bacteria and viruses." This is quoted from Apple Cider Vinegar Miracle Health System by Paul and Patricia Bragg. You can purchase this book under "My Favorite Books" on the right hand column of this blog.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." - Abraham Lincoln

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Saturday, December 15, 2007

More on Wheatgrass

I have been drinking two to three shots of wheatgrass for 3 weeks now. I love it and I just finished reading Steve Meyerowitz’s Wheatgrass, Nature’s Finest Medicine. Yes another book on wheatgrass. I have to get other people’s opinions. Steve does give Ann Wigmore credit for starting the wheatgrass craze. Steve claims that cuts, bruises, rashes, burns and bangs are best treated by making a bandage from cloth dipped in wheatgrass juice. You can also use the grass pulp and put it under a bandage. Chlorophyll has been to increase the rate of healing wounds by 25%. Chlorophyll reduces swellings, takes the sting out of burns and is an anesthetic that soothes the pain and eases the shock of an accident.

Wheatgrass is not a cure all potion it is a healing food. It is probably the finest healing food but it takes time to heal, time to get your health to an optimum level so please give wheatgrass time to work on you.

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." - Helen Keller

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Raw food recipe of the week


This recipe comes from thedailyrawcafe.com. This recipe was so good that I had to post it for all my raw foodie followers.

Raw Fruitcake serves 4-6
Dried Fruit
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup dried pineapples, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup golden raisins
Cake
4 cups walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dates
In a large bowl, whisk agave nectar and water together. Add all of dried fruit into bowl. Let set for one-two hours or until the fruit softens.In a food processor, combine walnuts, seasonings and sea salt. Add dates and continue to mix until you achieve a sticky dough.Transfer the walnut dough to a large bowl. Fold in the soaked fruit until distributed throughout the dough.Shape the fruitcake in a 5-inch round.
"Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become." - Jim Rohn
Celebrate Life,
Alma

Monday, December 10, 2007

Answering comments on Raw Foods

Hello,
This is one of the comments that was recently left on my blog. This was sent in by vasilisa. Please check out her blog. She has great healthy recipes. Anyway the comment: What kind of dehydrator do you have? I've been thinking about getting one, but haven't decided if it's necessary yet...What's nuplus?I'm thinking about incorporating coconuts into our diet, but they just seem a bit too sweet at this point. PS: my blender just arrived! A Vita Mix! I'm so excited! Any good ideas for yummy green smoothie?

I do have a small traditional dehydrator but not one where I can make fruit leathers or breads, crackers or meals but I know exactly which one I am going to get. I am getting the Excalibur 9 tray that you can purchase at my link above for Amazon. It is not necessary to get one but there are times when I would like to make certain desserts or dishes that I am not able to because an oven cannot do what a dehydrator does. So in time when you want a variety of dishes you may want to consider a dehydrator.

Nuplus is a balanced herbal formula based on the Chinese tradition that serves as a foundation on which to build a healthy diet and to fill in nutritional gaps. I can give you more information if you would like.

Vitamix - a blender with a car motor. :)
I love
spinach and mango smoothies
2 to 3 big handsful of spinach
1 mango
(Actually any greens with mango are good.)

I also love
celery and apple juice
1 large stalk of celery
2 apples
1 cup of water
blend

I definately recommend Victoria Boutenko's Green for Life book for green smoothie recipes. It is my favorite green smoothie book. It was my inspiration for drinking them too. (Save 12% by clicking on the link above.)

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
16 oz green smoothie
8 oz herbal tea
kale hemp seed salad
8 oz herbal tea
1/2 slice cheesecake
1 sunbar
1 nuplus
1 quinary
1 vitadolphilis
32 oz apple-celery juice
2 bananas

"If one advances confidently in the direction ofhis dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - H.D. Thoreau

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Sunday, December 9, 2007

What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Someone recently asked me what Pulmonary Fibrois was. I sat down and wrote out my understanding of this disease and this is what I wrote. Pulmonary fibrosis is the stiffening of lung tissue. In the classic cases of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) the lung tissue usually forms into honeycombs at the edges. I do not have the honeycombing. When you look at the film of a cat scan of my lungs they show spots that look sort of like cotton candy. Almost like what a freezer burn looks like on meat.


The effect this disease has on my body is that I cannot supply enough oxygen when I exert myself. So if I were to walk at my normal speed, let’s say 100 yards, I would probably need my oxygen, because my body could not product enough oxygen for my efforts. If I do not have my oxygen on and I exert myself I will cough until my blood oxygen level goes back to normal. I am told that I am at the acute stages of this disease and that my body recovers from the lack of oxygenvery fast. Given perfect weather, I could probably take this walk without any problems and I would be fine but those days are few throughout the year. Another effect of PF is a lot of mucous production in the lungs. This is one of the reasons why I started watching what I ate. I know that many foods produce mucous like dairy products.
I basically do everything I used to just perhaps a bit slower. I actually started exercising more and watching what I ate after surving lung cancer and finding out about my PF. So in many ways I have better health and fitness now than before. Changing my diet and becoming vegetarian has helped me out tremendously. Before the dietary changes I would need my O2 to go to the restroom, the mailroom or cafeteria at work. Now I really do not use the O2 at work unless it is an extremely humid day. I also need oxygen if I have to carry anything over a couple of pounds. Now after going raw my health has gone up to another level. I am now able to run under the ball at volleyball and I even jogged ½ mile out on the street last month. That is what the ticker on my blog signifies.

Trust me I have gone through a lot of turmoil over my PF. This past summer I learned to embrace this disease after years of anger and madness. Now I say, given pulmonary fibrosis what is possible. I learned to trust my lungs and relax my shoulders. I do not guard my lungs like I used to. I could actually touch inbetween my arm socket and chest and feel sore. I did not know what it was until I was told that I was holding my shoulders rigid in order to protect my lungs. This was stopping me from deep breathing because I used to guard myself from coughing. Now I can breath down into my stomach. I guess I could go on and on huh? Anyway overcoming this has become my total focus.
"There's only one way to succeed in anythingand that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi
Celebrate Life,
Alma

Thursday, December 6, 2007

A higly functional human being

I went to the doctor's office and my test results were favorable. I had pulmonary function tests got better than 6 months ago when the numbers had declined some and then we compared the numbers to my first test in August of 05 and the numbers were pretty much the same. So my disease has been stable for over 2.5 years. I do not want to seem ungrateful but I can say that I was not thrilled with the results. I want improvement and I want it now. Or should I say I want drastic improvements and I want them now. I did improve back to my baseline of 8/05. I go again in 6 months so we will see. I know that 3.5 months of raw foods is not going to turn back time so quickly. I will focus on some progress for June's 2008 tests.

When I told my doctor that at times I feel like I am not doing enough for my health he said he thinks that I do. He said that there are many patients that have the same results as I have in their pulmonary tests that do not do anything. He says you are a highly functional human being and you are doing everything you can. He just gets a big smile when I tell him I play volleyball 3 times a week. I have to practice more compassion for myself.

Nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
1 oz E3Live algae
6 oz fresh squeezed OJ 1 sunbar
8 oz herbal tea
16 oz vegetable soup
1/4 sandwich with Life Force Rye Bread (yummy) and raw turkey salad
8 oz herbal tea
1 nuplus
1/2 slice raw cheesecake
8 oz herbal tea
1 oz E3Live
20 oz green smoothie with sprouts, coconut water, kale, blueberries, banana
32 oz apple-celery juice with Evergreen and Electrosport
7 slices of Yacun fruit
2 oz wheatgrass

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Ghandi

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Monday, December 3, 2007

New Raw Food Recipes

Today I tried a few new recipes. Two are from Alissa Cohen's book and two I created. I created my version of macaroon after making coconut milk from old coconuts (not young Thai coconuts). I had bought 2 coconuts but the flesh on these is hard not like the young ones where the flesh is just forming and it is very soft. There was so much fiber in the coconut milk that I decided to take it out so I could drink the coconut milk on its own. Well when I saw the fiber I thought of a macaroon. So I added some honey and I was going to roll it up into a ball and dehydrate it. Well it really did not have much texture. So I took some more coconut and grated it. I added this to my mixture and then formed them into a ball and dehydrated them. Now they had texture and tasted pretty good. They are not done yet but I will let you know how they come out. I can say right now that 2 of the 6 broke apart as I turned them over in the dehydrator.
I also made a banana-mango pie and carob covered bananas with coconuts and nuts.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
32 oz apple-celery juice
1 evergreen
1 oz E3Live algae
1 raw revolution organic live food bar-chocolate & coconut
1 pt vegetable soup
1/2 spirulina energy bar
8 oz cafix
1 garlic-flax cracker
3 raweo cookies
8 oz herbal tea
1 oz wheatgrass
1 tsp bee pollen
2 oz E3Live algae
20 oz green smoothie with sprouts
2 bags nuplus
2 sunbars
1 oz wheatgrass

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

Celebrate Life,
Alma

Wheatgrass - green, green, green

I was able to buy a flat of wheatgrass at a local health food store. I have a hand crank wheatgrass juicer and I have been doing 3-1 oz shots of wheatgrass daily for over a week. I actually bought another flat of wheatgrass yesterday. I am on a chlorophyll kick! This was my next phase of raw foods. For me, I seem to get into something and then go deeper and deeper into it. For example, I started the vegetarian journey and then went vegan almost overnight. I then started incorporating green smoothies. After a while I decided to go into raw foods. As I read and educated myself more in this field I apply my learning’s. Now I am doing wheatgrass for it’s many benefits. The main benefit is chlorophyll because this helps build red blood cells, which in turn will brings more oxygen into my body. This will definitely help me attain my goal of reversing my pulmonary fibrosis and the use of oxygen at exertion. I believe my next phase in this diet will be to start going my own sprouts. I have started incorporating sprouts into my green smoothies daily. I have to read a couple of books on sprouting and be on my merry way.

Raw nutrients of the day:
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
1 banana
1 quinary 1 vitashake

"You can't cross a sea by merely staring into the water." - Rabindranath Tagore

Celebrate Life,
Alma

You've come a long way baby...

I was really looking at the foods I ate the other day and I just grinned. My thoughts were along the lines of how far I have come. I am proud of what I have accomplished. I am proud of the person I have become and the lifestyle I have chosen. I do not think I would have been able to make those statements 3 years ago but the fact is that I can say them now. Years ago I did go through a craze for fast food but that was not what my diet was about. I had my basic standard American diet with a starch and protein and a vegetable at lunch and dinner with a diet soda. I ate deserts and had a breakfast of coffee with a bagel. Coffee with a sugar substitute as a snack and an appetite suppressor, or so I thought. Now I look at these foods like simple carbs (starch), dead animal meat (protein), acid forming drinks (coffee and diet soda), blood glue (bagel) and powdered carcinogen (sugar substitute).

Accomplishment of the week:

This past Thursday we only had 8 women show up for volleyball. In the past I attempted to play with 4 women on one side but I would get home and basically pass out and be non functioning the next day. It would take me 36 to 48 hours to get back to normal. Many times when we play I will always be on the side with the extra person because of the strain that it puts on my lungs, heart and body. I actually declined playing a few months ago because there would only be 4 players on my side. Well I realized this past Friday that I had played for 2 hours with 4 women on my side. I came home bathed, watched Survivor and went to bed after 11PM. I woke up Friday and everything was normal. I did not realize this accomplishment until I was speaking with my mom. I was so shocked that I could not talk. I really could not make a sentence when I realized how great I felt only 16 hours later. I am grateful for this and for raw foods. I know that my this lifestyle has helped me tremendously and I am going to continue to THRIVE.

Raw nutrients of the day:
1 oz wheatgrass
16 oz green smoothie
8oz fresh squeezed OJ with sprouts
1 oz E3Live algae
8 oz chocolate pudding
1 oz wheatgrass few pieces of mango
1 banana
1 sweet potato
1 carob coated banana with coconut and nuts
1 slice mango-banana pie
8 oz herbal tea
2 bags nuplus
1 oz wheatgrass

"There's only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give everything." - Vince Lombardi

Celebrate Life,
Alma

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

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Alissa Cohen Raw Food Store