Breath

How does Breath-ing relate to a Raw foods diet? Most interestingly, of all the different diets I have experienced, and investigated, the Raw foods diet most completely embraces a Holistic approach to living. Fully addressing any and all aspects of components that make our terrain healthy, and fully capable of sustenance.
Although breathing is an autonomic (happens without control) feature we have as human beings, we do posess the ability to control the breath, both to the side of open and providing healthfulness, and to the side of closed and constricted, not providing energy and oxygen.
The subject is grand, and many have an awareness, or at least an interest in using breath as a form of relaxation, or to reduce stress. How about inquiring further, and inviting the breath to be present with you every moment, bringing a balance to everything you do?
Thanks to Scott @ GeoYoga for putting emphasis on inquiring with the breath with his Yin Yoga class on Monday night.
I highly recommend putting that inquiry to yourself as you move throughout your day, and if not aware of how to work with the breath, seek out a source of support, such as the class I just mentioned, or any method you find appropriate. Try slowing down when you eat, and work with the breath during that meal. Note any differences, even if subtle, and above all, enjoy the journey.

Local Raw Happpenings

Colette's Courtyard Cafe in downtown Stuart, hosts Raw dinners. I received a message that there will be one tonight. I apologize for not posting all the details, but if you are interested, look her up, and call to find out more.

Also, @ Shimmering Pines in Jupiter, Toni Sanchez will be presenting a series of lectures and demonstrations involving Raw foods, Organic Gardening and Sprouting.
Each Tue Eve in Oct from 6-7:30 is a Raw food lecture, presentation, and sampling....only $15!
Please call her to learn more and to reserve your space-341-2930
10/6-Introduction to Raw foods
10/13-Sprouts & Sprouting
10/20-Drinks-Milks, Juices, Smoothies, Kefir, Etc..
10/27-Using a dehydrator-Snacks and Main dishes
Food to taste at all....

Happy Saturday!

Recipe(s)

Thanks everyone for such a wonderful class Saturday, I enjoyed the time we spent together, and speaking with you. Please try the recipes I prepared, and you enjoyed...thank you for the positive feedback, and I look forward to seeing you again.

Smoked Pine Nut Farmer's Cheese-you can make a fermented cheese with any nut or seed, and really change up the seasoning, and additions to flavor it any way you desire. Rene Loux created this recipe in her book "The Balanced Plate", and also gives a recipe for a quick version without the fermentation process. If you don't have this book, I highly recommend it...

2 Lapsang Souchong tea bags
3 cups hot filtered water (steep tea bags in water 5 minutes)

3 cups pine nuts (ok to sub 1 1/2 cup cashews but soak in 2 cups water for 1 hour, drain and proceed)
2 tbs white miso (mellow white, chick pea, and brown rice work well)
(place nuts, tea, and miso in blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Place in colander lined with cheese cloth over a large bowl to catch the liquid(whey), and leave out in a warm place 8-10 hours. If still moist, press and extract more liquid. Place in a bowl and mix in by hand-
1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs coconut butter (oil) or olive oil
smoked or non salt to taste (celtic, sea, himalayan)

ENJOY! I will post more later or tomorrow....Rawjen

9-22
Chocolate Pudding (mousse)
2 cups Haas avacado
1/2 cup maple syrup/agave nectar, or date paste
2 tbs coconut butter (oil)
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder
(renee adds 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/2 tsp nama shoyu-nice addition, and works well without as well)
Serve with Raspberries or make your fav. raw pie crust and fill. Chill before serving (if you can wait that long!) YUM

Massaged Greens
6 cups chopped greens (I used Lacinato Kale, Chard, and Spinach)
2 tbs Olive oil
1 tbs Flax oil-or another tbs Olive
1 tbs umeboshi plum vinegar/or lemon juice
2 tsp nama shoyu
1 tsp agave nectar
2 green onions chopped
1-2 cloves garlic pressed, and chopped
2 tsp finely grated or chopped ginger
salt to taste
optional, chopped fresh, or a few pinches of dried herbs

Toss the greens w/salt. I combined all liquids and then added to greens and massaged, Rene adds them separately to the greens. Either way is awesome. Just think of how much everyone enjoyed these greens, and between 28 people we only consumed 4-5 tbs of dressing! Dressing makes up for a large amount of what people normally consume on a salad, and not usually comprised of healthy ingredients. Enjoy your greens!

What's in What

I love the notion of referencing different compounds to associate with a particular food, to not only apply the "eat from all the colors of the rainbow" approach, but also to go deeper in to the huge variety of food available, especially when I feel I am in need of a specific nutrient.
Most people know some of the more popular ones-ex:oranges contain vit C, but here's a list of some others to read and resound on. Enjoy the Cornucopia!

Cabbage-Vit C, naturally occurring lactobacilli acidolphilus, DIM-or indole-3-carbinol-anti-carcinogenic compounds, especially present and studied in fermented forms of the brassica family (broccoli, mustard, kale)

Kale-Lacinato-one of the only green leafy's that has Omega 3! LOADED w/minerals
Sesame seeds-Calcium

Hemp-complete protein, Omega 3-6-9

Brazil nuts-selenium (antioxidant, immune support)

Quinoa-highest protein of any grain (actually a seed), calcium (more than dairy milk-with cofactors silicon and magnesium-necessary to assimilate the calcium)

Amaranth-similar to Quinoa, but in addition to lysine, contains methionine, necessary to assimilate protein

Seaweed(s)-up to 38% protein, chock full of minerals and iron, vits A, B, C, and E

Grapes-the currently popular cancer fighting antioxidant Resveratrol is found in the skins, and long before we demanded commercially availabe to be absent of their seeds, the seeds contributed a host of flavinoids, aka OPC's, also powerful as an antioxidant, so I always looked for seed containing varieties, and give them a little chew before spitting them out..hard to find though, esp. organic.

Durian-high in protein

Coconut-high in lauric and caprilyc acid (anti-fungal), and Medium chain fatty acids-actually touting benefits such as breaking down fatty acid deposits in the body

Apples-high in malic and tartaric acid, able to inhibit growth of bacteria and yeast in the digestive tract.

Thanks to Renee Loux Underkoffler for writing the awesome book, Living Cuisine, where many of these are referenced from .....more to come, stay tuned!

Seasonal bounty...

Yay, it's finally here...not only are we past some of the hotter weather (accept maybe here in FL-not LOL-ing) but we are getting ready to see what the summer growing season has produced. A great way to gauge your eating, and many cultures have adopted and been applying this method for long periods of time, is to be in tune with local produce as it is availabe seasonally. My personal spin on this is if we all apply ourselves even just a small percentage of the time, it will decrease the need for the massive global transportation of goods, that way contributing to the overall quality, price, and most importantly lessening the negative impact on the enviroment...Try to find out more about your local organic growing groups, here in FL we have FOG. www.foginfo.org/
Also check out if there is a CSA in your area, www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml
(community supported agriculture), a great way to participate in a local farm, which supports the local economy, and get a supply of produce from the experience.
Check out Rene Loux's book "The Balanced Plate", and find it full of not only delicious recipes stemming from 3 different approaches- Raw, Macrobiotic, and Ayruveda-, but also full of info in line with this post. I read it over and over again, always refreshed, and finding new info.
I plan on dehydrating several recipes from her book this week for next Saturday, September 19th @ 11:oo at Nutrition Smart PSL, where I will be presenting a lecture and demonstration on Raw foods. I originall posted serving desserts @ this class from Jennifer Cornbleets new "Raw for Dessert" book, but I was mistaken, and that class is Thursday October 15th @ 6:30 pm...
Until next post, enjoy the harvest...I'd love to hear what you've been munching on!

Protein

In the last few weeks, I have had brought to my attention, concerns of those weighing pros and cons of consuming a vegetarian diet. It always seems to happen this way, as soon as a good thing gets going, the mainstream media gets involved bringing information that is partially true to skew the view of those who otherwise wouldn't delve deeper to find out more and make a conscious decision. Well since I don't know how to keep my mouth shut, I have to make an effort on the behalf of anyone interested in knowing more, and give them the option to make a decision, do the research, spread the word and make a change.
First and foremost, when relating to protein, the dietary recommendations have shifted from around 120 grams, research done in Germany financed mostly by the meat and dairy industry, around the turn of the century to the 20-35 grams recommended today. (Conscious Eating-Cousens).
Second, are you aware of the state of health of the animal based protein available for consumption? If not, do your homework. Factory farming is, in my opinion, not the source for meat if you choose to eat it. If you haven't read "Diet for a new America" by John Robbins, please do, it's a major eye opener. Dr. Rous, Nobel Prize winner and long-time researcher at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, states that 95% of all the chickens for sale in New York City are cancerous. And more research has been conducted by Dr. Virginia Livingston-Wheeler, a top cancer researcher, that the microscopic or identifiable cancer they are developing is transmissible to humans. Bottom line here, please find a way to eat "quality" instead of "quantity". Think on the past, and realize before our modern day, people had control of raising their animals, what they ate, their living conditions, and even though "people" still have that control, I am not satsified with the quality control, or the living conditions of these animals. I can go on and on with this, but let me at least let you into my brain a bit. I respect any individual that wishes to eat animal based protein, but given the statements just made, I request anyone doing so to be conscious of their actions, not only to themselves and their wellness, but to all who inhabit the planet. There is alot of information out there regarding this subject, I invite you to check it ALL out, and do your best with it.
Lastly, as far as the quality of vegetable based protein is concerned, there are a multitude of foods containing all eight essential amino acids (hemp, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, amaranth, soybeans, buckwheat, peanuts, all leafy greens, and most fruits), and I believe after all the research I have personally done, they are more easily assimilated, and provide this digestsibility not only in their composition, but in the fact they contain enzymes needed to digest them, thus relieving the body the burden of producing excess enzymes. There are arguments that these enzymes don't get past our highly acidic stomach, but if you do the studying-(go to a company's site like "Enzymedica", and take their enzyme education modules), you'll find out many of these enzymes break down in varying Ph's, and some survive stomach acid, especially proteases, designed to break down protein. Not to mention, our body can store protein, and too much (of anything) is NOT a good thing, all research on this matter points to the development of many of our most common and serious diseases (Paavo Airola-Conscious Eating-Cousens MD).
Doesn't is stand to reason that nature provides for us, what we need for sustenance, in the most simple forms, unadaltered, Raw? If not in whole, how about making a concerted effort to add as much Raw food as possible into your diet, and lessen the load of the other foods>>>your choice of course, but be informed, and make a conscious choice.

Disclaimer-None of this information is meant to treat, diagnose, or cure any health condition. It is however, meant to encourage, support, nurture, and employ you, the consumer, to be aware, and make an effort live in health and harmony with the planet you reside on...Rawjen

Smoothie time!

This smoothie is awesome for breakfast, or anytime. Change it any way you like, and consider it a base for a super charged meal. With cocoa powder instead of cinnamon, the kids devour it w/out any question. Speaking of cocoa powder, there is alot to consider when using this ingredient. Cocoa is usually processed to separate the fat from the pulp of the seed to get the dark powder we enjoy so much. It can also undergo a further process to alkalize it, also known as "dutch" cocoa, or it may simply state-"cocoa processed with alkalai"...I prefer my cocoa unadaltered, thank you very much. AND Organic...if you are unaware of the reasons to use Organic vs. conventional foods, esp. produce, check out the Organic Consumer Association's website, and also google "top 10 (or 20) reasons Organic" and you should find plenty of info..I personally go local, and Organic 95% of the time. I don't hesitate to spend the extra $, considering the burden these chemicals place on the body, I think the value of life/health far exceeds a monetary equivelant, besides these levels are a catch all for any individual without respect to EACH individuals immunicological state, size, toxic load, etc....
ALSO, to get delicious Organic raw Cocoa Powder, and where this recipe came from, contact Glaser Farms in Miami, they have an excellent supply of anything you would need to prepare raw foods. If you are in the area, go check their farm out, and know they have a market every Saturday in Coconut grove with prepared raw food to purchase, and a place to sit and eat. Awesome!

1 banana-make pieces and freeze
2-3 tbs of raw almond butter
3-4 dates
8-12 oz water
1-2 tsp cinnamon- (0r sub 1 tbs cocoa powder)
ice is optional
Other optional ingredients-hemp seeds, coconut oil, maca powder
Enjoy!