Author Archives: rawgirl

Recipe! Vegan Pecan Cookies

health

Pecan Cookies

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig

Ingredients (Makes 18 cookies)

• 1 ½ cups crispy pecans

• 6 tablespoon softened butter or 6 tablespoons coconut oil

• ½ cup succanat or maple sugar

• 1 cup arrowroot power

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• Egg Replacer: equivalent of 1 egg white

• 18 crispy pecan halves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300˚F.

Place the pecans in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients (except pecan halves) and process several minutes until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the egg replacer. Use two spoons to drop the cookies onto a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Press a pecan half onto each cookie. Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Let cool completely before removing to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.

For crispy almond cookies, make them the same way, substituting 1 ½ cups almonds for the pecans and ½ cup coconut oil or softened butter for the fat measurement. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the ingredients as well. Press an almond into each cookie.

How Your Diet Affects Your Sleep

health

via Huff Post UK

In Thomas Cogan’s book The Haven of Health, he discusses the connection between foods ingested and quality of sleep in his 1584 book, and makes claims that digestive “vapors” from meat, milk, and wine create good sleep. I read about this and was literally like WTF? Meat vapors will make people sleep better? Only because this was written in 1584 AD I’ll give Mr. Cogan a pass. However, the amazing nonsense that is out there sometimes is baffling. Anyone who has tried a raw vegan diet knows that actually, the cleaner your diet gets, the more your energy skyrockets and you may finding yourself needing less sleep to feel refreshed. When I go on fully raw binders for a few days I find myself jolting up at 5:30 or 6 am and running on full throttle throughout the day. So the meat vapor thing sounds cray cray to me and luckily there’s some science to back it up. Although the term “good” sleep needs further interpretation, current research does support that diet does indeed have a direct effect on sleep patterns.

In a study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, findings published in 2013, researchers identified different associations between sleep time and the types of nutrients the participants ate. The study found that very short sleepers consumed less tap water, total carbohydrates, and a compound found in red and orange foods, compared with the others. Long sleepers consumed less of a compound found in tea and chocolate, in addition to choline, which is found in eggs and some meat. Long sleepers also consumed more alcohol. In Russell Fosters TED Talk entitled “Why do we sleep?” he sums up why alcohol shouldn’t be relied upon long term to fall asleep: “alcohol doesn’t provide a biological mimic for sleep it sedates you; so it actually harms some of the neurological processing going on during memory consolidation and memory recall.” The American Academy of Sleep Medicine conducted a study in 2016, and found that eating LESS fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar is associated with lighter, less restorative, and more disrupted sleep. Typically a good whole food plant-based diet is full of fiber, low in saturated fats, and low in refined sugar, which will make for good sleep.

It’s not uncommon for people who have improved their diets to report that they feel energized during the day and sleep better at night. According to the study at Perelman the very short and long sleepers consumed a less varietal diet than those who were considered normal sleepers. Although there is more research needed to ascertain how changing one’s diet can change sleep patterns, according to the research study entitled, “Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity,” it is clear that not getting enough sleep can decrease the proportion of weight loss as fat by at least 55%, and can promote unhealthy dietary cravings. Thomas Cogan’s original claims that meat, milk, and alcohol contribute to “good” sleep could be reinterpreted behind the lens of current research to say that in some people those substances cause longer sleep, which doesn’t necessarily equate to the highest quality of restoration. Instead it points to the fact that their bodies’ most likely need a longer period of time to restore, process, and cleanse given the kind of food they are consuming. -Xo Raw Girl

References:

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (2016, January 14). What you eat can influence how you sleep: Daily intake of fiber, saturated fat and sugar may impact sleep quality. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 16, 2017 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160114213443.htm

Grandner, M., Jackson, N., Gerstner, J., & Knutson, K. (2013). Dietary nutrients associated with short and long sleep duration. Data from a nationally representative sample.Appetite, 71-80.

Foster, R. (Director) (2013, June 1). Why do we sleep?. TED Talk . Lecture conducted from TED Global.

Nedeitcheva, A.V., Kilkus, J.M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D.A., & Penev, P.D. (2010). Insufficient Sleep Undermines Dietary Efforts to Reduce Adiposity. Anals Of Internal Medicine. 153(7), 435-W.163.

Have you checked out my new online classes yet? In my new course, Staying Ageless 30+ you will learn about Diet Basics, Lifestyle Factors, and elements of Longevity that promote an ageless way of life. Over the course of three modules you learn what to eliminate from your diet to stay ageless, how to ensure your body is receiving adequate nutrition, powerful detox rituals you can incorporate to increase your longevity, beauty remedies that will leave you glowing, and how to exercise effectively and get results. In addition you will learn health lessons directly from renowned longevity and health experts that will equip you to transform your lifestyle. You can still enroll! Check out the class HERE to preview the curriculum our save your seat! -Xo

Healthy Action of the Week: Check Your Body Fat Percentage

diet

I hate the gym y’all. No really, I do. Lately I have preferred pilates and yoga to being in a gym environment. But beginning in August, I added a weight training gym routine back into my routine. Why? I started to feel like my body needed it, and boy was I right. A couple years ago, I wrote about how a check up with a trainer shocked the heck out of me! In that session I found out that my body fat percentage was literally that of an obese person even though I am tall and lean. My percentage was above the healthy range, and at the time all I was doing for exercise was a whole lot of yoga. Learning this prompted me to get serious about adding weight training to my routine. When your body fat percentage is above the normal range it can put you at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and host of other not so pleasant conditions.

Fast forward to August of this year, I popped into the gym the first week for a check up and this time, my body fat percentage was in the healthy range (YAY!) but at the high end of the healthy range (Meh.) It had lowered 3-4% points. I was happy it was normal, but determined again to see it drop further. These visits caused me to do a little more digging—-it seems that our body fat percentage can give us a little more information than even BMI about how our health is doing and potential risk for disease. This weeks healthy action is for you to find a body fat percentage scale at your local gym and find out where you stand on the spectrum. If you are high, at least you’ll be aware and able to start changing up your workout routine now to get back in the healthy range. It’s November now and I wanted to give myself three months of consistent training before my next check up. I’ll report back soon with my latest results. -Xo Raw Girl

Too Many Reasons to Love Fennel

Living la Vida Raw

So I have to admit…I was completely sleeping on the awesomeness of fennel. Fennel, scientifically known as Foeniculum Vulgare Miller, is one of those root vegetables that you will likely pass in the veggie aisle and not even give a second look. Fennel, thought to have originated in Southern Europe and Mediterranean regions. is a root vegetable related to carrots, parsley, dill, and celery. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C (17% of the daily value), fiber, iron, B vitamins, potassium, folate, and more. Fennel can provide relief from anema (thanks to it’s iron content), and is also useful for boosting immunity, curing constipation or flatulence, respiratory disorder, menstrual disorders, and improving eyesight. Dope part is every part of the vegetable can be used including the root bulb, seeds, and the wispy leaves. For centuries, Ancient Chinese medicine incorporated fennel to treat congestions, sitmulate apetite, and even increase the flow of breast milk. Essential oil extracted from fennel can offer relief from an upset stomach, and fennel tea can soothe a sore throat. Not to mention it’s sweet licorice like flavor has made it great to freshen the breath, so it’s often found in natural toothpastes. Need I say more? I fell in love with fennel again when I added it to my Ultimate Beauty Salad. Hope that now you know more about fennel’s awesome nutritional profile and uses for ailments, you might need to consider doing a double take the next time you spot fennel in the veggie aisle. -Xo Raw Girl

Recipe! Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

You can sauté these in advance and refrigerate for up to four days or freeze for up to a month. Heat uncovered in a 350˚F oven to rewarm.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

• 1 ¾ cup cooked black beans (start with ¾ cup dry)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil plus more for sautéing the burgers

• 1 cup diced onion

• Salt

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon chile powder

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 cup bean cooking liquid or water

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seed powder, plus more for coating / can also use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of powder or a gluten-free flour.

Instructions

• Dry toast the sunflower seeds in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until they color and start to pop, about 3 minutes. In a spice grinder or food processor, finely grind the sunflower seeds. Set aside.

• Warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté 7 to 10 minutes until softened.

• Add the garlic, cumin, chile powder, and oregano; and sauté another minute. Add 1/3 of the beans with 1/3 cup water (or bean cooking liquid if you have cooked them fresh), mashing the beans with a potato masher or fork. When the liquid is absorbed, continue with another third of both the beans and 1/3 cup water. Continue mashing until most of the beans are broken up and the mixture is chunky. Do this 1 last time with the last 1/3 of the beans and the last 1/3 cup of the water. Cook, stirring constantly at this point until the liquid is absorbed and the beans are very thick but not completely dry.

• Transfer the beans to a medium bowl to cool until handleable, about 15 minutes. Stir in the sunflower seeds and 1/4 cup of the pumpkin seed powder. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Spread a layer of pumpkin seed powder on a small plate. Form the bean mix into a log about 12 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wider. Slice the log into 12 small patties.

• Dredge each patty in the pumpkin seed powder.

• Sauté the burgers; Warm a tablespoon oil in a medium non-stick skillet. Add the patties and sauté in batches until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Add more oil if necessary, just enough to have a thin film. Serve hot.

Reframing Exercise: So You Hate to Move?

exercise

Do you hate exercise? Are you one of those people who cringes or all of a sudden feels like you need a nap when you hear the word gym? This post is for you boo! The human body is designed to move, and as you’ve probably heard exercise can not only take years off your life, but can also assist in preventing a host of diseases and reduce stress. “It would appear that cardiovascular conditioning has physiologic characteristics which would counterbalance those induced by such stress. Accordingly, it appears logical that cardiovascular conditioning by aerobic exercise techniques is an effective therapeutic tool,” (Roberston,1976). So there’s no debate you should be exercising, but since that’s a dirty word lets think about the “E” word a little differently. First off try committing to a minimum goal of 15 minutes per day of activity. Why will this help you? Well, a 2011 study published in Basic and Applied Psychology showed that: “leading individuals to mentally reframe the time required for an exercise program (e.g., 2hr per week) in terms of the equivalent daily amount (e.g., 17min per day) reduced the perceived time commitment and increased people’s willingness to try the program.” Next, in order to get in your daily time, you don’t need to be at the gym. There are a host of things you can inject into your busy route daily that can help you get a little more movement into your life. Below’s a short list of a few things you can consider. Creating group activities with your family or friends can help it feel more like fun and less like –Xo Raw Girl

Park far away from your car and walk to the store
Take the stairs rather than the elevator
Buy a pedometer, track your daily steps and set goals to increase your steps weekly
Gardening
Playing tag or dancing around with kids
Chores around the house
Bike riding
Taking a pool day and swimming
Walking in a park
Bike riding with your entire family

References:

Eliot, R. S., Forker, A. D., & Robertson, R. J. (1976). Aerobic exercise as a therapeutic modality in the relief of stress.Advances In Cardiology, 18(0), 231-242.

Peetz, J., Buehler, R., & Britten, K. (2011). Only Minutes a Day: Reframing Exercise Duration Affects Exercise Intentions and Behavior. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 118-127.

Recipe! Dangerously Yummy Vegan Blueberry Oat Bars

baking

BLUEBERRY OAT BARS : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups oat flour

2/3 cup coconut palm sugar

1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) Earth Balance or 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

Blueberry Filling:

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons oat flour

1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries or mixed berries of your choice

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Earth Balance or Coconut Oil

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use earth balance or melted coconut oil to butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with parchment paper if you have it (to help remove the bars.)

2. Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add earth balance or coconut oil and pulse until loose crumbs form. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the mixture, place in a medium bowl. Keep this at room temperature.

3. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a metal spatula to press the crust into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. This is a very dry mixture. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. This will ensure a firm crust. 4. In a medium bowl, whisk lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the blueberries, lemon juice and coconut oil or earth balance and use your hands to toss gently until the blueberries are evenly coated. 5. Spread filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture on top of the filling. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges a little. 6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into bars. you can eat before it cools but it will be more of a crumble, and once it cools all the way down will be firm bars. Keep refrigerated for up to two days in an airtight container. Eat up and enjoy! -Xo Raw Girl

Got Mg? How Magnesium Deficiency Can Stress You Out

health

via Huff Post

As the saying goes: “I’m too blessed to be stressed,” but if I don’t supplement my Mg, stress could show up at my front door anyway! Did you know deficiencies in certain nutrients can actually create stress or exacerbate the stress in your life? Crazy, huh? “Well insufficient amounts of just one mineral, magnesium, can result in anxiety, asthma, anorexia, birth defects, hardened arteries, mental disorders, hyperactivity, hypertension, hypothermia, insomnia, menstrual pain, muscle weakness, tremors, seizures, AND it’s been linked in studies to be associated with increased risk of cancer development.” There’s a past article on Mg on my site, but because it’s such an important mineral, I’m revisiting it again and including some of the same info.

Here’s the deal when it comes to stress and magnesium: lack of magnesium tends to magnify the stress reaction, which in turn creates more stress and worsens the problem. Research has shown that adrenaline and cortisol which are by-products of our “fight or flight response” when we are anxious or in danger are directly associated with decreased magnesium. The problem with stress and “fight or flight” is most often we have that response to things that are not life threatening at all. The response is meant to assist us in times of danger, but it becomes detrimental to our health if our stress levels are way up consistently for drama at work, toxic relationships, unexpected tragedy or whatever stressors may show up in our daily lives.

Moral of the story? If you want to reduce your stress levels magnesium is your new bff. Magnesium and stress relief go together like peanut butter and jelly. So it’s important to take a look at your diet and ensure you are getting in some Mg rich foods.

The RDA and UL (Tolerable Upper Limit) levels for magnesium for adults (over 18) are as follows:

RDA	Age	Male	Female
	19-30	400 mg	310 mg
	31-50	420 mg	320 mg
UL	19 +	350 mg	350 mg

Mg can be helpful as a therapeutic intervention for these conditions:

Anxiety, irritability
Insomnia
Muscle cramps
Hypertension
Cardiovascular diseases
Diabetes mellitus
Migraine headaches
Asthma (as intravenous infusion for an acute attack)

Food Sources of Magnesium

Mustard greens, blackstrap molasses, turnip greens, sea vegetables, green beans and collard greens, spelt, cucumber, bell peppers, celery, kale, cantaloupe, cacao, brazil nuts, almonds, cashews and a variety of seeds, including sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseeds. -Xo Raw Girl

References:

Haas, E. M., & Levin, B. (2006).Staying healthy with nutrition: the complete guide to diet and nutritional medicine. Berkeley: Celestial Arts.

Ross, A. C., Caballero, B. , Cousins, R. J., Tucker, K.L. & Ziegler, T. R. (2014). Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. (11th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

National Institutes of Health. 2016. Magnesium: Fact sheet for health care professionals. Retrieved from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Aldrich, N. (2016). Magnesium. Retrieved from https://learn.muih.edu/courses/4673/pages/magnesium?module_item_id=108286.

Healthy Action of the Week: Get Yo Greens In!

greens

Every day this week try to incorporate fresh organic green vegetables in at least one meal. Your body will thank you. -Xo Raw Girl

Some benefits of chlorophyll found in green vegetables include:

Increases the functioning of the heart
Improves the health and wellness of the intestines
Cleanses the liver
Improves the overall health of the vascular system
Maintains healthy bones and strong muscles
Protein. Yes! Greens have protein
Lowers or maintain healthy blood pressure
Helps body to detox and cleanse of impurities naturally
Improves the quality of your skin
Can increase the quality and quantity of your red blood cells because the compound has a chemical composition very similar to hemoglobin
Can lower your risk for developing certain types of cancer

***Warning: eating a larger amount of green vegetables may accelerate healing or cause an increase in joie de vivre, sexiness, youthfulness, and overall magnetism. Heed this advice at your own risk.****

The Skinny on B Vitamins

B vitamins

We’ve all heard about RDA or recommended daily allowance for vitamins and minerals that are set by the Food and Drug Nutrition Board and give us the estimated minimal amount that people need to consume in order to avoid deficiencies. However, the optimal level of consumption of any micronutrient should actually fall well above the RDA for maintaining adequate nutrition and optimal health. B vitamins in particular can be consumed several times more than the RDA. When it comes to the optimal level, it’s an amount that can be consumed in order to allow for the nutrient to provide proper functioning while now allowing symptoms of toxicity to develop or any adverse symptoms. B-vitamins are essential for the metabolism of glucose, act as co-enzymes in mitochondrial aerobic respiration, and are instrumental in cellular energy production and the production of ATP (basically the process of turning our food into energy).

How B vitamins get to the brain?

The B vitamins for brain function are actively transported across the blood barrier by dedicated transport mechanisms. Cellular uptake mechanisms dictate the distribution of where all the B vitamins are allocate once in the brain. Following that B vitamin levels are controlled by several homeostatic mechanisms which guarantee that brain concentrations remain comparatively high. Much of the evidence related to the impact of B vitamins on the brain has not been consistent. Some studies suggest that B vitamins do have significant benefits to brain function.

The pentose phosphate pathway is a necessary step in the synthesis of fatty acids, steroids, nucleic acids and the aromatic amino acid precursors to a range of neurotransmitters and other bioactive compounds essential for brain function. In essence B vitamins will help keep our thinking sharp and keep us from going cray cray. Thiamine is a coenzyme in that pathway and acts as a cofactor during metabolic processes and contributes to the structure and function of cellular membranes.

Why you care? Although B vitamins are totally essential, prevalence of B vitamin deficiencies has increased in developed societies. Figures calculated for RDA and other nutritional requirements have barely changed over the past four decades despite glaring facts that point to the decreasing ability to absorb nutrients from our food and soil. Studies have found that populations in developed countries such as the U.S. do not consume the RDA of B vitamins. As obesity continues to climb there is a clear relationship between obesity and malnutrition because the SAD (Standard American Diet) consists of too much high fat, sugary, processed or fast foods which have little to no nutrition in the form of vitamins and mineral. Large portions of developed populations have been shown by studies to have biochemical levels of B vitamins that could cause deficiency related diseases, or reaching levels considered “marginal deficiency” which isn’t completed deprived but still not optimal either. All of these factors are a part of why deficiencies in developed societies occur.

Supplementation

Studies have shown that supplements higher in B vitamins and lower in other micronutrients have stronger effects than supplements with lower levels of B vitamins and higher concentrations of other micronutrients. So it may be wise if supplementing to purchase a B-complex or B vitamins as separate from your daily multivitamin. Some foods rich in essential B vitamins like B1, B2, B3, and B5 include: spirulina, goji berries, beans, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, dandelion greens. –Xo Raw Girl

References

Kennedy, D.O. (2016). B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy – A Review. Nutrients. 27(8), 2. doi: 10.3390/nu8020068.

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